Apr.14 (GMM) Sir Jackie Stewart says that if he was running Mercedes, he would pull the German carmaker out of F1. Mercedes has utterly dominated in the ‘power unit’ era that began in 2014, so the triple world champion and F1 legend thinks it is time for a strategy change. “I believe Mercedes will win […]
‘No panic’ amid Ferrari problems – Vettel
Apr.14 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says it is understandable Ferrari has faltered as it bids to catch up with dominant Mercedes. In the opening two races, Kimi Raikkonen’s red car failed in Australia while Sebastian Vettel did not even make it to the Bahrain grid. “Both were new problems and we understood the causes,” German Vettel […]
FIA lets Alonso test injuries on Friday
Apr.14 (GMM) Fernando Alonso got only a partial green light on Thursday to return to action in Shanghai. After a long wait for news following his meeting with FIA doctors, it was announced the Spaniard can test his recovery from chest injuries in Friday practice. The McLaren-Honda will then be examined again after the first […]
Billionaire not buying into Williams
Apr.14 (GMM) Williams has denied speculation a Canadian billionaire could soon buy into the British team. The team’s latest development driver is Lance Stroll, a 17-year-old Formula 3 star whose father is Lawrence Stroll, a fashion mogul who according to Forbes has a fortune totalling $2.4 billion. But Williams CEO Mike O’Driscoll said: “I think […]
Allison back to work after wife’s death
Apr.14 (GMM) A grieving James Allison will reportedly contribute to Ferrari’s bid to win the Chinese grand prix this weekend. Following the sudden death of the Briton’s wife Rebecca after the season opener in Australia, Allison was not in Bahrain. Ferrari declared that it is “united with him and his family during this period of […]
Alonso still waiting for green light
Apr.14 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he is still not pre-empting the FIA’s decision over his participation in the Chinese grand prix. The Spaniard will shortly meet with doctors at the Shanghai circuit, having been sidelined in Bahrain with chest injuries sustained in his huge Melbourne crash. But AS newspaper, a Spanish sports daily, claims Alonso […]
Gearbox failure ‘risk’ too high – Mercedes
Apr.14 (GMM) Mercedes says leaving Lewis Hamilton’s broken gearbox in his car in China was too great a “risk”. In a blow to the reigning world champion’s hopes of ending his losing streak to teammate Nico Rosberg this weekend, Mercedes announced on Thursday that a gearbox change will result in a five-place grid penalty. The […]
Grosjean says Haas critics ‘jealous’
Apr.14 (GMM) Romain Grosjean dismissed criticism of Haas’ approach to formula one as little more than “jealousy”. Some critics say the new American team has scored points in its first two races only because it is basically the Ferrari ‘B’ operation. But Frenchman Grosjean said in Shanghai: “We are working no closer with Ferrari than […]
Red Bull should sign Sainz, not Verstappen – Herbert
Apr.14 (GMM) Johnny Herbert thinks Red Bull should sign up Carlos Sainz for 2017. The former F1 driver made waves in Bahrain recently, when he urged Fernando Alonso to take the opportunity of his chest injuries to quit formula one. And now he has bucked the trend of predicting a rapid promotion to Red Bull […]
Troubled Mallya to also miss China GP
Apr.14 (GMM) Vijay Mallya looks set to sit out yet another grand prix, as his legal troubles in his native India continue. The Force India boss and co-owner was not in Australia and Bahrain, as Indian authorities pursue him over huge debts following the collapse of his airline Kingfisher. Britain’s Telegraph newspaper claims the 60-year-old […]
Grid penalty is ‘opportunity’ – Hamilton
Apr.14 (GMM) World champion Lewis Hamilton was maintaining his sunny disposition on Thursday, despite admitting his five-place gearbox change penalty was “a kick in the goonies”. But the Mercedes driver was still notably upbeat, as the Spanish daily Marca quoted him as saying in Shanghai: “It’s not ideal, but it happens. “I see it as […]
Drivers helped F1 axe qualifying – Rosberg
Apr.14 (GMM) F1 drivers played a role in the scrapping of the hated ‘musical chairs’ qualifying system. That is the view of Nico Rosberg, who went out on a limb on Wednesday by aiming fire at Bernie Ecclestone’s description of the drivers as “windbags”. 18 drivers had got together for an ultra-rare collective dinner in […]
Alonso wants to test injuries in practice
Apr.14 (GMM) Afternoon turned into evening in Shanghai while the F1 paddock waited for news about Fernando Alonso. Hours ago, the Spaniard met with FIA doctors in a bid to be cleared fit to return to the wheel of his McLaren-Honda this weekend. As Thursday evening fell, heads were being scratched as the decision was […]
Rosberg hits back at ‘windbags’ jibe
Apr.14 (GMM) Championship leader Nico Rosberg has hit back at Bernie Ecclestone’s claim that current F1 drivers are “windbags”. F1 supremo Ecclestone’s jibe followed the controversial release of a Grand Prix Drivers’ Association letter, in which the body was critical of F1’s management. “RacingUnited,” Mercedes driver Rosberg said in a ‘hashtag’ accompanying a mass ‘selfie’ […]
Swedish backers rescue Sauber for now – reports
Apr.13 (GMM) Sauber has bucked the rumours by travelling to Shanghai this week for the Chinese grand prix. In obvious financial trouble, it was said F1’s Swiss team could have run out of money to be able to race in China, with staff also waiting for their March payments. But international media sources say Sauber […]
McLaren name ‘no guarantee of success’ – Coulthard
Apr.13 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne is “on standby” should FIA doctors once again sideline Fernando Alonso in China, McLaren-Honda has confirmed. Belgian Vandoorne, in fact, travelled to Shanghai this week with team boss Eric Boullier, who said: “Once again, Stoffel will be on standby until Fernando has his routine meeting with FIA doctors on Thursday, and […]
Mick Schumacher not thinking of F1 yet – manager
Apr.13 (GMM) Mick Schumacher’s manager has played down any talk the 17-year-old might soon be ready for formula one. Mick, the son of the F1 legend and seven time world champion Michael, kicked off a busy schedule in Formula 4 this year with two wins last weekend. The German made his single-seater debut last year […]
Watson backs Villeneuve over GPDA letter
Apr.13 (GMM) Former F1 winner John Watson has backed Jacques Villeneuve in slamming the sport’s current drivers. Although signed by the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), it emerged in Bahrain recently that a letter critical of the management and governance of formula one was actually supported by the entire grid of active race drivers. Villeneuve, […]
Demanding Marchionne to take another Ferrari role
Apr.13 (GMM) Sergio Marchionne looks set to add yet another executive role to his plate. Bloomberg, the business news agency, said the Fiat Chrysler and Ferrari president will soon also take over as Ferrari’s CEO, as Amedeo Felisa is tipped to retire. Ferrari declined to comment, but the news follows the Maranello marque having lost […]
Haryanto beat Vandoorne ‘head to head’ – Campos
Apr.12 (GMM) Rio Haryanto’s former boss has hit back at suggestions the Indonesian is a straightforward F1 ‘pay driver’. A common analysis is that while the Mercedes-backed Pascal Wehrlein is effectively at Manor on merit, it is Indonesian Haryanto’s state-fuelled dollars that are powering his own 2016 debut. But driving for former F1 driver Adrian […]