Feb.15 (GMM) Former F1 driver Alex Zanardi doubts Mercedes newcomer Valtteri Bottas can take on his teammate Lewis Hamilton in 2017. Finn Bottas has been drafted in to succeed the suddenly-retired Nico Rosberg, who quit the German team after winning the world championship. Bottas is saying he can take on triple world champion Hamilton, while […]
Pirelli wants wet track for Barcelona test
Feb.15 (GMM) F1’s official tyre supplier wants a full day of official winter testing to take place on a wet track. There will be only eight days of official running in Barcelona before Melbourne, and teams are traditionally nervous in the winter about losing pre-season mileage due to rain. Indeed, Pirelli chief Paul Hembery chuckled […]
Fans to see ‘real’ F1 passing in 2017
Feb.15 (GMM) F1 fans will see more “real” overtaking in 2017, according to Pirelli. Some are worried that, as downforce increases dramatically this year, the shorter braking distances could mean much less overtaking. But a key criticism of F1 in the past few years is that the overtaking aid ‘DRS’ has ramped up artificial passing […]
McLaren ‘neutral’ amid F1 suspension battle
Feb.15 (GMM) Eric Boullier says McLaren is staying out of the fight over controversial suspension designs in 2017. A big battle between Mercedes and Red Bull, who will race so-called ‘active suspension’-mimicking designs this year, and Ferrari could result in an official protest being lodged in Melbourne. Explaining how the fight broke out, McLaren chief […]
Boullier confirms colour change for McLaren
Feb.15 (GMM) Eric Boullier has confirmed rumours that McLaren will change livery colour for 2017. With the exit of Ron Dennis, who was vocally opposed to reverting to the British team’s iconic orange, McLaren is now hinting at the change with graphics on social media and its official website. “You will see a change in […]
New McLaren ‘a lot faster’ – Vandoorne
Feb.15 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne has confirmed claims that F1 drivers have been preparing hard for 2017. New drivers like the Belgian, and younger drivers including Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz, have been working harder than ever for this year’s much faster cars. It has emerged that Sainz has put on 4 kilograms of muscle, and […]
Gutierrez eyes F1 reserve role for 2017
Feb.15 (GMM) Esteban Gutierrez admits a personal mistake meant he had to look outside of F1 for 2017 to continue his racing career. After a year out to be Ferrari’s reserve driver, the 25-year-old Mexican made his return to the grid in 2016 with the new American team Haas. But Gutierrez is now looking to […]
Pirelli embracing ‘challenge’ of faster F1 – boss
Feb.14 (GMM) Pirelli is happy in formula one and embracing the “very important challenge” of the much faster 2017 cars. That is the claim of Marco Tronchetti Provera, who is the chief executive of F1’s Italian tyre supplier. Pirelli’s involvement in F1 since 2011 has often been controversial, but Provera insisted: “F1 gave Pirelli a […]
Rosberg predicts 2017 podium for McLaren
Feb.14 (GMM) World champion Nico Rosberg is tipping a better season for the once-great F1 team McLaren-Honda. Despite having arguably the best driver – Fernando Alonso – at the wheel for the past two seasons, McLaren has struggled notably with Honda power. But Rosberg, who in 2016 won the title for Mercedes before retiring, said: […]
Bottas not settling for second place
Feb.14 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has confirmed reports that he had to split with his manager Toto Wolff before signing up with Mercedes for 2017. Since making his F1 debut for Williams in 2013, the Finn has been managed by the now Mercedes chief. But now that he is replacing reigning world champion Nico Rosberg at […]
F1 faces potential $168m fine – report
Feb.14 (GMM) F1 is inching closer to a full investigation by the European Commission. That is the claim of London’s Times newspaper, revealing that politicians want the body to look into how prize money is distributed, tax arrangements, and the FIA’s financial windfall as a result of the Liberty Media buyout. In the parliament’s latest […]
Suspension dispute still raging before test
Feb.14 (GMM) A question mark continues to hang above the legality of the fastest two cars ahead of the 2017 season. Although the new Mercedes and Red Bull cars are yet to be launched, it is already known that they will feature the same 2016-style suspension concept that some are comparing to outlawed active suspension. […]
Dallara hits out at F1’s radical new rules
Feb.13 (GMM) F1 car designer Gian Paolo Dallara has hit at out the sport’s 2017 rules revolution. The 80-year-old, whose company is involved in collaboration with the Ferrari-linked American team Haas, doubts the much faster cars this year will actually make the F1 ‘show’ better. “As an engineer I do not know why they decided […]
Physio doubts Alonso set to retire
Feb.13 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s long-time physio does not think the Spaniard is shaping up to quit formula one. Alonso, 35, is set to begin the last season on his current McLaren-Honda contract, and has warned that unless 2017 is more enjoyable he could hang up his F1 helmet. But Fabrizio Borra, the two-time champion’s ever-present […]
Magnussen admits he voted against Halo for 2018
Feb.13 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has admitted he was among the group of F1 drivers who actively voted against introducing ‘Halo’ next year. The controversial cockpit-protection concept was already delayed for 2017, and now it emerges that following a driver vote, it might be put on the back burner for a further year. A German media […]
Giovinazzi not denying Friday practice rumours
Feb.13 (GMM) Antonio Giovinazzi has refused to dismiss speculation he might be in line for some Friday practice outings this season. The Italian, who was the runner-up in GP2 last year, has been signed to be Ferrari’s official reserve driver in 2017. And if Ferrari and Fiat president Sergio Marchionne’s plans to bring Alfa Romeo […]
Bottas targets beating Hamilton to 2017 title
Feb.13 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas is targeting the world championship for 2017. With Finn Bottas switching from Williams, Lewis Hamilton’s father warned just days ago that the triple world champion is nothing short of a “career killer”. But Bottas told the Finnish broadcaster MTV that he intends to beat Hamilton. “My goal is the championship and […]
Mercedes to consider Vettel for 2018 – Rosberg
Feb.13 (GMM) Nico Rosberg says Sebastian Vettel will be in the running for a sensational switch to Mercedes for 2018. For 2017, the German outfit has signed up Valtteri Bottas, following Rosberg’s eleventh-hour decision to quit F1 after winning the 2016 title. “I understand that the ‘Bottas solution’ made sense for Mercedes,” Rosberg told the […]
‘No bluffing’ in 2017 test season – Lauda
Feb.13 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas is pushing hard to be ready for the 2017 season. That is the news from Niki Lauda, the F1 legend and team chairman at Mercedes. He is referring to Finn Bottas, who was Mercedes’ eleventh hour pick to replace the suddenly-retired world champion Nico Rosberg for 2017. “I’m always on the […]
Alonso not backing Brown’s ‘no wins’ claim
Feb.13 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is not willing to join new McLaren boss Zak Brown in playing down the chance of race wins in 2017. As McLaren races into the post-Ron Dennis era, new team executive Brown rounded out last week by admitted: “We are not going to be winning any races” this year. “I read […]