Jan.8 (GMM) Team boss Eric Boullier says McLaren can survive without a title sponsor. The Woking team lost its title backer Vodafone at the end of 2013, and raced throughout last season without naming a replacement. And now as the new works Honda era dawns, Boullier has been quoted by Russia’s f1news.ru as saying McLaren […]
FIA super licence ‘points system’ emerges
Jan.6 (GMM) The FIA has devised a points system as part of its clampdown on the ease of achieving an F1 super licence. With Max Verstappen set to debut this year at the controversially young age of 17 and just one year out of karts, the governing body has moved to toughen the criteria for […]
End of the line nears for dying backmarkers
Jan.6 (GMM) Caterham and Marussia are nearing the end of the line as other teams move preparations for the 2015 season into high gear. With just 26 days until the winter test season begins in Spain, neither of the beleaguered backmarkers are committing to running at Jerez at the start of February. “Talks with interested […]
‘Annoyed’ Honda to meet FIA over engine freeze
Jan.6 (GMM) Honda is “annoyed” it has been left out of the relaxation of the F1 engine freeze for 2015. After Ferrari and Renault championed a loophole in the regulations, the governing FIA’s Charlie Whiting clarified that while existing manufacturers can now modify their turbo V6s during the 2015 season, Honda cannot. That is because […]
Ferrari sticking with ‘pullrod’ in 2015 – report
Jan.6 (GMM) Ferrari is sticking with its unique ‘pullrod’ front suspension layout for a fourth consecutive season, according to Italy’s Autosprint. The Maranello team has persevered with the approach since 2012, despite the fact pullrod suspension had not previously been seen at the front of a F1 car since Minardi in 2001. It was reported […]
Struggling teams still face uncertain future
Jan.5 (GMM) Less than a month before official winter testing begins, the future of the ailing backmarkers Marussia and Caterham remains unclear. Marussia’s administrators have auctioned team equipment, and the factory at Banbury could even be sold to the new American team for 2016, Haas. That is to pay back a long list of creditors, […]
F1 engine makers to meet in Geneva
Jan.5 (GMM) As ever in formula one, the future is always just around the next bend. On Tuesday, at Bernie Ecclestone’s behest, representatives of the four engine manufacturers – Mercedes, Renault, Ferrari and newcomer Honda – will get together in Geneva. The F1 supremo wants them to talk about a new beginning for F1 in […]
Rookie Verstappen plays down high expectations
Jan.5 (GMM) Max Verstappen has moved to play down expectations ahead of his record-making formula one debut in 2015. With the FIA set to clamp down on very young drivers from 2016, the Dutchman’s record of racing in Melbourne at the tender age of 17 could stand for some time. Verstappen, whose former F1-racing father […]
Mercedes set for 50hp engine boost in 2015 – report
Jan.5 (GMM) Delaying a start-of-season engine ‘freeze’ may be nowhere near enough for Mercedes’ rivals to catch up in 2015. Although the rule ‘loophole’ championed by Ferrari and Renault will now allow them to develop their turbo V6 engines beyond February 28, it will also apply to Mercedes, F1’s dominant champions of 2014. “We’re not […]
Button’s McLaren engineer switches to Williams
Jan.5 (GMM) Jenson Button’s race engineer at McLaren is moving to Williams. The resurgent Williams team beat not only fellow Mercedes-powered grandee McLaren in 2014, but also fabled Ferrari. In a media statement on Monday, the Grove based team said it has appointed Dave Robson – who since 2010 has been Button’s race engineer – […]
Sainz’s father says surname no ticket to F1
Jan.5 (GMM) Carlos Sainz insists his famous name alone did not power his 20-year-old son all the way to formula one. Carlos Sainz jr, the new reigning Formula Renault 3.5 champion, will make his debut for Toro Rosso in 2015, having emerged as the cream of Red Bull’s famous driver development programme. Nonetheless, a famous […]
Force India sets January 21 launch date
Jan.5 (GMM) Force India has set a firm date for the launch of its 2015 car, the Mercedes-powered VJM08. After finishing the 2014 season a career-high sixth in the constructors’ championship, the Silverstone based team renewed with its major backer America Movil. It means the Sergio Perez-linked Telmex, Telcel and Claro branding will also appear […]
Mercedes, McLaren to change colours in 2015 – report
Jan.5 (GMM) At least two top teams will enter the 2015 season with fundamentally different colour schemes, it has emerged. Spain’s El Mundo Deportivo reports that new reigning champions Mercedes intend to switch from silver to a striking mirror-like chrome paint-job this year. The report said the special chrome paint for the 2015 livery is […]
Honda excluded as engine upgrades allowed in 2015
Jan.3 (GMM) F1 newcomer Honda has been left out as rival engine suppliers prepare to develop their turbo V6 power units throughout the 2015 season. It has emerged in recent days that, because the wording of the regulations is unclear, the sport’s 2014 suppliers Mercedes, Renault and Ferrari do not in fact have to present […]
Alonso first in line for Hamilton’s seat – Wolff
Jan.2 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is at the top of Mercedes’ list, should Lewis Hamilton not stay with the dominant German team beyond this year. That is the admission of team boss Toto Wolff, in comments that might be interpreted as a ‘hurry up’ to F1’s new reigning world champion. Briton Hamilton’s Mercedes deal runs out […]
Williams ‘most dangerous’ 2015 rival – Wolff
Jan.2 (GMM) Toto Wolff has singled out Williams as the most dangerous opponent for title defenders Mercedes in 2015. Mercedes utterly dominated the first year of the new turbo V6 era last season, with 2010-2013 world champions Red Bull in second place. But it was Mercedes-powered Williams that ended the season as arguably the works […]
Mercedes to test 2015 car in January – Wolff
Jan.2 (GMM) Mercedes is on course to launch its title-defending car on the eve of the first winter test, team boss Toto Wolff has revealed. “We are on schedule and have a clear idea of where we are in terms of chassis and engine,” he told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport whilst holidaying in the […]
Williams revival surprised team champion Villeneuve
Jan.2 (GMM) The meteoric return to form of his old title-winning team Williams last year surprised 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve. In 2013, amid the Grove team’s slump, the French Canadian told the Portuguese language magazine Revista Warmup that “When a team is reduced to hiring pay-drivers, it’s over”. At the time, he was referring […]
Lotus could tweak team name for 2015 – report
Jan.2 (GMM) Lotus may be in no danger of dropping out of formula one. On an updated official entry list for the 2015 season, the Enstone team was listed recently with a “subject to confirmation” asterisk alongside its name. It sparked fears Lotus, whose Gerard Lopez led the angry complaints of midfield teams including Force […]
Montagny fails Formula E drugs test
Jan.1 (GMM) Former F1 driver Franck Montagny failed a drugs test at a recent Formula E race, the French daily L’Equipe reported on Thursday. The 36-year-old, a former Renault and Jordan test driver who raced seven times for Super Aguri in 2006, drove for the Andretti team in the new Formula E series this year […]