Mar.24 (GMM) Ross Brawn thinks F1 can afford to dilute some of its “exclusivity” in order to bring the fans closer to the action. A debate is now raging about new owner Liberty Media’s decision to start selling access to the paddock, which until now has been a closely-guarded inner sanctum for VIPs and the […]
Alonso sidesteps Honda axe rumours
Mar.24 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has refused to comment on speculation McLaren is contemplating dumping its hapless works engine partner Honda. After a tough opening two years of the Anglo-Japanese collaboration, McLaren is still at the back of the field and struggling for mere reliability due to Honda’s new power unit. One rumour is the McLaren […]
‘Customer’ Williams can win title – Lowe
Mar.24 (GMM) Paddy Lowe says it is possible Williams could win a world championship with customer engine power. Lowe’s former McLaren boss Ron Dennis said not too long ago that title success is actually only possible by collaborating with a carmaker. Technical boss Lowe subsequently moved to Mercedes and presided over the team’s three consecutive […]
Vettel fends off Mercedes switch rumours
Mar.24 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he “will not be distracted” amid speculation he could be first in line for a move to Mercedes for 2018. Mercedes signed up Valtteri Bottas only for this year, with team boss Toto Wolff admitting quadruple world champion Vettel “would fit” at the German team. Vettel said he is not […]
FIA deletes ‘Verstappen rule’ for 2017
Mar.24 (GMM) F1’s governing body has scrapped the so-called ‘Verstappen rule’ for 2017. Last year, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s controversial driving style triggered a blanket ban on changes of direction under braking. For 2017, the rule is gone, reports Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. “Perhaps there will not be less investigations,” race director Charlie […]
‘Shark fins’ staying in F1 for now
Mar.23 (GMM) F1 fans will have to get used to the look of the ‘shark fins’ in 2017. New F1 chief Ross Brawn hinted recently that the unseemly appendages should be banned as soon as possible, but that would require unanimity up and down pitlane. FIA race director Charlie Whiting confirmed in Melbourne: “There is […]
Back injury ‘all good’ for Melbourne – Wehrlein
Mar.23 (GMM) F1 doctors on Thursday gave Pascal Wehrlein the green light to race in Australia, following a back injury that marred his pre-season. “The back is all good now,” the Sauber driver is quoted by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport in Melbourne. Wehrlein missed the first Barcelona test but returned without major issue for […]
Test results put pressure on Ferrari – Hakkinen
Mar.23 (GMM) Toto Wolff has denied claims Mercedes adopted a strategy to “bluff” its way through the recent winter test season. Interest in the 2017 pecking order is almost unprecedented, amid the big rule changes and the perception Ferrari has closed the gap and perhaps even passed Mercedes. But former F1 chief Eddie Jordan actually […]
Massa confirms Williams ‘competitive’
Mar.23 (GMM) Felipe Massa has confirmed the paddock perception that Williams looks set to be ‘best of the rest’ behind F1’s top three teams early in 2017. Many observers believe that Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull are clearly leading the field, with a gap then to the well-known British team Williams. Brazilian driver Massa confirms: […]
Bottas unlikely to beat Hamilton – Symonds
Mar.23 (GMM) It is “a lot to ask” if Valtteri Bottas’ fans are expecting the Finn to beat Lewis Hamilton in 2017. That is the news from Pat Symonds, the now-retired technical boss who knows Bottas well after working with him at Williams for the past few years. Bottas has now moved to Mercedes to […]
McLaren must keep up ‘motivation’ – Hakkinen
Mar.23 (GMM) McLaren-Honda must be focused in order to emerge from its dire current situation. That is the advice of Mika Hakkinen, the team’s 1998 and 1999 world champion who has actively returned to McLaren for 2017 as a partner ambassador. With the blame being put squarely on hapless works engine partner Honda, McLaren had […]
2017 ‘not huge challenge’ for drivers – Berger
Mar.23 (GMM) The beginning of the new era of formula one will not solve all of the sport’s problems. That is the view of F1 legend Gerhard Berger, who is just beginning work as the new boss of the premier German touring car series DTM. But he was asked by Austria’s Krone newspaper to comment […]
Klien tips Raikkonen to shine in 2017
Mar.23 (GMM) One former F1 driver has picked a surprising dark horse for 2017 glory. Ex Red Bull driver Christian Klien says Kimi Raikkonen, who won his only title ten years ago, could be a perfect match for the more aggressive cars of 2017. “I think the new cars will really suit him,” the Austrian […]
Liberty to sell paddock passes to the public
Mar.23 (GMM) F1’s new owners Liberty Media have followed through on a promise to start opening up the paddock to the public. In the Bernie Ecclestone era, the now ousted 86-year-old fiercely guarded the sanctity of the paddock and the elusive ‘passes’ that provided rare access. This approach has been criticised by some, including German […]
Kubica rules out F1 return for now
Mar.23 (GMM) Robert Kubica said he accepts that returning to F1 will for now remain a closed topic. The Pole’s promising F1 career ended abruptly ahead of the 2011 season when he partially severed his wrist, but he is now shaping up to take on the top category at Le Mans in 2017. Not just […]
Stroll debut ‘could be dangerous’ – Villeneuve
Mar.23 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve has changed his tune about the F1 debut this weekend of his 18-year-old Canadian countryman Lance Stroll. Earlier, the 1997 world champion defended Stroll’s arrival at the highest class of motor racing at such a young age. But he now tells Germany’s Auto Bild: “He’s so smart and talented, but I’m […]
Mercedes ‘interested’ in Vettel – Marko
Mar.23 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel will be on Mercedes’ list when the great German team comes to thinking about the 2017 driver lineup. That is the view of Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, who brought the German driver into F1 and guided him to four world championships. Vettel subsequently switched to Ferrari, but although hopes are […]
Ricciardo gets Renault boost for Melbourne
Mar.22 (GMM) Local favourite Daniel Ricciardo’s Melbourne hopes got a boost on Wednesday. As the Australian met with the local press ahead of the 2017 season opener, it emerged that Renault has solved the recurring reliability problem with its new power unit. Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt said: “In the Barcelona tests, the […]
More downforce makes F1 ‘boring’ – Stuck
Mar.22 (GMM) As excitement builds for the new era of F1, German official Hans-Joachim Stuck thinks the sport has taken a wrong turn. Amid criticism of the spectacle in the last few years, the teams have arrived in Melbourne for the 2017 season opener with much faster cars in their luggage. “This idea was proposed […]
Hamilton relationship ‘better’ – Wolff
Mar.22 (GMM) Toto Wolff says his relationship with Lewis Hamilton is “stronger” ahead of the 2017 season. There were obvious tensions in the silver camp after the Abu Dhabi finale last November, when Lewis Hamilton ignored team instructions to not hold up eventual champion Nico Rosberg. “Yes, it was definitely hard,” Hamilton is now quoted […]