Jul.6 (GMM) Mugello’s chances of hosting a Formula 1 race on the 2020 ‘corona calendar’ stand at 98 percent. That is the claim of Mattia Binotto, Ferrari’s team boss. The Maranello-based company also owns Mugello, a challenging circuit in northern Tuscany. Mugello is well known as a test track, but it is now slated to […]
Mercedes’ current drivers staying in 2021 – Kallenius
Jul.6 (GMM) Ola Kallenius, the CEO of Mercedes’ parent company Daimler, has ruled out a move to the German works team for Sebastian Vettel. At the same time, the Swede all but officially confirmed that both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas – who are both yet to sign new contracts – will be staying put […]
Vettel-Ferrari union continues to break down
Jul.6 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel’s relationship with Ferrari continued to deteriorate after the 2020 season re-start in Austria. It was the first race weekend since the Maranello team made the decision to oust the quadruple world champion at the end of the year. The event finally made clear the extent of Ferrari’s problems with its 2020 […]
F1 should re-think in-race driver penalties – Marko
Jul.6 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says Formula 1 should re-think the “whole system” of in-race driver penalties. After Max Verstappen retired with technical trouble, his Red Bull teammate Alex Albon tried to pass Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in Austria but was tipped into a spin. “This guy is such a sore loser!” Albon raged on the […]
F1 should be ‘careful’ with political movements – Todt
Jul.6 (GMM) Jean Todt admits Formula 1 should be “very careful” about letting the world of politics into the paddock. As the sport got up and racing in the coronavirus era on Sunday, six of the 20 drivers chose not to follow Lewis Hamilton’s lead by kneeling on the grid in support of the Black […]
Black car may increase overheating risk – Wolff
Jul.5 (GMM) Toto Wolff has admitted to some concern about Mercedes’ new black livery. The team boss revealed this week that Lewis Hamilton had pushed for the change in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. But there have been rumours that some Mercedes engineers are worried the sudden and unforeseen switch to black paint […]
Two drivers breach coronavirus rules in Austria
Jul.5 (GMM) Two breaches of F1’s strict coronavirus measures have emerged from Austria. The first is footage by Germany’s RTL broadcaster depicting McLaren driver Lando Norris failing a mandatory forehead temperature check at the Red Bull Ring. The 20-year-old is then seen holding a cold water bottle to his forehead before being checked again and […]
Former drivers think Binotto’s job at risk
Jul.5 (GMM) Mattia Binotto’s job may be on the line after Ferrari got its 2020 campaign off to a miserable start in Austria. Sebastian Vettel failed even to make it out of Q2 at the Red Bull Ring, but engine customers Haas and Alfa Romeo also struggled badly. Indeed, compared to 2019 at the same […]
Five F1 drivers refusing to kneel – source
Jul.5 (GMM) There are rumours of growing tension among Formula 1 drivers over Lewis Hamilton’s recent political activism. Having pushed hard over his support for the Black Lives Matter movement recently, the six-time world champion admitted he told his rivals at a meeting in Austria that “silence” on the issue of racism “is generally complicit”. […]
Wolff, Hamilton deny arguing over money
Jul.5 (GMM) Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton have denied they are arguing about the monetary value of the six-time world champion’s next Mercedes contract. In Austria, Hamilton slammed suggestions he is demanding a pay-rise, amid reports his boss Wolff is only willing to offer half of the desired $50m per year. “The media keep writing […]
Wolff’s talks about future in ‘good direction’
Jul.5 (GMM) Toto Wolff says talks about his future at Mercedes are heading in a “good direction”. In Austria, the works team’s boss denied that speculation about his future is connected with his decision to invest in Lawrence Stroll’s new Aston Martin project. “I made a small equity investment in Aston Martin, but no more,” […]
Red Bull not ruling out designing ‘DAS’ system
Jul.5 (GMM) Red Bull is looking into getting a Mercedes-style ‘DAS’ steering system up and running on its 2020 car. On Friday in Austria, the energy drink owned team’s official protest against the technology was not successful. “We are not appealing,” Dr Helmut Marko told Speed Week. “For the fans, the matter is over. “Our […]
Alonso the ‘logical choice’ for Renault – Villeneuve
Jul.4 (GMM) 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve thinks Fernando Alonso would be a good choice as Renault looks to complete its 2021 driver lineup. The French works team’s boss Cyril Abiteboul has admitted he has a list of contenders to replace the McLaren-bound Daniel Ricciardo. “Alonso seems to be the most logical choice,” Villeneuve told […]
Abiteboul admits 2021 talks with Alonso
Jul.4 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul has rejected speculation that Renault and Daniel Ricciardo might part ways even before the end of the 2020 season. Rumours emerged in Austria that the French team might be looking to replace the McLaren-bound Australian driver with Fernando Alonso. “We have started this season on the right foot and next year […]
Wolff suggests Mercedes seat unlikely for Vettel
Jul.4 (GMM) Toto Wolff has played down Sebastian Vettel’s hopes of switching to the works Mercedes team for 2021. To be ousted by Ferrari at the end of the year, the quadruple world champion said in Austria that moving to the Wolff-led German team is “an option”. “I don’t know what Mercedes’ plans are, but […]
‘Three groups’ in 2020 hierarchy – Grosjean
Jul.4 (GMM) The field of 2020 is split into three distinct groups in terms of pace, according to Haas driver Romain Grosjean. On Friday, a full seven months after the last grand prix, a Formula 1 race weekend finally kicked off in Austria. As expected, Mercedes has a clear lead and according to Charles Leclerc, […]
Binotto admits Ferrari axe ‘surprised’ Vettel
Jul.4 (GMM) Mattia Binotto has confirmed that Ferrari alone decided to oust Sebastian Vettel at the end of 2020. On Thursday, after Formula 1’s long shutdown period finally ended, Vettel denied his boss’s earlier claim that the split was agreed mutually. “The (phone) call was a shock,” the quadruple world champion said in Austria. “There […]
Wolff denies Hamilton distracted by politics
Jul.4 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s boss has denied the six-time world champion is becoming distracted from his commitment to Formula 1. In recent weeks in particular, the 35-year-old has been heavily involved in the Black Lives Matter political movement. He was even behind the move from a silver to black livery for the works Mercedes cars, […]
F1 sticking with ‘corona era’ for now – Masi
Jul.4 (GMM) At least for the next eight races, Formula 1 will stick with what Carlos Sainz described in Austria as a “very aggressive new normal”. The entire Formula 1, Formula 3 and Formula 3 circus at the Red Bull Ring is limited to just 2000 people, with race director Michael Masi confirming that 57 […]
Technical controversies fire up in Austria
Jul.4 (GMM) Technical controversy has returned to Formula 1 as the sport finally emerges from its long coronavirus slumber. On the first day of practice in Austria, Red Bull lodged an official protest against Mercedes’ ‘DAS’ steering system. “Red Bull is trying to distract Mercedes. It’s mind games,” former F1 driver Robert Doornbos told Ziggo […]