Jan.31 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas’ former long-time sponsor says rumours Mercedes could quit Formula 1 have been circulating in the paddock for “a couple of years”. The big story in F1 this week is that Daimler – Mercedes’ parent – may choose to withdraw its works support beyond 2020 at a board meeting on February 12. […]
Marko admits Red Bull misses Ricciardo
Jan.31 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says he is happy with Max Verstappen’s new teammate Alex Albon, even though the top Red Bull official admits he misses Daniel Ricciardo. “It was a bit of a shock to the whole team when he went to Renault,” he told Germany’s Motorsport-Magazin.com, referring to Ricciardo. Red Bull has struggled […]
Marko says Red Bull does not miss Renault
Jan.31 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has dismissed Renault engineer Remi Taffin’s recent claim that Red Bull’s engine supplier Honda is “one step behind” all of the other engine manufacturers in F1. “I don’t know what part of the season he was thinking about,” Marko, a top official at Red Bull, told Germany’s Motorsport-Magazin.com. After a […]
2020 Red Bull to debut at Silverstone
Jan.31 (GMM) Red Bull will run its 2020 car for the first time on February 12, Dr Helmut Marko has revealed. The energy drink-owned team was among the last to reveal a launch date, but Marko has now told Germany’s Motorsport-Magazin.com: “After bench testing of the new car is completed, we will run it in […]
Boss says McLaren ‘definitely’ not writing off 2020
Jan.30 (GMM) Andreas Seidl insists McLaren will not write off the forthcoming F1 season in order to focus fully on the sweeping rule changes of 2021. Key rival Renault is openly admitting that it is directing the bulk of its resources this year not to the 2020 project, but to the big opportunity presented by […]
Alonso’s Indy 500 deal set to be announced
Jan.30 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s deal to contest the Indy 500 in May will be announced imminently, according to sources. On January 10, the Spaniard – who failed even to qualify for last year’s race at the fabled American oval with McLaren – said he wants to be with “the best possible team” for 2020. In […]
Correa says FIA did not ‘look after’ him after Spa crash
Jan.30 (GMM) Formula 2 driver Juan Manuel Correa says the FIA did not “look after” him as he fought for his own life in the wake of Anthoine Hubert’s fatal crash at Spa last year. The 20-year-old Ecuadorian-American told the German broadcaster n-tv that he recalls “the whole accident” until he lost consciousness when he […]
Hamilton denies arguing with Mercedes over money
Jan.30 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has rejected speculation that he is arguing about the monetary value of his next contract with Mercedes. Reports have suggested that Mercedes is offering the new six-time world champion about $50 million a year for 2021 and 2022, with Hamilton firing back with a $66m counter-offer. The 35-year-old denies it. “Toto […]
Renault must ‘do better’ in 2020 – Ricciardo
Jan.30 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo says Renault needs to “do it better” in 2020. The Australian switched from top team Red Bull to the French works outfit last year amid fanfare and consternation, and Renault ultimately missed its target of fourth in the constructors’ championship. Not just that, Renault was only 6 points away from not […]
Leclerc will win title ‘soon’ – Alesi
Jan.30 (GMM) Former Ferrari driver Jean Alesi thinks Charles Leclerc will win the world championship “soon”. In 2019, during his first season in red, 22-year-old Leclerc got the upper hand over Sebastian Vettel, including confirmation that he is staying for the next five seasons. Speed Week even reports that Leclerc, but not quadruple world champion […]
F1 ‘monitoring’ coronavirus situation in China
Jan.30 (GMM) The Formula 1 organisation and its governing body are continuing to “monitor” the worsening situation surrounding the Chinese coronavirus outbreak. With 170 now dead and that number climbing every day, the world is reacting with alarm to the epidemic, as international sporting events in China are cancelled and major airlines begin scrapping flights. […]
Mercedes says F1 quit reports ‘simply wrong’
Jan.30 (GMM) Mercedes has rejected British media reports that claim the German marque is set to quit Formula 1 as a works team at the end of 2020. It is claimed that amid new Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius’ push to save a billion euros over the next three years, Mercedes will only remain in F1 […]
No doubt Dutch GP will happen – Lammers
Jan.29 (GMM) There is no longer any doubt that the first Dutch GP since 1985 will take place in May. That is the claim of former F1 driver Jan Lammers, the Zandvoort race’s sporting director. Earlier, opposition groups put up political hurdles that appeared to threaten the event, but Lammers told the F1 Aan Tafel […]
First Vietnam GP not sold out yet
Jan.29 (GMM) The Vietnamese public is becoming more interested in Formula 1, the CEO of the country’s inaugural grand prix says. Immediately after the Melbourne-Bahrain double header at the very top of the 2020 calendar, Hanoi’s new street circuit is scheduled to host its first F1 race. Some have been sceptical about Vietnam’s credentials for […]
McLaren needs ‘the best engine’ – Seidl
Jan.29 (GMM) It is important for McLaren to have “the best engine” in 2021, according to team boss Andreas Seidl. Zak Brown, McLaren’s overall supremo, revealed recently that team boss newcomer Seidl was the driving force behind the decision to sign up for customer Mercedes power after this year. “Our partnership with Mercedes is not […]
Mercedes unwilling to pay Hamilton $66m – Marko
Jan.29 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton may be pricing himself out of the market in Formula 1, according to Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko. Reports suggest the six-time world champion has turned down Mercedes’ offer of a new two-year deal for 2021 and 2022 amounting to as much as $50m per season. But Hamilton is reportedly pressing […]
Alonso says Hamilton has ‘weak points’
Jan.29 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has “some weak points” that Fernando Alonso admits would be “nice” to try and exploit. As he faces a second season post-‘retirement’, 38-year-old Alonso is no longer hiding his desire to return to Formula 1 in 2021 – perhaps as Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes. He admits to F1 Racing magazine that […]
Alonso says he ‘will win’ in 2021 F1 return
Jan.29 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he feels “fresh and ready” to return to Formula 1 in 2021. 2019 was the Spaniard’s first year after ‘retiring’, but he actually always left the door open for a return in the future. That future could arrive in 2021, with Spanish media reports quoting him as saying: “I have […]
Family to return Lauda’s team stake to Mercedes
Jan.28 (GMM) Niki Lauda’s stake in the works Mercedes team will be returned to the German carmaker. Last August, a few months after the F1 legend and team chairman’s death, we reported that the Lauda family was likely to sell the stake, believed to be 10 percent. When asked if the family would keep it, […]
Renault team was ‘missing something’ – Abiteboul
Jan.28 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul says Renault was “missing something” as it struggled to improve the 2019 car last year. The French works team began the year buoyed by the high profile signing of Daniel Ricciardo, and made clear progress with its engine. But team boss Abiteboul identified the chassis as a weak point, and long-time […]