Jan.13 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg is not ruling out a return to Formula 1 in the future. After his 2010 debut with Williams, the German sat out 2011 as a reserve driver but has since raced for Force India, Sauber and Renault over eight consecutive seasons. But Renault have replaced him with the Mercedes-backed Esteban Ocon […]
Month: January 2020
Five Friday practice sessions for Kubica in 2020
Jan.13 (GMM) New reserve driver Robert Kubica will participate in five Friday morning practice sessions for Alfa Romeo in 2020. The Pole, whose sponsor PKN Orlen has also signed up with the Swiss based team, is expected to shortly sign a DTM race deal for 2020 with BMW. But Przeglad Sportowy, the major Polish sports […]
2019 tyres to make 2020 ‘predictable’ – Isola
Jan.13 (GMM) The racing could be “more predictable” in 2020, because teams voted against using Pirelli’s newly designed and tested tyres this year. That is the claim of Pirelli’s F1 boss Mario Isola, referring to the rejection of the intended 2020 tyre specification following two separate tests. “The advantage is that the teams are completely […]
Fittipaldi keeps job as Haas reserve
Jan.13 (GMM) Pietro Fittipaldi will remain a reserve driver at Haas in 2020. “If I continue with Haas, I want to have a bigger role,” the 23-year-old, who is the grandson of F1 legend Emerson Fittipaldi, said last month. Now, Denmark’s BT newspaper – with sources at the American team for whom Dane Kevin Magnussen […]
Ferrari’s 2020 car passes FIA crash tests
Jan.13 (GMM) Ferrari’s 2020 car, codenamed 671, has passed all 15 of the mandatory FIA crash tests. Sky Italia said that exactly a month before the red single seater is officially launched, the successful crash testing took place at the CSI facility in Bollate near Milan. At the same facility recently, Alfa Romeo’s 2020 car […]
Bottas thinks performance ‘hasn’t peaked yet’
Jan.13 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas is sounding bullish about the 2020 season. The media dubbed the Finn ‘Bottas 2.0’ when he bounced back early last year with a boost in form, but ultimately he finished 87 points behind his teammate Lewis Hamilton. “I have found a new strength and energy for this year,” Bottas, who recently […]
Briatore tells Verstappen to ‘keep mouth shut’
Jan.13 (GMM) Max Verstappen should learn to “keep his mouth shut”, according to former F1 team boss Flavio Briatore. In the wake of Verstappen’s new deal with Red Bull through 2023, Briatore told Italy’s Autosprint that the team is now well set up for the future. “It is a team that is always on the […]
Racing Point ‘nervous’ about 2020-2021 seasons
Jan.13 (GMM) Racing Point technical boss Andy Green admits he is “very nervous” about how the team will handle this year’s preparations for the new rules of 2021. He says that while the big teams can afford to handle the 2020 and 2021 seasons concurrently, smaller outfits will need to spread their resources thinly. “We […]
Verstappen’s long Red Bull deal ‘surprising’ – Doornbos
Jan.10 (GMM) Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos says Max Verstappen’s new long-term contract with Red Bull is “surprising”. Some, including Mika Salo who said an extension was “quite expected”, were surprised when it was announced so far ahead of time that Verstappen’s stay had been extended from the end of 2020 until 2023 inclusive. But […]
Alonso wants ‘best possible team’ for Indy 500
Jan.10 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he wants to be with “the best possible team” later this year for his third attempt at winning the Indianapolis 500. With Monaco and Le Mans wins already in his pocket, the famous American oval race is all the Spaniard needs to become the second person after Graham Hill to […]
Red Bull to launch car day after Ferrari – report
Jan.10 (GMM) According to a media report, Red Bull will launch its 2020 car on February 12 – one day after Ferrari. When Ferrari announced in December that it would reveal its own new car on February 11 – a full eight days before winter testing in Barcelona – boss Mattia Binotto predicted it would […]
Father says Verstappen ‘at home’ with Red Bull
Jan.9 (GMM) Max Verstappen has “every confidence” in Red Bull-Honda after signing on for the next four seasons, according to his father and co-manager Jos. The Verstappen camp, earlier linked with a move to Mercedes, surprised the F1 world when it was announced a long time in advance this week that the 22-year-old Dutchman will […]
Australian GP boss plays down bushfire threat
Jan.9 (GMM) Australian GP boss Andrew Westacott has played down reports that bushfires could threaten the running of the 2020 season opener in March. International media reports on Wednesday claimed Formula 1 authorities are “monitoring” the situation in Australia, where unprecedented bushfires are ravaging several states. It is reported that in the Australian capital Canberra, […]
Latifi dollars start to flow at Williams
Jan.9 (GMM) The sponsorship dollars brought by Nicholas Latifi’s new race seat are now starting to flow at Williams. This week, we reported that Williams’ major backer since 2015, Rexona and its parent Unilever, have left as the Oxfordshire based team faces a third consecutive season at the very back of the grid. And that […]
Verstappen news doesn’t change driver market – Salo
Jan.8 (GMM) Former F1 driver Mika Salo has backed Max Verstappen’s decision to commit to Red Bull for the next four seasons. Some were surprised that the 22-year-old Dutchman committed so early, as he was strongly linked with a potential move to world champions Mercedes. But Salo told C More: “Red Bull has been able […]
Red Bull could be top team in 2020 – Montezemolo
Jan.8 (GMM) Red Bull-Honda could be poised to break through and push for the 2020 world championship. That is the view of Luca di Montezemolo, the former long-time Ferrari president who presided over many of the great Italian team’s championship wins. But he thinks Ferrari, and also Mercedes, could struggle to be on top this […]
No talks about 2021 contract yet – Ricciardo
Jan.8 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo has played down the chances that he will be the next top driver to quickly sign up beyond 2020. Ahead of F1’s new era for 2021, the grid for next season is already starting to shape up, with Charles Leclerc and now Max Verstappen signing long-term deals with Ferrari and Red […]
Magnussen says managing Instagram account ‘boring’
Jan.8 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has revealed he has stepped back from personally managing his Instagram account. The Haas driver’s fans enjoyed a spate of recent social media posts that Magnussen now admits were written entirely by him. For instance, after a crash at Suzuka, he uploaded a ‘poo’ emoji and Magnussen told Ekstra Bladet that […]
F1 ‘monitoring’ Australian bushfires
Jan.8 (GMM) Formula 1 is “monitoring the situation” in Australia as bushfires ravage the country that is slated to kick off the new season in March. The reportedly unprecedented fires, which have gained international attention, are already causing consternation as Melbourne prepares to host the first tennis Grand Slam of 2020. “We have access to […]
New Verstappen deal agreed ‘quickly’ – manager
Jan.8 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s co-manager says the new contract with Red Bull was negotiated “fairly quickly”. It is reported that the Dutch driver’s salary has been doubled or even tripled as he ends speculation of a potential Mercedes switch with a deal through 2023. “Max, Jos and I agreed fairly quickly that this was the […]