Apr.19 (GMM) Yet another expert is wondering if a loss of focus might explain Lewis Hamilton’s poor start to the 2016 season. Although reliability problems badly marred his weekend in Shanghai, the reigning world champion’s defeat to teammate Nico Rosberg was his sixth in succession. Hamilton is already 36 points behind the sister Mercedes, but […]
Rosberg ‘not thinking about new contract’ – Lauda
Apr.19 (GMM) Championship leader Nico Rosberg and Mercedes have played down rising speculation about the German driver’s expiring contract. Reports have suggested Rosberg is on pole position for a new deal beyond 2016, given his six straight wins. But Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda told Bild newspaper in Berlin: “Nico is not thinking about a […]
Hakkinen hopes Alonso has ‘patience’ to win again
Apr.19 (GMM) Mika Hakkinen hopes Fernando Alonso has the “patience” to wait for McLaren-Honda to succeed in formula one. Reigning back-to-back world champion Lewis Hamilton, Alonso’s 2007 teammate, grinned a clear “No!” on Monday when asked if he would feel good to be in the Spaniard’s current shoes. “It reminds me of the decision I […]
‘No reason’ Magnussen won’t stay at Renault
Apr.18 (GMM) Renault official Cyril Abiteboul says he has been impressed with the team’s 2016 race driver Kevin Magnussen. The young Dane joined the new works Renault project at Enstone this year having been dropped as McLaren’s reserve driver. “He is a natural leader,” Renault official Cyril Abiteboul told the Danish newspaper BT in China. […]
Renault could stop 2016 car development soon
Apr.18 (GMM) Renault is close to deciding to abandon development of its 2016 car, according to the Danish newspaper BT. It follows a mainly uncompetitive start to the season for the Enstone team, following the eleventh hour takeover of Lotus. “At the moment there will be small, aerodynamic improvements,” said Renault official Cyril Abiteboul in […]
Ericsson hits back at ‘unprofessional’ Grosjean
Apr.18 (GMM) Marcus Ericsson has hit back at “unprofessional” rival Romain Grosjean after the Chinese grand prix. After two dream points finishes for the brand new Haas team, Frenchman Grosjean endured a nightmare weekend in Shanghai. He slammed “ridiculous” Pirelli tyre pressures and, on the occasion of his 30th birthday on Sunday, collided with Marcus […]
Ferrari not backing Vettel’s Kvyat rebuke
Apr.18 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel’s bosses did not rally around the German after he pointed an angry finger at rival Daniil Kvyat in China. Vettel was furious that Red Bull youngster Kvyat’s first-corner charge had resulted in him needing to jink the Ferrari left and crash into the sister red car of Kimi Raikkonen. Vettel apologised […]
Marchionne not ruling out Sauber buyout by Alfa Romeo
Apr.18 (GMM) Sergio Marchionne has not dismissed speculation the struggling Swiss team Sauber could become Alfa Romeo. Marchionne, the Ferrari and Fiat Chrysler president, has been saying repeatedly in the past weeks and months that Alfa Romeo could revive its historic place on the F1 grid. “This (F1) is the maximum technological expression of the […]
Alonso still ‘has the passion’ for F1 – Perez
Apr.18 (GMM) Fernando Alonso and Johnny Herbert have buried their differences with a hug live on television. The pair clashed in Bahrain after Herbert, a former grand prix winner, urged the injured Spaniard to retire, but Alonso hit back by gatecrashing live British television to tell the Briton he is “not world champion”. But as […]
Hamilton ‘not focused’ on title – Tambay
Apr.18 (GMM) A lack of focus could have put Lewis Hamilton’s bid for a third consecutive world championship off the rails in 2016. That is the view of former F1 driver Patrick Tambay, speaking after a disastrous Chinese grand prix weekend for Briton Hamilton, filled with reliability problems and first-corner damage as he started from […]
F1 ‘respect’ better than more titles – Alonso
Apr.17 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says feeling the “respect” of the paddock is more important to him than adding a third championship to his tally. The Spaniard reacted angrily two weeks ago in Bahrain, when while he was recovering from chest injuries, former F1 driver Johnny Herbert urged him to retire. “Actually,” Alonso told the Spanish […]
Button, Alonso critical of F1 officials
Apr.17 (GMM) Senior drivers Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso were critical of F1’s management in Shanghai on Saturday. First, 17-year veteran Button joined a chorus of those wondering why Pascal Wehrlein’s qualifying crash after losing control on a damp bump required a 20-minute red flag period. “In the 20 minutes, nothing changed,” said the McLaren-Honda […]
Kvyat bites back at furious Vettel
Apr.17 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat held his own wheel-to-wheel and then later in a face-to-face argument with Sebastian Vettel at the Chinese grand prix on Sunday. As Kvyat brushed off a difficult start to his season by finishing a career-equalling best with second in Shanghai, Ferrari’s furious Vettel started a verbal row with the young Russian […]
Red Bull ‘the best car’ in 2016 – Marko
Apr.17 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo is on the front row of the grid in China because his Red Bull is “the best chassis” in 2016. That is the claim of the energy drink team’s surly official Dr Helmut Marko, referring to Australian Ricciardo’s surprise second place behind pole sitter Nico Rosberg in the damp qualifying session […]
‘Nothing against’ new Rosberg contract – Wolff
Apr.17 (GMM) Toto Wolff has admitted Nico Rosberg is in a prime position to negotiate a new Mercedes contract for 2017. The German, who has won the past five grands prix on the trot and will start Sunday’s race in China from pole, is out of contract at the end of the year but tipped […]
Rosberg ‘walking away’ with title – Hamilton
Apr.17 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says it is too early to say his world championship chances are dwindling. That is despite the fact the points gap to Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg could blow out to 42 points in China. Briton Hamilton, the reigning back-to-back champion, has had an horror weekend so far in Shanghai, following a […]
Nasr to get new chassis in Russia – report
Apr.17 (GMM) Felipe Nasr is hoping his bad start to the 2016 season finally ends in Russia. In Australia, Bahrain and now China, the Brazilian has suggested that amid Sauber’s obvious financial problems, he is suffering from a fundamental chassis flaw in comparison to the car raced by his teammate Marcus Ericsson. “I feel I […]
Red Bull ‘windshield’ set for Sochi test
Apr.17 (GMM) Red Bull is pressing on with the development of its alternative to the FIA-preferred ‘halo’ concept for cockpit protection for 2017. F1’s governing body has played down the notion that Red Bull’s open-topped, bulletproof-windshield system might get the green light. But Red Bull chief Christian Horner said the concept will be tested anyway […]
Teams showing ‘interest’ for 2017 – Vandoorne
Apr.17 (GMM) McLaren may not be Stoffel Vandoorne’s only option to step up into a full-time race cockpit for 2017. The Belgian, strongly backed by the British team, made an impressive debut recently in Bahrain, where Fernando Alonso sat out the race with chest injuries. Spaniard Alonso is back in action this weekend, but 24-year-old […]
Vettel plays down risk of F1 driver strike
Apr.16 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has played down speculation F1 drivers’ anger at the political situation in the sport could lead to a strike. The response to the controversial letter penned recently by the drivers’ association GPDA, in which the drivers hit out at F1’s governance, was generally dismissive. F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, for instance, called […]