Mar.14 (GMM) F1 legend Niki Lauda does not think Nico Rosberg will mount a return to formula one. When new world champion Rosberg shocked the world with his post-title retirement announcement, team chairman Lauda was the most openly critical of the move within the Mercedes camp. But triple world champion Lauda says he has now […]
Newey could launch ‘brilliant update’ – Surer
Mar.14 (GMM) Adrian Newey could be shaping up to launch a “brilliant update” for its 2017 car. That is the claim of former F1 driver turned German-language pundit Marc Surer. The Swiss commentator is referring to the fact that, despite designer Newey’s usual brilliance in interpreting new rules, Ferrari and Mercedes were clearly quicker in […]
‘Tough year’ awaits Mercedes – Lauda
Mar.14 (GMM) Mercedes is looking ahead to a “tough year”, according to team chairman and F1 legend Niki Lauda. Lewis Hamilton said in Barcelona last week that although Ferrari appears strong, the Italian team could be “bluffing” and in fact be even faster in 2017. Sebastian Vettel said: “Our car is certainly better than last […]
F1 looks to ban extra wings – Surer
Mar.14 (GMM) F1 looks set to ban the ‘shark fin’ appendages that will fill the Melbourne grid next weekend. The fins, extending from the rear of the engine cover, “calm the air in front of the rear wing”, explained former F1 driver turned pundit Marc Surer. The so-called ‘shark fins’ first emerged several years ago […]
Liberty boss hints at F1 engine rule changes
Mar.13 (GMM) Liberty Media boss Greg Maffei has hinted F1 needs to make changes to its current engine regulations. Last week, FIA president Jean Todt ruled out a return to screaming V8, V10 or V12 engines, declaring it would “not be accepted by global society”. But the volume of the current ‘hybrid’ power units remains […]
Renault confident in midfield battle
Mar.13 (GMM) Renault thinks it is a solid bet to head the F1 midfield in 2017. The French works team had a bad 2016 in the wake of the Lotus takeover, but technical boss Alan Permane said at the end of Barcelona testing: “Together with Toro Rosso, we are slightly ahead of Force India and […]
2017 ‘power units’ only slightly louder – report
Mar.13 (GMM) F1 is continuing to nudge up the volume of its controversial ‘power units’. In 2011, in the midst of the screaming V8 era, a German newspaper clocked the leading Mercedes engine at 128 decibels – beyond the human pain threshold. Then in 2015, for the second season of the much quieter V6 turbo […]
F1 to see ‘real’ Red Bull in Melbourne
Mar.13 (GMM) In the last full week until the F1 circus heads off to Melbourne, the 2017 pecking order remains unclear. On the basis of Barcelona testing, Ferrari and Mercedes are neck and neck at the top of the order and closely trailed by Red Bull. But there are big question marks about Red Bull’s […]
Portugal willing to be non-championship F1 host
Mar.13 (GMM) A Portuguese circuit has put up its hand as a potential venue for a non-championship F1 race. Recently, new F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn said he would like a non-championship race to be the scene of experimental tweaks to the race format. The Portuguese specialist newspaper Auto Sport claims Brawn’s plan would be […]
Charlie Whiting not retiring – report
Mar.10 (GMM) Charlie Whiting has reportedly not joined a swathe of other Bernie Ecclestone-linked F1 personalities who have left the sport. With Liberty Media sweeping into power, it is notable that along with Ecclestone’s ousting, also now gone are the F1 supremo’s long-time colleagues including Pasquale Lattuneddu and Herbie Blash. Now, it emerges that Marcin […]
Villeneuve happy with ‘new’ F1
Mar.10 (GMM) F1 purist Jacques Villeneuve says he is happy with what he is seeing at the Barcelona test. The 1997 world champion was one of the fiercest critics of the former technical regulations, characterised by fuel saving, degrading tyres and low cornering speeds. “What I’ve seen so far is simply great,” the former Williams […]
Force India tells drivers to lose weight
Mar.10 (GMM) Force India has asked its drivers to lose weight before Melbourne. Up and down the pitlane, drivers have put on as much as 5-6 kilograms of muscle over the winter to prepare for the new cars’ much higher G-forces. But Force India is struggling with handling problems, and Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport […]
Wehrlein explains blacked-out Mercedes logo
Mar.10 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein has explained the black patch at the front of his helmet in Barcelona. Eagle-eyed observers have noticed that the German has blacked out the prominent Mercedes star from just above his visor. Wehrlein is a Mercedes-backed driver, but he has switched from Manor to Ferrari-powered Sauber for 2017. When asked about […]
McLaren drivers must control frustration – Vandoorne
Mar.10 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne says he and McLaren-Honda teammate Fernando Alonso need to keep their frustration under control. Ahead of the works Anglo-Japanese collaboration’s third consecutive season, it is clear patience is running out as Honda struggle once again to supply a competitive and reliable power unit. But amid the situation, rookie Vandoorne sounds calmer […]
Bottas must get up to speed quickly – Wolff
Mar.10 (GMM) Toto Wolff says Valtteri Bottas does not have long to get up to speed in 2017. Recently, after the champion team signed up the Finn to replace Nico Rosberg, chairman Niki Lauda said Bottas has four races to start emulating Rosberg’s former contribution. “I agree with Niki,” team boss Wolff has now told […]
Hamilton faster than Bottas – Lauda
Mar.10 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton is currently faster than his new teammate Valtteri Bottas. That is the view of Mercedes’ team chairman and F1 legend Niki Lauda. Finn Bottas was signed by Mercedes on a one-year contract for 2017, after world champion Nico Rosberg’s shock decision to quit the sport. “What I’ve seen so far is […]
Renault engine set for Melbourne fix – Verstappen
Mar.9 (GMM) Renault is working hard to solve some problems with its new engine before Melbourne. That is the claim of Max Verstappen, after Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Renault’s own works team suffered a slew of reliability problems with the ’95pc new’ power unit for 2017. “I am told that the Renault guys already […]
Ferrari faster than Mercedes – Lauda
Mar.9 (GMM) Niki Lauda has joined fellow Mercedes stablemate Lewis Hamilton in declaring Ferrari the early favourite for 2017. Before Kimi Raikkonen crashed the new red car on Wednesday, Mercedes team chairman and F1 legend Niki Lauda watched it from the side of the track in Barcelona. “The Ferrari looks the fastest,” he told Auto […]
Todt undecided over third FIA presidency term
Mar.9 (GMM) Jean Todt says he has not decided if he will run for a third consecutive term as FIA president. The former Ferrari chief took over from Max Mosley in 2010, and then secured a new four-year term covering 2014-2017. 71-year-old Todt’s presidency has often been controversial, as he keeps a much lower profile […]
F1 won’t return to V10 engines – Todt
Mar.9 (GMM) Jean Todt has ruled out a reversion to screaming V10 engines for formula one. Liberty Media’s new F1 sporting chief Ross Brawn admitted at the Barcelona test that although the faster cars are good, engine sound is still a major issue for the sport. “I miss the V10 engines,” agreed Fernando Alonso this […]