Oct.14 (GMM) Strong rumours are now becoming hard facts, as Nico Hulkenberg looks set to leave Force India and lead the works Renault team from 2017. The major German newspaper Bild is now joining specialist outlets in reporting that the 29-year-old has signed a three-year contract. Reportedly, Hulkenberg could earn EUR 18 million over the […]
Ecclestone kidnapping case goes to court
Oct.14 (GMM) It was “difficult” for Bernie Ecclestone’s wife and mother in law to come face to face with kidnappers in court on Thursday. That was the admission of Ecclestone’s wife Fabiana Flosi, who accompanied her mother Aparecida Schunck to the court session, according to Brazilian television SPTV. In July, Schunck was successfully rescued by […]
2020 contract for Mercedes bosses ‘logical’ – Lauda
Oct.14 (GMM) Mercedes chiefs Niki Lauda and Toto Wolff are in talks to stay with the reigning world champions beyond 2017. Although both Austrians are actually shareholders in the currently dominant German team, their management roles – Wolff as team boss and Lauda as chairman – expire next year. F1 legend Lauda told Osterreich: “Toto […]
Hamilton misses Pirelli test with sore foot
Oct.14 (GMM) This week’s tyre testing shows why the pre-season should be moved from Europe to the Middle East. That is the view of Pirelli boss Paul Hembery, as two factors marred the tyre supplier’s efforts to develop next year’s bigger slicks in Barcelona. Mercedes insisted that both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton be available […]
Bottas now key to 2017 ‘silly season’ – report
Oct.13 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas is now the key to the conclusion of the 2017 driver ‘silly season’. That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, even though it might be said that Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg is another key figure. But widespread reports say the German has found a way out of his […]
Long season just ‘part of F1 now’ – Raikkonen
Oct.13 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen has given only lukewarm backing to fellow F1 veteran Fernando Alonso’s recent complaint about the long race schedule. Like this year, 21 races have also been scheduled for 2017 but new owners Liberty Media have talked about expanding the calendar even further. “The big point is that we travel too much […]
Ferrari rejects need for English F1 base
Oct.13 (GMM) Piero Ferrari has rejected suggestions the great Maranello team needs to set up a British base. Amid Ferrari’s current struggle to end its decade-long title drought in formula one, figures like Flavio Briatore have suggested the team must set up a design office in the UK. “I would put a nice building in […]
BP eyes $30m F1 sponsorship return – report
Oct.13 (GMM) British oil multinational BP is looking to re-enter formula one as a sponsor. That is the claim of Germany’s authoritative Auto Motor und Sport, referring to the London-headquartered company that has a long history of F1 sponsorship. BP’s first involvement at the pinnacle of motor sport was several decades ago, but the report […]
Rosberg has beaten Hamilton ‘in the head’ – Berger
Oct.13 (GMM) Nico Rosberg is now dominating his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in every way. That is the claim of Gerhard Berger, an F1 legend who earlier this year helped to negotiate German Rosberg’s new Mercedes contract. But the former Ferrari and McLaren driver is not alone in thinking Rosberg is a worthy adversary for […]
Lauda will talk to Hamilton about media blow-up
Oct.12 (GMM) Niki Lauda thinks Lewis Hamilton will be back up to speed in Austin next weekend — even when it comes to his media responsibilities. While his engine was smoking in Malaysia, it was the reigning world champion’s relationship with the press that blew up a week later at Suzuka. He was chided for […]
FIA says teams must settle Bahrain test dispute
Oct.12 (GMM) The FIA has ruled out stepping in to sort out a dispute over the location for winter testing ahead of the new regulations for 2017. While many teams want to simply run in Barcelona as per usual, tyre supplier Pirelli, backed by Mercedes and Ferrari, want testing to take place in Bahrain. That […]
Honda ‘satisfied’ but not happy with 2016 – Hasegawa
Oct.12 (GMM) Honda is “satisfied” rather than “delighted” with the progress it has made in the works collaboration with McLaren in 2016. The Japanese manufacturer has made steady progress this year after a disastrous return to F1 in 2015, although the McLaren-Honda struggled for pace at home at Suzuka. Suzuka aside, Honda’s F1 boss Yusuke […]
Father has fingers crossed for Magnussen’s future
Oct.12 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen’s father has admitted the young Dane could once again be left standing when the ‘silly season’ music ends. The latest authoritative reports suggest that Magnussen, 23, will definitely be ousted by the works Renault team, replacing him and Jolyon Palmer with Nico Hulkenberg and another candidate. The Danish newspaper BT said […]
Ferrari has ‘climate of terror’ in 2016 – Baldisserri
Oct.12 (GMM) The current bosses at Ferrari have cultivated a “climate of terror”, according to former top engineer Luca Baldisserri. The great Italian team, headed in the new era by president Sergio Marchionne and Maurizio Arrivabene, set a title goal for 2016 but Ferrari has instead been overtaken for second place by Red Bull. Baldisserri, […]
Vasseur hints at German, Finn or Russian for 2017
Oct.11 (GMM) Rumours are continuing to swirl about the potential look of Renault’s 2017 driver lineup. Multiple authoritative sources are reporting that Nico Hulkenberg looks set to escape his Force India contract and sign a three-year deal to lead the French works team from the cockpit. It is believed that Renault team boss Frederic Vasseur’s […]
Two F1 figures defend Bianchi silence
Oct.11 (GMM) Two F1 figures have defended the fact that the topic of Jules Bianchi’s death is no longer prominent in the paddock. Last weekend’s Japanese grand prix marked two years since the young Frenchman crashed at Suzuka and, nine months later, passed away in his native Nice. There were a few spectator banners around […]
Sainz ‘as good as Verstappen’ – Rosberg
Oct.11 (GMM) Carlos Sainz is as good as Max Verstappen and deserves a “good car”. That is the view of 2016 championship favourite Nico Rosberg, who was asked about the burgeoning career of Toro Rosso’s 22-year-old driver by the Spanish sports daily AS. It is reported that Sainz was blocked from switching to Renault on […]
Alonso says Pirelli testing not fair
Oct.11 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has criticised the fact that only some teams and drivers are getting early experience of Pirelli’s 2017 tyres. This week, championship contenders Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are heading to Barcelona, where they will try next year’s slicks fitted to a Mercedes test mule based on the 2015 car. According to […]
Monza GP contract still not signed – report
Oct.11 (GMM) The signatures are still missing on Monza’s new Italian grand prix contract. That is the claim of the Italian news service Mediaset, even though the deal was announced over a month ago and Monza given an unconditional place on the recently-published 2017 calendar. However, Mediaset says there has been “total silence” about the […]
Marko defends Verstappen over Hamilton move
Oct.11 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has hit back at those critical of Max Verstappen’s driving in the Japanese grand prix. F1 teen sensation Verstappen’s aggressive style has often been condemned in 2016, but Mercedes initially lodged an official protest against his defence of Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages of Sunday’s Suzuka race. Hamilton claimed […]