May 18 (GMM) Manor driver Pascal Wehrlein got back to work at the Barcelona test on Wednesday. But the German was no longer driving a Manor! Still with his Manor-branded helmet, the young German rolled out of Mercedes’ garage at the wheel of the championship-leading silver car. Actually, it was scheduled that Esteban Ocon, another […]
Arrivabene plays down driver change rumours
May 18 (GMM) Maurizio Arrivabene said it is premature for Ferrari to be embroiled in the 2017 driver ‘silly season’. Italy’s Corriere della Sera this week has suggested talks between the famous Maranello team and Mercedes’ championship leader Nico Rosberg have begun. “Bottas, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, there are so many good drivers in formula one,” team […]
Proud Jos stayed in Spain after Verstappen win
May 18 (GMM) Jos Verstappen is still in Barcelona, even though his original plan was to fly out of the sprawling city immediately after the Spanish grand prix. But that was before his 18-year-old son made F1 history on Sunday. “This is so special, so I want to be with Max,” the Dutchman and former […]
Ricciardo happy with Renault engine step
May 18 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo is upbeat about the future after testing Renault’s highly-anticipated engine upgrade in Barcelona. The Australian admitted to being “bitter” last Sunday, when his brand new teammate Max Verstappen sensationally ended Red Bull’s winning drought at his first attempt. “It’s frustrating — I think we just threw the win away,” Ricciardo […]
Gasly hopes for Toro Rosso seat in 2017
May 18 (GMM) Pierre Gasly says the success of the Max Verstappen story is a boost to all up-and-coming young drivers. However, not everyone agrees with that. “Max is a bad example for the next group of young drivers,” smiled Mika Salo, a former F1 driver who now works on developing young drivers from Russia. […]
Jorda not ruling out 2016 F1 test drive
May 18 (GMM) Carmen Jorda is not ruling out the possibility she might make her F1 test debut later in 2016. Although ridiculed at times for her development driver role at Lotus last year, the 27-year-old former GP3 driver was retained in a similar position as the team transitioned to Renault for 2016. Not only […]
Honda wants to ‘challenge Mercedes in 2017’
May 18 (GMM) Honda’s Yusuke Hasegawa is looking ahead with confidence to the grand prix in Monaco next weekend. Fernando Alonso called his Q3 breakthrough in Barcelona a “milestone”, but Hasegawa said the McLaren-Honda package should be even better on the streets of the fabled Principality. “In Monaco, engine performance is not as important,” he […]
Ecclestone backs Melbourne’s secret F1 fee
May 18 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has joined the local state government in Australia in refusing to divulge the cost of the annual formula one race. The race fee paid by Melbourne organisers to the Ecclestone-led Formula One Management is picked up entirely by taxpayers, but Victorian sports minister John Eren argues the actual amount must […]
Rosberg denies finger trouble in Hamilton crash
May 18 (GMM) Nico Rosberg says he was not to blame for a technical issue that contributed to the crash with Lewis Hamilton last Sunday. After Mercedes team chairman pointed the clear finger of blame at Hamilton, boss Toto Wolff explained that it was German Rosberg who was in “the wrong engine setting”. “That was […]
Heineken upset over sponsor deal leak – Ecclestone
May 18 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has all but confirmed reports the Dutch beer brewer Heineken is entering formula one with a major sponsorship deal. De Telegraaf, a Dutch newspaper, claimed last week the first signs of the five-year, EUR 200m deal will be trackside advertising in Canada next month. “Heineken will probably also enter into […]
Rosberg begins 2017 talks with Ferrari – report
May 17 (GMM) Championship leader Nico Rosberg is fast becoming a key to the 2017 ‘silly season’. In Barcelona, Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche announced that the on-form German is in fact “under contract” for next year. But that might not quite be true, as Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff declared on Monday that Fernando Alonso […]
Hamilton slams ‘sabbatical’ rumours
May 15 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has rubbished speculation he might be considering a year out of formula one in 2017. The reigning triple world champion has had a bad start to this season, but an end to his recent reliability troubles meant he could charge to pole in Barcelona. “Our new MGU-H has already done […]
Sainz denies he ‘redeemed’ himself in Spain
May 15 (GMM) Carlos Sainz rejected suggestions he redeemed himself in Barcelona by performing so strongly for Toro Rosso. The Spaniard qualified a strong eighth at his home circuit on Saturday, five places ahead of his new teammate Daniil Kvyat, who returns from the top squad to Red Bull’s junior team. All the attention, however, […]
Mission accomplished for Max’s father Jos
May 15 (GMM) Jos Verstappen is taking a step back from the limelight in the career of his son and F1 teen sensation Max. 44-year-old Jos, known throughout his own F1 racing career as ‘The Boss’, was an ever-present figure in the garage until this weekend in Barcelona. What has changed is that Max has […]
Vettel yet to talk to Ferrari about 2017 teammate
May 15 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has hinted he will recommend to Ferrari that Kimi Raikkonen is kept on board for another season. Last year, when the Finn and 2007 world champion’s contract was also up for renewal, German Vettel argued strongly that Raikkonen should be retained. When asked if he has now talked with Ferrari […]
No Friday outings for Vandoorne – Boullier
May 15 (GMM) McLaren-Honda team boss Eric Boullier says there are no plans for Stoffel Vandoorne to be given Friday morning outings in 2016. Another works team, Renault, is giving Sergey Sirotkin, Esteban Ocon and Nicholas Latifi the chance to drive the F1 car during grand prix weekends this year. McLaren, meanwhile, has hopeful charger […]
No ‘negative pressure’ at Renault – Magnussen
May 15 (GMM) Even though three young chargers are knocking on the door, Kevin Magnussen sounds secure in his race seat at Renault. So far in 2016, the Dane and his teammate Jolyon Palmer have each had to sit out a Friday practice session, as Renault promotes its young test drivers Sergey Sirotkin and Esteban […]
Q3 a ‘small milestone’ for McLaren – Alonso
May 15 (GMM) McLaren-Honda is continuing its slow climb out of the doldrums of 2015. Saturday in Barcelona was the first time the Anglo-Japanese’s collaboration resulted in a mere Q3 result, with Fernando Alonso calling his P10 a “small milestone”. “The next one must be to regularly finish in the points, then the podium,” said […]
Marchionne pressure causing Ferrari mistakes – Lauda
May 15 (GMM) Niki Lauda has hit out at the pressure Ferrari’s president Sergio Marchionne is putting on the faltering Maranello team. Heading into the Barcelona round, Ferrari and Fiat chief Marchionne had said he expected the team to immediately end its winning drought in 2016. But the red cars were actually outpaced in qualifying […]
Verstappen must be on Ricciardo’s pace – Marko
May 14 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says he expects Max Verstappen to be immediately close to new teammate Daniel Ricciardo’s pace. “He must not necessarily beat Ricciardo,” said the Red Bull official, “but he has to be on the same level as him. “As a team this is for us important,” Marko told the Austrian […]