Aug.21 (GMM) Now that Valtteri Bottas is not heading to Ferrari next year, Felipe Massa says he hopes his current teammate stays at Williams in 2016. It is believed the Bottas-Ferrari deal fell through due to the millions demanded by Williams for his release. Even so, Bottas and his management are refusing to state clearly […]
Tost says Kvyat best driver behind Vettel
Aug.21 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat says he is happy to have been rated so highly by a former boss. In a recent magazine feature, Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost said the young Russian is the best driver he has ever worked with behind Sebastian Vettel. Tost ranked Kvyat, who is now at Red Bull at the […]
Button tones down social media after robbery
Aug.21 (GMM) Jenson Button has admitted he has ramped up his personal security in the wake of a recent robbery incident. The McLaren driver confirmed he was shaken after burglars broke into his holiday villa during the summer break while he and friends slept. “It’s not nice knowing someone was in your room going through […]
Honda power boost smaller than rumoured – Alonso
Aug.21 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has admitted he will start Sunday’s Belgian grand prix from the back of the grid. That is because of a double engine change as McLaren’s struggling partner Honda introduces a key update at Spa-Francorchamps. But after boss Yasuhisa Arai suggested Honda will now be on par with Ferrari and targeting Mercedes […]
FIA pushing on with technology clampdowns
Aug.21 (GMM) F1’s new clampdown on race start technology has divided paddock opinion. On the one hand, some say it is a step in the right direction, as Bernie Ecclestone applauded the move away from the notion that the drivers of today are “trained monkeys in remote-controlled cars”. So from Sunday’s Belgian grand prix, the […]
Mercedes pushing on with ‘spoon’ rear wing
Aug.21 (GMM) Although clearly the quickest team in F1, championship leader Mercedes is still pushing hard to improve its 2015 machine. Sebastian Vettel broke through for Ferrari’s second win of the season in Hungary, ramping up suggestions he might still be an outside chance for the title. “Well, as long as it is mathematically possible, […]
Maldonado plays down Lotus exit reports
Aug.21 (GMM) Pastor Maldonado has played down rumours he would be ousted if Renault completes its rumoured takeover of the Lotus team. His current teammate Romain Grosjean, on the other hand, is barracking hard for the buyout. “It would be great news for formula one, for the team, for myself,” he told RMC Sport at […]
Bottas says rumours hurt Williams relationship
Aug.21 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas claims rumours about a switch to Ferrari hurt his relationship with Williams. The speculation about the young Finn’s move was so strong at one point that publications reported that a contract was even signed. So now that Kimi Raikkonen’s new deal is out in the open, Bottas has admitted the rumours […]
McLaren drivers to use two new engines each at Spa
Aug.20 (GMM) It will be a long and tiring Belgian grand prix weekend for the McLaren-Honda mechanics. It was already known that, as Honda has traded in some of its upgrade ‘tokens’, both Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button will have to take grid penalties in order to use the new power unit at Spa-Francorchamps. But […]
Renault working on step forward for 2016
Aug.20 (GMM) Renault is confident it will take a step forward for 2016. The French carmaker will soon decide how it will proceed for the future, as the relationship with Red Bull breaks down and talks proceed with Lotus over a team buyout. But no matter what happens, Renault will be on the grid in […]
Race start changes ‘step in right direction’ – Ecclestone
Aug.20 (GMM) F1’s clampdown on assisted race starts is a step in the right direction, according to Bernie Ecclestone. The F1 supremo, openly no fan of the sport’s current era, has given his approval to the new rules governing race starts that will debut this weekend in Belgium. “We are making a tiny step backwards […]
Promoter happy with present and future at Spa
Aug.20 (GMM) Andre Maes, promoter of the Belgian grand prix, is looking forward not only to this weekend’s race, but also more of the same in the future at fabled and popular Spa-Francorchamps. “Yes,” he told La Derniere Heure, a Belgian daily, “the Walloon government provided guarantees and we have extended the contract with FOM […]
Jet on standby for Rosberg baby birth
Aug.20 (GMM) Nico Rosberg has a private jet on standby as the minutes tick down to fatherhood. The Mercedes driver’s wife Viviane is set to give birth to their first child any day now — in fact, Bild newspaper reports that the due date actually came and went on Tuesday. However, Rosberg has now had […]
Vettel vows to keep title fight ‘alive’
Aug.20 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has vowed to keep his foot to the floor on his outside shot at the 2015 world championship. Having entered the break with a second win of the season, Vettel has now been buoyed by the news that his preferred choice as Ferrari teammate is staying put for 2016. “Kimi is […]
F1 trio moves on after Raikkonen news
Aug.20 (GMM) A trio of drivers swallowed hard this week when Ferrari announced it is keeping Kimi Raikkonen for 2016. They had hoped the Maranello team might swap the 35-year-old Finn for a younger model, hoping either to replace him or benefit from the domino effect of a major ‘silly season’ shift. Lotus’ Romain Grosjean […]
Ferrari ‘sensible’ to re-sign Raikkonen – Salo
Aug.20 (GMM) Ferrari was “sensible and wise” to have re-signed Kimi Raikkonen for 2016. That is the view of Mika Salo, another Finnish driver who once raced for the fabled Maranello team. “Ferrari has made a sensible and wise decision,” he told the Finnish broadcaster MTV. “There were no better options than Kimi.” Salo, 48, […]
Ferrari keeps Raikkonen for 2016
Aug.20 (GMM) Ferrari has ended speculation about Kimi Raikkonen’s future by re-signing the Finn for 2016. “The driver lineup next season will still consist of the Finnish driver and Sebastian Vettel,” team boss Maurizio Arrivabene declared in a short statement. The news follows speculation a deal between Ferrari and younger Finn Valtteri Bottas fell through […]
Bottas likely to stay at Williams – manager
Aug.20 (GMM) With the Ferrari seat to remain occupied by Kimi Raikkonen, Valtteri Bottas will now almost certainly stay at Williams next year. The Finn was reportedly the leading candidate to oust his older countryman at Maranello, but it appears Ferrari would not agree to Williams’ demands for Bottas’ contract release. The Grove team has […]
Perez sure Force India ‘B’ car safe
Aug.20 (GMM) Sergio Perez on Thursday said he has no concerns about the safety of his Force India car. In Hungary, both the Mexican and his teammate Nico Hulkenberg suffered catastrophic failures aboard their otherwise more competitive ‘B’ spec machines. Asked about the suspension design following his roll-over crash, Perez told reporters in Belgium: “Yes, […]
All eyes on new race start rules at Spa
Aug.19 (GMM) A big talking point at Spa this weekend will be the FIA’s new rules regarding race starts. The mid-season change has divided paddock opinion, with some applauding the shift away from engineers and technology, and back to the drivers. Others, however, worry that teams will struggle to adapt their 2015 systems to the […]