Apr.9 (GMM) Sergio Perez is bracing to end the ‘pain’ of his current situation. The Mexican on Thursday admitted to feeling frustrated after the early phase of 2015 with the struggling Force India team. He had to sit out most of the winter amid the delayed 2015 car, and is once again now waiting for […]
Red Bull switches brakes for China
Apr.9 (GMM) As announced by Dr Helmut Marko after Malaysia, Red Bull has switched brake suppliers for the Chinese grand prix. Sebastian Vettel always disliked the feel of the Hitco brand, so when the German fled to Ferrari over the winter, Red Bull decided to use the brakes for its 2015 car. But in Malaysia, […]
Manor gets ‘2015 programme’ underway – Booth
Apr.9 (GMM) Manor is reportedly looking to get a 2015 car up and running later this season. Newly resurrected after the Marussia collapse, the British backmarker failed to run at all in Australia and then struggled for laps and pace in Malaysia. Now in China, Manor knows its current car – the 2014 machine hurriedly […]
FIA puts fuel flow spotlight on Ferrari, Mercedes
Apr.9 (GMM) Ferrari and Mercedes will be in the FIA’s spotlight this weekend in China. Some weeks ago, we reported that the governing body had told teams that the fuel flow rules would come under closer scrutiny from the Chinese grand prix. Until now, the rules have been policed with the use of a standard […]
Williams working to cool 2015 car
Apr.9 (GMM) First, the good news about Valtteri Bottas — he is no longer worried about his bad back. “It is not giving me any more trouble,” the Finn said in Shanghai on Thursday. “With the new seat, I am using different muscles, because the legs are positioned differently.” A bigger problem for Bottas now […]
China could leave Ferrari cold in Merc battle
Apr.9 (GMM) The F1 world is looking to the Shanghai skies amid the prospect of another Mercedes versus Ferrari battle this weekend. Although Ferrari has undoubtedly upped its pace significantly for 2015, many believe the extreme temperatures seen in Malaysia two weeks ago was the biggest factor in Sebastian Vettel’s surprise victory. Even technical boss […]
Force India planning ‘B’ car for mid-season
Apr.8 (GMM) Force India is planning to introduce a “B” version of its 2015 car. The Silverstone based team has had a poor start to the season, after the long-delayed VJM08 missed the opening tests of the winter period. On top of that, Force India has moved its wind tunnel operation from Brackley to the […]
Mosley warns F1 facing ‘collapse’
Apr.8 (GMM) FIA president Max Mosley has warned F1 could “collapse” if it does not sort out struggling teams’ financial problems. The now 74-year-old Briton left office five years ago having tried and failed to introduce a mandatory budget cap. Mosley told the German news agency DPA that he managed to get every team “except […]
Lotus on pole for Renault buyout – report
Apr.8 (GMM) Lotus has reportedly moved into pole position to be taken over by the French manufacturer Renault. Dissatisfied with its current status as mere supplier to Red Bull, the marque has been in talks with the energy drink company’s junior team Toro Rosso about a buyout. But Dr Helmut Marko said last week that […]
Australian GP boss survives cancer
Apr.8 (GMM) Australian grand prix supremo Ron Walker is cancer-free, the 75-year-old has confirmed. A famously close ally of Bernie Ecclestone, the influential Australian businessman was instrumental in the race’s switch from Adelaide some two decades ago. His last race as chairman of the Australian grand prix corporation was the 2015 season opener in March. […]
Manager wants calm for Mick Schumacher’s debut
Apr.8 (GMM) Michael Schumacher’s manager on Wednesday urged for calm as the German legend’s 16-year-old son started his own climb towards formula one. We reported earlier that 100 journalists and other media professionals had flocked to the Oschersleben circuit, where Mick Schumacher on Wednesday started official pre-season testing for his first year in single seaters. […]
100 journalists to cover Mick Schumacher test
Apr.8 (GMM) A huge media contingent is set to descend on what is normally a low-profile test session of the minor German single-seater category Formula 4. Die Welt, a major German daily, reports that some 100 journalists, photographers and camera crews have registered to work this week at the Oschersleben circuit. Attracting all the attention […]
Mercedes takes new front wing to China – report
Apr.8 (GMM) Mercedes has reacted to the “wake-up call” of Malaysia. Toto Wolff was stunned at Sepang when his formerly-dominant silver cars were beaten to the chequer by a resurgent Ferrari driven by Sebastian Vettel. The Mercedes chief immediately announced a re-think on both the technical and strategy side. Technically, Brackley has responded by fast-forwarding […]
Vettel mechanic Handkammer leaves F1
Apr.8 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel’s former chief mechanic has swapped a 25-year career in formula one for the world of electric road cars. Last October, we reported that Kenny Handkammer had left Red Bull. “We have found someone else for this position better suited in the course of the restructuring of the team,” Dr Helmut Marko […]
Honda ‘still 100hp down’ on rivals – report
Apr.8 (GMM) In Malaysia, McLaren-Honda team figures including champion drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button extolled the progress made in the fortnight since Australia. Now, according to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, an actual number has been put on the improvement of the burgeoning Honda engine — 25 horse power. But “We are still over […]
Ferrari sets sights on more 2015 wins
Apr.8 (GMM) Suddenly, Ferrari’s team boss is making plans to actually fulfil a tongue-in-cheek pre-season pledge. As he played down the team’s hopes for 2015, Maurizio Arrivabene quipped before Melbourne that if the 2015 car wins four races this year, “I will run without shoes to the Maranello hills”. But already at the second round […]
Ecclestone won’t let Wolff ‘kill’ F1
Apr.8 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has joined Max Mosley in fearing for the very survival of formula one. Former FIA president Mosley, a famously close ally of Ecclestone’s until the end of his reign in 2009, warned this week that the current state of the sport could see it “collapse”. Now, F1 supremo Ecclestone has told […]
Ferrari pushing on for Mercedes title battle
Apr.7 (GMM) F1 is shaping up for a ‘silver versus red’ battle in 2015. The dominant reigning champions Mercedes were surprised in Malaysia to have been beaten to the chequered flag by Ferrari newcomer Sebastian Vettel. Boss Toto Wolff said the “wake-up call” will speed up technical developments and trigger a strategy re-think. His colleague […]
Merhi admits he could lose Manor seat
Apr.7 (GMM) Roberto Merhi is heading to China this week fully expecting to line up for Manor on the Shanghai grid. The Spaniard knows that he will be ousted by the former Marussia team if a better-funded driver comes forward. So ahead of the back-to-back China and Bahrain rounds, the 24-year-old rookie admitted to Marca […]
Toro Rosso happy with Renault progress
Apr.7 (GMM) Toro Rosso says it is happy with the progress being made by Renault. While the senior team Red Bull slammed its French partner after Melbourne, Toro Rosso has emerged as the more competitive 2015 package. The Faenza based outfit, bought by Red Bull from Minardi in 2005, and Renault are now openly considering […]