Jan.13 (GMM) Bahrain is blocking Qatar’s plans to join the F1 calendar. F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said last month that despite negotiating with a keen Qatari group, a race in the oil-rich Arab state is actually unlikely. That is because he made one of his famous “handshake deals” with Bahrain’s crown prince years ago not […]
Marchionne expects Ferrari form in late 2015
Jan.13 (GMM) Sergio Marchionne has warned Ferrari fans yet again that 2015 will be a difficult season for the fabled Scuderia. Speaking at the Detroit auto show on Tuesday, he refused to wade in deeper on a war of words with the Italian marque’s ousted long-time president, Luca di Montezemolo. “Unfortunately we have dropped back, […]
Bottas plays down Mercedes, Ferrari switch talk
Jan.12 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has played down reports linking his future outside of Williams. The Finn’s career to date has been powered and championed by the Grove team, and he was the star last year as Williams ended 2014 as arguably dominant Mercedes’ closest challenger. But 25-year-old Bottas has also attracted attention elsewhere, as he […]
Caterham’s Stevens eyeing Le Mans switch
Jan.12 (GMM) Will Stevens has turned his eye to Le Mans in the event his F1 career stumbles at the first hurdle. Funding brought by the 23-year-old’s backers as he made his grand prix debut in Abu Dhabi is believed to have been instrumental in ailing Caterham’s survival to date. “When I got the offer,” […]
Authorities restrict travel for Mallya
Jan.12 (GMM) Indian authorities have moved to restrict international travel for embattled Force India supremo Vijay Mallya. Amid ongoing action relating to his ailing airline Kingfisher, a Mumbai court said the former billionaire can no longer leave India unless he submits a detailed itinerary 48 hours in advance. The Economic Times also said the action […]
Andretti wants Montagny banned for life over cocaine
Jan.12 (GMM) F1 legend Mario Andretti has called on Franck Montagny to be banned for life for doping. Former Super Aguri racer Montagny, a 37-year-old Frenchman, was suspended from the FIA-sanctioned new Formula E series recently when he tested positive for a cocaine derivative. It has also been rumoured that Montagny’s brush with cocaine may […]
Paffett unsure of McLaren-Honda potential
Jan.12 (GMM) Former McLaren tester Gary Paffett is unsure of the British team’s potential as its new works Honda era begins. After years of serving as tester, McLaren’s change of power means Briton Paffett, who will remain Mercedes powered in DTM, has left the Woking team. McLaren is now working with Honda, its ultra-successful partner […]
Mercedes to offer Hamilton new three-year deal – report
Jan.12 (GMM) Mercedes is positioning to keep world champion Lewis Hamilton well beyond the 2015 season. Talks over the Briton’s expiring contract were scheduled towards the end and then just after the 2014 season. But in what was interpreted as a ‘hurry up’ to the 30-year-old, boss Toto Wolff recently declared that Fernando Alonso and […]
Ricciardo confident of catching Mercedes
Jan.12 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo has expressed confidence Red Bull can close the gap on dominant 2014 title winners Mercedes this year. Given Mercedes’ level of dominance last season and the restraints of the engine development freeze, many believe the German team will be hard to challenge even in 2015. La Gazzetta dello Sport, for instance, […]
Melbourne not keen on earlier race start time
Jan.12 (GMM) Race organisers are reluctant to shift the start time for the 2015 Australian grand prix. In response to Jules Bianchi’s horror crash at Suzuka, the governing FIA vowed to look into ensuring that races are no longer started too close to dusk. Races at the season opener Melbourne, for instance, are traditionally now […]
Ferrari spends EUR 40m on new technology – report
Jan.12 (GMM) Ferrari is spending a whopping EUR 40 million as it steps up its off-track technology at Maranello. Having struggled in 2014 and subsequently undergone a revolutionary shakeup, the fabled Italian marque is now spending big on a dynamic platform that will allow in-factory testing of the entire car-plus-engine package. Italy’s La Gazzetta dello […]
Williams’ next step will be harder – Symonds
Jan.12 (GMM) Pat Symonds has admitted Williams’ next step will be more difficult than the giant leap of 2014. After a career slump that hit bottom in 2013 with ninth in the constructors’ standings, the once-great Grove team managed to end last year as arguably Mercedes’ closest challenger. But Red Bull designer Adrian Newey thinks […]
Verstappen passes theory driving test
Jan.12 (GMM) Max Verstappen has cleared the first hurdle as he seeks a normal road car driving licence. The controversy sparked by the young and inexperienced driver’s impending grand prix debut reportedly triggered the FIA’s tough clampdown on the rules for qualifying for a super licence beyond this year. One of the stipulations for 2016 […]
McLaren denies pre-Jerez test for 2015 car
Jan.12 (GMM) McLaren has denied reports it will run its Honda-powered 2015 car a few days before its launch and official test debut. Spain’s El Mundo Deportivo claimed that, following news the MP4-30 will be launched on 29 January, the car will actually clock up some laps beforehand. “A few days before (the launch), the […]
Renault hits back at new super licence system
Jan.12 (GMM) Renault has reportedly hit back at the FIA’s controversial new system for issuing F1 super licences. In light of 17-year-old Max Verstappen’s controversial debut this year, the governing body is installing a new system for 2016 to ensure new grand prix drivers are older, more experienced and successful in the junior classes. But […]
Vergne sets sights on Raikkonen’s 2016 seat
Jan.11 (GMM) Jean-Eric Vergne has admitted he has set his sights on Kimi Raikkonen’s 2016 race seat at Ferrari. The Frenchman, developed and groomed by Red Bull, was dropped by the energy drink company’s second team Toro Rosso at the end of last year. He has rescued his F1 career with a test driver role […]
Ferrari confirms 30 January launch
Jan.10 (GMM) Ferrari has announced it will reveal its 2015 car on 30 January. Having reported McLaren will launch its Honda-powered MP4-30 on January 29, we then claimed Ferrari will reveal its car “a day earlier or later” than the British team in an online presentation. Indeed, the Maranello team announced late on Friday that […]
F1 teams favour money over talent – Bird
Jan.9 (GMM) Former Mercedes tester Sam Bird says F1 teams no longer scour the world’s top racing categories in search of the best possible drivers. 28 today, the Briton was until recently a Mercedes simulator driver and a GP2 winner — a resume that in decades past would have seen him knocking loudly on the […]
McLaren confirms January 29 launch
Jan.9 (GMM) McLaren has confirmed reports it will launch the Honda-powered 2015 car on 29 January. We reported earlier that the Woking based team would stage an event for the unveiling of the MP4-30 at its headquarters. “Yes,” a McLaren spokesman told us on Friday. “As has been reported recently on various websites, the McLaren-Honda […]
Porsche chief Muller says no to F1
Jan.9 (GMM) Porsche chief executive Matthias Muller has now added his confirmation to reports the German marque is not interested in entering formula one. Already this week, the fabled Volkswagen-owned sports car company’s research and development chief Wolfgang Hatz said F1 “has never been an issue for us and won’t be. “Le Mans is a […]