Jun.25 (GMM) As F1 chiefs ponder the sport’s biggest problems, Toto Wolff has admitted the issue of ‘characters’ is a recurring one. Some would argue that – recalling legends like Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, Gerhard Berger and countless others – none of the current crop of drivers even come close. “When I was younger, I […]
Italian chief ‘not fond’ of Imola plans
Jun.24 (GMM) The president of Italy’s auto racing federation says he wants Monza to keep its annual place on the formula one calendar. The comments of Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI) chief Angelo Sticci Damiani follow Bernie Ecclestone’s claim that former San Marino grand prix venue Imola could step in so that financially-troubled Monza only has […]
Ecclestone admits CVC could sell F1
Jun.24 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has admitted it is possible F1 owner CVC will sell the sport. The Financial Times and Reuters are reporting that a company headed by American football club Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, and backed by Qatar’s sports investment arm, is preparing to launch a $8 billion takeover bid. “My shares will […]
Red Bull’s Marko slams Horner exit rumours
Jun.24 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has slammed rumours Red Bull is set to oust its F1 team boss Christian Horner. Briton Horner has already dismissed the rumours about him being replaced by F1 legend Gerhard Berger, insisting he has a “long contract” and a good relationship with Red Bull mogul Dietrich Mateschitz. And now Marko, […]
Merhi admits still looking for sponsor
Jun.24 (GMM) As the mid-point of the 2015 season approaches, Roberto Merhi has clung onto his Manor seat so far. The rookie Spaniard’s place has been under a cloud all year, as the former Marussia team left the back door open for a driver who can bring more funding. But it emerges that Merhi, 24, […]
Hamilton made ‘mistakes’ in Austria – Mercedes
Jun.24 (GMM) Mercedes chiefs say Lewis Hamilton made a couple of errors in the recent Austrian grand prix. One of them was when he clearly crossed the pitlane exit line, incurring a penalty. And the other was at the start of the race, where despite launching off the grid from pole position, he was beaten […]
Ferrari makes move to sign Bottas – report
Jun.24 (GMM) Ferrari has launched a bid to secure the services of Valtteri Bottas, according to Germany’s Bild newspaper. Amid heightening speculation about Kimi Raikkonen’s future at the Italian team, the report said Ferrari has made “an offer” not only to Finn Bottas, but also his current team Williams. That is because the British team […]
Ferrari not giving up on catching Mercedes
Jun.24 (GMM) Ferrari is not giving up on trying to close the gap to Mercedes in 2015. That is the claim of bosses Maurizio Arrivabene and Sergio Marchionne, after yet another easy defeat at the hands of dominant Mercedes in Austria. Ferrari had travelled with high hopes to Canada recently with a token-upgraded engine, but […]
McLaren-Honda will ‘make things right’ – Alonso
Jun.24 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has described the 2015 season so far as a “transitional period” that will soon come to an end. McLaren-Honda had to tweak its post-race test plans for this week following the Spaniard’s crash with Kimi Raikkonen on Sunday. GP2 series leader Stoffel Vandoorne drove in Austria instead on Tuesday, while new […]
Radical Williams winglet ‘not legal’
Jun.24 (GMM) A radical new winglet tested by Williams in Austria on Tuesday is not legal. That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, after observers at the post-race test at the rainy Red Bull Ring spotted the innovation on the car run by Susie Wolff. But the winglet, mounted on the floor […]
Mercedes not willing to supply Red Bull – Wolff
Jun.23 (GMM) Mercedes has refused to follow in Ferrari’s footsteps in offering to supply engines to Red Bull. At the weekend, Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne said the Italian marque is willing to take struggling Renault-powered Red Bull on board as a customer. The same offer, however, has not been forthcoming from Mercedes, whose own turbo […]
Legends slam engine penalty rules
Jun.23 (GMM) Three racing legends have slammed F1’s long-life engine rules. In Austria, the full destructive potential of the rules was laid bare when Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button were moved back a farcical 50 combined places on the grid as they exhausted their supply of four engines for the season. “It’s crazy,” quadruple world […]
F1 still dangerous – Stewart
Jun.23 (GMM) Sir Jackie Stewart has warned F1 drivers that the sport is still dangerous. Kimi Raikkonen headed into the Austrian grand prix arguing that more danger would spice up the sport, only to narrowly avoid serious injury when Fernando Alonso’s McLaren sliced across his open cockpit at the start of the race. In fact, […]
Renault denies it will ‘give up’ on F1
Jun.23 (GMM) Renault has denied it is moving towards F1’s paddock turnstile. Amid talk of a split with Red Bull and a return to full works team status, the big rumour after Austria is that Renault is in fact close to deciding to simply quit formula one. That is because the development or ‘token’ rules […]
Verstappen had meeting with Ecclestone – report
Jun.23 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone is determined to introduce changes in formula one. The unlikely source of that information is Max Verstappen, the youngest driver in F1 history. The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf claims the 17-year-old sat down for his first one-on-one, face-to-face meeting with the F1 supremo in Austria, inside the 84-year-old’s famous paddock motor […]
Hamilton warns Rosberg against ‘momentum’ hopes
Jun.23 (GMM) F1’s battle for the 2015 title looks to now be a two-horse race. Nico Rosberg has won three of the last four grands prix, despite earlier appearing outclassed by his Mercedes teammate and reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton. Indeed, Red Bull was so confident Hamilton would win on Sunday that its race-day edition […]
Austria GP audience almost halved – report
Jun.23 (GMM) Expectations of a smaller crowd of spectators for the Red Bull-promoted Austrian grand prix have been confirmed. Last year, as the sport returned to the refurbished ‘Red Bull Ring’ for the first time in a decade, an enthusiastic full house of 90,000 thronged the stands. But Kleine Zeitung newspaper reports that, a year […]
Raikkonen losing support of Italian press
Jun.23 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen is losing the backing of Italy’s influential F1 media. Heading into Austria, the Finn clashed with reporters following the publication of a story suggesting he has been asked to take a pay-cut for 2016. “It’s bullsh*t nonsense that you guys come up with all the time,” Raikkonen charged. The 2007 world […]
Time running out for Ferrari’s Vettel – Wolff
Jun.23 (GMM) Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel is still clinging onto contention for the 2015 title, according to Mercedes chief Toto Wolff. The Italian team has closed the gap on Mercedes this year, but Niki Lauda admits he was “surprised” how easily Rosberg and Hamilton drove away in Austria. Vettel admitted: “We were not as close as […]
Horner denies Berger to replace him
Jun.23 (GMM) Christian Horner has hit back at rumours he is set to be ousted at Red Bull. British newspapers report that paddock speculation in Austria had suggested owner Dietrich Mateschitz was set to boost the struggling team’s waning motivation by installing F1 legend Gerhard Berger in Briton Horner’s place. Indeed, Berger has been a […]