Jul.2 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton wants $50 million a year to renew his contract with Mercedes, according to Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper. The news, reportedly confirmed by a “source close” to the six-time world champion, comes after team boss Toto Wolff revealed that Hamilton was behind the decision to switch from a silver to black livery […]
Rio’s F1 boss meets with president Bolsonaro
Jul.2 (GMM) Organisers in Rio de Janeiro are still pushing to have the Brazilian GP relocated from its current venue in Sao Paulo. According to O Estado de S.Paulo, JR Pereira – the boss of a consortium (Rio Motorsports) that won a bid to build a Formula 1 circuit in Rio – met with Brazilian […]
Marko texted Abiteboul after Red Bull Ring test
Jul.2 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko sent text messages to rival Formula 1 boss Cyril Abiteboul after Renault’s recent test outing at the Red Bull Ring. Marko, Red Bull’s top F1 official, admitted he was upset with management of the Red Bull Ring for allowing the test of a two-year-old Renault to take place ahead of […]
Major upgrades ‘impossible’ for Austria – Binotto
Jul.2 (GMM) Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto insists it was “impossible” to make substantial changes to the Italian team’s Melbourne-spec car ahead of the 2020 season re-start in Austria. Although admitting that a major upgrade and concept shift is coming for Hungary later in July, Binotto’s comments suggest he is sceptical about the reportedly sizeable upgrade […]
Honda ‘wants to fight for 2020 title’ – Verstappen
Jul.2 (GMM) Honda is pushing as hard as Red Bull to win the 2020 world championship, according to Max Verstappen. It is a clear statement of the Dutchman’s intent for the re-starting season, amid reports that Honda will debut a new specification engine in Austria this weekend. Verstappen says he is “very happy” with Honda’s […]
Abiteboul hints Vettel, Bottas options for 2021
Jul.2 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul is playing down hopes that Fernando Alonso might return to Formula 1 with Renault in 2021. The team boss issued a firm “no” when asked by France’s L’Equipe about the Spaniard’s candidature for the seat set to be vacated by Daniel Ricciardo. Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel, however, are still options. […]
Red Bull to ‘think about’ Mercedes DAS protest
Jul.2 (GMM) Mercedes intends to use its controversial ‘DAS’ steering system this weekend in Austria – and main rival Red Bull is not ruling out an official protest. It is a repeat of the situation in Australia, where it emerged that Red Bull was prepared to press its claim that Mercedes’ innovative push-pull steering wheel […]
Albon must ‘earn his seat’ in 2020 – Marko
Jul.1 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says Alexander Albon needs to “earn his seat” in 2020. Red Bull’s top Austrian chief is playing down the likelihood of Sebastian Vettel returning in 2021, but that doesn’t mean the pressure on Albon’s shoulders will lift. “He has to earn his seat,” Marko said, when asked what the British […]
Teams should survive corona crisis – Marko
Jul.1 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko thinks all of the current Formula 1 teams will survive the ‘corona crisis’. It has been an unprecedentedly tumultuous period for the sport and many others, as the world ground to a halt for a global pandemic. McLaren has survived thanks only to a $185 bank loan, Haas’ future is […]
Giovinazzi says he must beat Raikkonen in 2020
Jul.1 (GMM) Antonio Giovinazzi has admitted his Formula 1 career could stall if he is unable to beat his famous Alfa Romeo teammate in 2020. With Ferrari’s backing, the 26-year-old Italian completed his first full season in 2019, but he admits he needs to up his game this year. “If my dreams are to continue, […]
Team boss denies McLaren at risk of collapse
Jul.1 (GMM) Team boss Andreas Seidl has denied that McLaren could have collapsed financially in 2020. Recent London High Court documents showed that the Woking based team required a huge cash injection to avoid insolvency within the month of July. This week, it emerged that a $185 million loan has been secured from the National […]
Ferrari admits ‘B’ Ferrari car in the works
Jul.1 (GMM) Ferrari has admitted it is making a “significant change of direction” with the concept of its 2020 car. After winter testing showed the Maranello team is easily off Mercedes and Red Bull’s pace, there was speculation Ferrari was readying a ‘B’ car. The team denied that its Austria-spec car is significantly different to […]
Virus means F1 teams lining up reserve drivers
Jul.1 (GMM) Formula 1 teams are organising their respective reserve drivers as the sport prepares to get back to racing amid the corona pandemic. Max Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen has told De Limburger newspaper that F1 is looking at the Austrian GP this weekend “almost as a military operation”. “There is no role for Jos […]
Wolff admits Hamilton behind black livery idea
Jul.1 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton was behind Mercedes’ livery switch from silver to black ahead of the re-starting 2020 season, his boss has admitted. While some simply hailed the new paint job’s visual appeal, it is actually a tip of the hat to the Black Lives Matter political movement. “Lewis is very active in Black Lives […]
Bahrain bank loans McLaren $185m
Jun.30 (GMM) McLaren is borrowing about $185 million from a Bahraini bank. On Monday, amid claims the team needed funds desperately in order to avoid insolvency by mid July, McLaren supremo Zak Brown declared: “The problems have been solved. “You will hear positive news from us in the next few days,” he told Auto Motor […]
Zanardi still ‘serious’ after second operation
Jun.30 (GMM) Alex Zanardi on Monday remained in a “serious” condition after surgeons operated on his brain for a second time. In a statement issued by the Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital in Siena, Italy, doctors decided to operate after carrying out a CT scan. Zanardi, 53, has been in a coma ever since crashing […]
Max’s father hopes Red Bull close to Mercedes
Jun.30 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s father is hoping the new Red Bull car does not trail Mercedes’ pace by more than a couple of tenths. Many are predicting that 2020 will be a two-horse race between Dutchman Max Verstappen, 22, and reigning six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. “Personally, I think we are just behind Mercedes,” Max’s […]
Leclerc admits 2020 victory will be ‘difficult’
Jun.30 (GMM) Charles Leclerc has admitted that charging for victory in Austria this weekend will be “difficult”. Ferrari has played down reports that it will unveil a major car upgrade this weekend, having notably struggled in pre-season testing. “We hope to do better, even if it will be difficult,” Leclerc told Sky Italia as he […]
Vettel ‘doesn’t like Ferrari politics’ – Marko
Jun.30 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel “lost faith in Ferrari”, according to his first Formula 1 boss. Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko brought the German into the sport over a decade ago and presided over his four consecutive world championships. Vettel, now 32, subsequently moved to Ferrari but will leave the Maranello team at the end of […]
Magnussen’s F1 career in peril – John Nielsen
Jun.30 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen will not be feeling confident about his future in Formula 1, according to former Le Mans winner John Nielsen. Having halted development of Haas’ 2020 car for cost reasons, Dane Magnussen’s boss Gunther Steiner refused to rule out needing to sign up a pay-driver for 2021. “They said they will not […]