Jun.17 (GMM) Alternating between two Italian circuits could keep the country on the F1 calendar. That is the claim on Wednesday of Bernie Ecclestone, following the London based F1 supremo’s visit from officials of the Imola circuit on Monday. At the ‘Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari’, Imola was the long-time host of the San Marino […]
Category: Recent stories
Engine customers can win in F1 – Symonds
Jun.17 (GMM) Pat Symonds has denied suggestions F1 teams cannot win grands prix if they are engine ‘customers’. Since deciding to leave the Mercedes camp and switch to Honda, McLaren supremo Ron Dennis has frequently said success in formula one is only possible today in works collaboration with a manufacturer or “OEM”. In 2014 and […]
Michelin applies for F1 return in 2017
Jun.17 (GMM) Michelin has announced it is in the running to return to F1 in 2017. Italian company Pirelli has been the sport’s official sole supplier since 2011, but now the FIA has launched a new tender process for the three-year contract beyond 2016. Applications close on Wednesday, and chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera confirmed recently […]
Ferrari changed test plans for Austria – report
Jun.17 (GMM) Ferrari reportedly altered its plans for the forthcoming post-Austrian grand prix test. With only two in-season tests taking place in 2015, the Maranello team was criticised by Italian media last month when it revealed the driver lineup for Barcelona. “It is really difficult to understand why Ferrari is not fully exploiting this chance […]
McLaren and Honda play down Manor rumours
Jun.16 (GMM) McLaren and Honda have played down speculation linking Manor with a supply of Japanese power for 2016. Honda, returning to F1 this year, decided to focus exclusively on McLaren, but boss Yasuhisa Arai has said repeatedly he is open to adding a customer in the future. Reports have linked backmarker Manor with such […]
Energy recovery is ‘greatest difficulty’ – Honda
Jun.16 (GMM) McLaren and Honda are working hard to improve their relationship as the once-great collaboration struggles at the start of a new era. After Canada, reports suggested frustrations were beginning to show in the McLaren camp, but a source for the British team told Brazil’s Globo the relationship with Honda remains “good” and “healthy”. […]
VW says ‘no talks’ about F1 project
Jun.16 (GMM) Volkswagen has issued another denial to seemingly constant speculation it might be considering a foray in formula one. VW Group brands including Audi and Porsche, already with Le Mans prototype programmes, are regularly linked with potential deliberations about a F1 project. But Jost Capito said Volkswagen itself is happier in a series like […]
No Austria practice for Manor’s Leimer – report
Jun.16 (GMM) Fabio Leimer will not make his Friday practice debut in Austria this weekend. In Canada two weeks ago, the 2013 GP2 champion was unveiled as the new Friday and reserve driver for backmarker Manor. It has been reported the Swiss driver’s first Friday outing could be at the Red Bull Ring, but only […]
Four teams tweaked ‘flexi’ wing designs
Jun.16 (GMM) Four teams made modifications to their front wing designs ahead of the recent Canadian grand prix. In the days after Monaco, we reported that the FIA was clamping down once again on the well-trodden area of so-called ‘flexi wings’ in formula one. Spain’s El Confidencial reported that a new 50 Newton-metre load test […]
Chester thinks F1 car could win Le Mans
Jun.16 (GMM) Lotus’ technical boss thinks a formula one car could win at Le Mans. The fabled 24 hour sports car race is in the headlines at present, after full-time Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg won on Sunday for Porsche. Not only that, former grand prix winner Mark Webber has switched full-time to the ever-burgeoning […]
F1’s Hulkenberg, Mallya, put Le Mans in focus
Jun.16 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has named Nico Hulkenberg as one of the very best drivers in F1 today. Before German Hulkenberg won Le Mans on debut at the weekend, the Spanish broadcaster Antena 3 had asked Alonso to nominate his top-three drivers on the grid. “He chose Hamilton, Hulkenberg, and after thinking some more, Ricciardo,” […]
Circuit ‘alternation’ could save Italian GP
Jun.16 (GMM) Imola has emerged in the running to return to formula one. Currently, the future of the Italian grand prix at historic Monza is under a cloud, as F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone demands a higher annual race fee. And now, another Italian circuit – the former long-time San Marino grand prix venue Imola – […]
Schumacher’s son to race with broken hand
Jun.16 (GMM) Michael Schumacher’s son will race through the pain barrier this weekend by going wheel-to-wheel with a broken hand. 16-year-old Mick suffered a fracture in his hand just below his right thumb when he crashed during the most recent round of German Formula 4 in Austria. But Michael and Mick Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm […]
Symonds says F1 cars ‘easier to drive’ today
Jun.16 (GMM) Pat Symonds, one of the most experienced engineers in F1, has admitted the cars of today are easier to drive. The Briton’s career has spanned decades, as he has worked with great champions across the eras including Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. And now he sees Williams’ Valtteri Bottas as a […]
Lauda agrees F1 should be more ‘risky’
Jun.15 (GMM) Niki Lauda has agreed with Kimi Raikkonen that F1 would benefit from a boost of danger. 2007 world champion and Ferrari driver Raikkonen was quoted last week as saying one thing that would improve the modern face of the sport is if F1 was “a little more dangerous”. “It (danger) is part of […]
McLaren ‘short nose’ passes crash test
Jun.15 (GMM) McLaren has put its major upgrade for the Austrian grand prix back on track. We reported last week that a much-needed aerodynamic package for the MP4-30 car was in doubt because the centrepiece – a Mercedes-like ‘short nose’ – had repeatedly failed the mandatory FIA crash tests. A spokesman had told us: “We […]
Berger slams decision to cancel F3 race
Jun.15 (GMM) F1 legend Gerhard Berger has criticised the decision to cancel a recent Formula 3 race at historic Monza. The decision was taken after a spate of terrifying wheel-to-wheel crashes, but Berger thinks it was the wrong message to what is “the best school” for rising driver talent. Until recently, former grand prix winner […]
Leimer heads to Austria for FIA check – report
Jun.15 (GMM) Fabio Leimer is heading to Austria this week hoping to fire up his Manor chances. The Swiss driver and 2013 GP2 champion was trackside in Canada with the backmarker team recently, in his new role as official reserve. And Blick, the Swiss newspaper whose F1 correspondent is the paddock veteran Roger Benoit, said […]
Better Renault engine not ready yet
Jun.15 (GMM) Renault-powered teams face a longer wait for performance improvements in 2015. After a dire start to the season for the French manufacturer, boss Cyril Abiteboul said after Canada that with reliability now under control, Renault can finally turn its attention to power. But until a better engine arrives, Red Bull and Toro Rosso […]
Hamilton talks ‘good sex’ with Playboy – reports
Jun.15 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has talked openly about sex with the famous men’s magazine Playboy, according to German reports. As Bernie Ecclestone enthuses about the reigning world champion being a “super promoter of the sport”, Hamilton reportedly said of sex: “When it comes to good sex, nothing comes close”. “The best thing is probably good […]