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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Red Bull releases Vettel after test in Abu Dhabi
Sebastian Vettel will not be able to make his test debut for Ferrari in the days immediately after next month's Abu Dhabi grand prix finale. Italy's Omnicorse claims that, even ...

15 Oct 2014 11:47
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Mercedes working on new car for two months already
Mercedes is already hard at work on the championship-winning 2014 car's successor. "The departments have already changed over," said team boss Toto Wolff, after the Brackley ...

15 Oct 2014 11:02
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Marussia angered and shocked by false allegations
Marussia has issued out this statement: "During the course of Tuesday 14 October, a number of media reports emerged suggesting: 1) that Jules Bianchi did not slow down under t...

15 Oct 2014 10:25
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Ferrari agrees to give Raikkonen new chassis for Austin
Kimi Raikkonen will race a new chassis in Austin and beyond, the Italian publication Omnicorse reports. After finishing ninth in Russia, the Finn was quoted in Ferrari's post-ra...

15 Oct 2014 10:24
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Mercedes celebrates constuctors title in both factories
The past two days have seen celebrations at Brackley and Brixworth as the team commemorated the first ever FIA Formula 1 World Constructors Championship title for Mercedes-Benz ...

15 Oct 2014 09:32
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Bianchi's condition remains critical and challenging
A new official statement on the condition of Jules Bianchi: "At the request of the family of Jules Bianchi, and in conjunction with the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi, ...

15 Oct 2014 08:41
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Ocon will test two-year old Lotus E20 at Valencia
Lotus F1 Team Junior driver Esteban Ocon will test a two-year old Lotus F1 Team E20 as part of his ongoing development programme and as a reward for winning the FIA Formula 3 Ch...

14 Oct 2014 14:42
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'Marussia urged Bianchi to push hard before crash'
Marussia has been thrown into the spotlight as more information reportedly emerges about Jules Bianchi's tragic Suzuka crash. Germany's Sport Bild claims an FIA transmission rec...

14 Oct 2014 14:00
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Button worried about teammate Magnussen's future
Jenson Button says he is concerned about the future of his rookie teammate Kevin Magnussen, as McLaren continues to delay its decision about 2015. Seemingly waiting for the nego...

14 Oct 2014 13:28
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Hamilton a driver who is 'a bit different' - Lauda
According to the Kolner Express tabloid, F1 legend Niki Lauda raised an eyebrow in Russia when he spotted Lewis Hamilton's latest accessory -- an enormous gold chain. The champi...

14 Oct 2014 12:47
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Lotus loss not a big concern for Renault - Abiteboul
Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul insists engine customer Lotus' impending switch to Mercedes for 2015 is no great loss for the French marque. Struggling Lotus' long-rumoured move to...

14 Oct 2014 12:07
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Vettel frustrated by long-life engine rules in F1
World champion Sebastian Vettel has slammed F1's long-life engine rules. Already destined to hand over his FIA drivers' crown to a Mercedes driver at the end of the season, Vett...

14 Oct 2014 11:40
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Mercedes to reward staff members with tasty bonus
All 700 staff members at Mercedes' Brackley headquarters will bank a tasty bonus as a reward for securing the constructors' world championship in Russia, British newspapers repo...

14 Oct 2014 10:51
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Mateschitz hints Vergne to stay at Scuderia Toro Rosso
It is more and more certain that Jean-Eric Vergne will secure at least one more year with Toro Rosso. Earlier, the 24-year-old Frenchman had been left out in the cold by the Red...

14 Oct 2014 09:35
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GoPro shares plummet after Schumacher injury link
A French journalist has played down reports he said a helmet-mounted 'GoPro' camera was to blame for F1 legend Michael Schumacher's brain damage. A few days ago, Jean-Louis Monc...

14 Oct 2014 08:26
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Vettel to start from pitlane in Austin with sixth engine
World champion Sebastian Vettel, already out of contention for a fifth consecutive title in 2014, is facing the prospect of a tough US grand prix early next month. The Red Bull ...

13 Oct 2014 12:11
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Marussia set to revert to two-car operation in Austin
Marussia looks set to revert to a two-car operation in the wake of the Russian grand prix. After Sunday at Sochi, where Max Chilton went it alone while the seriously injured Jul...

13 Oct 2014 11:56
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Wolff admits champion Mercedes pays a price for success
Despite having the constructors' title already in the bag, Toto Wolff has admitted Mercedes is playing the role of "the bad guy" in F1 at present. That is because, amid the stru...

13 Oct 2014 11:08
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Red Bull decides against team orders and concedes title
Red Bull has decided against boosting Daniel Ricciardo's slim championship hopes by making departing Sebastian Vettel the team 'number 2'. After a difficult weekend in Russia, A...

13 Oct 2014 10:16
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Massa slams Pirelli's conservative tyre choice for Brazil
Felipe Massa has criticised Pirelli's tyre choice selection for the forthcoming Brazilian grand prix, saying it may even be "dangerous". Last year's dominant topic, when drivers...

13 Oct 2014 09:52
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Ferrari split 'just a rumour' so far - Alonso
Fernando Alonso is still the leading man of the intriguing 2014 'silly season'. Apparently on the way out at Ferrari, the Spaniard is said to have been caught off guard by Red B...

13 Oct 2014 08:40
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FIA set to reveal outcome of Bianchi crash investigation
The atmosphere in the Sochi paddock is grim, with many drivers visibly upset and even angry in the wake of the circumstances surrounding Jules Bianchi's crash. "There are change...

10 Oct 2014 12:54
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Kobayashi, Merhi in the dark over Caterham future
Roberto Merhi and Kamui Kobayashi remain in the dark about how struggling Caterham will tackle the remaining trio of grands prix in 2014. Spanish rookie Merhi had been tipped fo...

10 Oct 2014 12:11
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Hamilton feels 'pretty relaxed' about speculation
F1's top three drivers are all now caught up in the most intriguing 'silly season' for some time. As the Suzuka paddock was packed up mere days ago, it seemed almost certain tha...

10 Oct 2014 10:56
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Father says 'no significant changes' in Bianchi's condition
Five days after Jules Bianchi's life-threatening crash at Suzuka, there is "no significant change" in his health condition, father Philippe has revealed. Bianchi's father was sp...

10 Oct 2014 10:06
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Sauber to hold talks with Russian investors at Sochi
Sauber could put its so-called 'Russian rescue deal' back on track this weekend. The struggling Swiss team announced the Russian investments over a year ago, adding that the Rus...

10 Oct 2014 09:35
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Ricciardo trusts departing Vettel to play ball this time
Red Bull is now ready to rethink its approach to team orders for the last handful of races in 2014. As recently as days ago, the reigning champion team had insisted that Daniel ...

10 Oct 2014 08:29
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Marussia to run a single car during Russian Grand Prix
A Marussia statement: "We will run a single car for the duration of the forthcoming Grand Prix weekend in Sochi, out of respect for our driver Jules Bianchi, who remains in hosp...

10 Oct 2014 07:50
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Covered cockpit would not have helped Bianchi - Lowe
Paddy Lowe on Thursday said he doubts a covered cockpit would have helped the now seriously injured Jules Bianchi last Sunday at Suzuka. Since the Frenchman ploughed into a reco...

09 Oct 2014 16:20
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Rossi on standby as Marussia ponders plans for Sochi
Even the fast-paced world of formula one is pausing for thought, mere days after Jules Bianchi crashed at Suzuka. The stricken Frenchman's colleagues are busily adding 'Tous ave...

09 Oct 2014 14:47
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Bianchi crash and politics overshadow build-up to Russian GP
F1 has made the 8,000 kilometre trek from Suzuka to the all-new Sochi Autodrom, but many are not in the mood to celebrate the sport's latest destination. That is not just becaus...

09 Oct 2014 12:15
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F1 trying to withhold video footage 'to protect Bianchi'
Mere days after the Suzuka race, F1 authorities are continuing to withhold official video footage of Jules Bianchi's horror crash. So far, despite widespread reports that the sp...

09 Oct 2014 11:51
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Russia 2014 preview quotes: Sauber
With respect to the injured Jules Bianchi, for this race the Sauber F1 Team will not be sending out its usual preview (with their explanations about the track's characteristics ...

09 Oct 2014 11:12
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Vergne distributes helmet stickers to honour Bianchi
F1 drivers will wear helmet stickers to show their support for injured colleague Jules Bianchi this weekend in Russia. Morgan Caron, an official for the French motor sport feder...

09 Oct 2014 10:02
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Marussia considered sitting out Sochi altogether
Marussia is yet to declare how it will tackle this weekend's Russian grand prix, as its race driver Jules Bianchi lies comatose in Japan. In the few days since the French driver...

09 Oct 2014 09:36
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Kobayashi to race alongside Ericsson for Caterham in Russia
Kamui Kobayashi will drive for Caterham F1 Team at the Russian Grand Prix this weekend alongside Marcus Ericsson. Roberto Merhi will take part in his third official Formula 1 se...

09 Oct 2014 08:24
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Russia 2014 preview quotes: Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton: "It's difficult to know what to say after a weekend like the one in Japan. As I crossed the line, obviously I was pleased to have finally won at Suzuka - but as ...

08 Oct 2014 16:40
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Marchionne will serve as Ferrari president for a few years
Ferrari could be looking for yet another new president in a few years time. Sergio Marchionne, also the Fiat-Chrysler chief, is officially taking over from Ferrari's Luca di Mon...

08 Oct 2014 15:32
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Marussia GP3 withdrawal not linked to Bianchi situation
Marussia says the withdrawal of its GP3 team ahead of this weekend's round in Russia is not connected to Jules Bianchi's fight for life. At the time of writing, it is still not ...

08 Oct 2014 13:17
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Wurz urges drivers to keep quiet after Bianchi crash
Gerard Saillant, the well-known trauma surgeon with close links to Jean Todt and Michael Schumacher, has arrived in Japan to get involved with Jules Bianchi's fight for life. Pr...

08 Oct 2014 12:08
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Still 'a long and hard road' ahead of Schumacher - Todt
Michael Schumacher still has "a long and hard road ahead of him," the F1 legend's friend Jean Todt said this week. On Tuesday, we reported that the FIA president had told the Be...

08 Oct 2014 11:23
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Show goes on but entire F1 world still thinking of Bianchi
The teams and drivers may have leapt 8,000 kilometres from Suzuka to Sochi, but Jules Bianchi remains in the minds of the entire F1 world. As was and is still the case with F1 l...

08 Oct 2014 10:14
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Controversial Putin to attend inaugural Russia GP at Sochi
F1 will court further controversy this weekend when Russian president Vladimir Putin oversees the inaugural grand prix at Sochi. Amid the Ukraine crisis, the MH17 atrocity and t...

08 Oct 2014 09:41
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New statement reveals brain injury for Jules Bianchi
The following statement is provided by the family of Jules Bianchi, in conjunction with the Mie General Medical Center, and is distributed on their behalf by the Marussia F1 Tea...

07 Oct 2014 16:32
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Questions being asked as Bianchi crash video emerges
As Jules Bianchi lies critically ill in a Japanese hospital, grave questions are being asked about the circumstances surrounding his terrifying collision with a recovery vehicle...

07 Oct 2014 10:35
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Todt: "Schumacher can lead a normal life again"
Former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt has visited Michael Schumacher last week. Todt has told during the Japanese Grand Prix to the Belgian RTL he was with his friend at his home i...

07 Oct 2014 09:02
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Di Montezemolo: "Third Ferrari would have been for Bianchi"
Jules Bianchi was on course for a future wearing Ferrari red -- and perhaps as soon as 2015. That is the claim of outgoing Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who told Italia...

07 Oct 2014 08:29
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Russia 2014 preview quotes: Pirelli
Formula One heads into new territory with the brand new Sochi circuit near the Black Sea in Russia: the home of the 2014 Winter Olympic games. This will be the first new circuit...

06 Oct 2014 13:58
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Questions being asked after controversial Bianchi crash
With the extent of Jules Bianchi's injuries still unclear, F1 is already turning its attention to the controversial circumstances surrounding his accident that stopped the wet J...

06 Oct 2014 11:23
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It will take Vettel long to challenge for title with Ferrari - Lauda
It will take Vettel long to challenge for title with Ferrari - Lauda Sebastian Vettel's move to Ferrari may be good for the Italian team, but not so good in the short term fo...

06 Oct 2014 10:11
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Marussia asks for patience regarding Bianchi medical updates
Marussia F1 Team has issued out a statement regarding Jules Bianchi. "Following the accident involving Jules Bianchi during yesterday’s 2014 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix at...

06 Oct 2014 09:42
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'Bianchi relying on a respirator to be able to breathe'
The collective world of formula one had a sleepless night after the Japanese grand prix as it worries about critically injured Jules Bianchi. After the likeable and talented Fre...

06 Oct 2014 08:46
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Ecclestone denied return to F1 executive board
Fresh doubt is being cast over Bernie Ecclestone's F1 reign. News is circulating around the Suzuka paddock on Friday that the sport's 'supremo' has been denied his planned retur...

03 Oct 2014 12:38
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Ferrari on the cusp of announcing Alonso split
Fernando Alonso and Ferrari are on the cusp of announcing the Spaniard's split, despite his contract for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The Spanish publication Cope said the parties...

03 Oct 2014 11:55
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Stevens pays thousands of pounds for Marussia practice runs
A new recruit will reportedly inject much-needed funds at struggling Marussia. The team announced at Suzuka that Briton Will Stevens, currently a Formula Renault 3.5 driver but ...

03 Oct 2014 11:15
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Vettel's chief mechanic Handkammer leaves Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel's chief mechanic has left Red Bull. Already this year, it was announced that the reigning quadruple world champion's well-known race engineer, Guillaume 'Rocky'...

03 Oct 2014 10:22
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Raikkonen counts himself out of silly season turmoil
Kimi Raikkonen has denied the contract talks behind closed doors at Ferrari could also affect his place at the Maranello team. The talk of the Suzuka paddock is Fernando Alonso'...

03 Oct 2014 09:47
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F1 eyes earlier Japan GP to dodge approaching typhoon
An approaching typhoon is threatening to drive the Japanese grand prix off track. Fernando Alonso's future may be the talk of the Suzuka paddock, but every eye is on the ominous...

03 Oct 2014 08:53
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McLaren describes Berger reports as 'utter nonsense'
McLaren has slammed reports Gerhard Berger could be set to join the British team. Earlier, Germany's Auto Bild said supremo Ron Dennis is coming under increasing pressure from t...

02 Oct 2014 16:29
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Ferrari stands by engine 'unfreeze' for constant innovation
Ferrari is continuing to argue for a relaxation of the so-called engine 'freeze'. With Mercedes utterly dominating in the new turbo V6 era, F1's engine makers will get a chance ...

02 Oct 2014 14:47
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Alonso has 'some options on the table' for future
After two weeks of intense speculation, Fernando Alonso on Thursday had to admit his future at Ferrari is currently unclear. "I don't live on Mars," said the Spaniard at Suzuka,...

02 Oct 2014 13:50
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Honda to talk with McLaren at Suzuka about 2015 lineup
McLaren will not be making a driver announcement this weekend at Suzuka. With speculation about his future rife, Spain's Diario AS has claimed Fernando Alonso's situation at Fer...

02 Oct 2014 12:42
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Mercedes says 'no need for peace' between warring drivers
Toto Wolff has admitted tension between Mercedes' title-warring teammates is inevitable over the decisive final five races of 2014. In the last hours, despite their obviously fr...

02 Oct 2014 12:11
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Caterham hits back after bailiffs seize team equipment
The signs are growing stronger that Caterham may not make it to the end of the 2014 season. Already this week, rumours were doing the rounds that unpaid suppliers Pirelli and Re...

02 Oct 2014 11:05
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Video: A lap of Suzuka onboard with Mark Webber
Suzuka hosts the Grand Prix of Japan this weekend. As a preview a video of a lap onboard with Mark Webber around that track. ...

02 Oct 2014 10:30
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'Gerhard Berger candidate to replace Dennis at McLaren'
Ron Dennis' future in charge of the McLaren team is once again in doubt, the German publication Auto Bild reports. Having stepped into the background in recent years, the Woking...

02 Oct 2014 09:42
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Typhoon Phanfone poses a threat for Japanese GP
Mother nature is threatening to interfere with this weekend's running of the Japanese grand prix. Already this week, reports had emerged that ash and smoke from the nearby Ontak...

02 Oct 2014 08:23
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Wolff '99pc sure' of unchanged Mercedes lineup for 2015
Team boss Toto Wolff is not 100 per cent sure Mercedes will head into the 2015 season with an unchanged driver lineup. With Nico Rosberg already under contract into the longer t...

01 Oct 2014 15:24
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Sauber and De Silvestro split due toe financial reasons
Simona de Silvestro's road to formula one appears to have ended. Until now, the 25-year-old female Swiss driver was a Sauber tester, testing one of the Hinwil based team's older...

01 Oct 2014 14:39
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Honda reveals first image of V6 turbo for 2015

Honda has apparently hit back at rumours its 2015 F1 programme is facing delays. Italy's Autosprint reported on Tuesday that, despite making an audacious bid to lure Fernando Al...

01 Oct 2014 13:10
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