F1 2017 PREDICTIONS DRIVERS
F1 2017 PREDICTIONS DRIVER
F1 2017 PREDICTIONS FULL

It should be closer than last year, but the Silver Arrows will have their third straight constructors' title sewn up with a race or two to spare.Īlex Livie: Mercedes.

F1 2017 PREDICTIONS FULL

Matthew Walthert: Mercedes' speed and reliability are still too much for Ferrari to handle over the course of a full season.

F1 2017 PREDICTIONS DRIVERS

The mileage covered by the team in pre-season suggests the W07 will be almost bulletproof and, unlike Ferrari, the Silver Arrows have two drivers who are guaranteed to turn up at every race. The gap between first and second will be smaller than in 2015, though.

F1 2017 PREDICTIONS DRIVER

Ferrari will be closer, but Mercedes have the better driver lineup and there are question marks over the Scuderia's reliability. Neil James: A third consecutive title for Mercedes. Ferrari's grip on second place will tighten, but the gap to Mercedes will continue to grow. Mark Patterson: Mercedes will win the 2016 constructor's championship. The bit we'll spend the second half of the year debating is where the (then) four-time world champion stands in the pantheon of history. The gap will be closed in 2016, but Hamilton will still keep his rivals at bay. Hopefully it will be a closer fight-not only between the Merc drivers, but also with the Ferraris-but Hamilton should come out on top again.Īlex Livie: Lewis Hamilton. Matthew Walthert: Rosberg won the last three races of 2015, but those came after Hamilton had already clinched the title and was using his energy elsewhere, as he told the official F1 website. He may also thrive in an underdog role if Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari can match Mercedes on a regular basis. After claiming the 2014 title, a dominant 2015 felt like the natural next step for Hamilton, but can the Brit really be trusted to win three in a row? With changes to the tyres and increased radio restrictions, you would expect Rosberg to work harder than his team-mate when it comes to understanding the requirements of 2016. Unless, of course, he has an off-year like he did in 2011.

Mercedes are probably going to have an appreciable advantage over Ferrari at most of the grands prix in 2016, so it follows that the German team's best driver is most likely to win the title. Neil James: It's difficult to look beyond Lewis Hamilton for 2016's driver's championship. Read on for our thoughts on those questions and many more. Who'll be the drivers' champion, who'll be the surprise package and which circuit will host the race of the year? Writers Neil James, Oliver Harden and Matthew Walthert are joined by F1 editor Alex Livie and B/R UK editor (and F1 lover) Mark Patterson. The eight months ahead could play out in any number of ways while one or two things about the coming season are easy to predict, the rest are anything but.Īs is customary, we asked our Bleacher Report F1 team to look ahead and give their predictions on a variety of topics. At the other end of the career ladder, veterans like Jenson Button and Felipe Massa will want to show they can still mix it with the kids. Rookies Pascal Wehrlein, Jolyon Palmer and Rio Haryanto all want to prove they have what it takes to compete at the top level. but the men in the seats they covet, Red Bull duo Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat, might be less keen on seeing their colleagues advance. So too will Toro Rosso youngsters Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr. A number of drivers are out of contract at the end of the year, and the likes of Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean will be jostling to put themselves into contention for a top drive. No one else has a realistic hope of challenging for the top spot, but there's more than just one prize in F1.

Sebastian Vettel will also have at least one eye on the title, while team-mate Kimi Raikkonen's goals may be a little more modest. Lewis Hamilton is aiming to become only the fourth driver in history to win a third consecutive world title team-mate Nico Rosberg will again be trying to stop him. The 22 drivers will line up on the grid in Melbourne with a record-breaking 21 races ahead of them, each man with his own personal goals for the season firmly in his mind.įor the Mercedes and Ferrari drivers, race wins and the ultimate glory of the drivers' championship will be the target. The 2016 Formula One season kicks off on March 20 with the Australian Grand Prix.

F1 2017 predictions