Regulation changes are set to shake things up when the F1 cars hit the Albert Park track this week in the 2017 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix.
The cars are wider and the tyres fatter, which is titillating fans no end with the prospect of new lap records in the making.
Speaking exclusively with motoing.com.au, Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott said: “I love it. We’ve got the fastest F1 cars in history. They’re going to be five to six seconds a lap quicker. And if you can believe it, braking 50-75 metres later down some of those fast straights.”
Rumours they may be, for now, but improved aerodynamics and more rubber on the road does suggest lap records could be crushed!
Michael Schumacher holds the current lap record of 1:24:125 sec for Melbourne’s 5.3km track, in a Ferrari in 2004. Our west coast hopeful and carsales.com.au brand ambassador Daniel Ricciardo’s fastest lap to date is 1:28:997, set in 2016.
Shaving five to six seconds of that time turns rumour to reality. But Red Bull Racing won’t be the only team reaping the rewards.
In his first online entry to Red Bull Racing’s ‘Dan Diaries’ for 2017, Ricciardo had the following to say after a short session in the new F1 car.
“It's going to increase everything – the intensity, the physicality, the fatigue factor, and I welcome that. It's cool, and it's what Formula 1 should be.
"We'll all adapt, but there's no masking that it'll be a much more physical task this year, and that's good for the fans and for us drivers.”
So what exactly are the changes on which our 2017 record-breaking hopes are hanging? Put simply, the tyres are fatter, the body is wider and overall height lower. Let’s break it down.
Tyres are 25 per cent wider which offers more grip – front rubber is 60mm wider to 305mm, while the rear rubber gains 80mm for a maximum width of 405mm.
Tyre diameter is up 10mm, but the 13-inch rims remain. Overall, the cars are now 200mm wider, at 2000mm.
The new mandated front-end shape (for all teams) sees front wings span 150mm wider, growing to 1800mm. The barge boards are longer and the floor pod 200mm wider. The rear wing height is reduced (800mm, down from 950) while the diffuser grows in both directions (50mm taller and wider).
At the weigh station, these changes add 20kg, for an overall weight of 722kg, plus tyres.
For these reasons, Ricciardo says the first round of this year's championship will be even more intense than usual.
“It's an intense time, and then comes Melbourne, speaking of intense…," he told fans online in the lead-up to the Aussie F1 GP.
The first race of the year would be intense anywhere, and when it comes with such a big change to the cars, and add to that there's one Aussie on the grid… Yeah, it'll be a full-on week.
“But I think the fans are going to seriously enjoy these cars, and we'll enjoy pushing them to get the season started properly. Can't wait.”
In just a few days, we’ll see exactly how these changes play out.
The Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix kicks into gear tomorrow (Thursday, March 23).