The annual list of rule changes that come into effect each season in Formula 1 can have a major effect for those betting on Formula One racing. F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has already been active in voicing his displeasure with the power that seems to be held over the sport by two of the strongest teams, Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari. The 2015 season was another of dominance for Mercedes with Ecclestone expressing his fear the world’s most impressive auto racing event will become a two horse race between the Mercedes and Ferrari.
Mercedes engineering director Aldo Costa has been voicing his displeasure with the rules already announced for the 2017 season, which teams are being forced to examine as they attempt to develop a car to run within the rules for 2016. The latest rules that have been announced for 2017 will make it difficult for those who are interested in F1 betting, but also hope to see an exciting season unfold for fans and experts alike. The 2017 regulations include the inclusion of larger front and rear tires, plus the addition of an entirely redesigned aerodynamic body.
Costa believes the new rules will undo the majority of the good work being done to create a sport with more overtaking that is being done for the 2016 season. One of the main concerns for both F1 owners and teams feel the introduction of the completely redesigned 2017 car alongside the 2016 vehicle could cause major financial problems for the smaller teams. Mercedes and Ferrari have the largest budgets in F1 and should have the ability to complete the development of both cars on time; the fear for many is that the smaller teams, such as Force India and Williams will struggle to be competitive in 2017. Previous seasons of F1 have been harmed by accusations that the sport has become boring and predictable.
Aldo Costa believes the changes being made to the cars for 2016 should provide a large amount of excitement in terms of overtaking that the majority of fans are calling for. However, he also believes the development of the 2017 car that the F1 authorities hope will be five seconds faster than its 2016 predecessor with have so much down force that it will be difficult for cars to overtake and compete on a level playing field.
The introduction of the 2017 F1 car will always be a source of controversy, but the latest issues facing the sport have been of major concern for Bernie Ecclestone who believes the latest changes are required to keep the TV ratings at a high level and continue the impressive growth that has been enjoyed in recent seasons. Even the mighty Ferrari team have struggled to match the power and speed of Mercedes, who have seen Lewis Hamilton take back to back World Championships long before the close of the last two seasons.