Pirelli wants F1 changes for 2017 Apr.5 (GMM) Paul Hembery has urged F1 to make changes before Pirelli commits to a new contract. The Italian tyre supplier’s F1 chief told the Guardian newspaper that he fully supports efforts by Bernie Ecclestone to spice up the ‘show’. Hembery admitted one good change has been the ban […]
Mother insists Verstappen is Belgian
Apr.5 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s mother says the 17-year-old is in fact Belgian. The Toro Rosso rookie, now making waves as the youngest ever driver and points-scorer in F1 history, is the son of former grand prix star Jos Verstappen. Jos is Dutch, and Max now competes with a Dutch racing licence. But the youngster was, […]
Renault expects Red Bull success ‘sooner or later’
Apr.3 (GMM) Renault insists it is not giving up on the 2015 season. After Australia, the French manufacturer clashed spectacularly with works partner Red Bull, indicating the pair are on the road to divorce. Remi Taffin, Renault’s F1 operations director, said he can understand Red Bull’s frustration. “It was a setback for Red Bull. They’re […]
Marko says Toro Rosso sale not likely
Apr.2 (GMM) Red Bull has played down reports Renault is set to buy Toro Rosso — and leave the former world champions without an engine deal. Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost said in Australia it would be “fantastic” if the French carmaker bought the Faenza based team, which is currently owned and controlled by Red […]
Marko admits Red Bull has ‘chassis’ problems
Apr.2 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has admitted for the first time that Red Bull has issues that run deeper than the Renault engine. A furious row between Red Bull and Renault erupted in and after Australia, with Cyril Abiteboul even accusing Adrian Newey of telling “lies”. The chief “lie”, according to the Frenchman, was that […]
F1 trio play down Ferrari’s Sepang form
Apr.2 (GMM) A trio of well-known F1 figures has questioned whether Ferrari can keep up its new winning form. Sebastian Vettel stunned the Sepang paddock by winning on merit last Sunday, despite the Italian team’s only recently-ended period of turmoil, and the apparent continuing dominance of reigning world champions Mercedes. But Mika Hakkinen, a retired […]
Text from Schu house made Arrivabene cry – report
Apr.2 (GMM) A text message sent from Michael Schumacher’s home in Switzerland reduced Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene to tears after the Malaysian grand prix. After a tumultuous period for the great Italian marque, seven time world champion and Ferrari legend Schumacher’s protege Sebastian Vettel broke through with a landmark and emotional win. But Arrivabene, who […]
Manor’s one-car Sepang race deliberate – report
Apr.2 (GMM) Manor has dismissed as “nonsense” rumours it only had the ability to run one car at a time last weekend in Malaysia. The governing FIA and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone had reportedly warned the resurrected former Marussia team after Australia that another weekend spent silent in the pits would not be tolerated. Engines […]
Vettel, not Hamilton better for F1 – Capelli
Apr.2 (GMM) Another figure has hit back at Bernie Ecclestone’s claim that Lewis Hamilton is a better world champion than Sebastian Vettel. In Malaysia last week, F1 supremo Ecclestone criticised German Vettel for living a private life in Switzerland, while Hamilton “gets out on the street and supports and promotes formula one”. “He (Vettel) won […]
Young driver rule for 2016 ‘sad’ – Marko
Apr.2 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko thinks Red Bull has proved that F1 took a wrong turn with its new-for-2016 super licence rules. Following widespread criticism of the energy drink company’s selection of 17-year-old Max Verstappen for the junior team Toro Rosso, the FIA reacted by introducing a new system for the allocation of super licences […]
Ferrari not missing Alonso – Trulli
Apr.1 (GMM) Ferrari will not be missing its departed number 1 driver Fernando Alonso. That is the view of the Spaniard’s former Renault teammate Jarno Trulli, who today can be found running his own team in the new Formula E series. After five years of trying to win the title, Alonso left Ferrari at the […]
Sainz tips ‘giant steps’ for Alonso, McLaren
Apr.1 (GMM) Ferrari is not looking back, having put its ‘Alonso era’ swiftly behind. After departed number 1 Fernando Alonso’s 2015 replacement Sebastian Vettel won in Malaysia, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera said: “Sebastian leaves the Alonso era behind and leads us back to where the Ferrari success story was interrupted”. Alonso, now at […]
Alonso doubts Ferrari can beat Mercedes ‘regularly’
Apr.1 (GMM) Even after Ferrari’s breakthrough win, Fernando Alonso insists he has no regrets about swapping the Maranello team for the back of the grid. “Looking forward!” he wrote on Twitter after Sepang, where his Ferrari replacement Sebastian Vettel sensationally won. “Very happy!” A Reuters reporter, however, admitted he feels a “twinge of pity” for […]
Female driver says F1 series for women ‘good idea’
Apr.1 (GMM) A female racing driver has tentatively welcomed plans for an all-women’s formula one series. Bernie Ecclestone revealed in Malaysia last weekend that a separate championship just for women would spice up the sport. “It is only a thought at the moment,” he told reporters at Sepang, “but they could race before the main […]
Raikkonen is on Vettel’s pace – manager
Apr.1 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen’s manager has defended the Finn following suggestions he is already slipping into a ‘number 2’ role for 2015. After struggling alongside former teammate Fernando Alonso, 35-year-old Raikkonen has been joined in red for this year by his friend Sebastian Vettel. But Raikkonen is already 28 points behind his German teammate, while […]
Monza set for F1 rescue talks in Monaco – Capelli
Apr.1 (GMM) Ivan Capelli, the new chief of the Italian grand prix organiser, has vowed to save the embattled formula one race at historic Monza. Bernie Ecclestone has blasted the current race contract as a commercial “disaster”, warning that the sport will say “bye-bye” to Italy after 2016. Not only that, local political developments are […]
Red Bull ends Renault row to focus on 2015 – Marko
Apr.1 (GMM) Red Bull and Renault have sidelined their furious row, according to Dr Helmut Marko. After Australia, Marko and his Red Bull colleagues let loose their fury with the team’s underperforming works supplier Renault. Renault hit back at the attack, Cyril Abiteboul going so far as to accuse Adrian Newey of telling “lies”. “All […]
Ferrari ‘much faster’ than Williams – Bottas
Apr.1 (GMM) Williams’ race drivers have admitted the British team has been clearly overtaken by Ferrari. Last year, with field-leading Mercedes power, Grove based Williams ended a long slump by finishing the season as clearly the closest challenger to the dominant works Mercedes team. But after finishing fifth in Malaysia behind both red and silver […]
Ecclestone’s criticism of Vettel wrong – Berger
Mar.31 (GMM) Gerhard Berger has hit back at Bernie Ecclestone, following the F1 supremo’s criticism of Sebastian Vettel. Before Vettel won for Ferrari on Sunday, 84-year-old Ecclestone said in Malaysia that Lewis Hamilton is a better world champion than German Vettel. “He (Hamilton) is a good guy, he gets out on the street and supports […]
Mercedes to re-think ‘fair play’ strategies – Wolff
Mar.31 (GMM) The big question after Malaysia is: has Ferrari really caught Mercedes? After Sebastian Vettel’s breakthrough win in red on Sunday, Mercedes figures admitted to being surprised their dominance of Melbourne has been so quickly reined in. Team boss Toto Wolff described it as a “wake-up call”. “I don’t think it was a wake-up […]