Another season of motorsport and another year done and dusted. It's flown by! But with the New Year just around the corner, we take a look at the most popular stories on Motorsport Week in 2017 as we usher in 2018 and what will hopefully be another great season of racing.
First of all, we'd like to wish all our readers a Happy New Year and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2018.
Now, here's what proved popular on Motorsport Week in 2017…
Sebastian Vettel could yet face further punishment for Lewis Hamilton swipe
Our most popular story, by some distance, was one which centered on 2017's most controversial moment (logo change aside). We reported that Sebastian Vettel could face further punishment for his deliberate swipe at Lewis Hamilton during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Jean Todt called an International Tribunal to discuss the matter, but in the end, let the German off with a slap on his wrist.
Ross Brawn appointed Formula 1 managing director by Liberty Media
With Liberty Media's takeover came more announcements and appointments and one that proved popular with fans, and our readers, was the hiring of Formula 1 guru Ross Brawn. Brawn was appointed director of motorsports and it marked his return to the sport following his departure in 2013 when he left his position at Mercedes having handed the reigns over to Toto Wolff.
Honda 'worried' problems could compromise start to Formula 1 season
Honda's chief at the time Yusuke Hasegawa admitted to some concerns over their new power units reliability after McLaren suffered issues during pre-season testing. Turns out he was right to be worried as the relationship finally ended in divorce with the two going their separate ways. McLaren with Renault and Honda with Toro Rosso.
Porsche to Formula 1 with Williams – it makes sense
VW/Porsche and F1. It's always a hot topic of conversation. Joe Saward presented some concrete reasons why it finally makes sense for the German marque to get involved in the sport via the struggling Williams team which could do with a cash injection and some manufacturer backing. Seems our readers would like to see it become a reality too.
Formula 1 to trial new Thursday press conference format in Melbourne
A small change to the Friday press conference format was a story we didn't expect to prove so popular, but this one racked up many tens of thousands of reads. It seems F1 fans really are passionate about even the tiniest of details. No longer do we get the six in one session, now we get four in two sessions. What an excting change, right?
Robert Kubica set for Williams test as team considers Pole for 2018 seat
We reported on the news that Robert Kubica would be testing for Williams following his Renault outing which unfortunately didn't result in a drive. It turns out the Williams test might come to nothing too as Sergey Sirotkin looks to have landed the seat alongside Lance Stroll, but the nonetheless it created some great headlines and gave us Kubica fans a glimmer of hope.
Formula E will overtake Formula 1 in ten years – Richard Branson
This one's a recent story and it split opinion with some fans claiming Sir Richard Branson is right, whilst others found his comments laughable. Could Formula E overtake F1 in terms of popularity? It's certainly got a long way to go, a very long way, but there's no denying the all-electric series is making big gains and will continue to do so. It's got the manufacturers buzzing at least!
Some corners will no longer be considered corners in 2017 – McLaren
New, faster, wider and meaner cars debuted in 2017, but prior to their launch, McLaren's technical director Tim Goss reckoned the downforce they would create would essentially turn corners into straights as drivers would have no need to lift off the throttle. You could claim he was partly right as some corners were certainly flat-out that weren't in 2016, whilst lap records were broken almost every weekend.
Mystery solved as Formula 1 admits eagle shadow was CGI
This was a bizarre story. A giant eagle silhouette crossed the circuit in Austin prompting fans to question whether it could really have been real or whether the camera angle made it look larger than it really was. Turns out, it was fake. Yep, F1 has turned to adding in live CGI effects. Whatever next? CGI adverts…oh wait, we've got those already.
Investigation launched into Melbourne post-race track invasion
In scenes that were similar to those from the 80s, fans flooded the track in Melbourne before the cool down lap had finished and drivers had to negotiate their way through crowds to get back to the pitlane. Race organisers said the matter would be investigated…turns out there was some confusion amongst the marshals. That's that then.
Discussion about this post