Raikkonen cautious regarding early Ferrari pace
Kimi Raikkonen remained cautious despite Ferrari setting the pace during Friday practice for the Mexican Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time of FP2 on Friday afternoon, edging out Lewis Hamilton by 0.004s at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Raikkonen was 0.4s of his team-mate’s pace in fourth and still sees room for improvement for…
Red Bull adds 286 laps on Pirelli’s 2017-spec tyres
Red Bull reserve driver Pierre Gasly has racked up an impressive 286 laps in Abu Dhabi during Pirelli’s latest wet-weather tyre test ahead of the 2017 Formula One season. Piloting a modified version of the 2015-spec RB11 that simulates next year’s increased levels of downforce, the Frenchman sampled the new intermediate and full-wet compounds over the…
Hamilton: Current tyres limit fightback potential
Lewis Hamilton says the current generation of tyres in F1 limit the potential for a driver to recover after a poor start. The championship leader dropped from pole position to sixth on the opening lap of the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday, with Nico Rosberg taking the lead. While Hamilton had been half a second…
Ricciardo expected Ferrari to be ‘a bit quicker’
Daniel Ricciardo admits to being slightly surprised by Red Bull’s gap to Ferrari in Friday practice at the Malaysian Grand Prix, as he expected the Scuderia to “be a bit quicker”. The Australian was four tenths behind the Ferrari duo in FP2, with team-mate Max Verstappen trailing the lead SF16-h by the same margin in…
Grosjean happy with smooth qualifying run
Romain Grosjean and Haas achieved their best qualifying performance to date today in Suzuka with the Frenchman set to line up 8th on tomorrow’s grid. It was also the first time the American squad saw both its cars run in the top-ten shootout with Esteban Guttierrez clinching P10. Grosjean has ecstatic with his performance, even suggesting…
High altitude not a big difference for Raikkonen
Ferrari star Kimi Raikkonen says racing at a higher altitude for the Mexican Grand Prix does not make a lot of difference. Returning to the Formula One calendar in 2015, the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is located some 2,200 meters above sea level, thus presenting teams and drivers with a specific set of challenges. However, Raikkonen…
F1 media sees Alonso as best driver on current grid
Fernando Alonso has been selected as the best Formula One driver on the current grid following a vote by a pool of veteran journalists. With two world titles, 32 race wins, 97 podiums and 22 pole positions in 270 career starts, the McLaren-Honda star boasts one of the most successful resumés in the field. However,…
Hamilton expects fair fight from Rosberg as title looms
Lewis Hamilton says he likes “to think higher” of Nico Rosberg than for his team-mate to try any tricks to secure his first drivers’ championship. Rosberg will become world champion if he wins today’s Brazilian Grand Prix, as he currently holds a 19-point lead in the standings. While Hamilton starts from pole position, the Briton is aware…
I can still achieve more with Williams – Bottas
Valtteri Bottas says he can still achieve more with Williams and wants to secure his first win for the team after signing for the 2016 season. Having made his debut for Williams in 2013, Bottas has shown clear potential and has been linked with drives at Ferrari and Renault in recent seasons. However, the Finn will…
Bernie wants the Schumacher name back in F1
Bernie Ecclestone says he hopes Grand Prix legend Michael Schumacher’s teenage son makes it all the way to Formula 1. Mick Schumacher, 17, will be stepping up from Formula 4 to the ultra-competitive European F3 series this year, which was the category that launched Max Verstappen and so many other top drivers’ careers. Last year,…