Sep.28 (GMM) As Nico Rosberg’s title hopes shrank even further in Japan, tension with his teammate and runaway championship leader Lewis Hamilton only increased. Being only the second-best Mercedes in Japan has blown Rosberg’s deficit out from 41 to 48 points, with the German admitting: “It’s going the wrong way, definitely. “I had to win, […]
2015 title like ‘winning the lottery’ – Arrivabene
Sep.28 (GMM) Team boss Maurizio Arrivabene has played down Ferrari’s chances of winning the world championship. After winning in Singapore amid Mercedes’ sudden slump, Sebastian Vettel declared that he would try to make the “impossible possible” by lifting a fourth drivers’ crown this season. But then Mercedes returned to its usual top form at Suzuka, […]
Honda suggests McLaren to blame for ‘negativity’
Sep.28 (GMM) As the struggling McLaren-Honda union hit a new low at Suzuka, Yasuhisa Arai suggests the one-way blame game needs to stop. In front of the Japanese carmaker’s highest-ranking officials at the Honda-owned track, the new alliance with McLaren appeared on the brink of total collapse. Jenson Button is threatening to quit, Fernando Alonso […]
Renault signs letter of intent before Lotus court date
Sep.28 (GMM) A letter of intent from Renault could help Lotus avoid sliding into administration later on Monday. Despite spending the weekend locked out of its hospitality unit at Suzuka, the financially-crippled Enstone team ended the Japanese grand prix declaring it is now positive about the future as Renault is set to make an announcement. […]
Lauda to confront Ecclestone over Mercedes blackout
Sep.28 (GMM) Niki Lauda will travel to London this week to ask F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone about Sunday’s peculiar coverage of the Japanese grand prix. Mercedes, having cruised to a one-two at Suzuka after its Singapore slump, was not alone in wondering why the silver cars were on screen for precisely 5 minutes and 56 […]
Silverstone boss admits 2016 race axe possible
Sep.28 (GMM) A dark cloud has moved above the future of the British grand prix. A report in the Telegraph newspaper quotes Silverstone’s managing director Patrick Allen as saying funding has become a problem, raising the prospect the historic race will be scratched. Writers Christian Sylt, Caroline Reid and Lucy Morson explained that with track […]
Red Bull engine situation now ‘critical’
Sep.28 (GMM) As each day passes, Red Bull’s threat to pull out of formula one is appearing more and more real. “At the moment we have no engine (for 2016),” boss Christian Horner said. “The situation is very critical.” Not only is the situation critical, it was also very fluid throughout the Japanese grand prix […]
Arrivabene defends ‘Vettel better than Schu’ comment
Sep.28 (GMM) Maurizio Arrivabene was on the defensive after suggesting Sebastian Vettel is “better” than the Ferrari legend and F1 great Michael Schumacher. In an Italian newspaper interview, the Ferrari chief said Vettel is better than his German countryman Schumacher “especially in his character”. “Michael was an introvert who opened up to only a small […]
Melbourne happy with earlier date for 2016 season opener
Sep.28 (GMM) Australian grand prix organisers say they will accept an earlier-than-planned race date on the 2016 F1 calendar. Although tickets for a race in early April next year are already being sold, reports on Monday suggested Bernie Ecclestone has now re-shaped the schedule in order to restore a full four-week summer break next August. […]
Dennis says Button, Alonso staying in 2016
Sep.27 (GMM) Ron Dennis on Sunday moved to end all the speculation about the future of McLaren’s driver lineup. With the struggling team and Jenson Button reportedly arguing over money, and Fernando Alonso letting his fiery frustration show publicly, wild rumours have suggested the Honda-powered team could lose both of its champion drivers for 2016. […]
Wolff not denying Merc TV snub by Ecclestone
Sep.27 (GMM) Rumours that Bernie Ecclestone ordered a ‘TV blackout’ of a team have resurfaced after the Japanese grand prix. The first time rumours of this nature began to swirl was in 2012, when spectators noticed that Force India was ignored by the FOM-controlled ‘world feed’ during qualifying for the controversial grand prix in Bahrain. […]
Gasly is new Red Bull reserve
Sep.27 (GMM) Pierre Gasly is the new reserve driver at Red Bull. Late last year, the energy drink company re-appointed for 2015 its regular reserve Sebastien Buemi, but the Swiss also has duties at Le Mans and Formula E. And now appearing in Red Bull colours at grands prix – including Japan, where no GP2 […]
Rumours of three-car teams return to F1 paddock
Sep.27 (GMM) The spectre of three cars per team in formula one has raised its head in the Suzuka paddock, as Red Bull inches closer to quitting formula one. Earlier in Japan, it seemed a rescue deal between F1’s energy drink camp and Ferrari over a supply of ‘A spec’ engines was now very close. […]
Button denies row with McLaren over money
Sep.27 (GMM) Jenson Button has denied F1 legend Niki Lauda’s claim at Suzuka that an argument about money put the cloud of retirement above the 2009 world champion’s head. “I say to Ron (Dennis), ‘Pay him the money!’” former McLaren driver, triple world champion and now Mercedes team chairman Lauda said in Japan. In truth, […]
Vettel ‘better than Schumacher – Arrivabene
Sep.27 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel is “better in some ways” even than F1’s most successful driver of all time. That is the claim of Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene, who contrasted Germans Vettel and Schumacher – the long-time Ferrari driver and F1 legend – in the pages of the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. “Many said […]
Alonso joins Button in re-thinking F1 career
Sep.26 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has not ruled out quitting formula one in order to chase his dream of winning more championships. Still involved in the Spaniard’s management, Flavio Briatore said this week that “no one imagined” the new McLaren-Honda project would be the “disaster” it has been in 2015. But the flamboyant Italian is sure: […]
Button hints McLaren-Honda success could take too long
Sep.26 (GMM) The time needed for McLaren-Honda to recover and succeed could be the reason Jenson Button has apparently decided to quit formula one. Although the Briton has delayed the announcement for now, it is widely believed that Button is set to call time on his 16-year F1 career. Asked by the Spanish sports daily […]
Hulkenberg says Le Mans deal not done yet
Sep.26 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg says his return to defend his Le Mans title next year is not set in stone. Rumoured to be quitting F1, Jenson Button has said that although he may be interested in a future at Le Mans, he would not try to ‘do a Hulkenberg’ and combine the two series. “I […]
McLaren plays down Dennis’ Suzuka absence
Sep.26 (GMM) McLaren insists there is nothing controversial about Ron Dennis’ absence from Suzuka so far this weekend. Amid reports of ‘crisis talks’ having been held at Honda’s Sakura headquarters earlier this week, rumours are now swirling not only about Jenson Button’s future at the struggling team, but also Fernando Alonso’s. “Ron Dennis is in […]
Renault to make announcement next week – Lotus
Sep.26 (GMM) The long wait for clarity over the future of Renault and Lotus in F1 appears to be almost over. F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who is not in Japan, told the Reuters news agency from London on Friday that Renault is “apparently” going to buy the embattled Lotus team. But he also admitted: “It’s […]