Mar.15 (GMM) Christian Horner has played down fears about the reliability of Renault’s new-for-2017 engine. It is rumoured the new power unit boasts better performance than its 2016 predecessor, but it obviously struck consistent reliability trouble during Barcelona testing. Red Bull team boss Horner said: “Renault has taken a big step forward with its 2017 […]
Kvyat unclear over next F1 career move
Mar.15 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat is looking into his F1 career with confidence, after hitting a severe roadblock in 2016. The young Russian began 2016 as a driver for Red Bull’s main F1 team, but after a tumultuous chain of events ended up with the junior squad Toro Rosso. “I have left everything that happened last […]
Teams meet with F1 owner Liberty in London
Mar.15 (GMM) The big names in F1 have this week headed from a farewell party for Bernie Ecclestone to a meeting with the sport’s new owners. Last week, the ousted F1 supremo’s friend Flavio Briatore revealed that every major figure in the sport headed to London to farewell Ecclestone, 86. “I was surprised that everyone […]
Judge Stroll after ‘half a year’ – Smedley
Mar.14 (GMM) The pressure on Lance Stroll ahead of the 2017 season is “extremely high”. That is not the view of an outspoken pundit but of Rob Smedley, the engineering chief at Williams. Last week, Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost told Speed Week: “I see Mercedes in front and then Ferrari and Red Bull with […]
Vandoorne only has to beat Alonso – Villeneuve
Mar.14 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve has played down the impact McLaren-Honda’s current situation will have on Stoffel Vandoorne. Belgian Vandoorne, 24, is a highly-rated rookie whose full F1 career is finally beginning in 2017. But it comes amid a so-called ‘crisis’ for McLaren, with the team’s works Honda power unit still notably under-performing and unreliable. “It’s […]
Mercedes ‘still ahead’ for 2017 – Marchionne
Mar.14 (GMM) Ferrari has rejected the “favourite” tag ahead of next weekend’s season-opening Australian grand prix. Although Mercedes has won the past three titles, Lewis Hamilton thinks a “bluffing” Ferrari is the “favourite” based on Barcelona testing. And team chairman Niki Lauda thinks a “tough year” lies ahead for Mercedes. Sebastian Vettel, however, insists that […]
Rosberg test visit ‘surprised’ Lauda
Mar.14 (GMM) F1 legend Niki Lauda does not think Nico Rosberg will mount a return to formula one. When new world champion Rosberg shocked the world with his post-title retirement announcement, team chairman Lauda was the most openly critical of the move within the Mercedes camp. But triple world champion Lauda says he has now […]
Newey could launch ‘brilliant update’ – Surer
Mar.14 (GMM) Adrian Newey could be shaping up to launch a “brilliant update” for its 2017 car. That is the claim of former F1 driver turned German-language pundit Marc Surer. The Swiss commentator is referring to the fact that, despite designer Newey’s usual brilliance in interpreting new rules, Ferrari and Mercedes were clearly quicker in […]
‘Tough year’ awaits Mercedes – Lauda
Mar.14 (GMM) Mercedes is looking ahead to a “tough year”, according to team chairman and F1 legend Niki Lauda. Lewis Hamilton said in Barcelona last week that although Ferrari appears strong, the Italian team could be “bluffing” and in fact be even faster in 2017. Sebastian Vettel said: “Our car is certainly better than last […]
F1 looks to ban extra wings – Surer
Mar.14 (GMM) F1 looks set to ban the ‘shark fin’ appendages that will fill the Melbourne grid next weekend. The fins, extending from the rear of the engine cover, “calm the air in front of the rear wing”, explained former F1 driver turned pundit Marc Surer. The so-called ‘shark fins’ first emerged several years ago […]
Liberty boss hints at F1 engine rule changes
Mar.13 (GMM) Liberty Media boss Greg Maffei has hinted F1 needs to make changes to its current engine regulations. Last week, FIA president Jean Todt ruled out a return to screaming V8, V10 or V12 engines, declaring it would “not be accepted by global society”. But the volume of the current ‘hybrid’ power units remains […]
Renault confident in midfield battle
Mar.13 (GMM) Renault thinks it is a solid bet to head the F1 midfield in 2017. The French works team had a bad 2016 in the wake of the Lotus takeover, but technical boss Alan Permane said at the end of Barcelona testing: “Together with Toro Rosso, we are slightly ahead of Force India and […]
2017 ‘power units’ only slightly louder – report
Mar.13 (GMM) F1 is continuing to nudge up the volume of its controversial ‘power units’. In 2011, in the midst of the screaming V8 era, a German newspaper clocked the leading Mercedes engine at 128 decibels – beyond the human pain threshold. Then in 2015, for the second season of the much quieter V6 turbo […]
F1 to see ‘real’ Red Bull in Melbourne
Mar.13 (GMM) In the last full week until the F1 circus heads off to Melbourne, the 2017 pecking order remains unclear. On the basis of Barcelona testing, Ferrari and Mercedes are neck and neck at the top of the order and closely trailed by Red Bull. But there are big question marks about Red Bull’s […]
Portugal willing to be non-championship F1 host
Mar.13 (GMM) A Portuguese circuit has put up its hand as a potential venue for a non-championship F1 race. Recently, new F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn said he would like a non-championship race to be the scene of experimental tweaks to the race format. The Portuguese specialist newspaper Auto Sport claims Brawn’s plan would be […]
Charlie Whiting not retiring – report
Mar.10 (GMM) Charlie Whiting has reportedly not joined a swathe of other Bernie Ecclestone-linked F1 personalities who have left the sport. With Liberty Media sweeping into power, it is notable that along with Ecclestone’s ousting, also now gone are the F1 supremo’s long-time colleagues including Pasquale Lattuneddu and Herbie Blash. Now, it emerges that Marcin […]
Villeneuve happy with ‘new’ F1
Mar.10 (GMM) F1 purist Jacques Villeneuve says he is happy with what he is seeing at the Barcelona test. The 1997 world champion was one of the fiercest critics of the former technical regulations, characterised by fuel saving, degrading tyres and low cornering speeds. “What I’ve seen so far is simply great,” the former Williams […]
Force India tells drivers to lose weight
Mar.10 (GMM) Force India has asked its drivers to lose weight before Melbourne. Up and down the pitlane, drivers have put on as much as 5-6 kilograms of muscle over the winter to prepare for the new cars’ much higher G-forces. But Force India is struggling with handling problems, and Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport […]
Wehrlein explains blacked-out Mercedes logo
Mar.10 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein has explained the black patch at the front of his helmet in Barcelona. Eagle-eyed observers have noticed that the German has blacked out the prominent Mercedes star from just above his visor. Wehrlein is a Mercedes-backed driver, but he has switched from Manor to Ferrari-powered Sauber for 2017. When asked about […]
McLaren drivers must control frustration – Vandoorne
Mar.10 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne says he and McLaren-Honda teammate Fernando Alonso need to keep their frustration under control. Ahead of the works Anglo-Japanese collaboration’s third consecutive season, it is clear patience is running out as Honda struggle once again to supply a competitive and reliable power unit. But amid the situation, rookie Vandoorne sounds calmer […]