Dec.7 (GMM) The team that is ousting Sakhir GP winner Sergio Perez says the Mexican “deserves a place in Formula 1”. 30-year-old Perez, who after Mercedes’ problems and the Max Verstappen-Charles Leclerc first lap crash surprisingly won Sunday’s race, admits he will have to take a sabbatical next year if he doesn’t secure Alex Albon’s […]
Grosjean skipping Abu Dhabi ‘to avoid skin graft’
Dec.7 (GMM) Romain Grosjean says skipping the final race in his Formula 1 career this weekend will safeguard his longer-term health. The Frenchman, who watched Sunday’s Sakhir GP from the sidelines, made the “most difficult but wisest” decision to return home to Switzerland rather than try to return to his Haas cockpit with burned hands […]
Replacing Bottas with Russell ‘not realistic’ – Wolff
Dec.7 (GMM) Toto Wolff has played down suggestions that Mercedes might be on the cusp of a sensational driver lineup change for 2021. Although a new contract with Lewis Hamilton is not signed yet, the team had intended to line up with the seven time world champion alongside Valtteri Bottas – who has signed a […]
Bottas’ ‘shares have collapsed’ after Sakhir GP
Dec.7 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas put himself under a spotlight in Sunday’s Sakhir GP – for the wrong reasons. Although Bottas managed to just beat Lewis Hamilton’s substitute Lewis Hamilton to pole on Sunday, George Russell clearly outclassed the Finn in the race. Team boss Toto Wolff isn’t sure why Bottas appeared so out of sorts. […]
Ferrari pushing for Abu Dhabi ‘young driver’ test for Sainz
Dec.7 (GMM) Ferrari is trying to green light a test in Ferrari’s 2020 car for Carlos Sainz. That is despite the fact that the Maranello team is unhappy that the FIA has given special approval for 39-year-old Fernando Alonso to also do the ‘young driver test’ in Abu Dhabi later this month. “It is not […]
Magnussen defends Grosjean stand-in Fittipaldi
Dec.6 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has defended his regular teammate Romain Grosjean’s replacement driver in Bahrain. Dane Magnussen was happy with his performance on Saturday – 16th – calling it his “best qualifying result in a long time” in his Haas car. “It was close,” he said, after just missing out on getting into Q2. “It […]
Now Vettel wants Racing Point test in Abu Dhabi
Dec.6 (GMM) Fernando Alonso on Saturday smiled when told that some of Renault’s rival teams are unhappy about his participation in the forthcoming ‘young driver test’ in Abu Dhabi. Racing Point boss Otmar Szafnauer said in Bahrain that he disagrees with the FIA after the governing body granted the 39-year-old Spaniard special dispensation to test […]
Perez ‘just said hello’ to Red Bull’s Marko in Bahrain
Dec.6 (GMM) Sergio Perez on Saturday played down the significance of being spotted in conversation with Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko in the Bahrain paddock. The Mexican told Spanish-language media last week that he will either be selected to replace Alex Albon for 2021, or he will take a sabbatical. So after the French broadcaster […]
Kvyat has ‘accepted’ 2021 fate
Dec.6 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat says he has “accepted” the likelihood that he will be left without a Formula 1 seat for 2021. One of the only doubts about Honda-backed Formula 2 driver Yuki Tsunoda’s promotion for next year was whether he would qualify for a super licence. But the Japanese then won Saturday’s race in […]
Russell boosts ‘market value’ in Hamilton’s car
Dec.6 (GMM) George Russell has upped his market value “enormously” with his performance at the wheel of the ill Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes in Bahrain. That is the view of former F1 driver Nick Heidfeld, after Russell missed pole by mere thousandths to under-pressure Mercedes regular Valtteri Bottas on Saturday. “In some ways being so close […]
Vettel took ‘a long time’ to accept Ferrari axe
Dec.6 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has admitted it took him “a long time” to accept Ferrari’s decision to oust him for 2021. Team boss Mattia Binotto phoned the quadruple world champion during the covid shutdown in May with the Maranello outfit’s shock decision to replace Vettel with Carlos Sainz next year. “It came out of nowhere,” […]
Russell can ‘win immediately’ – Verstappen
Dec.5 (GMM) Max Verstappen thinks George Russell can “win immediately” this weekend and put big pressure on Mercedes’ regular driver Valtteri Bottas. Team boss Toto Wolff on Friday denied that Bahrain this weekend is a “shootout” contest between rising youngster Russell – who is substituting for the ill Lewis Hamilton – and Bottas. “There is […]
Renault progress surprised Ricciardo in 2020
Dec.5 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo is putting a brave face on his looming move from an ever-stronger Renault team to McLaren for 2021. Rather than extend his deal into next year and beyond, the Australian driver decided in May to accept an offer to move to McLaren. But once the covid-delayed 2020 season got underway a […]
Two manufacturers quit Formula E
Dec.5 (GMM) Two manufacturers are pulling out of Formula E. Honda’s decision to pull out of F1 at the end of next year will leave just Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault on the grid. But in Formula E, the all-electric series, there are currently six carmakers involved – Audi, Mercedes, Porsche, Jaguar, Nissan and BMW, as […]
Albon could spend ‘year on the bench’ – Horner
Dec.5 (GMM) Alex Albon will either be retained by Red Bull or he will spend “a year on the bench” in 2021. That is the word from boss Christian Horner, as Red Bull continues to assess whether Max Verstappen needs a faster teammate like Nico Hulkenberg or Sergio Perez. Verstappen caused a stir after last […]
Ferrari designer Resta to have ‘senior’ Haas role
Dec.5 (GMM) Ferrari designer Simone Resta will take up a “very senior position” at Haas. In 2018, Resta was loaned to Ferrari-powered Alfa Romeo, another team that uses customer Ferrari engines and runs Ferrari junior driver Antonio Giovinazzi. Resta returned to Ferrari last year, but now – hot on the heels of Ferrari placing Mick […]
Grosjean supports TV replays of horror crash
Dec.5 (GMM) Romain Grosjean says he is “not against” Formula 1 deciding to show all the replays of his horror crash of last Sunday. Daniel Ricciardo led the criticism of the way Formula 1 handled the broadcast of the terrifying incident, accusing the sport of using it as a “Hollywood” moment. “I ran into Romain’s […]
Mazepin ‘not offended’ by pay-driver jibe
Dec.5 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin insists he is “not offended” that he is often regarded as just another pay-driver in Formula 1. The 21-year-old rookie, whose father Dmitry is a Russian oligarch and billionaire, has been signed by Haas to be Mick Schumacher’s teammate next year. Team boss Gunther Steiner is also not ruling out that […]
Vettel hits out at young driver test ‘theatre’
Dec.5 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has hit out at the “typical theatre” surrounding the forthcoming post-Abu Dhabi test. The event had been billed as a ‘young driver test’, but the FIA has given eleventh-hour approval for 39-year-old double world champion Fernando Alonso to drive the 2020 Renault. It is believed Renault successfully argued that because the […]
F1 chose short track for ‘entertainment’ – Verstappen
Dec.5 (GMM) Max Verstappen has accused Formula 1 of chasing mere entertainment value by running this weekend’s race in Bahrain on the short ‘outer’ perimeter layout. On Friday, drivers got used to the unfamiliar layout as they began immediately recording sub-60 second laptimes. “It’s not the most exciting track to drive,” Red Bull’s Verstappen said […]