Mar.23 (GMM) Max Verstappen has found some allies in the wake of his anger and outbursts at the Australian grand prix. The teen Dutchman was widely criticised after fuming on the radio that a bungled pitstop and being stuck behind Toro Rosso teammate Carlos Sainz was “a f—–g joke”. But his father, aptly known during […]
Alonso, Raikkonen’s engines survived Melbourne
Mar.23 (GMM) The engine, gearbox and monocoque aboard Fernando Alonso’s otherwise-mangled McLaren-Honda survived his famous crash in Melbourne last Sunday. Marca, a Spanish sports daily, estimated the damage caused by the shattered carbon-fibre and other disposable components at EUR 300,000, after Alonso barrel-rolled through the gravel after a 300kph impact with Esteban Gutierrez. But the […]
Bottas hopes new nose boosts Williams
Mar.23 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas says it is too early to become overly disappointed with the pace of Williams’ 2016 car. The Finn finished just eighth in Australia, having qualified in the midfield. “It is difficult to say much about the pace in qualifying as I didn’t get any clear air and then I got the […]
Haryanto actually won ‘driver of the day’ vote
Mar.23 (GMM) Rio Haryanto actually won the popular vote as F1 debuted its new official ‘driver of the day’ plaudit in Australia. Many were surprised in the hours after the 2016 season opener when the results of the poll were not published. Belatedly, the winner was declared as having been Romain Grosjean, who powered team […]
Sparkling wine, not champagne, on 2016 podiums
Mar.23 (GMM) Champagne will not be sprayed on the F1 podiums in 2016. In January, we reported that the sport’s long-time champagne sponsor Mumm is leaving the sport, with reports saying the $5.5m it paid per year was deemed “insufficient” by Bernie Ecclestone. Mumm is now the official champagne partner of Formula E. So after […]
Mercedes ‘can lap entire field’ – Marko
Mar.23 (GMM) The big question after Melbourne is whether Ferrari can really challenge Mercedes’ dominance in 2016. Sebastian Vettel looked set to win the season opener last Sunday until the red flag and a tyre choice blunder, but not everyone is convinced. “Mercedes can hide their superiority,” Dr Helmut Marko, the outspoken Red Bull official, […]
Vasseur happy with drivers, new F1 job
Mar.23 (GMM) New team boss Frederic Vasseur says he is happy with Renault’s drivers after the first race weekend of 2016. As the French carmaker returns to full works status this year, it inherited Jolyon Palmer’s race contract from predecessor Lotus. New boss Vasseur, fresh from his own junior team ART, then failed to secure […]
F1 Commission asked to approve quali axe
Mar.23 (GMM) Eyes will now turn to the F1 Commission, after team bosses voted unanimously to scrap the new ‘musical chairs’ qualifying format before Bahrain. “I think the F1 Commission will listen to our opinion, especially as it was unanimous,” Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said. Approval by the Commission, comprised of F1’s other stakeholders […]
‘Red and silver teams’ eye Ricciardo – Marko
Mar.22 (GMM) The 2017 ‘silly season’ is already underway. Several top drivers are out of contract at the end of the year, including Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. And both of those teams are interested in Daniel Ricciardo, the smiling Australian’s Red Bull chief Dr Helmut Marko revealed on Tuesday. “Ferrari are much […]
Verstappen criticised for Melbourne ‘anger’
Mar.22 (GMM) F1 teen sensation Max Verstappen has been criticised for his behaviour at the Australian grand prix. While tipped for greatness by most pundits, the 18-year-old “showed his age” at the 2016 season opener as he lost his cool with Toro Rosso and teammate Carlos Sainz, British commentator Martin Brundle said. “These were the […]
Quali u-turn shows F1 needs ‘dictatorship’ – Alesi
Mar.22 (GMM) Jean Alesi says the latest events in F1 show that the sport needs a “dictatorship”. The former Ferrari driver spoke to the French broadcaster Canal Plus about F1’s u-turn over the new ‘musical chairs’ qualifying format, which will be scrapped after just a single race in Australia. “Personally, I liked qualifying” in Melbourne, […]
Press celebrates end of ‘Mercedes playground’
Mar.22 (GMM) Helmut Marko is not so sure Ferrari is really ready to challenge Mercedes in 2016. On the face of it, it might be said Sebastian Vettel only lost victory in Melbourne because of the red flag and a tyre choice blunder by the Maranello team. “The Mercedes playground is over,” wrote Italy’s La […]
‘Sore’ Alonso goes home as halo debate returns
Mar.22 (GMM) The controversial ‘halo’ concept is once again a talking point in F1 circles, following Fernando Alonso’s huge crash in Australia. The McLaren-Honda driver was spotted on a Melbourne beach on Monday wearing a light bandage on his knee, but he said he will not be needing any further medical treatment beyond “ice”. “This […]
Radio rules contributed to Verstappen mood – Marko
Mar.22 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko on Tuesday pointed a finger at the F1 rules amid the tension at Red Bull’s junior team. Toro Rosso teen sensation Max Verstappen lost his cool with the Faenza team and teammate Carlos Sainz in Melbourne, after getting stuck behind the sister car. Dutchman Verstappen’s race went wrong amid communication […]
‘Game on’ says Mercedes as Ferrari looms
Mar.21 (GMM) “Game on!” declared a smiling world champion Lewis Hamilton after the Australian grand prix, as he finished second behind teammate Nico Rosberg. The Briton was notably – and oddly – upbeat in the face of defeat to his Mercedes teammate, but Hamilton insisted he has had much worse starts to title campaigns. “The […]
Ever-changing rules hang over F1
Mar.21 (GMM) Amid a thrilling Mercedes versus Ferrari battle for victory in Melbourne, the spectre of ever-changing rules continued to hang over F1. Over the few days of the opening race weekend of 2016, no fewer than three rules were changed. Mika Hakkinen, a former double world champion, thinks the situation is damaging F1. “Fans […]
Imola is ‘option B’ for Italy GP future
Mar.21 (GMM) The death knell is nearing for historic Monza’s place on the F1 calendar, according to the latest reports from Italy. Il Fatto Quotidiano reports that 2016 will be the last Italian grand prix to be held at the fabled Autodromo Nazionale, after negotiations with Bernie Ecclestone broke down terminally. “There is no more […]
Long calendar limits driver ‘aggression’ – Hakkinen
Mar.21 (GMM) The length of the F1 calendar is further limiting the “aggression” with which teams and drivers can tackle individual races. That is the view of Mika Hakkinen, when asked by Tagesspiegel newspaper about what he regards as the current state of formula one. “Already drivers are having to conserve the car,” he said, […]
Alonso wears bandage day after crash
Mar.21 (GMM) Fernando Alonso was wearing a bandage on his knee and a grimace on Monday when he bumped into Blick correspondent Roger Benoit at a Melbourne beach. “I slept badly and have sore ribs,” said the Spaniard, who had flipped and rolled his McLaren-Honda a day earlier after running into Esteban Gutierrez at 300kph. […]
Marko admits Toro Rosso ahead of Red Bull
Mar.21 (GMM) Toro Rosso may now be the third-best team in formula one behind grandees Mercedes and Ferrari. That is despite the fact that driver Carlo Sainz only recently ruled out podiums in 2016, suggesting parent team Red Bull and Williams are further ahead. But teammate Max Verstappen qualified fifth in Melbourne, saying he was […]