Formula 1 - 2017 Season

[MiniDave]

So Alonso is staying put at Big Mac, who could have foreseen that?

I mean besides everyone who's ever even looked at an F1 race.......

So now the onus is on Renault to provide them with a good engine - which they will use to beat them soundly at every race?

[gr8kornholio]

Isnt Red Bull still using the Renault engine?  Will be cool to see the Macs go up against the Bulls with the same power.  Think Renaults team is still lacking in either driver or aero to be really competitive.

[MiniDave]

Yes, Red Bull will have Renault next season, and Toro Rosso will have Honda - if Honda manages to get their shit together and make a competitive engine, Red Bull will have Honda in 2019.

[BruceK]

Wow.  He looked so happy racing at Indy this year, I was pretty certain he'd go for IndyCar and not F1.   

[MiniDave]

I think if Big Mac hadn't made the deal with Renault he would have jumped and been gone, but he's willing to give them one more year under Renault power.

[MiniDave]

Wow, the US GP was actually a good race!

[BruceK]

It was a great race!  I really enjoyed it.

[gr8kornholio]

Loved the race, not happy about the Max shaft, he deserved the podium.  He'd already passed him when he "cut" the corner IMO!

[MiniDave]

Fun factoid......Williams built a CVT for their F1 car in 93!

[pbraun]

It's always the rule-makers who manage to muck things up.
Max was robbed.

[BruceK]

On a happier note, nobody but nobody is missing Bernie these days.   It's easy to forget he was once around. 

[BruceK]

Great Qually!  I really thought Max was going to get P1. 

[MiniDave]

Again, nice to see someone in front that isn't a Merc!

Should be a fight at the front for a change.......

I'm down at Beaver Lake, but we have direct TV, so I'll get to see the race.

[BruceK]

Great race.  Nice to see Max win.  Incredible push by Vettel.  Really telling that Lewis was stuck at the back of the pack for so long - wondered if he was so used to leading that he had forgotten how to pass?   ;D  Lewis really joins a elite club with 4 WDC. 

[MiniDave]

Since it didn't matter where he finished as long as Vettel didn't win or finish second, I think he just wanted to make sure he was still in the race at the end. How many times have we seen him charge from the back and even make the podium? I think he was just cruising.......

Max was the only Renault powered car to finish the race!

[BruceK]

Kind of a boring last race of the season.   Nice to see Bottas win though...

And sad to see the end of NBC's F1 coverage and the end of Hobbs' broadcasting career.  I've been listening to him on F1 broadcasts since at least the late 1980s. 

And they went out with a Shooey! 

[MiniDave]

And again Verstappen finishes the race and Ricciardo doesn't......Renault are really going to have to up their game next season, since they'll have Big Mac using their engines too - can you image how McLaren will react if they have engine problems like Red Bull and Toro Rosso did this season?

And what if the Honda motor comes good next season and the Renault doesn't?

I think Renault will have a much more potent power unit next season - should make things a little more interesting from #2 or #3 on back. but I don't think 2018 is going to be much different than 2017 at the sharp end of the grid.

[pbraun]

How about this Alfa Romeo deal with Sauber?  Could be another point of interest!

[MiniDave]

Well, it's branded Alfa Romeo, but it's another Ferrari motor......top end Alfas and Maseratis both have used Ferrari motors for years now.

Just as the Red Bull motor was branded Infiniti last season, it was still a Renault motor.

[BruceK]

Well, it's branded Alfa Romeo, but it's another Ferrari motor......top end Alfas and Maseratis both have used Ferrari motors for years now.

On a related topic, low end Maseratis actually use Chrysler V-6 engines (with all the Chrysler identifying marks removed).  So, quite a big difference.

[pbraun]

Yeah........just a different set of brain power being added.......... wish Haas could get it right more often.