Timo Glock Officially Leaves Marussia By ‘Mutual Consent’

Timo Glock has officially left Marussia by ‘mutual consent’, confirming rumors which began to surface Sunday evening regarding the German’s future in Formula 1. This departure by Glock ends his three-year partnership with the Banbury-based outfit, despite being contracted for Marussia for the forthcoming season.

Since the team’s inception in Formula 1 back in 2010, when they were then known as Virgin Racing, Timo Glock has spearheaded the outfit’s campaigns alongside the likes of Lucas di Grassi and Jerome D’Ambrosio. The German has unquestionably assisted Marussia into becoming the team they are today, with his many years of experience in Formula 1 proving a valuable asset to a team battling towards the back of the grid with the likes of Caterham and HRT in recent years.

“Timo has made a very significant contribution to our team over the past three seasons, helping us to develop our package to the point where, for a large proportion of the 2012 season, we were holding 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship.” Explained John Booth, Marussia’s team principal. “We would like to thank Timo for working with us to reach this decision, especially as he had a valid contract, and also for the contribution he has made to our team. We wish him all the best for his future and I would like to congratulate the next team acquiring the services of such a competitive, professional and experienced racer. We will provide an update regarding the completion of our driver line-up in due course.”

German newspaper Bild have speculated that the German star could move to the DTM Series, with rumors that he could join BMW, a marque which he tested with in Formula 1 back in 2007. Timo Glock is departing from Marussia with nothing but praise for the Anglo-Russian team, who he joined in 2010 after several competitive seasons with Toyota.

“I have had three excellent years with the Marussia F1 Team, during which I had the chance to actively participate in building and developing the team in its endeavors to succeed within the Formula 1 World Championship.” Said Timo Glock, “I would like to wish the team good luck in navigating this next period and thank everyone for the great times we shared and the support I have received. Although it is not the path I expected to be taking, I am in fact very excited about what the future holds in terms of my own career and I hope to comment on that very soon.”

This sudden departure of Timo Glock leaves Marussia with only one driver for the rapidly approaching season, with Briton Max Chilton preparing to make his debut with Marussia. The Banbury-based outfit will understandably be eager to find a replacement for Glock, before pre-season testing gets underway.

Picture Copyright © Marussia F1 Team

Timo Glock Reported To Have Left Marussia

Timo Glock has allegedly left Marussia, according to a report issued by German newspaper Bild on Sunday which reads that the 30-year-old German has left the Anglo-Russian outfit by a mutual agreement to find a new challenge in his motor sport career. If true, this will leave Marussia with only one driver only weeks before pre-season testing.

With pre-season testing quickly approaching ahead of the new season, Timo Glock’s rumored departure could leave the Banbury-based outfit in turmoil. This would effectively leave the team with a relatively inexperienced driver, and in desperate search of a replacement to fill the void left by Timo Glock. The German driver has been a member of the Marussia F1 team since their debut season in the sport back in 2010, when they were then known as Virgin Racing.

After signing a three-year deal with the outfit back in 2011, Timo Glock’s future with Marussia looked settled. However, after a relatively tough 2012 season alongside Charles Pic, who shone during his debut season both out-qualifying and out-racing Glock on numerous occasions, it seems the experienced German’s future is now uncertain in the sport. At the time of Bild’s initial report, Marussia were unavailable for comment on the matter, however it is believed an official statement will occur on Monday.

Such a move by Timo Glock will unquestionably fuel speculation as to who will replace the German driver at Marussia, with only Caterham and Force India currently sporting vacancies on the 2013 grid. Timo Glock was originally set to team-mate rookie Max Chilton in 2013, and his departure will understandably prompt the outfit to hunt for an experienced replacement, due largely to Chilton’s inexperience during a race weekend.

Picture Copyright © Marussia F1 Team

Gary Paffett Does Not Understand Lewis Hamilton Move

Long-term McLaren test driver Gary Paffett has become the latest member of the Formula 1 fraternity to speak out against Lewis Hamilton’s move to Mercedes for the 2013 season, with the Briton explaining how he “does not understand” the 2008 World Champion’s decision. This comes after Sir Jackie Stewart described it as a long-term risk.

As preparations for the new Formula 1 season continues to gather momentum, McLaren test driver and Mercedes DTM star Gary Paffett has described how he does not understand Hamilton’s decision, despite Paffett’s strong connections to the German marque.

During the latter half of the 2012 season, Lewis Hamilton shocked the sporting community by deciding to move away from McLaren to join Nico Rosberg at Mercedes for the next season. Gary Paffett has disclosed that he does not understand his fellow countryman’s decision, stating that he believes McLaren will be stronger than Mercedes once again in 2013.

“Some drivers move for their own certain reasons,” said Gary Paffett at the Autosport Show last weekend. “I think a few of the times they move people don’t understand it and I don’t understand this one. I don’t understand why he moved. I knew Lewis very well, I used to kart with him when he was ten years old. Lewis has solely been focused on winning, that is his aim. He wants to break records, he wants to win the most Championships, win the most races and I see his best place to do that at McLaren.”

Lewis Hamilton has been replaced at the Woking-based outfit by Mexican driver Sergio Perez, who impressed greatly during his two seasons with Sauber. Throughout the 2012 season, the 22-year-old finished on the podium three times including a near-victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix behind eventual winner Fernando Alonso.

Although there is strong doubt within the Formula 1 community that Lewis Hamilton has made the right decision, some including Martin Brundle believe the Briton will certainly be victorious in 2013. Only time will tell as to whether Lewis Hamilton has made the correct decision or not, however it’s unquestionable that his move is still sending shockwaves throughout the sporting world.

Picture Copyright © Getty Images

Mark Gillan Steps Down As Williams Chief Operations Engineer

Mark Gillan has stepped down as the Williams Chief Operations Engineer, after confirming to AutoSport that the reason behind his decision was to ‘spend more time with his family”. The 44-year-old joined Williams during their disastrous 2011 season, and was instrumental in the team’s revival during the 2012 season.

During the 2011 season, Williams endured an embarrassingly uncompetitive year as Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado struggled to only score a total of five points all season. Mark Gillan joined the outfit halfway through the 2011 season, and became the team’s Chief Operations Engineer during their reshuffle. The results from this change was evident throughout the 2012 season, as Williams returned to their race winning ways with victory at the Spanish Grand Prix at the hands of Pastor Maldonado.

Despite the gloriously competitive 2012 season for the Williams outfit, which saw them score 71 more points than 2011, Mark Gillan has left the Grove-based outfit to spend more time with his family. Having previously worked for McLaren, Jaguar, Red Bull and Toyota, Mark Gillan was a pivotal figure throughout a Grand Prix weekend for Williams, and worked under the team’s technical director, Mike Coughlan. It is as of yet unknown who Williams will appoint as Mark Gillan’s replacement, or how his departure will affect the team’s performance.

Picture Copyright © Williams F1 Team

Nico Hulkenberg: “It Wasn’t An Easy Decision”

Nico Hulkenberg has explained that his switch to Sauber for next season was not an easy decision, and that discussions were held with Ferrari confirming allegations that the Scuderia were considering the German as a potential replacement for Felipe Massa. However, Paul di Resta believes Hulkenberg is wrong to have left Force India.

As the Formula 1 paddock gears up for this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Nico Hulkenberg has explained to reporters that his decision was not an easy one. With Sauber greatly out-scoring Force India over the due course of the season, regularly finishing on the podium, Hulkenberg believes his switch to Sauber is the right one to make. However, the former GP2 Champion was strongly linked with Ferrari earlier in the season, before rumors linking him to Sauber emerged.

“It wasn’t an easy decision, first of all,” explained Nico Hulkenberg. “I think Sauber made a good development the last couple of years, especially this year. They have been very strong this year for podiums, missed the win by a very narrow margin only, so that is why. Otherwise I would not have made the decision if I thought it wasn’t the right one. Obviously Sauber has a good car this year and hopefully it has a good car next year where we can fight for good positions.”

Nico Hulkenberg has also confirmed that discussions between himself and Ferrari were held earlier in the year, during a period when the Scuderia were greatly weighing up their opportunities with Felipe Massa. However, once the Brazilian driver was confirmed alongside Alonso, speculation linking Hulkenberg to Sauber began to gather extreme momentum.

Paul di Resta believes Hulkenberg is wrong to have left Force India.

Despite Nico Hulkenberg’s obvious satisfaction at landing a drive with the Swiss outfit for 2013, current team-mate Paul di Resta strongly believes the German was wrong to leave Force India. Like many within the F1 paddock, the Scot is of the opinion that Hulkenberg has made a sideways step to Sauber.

“I was surprised that Nico left this team, to be fair, for an immediate competitor,” said Paul di Resta. “I don’t see it as being a step up, to be perfectly honest. I see it as an equal kind of status. Long term where you see this team is going, I think it is probably better [at Force India]. They [Sauber] have had a couple of remarkable results, and I am not going to deny that. But in terms of consistency, we have got a lot. It may be different. Next year may be different, and I don’t know the full reasons why Nico has gone there.”

Whether or not Nico Hulkenberg’s move to Sauber can be viewed as a step forward, or sideways, this decision by the German driver now opens up a vacancy at Force India. Many drivers have been linked to the team for next season, including F1 returnees Adrian Sutil and Jaime Alguersuari.

Picture(s) Copyright © Getty Images

Adrian Newey Won’t Leave Red Bull

Adrian Newey has spoken out about his future in Formula 1, dismissing the rumors that he could one day leave Red Bull Racing for Ferrari. Newey has designed all of Red Bull’s race winning cars, and has fueled the belief he’ll end his long and successful career with the Milton Keynes based team.

When asked about the possibility he’d one day leave Red Bull for another team, he replied: “To be perfectly honest I can’t see myself going anywhere else and I’ve been involved in the team from very early on and feel very centrally involved in it. I’m proud really that we managed to get where we were from the ashes of Jaguar to where we are today. That in itself brings a huge amount of satisfaction and a slightly paternal feeling of wanting that to carry on. To now leave for another team would feel a little like walking out on your children.”

With Adrian Newey bringing success to both Williams, McLaren and Red Bull in his long career, he has been linked to Ferrari in the past few months. However with his latest design, the RB8, taking to the track this morning, he seems adamant he’ll see his career out at Red Bull.

It has become common knowledge in Formula 1 that Adrian Newey has ability make read the rulebooks and create a car capable of winning races. It took Adrian Newey only four years to bring Red Bull up from a midfield team to a race and eventually Championship winning team.

Once again in 2012, Adrian Newey has designed a car that is already much talked about and features various designs which have raised a few eyebrows up and down the paddock. Whether the RB8 will be as conquering as last years RB7, time will tell.

Technical Director James Key To Leave Sauber

Only days before Sauber launch their new 2012 car, it is understood that their Technical Director, James Key, is set to leave the Swiss outfit and join another Formula 1 team, leaving Sauber’s heads of department for its aerodynamic, design performance and operations devision in charge of the the design and development of their new car.

James Key joined Sauber at the start of the 2010 season after previously working with Force India, replacing Willy Rampf as Technical Director. At that time, Sauber were in the process of ending its connections with BMW who had run the team since June 2005.

In light of this recent development, team owner Peter Sauber said: “A qualified team shares the overall technical responsibility. This structure has proved to work well at other racing outfits. Over a period of almost two years, James has accomplished a lot for our team. Especially in the difficult transition period from a manufacturer team into a private enterprise, he contributed significantly to ensure the team regained stability. We would like to thank him for his efforts and wish him all the best for his future.”

“I’ve enjoyed the past two years working at the Sauber F1 Team.” Said James Key on his time with Sauber, “It has been a very intense and interesting time, in which we had to manage the transition from a much larger team to a smaller one, and everybody handled that very well. I think the team is now well set for the future and I wish it the very best. I have been offered a new role back in the UK, which I decided to accept.”

The team which James Key will eventually be joining has not yet been disclosed. Sauber will launch their 2012 challenger on 6th February, the day before pre-season testing gets underway at Jerez. 

Colin Kolles Leaves HRT

HRT have announced that their current Team Principal, Colin Kolles, is set to leave the team after they came to an agreement to end their partnership. Colin Kolles has headed the team since its debut in the sport in 2010 after a deal with Adrian Campos failed to materialize.

The team announced that their main reason for this move is because of the new direction the team is taking with moving their Headquarters to Spain, where beforehand they were based in Germany where they used a factory owned by Colin Kolles. 

The team released a statement saying, “HRT F1 Team would like to thank Dr. Colin Kolles for his work and dedication throughout these past two years and wish him the best in his future projects.”

It is undeniable that without the assistance of Colin Kolles, HRT would probably have not made it to Bahrain for the start of the 2010 season after the teams original plans with Adrian Campos fell through. 

With Pedro De La Rosa the only driver currently confirmed at HRT for the 2012 season, they are adamant they will design and build their own car for 2012 as well as have it ready in time for the pre-season test in February.

Sauber Become The Latest Team To Leave FOTA

Sauber have become the latest team to leave FOTA (Formula One Teams’ Association) this evening after Ferrari and Red Bull did so earlier in the week. It is also uncertain as to whether Toro Rosso have also left the body after it is believed they failed to send a representative to FOTA’s latest meeting on Tuesday in London.

Sauber, who use Ferrari engines, apparently notified FOTA a few days ago regarding their departure as discussions regarding the Resource Restriction Agreement (RRA) has become the overwhelming topic within FOTA with many disagreements between the teams causing concern within the body.

With Toro Rosso being the sister team to Red Bull (who pulled out earlier in the week) it would seem unlikely that the Italian based team would remain part of the association. If Toro Rosso did pull out it would mean only McLaren, Lotus, Mercedes GP, Williams, Force India, Caterham and Marussia would remain. Those remaining teams met on Tuesday to discuss where the body stands after loosing the three teams this week with HRT absent after being expelled from the organization in 2010 for apparently not paying their annual membership fee of €100,000.

With so many teams leaving FOTA in such a short space of time, it’s a question of whether there will be any teams left in the body for the start of next season at the Australian Grand Prix.

Nico Hulkenberg Threatens To Leave F1

Force India Reserve Driver, Nico Hulkenberg, has threatened to leave F1 for another form of motor sport if he is not picked for a full time drive with the team next season. The German driver has stated he believes a decision will be made within two weeks as to which two drivers will race for Force India in the 2012 season.

Hulkenberg was the 2009 GP2 Series Champion at his first attempt within the series with the ART Grand Prix team as he dominated the season winning five races out of the twenty and achieving 100 points in total. With such a dominance it was a a no-brainer that he’d graduate to Formula 1 and it was with the Williams team that he was awarded the chance.

His impact in F1 wasn’t as great as some of former GP2 graduates, yet he achieved a throng of consistent points scoring results with a high of 6th at the 2010 Hungarian Grand Prix. With his future at Williams looking dicey he stormed to a surprise pole-position at the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix in a wet/dry Qualifying session ahead of World Champion-to-be Sebastian Vettel. In the race he lost the lead into Turn 1 and subsequently went further down the field as the race wore on, although he did make it hard work for the drivers’ to get past.

For the 2011 season he was replaced by Venezuelan driver and reigning 2010 GP2 Champion, Pastor Maldonado, who brought with him huge amounts of sponsorship money from the Venezuelan petroleum company PDVSA. This meant Hulkenberg was without a drive for 2011 and therefore resided with the Force India team as their Reserve and Friday Driver as they took on rookie Brit Paul Di Resta alongside Adrian Sutil. 

With the season now drawing to a close, Hulkenberg is hoping that he will be shortly announced as a full time driver with Force India with either Di Resta or Sutil as his team-mate. This latest outburst of his shows just how much the pressure of going a season without a full time drive has got to him and he seems adamant that if no full time drive comes his way then he’ll leave F1 altogether and try another form of motors sport, maybe IndyCar or DTM. Either way, Hulkenberg’s mounting frustration will be relieved soon one way or another. However Vijay Mallya (Team Principal) has a hard task ahead of him as both Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil are high-class drivers, however it seems only one will stay into the 2012 season.