Sep.25 (GMM) There was almost as much action going on behind the scenes as there was on a slippery Suzuka circuit on Friday. The big topic is engines — who is going to get what, and who is going to left without a ‘power unit’ to fire. For Lotus, time is clearly running out. Bernie […]
Tost’s Verstappen defence ‘surprised’ Sainz
Sep.25 (GMM) In the wake of Max Verstappen’s defiant refusal to obey team orders in Singapore, teammate Carlos Sainz has hinted he remains unhappy with Toro Rosso. In Singapore, the teenage sensation Verstappen was asked repeatedly to let Sainz past so that with his fresher tyres he could have a shot at passing Sergio Perez. […]
McLaren wants Button to stay – Neale
Sep.25 (GMM) McLaren on Friday declared that it wants to keep Jenson Button on board for 2016. Actually, the world’s media assembled at Suzuka on Thursday expecting the 2009 world champion to declare that his lost “joy” for F1 meant he had decided to call time on his 16-year career. “I get the sense from […]
Alonso may leave F1 to find winning car – Briatore
Sep.25 (GMM) If Fernando Alonso cannot return to having a winning car, he will seek it outside of formula one. That is the stark warning issued by Flavio Briatore, who signed up the Spaniard as a teenager more than 15 years ago and still plays a role in his management. The flamboyant Italian, who was […]
Audi ‘definitely’ welcome in F1 – Wolff
Sep.25 (GMM) Mercedes says it would welcome Audi to formula one. As Red Bull desperately seeks an alternative after splitting with Renault, rumours suggest the Volkswagen Group is now eyeing a project for its Audi brand. The sting in those rumours has been blunted by the international VW diesel emissions scandal, but Mercedes – having […]
Haas schedules driver announcement next week
Sep.25 (GMM) Haas, the new American team for 2016, has scheduled a driver announcement for next week. The Ferrari-linked outfit has invited journalists to its Kannapolis headquarters next Tuesday, where it says a “driver announcement” will take place. It is strongly rumoured that Ferrari reserve Esteban Gutierrez will be one driver, with Romain Grosjean probably […]
Force India ends Perez-to-Renault rumours
Sep.24 (GMM) Force India has ended speculation it may lose Sergio Perez and his Mexican backing to the new Renault works team in 2016. Reports this week suggested the 25-year-old could be set to replace the Haas-bound Romain Grosjean at Enstone. But at Suzuka ahead of the Japanese grand prix, Force India said Perez is […]
Kvyat not worried about F1 future
Sep.24 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat on Thursday insisted he is not worried about the future — not his own, nor that of his Red Bull team. At present, Red Bull is without an engine deal for 2016 and threatening to pull both of its teams out of F1 if Ferrari does not release an ‘A’ spec […]
Lotus’ struggles laid bare, no news on Button retirement
Sep.24 (GMM) Lotus’ financial woes were laid literally bare at Suzuka on Thursday. Crates of equipment were laying wet in the paddock, the hospitality unit was completely empty as the struggling team was locked out, and there were rumours the Mercedes engines for the black and gold cars were not yet even at Suzuka. Amidst […]
Mercedes car not designed for Singapore – Lowe
Sep.24 (GMM) Mercedes sounded a little wiser on Thursday about its mysterious performance slump of Singapore. Although just a few days of head-scratching and analysis have passed since arguably the team’s worst performance of the ‘power unit’ era, technical chief Paddy Lowe sounded sure Singapore was the culmination of a multitude of small factors. Firstly, […]
‘Always hope’ despite latest Schumacher reports
Sep.24 (GMM) The late Jules Bianchi’s father has urged the world not to lose hope about the recovery of F1 legend Michael Schumacher. Updates about the condition of the great seven time world champion have been scarce since he left hospital to return home to Switzerland more than a year ago. International reports in the […]
McLaren at Honda’s HQ for ‘crisis talks’
Sep.24 (GMM) McLaren is holding so-called ‘crisis talks’ ahead of struggling Honda’s home grand prix in Japan. This week, team boss Eric Boullier has been at Sakura, the Japanese carmaker’s F1 base, almost 500 kilometres from the Honda-owned Suzuka track. With Honda struggling so obviously, there is plenty to talk about. Writing for the Telegraph, […]
Lotus locked out of hospitality at Suzuka – report
Sep.24 (GMM) As the rest of the paddock prepared for the Japanese grand prix, Lotus was locked out of its hospitality unit at Suzuka. That was the claim of the French publication L’Equipe, as the embattled Enstone team’s next court date in London on Monday threatens to put them into administration. The buyout by Renault […]
Teams still arguing over Pirelli tyre test
Sep.24 (GMM) F1 teams are reportedly still arguing over whether Pirelli’s new ‘ultra soft’ compound for the 2016 season will be tested in Abu Dhabi after the November season finale. Paul Hembery said in Singapore that a two-day session at the Yas Marina circuit has been lined up, as Pirelli aims to introduce a fifth […]
Vettel ‘dangerous’ to Mercedes’ title charge – Lauda
Sep.24 (GMM) Ahead of the Japanese grand prix, Niki Lauda has admitted to some concern about Mercedes’ mysterious performance slump just days ago in Singapore. Theories – some wild – about the reason for the usually-dominant German team’s slip behind Ferrari and Red Bull are still circulating, as it is believed even Mercedes is still […]
Pirelli, Hamilton reject Singapore conspiracies
Sep.24 (GMM) Pirelli on Thursday moved to dismiss a conspiracy theory about Mercedes’ mysterious loss of performance last week in Singapore. The world champions’ sudden slump had tongues wagging in the paddock, with most seasoned observers agreeing that it was – at the very least – strange. “In all my time in formula one I […]
Bianchi’s father cannot watch Japanese GP
Sep.24 (GMM) One year on, as F1 returns to the scene of the first ultimately-fatal crash since Ayrton Senna’s in 1994, Jules Bianchi’s father admitted he will not be watching the Japanese grand prix. “No,” Philippe Bianchi told France’s RMC in an exclusive interview. “Since the accident, I have not watched the races. “I was […]
Red Bull pressuring Ferrari for rescue engine deal
Sep.23 (GMM) Red Bull is stepping up its F1 quit threat by putting pressure on the sport’s authorities, and potential supplier Ferrari. At present, the energy drink camp is in the throes of divorce from Renault, but Mercedes’ Toto Wolff has confirmed that the German carmaker is not interested in bailing out Red Bull and […]
Hakkinen sympathises with Mercedes’ Singapore slump
Sep.23 (GMM) Mika Hakkinen says Mercedes’ performance problem of Singapore is perhaps not as unique as it seemed. The otherwise-dominant team’s sudden slump on the floodlit streets was fuel for F1’s usual conspiracy theorists, with some surmising that Pirelli may have supplied the ‘wrong tyres’ as payback for the Monza pressure saga. “I don’t believe […]
Honda could supply Toro Rosso in 2016 – report
Sep.23 (GMM) A big talking point heading into the Japanese grand prix is whether Red Bull will be able to secure a new engine deal. It is now known that the energy drink stable, also including the junior team Toro Rosso, is splitting with Renault after the Abu Dhabi finale in November. It could be […]