The 2018 Season

[Chrill]

Well, yes. Ericsson-Leclerc. I'm about 80% certain this is their lineup for 2018. Giovinazzi will run as third driver to Ferrari, Haas, and Sauber. Raikkonen will remain at Ferrari for yet another year, simply because there is nobody to replace him with.

Hah.

[Chrill]

This goes just as well in the 2018 Drivers Speculation, or the engine thread, but let's post this here:

An announcement should be imminent confirming the following:
1. Carlos Sainz to Renault
2. McLaren to use Renault engines for 2018
3. Toro Rosso to use Honda engines for 2018

Step 2 of this could include:
1. Carlos Sainz to Renault as soon as Malaysia
2. Palmer leaves Renault
3. Pierre Gasly replaces Sainz at Toro Rosso

Step 3 of this could include:
1. Alonso stays at McLaren-Renault for 2018
2. Matushita to Toro Rosso-Honda for 2018, leaving McLaren since they are no longer tied to Honda.

All these announcements should happen before or during the Singapore GP next weekend.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/131722/sainz-renault-deal-sets-up-mclaren-changes

All but the last one:
Hah.

[Penfold]

I'm bowing to your greatness as I type this.

Hammy quickest but only a tenth ahead of Max.  Merc was half a second clear of the field after P2 last year so hopes are raised of a proper fight in the offing.

Sauber currently adrift at the back....

[Chrill]

Yes. Sauber sucks this year too. That's a bit of a shame. They needed a boost this year, and well I guess it won't happen for the flyaway races anyway. Sure they don't yet know and understand the car, but even then they are simply too slow. Over half a second behind the closest team.

[Penfold]

Charlie Whiting has spoken and all who insist on using race helmets to differentiate drivers will listen to his words and be free of such arcane trappings: https://www.racefans.net/2018/03/23/fans-dont-need-see-helmets-identify-drivers-whiting/

I don't know (or care to know) the driver numbers, and anyway they are far harder to pick out on a moving target than a helmet-sized blob of colour.  So then I should use the cameras as an identifier: the black one is team leader, the yellow is for the second chap.  But do I know who drives car no. 1 at all teams... no, I do not; and if I did learn this the process becomes: ah, now that was the yellow camera on the Toro Rosso so that must be their second driver Pierre Gasly (it could be Hartley, I have no idea).  Not as quick (for me) as using the helmet, plus I'm not even sure how easy it is to notice the cameras - guess I'll have to try it on Sunday.

[Matt]

I didn?t think the helmets were that much harder to see than normal. It will be hard to identify drivers if they have a similar helmet to their teammate, but it was anyway.

[Chrill]

The helmets are rather difficult for me since I only know maybe a third or half of them. I usually go with numbers, because those I know by heart. Except for perhaps the newest ones, I can't yet tell the Toro Rosso guys apart. I do know 9 is Ericsson, 16 is Leclerc, 2 is Vandoorne, 55 is Sainz, 7 is Raikkonen and so on.

[Penfold]

Found it an effort to see the helmets so mainly picked out drivers based on which other cars were around them - directors tend to focus on cars in pairs/groups rather than solitary vehicles.  Halo is still absolutely hideous to me in a head-on shot, and I realised on Sunday just how often these are used.  Real shame that we've lost the shoulder cams because halo blocks most of the picture, and that the T-cam gives us a close-up of the halo rather than seeing the car's nose & suspension.

[Matt]

I barely even notice the halo on the head-on shots, it stands out a lot more from the side. It blends in with the car from the front. I?m not saying it?s attractive, but I can?t wait for people to stop talking about it constantly. It?s there. It is what it is.

Kind of like my apostrophes turning into question marks. Not ideal, but everyone gets the point.

[Penfold]

Whereas I barely notice it from the side.  How odd.  Anyway, I won't really talk (complain) about it anymore because it doesn't undermine the racing... that's the job of the over-developed front wings and an excess of aero in general.  I continue to pray that Ross Brawn hacks away at it in favour of more ground effects aero.

[Chrill]

I'm afraid 2021 is the year they are aiming for in terms of new aerodynamics. I quite like the profile of current cars, but the front wings are excessive.

Surely, it should be easy to mandate some sort of clean air rear diffuser part. Something like a grade of how much bad air a car is allowed to produce. I'm sure teams happily add something to the car that provides dirtier air even if doesn't help their own lap times.

[Penfold]

I don't see why for 2019 they couldn't mandate the maximum number (or surface area) of planes/flaps/plates (whatever they're all called) that can be used on a front wing - and probably in the barge board area as well.  Cars will be slower in the twisty bits but it should be easier to follow; and in 2021 really hack away at the front wings and allow some ground effects to compensate.

[Chrill]

While I agree with you, I sadly don't make the rules!!

[Penfold]

Of course not.  Over the years that's been left to people who seemingly don't actually watch F1.

[Penfold]

Ferrari (also McLaren & Haas) taking eight sets of ultra-softs per car to China, two more than Merc's drivers will have: https://www.racefans.net/2018/04/03/ferrari-select-ultra-softs-chinese-gp/

Seems like an extra visit to the pits may be in the offing for Seb & Kimi - assume Merc will do a one-stopper.