Apr.7 (GMM) Pirelli’s 18-inch tyres for 2022 “feel good already”, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has revealed. After the 2021 season opener, Ferrari and Alpine stayed behind in Bahrain to help Pirelli develop the new low-profile tyres for next season. “The new tyres feel good already,” Spaniard Alonso said. “It is at an encouraging stage […]
Sainz a closer teammate than Vettel – Leclerc
Apr.7 (GMM) Charles Leclerc says he is forging a closer relationship at Ferrari with Carlos Sainz than he did with his former teammate Sebastian Vettel. Spaniard Sainz, 26, moved from McLaren for 2021 to replace the ousted quadruple world champion Vettel, who is now struggling to get up to speed at Aston Martin. “All of […]
Verstappen’s father helping new youngster reach F1
Apr.7 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s father is now working on delivering another young driver to Formula 1. Former F1 driver Jos’ extreme commitment to his son’s meteoric rise in the sport is legendary – and now he has taken on the “challenge” of helping Thierry Vermeulen. Thierry is the 18-year-old son of Jos and Max’s manager […]
Red Bull lost ‘three tenths per lap’ in Bahrain – Marko
Apr.7 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko is expecting Red Bull and Mercedes to be “on an equal footing” in 2021. Max Verstappen dominated the entire season-opening weekend in Bahrain until the actual race, in which Lewis Hamilton pipped him at the post. But Marko has revealed that Red Bull’s Dutch driver, and also Verstappen’s new teammate […]
2021 Mercedes suffering Williams-like problem – Russell
Apr.7 (GMM) George Russell thinks Mercedes’ 2021 car could be suffering from a Williams-like sensitivity to the wind. At the Bahrain season opener, Mercedes junior Russell said he thinks the biggest issue with his new Williams car was a newfound sensitivity to the wind as a result of the tweaked aerodynamic rules for 2021. “Mercedes […]
Former Italian PM linked with F1 team project
Apr.7 (GMM) Rumours suggest former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi could be involved in plans for a new Saudi Arabia-backed Formula 1 team. Renzi, who is now a senator for Florence, caused a stir when he was spotted in the paddock of the 2021 season opener in Bahrain with Crown Prince Salman. “I’m used to […]
F1 CEO hits back at sprint qualifying cost debate
Apr.7 (GMM) Stefano Domenicali says Formula 1 risks losing sight of “the big picture” amid a dispute over extra funding for the three-race sprint qualifying trial. Top team bosses Toto Wolff and Christian Horner are arguing behind the scenes that teams need to be compensated under the new budget cap for the additional costs of […]
Father says Verstappen can win at Imola
Apr.6 (GMM) His son may not have won in Bahrain, but Jos Verstappen is confident Red Bull will have a potentially race-winning car at every race in 2021. Indeed, Max Verstappen dominated the season-opening race weekend until Lewis Hamilton pipped him at the post in the actual grand prix. Verstappen Senior told Ziggo Sport that […]
Leclerc wants even longer Ferrari contract
Apr.6 (GMM) Charles Leclerc says he is ready to extend his current Ferrari contract for an even longer period. Ferrari stunned the F1 paddock in 2019 by announcing that its new Monaco-born driver, then just 21, would be staying for the next five full seasons. “I have a contract until the end of 2024,” the […]
Three F1 names defend under-fire Mazepin
Apr.6 (GMM) Three prominent members of the F1 circus have defended the under-fire Nikita Mazepin. After a scandalous pre-season and nightmare opening race in Bahrain, many are now openly laughing at the plight of the Russian rookie. However, Ralf Schumacher warned his nephew Mick not to become complacent about the 22-year-old Mazepin’s presence. “Getting control […]
Mercedes link now hurting Aston Martin
Apr.6 (GMM) Just as the so-called ‘pink Mercedes’ benefitted from the Mercedes tie-up last year, Aston Martin is now struggling for the same basic reason. That is the view of observers including Ralf Schumacher and Dr Helmut Marko, who are connecting the works Mercedes team’s current problems with those of the satellite team. “Aston Martin […]
CEO explains Abiteboul’s Renault exit
Apr.6 (GMM) Renault needed change at the very top as the F1 team transitioned to its new identity as Alpine for 2021. That is the explanation of Renault CEO Luca de Meo, as he responded to rumours that Cyril Abiteboul was ousted as team boss due to the team’s poor performance. However, RTL quotes de […]
Alonso knows 2021 wins ‘impossible’ – Prost
Apr.6 (GMM) Fernando Alonso knows that winning races in 2021 is “impossible”, according to Alpine team advisor Alain Prost. Alonso’s long-time manager and mentor Flavio Briatore has told the Italian news agency Adnkronos that the returning Spaniard was “disappointed” with the start of his comeback year. “I spoke to him on the phone,” he said. […]
Zandvoort expects covid ‘clarity’ before race
Apr.6 (GMM) Zandvoort boss Robert van Overdijk remains confident the Dutch GP will take place in 2021. That is despite rumours that this year’s races in Holland, Canada and Brazil are most at risk due to the ongoing covid crisis. Van Overdijk admitted to the Dutch magazine Formule 1 that the clock is ticking in […]
Hamilton won’t quit F1 for activism
Apr.6 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says he will not quit Formula 1 simply because he advocates for political causes including environmentalism. The seven time world champion admitted he wants to be remembered as one of the world’s “change-makers”, but admitted that he sometimes needs to be more diplomatic. For instance, last year he shamed several of […]
Wolff slams Zak Brown over 2022 prediction
Apr.6 (GMM) Toto Wolff has slammed McLaren supremo Zak Brown for predicting an all-new driver lineup for Mercedes in 2022. Although McLaren has switched to Mercedes power for 2021 and beyond, that didn’t stop Brown from predicting that Max Verstappen and George Russell would replace both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas next year. “Brown is […]
2023 Le Mans seat for Leclerc possible
Apr.1 (GMM) The head of Ferrari’s sports car program is not ruling out a Le Mans seat for Charles Leclerc in 2023. The Maranello marque announced recently that it will return to the top tier of Le Mans racing for 2023 in the new hypercar category. Upon hearing the news, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc said […]
Binotto admits Ferrari engine ‘still behind’
Apr.1 (GMM) Ferrari is “still behind” in the Formula 1 horsepower department, team boss Mattia Binotto admits. It is clear that, compared with the performance crisis of 2020, the Maranello team has managed to produce a better engine for the new season. “We don’t have all the details yet to analyse, but I think we […]
Netflix use ‘creative freedom’ for F1 series – Brown
Apr.1 (GMM) Zak Brown says he supports the efforts of the Netflix team that puts together the annual Drive to Survive series – even if they use too much “creative freedom”. Viewers of the most recent series were surprised when the narrative of one episode was the supposedly increasingly toxic relationship between 2020 McLaren teammates […]
F1 cars to stay heavy in future – Symonds
Apr.1 (GMM) Pat Symonds has bad news for those hoping Formula 1 cars may lose some weight in the future. All-new technical regulations come into force in 2022, and for 2025 the engine format will also change significantly. However, F1’s chief technical boss Symonds says because the sport is continuing down the hybrid and electronic […]