Feb.15 (GMM) A driver-sided ‘performance clause’ in his current contract would allow Max Verstappen to leave Red Bull at the end of 2021. That is the admission of Red Bull top official Dr Helmut Marko, amid early speculation that Mercedes may snap up Dutchman Verstappen to replace Lewis Hamilton for 2022. “Yes, there is a […]
Month: February 2021
Vettel can eye ‘a few wins’ in 2021 – Szafnauer
Feb.15 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel should be able to compete for podiums, poles and even “a few wins” this season, according to his new team boss Otmar Szafnauer. The quadruple world champion finished just 13th in his final disappointing season for Ferrari, but Szafnauer thinks German Vettel should be able to help Aston Martin finish just […]
Leclerc denies becoming ‘arrogant’
Feb.12 (GMM) Charles Leclerc has dismissed claims that a certain arrogance is beginning to creep into his personality. The Ferrari driver’s critics believe that as his former teammate and quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel struggled, 23-year-old Leclerc began to revel in his new status as de-facto Ferrari number 1. “This criticism hits me more than […]
FIA believes engine ‘balance of power’ unnecessary
Feb.12 (GMM) Red Bull’s plans to operate its own Honda-based engine program look set to proceed, as Formula 1 has announced that a development ‘freeze’ will indeed go ahead for 2022. The FIA confirmed the news after Thursday’s video meeting of the F1 Commission. Red Bull had warned that without a development freeze, the energy […]
Saturday sprint race idea ‘nice’ – Giovinazzi
Feb.12 (GMM) Plans for Saturday sprint races gained “broad support from all parties” during the videoconference meeting of the F1 Commission on Thursday. New F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali recently unveiled his push for a three-race trial of the novel weekend format, reportedly featuring a shorter race on Saturday and a Friday qualifying session. Sources suggest […]
Giovinazzi has ‘hope’ for better Ferrari engine
Feb.12 (GMM) There is “hope” at Alfa Romeo that Ferrari’s 2021 engine will deliver more power. That is the admission of Antonio Giovinazzi, who says he has seen Alfa Romeo’s new car for 2021 and “it really is beautiful”. “I have worked a lot on the simulator,” he told Italy’s Sky Sport 24, “but even […]
Injured Alonso should be fit for Bahrain – doctor
Feb.12 (GMM) Fernando Alonso may be heading into surgery on Friday to repair a potentially broken jaw and teeth. Alpine has confirmed alarming reports that the 39-year-old Spaniard was struck by a car on Thursday whilst road cycling near his home in Switzerland. With the season opening Bahrain GP looming in March, the Enstone based […]
F1 ‘still debating’ 2025 engine format – Brown
Feb.11 (GMM) F1’s engine regulations for the future remain completely up in the air, according to McLaren supremo Zak Brown. His comments come as Formula 1 announced that it is “creating a clear path towards sustainably fuelled hybrid engines, something that will be of significant importance to not only the sport but the automotive sector”. […]
Ferrari to make ‘life difficult for Mercedes’ – Rossi
Feb.11 (GMM) Ferrari needs to join Red Bull in making “life difficult for Mercedes” in 2021. That is the view of MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, who made headlines in Formula 1 recently as more details of his near-F1 debut over a decade ago came to light. “I did a series of tests for Ferrari and […]
Report – No more pre-race ‘kneeling’ in 2021?
Feb.11 (GMM) The rainbow signage, the ‘End Racism’ messaging, and the pre-race kneeling look set to all be a thing of the past once F1 gets up and racing in 2021. “Anti-racism campaign: No more drivers kneeling before the start?” wonders the headline at Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. It comes after Formula 1 announced […]
Vettel to get car handling he needs to shine – boss
Feb.11 (GMM) Aston Martin will do “everything we can” to give Sebastian Vettel a car that handles to his liking, according to team boss Otmar Szafnauer. As the quadruple world champion moves on after his calamitous last years at Ferrari, Szafnauer says Silverstone based Aston Martin will provide the 33-year-old with the kind of supportive […]
2021 last shot at Formula 1 seat – Lundgaard
Feb.11 (GMM) Renault junior Christian Lundgaard admits 2021 may be his final chance to prove he deserves to step up to Formula 1. Renault, to be branded as Alpine in F1 this year, has announced that it would like to see its main junior drivers – Lundgaard, Guanyu Zhou and Oscar Piastri in particular – […]
Spanish GP fans want ‘return to normalcy’
Feb.11 (GMM) Barcelona circuit boss Josep Lluis Santamaria is hoping to welcome spectators to the Spanish GP on 9 May. The Circuit de Catalunya has confirmed that half-price tickets are going on sale next week, with grandstand seats to be socially-distanced amid the covid crisis and total capacity limited to 50 percent. “People want to […]
Hamilton to ‘explore options’ in 2021 – Albers
Feb.11 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s farcically-delayed contract negotiations were all about money. That is the theory of former F1 driver Christijan Albers, referring to this week’s announcement of a new one-year deal for the seven time world champion. “Hamilton’s demands were simply not in line with this coronavirus situation,” he opined to De Telegraaf newspaper. “You […]
Montreal ‘open’ to Saturday sprint race idea
Feb.11 (GMM) Canadian GP promoter Francois Dumontier is “open” to Formula 1’s plan to trial a new Saturday sprint race format this season. Alongside Monza and Brazil, Montreal has been mentioned in connection with new F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali’s weekend shakeup trial for 2021. Media reports suggest that at these races, there will be one […]
Grosjean backs Alpine’s new F1 boss Brivio
Feb.10 (GMM) A third well-known F1 personality has backed Renault’s decision to install Davide Brivio in a leading managerial position at the newly-rebranded Alpine team. In January, former Renault boss Flavio Briatore said the fact MotoGP team Suzuki’s former boss has no experience in F1 will not be a problem. “I had no experience when […]
Raikkonen could return to Nascar after F1
Feb.10 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen says he could return to Nascar once he retires from Formula 1 for good. When he lost his Ferrari seat at the end of 2009, the 2007 world champion decided to leave F1 and dabbled for two years in world rallying and Nascar. When asked by the Dutch magazine Formule 1 […]
Teams to ‘quickly recover’ lost 2021 downforce
Feb.10 (GMM) Pirelli is expecting F1 teams to “quickly recover” the downforce that will be lost by the tweaked aerodynamic regulations for 2021. Late last season, drivers were unhappy when they got to try official supplier Pirelli’s proposed new tyres for 2021. Pirelli boss Mario Isola acknowledges that the drivers are still not happy, but […]
Domenicali looking beyond current F1 calendar
Feb.10 (GMM) Despite the uncertainty surrounding this year’s calendar amid the covid crisis, Formula 1 is looking to expand into other countries in the future. New F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says talks are back on with organisers in Miami, as the sport wants to have “more presence in the US” with a second race alongside […]
Lauda would have signed Hamilton ‘at any cost’
Feb.10 (GMM) Niki Lauda would have signed up Lewis Hamilton for 2021 “at any cost”, according to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. F1 legend Lauda, who died in 2019, ran the German team alongside Wolff. And so the latter Austrian was asked what Lauda would have done amid the farcically-delayed recent contract negotiations with Hamilton. […]