Jan.1 (GMM) Raffaele Marciello is Sauber’s new test and reserve driver for 2015. The 20-year-old Swiss-born Italian driver is a leading and long-time member of Ferrari’s driver academy. Ferrari is Swiss team Sauber’s engine supplier. “Apart from his formula one responsibilities,” the Maranello based team announced, “the Italian youngster, born in 1994, will continue to […]
Button marks new year with wedding
Jan.1 (GMM) Jenson Button has rung in the new year by announcing he is now a married man. “Happy New Year from Mr and Mrs Button!” he declared to his almost 2 million followers on Twitter. British newspaper the Daily Mail, publishing paparazzi wedding photos of the 2009 world champion and his long-time girlfriend, Japanese […]
Ferrari bench better than Caterham seat – Vergne
Jan.1 (GMM) Jean-Eric Vergne insists his new Ferrari test role is better than a race seat at struggling backmarker Caterham. The 24-year-old Frenchman was dropped by Red Bull after contesting the last three seasons for the energy drink company’s second F1 team Toro Rosso. Ferrari has signed him for 2015 to be primarily a simulator […]
McLaren-Honda joins call for engine unfreeze
Dec.31 (GMM) Honda has finally declared its position on the controversial ‘engine freeze’ in F1. As Mercedes utterly dominated the first season of the radical new turbo V6 era this year, rivals Ferrari and Renault-powered Red Bull made clear their desire to ease the tight limits on in-season engine development. Joining the three engine makers […]
Austrian broadcaster ORF rethinks F1 deal
Dec.31 (GMM) Another German-language F1 broadcaster is rethinking its commitment to the sport. Earlier this month, Germany’s RTL blamed F1’s “incomprehensible rules” and “counterproductive external representations” for a significant ratings decline this year. And now, the Austrian broadcaster ORF is also rethinking its formula one commitment, according to the Austrian news agency APA. “My position […]
Verstappen boss denies F1 cars too easy to drive
Dec.31 (GMM) Franz Tost has hit back at claims today’s F1 cars are too easy to drive. In 2015, the Toro Rosso chief will be working with the sport’s controversial new driver Max Verstappen, who at 17 is easily the youngest rookie in the sport’s history. 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has denounced the young […]
Schu ‘cries when he hears family’ – report
Dec.31 (GMM) Michael Schumacher often cries when he hears the voices of his family members, according to a report in the Italian magazine Autosprint. This week, the F1 legend’s manager and doctor hit back at claims by former driver Philippe Streiff, who declared that while Schumacher is unable to speak, he is “starting to recognise […]
2014 even worse than ‘nutcase’ 2012 – Grosjean
Dec.31 (GMM) Romain Grosjean says this year was even more difficult than the 2012 season, when he was branded F1’s ‘first lap nutcase’ and had to serve a race ban. The French driver, who will stay at Lotus next year for a fourth consecutive campaign, scored a mere handful of points in 2014 as the […]
Marussia still owes Timo Glock $1m – source
Dec.31 (GMM) The collapsing F1 backmarker Marussia still owes a whopping $1 million to its former driver Timo Glock. The debt was discovered by the F1 business and Formula Money journalist Christian Sylt in the team’s administration documents. It shows that German driver Glock, who raced for Marussia and its former guise Virgin between 2010 […]
Family says Bianchi still unconscious
Dec.31 (GMM) Jules Bianchi is still unconscious, his family has revealed in a statement. The French driver lost control of his Marussia during early October’s rainy Japanese grand prix and struck a trackside recovery vehicle. “Jules’ neurological status remains unchanged,” his family announced in an end-of-year medical update. “He is unconscious but able to breathe […]
Ferrari works on F1 engine with Austrian company – report
Dec.30 (GMM) Ferrari is pushing ahead with improving its turbo V6 engine and car after a faltering start to the new era in F1. Of the sport’s three engine makers in 2014, the fabled Maranello marque was the only one not to win a single grand prix. Ferrari, the works Renault team Red Bull and […]
Vettel, Alonso right to leave F1 teams – Villeneuve
Dec.30 (GMM) Former champions Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso were right to leave their respective teams ahead of 2015. That is the view of the outspoken 1997 title winner turned pundit Jacques Villeneuve. “Both are in a better situation now that they have gone,” said the French Canadian, referring to Vettel’s move to replace Alonso […]
Schu still a ‘sensitive issue’ at ski crash site – report
Dec.30 (GMM) Exactly a year after Michael Schumacher’s skiing accident, the Meribel resort director wants to move on. As the world looks back to 29 December 2013, when the most successful driver in grand prix history famously fell and struck his head on a snow-covered rock, a reporter for the major German newspaper Bild-Zeitung returned […]
Loyal backers sticking with Schumacher
Dec.29 (GMM) A year after his skiing accident, Michael Schumacher has retained the loyal backing of most of his personal sponsors. It was reported earlier that, after the German mineral water company Rosbacher deal ended, Schumacher also lost the backing of the fashion brands Navyboot and Jet Set. However, the DPA news agency insists that […]
Fears third F1 team could collapse – reports
Dec.29 (GMM) There are fears a third team could follow Caterham and Marussia out of F1 as the new year beckons. Caterham, although still in administration, is hoping to race in 2015 but Marussia’s assets and factory are being sold to pay back creditors. F1 business journalist Christian Sylt wrote in the Telegraph that the […]
Enzo Ferrari’s son backs Maranello revolution
Dec.29 (GMM) Enzo Ferrari’s only living son Piero has backed the revolution at Maranello led by new president Sergio Marchionne. Having faltered at the start of the new turbo V6 era, Ferrari has undergone a radical shakeup involving an almost total clean-sweep of the top roles in red. Leading the charge now is Fiat Chrysler […]
‘Worst year’ for F1 entrepreneur Fernandes
Dec.29 (GMM) Tony Fernandes’ already bad 2014 turned black at the weekend. This year, the Malaysian entrepreneur sold his ailing backmarker F1 team Caterham, his London football club Queens Park Rangers has disappointed, and now a flight operated by his airline AirAsia has gone missing en route to Singapore. The flight had 155 passengers and […]
Korea removed from latest 2015 calendar
Dec.29 (GMM) Korea has been removed from the latest 2015 calendar issued by F1’s governing body. Insiders were initially stunned early in December when next year’s schedule featured an unprecedented 21 grand prix dates and the return of a race in unpopular South Korea. Korean organisers played down the inclusion and even Bernie Ecclestone admitted […]
Hamilton wins European sportsman award
Dec.29 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has taken home yet another plaudit after winning his second drivers’ title in 2014. A coveted award in Europe is the Polish press agency’s Sportsman of the Year, in which 18 similar sports news services cast their votes. In 2014, it is Mercedes driver and Briton Hamilton who secured the prize […]
Verstappen debut ‘an insult’ – Villeneuve
Dec.22 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve says the forthcoming debut of F1’s youngest ever race driver Max Verstappen is “an insult”. Just a year out of karts, 17-year-old Verstappen has been signed to drive for Red Bull’s junior F1 team Toro Rosso in 2015. The outspoken 1997 world champion told Italy’s Omnicorse: “Should I tell you the […]