Mar.23 (GMM) Monisha Kaltenborn has broken her silence on the Giedo van der Garde affair, admitting she made “mistakes”. The storm surrounding Sauber’s Indian-born Austrian boss and co-owner in Australia recently caused some reporters to question her ongoing suitability for the job. Now, in her first interview since the resolution of the saga with a […]
Month: March 2015
German GP axe ‘just sad’ – Lauda
Mar.23 (GMM) Niki Lauda has described the official demise of Mercedes’ home race this year as “sad”. The F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman confirmed reports that the German carmaker made efforts to save the July 19 race, as circuit promoters and Bernie Ecclestone ultimately failed to agree. “This is just sad,” Lauda told the […]
Mercedes offered millions to save German GP – report
Mar.22 (GMM) Mercedes offered to help keep the German grand prix alive in 2015. On Friday, the FIA revealed that it has removed the scheduled July 19 date from this year’s calendar because Bernie Ecclestone and a German circuit “did not reach agreement”. Earlier, as F1 supremo Ecclestone discussed the crisis with the financially embattled […]
Ferrari busy with F1 factory move – report
Mar.22 (GMM) Ferrari is moving house. Germany’s Bild am Sonntag newspaper reports that, in the week after cementing its new form in Australia as the second force behind Mercedes, the fabled Italian team has been relocating. Ousted former boss Stefano Domenicali commissioned the state-of-the-art new building on Ferrari’s Maranello grounds back in 2010, with the […]
Alonso to sit FIA tests at Cambridge University
Mar.22 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s mandatory medical tests on Sunday will take place at the famous English university Cambridge, multiple British newspapers report. The Telegraph, Observer and Daily Mail said that as the McLaren-Honda driver bids to return to the cockpit in Malaysia next weekend, he will first have to satisfy three doctors appointed by the […]
Alonso will race in Malaysia – manager
Mar.21 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s manager says the McLaren-Honda driver will be back in action in Malaysia next weekend. “Fernando will be in Malaysia,” Luis Garcia-Abad announced to the Spanish press early on Saturday. It is known that the 33-year-old driver, who sat out the Melbourne season opener last weekend after his mysterious Barcelona testing crash […]
Alonso crash costs insurers EUR 1.8 million
Mar.21 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s Barcelona testing crash has cost insurers EUR 1.8 million so far. That is the claim of Italy’s specialist La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper, who said the Spanish driver and McLaren had to follow doctors’ advice or risk not receiving the payout. That is because the “contracts of the teams include a […]
FIA confirms German GP demise
Mar.21 (GMM) F1’s governing body has removed Germany from the 2015 calendar. The move follows both the Nurburgring and Hockenheim having declared that time ran out as they negotiated new deals with Bernie Ecclestone. “The German grand prix has been withdrawn as the CRH (commercial rights holder) and promoter did not reach agreement,” the FIA […]
Schu should only be six-time champ – Barrichello
Mar.20 (GMM) Rubens Barrichello claims his former Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher should actually be just a six-time world champion. The pair were teammates at Ferrari between 2000 and 2005, during which time German Schumacher won five consecutive drivers’ titles. However, during that time team boss Jean Todt also operated a clear ‘number 1’ driver policy […]
F1 in image struggle at start of new season
Mar.20 (GMM) Formula one did not present the best image of itself as the 2015 season opened in Australia. That is the view of several experts and insiders, following Sauber’s courtroom battles, cars stranded in the pits and on the track in Melbourne, and Mercedes’ utter dominance amid a row over the rules. Asked about […]
Mercedes’ rivals will ‘never catch up’ – Marko
Mar.20 (GMM) Mercedes’ engine advantage is locked in for the long haul, Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko insists. Renault-powered Red Bull is arguing stridently for a change of regulations in formula one, after Mercedes’ advantage appeared only to have grown heading into 2015. However, the so-called engine freeze was slightly relaxed over the winter, […]
Bottas ‘believes he can drive’ in Malaysia
Mar.20 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas’ manager has admitted he is not sure the Williams driver will return to action next weekend in Malaysia. “I am well informed about it,” said former double world champion Mika Hakkinen, who along with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is a member of Finn Bottas’ management team. Bottas had to sit […]
Marko says Toro Rosso cars could turn yellow
Mar.20 (GMM) Toro Rosso’s cars could turn yellow, Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko has admitted. As he criticises engine partner Renault for its retrograde step in 2015, Marko has also confirmed that talks with the French marque about stepping up its involvement in the sister team Toro Rosso are taking place. “If Renault believes […]
Marc Marquez backs Honda to succeed in F1
Mar.20 (GMM) Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez has backed Honda to succeed in formula one. Riding for the Japanese marque’s official factory team Repsol-Honda, the 22-year-old Spaniard has been dominant since stepping into the top two-wheel category. He told the sports daily Marca that he knew countryman Fernando Alonso would be joining McLaren-Honda in 2015 […]
German GP ‘dead’ as circuits pull out
Mar.20 (GMM) Germany’s other F1 circuit has joined Hockenheim in pulling out of the running to host the scheduled July 19 race. Earlier this week, Hockenheim chief Georg Seiler told Bild newspaper: “We have no more hope that formula one will take place here” in 2015. And now the Nurburgring has followed suit, as DPA […]
Red Bull asked for ‘fierce’ development – Renault
Mar.19 (GMM) Renault has revealed it took an unusually-aggressive approach to the 2015 season opener, at works partner Red Bull’s behest. Amid Red Bull’s disastrous start to the new world championship in Australia, the energy drink-owned team lashed out at Renault for taking a “retrograde” step both in the power and reliability stakes. Now, Renault […]
Wolff reveals Hamilton bought Ferrari supercar
Mar.19 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has had contact with Ferrari, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has admitted. Paddock rumours in Australia suggested that, as he conducts his own negotiations for a new contract beyond 2015, the British driver had been in touch with Ferrari. Wolff doesn’t deny it. “Sure, Lewis has had contact with Ferrari,” he […]
Alonso set for medical checks on Sunday
Mar.19 (GMM) Fernando Alonso will undergo medical tests conducted by the FIA on Sunday. The broadcaster Sky Italia said the Spaniard needs the governing body’s green-light in order to return to the cockpit of his McLaren-Honda in Malaysia next weekend. Almost a month since his mysterious Barcelona testing crash and subsequent hospitalisation, Alonso was back […]
Bottas recovering from back injury in Indonesia
Mar.19 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas is recovering from his back injury in Indonesia, the Williams team has confirmed. The Finn had to sit out the Melbourne season opener last Sunday after suffering a torn disc in his back during the qualifying hour. Reports said he subsequently travelled from Australia to Indonesia to prepare for the time-zone […]
Sauber surprised by van der Garde ‘accusations’
Mar.19 (GMM) Sauber has admitted it was “surprised” to read ousted driver Giedo van der Garde’s media statement on Wednesday. After the courtroom battle of Melbourne, the two sides have reached a settlement that reportedly involves the return of the Dutch driver’s sponsorship payments, legal fees and compensation to the tune of EUR 15 million. […]