Oct.22 (GMM) Nico Rosberg is refusing to give up on the 2015 drivers’ championship, although even his Mercedes boss does not agree. “It’s a shame that Nico was not able to keep fighting for the title because he has done very well,” Toto Wolff told the Spanish daily Marca ahead of the US grand prix. […]
Charlie Whiting approves Mexico City circuit
Oct.22 (GMM) Mere days before the F1 teams begin to touch down in Mexico City, the renovated Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit has been officially approved by the FIA. On his way to Austin for this weekend’s US grand prix, FIA race director Charlie Whiting inspected the Mexican site, which last hosted a grand prix in […]
Marko now ‘confident’ of Red Bull crisis solution
Oct.22 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says he is “confident” Red Bull’s engine supply crisis will finally end this weekend in Austin. If it is not solved, team owner Dietrich Mateschitz’s end-of-October deadline will arrive and the Austrian billionaire could pull the plug on the sport. “It would suck,” Daniel Ricciardo, the lead driver of the […]
Ricciardo signs with former Beckham manager
Oct.22 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo has signed up with sports manager Simon Bayliff, known for managing Tour de France star Mark Cavendish and formerly with British football legend David Beckham. Earlier in 2015, Australian Ricciardo – whose career to date has been guided by Red Bull – played down the need for a manager. “Red Bull […]
US GP chief says Ecclestone ‘entitled to opinion’
Oct.22 (GMM) US grand prix boss Jason Dial has responded to disparaging remarks made about America by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. In the days leading into this weekend’s Austin race, the formula one chief ruffled feathers by backing Russian president Vladimir Putin and admitting he is “not very enthusiastic” about Western democracy and particularly America. […]
Haas to complete 2016 driver lineup
Oct.22 (GMM) Rumours indicate Haas will complete its 2016 driver lineup this weekend in Austin. Insiders report that with Frenchman Romain Grosjean already signed up, the new American team will use the scene of its home race to announce that Esteban Gutierrez will race the second Haas car next season. Team boss Gunther Steiner has […]
Ecclestone says Mosley not returning to F1
Oct.21 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has played down suggestions he is trying to engineer a return to power for his old F1 sparring partner Max Mosley. As the sport’s problems mount up, it was with surprise and suspicion this week that F1 supremo Ecclestone sat for a 30-minute television interview alongside the former FIA president. Ecclestone […]
Red Bull ‘waiting’ for Renault amid engine crisis
Oct.21 (GMM) Red Bull and Renault are still inching closer to divorce, whilst the prospect of reconciliation hangs in the air as a faint sign of hope. That is because, with Mercedes and Ferrari having ruled out ending the Red Bull engine crisis, simply patching up the damaged relationship with Renault could now be the […]
Three-car top teams would spice up F1 – Wolff
Oct.21 (GMM) Mercedes is keen and ready in the event that F1 needs to deploy three-car teams as quickly as 2016. That is the admission of Toto Wolff, who sounds even more enthusiastic about expanding the teams already at the front of the grid than helping to resolve the crisis that could leave Red Bull’s […]
Jos thinks son Max is the new ‘Boss’
Oct.21 (GMM) As an F1 driver, he was affectionately known as Jos ‘The Boss’ Verstappen. It was a tribute to his bravery and audacity, particularly when wheel-to-wheel with a rival, and it is in this area that his 18-year-old son is now also turning heads. However, Max’s nerve landed him in the wall in a […]
Renault admits Red Bull may not use upgraded engine
Oct.21 (GMM) Renault has admitted that Red Bull may decide against using a once highly-anticipated new specification of engine this weekend in Austin. Although the upgrade had originally been scheduled for Sochi, the French carmaker is finally now ready to debut the new specification, making use of 11 of its 12 available tokens. Renault engine […]
No engine upgrade for Ferrari in Austin
Oct.21 (GMM) Ferrari has decided to postpone the introduction of a new engine specification for now, Italian sources are reporting. Earlier, boss Maurizio Arrivabene admitted there was a possibility the Maranello team would deploy the last of its four upgrade ‘tokens’ ahead of the US grand prix. It is believed the new unit is the […]
Still ‘hope’ for Schumacher recovery – Brawn
Oct.21 (GMM) One of Michael Schumacher’s closest friends and former colleagues says there is still “hope” the F1 legend will recover. As the two-year anniversary of the former Ferrari and Mercedes driver’s horror skiing accident looms, official news about his condition has now completely dried up. The latest media reports indicate that Schumacher, listed at […]
Rule tweaks give Honda, Renault ‘room to breathe’ – Wolff
Oct.21 (GMM) Mercedes agreed for F1 to ease its engine development restrictions because the sport needs more competitive teams. That is the claim of Toto Wolff, after a key engine summit in Geneva last week also saw the FIA and Ferrari agree to tweaks that should help struggling Renault and Honda to catch up next […]
Force India waiting for F1 investigation ‘answer’
Oct.21 (GMM) It may be weeks or months before the European Commission decides whether or not to investigate formula one. The anti-competitive arm of the executive body has confirmed it recently received the formal complaint lodged by disgruntled midfield teams Sauber and Force India. But Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that the EC will […]
Montoya opposed to covering cockpits
Oct.20 (GMM) Juan Pablo Montoya says he is opposed to the idea of covering the cockpits of open-wheel racing cars. Recent deaths in formula one (Jules Bianchi) and Indycar (Justin Wilson) have ramped up calls for cockpit canopies, covers or cages. Colombian Montoya is a race winner in both categories, and this year finished runner-up […]
Engine manufacturers ‘not interested’ in reducing costs – Todt
Oct.20 (GMM) The only real problem with today’s engine regulations is the cost, according to FIA president Jean Todt. In a joint interview with German broadcaster ZDF, however, Bernie Ecclestone and Todt’s predecessor Max Mosley painted a very different picture. There are rumours that a parallel bi-turbo V6 formula could soon arrive, and F1 supremo […]
Europe still ‘assessing’ F1 teams’ complaint
Oct.20 (GMM) The risk of an investigation into F1’s structure by the European Commission is still hanging over the sport. “We have received a complaint,” a spokesman confirmed to the Telegraph, “and will assess it.” The complaint was lodged recently by Force India and Sauber, two financially-struggling midfield teams who bemoan the unfairness of Bernie […]
Ecclestone could sue Red Bull over F1 exit
Oct.20 (GMM) Red Bull’s rivals, and even F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, have admitted their sympathy for the former champions is low amid the engine supply crisis. Having terminated the deal with Renault prematurely, the energy drink company is saying it will pull both of its teams out of the sport if manufacturers Mercedes or Ferrari […]
Extra exhausts will improve F1 sound – Cowell
Oct.20 (GMM) Mercedes’ engine chief is confident changes to the regulations will turn up the volume for 2016. The mild tones of the sport since the dawning of the new ‘power unit’ era has been highly controversial, with Bernie Ecclestone leading the criticism. “It (the noise problem) was pointed out to me again by some […]