Rob Veenstra

Rob founded GPToday together with Danny. He started as an intern at the end of 2004, after which he became the first journalist to be hired and wrote articles and various interesting columns for many years. He was regularly the daily hub of the news, but also provided live coverage of the test sessions.

News

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Arrivabene plays down Ferrari driver rumours
Maurizio Arrivabene said it is premature for Ferrari to be embroiled in the 2017 driver 'silly season'. Italy's Corriere della Sera this week has suggested talks bet...

18 May 2016 11:30
- 1
Proud Jos stayed with Max after his incredible win
Jos Verstappen is still in Barcelona, even though his original plan was to fly out of the sprawling city immediately after the Spanish grand prix. But that was before his 18-yea...

18 May 2016 10:55
- 1
Wehrlein replaces Ocon at Mercedes in Barcelona test
Manor driver Pascal Wehrlein got back to work at the Barcelona test on Wednesday. But the German was no longer driving a Manor! Still with his Manor-branded helmet, the young Ge...

18 May 2016 10:32
- 4
Renault considers upgrading engine for Monaco
Renault is considering bringing forward the scheduled debut of its upgraded Montreal-spec engine to the Monaco race next weekend. Although Renault celebrated quietly, because th...

18 May 2016 10:14
- 1
Follow LIVE the second day of in-season testing

18 May 2016 08:38
Barcelona day 1: Vettel keeps Rosberg just behind
Sebastian Vettel has set the fastest time on the first of two days of testing in Barcelona. The Ferrari driver did a 1:23.220 on the soft compound, enough to keep Nico Rosberg b...

17 May 2016 18:01
- 0
Toto Wolff denies taking over Ecclestone's job
Toto Wolff has now joined Niki Lauda in distancing himself from speculation regarding Bernie Ecclestone's possible demise as F1 supremo. In Barcelona, following a meeting of...

17 May 2016 14:34
- 1
Tyre choices for the Grand Prix of Monaco 2016
The FIA has communicated to Pirelli each team's tyre choices for the forthcoming Monte Carlo Grand Prix. Coureur Setjes zacht Setjes superzac...

17 May 2016 14:15
- 0
Capelli: "Daniil Kvyat is facing the F1 abyss"
Daniil Kvyat is facing the looming end of his F1 career. That is the view of Ivan Capelli, a former F1 driver who recently stepped down as a leading official involved with the I...

17 May 2016 13:56
- 0
Testupdate: Jenson Button leads in Barcelona
McLaren driver Jenson Button holds the fastest time on the first day of testing in Barcelona this week. The 2009 world champion used the supersoft tyres for a 1:23.753. Sebastia...

17 May 2016 13:01
- 1
Honda 'between Mercedes and Ferrari' with power
Honda is "clearly" making progress with its F1 engine, McLaren team boss Eric Boullier insists. The first year of the Anglo-Japanese collaboration in 2015 was disastro...

17 May 2016 12:47
- 5
Wolff: "Alonso an option if Rosberg doesn't renew"
Toto Wolff says it is a "priority" to negotiate a new deal with championship leader Nico Rosberg. The German, whose seven-race winning streak ended in Barcelona, is re...

17 May 2016 12:05
- 5
Press celebrates 'driver of the century' Verstappen

Even the Ferrari-transfixed Italian media agrees that a true F1 star was born at arch-rival Red Bull last weekend. "Everyone is celebrating a new star, even Ferrari," ...

17 May 2016 11:55
- 0
Mercedes says 'no punishment' after driver crash
Sebastian Vettel has cooled down after raging at former teammate Daniel Ricciardo in the Spanish grand prix. In a radio rant during the Barcelona race, the German had wondered i...

17 May 2016 11:09
- 0
Follow LIVE the first day of in-season testing

17 May 2016 09:09
Chat about the Spanish Grand Prix 2016
Barcelona will host the fifth round of this year's Formula 1 world championship, the Grand Prix of Spain. Here we will open the chatbox so you can discuss all the events and...

15 May 2016 09:35
Fantasy F1 Gran Premio de Espana: Turn 2.50 euro into 2,500 Euro!
The formula 1 field settles in Spain this weekend where the fifth Grand Prix of 2016 will be held. In Russia we saw Nico Rosberg beating Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen. We al...

14 May 2016 07:00
- 0
Vettel: "Great to see that Marchionne cares"
Sebastian Vettel says the pressure put on Ferrari by its president Sergio Marchionne is positive. This week, with the Maranello marque having failed to win one of the four races...

13 May 2016 16:49
- 3
Verstappen promotion boosts Spa ticket sales
The promoter of the Belgian grand prix has played down reports the Spa-Francorchamps race has lost its naming sponsor. Oil giant Shell announced this week that it is pulling its...

13 May 2016 16:16
- 3
Wehrlein hasn't received an offer from Haas for 2017
Pascal Wehrlein has played down an early 'silly season' rumour about a potential switch to Haas for 2017. The German-language motorsport-magazin.com noticed in Barcelona...

13 May 2016 15:51
- 0
FP2: Rosberg on top as Renault suffers puncture
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg has set the fastest time on the first day of the Spanish Grand Prix. The German did a 1:23.922 on the soft tyre. Kimi Raikkonen was his closest riva...

13 May 2016 15:32
- 0
Dennis says no Honda customers before on-track succes
Ron Dennis has indicated he will not give the green light for Honda to begin supplying engines to customer teams. A new rule means engine manufacturers in F1 must be prepared to...

13 May 2016 14:40
- 3
Nasr: "On the aerodynamic side, we have nothing"
Sauber's only update for the Spanish grand prix is a new Ferrari engine specification. That is the news of Brazilian driver Felipe Nasr, amid the Swiss team's obvious fi...

13 May 2016 13:53
- 1
Palmer not worried about Renault axe rumours
Jolyon Palmer on Thursday said he is not worried about rumours Renault might oust him before the end of the 2016 season. The French marque's new works team is actively promo...

13 May 2016 13:17
- 1
Massa: "There's no need for visor tear-off ban"
Felipe Massa says he does not support the FIA's forthcoming ban on discarding helmet visor tear-offs on the track. Actually, the ban was originally intended for the start of...

13 May 2016 12:48
- 1
'Hearsay' replaces medical bulletins about Schu
A lack of information about Michael Schumacher's condition means "hearsay" is instead being reported by the media about the F1 legend. That was the view of a Brazi...

13 May 2016 12:09
- 1
FP1: Ferrari takes charge on soft tyres in Spain
Ferrari has claimed the first two positions in the first free practice for the Grand Prix of Spain. Sebastian Vettel was the only one to go under 1:24 and led team mate Kimi Rai...

13 May 2016 11:32
- 1
Hulkenberg upbeat about Force India upgrade
Nico Hulkenberg on Thursday sounded upbeat about a major upgrade package introduced by Force India for the Spanish grand prix. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said the Silver...

13 May 2016 10:58
- 0
Kvyat: "Confusing decision but I have to accept it"
Daniil Kvyat was stoical but admittedly unhappy on Thursday as the world's media pressed him about being dropped by Red Bull. "First of all, I think the word 'dropp...

13 May 2016 10:22
- 1
Williams welcomes Global Finanz as new partner
Williams Martini Racing is pleased to announce a new partnership agreement with financial services company Global Finanz Organisation AG. The partnership will see the Financial....

13 May 2016 09:51
- 0
'Red Bull teams using trick to reduce tyre pressures'
Rumours some teams have found a loophole around Pirelli's minimum tyre pressure rules are doing the rounds in the Barcelona paddock. Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Micha...

13 May 2016 08:15
- 6
Monaco tear-off ban surprises Romain Grosjean
Romain Grosjean was surprised on Thursday amid reports the FIA would ban the discarding of helmet tear-offs on track from Monaco. "It's funny," the Haas driver is ...

12 May 2016 16:52
- 2
De Silvestro: "Making it to F1 depends on money"
The woman who arguably got closest to a race seat in recent years says physical ability is not the reason there are no female drivers in F1. Although Susie Wolff actually partic...

12 May 2016 16:19
- 3
Petrov: "Kvyat still has a great future in Formula 1"
Vitaly Petrov, who was Russia's first F1 racer, says his countryman Daniil Kvyat's career in the category is still on track. On the face of it, 22-year-old Kvyat has act...

12 May 2016 15:47
- 1
Sainz not dissapointed over Verstappen promotion
Carlos Sainz says he is looking on the bright side of his Toro Rosso teammate Max Verstappen's promotion to the senior Red Bull team. With Daniil Kvyat returning to the juni...

12 May 2016 15:04
- 3
'Sources' play down Schumacher health rumours
"Official sources" have played down alarming reports about the health condition of F1 legend Michael Schumacher. A US source called 'Newseveryday', whose repor...

12 May 2016 14:39
- 3
Ferrari needs 'big step' to beat Mercedes in Spain
Carlos Sainz says it would be a "surprise" if Ferrari breaks through for its first win of the season this weekend in Barcelona. Amid rumours of more looming personnel ...

12 May 2016 13:55
- 1
Petrov: "Russia to have a F1 team eventually"
Former F1 driver Vitaly Petrov thinks plans for a Russian team are on track. Petrov, who raced for Renault and Caterham, now drives in Le Mans sports cars with SMP Racing, the m...

12 May 2016 13:20
- 0
'London GP will not happen in foreseeable future'
A respected F1 correspondent has slammed as "nonsense" suggestions the sport is only a small step from a London street race. The story lit up global headlines this wee...

12 May 2016 12:47
- 3
Massa: "F1 used to be tougher, but it's not too easy"
Felipe Massa has hit out once again at the suggestion that driving formula one cars in the modern era has become too easy. The Brazilian veteran has raced across F1's V10, V...

12 May 2016 12:13
- 0
Mercedes unhappy about Russia GP TV coverage
Toto Wolff has vowed to raise with Bernie Ecclestone the issue of Mercedes' underrepresentation on television, despite its ongoing dominance of F1. The German marque's F...

12 May 2016 11:52
- 4
Petrov: "Renault will improve car for next year"
Renault should be back on track with a much more competitive car next year, according to former driver Vitaly Petrov. The Russian, who made his F1 debut in a yellow car built by...

12 May 2016 11:25
- 0
Heineken to enter F1 with major sponsorship deal
Dutch beer brewer Heineken is reportedly entering formula one with a major sponsorship deal. A month ago, F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart announced that, "Very soon, a "l...

12 May 2016 11:04
- 3
Video: Lap around Barcelona onboard with Dillmann
The Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya hosts the Grand Prix of Spain this weekend. As a preview a video of a lap onboard with Formula V8 3.5 driver Tom Dillmann around that track. ...

12 May 2016 09:38
- 0
'Ferrari should think about changing few people'
Former F1 driver Gabriele Tarquini has backed suggestions Ferrari might now be on the cusp of making some more high-profile personnel changes. Italy's Autosprint claims this...

11 May 2016 15:20
- 5
Manor hoping to move past Sauber with updates
Manor is hoping to leave struggling Sauber at the very back of the grid from this weekend's Spanish grand prix. Barcelona, traditionally the first European race of the seaso...

11 May 2016 14:49
- 1
Raikkonen runs best organised motocross team
Watching over his own motocross team at the weekend, Kimi Raikkonen had a typical answer when asked for an interview. "No," the German newspaper Mitteldeutsche Zeitung...

11 May 2016 14:07
- 0
UK declines request for Mallya to be deported
The UK government has turned down India's request for Vijay Mallya to be deported. Former billionaire Mallya has been absent from the F1 paddocks this year over his highly-p...

11 May 2016 13:36
- 3
Baldisserri: "Ferrari has tendency to focus on the present"
Luca Baldisserri, a former key manager and engineer at Ferrari, says the Maranello team should work on adapting better to rule changes. 53-year-old Baldisserri was a key member ...

11 May 2016 12:46
- 0
Honda undecided over when to spend engine tokens
Honda says it has not decided when to deploy its tally of performance 'tokens' in 2016. Barcelona, the first European race of the season, is traditionally the scene of b...

11 May 2016 12:09
- 2
Verstappen move to Red Bull 'good news' for F1
F1 veteran David Coulthard has backed Red Bull's controversial decision to oust Daniil Kvyat and replace him immediately with Max Verstappen. The Scot, a former Red Bull dri...

11 May 2016 11:57
- 0
Ricciardo expects Red Bull-Renault to stick together
Daniel Ricciardo thinks it is "likely" Red Bull and Renault will stick together beyond this season. The parties ended their semi-works partnership amid acrimony last y...

11 May 2016 11:10
- 1
Vettel: "Too early to say title race is over"
Sebastian Vettel insists the race for the 2016 world championship is still wide open. After Nico Rosberg's four consecutive wins so far, some insiders are saying the Mercede...

11 May 2016 10:32
- 3
F1 pitstop techniques to help in resuscitation of babies
Williams has been assisting the neonatal unit at the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff by bringing Formula One pitstop know-how to help in the resuscitation of newbo...

10 May 2016 16:02
- 3
Don't blame us if races in 2017 are 'boring' - Pirelli
Paul Hembery said Pirelli will not be to blame if F1 races become more boring next season. In a difficult political climate at present, F1 legend Niki Lauda said the new chassis...

10 May 2016 15:36
- 0
Allison could replace Arrivabene as Ferrari boss
Wild speculation in Italy suggests Ferrari could be set for yet another change at the top of the fabled Maranello team. After the ultra-successful Jean Todt era, Ferrari has rac...

10 May 2016 15:01
- 6
Max Verstappen will miss ousted engineer Pujolar
Max Verstappen has admitted he will miss working with his ousted Toro Rosso engineer Xevi Pujolar. Not only is the experienced Pujolar not accompanying the young Dutchman to Red...

10 May 2016 12:14
- 2
Mistake to think replacing Ecclestone is easy - Lauda
Niki Lauda has played down mounting speculation he is in pole position to succeed Bernie Ecclestone. It is claimed that Ferrari's Sergio Marchionne, backed by Mercedes chief...

10 May 2016 11:40
- 0
Juncadella: "Most drivers in F1 struggling to survive"
Two former F1 drivers insist they do not miss the pinnacle of motor racing. In 2013 and 2014, Dani Juncadella tested for the Williams and Force India teams, but now the 25-year-...

10 May 2016 10:51
- 4
Vettel expresses sympathy for demoted Kvyat
Sebastian Vettel has expressed some sympathy for the plight of Daniil Kvyat, following the Russian's sudden demotion from Red Bull Racing. 22-year-old Kvyat, who actually re...

10 May 2016 10:29
- 2
Williams has difficulty keeping up with 'big spenders'
Williams chief Pat Symonds admits the British team is no longer F1's third force. In 2014 and again last year, Williams finished the constructors' championship in third ...

10 May 2016 10:03
- 0
Podiums very possible for Max - Van der Garde
The big talking point heading into the Spanish grand prix will be Red Bull's shock jump on the 2017 'silly season'. The energy drink marque has pulled Max Verstappen...

09 May 2016 15:15
- 3
Le Mans wants FIA to avoid F1 race clashes
The organiser of Le Mans is confident next year's edition of the fabled 24 hour sports car race will not clash with formula one. Nico Hulkenberg, who drives full-time for Fo...

09 May 2016 14:47
- 1
Wehrlein hopes to do whole season with Haryanto
Pascal Wehrlein says he always knew his 2016 Manor teammate Pascal Wehrlein was a good driver. Indeed, amid reports labelling the Indonesian government-backed Haryanto as merely...

09 May 2016 14:00
- 0
Red Bull allows Max the time to adjust - Jos
Despite Mercedes and Ferrari's obvious interest, Jos Verstappen says his son Max has pledged his "long term" future to Red Bull. The Verstappen and Red Bull camps ...

09 May 2016 13:23
- 8
Pirelli might call upon Kubica for tyre testing
A respected F1 correspondent says Robert Kubica could get involved in Pirelli's preparations for the new tyre rules for 2017. The sport's official supplier has already s...

09 May 2016 12:51
- 0
Toro Rosso could be first Honda customer team
Toro Rosso could become the first customer of Honda's engines in F1. That is the claim of the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat, who said rumours of the Red Bull-owned team...

09 May 2016 12:16
- 4
Alarming news reports about Schumacher health
International publications are repeating alarming news about the health of F1 legend Michael Schumacher. Spain's Diario Sport, Italy's Corriere dello Sport and La Dernie...

09 May 2016 11:38
- 3
Ex HRT F1 chief executive in tax fraud probe
The former chief executive of a F1 team is accused of income tax fraud, according to reports in Spain. In 2011, the F1 team HRT or Hispania was sold to a Spanish firm called The...

09 May 2016 11:13
- 0
Sainz eyes Verstappen-like rise to Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen's mid-season promotion to Red Bull Racing is not necessarily a blow to his now former Toro Rosso teammate Carlos Sainz. That is the view of the Spaniard himse...

09 May 2016 10:43
- 0
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