Feb.28 (GMM) Italian media sources have slammed Ferrari for turning its low-profile preseason strategy into a total blanket of silence. After president Sergio Marchionne admitted his bold proclamations of a year ago made him look “silly”, Ferrari has taken a notably starkly contrasting quiet approach to its 2017 preparations. But now, while the new Ferrari […]
Month: February 2017
Alonso ‘not happy’ as McLaren breaks down
Feb.28 (GMM) Fernando Alonso was “not very happy” when McLaren-Honda’s new orange and black car for 2017 broke down after a single lap as official testing began. That was the admission in Barcelona of team boss Eric Boullier, amid reports Honda acknowledges that an oil tank design flaw was the reason for the lengthy Monday […]
Sochi staying on calendar until 2025
Feb.28 (GMM) Russia is set to remain on the F1 calendar for the best part of the next decade. We reported recently that Sochi race organisers have secured enough private sponsorship to pay the annual fee without any public funds. Now, it emerges that the state-linked Russian finance group VTB has secured the naming sponsorship […]
2017 cars easier for older drivers – trainer
Feb.28 (GMM) F1’s more experienced drivers will adapt more easily to the sport’s much faster cars. That is the claim of Mark Arnall, who for years has been 37-year-old Kimi Raikkonen’s trainer. “The younger generation have not experienced these G-forces before,” he told Finland’s Turun Sanomat. “But for Kimi and also Fernando Alonso and Felipe […]
Injured Wehrlein set for next doctor decision
Feb.28 (GMM) A dark cloud continues to hang over injured Sauber driver Pascal Wehrlein. The young German is in Barcelona for the start of official testing, but still forbidden by doctors to drive after hurting his back in a January rollover crash. “I haven’t had any pain for a long time,” he insisted on Monday. […]
Liberty to ‘unleash’ new social media era
Feb.28 (GMM) F1 is already turning a sharp corner in the early days of the post-Bernie Ecclestone era. Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo told Italian radio Rai this week that the way the 86-year-old was ousted by Liberty Media was “not nice”. But others are hailing the sport’s first post-Ecclestone steps. For instance, teams […]
Rivals rejected ‘shark fin’ ban – Horner
Feb.28 (GMM) Christian Horner says fellow team bosses rejected his appeal for the ‘shark wing’ engine cover fins seen on the 2017 cars to be banned. The aggressive, ‘sexier’ look of the new generation cars has been widely hailed, but many have joined Red Bull chief Horner in not liking the huge ‘sails’. “I think […]
F1 still at risk of investigation – source
Feb.28 (GMM) The possibility of a European Commission investigation into formula one remains open for now. However, the BBC has reported that competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager in fact “rejected” calls for an investigation in a letter on Monday. Vestager “has written to say the matter will not be taken any further”, the BBC report claimed. […]
F1 delivers on much faster cars for 2017
Feb.28 (GMM) F1 has burst back into life for its all-new era, delivering on the promise of much faster cars. “Lewis (Hamilton) is already quicker than qualifying last year,” said Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo as the first of just two four-day Barcelona tests began. That enthusiasm was obvious up and down the paddock and pitlane, […]
Vandoorne under less ‘time pressure’ than Alonso
Feb.27 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne agrees he is under less pressure than Fernando Alonso to reach his career ambitions in the next years with McLaren. Although already 24, the Belgian is a highly rated rookie in 2017 and he said he is patient to build up towards winning races and the title with the famous British […]
McLaren joins rivals with controversial suspension
Feb.27 (GMM) Another team has joined Mercedes and Red Bull in planning to field a controversial suspension system in 2017. A protest threat is currently hanging over the forthcoming Melbourne season opener, as Ferrari in particular takes issue with an active suspension-mimicking suspension concept. We reported last week that McLaren was staying “neutral” in that […]
McLaren budget ‘big enough’ for 2017
Feb.27 (GMM) McLaren has played down claims it may struggle to keep up with F1’s bigger-spending teams in 2017. Given the major regulations change, the pace of car development will be particularly fast and crucial this year. So when asked if the former grandee McLaren has enough money to keep up, new executive Zak Brown […]
Ecclestone’s right-hand man leaves F1
Feb.27 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone’s long-time right hand man has also left F1. For years, Pasquale Lattuneddu was the recently-ousted F1 supremo’s most trusted aide, in charge of media accreditation, paddock layout, procedures and VIP guests, according to reports including La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Lattuneddu was the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ man,” the Spanish sports newspaper AS […]
Mercedes wanted ‘a Bottas or a Wehrlein’ – Alonso
Feb.27 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has finally confirmed reports Mercedes expressed interest in signing him up for 2017. Ultimately, the German team replaced the suddenly-retired Nico Rosberg with Valtteri Bottas, but not before a reported round of phone calls to some of F1’s top drivers. “I think Rosberg caught Mercedes by surprise and so they made […]
Wolff’s family to travel with him
Feb.27 (GMM) Toto Wolff says his new family will accompany him around the F1 calendar. The Mercedes boss is married to former Williams tester Susie Wolff, and they are currently expecting their first child together. But Wolff told Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper: “I give everything – my whole life – to this job. “365 days […]
‘No problems’ with 2017 Renault engine – Marko
Feb.27 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has played down reports Renault’s 2017 engine came out of the blocks with an apparent technical failure. It emerged last week that, with the French marque taking a bold step over the winter to catch up with Mercedes, the 2017 engine broke down as Toro Rosso did its track roll-out […]
Massa admits 2017 Mercedes ‘beautiful’
Feb.27 (GMM) Although every 2017 car is now officially unveiled, Felipe Massa is not willing to guess who will have the edge in Melbourne. On the eve of winter testing in Barcelona, the veteran Brazilian said: “The Mercedes is very beautiful to look at. “The Ferrari has various things on it, while you could see […]
Ferrari’s low-profile winter ‘like therapy’
Feb.27 (GMM) Ferrari extended its ultra low-profile approach to the 2017 season into the official reveal of its new car. Pino Allievi, arguably the most respected Italian journalist, called the lack of grand proclamations or launch glitz and glamour “a kind of therapy” as the fabled team looks to finally end a ten-year title drought. […]
Toro Rosso ‘not blue Mercedes’ – Key
Feb.27 (GMM) Technical boss James Key has played down suggestions the new Toro Rosso ‘looks like a blue Mercedes’. When the new Renault-powered STR12 was revealed, some observed that its philosophy and features seemed to resemble those of the title-defending new Mercedes. “All just coincidence,” Key is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport. “We did […]
Teams happy as Pirelli reduces tyre pressures
Feb.24 (GMM) F1 teams are reacting with positive surprise to news that Pirelli will drop the pressures of its tyres in 2017. Last year, many teams and drivers complained about the very high minimum pressures mandated by Pirelli on safety grounds. Now, the sport is switching to much bigger, wider, grippier and less degrading tyres […]