Sep.19 (GMM) Toto Wolff says he still will not designate Valtteri Bottas the ‘number 2’ driver behind Lewis Hamilton. While Hamilton completed a victory hat-trick and pulled out a 28 point advantage over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in Singapore, Mercedes teammate Bottas has struggled recently. “Yeah, Valtteri has been a bit lost,” agreed former F1 driver […]
Title not lost for Vettel yet – Trulli
Sep.19 (GMM) Jarno Trulli says it is still possible that Sebastian Vettel will win the 2017 title. That is despite the fact the partisan Italian press is livid that, with the first corner crash in Singapore, “an entire season was destroyed”. Italian and former F1 driver Trulli agrees that the crash was Vettel’s fault. “If […]
Lauda blames Vettel for Singapore crash
Sep.19 (GMM) Niki Lauda has joined scores of fans and insiders who blame Sebastian Vettel for putting his championship hopes in tatters in Singapore. On Twitter, the Maranello team lashed out at Max Verstappen for Sunday’s first corner crash, while boss Maurizio Arrivabene said it was “clearly” the Red Bull driver’s fault. But Lauda, the […]
Italy slams Ferrari after Singapore ‘disaster’
Sep.19 (GMM) The Italian press has lashed out at Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel after a disastrous Singapore grand prix. The Italian team and boss Maurizio Arrivabene blamed Max Verstappen for the first corner crash that wiped out both Ferraris on Sunday. As a result, Vettel’s points deficit to Lewis Hamilton blew out to 28 points. […]
Toro Rosso a better fit for Honda – Yamamoto
Sep.19 (GMM) Honda thinks Toro Rosso could be a better fit for the Japanese marque than McLaren. After the split was announced in Singapore, Honda’s senior F1 chief Masashi Yamamoto said he would have preferred to keep racing with McLaren next year. He said a lack of performance and reliability “created tension between us” and […]
Aston Martin to be Red Bull title sponsor
Sep.18 (GMM) Aston Martin looks set to become Red Bull’s title sponsor next year. Although the energy drink owned team uses a Tag-Heuer branded Renault engine, Red Bull is also sponsored by the British luxury carmaker Aston Martin. And in Singapore, one prominent attendee was Andy Palmer, the Aston chief executive. Earlier in the weekend, […]
McLaren ‘almost factory team’ by 2019 – Boullier
Sep.18 (GMM) McLaren will become a de-facto ‘factory’ team by 2019, according to team boss Eric Boullier. Like many members of the struggling British outfit, Boullier admitted to feelings of relief in Singapore that the Honda divorce is now set in stone. “It had become inevitable,” the Frenchman told the Belgian broadcaster RTBF. “After three […]
Singapore not ‘preliminary title decision’ – Wolff
Sep.18 (GMM) Toto Wolff has hit back at suggestions Sunday in Singapore was a ‘preliminary decision’ for a fourth world championship title for Lewis Hamilton. With the first-corner crash between Max Verstappen and both Ferraris, including Hamilton’s title rival Sebastian Vettel, the fifth-placed qualifier Hamilton ultimately dominated and won in Singapore. Niki Lauda, the Mercedes […]
Sainz unsure if Singapore was last Toro Rosso race
Sep.18 (GMM) Carlos Sainz left Singapore on Monday wondering if it had been his last race for Toro Rosso. The Spaniard made his F1 debut for the junior Red Bull team in 2015, but will be loaned to the works Renault team next year. So when Sainz crossed the line in a career-best fourth place […]
Argentina could return in 2019 – Whiting
Sep.18 (GMM) Argentina could be eying a return to F1. Canal F1 Latin America reports that F1 race director Charlie Whiting recently inspected the old Buenos Aires circuit, which last hosted a grand prix in 1998. “I went there and wrote a report on what would have to be done,” Whiting confirmed. “Now it’s up […]
Father admits Palmer eyeing Williams seat
Sep.18 (GMM) Jolyon Palmer’s father has confirmed the 26-year-old is eyeing a switch to Williams for 2018. Renault driver Palmer admitted Singapore was a difficult weekend, as he tackled not only the news he is being dropped by the team but also rumours he might be replaced by Carlos Sainz as soon as Malaysia in […]
Alonso-McLaren announcement due within days
Sep.17 (GMM) An announcement to confirm that Fernando Alonso is staying at McLaren next year is due within days. The Spaniard is believed to have pushed for the British team to dump Honda and sign up for 2018 with Renault, with whom he won his two titles over a decade ago. “We are close to […]
Pirelli making ‘softer than ultra-soft’ tyre for 2018
Sep.17 (GMM) Pirelli has committed to supplying softer tyres to F1 teams and drivers in 2018. Although the tyres are bigger this year to accommodate the much faster 2018 cars, there has been widespread criticism of the compounds — especially the hardest ones. “The hard tyre is so inappropriate for this generation of racing car […]
Porsche should enter F1 – Haug
Sep.17 (GMM) Norbert Haug has urged Porsche to enter formula one. Recently, with the famous VW-owned carmaker announcing its decision to quit Le Mans, Porsche has been linked with a 2021 F1 engine foray — and even a potential Red Bull buyout. “I can imagine that very well and from my point of view formula […]
Palmer read Renault axe story on internet
Sep.17 (GMM) Jolyon Palmer says he learned about losing his seat at Renault from the internet. “I knew it when I read it on the internet,” Speed Week quotes the Briton as saying. “So that’s a bit unfortunate and I don’t know who released that to the media, but honestly it doesn’t change the facts,” […]
Sauber, Williams light up 2018 ‘silly season’
Sep.17 (GMM) Robert Kubica still has a good chance of returning to formula one next year. With Carlos Sainz now joining Renault, the Pole – now backed by co-manager and reigning world champion Nico Rosberg – asked to be released from his agreement so he could pursue opportunities elsewhere in pitlane. His best chance appears […]
Force India to be ‘Force Racing’ in 2018
Sep.16 (GMM) Force India looks set to be known as ‘Force Racing’ from 2018. Earlier, as embattled owner Vijay Mallya considered dropping ‘India’ from the official name in a move to internationalise the team, the apparent frontrunner was ‘Force One’. But F1 owner Liberty Media intervened, according to Auto Motor und Sport. The report said […]
F1 regime change held up Singapore GP deal
Sep.16 (GMM) F1’s change of management held up talks for a new Singapore grand prix deal, minister S Iswaran said ahead of the city-state’s 2017 race. Before a new contract for 2018-2021 was announced on Friday, the Singapore night race – now one of F1’s blue-riband events – had mere provisional status on next year’s […]
T-wings banned for 2018 but shark fins staying
Sep.16 (GMM) The shark fins are staying, but F1 fans can wave goodbye to unseemly ‘T-wings’ in 2018. That is the news out of Singapore with regards to tweaks to the 2018 technical regulations. It had been rumoured that the ‘shark fins’ would go as well, but Auto Motor und Sport reports that the engine […]
Red Bull ‘a second faster’ in Singapore – Lauda
Sep.16 (GMM) Niki Lauda says he has his eye on Red Bull in Singapore. The world of F1 had touched down in Singapore expecting Ferrari to be the favourites on the tight and twisty floodlit streets. Lauda, the Mercedes team chairman, admitted the reigning world champions are somewhat struggling in Singapore. “We were a bit […]