Jul.4 (GMM) Toto Wolff has played down Sebastian Vettel’s hopes of switching to the works Mercedes team for 2021. To be ousted by Ferrari at the end of the year, the quadruple world champion said in Austria that moving to the Wolff-led German team is “an option”. “I don’t know what Mercedes’ plans are, but […]
‘Three groups’ in 2020 hierarchy – Grosjean
Jul.4 (GMM) The field of 2020 is split into three distinct groups in terms of pace, according to Haas driver Romain Grosjean. On Friday, a full seven months after the last grand prix, a Formula 1 race weekend finally kicked off in Austria. As expected, Mercedes has a clear lead and according to Charles Leclerc, […]
Binotto admits Ferrari axe ‘surprised’ Vettel
Jul.4 (GMM) Mattia Binotto has confirmed that Ferrari alone decided to oust Sebastian Vettel at the end of 2020. On Thursday, after Formula 1’s long shutdown period finally ended, Vettel denied his boss’s earlier claim that the split was agreed mutually. “The (phone) call was a shock,” the quadruple world champion said in Austria. “There […]
Wolff denies Hamilton distracted by politics
Jul.4 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s boss has denied the six-time world champion is becoming distracted from his commitment to Formula 1. In recent weeks in particular, the 35-year-old has been heavily involved in the Black Lives Matter political movement. He was even behind the move from a silver to black livery for the works Mercedes cars, […]
F1 sticking with ‘corona era’ for now – Masi
Jul.4 (GMM) At least for the next eight races, Formula 1 will stick with what Carlos Sainz described in Austria as a “very aggressive new normal”. The entire Formula 1, Formula 3 and Formula 3 circus at the Red Bull Ring is limited to just 2000 people, with race director Michael Masi confirming that 57 […]
Technical controversies fire up in Austria
Jul.4 (GMM) Technical controversy has returned to Formula 1 as the sport finally emerges from its long coronavirus slumber. On the first day of practice in Austria, Red Bull lodged an official protest against Mercedes’ ‘DAS’ steering system. “Red Bull is trying to distract Mercedes. It’s mind games,” former F1 driver Robert Doornbos told Ziggo […]
F1 hoping for UK quarantine exception – Marko
Jul.3 (GMM) Formula 1 should receive an exemption from Britain’s mandatory quarantine laws ahead of the forthcoming back-to-back races at Silverstone. As it stands, the world of Formula 1 faces 14 days in quarantine after entering Britain for the August races. “Now that the pubs have opened in the UK and there is still a […]
Bottas denies Mercedes engine flaw
Jul.3 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has played down rumours that a fault has been uncovered with Mercedes’ new engine specification in Austria. It was already known that a tweaked engine spec had been sent from Mercedes’ Brixworth base to the first ‘ghost race’ of 2020. But subsequent reports hinted that a problem had also been discovered, […]
Abiteboul texted Marko after 2020 engine test claim
Jul.3 (GMM) More text messages have been going back and forth between Dr Helmut Marko and Cyril Abiteboul. Renault boss Abiteboul, who shared an acrimonious relationship in the past with Red Bull’s chiefs, revealed that Marko texted him when the French team tested at the Red Bull Ring recently. “It got me some comments from […]
Marko eyes ‘psychological’ edge over Mercedes
Jul.3 (GMM) Mercedes vetoed the reverse grid experiment because it was afraid Max Verstappen would cope better than Lewis Hamilton. That is the latest provocative view of Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, referring to the fact that F1’s plans for qualifying sprint races and reverse grids in 2020 were scuppered by a single vote. “I […]
Sainz worried about Racing Point and Renault
Jul.3 (GMM) McLaren is at risk of being overtaken by two teams in 2020. That is the warning of Carlos Sainz, after the British team finished behind only the top three – Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull – last year. But now, the Spaniard says Racing Point and Renault are set to challenge. Red Bull’s […]
Verstappen ‘very careful’ amid racial politics
Jul.3 (GMM) Max Verstappen says he will remain “very careful” about getting involved in Formula 1’s new political moment. In Austria, Lewis Hamilton revealed he has added ‘Black Lives Matter’ branding to his all black 2020 helmet design, while the drivers are under pressure to ‘take a knee’ in support of the progressive movement on […]
Renault will not share Sirotkin in 2020
Jul.3 (GMM) Sergey Sirotkin doubts he will stretch his time beyond his newly-appointed role as Renault’s 2020 reserve driver. The Russian had a similar role last year, but he was also nominated reserve for the Renault-powered McLaren team as well. But amid the corona crisis and the risk that a race driver may become infected, […]
Haas will quit if team doesn’t improve – Magnussen
Jul.3 (GMM) Haas needs to up its game or team owner Gene Haas will pull out of Formula 1. That is the word from the small American team’s Danish race driver, Kevin Magnussen. It follows hot on the heels of team boss Gunther Steiner announcing that, to cut costs amid the corona crisis, the new […]
Giovinazzi admits ‘pressure’ to keep F1 seat
Jul.3 (GMM) Antonio Giovinazzi has admitted he is under pressure as he bids to stay in Formula 1. The Italian has enjoyed strong support from Ferrari, but there is now speculation that Maranello may recommend a new junior for Alfa Romeo next year – Mick Schumacher. Blick newspaper quoted Giovinazzi as saying this week: “If […]
F1 should race at tracks like Imola – Kvyat
Jul.3 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat thinks Formula 1 should return to older-style circuits like Imola and Mugello. The Russian driver got his first taste of the former San Marino GP circuit at Imola recently with a test for Alpha Tauri. “It was cool to drive there,” he is quoted by Russian media as saying in Austria. […]
‘Good time’ for Mercedes to sell team – Schumacher
Jul.3 (GMM) The end of 2020 would be “a good time to sell” the works Mercedes team, according to former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher. The German told Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper that he thinks the German broadcaster RTL decided to quit the sport because Sebastian Vettel looks set to leave F1 at the end of the […]
Alonso’s Renault return may begin in 2020 – report
Jul.3 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s deal to return to Formula 1 next year could now be done. That is the claim of Spanish radio Cadena SER, amid speculation the Spaniard might even replace the McLaren-bound Daniel Ricciardo at Renault within the 2020 season. According to other Spanish reports, the 38-year-old responded to the rumours of a […]
Vettel admits Mercedes ‘an option’ for 2021
Jul.3 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has admitted he would like to drive for Mercedes in 2021. The quadruple world champion made waves on Thursday by revealing that he never even received an offer to remain Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate next year. “In the previous few months it had actually been clear to me that we want […]
Ecclestone names newborn son ‘Ace’
Jul.2 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone and his wife Fabiana have revealed that their newly-born son is named ‘Ace’. The 89-year-old former F1 supremo had announced in April that he was set to be a father for the fourth time – his first with 44-year-old Fabiana and his first son. “I’ve been to Austria many times but […]