Dec.1 (GMM) FIA president Jean Todt says he “forgives” Sebastian Vettel for his actions this year in Baku. In the heat of their 2017 title battle, the Ferrari driver pulled alongside Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton during a safety car period in Azerbaijan and deliberately crashed into him. But Todt says it’s important to move on. “You […]
New tyres to help F1 car designers – Isola
Dec.1 (GMM) Pirelli’s softer new tyres for 2018 will open up new car design possibilities for F1 teams. That is the claim of Mario Isola, the Italian tyre supplier’s F1 chief. This week, top drivers gave a thumbs up to Pirelli’s all-new ‘hyper soft’ tyre for 2018, with next year’s compounds also being softer across […]
Hamilton could quit ‘at any time’ – Surer
Dec.1 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton will quit formula one when his “private life” becomes more important to him. That is the claim of former F1 driver Marc Surer, following the reigning world champion’s latest claims about potentially quitting the sport. Hamilton’s latest comments could be because he is reportedly negotiating a lucrative new deal with Mercedes […]
Mallya fears death in Indian jail
Dec.1 (GMM) Vijay Mallya says he fears being murdered if he is put in an Indian jail. Over a corruption case, the Indian government wants to extradite the Force India team owner and boss from Britain. And the Times of India reports that Mallya is arguing to a London court that he fears being murdered, […]
Sirotkin admits wanting Williams race seat
Dec.1 (GMM) Sergey Sirotkin has admitted he is hoping Williams picks him instead of Robert Kubica to drive for the British team in 2018. Although Kubica is the hot candidate, and other drivers are still in the running, Russian Sirotkin actually got a test in the 2017 car this week in Abu Dhabi. “I want […]
Red Bull Technology to help Honda – Marko
Nov.30 (GMM) Red Bull is already working with Honda, amid rumours they will go racing together in 2019. Already next year, given the Japanese marque’s breakup with McLaren, Honda will supply engines exclusively to the Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso. And Dr Helmut Marko revealed to the German broadcaster Sky that Red Bull Technology […]
Drivers happy with new Pirelli ‘hyper soft’
Nov.30 (GMM) Top F1 drivers have shown a thumbs up to Pirelli’s softer new tyres for 2018. As he tested the brand new ‘hyper soft’ in the post-Abu Dhabi GP tyre test, world champion Lewis Hamilton said it was Pirelli’s best ever. Pirelli reports that the pink-marked tyre is “about a second per lap faster” […]
Year off could be good for Kvyat – Ricciardo
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 […]