Nov.16 (GMM) Toto Wolff has hit back at Bernie Ecclestone, after the F1 supremo suggested carmakers are prepared to destroy F1 for their own gain. Manufacturers including dominant Mercedes are siding against the sport’s new plans for faster cars in 2017 and parallel engine regulations. “They are not thinking of the sport, only themselves,” Ecclestone […]
Month: November 2015
Mercedes steps up move for Schumacher jr – report
Nov.15 (GMM) Michael Schumacher’s teenage son appears in the middle of a scrap between Ferrari and Mercedes over his future. Last week, 16-year-old Mick tested for the European F3 team Prema, an Italian outfit with close links to Ferrari. Schumacher’s famous father Michael won five world championships with Ferrari, but his last team in F1 […]
No minute of silence for Paris victims – Todt
Nov.15 (GMM) F1’s French president of the FIA, Jean Todt, has come under fire for making controversial comments about the terrorist attacks in Paris. Already scheduled to fly into Brazil this weekend long before Friday night’s atrocities in the French capital, Todt on Saturday sounded reluctant to alter the pre-race plans to mark remembrance day […]
Nasr eyes ‘more competitive team’ for future
Nov.15 (GMM) Felipe Nasr says he will have to leave Sauber in order to achieve his goals in formula one. The Brazilian made his debut with the Swiss team this year, and with his backing by the Banco do Brasil he will stay at Sauber in 2016. But Nasr, 23, told O Estado de S.Paulo […]
Todt plays down Hamilton’s road car crash
Nov.15 (GMM) The FIA will not strip Lewis Hamilton of his role as an ambassador for road safety. Last week, the triple world champion drove his $2m Pagani Zonda supercar into three stationary cars in Monaco, admitting heavy partying and fatigue contributed to the 3.30am crash. A spokesman for a British road safety charity said: […]
Renault and Honda facing tough winter
Nov.15 (GMM) Red Bull will use an unbranded Renault engine in 2016, in a deal that is expected to be announced officially in Abu Dhabi later this month. The story is now little less than an open secret in the Interlagos paddock, with Auto Motor und Sport claiming that although the warring parties earlier appeared […]
Wurz approached to be new Manor boss
Nov.15 (GMM) Alex Wurz admits he has been approached to take over as Manor’s team principal. It was confirmed at Interlagos this weekend that boss John Booth and deputy Graeme Lowdon have both resigned and will leave the team after Abu Dhabi. So Manor has announced that Dave Ryan, the former long-time McLaren sporting director […]
Magnussen rules out F1 reserve role
Nov.15 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has ruled out keeping his foot in the F1 door next year by staying as a reserve driver. For 2016, McLaren has replaced the Dane with new GP2 champion Stoffel Vandoorne, after 23-year-old Magnussen insisted he needed to get back to racing. So Magnussen has now completed a test for the […]
Rosberg happy to have Hamilton as teammate for life
Nov.15 (GMM) Nico Rosberg is sure he can take on Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, insisting he is even prepared to spend the rest of his career as the triple world champion’s teammate. Although the championship chase is over for 2015, German Rosberg on Saturday secured his fifth consecutive pole. Asked if he can keep beating […]
Ecclestone determined to fix F1 for future
Nov.15 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone sounds determined to lead formula one into a better future. The F1 supremo says that despite some opposition from powerful carmakers, the sport will have faster cars in 2017 and an independent supplier of a new, more affordable engine to run parallel with the controversial current rules. Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, however, […]
Massa tells F1 to embrace ‘computer’ age
Nov.14 (GMM) Felipe Massa has called on formula one to raise its game when it comes to spicing up the appeal of the sport in the modern age. The Brazilian told O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper that while F1 has remained true to its exclusivity on television, the rest of the world has moved on. […]
Pirelli signs van der Garde for test role
Nov.14 (GMM) Former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde has signed with Pirelli as a test driver. The 30-year-old raced for Caterham in 2013, but is arguably now best remembered for taking Sauber to court early this season. Van der Garde did some testing with F1’s official tyre supplier at the wheel of a GP2 […]
Vettel and Lauda agree on ‘grid boys’ issue
Nov.14 (GMM) When it comes to the issue of ‘grid boys’ in formula one, it appears Sebastian Vettel and Niki Lauda agree. Earlier in Brazil, following Lauda’s claims about Ferrari ending Mercedes’ engine dominance, Vettel said the Austrian legend often “doesn’t make any sense”. Lauda said he has clarified the matter with Vettel. But when […]
Teams bickering over 2017 tyre testing – report
Nov.14 (GMM) F1 teams are bickering over how best to prepare for the radically-different technical rules for 2017. It is expected that the draft regulations will be presented at the strategy group meeting on 24 November, with wider cars and tyres to slash up to 5 seconds per lap off the average laptime of today. […]
Another Piquet steps close to F1
Nov.14 (GMM) Yet another driver with a famous surname is moving up the racing ladder towards F1. In 2014, Max Verstappen used the European F3 team owned by Dutchman Frits van Amersfoort as his springboard into formula one this year. In its German F4 outfit, van Amersfoort has this year been running Mick Schumacher, the […]
Storm batters Interlagos circuit
Nov.11 (GMM) A fierce storm battered the Interlagos circuit after nightfall on Friday. Local reports say a grandstand roof at the Senna S was damaged amid the wind, heavy rain, thunder and lightning, with work to repair it complicated by power cuts. “Repairs will be made overnight, with all necessary measures taken,” said circuit spokesperson […]
Schumacher fan club chief slams Hamilton ‘damage control’
Nov.9 (GMM) The president of Michael Schumacher’s fan club has refused to accept Lewis Hamilton’s denial that he disrespected the seven time world champion. Last week, the fan club president Reiner Ferling caused a stir when he warned Hamilton that “Pride comes before a fall”, after a German tabloid quoted the new triple world champion […]
Ferrari re-opens door to working with Red Bull
Nov.9 (GMM) Ferrari has re-opened the door to helping solve Red Bull’s engine supply crisis. Earlier, it was believed the Italian team had the same view as Mercedes and McLaren-Honda in not being willing to supply ‘power units’ to the energy drink outfit in 2016. But it believed the junior outfit Toro Rosso is in […]
Loss-making McLaren compensates Whitmarsh, Mercedes
Nov.9 (GMM) A $15 million pay-out to former boss Martin Whitmarsh contributed to the financial loss recorded by McLaren last year. Writing for Forbes, F1 business journalist Christian Sylt said the latest financial statements for 2014 showed McLaren paid “compensation for (the) loss of office of a director”, which surely must be Whitmarsh. Overall, McLaren […]
Raikkonen plays down ‘clash of the Finns’
Nov.9 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen has moved to dismiss the lingering controversy following a couple of on and off-track run-ins with countryman Valtteri Bottas. Sections of the media, particularly in their native Finland, had billed it a “clash of the Finns”, after an on-track clash at Sochi and then again in Mexico just three weeks later. […]