Feb.25 (GMM) McLaren-Honda is right to be keeping its expectations for 2016 in check, according to the British team’s former long-time test driver Pedro de la Rosa. Now 45, de la Rosa has made an appearance in the Barcelona paddock, where expectations that his former colleague Fernando Alonso might have a winning car this year […]
‘Big chance’ Mercedes will cruise to third title – Massa
Feb.25 (GMM) Felipe Massa is not sure F1 fans should expect Mercedes to be toppled from its back-to-back title-winning perch in 2016. As the Brazilian got his first taste of Williams’ new FW38 on Wednesday, he declared that it felt “better” than its predecessor, which finished third overall behind Mercedes and Ferrari last year. “It […]
F1 instability stopping VW foray – boss
Feb.25 (GMM) Volkswagen has renewed its objection to approving a formula one project. Recently, Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne said he believes VW brand Audi was “quite ready” to enter the sport soon. “Then came the Volkswagen (emissions) chaos,” he said. But VW’s motor sport chief Wolfgang Durheimer has now told Autocar that it is actually […]
2016 car is ‘best Red Bull has built’ – Marko
Feb.25 (GMM) The mood at Red Bull is upbeat, even though part-time designer Adrian Newey admits the RB12 will not be a Mercedes-beater in 2016. But that is not because the car is bad, team official Dr Helmut Marko insists. In fact, he told Auto Motor und Sport the RB12 is “the best chassis Red […]
Paddock divided over ‘musical chairs’ qualifying
Feb.25 (GMM) Paddock opinion at the Barcelona test has been divided in two, after the FIA confirmed that the F1 Commission in Geneva “unanimously” approved a new qualifying format. Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda had been the first to hail the move to revamp the current ‘knockout’ format by eliminating a slowest car every 90 […]
Mexico hopes Austin can save embattled race
Feb.25 (GMM) A Mexican race official hopes his colleagues north of the border can end the uncertainty surrounding the 2016 US grand prix. A government funding dispute has thrown the popular Austin race, currently with ominous “subject to confirmation” status on the final 2016 calendar, into doubt. It is provisionally scheduled to be the first […]
Toro Rosso testing interim 2015 car this week
Feb.25 (GMM) The car being tested by Toro Rosso this week is a cross between the 2015 and 2016 machines, driver Carlos Sainz has revealed. Firstly, the car is being run at Barcelona in an interim plain-blue livery, after the Faenza team ran out of time amid the hurry to switch to Ferrari power. Max […]
Wehrlein eyes Manor ‘upset’ in Melbourne
Feb.24 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein is determined to make his mark on formula one this year. Backed by Mercedes, the reigning DTM champion makes his grand prix debut in 2016 with Manor, just as the backmarker team eyes a major step forward. The team has secured the best engine on the grid, technology support from Williams, […]
Palmer hopes Renault can fight with Haas
Feb.24 (GMM) Renault needs to up its game to avoid a “terrible” start to the 2016 season. That was the warning in Barcelona of Jolyon Palmer, who has driven the black RS16, currently painted in interim black, so far this week. He admitted to some concern that, after a bad start to his own campaign […]
F1 to ramp up ‘knockout’ qualifying for 2016
Feb.24 (GMM) F1 looks set for a radical shakeup to its qualifying format, according to widespread reports in the specialist press. The news, yet to be announced by the governing body, follows a series of meetings that took place on Tuesday in Geneva. The meetings of the Strategy Group and F1 Commission had been billed […]
Qualifying tweak ‘good move’ for F1 – Lauda
Feb.24 (GMM) Niki Lauda has shown the thumbs-up to F1’s impending change to the qualifying format for 2016. At meetings in Geneva on Tuesday, the sport collectively agreed that every 90 seconds during qualifying this year, the slowest car should be knocked out. “This is a good move,” F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman Lauda […]
Haas ‘not desperate’ to sign F1 sponsors
Feb.24 (GMM) Gene Haas insists he is “not desperate” to fill up the livery of the new American team’s 2016 livery. It is notable that, despite the huge interest in F1’s newest team, only the personal sponsors of drivers Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez are easily visible on the grey, black and red car and […]
Williams ‘a lot different’ to 2015 car – Massa
Feb.24 (GMM) Felipe Massa has taken issue with reports Williams has been too conservative with the design of its 2016 car. Following the FW38’s launch, a correspondent from Brazil had reported his “disappointment” that the new car is visibly almost identical to its predecessor. But Massa insisted to Globo Esporte: “The car is a lot […]
Alonso says Mercedes ‘stronger than ever’
Feb.24 (GMM) Fernando Alonso slammed a British journalist for having suggested that Tuesday was effectively ‘D-day’ in his formula one career. London’s Times newspaper had published a report suggesting the Spaniard would decide on Tuesday, when he drove the new McLaren-Honda for the first time, whether or not to retire. “Yes, I read it and […]
Alonso surprised by Honda chief exit
Feb.24 (GMM) Fernando Alonso was among those who were caught by surprise by Honda’s announcement of the departure of F1 chief Yasuhisa Arai on Tuesday. “I heard it at noon when I was jumping in the car,” said the Spaniard. “Let’s see what changes this brings with it.” Actually, Arai’s exit should not be a […]
Dennis not predicting McLaren-Honda wins yet
Feb.22 (GMM) McLaren-Honda did not set any performance targets as the Anglo-Japanese collaboration launched its 2016 car on Sunday. The world of F1, including hundreds of media representatives, has gathered at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, where on Monday the first of just eight days of pre-season testing begins. Spain’s El Mundo is calling it ‘grand […]
No ‘huge step’ for Red Bull in 2016 – Newey
Feb.22 (GMM) Adrian Newey on Monday admitted he does not expect Red Bull to take a “huge step forward” in 2016. After the engine supply crisis of late last year, the team has returned to F1 for the new year with rebranded Renault power. But designer Newey is optimistic. “I think our engine supplier had […]
Hulkenberg no fan of closing F1 cockpit
Feb.22 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg has admitted he is not among those who support the closing of the cockpits in formula one. It is believed F1 is close to adopting the so-called ‘halo’ concept for 2017, to reduce the risk of head injuries. GPDA chief Alex Wurz had said the initiative has the full support of […]
2016 field an ‘evolution’ of last year
Feb.22 (GMM) Up and down the Barcelona paddock, the buzzword is “evolution”. With the exception of Sauber, all the 2016 cars have now been revealed, including – on Monday – the Manor, Renault and all-blue Toro Rosso. It is even being said that Mercedes’ title-winning car is obviously very similar to its predecessor. “It feels […]
Baldisserri ‘does not ask Mick’ about Schumacher health
Feb.22 (GMM) Luca Baldisserri, an engineer who formerly worked closely with F1 legend Michael Schumacher at Ferrari, has confirmed he is now overseeing the career of the great German’s son Mick. Baldisserri recently left Ferrari in order to mentor new Williams development driver Lance Stroll, who drives for the Ferrari-linked Italian F3 team Prema. Schumacher, […]