May 6 (GMM) Luca di Montezemolo has emerged as a candidate to be the next FIA president. Recently, current president Jean Todt confirmed that he will step down at the end of his expiring term in 2021 – his maximum tenure as the head of F1’s governing body. Italy’s Autosprint claims that Montezemolo’s candidacy is […]
Category: Recent stories
FIA doctor says infection should not stop F1 races
May 6 (GMM) The Formula 1 show will go on even if a coronavirus infection is detected in the paddock, according to FIA Institute president Professor Gerard Saillant. In Australia, the season opener was called off when a McLaren mechanic tested positive. Now, F1 is planning to return with spectator-less back to back race weekends […]
Norris slams ‘selfish’ esports rival
May 6 (GMM) Drivers need to take virtual racing more seriously. That is the view of Lando Norris, one of the simulator world’s biggest stars who was taken out apparently deliberately by Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud in a recent race. “The big conversation is ‘yes, it’s a game’ and so on, so you shouldn’t […]
Back-to-back Austria GP plan ‘great’ – Verstappen
May 6 (GMM) Max Verstappen says he is looking forward to the resumption of the 2020 season – even if the races have to take place behind closed doors for now. The Red Bull driver told Servus TV that he is not suffering too much amid the coronavirus shutdown. “Basically, I like to be at […]
No ‘orange Mercedes’ strategy for McLaren – Seidl
May 5 (GMM) McLaren will not adopt an ‘orange Mercedes’ strategy in order to return to the top in Formula 1. Racing Point has taken flak in 2020 for admitting that its new car is based on detailed photographs of Mercedes’ title winning machine of last year. But McLaren team boss Andreas Seidl said the […]
Final manufacturer BMW could also quit DTM
May 5 (GMM) BMW has admitted that the premier German touring car championship could collapse. Audi’s shock departure post-2020 means that BMW will be the only manufacturer left on the DTM grid. And board member Klaus Frohlich told Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper that BMW could now follow after this season. “We have to wait and see […]
Ferrari losses limited to 2020 only – Camilleri
May 5 (GMM) Ferrari is confident about bouncing back financially from the corona crisis. Amid the F1 shutdown, and with Maranello at the epicentre of the Italian epidemic, CEO Louis Camilleri admitted that Ferrari’s bottom line has been hurt. “Formula 1 will negatively affect our results in 2020, but the losses will be short lived,” […]
Circuits fighting to host ‘ghost races’ – Lammers
May 5 (GMM) Circuits are fighting behind the scenes to be part of F1’s new ‘corona calendar’ for 2020, according to Dutch GP boss Jan Lammers. On the face of it, Liberty Media will simply help the promoters like Austria and Silverstone to organise races whilst spectators are unable to cover the costs by buying […]
Designer says Zandvoort not accurate in F1 game
May 5 (GMM) Zandvoort circuit architect Jarno Zaffelli says the Dutch GP venue’s depiction in the official Formula 1 video game for 2020 is not accurate. The ‘F1 2020’ software developer Codemasters has released a teaser of the new Zandvoort layout, featuring the highly celebrated new banked corners. “Although it is still a work in […]
F1 must be ‘open’ to plans amid pandemic – Prost
May 5 (GMM) The F1 world should stand behind the sport’s decisions about when and how the 2020 season gets up and running, according to Alain Prost. Some are critical of the efforts to go racing again from July, but F1 legend Prost thinks now is the time for unity. “Given the context, you have […]
July re-start too soon for F1 – Enzinger
May 5 (GMM) Porsche’s racing boss Fritz Enzinger is warning that July is too soon for the recommencement of the Formula 1 season. In charge of the German brand’s Formula E efforts, he told Kurier newspaper that he backs the current shutdown of world sport, including motor racing. “When it comes to sporting events, health […]
Contract talk ’empty’ amid crisis – Kvyat
May 5 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat says any talk about the future for Formula 1 drivers is on hold for the corona crisis. The Alpha Tauri driver is regularly linked with a potential return to the top Red Bull team, but he says any contract talk right now is “empty”. “If they are talking with confidence […]
Crisis could keep Haas in F1 – Magnussen
May 4 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has played down fears Haas team owner Gene Haas could be poised to pull the pin on his Formula 1 project. Speculation Haas could quit the sport was already doing the rounds last year, when the team was struggling badly with its 2019 car. “I can understand that Gene was […]
Paul Ricard disappointed by longer racing ban
May 4 (GMM) Paul Ricard boss Stephane Clair says he is disappointed that racing in France will not be able to resume until August at the earliest. The French GP organisers recently postponed their official date on the original 2020 calendar, even though they would have liked to join the ‘ghost racing’ action. However, events […]
Mercedes will sell team over corona crisis – Jordan
May 4 (GMM) Eddie Jordan says he is “convinced” that most manufacturers in Formula 1 could quit the sport over the fallout of the corona crisis. FIA president Jean Todt has already warned that in the period ahead, “teams, suppliers and manufacturers may have to review their program”. “The world has not only changed extremely […]
Manufacturers could quit over corona – Todt
May 4 (GMM) Jean Todt is worried that the upper tiers of motor racing could lose the support of car manufacturers amid the corona crisis. With countries locked down, racing series halted and an economic recession looming, the FIA president admitted the manufacturers may need to rethink their commitments. “I don’t think that the priority […]
Prost admits Renault could lose Ricciardo
May 4 (GMM) Alain Prost says it is very possible that Renault will lose Daniel Ricciardo at the end of 2020. In recent days, Renault junior Christian Lundegaard has admitted that he may be in a good position to replace the Australian if he does depart. “Daniel has a contract until the end of 2020,” […]
No racing in 2020 ‘impossible’ – Jos Verstappen
May 4 (GMM) It is “impossible” for Formula 1 to consider not racing at all in 2020, according to Jos Verstappen. “There will certainly be racing. I’m convinced of that,” the father of Red Bull star Max Verstappen told De Telegraaf. “A year without racing is impossible,” he added. Some are backing F1 and Red […]
No sim racing for Ricciardo
May 4 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo has described the chances he will join in the new trend among real racing drivers to go wheel-to-wheel in the virtual world as “slim”. A heated controversy has broken out between Indycar and F1 fans after Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud was accused of deliberately taking out Lando Norris in […]
Eight races ‘not enough’ for 2020 season – boss
May 4 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone thinks Formula 1 should be able to organise “eight races with no problems” in 2020. Actually, the former F1 supremo’s successors at Liberty Media are hoping for many more races than that, starting with back-to-back weekends in Europe with no spectators present. Ecclestone told F1 business journalist Christian Sylt, writing […]