Sep.1 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone reportedly paid the wages of embattled Lotus’ 400 staff in August. The news, revealed by Britain’s Times newspaper, comes after the Enstone team’s equipment – including the black and gold cars – were prevented from leaving Spa-Francorchamps by court bailiffs after the recent Belgian grand prix. Correspondent Kevin Eason says the […]
Father says Verstappen ‘staying’ at Toro Rosso
Sep.1 (GMM) Max Verstappen is staying put at Toro Rosso for 2016, his father has announced. “He’s staying for another year at Toro Rosso,” Jos Verstappen, once a teammate to the great Michael Schumacher in the mid 90s, told Austrian television Servus TV. Earlier, 17-year-old rookie sensation Max was linked with a move to Ferrari, […]
Hartstein continues attack on F1 doctor
Sep.1 (GMM) Former F1 doctor Gary Hartstein has continued his attack on his successor, Jean-Charles Piette. Following the death of Jules Bianchi, Hartstein hit out at F1 drivers who are accepting the current situation, with Piette the medical delegate and the “even more clueless” Gerard Saillant running the FIA’s medical commission. He said Piette was […]
Force India signs Hulkenberg for 2016, 2017
Sep.1 (GMM) As reported on Monday, Nico Hulkenberg is staying with Force India. The Silverstone based team announced on Tuesday that the German has signed up for 2016 and 2017. 2015 Le Mans winner Hulkenberg, 28, had been linked with a move to Haas or Lotus, but said: “I know this team inside out and […]
Designer says Ferrari should have kept Alonso
Sep.1 (GMM) Ferrari should have kept Fernando Alonso, according to departed designer Nikolas Tombazis. At the end of last year, in a wide-ranging team shakeup, the fabled Maranello marque ousted not only Tombazis but also the British engineer Pat Fry. But Tombazis, who claims he is now shaping up to return to F1, told Italy’s […]
Gutierrez hints future taking shape
Sep.1 (GMM) Esteban Gutierrez could be close to announcing his plans for 2016. This year, after the Mexican lost his Sauber race seat, he signed up to be Ferrari’s reserve driver. And now it is reported the 24-year-old’s next step could be to the new Ferrari-linked American entrant Haas, backed by his powerful Mexican sponsors. […]
Rosberg becomes father before Monza
Aug.31 (GMM) Nico Rosberg is speeding into the Italian grand prix as F1’s newest father. The Mercedes driver has announced on Twitter that his and wife Viviane’s first child was born at the Princesse Grace hospital in Monaco on Sunday. “Our full moon baby girl was born yesterday afternoon. We are overwhelmed and totally in […]
Turkey F1 track becomes used car dealership
Aug.31 (GMM) Turkey’s chances of returning to the F1 calendar any time soon now appear dead. Istanbul Park hosted grands prix between 2005 and 2011, with the Hermann Tilke-penned circuit famous for its challenging turn 8. But the event collapsed for financial reasons and a lack of local interest. Now, the track that reportedly cost […]
Vettel ‘100pc right’ over Pirelli outburst – Webber
Aug.31 (GMM) Mark Webber has backed his former teammate Sebastian Vettel’s expletive-filled rant about the quality of the tyres supplied in F1 by Pirelli. The pair rarely saw eye-to-eye when fighting for titles at Red Bull, but when it comes to Vettel’s blowout at Spa-Francorchamps, Webber said: “Seb is 100 per cent right. “A blowout […]
Michelin weighs into Pirelli blowout saga
Aug.31 (GMM) Michelin has weighed into the Pirelli blowout saga, insisting it is committed to producing longer-life tyres in formula one. The two tyre companies are currently in competing talks with Bernie Ecclestone about which of them will be awarded the contract as F1’s sole supplier beyond 2016. Some believe Michelin’s bid got a boost […]
After quit threats, Red Bull now looking into F1 future
Aug.31 (GMM) Red Bull is re-setting its sights on the future of formula one, having earlier threatened to pull out of the sport. The team had bemoaned not only its competitive situation but also the rules and F1’s waning popularity, but it is believed Red Bull is playing an active role in helping to shape […]
Hulkenberg staying at Force India – report
Aug.31 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg is staying with Force India in 2016, the German newspaper Bild reports. The German, who earlier this year won the fabled Le Mans 24 hour on his first attempt, was a candidate to move to Ferrari next year until Kimi Raikkonen was re-signed. Hulkenberg had also been strongly linked not only […]
Rosberg ‘has given up’ on 2015 title – pundits
Aug.31 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton is now cruising to the 2015 world championship, according to two F1 insiders. After finishing second to his Mercedes teammate in Belgium, Nico Rosberg said on the podium: “Lewis did a great job so he deserved to win. “I tried to give it everything but (it was) not enough.” Eddie Jordan, […]
Raikkonen never realised full potential – Whitmarsh
Aug.31 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen never realised his full potential in formula one, according to the Finn’s former boss Martin Whitmarsh. Whitmarsh, now involved in America’s Cup yacht racing, was Raikkonen’s boss at McLaren between 2002 and 2006, and he then tried to re-sign the Finn for 2010 when Ferrari ousted him. “Although Kimi hates Ron […]
Mercedes working on race start solution
Aug.28 (GMM) Mercedes is working on changes to its clutch system, following a series of bad race starts. At the last four races, and despite their otherwise dominant form, Lewis Hamilton or Nico Rosberg have often struggled to get off the line efficiently. Boss Toto Wolff has declared the technology problems “unacceptable” as they date […]
Honda exploited ‘good faith’ of penalty cap – Whiting
Aug.28 (GMM) Charlie Whiting has admitted the new rule scrapping in-race penalties was exploited by McLaren-Honda last weekend in Belgium. After fans decried the grid penalties that spilled into in-race penalties for cars falling foul of the long-life engine rules this year, the FIA agreed to a tweak. For McLaren-Honda at Spa, it meant the […]
Hakkinen can understand Vettel outburst
Aug.28 (GMM) Mika Hakkinen says he can understand Sebastian Vettel’s outburst in the wake of the Belgian grand prix. The Ferrari driver’s expletive-filled rant about the safety and quality of official tyre supplier Pirelli’s product in 2015 has been criticised by some, including F1 legend Niki Lauda and Eddie Jordan. But former double world champion […]
McLaren not best car on 2015 grid – Honda
Aug.28 (GMM) Honda insists it is not solely to blame for McLaren’s woeful 2015 season. With the MP4-30 raced by champions Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button still seriously off the pace, most fingers of blame have been consistently pointed at Honda, the obviously-struggling Japanese engine maker that returned to F1 this year. But Yasuhisa Arai, […]
Hamilton not excited to secure pole trophy
Aug.28 (GMM) With eight races still to run in 2015, Lewis Hamilton already has his hands on one prize. It is the new pole position trophy, awarded to the driver with the most poles each season. The new measure was introduced for 2014, with the regulations now demanding that a “trophy will be awarded to […]
Whiting admits closed cockpits still unlikely
Aug.28 (GMM) Charlie Whiting has admitted F1 could be some way from introducing closed cockpits. But after the latest incident in Indycar involving the death of former F1 driver Justin Wilson, the FIA race director admitted formula one must also continue to work on better protecting the drivers’ heads. In the case of Wilson’s death, […]