Jun.2 (GMM) The Canadian grand prix is partly for sale, the Montreal daily La Presse reports. The newspaper said promoter Francois Dumontier, with a new ten-year race contract with Bernie Ecclestone in his pocket, is having talks with potential investors regarding his company Octane Racing Group. La Presse said Dumontier is open to selling “up […]
Bosses vote Hamilton best driver in F1
Jun.1 (GMM) Team bosses have voted Lewis Hamilton the best driver in formula one today. Germany’s Auto Bild magazine ran the survey amongst all ten rival team principals in the paddock, with Mercedes’ reigning world champion emerging at the front ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. “This means a lot to me,” Briton Hamilton […]
Hamilton yet to explain ‘Portier moment’
Jun.1 (GMM) Mercedes is yet to explain why Lewis Hamilton stopped on track immediately after the Monaco grand prix. Following the strategy bungle that cost the Briton a sure victory, Hamilton’s car stopped momentarily in the Portier corner before resuming its slow return to the pits. Some compared the Portier ‘moment’ to Ayrton Senna’s legendary […]
‘French paparazzi’ invading Schumacher privacy
Jun.1 (GMM) Sabine Kehm has pointed the finger at the “French paparazzi” for trying to invade Michael Schumacher’s privacy. It emerged last week that ever since the F1 legend returned to his luxury Swiss villa on Lake Geneva last September, the media has gone to great lengths to capture an image of him. Der Spiegel […]
Kaltenborn feared jail over van der Garde saga
Jun.1 (GMM) Monisha Kaltenborn has admitted she feared starting her 2015 season in jail. Until now, the Sauber chief has not spoken at length about the ‘Giedo van der Garde saga’ that risked derailing the Swiss team earlier this year. “There was a real risk,” Kaltenborn admitted, when asked by UOL Esporte if suggestions the […]
Briatore says Alonso under ‘no pressure’
Jun.1 (GMM) Flavio Briatore has scoffed at claims Fernando Alonso is feeling the “pressure” of his move to McLaren-Honda. Undoubtedly, the trajectory of the Spaniard’s F1 career has been mixed at best since he dominated with Renault a decade ago. He got caught up in the ‘spy’ and ‘crash’-gate scandals at McLaren and Renault, tried […]
Hamilton trains in same Monaco gym – Rosberg
Jun.1 (GMM) Mercedes’ title-duelling duo keep a wary eye on one another while training in the same gym. That is the claim of Nico Rosberg, who with his lucky third-consecutive Monaco victory closed the gap to world champion teammate Lewis Hamilton to just 10 points. The pair has had an often difficult relationship as Mercedes […]
Verstappen proves no injuries after crash
Jun.1 (GMM) Max Verstappen has demonstrated he is not injured in the wake of his huge Monaco crash. Many predicted the 17-year-old will suffer physically after his big hit into the Ste Devote barriers, but within days he was testing at his favourite kart circuit in Genk, Belgium. And at the weekend, he demonstrated not […]
Huge driver salaries ‘absurd’ – Mosley
Jun.1 (GMM) F1 teams should have less money to squander on “absurd” driver salaries. That is the view of former FIA president Max Mosley, speaking to the men’s magazine GQ not long after Lewis Hamilton’s lucrative new deal was signed. It is believed Hamilton’s Mercedes deal brings him in line with the dozens of millions […]
F1 can learn from MotoGP – Arrivabene
Jun.1 (GMM) F1 can learn from its two-wheeled equivalent, according to Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene. The Italian made a visit to Mugello at the weekend, as the Ferrari-owned circuit hosted the world of MotoGP. “I believe that this category has a lot to teach formula one,” Arrivabene told Italian media. “Here, if you a […]
Verstappen getting on with ‘rival’ Sainz
Jun.1 (GMM) Max Verstappen says he is still getting on well with his rookie teammate. The young Toro Rosso duo, whose combined age is an amazing 37, have been making their mark on formula one so far in 2015. Spaniard Carlos Sainz, 20, knows what the target is. At the weekend, he demonstrated a Red […]
German broadcaster wants F1 to improve
Jun.1 (GMM) RTL, F1’s free-to-air broadcaster in Germany, wants the sport to improve. We reported last week that, with the traditional market already losing its grand prix in 2015, Germany’s main television host may now also be eyeing the F1 exit. “It is said that RTL will invest all its energy into football,” said the […]
Monza, not Mugello, should host F1 – Arrivabene
Jun.1 (GMM) Monza should be the permanent home of the Italian grand prix. That is the claim of Maurizio Arrivabene, Ferrari’s team boss. At the weekend, he made a visit to Mugello, which has often been mentioned as a potential alternative venue for the Italian grand prix. Monza’s current place on the schedule is in […]
Manor signs up Bob Bell
Jun.1 (GMM) Backmarker Manor on Monday said it has signed up highly-respected F1 manager and engineer Bob Bell. Ulsterman Bell resigned as Mercedes’ technical director a year ago, formally leaving the German giant last November. Most recently, it was reported the 57-year-old, who served as Renault’s interim team boss after the ‘crash-gate’ scandal of 2009, […]
F1 drivers ‘all looking to Le Mans’ – Dumas
Jun.1 (GMM) F1 drivers are now taking the world of prototype sports cars seriously. That is the claim of Romain Dumas, a French driver who races for Porsche in the increasingly high-profile world endurance championship (WEC). WEC’s profile has been lifted even more in recent times by Dumas’ Porsche teammates: famous ex-F1 driver Mark Webber, […]
‘No plans’ to make ART ‘B’ team – McLaren
May 30 (GMM) McLaren has played down claims about a 2016 ‘B’ team. After the FIA kicked off a search for a new F1 team late this week, speculation suggested an early frontrunner could be ART, a French GP2 outfit. Leading the McLaren-liveried team in the feeder series’ 2016 championship is Stoffel Vandoorne, a McLaren-backed […]
Kehm defends handling of Schumacher privacy
May 30 (GMM) Manager Sabine Kehm has defended her handling of the media since Michael Schumacher’s skiing crash seventeen months ago. Kehm and Schumacher’s wife Corinna have often been criticised for guarding privacy so fiercely since the late December 2013 accident. It means the great German has not been seen publicly, while the nature of […]
GP2 team ART on pole for 2016 debut – report
May 29 (GMM) An early frontrunner to be the twelfth team in 2016 has already emerged. The FIA surprised the F1 media on Thursday by announcing it is searching for another team to join newcomer Haas, perhaps as soon as 2016. Given it is already almost June, Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport on Friday suggested […]
Ecclestone not ruling out India return
May 29 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone is not ruling out a return to the F1 calendar for India. Last week, a source close to the former promoter Jaypee indicated that the New Delhi race – scrapped for financial and bureaucratic reasons after its third edition in 2013 – appeared unlikely to return any time soon. Indeed, […]
Massa thinks Monaco one-off slump for Williams
May 29 (GMM) Felipe Massa has backed Williams to recover immediately from a bad weekend in Monaco. Valtteri Bottas said after the street race that it was the “second year in succession” the British team struggled in Monaco. Technical boss Pat Symonds told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport: “There is no excuse. “We had the […]