Apr.11 (GMM) Quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel insists he has no desire to behave like a “hero”. While the reigning title winner Lewis Hamilton is commonly called a F1 “superstar”, Ferrari’s Vettel refuses even to sign up for Twitter or Instagram. “I am a normal person like everyone else on the road,” he told the […]
GPDA letter a mistake – Johansson
Apr.11 (GMM) F1 veteran Stefan Johansson has blasted today’s drivers for their recent open letter. Although signed off by the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), it emerged recently in Bahrain that the letter was in fact backed by the entire field of F1’s active drivers. But some, like Jacques Villeneuve, have hit back at the […]
Boss eyes ‘solution’ to Sauber financial strife
Apr.8 (GMM) Sauber is working hard to find “a lasting solution” to its obvious financial problems, boss and co-owner Monisha Kaltenborn has revealed. The struggling Swiss team was late to pay wages to its 300 staff in February and March, with driver Felipe Nasr also revealing that the delayed launch of the 2016 car was […]
‘Too early’ for silly season to start – Bottas
Apr.8 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has refused to rule out playing a starring role in this year’s ‘silly season’. Last year, the Finn admitted strong rumours linking him with a potential switch to Ferrari were a distraction. Now, an opening at the fabled Maranello team will once again be up for grabs for 2017, amid similar […]
Monza boosts F1 hopes with Capelli exit – reports
Apr.8 (GMM) Amid intense and faltering negotiations with Bernie Ecclestone, former F1 driver Ivan Capelli has resigned as a chief of Monza’s circuit operator Sias. Just last weekend in Bahrain, F1 supremo Ecclestone had admitted a new deal for the historic Italian grand prix beyond 2016 was being held up over local politics. “I know […]
FIA clears Ferrari over ‘coded’ pit board message
Apr.8 (GMM) Ferrari has been cleared of wrongdoing in the wake of reports Sebastian Vettel was shown an illegal ‘coded’ message on his pit board in Australia. Although it is the radio rules that have been severely limited for 2016, Charlie Whiting said recently they also apply to pit boards “so if we see anything […]
Teams vow to reconsider qualifying change for 2017
Apr.8 (GMM) F1 teams have promised to revisit the possibility of spicing up the qualifying hour ahead of the 2017 season. The pledge has been made in return for the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone finally agreeing the scrap the hated ‘musical chairs’ format that took place in Australia and Bahrain. Although tasked with considering an […]
Toro Rosso duo poses Red Bull promotion ‘dilemma’
Apr.8 (GMM) Red Bull is facing a “dilemma” as it ponders the future of its young F1 stars Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz. That is the view of David Coulthard, a veteran F1 driver who knows Red Bull well, having spent the last four seasons of his racing career with the energy drink marque. In […]
Imola takes position as Monza alternative
Apr.7 (GMM) Imola is ramping up its bid to keep Italy on the F1 calendar. Amid historic Monza’s troubled negotiations with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, the former San Marino GP venue Imola has put its hand up as a potential alternative. Uberto Selvatico Estense, boss of Formula Imola, travelled to Bahrain last week for talks […]
Verstappen could be at Mercedes or Ferrari in 2017 – father
Apr.7 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s father and manager has ramped up his bid for a top seat in formula one for 2017. In the past days and weeks, bosses for Mercedes and Ferrari have admitted their interest in the 18-year-old Dutch sensation. It comes amid speculation Verstappen could be a free agent for 2017 unless Red […]
Vettel’s Bahrain engine cannot be fixed – reports
Apr.7 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel is down to four power units for the remaining 19 races this year, following his smoky retirement on the parade lap in Bahrain. Earlier, the Ferrari media insider Leo Turrini said the problem had been traced to an injector, but he now clarifies that the fault was actually caused by “a […]
Bosses write letter urging 2015 qualifying return
Apr.7 (GMM) F1’s qualifying debacle of 2016 continues, as team bosses on Thursday pleaded with authorities to revert to last year’s successful format. With the ‘musical chairs’ system slammed on all sides after Australia and Bahrain, the teams made clear their desire to scrap it but the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone have ruled out simply […]
Sauber late with staff payments again
Apr.7 (GMM) Sauber has fallen behind once again with its full salary payments to its 300 staff in Switzerland. Boss Monisha Kaltenborn was not in Bahrain last weekend, amid reported talks with potential buyers and rumours cashflow problems could shortly end the struggling Hinwil based team’s 23-year F1 adventure. Now, a month after similar reports […]
Amid political tension, F1 to meet on Thursday
Apr.7 (GMM) Amid a poisonously political climate in F1, the sport’s stakeholders will get together on Thursday in yet another bid to fix the 2016 qualifying format debacle. The meeting was scheduled last Sunday in Bahrain, where the teams were told by the governing FIA to consider an all-new ‘aggregate’ format for China and beyond. […]
Vandoorne preparing for possible second race in China
Apr.7 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne says he will remain race-ready ahead of next weekend’s Chinese grand prix. Although Fernando Alonso was getting CT scans done early last week, the Spaniard’s chest injuries clearly caught McLaren by surprise once in Bahrain. That is because when the FIA ruled him out of action on Thursday, reserve driver Vandoorne […]
‘Too late’ to call off 2017 revolution – teams
Apr.7 (GMM) Speculation the touted rules revolution for 2017 could be called off at the eleventh hour are being played down on all sides. Amid suggestions in Bahrain that eight of the eleven teams are in fact now opposed, FIA president Jean Todt insisted that the April 30 decision deadline will be met. Two of […]
Schumacher to contest two F4 series in 2016
Apr.6 (GMM) Mick Schumacher is taking on a busy calendar in 2016 as he continues his push towards formula one. Now 17, F1 legend Michael Schumacher’s son began his open wheel adventure last year in German Formula 4, but Bild reports that the young German will also race in parallel in the Italian series this […]
Ecclestone says European Commission talks underway
Apr.6 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone says “discussions” with the European Commission are currently taking place. Last September, midfield teams Force India and Sauber lodged an official complaint to the European Union’s anti-competition unit about F1’s allegedly “unlawful” governance and income-distribution systems. The complaint was pointed specifically at Ecclestone, but the F1 supremo – also frustrated by […]
FIA investigating Ferrari coded message
Apr.6 (GMM) F1’s governing body is looking into whether Ferrari stretched the new radio clampdown rules, according to a report in Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. While the new rules severely limit what can be said on the radio, the FIA’s Charlie Whiting said in Melbourne that they also apply to dashboard displays and pit […]
Ferrari working to fix injector problem – insider
Apr.6 (GMM) Ferrari is confident it will quickly solve the engine flaw that stopped Sebastian Vettel from even starting Sunday’s Bahrain grand prix. Kimi Raikkonen’s failure was with the turbo in Australia, and so teammate Vettel’s smoky exit on the parade lap in Bahrain had ramped up speculation the Italian team is grappling with fundamental […]