Oct.25 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel admits his teammate Charles Leclerc is currently in “a different league” with the 2020 Ferrari. The Maranello team entered a deep competitive slump this year, but three consecutive races of car updates powered Leclerc to an impressive fourth on the grid in Portimao – just over a tenth from Max Verstappen. […]
Category: Recent stories
F1 to take ‘same’ anti-covid approach in 2021 – FIA
Oct.24 (GMM) Formula 1’s anti-covid protocols are likely to race into the 2021 season. That is the admission of Bruno Famin, the FIA’s operations director who is in charge of the strict measures in the sport this year to minimise the risk of infection. Coronavirus case numbers continue to rise in Europe and across the […]
Verstappen plays down Lance Stroll insults
Oct.24 (GMM) Max Verstappen has played down the reaction to his radio insults following a crash with Lance Stroll during Friday practice in Portimao. The Dutchman let off an expletive-filled denunciation of the Racing Point driver, but what attracted the most negative attention was his choice of politically-incorrect insults. For instance, Verstappen called Canadian Stroll […]
Perez is the ‘most wanted man in F1’ – Doornbos
Oct.24 (GMM) Sergio Perez has suddenly become “the most wanted man in Formula 1”. That is the view of former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos, referring to the fact that the Mexican and his powerful backers are on the market for 2021. Perez, 30, is losing his Racing Point-Aston Martin seat to Sebastian Vettel, and […]
Haas to sign ‘two paying drivers’ – Grosjean
Oct.24 (GMM) Haas needs “two paying drivers” to replace both Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean for 2021. That is not the claim of an F1 pundit, but of Grosjean himself as he admits that the American team’s decision to oust him and his teammate was not very surprising. “Guenther (Steiner) told me that financially they […]
F1 exit for Mercedes would be ‘crazy’ – Kallenius
Oct.24 (GMM) Mercedes would be “crazy” to give up its Formula 1 program, according to Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius. With Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff conspicuously yet to sign contracts for 2021, Kallenius’ comments come amid ongoing speculation that something significant may be about to happen. But Kallenius denies that will be an F1 exit. […]
Russell, Perez, Gasly, Ocon fire up ‘silly season’
Oct.24 (GMM) The extraordinary 2021 ‘silly season’ continues apace, with rumours about driver movements running rampant in the Portimao paddock. Acting Williams boss Simon Roberts did his best to quell speculation that George Russell could be about to lose his seat – but in the process only ramped it up. “There’s so much speculation around […]
Hulkenberg ‘would be a good teammate’ – Verstappen
Oct.23 (GMM) Max Verstappen says 2021 Red Bull candidate Nico Hulkenberg “would be a good teammate”. Throughout his current teammate Alex Albon’s struggles this year, Red Bull officials have consistently backed the British-born Thai driver. But more recently, Dr Helmut Marko has admitted that he may need to “look outside our team” if Albon “does […]
Contract could take ‘a couple of months’ – Hamilton
Oct.23 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton suggests it could be Christmas before he commits to Mercedes for 2021 and beyond by signing a contract. Both the six-time world champion and Mercedes have repeated consistently that they are not looking to make a change – but talks over the 2021 deal are still long delayed. Some think the […]
Hamilton slams FIA as critic Petrov named as steward
Oct.23 (GMM) The FIA has defended its decision to appoint Vitaly Petrov as a Formula 1 steward in Portugal this weekend. Six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton hit out at the decision, having been criticised by former F1 driver Petrov over his political activism including kneeling and wearing Black Lives Matter-themed t-shirts on the podium. “Let’s […]
Haas ‘needs money more than talent’ – Jan Magnussen
Oct.23 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen’s father says the Haas team “obviously needs money more than talent”. Former F1 driver Jan Magnussen’s comments came on the same day that the small American team admitted that both his son and Romain Grosjean are being ousted at the end of the year. Haas is expected to field an all-rookie […]
2021 driver ‘silly season’ explodes in Portugal
Oct.23 (GMM) With Haas clearing the decks for 2021, the ‘silly season’ has exploded at the scene of Sunday’s Portuguese GP. Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean appear unlikely to find new seats for next year, with the small American team rumoured to instead field an all-rookie lineup of Nikita Mazepin alongside Mick Schumacher. Elsewhere, […]
‘Question marks’ over F1’s 2021 calendar – Todt
Oct.23 (GMM) There are still “many question marks” about the resumption of a full and normal calendar of races for 2021. That is the admission of FIA president Jean Todt, even after organisers in Melbourne – a city still in a strict anti-covid lockdown – denied that it will lose its season-opening spot for 2021. […]
Red Bull not yet ruling out F1 exit
Oct.23 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko is expected to formalise Red Bull’s threat to quit Formula 1 at a key meeting on Monday over the engine situation. Red Bull is looking into taking over the IP to Honda’s power unit technology and operations from 2022, but only if the sport’s current regulations are also tweaked – […]
FIA tells Racing Point to follow covid protocols
Oct.23 (GMM) F1’s governing body has tightened covid protocols and warned Racing Point amid the unfolding saga involving Lance Stroll’s virus infection. Team boss Otmar Szafnauer defended his actions that led to Stroll admitting this week he had coronavirus after Racing Point said he sat out the Nurburgring with a stomach ache. “Lance called his […]
French media say Haas exit for Grosjean ‘confirmed’
Oct.22 (GMM) French media are now confirming reports that Romain Grosjean will leave Haas at the end of the 2020 season. Citing ‘a number of sources’, the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet this week claimed that the country’s Kevin Magnussen, and his French teammate Grosjean, have been told that their small American employer will be replacing […]
Alex Wurz’s son could join Ferrari academy
Oct.22 (GMM) The son of former F1 driver and current Grand Prix Drivers’ Association chairman Alex Wurz is now inching his way towards a future in Formula 1. 14-year-old Charlie Wurz is among the latest group of candidates in the running to join Ferrari’s increasingly impressive ‘driver academy’. The program’s most prominent fruit is Charles […]
Questions arise as Stroll admits covid infection
Oct.22 (GMM) Sections of the Formula 1 media have reacted with scepticism as it emerges that Lance Stroll and his team-owning father Lawrence recently tested positive for covid-19. At the Nurburgring, where Lance Stroll sat out the race with a stomach ache, Racing Point repeatedly denied that the 21-year-old had contracted the notorious virus. But […]
Red Bull eyes own engine program until 2026
Oct.22 (GMM) Red Bull would only be looking to run its own engine program until the current ‘power unit’ regulations end, according to Dr Helmut Marko. The energy drink owned camp’s top Austrian official does not hide that taking over the IP rights to Honda’s 2021 engine is Red Bull’s preferred option after the Japanese […]
Racing Point already using 2020 Mercedes suspension
Oct.21 (GMM) Racing Point has confirmed that it is already running the rear suspension of this year’s Mercedes on its own 2020 car. The team has made waves with its ‘pink Mercedes’ this year, as it is clearly based on the design of last season’s championship-winning car. “We said from the start that we would […]