Nov.19 (GMM) Felipe Massa is hoping Williams will get back on par with its engine supplier Mercedes in 2016. While dominant Mercedes and its customer teams are believed to have enjoyed identical equipment in 2014, Williams, Lotus and Force India fell one specification behind the German carmaker in the middle of this season. Mercedes argued […]
Red Bull to be ready for first 2016 test
Nov.19 (GMM) Red Bull is on target to make the first test of the 2016 pre-season period, engineering chief Paul Monaghan insists. Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya has announced that it will exclusively host the only winter testing early next year, on 22-25 February and 1-4 March — just 8 days in total. Amid Red Bull’s […]
Honda to use ‘more consultants’ for F1 project
Nov.19 (GMM) Honda has had a change of heart towards the end of its abysmally-bad return to F1 this year. Earlier, the proudly nationalistic Japanese carmaker was refusing to speed up the process of improving by poaching experienced F1 engine personnel from outside of Honda. But Michael Schmidt, the respected correspondent for Germany’s Auto Motor […]
Wurz and Whitmarsh say no to Manor boss role
Nov.19 (GMM) Alex Wurz and Martin Whitmarsh have each denied suggestions they might be set to succeed John Booth as Manor’s new team boss. The British backmarker has already replaced the departing Graeme Lowdon with former ‘lie-gate’ protagonist Dave Ryan, amid reports ex-Williams driver and current GPDA president Wurz had been identified as the favourite […]
Hamilton maligns Vettel, Webber, Raikkonen
Nov.19 (GMM) In one fell swoop, Lewis Hamilton has maligned three more F1 stars. Recently, the new triple world champion had to hit reverse gear after suggesting F1 legend Michael Schumacher’s record seven titles were won with questionable tactics, while his own were the result of “my natural abilities only”. Now, the increasingly controversial 30-year-old […]
Rosberg, Vettel ‘wake up’ for 2016 attack
Nov.17 (GMM) F1 is looking ahead to a more competitive 2016 season starring Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel, according to the Italian press. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton dominated this year, but his teammate Rosberg is now on a run of five poles and two consecutive wins that bode well for a better 2016. “F1 like a […]
Pirelli ‘too conservative’ in 2015 – Hembery
Nov.17 (GMM) Paul Hembery thinks F1 will be more exciting in 2016. Fans and insiders agree that Sunday’s Brazilian grand prix was too processional. World champion Lewis Hamilton called it “boring” as he followed home Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg on an identical strategy. Pirelli is taking some of the blame if races in 2015 were […]
2017 engine to be 2.5 litre twin-turbo V6
Nov.17 (GMM) Details about the specification of F1’s alternative engine for 2017 have emerged. Previously, it was believed independent outfits like Ilmor or Cosworth were being invited to bid to exclusively supply a 2.2 litre twin-turbo V6, with the regulations to run parallel to the existing 1.6 litre ‘power units’. The specifications now say the […]
Red Bull has ‘no intention’ to quit
Nov.17 (GMM) Red Bull is now confident it will be in formula one beyond next weekend’s 2015 finale. Earlier, the energy drink outfit was threatening to pull out amid its search for a new engine supplier. But according to F1 business journalist Christian Sylt, writing in the Telgraph, team boss Christian Horner revealed in Red […]
Ecclestone happy with similar grid for 2016
Nov.17 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone says he doesn’t mind that next year’s grid will look very similar to the one in 2015. All of the grandee teams including Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Williams and McLaren will field unchanged driver lineups next year. “I think it’s because all of the teams are happy with what they have,” […]
Minute of silence was for France – Lauda
Nov.17 (GMM) Two F1 personalities made clear the minute of silence on Sunday’s Interlagos grid was for the victims of the Paris terrorist attack. FIA president Jean Todt, the French chief of F1’s Paris-based governing body, was intensely criticised for insisting the silence was officially for road crash victims, arguing that more die on the […]
Verstappen also no ‘grid boy’ fan
Nov.17 (GMM) Max Verstappen is another F1 driver who is no fan of the new ‘grid boy’ concept. In Brazil, Sebastian Vettel jokingly warned he would “strike” if assigned a grid boy, as Interlagos introduced the new idea of mixing male with female ‘grid girls’. Vettel was duly assigned a ‘grid boy’. 18-year-old rookie sensation […]
Arrivabene criticises Pirelli tyre test secrecy
Nov.16 (GMM) Maurizio Arrivabene has hit out at the decision to hold the forthcoming post-season Abu Dhabi tyre test behind closed doors. Two days after the chequered flag falls on the 2015 season, every team except Manor will remain at Yas Marina to help Pirelli test the new ‘ultra soft’ tyre that will debut with […]
Honda ok with Alonso’s frustrated humour
Nov.16 (GMM) Honda insists it takes no offence at the use of “humour” to discharge the frustration felt by its F1 drivers at the tail end of 2015. McLaren’s all-champion duo of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button have been largely patient this year, but their frustration appeared to spill into humour over the course of […]
Williams to appeal Massa disqualification
Nov.16 (GMM) Williams is appealing Felipe Massa’s disqualification from the Brazilian grand prix. The stewards stripped the Brazilian of his eighth place finish because a tyre had been measured by the FIA on the grid to be 137 degrees — a massive 27 degrees higher than Pirelli’s now-mandatory guidelines. Williams engineering chief Rob Smedley, however, […]
Magnussen denies ruling out F1 reserve role
Nov.16 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has denied he ruled out keeping a foot in the F1 door next year by signing up for a new reserve driver role. It was believed the main reason the Dane split with McLaren is because he was determined to return to racing in 2016. Indeed, he recently tested Porsche’s Le […]
Briatore yet to visit old friend Schumacher
Nov.16 (GMM) Flavio Briatore has admitted he is yet to visit Michael Schumacher, ever since his former F1 protege suffered a skiing crash in late 2013. Schumacher, whose first two titles in the 90s at Benetton came after Briatore poached him following a single race at Jordan, is now back at home in Switzerland but […]
‘Smart guy’ Hamilton seeks ‘excuses’ – Rosberg
Nov.16 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton looks for “excuses” when he does not win grands prix, Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg said over the course of the Brazilian grand prix weekend. On Sunday, Rosberg won his second consecutive race from pole, but Hamilton argued that he “had the pace” to challenge if the team had given him another […]
Mercedes, not Hamilton to decide strategy – Wolff
Nov.16 (GMM) Toto Wolff says Mercedes will continue to make the call on race strategy, following the complaints of world champion driver Lewis Hamilton. In Brazil, teammate Nico Rosberg won his second consecutive race from pole, as the German declared he is back in top form after losing the drivers’ title to Hamilton. “Lewis put […]
Sutil admits F1 future unclear
Nov.16 (GMM) Adrian Sutil admits his future beyond the forthcoming 2015 finale in Abu Dhabi is not clear. When Valtteri Bottas struck trouble with a back injury early this season, former Force India and Sauber driver Sutil was drafted in as Williams’ official reserve. But when asked what he will be doing in 2016, 32-year-old […]