Dec.18 (GMM) Toto Wolff says he is not worried Mercedes’ success will be eroded by rival teams poaching top staff. When asked about rumours that Ferrari poached five Mercedes engineers as the Italian marque significantly improved its engine last year, he insisted: “That’s nonsense.” But he also admitted that, in light of Mercedes’ utter dominance […]
Wolff ready for ‘even bigger’ driver fight
Dec.18 (GMM) Toto Wolff insists he does not want to end the controversial rivalry between warring Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. That is despite the fact that he was recently quoted as warning that if the feud gets out of hand and affects team spirit, Mercedes may need to change its lineup. “I […]
Carmen Jorda ‘excited’ about future with Renault
Dec.18 (GMM) Carmen Jorda sounds confident she will remain with Enstone as the current Lotus team transitions to Renault ownership over the winter. Often controversially, the 27-year-old female GP3 driver has been a development driver with Lotus in 2015, travelling the calendar but not actually driving the black and gold car. When asked this week […]
ITV to replace BBC for ‘free’ F1 in Britain
Dec.18 (GMM) The BBC, F1’s free-to-air British broadcaster, looks set to drop its coverage of the sport. The broadcaster has warned that it must cut costs, but F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone recently refused to renegotiate the BBC’s ongoing contract. And so British newspapers are reporting that the BBC, whose coverage has involved well-known F1 personalities […]
Monza future brighter as law tweaked
Dec.18 (GMM) In the days before Christmas, good news emerged this week from Italian parliamentary circles. La Repubblica reports that after a marathon 37 hour sitting, the budget committee gave a green light to tweak the ‘Legge di stabilita’ (stability law) that had earlier cast doubt on Monza’s ability to host the Italian grand prix. […]
No Renault ‘fireworks’ in early 2016 – Palmer
Dec.18 (GMM) Jolyon Palmer has warned that Renault may not shine immediately as the carmaker returns to full works status in formula one next year. It was amid Lotus’ financial troubles that the Enstone team’s Friday driver was promoted to a full race seat for 2016. Since the buyout, Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn has cast […]
Lowe questions downforce increase for 2017
Dec.18 (GMM) Mercedes is among those who are worried about F1’s expected new rules for 2017. The sport basically agrees that the cars must be more spectacular and faster for the future, but there is disagreement about how that should be achieved. World champion Lewis Hamilton, for one, worries that plans to speed up cornering […]
Aston Martin deal unlikely for now – source
Dec.17 (GMM) Aston Martin looks set to shelve for now its plans to enter formula one with Force India. Team owner Vijay Mallya had admitted during October’s Mexican GP weekend that rumours linking Force India with a potential naming sponsorship deal with the British luxury car manufacturer were true. “We are in discussion,” he said, […]
F1 thinks about small teams too much – Alonso
Dec.17 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says whether he stays in F1 beyond his current contract depends on McLaren-Honda’s form and the direction of the sport. The Spaniard, arguably the best and most highly paid driver on the grid, endured a nightmare 2015 after switching from Ferrari, as the new McLaren-Honda union faltered badly. But Alonso swept […]
Renault confident Ilmor help will pay off
Dec.17 (GMM) Renault is confident the involvement of Ilmor, led by the renowned F1 engine guru Mario Illien, will help the French manufacturer as it aims to make a big step forward in 2016. It was at premier customer Red Bull’s behest this year that Illien was drafted onto the project, following early problems. “The […]
Mercedes was ‘full blast’ for most of 2015 – Wolff
Dec.17 (GMM) Toto Wolff has denied that Mercedes spent much of the 2015 season ‘sandbagging’ to hide its true performance advantage. Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo said recently that amid talk Ferrari now seems poised to mount a title challenge for 2016, he thinks Mercedes is still a long way ahead. “Ferrari caught up a little […]
Alonso manager responds after Marchionne jibe
Dec.17 (GMM) Two figures have defended Fernando Alonso following a verbal jibe by Ferrari’s new president Sergio Marchionne. Just as Marchionne swept into Maranello last winter, Alonso was racing to the exit, and the new president now says Ferrari could not be happier with the Spaniard’s successor Sebastian Vettel. “In only one year, I can […]
Montezemolo not sure Alfa Romeo will return
Dec.16 (GMM) The world of F1 should not get too excited about a potential return to the sport of Alfa Romeo, former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has warned. Ferrari and Fiat Chrysler president Sergio Marchionne lit the speculation about the iconic Italian marque when he announced that he is “thinking about its return to […]
F1 figures say Austin uncertainty bad for sport
Dec.16 (GMM) Two more F1 figures say it would not be good for the sport if Austin falls off the 2016 calendar. Although many say the US grand prix is now a highlight of the season, a funding dispute between organisers and the Texas government means Austin has been granted mere provisional status on next […]
Ferrari expects ‘more competitive’ McLaren-Honda
Dec.16 (GMM) Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene has tipped McLaren-Honda to take a clear step forward for 2016. As the iconic partnership reunited this year, McLaren-Honda endured a nightmare campaign and finished the championship ahead only of backmarker Manor. Team supremo Ron Dennis says those in the Woking factory will be working hard this winter. […]
Jock Clear joining Ferrari but not Hoyle
Dec.16 (GMM) Benjamin Hoyle, an engineer at the centre of a new espionage saga in F1, will never be joining Ferrari. That is the claim of Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene, a week after it emerged that Mercedes is suing Hoyle for copying confidential data about the German marque’s championship-winning F1 ‘power unit’. Bloomberg news […]
No German GP again in 2017 – Ecclestone
Dec.16 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone is not confident about the future of the German grand prix. Just a decade ago, the country was still in the grip of Michael Schumacher fever, which had revolutionised the popularity of F1 in Germany. But even though Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg and Mercedes proudly wave the flag today, spectator numbers […]
Ricciardo leaving options open for 2017
Dec.15 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo says he doesn’t want to turn his mind to his expiring Red Bull contract quite yet. The Australian admits he became frustrated at times this year, as the energy drink stable’s premier team struggled for a second consecutive year. “The frustration built up more than I would have liked,” Ricciardo told […]
Alfa Romeo could return to F1 – Marchionne
Dec.15 (GMM) Alfa Romeo could return to formula one, Fiat Chrysler president Sergio Marchionne has announced. He was speaking as Ferrari president at the fabled marque’s end-of-year media events, but said fans also recall the glory days of another historic Italian marque. “It’s incredible how the Alfa Romeo brand remains in people’s hearts,” said Marchionne. […]
Look to MotoGP for new F1 rules model – Marchionne
Dec.15 (GMM) F1 should look to the two-wheeled world of MotoGP for a system of simpler rules. That is the claim of Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne, who said the status quo in formula one is too complex. “The rules we have in F1 have nothing to do with the rules in MotoGP,” he said. “In […]