Nov.28 (GMM) Nico Rosberg says there are signs his former Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton will soon retire from formula one. At the end of last year, German Rosberg retired within days of beating Hamilton to the 2016 title. And now he says there are signs Hamilton is also thinking of calling it a day. “He […]
Hamilton under pressure to use number 1
Nov.28 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says he still does not want to wear the number 1 in 2018. Traditionally in F1, the world champion wears the number 1 the following year. But since drivers have been allowed to personalise their permanent numbers a few years ago, champions actually had the option of not wearing number 1. […]
Pirelli hopes top teams closer in 2018
Nov.28 (GMM) Pirelli chief Marco Tronchetti Provera says he hopes the top three teams are closer together in 2018. From the point of view of the tyres, the Italian said he is happy with the season. “I praise my men because they did a lot of work and I think the drivers had fun,” Pirelli’s […]
German broadcaster in talks with F1
Nov.28 (GMM) Talks are ongoing between Liberty Media and the broadcaster RTL about extending the free-to-air television deal for Germany. Long-time RTL pundit Niki Lauda stunned German viewers of Sunday’s 2017 finale in Abu Dhabi by announcing his decision to quit the role. At the same time, F1 chief executive Chase Carey was admitting that […]
Chase Carey wants Ferrari to stay in F1
Nov.28 (GMM) Chase Carey and Jean Todt, arguably the most powerful men in formula one, have played down Ferrari’s quit threat. Amid Liberty Media’s plans for new engine and budget cap rules, Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne said the famous marque might not race beyond 2020. Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, who is normally in political lock-step with […]
Mercedes predicts bright future for Verstappen
Nov.28 (GMM) The top men at Mercedes are predicting a bright future for Max Verstappen. Although earlier linked with a move to silver, 20-year-old Verstappen recently extended his stay at Red Bull through 2020. “Max is the hot new guy,” quadruple world champion Lewis Hamilton told De Telegraaf newspaper. “There’s a big hype around him […]
Italy worried about flagging Ferrari form
Nov.28 (GMM) The Italian press is heading into the winter break concerned about Ferrari’s late-season performance. Mercedes finished its 2017 campaign with both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles and a one-two in Abu Dhabi. “It was a sad and pale finale for Ferrari,” said La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Questions hang in the air. Is Vettel-Raikkonen […]
Honda ‘wasn’t ready for top team’ – Hasegawa
Nov.28 (GMM) Despite the McLaren split, Honda thinks it has finally found the right direction in F1. Although the Japanese marque was effectively dumped by the top British team, Honda’s Yusuke Hasegawa is optimistic about the new partnership with Toro Rosso. “The hardest year was undoubtedly the first, but also the third year was not […]
Stroll ‘understands’ need to improve – Lowe
Nov.28 (GMM) Paddy Lowe has admitted he hopes Lance Stroll learns from his difficulties in 2017. 19-year-old Stroll, backed by his billionaire father Lawrence, has struggled at times during his F1 debut season, including at the Abu Dhabi finale. “It seemed that he could not get the car to work properly in terms of balance,” […]
Ferrari to lose major backer Santander
Nov.28 (GMM) Ferrari looks set to lose major sponsor Santander. The El Confidencial publication reports that the Spanish bank’s chief Ana Botin has decided against extending the EUR 40 million per year deal. “According to sources close to the talks, Santander rejected Ferrari’s proposal to continue as the main partner after eight years,” the report […]
Petrobras to sponsor McLaren in 2018 – rumour
Nov.27 (GMM) McLaren looks set to secure a significant new sponsor for 2018. Earlier this year, we reported that with Petrobras leaving Williams, the Brazilian oil multinational could switch to McLaren for 2018. And now in Abu Dhabi, the next rumours unfolded. It was announced that McLaren protege Lando Norris is joining the Formula 2 […]
Lauda quits as German TV pundit
Nov.27 (GMM) Niki Lauda announced on Sunday that he will no longer work as a F1 pundit for German broadcaster RTL. The F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman shocked host Florian Konig and fellow pundit Nico Rosberg when he made the announcement without warning during the Abu Dhabi coverage. Lauda later told Bild newspaper: “It […]
2018 engine rules ‘not barking mad’ – Wolff
Nov.27 (GMM) Toto Wolff has hit back at criticisms of the changing engine rules for 2018. In Abu Dhabi, amid the flurry of grid penalties seen late this year, Red Bull’s Christian Horner said moving from four engines per driver to three in 2018 is “barking mad”. “If it’s barking mad, then he should not […]
Todt denies Halo will be scrapped
Nov.27 (GMM) Jean Todt has dismissed rumours the controversial Halo concept will be scrapped ahead of the 2018 season. In a garage test in Abu Dhabi, Valtteri Bottas failed to get out of a Halo-equipped Mercedes within the prescribed 7 seconds. Amid existing concerns about the aesthetics of the cockpit protection solution, and the fact […]
Ferrari can choose to quit F1 – Todt
Nov.27 (GMM) Jean Todt says the FIA cannot be swayed by Ferrari’s threats about quitting formula one. Amid Liberty Media’s plans for new engine rules and a budget cap for the future, the Italian team is warning that it may not sign up for 2021 and beyond. “That’s their choice,” said FIA president Todt, who […]
Tilke defends Abu Dhabi layout after dull finale
Nov.27 (GMM) Hermann Tilke has defended the Abu Dhabi layout after a processional 2017 finale. Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko said after Sunday’s race: “It was one of the worst races I can remember. “Hamilton was probably faster than Bottas and Max was faster than Raikkonen, but as soon as they got close they could […]
Drivers not keen on new F1 logo
Nov.27 (GMM) Top F1 drivers have reacted coolly to the unveiling of the sport’s new logo. Although the full F1 rebranding won’t be launched until the start of next season, the world got a peek at the new logo on the podium of the 2017 finale in Abu Dhabi. “We wanted to present it now […]
McLaren stands firm on shark fin ‘veto’
Nov.26 (GMM) McLaren is standing firm on its ‘veto’ about F1’s shark fin-style engine covers for 2018. Originally, the FIA banned the aesthetically-questionable appendages for next year, but the teams then lobbied to have the ban lifted. However, at the eleventh hour, McLaren withdrew its vote, effectively exercising a ‘veto’. But with most of the […]
FIA firm on three engines rule change for 2018
Nov.26 (GMM) The FIA is standing firm on the move from four to three engines per driver in 2018. The rule change is actually highly controversial, with Red Bull’s Christian Horner saying giving drivers less engines amid the frenzy of grid penalties is “barking mad”. McLaren’s Eric Boullier agrees, arguing that the rule change will […]
Vandoorne ‘felt self-doubt’ during tough 2017
Nov.26 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne has admitted his first full season in F1 tested his self-confidence. A standout junior driver, the Belgian struck early trouble this year as he struggled to adapt to F1, McLaren-Honda, and having Fernando Alonso as his teammate. Asked what 2017 taught him, the 25-year-old told Het Laatste Nieuws: “That you should […]