Feb.3 (GMM) Gene Haas says he is in no rush to sign a pair of drivers for his 2016 F1 team. Accompanied by his team principal Gunther Steiner, the Californian is this week visiting the Jerez test, even though his Ferrari-powered outfit will not go racing for more than a full 12 months from now. […]
Category: Recent stories
F1 has turned up engine volume for 2015
Feb.3 (GMM) F1 has turned up the volume for 2015. As per the engine ‘freeze’ rules, 2014 manufacturers Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari have been allowed to upgrade their turbo V6s by a value of up to 48 per cent since the end of last season. Still, the slight relaxing of the homologation rules – the […]
Vettel pace raises hopes of Ferrari revival
Feb.3 (GMM) Ferrari is emerging as a shock contender to take on mighty title defenders Mercedes in 2015. After Nico Rosberg stunned the paddock with his 157 laps on the W06’s debut on Sunday, world champion Lewis Hamilton could manage ‘only’ 91 on Monday amid a water leak. But the Mercedes driver said at Jerez: […]
Dennis upbeat despite horror start for McLaren-Honda
Feb.3 (GMM) McLaren are continuing to put a brave face on its troubled start to the 2015 pre-season. After two of the 12 official test days before Melbourne, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button have each managed just 6 laps apiece in the Honda-powered MP4-30. “At least they are consistent,” a paddock insider smirked, according to […]
Ecclestone ‘sad’ at 2015 German GP demise
Feb.3 (GMM) The fate of this year’s German grand prix remains dim, as local reports suggest Bernie Ecclestone has now written off the scheduled July race. Amid the Nurburgring’s ownership troubles and Hockenheim not agreeing a replacement deal for 2015, the Rhein Zeitung newspaper on Monday quoted F1 supremo Ecclestone as saying: “I’m as sad […]
McLaren not ruling out livery change
Feb.2 (GMM) McLaren supremo Ron Dennis is not ruling out a change of livery for the newly-launched MP4-30. We reported last week that, amid raised expectations of an orange or iconic red and white livery to herald the new works Honda partnership, some fans were disappointed when the familiar silver and black car was launched […]
Kvyat loses wing, Lotus impresses with nose
Feb.2 (GMM) Red Bull and Lotus caused a stir on Monday as the first test of the 2015 pre-season continued at Jerez. Daniil Kvyat had a bad start to life as a race driver for the energy drink company’s senior team by running off the Spanish circuit and damaging the front wing. “That was the […]
Hamilton, Dennis say Alonso not Mercedes-bound
Feb.2 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton and Ron Dennis have dismissed speculation Fernando Alonso could be planning to spoil their respective plans. While Nico Rosberg pounded around Jerez on Sunday in the impressive new Mercedes, world champion Hamilton was meeting with bosses Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda. The hot topic was a new contract, as the Briton’s […]
Kobayashi to keep career alive in Japan
Feb.2 (GMM) F1 favourite Kamui Kobayashi has kept his motor racing career alive for 2015. The popular Japanese raced last year with Caterham, and although the ailing backmarker’s administrators have not given up, the team is not at Jerez for the first test of the new season. Kobayashi, 28, tested late last year for his […]
Alonso puts brave face on McLaren struggles
Feb.2 (GMM) Fernando Alonso on Sunday put on a brave face as he admitted his first day in the MP4-30 was a “slow start” to his new chapter at McLaren. The Spaniard, having switched from Ferrari to spearhead the new works Honda era, did just 6 uncompetitive laps all day in his new 2015 office, […]
Force India may miss Melbourne opener – report
Feb.2 (GMM) Rumours about the health of the Force India team are continuing to worsen. The Silverstone based squad has not fully explained its absence from the Jerez test this week. On social media, German driver Nico Hulkenberg posted a photo of himself training in the snow, remarking: “If I can’t be at Jerez I’m […]
Newey not expecting Red Bull to match Mercedes
Feb.2 (GMM) Adrian Newey has admitted that while Renault has improved its engine over the winter, it may not be enough to challenge Mercedes for the title. The Red Bull technical boss, while heavily involved with the newly-revealed RB11, is now taking a step back to work on other projects, including the America’s Cup and […]
Day of contrasts marks start of test season
Feb.2 (GMM) F1’s 2015 test season kicked off on Sunday amid stark contrasts, as Mercedes looked set to extend its utter dominance into a second championship campaign. The German giant, in fact, stunned rival engineers up and down the pitlane as Nico Rosberg pounded around the Jerez circuit almost 160 times — a first-day feat […]
Winter season set to begin at Jerez
Feb.1 (GMM) F1 2015 is about to kick off in earnest. After a two-month ‘off season’, teams are now all set up at Jerez, where on Sunday the first of three official winter tests before Melbourne will begin. Toro Rosso opened proceedings on Saturday by revealing its new STR10, featuring a long, tongue-like front nose. […]
Lotus missing as noses stir interest at Jerez test
Feb.1 (GMM) Only seven teams are up and running for the first day of official pre-season testing at Jerez. Missing altogether are the ailing backmarkers Caterham and Marussia, as well as Force India amid speculation of similar financial trouble. But also not running on Sunday is Lotus. Last week, reports suggested not only Lotus but […]
No ‘old’ engine strategy for Mercedes in 2015
Feb.1 (GMM) Mercedes has hit back at rumours it might begin the 2015 season with ‘old’ engines for strategic reasons. It has been suggested the title-defending team, expected to still be wielding a significant advantage this year, might race in Melbourne with the 2014-spec unit and therefore keep all 32 development ‘tokens’ up its sleeve […]
Mercedes completes first laps with W06
Jan.30 (GMM) F1’s launch season is in full swing, and the latest new car to hit the headlines is the title-defending Mercedes. As the new silver McLaren was unveiled online on Thursday, the German giant Mercedes was giving its similarly-coloured W06 a shakedown during a ‘promotional event’ at Silverstone, before a blizzard stopped running. Mercedes […]
Fans disappointed with ‘new’ McLaren livery
Jan.30 (GMM) Many McLaren fans were reportedly disappointed on Thursday when the British team pulled the wraps off its works Honda-powered MP4-30. A report at Brazil’s Globo said the Woking squad had “raised expectations” about the appearance of the 2015 car by publishing videos “noting the past history of the Honda partnership and hinting that […]
Team survival more important than 1000hp – engineer
Jan.30 (GMM) A former F1 engineer thinks the sport has bigger problems than a potential move to 1000-plus horse power engines. According to Italian specialist publication Autosprint, the sport’s powerbrokers will meet next week to discuss again the possibility of adapting the current turbo V6s to produce more sound and power by 2017. The idea […]
Raikkonen could stay beyond 2015 – manager
Jan.30 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen’s manager says it is possible the Finn will stay at Ferrari beyond the 2015 season. A report in Finland’s Turun Sanomat said the 2007 world champion’s current deal expires at the end of the year, with a double-sided option to extend into 2016. Manager Steve Robertson said: “Above all, he has […]