Nov.3 (GMM) A third team has revealed its opposition to Fernando Alonso’s participation in the end-of-season ‘young driver’ test in Abu Dhabi. With rules restricting teams from fielding anyone other than highly inexperienced drivers, Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul said he asked his fellow team principals for dispensation to allow Alonso to re-acclimatise to F1. “One […]
Category: Recent stories
Grosjean ‘definitely’ eyeing Indycar move
Nov.3 (GMM) Romain Grosjean has admitted that a move from Formula 1 to Indycar for 2021 cannot be ruled out. Earlier, the Frenchman said the American series’ many oval circuits were a turn-off because of the heightened safety risk, but suddenly he admits that Indycar is “certainly an option”. “I have some contacts in America,” […]
Hamilton defends Russell after safety car crash
Nov.3 (GMM) Fellow drivers are jumping to George Russell’s defence after the Williams driver made an embarrassing mistake during the race at Imola. In scenes similar to Romain Grosjean’s incident of 2018 at Baku, the otherwise impressive Briton Russell crashed out behind the safety car last Sunday. “One minute he was there, the next minute […]
Zandvoort still not confirming 2021 race date
Nov.3 (GMM) Organisers of the Dutch GP at Zandvoort are still not confirming the race date for its first grand prix since agreeing to return to Formula 1. Zandvoort was one of the victim’s of this year’s coronavirus crisis, with organisers deciding against going the ‘ghost race’ route. Now, it is emerging that the 2021 […]
Jos Verstappen wants Hulkenberg to be son’s teammate
Nov.3 (GMM) Jos Verstappen says that if he was running Red Bull, Nico Hulkenberg would replace Alex Albon and become his son Max’s teammate in 2021. Max Verstappen recently admitted – twice – that he would like to be paired at the team with Hulkenberg next year. “It can only be three drivers – Albon, […]
Alpha Tauri preparing Tsunoda for 2021 debut
Nov.3 (GMM) Yuki Tsunoda is standing on the cusp of a busy period ahead of his almost certain 2021 debut for Alpha Tauri. The Honda-linked 20-year-old is set to replace Daniil Kvyat at Red Bull’s second team next year, and in preparation will test the 2020 Alpha Tauri at Imola this week. “Imola will be […]
Haas a good place to start for Schumacher – Maylander
Nov.3 (GMM) Haas is a good first team for likely 2021 rookie Mick Schumacher. That is the view of Bernd Maylander, who is Formula 1’s long-time safety car driver. Speaking to Sport1, he was commenting on what is now regarded as an open secret – that Ferrari will place Michael Schumacher’s son at Ferrari-powered customer […]
Wolff thinks ‘tired’ Hamilton will stay in F1
Nov.2 (GMM) Toto Wolff remains confident that Lewis Hamilton will eventually sign a new Mercedes contract for 2021 and beyond. After winning at Imola, and celebrating Mercedes’ seventh consecutive world championship, Hamilton caused a stir by saying there is “no guarantee” he will stay in Formula 1 beyond next month’s Abu Dhabi finale. The six-time […]
Kvyat out but Marko gives Albon more time
Nov.2 (GMM) While one Red Bull-contracted driver’s exit appears set in stone, another still has a few races to prove he still belongs in Formula 1. Although driving for the energy drink company’s second team Alpha Tauri, Daniil Kvyat thinks he easily outperformed the struggling Alex Albon at Imola. “From the very beginning of the […]
F1 should move to ‘rotating’ races idea – Seidl
Nov.2 (GMM) Andreas Seidl has admitted his opposition to the trend for longer Formula 1 calendars made possible by the likely introduction of Imola-like two-day race weekends. Just as news of the unprecedentedly long 2021 calendar featuring 23 races broke, Formula 1 descended on the much-loved former San Marino GP venue Imola for a novel […]
Covid threatens tail-end of 2020 season – Wolff
Nov.2 (GMM) The rest of this year’s makeshift Formula 1 calendar is in “the hands of the national authorities”. That is the view of Toto Wolff, whose Mercedes team on Sunday wrapped up the constructors’ championship at Imola – one of the stand-in events for the permanent races that had to be cancelled this year […]
Ferrari boss Binotto to skip next race in Turkey
Nov.1 (GMM) Laurent Mekies will step up and serve as Ferrari’s acting team boss at the next race in Istanbul. The rumour at Imola was confirmed by team boss Mattia Binotto, who said he will stay at Maranello instead of travelling to Turkey before missing “a few more” of the remaining four races after that. […]
Kvyat slams ‘bulls**t’ track limits at Imola
Nov.1 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat has slammed the strict enforcement of ‘track limits’ this weekend as Imola makes an otherwise highly popular return to Formula 1. “Jesus Christ! We don’t need white lines, we just need old-school gravel. Then we can get rid of this bulls**t,” the Russian driver is quoted by Sport1. Many drivers have […]
Renault hopes FIA allows ‘young driver’ test for Alonso
Nov.1 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul is hoping the FIA might step in to allow Fernando Alonso to take part in the end-of-season ‘young driver test’ in Abu Dhabi. As a 39-year-old two-time world champion, the Spaniard is definitely not a ‘young driver’, but Renault was hoping the other teams would regard his two-year sabbatical as a […]
Todt ‘concerned’ about F1’s ongoing corona crisis
Nov.1 (GMM) Jean Todt admits he is “very concerned” about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Although Formula 1 is up and racing again with its ‘covid-safe’ protocols including ghost races, social ‘bubbles’ and mandatory mask-wearing and testing, a new wave of the virus and lockdowns are currently sweeping through Europe and the world. “Everyone who contributed […]
Todt admits to seeing Schumacher ‘regularly’
Nov.1 (GMM) FIA president Jean Todt says he still goes to visit Michael Schumacher “regularly”. The pair remained close friends after their ultra-successful time together at Ferrari, but almost nothing is known about Schumacher’s health in the wake of a late 2013 skiing fall that caused brain injuries. “His fight continues, along with his family […]
Haas asked Alfa Romeo to delay driver news
Nov.1 (GMM) It is now obvious that Mick Schumacher will step up to Formula 1 next year with Haas. Earlier, it appeared that the 20-year-old German and F2 points leader would indeed get his promotion for 2021, but it had not been decided whether it would be with Ferrari-powered Alfa Romeo or Haas. At Imola, […]
‘Definitely’ no F1 race seat in 2021 – Kubica
Nov.1 (GMM) Robert Kubica says he will “definitely” not be returning to Formula 1 as a race driver in 2021. The Pole is at Imola this weekend in his capacity as Alfa Romeo’s reserve driver, after his sponsor Orlen switched from Williams to the Swiss-based team this year. Alfa Romeo is keeping Kimi Raikkonen and […]
Marko all but confirms 2021 exit for Kvyat
Nov.1 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has all but officially confirmed that Daniil Kvyat will not keep his seat at Alpha Tauri beyond the end of 2020. It comes after Pierre Gasly said he was “surprised” that Red Bull only re-signed him for 2021 on the basis that he will lead the second team rather than […]
Ferrari, Renault reject Red Bull engine freeze
Nov.1 (GMM) Both Ferrari and Renault say they will not support Red Bull’s push to see engine development frozen from 2022. With Honda departing at the end of next year, Red Bull has said it would like to take over the Japanese manufacturer’s engines and operations – but only if engine development is halted. Mercedes’ […]