Oct.13 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen says he has no problem playing a supportive team role if it will help his teammate Sebastian Vettel win the 2015 title. Indeed, with German Vettel now moving into second place behind Lewis Hamilton, some suspected Ferrari-branded ‘team orders’ were already in play at Sochi last Sunday. Raikkonen appeared to let […]
Vettel defends decision to guard private life
Oct.13 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has defended his decision to fiercely shield his private life from the world’s glare. His approach to fame and fortune is starkly different to fellow multiple world champion Lewis Hamilton, who is constantly on the red carpet and uploading personal photos to Instagram. “My lifestyle is nothing like Hamilton’s,” the Ferrari […]
Alonso doubts he will race beyond 2017
Oct.13 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has played down the likelihood that he will drive a single race beyond the end of his current McLaren contract. Amid McLaren-Honda’s abysmal 2015, there have been rumours the Spaniard might take a sabbatical next year, even though he is all signed up for 2016 and 2017. Alonso rejected that speculation […]
Vandoorne ‘optimistic’ of F1 debut in 2016
Oct.13 (GMM) New GP2 champion Stoffel Vandoorne is confident he will be on the formula one grid in 2016. The Belgian, 23, wrapped up the title in Russia last weekend with two rounds still to run, with many declaring it perhaps the most impressive GP2 campaign in history. But last year’s GP2 champion, Lotus reserve […]
Rosberg doubts he will support Hamilton in title charge
Oct.13 (GMM) Nico Rosberg has played down the likelihood that he will have to spend the remainder of the season playing a supporting role for his teammate. After his Sochi breakdown, Mercedes’ German driver was actually passed for second in the championship by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. It means a German wearing red is now Hamilton’s […]
F1 will ‘never’ stop open cockpits – Ecclestone
Oct.13 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone says he does not back moves to put a cover or canopy over the drivers’ heads in formula one. A spate of incidents in F1 and other categories, including the deaths of Jules Bianchi and Justin Wilson but also Carlos Sainz’s worrying brush with the barriers at Sochi, has ramped up […]
Signs of progress as McLaren-Honda ‘tests’ in 2015
Oct.12 (GMM) McLaren-Honda’s focus is now firmly on 2016, as the Anglo-Japanese collaboration openly eyes the remaining races of this season as tests. Indeed, at Sochi, an upgraded ‘power unit’ – with a notably different engine note – was debuted in Fernando Alonso’s car in practice. And after Sunday’s race, teammate Jenson Button said: “We […]
Prost doubts Red Bull, Renault can repair ‘damage’
Oct.12 (GMM) Alain Prost is not sure the damaged relationship between Renault and Red Bull can be repaired. Red Bull, and its sister team Toro Rosso, risk being left without a power unit to use in 2016, after Mercedes and Ferrari ruled out jumping to the rescue. And it is clear that officials of the […]
Cregan wants quick decision over Sochi night race
Oct.12 (GMM) Richard Cregan wants a decision to be made quickly if next year’s Russian grand prix is going to be held under floodlights. Earlier, we reported that Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Kozak and Sochi race organiser Sergei Vorobyov had indicated the 2016 edition could be held at night. That is despite the fact […]
Russia could stage first F1 night race in 2016
Oct.12 (GMM) The chances the Russian grand prix could switch immediately to a night-race format stepped up a notch on Sunday. As recently as mere days ago, Sochi race officials insisted that while there is a chance the ‘Autodrom’ could install floodlighting ahead of the 2017 race, next year’s edition will definitely take place in […]
Ferrari admits real focus now on 2016 and beyond
Oct.12 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel is still in the hunt, but Ferrari’s realistic hopes are now firmly set on a proper title challenge for 2016. Indeed, while Vettel actually overtook Nico Rosberg on Sunday to now be Lewis Hamilton’s main challenger for the title with four races to go, boss Maurizio Arrivabene acknowledges that Ferrari’s real […]
Engineer switch pays off immediately for Nasr
Oct.12 (GMM) Felipe Nasr is delighted his sharp turn in 2015 appeared to pay off immediately at Sochi. After a strong start to his F1 career early this season, the Brazilian has struggled more recently to feel comfortable in the Sauber and fend off the challenge of his resurgent teammate Marcus Ericsson. But in Russia, […]
Grosjean hopes Lotus has parts to fix car
Oct.12 (GMM) Romain Grosjean has admitted to concerns after his big crash in the Russian grand prix. The Frenchman, who has elected to switch from financially-troubled Lotus to the Ferrari-linked startup Haas for 2016, had one of the biggest crashes of his entire career at Sochi. “I’m still in one piece,” Grosjean told France’s RMC. […]
Mercedes’ title celebrations not ideal at Sochi
Oct.12 (GMM) With the late announcement of Kimi Raikkonen’s penalty at Sochi, Mercedes began to celebrate long after the chequered flag. The stewards’ call, after deliberating over Raikkonen’s last lap crash into Valtteri Bottas, gave Mercedes enough extra points to mathematically clinch the constructors’ world championship for the second consecutive time. But the celebrations were […]
Doubts mean no ‘development engine’ for customers – Wolff
Oct.11 (GMM) Uncertainty about the ‘development engine’ now running successfully at the works team is the reason Mercedes’ customers are not being offered the new specification. That is the explanation of Toto Wolff, after drivers of customer teams Force India and Williams expressed some consternation that they are now a step behind their works Mercedes-powered […]
Van der Garde right to attack Sauber – Ecclestone
Oct.11 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone says Giedo van der Garde was right to pursue Sauber in the courts earlier this year. As the 2015 season began in Melbourne, Dutch driver van der Garde almost brought the curtains down on the Swiss team as he pressed his claim for a race seat. And Ecclestone now backs van […]
Rivals ‘afraid’ to help Red Bull – Horner
Oct.11 (GMM) Red Bull’s rivals are “afraid” to help the quadruple world champions amid an engine crisis that could drive the brand out of formula one, boss Christian Horner says. With the team’s relationship with Renault in tatters, Mercedes and Ferrari are currently refusing to offer Red Bull an alternative supply of power units. But […]
Sainz hopes to race after big Sochi crash
Oct.11 (GMM) Carlos Sainz checked himself out of hospital late on Saturday and is hoping to contest today’s Russian grand prix. Earlier, reports suggested the Spaniard would stay under observation overnight following his high-speed crash underneath the tec-pro barriers in qualifying, but Toro Rosso is now clearing the path for him to race on Sunday. […]
Honda making ‘progress’ with new engine – Boullier
Oct.11 (GMM) Eric Boullier would not be drawn on what sort of progress Honda has made with its struggling ‘power unit’ at Sochi. The new specification, benefitting from the Japanese marque’s final four performance ‘tokens’ of 2015, was run earlier at Sochi by Fernando Alonso, with observers noting a distinctly different engine sound. The Spanish […]
Pirelli beats Michelin to 2017 F1 deal
Oct.11 (GMM) Incumbent Pirelli has won the race to be F1’s tyre supplier beyond 2016. While an official announcement is yet to be made, Bernie Ecclestone appeared at the Sochi circuit on Sunday ahead of the Russian grand prix with Pirelli CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera. On the grid, the F1 supremo shook hands with the […]