Feb.24 (GMM) Renault has made progress but not enough yet to topple dominant Mercedes. That is the admission of Red Bull chiefs Christian Horner and Dr Helmut Marko, although they are confident works supplier Renault is on track with a better engine for 2015. It has now been tested at Jerez and Barcelona, and lead […]
‘Engine championship’ means Mercedes 2015 favourite
Feb.24 (GMM) The nature of the ‘new’ F1 means Mercedes will again be hard to beat in 2015. That is the claim of former F1 team boss Flavio Briatore, who is no fan of the regulation changes that saw Mercedes utterly dominate in 2014 with its turbo V6. Now, he is expecting more of the […]
Midfield teams propose to be ‘semi-constructors’
Feb.23 (GMM) Three midfield teams have reportedly proposed that F1’s rules be tweaked so that ‘semi-constructors’ are legal. It recently emerged that the FIA had commissioned KcKinsey, a multinational consulting firm, to examine the finances of the nine F1 teams amid the apparent need for cost-cutting. But the latest round of internal meetings within formula […]
Rory Byrne is new Ferrari designer’s ‘guru’
Feb.23 (GMM) Legendary Ferrari designer Rory Byrne has returned to Maranello to be Simone Resta’s mentor. South African Byrne, 71, was a key member of the Ferrari ‘dream team’ of last decade, when along with Jean Todt, Ross Brawn and Michael Schumacher, they utterly dominated the sport. More recently, he had retired to Thailand, but […]
Honda’s horror F1 return continues on Monday
Feb.23 (GMM) Six years after pulling out of the sport, Honda is once again making headlines in formula one for all the wrong reasons. In the midst of an horror run of technical trouble as McLaren struggles to run the new works turbo V6, star driver Fernando Alonso looks set to spend a second night […]
Alonso could spend second night in hospital
Feb.23 (GMM) Fernando Alonso could spend a second night in hospital, his manager Luis Garcia Abad has admitted. The Spaniard is currently in a Barcelona hospital after a mysterious crash during the final day of the second 2015 winter test. The cause of the crash has not been revealed by McLaren, triggering wild theories, including […]
Marchionne backs 2017 delay for F1 revolution
Feb.23 (GMM) Sergio Marchionne has backed the move to delay a technical revolution in formula one until 2017. It had appeared that Ferrari was leading the charge for rapid change, when on the very day the F1 Commission met to vote on proposed changes for 2016, it published images of its radical-looking ‘concept car’. But […]
Drivers ‘express themselves’ by changing helmets
Feb.23 (GMM) F1 is robbing drivers of one of the last ways they can truly express themselves. That is the claim of Jens Munser, a helmet livery painter made famous in recent years by the ever-changing colours worn by quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel. Last week, it emerged that, to help spectators better recognise their […]
De la Rosa set for Mercedes switch – report
Feb.23 (GMM) Pedro de la Rosa could be set to return to formula one with Mercedes. In recent years, the Spanish veteran worked closely with his countryman Fernando Alonso at Ferrari as official reserve driver. But, like Alonso, the almost 44-year-old has now departed Maranello, triggering speculation he might be set to return to his […]
Top teams told camera mountings illegal – report
Feb.23 (GMM) Top teams and likely title challengers Mercedes and Ferrari will have to modify their cars ahead of the season opener in Melbourne. That was the claim on Monday of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, revealing that the solutions to mount the mandatory television cameras at the front of the respective cars are illegal. […]
2015 Renault is ‘two thirds’ new – Taffin
Feb.23 (GMM) Renault has been able to make a substantially new ‘power unit’ for 2015 after its disappointing start to the turbo V6 era. That is the claim of the French marque’s F1 operations chief Remi Taffin, who countered suggestions the so-called ‘engine freeze’ means that dominant Mercedes’ advantage is now locked in for years. […]
No manager makes Hamilton talks ‘difficult’
Feb.23 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s lack of a manager is making contract negotiations with the reigning world champion more difficult. That is the admission of Toto Wolff, who after the split between Hamilton and his manager Simon Fuller is now having to tread the fine line between maintaining good relations with the British driver and negotiating […]
Ferrari ‘fine’ after Marchionne’s revolution
Feb.23 (GMM) So far, Sergio Marchionne’s revolution is going exactly to plan. Last year, as Ferrari badly faltered at the start of the new turbo V6 era, the Fiat Chrysler chief was the big mover behind a huge shakeup at Maranello. And so Italian-Canadian Marchionne made a visit to the Barcelona test at the weekend […]
Wild speculation follows mysterious Alonso crash
Feb.23 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s testing crash has triggered wild speculation about the cause. So far, McLaren is saying nothing except that it was a “normal” crash necessitating medical checks. “Fernando’s accident was just one of those things that happens in testing,” said team boss Eric Boullier, insisting the same is also true of his trip […]
Lauda told Mercedes to ‘put hammer down’
Feb.23 (GMM) After seven days of apparent sandbagging, did Mercedes finally let the cat out of the bag on Sunday? Until now, it has been Ferrari’s test pace at Jerez and now Barcelona that has appeared the most impressive, but many believe dominant 2014 champions Mercedes have been deliberately running with heavy fuel or de-rated […]
Force India preparation ‘not ideal’ – Hulkenberg
Feb.22 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg has admitted Force India’s preparation for 2015 is “not ideal”. Although the strongest rumours of unpaid suppliers and financial strife have been played down, the Silverstone based team’s 2015 car is yet to be seen. And speculation says the 2014 car is only lapping at the Circuit de Catalunya this week […]
Gutierrez could drive Ferrari in Mexico
Feb.22 (GMM) Esteban Gutierrez is set to make his debut at the wheel of a Ferrari. After two years with Sauber, the 23-year-old has taken his Mexican sponsors to Maranello, where he is now the official reserve driver. New team boss Maurizio Arrivabene thinks that despite his difficult time since debuting in F1, Gutierrez has […]
Alonso airlifted to hospital after crash
Feb.22 (GMM) Fernando Alonso was “conscious” as he was airlifted to hospital on Sunday after a crash on the final day of the Barcelona test. The Spaniard was initially taken to the circuit medical centre by ambulance, after his McLaren hit the unprotected concrete wall at turn four. The Circuit de Catalunya said Alonso is […]
Good and bad news for Honda engine ‘freeze’
Feb.22 (GMM) The news on Sunday was both good and bad for Honda. The good is that McLaren’s struggling new works partner has found two more days in its delayed programme before the 2015-spec turbo V6 must be homologated. On paper, the deadline is actually February 28, but that is a Saturday and FIA inspectors […]
McLaren-Honda will not win first race – Button
Feb.22 (GMM) For now, McLaren’s problems will not go away. At the start of the Barcelona test, a faulty seal on the Honda’s MGU-K unit forced Japanese engineers to return the drawing board. The new part was fitted on Saturday, but it too failed and left Jenson Button at the bottom of the timesheets. Before […]