Aug.6 (GMM) Amid Mercedes’ dominance, an interesting weekend nonetheless lies ahead at Silverstone. Firstly, the stewards – having summoned Racing Point officials on Wednesday – are set to rule on the legality issue surrounding the team’s ‘pink Mercedes’ car on Friday. Sources report that the decision is due before first practice. Also significant this weekend […]
Mercedes seeks ‘solution’ to reserve driver issue
Aug.6 (GMM) Esteban Gutierrez’s role as official Mercedes reserve is in doubt. Before the season, McLaren announced that it would be able to use future engine partner Mercedes’ official reserve drivers this year if needed amid the pandemic. They are Mexican Gutierrez and Stoffel Vandoorne. At Silverstone a week ago, another Mercedes customer – Racing […]
Hulkenberg to replace Perez again this weekend
Aug.6 (GMM) Racing Point will announce on Thursday that Nico Hulkenberg will race for the team at Silverstone once again this weekend. Sergio Perez, who sat out last weekend’s race at the same circuit following a positive coronavirus test, was expected to be tested again on Wednesday. His trainer Xavi Martos had told La Vanguardia […]
Didier Pironi’s son on Silverstone podium
Aug.5 (GMM) Didier Pironi’s son was on the Silverstone podium last Sunday. After the former Ferrari driver’s death in 1987, Didier Pironi’s partner gave birth to twins and named one of them after the driver’s former teammate Gilles Villeneuve. Today, Gilles Pironi is an engineer who works for Mercedes’ works team. He accepted the constructors’ […]
Ferrari adds weight to ‘pink Mercedes’ controversy
Aug.5 (GMM) Ferrari has now joined the growing push against Racing Point’s ‘pink Mercedes’. Technical director Andrew Green says he hates the nickname the car that admittedly strongly resembles last year’s Mercedes has acquired. “To see the work of the engineers discredited like that is totally false and has gone too far,” he is quoted […]
Ferrari must find up to 80 horsepower – Berger
Aug.5 (GMM) It will take “a year or two” before Ferrari can start thinking about beating Mercedes on merit, according to former team driver Gerhard Berger. The F1 legend’s prediction, mirroring the stated timeline of Ferrari chairman John Elkann, comes as Mattia Binotto admits he has relinquished the role of technical director. “It has taken […]
Raikkonen will not quit mid-season – Lehto
Aug.5 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen is not about to quit in the middle of a Formula 1 season. That is the view of former F1 driver and fellow Finn JJ Lehto, amid rumours 40-year-old Raikkonen may be losing patience with his uncompetitive Alfa Romeo. There are reports the 2007 world champion lost his cool over the […]
Tyres ‘have not kept pace’ with F1 – pundit
Aug.5 (GMM) An F1 pundit claims that Pirelli “has not kept pace” in 2020 as Formula 1 speeds race ahead. After a spate of tyre failures at Silverstone, including on both Mercedes cars, the sport’s official supplier said the long safety car period and the “notably increased pace” of the 2020 grid caused the problems. […]
Spectators need ‘patience’ before returning to F1 tracks
Aug.5 (GMM) As the ‘ghost races’ roll on in Formula 1, the question of when spectators will be able to return to the circuits is now being posed. Last weekend, Sergio Perez missed the first spectator-less Silverstone race after testing positive for coronavirus. And two infections have now struck the Formula E paddock in Berlin. […]
Physio says Perez wants to race this weekend
Aug.5 (GMM) Sergio Perez’s trainer admits they are hoping the Mexican can return to the wheel of his Racing Point at Silverstone this weekend. Perez, who sat out last weekend’s race following a positive corona test, told his social media followers on Tuesday that he is feeling “fine thank God”. “I haven’t had any symptoms,” […]
Talks needed with drivers who won’t kneel – Hamilton
Aug.5 (GMM) “More conversations” should take place to convince drivers like Kevin Magnussen to kneel down before races, according to Lewis Hamilton. Having kneeled for anti-racism with 14 other drivers in Austria and Hungary, Haas driver Magnussen elected to stand up with six of his peers at Silverstone. “I do not fully support what the […]
F1 doctor ‘surprised’ by low coronavirus infections
Aug.4 (GMM) FIA doctor Professor Gerard Saillant says he is “surprised” that so few cases of coronavirus have been detected since the 2020 ‘corona calendar’ kicked off last month. Thousands of tests have been carried out since the racing began in Austria and then moved on to Hungary and Britain. But so far, only two […]
Newey’s design dominance may be over – Albers
Aug.4 (GMM) Max Verstappen should re-focus his target for 2020 and instead aim to be runner-up behind Mercedes’ dominant champion Lewis Hamilton. That is the view of former F1 driver Christijan Albers, who told De Telegraaf that while Hamilton is untouchable, his teammate Valtteri Bottas appears beatable. “Max can create opportunities there. He is a […]
Wolff hints Mercedes ‘foursome’ staying together
Aug.4 (GMM) Mercedes will soon announce that its ‘dream team’ is staying together for another season. That is the claim of team boss Toto Wolff, referring not only to the prospect of 2021 contracts for Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, but also a new deal for himself. “We will announce the wedding soon,” the German […]
Binotto denies Ferrari to test new parts on Wednesday
Aug.4 (GMM) Mattia Binotto has denied that Ferrari will use a ‘filming day’ at Silverstone on Wednesday to try urgent car updates. While the other teams wait onsite for the second installation of the Silverstone double-header, it emerges that Ferrari will be in action mid-week. When asked if Ferrari is using the opportunity to try […]
Szafnauer not denying Vettel rumours
Aug.4 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel insists he has not made a decision about his next move in Formula 1. That is despite reports not only that he ‘bumped elbows’ with Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll at Silverstone, but left the circuit on Sunday in team boss Otmar Szafnauer’s car. “Nothing has been decided yet,” the quadruple […]
Wolff ‘not worried’ about Hamilton contract
Aug.3 (GMM) Toto Wolff says he is “not worried” that Lewis Hamilton might decide against extending his Mercedes contract beyond 2020. At Silverstone, the dominant six-time world champion went into the weekend explaining that he expects to keep racing in F1 for three more years. But when asked about his 2021 Mercedes deal and his […]
Magnussen stops kneeling because of Black Lives Matter
Aug.3 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen says he has joined those who refuse to kneel before Formula 1 races because he does not support the Black Lives Matter political movement. In Austria and Hungary, only six drivers did not join Lewis Hamilton and the rest of the 2020 field in kneeling in solidarity with the anti-racism movement. […]
Second race for Hulkenberg in Perez’s seat ‘likely’
Aug.3 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg is likely to get another chance this Sunday to take Racing Point’s fast and controversial ‘pink Mercedes’ to the start line at Silverstone. Reports suggest that because Sergio Perez needs a full ten days in isolation following his positive coronavirus test, the Silverstone based team will once again rely on Hulkenberg’s […]
FIA to consider ‘pink Mercedes’ protest on Wednesday
Aug.3 (GMM) F1’s governing body will consider the legality of Racing Point’s ‘pink Mercedes’ on Wednesday. It comes as Renault on Sunday lodged a third consecutive official protest against the car’s brake inlets, with team advisor Alain Prost arguing that Racing Point must have got “outside help” with the design from Mercedes. AFP France claims […]