Jan.20 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says that in Mercedes’ place, Red Bull would have taken a punt on a young driver rather than sign up someone like Valtteri Bottas. In the end, Mercedes weighed up between extracting Bottas from his Williams deal or taking a punt on its available youngster, 2016 Manor rookie Pascal Wehrlein. […]
Bottas takes sponsor to Mercedes
Jan.20 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas is taking a personal sponsor with him from Williams to Mercedes. Throughout his career, the 27-year-old has been backed by Finnish industry conglomerate Wirhuri, which had prominent signage on Williams’ livery. But now that Bottas is moving, the Finnish broadcaster MTV has revealed that Wirhuri is changing camps too. The report […]
Liberty urges teams to buy into F1
Jan.20 (GMM) New F1 owner Liberty Media has urged the teams to buy into the sport. Earlier this week, we reported that because the share offer would not include actual voting rights on important decisions, the teams were not keen. Nonetheless, Liberty has announced that it has reserved shares “for issuance to the F1 teams […]
Magnussen ‘disappointed’ with Renault criticism
Jan.19 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen says he was “disappointed” to hear about his former Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul’s recent parting shot. Last week, as the Danish driver heads to Haas for 2017, his former Renault chief Abiteboul said Magnussen “stood still” last year. “Personally, I was disappointed in Magnussen, for his performances and his behaviour,” the […]
Giovinazzi won’t stagnate in Ferrari role – Wolff
Jan.19 (GMM) Toto Wolff has played down fears the career of new Ferrari reserve Antonio Giovinazzi might stagnate in 2017. After almost winning the GP2 title, the 23-year-old Italian has been signed up by Ferrari but is not guaranteed any actual kilometres. So the question was posed to Mercedes’ Toto Wolff – who has successfully […]
Mercedes seat ‘too early’ for Wehrlein – Wolff
Jan.19 (GMM) Mercedes steered away from signing Pascal Wehrlein for 2017 because it would have been “too early” for the young German. That is the claim of team boss Toto Wolff, as he spoke to Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport about having signed Williams’ Valtteri Bottas instead. Asked if he was already thinking of Bottas’ […]
Klien starts military service in Austria
Jan.19 (GMM) Former F1 driver Christian Klien is starting his year by finally completing his compulsory military service in his native Austria. Now 33, it is over a decade ago that the former Jaguar, Red Bull and HRT driver began his F1 career by deferring his service, which is compulsory in Austria. “I was just […]
Family should tell truth about Schumacher – Weber
Jan.19 (GMM) Michael Schumacher’s former long-time manager has criticised the F1 legend’s family. Willi Weber, who guided Schumacher’s ultra-successful career from the junior categories and onto titles with Benetton and Ferrari, thinks the German’s family and management is wrong to have shut out the world in the wake of his 2013 skiing crash and injuries. […]
GP2 champion Gasly heads to Japan
Jan.19 (GMM) Reigning GP2 champion will keep his skills sharp this year in Japan’s top tier of open wheel racing. Just like his GP2 champion predecessor Stoffel Vandoorne last year, it has emerged that Frenchman Gasly, 20, will race in the Super Formula series in 2017. Red Bull junior Gasly had hoped to move into […]
Silverstone ‘will drop’ British GP – source
Jan.19 (GMM) Bad news is still flowing out of Silverstone, the embattled current venue of the historic British grand prix. Recently, the track-owning British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) indicated it could end its F1 race deal, although president Derek Warwick subsequently played down those fears. But now, a senior BRDC member claims Silverstone “will definitely […]
Stroll happy Massa replacing Bottas
Jan.19 (GMM) 2017 rookie Lance Stroll says he is happy that Felipe Massa will be his teammate this year. Earlier, the 18-year-old Canadian was set to be paired with Valtteri Bottas at Williams, but the Finn has switched to Mercedes. “I’m sure many fans are happy to see Felipe return,” Stroll told Le Journal de […]
F1 teams back away from buying shares – report
Jan.19 (GMM) F1 teams are backing away from new owner Liberty’s offer of shares in the sport they compete in. We have reported that Liberty is offering up to 20pc of the sport’s commercial rights to the teams on favourable terms, although the stake would not include voting rights. The teams have until the end […]
Piero Ferrari eyes ‘three wins’ in 2017
Jan.19 (GMM) Piero Ferrari would like to see the F1 team that bears his famous surname win at least three races in 2017. The great Maranello marque failed to win a single grand prix last year. So for 2017, team shareholder and founder Enzo Ferrari’s only living son told the blog of Leo Turrini: “I […]
Surer unsure Bottas can challenge Hamilton
Jan.19 (GMM) Former F1 driver Marc Surer hopes Valtteri Bottas is up to the task of taking on triple world champion Lewis Hamilton in 2017. Some, like the now German-language commentator Surer, fear that with Nico Rosberg having retired as champion, Finn Bottas might not be fast enough to challenge Hamilton at the dominant Mercedes […]
McLaren hints at 2017 livery change
Jan.19 (GMM) McLaren executive Zak Brown has confirmed reports the British team might be set for a livery change in 2017. With supremo Ron Dennis now ousted, speculation suggests the Honda-powered marque might return to its roots and switch to its traditional orange this year. “We have been showing the McLaren guys and girls and […]
Ecclestone to exit as FIA approves F1 buyout
Jan.19 (GMM) The final hurdle has been cleared as Liberty Media races towards completing its takeover of formula one. Earlier this week, shareholders of the US media tycoon John Malone’s company approved the buyout, saying the last hurdle would be the FIA’s green light. That was achieved on Wednesday, during an extraordinary meeting of the […]
‘No problems’ in Bottas-Hamilton pairing – Kovalainen
Jan.18 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s former teammate says Valtteri Bottas should not have any trouble working with the triple world champion in 2017. “I have good memories with Lewis,” said Finn Heikki Kovalainen, who was Hamilton’s teammate at McLaren in 2008 and 2009. “He is a tough teammate and an extremely fast driver but it was […]
Kovalainen made bid to replace Bottas
Jan.18 (GMM) Former F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen has admitted he made a bid to replace the Mercedes-bound Valtteri Bottas at Williams for 2017. Amid strong speculation that Bottas would leave the British team, Kovalainen said he recently offered his services to replace his fellow Finn at Williams. “Yes, I sent Claire (Williams) an email,” the […]
Lotus F1 foray ‘not a failure’ – Lopez
Jan.18 (GMM) Former F1 team owner Gerard Lopez has defended his record in the sport, insisting the Lotus foray was “not a failure”. The Luxembourg entrepreneur, who is now buying the French football club Losc Lille, sold the Enstone based Lotus team to Renault at the end of 2015 for a symbolic single Euro. But […]
Honda in talks with Sauber over 2018 – report
Jan.18 (GMM) Honda’s plans to begin supplying a second F1 team with engines are now shaping up. That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, who said the obvious first customer for Honda is Sauber. “The Swiss team has not extended its contract with Ferrari,” correspondent Michael Schmidt revealed. Currently, Honda’s exclusive works […]