Mar.13 (GMM) Max Verstappen has matured over the winter. That is the view of his boss at Red Bull, Dr Helmut Marko. With the departure of Daniel Ricciardo, 21-year-old Verstappen is now the clear team leader. “Max is still very young, but mature,” he told Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. “I already noticed it during the Barcelona […]
Category: Recent stories
Todt wants two more teams in F1
Mar.13 (GMM) Jean Todt says he would like F1 to have two more teams. The FIA president admitted he is in talks with Liberty Media about tweaking the next Concorde Agreement so that new teams are able and encouraged to enter. “At the moment we have ten stable teams,” said the Frenchman. “As you know […]
Wolff ‘had eye on Ricciardo’ for 2019
Mar.13 (GMM) Only a spike in form for Valtteri Bottas last year ended Daniel Ricciardo’s 2019 talks with Mercedes. That is the admission of Toto Wolff. Ricciardo starts his new Renault adventure in earnest this weekend, but Mercedes chief Wolff admits he negotiated tentatively with the Australian last year. “We’ve always had an eye on […]
McLaren needs new team boss – Ecclestone
Mar.13 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone says both Williams and McLaren need new management. The once-great F1 teams are now struggling, and former F1 supremo Ecclestone thinks the problem is the people in charge. “They are no longer in the hands of super competitive men like Ron Dennis and Frank Williams,” he told Corriere della Sera. “To […]
Ecclestone plays down F1 return rumours
Mar.13 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has played down suggestions he might make a return to formula one. The former F1 supremo may be 88, but his friend Christian Horner says: “You never know with him.” Ecclestone told Corriere della Sera: “It would be a mistake to go back, even if I had the chance. “Why should […]
Ricciardo ready to be beaten by Red Bull
Mar.13 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo says he knows his old team Red Bull is likely to beat him this weekend in Melbourne. The Australian has returned to his native country with new colours and a new goal — to help Renault join Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull in the fight for wins and titles. “The battle […]
Wolff wants Lauda return ‘as soon as possible’
Mar.13 (GMM) Toto Wolff says he wants Niki Lauda to return to the paddock “as soon as possible”. F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman Lauda has been absent ever since a 2018 lung transplant. “He was there partly as a crutch for Toto (Wolff) to lean on,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner. Wolff has […]
Liberty admits finding F1 sponsors difficult
Mar.13 (GMM) Liberty Media bosses admit they thought it would be easier to attract sponsors to F1. Chase Carey, the new CEO, and Liberty chief Greg Maffei took over from Bernie Ecclestone believing they would quickly be able to monetise the new $8 billion acquisition. Actually, revenues are declining. “The perception was just there are […]
Mission Winnow to return to Ferrari livery after Australia
Mar.12 (GMM) Mission Winnow, an initiative linked to title sponsor and tobacco giant Philip Morris, insists it will remain on the Ferrari livery in 2019. Recently, amid investigations in both Australia and Italy, Ferrari removed the word ‘Mission Winnow’ from its official name on the 2019 FIA entry list. It also emerged that the branding […]
Mercedes could change aero concept for Spain GP – Wolff
Mar.12 (GMM) Mercedes could re-emerge after the opening four ‘flyaway’ races with a Ferrari-like aerodynamic concept. That is the news from Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, who admits that after winter testing, Ferrari heads into Melbourne this weekend with the faster car. “By the end of the test, we had a better understanding of our […]
Williams exit gives Stroll ‘hope’ again
Mar.12 (GMM) Lance Stroll says he is much happier after leaving Williams. The Canadian and his backer-father, billionaire fashion mogul Lawrence Stroll, dumped Williams after the once-great team’s abysmal 2018 season. And now the British team could sink even lower in 2019, even though Robert Kubica is now in the cockpit. “Kubica was nine tenths […]
Renault ‘can afford’ to pay Ricciardo – Abiteboul
Mar.12 (GMM) Renault “can afford” to pay Daniel Ricciardo a front-running salary. That is the claim of the French works team’s boss Cyril Abiteboul, despite recently denying that Renault had paid “stupid money” to lure Ricciardo from Red Bull. “Renault has made a significant financial commitment,” he is now quoted as saying by Finland’s Iltalehti. […]
Verstappen says no win for Red Bull-Honda in Australia
Mar.12 (GMM) Max Verstappen has played down his chances of winning this weekend’s 2019 season opener. His boss, Dr Helmut Marko, has been ramping up the Dutchman’s hopes, predicting “five wins” this year and a potential tilt at the world championship. But at an event in Japan prior to heading to Australia, Max said: “We […]
Schumacher duo ‘needs time’ before F1 – Ralf
Mar.12 (GMM) The next Schumacher duo “needs time” before they are ready for F1. That is the claim of Ralf Schumacher, the former F1 driver who has joined the Sky Deutschland team as the German broadcaster returns to the paddock. However, Schumacher – whose brother Michael is the most successful driver of all time – […]
Future tweaks to Melbourne circuit possible
Mar.12 (GMM) Australian grand prix organiser Andrew Westacott has revealed tweaks could be made to the Melbourne circuit for the future. Amid constant suggestions that Albert Park is a poor circuit for overtaking, Speedcafe reports that Charlie Whiting will inspect the track after this weekend’s 2019 season opener. “It is likely the circuit might need […]
Mercedes weaker without Lauda – Horner
Mar.12 (GMM) Mercedes is weaker without Niki Lauda at the track. That is the view of Christian Horner, boss of the German world champions’ rival Red Bull. Lauda, 70, is still recovering from a 2018 lung transplant, and will not be in Australia this weekend. “Looking in from the outside, Niki’s absence is felt,” Horner […]
Binotto admits he almost quit Ferrari
Mar.12 (GMM) Mattia Binotto says it is Mercedes who should be regarded as the favourites heading into the 2019 season. That is despite the fact that it was Ferrari, the team now led by Binotto, that looked clearly fastest in pre-season testing. “I think the team to beat is still Mercedes,” the Italian told Corriere […]
F1 driving not ‘natural’ yet – Albon
Mar.11 (GMM) Alexander Albon says his driving in F1 needs to become more “instinctive”. When the 22-year-old Thai-British driver got the call to replace Pierre Gasly at Toro Rosso for 2019, he had never driven a formula one car. Therefore, he admits to still adjusting to life at full speed. “I am progressing quickly,” Albon […]
Gasly must have ‘more discipline’ – Marko
Mar.11 (GMM) Pierre Gasly must demonstrate “more discipline” when driving for Red Bull in 2019. Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s mercurial F1 driver manager, scolded the Frenchman for disrupting the team’s pre-season development programme in testing. “We brought things to the test that we could not fully develop due to the Gasly crash,” he told […]
Giovinazzi should make cautious start – Fisichella
Mar.11 (GMM) Former F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella has urged Antonio Giovinazzi to make a steady full-time debut in 2019. Giovinazzi is the first full-time Italian on the grid for eight years. With Ferrari backing, he will race for Alfa Romeo. “It’s best if he can stay ahead of Raikkonen,” Fisichella told automoto. “Kimi is a […]