Aug.26 (GMM) Flavio Briatore has urged Mercedes to supply engines to Red Bull. While the F1 world waits for Renault to decide its next steps, struggling Red Bull is reportedly pushing to break its 2016 contract and team up with Mercedes. Arch rival Mercedes, however, is wondering whether supplying the field-leading ‘power unit’ to former […]
‘No panic’ as Lotus looks into uncertain future – Grosjean
Aug.26 (GMM) Even amid high speculation about the team’s future, Lotus is continuing to plan ahead. The last word about the Enstone team was that, as buyout talks with Renault potentially falter, all of Lotus’ equipment including the two black and gold cars was seized by court bailiffs after the Belgian grand prix. Asked if […]
Briatore backs Pirelli as Vettel anger continues
Aug.26 (GMM) Flavio Briatore has backed Pirelli in its spat with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. In the wake of Vettel’s expletive-filled rant following his tyre blowout at Spa-Francorchamps, the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport wondered if the German driver was also angry at his team for trying the risky strategy. “Just to make things clear,” […]
F1 to test cockpit-‘halo’ idea in September
Aug.26 (GMM) The death of Justin Wilson, mere weeks after F1’s first race fatality since 1994, has put the spotlight back on cockpit protection. Before the Jules Bianchi and Wilson tragedies, Felipe Massa was almost killed in 2009 when a flying spring struck his helmet, and Henry Surtees died in a similar incident in Formula […]
Vergne admits F1 return possible
Aug.25 (GMM) Jean-Eric Vergne has added fuel to speculation he is a major contender to return to F1 next year with Haas. As a Ferrari test driver, the Frenchman is undoubtedly in the running to re-launch his grand prix career with the new American team. Now a Formula E driver, Vergne admitted to the UK’s […]
Former F1 driver Wilson dies
Aug.25 (GMM) Former Minardi and Jaguar driver Justin Wilson has died, one day after a horror incident during an Indycar race. The 37-year-old Briton, who raced in formula one in 2003 before switching to America’s open wheel scene, was in a coma and critical condition on Sunday after the nose section of a rival’s crashed […]
Blanchimont bravery was ‘typical Max’ – father
Aug.25 (GMM) As his teenage son inspired gasps and cheers at fabled Spa-Francorchamps, Jos Verstappen was not surprised by what he saw. 24 hours after a GP2 driver, Dutch countryman Daniel de Jong, broke his back in a head-on crash at the same corner and had to undergo hours of surgery, it was Max Verstappen […]
Lotus stuck at Spa as Renault decision still looms
Aug.25 (GMM) For embattled Lotus, time may be running out just as Renault enters a further period of delay in its decision about the future. According to various media sources including the Swiss newspaper Blick, all the equipment belonging to the Enstone team – which is reportedly close to being bought out so that Renault […]
Honda has Ferrari-like plan to improve – Boullier
Aug.25 (GMM) Honda “has a plan” to dramatically improve a crucial element of its current power unit, according to McLaren team boss Eric Boullier. The struggling Japanese marque’s F1 chief Yasuhisa Arai left Spa-Francorchamps with a red face, having stridently predicted that an upgraded engine in Belgium would match the one now fielded by Ferrari. […]
Popular Raikkonen not ‘low cost driver’ – Arrivabene
Aug.25 (GMM) Ferrari did not decide to retain Kimi Raikkonen for 2016 because he is cheap and popular, boss Maurizio Arrivabene insists. There was a round of surprise recently when the Maranello team re-signed the 35-year-old Finn, amid strong rumours that had linked Valtteri Bottas and others with the seat. Team chief Arrivabene, formerly a […]
Pirelli, Ferrari move to end Vettel-fuelled ‘war’
Aug.25 (GMM) Pirelli and Ferrari, both Italian companies, will get together prior to the forthcoming Italian grand prix. The meeting follows the explosion of a controversy at the Belgian grand prix, where Sebastian Vettel launched an expletive-filled tirade after a tyre blowout at Spa-Francorchamps. “Nobody has ever seen him so angry,” said the Italian daily […]
Experts say Pirelli controversy is boost to Michelin
Aug.25 (GMM) Michelin’s bid to oust Pirelli as F1’s official tyre supplier may have got a boost from the fallout of the Belgian grand prix. Sebastian Vettel was not the only high-profile figure to boldly criticise Pirelli after his blowout at Spa-Francorchamps, as Nico Rosberg had a similar high-speed incident at the fearsome circuit. In […]
Vettel’s attack on Pirelli ‘not right’ – Lauda
Aug.24 (GMM) Niki Lauda has leapt to Pirelli’s defence, after Sebastian Vettel launched a stinging attack on the F1 tyre supplier following the Belgian grand prix. Following the high-speed blowout that essentially ended the Ferrari driver’s outside shot at the 2015 title, Vettel slammed the quality of Pirelli’s tyres. It was the second blowout of […]
‘No reason’ for 2016 driver change – Horner
Aug.24 (GMM) Red Bull looks set to prepare for the 2016 season with an unchanged pair of drivers. The former world championship-winning team’s current drivers are Daniel Ricciardo alongside young Russian Daniil Kvyat. “I don’t see any reason for us to change,” boss Christian Horner said at Spa-Francorchamps. “We are very pleased with our two […]
Ex-F1 driver Wilson in coma after crash
Aug.24 (GMM) Former F1 driver Justin Wilson is in a coma following an incident during an Indycar race on Sunday. The 37-year-old Briton raced for Minardi and Jaguar in 2003, having won the GP2 predecessor Formula 3000 in 2001. Now a veteran of American open wheel racing, Wilson was racing on an oval circuit in […]
Sochi promoter admits night race possible
Aug.24 (GMM) Russian grand prix promoter Sergei Vorobyov has admitted Sochi could switch to a night race format in the future. Vorobyov travelled to Spa-Francorchamps for talks with Bernie Ecclestone, with the F1 supremo telling reporters that Russia’s switch to floodlit racing is a possibility for 2017. “2017 is an optimistic scenario for the night […]
Force India enters frame for Renault deal
Aug.24 (GMM) Force India has joined in the running to become Renault’s works team, it emerged after the Belgian grand prix on Sunday. The news is surprising, following earlier reports the struggling Enstone based team Lotus – formerly the fully Renault-owned outfit – was close to securing the deal. Lotus’ recent financial troubles hit their […]
Nasr hits out at ‘unacceptable’ Sauber problem
Aug.24 (GMM) Felipe Nasr has criticised his team for yet another braking problem in 2015. The Brazilian has complained of a recurring problem more than once this season, and now he says it affected his entire Belgian grand prix. “I basically had only three wheels because of the completely wrong brake balance,” Nasr told Globo, […]
Alonso happy to beat Button at Spa
Aug.24 (GMM) The Belgian grand prix was not all bad, according to Fernando Alonso. His teammate Jenson Button ended the Spa-Francorchamps race admitting it had even been “embarrassing”, as he was “just driving around” with a totally uncompetitive McLaren-Honda. The Briton said the hybrid parts of his Japanese-made ‘power unit’ were not working, but explained: […]
Toro Rosso set to keep Verstappen and Sainz
Aug.23 (GMM) Toro Rosso looks set to keep an unchanged driver lineup into 2016. The Red Bull-owned team has been openly happy with its latest pair of rookies, including the 17-year-old sensation Max Verstappen and Spaniard Carlos Sainz. In fact, it is believed Verstappen is already being courted by Ferrari, to replace the newly re-signed […]