Oct.29 (GMM) McLaren has effectively confirmed reports it has vetoed the supply of customer Honda power units to Red Bull next year. With Mercedes and Ferrari already saying no to the embattled former quadruple world champions, Honda appeared to be the last resort after Red Bull terminated its contract with current supplier Renault. “It would […]
Month: October 2015
Rosberg angry as Hamilton wins third title
Oct.26 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s celebratory moments as he became a triple world champion on Sunday had a bitter tinge. As he equalled his boyhood hero Ayrton Senna’s title tally at the end of a dreary weekend in Austin, Briton Hamilton said it was the best moment of his life. But in the moments before he […]
Alonso says new Honda only ‘one tenth’ better
Oct.26 (GMM) Fernando Alonso put the brakes on McLaren-Honda’s apparent recent progress after the US grand prix. Using Honda’s token-upgraded ‘power unit’ for the first time in a race, the Spaniard had fought his way from dead last to fifth when reliability trouble struck. “If we had finished fifth I think it would have been […]
Mercedes denies reneging on Red Bull deal
Oct.26 (GMM) Mercedes has denied agreeing but then reneging on a handshake deal to supply Red Bull in 2016. Many believe the energy drink owned outfit only has itself to blame for terminating its fractured relationship with Renault before finalising an alternative supply of ‘power units’. But with a solution nowhere in sight for now, […]
Ecclestone unsure Finland GP ‘realistic’
Oct.26 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has admitted the idea of a Finnish grand prix might not be “realistic”. In August, Ilta Sanomat newspaper reported that the F1 supremo had talks with potential race promoters over the weekend of the Hungarian grand prix. Finland has a rich tradition of successful F1 drivers, including current racers Kimi Raikkonen […]
Hamilton can be ‘as big as Tiger Woods’
Oct.26 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton is on the road to becoming one of the world’s biggest ever sporting personalities. That is the claim of Zak Brown, an F1 marketing and sponsorship executive and expert who said the new triple world champion’s impact reaches far beyond the paddock. “Lewis is building his own brand,” he told the […]
Hulkenberg not cheering for three-car teams
Oct.26 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg insists he is not looking to rev up his own formula one career by cheering for Red Bull to depart. If the engine supply crisis does see Red Bull and Toro Rosso left without ‘power units’ for 2016, F1 might need to plug the gaps in the grid by asking some […]
Red Bull says work on 2016 car pushing ahead
Oct.25 (GMM) Red Bull has denied that it will now run out of time to get a car ready to race in 2016. The former world champions’ engine supply crisis has dragged on for so long that even in Bernie Ecclestone’s opinion, “They will be in trouble whatever engine they get because of the timing,” […]
FIA allays F1 driver safety fears
Oct.25 (GMM) Pastor Maldonado says he is happy with the safety levels in formula one. With the death of Jules Bianchi still on minds in the paddock, the sport was further shaken at Sochi two weeks ago when Carlos Sainz and Romain Grosjean crashed heavily in separate incidents. The Sainz crash raised many questions, including […]
Ecclestone confirms plan for new F1 engine
Oct.25 (GMM) As Hurricane Patricia brought a different kind of whirlwind to the Austin paddock, Bernie Ecclestone on Saturday confirmed his plans to introduce a second tier of engine regulations in formula one for 2017. “If we don’t do it, we will lose some teams,” the F1 chief executive warned at the torrentially-sodden Circuit of […]
Haas to confirm Gutierrez on Friday
Oct.25 (GMM) The long wait for Haas to complete its first F1 driver lineup looks set to end next week. It is now an open secret that the new American outfit, headed by Californian machine tool magnate and Nascar team co-owner Gene Haas, has signed up Ferrari reserve and Mexican Esteban Gutierrez to join Romain […]
Red Bull ‘must reconcile with Renault’ – Lauda
Oct.25 (GMM) Suddenly, where once it was all change in the rapidly-divorcing worlds of Red Bull and Renault, everything could stay the same. With Mercedes, Ferrari and even now Honda ruling out leaping to the powerless Red Bull’s rescue, it appears now that patching up the broken bridges with its French partner is the only […]
Renault yet to take Lotus buyout decision – Ecclestone
Oct.25 (GMM) As a U-turn on the Red Bull-Renault alliance now appears possible, it could be Lotus that is the team left without an engine to fire. At one point, the Enstone team looked to have not one but two ‘power units’ for 2016: an existing contract with Mercedes, and an incoming Renault as the […]
Hulkenberg reveals he lost weight in 2015
Oct.24 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg has admitted he has slimmed down during the course of the 2015 season. Although highly rated and the reigning Le Mans champion, German Hulkenberg has struggled at times at Force India this year, where his teammate is Sergio Perez. Mexican Perez is just 5 foot 6, while Hulkenberg is – on […]
‘Travesty’ if Magnussen locked out of F1 – Carlin
Oct.24 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen could be left with no role at all in F1 in 2016, after McLaren-Honda showed him the door. Team boss Eric Boullier on Friday hit back at suggestions the Dane was actually “fired”, amid reports it was Ron Dennis’ secretary who broke the bad news via email — on Magnussen’s birthday. […]
Horner not denying Red Bull-Honda reports
Oct.24 (GMM) Suddenly, almost everything is back on the table as the crisis-struck Red Bull plots a course to stay in formula one. Mercedes power, however, is one possible exception, as Toto Wolff has repeatedly and consistently ruled out supplying the energy drink-owned camp. Asked on Friday why he was smiling, boss Christian Horner joked: […]
FIA to launch tender for new F1 engine supplier
Oct.24 (GMM) The FIA has agreed to launch a tender process for a new parallel engine formula. That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, reporting that Bernie Ecclestone has managed to convince FIA president Jean Todt. Ecclestone, backed by his old sparring partner Max Mosley, has made clear that he thinks the […]
2015 title will not be Hamilton’s best memory – Andretti
Oct.24 (GMM) According to F1 legend Mario Andretti, Lewis Hamilton has been “outstanding” as he raced to match point in the 2015 world championship. But the 75-year-old, who won his title in 1978, does not think 2015 will be the “most significant” memory when the soon-to-be triple world champion looks back on his career. Asked […]
Kaltenborn hits back after Lauda attack
Oct.24 (GMM) Monisha Kaltenborn has hit back in the wake of an equally venomous attack by the F1 legend Niki Lauda. Lauda, the Mercedes team chairman, recently lashed out at Sauber for joining Force India in the complaint about F1’s governance to the European Commission. But he also attacked boss and co-owner Kaltenborn personally, saying […]
Haas books chassis crash tests for January
Oct.24 (GMM) Haas’ preparations for its 2016 formula one debut are speeding up. Gunther Steiner, the new American team’s boss, is on site in Austin this weekend, and on Friday was spotted chatting with Esteban Gutierrez in the Ferrari hospitality. Mexican Gutierrez, currently the Ferrari reserve, is expected to be named as Romain Grosjean’s teammate […]