Oct.1 (GMM) Mercedes on Thursday confirmed speculation the British backmarker Manor will use the German marque’s ‘power unit’ from 2016. A statement said Manor, currently powered by a year-old Ferrari unit, has now entered a “multi-year supply agreement” with Mercedes. “Under the agreement, Manor Marussia F1 Team will be supplied with current-year power units throughout […]
Melbourne confirms new date for 2016 season opener
Sep.30 (GMM) Organisers of the Australian grand prix have confirmed reports that the 2016 season will kick off earlier than originally planned. Earlier, we reported that despite Melbourne already selling tickets for an early April season opener next year, Bernie Ecclestone has re-shaped the provisional calendar to reinstate a full four-week mid-season summer break. “We’ll […]
Ecclestone not worried about ‘strange’ European complaint
Sep.30 (GMM) Force India, Sauber and the European Commission have all confirmed reports a formal complaint about formula one has been lodged and received. In their complaint, we can reveal that the two midfield teams say the current income distribution model and rule-making strategy group are both “unlawful and unfair”. They say that, unlike the […]
Ecclestone said Mercedes blackout ‘over the top’ – Lauda
Sep.30 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has admitted at least twice now that the Mercedes blackout during Sunday’s television coverage of the Japanese grand prix was wrong. The silver cars finished first and second at Suzuka, but featured on the Ecclestone-controlled ‘world feed’ for only 5 of the broadcasted 90 minutes. F1 supremo Ecclestone denied he ordered […]
Verstappen not worried amid Red Bull crisis
Sep.30 (GMM) Amid all the talk of a Red Bull crisis, Max and Jos Verstappen insist they are not worried. However, the energy drink company – owning not just Red Bull but also Dutch sensation Max’s team Toro Rosso – is threatening to quit formula one over its engine predicament. Even F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone […]
McLaren says Button-Renault story ‘nonsense’
Sep.30 (GMM) McLaren has rubbished the theory that Jenson Button is weighing up a move to Renault next year to replace the Haas-departed Romain Grosjean. “This article is nonsense,” a spokesman for the struggling Honda-powered team told us, after the speculation of a switch to Enstone for Button did the rounds. Clearly, however, the threads […]
Lotus troubles contributed to Haas move – Grosjean
Sep.30 (GMM) Romain Grosjean has admitted that Lotus’ financial troubles contributed to his decision to leave the Enstone team. The Frenchman was on Tuesday unveiled in North Carolina as the “lead driver” for the new Ferrari-linked American team Haas. Some, however, questioned Grosjean’s move, particularly as Lotus – despite its obvious financial troubles – now […]
Lauda relieved Mercedes ended Singapore slump
Sep.30 (GMM) Niki Lauda has admitted to feeling relief after Mercedes returned to the top of the podium in Japan. While the German camp thinks it was due to a combination of factors, an air of mystery continues to surround Mercedes’ recent Singapore slump. The silver cars, however, returned to the highest steps of the […]
Ecclestone denies ordering Mercedes TV blackout
Sep.29 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has denied he manipulated the coverage of Sunday’s Japanese grand prix to exclude Mercedes. The silver cars, finishing first and second at Suzuka after the Singapore slump, were shown for just 5 of the 90 broadcasted minutes of the official race coverage. Bosses Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda admitted they noticed […]
Verstappen needs another year at Toro Rosso – Tost
Sep.29 (GMM) Franz Tost has played down suggestions Max Verstappen is ready to make the big step to Red Bull. With Daniil Kvyat yet to be confirmed officially by the energy drink company’s senior team for 2016, some have suggested bosses are seriously considering a promotion for the teen sensation Verstappen. The 17-year-old currently drives […]
Lotus survives court, Button linked to Renault
Sep.29 (GMM) Renault’s ‘letter of intent’ has given Lotus ten more weeks to finalise the sale of the embattled Enstone team. Mere hours before Lotus faced London’s high court on Monday, Renault announced that it is now committed to completing the deal “in the coming weeks”. Also promised to the court was that a loan […]
Ecclestone admits British GP axe could fall
Sep.29 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed that the running of next year’s British grand prix is in doubt. Amid similar doubts over the future of another historic race, the Italian GP at Monza, Silverstone chief Patrick Allen revealed this week that because he is already a year behind in fees, he cannot “guarantee” the British […]
Alonso snap signals rough seas ahead for McLaren – Prost
Sep.29 (GMM) Suzuka could have been the turning-point in Fernando Alonso’s patience with the McLaren-Honda project. That is the view of F1 legend Alain Prost, a figure closely associated with the glory days of the Anglo-Japanese partnership that was revived for 2015. But at Suzuka on Sunday, within earshot of Honda’s biggest company big-wigs, Alonso […]
Indonesian driver, sponsor linked to Manor for 2016
Sep.29 (GMM) A new candidate has emerged to potentially race for the British backmarker Manor in 2016. The former Marussia squad’s current lineup is Briton Will Stevens alongside Alexander Rossi, although the latter American rookie will sit out Russia next week as he returns to his GP2 duties. Stevens says he hopes to be retained […]
Rosberg says overheating cost him Suzuka lead
Sep.29 (GMM) Nico Rosberg has revealed there was a technical reason he fell behind teammate Lewis Hamilton after starting the Japanese grand prix from pole. According to some, the fact Hamilton won yet again despite starting behind his Mercedes rival in Japan is a clear sign the Briton is unbeatable in 2015. “Hamilton, like Senna […]
Haas confirms Grosjean as ‘lead driver’
Sep.29 (GMM) Romain Grosjean was on Tuesday unveiled as the “lead driver” for when the new American team Haas makes its debut in 2016. The Swiss-born Frenchman will move from Lotus, where he has spent his entire F1 career, dating back to the Enstone based Renault works team in 2009. “I liked the approach of […]
Hakkinen understands Red Bull quit threat
Sep.29 (GMM) Mika Hakkinen says he can understand why Red Bull is threatening to quit formula one over its engine situation. The energy drink company, with two teams on the grid, is in the throes of divorce from its current partner Renault after two sub-standard years in the new ‘power unit’ era. Mercedes, however, is […]
Two teams lodge F1 complaint to European Union
Sep.29 (GMM) Two midfield teams have carried through their threat to formally complain to the European Union about formula one’s governance structure. For months, smaller teams have been bemoaning the inequality in pitlane, describing the income system and rule-making strategy group as an illegal “cartel” and arguing it breaches European competition rules. London’s Times newspaper […]
Button denies Dennis’ claim that 2016 deal is ‘done’
Sep.28 (GMM) There were plenty of shattered pieces to pick up after McLaren-Honda’s struggling collaboration continued to fall apart in Japan. Even Mercedes’ Niki Lauda was drawn into the saga, having suggested that his old team boss Ron Dennis should end the uncertainty about Jenson Button’s future by simply coughing up the agreed money. Lauda […]
Ecclestone scraps April season opener for 2016 calendar
Sep.28 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has re-shaped F1’s 2016 calendar, it emerged on Monday. It was already known that, with the summer break controversially shrunk for next year as Azerbaijan joins the unprecedented 21-race schedule, talks to tweak the provisional calendar were taking place behind closed doors. On the website of the Australian grand prix, tickets […]