Mar.4 (GMM) Alain Prost has added his scepticism to the new aerodynamic rules for 2019. In the paddock, opinions are split as Liberty and the FIA move to make overtaking easier. “It was a change in the regulations that cost us a lot of money before another major change of regulation for 2021, the details […]
Category: Recent stories
Ocon to ‘grab opportunity’ in 2019
Mar.4 (GMM) Esteban Ocon says he wants to “grab” any opportunity that comes from his new role in F1. Dropped by Force India at the end of last year, the talented Frenchman remains strongly backed by Mercedes and will be the reigning champions’ reserve in 2019. “I am positive about my situation,” Ocon told RTBF. […]
Ferrari drops ‘Mission Winnow’ name
Mar.4 (GMM) Ferrari has dropped ‘Mission Winnow’ from its official name for 2019. The move, not announced publicly but clear from the latest version of the FIA entry list, follows speculation Ferrari is in the spotlight for reportedly clandestine cigarette advertising. ‘Mission Winnow’ is the new message from Ferrari’s main sponsor Philip Morris. “We know […]
McLaren ‘at the back’ – Marko
Mar.4 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says McLaren has made a “surprisingly good” step forward in some areas for 2019. The Spaniard has stepped down from his role as a race driver, but whilst racing in other categories this year will remain a McLaren tester. “There are areas that we need to revise and develop to improve […]
Hamilton hits out at ‘hard’ Pirelli tyres
Mar.4 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has hit out at F1’s tyres for 2019. Days ago, the world champion published a video on social media of his dog attacking a Pirelli tyre. “He was trying to bite into it but found it to be too hard,” the Mercedes driver joked. “I don’t have a lot of good […]
Prost backs Ferrari over driver hierarchy
Mar.1 (GMM) F1 legend Alain Prost has backed Ferrari’s decision to impose a clear driver pecking order ahead of the 2019 season. Mattia Binotto kicked off his tenure as the Maranello team’s new boss by declaring that Sebastian Vettel would have “priority” over newcomer Charles Leclerc. Leclerc, 21, said in Barcelona that Binotto’s call was […]
Leclerc says his number 2 status ‘logical’
Mar.1 (GMM) Charles Leclerc says it is “logical” that he starts his career at Ferrari with number 2 status to Sebastian Vettel. Since the highly rated youngster was signed by Ferrari, and after four-time world champion Vettel’s difficult 2018 season, many in the paddock predicted that it could be Leclerc with the upper hand this […]
Lowe ignoring rumours about Williams future
Mar.1 (GMM) Paddy Lowe says he has blocked out media speculation about his future at Williams. As the man most directly responsible for the struggling British team’s delayed and uncompetitive 2019 car, the voices calling for him to step down were loud. But Lowe, the technical director and also reportedly a team shareholder, says the […]
Bottas thinks overtaking easier in 2019
Mar.1 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has joined a growing number of drivers who think overtaking will be easier in 2019. Initially, there was great scepticism about the changes to the front wing rules for this year. Red Bull denounced it as a waste of EUR 15 million per team. But some drivers, including Daniel Ricciardo and […]
Lauda needs more time before F1 return – Marko
Mar.1 (GMM) Niki Lauda needs more time before he is ready to return to formula one. That is the view of his friend and Austrian countryman Dr Helmut Marko, who says he misses his breakfast buddy in the Barcelona test paddock. Although rivals, Marko says he has a “respectful friendship” with the F1 legend. “It’s […]
McLaren drivers back driving role for Alonso
Mar.1 (GMM) McLaren’s race drivers do not have a problem with Fernando Alonso testing their car in 2019. Alonso, who quit the team and sport at the end of last year but is now a test driver and ambassador, said he did not want to test in Barcelona because early mileage for Carlos Sainz and […]
Seeing a psychologist ‘a strength’ – Grosjean
Mar.1 (GMM) Romain Grosjean says it is “a strength” to admit that he still consults with a psychologist. The Frenchman first went to a psychologist in 2012, when he was banned for a race following a spate of accidents. “I think it shows a strength to say that we are able to get help in […]
Vettel’s younger brother joins Mercedes
Mar.1 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel’s younger brother Fabian has joined Mercedes. Bild newspaper reports that the younger Vettel has signed up to drive a Mercedes in the ADAC GT Masters series for 2019. Given his brother’s fight in F1 against the German marque, Fabian admits he initially had mixed feelings. “Mercedes was always our opponent,” he […]
Ricciardo denies ‘running’ from Verstappen
Mar.1 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo has denied he is “running from a fight” with Max Verstappen in 2019. Christian Horner, the Red Bull boss, made the claim in the new Netflix series Drive to Survive, when contemplating the reason Ricciardo fled to Renault. “My assumption is that he is running from a fight,” Horner said. But […]
Bottas ‘not worried’ about Ferrari’s lead
Mar.1 (GMM) As the 2019 winter tests approach their conclusion, Valtteri Bottas has admitted again that Ferrari continues to lead the pecking order. Charles Leclerc set a blistering fastest time on Thursday, the penultimate test day in Barcelona, and also impressed on a so-called ‘long run’. “When we calculate everything, then Ferrari would have beaten […]
Sirotkin to be ready for F1 return – Rothenberg
Feb.28 (GMM) Sergey Sirotkin says his plan to return to the F1 grid in 2020 is on track. The Russian, ousted by Williams at the end of 2018, has re-joined Renault as the reserve driver for 2019. “I already worked on this team in 2017, so I know the management, the engineers and the mechanics […]
Bottas says ‘B’-spec Mercedes is better
Feb.28 (GMM) Mercedes is still scrambling to get ready for the first race of 2019. That is the admission of Valtteri Bottas, who appeared to confirm the paddock perception that Mercedes is behind not only Ferrari but also Red Bull-Honda. Indeed, Mercedes arrived for the second test in Barcelona with a visibly different car, admitting […]
Ferrari unsure of 2019 pecking order – Gene
Feb.28 (GMM) A Ferrari test driver will not confirm that the Maranello team is leading the 2019 field. The paddock consensus is that Ferrari is clearly leading Red Bull-Honda and Mercedes. Long-serving Ferrari tester and ambassador Marc Gene admits to Diario Sport: “The car debut we had has been very good. “But we do not […]
Now Magnussen admits to 4kg weight gain
Feb.28 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has admitted he put on weight over the winter. The Dane is just the latest driver to admit to bulking up ahead of the 2019 rule change, whereby the driver plus the seat must weigh at least 80kg. Lewis Hamilton is visibly bigger, and Magnussen’s Haas teammate Romain Grosjean admits his […]
Raikkonen admits Alfa Romeo ‘fast’
Feb.28 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen has played down mounting speculation about Alfa Romeo’s ability to be a dark horse of 2019. His former Ferrari teammate, Sebastian Vettel, on Wednesday singled out the ex Sauber team as a notable standout of winter testing. Now working closely with Ferrari, the 2019 Alfa Romeo was designed by former Ferrari […]