Nov.26 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has defended Ferrari amid accusations of cheating. Max Verstappen made the “cheating” claim explicit recently, but there is no doubt the FIA is now responding to questions about the legality of the Italian team’s power unit. “I prefer not to comment further,” Red Bull-Honda driver Verstappen told Sport Bild. “I am […]
Month: November 2019
2021 speculation ‘doesn’t affect me’ – Verstappen
Nov.26 (GMM) Max Verstappen thinks Formula 1’s next generation of top drivers is in good shape for the future. Although 2019 was initially billed as a Lewis Hamilton versus Sebastian Vettel battle, the season is ending with most agreeing that 22-year-olds Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are poised to eventually take over. When asked about […]
Hamilton could struggle to win in 2020 – Zanardi
Nov.26 (GMM) Alex Zanardi thinks Lewis Hamilton could have a tough time winning a seventh world championship in 2020. The former F1 and Indycar driver said he enjoyed watching the sport in 2019, which in his words was “not at all boring” despite Hamilton sealing the title with two races to spare. “But I see […]
Hard to identify with ‘modern F1’ – Piero Ferrari
Nov.26 (GMM) Piero Ferrari, the son of team founder Enzo, says he hopes the Maranello team stays in Formula 1 “forever”. Currently, while the 2021 regulations have now been published, the teams and manufacturers are so far all officially uncommitted to the sport beyond 2020. “This applies to all the three top teams,” Red Bull […]
Top teams will still dominate in 2021 – Steiner
Nov.26 (GMM) The top three teams are likely to keep dominating in 2021, according to Haas team boss Gunther Steiner. Actually, the sweeping technical, sporting and financial changes are designed to help the smaller teams to close the gap to the big-budget Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. But in 2020, the big teams will be […]
Gasly could return to Red Bull – Horner
Nov.26 (GMM) Pierre Gasly remains a candidate to return to Red Bull Racing in the future. That is the claim of team boss Christian Horner, even though Frenchman Gasly was demoted mid-season and replaced by rookie Alex Albon. Albon is staying in 2020, but Horner said Gasly is “of course” eligible to return in the […]
Ferrari says ‘air fully cleared’ after Brazil crash
Nov.25 (GMM) Ferrari says “the air is now fully cleared” between the drivers and boss Mattia Binotto ahead of the Abu Dhabi season finale this weekend. Binotto and Ferrari chairman John Elkann were admittedly furious after Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc collided in Brazil. Reports had indicated that the drivers were summoned to Maranello for […]
2021 F1 comeback ‘tempting’ – Wehrlein
Nov.25 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein says he does not want to return to Formula 1 in order to race at the back. The German lost his race seat after stints at Manor and Sauber, and he now races in Formula E. At the Saudi Arabia opener last weekend, he finished a best of 11th. Wehrlein has […]
Hulkenberg exit shows things ‘wrong’ in F1 – Vettel
Nov.25 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg’s departure from F1 shows that “some things are wrong” about the category. That is the view of Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, who like Hulkenberg is German. Hulkenberg never finished on the podium during his decade on the grid, but Vettel says there is no doubt that he is good enough for […]
McLaren always favoured Alonso – Vandoorne
Nov.25 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne says the McLaren team was built around Fernando Alonso. Despite much fanfare after his junior career, Belgian Vandoorne struggled as Alonso’s teammate with both Honda and Renault power. He is now a works Mercedes driver in Formula E, and he got his new season off to a good start with podium […]
F1 will still be competitive in 2021 – Jordan
Nov.25 (GMM) Eddie Jordan says he isn’t worried that Formula 1 will be uncompetitive in 2021. Often, major regulations changes lead to utter dominance. Indeed, since the ‘power unit’ era began in 2014, Mercedes has won every single title. Ferrari and Red Bull-Honda have arguably now caught up, but former team boss and owner Jordan […]
F1 will not go all-electric – Symonds
Nov.25 (GMM) Formula 1 will work to become the authority in the area of biofuels rather than join Formula E in the world of electric power. That is the view of Pat Symonds, a former F1 engineer who now works with the FIA. “Formula 1 didn’t invent the hybrid, but Formula 1 showed what a […]
Honda ‘even better than expected’ – Bottas
Nov.25 (GMM) F1 looks set to be heading for a three-team battle for the 2020 championship. After Max Verstappen’s win in Brazil, six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton says it is “often the case” that Red Bull finishes a season strongly. But Hamilton says it is clear that Honda is catching up. “It’s great to see […]
Latifi hints at 2020 Williams seat
Nov.25 (GMM) Nicholas Latifi has given another strong indication that he will move into Formula 1 in 2020. It is essentially an open secret that the 24-year-old son of billionaire McLaren co-owner Michael Latifi will replace Robert Kubica at Williams. In Brazil, where he drove the Williams in Friday practice, he said: “I hope to […]
Porsche rules out F1 project
Nov.25 (GMM) Porsche has ruled out entering Formula 1. The VW-owned German sports car marque has switched from Le Mans success to Formula E, and Mark Webber says Porsche wants to dominate the electric series. “The gloves are off now. We have got to do our best,” said the former Porsche sports car driver. But […]
Kaltenborn eyes move into football management
Nov.25 (GMM) Monisha Kaltenborn’s next move could be into the world of football. The 48-year-old became the first female team boss and owner until the takeover of the Sauber team in 2016. Germany’s Auto Bild now reports that she is supporting Martin Bruckner’s bid to become president of the Austrian football club SK Rapid Wien. […]
2019 tyres would mean higher pressures in 2020 – Pirelli
Nov.25 (GMM) Mario Isola has warned that Pirelli would have to increase mandatory running pressures if the teams reject the 2020 tyres. In Austin, teams got their first taste of the proposed 2020 tyres, and the feedback was nearly universally negative. However, Pirelli boss Isola is hoping the teams get a better impression when the […]
Indycar no distraction for F1 team – Seidl
Nov.25 (GMM) McLaren’s full-time Indycar project for 2020 will not distract the improving British team in Formula 1. “No,” team boss Andreas Seidl insisted to the Spanish daily AS. “It is important to understand how we manage these projects,” he added. “They are independent of one another, each one focusing on its own programme in […]
Kubica ‘cheerful’ as F1 race career ends
Nov.25 (GMM) Robert Kubica is in a “very good mood” even though he is bowing out of Williams and Formula 1. It is expected that the Pole will race elsewhere in 2020, whilst potentially serving as Racing Point’s new F1 reserve driver. However, former driver Christian Danner – now a commentator – told the German […]
McLaren ‘absolutely’ happy with current drivers
Nov.25 (GMM) McLaren is more than happy with its current driver lineup. This year, despite Fernando Alonso’s departure, the British team has become ‘best of the rest’ behind the sport’s top three outfits. Even Christian Horner, a top official at Red Bull who released former junior driver Carlos Sainz to McLaren, is happy for the […]