Jun.20 (GMM) McLaren’s all-new ‘short nose’ was almost shelved at the scene of the Austrian grand prix. The British team reportedly tried and failed to pass the FIA’s mandatory crash testing with the new concept in the weeks leading up to its debut on Friday. But even with the crash tests finally passed, the nose […]
Michelin wants F1 to be ‘extreme sport’
Jun.20 (GMM) Michelin has hit back at Bernie Ecclestone’s claim it would not be good for F1 if the French marque won the sport’s 2017 tyre contract. F1’s current supplier Pirelli confirmed on Friday that it is going head-to-head with Michelin for the new deal. “There are definitely only two bidders,” said Pirelli’s Paul Hembery […]
Austria set for ‘silver versus red’ battle
Jun.20 (GMM) Those with a ticket for Sunday’s Austrian grand prix could be in for a ‘silver versus red’ treat. Last year, 90,000 race-day spectators watched on as Red Bull organised the first F1 race in picturesque Spielberg for over a decade. But it is believed only 50,000 will be trackside in 2015. “I suppose […]
Mateschitz will not ‘give up’ – Lauda
Jun.20 (GMM) Dietrich Mateschitz is not poised to quit formula one. That is the claim of fellow Austrian and F1 legend Niki Lauda, as speculation about Red Bull’s future on the grid swirls in the ‘Red Bull Ring’ paddock. Lauda himself is featured in the latest, provocative edition of Red Bull’s ‘Red Bulletin’ magazine entitled […]
Leimer turns hopes to Silverstone
Jun.20 (GMM) Fabio Leimer has his fingers crossed for a Friday practice debut at Silverstone in two weeks. The 2013 GP2 champion had hoped to make his bow in Austria, having signed up as Manor’s new reserve and Friday driver just ahead of the recent Canadian grand prix. Swiss Leimer, 26, did travel to the […]
Ecclestone struggling to sell ‘crap product’
Jun.20 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone says he is struggling to sell a “crap product” to the public in the new era of formula one. The F1 supremo has said consistently that the ‘power unit’ regulations are a major reason for the decline in popularity of the sport he has ruled for decades. “I was talking to […]
Perez hits back at ‘unprofessional’ jibe
Jun.20 (GMM) Sergio Perez has hit back at claims he was “totally unprofessional” and “a slob”. A month ago, the Mexican’s former Formula BMW chief Peter Mucke, who also worked with Sebastian Vettel, Robert Kubica and many others, looked back on Perez’s days as a teenager. “His apartment in Berlin looked like a battlefield. He […]
F1 rules contributed to Canada spin – Raikkonen
Jun.20 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen says Ferrari has made some tweaks in the wake of his spin in Canada recently. The spin cost the Finn a sure podium, and incurred the wrath of his boss Maurizio Arrivabene, just as Raikkonen’s future in red is being hotly debated. “Ferrari has not said exactly what happened,” fellow Finn […]
Todt to watch Mick Schumacher race at Spa
Jun.20 (GMM) FIA president Jean Todt will reportedly watch Mick Schumacher race at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend. Mick, the 16-year-old son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, is racing with a broken hand this weekend as his first season in single seaters continues in 2015. His father is synonymous with Spa, a fabled F1 circuit in Belgium, […]
Kimi loses cool amid pay-cut reports
Jun.19 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen lost his ice-cool on Thursday amid reports Ferrari is asking him to take a pay-cut. Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport claims the Maranello marque is interested in retaining the Finn for 2016 but only if his EUR 12 million retainer is dropped by 25 per cent. And the report said Ferrari […]
Ricciardo has ‘learned’ from Canada outburst
Jun.19 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he is staying at Red Bull for now. Normally F1’s most laughing, grinning and carefree character, the Australian was uncharacteristically grim in Canada amid rumours he might be in the frame to switch to Ferrari. Ricciardo admits he let his emotions show. “Looking at where I was (in Montreal) […]
Gov’t would ‘support’ French GP return – minister
Jun.19 (GMM) A French official says he is “ready” to support the country’s return to the F1 calendar. That is despite F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone insisting “there isn’t a good circuit in France” to host it. “We left France because it didn’t work for anyone,” he told Britain’s Sky. The French broadcaster Canal Plus, however, […]
Haas’ Ferrari alliance ‘very clever’ – Wolff
Jun.19 (GMM) Toto Wolff has hailed as “clever” the approach to formula one being taken by the 2016 American entrant, Haas. Gene Haas, already a co-owner of a Nascar team, is entering F1 next year to promote his California based machine tool company Haas Automation. His technical alliance with Ferrari, however, has raised eyebrows up […]
F1 must be ‘spine-tingling’ again – Surer
Jun.19 (GMM) Former F1 driver Marc Surer has backed those who think the sport needs a re-injection of danger. Kimi Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel, and even F1 legend Niki Lauda – although burned and almost killed in his fabled 1976 crash – think safety has given way to boredom in F1. But Felipe Massa, who was […]
Marko confirms engine ‘offer’ from Marchionne
Jun.19 (GMM) Ferrari has offered to supply the struggling Red Bull team with engines. Following a shock round of speculation, the energy drink company’s Dr Helmut Marko has now confirmed the news, even though his boss Dietrich Mateschitz played down the prospect of becoming a mere ‘customer’ team. “It is true that we received an […]
Grosjean says Palmer situation ‘not annoying’
Jun.19 (GMM) Romain Grosjean insists he is no longer annoyed about sitting out Friday practice sessions in 2015. With the lucratively PDVSA-backed Pastor Maldonado contractually guaranteed participation in every session, it means Lotus teammate Grosjean is the one sitting out FP1 sessions this year. That is because reserve and ‘Friday’ driver Jolyon Palmer is regularly […]
Mosley met with Ecclestone, Wolff in London – report
Jun.19 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has met secretly with his old sparring partner Max Mosley, the German newspaper Bild reports. As the increasingly-troubled sport looks to take a sharp turn for the future, the meeting follows hot on the heels of Mosley, the former FIA president, wondering if F1 needs a “generational change”. “Bernie is unable […]
Alonso had 2015 talks with ‘everyone’
Jun.19 (GMM) Fernando Alonso insists he is staying the course with McLaren-Honda, as he very deliberately made the switch from Ferrari at the end of last year. Many F1 insiders still cannot believe the Spaniard, as arguably the best and highest paid driver on the grid, would leave the newly-resurgent Ferrari to struggle at the […]
Not ‘realistic’ to expect win – Vettel
Jun.18 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel on Thursday admitted he is not expecting to win the Austrian grand prix. Mercedes’ Toto Wolff headed into the weekend’s racing at the Red Bull Ring warning that Ferrari did not get the most from its upgraded engine in Canada. “The battle is far from over,” he said. Speaking in Spielberg, […]
Mercedes also fastest pit crew in 2015
Jun.18 (GMM) Mercedes may have the best car, but the German team’s pit crew is also formula one’s fastest. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport has analysed the pitstops over the course of the seven races so far in 2015 and found that Mercedes’ average time is the shortest. It is a laudable achievement by the […]