May 24 (GMM) For now, the tension between Red Bull and Renault remains. The explosive criticism of earlier in 2015 has now subsided, but it was Red Bull wanting to take all the credit on Saturday for a much better qualifying outing in Monaco. “What we saw was that Red Bull has sorted out our […]
Pirelli ready to push for 2017 contract
May 24 (GMM) Pirelli has confirmed its intention to try to stay in formula one beyond next year. F1’s governing body has now officially launched the 2017-2019 tender, and it appears that Pirelli – the sport’s sole supplier since 2011 – will face off for the privilege against Michelin. The early rumour is that the […]
F1 racing into ‘customer cars’ future
May 24 (GMM) F1 appears to be racing headlong into its ‘customer cars’ future. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that four teams – Lotus, Force India, Sauber and Manor – are in dire and almost immediate danger of collapsing mid-season. It would explain why Bernie Ecclestone is pushing so hard to introduce his “one […]
Bottas’ Ferrari link ‘flattering’ – Williams
May 24 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas is shaping up as the star player in this year’s ‘silly season’. The annual round of speculation and counter-rumour regarding the movement of drivers within the paddock has got off to an early start, as talk of the Finn’s potential switch from Williams to Ferrari will just not go away. […]
Hamilton right to be ‘angry’ – Wolff
May 24 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton is right to be “angry” after Mercedes cost him the Monaco win. That was the admission of team boss Toto Wolff after a catastrophic strategic mistake in the dying laps of Sunday’s race through the fabled streets. Days after re-signing with the German giant, Hamilton was cruising to victory when […]
Mercedes to let drivers race in Monaco
May 24 (GMM) When asked how Ferrari expects to fare in Monaco with the ‘super soft’ tyre, Sebastian Vettel grinned early this weekend: “I hope super-good!” The Italian team struggled a fortnight ago in Barcelona with its new upgrade package. Some wondered whether the ‘fuel flow issue’ was to blame. The FIA has clamped down […]
2016 will show if Ferrari on rise – Briatore
May 24 (GMM) 2016 will be the true test of the ‘new’ Ferrari. That is the view of Flavio Briatore, the former Renault team chief who in recent days and months has been defending Fernando Alonso’s decision to leave Maranello. Briatore and Alonso are still united in the area of management, and so the flamboyant […]
Kaltenborn slams ‘customer car’ proposal
May 23 (GMM) Monisha Kaltenborn has slammed the change of direction announced by F1’s Strategy Group. After the top team-dominated group said it had agreed to spice up the sport with a raft of rule changes for 2017, Force India pointed out that the burning issue of cutting costs for the smaller teams had been […]
Hamilton ‘dominating’ Rosberg – Ecclestone
May 23 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton is psychologically dominating his teammate Nico Rosberg. That is the view of F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. German Rosberg managed to break Hamilton’s run of poles and wins recently in Barcelona, but Ecclestone nonetheless told Bild newspaper: “Lewis is very dominant, taking up a lot of space in a team. “Nico […]
Hamilton denies letting F1 focus slip
May 23 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has hit back at Damon Hill, after the 1996 world champion questioned his off-track lifestyle. After Nico Rosberg broke the world champion’s run of poles and wins in Barcelona, Hill said Hamilton seemed to have “underestimated” his Mercedes teammate by risking jetlag in the days between the Bahrain and Spanish […]
Renault, Red Bull exit still ‘possible’ – Prost
May 23 (GMM) Speculation about Renault’s future in formula one continues to swirl around the paddock. Earlier in 2015, at the height of partner Red Bull’s criticism and its performance and reliability troubles, the French carmaker made it known it was considering all options. Now, at Monaco, the marque’s famous ambassador Alain Prost admitted pulling […]
Vettel finds loophole for Monaco helmet change
May 23 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has found a way around F1’s new helmet livery change ban. For 2015, to help spectators more easily identify the drivers from one race to another, the sport put a stop to the constant chopping and changing of helmet colours. It means that even the ‘Monaco specials’ – one-off livery […]
Pirelli vs Michelin ‘tyre war’ already heating up
May 23 (GMM) The battle to be F1’s sole official tyre supplier in 2017 and beyond is already heating up. On Friday, on behalf of Pirelli, former F1 driver turned broadcaster Martin Brundle drove a GP2 test car around the Monaco circuit fitted with experimental 18-inch tyres. It is clear that the Italian tyre maker, […]
Kvyat plays down Marko criticism
May 23 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat has distanced himself from growing speculation about his future. As Red Bull officials hail the early progress of juniors Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, young Russian Kvyat claims he has not even read the recent criticisms made by boss Dr Helmut Marko. “I have personal contact with Dr Marko,” 21-year-old […]
Symonds urges Bottas to consider staying
May 23 (GMM) Pat Symonds has urged Valtteri Bottas to consider pledging his future to Williams. Symonds, the team’s highly-experienced technical boss who has worked alongside champions Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, acknowledged the rumours now linking the Finn with Ferrari. “It is no surprise to see other teams courting him,” he told […]
No sign of ‘dark and moody’ Alonso – Boullier
May 23 (GMM) Eric Boullier has laughed off claims he breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday. It was on that day that Lewis Hamilton signed his new Mercedes deal. Asked if he is relieved the door to the dominant German giant was closed to Fernando Alonso, McLaren-Honda chief Boullier laughed: “Those stories were just […]
Rosberg must win in Monaco, Montreal – Prost
May 23 (GMM) Monaco is a crucial race for Nico Rosberg. That is the claim of F1 legend Alain Prost, as he considered whether the German can take on Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton for the 2015 title. “Let’s see what happens here in Monaco,” the quadruple world champion told Der Tagesspiegel newspaper. Rosberg broke Hamilton’s […]
Social media ‘bad for F1’ – Prost
May 23 (GMM) Alain Prost has wondered aloud if social media is actually a good thing for formula one. 2015 so far has been a period of intense introspection for the F1 world, as it considers making key rule changes to rekindle interest. But Prost, one of the all-time greats and a quadruple world champion, […]
Title not target for 2015 – Arrivabene
May 23 (GMM) Maurizio Arrivabene says heading the fabled F1 team Ferrari is the toughest challenge of his life. The Italian, who arrived at Maranello from sponsor Marlboro early this year to settle the then chaotic outfit, says being Ferrari boss is “eleven out of ten” on the difficulty scale. “For example,” he told Germany’s […]
Manager says Schumacher ‘improving’
May 23 (GMM) Michael Schumacher’s manager says the F1 legend is improving. The seven time world champion has not been seen publicly since striking his head on a rock whilst skiing almost 17 months ago. “We are happy to say (he) still improves and I say this always regarding the severity of the injury he […]