Sep.24 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has blasted the ever-dwindling amount of testing that is permitted in Formula 1. At the beginning of the Spaniard’s career, teams tested for thousands of kilometres per season, including between the races. But to cut costs, testing is now severely limited, with most in-season running banned completely and even the pre-season […]
New F1 supremo Domenicali ‘a good man’ – Ecclestone
Sep.24 (GMM) The next F1 supremo is a “good man”, according to Bernie Ecclestone. 89-year-old former F1 CEO Ecclestone was ousted by his successor Chase Carey in 2017 in the wake of Liberty Media’s acquisition of the sport. Ecclestone and Carey never got along. But when asked about news that Carey is expected to be […]
Speed of Imola ticket sales ‘exciting’
Sep.24 (GMM) The first offering of the 13,147 tickets for November’s F1 race at Imola quickly sold out. It is the latest piece of good news as Formula 1 begins to put the ‘corona crisis’ in the past and welcomes limited spectators back to the circuits. “The numbers for the start of the pre-sale are […]
F1 choosing ‘show over safety’ – Minardi
Sep.24 (GMM) Gian Carlo Minardi has backed drivers who suspect Formula 1 is putting “the show” above safety. After Mugello, the scene of a dangerous safety car re-start pile-up, drivers including Lewis Hamilton wondered if the sport hadn’t tweaked the rules in order to spice up the entertainment factor. “I don’t like this Formula 1 […]
No more Honda upgrades in 2020 – Yamamoto
Sep.24 (GMM) Honda will make no further performance upgrades to its 2020 engine this season. The Japanese marque’s F1 boss Masashi Yamamoto said the decision is due to “regulation changes” in the wake of the corona crisis. “We cannot introduce the updated specifications as easily as we did last year,” he told as-web.jp. “We have […]
Red Bull didn’t ‘care’ about Wolff’s Concorde stance
Sep.24 (GMM) Red Bull did not support Toto Wolff’s attempts to delay the signing of the 2021 Concorde Agreement. That is the admission of Dr Helmut Marko, after Mercedes boss Wolff and every other team ultimately signed up. But it followed reports that Wolff was asking his fellow team bosses to delay the signing pending […]
Daimler denies Mercedes team rumours
Sep.24 (GMM) Daimler has added an official denial to reports that Mercedes’ works team could be sold to a major sponsor for $900 million. The claim had been made by former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan, who told Ziggo Sport he is “absolutely sure” Mercedes will be bought by Ineos. Jordan also said it was […]
Aston Martin to give Vettel ‘boost’ – Kubica
Sep.24 (GMM) Moving to Aston Martin for 2021 will give Sebastian Vettel a “boost”, according to Robert Kubica. The Pole, who lost his Williams seat at the end of last year and is now a DTM racer and Alfa Romeo reserve, said Vettel’s Ferrari demise is simply the way of Formula 1. “It can be […]
No ‘quantum leaps’ for Aston Martin in 2021 – Vettel
Sep.23 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he is not expecting “quantum leaps” as he joins Aston Martin for 2021. Many see the quadruple world champion’s 2021 move, having been ousted by Ferrari, as a masterstroke. Racing Point is securing a champion driver as it rebrands, and Vettel moves to a team that is backed not only […]
Renault ‘talking’ to potential F1 customers
Sep.23 (GMM) Renault is looking for another potential engine partner, boss Cyril Abiteboul has revealed. At the end of the year, McLaren is ending its customer alliance with Renault and switching to Mercedes power – and Daniel Ricciardo is also switching camps. But with Renault looking stronger in 2020 and now fully committed to the […]
Renault ‘prepared’ to handle Alonso – Abiteboul
Sep.23 (GMM) The ‘party mode’ ban did not alter the team hierarchy in Formula 1, according to Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul. The ban came down at Monza, and it had been expected to chip away at Mercedes’ clear engine power advantage. But Abiteboul told Auto Motor und Sport: “The pecking order is still the same. […]
Commentator tips one more contract for Raikkonen
Sep.23 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen is the second best Ferrari-powered driver in Formula 1 this year, according to a broadcaster. Many observers think this year will be the 40-year-old’s eighteenth and final season on the grid, as the Alfa Romeo is uncompetitive, Raikkonen’s motivation may be flagging, and juniors like Mick Schumacher wait in the wings. […]
Domenicali lined up to replace F1 boss Chase Carey
Sep.23 (GMM) Stefano Domenicali looks set for a sensational return to Formula 1 – to replace F1 CEO Chase Carey. The news was reported by multiple authoritative publications, including the major German newspaper Bild. In mid-April, Sport Bild – another Alex Springer publication – claimed that Carey would “soon” be leaving Formula 1. Bild correspondent […]
Gasly could become F1 champion – Tost
Sep.23 (GMM) Pierre Gasly is a future world champion and almost as good as Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. That is the claim of the Frenchman’s boss Franz Tost, after Gasly and Alpha Tauri stunned the F1 world by winning recently at Monza. Red Bull reacted by saying Gasly is the ideal “leader” driver for […]
Magnussen names contenders for his Haas seat
Sep.23 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has named the leading candidates who could take his Haas seat away for 2021. The Dane is liked by the American team and happy at Haas, and is believed to be in a more comfortable position than his teammate Romain Grosjean. Still, the sheer number of candidates to potentially replace him […]
F1 putting ‘corona era’ in the past
Sep.23 (GMM) F1 is beginning to put its ‘corona era’ in the past, as spectators rush to buy tickets for forthcoming races. After announcing that local approval had been given for the sale of 20,000 tickets per day for its October race, organisers at the Nurburgring revealed that the first 5,000 tickets sold out in […]
F1 tipped to stop Hamilton podium activism
Sep.22 (GMM) F1 will have clamped down on drivers making overtly political statements on the podium, according to former driver Vitaly Petrov. The Russian was referring to Mugello, where Lewis Hamilton wore a t-shirt calling on American police accused of shooting a woman during a raid to be arrested. Six-time world champion Hamilton has been […]
Alonso was ‘not ready’ to quit F1
Sep.22 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he was “not ready” to say goodbye to racing. Amid his two-year sabbatical, the 39-year-old made his first official visit to Renault’s Enstone headquarters on Monday ahead of his 2021 return. “I know every corner of this place,” said the two-time champion. “Every corridor, every door.” It will be Alonso’s […]
Liberty not ready for 2021 Spanish GP contract
Sep.22 (GMM) Talks about extending Barcelona’s place on the F1 calendar are on the back burner for now. Maria Teixidor, the new boss of the Spanish GP host, admitted to Diario Sport newspaper that the Circuit de Catalunya is yet to sign a race contract for 2021 with Liberty Media. “We want F1 to stay […]
Mercedes keen to make F1 more exciting
Sep.22 (GMM) Mercedes is happy to make “suggestions” to make Formula 1 more exciting. That is the view of Toto Wolff, who acknowledged that the dominance of the team he leads and Lewis Hamilton is not good for the sport. “Sport must also provide entertainment,” the Mercedes boss told motorsport-magazin.com. “If Usain Bolt wins every […]