Jun.5 (GMM) Pirelli has hit back at conspiracy theories about Ferrari’s sudden return to the top in F1 this year. After three consecutive years of Mercedes dominance, it is now the red team that is clearly leading in 2017. “At 25 points ahead, Vettel is now clearly the world championship favourite,” Mercedes team chairman Niki […]
Category: Recent stories
Raikkonen ‘basically’ Ferrari no.2 – Salo
Jun.2 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen is “basically” already the number 2 driver at Ferrari for 2017. That is the view of the Finn’s countryman Mika Salo. His comments follow Monaco, where a controversial pit strategy saw Raikkonen lose the lead and the subsequent race win to teammate and championship leader Sebastian Vettel. “Vettel has a good […]
Alonso ‘wasting time’ at McLaren – Andretti
Jun.2 (GMM) Motor racing legend Mario Andretti says Fernando Alonso is “wasting” his time at McLaren-Honda. Last weekend, the Spaniard skipped Monaco in order to tackle the fabled Indy 500 with the team run by Andretti’s son and former McLaren driver Michael. But Alonso, 35, will be back in his McLaren-Honda in Canada, even though […]
Sauber ‘open’ to taking Honda-linked driver
Jun.2 (GMM) Monisha Kaltenborn has admitted Sauber may take a driver from Honda’s talent pool for 2018. Earlier, when regular Pascal Wehrlein was injured, the German was replaced by Antonio Giovinazzi, who is engine supplier Ferrari’s official reserve driver. But Sauber has subsequently done a deal to be powered by Honda power units for 2018, […]
Engine rules ‘driving McLaren to ruin’ – Marko
Jun.2 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says formula one desperately needs new engine rules for 2021. The Austrian is a leading F1 official at Red Bull, the energy drink owned company that has two teams on the grid and is promoter of the Austrian grand prix. He told Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper that F1’s current “nonsensical power […]
‘No back problems’ after Monaco – Wehrlein
Jun.2 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein says he will take part in next weekend’s Canadian grand prix. After missing races earlier in 2017 with fractured vertebrae, the German had said after a rollover crash in Monaco that he would undergo scans this week. “Monaco is checked off for me,” the Sauber driver told Germany’s Sport Bild late […]
Wolff sympathises amid Ferrari controversy
Jun.1 (GMM) Toto Wolff has joined those who are rejecting the Ferrari ‘team orders’ conspiracy. Ferrari has denied that it deliberately disadvantaged Kimi Raikkonen through pit strategy at Monaco so that Sebastian Vettel could take maximum points for the championship. Championship rival Mercedes’ team boss Toto Wolff said he sympathises with Ferrari amid the controversy. […]
No regrets as BAR became Mercedes – Villeneuve
Jun.1 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve says he has no regrets about investing millions into F1’s Brackley based team. In 1998, in a project led by the then reigning world champion’s then manager Craig Pollock, Villeneuve put up the money to buy the Tyrrell team and establish the new F1 outfit BAR. Le Journal de Montreal said […]
Stroll not crumbling under ‘pressure’ – father
Jun.1 (GMM) Lance Stroll’s father has denied that his son is crumbling under the “pressure” of expectations in F1. Still just 18, Canadian Stroll has struggled at Williams so far in 2017, with many questioning his ability amid the image of being the ‘pay driver’ son of a billionaire. That billionaire is the fashion mogul […]
Giovinazzi deal ‘unfortunate’ for Magnussen
Jun.1 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen will have less practice time to prepare for forthcoming grands prix. According to the Danish broadcaster TV2, the Haas racer has been told he will need to give up his car on six of the seven occasions on which Ferrari reserve Antonio Giovinazzi drives in Friday morning practice sessions this year. […]
Kanaan hits back at Hamilton’s Indy jibe
Jun.1 (GMM) An Indycar driver has hit back at Lewis Hamilton following recent comments made by the triple world champion. As Fernando Alonso was tackling the Indy 500, Hamilton scoffed at how the Spaniard was able to be so competitive straight out of the box in qualifying. “To see him fifth against drivers who are […]
McLaren-Honda struggles ‘tiring’ – Alonso
Jun.1 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says McLaren-Honda’s ongoing struggles in F1 are “tiring”. The Spaniard skipped Monaco to do the Indy 500, but will return to his regular formula one duties next weekend in Canada. “I’m happy, the only thing missing is to be competitive,” Alonso told EFE news agency. “With Honda and the engine we […]
Alonso surprised at Indy pay-cheque
Jun.1 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has admitted his surprise at how lucrative taking part in the Indy 500 is. The Spaniard qualified fifth, was crowned rookie of the year and retired with a blown Honda engine as he skipped Monaco to take part in the fabled US oval race. It emerged that he took home about […]
No news after Wehrlein hospital scans
Jun.1 (GMM) There is no news about the physical condition of Pascal Wehrlein. After his bizarre half-roll into the Monaco barriers at Monaco following a clash with Jenson Button, the young German admitted he would need scans to get his neck and back checked. Wehrlein had to miss races early this year after fracturing vertebrae […]
2017 highlighting role of driver – Abiteboul
Jun.1 (GMM) F1’s new era better highlights the differences between drivers. That is the view of Cyril Abiteboul, the Renault team boss who this week warned that Jolyon Palmer’s struggle alongside Nico Hulkenberg this year is currently under review. “The contrast between the drivers is striking,” he told the French language news agency AFP. “It […]
Pirelli denies 2017 tyres favour Ferrari
May 31 (GMM) Pirelli has hit back at claims its 2017 tyres unfairly favour the Ferrari team. Many have admitted their surprise that, notwithstanding the big rule change this year, the Italian team managed to close a big gap to Mercedes over the winter. “Mercedes and Ferrari is the perfect duel,” said retired world champion […]
Ferrari ’16 weeks ahead’ with 2017 car – Wolff
May 31 (GMM) Ferrari got a head-start with its title-challenging car for 2017. That is the claim of Toto Wolff, boss of the Mercedes team which won the last three drivers’ and constructors’ championships on the trot. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, however, is now 25 points clear in this year’s chase, while the Italian team is […]
Alonso eyes return to better McLaren
May 31 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is hopeful the second half of the 2017 season will be better for McLaren-Honda. The Spaniard insists he has no regrets about sitting out Monaco, after instead bidding for victory at the Indy 500. Ironically, it was a Honda engine failure that ended his day. But Alonso will return to […]
Ferrari did not favour Vettel – Alesi
May 31 (GMM) Jean Alesi does not believe Ferrari acted deliberately to disadvantage Kimi Raikkonen in Monaco. Some suspect that with Sebastian Vettel leading the world championship, the Italian team’s pit strategy was an obvious ploy to drop Raikkonen behind his German teammate. Team boss Maurizio Arrivabene denies it. “Kimi drives not only for Ferrari […]
Vettel on pole for 2017 title – Lauda
May 30 (GMM) Niki Lauda has admitted Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel is now on pole position for the 2017 world championship. Amid Lewis Hamilton’s Monaco struggles, Vettel won in Monaco and now has a 25 point advantage after six races. “Vettel won because he was faster when Raikkonen stopped,” Lauda, Mercedes’ team chairman, told Sky Italia. […]