Nov.30 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat can still return to formula one even if he has to sit out 2018. That is the view of the Russian’s former Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo. After being dropped by the energy drink company, 23-year-old Kvyat is believed to be only an outside chance of securing the Williams seat for […]
Williams not discussing Kubica’s pace
Nov.30 (GMM) Williams is keeping the F1 world in suspense over whether Robert Kubica will return to the grid next year. With minor car modifications to accommodate his permanently injured right arm, the Pole on Wednesday beat the times set by Sergey Sirotkin and Lance Stroll — the other Williams testers in Abu Dhabi. But […]
Todt to stay as FIA president until 2021
Nov.30 (GMM) Jean Todt will not face a rival as he secures his third and final four-year tenure as FIA president. F1’s governing body is on December 8 expected to ratify the 71-year-old Frenchman’s place at the top of the FIA for the 2018-2021 period. Under FIA rules, no president can serve for more than […]
Santander to leave Ferrari and F1
Nov.30 (GMM) Santander has announced it is quitting not only Ferrari, but F1 altogether. It was rumoured that while the Spanish bank might withdraw its $40 million per year sponsorship deal with Ferrari, it could then switch to McLaren. But Santander has now confirmed in a statement that it is leaving “Ferrari and F1”. “The […]
Ferrari not ready for Formula E – Agag
Nov.30 (GMM) Formula E boss Alejandro Agag does not think Ferrari is serious about launching a foray any time soon. Annoyed about the direction of F1 under Liberty Media, Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne has warned that the famous marque could quit F1 and race elsewhere. Asked if it could be Formula E, the all-electric series’ […]
Brawn wants three more carmakers in F1
Nov.30 (GMM) Ross Brawn says he wants more car manufacturers to enter formula one. This week, it was finally confirmed that the Ferrari-linked Fiat brand Alfa Romeo is entering the sport in 2018 as Sauber’s title sponsor. But F1 sporting boss Brawn told Sport Bild: “There are several premium manufacturers that I would like in […]
Red Bull’s Horner supports Liberty
Nov.30 (GMM) Christian Horner says he supports F1’s new owners Liberty Media. Top teams Ferrari and Mercedes are publicly unhappy with the new era, decrying a drop in revenue and threatening to quit over planned rule changes for 2021. But with the drop in income this year, Auto Motor und Sport reports that Liberty has […]
Toro Rosso partnership to be ‘more equal’ – Honda
Nov.29 (GMM) Honda thinks it will have a “more equal partnership” with Toro Rosso in 2018 after three ill-fated years with McLaren. The Japanese marque’s Yusuke Hasegawa admitted this week that Honda was “not ready” to link up with a “top team” like McLaren back in 2015. So with that relationship now ended, Honda will […]
Sauber to make announcements on Wednesday
Nov.29 (GMM) Sauber is preparing to make some key announcements on Wednesday. Blick newspaper reports that the Swiss team will confirm that its Ferrari engines will be rebranded as Alfa Romeo, while Charles Leclerc will join the team as driver. It is a key sign that Sauber is moving closer to Ferrari, as Alfa Romeo […]
Rosberg not ruling out full-time TV role
Nov.29 (GMM) Nico Rosberg is not ruling out replacing F1 legend Niki Lauda as a full-time television pundit on German television. During the broadcast of the 2017 finale in Abu Dhabi last Sunday, Mercedes team chairman Lauda shocked viewers by saying it was his last race as a pundit for the free-to-air network RTL. Since […]
Mercedes joins Ferrari in F1 quit threat
Nov.29 (GMM) Mercedes is now joining Ferrari in threatening to quit formula one after 2020. Earlier, Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne said that if Liberty Media proceeds with its plans for the 2021 engine rules and budget cap, the Italian team could withdraw and race elsewhere. And now, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has admitted he is […]
Raikkonen ‘not worried’ about Kubica return
Nov.29 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen insists he is “not worried” he might be sharing a grid with Robert Kubica next year. After a seven year absence, Pole Kubica looks set to return to F1 next year with Williams. With only minor modifications to the 2017 car, including a bigger recess in the cockpit side to accommodate […]
Zetsche happy with Bottas at Mercedes
Nov.28 (GMM) Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche says Mercedes is happy with its F1 driver pairing. Earlier in 2017, the German marque may have been in talks about snapping up Max Verstappen or Sebastian Vettel. However, Valtteri Bottas was re-signed for 2018, even though the Finn has had a season of mixed form. “We have proved […]
Rosberg thinks Hamilton could quit F1
Nov.28 (GMM) Nico Rosberg says there are signs his former Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton will soon retire from formula one. At the end of last year, German Rosberg retired within days of beating Hamilton to the 2016 title. And now he says there are signs Hamilton is also thinking of calling it a day. “He […]
Hamilton under pressure to use number 1
Nov.28 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says he still does not want to wear the number 1 in 2018. Traditionally in F1, the world champion wears the number 1 the following year. But since drivers have been allowed to personalise their permanent numbers a few years ago, champions actually had the option of not wearing number 1. […]
Pirelli hopes top teams closer in 2018
Nov.28 (GMM) Pirelli chief Marco Tronchetti Provera says he hopes the top three teams are closer together in 2018. From the point of view of the tyres, the Italian said he is happy with the season. “I praise my men because they did a lot of work and I think the drivers had fun,” Pirelli’s […]
German broadcaster in talks with F1
Nov.28 (GMM) Talks are ongoing between Liberty Media and the broadcaster RTL about extending the free-to-air television deal for Germany. Long-time RTL pundit Niki Lauda stunned German viewers of Sunday’s 2017 finale in Abu Dhabi by announcing his decision to quit the role. At the same time, F1 chief executive Chase Carey was admitting that […]
Chase Carey wants Ferrari to stay in F1
Nov.28 (GMM) Chase Carey and Jean Todt, arguably the most powerful men in formula one, have played down Ferrari’s quit threat. Amid Liberty Media’s plans for new engine and budget cap rules, Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne said the famous marque might not race beyond 2020. Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, who is normally in political lock-step with […]
Mercedes predicts bright future for Verstappen
Nov.28 (GMM) The top men at Mercedes are predicting a bright future for Max Verstappen. Although earlier linked with a move to silver, 20-year-old Verstappen recently extended his stay at Red Bull through 2020. “Max is the hot new guy,” quadruple world champion Lewis Hamilton told De Telegraaf newspaper. “There’s a big hype around him […]
Italy worried about flagging Ferrari form
Nov.28 (GMM) The Italian press is heading into the winter break concerned about Ferrari’s late-season performance. Mercedes finished its 2017 campaign with both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles and a one-two in Abu Dhabi. “It was a sad and pale finale for Ferrari,” said La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Questions hang in the air. Is Vettel-Raikkonen […]