Oct.5 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel’s Japanese grand prix weekend has started well. After Ferrari’s horror outing in Malaysia last week, Vettel headed to Suzuka under a cloud due to his bizarre post-race crash with Lance Stroll. The team had sent the German driver’s gearbox back to Maranello, fearing a replacement would cost Vettel five penalty places […]
Mercedes used Bottas as ‘road block’ – Vettel
Oct.4 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has accused Valtteri Bottas of deliberately holding him up during last weekend’s Malaysian grand prix. Bottas and Mercedes have each denied that the Finnish driver is now clearly the ‘number 2’ to championship contender Lewis Hamilton. But Ferrari star Vettel alleges that last Sunday at Sepang, as he made his way […]
Red Bull to consider Ricciardo replacement – Marko
Oct.4 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has admitted Red Bull is already looking for “alternatives” to Daniel Ricciardo for 2019. It looks certain the energy drink company’s premier F1 team will line up next year with unchanged drivers, with Ricciardo joining Max Verstappen once again. But Australian Ricciardo has been making noises about a potential move […]
Force India named in Mallya money laundering
Oct.4 (GMM) Vijay Mallya is accused of laundering money related to his F1 team Force India. On Tuesday, the former Indian billionaire was arrested in the UK and later released on $80,000 bail. “He will return to court on November 20,” the financial news agency Bloomberg reported, quoting a prosecutor as saying one charge involves […]
Haas wants Sepang to pay Grosjean repair bill
Oct.4 (GMM) Gunther Steiner has confirmed reports he is seeking compensation for Haas’ repair bill from last weekend’s Malaysian grand prix. In practice, Romain Grosjean’s car sustained a reported $650,000 in damage when a drain cover came loose on the Sepang circuit. An invoice made out to Sepang boss Razlan Razali did the rounds on […]
Montezemolo backs ‘unreliable’ Ferrari car
Oct.4 (GMM) Luca di Montezemolo has backed Ferrari, amid criticism of the Italian marque’s poor car reliability in Malaysia. Current Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne this week admitted Sepang last weekend made him angry, vowing organisational changes after both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen suffered car problems. But Marchionne’s predecessor, Montezemolo, hailed Ferrari’s step forward in […]
Verstappen can win again in 2017 – Lammers
Oct.4 (GMM) Max Verstappen could win another race before the end of the 2017 season. That is the view of former F1 driver Jan Lammers, who like the 20-year-old Red Bull driver is Dutch. “If Max had not had disproportionately bad luck this year, he probably would have won two or three already,” Lammers, referring […]
Kubica and di Resta in Williams ‘shootout’ test
Oct.4 (GMM) Robert Kubica will test for the Williams team later this month, amid reports he is a contender to replace Felipe Massa next year. Multiple media sources report that the Pole will drive in a test being unofficially billed as a ‘shootout’ against Paul di Resta — another major candidate to become Lance Stroll’s […]
Honda success would make McLaren look ‘silly’
Oct.3 (GMM) Zak Brown admits McLaren team management will look “silly” if Honda takes a huge step forward in 2018. After three years of struggling with the Japanese marque, McLaren has dumped Honda and will be powered by customer Renault engines from next season. Honda is moving to the junior Red Bull team Toro Rosso, […]
Sepang winner Verstappen has the flu
Oct.3 (GMM) Max Verstappen has admitted he is not feeling well in the days before Sunday’s Japanese grand prix. Indeed, the Dutchman said he was already suffering from the flu in Malaysia, where he beat championship leader Lewis Hamilton for his second career win. In an interview with the Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport Totaal, Verstappen […]
Vettel set to avoid Suzuka grid penalty
Oct.3 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel looks set to avoid a grid penalty at Suzuka this weekend. The German had admitted after his bizarre post-race crash with Lance Stroll that he wasn’t sure if his gearbox had been damaged. If it needs to be replaced, he would take a five-place grid drop this weekend in Japan. Sky […]
F1 to open New York office
Oct.3 (GMM) F1 will open a US-based office, a spokesman has confirmed. Earlier, following Liberty Media’s takeover, the American company moved from Bernie Ecclestone’s London HQ to a larger building in the British capital. But Sports Business Daily now reports that Liberty is opening a F1 office in New York, amid efforts to capitalise on […]
Boss defends ‘bad boy’ Magnussen
Oct.2 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen’s boss has defended the under-fire Danish driver. In Hungary, Haas driver Magnussen famously told Nico Hulkenberg to “suck my b-lls”, after the German called him “unsporting” following an on-track clash. And Fernando Alonso agreed after Sunday’s Malaysian grand prix: “Hulkenberg was right.” Alonso called Magnussen an “idiot” after their wheel-to-wheel clash […]
Malaysia may return to F1 in future – PM
Oct.2 (GMM) Sunday’s Malaysian grand prix may not have been the last at Sepang. That is the view of the country’s prime minister Najib Razak, who was speaking as many F1 insiders sadly farewelled the venue near Kuala Lumpur after almost two decades. For cost reasons, the Malaysian government has withdrawn from the F1 calendar, […]
Stroll crash could cost Vettel at Suzuka – Lauda
Oct.2 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel’s title hopes look set to take yet another hit, after a bizarre post-race incident in Malaysia. It had already been a horror weekend for Ferrari, with Vettel starting the race from the back of the grid and Kimi Raikkonen not starting at all with a near-identical turbo issue. Germany’s Auto Bild […]
Marko to visit Honda HQ after Malaysia
Oct.1 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko will head to Honda’s Japanese headquarters after the Malaysian grand prix. The Red Bull chief was part of the negotiations that sees axed McLaren partner Honda switch to the energy drink company’s junior team Toro Rosso next year. There are sceptics in the paddock who question the move. “If Honda […]
Vettel will not give up title fight – Lauda
Oct.1 (GMM) Mercedes is not expecting Sebastian Vettel to give up in the 2017 title fight. After Singapore, the German’s chances already took a big hit with his first corner crash. And now in Malaysia, Vettel is starting the race dead last after a technical problem aboard his Ferrari in qualifying. His old Red Bull […]
Perez had IV treatment after qualifying
Oct.1 (GMM) Sergio Perez was rehydrated with the help of an IV drip after qualifying in Malaysia. The Mexican told the media he has been suffering from a stomach virus. “This is possibly the worst place to not feel 100 per cent,” said the Force India driver. As they spoke with the 27-year-old, reporters noticed […]
Williams admits Kubica ‘option’ for 2018
Oct.1 (GMM) Williams has confirmed rumours Robert Kubica is in the running to join the team next year. Earlier, Renault had a contract ‘option’ on the Pole for 2018, but after a series of tests the French outfit decided against signing him. “I am very realistic and I know that the possibility of my returning […]
Wolff ‘worried’ about Bottas slump
Oct.1 (GMM) Toto Wolff admits he is “worried” about Valtteri Bottas’ performance slump. Until just a few races ago, Finland’s Bottas was performing well in his first season for Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton. He has been signed up for 2018. But a few races ago, Bottas’ performance began to slump, and the problem is no […]