Feb.19 (GMM) Both of Mercedes’ race drivers are out of action at present. World champion Lewis Hamilton kicked off the team’s four-day test at Barcelona early on Thursday, but had to retire after a handful of laps, reportedly with a fever. Curiously, he was replaced not by his teammate Nico Rosberg, but by reserve driver […]
Hamilton unwell as Barcelona test begins
Feb.19 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein leapt rapidly from the Force India to the Mercedes cockpit as the Barcelona test began on Thursday morning. The 20-year-old German had just started running in the 2014 Force India when, in the works Mercedes, reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton fell ill. “Lewis Hamilton is unwell and not able to continue […]
No quick fix to McLaren-Honda problems – Ramirez
Feb.19 (GMM) A crucial month lies ahead for the new McLaren-Honda collaboration. That is the obvious view from the outside, after the innovative MP4-30 struggled for pace and laps not only at Jerez, but also reportedly early this week at Barcelona, as the British-Japanese outfit conducted private ‘filming days’ with the troubled 2015 car. The […]
F1 rumours firing for Audi yet again
Feb.19 (GMM) Rumours are once again doing the rounds that the Volkswagen Group is eyeing a place on the F1 grid. But according to Germany’s respected Auto Motor und Sport, this time the speculation has a twist — and former world champions Red Bull may be playing a role. Now, the VW brand strongly linked […]
Manor books crash tests for early March – report
Feb.19 (GMM) While Barcelona echoed to the sound of turbo V6 engines on Thursday, behind-the-scenes developments were also making noise. Force India finally began its winter programme at the Circuit de Catalunya, but only with the 2014 car and Mercedes reserve Pascal Wehrlein at the wheel. Wehrlein was then called up by his works employer […]
Age controversy will soon be old – Verstappen
Feb.19 (GMM) Max Verstappen thinks all the stories about his age will soon be old. The Dutchman’s impending debut at the tender age of 17 has been so controversial that the FIA has even changed the super licence rules for 2016. But that will not affect the new Toro Rosso driver, and Verstappen insists the […]
Sutil’s manager denies Le Mans reports
Feb.19 (GMM) Adrian Sutil’s manager has denied reports linking the German driver with a top Le Mans seat for 2015. The Swiss newspaper Blick reported this week that, after losing his place at Sauber, 32-year-old F1 veteran Sutil could keep his career alive in the top LMP1 endurance sports car category with Nissan. But Sutil’s […]
McLaren troubles continue in Barcelona
Feb.19 (GMM) McLaren-Honda’s troubled pre-season continued on Thursday as the second winter test at Barcelona began. At lunch on day one at the Circuit de Catalunya, Jenson Button’s work at the wheel of the MP4-30 was over when a design fault on the ‘MGU-K’ component of the Honda power unit’s energy recovery system was found. […]
Bottas preferred Bahrain over Barcelona
Feb.19 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has lamented the end of winter testing in the island Kingdom of Bahrain. Previously, F1 teams made the pre-season trip to the Middle East to avoid Europe’s cold winter, but the practice was stopped for 2015 as a cost-saving measure. So after this year’s track preparations kicked off recently at Jerez, […]
Sutil linked with Nissan seat for Le Mans
Feb.18 (GMM) Adrian Sutil could keep his top motor racing career alive in 2015 with a Le Mans seat. Late last year, the German veteran hinted he might take legal action against Sauber, as despite his 2015 contract the Swiss team signed pay-drivers Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson for this season. It was then a […]
F1 rejects rules revolution for 2016
Feb.18 (GMM) A rules revolution in formula one will have to wait, after the decision-making F1 Commission met in Geneva on Tuesday. As the body – comprising the teams, the FIA, Bernie Ecclestone and race promoters, suppliers and sponsors – met, Ferrari unveiled its vision of the future. The futuristic, computer-generated F1 concept car appeared […]
Champion trio to begin Barcelona action
Feb.18 (GMM) Three world champions will bring F1 track action back into life on Thursday. Reigning title winner Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and 2009 world champion Jenson Button will be among those in action on day one, as the second of just three pre-Melbourne winter tests begins in Barcelona. Red Bull, Williams, Toro Rosso, […]
Hulkenberg, Perez prepare for Barcelona test
Feb.18 (GMM) The absent-in-Jerez Force India team is busily setting up for this week’s second pre-season test. As earlier reported, despite rumours of financial and supplier trouble, the Silverstone based outfit is conspicuously among its eight other peers at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. Missing, however, is the team’s 2015 car, the as-yet-unseen VJM08, amid reports […]
Ricciardo admits Ferrari looking ‘strong’
Feb.17 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo, the only non-Mercedes driver to win races last year, has admitted he might have a new rival in 2015. After the 2014 season, in which the Australian finished third overall and single-handedly prevented a 100 per cent winning record for Mercedes, the 25-year-old said he was eyeing a full title tilt […]
F1 ‘appeal’ has diminished – Friesacher
Feb.17 (GMM) Former Minardi driver Patrick Friesacher has joined the ranks who argue F1 took a sharp wrong turn. The Austrian, now 34, drove for the Faenza based backmarker in 2005, qualifying and finishing last at the famous six-car US grand prix. Speaking to the Servus TV broadcaster, Friesacher admitted that while he retains his […]
McLaren still struggling to run 2015 car – reports
Feb.17 (GMM) McLaren-Honda may still be struggling to make progress. Exactly one month before Melbourne, the new British-Japanese works collaboration hit the track early in Barcelona, the scene of this week’s second test before the 2015 season opener. The official action does not kick off until Thursday, but Jenson Button was in action on Monday […]
F1 should ‘respect’ Alonso’s Ferrari exit – Campos
Feb.17 (GMM) Ferrari’s management situation led to the departure of number 1 driver Fernando Alonso. That is the view of Adrian Campos, a former F1 driver who in 2010 founded the team that became known as Hispania. The 54-year-old Spaniard now operates junior teams including a GP2 outfit, and spoke to the sports daily AS […]
Mercedes to decide token strategy before Melbourne
Feb.17 (GMM) A big unknown ahead of the 2015 season is how F1’s manufacturers will manage the new engine ‘unfreeze’. Earlier, Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and newcomer Honda were bound to freeze their respective 2015 specifications by Melbourne, but now they are freer to deploy performance development ‘tokens’ throughout the season. It triggered rumours Mercedes, so […]
F1 struggles hurt Ferrari brand power – study
Feb.17 (GMM) On-track struggles in formula one have hurt fabled Ferrari’s brand power, according to a study by asset valuation company Brand Finance. Last year, Ferrari retained its post as the most powerful brand in the world, but a newly-published list shows that toy company Lego has made an overtaking move. “Ferrari has been slipping […]
Ferrari reveals vision of F1 future
Feb.17 (GMM) Just as the F1 Commission meets in Geneva, Ferrari has outlined its vision of the sport’s future. Earlier in February, the powerful Strategy Group met to discuss plans to spice up F1 with powerful and noisy engines, and more aggressive looking cars. At that meeting, Red Bull and McLaren reportedly tabled aggressive-looking drawings […]