Sep.30 (GMM) Robert Kubica says Sochi was the worst race weekend of his entire career in motor racing. Days after the Pole announced he is leaving Williams at the end of the season, his father Artur told a Polish newspaper that the team’s “financial situation is bad”. “Williams is definitely looking for money to survive.” […]
Month: September 2019
Rotenberg not ruling out Russian F1 team
Sep.30 (GMM) Russian billionaire Boris Rotenberg has admitted he could set up a Formula 1 team. At Sochi, Russia’s visiting trade and industry minister Denis Manturov told Ria Novosti news agency: “I think a Russian team will appear. It is not far off.” The man closest to making that happen is Rotenberg, whose SMP Racing […]
Verstappen not promising Honda ‘magic’ at Suzuka
Sep.30 (GMM) Max Verstappen is not promising a great result for Honda’s forthcoming home race at Suzuka. Red Bull and Toro Rosso’s Japanese engine supplier opted to use the Sochi round to fit new engines, resulting in grid penalties including one for Max Verstappen. But after the Russian GP, Verstappen admitted that fourth place was […]
Wolff denies McLaren to be new Mercedes works team
Sep.30 (GMM) Toto Wolff has played down suggestions that Mercedes could quit Formula 1 after 2020. When McLaren’s new long-term Mercedes engine deal from 2021 was announced at Sochi, many suspected it could be a hint about Mercedes’ future with its own works team. Prior to the formation of its own works team, Mercedes’ works […]
F1 could revisit helmet livery change rule
Sep.30 (GMM) F1’s governing body may revisit the rule banning drivers from using different helmet liveries. There was controversy at Sochi when local driver Daniil Kvyat was prevented from wearing a special helmet for his home Russian GP. The ban fell after the FIA told Toro Rosso that Kvyat had already used his allowed ‘one […]
Mercedes to bring car upgrade to Suzuka
Sep.30 (GMM) Toto Wolff says Mercedes is preparing an upgrade for the 2019 car. Although the German team finished one-two at Sochi, it is Ferrari with arguably the fastest car now after a big upgrade in Singapore. Lewis Hamilton is poised to win the world championship, but he has called on Mercedes to keep updating […]
Vettel ‘has no future at Ferrari’ – Marko
Sep.30 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has “no future at Ferrari”, according to his former boss Dr Helmut Marko. Despite having arguably the fastest car at present, Ferrari is now embroiled in a new team orders scandal after repeatedly asking Vettel to let Charles Leclerc past him at Sochi. Leclerc, who started on pole, says he had […]
McLaren turned down ‘strategic partnership’ with Renault
Sep.29 (GMM) McLaren split with engine supplier Renault over a disagreement about Formula 1 strategy, according to Cyril Abiteboul. “It was apparent that Renault and McLaren have different ambitions for the future,” he said. The Renault team boss was speaking after it was announced at Sochi that McLaren will switch to customer Mercedes power in […]
Mick Schumacher not ruling out F1 for 2020
Sep.29 (GMM) Mick Schumacher is not ruling out making the leap into Formula 1 as soon as 2020. Many, including F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn, think Michael Schumacher’s 20-year-old son needs another season in Formula 2. Gerhard Berger disagrees. “As soon as Mick gets the chance to go to Formula 1, he has to use […]
Albon denies feeling Red Bull pressure
Sep.29 (GMM) Alex Albon has denied feeling the pressure to be competitive at Red Bull. Having taken over from struggling Pierre Gasly after the summer break, the British-born Thai driver has had a particularly bad weekend at Sochi. He crashed in qualifying and has admitted that he is not comfortable with the handling of the […]
F1 consults drivers over qualifying changes
Sep.29 (GMM) Liberty Media has met with Formula 1 drivers at Sochi to explain forthcoming changes to the qualifying format. Several drivers have expressed strongly misgivings about making key changes to the sport without involving those who actually race the cars. Liberty has revealed that it will experiment at two or three grands prix next […]
Liberty’s biggest F1 change ‘social media’ – Ecclestone
Sep.29 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone thinks the biggest change made by Liberty Media since he was removed as F1 supremo is the sport’s social media strategy. “They haven’t made any great changes,” the 88-year-old said at Sochi. “There are things that I wouldn’t have done, but I don’t want to criticise. A lot is new for […]
Marko confirms Toro Rosso name change request
Sep.29 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has confirmed reports that team owner Red Bull wants a new name for Toro Rosso. The Faenza based outfit has lodged a request with Liberty Media, the FIA and the other to be called Alpha Tauri in future. Alpha Tauri is Red Bull’s fashion brand, with the name paying tribute […]
Hamilton plays down Ferrari switch chances
Sep.29 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has played down the possibility of a future switch to Ferrari. The five time world champion looks poised to win yet another title with Mercedes this year, but has always left open the possibility of a move to Ferrari. “For many drivers, Ferrari is the last dream of their career,” Hamilton […]
New F2 champion not writing off F1 career
Sep.29 (GMM) New Formula 2 champion Nyck de Vries is not writing off his chances of racing in F1. The 24-year-old Dutchman wrapped up his F2 crown at Sochi, having raced in the category since 2017. But he is not stepping up to Formula 1 next year. Instead, Mercedes has signed him up for the […]
Ferrari form ‘serious situation’ for Mercedes – Hamilton
Sep.29 (GMM) Ferrari may have caught up with Mercedes already, but the Italian team is still looking ahead to 2020. At Sochi, Charles Leclerc put his Ferrari on pole for the fourth time in a row – the first such achievement for the Maranello team since Michael Schumacher in 2001. “I really don’t want to […]
Kvyat slams ‘ridiculous’ helmet colour rule
Sep.28 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat has called a rule preventing him from wearing a special helmet livery for his home race in Russia “ridiculous”. Some years ago, frustrated with the drivers’ constant colour changes, the FIA introduced a rule that allows just a single one-off livery change per year. Kvyat, however, says that after wearing a […]
Correa chose against foot amputation – family
Sep.28 (GMM) Formula 2 driver Juan Manuel Correa has chosen not to have his right lower leg amputated, his family have revealed. The 20-year-old Ecuadorian-American was the driver who struck the rival car of fatally-injured Anthoine Hubert recently at Spa. He is no longer in an artificial coma to recover from lung injuries, but Correa […]
Ferrari driver peace ‘will crack’ – Marko
Sep.28 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko thinks the tentative peace at Ferrari will eventually “crack”. The Red Bull official told Osterreich newspaper that Charles Leclerc is challenging former quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel for his number 1 status. “It’s going to be interesting,” Marko said. “There’s a kid who’s damn fast and unwilling to fall in […]
No F1 return ‘in short term’ – Alonso
Sep.28 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he does not want to return to Formula 1 “in the short term”. At the moment, the highly rated Spaniard is preparing for a forthcoming rally-raid event in Morocco. “I will decide about the Dakar rally based on the next rally in Morocco,” Alonso said at the launch of a […]