M-Sport ended their Rally Germany hoodoo as Ott Tanak secured his second win of his career, as Sebastien Ogier took a huge leap towards the title.
Title rivals Ogier and Thierry Neuville of Hyundai were level on points coming into the asphalt event. However with Neuville breaking his suspension on the Panzerplatte stage.
Friday saw the debut of the ‘monsoon’ tyre after torrential downpour. Tanak responded best to hold the lead. Neuville sat third with Ogier fourth going into Saturdays action.
However with Neuville breaking his suspension and being unable to return until Sunday, Ogier seized the initiative and took it easy, sitting behind Andreas Mikkelsen in second and Tanak comfortably out front.
Mikkelsen, who was flying the flag for Citroën after Kris Meeke’s Thursday superspecial crash less than a mile into the event, helped boost his chances of a further drive with the team. His 2017 season looks uncertain and his second place did his chances no harm.
FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2017 -WRC Deutschland (DEU) – WRC 16/08/2017 to 20/08/2017 – PHOTO : @World
He led for much of Friday but just couldn’t catch Tanak, who took the win by 16.4 seconds. Ogier couldn’t catch Mikkelsen and settled for third, knowing he’d be leading the championship.
Neuville re-joined the rally under Rally2, but couldn’t regain his confidence and finished outside the top ten.
Elfyn Evans had a rally to forget after being in the top five for most of the rally, only to lose fifth place to Citroen’s Craig Breen on the last stage. His DMACK tyres weren’t as competitive when the weather improved on Saturday, meaning he lost fourth to Toyota’s Juno Hanninen and fifth to Breen.
Toyota were enjoying a positive Rally Germany and were fighting for the top five, until Jari-Matti Latvala’s Yaris had a misfire and fell down the order, ending the rally seventh. Team mate Esapekka Lappi crashed, finishing outside the top ten after returning through Rally2.
Hyundai’s only hope was Hayden Paddon, who took eighth after an early puncture scuppered his chances.
Veteran driver Armin Kremer in an M-Sport entered Ford, took ninth with Eric Camilli taking the WRC2 class win with tenth place in the rally.
Hyundai’s Dani Sordo took the powerstage win, with Lappi, Latvala, Ogier and Breen taking the top five and the extra points it provided.
This saw Ogier take his title lead to 17 points, with Neuville needing to pull off some impressive results in the remaining rounds of the season.
M-Sport Team Principal Malcolm Wilson said: “Everyone in the team is extremely happy as you can imagine. After all the work that went on behind the scenes, we knew that we could challenge for a strong result but never dreamt of achieving anything quite like this.”
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has said his American team is looking forward to this weekend’s power-dependant Belgian Grand Prix, having struggled in the low-speed races prior to the summer break.
Andy Hone/LAT Images/Haas F1 Media
Haas began July with its best result of the season so far, when Romain Grosjean finished sixth in Austria. But since then the team’s form has hit a considerable slump: at Silverstone, Grosjean dropped back from a top ten start to squabble with Saubers and McLarens outside the points, whilst in Hungary Kevin Magnussen was the sole Haas finisher in thirteenth, only three places higher than his disappointing qualifying position.
But Steiner believes that the engine-favouring characteristics of the upcoming races at Spa and Monza ought to bring about a return to form for the American team.
“We struggled a little bit in Hungary with it being a low-speed track,” Steiner said. “We are bringing some items for low downforce or low drag for Spa and Monza, and we are as confident as we can be that it works.
“If you’re good in Spa, you normally should be good in Monza too…so, let’s hope we are good in Spa.”
Andy Hone/LAT Images/Haas F1 Media
Steiner added that Haas has “tried to hit the reset button” in its preparation for the second half of the season:
“Hungary certainly tested the team, but it showed how hard we work to overcome adversity while remaining positive. Belgium is a new race and a new opportunity. Everything is possible here. We will try hard and we will come back again.”
However, the Austrian did also confirm that Haas will revert back to using Brembo brakes this weekend, despite successful running of Carbon Industrie alternatives in Britain and Hungary, as they continue hunting for a solution to their recurrent braking issues: “At Spa we will be running Brembos to start off with and then we will see, but at the moment the plan is to run Brembos.”
Andy Hone/LAT Images/Haas F1 Media
In addition to that, Steiner said that there will be no major performances updates fitted to the VF-17 this weekend (besides the usual adaptations for Spa’s low-downforce demands), though the team is “working through the data we gained from our last wind tunnel test” ahead of a possible upgrade package for Japan or the United States.
Whether or not Haas opts to bring a last raft of updates in October will likely depend on the progress of its 2018 car development, which Steiner says has been complicated by the late mandating of the Halo system:
“We’ll [have to] work on how we get the weight down on other parts of the car because we are at the minimum weight, otherwise our car just gets too heavy [with the Halo]. We also need to find the best solution aerodynamically to integrate the Halo into the overall body.
“It’s head scratching. For sure, there is work to be done.”
Sauber will be completing its second major upgrades package of the season this weekend in Belgium, in a bid to offset its year-old Ferrari engine deficit.
Sauber F1 Team
The update—a new floor—will form the second part of a significant aerodynamic upgrade that began at the last round in Hungary, where new bodywork and an improved cooling system were fitted to the C36.
The is the first major update to the car since Sauber revised its floor, sidepods, brake ducts and bodywork during the race weekends in Spain—where Pascal Wehrlein scored the team’s first points of the season—and Monaco.
It is hoped that the completed second package will help Sauber to counteract the shortfall in power of their 2016 Ferrari power units, particularly with the Belgian Grand Prix and the following race at Monza providing some of the most engine-dependant racing on the F1 calendar.
Sauber F1 Team
Speaking about the upgrade to Autosport at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Marcus Ericsson said, “Hopefully this next update will work a bit better than the upgrade we got [in May] as it didn’t really give us the jump we had hoped.
“When we got the car working, like in Silverstone in the race, we could keep similar pace to the Haas cars, and Vandoorne wasn’t much faster. We are not too bad, when we get our car together.”
Nevertheless, the team will be wary of expecting too much from the new parts this weekend—especially as at the chassis-specialist Hungaroring, the first instalment of Sauber’s new aero package saw Wehrlein and Ericsson qualify on the final two rows of the grid, and finish the race two laps down and last of those still running at the flag.
It is likely this will be Sauber’s final big push to improve the competitiveness of the C36, before it turns its attentions fully to constructing next year’s challenger.
When Formula 2 returns after the summer break, it enters its final quarter, where the 2017 title will be decided once and for all. It will take a comeback of epic proportions from Oliver Rowland or Artem Markelov to catch Charles Leclerc, but it is far from impossible. The break presents a perfect opportunity to reinvigorate their championship campaigns, and neither is the kind of driver to go down without a fight.
The eighth round of the FIA Formula 2 Championship takes place at the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, a favourite of many of the drivers thanks to its incredibly fast, twisting layout. It also marks the first weekend of the second double header of races in F2 this season, with the ninth round at Monza coming just a week later. The pressure is on to deliver, with time fast running out.
The Formula 2 grid lining up in Belgium will look a little different to the one viewers have grown accustomed to. Rookies Louis Deletraz and Nyck de Vries are swapping seats from round eight onwards, with the Swiss driver making the switch to Rapax and the Dutchman joining Racing Enigeering. Though the mechanics behind such a move are unknown to us, it is surprising, considering Racing Engineering’s poor form this year, and de Vries’ relative success with Rapax. Deletraz will not partner Rapax regular, Sergio Canamasas in Spa, but rather ex-Formula 1 driver Roberto Merhi, who will be filling in for his fellow Spainaird, who is missing the round due to personal issues.
Photo: Zak Mauger/FIA Formula 2
As ever, all eyes will be on Charles Leclerc, who will hope to do a repeat of his result at the track in GP3 last year, when he successfully converted pole position into a feature race win. And with rumours growing that he is poised to take one of the Sauber seats in Formula 1 next year, the expectations will be higher than ever that he continues the dominant form that he has been showing all year. After the stripping of his pole in Budapest, he will be looking to get his record back on track, and his team, Prema, will be looking for him to do so as well to help them close the gap to DAMS in the team standings.
His teammate, Antonio Fuoco will also be hoping to draw on his experience from GP3 to help him improve upon his, at best, shaky form of 2017. He, like Nyck de Vries, qualified well in 2016, and scored one podium over the weekend, picking up a strong haul of points. But for their fellow GP3 graduate, ART’s Alexander Albon, a repeat of last year is far from what he needs, after a poor qualifying saw him pick up only two points over the whole weekend. The Thai driver has looked reliable throughout his rookie season, but has thus far fallen just short of doing something remarkable to turn heads in his direction, Spa represents the latest in a dwindling number of opportunities for him to pull that off.
Photo: Zak Mauger/FIA Formula 2
Albon’s teammate, Honda junior Nobuharu Matsushita had an ultimately forgettable outing in Belgium last year. However, Matsushita is having one of his better seasons, taking the most recent race win in the sprint race in Hungary. He is a driver, while too far down the standings to actually feature in the title battle, could prove to play a part in the championship outcome if it all comes together for him.
Pertamina Arden’s Norman Nato is another example of a driver who could spoil the fun for the championship leaders. While Arden have struggled at times this year, Nato undoubtedly possesses the ability to win races and score podiums, it is just a matter of have a consistent weekend. That is also the problem for his teammate Sean Gelael, who sits in seventeenth in the driver standings, compared to Nato’s seventh. His season has been plagued with bad luck, but he has also failed to take advantage of fortune when it has come his way. In Spa he will most likely be a driver who occupies the lower points paying positions, rather than a contender for pole or a win.
Racing Engineering’s Gustav Malja was one of six drivers who occupied the GP2 podium in Belgium last year, taking second in the sprint race. But, the Spanish team is not at the level they were last year, and while the Swedish driver has scored a podium already this season, Racing Engineering need to conquer their set up demons if Malja, or newcomer Nyck de Vries are to deliver this weekend. It is a similar story for teams such as Campos Racing and MP Motorsport. All three teams tend to run at the back of the field, and though some of their drivers, such as Malja, but also Jordan King (MP Motorsport), have the ability to score points, they are not going to be running with the likes of DAMS, Prema or Russian Time.
Photo: Zak Mauger/FIA Formula 2
Trident, who currently take the record for fielding the most drivers this season, seem to have finalised their line-up for the remainder of 2017, with Santino Ferucci graduating from GP3. The Haas development driver scored points in his debut in Hungary, but in Spa he has a chance to prove whether or not this was simply a case of beginner’s luck, or proving that he has what it takes to step up. Consistency in their line-up will likely help the entire team, and maybe help lift them from last in the team standings.
As they are most weekends, DAMS and Russian Time will be the teams looking to cause trouble for Leclerc. But for Russian Time to get back on terms with their nearest rivals, they need Artem Markelov to recover well from his poor weekend in Hungary – marred by his crash in the feature race. His teammate Luca Ghiotto, meanwhile, needs an upturn in his qualifying performance to deliver the results his race pace warrants. He remains the only driver in the top five not to score a race win in 2017.
Neither team seem quite able to match his and Prema’s one lap pace in qualifying, though DAMS has been steadily improving in this aspect all season, so it would be unfair to count them out just yet. While it is Latifi who is hitting his best form this season, it is his teammate Rowland who needs to deliver in Spa if he wants to stay in the hunt. The Brit cannot afford to let Leclerc extend his lead much further, or he will quickly become impossible to catch and the championship will be over before Formula 2 ever reaches Abu Dhabi.
Anvil Hire Tag Racing Yamaha rider Josh Brookes was involved in a Twitter spat with Gresini Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro. The two clashed when a difference of opinion was voiced over track safety at the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Josh used a ‘dress emoji’ in response to Aleix Espargaro’s announcement that he wouldn’t race if the track was wet.
“I think it’s pretty clear that for the people that haven’t got soft minds that it wasn’t a dig at Aleix. Simon Patterson of MCN had quoted Aleix saying that he, ‘wouldn’t ride if it was wet’, to which I pointed out a few things. These are supposedly the top riders in the world, on the best equipment in motorcycle racing, in the best teams, on the best tracks and the best salaries that motorcycle riders can achieve – yet they still complain about the conditions”, said the Australian, who is chasing a 2nd BSB crowning on his return to the series.
“Take a look at tracks that we ride here and you won’t find us guys complaining. The conditions are the same for everyone. If it is too slippery to go in at 180kph, then go in at 160kph. That’s how racing works. If you made it so safe to the point where you couldn’t crash, then there’d be no point in racing. It wouldn’t separate any of them from their skill on the bike, their team’s knowledge, their mechanics skills, or the riders’ intelligence on the bike etc. That is the whole point; it basically defeats the whole point of racing by pulling out”, he continued.
Josh did however reason with the Spaniard, saying “I’m not against him standing up for what he believes in, but there is a time. He should’ve made his feelings known on Thursday evening or in a safety commission. He should’ve said something after the Austrian GP in 2016 and then he could’ve given himself a whole 12 months to make his mind up. He shouldn’t wait until Saturday night after practice and qualifying before going, ’oh, by the way, if it rains tomorrow I’m not riding’. It isn’t professional and it’s not what he is there to do. He is there to represent himself and his brand, which is Aprilia”.
“Unfortunately, through the world of social media, people lost sight of what the original point was and they picked their own argument to fit to their own agenda, to go against me. Aleix took it very personal and I felt his his reply attacks were a bit uncalled for”.
Brookes continues by saying, “perhaps he hasn’t had the results this year and that he feels in a vulnerable position, although I don’t know his circumstances. I’m not a hater of the guy either because I don’t know him. I still don’t have a problem with him because it doesn’t matter if he said it or if Valentino Rossi had said it or anyone else, my reply still would’ve been the same. I’d still stop and chat with him if he had five minutes”.
The 2015 BSB champion took a lot of flack from fans, who took his use of emoji as a sexist symbol. 13-time Women World Trials Champion Laia Sanz also got involved, questioning if he had a problem with females or blue dresses.
“The most disappointing thing was that people took a completely irrelevant stand and started branding me a chauvinist and women hater when it had absolutely nothing to do with it. If my phone had another emoji then I would’ve used another emoji but I genuinely didn’t think that putting a dress up would’ve been enough to insult women or female riders. My sister raced for years. How would I have a problem with female riders if my own sister from my own family raced? People will cherry-pick a point that is 100m away from the story but if it suits their argument, that’s what they’ll use to run with. I think more than anything this all shows an example of human intelligence – or lack of in some areas”.
Image courtesy of Gareth Davies of Full Factory Photography.
Carlos Sainz has said he is hoping for some good fortune at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, having retired from the event in both his previous entries.
Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
In his maiden season in 2015, Sainz’ race was cut short by a power unit failure on lap 32. Last year was even more frustrating: having climbed from fifteenth to seventh off the line, the Toro Rosso driver ran over debris on the Kemmel Straight and was forced to retire by the resulting puncture damage.
But the Spaniard has said that despite his disappointing F1 record there, Spa remains one of his favourite circuits:
“I really like racing in Spa because it’s a track that has a bit of everything. It has very long straights where good overtaking can take place, but also very nice corners—Sector 2 in particular is very nice and flowing.
“It’s tough to find a compromise regarding the balance of the car and the set-up for the long straights and Sector 2, but I enjoy the challenge.
“Spa is one of my favourite tracks but, strangely enough, I’ve never finished an F1 race there. Third time lucky, they say…”
Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Sainz’ teammate Daniil Kvyat has also said he is looking forward to the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, describing Spa as a “legendary track” that’s “impossible not to [love]”.
The Russian has gone well at Spa in the past. He finished in the points in his first Belgian Grand Prix in 2014, and during his troubled stint at Red Bull in 2015 he finished fourth from twelfth on the grid; prior to that, Kvyat also won the feature race at Spa during his title-winning 2013 GP3 campaign.
Returning then to a circuit he enjoys and at which he has run well in the past, Kvyat will surely be hoping that Belgium provides a much-needed turning point for his 2017 season. So far this year, Kvyat has not only finished behind Sainz in every race the two of them have completed, he has also finished in the points a mere twice—a pair of ninth places in Australia and Spain—and sits clear of only Stoffel Vandoorne, Jolyon Palmer and Marcus Ericsson in the full-time standings.
Add to that the Russian’s continued attraction to controversial collisions (in particular, his clash with Sainz at Silverstone) and his equally punchy comments off track, and it’s clear that finding some solid form this weekend is an absolute must for Kvyat.
The Renault Sport F1 team has been buoyed by the progress made so far this season and is aiming to make further gains this weekend in Spa, according to lead driver Nico Hülkenberg.
Renault Sport F1 Team
“[2017 has] been very encouraging, especially in the last few races,” the German driver said ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. “We’ve found a good balance with qualifying performance and race pace—Silverstone highlighted that—it’s at a better level now.
“We are heading in the right direction and are looking competitive, but we want to keep pushing ourselves.”
Hülkenberg also said that Renault’s momentum this season has mirrored his own: “I’m pleased with how the car is feeling and the progress we are making. This year’s cars and fun and faster, allowing me to push harder which suits my driving style a lot more than in recent years.
“It was a shame to finish how we did in Hungary (retiring on lap 67 with a brake issue), but in general there are positive feelings.”
Renault Sport F1 Team
Part of Renault’s push this weekend will come in the form of software and hardware power unit upgrades scheduled for Belgium and the following race at Monza.
Although the updates are not part of a major development package, Renault engine chief Remi Taffin said the team is focusing on improving its reliability issues at two of the most power-hungry tracks on the calendar:
“Qualifying pace has looked good with Great Britain and Hungary exemplifying our ability to be the fourth-best team. It’s just a case of building on that and bettering the race pace.
“That comes from levelling up everything, we need to show off reliability and mileage and that is something we are giving close attention.”
Renault Sport F1 Team
Any improvements to Renault’s engine reliability will come as a sure boost to Jolyon Palmer, who has so far taken the brunt of the French marque’s misfortune this season.
However, Palmer has conceded that reliability issues have not been his only obstacle in the first eleven races of 2017, with the Briton struggling to get to grips with the RS17 in the same way as his teammate.
“It’s been challenging,” he said, referring to the first half of his season. “The 2017 regulations mean a car that’s very different from before, so you have to relearn how to extract the maximum performance from it. Getting the right set-up is difficult and this is only compounded when you miss out on track time.”
But Palmer has also said that a refreshing summer break—in which he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro—and the prospect of returning to the “awesome” Spa circuit has given him fresh inspiration for the first of the remaining nine races:
“To drive it is simply immense. Nothing prepares you for heading flat out down the hill and then coming up the other side and down that straight. Pouhon will be an exciting corner this year, it brings a real challenge as it’s a very quick double apex left.
“I’ve had some good memories [at Spa] but I’m driven to make some more.”
After a short break for the drivers and long for the fans, Formula One is back at our lives. The action returns to one of the most thrilling circuits on the calendar, at Spa in Belgium. Everyone is looking forward to watch a battle between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton for the drivers’ championship.
Ferrari is willing to keep their driver line-up same for the next year, they started with Raikkonen’s contract. The Finn, extended his contract for one more season and he will remain with Scuderia Ferrari until 2018. Next on the schedule is Sebastian Vettel.
Mercedes will try to respond to Ferrari’s 1-2 in Hungary. The Silver Arrows, are aiming to gain points in order to extend their lead in the constructors’ championship which is currently at 40 points. Lewis Hamilton, has to win at least one of the two upcoming races (Spa, Monza) in order to stay close or even pass Sebastian Vettel. Valtteri Bottas looks confident and able to challenge the two contenders and win his first title in his Formula One career.
Toto Wolff – “The summer shutdown came at the perfect time for us to make a step back and take stock of our season so far. It has been a good one – and has shown a lot of the qualities of our team. On paper, people will assume that Spa should suit our car because it is a circuit where aerodynamic efficiency is extremely important. But assumptions are dangerous – we have seen too many times already this season that the form book can be rewritten from one weekend to the next. So we will be making no assumptions; we have to tick off the items on our work list and make sure we do the best job to maximise our potential points score. The motivation and determination in the factory are greater than ever. Hungary showed the strength of our team – and we intend to use the second half of this season to prove that strength.”
CIRCUIT DE SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS
Laps: 44
Circuit Length: 7.004 km
Race Length: 308.052 km
Lap Record: 1:47.263 (Sebastian Vettel – 2009)
Tyre sets available: Soft (Yellow), Supersoft (Red), Ultrasoft (Purple)
Spa-Francorchamps is one of the most historic circuits on the Formula One calendar, hosted a non-championship race in 1924. Spa it is also one of the longest circuits (7.004 km), it combines a mix of long straight and fast corners which makes it an attractive and challenging track for the drivers. The most famous corner is known as “Eau Rouge” and it is one of the most technically demanding corners, because of the evaluation change and the high speed.
Fernando Alonso – “I love the first race after the summer break! It’s a great feeling to come back feeling rested, relaxed and recharged, and ready to go again for the second half of the season. I’ve enjoyed time away with family and friends, worked hard on my training and now I’m really looking forward to getting back in the car. Spa is incredible – for many of us it’s one of our favourite tracks. It’s got a legendary reputation and it’s totally deserved. The feeling when you drive Eau Rouge is completely different to any other corner on the calendar. You’re so low in the car and the gradient is so steep that as you go up it you can only see the sky – it’s completely surreal. As the season goes on we’re getting stronger and stronger, and I hope the second half of the year will bring us some more points-earning finishes. This race is a difficult challenge for the whole team – the engineers and the mechanics – as you’re on the throttle for almost three-quarters of the lap, which makes it’s a tough circuit for both the car and the driver. We know we’ll have to work hard to get any kind of result there, but it’s a long lap and there are plenty of overtaking opportunities, so we’ll keep pushing to get everything we can from the weekend.”
McLaren will try to repeat their success and score more points in Belgium, Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne finished sixth and tenth respectively in Hungary.
I am expecting a close battle between Ferrari and Mercedes, but the Silver Arrows might have a small advantage at the Spa.
The Twin Ring Motegi circuit, which hosts the Japanese MotoGP and previously the Pacific Motorcycle Grand Prix, will remain on the calendar until at least 2023 following a new deal between the circuit and Dorna.
The contract will be enabled from 2019 onwards, to celebrate what will be the 20th anniversary of the circuit being on the MotoGP calendar. It is one of the most popular circuits for fans, as viewing areas often allow you to see over a great amount of the track.
It has seen many great races and iconic moment, such as Marquez’ crowning in 2014 and 2016, as well as Valentino Rossi’s in 2008. It was also the venue where Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo had their last real head-to-head battle, back in 2010. The circuit was also host to the last Japanese premier class winner, with Makoto Tamada on a Camel Honda for Sito Pons’ team back in 2004.
Carmelo Ezpeleta said, “We are delighted to announce this contract renewal with a place that is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The Twin Ring Motegi is the home track of Honda and the Japanese GP is the home Grand Prix for major manufacturers such as Yamaha and Suzuki, who are main players in the MotoGP class; some of the most important at the pinnacle of the championship. We will continue the event and make further efforts, together with Mobilityland, to enhance the value of the MotoGP™ series.”
The 2017 Japanese Grand Prix takes place on the 13th-15th of October.
Mit F1 2017 wird Codemasters kommende Woche das 8. produzierte offizielle F1 Spiel veröffentlichen. Wir werden euch zeigen warum das Spiel für jeden F1 Fan oder Rennspielliebhaber ein Muss ist. Außerdem bekommt ihr exklusive Inhalteinblicke in die in der vergangenen Woche abgelaufenen geschlossenen Beta und meine eigene Meinung als langjähriger F1-Spieler.
Am 25. August kehrt nicht nur die reale Formel 1 mit dem 1. Freien Training und der Weiterführung der Schlacht zwischen Sebastian Vettel und Lewis Hamilton zum Belgien GP aus der Sommerpause zurück – Es erscheint außerdem das alljährliche offizielle Videospiel von Codemasters. Meine Damen und Herren, starten Sie ihre Motoren!
The 25th of August in this year is not only the day when the F1 World Championship’s summer break ends with free practice at the Belgian GP, and Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton continue their fight for the title—it’s the day when Codemasters publish their new F1 game. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!
Der Karrieremodus in den F1 Spielen erreichte im vergangenen Jahr ein neues Level, als Codemasters nach langem Drängen der Fans endlich wieder die Athmosphäre des Fahrerlagers zurückholte, eine eigene Startnummer sowie Helm, zusätzlich einen 10 Saison langen Karrieremodus bei dem man das Auto mit Updates in verschiedenen Bereichen verbessern konnte um die Rivalen schneller einzuholen.
Doch in diesjährigen Spiel erreicht das Ganze eine neue Dimension. Wie im Trailer oben zu sehen ist, verbessert Codemasters in F1 2017 nicht nur das R&D System, sondern bringt auch erstmal die realistischen Regeln des Technischen Regelwerks in das Spiel.
Genauso wie in der Realität ist es jetzt nötig die gesamte Powerunit zu verwalten. Nicht nur der Verbrennungsmotor, sondern auch die ganzen anderen Teile welche zu den seit der Saison 2014 verwendeten V6-Hybrid Motoren gehören. Dazu gesellt sich auch die Getriebeverwaltung, welche mehrere Rennen halten muss, bevor man eine neue einsetzen darf.
Das bedeutet auch dass der Spieler nicht mehr das Auto dauerhaft jedes Wochenende ans Limit bringen kann – Erst Recht wenn ihr beispielsweise in einem McLaren-Honda oder Red Bull sitzt, solltet ihr öfter mal auf die Telemetrie der Motorenteile schauen, andernfalls hagelt es bereits früh Strafen, welche auch zurückwerfen.
Komplexes R&D -System
Wie am Anfang des Artikels erwähnt und auch im Video Trailer oben zu sehen ist, ist das R&D System nun weitaus komplexter als im vergangenen Spiel. Der Spieler hat nun die Möglichkeit wirklich einzelne Teile des Autos zu verbessern, viele Youtuber nannten das ganze Konzept “Tree”, also “Baum”, da der gesamte Entwicklungsbildschirm aussieht wie ein riesiger Baum.
Die einzelnen Bereiche können wie im vergangenen Jahr mit Entwicklungspukten erkauft werden, die der Spieler bei Trainingssessions erhält, die nun ebenfalls mit deutlich mehr Programmen erweitert worden sind.
Wie auch in F1 2016 und natürlich der Realität, hat jedes Team seine eigenen Vor- und Nachteile. Zu den letztjährigen Bereichen des Motors, Chassis usw. kommt nun auch der Punkt “Zuverlässigkeit” hinzu. Ja, in F1 2017 gibt es endlich richtige technische Defekte an den Autos wie z.B. ein Motorschaden oder auch Fehlschlagen von angedachten Updates. Ein großes Plus für jeden Fan, der Detailtreue mag!
Classic-Cars:
Wenn ihr nicht unter einem Stein lebt, werdet ihr vermutlich wissen dass Codemasters in diesem Jahr die Classic-Cars zurück bringt. Das erste und auch bisher letzte Mal sahen wir das in F1 2013. Im diesjährigen Spiel gibt es aber nicht nur einfach so den Classic Mode – Die ikonischen Wagen sind nun auch mit im Karrieremodus implementiert. Aber lasst uns zuerst schauen, welche Autos alle im Spiel enthalten sind – Und das sind weitaus mehr als in F1 2013:
Ferrari:
1995 Ferrari 412 T2
2002 Ferrari F2002
2004 Ferrari F2004
2007 Ferrari F2007
Soweit so gut, doch wie funktioniert das mit den Classic-Cars im Karrieremodus?
Ganz einfach. Laut Creative Direcor Lee Mather und auch den ersten gezeigten Gameplay Videos gibt es im Spiel ein reichen Mann namens Jonathan, dem einige alte Rennwagen gehören. Er bittet euch, diese auf verschiedene Events zu fahren. So muss man beispielsweise mit Fernando Alonsos Weltmeisterauto aus dem Jahre 2006, dem Renault R26 auf einer kurzen Version des Suzuka Circuits langsamere Autos einholen, die das Rennen allerdings vor einem beginnen. Das ist aber nur eines von sehr vielen Events.
Aber es gibt natürlich auch neben dem Karrieremodus wieder die Möglichkeit, die Classic Autos im Zeitfahren, GP Modus oder auch Multiplayer zu benutzen.
Eine kleine Anmerkung am Rande, wie im Bezug auf das unten zu sehende Video: Mit Ayrton Sennas legendären 1988 McLaren MP4/4, der zum Release nur in der Limited Edition des Spiels enthalten sein wird, ist es möglich für alle Lenrkadbenutzer mit einer H-Schaltung, diese für dieses Auto auch zu benutzen. Ein tolles Feature!
Beta Bericht – Meine Sicht zum Spiel
Dankenswerterweise war es mir als langjähriger F1 Spieler und Leiter der größten Deutschen F1 Liga möglich, nach letztem Jahr erneut an der geschlossenen Beta zum neuen Spiel teilzunehmen.
Die Beta fand erneut in verschiedenen Phasen statt, jede Phase mit einem anderen Spielmodus oder auch verbesserten Dingen zur vorherigen Phase.
Die Fahrphysik:
Dieses Jahr gab es eine große Änderung der Aerodynamischen Regeln in der F1. Die Autos und Reifen sind breiter und die Zeiten schneller als jemals zuvor. Die meisten der Fahrer attestierten den 2017er Autos deutlich mehr Spaß zum Fahren aber auch bedeutend schwieriger.
Und genau das spürt man im neuen Spiel, egal ob mit dem Controller oder dem Lenkrad. Die Autos sind deutlich schneller in den Kurven und der Spieler wird das Auto durch jede Kurve prügeln können, besonders mit einem Lenkrad. Wie auch in der Realität ist der Reifenverschleiss nun deutlich geringer, was dem Spieler auch ermöglicht aggressiver zu fahren. ABER:
Managen des Autos
Wie weiter oben mit der Zuverlässigkeit des Autos erwähnt, müsst ihr nun das Auto und den Sprit managen wie die Fahrer in der Realität. Sprit sparen ist deutlich wichtiger als die letzten Jahre und das Rennen wird niemand beenden, der nicht mal einige Runden auf den niedrigsten Motorenmodus unterwegs ist bzw. Lift & Cost betreibt. Viele Rennen werden nun von diesem Faktor abhängen!
Die Grafik:
Auch wenn ich das Spiel nur auf der Xbox spiele, muss ich zugeben dass sich die Grafik vor allem im Bereich der Autos verbessert hat. Diese sehen nun deutlich realer aus, vor allem die Farben sind toll. Aber das gibt es ja bereits in den ersten Gameplays wie oben zu sehen.
Classic Cars:
In der Beta war es auch anfangs möglich einige alten Autos zu testen. Um ehrlich zu sein spielte ich die aufgrund meines damaligen Urlaubs nicht allzulang um etwas zur Fahrphysik sagen zu können, jedoch ist der tolle V10 Sound des Ferrari F2002 unglaublich gewesen. Im Vergleich zur Realität hörte sich dieser fast identisch an. Ein wirklich tolles Extra im Game, dass den ein oder anderen sicher länger an der Konsole oder dem PC fesseln wird als normalerweise.
Die KI:
Die KI ist kurz und knapp gesagt einfach toll! Sicher gab es in der Beta einige komische Situationen, dafür gibt es aber natürlich auch eine Beta. Das Racing gegen die KI war in der Beta besser als in jedem anderen F1 Spiel zuvor. Ich hatte viele tolle Rad-an-Rad Kämpfe, die ich eigentlich so nur bisher von meiner Liga gewohnt war. Die KI wehrt sich, geht mit dem Spieler in die Kurven, setzt sich daneben. Und mit dem neuen KI-Slider ist es endlich möglich selber genau zu entscheiden, wie stark oder schwach die KI letzendlich auch sein kann. Das funktionierte in meinen Augen perfekt!
Mit dem manuellen Pitlimiter und dem Hebeln der Kupplung beim Rausfahren nach einem Stopp, gesellen sich auch zwei neue Fahrhilfen, die das Spiel bereichern.
Multiplayer:
Für mich als Ligafahrer ist der Online Modus der F1 Spiele vermutlich der wichtigste Teil. Jeder langjährige Spieler wird wissen dass Codemasters die letzten Jahre große Probleme in diesem Bereich hatte. Mit F1 2016 kam dann ein riesiger Schritt in die positive Richtung.
Mit F1 2017 gibt es aber noch mehr glückliche Gesichter in den Ligen – Vor allem weil Codemasters den Beta-Testern die Möglichkeit gab, die allererste Multiplayer Beta über einige Wochen zu testen. Darum ist es mir auch möglich, etwas darüber zu erzählen:
Zunächst sind Rad an Rad Duelle, oder auch wenn sich zwei Autos berühren komplett bereinigt. Während es in den letzten Jahren die komischten Situationen gab, die den anderen Spieler beim Wheel “banging” mehrere Hundert Meter in die Mauern krachen lies, haben die Autos nun eine realistische Eigenschaft. Man kann nun wirklich gegen Freunde oder Rivalen in der Liga Fahren, ohne Angst zu haben dass soetwas wie oben beschrieben passiert. Außerdem bügelte Codemasters viele Fehler aus dem letztjährigen Game aus, dass das Online Spielen deutlich erträglicher machen wird.
Für alle Xbox Spieler: Das Spiel hat außerdem nun endlich die alt bekannten Sessionlisten, während das lästige Hopper-System verbannt wurde.
F1 2017 – Ein Muss?
Für mich als F1 Fan und als Ligafahrer der in seine siebte Saison geht ist es keine Frage alljährlich direkt am Release des neuen F1 Spiels zuzugreifen. Aber was ist mit Gelegenheitsspielern oder mit normalen Rennsportbegeisterten?
Ich würde auch JA sagen! Vor allem weil das diesjährige Spiel nicht nur eine Verbesserung des wirklich tollen F1 2016 ist, sondern so viele neue Details und Features vorzuweisen hat, die das Spielen realistischer und toller gestalten. Wie beispielsweise die offiziellen Intros vor jedem Rennen, mit den aus dem Fernseher 1:1 übernommenen Streckengrafiken. Es sind vielleicht abgesehen vom Classic-Modus nicht die größten Neuerungen, jedoch braucht es das auch gar nicht, da F1 2016 bereits einen wirklich starken Grundstein für künftige F1 Spiele gelegt hat, auf dem F1 2017 mit den oben genannten Neuerungen aufbaut.
Aus meiner Sicht wird F1 2017 das beste Formel 1 Spiel bis dato werden und jeder der bereits den Vorgänger mochte, wird das neue Spiel lieben!
F1 2017 wird am 25. August für PC, PS4 und die Xbox One in Deutschland erscheinen.
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