Mar.20 (GMM) Rubens Barrichello claims his former Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher should actually be just a six-time world champion. The pair were teammates at Ferrari between 2000 and 2005, during which time German Schumacher won five consecutive drivers’ titles. However, during that time team boss Jean Todt also operated a clear ‘number 1’ driver policy […]
F1 in image struggle at start of new season
Mar.20 (GMM) Formula one did not present the best image of itself as the 2015 season opened in Australia. That is the view of several experts and insiders, following Sauber’s courtroom battles, cars stranded in the pits and on the track in Melbourne, and Mercedes’ utter dominance amid a row over the rules. Asked about […]
Mercedes’ rivals will ‘never catch up’ – Marko
Mar.20 (GMM) Mercedes’ engine advantage is locked in for the long haul, Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko insists. Renault-powered Red Bull is arguing stridently for a change of regulations in formula one, after Mercedes’ advantage appeared only to have grown heading into 2015. However, the so-called engine freeze was slightly relaxed over the winter, […]
Bottas ‘believes he can drive’ in Malaysia
Mar.20 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas’ manager has admitted he is not sure the Williams driver will return to action next weekend in Malaysia. “I am well informed about it,” said former double world champion Mika Hakkinen, who along with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is a member of Finn Bottas’ management team. Bottas had to sit […]
Marko says Toro Rosso cars could turn yellow
Mar.20 (GMM) Toro Rosso’s cars could turn yellow, Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko has admitted. As he criticises engine partner Renault for its retrograde step in 2015, Marko has also confirmed that talks with the French marque about stepping up its involvement in the sister team Toro Rosso are taking place. “If Renault believes […]
Marc Marquez backs Honda to succeed in F1
Mar.20 (GMM) Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez has backed Honda to succeed in formula one. Riding for the Japanese marque’s official factory team Repsol-Honda, the 22-year-old Spaniard has been dominant since stepping into the top two-wheel category. He told the sports daily Marca that he knew countryman Fernando Alonso would be joining McLaren-Honda in 2015 […]
German GP ‘dead’ as circuits pull out
Mar.20 (GMM) Germany’s other F1 circuit has joined Hockenheim in pulling out of the running to host the scheduled July 19 race. Earlier this week, Hockenheim chief Georg Seiler told Bild newspaper: “We have no more hope that formula one will take place here” in 2015. And now the Nurburgring has followed suit, as DPA […]
Red Bull asked for ‘fierce’ development – Renault
Mar.19 (GMM) Renault has revealed it took an unusually-aggressive approach to the 2015 season opener, at works partner Red Bull’s behest. Amid Red Bull’s disastrous start to the new world championship in Australia, the energy drink-owned team lashed out at Renault for taking a “retrograde” step both in the power and reliability stakes. Now, Renault […]
Wolff reveals Hamilton bought Ferrari supercar
Mar.19 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has had contact with Ferrari, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has admitted. Paddock rumours in Australia suggested that, as he conducts his own negotiations for a new contract beyond 2015, the British driver had been in touch with Ferrari. Wolff doesn’t deny it. “Sure, Lewis has had contact with Ferrari,” he […]
Alonso set for medical checks on Sunday
Mar.19 (GMM) Fernando Alonso will undergo medical tests conducted by the FIA on Sunday. The broadcaster Sky Italia said the Spaniard needs the governing body’s green-light in order to return to the cockpit of his McLaren-Honda in Malaysia next weekend. Almost a month since his mysterious Barcelona testing crash and subsequent hospitalisation, Alonso was back […]
Bottas recovering from back injury in Indonesia
Mar.19 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas is recovering from his back injury in Indonesia, the Williams team has confirmed. The Finn had to sit out the Melbourne season opener last Sunday after suffering a torn disc in his back during the qualifying hour. Reports said he subsequently travelled from Australia to Indonesia to prepare for the time-zone […]
Sauber surprised by van der Garde ‘accusations’
Mar.19 (GMM) Sauber has admitted it was “surprised” to read ousted driver Giedo van der Garde’s media statement on Wednesday. After the courtroom battle of Melbourne, the two sides have reached a settlement that reportedly involves the return of the Dutch driver’s sponsorship payments, legal fees and compensation to the tune of EUR 15 million. […]
Race pace gap to Mercedes not huge – Raikkonen
Mar.19 (GMM) Mercedes could have a race on its hands in 2015. After Melbourne, Christian Horner claimed the advantage now wielded by the silver team is bigger than at any time during Red Bull’s four-year title reign. Indeed, Lewis Hamilton qualified 1.4 seconds clear of the next-best team in Melbourne, even though he finished just […]
Kobayashi ‘not working on F1 comeback’ – manager
Mar.19 (GMM) Kamui Kobayashi’s manager has played down reports the Japanese driver is on the verge of a return to F1. Chikara Funada, who handles the former Toyota, Sauber and Caterham driver’s career, was spotted in the Melbourne paddock last weekend. 28-year-old Kobayashi lost his Caterham seat at the end of last season and for […]
New rules made for ‘right reasons’ – Williams
Mar.19 (GMM) Williams has become the next team to back F1’s current regulations. After Mercedes’ dominance of the Melbourne opener, Red Bull was so critical of the new-in-2014 turbo V6 formula that it threatened to quit the sport. But so far, no team has come out to back Red Bull’s strident stance. “The changes were […]
Bianchi points reason Manor survived – Booth
Mar.19 (GMM) Manor boss John Booth says the team would not have been resurrected without Jules Bianchi. Frenchman Bianchi, critically injured in an horror crash whilst driving for Manor’s former guise Marussia late last season, is still laying in a coma. “I think of Jules almost every day,” Booth told France’s Auto Hebdo, “and he […]
Mercedes’ Wolff says Ferrari step ‘impressive’
Mar.18 (GMM) Mercedes has tipped Ferrari to challenge in 2015. Having struggled in 2014, the fabled Italian team proved in Melbourne that it has leapfrogged Red Bull and Williams to be ‘best of the rest’ so far this year. “Compared to where we were last year,” Kimi Raikkonen told reporters, “for sure as a team […]
F1 keeps same ‘radio clampdown’ rules for 2015
Mar.18 (GMM) F1’s radio clampdown will not be ramped up in 2015. Last year, the FIA introduced a ban on so-called ‘driver coaching’ instructions, but intended to ramp it up even further for 2015 to also make the relaying of technical instructions from the pitwall to the drivers illegal. Anticipating the ban, many teams upgraded […]
Kobayashi in talks for Manor seat – report
Mar.18 (GMM) Just one race into 2015, the first driver moves are already shaping up. Spotted in the Melbourne paddock last weekend was Chikara Funada, who is the popular driver Kamui Kobayashi’s manager. Kobayashi, 28, lost his Caterham seat at the end of last season and for this year has signed up with Toyota in […]
McLaren denies tension as Alonso returns
Mar.18 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has stepped up his preparations to return to action in Malaysia next weekend. McLaren-Honda confirmed reports the Spaniard is at Woking, and on Wednesday he will be at the wheel of the team’s sophisticated driver simulator. “We have a programme to help Fernando back to racing,” a spokesman said. There have […]