May 3 (GMM) Nico Rosberg has admitted to being surprised when he met Russia’s controversial president Vladimir Putin after the race in Sochi. As the drivers prepared for the podium ceremony, Putin and his translator spoke separately with Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and race winner Rosberg. “He congratulated me,” Rosberg said, “but I was a […]
Stroll eyes F3 title before F1
May 3 (GMM) Lance Stroll is the latest teenager looking to break into formula one. The son of billionaire fashion mogul Lawrence, the 17-year-old Canadian is a development driver with Williams this year, whilst racing full-time for the top European F3 team Prema. “Right now I’m really focused on F3,” Lance told La Presse Canadienne […]
F1 drivers to discuss race start crashes – Alonso
May 3 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says F1 drivers will discuss the recent series of messy race starts in 2016. Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton collided in Bahrain, the two Ferraris clashed in China, and last Sunday at Sochi Sebastian Vettel was left furious after being punted into the barrier by the Red Bull of Daniil […]
Rosberg has ‘luck of a champion’ – Montagny
May 3 (GMM) Former F1 driver Franck Montagny thinks runaway championship leader Nico Rosberg will eventually strike problems in 2016. So far in 2016, the German’s run at the top of the field has been peerless, amid reigning champion and teammate Lewis Hamilton’s consistent bad luck. Briton Hamilton’s good mood also appeared to falter at […]
Vettel won’t seek revenge on Kvyat – Marko
May 3 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko doubts Dannil Kvyat’s now two-race spat with Sebastian Vettel will spill into even more race weekends. The pair argued before going onto the podium in China, before German Vettel launched a foul-mouthed radio tirade against the Russian in the wake of their Sochi clash. Maurizio Arrivabene said Vettel had […]
Lombardy concerned over Monza deal delay
May 3 (GMM) Lombardy president Roberto Maroni has admitted he is “concerned” a new deal for Monza’s Italian grand prix is taking too long. Increasingly, it is clear political problems between the four parties involved – Bernie Ecclestone, the automobile club Aci, organiser Sias and Lombardy – are holding up the renewal of the deal […]
Vettel feeling pressure of Ferrari situation – press
May 3 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel is feeling the pressure as Ferrari’s 2016 title push flounders, according to the Italian press after the grand prix in Russia. “Vettel could not hide his anger,” wrote Corriere dello Sport, after the German was taken out by Daniil Kvyat at Sochi. “The gap between Ferrari and Mercedes deepens more […]
Red Bull ‘pressure’ led to Kvyat crash – Alesi
May 3 (GMM) Jean Alesi thinks Red Bull is partly to blame for Daniil Kvyat’s first-lap crashes with Sebastian Vettel at Sochi. But that is not to say former F1 driver Alesi is not also pointing the finger at the young Russian, likening him hitting the Ferrari twice to “an attack”. “Seb was hit, for […]
Russia not ready for more F1 races – minister
May 3 (GMM) Russia’s sports minister has played down suggestions the country might add another annual grand prix to the F1 calendar. F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said at Sochi last weekend that he is so happy with the race and Vladimir Putin’s support that he would like to see more Russian grands prix take place […]
Marko to have ‘serious word’ with Kvyat
May 2 (GMM) Maurizio Arrivabene on Sunday said Daniil Kvyat could mount no justified defense of his driving after colliding with Sebastian Vettel twice at Sochi. A foul-mouthed German Vettel was incensed after being punted out of the Russian grand prix by the young local, and even Kvyat’s boss Dr Helmut Marko admitted the youngster […]
Ecclestone still waiting for Monza GP progress
May 2 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has suggested the uncertainty over the future of Monza’s F1 race could continue to drag. Reports suggested political and bureaucratic progress was made in the last couple of weeks over the expiring Italian grand prix deal, but F1 supremo Ecclestone is not as optimistic. “This year the race is (happening) […]
Mercedes’ gap to rivals ‘catastrophic’
May 2 (GMM) A Russian official on Sunday expressed concern that Mercedes’ continuing dominance is hurting formula one. “The difference between Mercedes and the other teams is catastrophic,” Igor Ermilin, the presidential advisor to the Russian automobile federation, told Tass news agency after the country’s grand prix. While there have been signs Ferrari and Red […]
Ferrari must close gap quickly – Marchionne
May 2 (GMM) Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne on Monday said he is sure the Maranello team will bounce back from its current dip. Although Mercedes’ closest challenger in 2016, Ferrari has been struck by reliability and race incidents, including Sebastian Vettel’s push into the Sochi barrier by Daniil Kvyat on Sunday. Not only that, the […]
Mercedes eyes ‘step back’ to recover reliability
May 2 (GMM) Mercedes chiefs Niki Lauda and Toto Wolff say priority number 1 is for the reigning champions to solve car reliability problems. While Nico Rosberg utterly dominated at Sochi, his teammate Lewis Hamilton has suffered repeated technical problems that have caused some conspiracy theories to surface. Boss Wolff, however, said the German marque […]
Raikkonen unsure about future beyond 2016
May 2 (GMM) The pressure on Kimi Raikkonen is mounting. The Finn, whose Ferrari contract runs out this year, opened his 2016 podium account on Sunday but boss Maurizio Arrivabene hinted he expected more. “Raikkonen? He had a good race but after the safety car it could have been better,” the Italian is quoted by […]
Father has accepted Ratzenberger death
May 2 (GMM) 22 years on, the father of Roland Ratzenberger says he and his wife have accepted the tragic death of their son. Most thoughts over the weekend at Sochi were about the F1 legend Ayrton Senna, as Sunday was the first grand prix since that fateful day at Imola in 1994 on which […]
Ferrari won’t give up on 2016 title – Arrivabene
May 2 (GMM) Maurizio Arrivabene insists Ferrari must keep its eye on the goal of winning the 2016 world championship. Amid reliability troubles and recent race incidents for Sebastian Vettel, some suggest the pace and points gap to Mercedes is already looking insurmountable. Team boss Arrivabene, however, is staying upbeat. “Everyone was aware before the […]
Mick missing Michael on road to F1 – Max
May 2 (GMM) Max Verstappen has predicted a tough road to formula one for another son of a famous former driver. The young Dutchman was 17 when he made his sensational grand prix debut last year — the same age that Mick Schumacher is today. Verstappen’s father Jos, who was once the great Michael Schumacher’s […]
FIA determined amid head protection opposition
May 1 (GMM) F1 is pressing ahead with radical cockpit protection even though the sport’s chief executive is opposed. “I don’t like it,” Bernie Ecclestone declared at Sochi on Sunday, after the Red Bull-championed ‘Aeroscreen’ had been debuted in practice. When asked what F1 should do about further cockpit protection, he said without hesitation: “Nothing.” […]
Kvyat phoned Vettel after Sochi crashes
May 1 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat on Sunday said he had spoken with Sebastian Vettel on the phone after the Russian grand prix. Two weeks after their pre-podium verbal argument in China, Russian Kvyat had an horror home race at Sochi after hitting Ferrari’s Vettel from behind not once but twice on the first lap. German […]