Dec.12 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton, who has now recovered from covid-19, says his Mercedes car felt different after George Russell substituted for him last weekend in Bahrain. The seven time world champion was fifth and second fastest respectively in Friday’s two practice sessions in Abu Dhabi. “It felt like I had spent a lot of time […]
Binotto, Camilleri stories not linked – Mekies
Dec.12 (GMM) The stories about Ferrari chiefs Mattia Binotto and Louis Camilleri are not linked. That is the word from acting Ferrari team boss Laurent Mekies, who is temporarily leading the Maranello outfit after Binotto returned to Italy feeling unwell. “I was with Binotto in Bahrain and he was not well after the grand prix,” […]
No final Haas test for Grosjean – Steiner
Dec.12 (GMM) Haas will not be giving Romain Grosjean a Formula 1 test over the winter. After it emerged that the Frenchman could not race in Abu Dhabi due to his burns, he said he would appreciate if any of the teams could give him one final test drive to round out his F1 career. […]
Alfa Romeo not joining Haas as next Ferrari ‘B team’
Dec.12 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur says Alfa Romeo won’t be following the lead of fellow Ferrari-powered team Haas in forging an even closer collaboration with Maranello. After it was announced that Ferrari designer Simone Resta will work for Haas next year, it now emerges that the Italian will actually work on the design and development of […]
Teammates say Grosjean ‘incredible’ on fast lap
Dec.11 (GMM) Two former teammates have farewelled Romain Grosjean from Formula 1 by saying the Frenchman was impressively fast over a single lap. Grosjean, who has revealed a photo on social media of the extent of the burns to his right hand, is unable to contest his final grand prix in Abu Dhabi this weekend. […]
Schumacher ‘treated’ to return to ‘normal life’ – Todt
Dec.11 (GMM) F1 legend Michael Schumacher is being “treated” so that he can “return to a more normal life”. That is the latest word from FIA president Jean Todt, who is now one of very few people who is able to personally visit his long-time friend at home. Almost nothing is known about 51-year-old Schumacher […]
‘No logic’ behind Ferrari test ban – Sainz
Dec.11 (GMM) There is “no logic” to the FIA’s decision to allow some experienced drivers to test after the Abu Dhabi finale but not others. That is the view of both Carlos Sainz and Sebastian Vettel, who are annoyed that although 39-year-old Fernando Alonso has been given the green light for the ‘young drivers test’, […]
Ferrari stuns F1 paddock with management news
Dec.11 (GMM) Ferrari has stunned the F1 paddock in Abu Dhabi with the latest news about its upper management. First, it emerged that Mattia Binotto left the Arab island because he is unwell – although the Maranello team insists it is not covid-19. A source in the Italian media said Ferrari’s team boss is not […]
Kvyat unsure why Tsunoda announcement taking so long
Dec.11 (GMM) Several drivers are waiting for Red Bull to finally announce its Formula 1 driver lineups for 2021. It is known that Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly will lead the Red Bull and Alpha Tauri teams respectively – but the cockpits alongside them are officially still vacant. However, Daniil Kvyat strongly hints that he […]
No early Haas debut for Schumacher due to ‘pressure’
Dec.11 (GMM) Promoting Mick Schumacher to the race cockpit this weekend in Abu Dhabi would have put “too much pressure” on the new Formula 2 champion. That is the word from Gunther Steiner, as he explained why he decided to keep Pietro Fittipaldi in the injured Romain Grosjean’s Haas cockpit this weekend rather than promote […]
Ocon ‘not afraid’ of 2021 teammate Alonso
Dec.11 (GMM) Esteban Ocon insists he is “not afraid” of Fernando Alonso. This year, as he returned to F1 following a year on the bench, 24-year-old Ocon struggled to match up against teammate Daniel Ricciardo but he landed on the podium last time out in Bahrain. However, his next teammate will be the notoriously-difficult two-time […]
Montreal wants spectators at 2021 GP
Dec.11 (GMM) Race promoter Francois Dumontier says the plan is for spectators to attend next June’s Canadian GP. The Montreal race fell off the covid-affected 2020 calendar altogether, amid rumours of a spat with local health authorities who rejected Dumontier’s pandemic plan. “As much as I said in July that they did not read our […]
Wolff not stepping down as Mercedes team boss
Dec.11 (GMM) Toto Wolff has ended any lingering uncertainty about his role in Formula 1 by confirming that he is staying put for 2021. “Yes, I will stay in Formula 1,” he told Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. “Also as team boss.” With his existing contract with Mercedes parent Daimler expiring at the end of December, the […]
Russell, Bottas say 2021 contracts unchanged
Dec.11 (GMM) George Russell and Valtteri Bottas have bucked the speculation by suggesting their respective contracts for 2021 will proceed as planned. After impressing the F1 world with his performance in Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, Russell suggested he had given Toto Wolff some thinking to do over the winter. “It was just a joking comment in […]
No ‘young driver’ test for Sainz or Vettel
Dec.10 (GMM) Current Formula 1 drivers have been told by the FIA that they are not eligible to do the ‘young driver test’ in Abu Dhabi after this weekend’s 2020 finale. The issue became a hot and controversial topic in the Bahrain paddock last week after it emerged that 39-year-old two-time world champion Fernando Alonso […]
Wolff ‘curious’ to see Ocon’s next steps in F1
Dec.10 (GMM) Toto Wolff says he is “curious” to observe the next developments in Esteban Ocon’s Formula 1 career. After the Mercedes junior driver lost his Force India seat at the end of 2018, Wolff made him reserve driver for the works team and for this year helped broker his return to the grid with […]
Marko plays down Perez, Russell rumours
Dec.10 (GMM) Red Bull has denied that it will rush to snap up Sergio Perez after the out-of-work Mexican secured his first Formula 1 race win in Bahrain last Sunday. Like Nico Hulkenberg, Perez has been linked with the struggling Alex Albon’s race seat for 2021. The team has said consistently that it will make […]
Russians defend Mazepin amid ‘groping’ scandal
Dec.10 (GMM) A prominent Russian motor racing official has defended 2021 Haas rookie Nikita Mazepin amid a scandal accusing the 21-year-old driver of ‘groping’ a friend. The brief social media footage, depicting the Russian as reaching out and touching the young woman as they travelled in a car, was slammed as “abhorrent” by Haas. Mazepin […]
Quitting F1 ‘would have been easy’ for Renault – Prost
Dec.9 (GMM) Renault over-performed in 2020, according to team advisor and F1 legend Alain Prost. He told Le Figaro newspaper that the Enstone based team “didn’t expect to be so good” this year. “Personally, I did not set a precise objective but I was hoping that we could finish fourth in the manufacturers’ standings. In […]
F1 commentator doubts Russell conspiracy theory
Dec.9 (GMM) A Formula 1 commentator has hit back at conspiracy theories surrounding Mercedes’ bungled pitstops that cost George Russell victory last weekend in Bahrain. According to the theory, the German team intervened deliberately with the bungled strategy, involving Mercedes pit mechanics fitting teammate Valtteri Bottas’ tyres to his car. Russell, who was replacing the […]