Mar.19 (GMM) Eric Boullier insists it is not his “responsibility” to convince Fernando Alonso to keep racing in formula one. With McLaren-Honda still only a midfield runner in 2016, paddock rumours are swirling in Melbourne that the Spaniard might pull out of his contract with the team and quit F1 altogether before the end of […]
Month: March 2016
Bosses call for new qualifying to be scrapped
Mar.19 (GMM) Leading figures in formula one are calling on the sport to scrap the new ‘musical chairs’ qualifying format after the woeful spectacle of Melbourne. The eleventh-hour format tweak was controversial from the start, but few experts or pundits imagined the calamity of late Saturday afternoon in Albert Park. “The crescendo was the guy […]
‘Afraid’ drivers should quit F1 – Villeneuve
Mar.18 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve has slammed F1 drivers who are calling loudly for the introduction of the ‘halo’ cockpit protection system. The story has split the driver camp, with Daniel Ricciardo telling Nico Hulkenberg recently to stop being a “hero” by arguing against the radical safety concept. “I read that and it made me smile,” […]
Vettel hopes Margherita wears crown in 2016
Mar.18 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel’s 2016 car is named after a crown-wearing queen, not a pizza. “It is not about pizza,” the German insisted to Bild newspaper, after international reports said Vettel’s traditional female name for his Ferrari – ‘Margherita’ – was a nod to his favourite topping. “Margherita was an Italian queen, and we hope […]
Massa admits Williams not in title fight
Mar.18 (GMM) Felipe Massa has acknowledged that Williams will not get involved in the title fight between Mercedes and Ferrari in 2016. Although with a much smaller budget, the British team finished third overall for the past two years and had targeted a step forward this season. But Robert Doornbos, a former F1 driver, thinks […]
Secret tyre debut leaves F1 teams angry – report
Mar.18 (GMM) F1 teams are reportedly angry that Pirelli introduced a new tyre late last year without telling them. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said it emerged during a technical meeting between the teams and Charlie Whiting in Melbourne that the new tyre made its secret debut in Brazil last November. Reportedly, it was the […]
Toro Rosso drivers eye Kvyat’s Red Bull seat
Mar.18 (GMM) The 2016 Toro Rosso could be the perfect tool for its drivers to make their case for a move to the premier team Red Bull Racing for 2017. Jan Lammers, a former F1 driver from the Netherlands, thinks the car might be so good that even engine supplier Ferrari could be feeling nervous. […]
Wolff’s season hits snag at paddock gates
Mar.18 (GMM) The start of Toto Wolff’s 2016 campaign hit a roadblock even before he entered the paddock gates in Melbourne. Germany’s Auto Bild noticed that the Austrian only gained entry in Albert Park with a race-by-race FOM pass — not the full-time credential befitting any other team boss. The report said Wolff simply filed […]
Hitzinger linked with Red Bull F1 engine foray
Mar.18 (GMM) Rumours that Red Bull could build its own F1 engine are firing yet again. Team boss Christian Horner has always rejected the speculation on the basis that engine manufacturing is not a “core competency” of the energy drink-owned outfit. But many thought Thursday’s news of a collaboration with the British luxury carmaker Aston […]
Toro Rosso’s Sainz survived Cepsa departure
Mar.18 (GMM) Carlos Sainz says he is happy to have survived the departure from Toro Rosso of the major Spanish sponsor Cepsa. Many believed the Red Bull-backed Sainz’s arrival at the Faenza based team last year was also linked strongly to the presence of Cepsa, the Spanish oil multinational. That branding is gone for 2016, […]
Sainz refuses to join F1 rule criticism ‘negativity’
Mar.18 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has refused to join the criticism of the latest rule changes in formula one. In Melbourne, not only is the controversial new ‘musical chairs’ qualifying set to make its debut, but so too is a further clampdown on pit-to-car radio communications. Many have not been shy to let their opinions be […]
Whiting scolds Hamilton for missing meetings
Mar.18 (GMM) Charlie Whiting has scolded world champion Lewis Hamilton for failing to attend key meetings. It has been a tumultuous start to the season for the Mercedes driver, after his social media activities in New Zealand even caught the attention of local police. F1 stalwart Sir Jackie Stewart thinks Hamilton should apologise for the […]
Mercedes shakes up drivers’ F1 garage crews
Mar.18 (GMM) Mercedes has mixed up the crews of mechanics and engineers working on the German team’s two sides of the garage. Bild newspaper claims it is a ploy to bring better harmony to the silver ranks, as the fierce rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg threatens to spill into and infect the spirit […]
Drivers say Honda not McLaren’s only problem
Mar.18 (GMM) It is not just the Honda engine that is holding McLaren back, champion drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button revealed in Melbourne. Until now, the official line has been that while the Woking based team has produced one of the very best cars in the field, it is Japanese engine partner Honda that […]
Magnussen backs Friday outings for Ocon
Mar.18 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has backed Renault’s decision to give new third driver Esteban Ocon some Friday practice outings in 2016. Ocon, the 19-year-old reigning GP3 champion, is ‘on loan’ to Renault from Mercedes’ junior programme, with Magnussen confirming he and Jolyon Palmer will have to make way in some Friday practice sessions later this […]
Whiting plays down Red Bull’s ‘halo’ alternative
Mar.18 (GMM) F1’s governing body is determined to push ahead with the controversial ‘halo’ cockpit protection system. That is despite not only the opposition of some drivers, but also the efforts of Red Bull to develop a more ‘elegent’ alternative to the Mercedes-devised concept that was given its debut by Ferrari over the winter. “We […]
Red Bull set for Aston Martin deal
Mar.17 (GMM) Aston Martin’s touted F1 foray is back on track, it emerged in the Melbourne paddock on Thursday. In January, Force India admitted that its rumoured tie-up with the British luxury carmaker had fallen through. “It probably won’t happen for 2016,” said team official Otmar Szafnauer, “but we’re still talking.” But before the Force […]
Ferrari link ‘motivated’ Haas switch – Grosjean
Mar.17 (GMM) Romain Grosjean has admitted that switching to Haas for 2016 moved him one step closer to a “dream” Ferrari seat. To the surprise of many, the Frenchman turned down the opportunity to ride the transition of Lotus into the Renault works team in order to instead join F1’s newest outfit. “We will get […]
Manor can benefit from qualifying mistakes – Wehrlein
Mar.17 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein is looking past the qualifying controversy and instead sees an opportunity for the Manor team. Many pundits and insiders are critical of the eleventh-hour ‘musical chairs’ tweak to the existing, popular elimination format. “Why play with something that worked,” veteran engineer Joan Villadelprat told El Confidencial, “when there are so many […]
Verstappen wants 2016 podium, ‘top car’ in 2017
Mar.17 (GMM) Max Verstappen has joined his boss Franz Tost in targeting a podium for 2016. After Toro Rosso chief Tost set the podium objective recently, team driver Carlos Sainz said he doubted the Faenza based outfit can achieve it. Teenager Verstappen, however, is aiming higher than Sainz. “Max has set the bar high for […]