Aug.13 (GMM) The new president of the Spanish GP venue says she will do “everything in our power” to keep Formula 1 in Barcelona. This week, the F1 circus is preparing to race at the Circuit de Catalunya. But beyond Sunday, the future is much more clouded. “We don’t want to imagine Barcelona without F1,” […]
Month: August 2020
‘Impossible’ to combine F1 with Indy after 2020 – Alonso
Aug.13 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says it is “impossible” for him to keep chasing the fabled triple crown in the next two years. This week, the Spaniard is preparing for his third Indy 500 campaign, this time again with a McLaren-linked team. But next year, he will return to Formula 1 full-time with Renault. When asked […]
No need for technical reshuffle – Horner
Aug.13 (GMM) Christian Horner says Red Bull is not planning any significant changes to its technical structure. His comments come after some questioned whether Adrian Newey, one of the most famous and successful designers in F1 history, is still at the top of his game. “I won’t tell you a fairytale,” Max Verstappen is quoted […]
Wolff happy for ‘pink Mercedes’ affair to go to court
Aug.12 (GMM) Toto Wolff says he is not worried about Mercedes’ name being dragged through the mud over the Racing Point car copying affair. An appeal against the leniency of the stewards’ recent ruling on the legality of the ‘pink Mercedes’ will go ahead, the original protester Renault has announced. In a statement, the French […]
Montezemolo hopes Ferrari treating Vettel fairly
Aug.12 (GMM) Ferrari’s former president says he hopes the Maranello team is treating Sebastian Vettel fairly in 2020. Unlike some others, Luca di Montezemolo does not think the driver he selected to replace Fernando Alonso from 2015 will leave Ferrari before the end of the year. “It is a very delicate moment for him,” the […]
F1 journalists doubt Vettel will leave mid-season
Aug.12 (GMM) Two highly respected Formula 1 correspondents do not think Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari will split before the end of the 2020 season. The parties’ 2021 split is already well known, but tensions between the fabled Italian team and the quadruple world champion became palpable at Silverstone last weekend. However, Corriere della Sera correspondent […]
Mercedes to re-commit to F1 for one year only
Aug.12 (GMM) Mercedes will stay in Formula 1 next year – but not commit to the full five years of the proposed Concorde Agreement. That is the claim of Sport1 correspondents Ralf Bach and Bianca Garloff, who cited a “reliable source” in reporting that the reigning world champions will commit only to racing in 2021. […]
Hulkenberg reveals 2021 talks with ‘two teams’
Aug.12 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg has revealed he is talking to “two teams” about his future in Formula 1. The German, having substituted at short notice for Sergio Perez at Silverstone, will travel to Barcelona this weekend just in case the Racing Point regular again tests positive for coronavirus. But Hulkenberg will not hang around all […]
Red Bull has ‘solved’ main problem with car – Marko
Aug.11 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says Red Bull must keep the pressure on Mercedes. As the reigning champions struggled with excessive tyre wear at Silverstone, Max Verstappen said on the radio that he refuses to “drive like a grandma” and went on to beat both Mercedes cars against the odds. “If you have the right […]
Ferrari ‘underestimated’ impact of hybrid era – Montezemolo
Aug.11 (GMM) Former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says he deserves some of the blame for the Maranello team’s horror 2020 season. Although he was ousted in 2014, that year was when Formula 1’s controversial hybrid ‘power unit’ engine regulations were introduced. “I was president when it was decided to switch to hybrid,” Montezemolo told […]
As revenues collapse, F1 wants 22 races in 2021
Aug.11 (GMM) Formula 1 is targeting a full and normal 22-race calendar for 2021, as the sport revealed an almost total collapse of revenue amid the corona crisis. The Financial Times reports that F1’s revenues dropped to just $24 million in the last quarter – down from $620 million compared to a year ago. The […]
Hulkenberg travelling to Barcelona this week
Aug.11 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg is travelling to Barcelona this week. The German became Sergio Perez’s eleventh-hour replacement at Racing Point following the Mexican’s positive coronavirus test. But team boss Otmar Szafnauer is now “99 percent” sure that Perez will be virus-free for this weekend in Spain. However, Hulkenberg told RTL: “I’ll prepare for Barcelona in […]
Salo tips Raikkonen to quit F1
Aug.11 (GMM) 2020 will be Kimi Raikkonen’s last season in Formula 1, according to Mika Salo. At 40, Finn Raikkonen is the oldest and most experienced driver on the grid. But this year, he is struggling at the very back with the uncompetitive Alfa Romeo, and is no longer clearly ahead of teammate Antonio Giovinazzi. […]
Vettel to get new Ferrari chassis for Barcelona
Aug.11 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel will have a new chassis at his disposal from this weekend as his relationship with Ferrari teeters on the brink. 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg had suggested the remedy in order to get the quadruple world champion out of his competitive slump. “Sometimes there are minimal things wrong that are barely […]
Liberty pushing ahead with Concorde deadline
Aug.11 (GMM) Liberty Media is pressing ahead with its August 12 deadline for the finalisation of the 2021 Concorde Agreement. While Cyril Abiteboul says “95 percent of the teams are agreed” about the terms of the next binding commercial deal, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says he is not ready to sign. He alleges Mercedes is […]
FIA open to tweaking ‘radio coaching’ rule
Aug.10 (GMM) F1’s governing body is open to tweaking a rule about radio communications. Kevin Magnussen lost a point in Hungary after engineers at Haas asked both drivers to pit for dry tyres after the formation lap. The radio instruction contravened a 2017 rule about driver coaching. “We need to move on from this,” team […]
Albon will be given ‘more time’ at Red Bull – Marko
Aug.10 (GMM) Red Bull will continue to give Alex Albon “time” to get up to speed alongside Max Verstappen. As a rookie, Albon was promoted to the energy drink company’s senior team mid-last year to replace the struggling Pierre Gasly. But now the British-born Thai is having the same confidence problem in the same seat, […]
Red Bull not joining ‘pink Mercedes’ appeal
Aug.10 (GMM) Red Bull is not joining the five teams vowing to appeal the outcome of the ‘pink Mercedes’ protest. Racing Point team owner Lawrence Stroll – who normally keeps an extremely low media profile – has lashed out at the four teams who think the EUR 400,000 fine and 15 deducted points penalty is […]
Drivers happy to race in corona hotspot Barcelona
Aug.10 (GMM) Top Formula 1 drivers say they are not overly worried about travelling to Barcelona for this weekend’s race. The Catalonia region is experiencing a significant uptick in coronavirus infections, with the British government officially advising against travel to the area. “I don’t really know a lot about what’s happening there,” world champion Lewis […]
Magnussen wants ‘new car’ after Silverstone struggle
Aug.10 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen thinks something is fundamentally wrong with his Haas car. The Danish driver retired from Sunday’s race at Silverstone with excessive vibrations, and the team had run out of suitable new tyres to return to the track. Magnussen suspects something is wrong with his car – but not teammate Romain Grosjean’s. “We […]