Apr.16 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne remains a “future champion” despite his difficult start to the 2017 season. That is the claim of former Renault boss Frederic Vasseur, who is back in the paddock this weekend with his GP2 team ART. Vasseur has worked with several former GP2 champions, including Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and more recently […]
Wehrlein can still feel old back injury
Apr.16 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein says he can still feel the effects of his recent back injury. After missing Australia and China, the German returned to his Sauber in Bahrain and confirmed that he had recovered from three broken vertebrae. And on track, he duly impressed, clearly outpacing his teammate Marcus Ericsson. “He has hit back […]
Flexible Ferrari story ‘nonsense’ – Lauda
Apr.16 (GMM) A controversy about the legality of Ferrari’s competitive 2017 car is continuing in Bahrain. Earlier, Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko said “incriminating” video footage of flexible aerodynamic features of the red car is doing the rounds. But Niki Lauda, the team chairman at Mercedes, played down the rumours as “nonsense”. “If someone […]
‘Correlation’ to blame for Red Bull problems
Apr.16 (GMM) Mismatching data has been identified as the cause of Red Bull’s problems early in 2017. Despite Adrian Newey’s reputation with changing regulations, the energy drink owned team is at least a second per lap off Mercedes and Ferrari’s pace. However, the gap looks smaller in Bahrain. “We have understood our chassis problems,” team […]
No new rule after Vettel grid position controversy
Apr.16 (GMM) The spotlight was on Sebastian Vettel for a full 22 minutes in the pre-Bahrain grand prix drivers’ briefing. That is the news from Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, after a barrage of fellow drivers complained about how the German positioned his Ferrari on the Shanghai grid a week ago. Stewards did not penalise […]
‘Stress gone’ between Mercedes drivers – Wolff
‘Stress gone’ between Mercedes drivers – Wolff Apr.16 (GMM) Toto Wolff says he is very happy with how Mercedes is shaping up in the wake of the Nico Rosberg era. After retired Rosberg’s successor Valtteri Bottas took pole from his teammate Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain, boss Wolff said he received a notable text message. “It […]
Sainz eyes ‘top three teams’ for future
Apr.16 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has hinted he would like to drive for one of the three top teams in 2018. The Spaniard was linked strongly with a move to Renault for this year, but Red Bull elected to hold him to his contract with Toro Rosso. Now, El Pais newspaper said the 22-year-old has made […]
McLaren chassis ‘among best’ in 2017 – Alonso
Apr.16 (GMM) McLaren’s 2017 chassis is “one of the best” on the grid. That is the claim of Fernando Alonso, who is apparently pinning the team’s ongoing competitive crisis solely on engine partner Honda. “With the power deficit that we have, we have proved in these races that we have one of the best chassis […]
F1 poised to ban ‘T-wings’
Apr.16 (GMM) F1’s governing body could be poised to ban the controversial ‘T-wings’ seen up and down the grid in 2017. The aerodynamic appendages are unpopular from an aesthetic point of view, and there could also be a safety issue after two high-profile failures on the Mercedes car recently. “It did about 50,000 pounds of […]
‘Young’ Verstappen is ‘developing’ – Marchionne
Apr.15 (GMM) Sergio Marchionne has played down suggestions Ferrari might see Max Verstappen as the great Italian team’s next driver. The Ferrari president was notably critical of 37-year-old Kimi Raikkonen after a lacklustre performance in China, triggering rumours the team might be eyeing Daniel Ricciardo for 2018. But Ricciardo’s Red Bull teammate Verstappen, 19, might […]
Alonso says Indy 500 criticism ‘normal’
Apr.15 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has played down criticism of his decision to skip Monaco next month to contest the Indy 500. The shock news has created a buzz in the motor racing world, but many fellow drivers said they would never skip a grand prix, while team bosses revealed they would not allow their own […]
Ferrari wrong to criticise Raikkonen – Surer
Apr.15 (GMM) A former F1 driver has defended Kimi Raikkonen, following criticism from Ferrari’s bosses in China. After a lacklustre race for the Finn in Shanghai, team president and boss Sergio Marchionne and Maurizio Arrivabene respectively hit out at Raikkonen, saying they would speak with him. Asked if that conversation took place, Raikkonen gave a […]
Red Bull admits 2017 title unlikely
Apr.15 (GMM) Top team figures at Red Bull are already playing down the likelihood of a championship tilt in 2017. Daniel Ricciardo, who has been linked with a switch to Ferrari, admitted in Bahrain that given the performance in Australia and China, the title is “unlikely”. And Dr Helmut Marko, a top team official, agrees. […]
Red Bull concerned about flexible Ferrari
Apr.15 (GMM) Red Bull has become the first F1 team to admit concerns about the flexibility of Ferrari’s 2017 car. The energy drink owned team is notably lagging behind Mercedes and Ferrari this year, amid rumours the new Ferrari has aerodynamic elements – like the floor and the front wing – that visibly flex at […]
Ecclestone negotiating Bahrain contract – report
Apr.15 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed he will also attend the next round on the F1 schedule, in Russia. The former F1 supremo revealed the news in Bahrain, where he caused a stir by appearing at his first grand prix since being ousted by Liberty Media. “I didn’t leave,” the Journal de Montreal quotes him […]
Grosjean would not let Alonso skip Monaco
Apr.14 (GMM) Romain Grosjean says he is surprised Fernando Alonso has decided to skip F1’s prestigious Monaco grand prix. The Spaniard and McLaren-Honda shocked the racing world this week by announcing that they will tackle the fabled Indy 500 next month, even though it clashes with Monaco. “The Indy 500 is a great race, but […]
Sauber poised for 2018 Honda switch
Apr.14 (GMM) Sauber could be on the cusp of becoming the second Honda-powered team in F1. The Swiss team’s Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson on Thursday said Sauber has been surprised by the disadvantage of using a year-old Ferrari power unit so far in 2017. But team figures have ruled out a mid-season engine switch. However, […]
2017 not making Vandoorne doubt abilities
Apr.14 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne says he is not doubting his abilities, despite a difficult opening pair of races in 2017. The Belgian actually made his F1 debut in Bahrain a year ago, but 2017 is his first full season at McLaren-Honda. But in Australia and China, the obvious stand-out performer for the struggling team was […]
Ferrari floor flex rumour swirls in Bahrain
Apr.14 (GMM) Paddock rumblings about a flexible Ferrari have made the trip from China to Bahrain. A week ago, former driver turned pundit Christian Danner said he had noticed aerodynamic parts of the impressive 2017 Ferrari flexing at speed. “If I was one of the other teams, I would want it checked,” he told RTL […]
Newey no guarantee of success – Ricciardo
Apr.14 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo says it should be no great surprise that Red Bull is having to fight back in 2017. Actually, many paddock insiders are shocked that, with a big rule change and Adrian Newey at the design table, Red Bull is over a second per lap off Mercedes and Ferrari’s pace. But Italy’s […]