Apr.7 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton admitted he is concerned that his first taste of Pirelli’s new wet tyres will be this weekend in China. The weather forecast throughout the Shanghai weekend is poor, and Friday’s opening session was indeed badly affected by rain. Less concerned is Hamilton’s current title nemesis Sebastian Vettel, who has snapped up […]
Perez would not give up F1 seat over ‘fitness’
Apr.6 (GMM) Sergio Perez said he feels for fellow F1 driver Pascal Wehrlein. German Wehrlein, who switched from Manor to Sauber for 2017, suffered a back injury in the winter and had to sit out Melbourne with a reported lack of physical fitness. The 22-year-old is again missing this weekend in Shanghai, triggering rumours about […]
Force India among slowest in 2017 – Perez
Apr.6 (GMM) Sergio Perez has admitted Force India’s 2017 car is currently among the very slowest on the grid. With its small budget, the lean and mean Silverstone based team finished an admirable fourth overall last year. The team then signed up a $20 million new sponsor and painted its car pink for 2017, but […]
Prost wants tyre choice freedom in F1
Apr.6 (GMM) F1 legend Alain Prost says more tyre freedom will spice up the sport’s battles. With the new regulations making the cars faster and harder to drive in 2017, some still worry that overtaking and exciting tyre strategies will in fact be even less likely this year. But quadruple world champion Prost, an advisor […]
Wolff plays down Melbourne defeat
Apr.6 (GMM) Toto Wolff has calmed fears that Mercedes has finally been overtaken as F1’s top team. In Australia, Mercedes was beaten by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who carried over a winter of promise into the 2017 race season. But some think triple back-to-back world champion Mercedes is in fact still the best team overall, which […]
Mercedes still quicker than Ferrari – Ricciardo
Apr.6 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo thinks Mercedes continues to have the quickest car in F1. That is despite the fact that Sebastian Vettel carried Ferrari’s winter promise into the 2017 season by winning the recent Australian grand prix. But Red Bull driver Ricciardo said he is happy Ferrari won the season opener, because he thinks Mercedes […]
Ecclestone rejected Vietnam GP deal
Apr.6 (GMM) Ousted F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says he rejected plans to add a Vietnamese grand prix to the race calendar. The 86-year-old, recently stepped down as the sport’s chief executive by new owners Liberty Media, was criticised in the past for adding races to the calendar that lack fan support but pay premium race […]
Trulli hopes Giovinazzi gets full F1 season
Apr.5 (GMM) Former F1 driver Jarno Trulli thinks Italian countryman Antonio Giovinazzi kicked off a “promising formula one career” in Australia. Actually, Giovinazzi had travelled to Melbourne simply as Ferrari’s reserve driver, but was ultimately called up to replace unfit Sauber racer Pascal Wehrlein. “Antonio did an excellent job in Australia,” Trulli, the last Italian […]
Raikkonen wants to stay beyond 2017
Apr.5 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen has indicated he wants to stay in formula one beyond 2017. The 2007 world champion, now 37, has been a solid if not standout performer during his second stint at Ferrari. But the general perception is that he was outclassed by his respective teammates Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. And now, […]
Berger thinks Mercedes still ahead
Apr.5 (GMM) Gerhard Berger says it is too soon to declare Ferrari the favourite for the 2017 world championship. The Austrian legend spent two stints during his career driving for the great Italian marque, which ended a season-long winning drought with a win in Melbourne. But Berger told the Austrian broadcaster Servus TV that Mercedes […]
Audi plays down latest F1 rumours
Apr.5 (GMM) Audi has ruled out racing in formula one, at least in the short term. Rumours Audi might be contemplating a foray were re-fired last week, when the Volkswagen brand was represented by Stefano Domenicali at the F1 engine meeting. But Audi’s motor racing chief Dieter Gass has now moved to calm the speculation. […]
Alonso to launch fashion brand
Apr.5 (GMM) The signs are growing by the day that Fernando Alonso intends to stay in F1 beyond 2017. Earlier, before the much faster regulations for this year made their debut, the Spaniard was leaving open the possibility he might retire at the end of the season. But then in Australia two weeks ago, he […]
Bottas would obey Mercedes team order
Apr.5 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas says that while he would obey team orders, he does not see himself as the ‘number 2’ driver at Mercedes. The Finn had a solid start to his new role as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate in Australia, but many see Bottas as basically subservient to the triple world champion. Bottas does not […]
Ferrari insiders tip Shanghai struggle
Apr.5 (GMM) Two Ferrari-linked figures are concerned the Italian team could face a tougher test for victory this weekend in China. After a year without victory, Sebastian Vettel put Ferrari back on the top step of the podium in Melbourne. Gian Paolo Dallara, whose racing car marque is involved with the production of Haas’ F1 […]
Wolff could miss birth of child
Apr.5 (GMM) Toto Wolff has admitted he could miss the birth of his child in the coming days. Back at their home in Switzerland, Wolff’s wife and former Williams test driver Susie Wolff is due to give birth on April 10, according to Austrian reports. Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, however, is in Shanghai for this […]
F1 eyes 1200hp twin-turbo V6 for 2021
Apr.5 (GMM) The next details about F1’s potential new engine formula for 2021 are now emerging. Following a meeting with current and potential engine suppliers, FIA president Jean Todt revealed last week that the plan is to make the current ‘power units’ simpler, cheaper and louder for the future. New F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn […]
Grosjean not complaining ‘good sign’ – Haas
Apr.4 (GMM) Owner Gene Haas says he is happy the American team is in among the action in a closely-fought midfield in 2017. Winter rumours suggested Haas could actually be fighting backmarkers Sauber and McLaren this year, but Romain Grosjean qualified a ‘best of the rest’ sixth in Melbourne. But Haas says that midfield pack […]
F1 return now ‘more likely’ – Kubica
Apr.4 (GMM) Robert Kubica says a return to F1 is now “more likely” than at any time since his serious rally crash in early 2011. The Pole, now 32, was in the midst of a promising F1 career with BMW and then Renault when, while contesting a rally in the winter, he crashed and almost […]
Doubts surround Wehrlein ‘fitness’ story
Apr.4 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein could miss the entire China-Bahrain double header in the next two weeks, as a bizarre story about his physical fitness continues to unfold. The Mercedes-backed German sat out the 2017 season opener in Melbourne, citing a lack of fitness in the wake of his winter back injury following a rollover crash […]
Hopes high for more passing in China
Apr.3 (GMM) Hopes are high that Shanghai will host a more spectacular grand prix this weekend. F1’s new era – characterised by faster cars and better tyres – kicked off in Australia last month, but some were concerned that almost no overtaking took place. “Melbourne has always been a track where overtaking is difficult. It’s […]