May 18 (GMM) Red Bull is struggling to sell tickets for next month’s Austrian grand prix, official Dr Helmut Marko admits. Last year, the sport’s return to the rejuvenated ‘Red Bull Ring’ was a widely-proclaimed success. But as the energy drink company now complains loudly about the sport’s current regulations, Marko revealed: “Although we are […]
Month: May 2015
F1 changes yet to clear hurdles
May 18 (GMM) Time will tell how much last Thursday’s meeting of the Strategy Group will actually change the direction of formula one. The group – featuring the top teams, Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA – met in England amid ever-loudening voices calling for urgent measures to turn around flagging audiences, disinterested sponsors and struggling […]
2015 Mexico race already sold out
May 15 (GMM) The Mexican grand prix is already sold out. While other races – even key markets like Germany – have struggled to fill the grandstands, it is reported that a full house will congregate at Mexico City’s revamped Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in early November. Auto Motor und Sport reported that “within hours” of […]
Audi foray discussed by Strategy Group
May 15 (GMM) It is believed a potential F1 foray for the Volkswagen Group was discussed on Thursday during the high-profile Strategy Group meeting. Rumours the VW brand Audi could enter the sport have been growing in recent weeks and days. Ralf Bach, a well-known German-language paddock correspondent, wrote on his blog f1-insider.com that Audi […]
Kvyat calm as pressure builds
May 15 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat insists he is staying calm amid his troubled time in formula one. Before the 2015 season, the 21-year-old was a rising star of the sport, having earned graduation to the championship-winning Red Bull team within a single season. The premier energy drink-owned outfit, however, is in deep crisis this year, […]
F1 should green-light new ‘tyre war’ – Coulthard
May 15 (GMM) David Coulthard thinks F1 needs a ‘tyre war’ once again. This week, the former F1 supplier Michelin revealed that its interest in working at the pinnacle of motor sport has returned. But boss Pascal Couasnon laid down his conditions: no more heavily-degrading tyres for “the show”, a modern 18-inch profile, and a […]
F1 approves ‘faster cars’ for 2017
May 15 (GMM) F1 on Friday confirmed that things are changing for 2017. Earlier, media reports suggested that Thursday’s meeting of the Strategy Group had resulted only in more dithering and indecision. In fact, a raft of changes has been agreed, with the intention of pushing them through the F1 Commission and World Motor Sport […]
FIA to outline Strategy Group results on Friday
May 15 (GMM) The news filtering out from Thursday’s landmark meeting of the Strategy Group is not encouraging. Amid the sport’s reported problems and widespread calls for change, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone was not confident as the stakeholders headed for his facility at the Biggin Hill airport in England. “We will spend four or five […]
Ecclestone ‘will be replaced’ – Stewart
May 15 (GMM) Fernando Alonso, who tested Ayrton Senna’s old 1988 car recently, said this week he wishes he had raced in that era. “The cars were more racy,” said the McLaren driver, “with big tyres, big engines and not many limitations in terms of creativity for the designers.” F1 legend and triple world champion […]
Toro Rosso plays down Renault team takeover
May 14 (GMM) Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost has played down the chances of a team takeover by Renault. Earlier this year, at the height of Red Bull’s public spat with the French carmaker, it seemed inevitable that Renault was going to either buy and rebrand the junior outfit Toro Rosso, or quit formula one […]
Hakkinen understands Mercedes ‘team order’
May 14 (GMM) Mika Hakkinen says he can understand why Mercedes issued a ‘team order’ towards the end of the Spanish grand prix. After the Barcelona race, championship leader Lewis Hamilton claimed he “ignored” his team’s advice to bring the car home rather than try to chase down teammate Nico Rosberg. “I’m here to race, […]
Secret F1 income payment system leaked
May 14 (GMM) Ahead of a crucial meeting about F1’s future on Thursday, the inequality of the sport’s secret payments system has been exposed. According to The Times newspaper, the revealed figures will put Bernie Ecclestone “under severe pressure” to scrap the system that saw Ferrari receive from the commercial rights holders $37 million more […]
Managers want Bottas to be champion – Hakkinen
May 14 (GMM) Mika Hakkinen says he does not want to add more fuel to the rumours surrounding Valtteri Bottas. In Barcelona, the Williams driver had to address speculation he has been targeted as a potential Ferrari star of the future. Also making comments over the Spanish grand prix weekend was Didier Coton, Bottas’ day-to-day […]
Honda to use engine ‘tokens’ mid-season
May 14 (GMM) Honda will “soon” begin to spend its tokens to improve the performance of its F1 engine. To date, improvements made to the Japanese marque’s ‘power unit’ have been for reliability purposes. It means that McLaren’s works supplier still has in its possession the 9 ‘tokens’ it was awarded at the beginning of […]
Ferrari quietly extends Marlboro deal
May 14 (GMM) Tobacco giant Philip Morris has quietly extended its sponsorship deal with Ferrari, the Bloomberg news agency reports. Even though the red F1 cars can no longer display a ‘Marlboro’ livery, or even include the cigarette brand’s name in Ferrari’s official title, the deal was reportedly extended for another three years. Bloomberg said […]
Nasr says no Sauber upgrades yet
May 14 (GMM) Felipe Nasr is expecting Sauber to suffer at the next few races. Early in 2015, the Brazilian rookie emerged as a potential star of the future, finishing fifth in Australia and scoring more points in China. But Nasr, 22, warned before the Spanish grand prix – where he qualified 15th – that […]
Sainz happy to survive Verstappen hype
May 14 (GMM) According to some, Carlos Sainz has been the ‘revelation of the season’. The build-up to the Spaniard’s debut season in formula one was totally overshadowed by Max Verstappen, who at 17 is the youngest driver in F1 history and already compared by some to the great Ayrton Senna. But Sainz, the ‘other’ […]
Ferrari exit ‘unavoidable’ for Alonso
May 14 (GMM) Luca di Montezemolo has backed away from his earlier criticism of Ferrari. The former Ferrari president’s claim that the Maranello team was “lucky” in 2015 had triggered renewed suggestions he is simply bitter about his ousting. “I’m tired of all this,” he was quoted by Ansa news agency on Wednesday. “All I […]
Massa wants more test freedom in F1
May 14 (GMM) Felipe Massa would prefer if teams were given more freedom to decide their in-season testing plans. For cost reasons, there are now only two official group tests within the annual race calendar — immediately after the Spanish and Austrian grands prix. The two-day Barcelona session, attended by Brazilian Massa, has just ended. […]
Renault admits ‘something wrong’ at factory
May 14 (GMM) Renault has admitted there is “something wrong” at its Viry-Chattilon base. The French marque is struggling to get to the bottom of a fundamental problem in the area of its piston design that has led to multiple failures in 2015. “On the dyno the engines are reliable,” chief Cyril Abiteboul said, “but […]