May 2 (GMM) McLaren’s team boss has hit back at Dr Helmut Marko after the Red Bull official sarcastically criticised “very sporting” behaviour to benefit Mercedes at Portimao. During qualifying, Lando Norris’ engineer was heard to tell the British driver on the radio not to do Max Verstappen “any favours” as the Red Bull driver […]
Category: Recent stories
Binotto happy with ‘second driver’ Sainz
May 2 (GMM) Mattia Binotto says he is “very happy” with the way Carlos Sainz is progressing at Ferrari. At the same time, the Maranello team’s boss said Charles Leclerc was “too aggressive” in qualifying at Portimao. Spaniard Sainz has been taking some time to adjust to his new car after switching from McLaren to […]
Stroll getting car update is ‘perfectly fine’ – Vettel
May 2 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he is not bothered that only his teammate got to drive the latest specification of Aston Martin’s 2021 car at Portimao. The quadruple world champion revealed on Friday that Lance Stroll, the son of billionaire team owner Lawrence, “has a slightly different specification this weekend, which was clear in […]
Portimao surface ‘unworthy of F1’ – Verstappen
May 2 (GMM) Max Verstappen continued to slam the condition of the track surface at Portimao after qualifying behind both Mercedes cars. The Dutchman was ultimately four tenths off the pace on Saturday, after having a faster lap deleted for a ‘track limits’ violation. “We could have had pole, but I don’t like to talk […]
Russia GP set for Igora Drive switch in 2022
May 1 (GMM) This year’s Russian GP could be the last one held at Sochi. According to Russian business daily Delovoy Petersburg, the plans to relocate the Formula 1 race to a new circuit in Leningrad Oblast – Igora Drive – have been submitted to parliament. The bill calls for tax exemptions for services related […]
Steiner denies Mazepin’s father buying Haas
May 1 (GMM) Gunther Steiner has denied that Haas will be sold to team driver Nikita Mazepin’s father. Russian billionaire Dmitry Mazepin is already the small American team’s title sponsor, via his Uralkali company. It is a unique situation for Haas, given that rookie Mazepin’s teammate Mick Schumacher is closely aligned with another key team […]
Verstappen admits Mercedes ‘stronger’ at Portimao
May 1 (GMM) Mercedes has come out of the blocks at Portimao with a slightly “stronger” car, Max Verstappen has admitted. “We still have to improve a bit to go for pole,” the Red Bull driver, who is a single point behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton after the first two races, told Ziggo Sport. “The Mercedes […]
Marko tells Hamilton to give up Verstappen ‘mind games’
May 1 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has told Lewis Hamilton to stop wasting his time with attempted “mind games” in his 2021 title head-to-head with Max Verstappen. At Imola, seven time world champion Hamilton said he rates his former title battles with Sebastian Vettel higher than his new head-to-head duel with Verstappen. “Racing with Max, […]
2021 Brazil GP situation ‘difficult’ – team manager
May 1 (GMM) The current version of Formula 1’s 2021 calendar should suffer no further tweaks or changes – even though some question-marks remain amid the ongoing covid pandemic. That is the news from inside the Alpha Tauri team, whose team manager Graham Watson sat in on the latest meetings surrounding the cancellation of the […]
Stroll has ‘different’ Aston Martin car – Vettel
May 1 (GMM) As Sebastian Vettel’s struggles continue, he has revealed that Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll is benefitting from a “different specification” this weekend at Portimao. After trailing Stroll’s pace in Friday practice, quadruple world champion Vettel was asked if it is frustrating to be behind Stroll – whose father Lawrence owns the team. […]
Bottas will struggle to keep seat – Schumacher
May 1 (GMM) Clinging onto his Mercedes seat for 2022 is going to be a “damn tight” battle for Valtteri Bottas. That is the view of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who admits he was “disappointed” with the way the Finn reacted to the aftermath of his high-speed crash with George Russell at Imola. “I […]
Wolff denies Lowe’s claims about 2014 season
May 1 (GMM) Toto Wolff has vehemently denied claims that Mercedes secretly manipulated and hid the true performance of its first ‘hybrid’ engine in 2014. Paddy Lowe, who has now left Mercedes and also his most recent team Williams, revealed on F1’s official podcast this week that Wolff, Daimler and Formula 1 were “worried about […]
Zak Brown letter about Mercedes ‘pressure’ – Horner
May 1 (GMM) Christian Horner thinks McLaren’s Zak Brown is sending a message about the “pressure” he may be coming under from new engine supplier Mercedes. McLaren supremo Brown this week revealed an open letter raising his concerns about “team affiliations” and calling for “secret ballot voting” at the F1 Commission. “I heard about that […]
Boss admits Mazepin ‘sounds unfriendly’ on radio
Apr.30 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin insists he has a “very good relationship” with his Haas race engineer – even if it sometimes doesn’t sound that way on the radio. “Yes, sometimes it sounds a little unfriendly,” team boss Gunther Steiner admits. “But he’s just very direct. That’s his character. “He has a very good relationship with […]
Promoter says Montreal ghost race ‘impossible’
Apr.30 (GMM) Canadian GP organisers couldn’t afford to push ahead with a Formula 1 ‘ghost race’ this year. Ultimately, it was governments’ insistence that F1 personnel spend 14 days in quarantine that made racing in Montreal impossible for the sport in 2021. But promoter Francois Dumontier said even a spectator-free event wouldn’t have worked. “I […]
Wolff relationship ‘better’ after Imola talks – Russell
Apr.30 (GMM) George Russell says his relationship with Toto Wolff is actually “better” after the controversy of Imola. The Williams driver and Mercedes junior copped a stinging rebuke from Wolff following his high speed collision with Valtteri Bottas – after which Russell actually slapped the works Mercedes driver on the helmet. At Portimao, Bottas said […]
Ferrari to keep driver lineup for ‘years’ – Webber
Apr.30 (GMM) Ferrari is likely to keep its current driver lineup for “years to come”. That is the prediction of former F1 driver Mark Webber, who admitted to Speed Week that he came “very close” to moving to the Maranello based team in 2013. Now, Ferrari has Charles Leclerc under long-term contract alongside team newcomer […]
Brown hits out at F1 ‘team affiliations’
Apr.30 (GMM) “Team affiliations” are hurting Formula 1, according to McLaren supremo Zak Brown. The Woking based team switched to Mercedes power for 2021, but the lack of the German carmaker’s branding on the McLaren livery is conspicuous. It’s a clear sign by the British team amid a phenomenon referred to by Brown as “team […]
Gasly not ruling out team switch
Apr.30 (GMM) Pierre Gasly is not ruling out a change of Formula 1 teams. Recently, having admitted his disappointment about being dropped by the senior team in 2019, the Frenchman was linked with a move from Red Bull-owned Alpha Tauri to Alpine for 2022. “I hope it works out with Red Bull, because it’s thanks […]
F1’s Austin, Mexico double-header safe
Apr.30 (GMM) October’s double-header in Austin and Mexico appears to be staying on the 2021 calendar. That is despite the fact that June’s Canadian GP was cancelled for the second consecutive year due to covid restrictions. Organisers in Mexico City, however, say their event is safe even though the Formula 1 circuit is still being […]