[Team] 2017 Car Launch Thread

[spider]

...is anyone else getting a little tired on every driver proclaiming just how much extra physical training has been required to drive these 2017 cars? I mean, they're going to be on a par with 2004-5 levels of performance, I presume? I don't recall drivers from back then making out as if the physical challenge is as extreme as the marketing departments of the teams are trying to have people believe.

Just moaning I guess, but every interview is the same angle.

[F1Guy]

I'm guessing it has more to do with body weight of the current drivers. They're being asked to get to weights less than of a catwalk model!

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by F1Guy

I'm guessing it has more to do with body weight of the current drivers. They're being asked to get to weights less than of a catwalk model!

It's a bit of a dead horse and off topic, but it's funny (sad?) how they will easily increase the minimum weight of the car to deal with larger (heavier) tires, but will not address the topic of drivers starving themselves over the course of the season to make weight.

Maybe this needs a social media campaign with an appropriate hashtag.... #driverlovehandles or #f1lovehandles

Back on topic... McLaren continues to tease the potential for a return to an orange car. At this point if they don't (or only run orange during testing) they are just setting us up for disappointment.

Richard

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by F1Guy

Not a car, but the 2017 Mexico GP launch, got a little political.



Not overly pleased about F1 getting into the US vs Mexico drama. Politics should be left out of the sport IMO.

why? everyone should have a political view and be given the right to express it. politics has always been part of sport, and sport can broadcast a positive message to millions that wouldn't usually be interested.

[chillibowl]

true, sport and politics have always been a part of each other but that doesnt mean we have to like it.

allowing political messages, however positive and right, allows for the possibility of negative messages to also be included and F1 has seen its fair share of those.

and if politics is allowed in why not messages of a religious nature too?

plus there is the issue if the Mexican GP's political message will have an adverse effect on the Austin GP held one week earlier.

i was pretty vocal in my distaste when BE let Putin into the drivers pre podium room a few years back (and the Turkish GP podium incident many more years back)...its only fair that i continue to express my distaste about mixing sport and politics even when it supports a message i agree with.

anyways, this is being talked about in the parc ferme trump thread.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

Back on topic... McLaren continues to tease the potential for a return to an orange car. At this point if they don't (or only run orange during testing) they are just setting us up for disappointment.

Richard

I keep seeing 'teasers' in print and on t'internet suggesting that the future could be orange. I really would like to see it- I'm sure the cars would be several seconds a lap quicker immediately......

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

true, sport and politics have always been a part of each other but that doesnt mean we have to like it.

allowing political messages, however positive and right, allows for the possibility of negative messages to also be included and F1 has seen its fair share of those.

and if politics is allowed in why not messages of a religious nature too?

plus there is the issue if the Mexican GP's political message will have an adverse effect on the Austin GP held one week earlier.

i was pretty vocal in my distaste when BE let Putin into the drivers pre podium room a few years back (and the Turkish GP podium incident many more years back)...its only fair that i continue to express my distaste about mixing sport and politics even when it supports a message i agree with.

anyways, this is being talked about in the parc ferme trump thread.

haha true....I think theres a distinct line between pure politics and spreading messages of tolerance such as this and the gay rights in sochi

[old man]

Fitting the letter if not the spirit of this thread I am told of new Merc that will cost those lucky enough to get on the list a cool 2.3 million, not sure if that is $ or €, said to resemble an LMP car, road legal 😀

[chillibowl]

Renault RS.17: Feb 21 location TBD (read somewhere that it will be in London)
Force India VJM09: Feb 22 at Silverstone
Sauber C36: Feb 22 at Barcelona
Mercedes W08: Feb 23 at Silverstone
Ferrari (?): Feb 24 at Fiorano
Mclaren MCL32: Feb 24 at Woking
Toro Rosso STR12: Feb 26 at Barcelona
Red Bull R13: Feb 26 location TBD

also Sauber will reveal images of their new car a few days prior to their on track launch (feb 20).

[chillibowl]

sound recordings of the the Honda and Renault first fire ups.

https://twitter.com/McLarenF1/status/831539885630689286

https://twitter.com/RenaultSportF1/s...51475750989824

in fairness im not sure what exactly i should be listening for (not nearly as knowledgeable about engines as others here) but something about the Honda just sounds wrong to me...dreary even. the Renault sounds better by comparison imo but again im not sure what i should be listening for.

i do like how they made this available via social media though...a bit more insight is always a good thing.

[coppice]

I've heard better sounding engines at a clubbie race meeting. BRM V16 , Ferrari and Matra V12 and Toyota V10 noises remains unchallenged. Ironically , so do the 80s Honda and Renault V6 turbos ...

[Richard C]

Hard to judge a modern F1 engine when just at idle. I assume most of any differences you hear now would come down to engine control strategy and how they maintain idle.

Richard

[ASCII Man]

It's nothing to brag on social media about, to be honest.

[spider]

Agree, rubbish sound that. Surely nobody thinks any different!?

Liberty has a job on its hands...

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by spider

Agree, rubbish sound that. Surely nobody thinks any different!?

Liberty has a job on its hands...

Actually God help us if Liberty makes knee jerk decisions based upon 30 seconds of idle noise. . I frankly hope they focus on substantial issues such as health of the sport and specifically the quality and competitiveness of the racing.

Richard

[Richard C]

Haas launching on Feb 26th at Barcelona.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report...ar-launch-date

Richard

[JeremySmith]

Originally Posted by coppice

I've heard better sounding engines at a clubbie race meeting. BRM V16 , Ferrari and Matra V12 and Toyota V10 noises remains unchallenged. Ironically , so do the 80s Honda and Renault V6 turbos ...

The sound clips are rather pointless I agree, but when racing the F1 cars sound way better than Formula E....
We will never go back to the good old days of V10, let's see what happens after 2020 ...

[BSchneiderFan]

Slightly off topic, but has there ever been an F1 car with a flat-six? I think the Porsches of the early 60s used flat-fours.

[ASCII Man]

Porsche used an aircooled flat-8 in the 60's, I believe.

[Mike Bell]

Yes, the 804 was flat 8. The F2 car that preceded it was flat 4.

[wnut]

Ferrari ran flat 12s in the late 70s were only forced out by ground effects and the need to run tunnels unobstructed under the car.

312T was the designation.



Scheckter's 1979 WDC car was a 312 T2 (T for transverse gearbox)

[wnut]

The Ferrari 156 Dino F1 had a 120 degree V6.

[coppice]

The Ferrari Flat 12 was actually in use from 1970 in 3 litre F1 - and a glorious sounding beast it was too. Having heard turbo and n/a straight four , V6 and V8 , n/a V10 , 12 and 16 F1 and n/a Flat Four and Eight engines in F1 cars the homogenous approach prescribed by the current rules (and rules back to early 90s if memory serves ) is rather depressing .

Ferrari also experimented with a bloody great V twin at one point .

OT but a favourite engine is the 3 cylinder 2 stroke found in DKWs and some Formula Juniors - sounds like a Ferrari soprano (maybe even castrato... ) . Any other fans ?

[F1Guy]

Back to the 2017 cars.

The Williams F1 FW40.

[Matt]

Dang, that looks good.