Jul.11 (GMM) While Sebastian Vettel is urging Ferrari not to “panic”, boss Maurizio Arrivabene says the team must quickly resolve its issues before Hungary. Ferrari’s slide in the pecking order continued at Silverstone, where the fabled Italian team was clearly outpaced all weekend by Red Bull. “In the race we were quick, just not quick […]
Month: July 2016
Safety car start criticised after Silverstone
Jul.11 (GMM) Drivers are split over whether Sunday’s British grand prix should have been started behind the safety car. A growing trend in F1 is that significant pre-race rain means the race will not be started from the grid but instead only after several laps behind the safety car. Nico Rosberg backed race director Charlie […]
Sainz rejects Renault seat ‘trade’ rumours
Jul.11 (GMM) Carlos Sainz and Toro Rosso have rejected the latest speculation about the Spaniard’s future in F1. Although the energy drink company recently took up the 2017 option on Sainz’s contract, many suggested it occurred suspiciously early in the season. It triggered rumours in the Spanish press that Red Bull might in fact not […]
Bottas likely to stay at Williams – Salo
Jul.11 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas looks set to stay at Williams next year, according to former F1 driver Mika Salo. Finn Bottas has been eyeing a move elsewhere for the past couple of seasons, but Salo said Kimi Raikkonen’s new Ferrari deal means Bottas will surely stay put at F1’s fourth-quickest team. “He no longer has […]
Radio ban making waves again after Rosberg penalty
Jul.11 (GMM) F1’s controversial ban on radio instructions is making waves again, as world champion Lewis Hamilton moved to within a single point of the title lead on Sunday. Actually, Nico Rosberg was still 4 points ahead after the chequer at Silverstone, but a post-race stewards decision demoted him from second to third. Although team […]
British Grand Prix – Hamilton wins!
Hamilton wins a thrilling race under changing conditions from Verstappen (+8.250), Rosberg (+16.911), Ricciardo (+26.211), Raikkonen (+69.743), Perez (+76.941), Hulkenberg (+77.712), Sainz (+85.858), Vettel (+91.654) & Kvyat (+92.600). Massa, Button, Alonso, Bottas, Nasr and Gutierrez make the rest of the field Retirements: Wehrlein, Ericsson, Grosjean, Haryanto, Palmer and Magnussen Rosberg initially finished second but had […]
Honda may work during August shutdown
Jul.10 (GMM) Honda could keep working throughout the August factory shutdown period, it has emerged. To cut costs and give hard-working staff a break in a busy race calendar, teams must close their factories for a period during the long break between the German and Belgian grands prix. But suppliers are not subject to the […]
Massa ‘on the list’ for 2017 contract – Williams
Jul.10 (GMM) Felipe Massa is at “the top of the list” to stay at Williams next year. That is the claim of the Grove team’s deputy boss Claire Williams, having declared earlier at Silverstone that the Williams lineup for 2017 is yet to be decided. Jenson Button is being strongly linked with a switch from […]
Ferrari no longer Mercedes’ main rival – Ecclestone
Jul.10 (GMM) Red Bull has overtaken Ferrari as the new main challenger for Mercedes in F1. That is the view of F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, as the great Maranello marque continued to falter at Silverstone. The new Achilles Heel is the gearbox, with Sebastian Vettel not only outqualified by Red Bull in Britain but demoted […]
Verstappen progress still impressing F1 paddock
Jul.10 (GMM) Max Verstappen is continuing to impress the F1 paddock with his meteoric rise to F1 stardom. Five races after winning on debut for Red Bull after his Toro Rosso switch, the 18-year-old finally out-qualified his teammate Daniel Ricciardo on Saturday. Australian Ricciardo said at Silverstone that the outcome “sucks”. “It’s always hard to […]
Raikkonen negotiated new deal alone – manager
Jul.10 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen negotiated his new Ferrari contract without the assistance of his long-time manager. “The agreement was done completely in Kimi’s hands,” the Finn’s manager Steve Robertson told the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomate. Although Ferrari reportedly looked at replacing the 36-year-old for 2017, Raikkonen has ultimately been re-signed as Sebastian Vettel’s teammate. “Kimi […]
McLaren-Honda to fight Mercedes in 2017 – Alonso
Jul.10 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has switched his focus to 2017, reassured that he made the right decision to build up the new McLaren-Honda project over three years. The Spaniard has been in the top ten with his improved Honda engine throughout the British grand prix weekend. “Qualifying was always going to be more difficult because […]
Another crash could mean Mercedes driver banned – Wolff
Jul.10 (GMM) Toto Wolff says another collision between Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg could result in the imposition of team orders or even race bans. With the silver-clad duo first and second on the grid at Silverstone, Mercedes chief Wolff would not divulge what deterrents have been put in place to prevent a […]
British Grand Prix – Qualifying
Hamilton on Pole with a 1:29.287 from Rosberg (+0.319), Verstappen (+1.026), Ricciardo (+1.331), Raikkonen (+1.594), Vettel (+2.203), Bottas (+2.270), Sainz (+2.702), Hulkenberg (+2.885) & Alonso (+3.056) Knocked out of Q2: Perez, Massa, Grosjean, Gutierrez, Kvyat and Magnussen (Hamilton quickest) Knocked out of Q1: Button, Palmer, Haryanto, Wehrlein, Nasr and Ericsson (Rosberg quickest) Session Commentary
British Grand Prix – 3rd Free Practice
Hamilton quickest with a 1:30.904 ahead of Rosberg (+0.063), Ricciardo (+0.584), Verstappen (+0.657), Vettel (+1.145), Bottas (+1.832), Alonso (+1.850), Hulkenberg (+1.894), Raikkonen (+1.929) and Sainz (+1.985). Gutierrez, Button, Grosjean, Perez, Massa, Kvyat, Nasr, Palmer, Magnussen, Haryanto, Ericsson and Wehrlein make the rest of the field.
Hamilton prompted Lauda comments U-turn
Jul.9 (GMM) World champion Lewis Hamilton has admitted he prompted Niki Lauda’s bizarre comments U-turn. Last week, F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman Lauda told Austrian Servus TV that Hamilton trashed a hospitality room after crashing in Baku. Not only that, Lauda claimed Hamilton “lied” about his supposedly good relationship with teammate Nico Rosberg. But […]
Halo could be delayed until 2018 – report
Jul.9 (GMM) Cockpit protection may not make its debut in 2017 after all, following the debut of the updated ‘Halo 2’ prototype at Silverstone. Now positioned further forwards to prevent a driver’s head from striking the titanium-based structure in a crash, the revised version was given its maiden outing on Friday by Sebastian Vettel. “My […]
Button hints at possible McLaren exit
Jul.9 (GMM) Jenson Button has given the biggest hint yet that he could be on the way out at McLaren-Honda. The F1 veteran joined the Woking team in 2010 but McLaren now seems to be planning for the future and a race seat for Stoffel Vandoorne in 2017. “I’m happy with my drivers,” team boss […]
FIA unmoved over radio safety argument
Jul.9 (GMM) F1’s governing body is apparently unmoved by arguments its new clampdown on pit-to-driver radio communication should be relaxed. World champion Lewis Hamilton struggled with an engine issue in Baku that could not be swiftly resolved because the team was forbidden to tell him how to fix it. And in Austria, not only did […]
Williams duo plays down Raikkonen news impact
Jul.9 (GMM) Williams’ two drivers say a new contract for Kimi Raikkonen does not affect their own next moves in F1. Williams deputy boss Claire Williams said at Silverstone that the uncertainty about Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa’s futures will continue for now. “We are evaluating our options,” she said. “As you’d expect those conversations […]