May 19 (GMM) Nico Rosberg says Mercedes wanted him to stay at the team even after he announced his decision to retire from Formula 1 as world champion immediately after winning the 2016 title. Now involved in several business ventures, including as an Extreme E team owner and F1 television pundit, the 35-year-old said he […]
Honda engine still behind Mercedes – Tost
May 19 (GMM) Honda is still trailing Mercedes in terms of ultimate engine performance, Alpha Tauri boss Franz Tost has admitted. Tost heads the second Red Bull-owned team in Formula 1 that is also powered by Honda, the Japanese engine manufacturer that is officially leaving the sport at the end of this season. “Honda did […]
‘Premature’ to green-light Australian GP – PM
May 18 (GMM) A question mark is still hanging over this year’s running of the postponed and rescheduled Australian GP. While other countries are making progress in moving out of the pandemic, it’s a different situation in Australia – where the country is locked up tight to keep out all international cases of covid-19. Prime […]
6000 Austria GP spectators possible – report
May 18 (GMM) It is unclear how many spectators will be permitted to attend Austria’s two forthcoming Formula 1 races in 2021. Although a second race at the Red Bull Ring has been added to replace the axed Turkish GP, there is no news yet about whether spectators will be in the grandstands. “Nobody can […]
Barcelona ‘deserves’ Spanish GP spectators in 2022
May 18 (GMM) The Circuit de Catalunya “deserves” to welcome a full house of spectators to next year’s Spanish GP. That is the view of Josep Lluis Santamaria, the Barcelona venue’s president. He was asked by El Mundo Deportivo if it was fair that unlimited crowds were on the city’s streets on Saturday, but a […]
Alonso took on Alpine ‘leadership role’ – CEO
May 18 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is fulfilling a “leadership role” at Alpine, according to Renault CEO Luca de Meo. Spaniard Alonso, 39, won his two titles at the same Renault works team well over a decade ago, and after a two-year sabbatical returned to Formula 1 this season. “He has the ambition to lead the […]
Mercedes should put Russell in race seat – Schumacher
May 18 (GMM) Mercedes should put George Russell in a race seat “in the medium term”, according to former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher. However, the German said he did not believe rumours that Toto Wolff was seriously considering ousting Valtteri Bottas before the 2021 season is out. “For that, he would have to drive extremely […]
Alpine, Alfa Romeo also have ‘bendy’ wings
May 18 (GMM) At least two other Formula 1 teams will have to change the design of their rear wings in 2021, according to Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko. The FIA’s new clarification about rear wing flexibility has been reported as directly implicating Red Bull, after Lewis Hamilton referred to the “bendy” wing on Max […]
Pressure builds on Perez to support Verstappen
May 17 (GMM) The pressure is slowly building on Sergio Perez’s shoulders at Red Bull. The highly experienced Mexican was drafted in to be Max Verstappen’s teammate for 2021, after first Pierre Gasly and then Alex Albon struggled to get close to the Dutchman’s pace. But now four races into the season, it is clear […]
Cowell not joining Red Bull exodus – Wolff
May 17 (GMM) Andy Cowell is definitely not heading to Red Bull, according to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. For its new Red Bull Powertrains operation, the energy drink owned Formula 1 team has managed to woo at least 15 Mercedes engine staff from Brixworth to Milton Keynes. But Cowell, Mercedes’ well-known engine boss, is not […]
Verstappen ‘best driver’ in 2021 so far – Alonso
May 17 (GMM) F1 veteran Fernando Alonso thinks Mercedes has the edge over Red Bull at present – but he nonetheless hails the performance of the latter team’s top star. Lewis Hamilton, Alonso’s former McLaren teammate, has won three of the opening four grands prix and leads Max Verstappen by 14 points heading into Monaco. […]
Verstappen’s father says Red Bull must close gap
May 17 (GMM) Mercedes has “turned the tide” and now has a clear edge over Red Bull. That is he admission of Jos Verstappen, whose son Max is locked in a close head-to-head battle with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton for the 2021 title. However, despite initially having a quicker car in 2021, Verstappen senior told De […]
Russell shouldn’t have apologised – Capito
May 17 (GMM) George Russell didn’t need to apologise for his high speed crash with Valtteri Bottas, after which the British driver slapped the helmet of his Finnish rival. The crash and aftermath was a media highlight of the race at Imola, leading to Mercedes junior Russell issuing a public apology for his conduct. Williams […]
Red Bull must tweak ‘bendy’ wing – Marko
May 17 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko admits Red Bull will need to make tweaks to its allegedly ‘bendy’ 2021 rear wing. After Lewis Hamilton made the observation about Max Verstappen’s “bendy” wing after the Spanish GP, the FIA warned that it would clamp down on the issue of flexible wings with extra checks. “This is […]
‘Difficult’ for Williams to keep Russell – boss
May 17 (GMM) Williams boss Jost Capito admits it will be “difficult” for the British team to hold onto George Russell. New to the top job at Oxfordshire and in Formula 1, the former McLaren and Volkswagen official says British driver Russell is “absolutely” a future world champion. Indeed, the 23-year-old is also a Mercedes […]
‘No one understands’ Hamilton’s 2021 dominance
May 14 (GMM) “No one understands” why the closest title battle for years is coinciding with Lewis Hamilton’s best ever start to a Formula 1 season. That is the view of Alexey Popov, the Russian F1 commentator for Match TV. Recently, former Mercedes chief Paddy Lowe said that in 2014 – when the German team […]
Full house at Belgian GP looking more likely
May 14 (GMM) The idea of this year’s Formula 1 race at the fabled Spa-Francorchamps circuit going ahead with a full house of spectators is gaining speed. According to circuit chairman Pierre Wathelet, authorities are poised to green light a return to near-normality for the Belgian GP in late August. “Apparently the vaccination figures are […]
Wolff wants F1 to race in London
May 14 (GMM) Toto Wolff has issued a clear message to British authorities that he would like to see Formula 1 race on the streets of London. Previously, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone championed the idea of the sport heading to the British capital, but it never materialised due to bureaucratic complexity and the high […]
Spa hoping for full house at 2021 Belgian GP
May 13 (GMM) Spa-Francorchamps may be able to welcome a full house of spectators to the Belgian GP at the end of August. The Dutch magazine Formule 1 claims that outdoor sports events in Belgium may be able to return to 100 percent capacity from July 30, if the vaccination plan continues apace. Belgian prime […]
Bottas the best ‘water carrier’ for Hamilton
May 13 (GMM) Mercedes should keep Valtteri Bottas because he is a “good water carrier” for Lewis Hamilton. That is the view of former F1 driver Marc Surer, who plays down the rumours linking Bottas with the exit door and George Russell with the Finn’s seat for 2022 and beyond. “The rumours about George Russell […]