Apr.14 (GMM) Haas has rejected a sensational rumour suggesting Fernando Alonso might move to the American team for 2019. The news was first reported by Diario Gol, saying that Haas had been in touch with the McLaren-driving Spaniard as a potential replacement for Romain Grosjean — who may move to Ferrari. “Alonso to Haas? That’s […]
Month: April 2018
F1 could scrap fuel limit for 2019
Apr.14 (GMM) F1 may be on the cusp of ending the era of ‘fuel saving’. In the hybrid era, the sport has got used to drivers using the ‘lift and coast’ tactic to get their limited fuel load to the chequered flag. But Auto Motor und Sport reports that, at the forthcoming strategy group meeting […]
Ricciardo criticises Bottas after Bahrain
Apr.13 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo may be staking a claim on the seat alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for 2019. The Australian is on the market and not yet committing to a new Red Bull deal. So it’s notable that he was among those who criticised Hamilton’s current teammate Valtteri Bottas for not mounting a tougher […]
Lauda denies Ecclestone plotting F1 ‘breakaway’
Apr.13 (GMM) F1 legend Niki Lauda has played down speculation Bernie Ecclestone might be plotting to front a ‘breakaway’ world championship. Although ousted as F1 supremo by Liberty Media, 87-year-old Ecclestone was in Bahrain a week ago — and notably he wore a white shirt bearing the now-defunct old F1 logo. Ecclestone has been highly […]
Marko right about Renault needing to improve – Sainz
Apr.13 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has admitted the works Renault team needs to improve. The French outfit went into the winter season looking the most likely to trail immediately behind the top three teams. However, Haas and even Sainz’s former team Toro Rosso have looked faster. It has moved Dr Helmut Marko to note that some […]
Alonso denies wanting Ferrari, Mercedes switch
Apr.13 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has played down suggestions McLaren is still not out of crisis even after dumping Honda. After blaming its woeful performance between 2015 and 2017 on the now departed Honda, McLaren now is behind newly Honda-powered Toro Rosso and still notably slow on the straights. And Alonso’s management supremo, Flavio Briatore, said […]
Raikkonen hits back at praise about physical condition
Apr.13 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen has dismissed team boss Maurizio Arrivabene’s statement that the Finnish driver is in better physical shape in 2018. Some have observed that the 2007 world champion appears slimmer and fitter this year, coinciding with his better performance at the wheel of his Ferrari. “I’m pretty pleased with Kimi’s performance,” team boss […]
Hamilton says sorry after Verstappen insult
Apr.13 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton moved to end the tension with Max Verstappen ahead of the Chinese grand prix. Days ago in Bahrain, the Mercedes driver called his Dutch rival a “d******d” following their clash. So during an autograph session in Shanghai on Thursday, Hamilton was seen extending a handshake to the Red Bull driver. “I […]
Wolff names Sainz as Mercedes candidate
Apr.12 (GMM) Toto Wolff has named more candidates as speculation about the Mercedes driver lineup of the future ramps up. Currently, both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas’ contracts expire at the end of the season. Mercedes wants Hamilton to stay, but the British driver appears to be playing hardball with conditions including contract length and […]
No extra Friday sessions for Kubica – Lowe
Apr.12 (GMM) Paddy Lowe has admitted Williams’ young driver lineup is a challenge amid the team’s big current problems. The once-great British team’s technical boss said even Williams engineers were caught by surprise by the extent of the 2018 car’s issues early this year. “Everyone in the field has their problems, but we have bigger […]
Vettel in China with fresh confidence and haircut
Apr.12 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has arrived in China with more confidence about winning the 2018 world championship. While Mercedes may still have the ultimate edge in terms of pace, the Ferrari driver has won both races so far. Lewis Hamilton admits he is worried. “There are good things to come but I am 17 points […]
Hakkinen backs pitstop incident investigation
Apr.12 (GMM) Mika Hakkinen has backed the investigation into the sort of pitstop incidents seen so far in 2018. In Australia, both Haas cars were released from the pits with loose wheels, and in Bahrain a Ferrari mechanic’s leg was badly broken in a sickening incident. Hakkinen, the 1998 and 1999 world champion, said the […]
Axing Honda was McLaren mistake – Marko
Apr.12 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says McLaren’s 2018 car is obviously “not great”. The British team went into Bahrain targeting the top three teams, but was ultimately outpaced even by the newly Honda-powered Red Bull junior team Toro Rosso. “Mr Alonso wanted to attack Red Bull but he was behind the Toro Rosso,” Marko is […]
Williams car ‘slowest’ in 2018 – Stroll
Apr.11 (GMM) Mika Salo has backed Williams to significantly improve its car. It has been a nightmare start to the 2018 season for the once-great British team. First, critics blasted Williams’ decision to pair young pay-drivers Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin, and then it emerged that the new car is among the very slowest on […]
‘Difficult’ diet gave Ericsson 2018 boost
Apr.11 (GMM) Marcus Ericsson says losing weight over the winter helped him end his F1 points drought. Bahrain was the Swede’s 78th grand prix, but it also almost marked the 50th race in a row in which Ericsson failed to score points. Told by Blick newspaper that he had ended the nightmare run just in […]
Honda admits F1 a ‘different story’ after McLaren
Apr.11 (GMM) Honda says it has started a “different story” in formula one. After three woeful seasons together, McLaren dumped Honda at the end of 2017. The Japanese manufacturer went off to Toro Rosso, which could have been the start of a deeper collaboration with Red Bull Racing for 2019 and beyond. And in Bahrain […]
Gasly admits Bahrain could help F1 career
Apr.10 (GMM) Pierre Gasly has admitted his weekend in Bahrain will not have hurt his quest for a top seat in formula one. Toro Rosso’s rookie Frenchman stunned the F1 world by qualifying sixth and finishing fourth — Honda’s best result since its return to the sport over three years ago. And Gasly, 22, had […]
Russia pressing ahead with ‘grid girls’ plan
Apr.10 (GMM) The promoter of the Russian grand prix says he is determined to find a way around F1’s new ‘grid girl’ ban. Monaco has already announced that, notwithstanding Liberty Media’s ban, “beautiful women” will be on the grid next month — albeit not to hold the driver boards. And a similar approach is being […]
Ferrari can win 2018 title – Briatore
Apr.10 (GMM) Ferrari really can win the 2018 world championship. That is the view of former Renault boss Flavio Briatore, after Sebastian Vettel won the opening two races of the season in Australia and Bahrain. “This Ferrari is better than the last,” he told Italian Rai radio. “I would say that it is on par […]
Hulkenberg questions Verstappen crash explanation
Apr.10 (GMM) Heads are still being scratched, several days after Max Verstappen explained away his qualifying crash in Bahrain. The Dutchman says his Red Bull-Renault package suddenly delivered him an extra 150hp from the engine, throwing him into a barrier. But another Renault-powered driver says that story makes little sense. “First I’d like to ask […]