Oct.16 (GMM) Gerhard Berger is predicting a “big battle” between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel for the 2018 championship. The former F1 driver’s prediction comes as the tension in this year’s title battle fizzles, following Ferrari and Vettel’s horror three-race tour through Asia. But Berger says Vettel should not consider himself “a loser”. “Vettel should […]
Schumacher family should tell ‘truth’ – Weber
Oct.16 (GMM) Michael Schumacher’s former manager thinks the family of the F1 legend should come clean with his millions of fans. Almost four years after the seven time world champion’s skiing crash, almost nothing is known about the extent of the now 48-year-old’s brain injuries. Concurrently, there are unconfirmed rumours Schumacher will be moved from […]
Mayor says Pirelli wants to buy Interlagos
Oct.16 (GMM) Pirelli could be looking to buy the Brazilian grand prix venue at Interlagos. That is the claim of the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, following a visit to Milan of Sao Paulo mayor Joao Doria. Doria reportedly met with Marco Tronchetti Provera, the president of official F1 supplier Pirelli, an Italian […]
Liberty ‘don’t want me at races’ – Ecclestone
Oct.16 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone says Liberty Media is not making him welcome at grands prix. F1’s long-time supremo has attended a handful of races this year, after being stepped down as chief executive by his successor Chase Carey. “Chase sent a message to one of the girls in the office to tell me that they […]
McLaren needs time to catch Red Bull – Boullier
Oct.16 (GMM) McLaren will need some time to catch up with the top Renault-powered team in F1. That is the claim of boss Eric Boullier, as the British team prepares to switch from Honda to customer Renault power for 2018. Fernando Alonso, who is yet to sign a contract for next year, has said it […]
Bottas must ‘believe’ he can catch up – Coulthard
Oct.16 (GMM) Former F1 driver David Coulthard has urged Valtteri Bottas to “work hard” to get back on terms with his teammate. Not long after joining Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes this year, Finn Bottas appeared strong and he won in Russia and Austria. But more recently, the 28-year-old has slumped. “I experienced the same sort […]
Vettel can still win 2017 title – Susie Wolff
Oct.13 (GMM) Susie Wolff thinks the race for the world championship is still “open”. That is despite the fact that Lewis Hamilton, who drives for the team run by Wolff’s husband Toto, has a huge 59-point lead over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. Former Williams driver Wolff, 34, admits Mercedes’ Hamilton is in good form. “Lewis is […]
Alonso says still ‘no decision’ over F1 future
Oct.13 (GMM) The F1 world is still waiting to hear if Fernando Alonso will still be on the grid in 2018. Following the McLaren-Honda split, it is expected the Spaniard will stay at the newly Renault-powered British team next year. But Alonso’s self-imposed September contract deadline has long expired. Spain’s El Mundo Deportivo quotes him […]
‘Mentor’ tips Hartley to accept Toro Rosso seat
Oct.13 (GMM) New Zealander Brendon Hartley is expected to be drafted into Toro Rosso’s lineup for a one-off appearance next weekend in Austin. We reported on Tuesday this week that, at 2018 Honda partner Honda’s request, Pierre Gasly will skip the US grand prix in order to fight for the Super Formula title. “We cannot […]
Hulkenberg expects new teammate Sainz to be ‘fast’
Oct.13 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg says he expects his new Renault teammate to be “fast”. Departing Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz, who will be paired with German Hulkenberg full-time from next year, will get an early start at Renault in the last four races of 2017. Hulkenberg told Auto Motor und Sport: “I only know him […]
Williams to keep Kubica test news ‘private’ – Lowe
Oct.12 (GMM) Williams is not releasing information about Robert Kubica’s test that took place at Silverstone this week. All a spokesman for the British team would say about the Pole’s run in a 2014 car was that it had been “successful”. “We will not be releasing any further information at this time,” the spokesman said. […]
Spanish woman to fix Ferrari ‘quality’ – report
Oct.12 (GMM) Ferrari has appointed a Spanish woman to help “fix” car reliability problems that have marred the team’s push for the 2017 title. In the Sepang-Suzuka double header, Sebastian Vettel suffered car problems that now strand him a whopping 59 points behind Lewis Hamilton with four races go go. “We need to renew our […]
Wolff, Lauda not celebrating Hamilton title yet
Oct.12 (GMM) Mercedes’ two team bosses are refusing to celebrate the 2017 title yet. With just four races to go, Lewis Hamilton now has a commanding 59 point lead in the world championship over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. But team boss Toto Wolff told Sport Bild: “Something is certain only when it cannot be another way. […]
Raikkonen tips Ferrari to be stronger in 2018
Oct.12 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen thinks Ferrari will be even stronger in 2018. Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel are not publicly writing off the 2017 title after a disastrous tour of Asia, but the gap to Lewis Hamilton is 59 points with four races to go. When asked about Ferrari’s struggles, Raikkonen told La Gazzetta dello Sport: […]
Ferrari ‘will never give up’ – Arrivabene
Oct.12 (GMM) Embattled team boss Maurizio Arrivabene says Ferrari will “never give up”. After a horror three-race tour of Asia, Sebastian Vettel has slumped to a 59 point deficit to Lewis Hamilton with just four races to go. Ferrari’s title campaign collapsed with a crash in Singapore and reliability problems in Malaysia and Japan, prompting […]
Rosberg considering regular pundit job
Oct.12 (GMM) Nico Rosberg is considering a more regular job in the F1 paddock. The newly retired reigning world champion attended a pre-season test in Spain early this year as well as the grand prix in Monaco, where he lives with his young family. But at Suzuka, German Rosberg was on hand as a paid […]
Abu Dhabi wants to keep hosting F1 finale
Oct.11 (GMM) Abu Dhabi wants to hold onto its place at the very tail-end of F1’s calendar. For the past several years, the Arab emirate has hosted the final round of the world championship. And even though Lewis Hamilton looks set to wrap up the 2017 title before F1 heads to Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina […]
Vandoorne struggled in F1 spotlight – Boullier
Oct.11 (GMM) McLaren is now happy with the performance of Stoffel Vandoorne. Earlier, the British team expressed concern about how the Belgian rookie was struggling to adapt to life in formula one. “Unfortunately for Stoffel, he was at the centre of the attention of the press and spectators as he became the teammate at McLaren […]
F1 looking into Dutch street race
Oct.11 (GMM) F1 could be looking to stage a race on the streets of the Dutch capital. Reports including in the Berliner Kurier indicate that on the back of Max Verstappen’s huge popularity, Liberty Media is open to a potential race on the streets of either Amsterdam or Rotterdam. “Liberty’s seriousness is demonstrated by the […]
Vettel not thinking about F1 retirement
Oct.11 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he is not thinking about his retirement from F1. At the end of last year, Nico Rosberg suddenly quit his Mercedes contract as he achieved his dream of winning the world championship. When asked if he could do the same if he wins a fifth title, which would be his […]