May 9 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein says he always knew his 2016 Manor teammate Pascal Wehrlein was a good driver. Indeed, amid reports labelling the Indonesian government-backed Haryanto as merely the next bankrolled ‘pay-driver’ in F1, fellow rookie Wehrlein insisted months ago that “Rio is being portrayed as worse than he is”. Indeed, after four races […]
Le Mans wants FIA to stop F1 race clashes
May 9 (GMM) The organiser of Le Mans is confident next year’s edition of the fabled 24 hour sports car race will not clash with formula one. Nico Hulkenberg, who drives full-time for Force India, is unable to defend his 2015 Le Mans crown next month because the race clashes with the first grand prix […]
McLaren denies Dennis to challenge new FIA rule
May 7 (GMM) McLaren has played down reports team supremo Ron Dennis is furious about a new engine rule in formula one. We reported this week that Dennis vowed to sue the FIA if it enforces the new regulation where manufacturers may be compelled to supply customer engines. “You will never get an engine from […]
Wehrlein puzzled by Kvyat demotion
May 7 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat’s demotion is not the end of the world for the young Russian. That is the view of Pascal Wehrlein, the reigning DTM champion who with Mercedes’ strong backing stepped up to formula one this year. But it is Red Bull’s decision to demote Kvyat, swapping his seat with Max Verstappen […]
Russian backer joins Kvyat at Toro Rosso
May 7 (GMM) A Russian backer is more than happy with Daniil Kvyat’s controversial return to Toro Rosso ahead of the Spanish grand prix. Moscow-based online newspaper Lenta reports that, mere days after Red Bull decided to demote 22-year-old Kvyat, Russian businessman Sergey Belousov signed on the dotted line of a sponsorship deal with the […]
Renault ‘happy’ with Palmer – boss
May 7 (GMM) Renault has dismissed speculation Jolyon Palmer is in danger of losing his race seat. In the same week that Red Bull demoted Daniil Kvyat, rumours continued to circulate that rookie Palmer, the 2014 GP2 champion, was in danger of losing his Renault seat to a young team charger like Sergey Sirotkin or […]
Engineers leave Toro Rosso – reports
May 6 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s race engineer has also left Toro Rosso. However, Xevi Pujolar – a highly experienced engineer who has also worked for Williams with race winners Mark Webber and Juan Pablo Montoya – is not accompanying the 18-year-old Dutchman to the senior team Red Bull. Rumours suggest he fell out with Toro […]
Mercedes still investigating Hamilton failures
May 6 (GMM) Mercedes has admitted it is still working on fixing the engine problems that have thwarted Lewis Hamilton’s championship campaign so far in 2016. In China and again in Russia, the reigning triple world champion struck trouble with identical problems aboard two different V6 ‘power units’. Then in the Sochi race, the Briton […]
Ferrari can still win 2016 title – Marchionne
May 6 (GMM) Sergio Marchionne says Ferrari “deserves” to keep charging for the 2016 world championship. That is despite the fact Sebastian Vettel, widely regarded as Maranello’s lead driver, is already a whopping 67 points behind Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg. Ferrari and Fiat president Marchionne famously set Ferrari the target of winning immediately in 2016, but […]
2017 rules will not stop overtaking – Boullier
May 6 (GMM) Eric Boullier has hit back at suggestions the 2017 regulations could actually hurt formula one. Part of Mercedes’ opposition to the wider cars with bigger wings for next year was the argument that more downforce will just make overtaking more difficult. “I disagree with some comments made by our rivals in the […]
Red Bull waiting to decide future with Renault
May 6 (GMM) Red Bull is waiting until Canada before turning its attention to the future of its deal with engine supplier Renault. After a tumultuous semi-works relationship came to a head last year, the former world champion team agreed a one-year customer deal with Renault for 2016 involving the re-branding of the ‘power units’ […]
Kvyat can still revive F1 career – Salo
May 6 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat still has his supporters in formula one, despite being demoted by Red Bull after just four races in 2016. Igor Ermilin, the presidential advisor to the Russian automobile federation, called it the most “stupid decision I have ever seen in formula one”. He told Russia’s Sport Express: “It is surprising […]
Red Bull helping, not harming Kvyat – Marko
May 6 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says moving back to Toro Rosso will reduce pressure that Daniil Kvyat was struggling to cope with so far in 2016. Opinions are divided over Red Bull’s shock decision this week to promote teen sensation Max Verstappen to the senior team, resulting in the demotion of Kvyat. The timing […]
Verstappen not feeling pressure of F1 promotion
May 6 (GMM) Max Verstappen insists he is not feeling the heat of his sudden promotion to Red Bull’s senior F1 team. That is despite the fact Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s notorious driver manager, said Russian Kvyat has been demoted because he was not coping with the pressure of trying to keep up with […]
Top teams in leadership move against Ecclestone
May 5 (GMM) Mercedes and Red Bull have joined Ferrari in reportedly moving against F1’s long-time ‘supremo’ Bernie Ecclestone. Reports recently suggested Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne had proposed that the 85-year-old Briton be replaced by a new, three-pronged leadership team. When asked about the viability of Ecclestone’s continuing reign, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff told the […]
Mercedes’ Sochi engines survived race – report
May 5 (GMM) The engines used by Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton last Sunday at Sochi can be used again. That is the news of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, following Mercedes’ admission that both drivers suffered reliability problems during the Russian grand prix. The team claimed on Wednesday that Briton Hamilton somehow finished the […]
Raikkonen under fire over motocross track
May 5 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen is under fire for building a motocross circuit on his land in Finland without obtaining the necessary permits. Yle, the Finnish broadcaster, reports that local residents have complained to authorities about the noise made by those using the circuit in Kirkkonummi, in the south of Finland. One resident said: “As […]
Ecclestone tells Hamilton to stop ‘moaning’
May 5 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has told reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton to stop “moaning”. Although the Mercedes driver has been generally more cheerful in 2016, the F1 supremo was apparently referring to Hamilton saying recent stewards decisions remind him of an “a——” karting official in his past. “I told him to get on with […]
Sauber staff waiting for wages again – report
May 5 (GMM) Sauber’s financial struggle rolls on, with the Swiss newspaper Blick reporting that team staff are now waiting for their April wages. Team boss and co-owner Monisha Kaltenborn says she is waiting for a key sponsorship payment. “I hope the money comes in the next days,” she said, “but we will solve the […]
Renault seeks champion driver of 2020 – Vasseur
May 5 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur says Renault is looking to re-create its glory of the past by building towards success with a promising new driver. The French carmaker returned to full works team status for 2016 with Kevin Magnussen, a formerly McLaren-backed Dane, and the 2014 GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer. And nipping at the race […]