Sep.22 (GMM) Honda rejected a proposal whereby it would take a “sabbatical” and return to McLaren at a later date. It emerged in Singapore that the two sides have definitely split, with Honda staying in F1 only by teaming up with Toro Rosso next year. But team boss Eric Boullier told the French magazine Auto […]
Month: September 2017
Sauber tipped to choose drivers ‘soon’
Sep.22 (GMM) Sauber will reportedly make the call about its 2018 driver lineup soon. Earlier, it looked certain Pascal Wehrlein would lose his seat as team engine supplier Ferrari brings in one of its juniors Charles Leclerc or Antonio Giovinazzi. Indeed, Sauber has now announced that young Monegasque Leclerc will get four Friday practice session […]
Earthquake hits Mexico before October F1 race
Sep.21 (GMM) A dark cloud has moved above Mexico, just over a month before the country is scheduled to host its grand prix. Over 200 lives have been lost as buildings crumbled around greater Mexico City, where the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is due to welcome F1 late next month. Sergio Perez, F1’s only Mexican driver, […]
Vettel can still win 2017 title – Brawn
Sep.21 (GMM) F1 boss Ross Brawn has backed Sebastian Vettel to bounce back and continue to fight for the 2017 title. After Singapore, where the Ferrari driver was blamed for the first-corner crash, the Italian press said it was the death knell for Vettel’s title hopes. But Brawn, the F1 sporting boss, does not even […]
Sainz can race for Red Bull in 2019 – report
Sep.21 (GMM) Carlos Sainz could wind up at Red Bull’s senior F1 team in 2019. It is already known that the Spaniard will move from the energy drink company’s junior team, Toro Rosso, to the works Renault outfit next year. But he is merely ‘on loan’ to Renault. “What I know is that I will […]
Auer future unchanged after Force India decisions
Sep.20 (GMM) Lucas Auer says Force India deciding to keep the same drivers for 2018 doesn’t affect his own motor racing future. Earlier, the Austrian – whose uncle is the F1 legend Gerhard Berger – tested for the Silverstone based team thanks to his pink-coloured sponsor BWT. Force India’s driver lineup was up in the […]
Haas defends Singapore ‘team orders’
Sep.20 (GMM) Haas boss Gunther Steiner has defended a case of ‘team orders’ imposed in Singapore last weekend. When he emerged from his car under the city-state’s floodlights, Kevin Magnussen told the media that being ordered by his bosses to give up a place to teammate Romain Grosjean potentially cost the team points. But he […]
Michael Schumacher could move to America – report
Sep.20 (GMM) Michael Schumacher could be set to relocate to the United States. Almost nothing is known about the extent of the F1 legend’s brain injuries, following his skiing fall in France in late 2013. Now 48, the former Ferrari and Mercedes driver is reportedly supported by a team of health professionals as he recuperates […]
Title hopes not over for Vettel – Hamilton
Sep.20 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says his championship rival Sebastian Vettel cannot be written off. In Singapore, as he extended his winning streak to a hat-trick, Mercedes’ Hamilton pulled out a 28-point lead over Vettel, Ferrari’s former championship leader. Niki Lauda, the F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman, thinks Vettel’s first corner crash on Sunday cost […]
McLaren ‘only two weeks behind’ – Boullier
Sep.20 (GMM) Eric Boullier insists the long-running ‘will they or won’t they?’ McLaren-Honda divorce saga has only slightly delayed the British team’s preparations for 2018. Although the split was only made official in Singapore, the McLaren team boss says the team is actually only two weeks behind schedule. “Obviously for a while we will have […]
Raikkonen manager role ‘not the same as before’
Sep.19 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen effectively manages his own affairs in formula one. That is the admission of the Finn’s long-time manager Steve Robertson, who recently helped Raikkonen agree his new one-year deal to stay at Ferrari next year. But Robertson told the Finnish broadcaster MTV: “The process was pretty simple because the contract was made […]
Bottas ‘not number 2 driver’ – Wolff
Sep.19 (GMM) Toto Wolff says he still will not designate Valtteri Bottas the ‘number 2’ driver behind Lewis Hamilton. While Hamilton completed a victory hat-trick and pulled out a 28 point advantage over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in Singapore, Mercedes teammate Bottas has struggled recently. “Yeah, Valtteri has been a bit lost,” agreed former F1 driver […]
Title not lost for Vettel yet – Trulli
Sep.19 (GMM) Jarno Trulli says it is still possible that Sebastian Vettel will win the 2017 title. That is despite the fact the partisan Italian press is livid that, with the first corner crash in Singapore, “an entire season was destroyed”. Italian and former F1 driver Trulli agrees that the crash was Vettel’s fault. “If […]
Lauda blames Vettel for Singapore crash
Sep.19 (GMM) Niki Lauda has joined scores of fans and insiders who blame Sebastian Vettel for putting his championship hopes in tatters in Singapore. On Twitter, the Maranello team lashed out at Max Verstappen for Sunday’s first corner crash, while boss Maurizio Arrivabene said it was “clearly” the Red Bull driver’s fault. But Lauda, the […]
Italy slams Ferrari after Singapore ‘disaster’
Sep.19 (GMM) The Italian press has lashed out at Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel after a disastrous Singapore grand prix. The Italian team and boss Maurizio Arrivabene blamed Max Verstappen for the first corner crash that wiped out both Ferraris on Sunday. As a result, Vettel’s points deficit to Lewis Hamilton blew out to 28 points. […]
Toro Rosso a better fit for Honda – Yamamoto
Sep.19 (GMM) Honda thinks Toro Rosso could be a better fit for the Japanese marque than McLaren. After the split was announced in Singapore, Honda’s senior F1 chief Masashi Yamamoto said he would have preferred to keep racing with McLaren next year. He said a lack of performance and reliability “created tension between us” and […]
Aston Martin to be Red Bull title sponsor
Sep.18 (GMM) Aston Martin looks set to become Red Bull’s title sponsor next year. Although the energy drink owned team uses a Tag-Heuer branded Renault engine, Red Bull is also sponsored by the British luxury carmaker Aston Martin. And in Singapore, one prominent attendee was Andy Palmer, the Aston chief executive. Earlier in the weekend, […]
McLaren ‘almost factory team’ by 2019 – Boullier
Sep.18 (GMM) McLaren will become a de-facto ‘factory’ team by 2019, according to team boss Eric Boullier. Like many members of the struggling British outfit, Boullier admitted to feelings of relief in Singapore that the Honda divorce is now set in stone. “It had become inevitable,” the Frenchman told the Belgian broadcaster RTBF. “After three […]
Singapore not ‘preliminary title decision’ – Wolff
Sep.18 (GMM) Toto Wolff has hit back at suggestions Sunday in Singapore was a ‘preliminary decision’ for a fourth world championship title for Lewis Hamilton. With the first-corner crash between Max Verstappen and both Ferraris, including Hamilton’s title rival Sebastian Vettel, the fifth-placed qualifier Hamilton ultimately dominated and won in Singapore. Niki Lauda, the Mercedes […]
Sainz unsure if Singapore was last Toro Rosso race
Sep.18 (GMM) Carlos Sainz left Singapore on Monday wondering if it had been his last race for Toro Rosso. The Spaniard made his F1 debut for the junior Red Bull team in 2015, but will be loaned to the works Renault team next year. So when Sainz crossed the line in a career-best fourth place […]