May 31 (GMM) Pirelli has hit back at claims its 2017 tyres unfairly favour the Ferrari team. Many have admitted their surprise that, notwithstanding the big rule change this year, the Italian team managed to close a big gap to Mercedes over the winter. “Mercedes and Ferrari is the perfect duel,” said retired world champion […]
Ferrari ’16 weeks ahead’ with 2017 car – Wolff
May 31 (GMM) Ferrari got a head-start with its title-challenging car for 2017. That is the claim of Toto Wolff, boss of the Mercedes team which won the last three drivers’ and constructors’ championships on the trot. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, however, is now 25 points clear in this year’s chase, while the Italian team is […]
Alonso eyes return to better McLaren
May 31 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is hopeful the second half of the 2017 season will be better for McLaren-Honda. The Spaniard insists he has no regrets about sitting out Monaco, after instead bidding for victory at the Indy 500. Ironically, it was a Honda engine failure that ended his day. But Alonso will return to […]
Ferrari did not favour Vettel – Alesi
May 31 (GMM) Jean Alesi does not believe Ferrari acted deliberately to disadvantage Kimi Raikkonen in Monaco. Some suspect that with Sebastian Vettel leading the world championship, the Italian team’s pit strategy was an obvious ploy to drop Raikkonen behind his German teammate. Team boss Maurizio Arrivabene denies it. “Kimi drives not only for Ferrari […]
Vettel on pole for 2017 title – Lauda
May 30 (GMM) Niki Lauda has admitted Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel is now on pole position for the 2017 world championship. Amid Lewis Hamilton’s Monaco struggles, Vettel won in Monaco and now has a 25 point advantage after six races. “Vettel won because he was faster when Raikkonen stopped,” Lauda, Mercedes’ team chairman, told Sky Italia. […]
Horner forgives Verstappen for outburst
May 30 (GMM) Christian Horner says Red Bull’s relationship with Max Verstappen remains on track. That is despite the fact the Dutchman made a foul-mouthed radio riposte during the Monaco race, when a pit strategy gave his teammate Daniel Ricciardo the track advantage. Asked if he understood the outburst, boss Horner told Auto Hebdo: “Of […]
Only Red Bull door closed for 2018 – Alonso
May 30 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says the only top team with closed doors for 2018 is Red Bull. Amid McLaren-Honda’s crisis, the Spaniard skipped Monaco last weekend to do the Indy 500 and he admits he could be on the move within pitlane for next year. “We’ll see. I would be lying if I told […]
Abiteboul admits Palmer future not secure
May 30 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul has admitted Jolyon Palmer’s F1 future is not secure. Briton Palmer has struggled for form and results in the opening quarter of his second season with the French marque, while team newcomer Nico Hulkenberg has shone. Boss Abiteboul told the French-language agency AFP: “We need two drivers who are able […]
Alonso may not do 2018 Indy 500 – Brown
May 30 (GMM) Fernando Alonso might not return to do next year’s Indy 500. That is the news from Zak Brown, the new McLaren executive who engineered the Spaniard’s controversial skipping of the Monaco grand prix to bid for victory in the fabled US race. But Brown is quoted by Brazil’s UOL as suggesting he […]
Todt seeks to avoid calendar clashes
May 30 (GMM) F1’s governing body has vowed to better coordinate the calendars of the major championships. The date clash of Le Mans and the Baku grand prix last year was highly controversial. In that spirit, FIA president Jean Todt met with F1, sports cars and Formula E chiefs at Monaco last weekend. “We have […]
F1 now run ‘like a Starbucks’ – Ecclestone
May 29 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has hit out at some of the moves already made by F1’s new owners Liberty Media. The sport’s long-time ‘supremo’ was ousted recently and replaced by Chase Carey, Ross Brawn and Sean Bratches. And Ecclestone, 86, told Germany’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper that the trio is already doing “things I […]
Alonso ‘not ready’ to commit to 2018 Indy 500
May 29 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has suggested he will return to America to bid once again for Indy 500 victory. Having sat out Monaco last weekend, the Spaniard tasted the lead of the fabled oval race several times on Sunday but retired with a Honda engine failure. “I saw smoke and said ‘It’s over’, but […]
CEO says Pirelli not buying into F1
May 29 (GMM) Pirelli has played down suggestions the F1 tyre supplier might actually buy into the sport. Liberty Media has invited the teams to become shareholders in the post Bernie-Ecclestone era. So when asked if Pirelli will get the same offer, the company’s CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera told the Italian press in Monaco: “Nobody […]
Hulkenberg ‘exactly’ right for Renault – Prost
May 29 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg is “exactly” the right driver to accompany Renault back to the top in F1. That is the view of Alain Prost, a former Renault number 1 who is now an advisor for the French marque’s new works foray. “Nico is very important in this, as he is exactly what we […]
New injury doubt after Wehrlein crash
May 29 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein will return to hospital in the coming days, following another rollover crash. The Sauber driver had to miss the start of the 2017 season after injuring his back in a crash during the ‘race of champions’ winter event. Now, in Monaco, Wehrlein was once again able to walk away from […]
Raikkonen now Ferrari ‘number 2’ – Hamilton
May 29 (GMM) Despite making the podium, Kimi Raikkonen was far from happy after Sunday’s Monaco GP. The pole sitter was leading the prestigious race until the round of pitstops, when his Ferrari teammate and championship leader Sebastian Vettel stayed out longer and re-emerged to win. “Feelings were hot in the Ferrari garage,” Toni Vilander, […]
F1 career ‘already over’ – Button
May 28 (GMM) Jenson Button has played down speculation he might be considering a full-time return to formula one. The 2009 world champion retired at the end of 2017, but he signed a two-year deal for 2017 and 2018 to be McLaren’s reserve and ambassador. So when Fernando Alonso headed to the Indy 500, Button […]
Renault ‘on track’ to join top F1 teams
May 28 (GMM) Renault is on track as it pushes towards the top in formula one. The French carmaker returned to full works status in F1 last year. But as former team champion Fernando Alonso goes on the driver market for 2018, Renault has delivered the message that it will not be ready to give […]
‘No reason’ for Mercedes driver change – Lauda
May 28 (GMM) Niki Lauda has given another clear hint that Mercedes is not planning a driver change ahead of the 2018 season. Lewis Hamilton is already under contract, but there has been speculation either Sebastian Vettel or Fernando Alonso could wear silver next year after Valtteri Bottas’ one-year deal expires. But team chairman Lauda […]
2017 Mercedes car ‘a diva’ – Wolff
May 28 (GMM) Toto Wolff has described Mercedes’ 2017 car as a “diva”. A ‘diva’, of course, is a talented yet temperamental individual, and so it proved at Monaco where Lewis Hamilton struggled to master the silver car at Monaco. “I believe we have shown so far that we have a fast car,” Mercedes boss […]