Oct.6 (GMM) Sauber will keep using Ferrari’s 2016 engine in its new car for 2017, it emerged on Friday. Auto Motor und Sport revealed the news, even though the Swiss team’s financial troubles ended earlier this year with a buyout. But it appears the decision has been made by the Monisha Kaltenborn-led team on the […]
Hulkenberg not ‘100pc’ on Force India exit rumours
Oct.6 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg on Friday could not say he will definitely line up for the Force India team in 2017. Speculation has linked the German as well as his teammate with potential moves to Renault, but Mexican Sergio Perez’s future is now clear. “It’s good to know what I’m doing next year,” Perez said […]
Rosberg tips ‘distracted’ Hamilton to recover
Oct.6 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton caused a stir at Suzuka on Thursday, with sections of the British press accusing him of disrespect. Throughout the official FIA press conference, the world champion gave short and evasive answers whilst playing with his phone. When asked what he was doing, the Mercedes driver answered: “Huh? “It’s quite funny, just […]
Wolff rejects Hamilton’s offer to skip sessions
Oct.6 (GMM) Toto Wolff has rejected Lewis Hamilton’s claim that the British driver might sit out practice sessions in the remainder of 2016. Bitterly disappointed with the latest engine failure that cost him victory in Malaysia, Hamilton said he is prepared to sit out sessions over the course of the remaining five races so that […]
F1 ‘hiding something’ over Bianchi death – father
Oct.6 (GMM) Exactly two years after his son crashed at Suzuka, Jules Bianchi’s father is still seeking answers and justice. This week marks the second anniversary of Bianchi’s crash at the wheel of a Marussia on a slippery track in fading light in the 2014 Japanese grand prix. He died eight months later from the […]
Kvyat to secure new two-year Red Bull deal – reports
Oct.6 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat looks to have secured his future in formula one. That is despite the fact the young Russian has been through the mill in 2016, after losing his place with the premier Red Bull team and struggling mentally with the transition back to Toro Rosso. Not just that, strong rumours have linked […]
Force India denies losing Hulkenberg to Renault
Oct.6 (GMM) Force India team figures have played down suggestions they may lose Nico Hulkenberg to a rival team. The Silverstone based outfit has finally ended rumours that Sergio Perez is set to switch to Renault, but now the Mexican’s teammate Hulkenberg is being linked with the move. Hulkenberg played down those rumours in Malaysia […]
Red Bull caused Hamilton failure ‘nonsense’ – Lauda
Oct.6 (GMM) Niki Lauda has rubbished a claim Red Bull pushed Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton so hard in Malaysia that it caused the Briton’s engine to fail. Dr Helmut Marko told F1’s official website that Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were so competitive at Sepang that it “very likely forced him (Hamilton) into that engine failure”. […]
2017 revolution depends on Pirelli – Sainz
Oct.5 (GMM) Carlos Sainz thinks F1 drivers will have “fun” with the sport’s radical new rules for 2017. In a bid to spice up the spectacle, F1 cars will produce more cornering downforce next year while bigger Pirelli slicks will be faster and look more aggressive. Toro Rosso’s Sainz said he is looking forward to […]
Mercedes could be key to Massa future
Oct.5 (GMM) Felipe Massa has admitted his relationship with current engine supplier Mercedes could be the key to his future beyond F1. The Brazilian is retiring from formula one but has targeted DTM, WEC or Formula E as potential alternative series for 2017. And now, it has emerged that Mercedes has taken up an option […]
Renault extends option on Magnussen’s contract
Oct.5 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen’s chances of staying at Renault next year have received a significant boost, according to the latest reports from Denmark. BT newspaper claims that, with the 2017 ‘option’ in the 23-year-old’s existing contract having expired last weekend, Magnussen has now agreed to extend the option until October 14. Magnussen confirmed the news. […]
Key to Williams, Symonds to retire – report
Oct.5 (GMM) With the driver ‘silly season’ on pause for now, attention is turning to potential moves among key F1 technical staff. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that James Key, the highly respected technical boss at Toro Rosso, looks set to switch to Williams for 2018. That is because the F1 veteran Pat Symonds […]
Ricciardo backs Australians detained in Malaysia
Oct.5 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo has voiced support for a group of fellow Australians who have been detained in Malaysia following his Sepang race win. Nine men have been in custody since being detained by authorities for stripping to Malaysian flag-decorated underwear beneath the podium last Sunday. Police have said the Australians are charged with public […]
Italy slams Vettel amid Ferrari ‘crisis’
Oct.4 (GMM) The Italian press has slammed Sebastian Vettel after his disastrous Malaysian grand prix, claiming Ferrari’s number 1 driver has fallen into “crisis”. As the great Maranello team’s progress has faltered in the second half of 2016, German Vettel has appeared under increasing pressure from teammate Kimi Raikkonen. He was then called an “idiot” […]
Baku race set for 2017 name tweak
Oct.4 (GMM) The formula one race on the streets of Baku is set for a name tweak. When the race in the Azerbaijan capital made its F1 debut, promoter Arif Rahimov said the former Soviet state wanted to showcase itself as a “modern European country”. So it was called the European grand prix. However, the […]
De la Rosa doubts Alonso can win 2017 title
Oct.4 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is the best formula one driver of all time. That is the claim of former F1 driver and tester Pedro de la Rosa, a fellow Spaniard who worked with the two-time champion not only at McLaren but also Ferrari. “I have worked with great drivers,” the 45-year-old told Spanish radio Cadena […]
Hamilton prepared to sit out practice sessions
Oct.4 (GMM) World champion Lewis Hamilton says he might sit out practice sessions over the course of the remaining five race weekends. The Mercedes driver was livid after retiring from the lead at Sepang with yet another engine problem, insisting he is baffled as to why only he is having reliability dramas. “I have had […]
Montreal working on 2017 race fix
Oct.3 (GMM) Moves are afoot to secure Montreal’s place on the 2017 F1 calendar. The FIA published a race schedule for next year recently and the Canadian grand prix was marked only as subject to confirmation. Indeed, tickets are yet to go on sale for the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve race, and promoter Octane admitted that […]
Wolff excuses Hamilton over sabotage claims
Oct.3 (GMM) Toto Wolff has excused Lewis Hamilton for triggering a conspiracy theory storm after the Malaysian grand prix. The Briton’s push to reclaim the world championship lead on Sunday actually turned into a 23-point deficit to Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg, as his engine failed. Hamilton could not believe it. “My question is to Mercedes,” he […]
Malaysian Grand Prix – Ricciardo wins!
Ricciardo wins from Verstappen, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Bottas, Perez, Alonso, Hulkenberg, Button and Palmer. Sainz, Ericsson, Massa, Kvyat, Wehrlein and Ocon make the rest of the field Retirements: Vettel, Grosjean, Magnussen, Hamilton,Nasr Race commentary