Jun.17 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko is unhappy with the management of Red Bull’s own Formula 1 circuit in Spielberg. This week, Renault is testing a two-year-old car at the Red Bull Ring, which will be the scene of the first two post-corona races beginning next month. Red Bull’s Marko is not happy that the circuit’s […]
Category: Recent stories
Ferrari no ‘happy family’ in 2020 – Brown
Jun.17 (GMM) An unhappy internal atmosphere will plague Ferrari’s 2020 season, according to Zak Brown. McLaren supremo Brown will lose his driver Carlos Sainz to the Maranello team for 2021, with Ferrari having signed him to replace Sebastian Vettel. Vettel, however, will race in 2020. “I doubt there will be a great environment in the […]
Mugello to be confirmed as post-Monza 2020 race
Jun.17 (GMM) Mugello looks set to host a second grand prix in Italy this year, one week after Monza. Imola, yet another Italian circuit, is also in the running. “Imola is just too narrow for Formula 1 with these wider cars,” said La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Andrea Cremonesi. “There would be hardly any overtaking and […]
Hamilton to ‘take a knee’ in Austria
Jun.17 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton reportedly intends to kneel during the Austrian anthem ahead of Formula 1’s post-corona return to racing next month. British newspapers cited “sources close” to the six-time world champion who said Hamilton’s gesture will be in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The Mercedes driver appears to have the support of […]
Mercedes loses F1 engine boss
Jun.16 (GMM) Engine boss Andy Cowell is leaving Mercedes’ F1 team next month. Instead, he will “consult to Mercedes-Benz AG on a major future project” until 2021, and be replaced by “internal appointments”, the reigning world champions said. “Now is the right time to move on from my role and seek a new engineering business […]
Verstappen aims to win ‘every race’ in 2020
Jun.16 (GMM) While Jean Alesi has sold a Ferrari F40 to finance his son Giuliano’s Formula 2 career, Max Verstappen has bought one of the Italian marque’s road cars. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that the Dutchman has ordered a Ferrari Monza SP2 for about EUR 1.6 million. But the Dutchman is determined to beat […]
China could host two F1 races in 2020
Jun.16 (GMM) China is shaping up to host not one but two grands prix in 2020, even though reports suggest coronavirus cases are surging once again in the country. As thousands line the streets in Beijing following a reported new outbreak of the virus that has swept the world, Shanghai’s sports chief Xu Bin revealed […]
Todt hopes Vettel stays in Formula 1
Jun.16 (GMM) Jean Todt says he hopes Sebastian Vettel stays in Formula 1 beyond 2020. Ferrari will head into 2021 with Carlos Sainz alongside Charles Leclerc, but the FIA president said no driver should be blamed for Ferrari’s failure to win a title since 2007. “Motorsport is a combination of man, machine and teamwork,” he […]
F1 working on alternatives to reverse grids – Todt
Jun.16 (GMM) Jean Todt says Formula 1 is working on “other innovative ideas” after Mercedes vetoed the plan for qualifying sprint races and reverse grids in 2020. The FIA president said the corona crisis means the sport needs to become creative about how best to put on a show this year. “We have to take […]
Todt happy to see big teams expand beyond F1
Jun.16 (GMM) Jean Todt has welcomed news that Ferrari and Mercedes are looking into expanding beyond Formula 1. The FIA president said installing an even lower than originally planned budget cap for 2021 – $145 million per team – is the right thing to do. “We had to be ambitious because with the costs of […]
Hamilton slammed for bullfighting comments
Jun.15 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton is facing fierce backlash from within Spain after criticising the traditional practice of bullfighting. Although he later deleted the post, the six-time world champion reportedly said on Instagram that Spanish children being “taught to torture and kill bulls” is “truly disgusting Spain!” “We’re asking Spain’s Ministry of Education to close bullfighting […]
Hockenheim cannot keep waiting for F1 race date
Jun.15 (GMM) Hockenheim officials have warned that they cannot wait forever for Formula 1 to decide if the German venue will be added to the 2020 ‘corona calendar’. Baku, Singapore and Suzuka have all now been officially cancelled, triggering F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn’s plan to replace them with more European events. Some of the […]
Vettel should prepare for 2022 return – Ecclestone
Jun.15 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone is advising his friend Fernando Alonso to take a sabbatical in 2021. With the seat at Mercedes now looking unlikely for the Ferrari refugee, former F1 supremo Ecclestone told f1-insider.com: “He should take a year off and then position himself for 2022.” Red Bull has also repeatedly closed the door to […]
Opinions split over Alonso return
Jun.15 (GMM) Opinions are split over whether Fernando Alonso should return to Formula 1 with Renault next year. The Spaniard’s friend and former rival Mark Webber thinks Alonso is “not at his peak anymore”, while his first boss Giancarlo Minardi says Renault is not the right destination for the two-time champion. “He has no chance […]
No grid, podium or driver parade in 2020
Jun.15 (GMM) The absence of spectators will not be the only major change when Formula 1 gets back up and racing in Austria next month. F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn says the usual pre-race grid activities and even the traditional podium will be missing as F1 enforces strict social distancing. DPA news agency quotes him […]
Budget cap giving top teams ‘headache’ – Green
Jun.15 (GMM) Those in charge of F1’s biggest budget teams must be suffering from a “massive headache”, according to Racing Point technical boss Andy Green. While admitting to Auto Motor und Sport that the $145 million spending cap for 2021 will require some reorganisation, Green said the Silverstone based team actually has a smaller budget […]
No surgery for Schumacher amid coronavirus
Jun.12 (GMM) Michael Schumacher will in fact not undergo surgery any time soon, according to the Guardian newspaper. International reports this week said the F1 legend would have another round of heart cell transfusion therapy carried out by Professor Philippe Menasche, who said the goal was to “regenerate Michael’s nervous system”. Neurosurgeon Dr Nicola Acciari […]
Staying at Ferrari risked Vettel’s reputation – Alesi
Jun.12 (GMM) It is “good” that Sebastian Vettel is leaving Ferrari, according to former team driver Jean Alesi. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen admitted he was surprised when it was announced that the quadruple world champion and the Maranello team will split after 2020. “I expected that he would drive there for another year or two, […]
No pre-Austria test not a disadvantage – Verstappen
Jun.12 (GMM) Max Verstappen says it is no disadvantage that he will not do any testing prior to the resumption of racing next month. Mercedes’ two drivers ran a 2018 car around the Silverstone circuit this week, and Ferrari is expected to follow suit with a test at Fiorano prior to Austria. Mercedes team boss […]
Canada not giving up on 2020 race in ‘fall’
Jun.12 (GMM) Organisers of the popular Canadian GP are not giving up on rescheduling the Montreal race this year. While some other venues have already cancelled or are poised to pull the plug on 2020, Montreal promoter Francois Dumontier is hanging in there amid the corona crisis for now. “Discussions are continuing with the various […]