Oct.12 (GMM) The chances the Russian grand prix could switch immediately to a night-race format stepped up a notch on Sunday. As recently as mere days ago, Sochi race officials insisted that while there is a chance the ‘Autodrom’ could install floodlighting ahead of the 2017 race, next year’s edition will definitely take place in […]
Ferrari admits real focus now on 2016 and beyond
Oct.12 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel is still in the hunt, but Ferrari’s realistic hopes are now firmly set on a proper title challenge for 2016. Indeed, while Vettel actually overtook Nico Rosberg on Sunday to now be Lewis Hamilton’s main challenger for the title with four races to go, boss Maurizio Arrivabene acknowledges that Ferrari’s real […]
Engineer switch pays off immediately for Nasr
Oct.12 (GMM) Felipe Nasr is delighted his sharp turn in 2015 appeared to pay off immediately at Sochi. After a strong start to his F1 career early this season, the Brazilian has struggled more recently to feel comfortable in the Sauber and fend off the challenge of his resurgent teammate Marcus Ericsson. But in Russia, […]
Grosjean hopes Lotus has parts to fix car
Oct.12 (GMM) Romain Grosjean has admitted to concerns after his big crash in the Russian grand prix. The Frenchman, who has elected to switch from financially-troubled Lotus to the Ferrari-linked startup Haas for 2016, had one of the biggest crashes of his entire career at Sochi. “I’m still in one piece,” Grosjean told France’s RMC. […]
Mercedes’ title celebrations not ideal at Sochi
Oct.12 (GMM) With the late announcement of Kimi Raikkonen’s penalty at Sochi, Mercedes began to celebrate long after the chequered flag. The stewards’ call, after deliberating over Raikkonen’s last lap crash into Valtteri Bottas, gave Mercedes enough extra points to mathematically clinch the constructors’ world championship for the second consecutive time. But the celebrations were […]
Doubts mean no ‘development engine’ for customers – Wolff
Oct.11 (GMM) Uncertainty about the ‘development engine’ now running successfully at the works team is the reason Mercedes’ customers are not being offered the new specification. That is the explanation of Toto Wolff, after drivers of customer teams Force India and Williams expressed some consternation that they are now a step behind their works Mercedes-powered […]
Van der Garde right to attack Sauber – Ecclestone
Oct.11 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone says Giedo van der Garde was right to pursue Sauber in the courts earlier this year. As the 2015 season began in Melbourne, Dutch driver van der Garde almost brought the curtains down on the Swiss team as he pressed his claim for a race seat. And Ecclestone now backs van […]
Rivals ‘afraid’ to help Red Bull – Horner
Oct.11 (GMM) Red Bull’s rivals are “afraid” to help the quadruple world champions amid an engine crisis that could drive the brand out of formula one, boss Christian Horner says. With the team’s relationship with Renault in tatters, Mercedes and Ferrari are currently refusing to offer Red Bull an alternative supply of power units. But […]
Sainz hopes to race after big Sochi crash
Oct.11 (GMM) Carlos Sainz checked himself out of hospital late on Saturday and is hoping to contest today’s Russian grand prix. Earlier, reports suggested the Spaniard would stay under observation overnight following his high-speed crash underneath the tec-pro barriers in qualifying, but Toro Rosso is now clearing the path for him to race on Sunday. […]
Honda making ‘progress’ with new engine – Boullier
Oct.11 (GMM) Eric Boullier would not be drawn on what sort of progress Honda has made with its struggling ‘power unit’ at Sochi. The new specification, benefitting from the Japanese marque’s final four performance ‘tokens’ of 2015, was run earlier at Sochi by Fernando Alonso, with observers noting a distinctly different engine sound. The Spanish […]
Pirelli beats Michelin to 2017 F1 deal
Oct.11 (GMM) Incumbent Pirelli has won the race to be F1’s tyre supplier beyond 2016. While an official announcement is yet to be made, Bernie Ecclestone appeared at the Sochi circuit on Sunday ahead of the Russian grand prix with Pirelli CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera. On the grid, the F1 supremo shook hands with the […]
Hamilton on brink of third drivers’ title
Oct.11 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton is now on the brink of wrapping up the 2015 world championships with four races still to run. And a late stewards’ call after the Russian grand prix that demoted Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen means that Mercedes has secured the constructors’ crown for the second consecutive time. Sochi winner Hamilton’s teammate Nico […]
F1 to meet to consider ‘token’ rule change for 2016
Oct.11 (GMM) A meeting that could result in a change to the engine development ‘tokens’ regulations for 2016 will take place in the coming days. The get-together comes amid concerns that Ferrari, but particularly Renault and Honda, have struggled to close the gap on dominant Mercedes this season under the existing regime. In 2015, the […]
Putin to attend Sochi race on Sunday
Oct.11 (GMM) Controversial president Vladimir Putin will attend the Russian grand prix at Sochi on Sunday, the state-owned Tass news agency reports. Adding that Putin plans to meet with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, a Kremlin spokesman confirmed: “The president will attend these (F1) competitions.” Tass said Putin has met with Abu Dhabi’s crown […]
Red Bull crisis hurtling towards F1 exit
Oct.10 (GMM) As the Red Bull engine crisis continues to unfurl, F1 seems increasingly destined to lose the energy drink company. As almost unprecedentedly-frenzied negotiations took place in the Sochi paddock on Friday, every iteration had its moment — talks involving Mercedes, Ferrari and Renault, and all with the involvement now of Bernie Ecclestone. “There […]
Verstappen eyes top team ‘third car’ if Red Bull quits
Oct.10 (GMM) Even amid Red Bull’s ever-deepening engine crisis, Max Verstappen’s father is not very worried. The energy drink company could be set to pull its four cars from the grid ahead of the 2016 season, throwing into doubt the future of the stable’s drivers. But up and down the paddock, very few are concerned […]
More success will drive Mercedes’ costs down – Wolff
Oct.10 (GMM) Continuing success will drive Mercedes towards a clean balance sheet in formula one. That is the claim of team boss Toto Wolff, after it emerged recently that the Brackley team recorded a more than $100 million loss as it raced to the titles last year. That loss is despite premium sponsorship deals with […]
Sainz ‘calm’ as airlifted after Sochi crash – manager
Oct.10 (GMM) Carlos Sainz’s manager had good news about the condition of the Toro Rosso driver following a big crash at Sochi in Saturday practice. The session was stopped during nervous moments in the final session before qualifying for the Russian grand prix, when images showed that the 21-year-old’s car was buried deep under tec-pro […]
Honda finally making progress with upgraded engine
Oct.10 (GMM) Struggling Honda appears to finally be making progress with its F1 power unit. Fernando Alonso was at the controls of a new specification of the Japanese carmaker’s turbo V6 at Sochi on Friday, making use of the final four in-season development ‘tokens’. Trackside observers noted that Alonso’s Honda had a notably different engine […]
Russia determined to have long F1 future
Oct.10 (GMM) Russia appears determined to establish a long-term future on the F1 calendar. The race at Sochi, a resort city on the Black Sea coast, was initially controversial amid the Vladimir Putin regime, where the circuit was built on the site of the 2014 winter olympics. But talks are now taking place between authorities […]