Jan.21 (GMM) Rumours are growing by the day that the Bernie Ecclestone era is effectively almost over. We have reported that, as Liberty Media moves ever towards its full takeover of the sport, long-time F1 ‘supremo’ Ecclestone is being shuffled aside. Mark Kleinman, a renowned business journalist for British broadcaster Sky, said the 86-year-old’s decades-long […]
‘Exhausted’ Verstappen training hard for 2017 – father
Jan.21 (GMM) Jos Verstappen says his son Max is training harder than ever for 2017. Young Verstappen, 19, is touted as a potential title contender for 2017, when the cars will be much more physically demanding to drive. His father Jos, a former F1 driver, says that is why Max has been quiet in the […]
Silverstone denies GP axe decision made
Jan.21 (GMM) Silverstone has rejected reports it has already decided to drop the British grand prix after 2019. A report in the Sun newspaper this week quoted a source at the track-owning British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) as saying Silverstone “will definitely drop” the race. But the BRDC has now released an official statement saying […]
Manor asks to race 2016 car this year
Jan.20 (GMM) If Manor finds an eleventh-hour saviour, the embattled backmarker team would have to race its 2016 car early this season. That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, as Manor reportedly enters its final 10 days before administrators move to close down the team. “One month before testing, no investor has […]
Haas ‘easier’ than McLaren, Renault – Magnussen
Jan.20 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen says he is already enjoying life at his new F1 home. After an abortive career so far, falling out with both McLaren and Renault after single seasons with the respective teams, the Dane has switched to the American outfit Haas for 2017 and beyond. “It’s a good team,” Magnussen told the […]
Vandoorne to ‘fight and work with’ Alonso
Jan.20 (GMM) F1 rookie Stoffel Vandoorne agrees with his McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso that their head-to-head fight will not be too intense in 2017. Some have likened the new pairing to Alonso and then rookie Lewis Hamilton in 2007, which ended spectacularly badly. But Alonso said of his new Belgian teammate: “He is not a […]
Wolff unsure Bottas can beat Hamilton
Jan.20 (GMM) Toto Wolff has admitted it is possible Valtteri Bottas could be replaced at Mercedes by a bigger name for 2018. Some expressed surprise when it emerged that, despite being prised out of his Williams contract, Finn Bottas has signed only a one-year deal for 2017. Mercedes chief Wolff admits it is to leave […]
Mercedes seat may have ‘destroyed’ Wehrlein – Wolff
Jan.20 (GMM) Toto Wolff says the retirement of Nico Rosberg was regarded as an “opportunity” for Mercedes rather than a problem. The world champion team has signed up long-time Williams driver Valtteri Bottas to replace Rosberg, with boss Wolff insisting he was never downbeat throughout the process. “Obviously it was a shock,” he told the […]
Marko would have taken Wehrlein ‘risk’
Jan.20 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says that in Mercedes’ place, Red Bull would have taken a punt on a young driver rather than sign up someone like Valtteri Bottas. In the end, Mercedes weighed up between extracting Bottas from his Williams deal or taking a punt on its available youngster, 2016 Manor rookie Pascal Wehrlein. […]
Bottas takes sponsor to Mercedes
Jan.20 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas is taking a personal sponsor with him from Williams to Mercedes. Throughout his career, the 27-year-old has been backed by Finnish industry conglomerate Wirhuri, which had prominent signage on Williams’ livery. But now that Bottas is moving, the Finnish broadcaster MTV has revealed that Wirhuri is changing camps too. The report […]
Liberty urges teams to buy into F1
Jan.20 (GMM) New F1 owner Liberty Media has urged the teams to buy into the sport. Earlier this week, we reported that because the share offer would not include actual voting rights on important decisions, the teams were not keen. Nonetheless, Liberty has announced that it has reserved shares “for issuance to the F1 teams […]
Magnussen ‘disappointed’ with Renault criticism
Jan.19 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen says he was “disappointed” to hear about his former Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul’s recent parting shot. Last week, as the Danish driver heads to Haas for 2017, his former Renault chief Abiteboul said Magnussen “stood still” last year. “Personally, I was disappointed in Magnussen, for his performances and his behaviour,” the […]
Giovinazzi won’t stagnate in Ferrari role – Wolff
Jan.19 (GMM) Toto Wolff has played down fears the career of new Ferrari reserve Antonio Giovinazzi might stagnate in 2017. After almost winning the GP2 title, the 23-year-old Italian has been signed up by Ferrari but is not guaranteed any actual kilometres. So the question was posed to Mercedes’ Toto Wolff – who has successfully […]
Mercedes seat ‘too early’ for Wehrlein – Wolff
Jan.19 (GMM) Mercedes steered away from signing Pascal Wehrlein for 2017 because it would have been “too early” for the young German. That is the claim of team boss Toto Wolff, as he spoke to Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport about having signed Williams’ Valtteri Bottas instead. Asked if he was already thinking of Bottas’ […]
Klien starts military service in Austria
Jan.19 (GMM) Former F1 driver Christian Klien is starting his year by finally completing his compulsory military service in his native Austria. Now 33, it is over a decade ago that the former Jaguar, Red Bull and HRT driver began his F1 career by deferring his service, which is compulsory in Austria. “I was just […]
Family should tell truth about Schumacher – Weber
Jan.19 (GMM) Michael Schumacher’s former long-time manager has criticised the F1 legend’s family. Willi Weber, who guided Schumacher’s ultra-successful career from the junior categories and onto titles with Benetton and Ferrari, thinks the German’s family and management is wrong to have shut out the world in the wake of his 2013 skiing crash and injuries. […]
GP2 champion Gasly heads to Japan
Jan.19 (GMM) Reigning GP2 champion will keep his skills sharp this year in Japan’s top tier of open wheel racing. Just like his GP2 champion predecessor Stoffel Vandoorne last year, it has emerged that Frenchman Gasly, 20, will race in the Super Formula series in 2017. Red Bull junior Gasly had hoped to move into […]
Silverstone ‘will drop’ British GP – source
Jan.19 (GMM) Bad news is still flowing out of Silverstone, the embattled current venue of the historic British grand prix. Recently, the track-owning British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) indicated it could end its F1 race deal, although president Derek Warwick subsequently played down those fears. But now, a senior BRDC member claims Silverstone “will definitely […]
Stroll happy Massa replacing Bottas
Jan.19 (GMM) 2017 rookie Lance Stroll says he is happy that Felipe Massa will be his teammate this year. Earlier, the 18-year-old Canadian was set to be paired with Valtteri Bottas at Williams, but the Finn has switched to Mercedes. “I’m sure many fans are happy to see Felipe return,” Stroll told Le Journal de […]
F1 teams back away from buying shares – report
Jan.19 (GMM) F1 teams are backing away from new owner Liberty’s offer of shares in the sport they compete in. We have reported that Liberty is offering up to 20pc of the sport’s commercial rights to the teams on favourable terms, although the stake would not include voting rights. The teams have until the end […]