Oct.19 (GMM) According to some, Lewis Hamilton has now established himself as clearly the de-facto ‘number 1’ at Mercedes. Indeed, as that pecking-order appears ever-clearer, all of the fuel of the earlier bitter rivalry between the Briton and Nico Rosberg has now burned out. “I just want to mention what a great teammate Nico is,” […]
Verstappen leaves options open amid Red Bull crisis
Oct.19 (GMM) An 18-year-old rookie is clearly the hottest property on F1’s driver market. Max Verstappen is under firm contract to Red Bull, but the energy drink company is threatening to pull out of F1 over its engine supply crisis. Verstappen’s father Jos and manager Raymond Vermeulen have already been spotted in conversation with Mercedes, […]
Report names Lauda as candidate to replace Ecclestone
Oct.19 (GMM) Niki Lauda, the F1 legend and current Mercedes team chairman, has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Bernie Ecclestone. That is the claim of the Austrian newspaper Osterreich, amid the latest speculation about the impending sale of the sport. F1 supremo Ecclestone caused a stir recently when he announced that the sale […]
Renault delay adds ‘compromises’ to 2016 car – Permane
Oct.19 (GMM) Leading Lotus engineer Alan Permane has admitted every passing day risks adding “compromises” to the design of next year’s car. The troubled Enstone team is in the midst of a long delay as Renault considers turning its ‘letter of intent’ into the French carmaker’s new works team. If it happens, Lotus will need […]
Marko hopes for Red Bull crisis solution in Austin
Oct.19 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko is hoping a solution to Red Bull’s engine crisis is just around the corner. The energy drink company is splitting with its current partner Renault, but it has hit brick walls in attempting to secure an alternative engine supply from Mercedes or Ferrari for 2016. “At the moment nothing has […]
Merhi not hitting back at Alonso’s ‘aeroplane’ jibe
Oct.19 (GMM) Roberto Merhi has refused to criticise countryman Fernando Alonso for mocking the British backmarker Manor. With Manor switching to Mercedes power for 2016, a cheeky Alonso recently ridiculed at notion that the F1 minnow might actually beat McLaren-Honda next year. “With total respect for Manor,” the Spaniard said, “I think they can put […]
Manor seat could be too expensive for Wehrlein – Wolff
Oct.19 (GMM) Toto Wolff has repeated his warning that there is no guarantee Pascal Wehrlein will make his F1 debut with Manor next year. Before the newly 21-year-old German wrapped up the DTM championship at the weekend, Mercedes’ Wolff had warned that Manor’s new Mercedes engine deal was no guarantee of a route into F1 […]
Todt willing to help solve Red Bull crisis
Oct.19 (GMM) Jean Todt has not ruled out getting involved to help keep Red Bull in formula one. The current FIA president is regularly criticised for his low-profile, hands-off approach to F1. And he told the Finnish newspaper Ilta Sanomat that he is not sure whether the energy drink company will pull both of its […]
Ferrari vows to veto engine cost cap plans
Oct.16 (GMM) Ferrari has signaled its intention to veto any moves to cap the cost of engines in formula one. In July, it emerged that the FIA planned to cap the cost of a supply of expensive customer ‘power units’ to just EUR 12 million per season, and as little as 8 million for a […]
Lauda slams Sauber over European Commission complaint
Oct.16 (GMM) Niki Lauda has slammed Sauber after the Swiss team filed a complaint about F1’s governance with the European Commission. Sauber chief Monisha Kaltenborn, backed by the Silverstone based team Force India, argues that Bernie Ecclestone unfairly divided the sport into ‘privileged’ and ‘non-privileged’ teams in the areas of income and rule-making. F1 legend […]
F1 to allow in-season engine development in 2016
Oct.16 (GMM) F1’s struggling engine manufacturers will be able to deploy performance upgrade ‘tokens’ during the 2016 season. The news follows a key meeting on Thursday in Geneva, in which it was also agreed between the FIA and engine makers to overturn the newly-published regulation outlawing the use of year-old ‘power units’ next year. That […]
Magnussen and McLaren confirm split
Oct.16 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen and McLaren-Honda on Friday confirmed reports in the Danish media that the two sides have split. The Copenhagen Post declared that the young Dane, who made his debut for the Woking team in 2014 but served only as the reserve this year, is “done at McLaren”. It explained that Honda-powered McLaren […]
Wehrlein to meet Wolff to discuss F1 future
Oct.16 (GMM) Two important meetings that will determine Pascal Wehrlein’s future in formula one are now looming. The first is this weekend at Hockenheim, where the young German will blow out the candles on his 21st birthday cake and charge to become the youngest champion in the history of the German touring car series DTM. […]
Magnussen and McLaren to split – reports
Oct.16 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen is splitting with McLaren, two Danish publications report. The 23-year-old has been the Woking team’s reserve driver in 2015, having lost his race seat after just a single season. Dane Magnussen, the son of another former McLaren driver Jan, told the Danish newspaper BT recently: “I am in contact with several […]
Raikkonen not ruling out staying beyond 2016
Oct.16 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen has not ruled out extending his stay in formula one even beyond the end of 2016. Earlier, the popular Finn’s future beyond this season was clouded as Ferrari reportedly considered replacing him with Williams’ Valtteri Bottas. 35-year-old Raikkonen, however, was ultimately re-signed, and the 2007 world champion has now indicated he […]
2017 is best chance for Williams – Massa
Oct.15 (GMM) Williams’ Felipe Massa admits the British team might struggle to take on the might of grandees Mercedes and Ferrari until 2017. Despite the fact it is an engine ‘customer’ and independent team with a more modest budget, the Grove team has consistently been F1’s third force throughout the new ‘power unit’ era so […]
Haas hints Grosjean teammate to be Gutierrez
Oct.15 (GMM) Gunther Steiner has given the strongest hint yet that Haas will complete its first F1 driver lineup with Esteban Gutierrez. The new American team has already signed up Lotus’ Romain Grosjean for 2016, and hinted strongly that his teammate will be a Ferrari-linked test driver. The two Ferrari-clad candidates are Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne […]
Ferrari backs Raikkonen after crash criticism
Oct.15 (GMM) Ferrari has leapt to the defence of Kimi Raikkonen, amid rising criticism of the Finn’s driving in Russia. The 2007 world champion was penalised by the stewards for ending his podium battle with Valtteri Bottas with a crash. Fellow Finn Mika Hakkinen criticised Raikkonen for not clearly accepting the blame, surmising that he […]
Boss says F1 calendar ‘attack’ on Le Mans
Oct.15 (GMM) Le Mans chief Gerard Neveu says F1’s re-jigged calendar for 2016 is “a clear attack” on the fabled 24 hour endurance race. FIA president Jean Todt has already approved and defended Bernie Ecclestone’s schedule, despite the fact the clash of the inaugural grand prix in Azerbaijan and Le Mans in June will prevent […]
McLaren-Honda says update ‘better than expected’
Oct.15 (GMM) McLaren-Honda is suddenly sounding much more confident about the future. Until now, while insisting that the fabled Anglo-Japanese combination will eventually bear fruit, there has been little sign of progress in 2015. But that may all have changed at Sochi last weekend, where Fernando Alonso was at the controls of a new Honda […]