f1 Formula 1 World Championship 2018 Season Discussion

[Chasethebase Reporter]

The 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship is a planned motor racing championship for Formula One cars which would be recognised by the governing body of international motorsport, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. Starting in March and ending in November, the championship is due to be contested over twenty-one Grands Prix held in different countries throughout the world. Drivers and teams are scheduled to compete for the titles of World Drivers' Champion and World Constructors' Champion respectively.

 

Lewis Hamilton is scheduled to defend his World Drivers' Championship, after winning his fourth at the 2017 Mexican Grand Prix. His team, Mercedes, are scheduled to defend their fourth consecutive Constructors' Championship after securing their win at the 2017 United States Grand Prix.

 

An addition to the sport's technical regulations means that a new cockpit protection device referred to as the "halo", will be introduced for the 2018 championship.

 

Signed Teams and Drivers

 

 

Scheduled Events

 

 

2018 Car Launches

 

February 15th: Williams

February 19th: Red Bull

February 20th: Sauber

February 22nd: Ferrari, Mercedes

February 23rd: McLaren

February 25th: Force India

February 26th: Toro Rosso

TBA: Haas

 

2018 Winter Test Schedule

 

February 26th - March 1st: Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona

March 6th - March 9th: Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona

 

Team Changes

 

• McLaren terminated their engine partnership with Honda and instead signed a three-year deal for power units supplied by Renault. The team cited Honda's repeated failure to supply a reliable and competitive power unit as being behind the decision to end the partnership.
• Toro Rosso parted ways with Renault–allowing McLaren to finalise their agreement with Renault–and came to an agreement to use Honda power units in 2018.As part of the deal, Red Bull Racing agreed to loan Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz Jr. to Renault's works team.
• Sauber renewed their partnership with Ferrari, upgrading to current-specification power units after having used older-model power units in 2017.

 

Driver Changes

 

• Toro Rosso signed 2016 GP2 Series champion Pierre Gasly and two-time World Endurance Champion Brendon Hartley as their full-time drivers for 2018. Both Gasly and Hartley made their Formula One débuts with the team in the latter stages of the 2017 championship. Daniil Kvyat left the team and the Red Bull driver programme, securing a development role with Ferrari.
• Charles Leclerc, the reigning Formula 2 champion, is scheduled to make his competitive début in 2018 with Sauber. Leclerc, who had previously driven in Friday practice sessions in 2016 and 2017, was hired by the team to replace Pascal Wehrlein. Wehrlein was ultimately unable to secure a seat but was nevertheless retained by Mercedes' driver development programme.
• Williams driver Felipe Massa retired from Formula One at the end of the 2017 championship. He was replaced by former Renault test driver, GP2 Series regular and SMP Racing driver Sergey Sirotkin, who will make his competitive début with the team.

 

Calendar Changes

 

• The French Grand Prix is scheduled to return to the calendar for the first time since 2008. The race is due to return to the Circuit Paul Ricard, which last hosted the French Grand Prix in 1990 before the event moved to the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. The race is scheduled to be run in June, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix brought forward to April to accommodate the change. The German Grand Prix is set to return to the championship as well after a one-year absence, with the Hockenheimring scheduled to host the race.
• The Malaysian Grand Prix–which was part of the championship from 1999 to 2017–was discontinued. The Russian Grand Prix was moved from April to September in order to replace the race.

 

Rule Changes

 

Sporting regulations

• Following widespread criticism of the grid penalty system in 2017, the FIA introduced a revised set of regulations for 2018. In the event that a driver changes a power unit component, they will still be subject to a five- or ten-place grid penalty depending on the component being changed; however, should they then replace a second component, they will be moved to the back of the starting grid. If multiple drivers are moved to the back of the grid, their starting positions will be determined by the order that components were changed based on the most recent change made by each driver.
• The rules governing starting procedures will be changed for 2018, granting race stewards the power to issue penalties for improper race starts even if a driver's start does not trigger the automated detection system. The changes were introduced following two incidents during 2017; at the Chinese Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel positioned his car too far across his grid slot to be registered by the detection system; while at the Austrian Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas's start was called into question for his reaction time despite the detection system recognising it as legal.
• The FIA introduced tighter restrictions on racing licences issued to drivers taking part in free practice sessions. Candidate drivers will be required to complete a minimum number of Formula 2 races or earn twenty-five superlicense points over a three-year period. The changes were introduced to address concerns about drivers who would not be able to meet the standards required to compete in Formula One having access to Formula One cars.
• Finally, the number of pre-season test days was reduced to seven, while the mid-season test held in Bahrain in 2017 will be moved to Barcelona.

 

Technical regulations

• The quantity of power unit components a driver may use during the season was reduced from four complete power units during the entire season in 2017 to a new system where each of the power unit components is considered separately. Therefore, in 2018, each driver will be permitted to use up to three each of internal combustion engines (ICE), heat motor generator units (MGU-H), and turbochargers (TC); and two each of the kinetic motor generator units (MGU-K), energy stores (ES), and control electronics (CE).[33] Further restrictions against the practice of oil burning, where engine oils are burned as fuel to boost performance, were also introduced. The practice, which was first used in 2017 saw teams burning as much as 1.2 litres per one hundred kilometres. For the 2018 championship, this figure was revised down to a maximum of 0.6 litres per one hundred kilometres.
• The FIA banned the use of "shark fins", a carbon fibre extension to the engine cowling aimed at directing airflow over the rear wing. The use of "T-wings", a horizontal secondary wing mounted forward of and above the rear wing, was also banned.

 

Driver safety

• The "halo" cockpit protection device – seen here on a Ferrari SF16-H during its testing phase in 2016 – was introduced for the 2018 championship.
• Following a series of serious incidents in open-wheel racing – including the fatal accidents of Henry Surtees and Justin Wilson – in which drivers were struck in the head by debris, the FIA announced plans to introduce additional mandatory cockpit protection with 2018 given as the first year for its introduction. Several solutions were tested, with the final design subject to feedback from teams and drivers. Each design was created to deflect debris away from a driver's head without compromising their visibility or the ability of safety marshals to access the cockpit and extract a driver and their seat in the event of a serious accident or medical emergency, with a series of serious accidents – such as the fatal accidents of Jules Bianchi and Dan Wheldon – recreated to simulate the ability of devices to withstand a serious impact. The FIA ultimately settled on the "halo", a wishbone-shaped frame mounted above and around the driver's head and anchored to the monocoque forward of the cockpit. Once introduced, the halo concept is scheduled to be applied to other open-wheel racing categories including Formula 2 and Formula 3. Following criticisms over the aesthetic value of the device, the FIA revealed plans to allow teams some design freedom in the final version of the halo, with the device being incorporated into the chassis design from its inception rather than attached once the design was completed. The mandatory crash tests that each chassis must pass were adjusted to include a new static load test. In order to simulate a serious accident, a tyre was mounted to a hydraulic ram and fired at the crash structure; to pass the test, the chassis and the mounting points for the halo had to remain intact. In order to prevent teams from exploiting the halo for aerodynamic gain and potentially compromising its purpose, the FIA banned teams from developing their own devices and instead required them to purchase pre-fabricated models from approved suppliers.
• Drivers will be required to wear gloves containing biometric sensors which record their vital signs in order to better assist marshals and recovery crews in assessing their condition in the event of an accident.

 

Tyres

• Tyre supplier Pirelli will provide teams with two new tyre compounds in 2018. Each of the 2017 compounds is scheduled to be made softer, with a new "hypersoft" tyre becoming the softest of the nine and a new "superhard" tyre to be the hardest. The hypersoft compound will be marked by a pink sidewall, while the superhard will be orange. The hard compound, which previously used orange markings, will now be changed to pale blue.[48] The rules dictating which tyres are available were relaxed to allow Pirelli to supply a wider range of compounds. Previously, Pirelli had to provide sequential compounds; for example, ultrasoft, supersoft and soft. In 2018, Pirelli is able to supply compounds with two steps of difference between them, e.g., the ultrasoft, supersoft and medium tyres. Pirelli will also be required to manufacture an additional tyre compound that is not intended for competition. This tyre will be supplied to teams for use in demonstration events to prevent teams from using demonstration events as informal – and illegal – testing.

 

[ctebah]

Anyone got more info on the streaming service that F1 is finally launching?

[Chasethebase Reporter]

Quote

 

Sauber to launch C37 on February 20

Sauber are the latest team to announce a launch date for their 2018 car, with an online presentation of their Ferrari-powered C37 to take place later next month.

 

The Swiss squad – now officially named Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team following their recent tie-up with the Italian car maker – will field Marcus Ericsson and newcomer Charles Leclerc in the re-liveried C37.

 

It’s a combination Sauber hope will enable a step forward for the team, after a disappointing 2017 campaign in which they scored just five points on their way to tenth place in the standings.

 

 

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/headlines/2018/1/sauber-to-launch-c37-on-february-20.html

[Skiver Veteran]

Anyone willing to make some predictions on what we're expecting this year?

 

I think Seb will come back this year with a cooler head, I think he could take it this year. 

 

I don't see Bottas having a better year, he'll still be at the sharp end and will be there to pick up the pieces when others make mistakes but won't win more than 2 races. 

 

Alonso will win at least one race this year, could be a contender for the championship also.

 

Kubica will start being used a lot more in Fri Practice sessions when we hit Europe and may end up in a race seat replacing one of the younger guys by the end of the season.

 

Max and Danny Ric will score podiums but no wins, they'll both provide some of the best racing we'll see this year in terms of overtakes.

 

Torro Rosso will sadly move backwards, Honda will have fewer reliability issues, they'll see better performance gains but the likes of Ferrari and Merc will have out developed any difference.

[MightyJordan]

The UK TV schedule came out today: https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/channel-4-grand-prix-live-broadcast-sky-1000087/

 

Free-to-air races bolded

• Australian Grand Prix, 23-25 March Sky only
• Bahrain Grand Prix, 6-8 April Sky and Channel 4
• Chinese Grand Prix, 13-15 April Sky
• Azerbaijan Grand Prix, 27-29 April Sky and Channel 4
• Spanish Grand Prix, 11-13 May Sky
• Monaco Grand Prix, 25-27 May Sky and Channel 4
• Canadian Grand Prix, 8-10 June Sky
• French Grand Prix, 22-24 June Sky
• Austrian Grand Prix, 29 June – 1 July Sky and Channel 4
• British Grand Prix, 6-8 July Sky and Channel 4
• German Grand Prix, 20-22 July Sky
• Hungarian Grand Prix, 27-29 July Sky
• Belgian Grand Prix, 24-26 August Sky and Channel 4
• Italian Grand Prix, 31 August – 2 September Sky
• Singapore Grand Prix, 14-16 September Sky and Channel 4
• Russian Grand Prix, 28-30 September Sky
• Japanese Grand Prix, 5-7 October Sky and Channel 4
• United States Grand Prix, 19-21 October Sky and Channel 4
• Mexican Grand Prix, 26-28 October Sky
• Brazilian Grand Prix, 9-11 November Sky
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, 23-25 November Sky and Channel 4

Sure gonna miss Channel 4's live coverage next year when Sky's exclusive deal begins; R.I.P. free-to-air F1 (except for the British Grand Prix, apparently).

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Quote

 

Alonso joins Toyota for Le Mans debut, other WEC races

 

Fernando Alonso will race at Le Mans and other selected WEC rounds this year, his McLaren team confirmed on Tuesday.

The two-time world champion had been considering taking part in the endurance classic for several months, as he chases his dream of winning motor racing’s ‘Triple Crown’.

 

And following his debut sportscar appearance at Daytona last week, a deal has now been reached for Alonso to race for Toyota in as many WEC rounds as possible.

 

However, McLaren and Alonso have agreed that his priority remains Formula 1 – so he will miss the Japanese event at Fuji on October 21 because it clashes with the United States Grand Prix.

 

Source: Motorsport.com

[MightyJordan]

While we're waiting for car reveals, next season's Formula E car got revealed today, and it's quite a looker...

 

 

 

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Quote

 

Formula 1 to drop grid girls for 2018

 

Formula 1 chiefs have announced that the sport will end the tradition of using grid girls from this season.

The move, which will be both for motor racing's top category as well as all support events at each grand prix - including Formula 2 and GP3 - comes as part of Liberty Media's revamp.

 

F1 commercial chief Sean Bratches said that it was felt using grid girls no longer fitted in with the new brand image that Liberty wants for grand prix racing.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, he said: "Over the last year we have looked at a number of areas which we felt needed updating so as to be more in tune with our vision for this great sport.

 

"While the practice of employing grid girls has been a staple of Formula 1 grands prix for decades, we feel this custom does not resonate with our brand values and clearly is at odds with modern day societal norms.

 

"We don't believe the practice is appropriate or relevant to Formula 1 and its fans, old and new, across the world."

 

F1 is not the only sport that has been revamping its approach to using women in such a manner, with the UK's Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) causing controversy last week when it scrapped the use of walk-on girls.

 

Several players criticised the move and a petition from fans for the PDC to change its mind was signed by more than 30,000 people.

 

The darts authorities of other European nations said they would keep the long-standing tradition of using walk-on girls.

 

Source: Motorsport.com

[MightyJordan]

No complaints from me; I never really saw the point of having grid girls in the first place. There's already plenty of walking billboards around in the form of the drivers.

[MightyJordan]

 

There we go, same initiative that Formula E brought in last year.

[Chasethebase Reporter]

 

[MightyJordan]

We have our first reveal!

 

[Skiver Veteran]

Gallary of the car

 

https://imgur.com/a/WAGRa

 

There's still a bit of a shark fin, surprised the regs allow that

 

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

 

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

 

[Skiver Veteran]

Red Bull RB14 hits the track for the first time at Silverstone

Quote

Hours after the team caused a stir by revealing images of their latest challenger in special edition livery, Daniel Ricciardo took to the British GP venue to put the first miles on a car Red Bull hope will propel them back into world title contention with Mercedes and Ferrari.

Red Bull are using one of their designated filming days to complete the RB14's initial running - which marks the first time that a 2018 F1 car has been seen in action.

 

 

 

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12475/11257526/red-bull-rb14-hits-the-track-for-the-first-time-at-silverstone

 

There's a video in the link also, doesn't show much but the sound of that car pulling out the garage?! I hope that's not been buffed up for the video

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

 

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

 

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

 

[Skiver Veteran]

So far, I think Williams is winning with the best looking car.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

 

[SnoopZ]

On 20/02/2018 at 4:39 PM, Skiver said:

So far, I think Williams is winning with the best looking car.

People tastes sure vary as i was thinking the Williams car colour scheme looks by far the worst compared to all the others, its so boring.

[+JR1966 Subscriber²]

On 1/29/2018 at 5:22 AM, ctebah said:

Anyone got more info on the streaming service that F1 is finally launching?

In Australia we have Fox Sports which will show every F1 event. It does cost a minimum of $39 per month but that also covers our V8's along with every international cricket game and every AFL game live. It is an absolute steal when you break it down. It is $9 Australian dollars a week.

 

Having said that go Red Bull and our man Daniel Ricciardo. It's about time we had a Championship!

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]