Jun.5 (GMM) Formula 1 is finally revving its engines in 2020. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will test the team’s 2018 car during a session at Silverstone next week to “practice protocols” ahead of the first ghost races in early July. And McLaren driver Lando Norris has shaken out the rust with a test […]
Category: Recent stories
Wolff admits he could change job title
Jun.5 (GMM) Toto Wolff has admitted he may soon have a different job title. Currently, the Austrian is Mercedes’ team boss – but former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher thinks “very exciting” changes are around the corner. That is because Wolff has bought shares in Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll’s new Aston Martin venture. According to […]
Red Bull taking ‘different’ package to Austria
Jun.5 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko hopes Red Bull is ready to take on Mercedes once the ‘ghost racing’ gets up and running in 2020. He said the energy drink-owned team will be aggressive in what could turn out to be a shorter than expected season amid the corona crisis. “Normally we are strong by the […]
Sochi open to hosting second race in 2020
Jun.5 (GMM) Organisers of the Russian GP say they are open to hosting a second race at Sochi on the 2020 ‘corona calendar’. So far, only eight races are featured on the initial Europe-only calendar, with F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn admitting the dates are “pretty firm”. After those races, F1 wants to start travelling […]
Ecclestone seeks buyer for Williams
Jun.5 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone says he will help his old friend Sir Frank Williams find a buyer for the embattled F1 backmarker. Having finished dead last in 2019 and now splitting with title sponsor Rokit amid the corona crisis, the now Claire Williams-led team announced that it is looking for investors and potentially a buyer. […]
Brawn hits back at Wolff over reverse grids
Jun.5 (GMM) Ross Brawn has hit back at Toto Wolff’s reasoning behind blocking the introduction of qualifying sprints and reverse grids for next month’s ‘ghost races’. It is believed Racing Point, whose owner Lawrence Stroll is now in business with Wolff in the Aston Martin project, joined Mercedes in blocking the move. “Personally, I don’t […]
Combining F1 and Indy ‘dangerous’ for drivers – Brown
Jun.4 (GMM) Zak Brown does not think other active drivers will follow Fernando Alonso in combining Formula 1 with a bid to win the fabled Indy 500. McLaren is unique among the ten F1 teams in also having an Indycar operation. Spaniard Alonso skipped Monaco in 2017 to contest his first Indy 500 and, now […]
Brother staying silent over Schumacher condition
Jun.4 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher says he will not break his rule about talking to the media about the health of his brother. Michael Schumacher won a record seven world championships and 91 grand prix wins, but almost nothing is known about his condition since he sustained brain injuries in a late 2013 skiing crash. When […]
Vettel an ‘outsider’ for Mercedes seat – Wolff
Jun.4 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel is only an “outsider candidate” for a Mercedes race seat in 2021. That is the news from team boss Toto Wolff, who said he will not join Ferrari and McLaren in announcing Mercedes’ 2021 lineup so far ahead of time. “I don’t want to pull the corset too tight in terms […]
Berger doubts Mercedes will sign Vettel
Jun.4 (GMM) Gerhard Berger is not optimistic that Sebastian Vettel will still be in Formula 1 next year. Already this week, the F1 legend – who was team co-owner when Vettel won his first grand prix in a Toro Rosso – has invited the German to switch to DTM. “Seriously, why not?” said the German […]
Hamilton’s father opposed to F1 restart
Jun.4 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s father is arguing that Formula 1 should not get back to racing in July. Six-time world champion Hamilton himself has been in the headlines this week after chastising the “white-dominated sport” for staying silent amid the George Floyd protests. His boss, Toto Wolff, says he has learned about identity politics from […]
Renault boss Abiteboul ‘has to go’ – Verschuur
Jun.3 (GMM) Frans Verschuur, who runs a GT4 team, thinks Renault should oust its team boss Cyril Abiteboul. “In my opinion there are three of them in Formula 1 that have to go,” the Dutchman told the F1 aan Tafel podcast. “Abiteboul, Claire Williams and Mattia Binotto,” he said. Explaining his opposition to Frenchman Abiteboul, […]
Sainz denies he will be Ferrari ‘number 2’
Jun.3 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has hit back at claims he will be Ferrari’s ‘number 2’ driver from 2021. A Ferrari insider this week said Charles Leclerc “is our future”, using a football strategy analogy to explain that the earlier policy of having two strikers is ending. “No, I have not signed anything that makes me […]
Carey wants F1 ‘hero’ Vettel to stay
Jun.3 (GMM) Chase Carey appears to want Sebastian Vettel to remain in Formula 1 beyond 2020. It seems that joining Mercedes or Renault, or simply retiring, are the quadruple world champion’s options for when he leaves Ferrari later this year. Renault appears poised to sign its former champion Fernando Alonso. Correspondent Ralf Bach’s f1-insider.com claims […]
Ferrari should have signed Giovinazzi – Minardi
Jun.3 (GMM) Former F1 team owner and boss Giancarlo Minardi says he would not have signed Carlos Sainz for 2021 if he was in charge at Ferrari. Sainz has been selected to replace Sebastian Vettel, but Minardi told Il Resto del Carlino newspaper: “I would have given (Antonio) Giovinazzi a chance, also to protect the […]
Frank, Claire Williams should leave F1 – Schumacher
Jun.3 (GMM) Williams failed to keep up with the pace of modern Formula 1, according to former team driver Ralf Schumacher. The German, who won six grands prix for the British team until 2004, was asked by Speed Week to comment on news that Williams is currently for sale. “It looks like neither Frank Williams […]
Budget cap ‘loopholes’ for McLaren – Marko
Jun.3 (GMM) McLaren could be a winner of the budget cap measures set to take effect next year. That is the view of Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko, who told Auto Motor und Sport that McLaren is set to benefit from faster rivals Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull needing to significantly slash staff numbers. […]
‘Ghost race’ organisers not paying a fee
Jun.3 (GMM) Organisers of the Spanish GP have confirmed they will not pay Liberty Media a fee for hosting one of the initial eight European ‘ghost races’ this year. Liberty Media finally announced the schedule on Tuesday, with F1 CEO Chase Carey hoping to publish a “full calendar” of 15-18 races “before the end of […]
Two teams oppose F1’s reverse grid plan
Jun.2 (GMM) It is believed Racing Point has now joined the works Mercedes team in indicating it will vote against experimenting with short qualifying sprints and reverse grids once the ‘ghost races’ get up and running in July. Before the corona crisis struck, Liberty Media had similarly tried to shake up the race weekend format, […]
Marko has no sympathy for sacked Daniel Abt
Jun.2 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has little sympathy for sacked Formula E driver Daniel Abt. Audi’s works team, which was originally owned by Abt’s family, sacked the 27-year-old German recently after it emerged that he had secretly allowed a professional gamer to drive in his place during an official Formula E esports race. Marko, the […]