Feb.13 (GMM) Signs of life emerged from Force India on Friday. The Silverstone based team sat out the opening test of the winter at Jerez amid rumours of financial problems and crippling debts to suppliers. Team racer Nico Hulkenberg has at least been filling his idle time with track action, testing the new Porsche in […]
Button happy to be Alonso’s teammate
Feb.13 (GMM) Jenson Button insists he is happy to be paired with Fernando Alonso. Both sides of the new McLaren-Honda garage have won world championships, but Spaniard Alonso is regarded not only as arguably the best on the grid, but perhaps often difficult to share a team with. Notably, he clashed at McLaren with Lewis […]
Renault not yet ‘exploring limits’ of 2015 engine
Feb.13 (GMM) Renault has confirmed reports it did not hit full throttle at the recent Jerez test. Works team Red Bull evidently had a difficult start to the winter season, struggling for pace and laps with the new RB11 car. Under its skin is a heavily-upgraded Renault ‘power unit’, the result of a sweeping restructuring […]
Engine boss thinks Mercedes’ rivals can catch up
Feb.12 (GMM) Dominant 2014 champion Mercedes thinks its rivals can catch up. Germany’s authoritative Auto Motor und Sport on Thursday estimated the marque’s advantage last year at as much as 60 horse power. Many believe that is too great a gap to bridge in just one winter, but Renault has worked hard on its structure […]
Horner plays down early 2015 troubles for Red Bull
Feb.12 (GMM) Christian Horner has played down reports Red Bull is entering a second consecutive season amid early troubles. Although ultimately the championship runner-up, the formerly title-dominant team went into 2014 in technical crisis as engine partner Renault struggled at the start of the new turbo V6 era. Renault subsequently underwent a sweeping restructuring and […]
Williams plays down Ferrari link for Bottas
Feb.12 (GMM) Williams is not taking seriously reports star driver Valtteri Bottas is looking to replace Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen next year. The seat occupied by fellow Finn Raikkonen, who struggled at the Maranello team last year, is technically open for 2016 due to the existence of a contract ‘option’. “If it goes badly and I […]
Malaysia undecided over F1 contract extension
Feb.12 (GMM) Talks to renew Malaysia’s F1 contract are still ongoing. Last month, Sepang circuit boss Razlan Razali travelled to London to discuss the expiring deal with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. “I am very confident this year’s F1 (race) won’t be the last,” he said. Three weeks on, a deal for 2016 and beyond still […]
‘Calm’ Williams sparked Massa revival
Feb.12 (GMM) A “calmer” environment may have contributed to the return to form of former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa. In 2008, the Brazilian went wheel-to-wheel with Lewis Hamilton for the world championship, but a year later he was fighting for his life after the qualifying accident in Hungary. Massa admitted to Spain’s El Confidencial that […]
Red Bull to speed up in Barcelona – Marko
Feb.12 (GMM) Red Bull will begin to step on the throttle at the forthcoming Barcelona test. That is the news of the energy drink marque’s Dr Helmut Marko, apparently responding to reports the 2014 runner-up failed to shine at the opening test at Jerez. Indeed, the camouflaged RB11 did not feature highly on the lists […]
Alonso waiting to set McLaren-Honda goal for 2015
Feb.12 (GMM) McLaren-Honda is beginning to play down its chances of bursting off the grid at the very start of the 2015 season. After its almost two decades with Mercedes power, the British team has struggled for laps and pace in the early phase of its new works partnership with returning Honda. Until now, McLaren […]
Ecclestone not worried as TV ratings decline
Feb.11 (GMM) Television ratings and major car manufacturers would appear to be ingredients Bernie Ecclestone cannot do without. F1, however, shed no fewer than 25 million viewers last year, but the sport’s supremo insists he is not worried because it “reflects the move FOM has made towards pay TV in several markets over the last […]
Williams backs Marussia’s 2014-car plan
Feb.11 (GMM) Williams on Wednesday said it would welcome Marussia back to the F1 grid — even if the struggling backmarker has to field a 2014 car. Marussia, now called Manor, is bidding to exit administration and rejoin the paddock this year. But at last week’s strategy group meeting, rival Force India blocked the dispensation […]
Marchionne not expecting ‘miracles’ from Ferrari
Feb.11 (GMM) Sergio Marchionne insists he is not getting carried away with Ferrari’s winter test form. The fabled Maranello marque struggled in 2014, prompting Fiat Chrysler chief Marchionne to take over from long-time president Luca di Montezemolo amid a radical personnel shakeup. The Italian-Canadian has warned that Ferrari’s return to winning form will not happen […]
No ‘explosion’ as Alonso’s Ferrari tenure ended – Briatore
Feb.11 (GMM) Flavio Briatore has hit back at claims Fernando Alonso’s relationship with Ferrari was in ruins when he left the fabled team. One of the Spaniard’s former contemporaries, David Coulthard, this week repeated the paddock perception of Alonso as perhaps the very best driver but with a fiery character. And now, more fireworks might […]
Wolff wants new Hamilton deal before Melbourne
Feb.11 (GMM) Toto Wolff has admitted he would like to agree a new deal with world champion Lewis Hamilton before the season begins. The Briton remains under contract for the full 2015 season, but at the Jerez test recently he was spotted in intense negotiations with boss Wolff and team chairman Niki Lauda. Last week, […]
Alonso eyes McLaren-Honda success ‘soon’
Feb.11 (GMM) Arguably the biggest question mark heading into the 2015 season is the form of McLaren-Honda. Team management are hailing the tight packaging of their “size-zero” MP4-30, but problems with the returning Honda’s first turbo V6 effort meant McLaren left Jerez with low mileage and uncompetitive laptimes. Matt Morris, McLaren designer, admits Jerez was […]
Mercedes still favourite for 2015 – Haug
Feb.11 (GMM) Former chief Norbert Haug doubts that Mercedes’ rivals have been able to track down the German giant’s advantage ahead of the 2015 season. At the opening pre-season test at Jerez, it was Ferrari who surprisingly set the headline times. But Haug, the former head of Mercedes motor sport, said: “There are no points […]
Mercedes yet to show full potential – Costa
Feb.11 (GMM) Designer Aldo Costa denies Mercedes has played it too safe with the new title-defending W06. The Brackley team utterly dominated the first season of the new turbo V6 rules in 2014 and is expected to maintain that advantage this year. But as testing kicked off at Jerez last week, it was Ferrari that […]
Question mark over Red Bull’s 2015 form
Feb.10 (GMM) 2014 runner-up Red Bull has emerged as a big question-mark ahead of the new season. Last year, Daniel Ricciardo was the only driver other than the occupant of a Mercedes to see the view from the top of the podium. But after the first official test of the 2015 pre-season, the Australian’s best […]
Ecclestone eyes ‘second division’ with old Red Bull
Feb.10 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone is working on a contingency plan in case the F1 grid continues to dwindle. If Marussia’s bid to return this year should fail, the pitlane looks set to house just nine teams in 2015. And with other teams including Force India, Sauber and even Lotus thought to be stretched financially, there […]