May 6 (GMM) Susie Wolff has admitted she still feels “very far away” from the formula one grid. Actually, the 32-year-old is much closer than others, as she will take over Valtteri Bottas’ Williams on Friday morning ahead of the Spanish grand prix. It will mark the “40th anniversary of the last time a female […]
F1 ‘no longer real racing’ – Briatore
May 6 (GMM) Flavio Briatore, who for two decades presided over often title-winning success on the pitwall, says he is now only an occasional viewer of grands prix. “On Sunday I watched the (Bahrain) race for ten minutes and then did something else,” the Italian told Rai radio earlier this week. “They spend (EUR) 300 […]
McLaren hits back at ‘critics’ in a hurry
May 6 (GMM) McLaren has reacted “angrily” to claims it has failed to live up to the hype of its works Honda partnership. Ahead of the fifth race of 2015 in Spain, Britain’s Times newspaper said team boss Eric Boullier hit out at “critics” who “inflated expectations” that McLaren-Honda could instantly recapture the successful glory […]
Ferrari not joining ‘short nose’ camp
May 6 (GMM) Ferrari has opted against joining the ‘short nosed’ camp on the 2015 grid. Mercedes and Williams have designed their 2015 aerodynamic concepts around an ultra-short nose, and now Red Bull is hoping to make up ground from Barcelonan onwards with perhaps the most radical solution to date. Ferrari’s SF15-T, however, has a […]
McLaren reveals dark new F1 livery
May 6 (GMM) McLaren has revealed a striking new ‘graphite’ livery ahead of the Spanish grand prix. The British team confirmed on Tuesday that it is launching a new look for Barcelona and beyond. Some believe the move was to distance McLaren from its chrome-themed, Mercedes-powered past, especially in light of the new works partnership […]
Rosberg ‘must try to catch’ Hamilton – Lauda
May 6 (GMM) Nico Rosberg is facing a tough task to get back on terms with Lewis Hamilton. Earlier, F1 legend Sir Stirling Moss insisted that Hamilton, although a double world champion and on-form championship leader, is “not yet” a great. But he is quoted by the Swiss newspaper Blick: “Hamilton is in another league. […]
Berger not surprised by Renault’s V6 struggle
May 6 (GMM) Even Sebastian Vettel would not have made a difference to Red Bull’s tough season in 2015. “In (terms of) car development, maybe,” said the now Ferrari-driving German’s former boss and mentor Dr Helmut Marko. “For example, we have now changed back to the brake manufacturer that he (Vettel) always wanted to have,” […]
New Manor car not due until Belgium – report
May 6 (GMM) Another half a dozen races may pass before Manor is ready to debut a 2015 car. So far in 2015, the former Marussia team has fought back from near collapse and administration with a hurriedly-modified version of last year’s car. It is fitted with last year’s Ferrari engine, which is significantly down […]
Red Bull now targeting third-best Williams
May 5 (GMM) Red Bull is setting its sights on F1’s third-best team. The 2010-2013 champions have already ruled out a tilt for this year’s title, with engine supplier Renault taking most of the blame so far. But Red Bull is also working hard on its chassis, with a big upgrade for Barcelona set to […]
Many drivers bring sponsors to F1 – Nasr
May 5 (GMM) Felipe Nasr has hit back at any lingering claims he might be written off as a typical ‘pay driver’. It was said the Brazilian’s arrival at Sauber with his sponsor Banco do Brasil – whose blue and yellow colours now dominate the 2015 livery – helped to save the embattled Swiss team. […]
Lauda tips Mercedes to keep ‘small’ advantage
May 5 (GMM) Niki Lauda is expecting Mercedes to maintain a “small” advantage at best over title challenger Ferrari in 2015. The German camp has admitted that the level of Ferrari’s resurgence since 2014 was a surprise. “They (Ferrari) have created a very big project this year,” F1 legend Lauda, also the Mercedes team chairman, […]
No quick fix for McLaren – Hakkinen
May 5 (GMM) Rumours McLaren may appear with a radical new livery this weekend in Barcelona are wide of the mark. Earlier, reports emerged that the British team – already criticised in 2015 for not adopting an all-new look for its new works Honda era – would race in Spain this weekend with more grey […]
Juncadella not sorry he left Force India
May 5 (GMM) Former Force India reserve Daniel Juncadella says he does not regret leaving the Silverstone based team. Last year, the young Spaniard worked with the Mercedes-powered team, attending races and occasionally driving in Friday practice sessions. But now, he is focusing only on racing his Mercedes in the German touring car series DTM, […]
Lauda insists ‘no fifth engine’ in 2015
May 5 (GMM) Drivers will not be allowed to use a fifth ‘power unit’ in 2015 and escape penalty, according to Niki Lauda. That is despite Red Bull team boss Christian Horner saying less than two weeks ago that the change to the ‘four engines per season’ rule had been agreed “unanimously” in March. “That […]
Mercedes does not want to dominate – Briatore
May 5 (GMM) Flavio Briatore claims Mercedes actually has no desire to dominate the 2015 season. The controversial former Renault chief told Italian radio Rai that, having utterly dominated last season, Mercedes is now happy to have its heels nipped by a resurgent Ferrari. It follows Red Bull chief Dr Helmut Marko’s sensational claim late […]
Hakkinen admits ‘wrong’ about Verstappen
May 5 (GMM) Mika Hakkinen has admitted he was “wrong” about Max Verstappen. When Red Bull announced last year that the 17-year-old would be making his debut for Toro Rosso in 2015, Hakkinen said: “In no case is a driver ready for formula one at 17. “Either as a manager or a father, I would […]
Lauda now targets Monaco for Hamilton contract
May 5 (GMM) The Lewis Hamilton contract saga looks set to continue throughout yet another race weekend or two. The reigning world champion’s repeatedly delayed new Mercedes deal has triggered rumours he might be considering a switch to Ferrari. But in the last days, German reports indicated a new three-year agreement has finally been signed […]
Vettel a F1 great, Hamilton ‘not yet’ – Moss
May 5 (GMM) F1 legend Sir Stirling Moss has admitted he is an avowed fan of Sebastian Vettel. That is despite the fact that it is Moss’ fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton who is dominating formula one at present. But “I don’t think Lewis is great yet,” the 85-year-old, commonly referred to as the best driver […]
Lopez urges team support for ‘viable future’
May 5 (GMM) Gerard Lopez, the Lotus team owner, has urged other formula one outfits to “stand together” to make the sport more sustainable. Caterham has collapsed, Marussia (now Manor) almost followed suit and midfield teams including Lotus, Force India and Sauber’s financial problems have been well documented. Even the competitive Williams recorded a $50 […]
McLaren confirms ‘graphite-grey’ livery change
May 5 (GMM) McLaren on Tuesday confirmed reports it is tweaking its livery ahead of the Spanish grand prix. Earlier media reports suggested the works Honda-powered team was set to drop the chrome from its identity, perhaps as it is too closely related to its Mercedes-linked past. Some had even speculated that McLaren might return […]