silly season Tag

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Mercedes released a statement today confirming the widely held belief that their technical chief Paddy Lowe is leaving the team he helped steer to three consecutive championships. As we first reported one month ago, Lowe is bound for Williams, but contractual and financial negotiations have been complicated by Valtteri Bottas’ talks with Mercedes over Nico Rosberg’s vacated seat, and Felipe Massa’s potential return to the Grove based squad. Such news formally coming to light indicates that some manner of solution has been found at the crowded negotiation tableRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Brazilian media sources are now reporting that recently retired F1 driver Felipe Massa has signed a deal with Williams to return to the grid in 2017 for his former team. By doing so he paves the way for his old team mate Valtteri Bottas to join Mercedes and fill the vacancy left by Nico Rosberg’s surprise retirement. Massa, who announced his retirement in September at the Italian Grand Prix was apparently eager to come back and help his former team. Williams had a desperate need forRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Wider-faster-louder cars and fat Pirelli slicks are already set to make Formula One 2017 an exciting prospect for the fans, but if reports out of South America are to be trusted it could get a lot more exciting with Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado potentially returning to the grid. The controversial and crash prone driver could soon be back to his legendary hunting grounds. The 2012 Spanish Grand Prix winner, known for his searing speed and devil may care driving style, is reportedly in talks with several F1 teamsRead More

By Christopher DeHarde, IndyCar & Road to Indy Writer In an announcement that came out of left field, Colton Herta was announced as Andretti Autosport’s fourth driver in their Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires program alongside Dalton Kellett, Nico Jamin and Ryan Norman today. Herta’s entry is funded with a partnership between Andretti Autosport and Steinbrenner Racing, which is owned by the same family that purchased the New York Yankees in 1973. After racing British F4 in 2015 and EuroFormula Open in 2016, the son of current IndyCar team co-ownerRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Dashing the Christmas wishes of many drivers, Mercedes has announced that it will not name a successor to Nico Rosberg’s vacated seat till 2017. After newly crowned Rosberg announced his retirement, Mercedes has been in desperate straits to name his replacement ahead of the largest technical changes the sport has seen in 20 years. Much to their chagrin, top drivers Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel are under ironclad contracts with McLaren-Honda and Ferrari. Recently retired veterans like Jenson Button and Felipe Massa are not viable optionsRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Fernando Alonso has announced that he is committed to staying on at McLaren despite recent rumors linking him with the vacant seat at Mercedes. News had barely broken of Nico Rosberg’s shock retirement before the silly season went full steam ahead and rumors of Alonso jumping ship to Mercedes were rife. Despite the Spaniard’s past history of unexpected team changes, it looks like the speculation has been put to rest, at least for the time being. Speaking at the McLaren factory in Surrey he said, “IRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Reports are starting to emerge that Valtteri Bottas is Mercedes main target as a replacement for recently retired world champion Nico Rosberg. In any other year this would be a slam dunk move, as Mercedes boss Toto Wolff manages Bottas and would gladly give a large discount to Williams on their Mercedes engines for the next season. Wolff has already made an offer as such, roughly $10 million off for Williams engine package for 2017, but Williams has said no. They did so because this isRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor After much speculation Williams has finally announced that European F3 Champion Lance Stroll will join Valtteri Bottas for the 2017 Formula One season, replacing retiring veteran Felipe Massa. Stroll, who turned 18 last Saturday, has followed in the path of Max Verstappen, by showing incredible promise in the junior series. In further assistance to Williams and its battle to stay at the sharp end of the grid is Lawrence Stroll, his billionaire father, an investor and fashion magnate in their native Canada, who also happens toRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Nico Hulkenberg has reportedly signed a 2017 race contract that will see him move from his long time home of Sahara Force India, to the bright yellow cars of Renault. The much speculated move has finally come into the light as both Hulkenberg and Renault seek to build a partnership that will move them up the Formula One grid and into championship contention in several seasons’ time. Hulkenberg’s contract is good through 2018, with an option for 2019 that will likely be taken up, as theRead More

By Toby Christie, NASCAR Editor News broke Monday, that Dollar General will not be back in 2017 as the primary sponsor of Matt Kenseth’s No. 20 Toyota Camry, which is fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing. This comes on the heels of Kenseth’s first win of the season two weeks ago, and the overall insanely stout start to the season by the entire JGR team. Immediately upon hearing this news, people were saying that this means that there is something wrong with NASCAR if the current top team can’t keep theirRead More