Sep.30 (GMM) Sauber has acknowledged it may need to appoint an official reserve driver for 2017. Until a buyout deal, the Swiss team spent the first part of the championship fighting for mere financial survival. Now in Malaysia, Marcus Ericsson has arrived from a training camp in Thailand covered in bandages, having crashed his road […]
Verstappen made Ricciardo ‘better’ driver
Sep.30 (GMM) Red Bull’s race drivers have admitted they are each pushing the other on in 2017. “When Max arrived at Red Bull, it made me take a step forward,” Daniel Ricciardo said at Sepang. Earlier this year, Red Bull made a mid-season driver change, sending Daniil Kvyat back to Toro Rosso and promoting the […]
Haas waiting for driver ‘silly season’
Sep.30 (GMM) Romain Grosjean says he feels so good about his future in F1 that he bought a house last week. It is expected the Frenchman will stay at Haas, but the news is yet to be confirmed. “If I saw 100 per cent (sure), it will mean I have something to announce,” he smiled. […]
Massa, Nasr worried over Brazil GP future
Sep.30 (GMM) F1’s two Brazilian drivers are worried amid speculation Interlagos could fall off the race calendar. Recently, Brazilian grand prix promoter Tamas Rohonyi criticised Felipe Massa for suggesting the future of the race in Sao Paulo was in doubt. But then the FIA this week published its 2017 calendar showing Brazil with mere provisional […]
Alonso recommends Sainz for McLaren future
Sep.30 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says Carlos Sainz would be a good McLaren-Honda driver for the future. Stoffel Vandoorne is replacing F1 veteran Jenson Button next year, and Alonso is currently refusing to commit to the Anglo-Japanese collaboration beyond the end of his 2017 contract. “I think it would be a good place for Carlos,” the […]
Bottas says future looks ‘positive’
Sep.30 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas is still not ready to confirm that he is staying at Williams in 2017. It is now widely believed that Williams will line up next year with Canadian rookie Lance Stroll alongside team regular and Finn Bottas. “I do not have anything new to inform,” Bottas told Turun Sanomat newspaper at […]
Vettel not yet impressed with 2017 tyres
Sep.30 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has admitted he is not yet overly impressed with Pirelli’s new tyres for 2017. Ferrari, as well as Mercedes and Red Bull, have been helping the Italian supplier prepare for next year’s new rules, featuring bigger and wider slicks. But Ferrari’s Vettel said: “The (2017) tyre, in terms of grip, is […]
Portugal eyes F1 return
Sep.30 (GMM) Portugal could bid to return to the F1 calendar. The country held 13 consecutive grands prix at Estoril from 1984, and now Portimao politician Isilda Gomes reportedly said: “It’s time to think about formula one again.” And prime minister Antonio Costa was also quoted by the Spanish sports daily Marca as saying F1 […]
Hamilton respects Rosberg more now – Wolff
Sep.30 (GMM) Toto Wolff thinks world champion Lewis Hamilton respects Nico Rosberg more than ever in 2016. “I think the respect was always there,” the Mercedes team boss told German television RTL. “But this season we see a Nico who is simply operating on an even higher level. You always have more respect for someone […]
Malaysian Grand Prix – 2nd Free Practice
Hamilton quickest with a 1:34.944 from Rosberg (+0.233), Vettel (+0.661), Raikkonen (+0.898), Verstappen (+1.093), Perez (+1.340), Alonso (+1.352), Ricciardo (+1.393), Hulkenberg (+1.446) and Button (+1.771). Sainz, Palmer, Bottas, Gutierrez, Massa, Kvyat, Ericsson, Nasr, Magnussen, Grosjean, Wehrlein and Ocon make the rest of the field. Vettel and Hulkenberg covered the most number of laps with 37 […]
Malaysian Grand Prix – 1st Free Practice
Rosberg quickest with a 1:35.227 from Hamilton (+0.494), Raikkonen (+1.088), Vettel (+1.104), Alonso (+1.283), Ricciardo (+1.526), Verstappen (+1.746), Hulkenberg (+2.286), Perez (+2.374) and Button (+2.386). Kvyat, Bottas, Grosjean, Gutierrez, Sainz, Nasr, Ericsson, Massa, Palmer, Ocon and Wehrlein make the rest of the field. Magnussen didn’t set a time after his car caught fire in the […]
Now Hulkenberg linked with Force India exit
Sep.29 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg on Thursday reacted with surprise to rumours linking him with a surprise switch to Renault. And he is not the only Force India driver linked with Renault for 2017, as his teammate, Mexican Sergio Perez, told reporters he has set a deadline of next week for a decision. Force India, however, […]
Silly season firing for Sainz and Perez
Sep.29 (GMM) The driver ‘silly season’ is still bubbling away in the F1 paddock. The biggest seats still up for grabs are the ones at the works Renault team, who have told Kevin Magnussen he faces a longer wait for news. One rumour is that Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz could head to Enstone in an […]
Berger doubts 2017 revolution right for F1
Sep.29 (GMM) F1 legend Gerhard Berger has questioned whether the 2017 rules revolution is the right path for the sport. The new rules have been designed to tackle the perception of F1’s dwindling challenge with more aggressive and faster cars next year. Berger, the former McLaren and Ferrari driver and experienced official, said the move […]
Three ‘provisional’ races on 2017 calendar
Sep.29 (GMM) Three of the 21 grands prix scheduled for 2017 have been given only provisional status on the newly-published race calendar. On the whole, there are few surprises and no new hosts on the schedule, with June’s Baku race set to clash once again with the fabled Le Mans. But Bernie Ecclestone is reportedly […]
Ericsson fit to race after bicycle crash
Sep.29 (GMM) Marcus Ericsson is bruised and battered but fit to race in Malaysia this weekend. The Sauber driver confirmed reports on Twitter that he suffered a high speed cycling accident during a training camp in Thailand last week. “Lucky to get away with only bruises and scratches,” said the Swede, posting photos of himself […]
Ferrari ‘disoriented’ after Allison exit – Stewart
Sep.29 (GMM) Ferrari is “disoriented”, F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart has surmised. The great Italian team targeted the titles in 2016 but has instead failed to win a single race and even fallen behind Red Bull. “The momentum, consistency and getting the team together has not worked,” Mark Webber, Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel’s former Red […]
F1 pundits eye Hamilton vs Rosberg title battle
Sep.29 (GMM) Although Mercedes is on the cusp of wrapping up the constructors’ title, the battle for the drivers’ crown is still wide open. Indeed, up and down the pitlane, opinions are divided as to which silver-clad driver – Nico Rosberg or Lewis Hamilton – will take home the trophy. “I would put my money […]
Mercedes can win team title in Malaysia
Sep.29 (GMM) Mercedes could wrap up the constructors’ world championship this weekend in Malaysia, with five clear races then to follow. The mathematical match-point has come early because the utterly dominant German team has a huge 222 point gap over second-placed Red Bull. When asked how Mercedes managed to get so far ahead with a […]
Kubica eyes Le Mans
Sep.28 (GMM) Robert Kubica is looking to step up his return to circuit racing by targeting Le Mans. The Pole’s promising F1 career ended abruptly in 2011, when a pre-season rallying crash left him with a permanent arm injury. But he has since competed at the highest level of world rallying, he did the Mugello […]