Oct.28 (GMM) Haas boss Gunther Steiner says Kevin Magnussen will be well enough to qualify for the Mexican grand prix on Saturday. On Friday, the FIA excused the Danish driver from the mandatory driver briefing due to a “medical condition”. It is believed Magnussen is unwell with a stomach complaint and must be cleared by […]
Verstappen ‘not worried’ about Red Bull engine future
Oct.28 (GMM) Max Verstappen insists he is “not worried” about Red Bull’s current engine situation. As it stands, Renault is standing by its 2018 commitment to the energy drink owned team, but not promising to supply a power unit beyond that. So it was a surprise in the paddock when Verstappen signed on for three […]
Ecclestone says FIA helped Ferrari to win
Oct.28 (GMM) Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has admitted he, the FIA and rival teams would often “help” Ferrari to be more successful in formula one. “F1 is Ferrari, and Ferrari is F1,” the Briton, who turns 87 on Saturday, told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. After the Austin stewards controversy, Max Verstappen’s father Jos […]
Ricciardo in no rush to decide future
Oct.28 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo says he is calm despite the fact F1’s top three teams appear to have set their direction in terms of drivers for the future. In Austin, the Australian was surprised to learn that Red Bull has locked down F1 sensation Max Verstappen until the end of 2020. So with Lewis Hamilton […]
Gasly, Hartley not guaranteed 2018 seats
Oct.28 (GMM) Toro Rosso looks set to head into the 2018 season with the driver lineup seen at this weekend’s Mexican grand prix. For the first time in Mexico, Pierre Gasly is lining up alongside new Red Bull re-recruit Brendon Hartley. “Both are Red Bull drivers, both are high skilled drivers and we want to […]
Sauber not ready to name 2018 drivers
Oct.28 (GMM) Boss Frederic Vasseur is refusing to say who will drive for Sauber in 2018. According to some, the Swiss team could do a clean sweep and oust both Pascal Wehrlein and Marcus Ericsson. A frontrunner appears to be Charles Leclerc, the GP3 and now Formula 2 champion who is strongly backed by Sauber […]
Four candidates to replace Massa in 2018
Oct.28 (GMM) Including an increasingly impatient Felipe Massa, there are now five serious candidates to be Lance Stroll’s 2018 teammate at Williams. It is believed team co-owner Paddy Lowe in particular is determined to choose between Robert Kubica, Paul di Resta, Pascal Wehrlein and now Daniil Kvyat to replace Brazilian veteran Massa. The newest candidate […]
Alonso not denying Daytona could be Le Mans prelude
Oct.27 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has not denied that his prototype sports car debut next January could be a precursor to also racing at Le Mans in 2018. The Spaniard will drive the LMP2 prototype fielded by McLaren boss Zak Brown’s United Autosports team in the Daytona 24 hour. Asked if that is good preparation for […]
Ocon ups Mexico security after death threats
Oct.27 (GMM) Esteban Ocon has upped his security after receiving death threats ahead of the Mexican grand prix. The Frenchman has been at war this year with his Force India teammate Sergio Perez, who is the local hero of this weekend’s race in Mexico City. And now there are reports that Ocon’s security has been […]
Sainz denies improving image after Renault switch
Oct.27 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has denied he has had to change his personal image after switching from Toro Rosso to Renault. When driving for the Red Bull-owned team, the young Spaniard was mainly seen with scruffy hair, stubble and often a backwards-worn cap. But suddenly, now that he is a works Renault driver, the 23-year-old […]
Grosjean moves on after ‘shutup’ video
Oct.27 (GMM) Romain Grosjean says he has moved on after being told to “shutup” during last Sunday’s US grand prix. The Haas driver has earned a reputation for complaining vociferously on the radio about his car and rivals. In Austin, Grosjean asked to retire the car in the closing stages due to suffering tyre problems, […]
FIA expected Verstappen apology
Oct.27 (GMM) F1’s governing body made clear in Mexico it wanted a public apology from Max Verstappen. A week ago, the Dutch driver was believed to have been referring to Garry Connelly when he said a steward who repeatedly penalises him was a “mongol” and “idiot”. He withdrew the ‘mongol’ insult, but amid reports the […]
Liberty set to unveil 2021 engine rules
Oct.27 (GMM) Liberty Media is now mere days from revealing the 2021 engine rules to the F1 teams. But despite that October 31 presentation date, there remains plenty of uncertainty in the paddock about what those regulations will actually be. “Normally it’s pretty well leaked,” Force India boss Bob Fernley told Auto Motor und Sport, […]
Hulkenberg has ‘no problem’ with fast teammate Sainz
Oct.27 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg insists the arrival of his new teammate Carlos Sainz poses him “no problem”. Although the German had a less than smooth weekend in Austin, some believe Hulkenberg was outperformed by Sainz as the Spaniard made his Renault debut a week ago. When asked how his first weekend alongside Sainz went, Hulkenberg […]
Hamilton wants title with Mexico win
Oct.27 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says he has no intention of playing it safe with a mathematical game in the Mexican grand prix. Even if his championship rival Sebastian Vettel wins on Sunday, Mercedes’ Hamilton only needs a fifth place finish to guarantee his fourth career title. But Hamilton said in Mexico: “I want to win. […]
Liberty buys Manor wind tunnel model
Oct.26 (GMM) Liberty Media will do independent wind tunnel research before finalising the aerodynamic regulations for 2021. That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, reporting that new aero rules to boost overtaking and level the playing field will accompany the new 2021 engine. “Liberty wants to make itself more independent of the […]
Kvyat in running for Williams seat – Ermilin
Oct.26 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat’s F1 career might not be over. That is the hope of Igor Ermilin, the president of Russia’s automobile federation. This week, Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko announced that Russian Kvyat, 23, will no longer drive for Toro Rosso in 2017 or be in contention for a seat next year. “I really […]
Renault boosts F1 budget with Formula E exit
Oct.26 (GMM) The French carmaker Renault has freed up more resources for its works F1 team. The manufacturer announced that it is pulling out of the all-electric series Formula E to “focus resources on its aggressive goals for formula one”. The title-winning Formula E team will undergo a “smooth transition” to become Nissan, the Japanese […]
Brazil GP near Sao Paulo safe until 2020 – mayor
Oct.26 (GMM) Brazil’s formula one race at Sao Paulo is not under threat. That is the claim of Sao Paulo mayor Joao Doria, despite the fact Bernie Ecclestone left his post as F1 supremo warning that the Interlagos race was in doubt. Indeed, the circuit is actually for sale, and the likes of Ecclestone and […]
Hulkenberg gives thumbs-up to three-car grid rows plan
Oct.26 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg has given the thumbs up to plans to radically reform the F1 starting grid. We reported earlier this week that Liberty Media is contemplating lining up the cars in two and three-car grid rows in the future. “I heard about those rumours,” Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg told Germany’s Sport1. “For me […]