Apr.2 (GMM) Nico Rosberg was the hero of the day when he rescued a distressed child from waters on the coast of Monaco recently. Bild newspaper reports that the German, the winner of the last four grands prix and quickest on Friday in Bahrain, leapt into action two weeks ago after spotting a distressed five-year-old […]
McLaren admits Alonso return talks ‘ongoing’
Apr.2 (GMM) McLaren has confirmed talks with the FIA about getting injured Fernando Alonso back into his McLaren-Honda are “ongoing” in Bahrain. We reported earlier that, after Stoffel Vandoorne filled in for the Spaniard in Friday practice, McLaren supremo Ron Dennis met with FIA doctor Jean-Charles Piette in a bid to get Alonso back to […]
Austria secures lower fee for F1 TV rights
Apr.2 (GMM) F1 is staying on free-to-air television in Austria, after the broadcaster ORF renewed its deal with the sport. Late last year, we reported that ORF, a long-time F1 broadcaster, had not taken a decision about the future amid claims it was no longer willing to pay a speculated EUR 15 million per year. […]
Renault hits out at ‘huge’ Magnussen penalty
Apr.2 (GMM) Renault has hit out at Kevin Magnussen’s exclusion from qualifying in Bahrain. The Dane has been ordered to start Sunday’s grand prix from the pitlane, after going through a red light signalling a routine weighing during Friday practice. “For something that is quite frankly a routine check, it’s a huge penalty,” Renault chief […]
Azerbaijan set to change F1 race start time
Apr.1 (GMM) Organisers of June’s inaugural grand prix in Azerbaijan are in talks with Bernie Ecclestone to tweak the race start time. Nico Hulkenberg, the 2015 Le Mans winner, is unable to defend his title this year because F1’s first ever race on the streets of Baku is taking place on the same weekend as […]
Vettel denies F1 already fast enough
Apr.1 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has hit back at suggestions speeding up the cars for 2017 is not the right direction for F1. With the tyres and cars set to be wider next year, and the wings bigger, world champion Lewis Hamilton and others are concerned the real problem – the lack of genuine overtaking – […]
Haas denies car failure caused Alonso crash
Apr.1 (GMM) F1’s newest team has denied speculation Fernando Alonso’s crash in Melbourne was caused by a failure aboard the Haas car driven by Esteban Gutierrez. With the Spaniard having hit Gutierrez at top speed from behind before braking, rumours have indicated the MGU-K system may have malfunctioned, affecting the Mexican’s ability to brake normally. […]
Most teams oppose faster cars for 2017
Apr.1 (GMM) Almost every team in pitlane is now opposed to the plan to speed up the cars with more downforce in 2017. Although designers are already turning their minds to what are expected to be vastly different regulations next year, Auto Motor und Sport revealed on Friday that eight of the eleven teams are […]
Verstappen apologised to Toro Rosso
Apr.1 (GMM) Max Verstappen has revealed he apologised to Toro Rosso for his foul-mouthed radio abuse in the Australian grand prix. “I apologised to the team for my comments on the radio,” he told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. “I have to communicate more calmly next time.” The 18-year-old F1 sensation was furious in Melbourne […]
Qualifying situation ‘crazy’ – Lauda
Apr.1 (GMM) A meeting to analyse the future of F1’s qualifying format has already been scheduled for Bahrain. In the paddock on Thursday, the widespread feeling was that the sport was “crazy” to have not scrapped the new ‘musical chairs’ system after Australia. “It’s crazy,” said F1 legend Niki Lauda, “because we saw in Australia […]
Massa still waiting for new Williams nose
Apr.1 (GMM) The Williams team is still waiting for its highly-anticipated new ultra-short nose to touch down in the Bahrain paddock. But even when it does arrive from Britain, it will not get fitted to Valtteri Bottas’ car. “Felipe (Massa) has more points,” he is quoted by Finland’s Turun Sanomat newspaper. “So if the front […]
Rivals surprised after Alonso sidelined
Apr.1 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s rivals were surprised on Thursday when it emerged the Spaniard had been sidelined in Bahrain for medical reasons. “I said ‘Wow’,” admitted fellow F1 veteran Jenson Button. Alonso’s countryman and friend Carlos Sainz added: “I knew he was not 100 per cent, but I did not expect that he would not […]
Paddock ‘Snapchat’ ban for Hamilton
Apr.1 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has banned Lewis Hamilton from filming footage for his increasingly notorious ‘Snapchat’ videos inside the F1 paddock. The reigning world champion has taken to summarising his global travels with the social media app, ranging from his famous motorcycle ‘selfie’ in Australia to bizarre footage of himself sitting on an airplane toilet […]
Ferrari admits Verstappen ‘interesting’ for future
Apr.1 (GMM) Ferrari has joined Mercedes in admitting its interest in F1 teen sensation Max Verstappen. “It is clear that he has a great future in F1,” Mercedes’ Toto Wolff said recently. “It would be stupid not to consider him as the opportunity arises. “But at the moment this is not an issue,” added Wolff, […]
Red Bull drivers try ‘halo’ alternative
Apr.1 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kvyat have tried a mock-up of Red Bull’s alternative to the ‘halo’ cockpit protection concept. Unlike the chicken wishbone-style ‘halo’, the Red Bull alternative is essentially an open-topped canopy protected by a forward-facing, bulletproof windshield. Felipe Massa recently questioned whether the side supports would compromise visibility when drivers are […]
Alonso suffered collapsed lung, broken ribs
Mar.31 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is sitting out the Bahrain grand prix with broken ribs and after suffering a partially collapsed lung. The Spaniard made the revelation on Thursday, after FIA doctors studied CT scans and ordered him out of the McLaren-Honda this weekend. Alonso told reporters he suffered a “pneumothorax”, or partially collapsed lung, due […]
Verstappen ‘moves on’ after Melbourne anger
Mar.31 (GMM) Max Verstappen says he has “moved on” after losing his cool at the Australian grand prix. The 18-year-old, who made expletive-filled radio calls to the Toro Rosso pitwall in Melbourne, was furious about a bungled pitstop and being stuck behind teammate Carlos Sainz. “I have never seen Max as angry as he was […]
Local official says Monza ‘will be saved’
Mar.31 (GMM) A local sports official is confident Monza will secure its place on the F1 calendar for 2017 and beyond. Negotiations between Bernie Ecclestone and race organisers are ongoing and reportedly troubled, but Oreste Perri, president of Lombardy’s Olympic committee, is upbeat. “Just now I spoke with my delegate of Monza and he told […]
Todt also responded to GPDA letter
Mar.31 (GMM) FIA president Jean Todt also responded to the F1 drivers’ public complaint about the sport’s current governance. Just after the 2016 season opener, the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) revealed an open letter to F1 “stakeholders” expressing formal concern about recent decisions made on the sporting, technical and business sides. F1 supremo Bernie […]
Drivers eye spot on F1 Commission
Mar.31 (GMM) F1 drivers may be angling for a spot on the sport’s decision-making body. Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) chief Alex Wurz has been coy when asked what the next step – like race boycotts – might be after the revelation of the highly-critical open letter about F1’s governance. The active drivers in the […]