Mar.30 (GMM) Former F1 drivers will find it much easier to attend grands prix in future. In the Bernie Ecclestone era, even though they had entertained the spectators as the ‘gladiators’ of the past, former F1 stars were among those who found it hard to get paddock passes. “There are times I would have come […]
Category: Recent stories
Prince invites Ecclestone to Bahrain GP
Mar.30 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone will attend his first race of the 2017 season in Bahrain next month. It is not unusual for the 86-year-old to skip some of the early-season ‘flyaway’ grands prix, but his absence was felt particularly in Australia as it was the first race since he was ousted as F1 chief executive. […]
Audi to attend next F1 engine meeting
Mar.29 (GMM) The Volkswagen brand Audi will attend a forthcoming meeting about the future of F1’s engine regulations. That is the claim of the German-language Spox.com, which says the meeting hosted by the FIA will take place in Paris on Friday to discuss what the next engine formula might look like beyond 2021. Notwithstanding the […]
Pundits doubt McLaren will axe Honda
Mar.29 (GMM) Two F1 pundits have played down reports McLaren could be about to sensationally dump Honda. Given the great British team’s disastrous start to its third season with the Japanese marque, rumours swept the Melbourne paddock that talks between McLaren and Mercedes have now begun. McLaren didn’t deny it, and team boss Eric Boullier […]
Raikkonen will struggle to catch Vettel – Lauda
Mar.29 (GMM) Another win for Sebastian Vettel could set up a very difficult season for his Ferrari teammate. That is the view of Niki Lauda, who said the gap between Melbourne winner Vettel and his teammate Kimi Raikkonen was “unusual”. “If Sebastian gets a momentum with this victory, then the whole team gets behind him […]
Fast Ferrari means Vettel will stay – Haug
Mar.29 (GMM) The chance Sebastian Vettel will stay with Ferrari beyond 2017 stepped up a notch in Melbourne. That is the view of former Mercedes chief Norbert Haug, not long after his successor in silver – Toto Wolff – said German Vettel would be a “good fit” at the German marque. Ferrari, whose contract with […]
McLaren contract stopped Alonso talks – Wolff
Mar.29 (GMM) Toto Wolff says it was mainly a contractual issue that halted negotiations between Mercedes and Fernando Alonso ahead of the 2017 season. With McLaren-Honda now deep in crisis, but Alonso dropping strong hints that he wants to race on beyond his expiring deal, Mercedes chief Wolff earlier said it was a clash of […]
No F1 return for Bridgestone
Mar.29 (GMM) Bridgestone is not looking to return to F1 any time soon. The Japanese marque was synonymous with the sport in both the ‘tyre war’ and single supplier eras until 2011, when Pirelli took over. But Bridgestone has just signed up as a major sponsor of the Olympics, with the brand’s European chief Robin […]
Stroll expects more difficult races in 2017
Mar.29 (GMM) Lance Stroll says he is sure he will have more difficult races as he gets up to speed in F1. The teenage rookie had a mistake-strewn winter, and he then crashed in Melbourne practice before starting his debut grand prix last. Stroll admits the much faster 2017 cars are hard to drive. “When […]
High costs hurting F1 ‘show’ – Todt
Mar.29 (GMM) As far as the F1 pecking order is concerned, Jean Todt says he likes what he has seen so far in 2017. “It’s good,” he told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, “because a competitive Ferrari is essential for formula one.” And the FIA president also said Mercedes is obviously “still very strong” this […]
Mick Schumacher admits father ‘my idol’
Mar.29 (GMM) Mick Schumacher has broken his long public silence about his father, admitting the F1 legend and former Ferrari and Mercedes driver is “my idol”. Schumacher, who has just turned 18, is stepping up to the highly competitive European F3 series this year, which is widely regarded as a potential final step before formula […]
Alonso could race for five more years – Brown
Mar.28 (GMM) McLaren would be willing to sign up Fernando Alonso for five more years, new team executive Zak Brown has hinted. The Spaniard has been with McLaren-Honda since he left Ferrari after 2014, but he is now letting his frustration with the hapless Anglo-Japanese collaboration show. But Zak Brown, McLaren’s new executive, thinks there […]
Ex boss wants Giovinazzi to replace Raikkonen
Mar.28 (GMM) Antonio Giovinazzi has put himself in pole position for a Ferrari race seat. That is the view of the great Maranello marque’s former boss Cesare Fiorio, after Italian Giovinazzi made his surprise race debut for the Ferrari customer Sauber in Melbourne. “What Antonio did in Melbourne was outstanding, particularly as he was woken […]
Lauda not commenting on McLaren engine rumours
Mar.28 (GMM) Niki Lauda has dodged speculation Mercedes could step in to help McLaren solve its performance crisis. Rumours swept the Melbourne paddock last weekend that, now into its third hapless season with works engine partner and sponsor Honda, McLaren is finally looking for the exit. The rumour goes that Eric Boullier is behind a […]
Rosberg would not have beaten Bottas – Lauda
Mar.28 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas is being praised from all sides after his solid Mercedes debut in Melbourne. “Initially he was a Calimero,” joked Italian journalist Giorgio Terruzzi, referring to a popular and cute cartoon baby bird, “but he eventually showed signs of being a Rosberg.” Terruzzi is referring to Nico Rosberg, the driver and reigning […]
Verstappen must wait for faster Red Bull
Mar.28 (GMM) Max Verstappen says he must be patient amid Red Bull’s push to catch top two F1 teams Ferrari and Mercedes in 2017. While some thought the energy drink-owned team was bluffing in the winter, the Dutchman finished fifth in Australia as Red Bull admitted to both chassis and engine deficits. Red Bull said […]
Hamilton keeping fit without trainer in 2017
Mar.28 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says he is looking forward to battling Sebastian Vettel for the world championship in 2017. Since 2014, with Mercedes basically alone at the front of the field, Hamilton’s battle were confined to an acrimonious inter-team scrap with Nico Rosberg. So with Rosberg retired and Ferrari’s Vettel now in the fray, Hamilton […]
Vandoorne says McLaren slowest car in F1
Mar.27 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is not the only team driver who is highly critical of former F1 grandee McLaren-Honda’s current predicament. Many observers have interpreted Alonso’s post-race comments in Melbourne as a clear sign that his patience is finally up, as the Anglo-Japanese collaboration continues to falter for the third consecutive season. “Optimism? I think […]
FIA to investigate Melbourne spectator invasion
Mar.27 (GMM) Officials are investigating the invasion of the Albert Park circuit by spectators while F1 cars were still completing their post-race in-laps on Sunday. Winner Sebastian Vettel, a lover of F1 history and a racing ‘purist’, admitted he actually enjoyed how trackside spectators breached the circuit perimeter just after he crossed the chequered flag. […]
Lauda scoffs at Raikkonen struggle theory
Mar.27 (GMM) F1 legend Niki Lauda has scoffed at one controversial explanation for Kimi Raikkonen’s Melbourne struggle. The Mercedes team chairman admitted he was surprised by the performance gap between race winner Sebastian Vettel and his Ferrari teammate Raikkonen on Sunday. “I don’t know what went wrong for Kimi,” Lauda told the German broadcaster RTL. […]