Apr.13 (GMM) Jules Bianchi’s father has admitted he is angry about the investigation into his son’s horror 2014 crash. More than six months after that fateful day in Japan, 25-year-old Frenchman Bianchi remains in a coma in his native Nice. His father, Philippe, said he agreed to a new interview with the local Nice-Matin newspaper […]
Arrivabene backs ‘sensitive Iceman’ Raikkonen
Apr.13 (GMM) Ferrari’s team boss has backed Kimi Raikkonen after a difficult start to the 2015 season for the Finn. While new teammate Sebastian Vettel has finished on the podium in all three races so far, Raikkonen is just fifth in the championship. He ran into trouble in both Australia and Malaysia, and technical boss […]
Rosberg vows to ‘move on’ after Hamilton run-in
Apr.13 (GMM) Nico Rosberg has vowed to move on after his post-race run-in with teammate Lewis Hamilton in China. Addressing his fans in a video posted on social media from the Shanghai airport, the German said “constructive criticism” had been exchanged in team meetings “and we’re moving on to Bahrain”. “Now it’s a thing of […]
Red Bull, McLaren brace for difficult Bahrain
Apr.13 (GMM) Red Bull-Renault and McLaren-Honda are bracing for a difficult Bahrain grand prix. Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko’s frustration boiled over in China on Sunday, declaring to Kleine Zeitung newspaper: “With so many problems, this is hardly motor sport anymore.” Indeed, it was nothing short of a miserable Shanghai race for the former […]
Mercedes helped Williams catch Ferrari – report
Apr.13 (GMM) Mercedes is manipulating the balance of power among its customer teams, according to a Spanish media report. El Pais newspaper said Williams, Lotus and Force India each pay around EUR 25 million per season for the German marque’s F1-leading turbo V6 ‘power unit’. But the report said not everything is equal. That is […]
Alonso not cause of Ferrari slump – press
Apr.13 (GMM) Leading members of the Italian media have played down Niki Lauda’s suggestion that Fernando Alonso was a real cause of the Ferrari slump. F1 legend and former Ferrari driver Lauda, now the outspoken team chairman at Mercedes, had in China slammed Spaniard Alonso as “selfish, moody and negative”. Alonso’s Maranello exit has coincided […]
China GP demanding ‘changes’ in F1
Apr.13 (GMM) Organisers of the Chinese grand prix are demanding “changes” within formula one. The annual Shanghai race is promoted by Juss Event, whose marketing manager Yang Yibin has revealed concerns about the state of the sport. He said while the local fan base is stable, the overall drawing power of the Chinese grand prix […]
Women drivers ‘more afraid’ than men – Verstappen
Apr.12 (GMM) Max Verstappen has admitted he is sceptical that female drivers can compete head-to-head with men in formula one. Bernie Ecclestone’s proposal that an all-women’s grand prix series be created has been controversial, with one commentator suggesting it is tantamount to “sexual apartheid”. But 17-year-old Verstappen, who has made history this year as the […]
Alonso under attack in China
Apr.12 (GMM) In China, Fernando Alonso has come under attack. First, the criticism came from a presenter of Sky Italia’s coverage of formula one, who issued a highly critical ‘tweet’ about the McLaren-Honda driver. Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Alonso’s revenge was that he refused to speak to the Italian broadcaster at all […]
F1 sparks causing issues in Shanghai
Apr.12 (GMM) F1’s new sparks have been blamed for a couple of incidents ahead of the Chinese grand prix. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton drove to pole on Saturday, but not before complaining repeatedly about an unusually hot seat. “We changed the seat,” said team boss Toto Wolff, “improved the insulation but in the end we did […]
Ecclestone wants Mercedes power for entire grid
Apr.12 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone would like to see every car on the grid equipped with a Mercedes engine. The F1 supremo is increasingly frustrated with the current turbo V6 rules, as Mercedes is dominating and many fans and promoters are unhappy with the milder engine note. Asked specifically what he wants, Ecclestone told Sport Bild: […]
Force India confirms ‘B’ car for Austria
Apr.12 (GMM) Force India has confirmed reports it is working on a ‘B’ version of its 2015 car. With winter troubles having delayed this year’s VJM08, drivers Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg are now struggling merely to race out of the ignominious ‘Q1’ segment of qualifying. “It is disappointing to go out in Q1,” German […]
Manor could change livery for Barcelona
Apr.12 (GMM) Manor has not ruled out keeping its current driver lineup for the rest of the season. Until now, the former Marussia team as well as Roberto Merhi have admitted that the Spanish rookie is not guaranteed his place throughout 2015. Merhi, 24, has not even given up his full-time race seat in the […]
‘Bad’ eye not reason for Rosberg mood
Apr.12 (GMM) A frustrated Nico Rosberg admitted he lost pole by “the blink of an eye” in China. He was referring to the mere four-hundredths gap to Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, not the conspicuously red eye he was sporting after qualifying in Shanghai. Rosberg explained that he has been dealing with the left eye problem […]
‘Short nose’ finally coming in Spain – Marko
Apr.12 (GMM) Red Bull is hoping its long-awaited ‘short nose’ will put the former world champions back on track. Having pointed the finger of blame squarely at engine supplier Renault, team owner Dietrich Mateschitz has already written off the 2015 title, telling the Austrian press this week that “second place” is now the best Red […]
Fifth engine rule not in place yet – Wolff
Apr.12 (GMM) There is still no agreement on the introduction of a fifth engine per driver in 2015. Dismayed that the strict allocation of just four ‘power units’ per driver this year was discouraging track action on Fridays, Bernie Ecclestone recently proposed that a fifth engine be added to the allocation. Reports subsequently emerged that […]
Rosberg accuses Hamilton of spoiling China GP
Apr.12 (GMM) It was after the chequered flag flew that the real fireworks began in China between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Rosberg, beaten in Shanghai, re-fired old tensions with his Mercedes teammate by accusing Briton Hamilton of deliberately spoiling his race. Rosberg had been heard during the race asking strategists to push Hamilton’s pace, […]
Ferrari unhappy with Raikkonen qualifying
Apr.12 (GMM) Ferrari was not happy with Kimi Raikkonen’s performance after qualifying in Shanghai. Until now, the Maranello team and the Finn have said Raikkonen, after a poor 2014 season, is fully back up to speed this year with the vastly improved SF15-T car. But Raikkonen’s troubles only continued on Saturday, and this time Ferrari […]
Manor leaving 107pc headache behind – Merhi
Apr.11 (GMM) Manor looks set to put its ‘107 per cent’ headache in the past. That is the claim of Roberto Merhi, who said the struggling former Marussia team is now taking “giant steps” after a stuttering and controversial start to its season. “I am very satisfied with the work we have done,” the rookie […]
Williams slams Force India over wind tunnel jibe
Apr.11 (GMM) Williams’ Pat Symonds has slammed Force India for dismissing wind tunnels as “dinosaur technology”. Red Bull has controversially proposed that wind tunnels be banned from formula one. It did not receive widespread support, except from the Force India deputy chief Bob Fernley, who said in Malaysia two weeks ago that F1 should move […]