Sep.18 (GMM) If Lewis Hamilton wins this weekend, he will match the career tally of his childhood hero Ayrton Senna. But rival Felipe Massa, who like Senna is a Brazilian, thinks that even when Briton Hamilton matches the F1 legend’s victory tally of 41, it will not detract from the Senna legacy. “Definitely not,” the […]
Vandoorne ‘not afraid’ of Alonso pairing
Sep.18 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne should be under consideration for a F1 race seat in 2016, his current boss insists. With fellow McLaren junior Kevin Magnussen now linked with a switch to Haas, some believe Belgian Vandoorne is favourite should talks between the Woking team and Jenson Button break down. The rumour in Singapore is that […]
Haze situation improves above Singapore
Sep.18 (GMM) Singapore authorities have denied rumours they are clearing the unhealthy haze above the Marina Bay circuit by ‘cloud seeding’. Rain and wind has helped to ease the haze that threatened to spoil F1’s premier night race, but some believed authorities had induced rain chemically by controversially adding silver iodide to the clouds. Singapore’s […]
2016 ‘triple header’ worries Button
Sep.18 (GMM) Jenson Button has expressed concerns about Bernie Ecclestone’s latest plans to amend the 2016 race calendar. After teams pushed for the restoration of the summer break and shutdown period, which had been diminished in the provisional 21-race schedule for next year, a revised draft calendar began to circulate the paddock. According to France’s […]
Grosjean ‘has decided’ 2016 team
Sep.17 (GMM) Romain Grosjean on Thursday said he has made his decision about what team to drive for in 2016. The Frenchman currently drives for Lotus, the cash-strapped team whose very survival may depend on whether Renault decides to buy it. Grosjean has also been linked with a switch to Haas, the new Ferrari B-team, […]
Button admits F1 future remains open
Sep.17 (GMM) Jenson Button has hinted news about his future might be just a “few weeks” away. Speaking in Singapore, the Briton was responding to speculation that while McLaren wants to keep him for 2016, the two sides are having discussions about money. “I’ve had a couple of very good chats with Ron (Dennis),” Button […]
Sainz sure Toro Rosso not favouring Verstappen
Sep.17 (GMM) Carlos Sainz says he is sure Toro Rosso does not favour his high-profile teammate Max Verstappen. He told Spain’s AS newspaper in Singapore that he is not worried he might be dropped by the energy drink-owned team after an impressive first season in F1. Asked if he has been confirmed for 2016, Sainz […]
‘Silly season’ now about engines, not drivers
Sep.17 (GMM) The focus of the 2016 ‘silly season’ has turned from drivers to engines. Earlier this week, it appeared that the pieces of the ‘power unit’ puzzle for next year were falling into place. Red Bull was moving from Renault to Ferrari, with Lotus switching from customer Mercedes status to become the works Renault […]
Rossi selects 53 as permanent F1 number
Sep.17 (GMM) Alexander Rossi has selected 53 as his permanent race number ahead of his F1 debut in Singapore this weekend. The Californian GP2 front-runner, who is replacing Manor regular Roberto Merhi at five of the remaining grands prix this season, told reporters he actually selected the number 16. “That’s the number I used in […]
Rossi replaces Merhi in Singapore
Sep.17 (GMM) Roberto Merhi and Fabio Leimer on Thursday are digesting the latest news out of the Manor team. For Merhi, his race-by-race deal with the struggling backmarker comes to an end for now, as the Californian GP2 title-contender Alexander Rossi prepares to make his debut in Singapore. Spaniard Merhi will only return to the […]
Mateschitz buys another Austrian circuit
Sep.17 (GMM) Dietrich Mateschitz is adding another Austrian race track to his collection. Reports in Austria – in the Osterreich and Salzburger Nachrichten newspapers – say the Red Bull mogul and billionaire is buying the Salzburgring. Billionaire Mateschitz brought F1 back to Austria two years ago after buying and reconstructing the A1-Ring, which he renamed […]
Ferrari official denies Williams switch reports
Sep.17 (GMM) A Ferrari official has denied rumours he could be about to move to Williams. Italy’s Corriere della Sera had reported that Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll might be on the verge of buying into the British team. He would take his son Lance with him to Grove, even though the 16-year-old is currently a […]
Vettel can imagine Red Bull-Ferrari tie-up
Sep.17 (GMM) One of the loudest questions being asked around the Singapore paddock is ‘What engine will power Red Bull next year?’ That the energy drink stable is splitting with Renault is now widely known, even though it is an unofficial fact that former team driver Sebastian Vettel thinks is “sad”. Vettel, now at Ferrari, […]
ORF says F1 future ‘not decided yet’
Sep.17 (GMM) The Austrian broadcaster ORF says it has not taken a decision about its future in formula one. Reports this week claimed the long-time F1 broadcaster may no longer be prepared to pay the annual fee of EUR 15 million to Bernie Ecclestone. An ORF spokesman said: “Whether and under what conditions formula one […]
Pirelli imposing lower pressures in Singapore too
Sep.17 (GMM) Pirelli and the FIA were on Thursday issuing a technical directive to the teams, amid efforts to prevent a repeat of the post-Monza tyre pressure controversy. Actually, according to the letter of the new rules mandating minimum tyre pressures, Lewis Hamilton should have lost his victory, one team manager believes. “The FIA just […]
Engine penalty shadow now looming for Rosberg
Sep.17 (GMM) The spectre of grid penalties now loom for Nico Rosberg, as the German will begin to use his fourth and final engine of the season in Singapore. Earlier, it emerged that the new-specification unit that Mercedes removed from Rosberg’s car before qualifying at Monza is in fact not damaged. That remains the case. […]
Button rules out Haas move
Sep.17 (GMM) Jenson Button says the wait on his future is nearing an end, as he rules out a switch to the new Ferrari B-team Haas. The F1 veteran left Monza recently declaring that, by Singapore, his next move may be known. Now he is setting a new deadline — the end of September. Button […]
Merhi to be replaced by Rossi – report
Sep.16 (GMM) Roberto Merhi’s time in formula one could be coming to an end. The Spanish rookie has been on a race-by-race deal with struggling backmarker Manor all season, but in recent days it had appeared his seat was more secure. That is because he has finally stopped splitting his time between F1 and the […]
Thai beer sponsors Raikkonen
Sep.16 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen has aligned with yet another alcoholic drink. Early this month, we reported that the Ferrari driver is the new face of the tinned gin and dry ‘Iceman Long Drink’. And now in Bangkok, the ‘Iceman’ himself was present as Singha Corporation and its beer brand was unveiled as his new personal […]
No more ‘duck’ nose for Sauber – report
Sep.16 (GMM) The centrepiece of Sauber’s new package for Singapore is a short nose, the respected Swiss correspondent Roger Benoit claims. The struggling Swiss team has rarely updated its 2015 car this year, but a major aerodynamic package will be raced by Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson in Singapore this weekend. Benoit, writing in the […]