Feb.17 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has played down suggestions F1 could be set to lose Force India. Earlier this month, lawyers for jailed team co-owner and title sponsor Subrata Roy and his Sahara company asked the Indian supreme court for permission to sell assets including his 42.5 per cent stake in the Silverstone based outfit. Another […]
Racing brother in F1 ‘a dream’ – Palmer
Feb.17 (GMM) Going wheel to wheel in F1 with his own brother would be a “dream”, Jolyon Palmer has admitted. The son of former F1 driver Jonathan Palmer, 25-year-old Briton Jolyon is making his grand prix debut this year with the new Renault works team. But his younger brother Will is also racing through the […]
Williams not ruling out 2016 wins, title – Massa
Feb.17 (GMM) Williams is not entering 2016 targeting another third place finish in the constructors’ championship. That is the view of Felipe Massa, who alongside Valtteri Bottas helped the Grove team beat giants like Ferrari in 2014 and Red Bull last year. “For the size we are, Williams did a very good job in the […]
Alonso was ‘demotivating’ Ferrari – Montezemolo
Feb.17 (GMM) Fernando Alonso was not right for Ferrari because he was “demotivating” the great team. That is the claim of Luca di Montezemolo, who was still president of the Maranello marque when in late 2014 the wheels of Alonso’s departure were already in motion. “I had the feeling that Fernando had got it into […]
New Honda powerful but unreliable – report
Feb.17 (GMM) Honda’s 2016 engine is more powerful than its predecessor, but still unreliable. That is the claim of Marco Canseco, the correspondent for the Spanish sports daily Marca. McLaren-Honda debuted its novel, ultra-compact ‘size zero’ concept last year, where the tight packaging of the rear was possible because the turbo is located actually inside […]
Haryanto to replace Stevens at Manor – reports
Feb.17 (GMM) Speculation Manor could be about to split the final race seat on the 2016 grid three ways appears wide of the mark. That is because British newspapers the Telegraph and Daily Mail are reporting that Briton Will Stevens, reportedly among the three contenders to be Pascal Wehrlein’s teammate, has dropped out of the […]
Wehrlein, Ocon to share Mercedes reserve role
Feb.16 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein and Esteban Ocon will share the role as Mercedes’ reserve driver in 2016. Last year, as he charged towards the DTM title, it was Wehrlein who would have stepped in had Lewis Hamilton or Nico Rosberg been unable to race through illness or injury. But the German has secured his F1 […]
Family pays tribute to absent Schumacher
Feb.16 (GMM) Michael Schumacher’s manager on Monday paid tribute to the absent F1 legend, as his entire family gathered for a rare public appearance. In Marburg, Germany, Schumacher’s wife Corinna, father Rolf, children Gina-Maria and Mick and friends Norbert Haug and Stefano Domenicali all gathered. Attended by 200 others, it was the opening of an […]
Toro Rosso to have interim livery at first test
Feb.16 (GMM) Toro Rosso will begin pre-season testing next week with an interim livery. Last Friday, we reported Italian rumours that although the Faenza team is otherwise on schedule following the late switch to Ferrari power, Toro Rosso has run out of time to deck out its new STR11 in full race livery for Barcelona. […]
Capelli warns against white Ferrari livery
Feb.16 (GMM) Ivan Capelli, a former Ferrari driver, has questioned the Maranello marque’s apparent decision to add white to the livery of its 2016 car. La Repubblica newspaper has published what are purported to be official drafts of the single seater’s colours that will be revealed publicly on Friday, depicting an all-white engine cover reminiscent […]
Alfa Romeo could be works F1 team – Marchionne
Feb.15 (GMM) Sergio Marchionne says Alfa Romeo could return to formula one as a works team. Earlier, the Ferrari and Fiat Chrysler chief flagged the possibility of the return to F1 of the iconic name, suggesting it could supply an engine to a partner team. In the words of La Gazzetta dello Sport correspondent Pino […]
Maroni eyes Monza deal ‘in coming weeks’
Feb.15 (GMM) Monza, the historic host of the Italian grand prix, is still facing an uncertain future on the annual F1 calendar. While recently it seemed funding problems had been solved due to a law tweak, it emerged last week that the latest meeting between race organisers and Bernie Ecclestone did not go well. Roberto […]
Three drivers to share second Manor seat – report
Feb.15 (GMM) Manor may have come up with a novel solution to the reported three-way battle to become Pascal Wehrlein’s teammate in 2016. It is believed Rio Haryanto, Alexander Rossi and Will Stevens are all substantially backed by sponsors as they push to secure the final place on this year’s grid. But according to a […]
Combining F1 with DTM to be ‘hard’ – Ocon
Feb.15 (GMM) Esteban Ocon has moved into pole position for a future in formula one. As reigning GP3 champion, the highly rated French teenager will be loaned by Mercedes to be third driver at the new Renault works team in 2016. He will combine the role with DTM, reportedly replacing the German touring car series’ […]
Heidfeld hopes Hamilton challenged in 2016
Feb.15 (GMM) F1 veteran Nick Heidfeld has tipped Lewis Hamilton to take a third consecutive world championship in 2016. But the former Williams and BMW driver said he hopes Mercedes can be successfully challenged this year, following two dominant showings in 2014 and 2015. “I would hope that we see some more teams doing well,” […]
No free TV coverage in Spain in 2016 – report
Feb.15 (GMM) Free-to-air television coverage of F1 throughout Spain has ended, according to the Spanish sports daily El Mundo Deportivo. The report said the 2016 world championship can only be watched by Spaniards who subscribe to Movistar. Reportedly, the terrestrial broadcaster Telecinco decided to stop its F1 coverage in 2008, as viewership dropped substantially in […]
Vettel not ruling out 2016 title tilt
Feb.15 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel is still not ruling out the possibility that he will be able to challenge Mercedes for the 2016 world championship. Ferrari announced on Monday that it will reveal its new red car, reportedly set to feature a white engine cover, on the internet on Friday. Team and Fiat Chrysler Sergio Marchionne […]
F1 ‘far too complex’ at present – Vettel
Feb.15 (GMM) F1 should spice up the sport by simplifying the rules. That is the view of Sebastian Vettel, an unabashed motor racing ‘purist’ who is among those who believe the current regulations are not quite right. Asked by his own website if F1 should be more concerned about being ‘hybrid’ and environmentally relevant or […]
Williams to run 2016 car on Friday
Feb.15 (GMM) F1, 2016-style, will burst into action this week. MTV, a Finnish broadcaster, reports that reigning champions Mercedes and also Williams will ‘shake down’ their new cars at Silverstone on Friday. The teams, taking advantage of the 100km testing allowance for so-called ‘filming days’, will then move on to Barcelona for the start of […]
Dutch prince says F1 return ‘ultimate dream’
Feb.15 (GMM) Zandvoort, an iconic former F1 circuit, could revive the long-defunct Dutch grand prix. Late last year, we reported that the track – famously nestled among coastal sand dunes and a host of more than 30 grands prix until 1985 – was once again being linked with the F1 calendar. “Everyone is enthusiastic about […]