Apr.17 (GMM) For Felipe Massa, 2015 so far is like a glass half-full. The empty half is that Williams – last year a main rival to title-winner Mercedes – has fallen behind the resurgent Ferrari. “Last year we managed to beat Ferrari with a smaller budget,” said Massa’s teammate Valtteri Bottas in China. “I see […]
Month: April 2015
Rosberg wishes he kept complaints quieter
Apr.17 (GMM) Nico Rosberg has acknowledged he may have kicked an own goal by hitting out at his teammate Lewis Hamilton after the Chinese grand prix. The accusations about Hamilton’s tactical trickery caused a global media stir and opened the door for the reigning world champion to claim the psychological edge and the moral high […]
Vettel would prefer day race in Bahrain
Apr.17 (GMM) It may be a glistening, floodlit spectacle, but Sebastian Vettel would prefer if the sun did not set on this weekend’s Bahrain action. The island Kingdom is suitably hot for the 2015 Ferrari package, which in the searing Malaysian sun was able to power the German driver to victory. In cooler Melbourne and […]
Alonso in top shape for years to come – trainer
Apr.16 (GMM) Fernando Alonso will be in top physical shape for years to come, according to his trainer. After his mysterious Barcelona testing crash and hospitalisation, the Spanish driver admitted he was not fully fit when he returned to the wheel in Malaysia. Following China, 33-year-old Alonso flew to Dubai – where he lives – […]
Hulkenberg admits to ‘hardest time’ in F1 career
Apr.16 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg has admitted he will have to keep treading water at Force India for some weeks to come. “It’s actually quite a difficult situation,” said the German, referring to reports the Silverstone based team will not have its ‘B’ car up and running until Austria. “We are going to have to wait […]
Verstappen not for sale – Marko
Apr.16 (GMM) Max Verstappen is not for sale, Red Bull driver manager Dr Helmut Marko insisted on Thursday. The hype around the 17-year-old sensation is now swirling, particularly after his spectacular drive in China that ended with Renault engine failure. Unfortunately, Renault cannot rule out more of the same problems at Toro Rosso and Red […]
Podium model plays down ‘spraygate’
Apr.16 (GMM) ‘Spraygate’ could come to a screeching halt after the podium model at the centre of the saga played down the controversy. Lewis Hamilton came under fire after photographs of him squirting champagne into the face of an uncomfortable-looking woman on the Shanghai podium emerged. But the model at the heart of the controversy, […]
Hamilton plays down post-China controversies
Apr.16 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton on Thursday tried to draw a line under two controversies that have been swirling over the past week. The spat with teammate Nico Rosberg, the Mercedes driver said, is now over, after the German had accused Hamilton of spoiling his race in China. “There is no issue between myself and Nico,” […]
Drivers criticise Rosberg for Shanghai spat
Apr.16 (GMM) Nico Rosberg is not backing down after accusing his teammate Lewis Hamilton of driving too slowly en route to victory in China last Sunday. “I said what I felt,” the German told British television Sky, “but I really have put Shanghai behind me now.” Two former F1 drivers, however, say the Mercedes driver […]
Mercedes denies blocking engine rule changes
Apr.16 (GMM) Mercedes has hit back at Bernie Ecclestone’s claim the German carmaker is “killing” formula one. The F1 supremo had made the comments in claiming that as he tries to fix the controversial engine regulations, dominant Mercedes is playing a spoiling role. But Niki Lauda, the Mercedes team chairman, takes issue with Ecclestone’s view. […]
Verstappen can be future world champion – Tost
Apr.16 (GMM) Max Verstappen is on the road to becoming world champion. That is the claim of his boss Franz Tost, as others also gush about the early form of F1’s controversial 17-year-old driver. During his commentary in Shanghai last weekend, former F1 driver Martin Brundle said the young Dutchman has signs of following the […]
Ecclestone approves ‘human rights policy’ for F1
Apr.16 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has made a sharp U-turn on his approach to this year’s Bahrain grand prix. Now some years after the violent civil uprising in the island Kingdom, Bahrain remains a controversial stop on the annual F1 calendar. Indeed, there is still unrest, with reports 21 activists were arrested this week by government […]
Ferrari set to shine in Bahrain heat
Apr.16 (GMM) Eyes will be on the skies on Thursday as the F1 world pushes through the Bahrain paddock gates. A top of 34 degrees C is forecast in the island Kingdom, which will be music to the ears of those wearing red. Mercedes bounced back a week ago with a one-two finish, but that […]
Rosberg not planning more Hamilton talks
Apr.15 (GMM) Nico Rosberg says he has no intention of speaking again about the Shanghai incident with Lewis Hamilton. The German, having accused his Mercedes teammate of compromising his race in China, said “criticism” was exchanged in the post-race briefings in China. “I admit,” he told the major German daily Bild, “when I sat next […]
Raikkonen on track for 2016 Ferrari deal – reports
Apr.15 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen is on track to securing a deal to stay at Ferrari beyond 2015. When he rejoined Maranello from Lotus for 2014, the Finn signed a two-year contract. Raikkonen, 35, struggled last year but is happier with this year’s car alongside his new teammate and friend Sebastian Vettel. “I could not imagine […]
Different dramas for Mercedes’ driving duo
Apr.15 (GMM) Mercedes’ race drivers were dealing with very different dramas in the quick-fire hop between China and Bahrain. For championship leader Lewis Hamilton, it was the manner of his celebrations on the Shanghai podium that drew negative attention. Anti-sexism campaigners objected to photos depicting the reigning world champion spraying champagne into the face of […]
Kolles blasts FIA over F1’s ‘massive problem’
Apr.15 (GMM) Former team boss Colin Kolles has pointed the finger squarely at F1’s governing body over a “massive regulations problem” within the sport. Kolles, formerly in charge at Force India and most recently HRT, agrees with Bernie Ecclestone that formula one needs to urgently rethink its engine rules. The current turbo V6 ‘power unit’ […]
McLaren backs under-fire Alonso
Apr.15 (GMM) McLaren is standing firmly behind its new star driver Fernando Alonso. Following his high-profile switch from the now-resurgent Ferrari to struggling McLaren-Honda, the Spaniard has been taking flak in recent days. A presenter for Sky Italia, for instance, has reportedly been suspended for issuing an insulting ‘tweet’ that caused Alonso to ignore the […]
Stuck slams Ecclestone over German GP demise
Apr.15 (GMM) Racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck has slammed Bernie Ecclestone over the demise of the German grand prix. Stuck, a former F1 driver and now chairman of the German sanctioning body DMSB, admitted to the Austrian broadcaster Servus TV he is angry with the F1 supremo for ruling out a 2015 race at either the […]
No quick fix for Renault piston fault – report
Apr.15 (GMM) A fault with the piston design of Renault’s 2015 engine has been identified, according to the French broadcaster Canal Plus. Problems across both Renault-powered teams, Red Bull and Toro Rosso, marred the French marque’s weekend in China last weekend. Boss Cyril Abiteboul departed Shanghai saying he hoped a fix could be identified and […]