Mar.20 (GMM) Lance Stroll is delighted to once again have “a race car”. The 2016 European F3 champion made his F1 debut in 2017, scoring a podium. But last year was a horror season for Williams, and with his backer and father, they moved to the newly Lawrence Stroll-owned Racing Point team for 2019. In […]
Category: Recent stories
Haas drivers slam new point for fastest lap rule
Mar.20 (GMM) Haas’ two F1 drivers have slammed the new ‘point for fastest lap’ rule in F1. But Ross Brawn, Liberty Media’s F1 sporting boss, hailed the introduction of the scheme after Melbourne, saying it “livened up” the end of the race. “That was exactly what we and the FIA had in mind when it […]
Hamilton ‘bored’ behind Bottas in Melbourne – Vettel
Mar.20 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says it’s “great” to discover after the Australian grand prix that his car was damaged. Despite starting from pole, the Mercedes driver was beaten to the first corner and the chequered flag in Melbourne by his teammate Valtteri Bottas. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel said Hamilton’s driving last Sunday was strange. “I don’t […]
Bottas can be world champion in 2019 – Rosberg
Mar.20 (GMM) Nico Rosberg thinks Valtteri Bottas can keep charging towards the world championship in 2019. Written off after his bad 2018 campaign, Finn Bottas got his season off to the best possible start by beating his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton in Melbourne. “I do think Bottas can be world champion,” Rosberg is quoted by […]
Honda to be ‘a force’ in 2019 – Hakkinen
Mar.20 (GMM) Red Bull-Honda looks set to be a “force” in formula one. That is the view of former two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen, who applauded Honda’s first podium since the Japanese manufacturer returned to F1 in 2015. The works McLaren-Honda partnership was an utter failure, but in the first Honda-powered race for Red Bull […]
‘Isolated’ teams must react to B teams – Racing Point
Mar.20 (GMM) Non ‘B’ teams like Racing Point and McLaren will have to “think” about how to respond to the alliances being forged between the sport’s biggest players and smaller outfits. Renault has already hit out at the sort of ‘B team’ alliances between Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Haas. Andy Green, the technical boss at […]
Mercedes not opposed to budget cap – Wolff
Mar.19 (GMM) Mercedes is not opposed to the introduction of a budget cap in formula one. Earlier, based on an interview in Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that was reproduced only in part by DPA news agency, we claimed that Toto Wolff is in fact opposed to the budget cap plan. But Mercedes says a crucial part […]
‘More power’ coming from Honda ‘soon’ – Marko
Mar.19 (GMM) Honda is promising more power, and Red Bull is determined to improve its chassis after the new works pairing impressed at the 2019 season opener in Melbourne. Max Verstappen, finishing behind the two Mercedes, ensured that pre-season favourite Ferrari couldn’t even be on the podium in Australia. And Dr Helmut Marko says there […]
Overtaking no easier in 2019 – Grosjean
Mar.19 (GMM) Overtaking has not become easier with the new-for-2019 front wing designs. In a bid to help drivers to follow and pass their rivals, F1 introduced some new aerodynamic regulations for 2019, including the wider front wing. But Lewis Hamilton said after the 2019 season opener in Australia: “I didn’t notice any difference.” Romain […]
Former Bottas sponsor not responding to ‘f**k you’ outburst
Mar.19 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas’ former long-time sponsor is not commenting on whether he thinks the Mercedes’ driver’s comments were specifically addressed to him in Australia. Just after winning the 2019 season opener in Melbourne, Bottas went on the radio and said: “To whom it may concern, f**k you.” The Finn admitted it was an unplanned […]
Five theories to explain Ferrari crisis
Mar.19 (GMM) Elements of the Italian media are wondering if Ferrari’s 2019 title hopes have collapsed after just a single race. The Maranello team dominated pre-season testing, but in Australia were outclassed by Mercedes and Red Bull-Honda. The press is not impressed. “Even Alonso in 2012 did better than Vettel in 2019,” wrote Il Giornale. […]
Red Bull ‘not looking behind at Ferrari’ – Marko
Mar.18 (GMM) Red Bull-Honda is setting its sights on championship leaders Mercedes, not the struggling Ferrari team. That is the claim of Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, who said Melbourne showed that the team is competitive with its new Honda engines. “It’s encouraging for the future that we did not get a single warning on […]
Too soon to say pressure getting to Gasly – Horner
Mar.18 (GMM) Boss Christian Horner has backed new recruit Pierre Gasly after a difficult start to 2019 for the Red Bull driver. Promoted from Toro Rosso to replace Daniel Ricciardo, Frenchman Gasly crashed twice in testing, had a dire qualifying session in Melbourne, and may be showing signs of feeling the pressure of life at […]
Mercedes still opposed to budget cap – Wolff
Mar.18 (GMM) Toto Wolff has renewed Mercedes’ opposition to plans for team budget caps in 2021. In Melbourne, FIA president Jean Todt said preparations for “cost control” are “quite well advanced”. He said the plans will be presented by the governing body and Liberty Media to the teams in London on March 26. But top […]
Ricciardo needs ‘harder skin’ for midfield life – boss
Mar.18 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul says Daniel Ricciardo may develop a “harder skin” for life further down the F1 grid. Having switched from the top team Red Bull, Australian Ricciardo endured a horror start to his Renault adventure by damaging his wing even before the first corner at home in Melbourne. He said afterwards that the […]
Italian press blasts ‘weak’ Vettel
Mar.18 (GMM) Mattia Binotto says Ferrari is not panicking after a bad start to the 2019 season. The entire paddock was stunned in Melbourne to discover that, after the Maranello team’s dominance of winter testing, Mercedes and also Red Bull-Honda were faster at the first race. “We need to analyse what happened here in peace […]
Kubica does not regret F1 return
Mar.18 (GMM) Robert Kubica insists he does not regret returning to formula one. The Pole had a horror weekend in Melbourne, which was his first race since returning from an eight-year recovery from permanent arm injuries. Not only is Williams by far the slowest team, Kubica was outpaced by his teammate George Russell and even […]
Bottas ends ‘difficult six months’ – Wolff
Mar.18 (GMM) The newly-bearded Valtteri Bottas issued a serious rebuke to his detractors after winning the 2019 season opener in Melbourne. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said the Finn gave the best possible response to those who left Bottas “completely written off” after his bad 2018 season. “I’m really happy for Valtteri because the last six […]
Top drivers don’t want Melbourne resurfacing
Mar.17 (GMM) Championship rivals Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel think organisers of the Australian grand prix should not resurface the Albert Park track. Days ago, Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief Andrew Westacott declared: “It is likely the circuit might need resurfacing.” But Ferrari’s Vettel said after qualifying in Melbourne that the circuit’s bumps are “part […]
McLaren agrees with Renault about ‘B teams’
Mar.17 (GMM) McLaren boss Zak Brown says he agrees with the team’s engine supplier about so-called ‘B teams’. Renault not only says it will not join Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull-Honda by going down the route of partnering with junior teams, the French marque insists it will campaign to outlaw the practice in the next […]