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‘2017 F1 cars will eliminate some corners with speed’

McLaren's technical director Tim Goss says some high-speed corners will no longer be considered as actual corners as drivers will not need to slow thanks to the 2017 F1 aerodynamic regulations.

This season F1's cars are expected to look radically different thanks to the opening up of the aerodynamic regulations, plus Pirelli's introduction of wider and fatter tyres, with speeds predicted to be three to five seconds per lap faster.

With the increased downforce and grip provided by wider aerodynamic parts and tyres, Goss has speculated a number of high-speed circuits will technically no longer be considered as corners by engineers.

"Engineers define a corner as a point on the track where the driver has to lift and essentially drive and handle the car through it," Goss told McLaren's website. "If he's going round a bend, and his foot is flat to the floor on the accelerator, we class that as a straight.

"As the new cars will be going faster, some of 2016's 'corners' will be classified as 'straights'. But because they'll be going through them faster, they'll be subjected to more g-forces - and that's still tiring on the body."

The first official glimpse of the 2017 F1 cars is not expected until February, with Force India currently set to be the first team to reveal its new car on 22nd February at Silverstone.

The rule changes, dominated by wider tyres plus lower and wider bodywork, will allow 2017 cars to be up to 200mm wider than its predecessors with bigger and striking wings.

Goss also believes the larger bargeboards will be a key visual indicator in the change of regulations and is confident all cars will look more aggressive and attractive, as set out by the requirements of the 2017 regulations revamp.

"The rear wing is also wider and lower - which helps make the whole car look lower and wider," he said. "And there are some visual styling cues that have been introduced: the rear is swept back in side-view, and the sidepod intakes are angled in plan-view. It's definitely a 'meaner' look.

"And there's a detail in the rear-wing endplate regulations; they step in - and that curviness is another styling feature that adds to the general 'aura' around the new shape."

Zdroj: crash.net