Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

All Formula 1 tracks to be updated for 2017's faster cars

Every circuit on the 2017 Formula 1 calendar will have to make changes to accommodate this year's faster cars, according to the FIA

Rule changes for this season include revised aerodynamics and bigger tyres, which are expected to reduce lap times and increase cornering speeds.

Australian Grand Prix organisers have already had to make changes on safety grounds for the Albert Park season opener, and F1 deputy race director Laurent Mekies said all tracks will receive similar instructions.

"Every single team has been asked to provide simulations for their 2017 cars," he said at the Autosport International Show.

"We used these simulations to feed our simulation software.

"We simulated every single track with the 2017 car, so there is much higher cornering speed. It's up to 40 km/h faster in high-speed corners.

"Every single track is receiving from the FIA a request to upgrade based on that.

"That process is ongoing; we are doing it in the order of the championship.

"Therefore, not all the tracks have received it yet, but they will. Melbourne is OK."

Mekies said F1 circuit safety is not simply about moving barriers as far away from the track as possible.

"In a straight line, we want the walls close to the track," he said.

"We want to limit the possibility for the car to take an angle and hit head-on.

"If instead you are looking at run-off areas at the end of a braking zone, we want the run-off to be as long as possible, according to the barriers we have.

"In some tracks, very often, we ask [for] the walls to get closer to the track, because if we lose a car there, we want it to be picked straight away by the walls and slide into it."

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Ex-Haas F1 driver Gutierrez talking with 'top team' about test role
Next article Nowhere for Mercedes F1 recruit Bottas to hide, Brundle reckons

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe