Apr.8 (GMM) Max Verstappen has emerged as a shock contender to switch to Mercedes in 2020. Dr Helmut Marko, the driver manager at Red Bull, has admitted to Auto Bild that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff regularly calls Verstappen and his father Jos. “Toto Wolff calls him and his father repeatedly and has done for months,” […]
Month: April 2019
Ferrari fuel ‘smells like grapefruit juice’ – Horner
Apr.8 (GMM) New questions about the legality of Ferrari’s 2019 engine are beginning to be asked. In the winter test season, following a spate of FIA announcements clamping down even harder on the regulations, the general consensus was that the top engines in F1 were now all close in performance. But then came Bahrain, where […]
Cars easy to drive and too heavy – Hulkenberg
Apr.8 (GMM) F1 cars should be harder to drive and lighter, according to Nico Hulkenberg. For 2019, Liberty Media and the FIA introduced tweaks to the aerodynamic regulations designed to make overtaking easier. Kimi Raikkonen, the most experienced driver on the grid, gave the changes a tentative thumbs-up. “We can drive a little closer than […]
‘Q4’ qualifying could favour big teams – Steiner
Apr.8 (GMM) Another F1 team boss has warned the sport to think carefully before changing the qualifying format. Last week, Red Bull’s Christian Horner warned that adding a ‘Q4’ to the current system might be problematic due to a shortage of Pirelli tyres. “At first glance, we don’t have enough tyres for a qualifying format […]
Monza to get government funding boost for F1 race
Apr.8 (GMM) Monza’s hopes of staying on the F1 calendar have received a financial boost. Earlier, the future of the Italian grand prix looked in doubt. But Germany’s SID news agency claims that the Italian right-wing political party Lega brought a bill to parliament in Rome last Friday. The bill called for Monza’s race to […]
Norris swears off alcohol for 2019
Apr.8 (GMM) No alcohol could be one of the secrets of Lando Norris’ early success in 2019. Despite McLaren’s earlier run of poor form, the 19-year-old rookie has had a great start to his F1 career by getting into Q3 in the opening two races and finishing sixth in Bahrain. But Norris told Auto Motor […]
Vettel-Leclerc battle ‘good’ for Ferrari – Binotto
Apr.5 (GMM) Mattia Binotto continues to support struggling Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel. Already heavily criticised for mistakes last year, Vettel returned to old habits in Bahrain when he spun. It was after a full weekend of being outpaced by his young and new teammate Charles Leclerc. “Charles was faster everywhere,” Vettel admitted. The German says […]
Silverstone to ink new F1 deal in May – report
Apr.5 (GMM) Silverstone looks set to secure its place on the F1 calendar. Currently, the future of the British grand prix is in doubt, after organisers terminated a contract that it said was financially untenable. But Auto Motor und Sport claims that the organisers now look set to ink a new deal with Liberty Media […]
Leclerc engine gets all-clear for China
Apr.5 (GMM) The engine that thwarted Charles Leclerc’s push for a sure victory in Bahrain will be back in the red car next weekend. That is the news from Sky Italia, reporting that after an analysis at Maranello, the engine problem has been isolated to a “damaged cylinder injector”. “The engine is safe for China,” […]
Binotto era eases pressure on Ferrari – Gene
Apr.5 (GMM) Mattia Binotto has succeeded in easing the pressure on the shoulders of those at Ferrari. That is the claim from within the fabled Italian team, with long-time tester Marc Gene telling the Dutch publication Formule 1: “You always feel pressure at Ferrari. “But you can feel that pressure less strongly than before.” That […]
No ‘B’ car to fix aero problem – Marko
Apr.5 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has denied that Red Bull needs a ‘B’ car in 2019. The Red Bull official says team designer Adrian Newey was “deep in thought” after the extent of the 2019 car’s aerodynamic issues became clear in Bahrain. “That means he has recognised the problem,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. […]
Alonso not thinking about 2020 until July
Apr.5 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he will not think about his plans for 2020 until July. Having quit F1, the two-time champion is currently preparing for the Indy 500 and Le Mans. But he tested for McLaren in Bahrain last week and is not ruling out a 2020 return to F1 if he has a […]
Former Ferrari boss plays down Schumacher hype
Apr.5 (GMM) A former Ferrari team boss has dismissed the hype surrounding Mick Schumacher. The top member of Ferrari’s development academy, Formula 2 driver Schumacher tested both the Ferrari and the Alfa Romeo last week in Bahrain to great fanfare. But Cesare Fiorio, who ran Ferrari in the late 80s and early 90s, is not […]
Williams admits ‘guilt’ in key team change
Apr.4 (GMM) Claire Williams has admitted she was responsible for a change in Williams’ team structure that resulted in the once-great outfit’s 2019 crisis. She said that during Williams’ “four good seasons”, including third place finishes in the constructors’ championship in 2014 and 2015, she made the change. “In order to preserve our results and […]
Ferrari engine has ‘over 1000hp’ – Schumacher
Apr.4 (GMM) Mick Schumacher may have let the cat out of the bag about the power of Ferrari’s 2019 engine. After a stuttering start in Australia, Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko observed in Bahrain that the new Ferrari power unit for this year “goes like hell”. Schumacher, the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, got […]
Schumacher did ‘good job’ in F1 tests – Vettel
Apr.4 (GMM) Mick Schumacher did “a good job” when he tested for Ferrari in Bahrain this week. That is the view of Sebastian Vettel, even if some mischievous members of the Italian media are saying the four-time world champion could be replaced by the younger German. La Gazzetta dello Sport said the sight of a […]
Verstappen not desperate to be youngest champion
Apr.4 (GMM) Max Verstappen says it will not be the end of the world if he fails to become F1’s youngest ever champion. Red Bull has made it a goal for the 21-year-old Dutchman to beat Sebastian Vettel’s existing record. Vettel was 23 when he won his first of four titles in 2010. However, it […]
Tiktum not sure if next F1 chance will come
Apr.4 (GMM) Dan Tiktum says he isn’t sure if and when he will get the next opportunity to drive a F1 car. Strongly linked to the 2019 Toro Rosso seat for this year, the 19-year-old Briton ultimately ran afoul of the F1 super license rules and this year is instead racing in Japanese Super Formula. […]
Ricciardo admits struggling with Renault
Apr.3 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he is struggling to get up to speed at Renault. The Australian left Red Bull to lead the works French team from the cockpit in 2019, but so far he is not standing out next to Nico Hulkenberg. “The car is showing signs of speed, but personally I am […]
F1 return only with title-winning team – Alonso
Apr.3 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has repeated his claim that he is not planning to return to formula one. However, since the Spaniard quit the sport last November, he has also not ruled out a comeback. In Bahrain, after just a four month break from the F1 cockpit, Alonso was back at the wheel of a […]