Apr.16 (GMM) Max Verstappen is on the road to becoming world champion. That is the claim of his boss Franz Tost, as others also gush about the early form of F1’s controversial 17-year-old driver. During his commentary in Shanghai last weekend, former F1 driver Martin Brundle said the young Dutchman has signs of following the […]
Ecclestone approves ‘human rights policy’ for F1
Apr.16 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has made a sharp U-turn on his approach to this year’s Bahrain grand prix. Now some years after the violent civil uprising in the island Kingdom, Bahrain remains a controversial stop on the annual F1 calendar. Indeed, there is still unrest, with reports 21 activists were arrested this week by government […]
Ferrari set to shine in Bahrain heat
Apr.16 (GMM) Eyes will be on the skies on Thursday as the F1 world pushes through the Bahrain paddock gates. A top of 34 degrees C is forecast in the island Kingdom, which will be music to the ears of those wearing red. Mercedes bounced back a week ago with a one-two finish, but that […]
Rosberg not planning more Hamilton talks
Apr.15 (GMM) Nico Rosberg says he has no intention of speaking again about the Shanghai incident with Lewis Hamilton. The German, having accused his Mercedes teammate of compromising his race in China, said “criticism” was exchanged in the post-race briefings in China. “I admit,” he told the major German daily Bild, “when I sat next […]
Raikkonen on track for 2016 Ferrari deal – reports
Apr.15 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen is on track to securing a deal to stay at Ferrari beyond 2015. When he rejoined Maranello from Lotus for 2014, the Finn signed a two-year contract. Raikkonen, 35, struggled last year but is happier with this year’s car alongside his new teammate and friend Sebastian Vettel. “I could not imagine […]
Different dramas for Mercedes’ driving duo
Apr.15 (GMM) Mercedes’ race drivers were dealing with very different dramas in the quick-fire hop between China and Bahrain. For championship leader Lewis Hamilton, it was the manner of his celebrations on the Shanghai podium that drew negative attention. Anti-sexism campaigners objected to photos depicting the reigning world champion spraying champagne into the face of […]
Kolles blasts FIA over F1’s ‘massive problem’
Apr.15 (GMM) Former team boss Colin Kolles has pointed the finger squarely at F1’s governing body over a “massive regulations problem” within the sport. Kolles, formerly in charge at Force India and most recently HRT, agrees with Bernie Ecclestone that formula one needs to urgently rethink its engine rules. The current turbo V6 ‘power unit’ […]
McLaren backs under-fire Alonso
Apr.15 (GMM) McLaren is standing firmly behind its new star driver Fernando Alonso. Following his high-profile switch from the now-resurgent Ferrari to struggling McLaren-Honda, the Spaniard has been taking flak in recent days. A presenter for Sky Italia, for instance, has reportedly been suspended for issuing an insulting ‘tweet’ that caused Alonso to ignore the […]
Stuck slams Ecclestone over German GP demise
Apr.15 (GMM) Racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck has slammed Bernie Ecclestone over the demise of the German grand prix. Stuck, a former F1 driver and now chairman of the German sanctioning body DMSB, admitted to the Austrian broadcaster Servus TV he is angry with the F1 supremo for ruling out a 2015 race at either the […]
No quick fix for Renault piston fault – report
Apr.15 (GMM) A fault with the piston design of Renault’s 2015 engine has been identified, according to the French broadcaster Canal Plus. Problems across both Renault-powered teams, Red Bull and Toro Rosso, marred the French marque’s weekend in China last weekend. Boss Cyril Abiteboul departed Shanghai saying he hoped a fix could be identified and […]
Only Button had new diffuser in China – report
Apr.14 (GMM) Fernando Alonso demonstrated his “good mood” by happily racing a step behind teammate Jenson Button in China. That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, revealing that the specification of the Spaniard’s McLaren-Honda in Shanghai was not quite up to speed with the sister car. The report said only one version […]
Hamilton tells Rosberg to race him
Apr.14 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has urged his teammate to get into the “racing” spirit and try to take him on next time around. Rosberg, now 17 points behind in the championship standings, ended the Chinese grand prix complaining about his fellow Mercedes driver’s tactics as he controlled the pace from the front. “I don’t know […]
Sky presenter suspended for Alonso insult
Apr.14 (GMM) A presenter for Italian F1 broadcaster Sky has been suspended for insulting Fernando Alonso. Referring to the Spanish driver’s Barcelona testing crash, Paola Saluzzi’s offending ‘tweet’ during the Chinese grand prix weekend said Alonso had now recovered his memory to realise he is “arrogant” and an “imbecile”. We reported that the ‘tweet’, which […]
Horner plays down Red Bull quit threat
Apr.14 (GMM) Christian Horner is now playing down Red Bull’s F1 quit threat. Earlier, directing their anger at engine supplier Renault, the energy drink company’s mogul Dietrich Mateschitz and Dr Helmut Marko said the situation could move either the French carmaker or Red Bull to pull out. But team boss Horner has now clarified Mateschitz’s […]
Fiat hails ‘inevitable’ Ferrari reform
Apr.14 (GMM) Fiat chairman John Elkann has hailed the sweeping changes made by a resurgent Ferrari ahead of the 2015 season. New York-born Elkann, Fiat-Chrysler chairman and the grandson of the great patriarch Gianni Agnelli, was quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport as insisting that the fabled Maranello team needed to react. “2014 was a […]
Hamilton reveals he is not Laureus winner
Apr.14 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has ruffled feathers for more than one reason over the last few days. On Sunday, he enraged Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg for allegedly “compromising” the German’s race strategy by driving too slowly in the lead. Then, on the podium, a photographer captured the moment when Briton Hamilton, the reigning world champion, […]
Jorda preparing for Lotus test debut
Apr.14 (GMM) Carmen Jorda says she is on track to test this year’s Lotus car. The 26-year-old Spaniard’s appointment as development driver has been controversial, with many saying it was more about money or marketing than a serious effort to groom her as a future grand prix star. But she is quoted by Germany’s Welt […]
Sandstorm hits Bahrain
Apr.14 (GMM) A sandstorm has welcomed the world of formula one to Bahrain. As the sport left Shanghai and headed for the Persian Gulf’s island Kingdom, the local meteorological bureau warned of high winds and the risk of a thick sand haze. Indeed, on Monday, visibility was poor at the Sakhir circuit and the track, […]
Bianchi signed Sauber contract at Suzuka – Kolles
Apr.14 (GMM) Jules Bianchi might have raced a Sauber in 2015, it has emerged. The claim was made by former HRT boss Colin Kolles, as he discussed the Giedo van der Garde saga on Austrian television Servus TV. Dutchman van der Garde took Sauber to court at the 2015 season opener in Melbourne, claiming the […]
No ‘team orders’ at Ferrari anymore – Arrivabene
Apr.14 (GMM) Maurizio Arrivabene has ruled out boosting Ferrari’s title hopes with the help of ‘team orders’. After just three races, Sebastian Vettel is not only splitting the two Mercedes drivers in the championship, but he has scored more than double the points of his teammate Kimi Raikkonen. It has raised suggestions that, if German […]