Oct.24 (GMM) The future is still clouded, but Lotus at least has a full driver lineup for the 2016 season. 2014 GP2 champion and current team reserve Jolyon Palmer, it was announced on Friday, will be Pastor Maldonado’s teammate. Briton Palmer is the son of former F1 driver Jonathan Palmer, but despite his successes he […]
Hurricane could ruin US and Mexican grands prix
Oct.24 (GMM) As rain streamed down and lightening spooked those cowering in the grandstands, F1 was forced to cancel the second Friday practice session in Austin. One question it raised was, if the field can cope with fewer practice laps, why doesn’t formula one permanently cancel the long and unpopular ‘free practice’? “If it’s the […]
Honda has ‘found the way’ with upgrade – Alonso
Oct.23 (GMM) It sounds odd, but Jenson Button says he wants McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso to “annihilate” him this weekend in Austin. That is because only the Spaniard’s car is equipped for the US grand prix with struggling partner Honda’s newly-upgraded engine. It was debuted only in practice two weeks ago in Russia, triggering unusual […]
Red Bull, Renault ‘talking again’ – Jos Verstappen
Oct.23 (GMM) Renault and Red Bull are at least “talking again”. That is the news of Jos Verstappen, a former F1 driver who now travels the globe with his son Max. Max, newly 18, drives for Red Bull’s junior team Toro Rosso, which like the senior outfit could be pulled out of the sport if […]
Lauda’s role as TV pundit now in doubt
Oct.23 (GMM) Niki Lauda admits he is not sure he will still split his time between Mercedes and working for German television beyond this season. At the Russian grand prix a fortnight ago, the F1 legend was conspicuously absent from his usual post in front of the cameras for the German broadcaster RTL. “I have […]
Russian official urges Ecclestone to revive V8s
Oct.23 (GMM) Russian grand prix chief Igor Ermilin has backed Bernie Ecclestone’s desire to force the return of screaming V8 power in formula one. As Red Bull struggles to secure a V6 ‘power unit’ deal for 2016, and the issue of quiet engines remains a problem, the F1 supremo reportedly took the V8 proposal to […]
Mercedes fixes Sochi glitches for Austin
Oct.22 (GMM) Mercedes has travelled to Austin with fixes for the two reliability problems suffered at Sochi recently. Nico Rosberg’s title chances were effectively destroyed when a small and inexpensive ‘O-ring’ in the throttle mechanism broke. It was a tried and tested design, but Auto Motor und Sport reports that Mercedes has reacted by re-designing […]
Three drivers in race for two Manor seats
Oct.22 (GMM) At Manor, three divided by two plus a Mercedes power unit means the British team has revved up its asking price for 2016. Toto Wolff, the Mercedes chief, has said now on several occasions that while he would like to place Pascal Wehrlein at Manor next year, the two sides are currently negotiating […]
Rosberg refusing to admit 2015 title now gone
Oct.22 (GMM) Nico Rosberg is refusing to give up on the 2015 drivers’ championship, although even his Mercedes boss does not agree. “It’s a shame that Nico was not able to keep fighting for the title because he has done very well,” Toto Wolff told the Spanish daily Marca ahead of the US grand prix. […]
Charlie Whiting approves Mexico City circuit
Oct.22 (GMM) Mere days before the F1 teams begin to touch down in Mexico City, the renovated Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit has been officially approved by the FIA. On his way to Austin for this weekend’s US grand prix, FIA race director Charlie Whiting inspected the Mexican site, which last hosted a grand prix in […]
Marko now ‘confident’ of Red Bull crisis solution
Oct.22 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says he is “confident” Red Bull’s engine supply crisis will finally end this weekend in Austin. If it is not solved, team owner Dietrich Mateschitz’s end-of-October deadline will arrive and the Austrian billionaire could pull the plug on the sport. “It would suck,” Daniel Ricciardo, the lead driver of the […]
Ricciardo signs with former Beckham manager
Oct.22 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo has signed up with sports manager Simon Bayliff, known for managing Tour de France star Mark Cavendish and formerly with British football legend David Beckham. Earlier in 2015, Australian Ricciardo – whose career to date has been guided by Red Bull – played down the need for a manager. “Red Bull […]
US GP chief says Ecclestone ‘entitled to opinion’
Oct.22 (GMM) US grand prix boss Jason Dial has responded to disparaging remarks made about America by F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. In the days leading into this weekend’s Austin race, the formula one chief ruffled feathers by backing Russian president Vladimir Putin and admitting he is “not very enthusiastic” about Western democracy and particularly America. […]
Haas to complete 2016 driver lineup
Oct.22 (GMM) Rumours indicate Haas will complete its 2016 driver lineup this weekend in Austin. Insiders report that with Frenchman Romain Grosjean already signed up, the new American team will use the scene of its home race to announce that Esteban Gutierrez will race the second Haas car next season. Team boss Gunther Steiner has […]
Ecclestone says Mosley not returning to F1
Oct.21 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has played down suggestions he is trying to engineer a return to power for his old F1 sparring partner Max Mosley. As the sport’s problems mount up, it was with surprise and suspicion this week that F1 supremo Ecclestone sat for a 30-minute television interview alongside the former FIA president. Ecclestone […]
Red Bull ‘waiting’ for Renault amid engine crisis
Oct.21 (GMM) Red Bull and Renault are still inching closer to divorce, whilst the prospect of reconciliation hangs in the air as a faint sign of hope. That is because, with Mercedes and Ferrari having ruled out ending the Red Bull engine crisis, simply patching up the damaged relationship with Renault could now be the […]
Three-car top teams would spice up F1 – Wolff
Oct.21 (GMM) Mercedes is keen and ready in the event that F1 needs to deploy three-car teams as quickly as 2016. That is the admission of Toto Wolff, who sounds even more enthusiastic about expanding the teams already at the front of the grid than helping to resolve the crisis that could leave Red Bull’s […]
Jos thinks son Max is the new ‘Boss’
Oct.21 (GMM) As an F1 driver, he was affectionately known as Jos ‘The Boss’ Verstappen. It was a tribute to his bravery and audacity, particularly when wheel-to-wheel with a rival, and it is in this area that his 18-year-old son is now also turning heads. However, Max’s nerve landed him in the wall in a […]
Renault admits Red Bull may not use upgraded engine
Oct.21 (GMM) Renault has admitted that Red Bull may decide against using a once highly-anticipated new specification of engine this weekend in Austin. Although the upgrade had originally been scheduled for Sochi, the French carmaker is finally now ready to debut the new specification, making use of 11 of its 12 available tokens. Renault engine […]
No engine upgrade for Ferrari in Austin
Oct.21 (GMM) Ferrari has decided to postpone the introduction of a new engine specification for now, Italian sources are reporting. Earlier, boss Maurizio Arrivabene admitted there was a possibility the Maranello team would deploy the last of its four upgrade ‘tokens’ ahead of the US grand prix. It is believed the new unit is the […]