Dec.28 (GMM) Niki Lauda has hit out at Ross Brawn’s contribution to the recent success of the Mercedes team. Recently, former boss Brawn indicated he left the project after the 2013 campaign due to disagreements with Lauda and Toto Wolff. “He refused to work with Paddy Lowe,” Lauda, the F1 legend and team chairman, told […]
Alonso is Vandoorne’s ‘worst enemy’ – Ickx
Dec.28 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne’s “worst enemy” in 2017 will be his highly rated teammate Fernando Alonso. That is the claim of F1 legend Jacky Ickx, a Belgian driver of the 60s and 70s who told Le Soir newspaper that he will be cheering for countryman Vandoorne in 2017. In fact, 71-year-old Ickx met with Vandoorne, […]
2017 another tough year for Renault – Hulkenberg
Dec.28 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg thinks 2017 could be a second consecutive tough campaign for the Renault works team. The German is switching to the carmaker’s Enstone based team from Force India, which finished fourth in the 2016 constructors’ championship. Renault, on the other hand, finished just ninth this year, off the back of predecessor Lotus’ […]
Bottas ‘a possibility’ for 2017 – Wolff
Dec.27 (GMM) Toto Wolff has admitted for the first time that Valtteri Bottas is a “possibility” to replace Nico Rosberg at Mercedes. Sources in Spain report that Williams is pushing for the German marque to reduce its engine bill to zero, in exchange for Finn Bottas’ eleventh-hour release. But Mercedes’ Wolff denied that Bottas has […]
Liberty could scratch Fridays from F1 schedule
Dec.23 (GMM) New owners Liberty Media are considering scratching Fridays from the F1 race weekend. That is the claim of respected sports journalist Kevin Garside, who wrote in the British i-newspaper that two-day weekends would be part of a wider shake-up for the sport. Team budget caps, more races in the US and Europe, and […]
Mercedes dominance must end in 2017 – Tost
Dec.22 (GMM) F1’s utter domination by Mercedes must end in 2017. That is the view of Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost, speaking after Mercedes’ three consecutive years of title wins but on the cusp of the big rule changes for next season. Asked if Mercedes’ domination is now ending, he told Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper: “We […]
Mercedes, Hamilton baulked at Wehrlein solution
Dec.22 (GMM) It is now almost certain that Mercedes will head into 2017 with Valtteri Bottas as Lewis Hamilton’s new teammate. Authoritative reports say Felipe Massa has agreed to scrap his retirement plans in order to replace the departing Finn Bottas at Williams. It is a blow to Pascal Wehrlein, the junior Mercedes driver who […]
Giovinazzi set for Friday drives in 2017
Dec.22 (GMM) New Ferrari reserve Antonio Giovinazzi could be set for some Friday practice outings with Sauber or Haas in 2017. The great Italian marque has signed the young Italian GP2 star to be its official third driver next year. Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene said: “We are talking to our (engine) customers so that Antonio […]
Sauber tips Liberty to be fairer to small teams
Dec.21 (GMM) Monisha Kaltenborn thinks F1’s new owners are sympathetic to the idea of a fairer distribution of power among the teams. So disillusioned with the way prize money and decision-making power is divvied up at present, Sauber and Force India lodged a complaint to the EU over a year ago. Sauber chief Monisha Kaltenborn […]
Massa plays down EUR 6 million comeback reports
Dec.21 (GMM) Felipe Massa has played down reports that he is definitely cancelling his retirement plans in order to stay at Williams for 2017. Amid Mercedes’ mad rush to replace its suddenly-departed world champion Nico Rosberg, it is reported that Williams has now agreed to release Valtteri Bottas, but only on the condition that the […]
Red Bull did not consider Sainz release
Dec.21 (GMM) Carlos Sainz says his Red Bull bosses didn’t even contemplate letting him go to Mercedes for 2017. The British press in particular had identified the Toro Rosso-racing Spaniard as an obvious candidate to replace Nico Rosberg at Mercedes. “That makes me proud because I know how difficult it is to make a name […]
2017 cars to have ‘ugly’ airbox sails – report
Dec.21 (GMM) F1 could be about to find a spanner in the works of its plans for more aesthetically pleasing cars for 2017. The 2017 rules are designed not just for more speed, but for a distinctly more aggressive look, featuring wider tyres and chassis, and lower and bigger wings. “It looks very cool, very […]
McLaren says marketing chief still at team
Dec.21 (GMM) McLaren has clarified claims that another key member of the Honda-powered team is leaving. It has been all change at Woking recently, with supremo Ron Dennis leaving and now a man he appointed – Jost Capito – set to follow. But a McLaren spokesman told GMM that “We aren’t commenting” on the Capito […]
Driver call could take until February – Lauda
Dec.20 (GMM) Mercedes could be set to further delay its decision about the identity of world champion Nico Rosberg’s successor. Initially, the German team said it would give a lucky candidate the ultimate Christmas present, but then a spokesman said there would in fact be no decision until after the New Year’s break on January […]
Sainz says no Mercedes move for 2017
Dec.20 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has ruled himself out of the running to replace Nico Rosberg at Mercedes. Some pundits, like the British commentator Martin Brundle, have said that notwithstanding his 2017 Toro Rosso deal, the young Spaniard is the ideal choice. Team owner Red Bull, however, is not letting him go, and Sainz indicated at […]
Marchionne not predicting 2017 title
Dec.20 (GMM) Sergio Marchionne says he has learned his lesson and will no longer be making any bold predictions for 2017. This year, many commentators said Ferrari was in obvious ‘crisis’ after the new Ferrari president targeted wins and the title but ultimately finished behind both Mercedes and Red Bull. “Do not expect proclamations,” Marchionne […]
Hamilton wants to keep same crew
Dec.20 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says he wants to keep his entire crew of mechanics and engineers for 2017. Throughout this year, a bone of contention between Mercedes and the triple world champion was the way boss Toto Wolff shuffled up members of Hamilton and former teammate Nico Rosberg’s race crews prior to the season. “I’ll […]
Capito leaving McLaren – reports
Dec.20 (GMM) McLaren is not commenting on reports new boss Jost Capito is leaving the team, just four months after starting work. Capito left Volkswagen’s rally programme to return to F1, but it is believed the departure of McLaren supremo Ron Dennis has now triggered the sudden exit of the German as well. A spokesman […]
Giovinazzi to be Ferrari third driver – report
Dec.19 (GMM) Antonio Giovinazzi is tipped to step into a third driver role with Ferrari for 2017. As he fought for the GP2 title, the 23-year-old Italian was linked with a move into F1 next year. Ultimately, it was the more experienced GP2 driver Pierre Gasly, of the Red Bull family, who won the day […]
‘Probably’ no McLaren wins in 2017 – Vandoorne
Dec.19 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne has admitted he is unlikely to be in a position to win races straight away in formula one. Although several years older than Max Verstappen, Belgian Vandoorne is already being compared with the young Dutchman as he prepares to make his full F1 debut for McLaren-Honda in 2017. “That’s normal, although […]