I would like to start with a request.

The reason I decided to take a break from contributing to last year's Formula 1 thread was the trolling and thread spoiling by two factions whose involvement makes any thread on Formula 1 descend into a tragic mess of sniping and name-calling.

These factions are the semi-literate followers of MotoGP who keep popping up and telling everybody that Formula 1 is boring, and the tedious Lewis Hamilton fanboys, whose principal contribution is to aim childish insults at others.

I would be the first to admit that alternative forms of motor sport can be very exciting to watch, and that Lewis Hamilton is an excellent racing driver, particularly when he's in a car with a tangible performance advantage.

Should anybody wish to start a thread extolling the virtues of MotoGP (which is an entirely different sport to Formula 1) or Lewis Hamilton, the facility is available to you. Please don't spoil a thread about the virtues, problems or technicalities of Formula 1 though. If you have something relevant to contribute, great. Let's have an open discussion about Formula 1 - there are enough of us on here who enjoy the sport for the racing, the personalities and the technical challenge to be able to enjoy the changes that the 2017 season will undoubtedly bring.

I'll post a couple of updates on driver and personnel changes and the likely impact of the new technical regulations later.