Mar.3 (GMM) Former Red Bull driver David Coulthard has admitted he will be keeping a keen eye on Daniel Ricciardo this year. In 2014, Australian Ricciardo leapt from the low-profile Toro Rosso into Red Bull’s senior team, and was soon humbling the quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel against all odds. Most insiders believe Ricciardo’s surprise […]
Renault admits Mercedes still ahead in 2015
Mar.3 (GMM) Remi Taffin has admitted Renault still does not possess the best engine in formula one. One year ago, the French marque found itself in Honda-like strife as the sport’s all-new turbo V6 era began. But the FIA’s system of unfreeze ‘tokens’ for 2015 means that Red Bull’s works supplier has been able to […]
Mercedes’ gap almost 1 second per lap
Mar.2 (GMM) As Mercedes’ rival teams pack up their air freight for Melbourne, the extent of their awaiting challenge in 2015 is now crystal clear. Last week in Barcelona, as the winter testing season ended, the true superiority of the reigning champions’ new W06 car was let out of the bag with fury. Christian Horner, […]
Race promoters wanted helmet change ban – Wolff
Mar.2 (GMM) Toto Wolff has defended the controversial banning of mid-season driver helmet livery changes. After the recent meeting of the F1 Commission, it emerged that the growing trend for multiple helmet colour changes will no longer be allowed. The rule has now been enshrined in to the 2015 regulations, which read that drivers must […]
Candidates line up for second Manor seat
Mar.2 (GMM) The candidates are now beginning to form at Manor’s door. Although the former Marussia team’s 2015 revival is not yet guaranteed, a growing staff at Dinnington is scrambling to complete the cars, have them crash-tested and then packed up for Melbourne — all by this Friday’s looming freight deadline. One driver, the British […]
Ecclestone ends ‘cash flow crisis’ for small teams
Mar.2 (GMM) Amid alarming claims multiple teams are gripped by a ‘cash flow crisis’, Bernie Ecclestone has reportedly responded. We reported on Sunday that, not including Manor’s quest to return in 2015, multiple other teams are scrambling to find the money simply to line up on the Melbourne grid next weekend. “The months of November, […]
Early points unlikely for Force India – Perez
Mar.2 (GMM) Force India’s drivers are expecting a difficult start to the 2015 season. The Silverstone based team ended last year on a competitive high, not far behind another similarly Mercedes-powered but much better funded team, McLaren. But behind the scenes, there was trouble. Along with Lotus and Sauber, the team was complaining loudly about […]
Red Bull drops camouflage livery for race season
Mar.2 (GMM) Red Bull has dropped the RB11’s ‘camouflage’ test livery. Throughout the winter, the 2015 car has been running in a novel black and white colour scheme designed to throw rival teams’ spy photographers and designers off track. But the livery also proved highly popular among the fans, prompting calls for Red Bull to […]
Alonso entourage suspects car failure – report
Mar.2 (GMM) A second week has begun with the saga surrounding Fernando Alonso’s testing crash still high in the headlines. The most important issue, of course, is the McLaren-Honda driver’s health, and Spanish media report that he will visit doctors – probably in his native Oviedo where he has been recuperating – within the next […]
Honda freezes engine unsure of 2015 ‘tokens’
Mar.2 (GMM) After a troubled winter, 2015 newcomer Honda has now locked in McLaren’s ‘power unit’ for this year’s campaign. It has completed only a fraction of the running of frontrunners like Mercedes over the Jerez and Barcelona tests, but on Saturday, the FIA’s deadline fell and the Japanese marque duly presented its turbo V6 […]
Arrivabene willing to ‘provoke’ Ecclestone
Mar.1 (GMM) Maurizio Arrivabene is quickly climbing the ladder as arguably one of the most popular team bosses in formula one. A former Philip Morris executive, and bearing a striking resemblance to the ‘Marlboro man’, the 57-year-old Italian emerged from the chaos of last year’s Ferrari to put the fabled team firmly back on track. […]
Mercedes to ‘help’ save German GP – Wolff
Mar.1 (GMM) Concerns are growing that Germany really will be dropped from the 2015 calendar. Officially, the country is still set to host a grand prix in July, but neither the Nurburgring or Hockenheim are actually yet to agree a concrete race deal with Bernie Ecclestone. Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda admits the chances of […]
Teams warn Ecclestone of ‘cash flow crisis’
Mar.1 (GMM) Two weeks before the 2015 season begins, the shape of the grid remains unclear. And that is not just because the backmarker Manor’s planned resurrection in Melbourne is not yet confirmed. Force India, for instance, has only just got its 2015 car up and running, after months of rumours of near-terminal financial and […]
McLaren expecting Alonso health news ‘soon’
Mar.1 (GMM) McLaren boss Eric Boullier is confident the Woking team will not be without its star driver for the Melbourne season opener in two weeks. The recovering Fernando Alonso’s last-minute substitute at the final Barcelona test this week was Kevin Magnussen, who managed just 39 laps on Saturday before more technical trouble struck for […]
McLaren expecting to struggle for ‘a few races’
Mar.1 (GMM) McLaren is expecting to struggle through the opening few races of the season. While the rest of the sport gets up to speed for the second year of F1’s challenging new ‘power unit’ era, the newly Honda-powered team is struggling not only for pace but also simply to run the new MP4-30. But […]
Mercedes in ‘another dimension’ – Ricciardo
Mar.1 (GMM) Earlier, Daniel Ricciardo was planning a full title tilt for 2015. Now, he is in little doubt: “The two Mercedes will on the front row in Melbourne,” the Red Bull driver said confidently in Barcelona. He was speaking on Saturday, on the eve of the final day of winter testing. In the paddock, […]
Vettel hails ‘awesome’ pace from new Mercedes
Feb.28 (GMM) After a winter of apparent ‘sandbagging’, Mercedes finally let the cat out of the bag on Friday. Team boss Toto Wolff, however, denies that the ultra-dominant reigning 2014 champions have been hiding the potential of the new W06 car until now. “Our programme was planned from the beginning,” he said. “Other may have […]
Report of $231m deal for Hamilton ‘like satire’ – Wolff
Feb.28 (GMM) Toto Wolff has scoffed at a media report purporting to know the dizzying value of Lewis Hamilton’s next Mercedes contract. Although the reigning world champion now has no manager, the parties remain locked in protracted talks about a new deal beyond 2015. London’s Times newspaper said the current discussion is about a new […]
Manor racing to be ready for Melbourne – Booth
Feb.28 (GMM) Team founder John Booth is confident the former Marussia team will make it to Melbourne. Having fought to secure new investment and convince its creditors to exit administration, the team has secured a place on the 2015 entry list against all odds. But the race is not won yet. Having initially sought to […]
McLaren quiet on Alonso’s ‘medical situation’
Feb.28 (GMM) McLaren has counted itself out of the continuing speculation about Fernando Alonso’s medical condition. Rumours have been rife ever since Sebastian Vettel said he witnessed the “strange” manner in which the Spaniard lost control of his McLaren last Sunday. But amid continuing speculation about the nature of the crash, Ferrari’s Vettel on Friday […]