Dec.14 (GMM) Formula 1 is hoping for a 2021 season that is “as normal as possible”. That is the claim of Bruno Famin, the FIA’s operations director who this year has been in charge of the sport’s mammoth efforts to keep racing amid the pandemic. “In general, 2020 has been a bad season,” Fernando Alonso, […]
Month: December 2020
2020 finale among most ‘boring’ races ever
Dec.14 (GMM) Sunday’s 2020 finale in Abu Dhabi may have been one of the most boring grands prix of all time. That is the view of Toto Wolff, even though both Mercedes were uncharacteristically beaten in both qualifying and the race by Red Bull’s dominant Max Verstappen. The Red Bull camp, therefore, was happy. “We […]
Red Bull poised to complete F1 teams’ lineups
Dec.14 (GMM) Red Bull is now poised to complete the driver lineups of its two Formula 1 teams. Even though the news is not official, Daniil Kvyat freely admits that he is losing his Alpha Tauri seat to Honda-backed Formula 2 driver Yuki Tsunoda. “I don’t think I will be here next year,” the Russian […]
Pole position an ‘important signal’ for 2021 – Marko
Dec.13 (GMM) Red Bull’s efforts to catch and beat Mercedes are now “bearing fruit”. That is the view of Dr Helmut Marko, who was speaking after Max Verstappen qualified on pole for the first time this season ahead of the 2020 season finale in Abu Dhabi. On Thursday, Dutchman Verstappen had joked that the third-placed […]
McLaren selling one third of team for $245m
Dec.13 (GMM) McLaren is reportedly selling 33 percent of its famous Formula 1 team for some $245 million. The team has declined to comment, but Sky News’ highly respected City editor Mark Kleinman said the purchaser is a consortium of US-based investors called MSP Sports Capital who will spend the money over two years. Under […]
Bottas will be ‘in our car’ in 2021 – Wolff
Dec.13 (GMM) Toto Wolff has put a sudden halt to speculation Valtteri Bottas may be ousted from Mercedes. Ever since Lewis Hamilton’s Sakhir GP substitute George Russell beat Bottas in Bahrain, rumours the Finn will be replaced for 2021 have been gaining steam. But although his earlier comments fuelled the speculation, team boss Wolff is […]
Vettel ‘relieved’ to be leaving Ferrari
Dec.13 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he is “relieved” that he has reached the end of his final season at Ferrari. The quadruple world champion, told before the covid-affected season began that he would not be retained for 2021, has notably struggled alongside Charles Leclerc this year. The German said Sunday’s Abu Dhabi finale will be […]
Marko admits Perez on Red Bull’s ‘radar’
Dec.13 (GMM) A 2021 Red Bull contract for Sergio Perez could be announced “next week”. That is the news from Niki Juusela, a respected correspondent for the Finnish broadcaster C More. “The information that came into our studio is that Perez’s Red Bull agreement will be announced next week,” he said. Fascinatingly, Juusela’s prediction ties […]
Kvyat accepts he will not race in F1 next year
Dec.13 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat insists he is not making a last-ditch effort to hang onto his place in Formula 1. The Russian qualified seventh in Abu Dhabi, calling it the best qualifying lap of his career. However, he fully expects Alpha Tauri’s owner Red Bull to replace him for 2021 with Honda-backed rookie Yuki Tsunoda. […]
Ferrari’s problem ‘is the Italians’ – Ecclestone
Dec.13 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone says the problem with the struggling Ferrari team at the moment “is the Italians”. The Maranello team has notably struggled in 2020, and now at the last race of the season boss Mattia Binotto has returned to Italy feeling unwell at the very same time that president Louis Camilleri has suddenly […]
Hamilton ‘not 100 percent’ after covid-19
Dec.13 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says he is still feeling the effects of his recent covid-19 infection. The seven time world champion missed the last Sakhir GP with the illness but said after testing negative he was determined to drive even if “one of my arms was hanging off”. “That’s what we do as racing drivers,” […]
Future of cancelled Vietnam GP ‘bleak’ – source
Dec.12 (GMM) The final nail may have been hammered into the ill-fated Vietnam GP. Organisers had fully prepared for the Hanoi street race’s inaugural event early last year when the pandemic struck. Then, before F1’s 2021 calendar showed a blank race name with ‘TBA’ listed for April 25, Vietnam’s hopes sunk deeper when key official […]
7-year-old son asks Grosjean to quit racing
Dec.12 (GMM) Romain Grosjean says his seven-year-old son has asked the former Haas driver to quit motor racing. The Frenchman had to miss the final two races of his Formula 1 career after miraculously surviving a high-speed and fiery crash through the arm-co barriers in Bahrain with little more than burned hands. Before that, Grosjean […]
Wolff denies arguing over money with Hamilton
Dec.12 (GMM) Toto Wolff has played down suggestions that it is Lewis Hamilton’s salary demands that are holding up a 2021 contract for the seven time world champion. It is rumoured that Mercedes is not willing to meet Hamilton’s demands amid the economic impact of coronavirus – especially with a salary cap looming in Formula […]
Nyck de Vries defends Mazepin amid ‘reputation’
Dec.12 (GMM) Nyck de Vries, a works Mercedes driver in Formula E, has defended 2021 Formula 1 rookie Nikita Mazepin. Mazepin, 21, is under fire from Haas, Formula 1 and the FIA for a social media video in which he allegedly groped a female friend. It may already have had repercussions for the Russian, as […]
Perez had tequila with Red Bull bosses after Bahrain
Dec.12 (GMM) Sergio Perez shared a tequila with Red Bull bosses after his breakthrough Sakhir GP win – but he still isn’t sure if he will race for the team in 2021. Red Bull is insisting that it will not make a decision about retaining Alex Albon until after this weekend’s season finale. Alongside Nico […]
Magnussen unable to attend major court dates
Dec.12 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen says he would have liked to return to his native Denmark earlier this week – for a court case. The Dane is being sued by his former manager Dorte Riis Madsen, and the appeal trial took place over three days in Copenhagen. “I would very much like to have been there, […]
Fourth title loss to Hamilton ‘hard to accept’ – Bottas
Dec.12 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has confirmed team boss Toto Wolff’s suspicion that the Finn is not in top form after losing another world championship to Lewis Hamilton. Bottas said he had to avoid the press and social media all last week as the world of F1 wondered if Wolff will seize the moment and put […]
Car ‘not the same’ after Russell raced it – Hamilton
Dec.12 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton, who has now recovered from covid-19, says his Mercedes car felt different after George Russell substituted for him last weekend in Bahrain. The seven time world champion was fifth and second fastest respectively in Friday’s two practice sessions in Abu Dhabi. “It felt like I had spent a lot of time […]
Binotto, Camilleri stories not linked – Mekies
Dec.12 (GMM) The stories about Ferrari chiefs Mattia Binotto and Louis Camilleri are not linked. That is the word from acting Ferrari team boss Laurent Mekies, who is temporarily leading the Maranello outfit after Binotto returned to Italy feeling unwell. “I was with Binotto in Bahrain and he was not well after the grand prix,” […]