Apr.25 (GMM) Fernando Alonso and McLaren are looking to return to the Indy 500 in the future. Recently, the British team shocked the racing world by announcing that together with the Andretti team and Honda, Alonso will bid to win next month’s Indy 500 with a McLaren entry. “I want to win the triple crown,” […]
Track test for Button ‘not useful’ – Boullier
Apr.25 (GMM) McLaren’s simulator is good enough for Jenson Button to prepare for Monaco. That is the view of Eric Boullier, following Felipe Massa’s expression of surprise that the retired 2009 world champion sat out the recent post-Bahrain grand prix test. Button, 37, is making a one-off return to F1 in Monaco next month, filling […]
Sochi brake switch for Haas unlikely
Apr.25 (GMM) Haas appears unlikely to complete its brake manufacturer switch ahead of this weekend’s Russian grand prix. After complaining throughout 2016 and now into 2017 about the feeling from his Brembo-supplied brakes, Romain Grosjean got to try the equipment of rival manufacturer Carbon Industries at the recent Bahrain test. It is believed Haas has […]
Ecclestone tips Hamilton to beat Vettel
Apr.24 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone thinks Lewis Hamilton is still the clear favourite to win the 2017 world championship. That is despite the fact that his friend and regular former backgammon partner Sebastian Vettel is actually leading the drivers’ title chase after three races. “He (Vettel) called me to play a game in Bahrain,” the former […]
McLaren crisis ‘worse’ for Alonso – Boullier
Apr.24 (GMM) McLaren-Honda’s performance crisis is “worse” for Fernando Alonso than it is for his rookie 2017 teammate Stoffel Vandoorne. That is the claim of the struggling, once-great British team’s boss Eric Boullier. His comments come as Spaniard Alonso made his first appearance at an Indycar race at the weekend, meeting with the Andretti team […]
Kubica not ruling out ‘second F1 debut’
Apr.24 (GMM) Robert Kubica is no longer ruling out that he could return to formula one some day. The Pole’s promising F1 career ended suddenly in early 2011, when he partially severed his arm in an almost fatal rally crash. More than six years on, the now 32-year-old former BMW and Renault driver is back […]
F1 could scrap engine rule tweak for 2018
Apr.24 (GMM) F1 could be set to scrap a scheduled tweak to the engine regulations for 2018. Currently, while drivers are limited to four engines for the entire season in 2017, that ‘long life’ allocation is set to drop to just three engines next year. But Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said the Strategy Group […]
Pirelli rules out Prost tyre idea
Apr.24 (GMM) Pirelli is not keen on a proposal to fully liberalise the way teams use tyres in formula one. Currently, there are tight restrictions on how teams can select and race the compounds brought to races by Pirelli. But F1 legend and Renault advisor Alain Prost thinks giving them more freedom would be an […]
Villeneuve slams Alonso’s Indy 500 critics
Apr.21 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve has hit out at drivers critical of Fernando Alonso’s decision to tackle the Indy 500 next month. Some of Alonso’s rivals – notably Romain Grosjean and Nico Hulkenberg – questioned the wisdom of Spaniard Alonso taking on the dangerous and fabled American oval race with little preparation. “I’ve already said that […]
Sochi temperatures won’t stop Ferrari – Vettel
Apr.21 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel thinks Ferrari will continue to impress next weekend in Russia. One analysis early in 2017 might be that while the German is now leading the world championship, his red car might actually be best suited to hotter venues like Melbourne and Bahrain. But ahead of the next calendar stop in Russia, […]
Lehto tips Raikkonen to bounce back
Apr.21 (GMM) Former F1 driver JJ Lehto has tipped his Finnish countryman Kimi Raikkonen to bounce back in 2017. With Ferrari’s title hopes high this year, team chiefs issued a warning about Raikkonen’s performance after Shanghai, amid rumours Daniel Ricciardo or Sergio Perez might be in the frame for his seat for 2018. “I haven’t […]
Bottas must win races to secure seat – Salo
Apr.21 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas needs to win races to secure his place at Mercedes. That is the view of former driver and now regular F1 steward Mika Salo, who spoke to Russia’s Sport FM about the progress of his Finnish countryman. “If you look at the statistics, Bottas is on average closer to Hamilton’s times […]
F1 looking for new German GP home – Carey
Apr.21 (GMM) The German grand prix could move away from its traditional venues at Hockenheim and the Nurburgring in the future. That is the claim of new F1 supremo Chase Carey, who told the German news agency DPA that the German market is important for the sport. “Last year, a German driver won in a […]
Honda eyeing engine customer for 2018 – Boullier
Apr.21 (GMM) Honda could finally be set to add a customer team to its beleaguered F1 engine supply programme. Since the struggling Japanese carmaker re-entered the sport in 2015, there have been rumours of customer deals, including with Red Bull and Sauber. But works partner McLaren has had ‘veto’ power, and former team supremo Ron […]
Berger hopes Vettel does DTM race
Apr.21 (GMM) F1 legend Gerhard Berger hopes Fernando Alonso’s decision to do the Indy 500 next month is the start of a new trend. “It’s like the old days,” said the former Ferrari and McLaren driver, referring to when drivers would routinely combine their F1 duties with races into other categories. “We must finally break […]
Ferrari triggers Mercedes ‘alarm bells’ – Lauda
Apr.20 (GMM) Ferrari has set off “alarm bells” at triple back-to-back world champions Mercedes. That is the admission of Niki Lauda, the F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman and co-owner. Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton traded victories in Melbourne and China, but it was Vettel’s win last weekend in Bahrain that has Mercedes worried, Lauda […]
Vandoorne can relax amid McLaren crisis – Boullier
Apr.20 (GMM) Eric Boullier insists F1 rookie Stoffel Vandoorne is “not under pressure” amid McLaren-Honda’s current performance crisis. One analysis of the situation might be that with the team struggling for pace and reliability, Belgian Vandoorne is risking his once-in-a-lifetime chance to prove he belongs in F1. It comes after the highly rated Vandoorne, 24, […]
Stroll not getting down about 2017 so far
Apr.19 (GMM) Lance Stroll says he is not getting down about the difficult start to his F1 career. The Canadian teen, already under pressure after a mistake-strewn winter and claims he is a ‘pay driver’, struggled in Australia and China as his race career kicked off with Williams. And there was more trouble in Bahrain, […]
No room at Porsche for Alonso – boss
Apr.19 (GMM) Porsche has played down claims it will host Fernando Alonso’s bid for 2018 Le Mans victory. The Spaniard is tackling next month’s Indy 500, as part of his stated push to win the ‘Triple Crown’ of motor sport — Monaco, Indy and the fabled 24 hour endurance race. Reports said Porsche’s LMP1 project […]
Ferrari ‘hungrier’ than Mercedes – Alesi
Apr.19 (GMM) The secret ingredient at Ferrari this year is “hunger”. That is the claim of Jean Alesi, a popular former Ferrari driver of the 90s. After three years of utter Mercedes dominance, Ferrari has won two of the opening three grands prix of 2017. “The advantage of Ferrari is clear,” Frenchman Alesi, 52, told […]