The new Formula 1 season is fast approaching and we’re always trying to be optimistic, but there are some things that definitely won’t happen in 2017.
You’ve got to remain hopeful ahead of a new F1 season, especially when there are a load of new rules – like there are for 2017.
But, there are some things you’ve got to just rule out happening before the season even begins. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be proved wrong. But here are a few things that won’t be happening in 2017:
Mercedes struggling
There may be a whole host of new regulation changes for 2017 but, it’s fair to say with the budget, resources and engine, Mercedes will be at the front of the field once again. Whether they’re alone, that’s another matter. But we won’t be seeing Mercedes struggling.
Imagine if we did, though? That’d be quite a fall from grace. It would give us a chance to see Lewis Hamilton’s feisty overtaking skills though and would give both drivers an interesting challenge.
Alonso career change
We saw Fernando Alonso try his hand at being a F1 cameraman during practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix last year, when he brought back #PlacesAlonsoWouldRatherBe for a second round. He looked like he was having fun at the time, but we don’t think he’d ditch F1 for a new life as a cameraman.
No more ‘Bwoah’
Judging by some interviews and ‘bwoah’ mentions at the end of the F1 2016 season, it seems Kimi Raikkonen knows about the whole thing and how hilarious we all find it. So, what if he just stops saying ‘bwoah’?
He ditches the winter training, gets wrapped up warm inside with a load of melting ice creams and just teaches himself to not say ‘bwoah’. It won’t happen, but would be a shock if he suddenly stopped saying the famous phrase. It wouldn’t be right…
Maldonado on track
WE MISS YOU PASTOR. But, let’s face it, after his sponsorship woes and being dropped from Renault at the start of 2016, once you’re out of F1 it’s very difficult to get back in unless you’re Felipe Massa or another big name on campus. Maldonado definitely spiced up the racing but a return is unlikely, despite his optimism.
What happened to Verstappen?
Max Verstappen enjoyed a pretty mega 2016 season, scoring a win and loads of podiums. It’s clear he’ll return from the winter break with a bang and be stronger than ever this year, following a huge learning curve in his second full F1 campaign. He definitely won’t be having a quiet, uneventful and dull season!
Elimination qualifying return
We loved the elimination-style qualifying format from the first two rounds of F1 2016.
Said no one ever.
It was a dismal, disastrous rule change that took too long to sort out. Trying to improve the show ended up ruining qualifying altogether. Thankfully they reverted back to the current format and we’ll never see that format again.
McLaren Honda domination
New rules bring in new opportunities to impress. McLaren and Honda made decent progress in 2016 but despite more focus on aero and less on the power unit in 2017, it seems unlikely McLaren will replace Mercedes as the truly dominant force in F1. It’ll take a bit longer for something like that to happen, if it ever does…
Vandoorne underwhelms
You win the GP2 championship in 2015, impress in Super Formula during a ‘filler’ year and secure an F1 seat at McLaren. It’s a safe bet Stoffel Vandoorne will do well this season, after an impressive build-up. If he underwhelms, which seems unlikely, McLaren will be questioning whether their “innovative three-driver strategy” was the right call.
Hilarious press conference
F1 press conferences are pretty dull, usually livened up slightly by Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button or Daniel Ricciardo joking around, or Lewis Hamilton’s Snapchats. The format doesn’t look set to change, so we can expect more of the same.
Ugly cars
Obviously we can’t really be sure about what the new F1 cars will look like in 2017, but concept designs and comments from those in the know seem to suggest this year’s machines will be pretty awesome to look at. The more aggressive aero will make the cars sharper and more striking visually. There’ll be no phallic or stepped noses, we hope anyway…