Ricciardo favourite replace Webber at Red Bull

Toro Rosso driver Daniel Ricciardo has moved into pole position to succeed his Australian compatriot Mark Webber at Red Bull next year. Particularly in the wake of the ‘Multi-21′ affair and subsequent rumours that Webber could sign for Porsche’s Le Mans effort, the signs that Sebastian Vettel will have a new teammate in 2014 have [...]

more info...

Valencia return to F1 calendar in 2014 unlikely

Valencia’s suggested return to the Formula 1 calendar as from next year is now under a dark cloud. We reported earlier this month that the Spanish port city – absent from this year’s schedule – could be back in 2014, after its president Alberto Fabra met with Bernie Ecclestone in February. “The agreement is (now) [...]

more info...

Marko wants tyres to allow cars to unleash full potential

Red Bull’s Helmut Marko has admitted he is not satisfied with the suggested tweaks to compounds made by Pirelli ahead of next weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. So far in 2013, world champions have been putting pressure on Formula 1′s official supplier to significantly change this season’s heavily-degrading tyres. But, after the first four ‘flyaway’ grands [...]

more info...

Daly to test for Sahara Force India

About one week before he climbs into a GP3 car for the opening rounds of the season in Barcelona, May 10-12th, American Conor Daly will spend Wednesday, 1 May doing aero testing in Sahara Force India’s 2013 F1 car. The test will take place at Duxford Airfield in Cambridgeshire, England. Formula One testing has resumed [...]

more info...

Mateschitz unhappy with dominant role of tyres in F1

Dietrich Mateschitz has admitted his frustration with the dominant role being played this year by Pirelli’s heavily-degrading control tyres. World champions Red Bull have not hidden their displeasure with the situation, putting pressure on Formula 1′s Italian tyre supplier to make mid-season changes. Pirelli, however, has made only a minor tweak to its ‘hard’ compound [...]

more info...

Vettel: Kimi is very honest, there’s no bullsh*t with him

There would be ‘no bullshit’ in the Red Bull pit garage if Sebastian Vettel was to be paired in the team with friend Kimi Raikkonen in 2014. Amid speculation Red Bull is considering the Finn as a potential replacement for Mark Webber next year, world champion Vettel suggested he would be happy with that choice. [...]

more info...

Rosberg feels more respected since Schumacher departure

Nico Rosberg believes his opinions are respected and now heard more loudly in the Mercedes pit garage following the departure of seven time world champion Michael Schumacher. Although German Rosberg generally outperformed Schumacher during their joint tenure between 2010 and last year, the 27-year-old suggested he wielded less political power. Asked if his role has [...]

more info...

Briatore not interested in Formula 1 comeback

Former team boss Flavio Briatore has played down the possibility of a return to Formula 1. The flamboyant Italian left the sport amid disgrace and the ‘crashgate’ scandal, but in the wake of his lifted ban he has been linked several times with a return. But Briatore, 63, told the British magazine Formula 1 Racing: [...]

more info...

Hulkenberg: I’m comfortable where I am now, you just have to be patient

Although Nico Hulkenberg has admitted Sauber is struggling on the aerodynamic front so far in 2013, he insists he has no regrets moving to the team. Off the back of the Swiss team’s strong form last year, German Hulkenberg switched from Force India. But it is Silverstone based Force India that is performing more impressively [...]

more info...

Perez: I didn’t apologise to Button, because I didn’t think it was necessary

Sergio Perez has denied he apologised to McLaren teammate Jenson Button, after the pair clashed during the recent Bahrain Grand Prix. Following Button’s harsh criticism of team newcomer Perez’s driving, the 2009 world champion said: “Checo has apologised. We had a good discussion.” 23-year-old Mexican Perez, however, clarified that his apology was not to Button, [...]

more info...

Accounting change sends Williams holding company into the red

The company behind British-based Formula One team Williams slumped to a 5 million pound ($7.8 million) pretax loss in 2012, after an accounting change deprived it of a slice of revenue from its involvement in the motor sport. The loss, which compares with a pretax profit of 7.4 million pounds the year before, is a [...]

more info...

Webber rubbishes Vettel camaraderie reports

Red Bull’s Mark Webber has denied reports doing the rounds that he and Sebastian Vettel “share a great camaraderie”. In the wake of the ‘Multi-21′ team orders affair, and the deepening of the bad feeling between the Red Bull teammates, the quote was distributed at the weekend by the Indian news agency IANS. “Call me [...]

more info...

Gutierrez must perform eventually warns Kaltenborn

Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn has backed struggling rookie Esteban Gutierrez, warning however that the young Mexican will eventually come under pressure to perform. Taking over at the Swiss team from the McLaren-bound Sergio Perez, 21-year-old Gutierrez has struggled so far in 2013 to match the performance and consistency of his teammate Nico Hulkenberg. Kaltenborn is [...]

more info...

Webber: Quitting is a tough decision but I’m not there yet

Mark Webber admits retiring from Formula 1 is a tough decision to make, and although he wants to time his exit properly he has no such plans on his agenda just yet. Speaking in an interview with Red Bull motorsport website, Webber said, “You have to get the timing right. I’ve spoken to several great [...]

more info...

Thailand F1 race track gets official green light

Thai government officials have agreed to a proposed track layout for Bangkok’s inaugural Formula 1 night race in 2015. Kanokphand Chulakasem, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand, has approved the 5.995km layout, with the start and finish line at the Royal Thai Naval Dockyard (Rat Woradit Pier), and will include Maha That Road, Na [...]

more info...

McLaren denies Dennis demoted by Bahraini owners

McLaren on Friday played down media reports that Ron Dennis has been demoted by the team’s Bahraini co-owners. Auto Motor und Sport had reported the McLaren ‘supremo’ was stripped of his voting rights, and is now only a non-executive member of the board. The report said McLaren shareholder Mumtalakat Holding, the Bahraini investment company, is [...]

more info...

Testing resumes at Duxford after de Villota crash

Formula 1 testing has resumed at the Duxford airfield in Cambridgeshire, in the United Kingdom, fot the first time since Maria de Villota’s serious accident last year. There has been no Formula 1 running at the Imperial War Museum facility since De Villota accident, in which she lost an eye, after a freak crash whilst [...]

more info...

Ferrari calm despite troubled start to season says Gene

Despite a mixed start to the 2013 F1 world championsip campaign for Ferrari, test driver Marc Gene insists the mood at Maranello is calm. Spaniard Alonso won in China earlier this month, but before that he retired after a crash in Malaysia, whilst last weekend in Bahrain his victory hopes collapsed due to an ultra-rare [...]

more info...

Dennis demoted at McLaren as car division loses money

According to a Auto Motor und Sport, Ron Dennis has been demoted at McLaren in the wake of  automotive division losing money. Although still referred to as the famous British team’s ‘supremo’, the 65-year-old – succeeded by Martin Whitmarsh – stepped down as McLaren team principal some years ago. He also sold half of his [...]

more info...

Pirelli tyre nominations until Canada

Pirelli has announced the slick P Zero compounds that will be taken to the next three grands prix in Spain, Monaco and Canada. From Spain onwards, the P Zero Orange hard tyre will also change to a different compound. Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery said: “After evaluating tyre performance over the balance of the first [...]

more info...

Schumacher to drive Mercedes F1 car at Nurburgring Nordschleife

On Sunday 19 May 2013 before the start of the 24-hour race around the Nürburgring, seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher will take to the track. Schumacher will post a demonstration lap on the Nürburgring’s legendary Nordschleife in a Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 W02. The purpose of his foray onto one of the most [...]

more info...

Pirelli to change hard compound from Spain onwards

Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli will change the compound of its hard tyres from next month’s Spanish Grand Prix after evaluating performance data from the first four races of the season. Motorsport director Paul Hembery said in a statement on Thursday that the decision was taken in consultation with all 11 teams, some of whom [...]

more info...

Hamilton tyre failure still being investigated by Pirelli

Pirelli is conducting a thorough investigation into what may have caused Lewis Hamilton’s tyre failure in Bahrain last weekend. In the wake of the Bahrain Grand Prix, we reported rumours that some were questioning the mere safety of the official Formula 1 supplier’s already-controversial 2013 tyres. Those rumours had been triggered mainly by Felipe Massa’s [...]

more info...

Silverstone to host young drivers’ test in July

This year’s young drivers Formula 1 test will take place at Silverstone in July, it has emerged. Last year, the concept for giving young drivers a break into Formula 1 amid the sport’s tight testing regulations became highly farcical, with the running split over three different locations and dates. But according to Germany’s Auto Motor [...]

more info...

Brawn staying Mercedes team principal says Wolff

Team principal Ross Brawn is set to keep his job at Mercedes, contrary to earlier speculation he will be replaced by McLaren’s Paddy Lowe. Former technical director Lowe is currently on McLaren ‘gardening leave’, amid the widespread paddock perception that he will arrive at Brackley in 2014. But while earlier it was rumoured he would [...]

more info...