May 14 (GMM) Tobacco giant Philip Morris has quietly extended its sponsorship deal with Ferrari, the Bloomberg news agency reports. Even though the red F1 cars can no longer display a ‘Marlboro’ livery, or even include the cigarette brand’s name in Ferrari’s official title, the deal was reportedly extended for another three years. Bloomberg said […]
Nasr says no Sauber upgrades yet
May 14 (GMM) Felipe Nasr is expecting Sauber to suffer at the next few races. Early in 2015, the Brazilian rookie emerged as a potential star of the future, finishing fifth in Australia and scoring more points in China. But Nasr, 22, warned before the Spanish grand prix – where he qualified 15th – that […]
Sainz happy to survive Verstappen hype
May 14 (GMM) According to some, Carlos Sainz has been the ‘revelation of the season’. The build-up to the Spaniard’s debut season in formula one was totally overshadowed by Max Verstappen, who at 17 is the youngest driver in F1 history and already compared by some to the great Ayrton Senna. But Sainz, the ‘other’ […]
Ferrari exit ‘unavoidable’ for Alonso
May 14 (GMM) Luca di Montezemolo has backed away from his earlier criticism of Ferrari. The former Ferrari president’s claim that the Maranello team was “lucky” in 2015 had triggered renewed suggestions he is simply bitter about his ousting. “I’m tired of all this,” he was quoted by Ansa news agency on Wednesday. “All I […]
Massa wants more test freedom in F1
May 14 (GMM) Felipe Massa would prefer if teams were given more freedom to decide their in-season testing plans. For cost reasons, there are now only two official group tests within the annual race calendar — immediately after the Spanish and Austrian grands prix. The two-day Barcelona session, attended by Brazilian Massa, has just ended. […]
Renault admits ‘something wrong’ at factory
May 14 (GMM) Renault has admitted there is “something wrong” at its Viry-Chattilon base. The French marque is struggling to get to the bottom of a fundamental problem in the area of its piston design that has led to multiple failures in 2015. “On the dyno the engines are reliable,” chief Cyril Abiteboul said, “but […]
Marko denies making Audi ultimatum
May 13 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has hit back at reports he issued a new ultimatum about Red Bull’s involvement in formula one. The BBC on Monday quoted the Austrian as declaring: “If we don’t have a competitive engine in the near future, then either Audi is coming or we are out.” But Marko now […]
Marko’s ‘exceptional juniors’ pile pressure on Kvyat
May 13 (GMM) Toro Rosso’s “exceptional” drivers are free to race their counterparts in the senior Red Bull team. That is the news of Dr Helmut Marko, the infamous boss of the energy drink company’s F1 driver programme. The senior team, headed in the cockpit by Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat, is in a deep […]
Gutierrez ‘had meeting’ with Haas – report
May 13 (GMM) Esteban Gutierrez appears to be in pole position to head the new Haas team’s driver lineup next year. According to Italy’s Autosprint, the Mexican had a “long meeting” with the incoming American team’s owner Gene Haas over the course of the Spanish grand prix weekend. Haas, also a Nascar team co-owner, was […]
CVC’s Mackenzie to attend crucial F1 summit
May 13 (GMM) Even the normally low-profile Donald Mackenzie and Jean Todt are looking ahead to Thursday’s critical meeting of the powerful Strategy Group. Faced with the sport’s stakeholders baying collectively for urgent change, all of the most influential F1 figures will get together on Thursday at F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone’s airport facility at Biggin […]
‘No problem’ between Lotus duo – Maldonado
May 13 (GMM) Pastor Maldonado has not ramped up the tension with his teammate Romain Grosjean. In Barcelona, it emerged that tension between the pair was growing over the ‘Friday practice’ issue, as it is always Grosjean who is giving up his cockpit for reserve Jolyon Palmer. The strongly PDVSA-backed Maldonado has reportedly refused to […]
Michelin pushing for F1 return
May 13 (GMM) Michelin has confirmed its interest in returning to formula one. Italy’s Autosprint reported that the former F1 tyre supplier could go head-to-head with Pirelli in the forthcoming tender process to become the sport’s official partner from 2017. As the ‘tyre war’ era ended at the end of 2006, and also due to […]
Rosberg happy if Hamilton signs new deal
May 13 (GMM) Nico Rosberg says he is happy if Lewis Hamilton stays at Mercedes beyond 2015. After a long period of negotiation and speculation, the latest reports suggest reigning world champion Hamilton’s new contract will finally be unveiled in Monaco. But “I don’t know what will happen,” Italy’s Autosprint quoted Rosberg as saying at […]
Briatore facing jail over tax fraud
May 13 (GMM) Flavio Briatore could face four years in jail over alleged tax fraud. Five years ago, Italian police seized the former Renault chief’s 60-metre luxury yacht Force Blue, saying it was improperly registered as a charter for tax purposes. The case returned to the Genoa courts this week, according to Italian media reports. […]
Candidates line up for Force India role
May 13 (GMM) The candidates are lining up to be Force India’s official reserve driver. “We are looking,” confirmed deputy team boss Bob Fernley. Pascal Wehrlein, who is already Mercedes’ reserve, was scheduled to drive the Mercedes-powered Force India on the first day of this week’s Barcelona test. But media reports said his outing was […]
Jorda says McLaren ‘impatient’ with Honda
May 12 (GMM) Carmen Jorda, the female development driver for Lotus, says she has heard whispers of discord at McLaren-Honda. Spaniard and former GP3 driver Jorda, 26, is attending all the grands prix this year with the Enstone team. Regarding McLaren-Honda’s run of disappointing form at the beginning of the new works alliance, she revealed: […]
F1 cars ‘too complicated’ now – Prost
May 12 (GMM) Alain Prost, once nicknamed ‘The Professor’ in F1 for his famously intellectual approach to racing, has admitted the sport is now too complicated. F1’s controversial rules are a hot topic at present, as spectator, sponsor and television numbers decline and major stakeholders like Bernie Ecclestone and Red Bull argue stridently for urgent […]
Mercedes to change pitstop philosophy – Lauda
May 12 (GMM) Mercedes will change its philosophy regarding pitstops ahead of Monaco, team chairman Niki Lauda has announced. Although the German team extended its performance advantage over Ferrari in Barcelona, it is the Italian outfit that is now clearly the fastest in the pits. “Mercedes has had the strategy of leaving a few tenths […]
Audi could prevent Red Bull exit – Marko
May 12 (GMM) Audi could stop Red Bull from quitting formula one. That is the sensational claim of the former world champion team’s Austrian official Dr Helmut Marko, adding even more fuel to rumours the Volkswagen-owned German carmaker is considering entering formula one. Indeed, even Audi chief Rupert Stadler is no longer issuing blank denials, […]
Teams survived FIA fuel flow checks
May 12 (GMM) Teams escaped the ire of F1’s governing body following a spate of post-race fuel systems checks after the Spanish grand prix. Just after qualifying in Barcelona, the FIA told teams it was clamping down harder on the ‘fuel flow’ rules, amid suspicions some top teams had found a loophole. Immediately, amid Niki […]