Mar.6 (GMM) Ferrari has bought into formula one, according to reports in the Italian and Spanish media. New owner Liberty Media made the official offer regarding F1’s commercial rights to teams last September, but until now none took up the offer of shares. But the Spanish sports daily AS reports that Ferrari has now confirmed […]
Magnussen not looking to befriend Grosjean
Mar.6 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen says he will not go out of his way to become “best friends” with his new F1 teammate. Recent reports have suggested the Dane and former McLaren and Renault driver often struggles to get along with colleagues. Now, as the Dane switches to the small American team Haas, Magnussen is paired […]
Boullier not sure Alonso to stay in 2018
Mar.6 (GMM) Eric Boullier has admitted he is not sure Fernando Alonso will stay with McLaren-Honda beyond the end of 2017. Everybody in F1 expected that – in year three – the Anglo-Japanese works collaboration would finally start to bear fruit. But McLaren-Honda kicked off Barcelona testing last week amid more technical and performance problems. […]
Perez’s sponsor happy at Force India
Mar.6 (GMM) Sergio Perez’s sponsor says he is happy to be supporting the Mexican at Force India. The Silverstone based team, famous for making efficient use of its light resources, finished an admirable fourth overall in the championship last year. But with the big rule changes for 2017, Force India struggled to make an impression […]
Barcelona test ‘win’ not important – Bottas
Mar.3 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has played down the significance of ending the week as the ‘champion’ of Barcelona testing. The Mercedes newcomer clocked the fastest lap over the four days of the first pre-season test, despite switching at the last minute from Williams. Asked if that ‘win’ means anything, the Finn responded: “This has no […]
Too early to consider next F1 deal – Hembery
Mar.3 (GMM) Pirelli is not ready to think about staying in formula one beyond 2019. That is the claim of the Italian marque’s F1 chief Paul Hembery, even though some race promoters are already inking extended deals with F1’s new owner Liberty Media. Last year, Pirelli signed a new deal to remain the sport’s sole […]
Force India livery could turn pink
Mar.3 (GMM) Force India’s livery could soon turn pink, according to a German source. The specialist publication Auto Bild claims the Silverstone based team is in talks with BWT, an Austrian water technology company. BWT is no stranger to motor racing, having coloured Lucas Auer’s Mercedes DTM car pink from 2015. The company is also […]
Magnussen not commenting on negative report
Mar.3 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has declined to comment directly on reports 2017 is his ‘last chance’ in F1. Last week, a prominent British outlet was highly critical of the Dane, declaring that a ‘third chance’ is rare in F1 — particularly for a driver who left McLaren and then Renault amid acrimony and internal criticism. […]
Pirelli to keep improving wet tyres
Mar.3 (GMM) Pirelli has vowed to keep working on the effectiveness of its wet-weather tyres. On Thursday, the sight of trucks dumping thousands of litres of water on the Barcelona circuit was widely criticised, as F1’s official supplier attempted to test its modified wets for 2017. Some wondered why Pirelli didn’t arrange to run instead […]
McLaren chassis ‘restless’ on track – de la Rosa
Mar.3 (GMM) Honda is having a troubled start to its 2017 season, but the McLaren chassis is also far from perfect. That is the claim of the British team’s former driver Pedro de la Rosa, who has been in Barcelona to take in the opening test of the pre-season. “The McLaren is more nervous than […]
Liberty picks location for new F1 HQ
Mar.3 (GMM) Liberty Media has selected the location of F1’s new official headquarters. When the buyout deal was completed, new CEO Chase Carey announced that ousted Bernie Ecclestone’s current offices in London – where the long-time F1 supremo also lives – are “too small” for the Liberty era. Now, it emerges that F1 will move […]
Red Bull eyes F1 television rights
Mar.3 (GMM) Red Bull could be set to expand its involvement in F1 beyond being a team owner and race promoter. Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper reports that Dietrich Mateschitz’s broadcaster Servus TV is interested in taking over as the holder of Austria’s F1 television rights for 2020. “Generally, formula one is always a topic for us […]
Wolff admits Ferrari ‘really fast’
Mar.3 (GMM) Toto Wolff says it is too soon to say Mercedes is still ahead of the field in 2017. After the first of just two pre-season tests, the conventional wisdom is that Mercedes leads, Ferrari is close behind, and Red Bull is the third force. But Mercedes team boss Wolff said: “Since we have […]
Mercedes still ahead of rivals – Marko
Mar.3 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko thinks Mercedes continues to lead the pack in 2017. Hopes were high that Red Bull or Ferrari would catch up to the reigning world champions thanks to the new regulations, but Marko thinks Mercedes is still ahead. “The driveability of their engine and the packaging are incredible,” the Red Bull […]
Red Bull hopes to join Mercedes-Ferrari battle
Mar.2 (GMM) On the basis of testing so far, 2017 is shaping up as a close battle between Mercedes and Ferrari. Retired reigning world champion Nico Rosberg was at the Barcelona test on Wednesday, and he said that despite his continuing links to Mercedes, he wouldn’t mind if Ferrari’s apparent form rang true in Melbourne […]
FIA to check for ‘illegal’ suspension in Barcelona
Mar.2 (GMM) The FIA is poised to start checking the legality of controversial suspension systems fitted to some 2017 cars. Earlier, as Ferrari in particular presses a case against the legality of Mercedes and Red Bull-like active suspension-mimicking concepts, it emerged that F1’s governing body had issued a new rules clarification. But Auto Motor und […]
FIA confirms Manor will not race in 2017
Mar.2 (GMM) Manor’s dwindling hopes of survival have now faded completely, as the FIA confirmed the collapsed backmarker will not race in 2017. There had been paddock murmurings of an eleventh hour rescue for the financially embattled British team. But F1’s governing body has published a new official entry list that for the first time […]
Verstappen gets F1 abbreviation tweak for 2017
Mar.2 (GMM) A minor tweak has put a smile on Max Verstappen’s face in Barcelona. The Red Bull driver made an application to F1’s governing body to have the ‘VES’ abbreviation of his name for official timing screens changed to ‘VER’. Dutchman Verstappen made his debut in 2015, when Jean-Eric Vergne was already Ferrari’s reserve […]
Stroll denies being out of depth in new F1
Mar.2 (GMM) Williams has defended its rookie Lance Stroll, after the teenage Canadian made three fundamental mistakes in two days of 2017 testing. The most serious was a hit into the barriers on Wednesday which means the team could have to sit out the final day of the first Barcelona test. “I would not call […]
Brawn eyes experimental ‘non-championship’ F1 race
Mar.2 (GMM) Ross Brawn says he would like to introduce an annual ‘non-championship’ race so F1 can experiment with new weekend format ideas. The former Ferrari and Honda chief, attending the Barcelona test, is Bernie Ecclestone’s replacement on the sporting side after the Liberty Media takeover. He said F1 has been too “reactive” in the […]