Jun.23 (GMM) Sir Jackie Stewart has warned F1 drivers that the sport is still dangerous. Kimi Raikkonen headed into the Austrian grand prix arguing that more danger would spice up the sport, only to narrowly avoid serious injury when Fernando Alonso’s McLaren sliced across his open cockpit at the start of the race. In fact, […]
Renault denies it will ‘give up’ on F1
Jun.23 (GMM) Renault has denied it is moving towards F1’s paddock turnstile. Amid talk of a split with Red Bull and a return to full works team status, the big rumour after Austria is that Renault is in fact close to deciding to simply quit formula one. That is because the development or ‘token’ rules […]
Verstappen had meeting with Ecclestone – report
Jun.23 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone is determined to introduce changes in formula one. The unlikely source of that information is Max Verstappen, the youngest driver in F1 history. The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf claims the 17-year-old sat down for his first one-on-one, face-to-face meeting with the F1 supremo in Austria, inside the 84-year-old’s famous paddock motor […]
Hamilton warns Rosberg against ‘momentum’ hopes
Jun.23 (GMM) F1’s battle for the 2015 title looks to now be a two-horse race. Nico Rosberg has won three of the last four grands prix, despite earlier appearing outclassed by his Mercedes teammate and reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton. Indeed, Red Bull was so confident Hamilton would win on Sunday that its race-day edition […]
Austria GP audience almost halved – report
Jun.23 (GMM) Expectations of a smaller crowd of spectators for the Red Bull-promoted Austrian grand prix have been confirmed. Last year, as the sport returned to the refurbished ‘Red Bull Ring’ for the first time in a decade, an enthusiastic full house of 90,000 thronged the stands. But Kleine Zeitung newspaper reports that, a year […]
Raikkonen losing support of Italian press
Jun.23 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen is losing the backing of Italy’s influential F1 media. Heading into Austria, the Finn clashed with reporters following the publication of a story suggesting he has been asked to take a pay-cut for 2016. “It’s bullsh*t nonsense that you guys come up with all the time,” Raikkonen charged. The 2007 world […]
Time running out for Ferrari’s Vettel – Wolff
Jun.23 (GMM) Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel is still clinging onto contention for the 2015 title, according to Mercedes chief Toto Wolff. The Italian team has closed the gap on Mercedes this year, but Niki Lauda admits he was “surprised” how easily Rosberg and Hamilton drove away in Austria. Vettel admitted: “We were not as close as […]
Horner denies Berger to replace him
Jun.23 (GMM) Christian Horner has hit back at rumours he is set to be ousted at Red Bull. British newspapers report that paddock speculation in Austria had suggested owner Dietrich Mateschitz was set to boost the struggling team’s waning motivation by installing F1 legend Gerhard Berger in Briton Horner’s place. Indeed, Berger has been a […]
Mercedes driver battle ‘down to the wire’
Jun.22 (GMM) Toto Wolff has tipped the 2015 title battle to go “down to the wire”. Although Lewis Hamilton started from pole position in Austria, it was teammate Nico Rosberg who was clearly faster all weekend and he duly won on Sunday. Hamilton, however, has been the on-form Mercedes driver throughout 2015, but the consistent […]
Ferrari has ‘deadline’ for Raikkonen decision
Jun.22 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen’s quest to keep his Ferrari seat took another backwards step in Austria. The Finn, pushing to have the 2016 ‘option’ in his contract triggered, struggled in qualifying and then crashed heavily at the start of Sunday’s race. It follows the spin in Canada that cost Ferrari a podium place and angered […]
Mood for immediate change growing in F1
Jun.22 (GMM) The mood for immediate change in the increasingly-alarmed F1 paddock is growing. Summing up the burgeoning crisis, McLaren team boss Eric Boullier told Spain’s Marca: “Drivers are not happy, the public is noticing and they (the audience) are leaving F1.” Front and centre of the argument is Red Bull, who spent the entire […]
Renault contract means ‘no decision to make’ – Horner
Jun.22 (GMM) Speculation Red Bull might revert to Ferrari power looks set to end. Christian Horner, the energy drink-owned team’s boss, gave short shrift to the issue on Sunday, after Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne indicated he would be happy to supply Red Bull with turbo V6 power units. “I would give engines to anyone, provided […]
Nasr linked with Williams switch
Jun.22 (GMM) Felipe Nasr could be set to burst into the 2016 ‘silly season’. Brazil’s Globo suggested the rookie Brazilian could be at the front of the queue if Kimi Raikkonen is dropped by Ferrari and replaced by Williams’ Valtteri Bottas. Nasr, 22, let his frustration show after Sunday’s Austrian grand prix, as he suffered […]
Hulkenberg deserves ‘top car’ in F1 – Lauda
Jun.22 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg has earned a place at a top team. That is the view of F1 legend Niki Lauda, referring to the Force India driver who recently made international headlines by winning Le Mans on debut. Back in F1, however, German Hulkenberg drives only for Force India, where in Austria he qualified an […]
Ecclestone ‘negotiated’ with Mateschitz – report
Jun.22 (GMM) His quit threats still echoing around the paddock, Dietrich Mateschitz met quietly with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone on Sunday. “No photographers, no journalists — even their staff kept a safe distance,” reported Osterreich newspaper. The report speculated that the main topic of conversation was not Mateschitz’s quit threats, but the Austrian billionaire’s interest […]
Alonso says McLaren-Honda ‘crisis is over’
Jun.22 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says “the crisis is over” at McLaren-Honda. That is despite the team’s Austrian grand prix appearing to be an unmitigated disaster, and right in front of the Honda Motor Co.’s new president, Takahiro Hachigo. The draconian extent of the engine grid penalties incurred by Alonso and Jenson Button was ridiculed in […]
Austrian F1 fans killed in horror incident
Jun.21 (GMM) Three were killed and dozens injured on Saturday at a F1-themed event coinciding with the Austrian grand prix. In Graz, an hour’s drive from the Red Bull Ring, a car ploughed at high speed into a huge crowd of formula one fans, killing three people including a toddler and injuring at least 34, […]
Le Mans bow for big F1 names unlikely – Hulkenberg
Jun.21 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg does not think a flood of F1 rivals will now follow him to Le Mans. Perhaps powered by his Porsche triumph last weekend, the German on Saturday defied all expectations by qualifying fifth — one race before Force India debuts its long-awaited ‘B’ car. Hulkenberg, eleven places ahead of his teammate […]
Honda not ready for second F1 team
Jun.21 (GMM) Honda has backed away from speculation it is ready to supply a second team with engines in 2016. The Japanese carmaker has said consistently since returning to the sport that while this year will be spent focused on works partner McLaren, it is open to selling the same turbo V6 to paying customers […]
French power for Red Bull in 2016 too – Renault
Jun.21 (GMM) Renault says it is sure it will continue to power Red Bull’s cars next year. The news comes amid swirling rumours about the future in F1 of the energy drink company, with owner Dietrich Mateschitz threatening to quit and reports Red Bull received an offer to become a Ferrari ‘customer’ next year. F1 […]