Sep.26 (GMM) Abu Dhabi’s F1 boss is hoping the 2016 world championship goes right down to the wire. Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are separated by just 8 points with 6 races to go in this year’s championship, which will conclude with the spectacular Yas Marina race at the end of November. And the […]
Formula E would welcome Massa switch
Sep.23 (GMM) Formula E boss Alejandro Agag has admitted he would “love” Felipe Massa to make the switch to the all-electric series. Having recently announced his decision to retire, 15-year F1 veteran Massa said he would consider offers to race instead in DTM, WEC or Formula E in 2017. Formula E boss Agag told Spain’s […]
Ricciardo not sure radical change good for F1
Sep.23 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo is not sure radical change is the right move when it comes to improving formula one. Not only are radically different technical regulations on the way in for 2017, the sport’s commercial rights are changing hands and new owners Liberty Media appear to have some grand plans. But Australian Ricciardo told […]
Vandoorne denies Button deal means more pressure
Sep.23 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne does not think Jenson Button’s new McLaren deal will ramp up the pressure when he makes his F1 debut next year. The British team has signed up Belgian rookie Vandoorne, 24, to replace Button next year. But Button, the 36-year-old F1 veteran, is also under contract and according to McLaren will […]
Lauda to push for 2017 Bahrain test
Sep.22 (GMM) Niki Lauda says he will push the teams to allow Pirelli to do some pre-season testing in a warm location like Bahrain. As the Italian marque prepares for the vastly different car and tyre specifications for 2017, teams have until now argued against straying beyond Europe for the limited pre-season test programme. But […]
Mercedes had Ferrari-like struggle too – Wolff
Sep.22 (GMM) Toto Wolff has backed F1 rival Ferrari’s efforts to win again in formula one. The fabled Maranello team targeted wins and the title in 2016, but instead has fallen behind second-placed Red Bull. Mercedes team boss Wolff said: “In a way, Ferrari today reminds me of Mercedes a few years ago. “We struggled […]
McLaren plays down Apple buyout rumours
Sep.22 (GMM) McLaren has denied reports that it could be bought by the famous electronics multinational Apple. The Financial Times had cited three sources who said the Woking based company, also including the F1 team, had been approached by Apple in a deal that could be worth up to $2 billion. But a McLaren spokesman […]
Renault engine swap rumours ‘false’ – Sainz
Sep.22 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has once again played down suggestions he might complete a shock switch to the works Renault team for 2017. The Spaniard has already been signed up for next year by Toro Rosso owner Red Bull, but there are rumours the energy drink company might negotiate a trade deal in exchange for […]
Singapore was best chance for 2016 win – Ricciardo
Sep.22 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo has admitted his last chance of winning a race may have come and gone in Singapore. The Australian was famously gutted earlier this year when a team error cost him victory in Monaco, and on the similar Singapore street layout last Sunday, he only narrowly missed victory in a duel against […]
Honda aims to avoid Suzuka engine penalty
Sep.22 (GMM) Honda is preparing to spend the last of its engine upgrade ‘tokens’ soon. McLaren’s works ‘power unit’ partner has made good progress in 2016 and still has three performance ‘tokens’ to further improve its unit this year. “We introduced a new engine at Spa when there were nine races to go, so we […]
‘Strong’ Rosberg can beat Hamilton – Prost
Sep.22 (GMM) F1 legend Alain Prost has joined those who think Nico Rosberg has a real chance of winning the 2016 world championship. The German’s Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton has won the last two titles, and he won all four grands prix in July on the trot. But after the summer break, it is Rosberg […]
Massa ‘surprised’ by retirement reaction
Sep.21 (GMM) Felipe Massa says he has been heartened by the reaction to his decision to retire from F1 at the end of the year. The 35-year-old Brazilian made his debut in 2002 and won 11 races for Ferrari and almost the 2008 title, but at Monza announced that after three final seasons for Williams […]
F1 door ‘open’ for Berger’s nephew – Wolff
Sep.21 (GMM) Toto Wolff says “the door is open” to a potential future in formula one for Lucas Auer. Auer is the 22-year-old nephew of former F1 driver, BMW chief and Toro Rosso co-owner Gerhard Berger. The young Austrian is now driving for Mercedes in the German touring car series DTM, but has never made […]
Hamilton must hit back in Malaysia – Lauda
Sep.21 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton must hit back hard at championship rival and teammate Nico Rosberg next weekend in Malaysia. That is the view of Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda, who told RTL: “Lewis has to come back with all his strength in Kuala Lumpur to end Nico’s incredible run.” Indeed, since the summer break ended, […]
Wolff slams Gutierrez for backmarker driving
Sep.21 (GMM) Toto Wolff is the latest F1 figure to hit out at the driving of Haas racer Esteban Gutierrez. Lewis Hamilton infamously gave the Mexican ‘the finger’ earlier this year, and Daniel Ricciardo has also criticised Gutierrez after trying to lap him. Now, Mercedes chief Wolff hit out at the way backmarker Gutierrez behaved […]
Magnussen wants to stay at Renault – advisor
Sep.21 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen’s advisor says the Dane still regards staying at Renault as his ‘plan A’ for 2017. Currently fielding Magnussen alongside Jolyon Palmer on one-year deals after buying the ailing Lotus team, the French works team is leaving its options open for next year. “We are not rushing into a decision,” team boss […]
Stroll signs Williams deal for 2017 – report
Sep.21 (GMM) Lance Stroll has signed a contract to make his F1 debut for Williams in 2017. That is the clear claim of the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat, adding that the probability that the teenage Canadian’s teammate will be Valtteri Bottas is “high”. The report said Stroll, the European F3 leader whose father is the […]
Wolff not worried about Liberty’s income plans
Sep.21 (GMM) Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says he is not worried about new F1 owner Liberty Media’s plans to fundamentally change how prize money is distributed. With the European Commission looking into the current arrangements after Force India and Sauber complained, new executive chairman Chase Carey has indicated the days of the bigger teams […]
Carey wants F1 races to be ‘much bigger’
Sep.21 (GMM) After attending just one grand prix, F1’s new executive chairman is already making plans for big changes. Chase Carey was trackside in Singapore, one of the jewels in the F1 crown with its highly popular city night race. But afterwards, he told F1 business journalist Christian Sylt that he plans to make grands […]
Singapore denies Arrivabene littering reports
Sep.20 (GMM) Singapore authorities have rejected reports that Maurizio Arrivabene was detained and fined for discarding a cigarette butt last week. Based on information from the Spanish dailies ABC and Marca, and repeated by Britain’s Telegraph, we reported earlier that the Ferrari chief was in custody for six hours and fined 1000 Singapore dollars. The […]