Apr.2 (GMM) Force India deputy Bob Fernley has moved once again to play down the high-profile legal and financial problems surrounding Vijay Mallya. Mallya, the Silverstone based team’s co-owner and boss, was absent from the paddock not only in Australia but now in Bahrain. The latest news suggests he is offering to repay $600 million […]
Ecclestone set for more Monza future talks
Apr.2 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has kept hopes alive that Monza might retain the Italian grand prix beyond September’s 2016 race. In the past week, reports have suggested the negotiations might be close to collapse, but F1 supremo Ecclestone said on Friday that talks will resume “in a couple of weeks”. “There will be another meeting […]
McLaren angry with FIA over Alonso injuries – reports
Apr.2 (GMM) Ron Dennis is reportedly angry with F1’s governing body for not detecting the injuries that have sidelined Fernando Alonso in Bahrain. Just after his enormous Melbourne crash, the Spaniard was given a clean bill of health to take the long haul flight from Australia and commence his preparations for Bahrain. But Alonso said […]
Kvyat not worried Verstappen could derail F1 career
Apr.2 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat says he is not worried he might be the victim of the next step in Max Verstappen’s meteoric F1 career. Mercedes and Ferrari have both now admitted interest in the 18-year-old teen, putting pressure on Red Bull to promote Verstappen from Toro Rosso or risk allowing an exit clause in his […]
Mercedes working to catch Ferrari on race starts
Apr.2 (GMM) In one area at least, Mercedes is working hard to catch up with Ferrari. The Maranello team’s strong challenge to the dominant world champions in Melbourne was significantly boosted when both silver Mercedes were overtaken at the start. The technical rules have changed for 2016, with drivers now allowed only one clutch lever […]
Alonso gatecrashes live TV to slam critic Herbert
Apr.2 (GMM) Fernando Alonso gatecrashed live British television on Saturday to slam former F1 driver turned pundit Johnny Herbert. Earlier, the veteran of 165 grands prix, 51-year-old former Benetton and Sauber driver Herbert, had advised Alonso to use his chest injuries as a final excuse to retire. “I don’t think Fernando should come back,” Herbert […]
F1 Commission seat for driver ‘would be nice’ – Button
Apr.2 (GMM) Jenson Button has admitted a seat on the F1 Commission representing the drivers would be “nice”. After the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association published its open letter with the support of the entire field of active drivers, paddock rumours swirled that GPDA president Alex Wurz is eyeing a future in F1 politics and a […]
Todt open to returning to 2015 qualifying
Apr.2 (GMM) In an ultra-rare paddock appearance for the media, FIA president Jean Todt on Saturday said it was race organisers who pushed for the introduction of the now-hated ‘musical chairs’ qualifying system. “The organisers asked us to make qualifying more attractive,” he said. After the format’s farcical debut in Australia, the same system will […]
Rosberg saved drowning child in Monaco
Apr.2 (GMM) Nico Rosberg was the hero of the day when he rescued a distressed child from waters on the coast of Monaco recently. Bild newspaper reports that the German, the winner of the last four grands prix and quickest on Friday in Bahrain, leapt into action two weeks ago after spotting a distressed five-year-old […]
McLaren admits Alonso return talks ‘ongoing’
Apr.2 (GMM) McLaren has confirmed talks with the FIA about getting injured Fernando Alonso back into his McLaren-Honda are “ongoing” in Bahrain. We reported earlier that, after Stoffel Vandoorne filled in for the Spaniard in Friday practice, McLaren supremo Ron Dennis met with FIA doctor Jean-Charles Piette in a bid to get Alonso back to […]
Austria secures lower fee for F1 TV rights
Apr.2 (GMM) F1 is staying on free-to-air television in Austria, after the broadcaster ORF renewed its deal with the sport. Late last year, we reported that ORF, a long-time F1 broadcaster, had not taken a decision about the future amid claims it was no longer willing to pay a speculated EUR 15 million per year. […]
Renault hits out at ‘huge’ Magnussen penalty
Apr.2 (GMM) Renault has hit out at Kevin Magnussen’s exclusion from qualifying in Bahrain. The Dane has been ordered to start Sunday’s grand prix from the pitlane, after going through a red light signalling a routine weighing during Friday practice. “For something that is quite frankly a routine check, it’s a huge penalty,” Renault chief […]
Azerbaijan set to change F1 race start time
Apr.1 (GMM) Organisers of June’s inaugural grand prix in Azerbaijan are in talks with Bernie Ecclestone to tweak the race start time. Nico Hulkenberg, the 2015 Le Mans winner, is unable to defend his title this year because F1’s first ever race on the streets of Baku is taking place on the same weekend as […]
Vettel denies F1 already fast enough
Apr.1 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has hit back at suggestions speeding up the cars for 2017 is not the right direction for F1. With the tyres and cars set to be wider next year, and the wings bigger, world champion Lewis Hamilton and others are concerned the real problem – the lack of genuine overtaking – […]
Haas denies car failure caused Alonso crash
Apr.1 (GMM) F1’s newest team has denied speculation Fernando Alonso’s crash in Melbourne was caused by a failure aboard the Haas car driven by Esteban Gutierrez. With the Spaniard having hit Gutierrez at top speed from behind before braking, rumours have indicated the MGU-K system may have malfunctioned, affecting the Mexican’s ability to brake normally. […]
Most teams oppose faster cars for 2017
Apr.1 (GMM) Almost every team in pitlane is now opposed to the plan to speed up the cars with more downforce in 2017. Although designers are already turning their minds to what are expected to be vastly different regulations next year, Auto Motor und Sport revealed on Friday that eight of the eleven teams are […]
Verstappen apologised to Toro Rosso
Apr.1 (GMM) Max Verstappen has revealed he apologised to Toro Rosso for his foul-mouthed radio abuse in the Australian grand prix. “I apologised to the team for my comments on the radio,” he told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. “I have to communicate more calmly next time.” The 18-year-old F1 sensation was furious in Melbourne […]
Qualifying situation ‘crazy’ – Lauda
Apr.1 (GMM) A meeting to analyse the future of F1’s qualifying format has already been scheduled for Bahrain. In the paddock on Thursday, the widespread feeling was that the sport was “crazy” to have not scrapped the new ‘musical chairs’ system after Australia. “It’s crazy,” said F1 legend Niki Lauda, “because we saw in Australia […]
Massa still waiting for new Williams nose
Apr.1 (GMM) The Williams team is still waiting for its highly-anticipated new ultra-short nose to touch down in the Bahrain paddock. But even when it does arrive from Britain, it will not get fitted to Valtteri Bottas’ car. “Felipe (Massa) has more points,” he is quoted by Finland’s Turun Sanomat newspaper. “So if the front […]
Rivals surprised after Alonso sidelined
Apr.1 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s rivals were surprised on Thursday when it emerged the Spaniard had been sidelined in Bahrain for medical reasons. “I said ‘Wow’,” admitted fellow F1 veteran Jenson Button. Alonso’s countryman and friend Carlos Sainz added: “I knew he was not 100 per cent, but I did not expect that he would not […]