Mar.18 (GMM) Formula 1 teams have already recovered more than half the downforce loss caused by the tweaked aerodynamic regulations for 2021. Some believe the sport made the rule change to chip away at Mercedes’ dominance, but it was also supported by Pirelli to relieve the ever-increasing strain on the tyres. “The original plan saw […]
Doping ban won’t stop Russian GP – promoter
Mar.17 (GMM) Organisers of the grand prix at Sochi are pressing ahead with preparations for the race in September, despite Russia’s anti-doping ban from international sport. There is already controversy over Haas’ new ‘Russian flag’-style 2021 livery, while Nikita Mazepin is unable to display the Russian flag on his overalls or car. Sochi GP promoter […]
Mazepin not preferred Haas driver – Steiner
Mar.17 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin will not get preferential treatment at Haas this season, team boss Gunther Steiner insists. Mick Schumacher may be the more famous and popular Haas rookie for 2021, but the company headed by Mazepin’s billionaire father Dmitry is the team’s new title sponsor. “Both drivers are equal in the team,” Steiner insisted […]
Ferrari makes ‘medium step’ with 2021 engine – Steiner
Mar.17 (GMM) Ferrari has not made a “big step” with its 2021 engine, according to customer team Haas’ boss Gunther Steiner. Some analysts are saying Ferrari’s new engine is 40 horsepower better than the underperforming power unit of 2020. Haas boss Steiner told the German broadcaster RTL: “I cannot say that it is a big […]
Alfa Romeo made ‘biggest jump’ for 2021 – Russell
Mar.17 (GMM) Alfa Romeo has made “the biggest jump of any team” ahead of the 2021 season. That is the view of Williams driver George Russell, who thinks Haas will instead be his British employer’s main rival this year. Alfa Romeo, he says, impressed him in Bahrain testing. “Kimi (Raikkonen) looked very, very fast,” said […]
Vettel denies eyeing Hamilton’s 2022 seat
Mar.17 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has denied having an eye on Lewis Hamilton’s works Mercedes seat for 2022. The quadruple world champion has moved from Ferrari to Aston Martin for the new season, with Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko calling the latter’s 2021 car “the second Mercedes”. “The second Mercedes, the Aston Martin, had similar problems […]
Marko questions Perez’s ‘five race’ prediction
Mar.17 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko does not think Red Bull newcomer Sergio Perez will need five races to start driving and racing his 2021 car at full speed. 31-year-old Mexican Perez, with almost 200 grands prix and a maiden win in 2020 under his belt, has joined Max Verstappen at the team following the ousting […]
Mercedes ran ‘much more fuel’ in test – Marko
Mar.17 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has brushed off suggestions that Red Bull is clearly the favourite heading into the 2021 season. That is despite the fact that every analyst agrees that Mercedes struggled throughout the single Bahrain test, while Red Bull’s new car was clearly improved compared to the one that dominated in Abu Dhabi […]
Williams could beat Haas in 2021 – Steiner
Mar.16 (GMM) Team boss Gunther Steiner admits it is “possible” Haas will finish dead last in the 2021 world championship. Most observers agree after the Bahrain test that Williams may have jumped ahead of the American team since the end of last season. Indeed, while Haas is focusing exclusively on the 2022 regulations, Williams got […]
F1 safety car driver ‘nervous’ about new season
Mar.16 (GMM) Long-time F1 safety car driver Bernd Maylander admits to feeling “nervous” about the 2021 season. “I haven’t been so nervous about a new season before,” the German admitted to the Dutch publication Formule 1. He is nervous because, for the first time, Formula 1 has two official safety cars – the usual Mercedes-AMG, […]
McLaren ‘surprised’ to get loophole jump on rivals
Mar.16 (GMM) McLaren is “surprised” to be the only team exploiting an early loophole in the tweaked aerodynamic rules for 2021. Spain’s Marca sports newspaper says the British team has found a way to minimise the performance loss of the tweaked diffuser rules by maintaining the length of some of the ‘vertical blades’. “I think […]
Norris questions Tsunoda’s ‘DRS’ laptimes
Mar.16 (GMM) Sharp-eyed observers have questioned rookie Yuki Tsunoda’s pace in the pre-season Bahrain test. Alpha Tauri’s young Japanese ended with the second fastest time behind sister team Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. “He delivered a sensational performance,” said Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko. “I expect a heated fight in the midfield.” However, tongue-in-cheek McLaren driver […]
Verstappen ‘much faster’ in Bahrain – Wolff
Mar.16 (GMM) Max Verstappen was “much faster” than Mercedes’ drivers at the Bahrain test. That is the claim not only of authoritative sources like Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport, but even Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff himself. “The blue car from Milton Keynes will start the season as favourite,” the Italian newspaper declared. “The setup […]
Mercedes struggling with aero rule change – Albers
Mar.16 (GMM) Former F1 driver Christijan Albers has dismissed claims that Mercedes may be sandbagging ahead of the 2021 season. “Mercedes wouldn’t achieve such a bad outcome deliberately,” the Dutchman told De Telegraaf in light of the team’s issues in Bahrain. “And a top team like that can turn a lot around in two weeks.” […]
Stroll ‘a benchmark’ for Vettel – Surer
Mar.16 (GMM) Lance Stroll could be “a benchmark” for quadruple world champion and teammate Sebastian Vettel in 2021. That is the view of former driver and pundit Marc Surer, who played down Vettel’s problems as the German’s on-track career began at the weekend in Bahrain. “We don’t know exactly where the problem is coming from,” […]
‘No panic’ despite difficult start – Vettel
Mar.16 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says there is no “panic” despite his difficult start to on-track life with Aston Martin. “Ten years ago there would have been panic,” the quadruple world champion and former Ferrari driver said after the one and only pre-season test. The German suffered from technical problems in Bahrain. “I’m definitely missing about […]
3 points for ‘sprint qualifying’ winners
Mar.15 (GMM) The winner of the trial ‘sprint qualifying’ races in 2021 will receive 3 points as well as pole position for the main event. It now appears set in stone that at three race weekends this year – expected to be Silverstone, Monza and Brazil – a 30-minute Saturday sprint race after qualifying on […]
Ferrari engine power ‘looks reasonable’ – Binotto
Mar.15 (GMM) Ferrari has succeeded in producing a more powerful engine for 2021. “As far as we can tell so far, our top speed looks reasonable,” team boss Mattia Binotto said at the Bahrain test. Last year, Ferrari slumped into the midfield in the wake of the engine legality scandal of 2019. The Maranello marque […]
Vaccines helping F1 eye ‘full season’ in 2021
Mar.15 (GMM) Formula 1 is hoping to race through the covid crisis by attending all 23 scheduled grands prix on the 2021 calendar. Melbourne, China and Vietnam are not happening for now, while Imola and Portimao have stepped in at late notice. But F1’s sporting boss Ross Brawn is hoping the full current calendar can […]
Alpine defends ‘plump’ 2021 car
Mar.15 (GMM) Alpine’s executive director Marcin Budkowski has defended the emergence of a notably ‘plump’ area of the 2021 car’s engine cover just behind the airbox. Some said it even reminded them of Ligier’s infamous 1976 ‘teapot’ car design, with Budkowski explaining that the new solution is simply better for the team. “We found that […]