Jack Leslie: Individual Project

Jack Leslie w1425361 Final Journalism Project Individual Project - A collection of 2017 Formula 1 preview stories, destined for F1 Racing magazine’s March issue

The next Flying Finn?

Exploring Valtteri Bottas’ journey from a small town in Finland to a drive at Mercedes.

Words by Jack Leslie

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eplacing the reigning world champion at Formula 1’s frontrunning team is a tough task.

Valtteri Bottas certainly has some big shoes to fill, but we doubt he’s too worried about the new season.

Nico Rosberg’s departure from F1 in December, just days after clinching his maiden championship title, not only shocked the motorsport world but also left a prime seat vacant at Mercedes, the dominant force in F1 from 2014 to 2016.

Rosberg’s late decision to retire from F1 left Mercedes with limited options.

Junior drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon were in the frame but had little experience, while multiple champions Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, and impressive Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, were all wrapped up under contracts for the year.

Mercedes eventually opted for Bottas, a safe bet in the grand scheme of things, but arguably the best of the options available. The Finnish driver has a strong racing pedigree following an impressive rise to F1 with Williams, which saw him debut in 2013, and his cool, calm and typically Scandinavian attitude should serve him well alongside Lewis Hamilton.

Born in the small town of Nastola in southern Finland, Bottas started racing at a young age – as all drivers do, these days. Having caught the bug from a brief go-karting track encounter, he entered his first kart race at the age of six and picked up national and international karting championships over the next 2

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decade, before taking the big leap up to race cars in 2007.

Formula Renault 2.0 has long been the natural next step after karting and Bottas immediately impressed, finishing third in the NEC series and winning three of the four UK Winter Series races (although he wasn’t eligible for championship points as he didn’t have the required license).

Having made an impact early in his single-seater career, 2008 saw Bottas take his first single-seater championships with overall victories in FR 2.0 NEC and Eurocup. Graduating to Formula 3 with front-runners ART Grand Prix brought moderate success, although he failed to clinch titles.

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The Finnish driver has a strong racing pedigree following an impressive rise to F1.

He finished third in the European championship over the next two seasons and made up for a lack of overall titles by winning the prestigious Masters of Formula 3 event twice, as well as placing third at the famous Macau Grand Prix – renowned for being one of the toughest single-seater races in the world – in 2010.

Bottas was clearly doing something right with his early F3 performances because he caught the attention of the Williams F1 team, joining as a test driver in 2010. It proved to be a pivotal moment in his development as a driver, but also piled more pressure on his

young shoulders. So, the side-step across to GP3 for 2011 was, perhaps, a safe move.

As one of the more experienced open-wheel racers in the field, he was the clear title favourite. Despite a slow start to his campaign he bounced back and claimed four wins on route to wrapping up the title with one race to spare. It added to an already-impressive resume. Having continued his Williams test driver role through 2011, he focused on the job full-time in 2012 and completed numerous F1 test and practice session outings.

After years of work with Williams, he was finally promoted to a F1 race seat for 2013. It was a tough baptism of fire, but flashes of speed at the wheel of a woeful car showed what Bottas could do and it all came together in 2014 when Williams returned to the front of the field. Six podiums later and he placed fourth in the championship, before adding two more trophies in 2015 and one more in 2016, as his Williams team lost ground in the pecking order.

Now, Bottas has made another significant step closer to his goal of becoming F1 world champion, joining reigning title holders Mercedes alongside Hamilton. Rosberg is a tough act to follow and it’ll take time for Bottas to settle into his new role, but he has to grab the chance with both hands. Because opportunities like this don’t come around very often and with a one-year contract, Bottas has to prove to Mercedes he deserves to stick around after 2017.

Career Stats:

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Name: Valtteri Bottas Age: 27 Nationality: Finnish Team: Mercedes Previous teams: Williams Car number: 77 F1 starts: 77 (78 entries) Wins: 0 F1 podiums: 9 F1 points: 411 Championship wins: Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup & NEC, GP3

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Lighting up the F1 grid

The dawn of a new F1 season brings with it a number of fresh faces, eager to show what they can do. Here are the young drivers to watch out for in 2017.

Words by Jack Leslie

Lance Stroll

Esteban Ocon

Stoffel Vandoorne

Williams

Force India

McLaren

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he ‘pay driver’ tag will stay with Lance Stroll for some time, regardless of the results from his rookie season, but the Canadian hasn’t made it to the pinnacle of single-seater racing through the financial backing of his billionaire father alone. He’s shown impressive talent and speed throughout his remarkably short junior career.

In many respects, Stroll has ‘done a Verstappen’ and sped through the feeder categories with force. Making his single-seater debut in 2014, he won the Italian Formula 4 and Toyota Racing Series titles before a successful but erratic rookie campaign in European Formula 3 in 2015.

He caught the attention of Williams and joined the F1 team as a development driver last year, while remaining in F3 and dominating with 14 wins. Unsurprisingly, he clinched the title. In November, he was confirmed as a Williams F1 driver, having undergone extensive testing in a 2014 car to get him ready for his maiden season. He’ll become the second youngest driver in F1 history when he debuts at the Australian Grand Prix in March, at the age of just 18.

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steban Ocon is a name that has become familiar among die-hard F1 fans, following his half-season at backmarker team Manor in 2016, but this year will be a prime chance for the Frenchman to take his career to the next level.

Manor was a useful training ground for the Mercedes junior driver and with his strong links to the German manufacturer, he was picked to replace Nico Hulkenberg at Force India – who, of course, run Mercedes engines.

It’s another steady step up for Ocon after his impressive path to F1, with F3 and GP3 titles under his belt and stints at various F1 teams in test roles. He’s spent a healthy period of time working within the F1 world and has learned a lot along the way, so Ocon’s certainly ready to take the fight to the midfield.

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toffel Vandoorne isn’t technically an F1 rookie. He stood in for the unfit Fernando Alonso at last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix and scored a point. Not bad for someone who’d only arrived at the circuit on Friday, having flown in from Japan at the last minute. But he now makes the step up to F1 full-time after a year treading water in the competitive Super Formula championship.

Having finished the 2014 GP2 season as runner-up, he then took the crown in 2015 but struggled to find a seat on the F1 grid – a travesty considering his sheer speed and clear talent. The McLaren protégé juggled test driver commitments with a year in Super Formula in Japan, where he made steady progress.

2009 F1 champion Jenson Button taking some time off opened the door for Vandoorne and he’ll partner Alonso at McLaren this year at the wheel of the MCL32. There are high expectations of Vandoorne, particularly after his strong first race in Bahrain last year. Rightfully so, too. There’s a mature head on his young shoulders, so we should anticipate the Belgian driver ruffling a few feathers in 2017.

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The Short Interview: Johnny Herbert

The F1 race winner and Sky F1 pundit chats to Jack Leslie about the up-coming season.

Jack Leslie: How would you assess what we saw from F1 in 2016?

Johnny Herbert: “I was hoping Ferrari or Red Bull would elevate themselves and take the challenge to Mercedes. Red Bull did get wins like in Barcelona but with my race gloves and helmet now under the table, I want that unpredictability to come into play.

It was mostly just two drivers racing for the wins and championship, it was impressive for Mercedes but what we want to see are exciting wheel-towheel battles.”

JL: How did you react to Nico Rosberg’s retirement?

JH: “Sadly, it never happened for me, but I think I’d have made a similar decision if I’d won the title. What I saw from Rosberg in Abu Dhabi was relief just oozing from all his glands, after all the energy he put into it. A lot of people said he was brave but I think he was smart. To win it and leave at the top of his game, you’ve got to give him a lot of respect for doing that.”

JL: What do you make of his replacement Valtteri Bottas?

JH: “A lot of people rate him very highly and he has shown raw speed, but he has always been restricted by the cars he has driven. Now it is a very different scenario. He is in the

biggest team alongside arguably the best driver. He often comes across as quiet, but he has a very lovely, normal side to him and the Finnish calmness, plus wonderful racecraft too. All the elements are there but he is now under the spotlight. A tough challenge but I think he will do well.”

right way forward and the fat tyres look great. The cars should always look meaty, aggressive and be a bigger test for the drivers physically, which we haven’t had for a while.”

I don’t even have a problem with reversing the top 10 on the grid.

JH: “It’s historic in F1, there’s always new rules being brought in constantly, but there is the element of too many changes. I understand F1 wants to try and shake up the pecking order but the most important thing is the entertainment factor. I don’t even have a problem with reversing the top 10 on the grid, it should be about focusing on the racing.”

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JL: How do you feel about the new 2017 rules?

JH: “It’s about time - particularly with the new tyres, I didn’t like when we went to the narrow and grooved tyres through the 90s. The modern cars are fantastic, the speed and technology is brilliant, but the entertainment factor has to be balanced. The new cars are great for the drivers and they’ll be properly wrestling them, but looking at it as a fan, the entertainment has to be there. The main question mark is surrounding the racing itself with the reduced braking distances and more turbulent air.”

JL: And visually?

JL: Were the new rules necessary?

JL Will the new rules shake up the order?

JH: “It’s very different to predict with testing. Ferrari look good, Mercedes do too. Red Bull hasn’t been as competitive and it doesn’t look like McLaren will make the jump people are hoping for. Force India look decent, Williams is in a similar situation. Ferrari could possibly be a threat, I have heard Mercedes may be a little bit concerned.

Nothing seems to have shifted massively though.”

JH: “I have one issue on the visual side and that’s the shark fin, it looks awful. But the front wings and rear wings look good, a bit overcomplicated but beautifully crafted. Overall, it’s the 2017 Season Preview

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1 a l u m r o F e h t Re-writing rulebook…

Words by Jack Leslie

Will F1’s new rules for the 2017 season improve the on-track spectacle, or will it be back to square one?

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ormula 1 regulations are constantly being examined, analysed and tweaked. But, the 2017 season will see a whole host of considerable changes come into force as F1 looks to make cars quicker, wider and more visually appealing.

The re-writing of the rulebook comes just three seasons after the last major regulation changes, which in turn arrived only five years after the previous seismic shift in car specifications. F1 just can’t seem to make its mind up when it comes to technical rules.

Bringing in new guidelines usually shakes up the order and introduces an element of unpredictability to F1. But, it often doesn’t hit the spot and that leads to a fresh look at the regulations for a few years down the line.

The 2016 season was, largely, an entertaining one. Mercedes may have continued to dominate at the front, but the racing behind was close, lively and the gaps were closing up. Suddenly, that progress has been lost and a new set of rules has been created, bringing in substantial changes to the aerodynamics and tyres.

Will these new regulations bring in a new pecking order, or close up the 8

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field? With F1 2017 almost upon us, it’s as good a time as any to investigate.

The Rules

“The aim for the new rules is to give cars a lot more grip, but also more drag,” explains F1 technical analyst Craig Scarborough. “So, they are quicker through the corners and slower on the straights, but still have an overall lap time improvement in the range of three to five seconds.”

This has been done through a variety of aerodynamic changes, but arguably the biggest factor is the increase in tyre width, giving the new cars a slightly retro vibe, throwing back to the late 1970s and early 80s. “They are now 25% wider both front and rear, giving the cars a whole lot more mechanical grip at low speed and more performance in faster turns too,” Scarborough adds.

Tyre supplier Pirelli has moved away from rubber that degrades quickly, instead going for a more durable construction that could see fewer pit stops. Scarborough sees the tyres as the biggest element of the new rules: “You have a lot more tyre to use and that’s going to be the big job, to try and understand them – teams who are quite good at learning quickly will have an advantage.

But, that’s not to say the aero changes aren’t hugely influential. The wider and “deltoid shaping of the front wing” – as Motorsport.com technical writer Matthew Somerfield calls it – bring more downforce and make for a more aggressive exterior design, while bargeboard regulations around the sidepods have been opened up and the rear wing has become lower, more angular and wider.

The cars are 26kg heavier too, and as Somerfield explains, the bigger diffuser will bring massive performance gains: “Most of the lap time will come from the underbody downforce, the diffuser is huge in comparison to what they have had in the past. We are talking in the levels of 2006, around triple the size in terms of area compared to last year’s car. So, a huge chunk of performance will come from the diffuser itself.”

Why Change?

The 2016 format seemed to be working well. Teams and manufacturers were making inroads on Mercedes, the racing was entertaining and the cars had largely evolved into elegant looking machines – well, especially compared to the cars that debuted in 2014.

But F1 became worried about the cars looking too slow and wanted to

speed them up, while also making them visually more appealing and aggressive.

Many felt the existing regulations hadn’t produced the bonkers, striking-looking cars F1 needed, and they weren’t as enjoyable to watch on track.

From my point of view, we are going backwards.

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F1 initially said it wanted the cars to be four to five seconds quicker per lap, but while that will depend on the circuit, many feel the rate of development since then has been so

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impressive, it will be closer to three seconds faster. Motorsport Week writer Will Tyson explains: “I don’t think they anticipated how much the teams would find in the past year and a half, performance wise. It’s difficult to say, there will be definitely be a gain of around two to three seconds, but nowhere near five.”

Better Racing?

While F1’s focus may have been on the looks and speed of the cars, arguably the sport’s most important element is the racing. How will these new regulations impact the on-track spectacle, will we see better racing in 2017 or worse?

Some technical experts, like Tyson, believe it might stay the same: “Although it may be more difficult to follow another car through the corners, they take longer to arrive at the next one. The braking zones will be

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shorter, but at the same time they will have more confidence to brake later due to more aero and wider tyres, so lots more Max Verstappen-style overtakes perhaps.”

Somerfield has a different view of the new rules, and others have raised concerns. With higher downforce levels, it could make it difficult for drivers to follow cars through corners, get close to them on the straights and have enough speed to dive up the inside or draw alongside.

“From a spectator’s point of view, I can only see it being problematic,” Somerfield admits. “If you increase the speed by five seconds you are actually changing the braking distances, so you are making it more difficult for the drivers to get into a position to overtake in the first place. We all know that is problematic because once you are in a lead driver’s wake, you also have aerodynamic instability.

Jargon Buster Downforce – Air flowing over the car, pushing it down into the ground.

Bargeboard – Vertical wings positioned between the sidepod and front wheel.

Diffuser – A shaped section of the car underbody, used as an aerodynamic device.

Drag – Resistance experienced as a car pushes through the air.

DRS – Drag Reduction System, a flap on the rear wing that opens to reduce drag and increase top speed.

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Chassis – The main, central part of the F1 car.

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So, from my point of view, we are going backwards.”

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It doesn’t bode well for an improvement in overtaking.

Scarborough brings a more balanced and, probably, realistic viewpoint. A big rule change usually mixes up the order and that can cause unpredictability and good racing, but once regulations stabilise and a natural order is established, the on-track spectacle can fizzle out. That’s something the tech 10

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journalist is predicting.

“Whenever you get a big shake-up of the rules, the first part of the season tends to have mixed success, so some teams that weren’t doing so well may get some of the key factors right early on but by mid-season you might get the better funded teams catching up.

So, we should see a bit of a shake-up of the order.

“But once everything has stabilised, when you look at what has happened with the aero, chassis and brakes, there is nothing there that should improve the racing. Braking zones are going to be shorter and much more aggressive, following the car ahead will be the same, if not worse than it was before, so cars following will start to struggle.

Because of the shallower rear wing, the DRS effect will be much smaller as well and two cars together are going to be some 40cm wider than they were before so there is literally less track to use. So, it doesn’t bode well for an improvement in overtaking.”

Following the F1 car launches, we know they look sharper, more aggressive and extreme. Early indications from testing suggest they will be a fair bit quicker too. But a heavy question mark still looms over the racing and there seem to be justifiable concerns surrounding this crucial element of F1. Only time will tell whether we are proved wrong or not, but it’s not particularly reassuring heading into the new season.

What about F1’s new owners?

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longside big new rule changes, F1 also has a new owner in American media giant Liberty Media.

The takeover from Delta Topco brought with it a major personnel shake-up, including long-time

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone being replaced by Chase Carey.

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F1 needs to remain relevant and stay true to its history.

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A fresh start could be just what the sport needs, but it’ll be a while before Liberty brings considerable revisions to F1 according to NBC F1 pit reporter Will Buxton.

“I think we will only see big changes come from Liberty in 2020, until that point it is going to be very much making friends in the paddock to try and force the changes through the Strategy Group. But in 2020, [the] Concord Agreement needs renewing, and at that point I think we will start to see really big political changes in the sport and the way it is run.

“The sport has been incredibly narcissistic to think it doesn’t need to change, it’s naïve because the world has changed, the way in which people watch sport has changed. F1 needs to remain relevant and stay true to its history in terms of what it is, as a premier global motor racing series. But, it also needs to be loud, scary, colourful, it needs to be just like James Bond.”

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