Nov.23 (GMM) Mika Hakkinen suspects Lewis Hamilton might not be firing on every cylinder in the odd tail-end races of 2015. After the new triple world champion dominated for much of the season, it is Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg who is suddenly on form, with two consecutive wins from pole. Both of Rosberg’s recent wins, […]
Ocon wants to represent France in F1 ‘very soon’
Nov.23 (GMM) Esteban Ocon is hoping he will help to keep France prominent in formula one “very soon”. The 19-year-old is one of the brightest new talents in single seaters, beating Max Verstappen in European F3 last year and now fighting to win the GP3 title in the Abu Dhabi finale this weekend. The Normandy-born […]
Verstappen happy with ‘father and friend’ in tow
Nov.23 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s ever-present father Jos is going nowhere, as the 18-year-old rookie nears the end of his meteoric first season in formula one. So impressive has the young Dutchman been in 2015 that many are either comparing him with Ayrton Senna or predicting that he could already handle Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel […]
Raikkonen keeps cool over Ferrari’s 2016 hopes
Nov.23 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen is refusing to get carried away with predictions about Ferrari’s hopes of beating Mercedes in 2016. The pace of the Finn’s teammate Sebastian Vettel was tantalisingly close to the silver cars in Brazil, moving boss Maurizio Arrivabene to muse that Maranello can target not only catching Mercedes next year, but beating […]
Ricciardo hints Abu Dhabi announcement looming
Nov.20 (GMM) Red Bull appears set to stay in formula one with Renault power in 2016. Earlier, the energy drink company risked dropping off the grid amid its crumbling relationship with the French carmaker and failed negotiations to secure an alternate deal. “Quite a few engine suppliers said no, which is a shame,” Australian driver […]
Red Bull engine supplier problems not simple – Massa
Nov.20 (GMM) Felipe Massa does not believe Red Bull’s argument that competitiveness alone is the reason the team struggled to find an engine supplier for 2016. One by one, Mercedes, Ferrari and Honda refused to come to the energy drink stable’s aid as its relationship with existing partner Renault raced towards failure. Red Bull chiefs […]
Kaltenborn tips Ferrari to veto ‘client engine’
Nov.20 (GMM) Sauber chief and co-owner Monisha Kaltenborn has made clear her staunch opposition to F1’s proposed ‘client engine’ for 2017. As Sauber is a small team and serial campaigner for lower costs, it might be said the Swiss outfit’s opposition to the plan for cheaper engines is surprising. Indeed, Kaltenborn agrees that the prices […]
Smedley to Haas, Baldisserri to Williams – rumours
Nov.20 (GMM) Rob Smedley has been linked with a move to the Haas team for 2016. That is the claim of the Italian magazine Autosprint, referring to the 41-year-old British engineer who last year followed his friend and long-time colleague Felipe Massa from Ferrari to a prominent role at Williams. Another notable move is also […]
Williams drops Massa disqualification appeal
Nov.20 (GMM) Williams has dropped its appeal against Felipe Massa’s disqualification from the Brazilian grand prix. After a tyre on the Brazilian driver’s car was found to have exceeded Pirelli’s heat limit by a massive 27 degrees, the FIA expelled him from the results. “The team has served notice of an appeal,” the British team […]
Ilmor applies for 2017 ‘client engine’ role
Nov.20 (GMM) Ilmor has put its hand up to become F1’s exclusive supplier of the 2.5 litre ‘client engine’ for 2017. Headed by renowned F1 engine guru and Swiss Mario Illien, the British company was already considered a front-runner due to supplying a similar-spec engine badged as Chevrolet to the Indycar series. The FIA had […]
Mercedes denies moving to sign Mick Schumacher
Nov.20 (GMM) Mercedes has played down reports it is shaping up to sign Michael Schumacher’s son. We reported last week that 16-year-old Mick, whose father Michael won five titles for Ferrari but concluded his F1 career with Mercedes earlier this decade, was caught in the middle of a scrap between the two camps over his […]
Montezemolo says Schumacher situation ‘terrible’
Nov.20 (GMM) Luca di Montezemolo, the former long-time Ferrari president, has described as “terrible” the current plight of F1 legend Michael Schumacher. Almost two full years ago, the seven time world champion struck his head in a skiing crash, and while now recovering at his home in Switzerland the precise condition of the now 46-year-old […]
2016 title battle is on already – Rosberg
Nov.20 (GMM) At a sponsor event this week, a Spanish reporter put it to Nico Rosberg that after two consecutive title defeats to Lewis Hamilton, 2016 may be a case of ‘third time lucky’. “I like that way of putting it!” the German, who also speaks fluent Spanish, told El Mundo Deportivo newspaper. Rosberg was […]
Verstappen should keep racing ‘damn hard’ – van der Garde
Nov.19 (GMM) As his meteoric and history-making first season nears its end, the compliments are continuing to rain down on F1 teen sensation Max Verstappen. While Lewis Hamilton complained that passing was impossible at Interlagos last Sunday, 18-year-old Dutchman Verstappen stunned with his moves on Sergio Perez and Felipe Nasr in an otherwise processional Brazilian […]
Massa hopes for Mercedes engine parity in 2016
Nov.19 (GMM) Felipe Massa is hoping Williams will get back on par with its engine supplier Mercedes in 2016. While dominant Mercedes and its customer teams are believed to have enjoyed identical equipment in 2014, Williams, Lotus and Force India fell one specification behind the German carmaker in the middle of this season. Mercedes argued […]
Red Bull to be ready for first 2016 test
Nov.19 (GMM) Red Bull is on target to make the first test of the 2016 pre-season period, engineering chief Paul Monaghan insists. Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya has announced that it will exclusively host the only winter testing early next year, on 22-25 February and 1-4 March — just 8 days in total. Amid Red Bull’s […]
Honda to use ‘more consultants’ for F1 project
Nov.19 (GMM) Honda has had a change of heart towards the end of its abysmally-bad return to F1 this year. Earlier, the proudly nationalistic Japanese carmaker was refusing to speed up the process of improving by poaching experienced F1 engine personnel from outside of Honda. But Michael Schmidt, the respected correspondent for Germany’s Auto Motor […]
Wurz and Whitmarsh say no to Manor boss role
Nov.19 (GMM) Alex Wurz and Martin Whitmarsh have each denied suggestions they might be set to succeed John Booth as Manor’s new team boss. The British backmarker has already replaced the departing Graeme Lowdon with former ‘lie-gate’ protagonist Dave Ryan, amid reports ex-Williams driver and current GPDA president Wurz had been identified as the favourite […]
Hamilton maligns Vettel, Webber, Raikkonen
Nov.19 (GMM) In one fell swoop, Lewis Hamilton has maligned three more F1 stars. Recently, the new triple world champion had to hit reverse gear after suggesting F1 legend Michael Schumacher’s record seven titles were won with questionable tactics, while his own were the result of “my natural abilities only”. Now, the increasingly controversial 30-year-old […]
Rosberg, Vettel ‘wake up’ for 2016 attack
Nov.17 (GMM) F1 is looking ahead to a more competitive 2016 season starring Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel, according to the Italian press. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton dominated this year, but his teammate Rosberg is now on a run of five poles and two consecutive wins that bode well for a better 2016. “F1 like a […]