May 27 (GMM) Max Verstappen claims he crashed at Monaco on Sunday after being “brake-tested”. The 17-year-old, whose formula one debut in 2015 has been controversial, was punished by the sport’s governing body after crashing at high speed into the barriers at Ste Devote. Verstappen told his official website on Wednesday that he is unhurt. […]
Abiteboul smiling after Monaco boost
May 27 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul left Monaco with a smile on his face. It has been a tough period for Renault’s F1 chief, as he realised the scale of the performance and reliability problems with the 2015 ‘power unit’, and fended off constant criticism from furious partner Red Bull. “I am really thinking about Viry,” […]
Rosberg wants ‘lucky’ wife at every race
May 27 (GMM) Nico Rosberg wants his ‘lucky charm’ at every grand prix as he chases the 2015 title. In Australia, Malaysia, China and Bahrain, Mercedes teammate and reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton had the clear upper hand over Rosberg. But then in Spain, the German broke through with the pole and win. It was […]
Lotus chief denies Verstappen ‘brake tested’
May 27 (GMM) A Lotus boss has denied Max Verstappen’s claim he was “brake-tested” by Romain Grosjean on Sunday. Teenage rookie Verstappen was penalised by the stewards for his huge crash after hitting the rear of Grosjean’s Lotus during the Monaco grand prix. But the young Dutchman on Wednesday told his own website that he […]
Pirelli wary of being ‘out-bid’ for tyre contract
May 26 (GMM) Pirelli is “open” to going to war with a rival tyre manufacturer like Michelin. That is the claim of the Italian company’s chief Marco Tronchetti Provera. On a rare paddock visit in Monaco, he confirmed that Pirelli is applying to keep its role beyond 2016 as the sport’s sole tyre supplier. It […]
No crisis in formula one – Todt
May 26 (GMM) FIA president Jean Todt has denied the need to radically shake up formula one. The overwhelming message from the F1 paddock in recent weeks has been that of a self-made ‘crisis’, as Mercedes dominates, audiences decline and small teams risk collapse. Todt, a low-profile figure since taking over from the more confrontational […]
Williams must fix Monaco slump – Bottas
May 26 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has urged Williams to get to the bottom of its Monaco slump. The British team’s dip in performance last weekend came at an awkward time, as Bottas is being strongly linked with a move elsewhere, possibly to Ferrari. “We must learn from this weekend,” the 25-year-old driver said, after an […]
No celebrations after first points – McLaren
May 26 (GMM) There were no celebrations on Sunday despite a major breakthrough for the burgeoning McLaren-Honda project. Six difficult races into the new Anglo-Japanese works era, Jenson Button scored the MP4-30’s first points at no less a venue than fabled Monaco. But team boss Eric Boullier said no champagne was sprayed in the garage. […]
International press slams Mercedes ‘absurdity’
May 26 (GMM) The international media joined British journalists in condemning Mercedes’ blundering strategy error that cost Lewis Hamilton victory in Monaco. The reaction of the British media corps was predictable, with the Times summing up the mood by blasting the “supposedly intelligent men” who “abandoned their senses” in calling Hamilton in for a fateful […]
Democracy at the cost of ‘entertainment’ – Ecclestone
May 26 (GMM) F1’s switch to “democracy” has been at the cost of “entertainment”. That is the view of the sport’s supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who is not hiding his frustration at being unable to tweak the current rulebook. “Would I like to change something? I would like to change a lot of things!” he told […]
Merhi cementing place at Manor in 2015
May 26 (GMM) Roberto Merhi looks to be cementing his place at the Manor team. In the days before Monaco, team chiefs were still admitting that the Spaniard might at some point be unseated. Unlike his full-time teammate Will Stevens, Spaniard Merhi is not substantially sponsored, with some reports saying he has been paid only […]
Red Bull not expecting to keep Monaco form
May 26 (GMM) Red Bull is not expecting to burst back into podium contention after a stronger weekend in Monaco. Just behind the top three on Sunday was the Red Bull duo of Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo — a clear step forward for the former champions after a bad start to the season. “I […]
Schumacher began ‘modern driver’ era – Ecclestone
May 26 (GMM) It was Michael Schumacher who kicked off the era of the ‘modern driver’. That is the view of F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, following his widely-published comments about Nico Rosberg not being as ‘good for business’ as the more flamboyant Lewis Hamilton. Indeed, Hamilton’s latest press coverage is expected to thrill the 84-year-old […]
Hamilton ‘more dangerous’ after Monaco saga – Rosberg
May 26 (GMM) Nico Rosberg admits he needs to up his game in order to beat teammate Lewis Hamilton to the 2015 title. The German was ecstatic on Sunday after winning a third consecutive Monaco grand prix, and it was also his first ever back-to-back win in his long career. On the fact of it, […]
Rookie Nasr joins criticism of Verstappen
May 26 (GMM) Felipe Nasr has joined the chorus of criticism of F1 teenager Max Verstappen. Since controversially debuting as a 17-year-old this year, Verstappen has on one hand been hailed for his talent but simultaneously condemned for his age and lack of experience. Bernie Ecclestone, however, has been a vocal supporter. “It is like […]
Wolff hopes ‘grid girls’ return
May 26 (GMM) F1 does not need to make a habit of replacing the traditional ‘grid girls’. That is the view of Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, after Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel admitted his surprise on Sunday at having pulled up to find “George or Dave” holding his grid board. “I’ll speak with Bernie (Ecclestone) […]
No ‘gift win’ to repay Hamilton – Wolff
May 26 (GMM) Toto Wolff has ruled out taking drastic measures as Mercedes analyses what went wrong in Monaco. The German giant’s team boss has already said those responsible for Sunday’s strategy blunder will not pay with their jobs. And now he says Lewis Hamilton will not be paid back for losing the prestigious Monaco […]
Alonso aiming for championship bid in 2016
May 25 (GMM) Fernando Alonso was not too disappointed to miss out on his first points of the season in Monaco. Actually, the honour of becoming the first points scorer in the new McLaren-Honda era on Sunday went to teammate Jenson Button, who finished eighth. “This is a great stepping stone to winning in the […]
Vettel no fan of Monaco ‘grid boys’
May 25 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel was no fan of the ‘grid boy’ concept that debuted on Sunday’s Monaco grid. Normally, when F1 drivers pull into their grid hatching ahead of a race, they are greeted by a ‘grid girl’ holding a placard with their name and number. “What was that?!” Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel asked […]
Boss Arrivabene gives Raikkonen ‘homework’
May 25 (GMM) Maurizio Arrivabene sent Kimi Raikkonen away from the Monaco grand prix with some “homework”. Finn Raikkonen is already on notice to keep up his rate of improvement in 2015 if he wants the Ferrari boss to take up the 2016 ‘option’ in his contract. But amid swirling rumours Valtteri Bottas is in […]