Why F1's doom-mongers need a reality check
There are legitimate concerns over what to expect from new-look Formula 1 in 2017, but the doom-mongers are wrong - it's actually in very rude health
If there is one thing Formula 1 is brilliant at, it's talking itself down. So, after two exciting weeks of testing where the new faster cars provided some decent thrills, spills and a great deal of uncertainty ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, there remain those eager to be all glass-half empty about it.
There are the complaints that the shark fins and T-wings are ugly. There are the fears that overtaking will be non-existent. There is weariness that the same Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull teams are out in front. And of course the cars aren't loud enough.
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Jonathan Noble is Motorsport.com’s Formula 1 editor. Having graduated from University of Sussex Jonathan worked for sports news agency Collings Sports reporting on F1, F3, touring cars and other sports, with articles appearing in The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Reuters, Autosport and other publications. In 1999 he moved to Haymarket Publishing to become a senior editor at Autosport Special Projects, and one year later he became Autosport’s grand prix editor. In 2015 he moved to Motorsport Network, becoming the F1 editor for Motorsport.com. He is also a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, and sits on the FIA Media Council.
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