Jul.5 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen looks set to keep his place at Ferrari in 2017, according to the latest specialist reports from Italy. Although other drivers have been linked with the Finn’s place, his podium in Austria and Sebastian Vettel’s DNF means the pair are now equal on points after 9 races this year. La Gazzetta […]
Austria crash won’t change future decision – Rosberg
Jul.5 (GMM) Nico Rosberg says the events in Austria on Sunday will not affect his decision about the future. Although Mercedes boss Toto Wolff called Rosberg’s collision with teammate Lewis Hamilton “brainless”, the Austrian chief insisted it would not affect the negotiations over a new multi-year contract for the German driver. And now, the Belgian […]
Mercedes to decide on team orders this week
Jul.5 (GMM) Mercedes will decide in the next two days how to proceed in the wake of the latest collision between teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Boss Toto Wolff left Austria declaring that team orders would be back on the table in the talks to be held prior to the British grand prix this […]
F1 needs more races like Austria – Mateschitz
Jul.4 (GMM) F1 would be in better health if there were more races like Sunday’s Austrian grand prix. That is the claim of Dietrich Mateschitz, the owner not only of F1’s two Red Bull teams but also the picturesque scene in the Styrian mountains of the weekend’s race action. Asked if he is happy with […]
Ferrari helping Pirelli with tyre explosion probe
Jul.4 (GMM) Ferrari and Pirelli are investigating the race-ending tyre explosion that stopped Sebastian Vettel in his tracks on Sunday. The German driver was leading the Austrian grand prix when a rear tyre exploded and ended his race at the Red Bull Ring. Team boss Maurizio Arrivabene denied suggestions Ferrari pushed the boundaries by running […]
FIA says Aeroscreen not scrapped yet
Jul.4 (GMM) Ferrari will try again to debut the updated ‘Halo 2’ cockpit protection this weekend ahead of the British grand prix. The Maranello team intended to run the revised, titanium technology with a modified cockpit position over an installation lap in Friday practice in Austria, but Sebastian Vettel’s car developed a technical problem and […]
Manor punts Sauber into prize-money peril
Jul.4 (GMM) Austria 2016 set the scene for both good and bad news regarding the future of the struggling Sauber team. The Swiss outfit went into the Red Bull Ring event sounding confident about the future, after finally paying staff and indicating a rescue buyout deal is on the cards for the near future. But […]
Rumours still swirling around Sainz future
Jul.4 (GMM) Even though team owner Red Bull has taken up its option on Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz, rumours continue to swirl around the impressive young Spaniard. Formerly comparable to the teen sensation Max Verstappen at the Faenza team, 21-year-old Sainz was being linked with Renault and even Ferrari prior to Red Bull declaring […]
Clash will not hurt Rosberg contract talks – Wolff
Jul.4 (GMM) Although furious after Sunday’s Austrian grand prix, Toto Wolff said events at the Red Bull Ring will not affect the contract negotiations over a new deal for Nico Rosberg. Before Rosberg was penalised for running teammate Lewis Hamilton off the track in a last-lap incident that cost Mercedes a certain one-two, team boss […]
Austrian Grand Prix – Hamilton wins!
Hamilton wins a dramatic race from Verstappen, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Ricciardo, Button, Grosjean, Sainz, Bottas & Wehrlein. Guttierez, Palmer, Nasr, Magnussen, Ericsson and Haryanto make the rest of the field Retirements: Kvyat, Vettel, Massa, Hulkenberg, Alonso and Perez Rosberg was leading on the final lap however when Hamilton tried to overake him, Rosberg ran into him […]
Gutierrez went to hospital after Baku
Jul.3 (GMM) Esteban Gutierrez has revealed he needed a day in hospital after the recent race in Baku to get to the bottom of a lingering health issue. The Haas driver said that after struggling with illness for some weeks, he travelled from Azerbaijan to his native Mexico for hospital checks. “I was examined all […]
Wehrlein a ‘very special driver’ – Wolff
Jul.3 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein’s F1 career took a major step forward in Austria, according to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. Currently placed at Manor for his rookie season, the reigning DTM champion is actually a strongly-backed Mercedes junior. German Wehrlein, 21, has sometimes failed to shine too brightly in 2016 alongside his Indonesian-backed teammate Rio […]
Button clarifies ‘Formula Desperate’ comments
Jul.3 (GMM) Jenson Button has clarified his comments about young drivers in formula one. Heading into the Austrian grand prix weekend, a Brazilian outlet quoted the F1 veteran as saying young drivers in the sport today make the category seem like ‘Formula Desperate’. “They are very erratic. It’s like they are driving in ‘Formula Desperate’ […]
‘Dangerous’ kerbs cause a stir in Austria
Jul.3 (GMM) Troublesome kerbs have been causing a stir this weekend in Austria. Several cars, including that of championship leader Nico Rosberg, have had suspension destroyed over the controversial, yellow and high ‘baguette’ kerbs at the Red Bull Ring. Even the track owner, Red Bull, is not happy, with the energy drink marque’s Dr Helmut […]
Austrian Grand Prix -Qualifying
Hamilton on Pole with a 1:07.922 from Rosberg (+0.543), Hulkenberg (+1.363), Vettel (+1.859), Button (+1.978), Raikkonen (+1.979), Ricciardo (+2.058), Bottas (+2.518), Verstappen (+3.231) & Massa (+4.055) Q3 started wet then quickly dried with lap times tumbling dramatically at the end of the session. Knocked out of Q2: Gutierrez, Wehrlein, Grosjean, Alonso, Sainz and Perez (Hamilton […]
Austrian Grand Prix -Saturday Practice
Vettel quickest with a 1:07.098 from Raikkonen (+0.136), Hamilton (+0.210), Ricciardo (+0.541), Verstappen (+0.663), Bottas (+0.716), Massa (+0.733), Hulkenberg (+1.187), Button (+1.206) & Alonso (+1.229). Perez, Gutierrez, Wehrlein, Grosjean, Magnussen, Kvyat, Palmer, Sainz, Haryanto, Ericsson, Nasr and Rosberg make the rest of the field. Rosberg crashes heavily due to a suspension failure during the […]
Sauber buyout close to ‘official announcement’
Jul.2 (GMM) Sauber is closing on a deal to bail the Swiss team out of its perilous financial situation. This week, it emerged that unpaid employee salaries for May and June had suddenly been paid, amid reports an international investment group is about to buy Sauber. “Obviously there is a change in atmosphere because now […]
Row brewing over Ecclestone’s income proposal
Jul.2 (GMM) A row over the future of F1’s income distribution system is brewing. A few days ago, Bernie Ecclestone declared that Toto Wolff should not get ready to bank Mercedes’ huge championship ‘bonus’ payment because he wants to rethink the entire system. “He can’t do that,” Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko told Brazil’s Globo […]
Red Bull, Kvyat, not ready to decide future
Jul.2 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat has indicated he could be open to staying at Toro Rosso in 2017. After his shock demotion from Red Bull Racing, the disappointed Russian hinted he intended to leave the energy drink stable altogether next year. But Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s driver programme chief, and now Toro Rosso boss Franz […]
James Key departure would be a blow – Sainz
Jul.2 (GMM) The departure of James Key would be a blow to Toro Rosso, according to Carlos Sainz. Although Briton Key recently played down rumours he is being coveted elsewhere in pitlane as he has a long-term contract, the rumours are swirling once again this weekend in Austria. Asked if that worries him, Spaniard Sainz […]