The Official 2016-2017 F1 Offseason Thread

[RidgeBack]

Well, well. Pat Symonds (technical director) has left Williams and it seems that Paddy Lowe (executive director but is basically an R&D guy from his time with Williams and McLaren) is leaving Merc.

Is Williams spending money to get better R&D? Will Paddy move back to Williams? Bit late for next year's chassis but would mean that the updates throughout the year would be better.....

A big plus for any team getting Paddy would be the Merc info he would bring to the team.

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Confirmed:

Massa to Williams and Bottas to Mercedes

http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/38384982

[BoldUlysses]

^Wow. So Williams is basically getting free engines over this. If Paddy Lowe comes on board, hopefully that will help turn the tide at the team.

[gary88]

Not thrilled about Massa coming back tbh. Will be interesting to see what Bottas can do in a front-running car though.

[MagneZium]

Massa:



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Not thrilled about Massa coming back tbh. Will be interesting to see what Bottas can do in a front-running car though.

+1!

[badmonkey]

Crap, Massa reportedly re-signed with Williams

http://grandepremio.uol.com.br/mobile


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[badmonkey]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[adamnur]

Also lewis feels disrespected again.

[auaq]

I hope with that kind of deal Williams can put more effort into aerodynamics and more in strategy tactics.

With Bottas going to the Mercs I hope to see a stronger performance from him.

[BoldUlysses]

Also lewis feels disrespected again.

Oh, is it Tuesday again already?

I hope with that kind of deal Williams can put more effort into aerodynamics and more in strategy tactics.

With Bottas going to the Mercs I hope to see a stronger performance from him.

Same. On both counts.

[auaq]

Man, I honestly don't care if Lewis feels pathetic or disrespected or has a massive ego problem. Just drive and win races. If you lose? You lose. You win? You win.

And oh .... a big eff to the media!

[MagneZium]

Oh, is it Tuesday again already?

I can't wait for when 'keeping it real' goes wrong for Lewis. And Chappelle does a non-fiction documentary about it.

[burninator]

Also lewis feels disrespected again.

good

[xxxxxxx]

Well I wonder what Williams will do in 2018, now that Bottas is going away. Strange days...

[auaq]

Found a prototype picture of what the 2017 cars will look like. Taken from f1technical.net

[m3fuz]

It's not bad - I kind of like it. It reminds me somewhat of the early-mid 2000s cars with that short rear wing. I can only assume the configuration above is for Canada, Spa, Monza, etc.

[auaq]

Yeah, me too.

[RidgeBack]

I like the new rules/cars too - especially the tire widths. But I wish they would have allowed higher noses. I really loved the high nose cars (without the bump when they tried to first lower the nose cones).

[BoldUlysses]

I like the new rules/cars too - especially the tire widths. But I wish they would have allowed higher noses. I really loved the high nose cars (without the bump when they tried to first lower the nose cones).

+1000.

Tired of regs governing nose design (and all the other 15 million regs, for that matter).

As nice as the 2017 cars have the potential to look, it still feels like we're moving inexorably closer to a spec series.

[Def]

+1000.

Tired of regs governing nose design (and all the other 15 million regs, for that matter).

As nice as the 2017 cars have the potential to look, it still feels like we're moving inexorably closer to a spec series.

I mean... it's a formula that the cars are built to... I'd say they're pretty different even after quite a long period of stable aero rules. Things always get stagnant and looking similar towards a period of stable rules. Honestly, they probably should have done these aero changes in 2016 instead of 2017.

I don't mind the lower nose, and I think it looks better than the sky high nose from years ago. I wouldn't mind if it were an inch or two higher tho', and maybe less of a snout (not as much of a step change in the area requirements).

[auaq]

No more penis nose??

[xxxxxxx]

I guess we'll find out, but I kinda liked the 2016 cars.

[m3fuz]

No more penis nose??

No, but apparently we get a penis tail light.

[auaq]

Now there's a new rule for 2017. FIA doesn't like you and so they decided to make driver's life even more miserable by clamping down on clever clutch launch start systems. They want more unpredictable starts or in other words miserable/unsuccessful starts from the drivers for the sake of pleasing the crowds ............ [insert facepalm]

[m3fuz]

Watching 4 or 6 cars stall out every race start is not interesting.

[auaq]

I'm not sure if Fia wants to clearly rule out the anti-stall feature which doesn't leave the drivers stranded on the track in case of missing the clutch-engaging-biting point.