Autoweek - January 23_ 2017 magazine-pdf.org

2017 RACING PREVIEW
BOLD PREDICTION
Ferrari threatens to
leave F1 over money; Liberty
Media says “fine,” causing
a rift between Liberty and
Ferrari ally Bernie Ecclestone.
LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC (2)
THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’
YOUTH, NEW
RINGMASTER ON
THE HORIZON
FOR F1 CIRCUS
FORMULA 1
became big
business in the 1970s,
and the man who made
that happen is getting
(really) old.
Bernie Ecclestone is
now 86, and while he
shows no sign of slowing
down, the reality is that
we all slow down someday.
Things are changing
in the field, too.
In 2016, we rarely
saw Sir Frank Williams
at races. He has not
been well, and traveling is
more of a problem. We
also saw Peter Sauber
and Ron Dennis leaving
the teams they made
famous. More changes
are likely in the 12 months
ahead. Several teams
will probably be sold,
which will mean new
team bosses to keep
us all entertained.
With new people in
power comes new ideas
and the desire to do
things differently.
Recently, F1 drivers
have had careers of
15 years or more, which
can lead to a sense of
stagnation. New owners
might want to see fresh
faces and rising stars.
For example, Red Bull
teen sensation Max
Verstappen (pictured,
top) has made the sport
more exciting, and there
is a whole generation of
drivers now arriving who
could add to the fervor:
Stoffel Vandoorne, Pascal
Wehrlein, Esteban Ocon,
Lance Stroll and company
will all bring some new
energy to the sport—and
new quirks.
It might be daft, but
drinking Champagne from
a racing boot, as Daniel
Ricciardo (left) has been
doing recently, is out of
the ordinary and amusing.
It feels current and fun.
The latest generation
of F1 drivers has been
held in check by political
correctness and by overly
sensitive public relations
representatives. Hopefully,
the next generation
of drivers will be allowed
to be more human.
It’s great if Sebastian
Vettel gets worked up
and abuses people. It’s
great that Verstappen
doesn’t care what the old
folks think. Prospective
owner Liberty Media is a
smart organization, and
once the sale of F1 is
complete, it will start to
tap into new ideas much
more than has been
the case. -JOE SAWARD
For more Formula 1 preview stories, including further bold predictions
and preseason news, along with race coverage during the season, go to
autoweek.com/racing/Formula-one and follow us on Twitter @AutoweekUSA.
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2017 CHAMPION: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
ON THE RISE: Esteban Ocon, Force India
NEXT BIG THING: Lance Stroll, Williams
FORMULA 1 SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, MARCH 26
NBCSN
SUNDAY, APRIL 9
NBCSN
SUNDAY, APRIL 16
NBCSN
SUNDAY, APRIL 30
CNBC
SUNDAY, MAY 14
NBCSN
SUNDAY, MAY 28
NBC
SUNDAY, JUNE 11
NBCSN
SUNDAY, JUNE 25
NBCSN
SUNDAY, JULY 9
CNBC
SUNDAY, JULY 16
CNBC
SUNDAY, JULY 30
NBCSN
SUNDAY, AUG. 27
NBCSN
SUNDAY, SEPT. 3
NBCSN
SUNDAY, SEPT. 17
NBCSN
SUNDAY, OCT. 1
NBCSN
SUNDAY, OCT. 8
NBCSN
SUNDAY, OCT. 22
NBC
SUNDAY, OCT. 29
NBC
SUNDAY, NOV. 12
NBCSN
SUNDAY, NOV. 26
NBCSN
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10 AUTOWEEK JANUARY 23, 2017