Mar.7 (GMM) Felipe Massa has confirmed that Williams is hoping to get a new nose and front wing up and running as soon as possible. With the British camp’s current short nose strongly resembling the pioneering version of 2015, technical boss Pat Symonds hinted that the plan is to introduce an even more aggressive version […]
Palmer denies 2015 ‘caution’ will carry over
Mar.7 (GMM) Jolyon Palmer has dismissed claims he might take too “cautious” an approach to his job of being a formula one driver. Last year, the British rookie was Lotus’ reserve and Friday driver, and was signed up to race for 2016 before Renault took over the struggling Enstone team. But even Lotus admitted to […]
Alonso still not ruling out Mercedes move
Mar.7 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is still refusing to rule out a future move to Mercedes. Although fully committed to the remaining two seasons of his McLaren-Honda contract, the Spaniard began his 2016 campaign by revealing he almost switched from Ferrari to Mercedes last year in a swap deal involving Lewis Hamilton. “You always want to […]
Tost’s podium target ‘not possible’ – Sainz
Mar.7 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has questioned his boss’s target of a podium finish on merit in 2016. The Red Bull junior team’s chief Franz Tost declared recently: “Realistically, I expect that we can achieve a podium this year after getting so close to it last year”. Indeed, Toro Rosso has switched from Renault to the […]
Sauber falls behind in February staff salaries
Mar.7 (GMM) Sauber is entering yet another F1 season under a financial cloud. A year ago, it was the Giedo van der Garde saga that almost derailed the struggling Swiss team. Now, the Swiss newspaper Blick reports that Sauber has fallen behind in its wage payments to its more than 300 staff at the Hinwil […]
Ecclestone, FIA confirm ‘musical chairs’ qualifying
Mar.5 (GMM) F1’s governing body as well as Bernie Ecclestone on Friday confirmed that the ‘musical chairs’-style qualifying is going ahead in full in 2016. Throughout the week, amid Ecclestone’s claims the timing software could not be written in time and dissent from the drivers, it was thought the controversial new system would be either […]
Prost thinks qualifying may still falter
Mar.5 (GMM) Alain Prost has warned that the qualifying saga of recent days could drag on even longer. While the World Motor Sport Council rubber-stamped the controversial new ‘musical chairs’ format on Friday, a statement declared only that it “should” be introduced for Melbourne in two weeks. “I do not think that it will come,” […]
McLaren-Honda ‘a little behind’ – Alonso
Mar.4 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he is not sure where he will line up on the Melbourne grid. McLaren insists it has improved since its diabolical 2015, while Jenson Button described the latest engine step as the biggest Honda has made in 14 months. But Alonso, who just last week was linked with early retirement, […]
Williams to race shorter nose in early 2016
Mar.4 (GMM) Williams looks set to unveil a new nose for its 2016 car within the first two or three races of 2016. The Grove team was a pioneer of the short-nose concept that is now widespread up and down pitlane. Many were therefore surprised when Williams’ 2016 car did not feature an even shorter […]
‘Cheap engine’ plan for 2018 could be revived
Mar.4 (GMM) The earlier-touted ‘cheap engines’ solution might soon be back on the table. That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, revealing that reforms agreed by the manufacturers to avoid the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone’s plan for parallel engine regulations may now collapse. Just days ago, the power unit suppliers – Mercedes, […]
Senior F1 drivers slam ‘broken’ sport
Mar.4 (GMM) World champion drivers on Thursday slammed the current direction of formula one. Ferrari surprised the F1 world at the Barcelona test when Kimi Raikkonen emerged from the pits with a carbon mock-up of the ‘halo’ cockpit protection solution. When asked about the visibility, the 2007 world champion answered: “It was a little bit […]
Schumacher, Alesi race towards F1 careers
Mar.4 (GMM) Two young drivers with famous fathers will charge towards a future career on the F1 grid with strong support in their wake. The most high-profile is Mick Schumacher, the 16-year-old son of F1 legend Michael who for 2016 has been signed up by the Ferrari-linked Prema team in Formula 4. FIA president Jean […]
‘Hard to say’ if Hamilton’s mojo is back
Mar.4 (GMM) One big question heading into the new F1 season is whether Lewis Hamilton has his ‘mojo’ back. After dominating his teammate last year and wrapping up the title with three races to spare, the Mercedes driver was then clearly outclassed by the sister Mercedes of Nico Rosberg in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi. […]
Alonso ‘happy’ at improving McLaren – Boullier
Mar.3 (GMM) Things are finally looking up at McLaren. While some analysts believe the Honda power unit is still easily the least powerful in the field, it seems the Japanese carmaker may finally have turned a corner for 2016. Gone – reportedly to the relief of bosses Eric Boullier and Ron Dennis – is the […]
Red Bull to test F1 cockpit canopy in April
Mar.3 (GMM) Red Bull will test its own proposed solution to the issue of cockpit protection later this month. On Thursday, Ferrari surprised the F1 world when Kimi Raikkonen emerged from the pits for his installation lap with a black ‘halo’ mounted on his cockpit. It was a carbon mock-up of the solution conceived by […]
Todt ‘still friends’ with stricken Schumacher
Mar.3 (GMM) Jean Todt says he is still friends with Michael Schumacher, even in the wake of the seven time world champion’s serious head injuries. Little is known about the highly-confidential condition of Schumacher today, more than two years after he fell whilst skiing in the French alps. But Todt, once the boss at Ferrari […]
Magnussen happier at Renault than at McLaren
Mar.3 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen appears a happier man in 2016, in the wake of his ill-fated McLaren adventure. “I can feel that he fits in really well in this team,” his mother Britt said in the Renault motor home in Barcelona. “It’s as if the good old Kevin is back,” she added. Indeed, Magnussen admits […]
Todt tells Ecclestone to stop criticising F1
Mar.3 (GMM) Jean Todt has urged Bernie Ecclestone to stop criticising formula one. F1 supremo Ecclestone has rung in another new season with a familiar round of criticism, after last year crudely describing the sport he runs as “crap”. Todt, the FIA president, told Auto Bild Motorsport: “Can you imagine someone going to see a […]
Bank asks court for Mallya’s arrest
Mar.3 (GMM) Vijay Mallya on Thursday rejected calls for his arrest. Amid the ongoing fallout from the collapse of his airline Kingfisher, the State Bank of India on Wednesday had also asked an Indian court for the seizure of the Force India chief’s passport over unpaid loans. Local reports also said the court was asked […]
Wolff plays down Alonso driver swap claims
Mar.3 (GMM) Toto Wolff has played down reports Fernando Alonso almost replaced reigning champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes last year. Alonso had made the claims on Spanish radio, revealing talks took place when he was still a Ferrari driver about trading places with Mercedes’ British star. “It was tried. Yes, yes, there was this offer,” […]