Well then.

A return for Kubica?
Wipeout 2097 logo
Resurgent Alonso?

Hamilton to win again.

With the three engine limit, reliability will be key. My guess is that Merc will have the best performance/reliability tradeoff, they’re currently most powerful, so can detune a bit more. I guess that Merc will look at the aerodynamics of Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mclaren and should improve on slower circuits. Renault’s reliability has been poor, so I think they will have to detune a lot next year.

Teams wise, I would say Merc first, Ferrari second, then Red Bull, McLaren, and Renault, but any of those five teams picking up podiums at suitable circuits. Hamilton for drivers’ title, Vettel or Bottas second. Verstappen-Ricciardo and Hulkenberg-Sainz taking points off each other, so Alonso fourth or fifth behind Merc and Ferrari drivers.

2018 thread to continue the trend of getting shorter each year

Halo 😐

2018 Ferrari

Halo and dumb engine limit…Liberty need to sort it out. And behind paywall from 2019.

rOcKeTdOg – Member
Halo

Is it me you’re looking for?

splodgeness more like.

Honda to dominate. Lolz

Well Alonso has moved on so if the theory holds…

kimi to somehow get another contract extension despite there being younger faster cheaper drivers who are better with the media, but Vettel is scared of being beaten again so vetoes them all.

Halos to look not quite as bad as everyone thinks.

With the three engine limit, reliability will be key. 

Force India for the win 😉

If Ferrari don’t do their usual ‘we didn’t come first so let’s fire everybody’ schtick then I think it’ll be Vettel’s championship next year

The last year of “Free to air” coverage.

Ferrari to challenge then implode, Red Bull to tease, Merc to dominate..

😐

It looks like McLaren’s colours! 🙂

At least one race where every single start grid position is determined by the number of penalties rather than qualifying position.

The point is moot, because I’m not going to bother watching in 2019 if it’s behind a paywall, but part of the problem exacerbating the dullness is the repeated use of long camera shots which do little to convey how fast the cars are moving. You can’t do anything about the wide runoff areas, but some basic thought given to direction would improve the spectacle considerably.

Abu Dhabi was supposed to debut new microphones to improve the cars’ sound. I’m damned if I detected any difference. I accept that my beloved V10s and V12s are dinosaurs that belong in a different age, but the cars still sound very flat and lifeless.

And a three engine limit is going to make for some very boring racing.

, but part of the problem exacerbating the dullness is the repeated use of long camera shots

The Liberty guy said yesterday they had new camera shots planned to make it more spectacular…we’ll see!

We are considering g the spectacle on the back of one of the dullest races of the season though remember

Well it’s nice to see that Liberty Media has addressed the number one concern of motor racing fans everywhere by investing a huge amount of intellectual capital on a new logo that fits with the times.

I can only applaud this boldness of strategic thinking and it’s proof positive for all the doubters that Liberty Media are moving Formula One in the right direction.

If Vettel can get his temper under control, I think he’ll be a strong title contender.

PJM1974 – Member
The point is moot, because I’m not going to bother watching in 2019 if it’s behind a paywall, but part of the problem exacerbating the dullness is the repeated use of long camera shots which do little to convey how fast the cars are moving. You can’t do anything about the wide runoff areas, but some basic thought given to direction would improve the spectacle considerably.

Abu Dhabi was supposed to debut new microphones to improve the cars’ sound. I’m damned if I detected any difference. I accept that my beloved V10s and V12s are dinosaurs that belong in a different age, but the cars still sound very flat and lifeless.

And a three engine limit is going to make for some very boring racing.

Fully agree.

The 3 engine limit may actually spice things up as there will be more races / places lost due to reliability.

So the dominance of say Merc, wont be down to good reliability.

Results are less likely to be a foregone conclusion.

I think 3 engine rule might make it more exciting in the mid pack. The teams will have to detune the engines to make them last, restricting the use of the overtake button. So hopefully there will be a few risk takers willing to push the boundary a bit to get another position by using the overtake button more than their competitors?

Mica’s comments to Botas in the C4 coverage of the race something along the lines off “he has to work his butt of during winter and provide lots of feedback to the engineers so the car’s design isn’t totally in Hamiltons favour”

Hopefully that can happen and he can challenge Hamo a bit more. Don’t think he’s got the skills to really challenge him but should be able to put up a better fight.

The problem is that these hybrid engines are extremely expensive. The Merc engine is reportedly around 50% efficient, a quantum leap forward in utilising ways of recovering waste energy. Not too long ago, a specialist outfit like Hart or Judd could produce a reasonably competitive atmospheric engine for a comparatively tiny budget. In 2017, the absence of the likes of Cosworth is an indictment.

They’re going to have to sort out something with TV rights.
I watch on C4 when it’s live on there, and RTL but with Radio5Live audio when it’s not.
But RTL contract is up, and for the races where live is “prime time” hours then RTL abandon it in favour of the German version of Britain’s got (no) Talent. Plus RTL are the only broadcaster that can fit a 7-lap advert break in just after the start.
But then Radio5Live also abandon F1 when they need to do 2 more important sports (cricket + one other usually).

And I’ve watched practically every single race since Mansell and Piquet lapped the entire field at Brands Hatch.

Agreed, the broadcast sitch is a mess. What annoys me is that they were faced with the problem of plenty of funding but dwindling tv ratings, so they chose a paywall channel to increase revenue and further decrease tv audience.

So it’ll be intetesting to see what will happen at Sauber. With a new management team, a proper Ferrari engine and some financial backing it would be nice if they managed to lever themselves away from the back of the grid.

Will they be starting to year with two rookies though, Charles Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi?

Some one will still be at the back of the grid though. If not Sauber, who ?

Probably whoever has a Honda engine 🙂

So how do we think Kubica will get on in this weeks testing?

It will be interesting to see how he compares.

And Stroll’s dire end to the season is showing that Williams desperately need an experienced driver in the other car.

Next year will be the last I’ll watch F1 for 5 years, so it had better be good… Oh, wait.

Do businesses still invest in advertising in F1?

Hasn’t it had its day, like 5 years ago?

The only way to make it exciting is to increase competition, not limit it to a few tired old teams.

The Liberty guy said yesterday they had new camera shots planned to make it more spectacular…we’ll see!

So the World’s fastest procession is going to get even more exciting? I can’t wait…

So it’ll be intetesting to see what will happen at Sauber. With a new management team, a proper Ferrari engine and some financial backing it would be nice if they managed to lever themselves away from the back of the grid.

If rumours are to be believed, the Ferrari engines may be badged as Alfa Romeo…which is perfect timing for when F1 disappears behind a pay wall depriving some much needed advertising revenue.

They need to go the whole hog and stick a bloody great fan on the back of the Sauber Alfa.

Do businesses still invest in advertising in F1?

Santander don’t anymore!…

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/nov/26/santanders-sponsorship-ferrari-f1-end-final-2017-race-formula-one

Looks like aero is appearing on the Halo already! 😯

https://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2017/11/28/abu-dhabi-test-day-one-in-pictures/motor-racing-formula-one-testing-abu-dhabi-uae-5/

2018 will be my last season of watching F1.
Watched pretty much every single race for about 15 years from 1992/3, now getting fewer and further between and always select ‘highlights’ rather than full race.
When it goes to PPV I’m not paying to watch people pootling about saing tyres and saving fuel – pootling leads to no errors, no-one making errors means no-one else can overtake.
Are DTM or Aussie V8s available on free-to-air anywhere?

V8s (although not necessarily V8 powered anymore!) are on motorspoprt.tv (used to be Motors TV) which is on Freesat I think?
DTM is on BT sport.

Yeah Aussie Supercars is where it’s at. Although I’ve missed all of this season, so I’ve been spoiler dodging and waiting for the season review that should be coming up in the next couple of weeks.