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2017 F1 rule changes some of the 'most significant ever'

McLaren's technical director Tim Goss says the rule changes this coming season are some of "the most significant we've ever had in the sport".

Under the changes for the 2017 F1 season, aerodynamics will again become more important and teams will also have to contend with new wider tyres, with speeds predicted to be three to five seconds per lap faster.

Speaking in an interview on McLaren's official website, Goss also pointed out that the new regulations should help shake up the order and give them the opportunity to close on Mercedes.

"Let's be clear, we're looking at some huge regulatory changes ahead of the 2017 season. We've had bigger changes in the past - the change between 1982 and '83 from ground-effect to flat floors, for example, which had a massive impact on performance. But this season's changes rank as some of the most significant we've ever had in the sport," he confirmed.

"That's likely to change the competition order - because it's such a big disturbance. Historically, that has changed the order - but then what normally happens is that the best, and most well-equipped, teams tend to rise to the top again.

"These new cars will definitely look different, and that was always one of the objectives of the rule-changes.

"The aim was to make the cars look more aggressive; to make them faster, so that F1 was very much at the pinnacle of motorsport in terms of outright speed, and to make them more difficult to drive. By that, we don't mean that they're more of a handful for the drivers, but that they're more physically demanding for them, so that they get out of the car having had to work hard - like they did in years past."

Meanwhile, Goss confirmed that Honda's 2017 engine will benefit from a new layout and revised architecture as it looks to build on the progress made in 2016.

"For 2017, the Honda engine architecture and layout have been altered to serve both for performance and packaging needs. The new power unit takes much of the learning from the past two seasons, but has been specifically redesigned for this season." 

Zdroj: crash.net