Oct.30 (GMM) Toto Wolff has admitted he voted down Liberty Media’s proposal to test a radical new qualifying format in 2020. Ross Brawn, the F1 sporting director, had revealed a plan to trial a new format next year over three grand prix weekends. The idea was to base qualifying on a reverse-grid sprint race. “We […]
Barcelona eyes F1 race talks for 2021
Oct.30 (GMM) Organisers of the Spanish GP are looking to re-open talks with Formula 1 about a new race deal for 2021. Barcelona looked set to be axed from next year’s schedule until an unique one-year deal for 2020 was agreed by Liberty Media. That deal involved convincing the F1 teams to attend an unprecedented […]
Hamilton, Vettel ‘threatened’ by Verstappen – Jos
Oct.30 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel feel “threatened” by Max Verstappen, according to the young Dutch driver’s father. In Mexico, world champion Hamilton hit out at Verstappen’s aggressive driving, and Vettel said he would “copy-paste” that opinion. “I think Lewis feels threatened by Max,” Jos Verstappen told Ziggo Sport. “Max is getting into their […]
Williams wants Kubica to criticise ‘internally’
Oct.30 (GMM) Claire Williams says she would prefer if Robert Kubica discussed his growing criticisms of the struggling F1 team “internally”. Over the past several races, it has been clear that the relationship between the Polish driver – who is leaving the team after Abu Dhabi – and Williams is deteriorating. Kubica denies it. “The […]
No ‘Schumi mania’ when Mick makes F1 debut – Danner
Oct.30 (GMM) Mick Schumacher’s inevitable Formula 1 debut will not trigger a new wave of ‘Schumi mania’. That is the view of former racing driver turned German language commentator Christian Danner. Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto says 2020 will be a “decisive year” for 20-year-old Schumacher as he looks set to tackle a second season in […]
Haas in ‘dead end’ with failed 2019 car – Steiner
Oct.30 (GMM) Gunther Steiner says there is nothing Haas can do to fix the team’s 2019 car. In the past days, race drivers Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean have been suggesting that Haas has totally written off the rest of the season. Team boss Steiner confirms that. “The best news is that there are only […]
Boss tells rivals to protest Ferrari engine
Oct.30 (GMM) Mattia Binotto is daring Ferrari’s rivals to lodge a protest against the Italian team’s 2019 power unit. There are rumours that key rivals suspect the engine could be illegal. “We’re talking about 50 horsepower on the straights,” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner is quoted by Blick. The Swiss newspaper’s veteran correspondent Roger […]
Marko eyes Red Bull wins at final 2019 races
Oct.30 (GMM) Red Bull is expecting to fight for victory at the remaining three races of 2019. Dr Helmut Marko admitted to being frustrated that Max Verstappen could not convert qualifying pace that was faster than both Ferrari and Mercedes into victory in Mexico. “Max was two seconds faster in the race than the leader […]
Kvyat a candidate for Red Bull return – Marko
Oct.29 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat is still in the running to return to Red Bull Racing in 2020. Earlier, Red Bull driver boss Dr Helmut Marko excluded the Russian driver from contention for the seat alongside Max Verstappen next year. Marko also said it was “a mistake” to declare that the Red Bull lineup will be […]
Talks between McLaren and Lukoil ‘failed’ – report
Oct.29 (GMM) Negotiations between McLaren and the Russian oil company Lukoil have failed, according to the Russian publication Championat. We reported recently that Lukoil may replace Petrobras as the British team’s oil sponsor, after Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro terminated the deal. However, the Petrobras logos were still on the McLaren car in Mexico. Team boss […]
Alonso calls off planned visit to US GP
Oct.29 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has called off a scheduled appearance at the US grand prix this weekend. Sources have told the Spanish media that he was scheduled to be in Austin as a McLaren brand ambassador. It is also rumoured that McLaren may have used the occasion of Alonso’s presence to announce that the 38-year-old […]
Critics slam ‘immature’ Verstappen after Mexico
Oct.29 (GMM) Max Verstappen is taking a barrage of criticism in the wake of the Mexican GP. First, after securing pole on Saturday, the 22-year-old audaciously admitted to not slowing down for Valtteri Bottas’ qualifying crash. “That he said it was one thing, but I think it was more the way he said it,” Dutch […]
Father Jos says Verstappen should have kept quiet
Oct.29 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s father says the Red Bull driver should not have commented on the yellow flag situation following Valtteri Bottas’ qualifying crash in Mexico. After audaciously admitting to not slowing down for the incident and daring the FIA to “delete my lap”, 22-year-old Verstappen lost his pole position. F1 race director Michael Masi […]
Masi to speak to Verstappen about ‘safety’
Oct.29 (GMM) Race director Michael Masi has denied reports that stewards only decided to penalise Max Verstappen after the Red Bull driver’s controversial post-qualifying comments. It is rumoured that stewards initially concluded that damage to the yellow light system was a good enough excuse for Verstappen not recognising the need to slow down for Valtteri […]
Vettel back up to speed since summer break – Danner
Oct.29 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel is getting back up to speed after a difficult period in his career, according to former driver Christian Danner. Earlier, the German’s number 1 status at Ferrari was being clearly challenged by his new and young teammate Charles Leclerc. But Danner told RTL that Vettel is still the same driver who […]
Lehto questions end-of-season F1 spectacle
Oct.29 (GMM) Former F1 driver JJ Lehto is worried about the spectacle of the remaining three grands prix in 2019. This weekend in Austin, Lewis Hamilton will guarantee his sixth drivers’ championship simply by finishing eighth or better. But after that, F1 will still move on to Brazil and Abu Dhabi. “What will we have […]
Vettel admits to shoving ‘selfie stick guy’
Oct.29 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has admitted to physically pushing an official interloper on the Mexico GP podium last Sunday. Formula 1 spiced up the podium action in Mexico, elevating Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes on a lift and inviting a Stig-like character to take ‘selfies’ with the celebrating drivers. “It was nice to have a […]
Abiteboul plays down Renault F1 quit speculation
Oct.28 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul has moved to play down speculation that Renault may quit Formula 1 after 2020. Amid a struggle for performance this year and the recent Racing Point protest saga, Renault’s new interim CEO Clotilde Delbos has now admitted that whether the carmaker stays in F1 beyond 2020 is “on the table”. Team […]
Mercedes dominance will end eventually – Heidfeld
Oct.28 (GMM) Former Formula 1 driver Nick Heidfeld thinks the hierarchy at the top of the sport is about to change. Mercedes has won the drivers’ and constructors’ championships for a record-setting six times in a row. But Heidfeld now senses a changing of the guard. “It’s difficult to get in a driver’s head, but […]
Haas has written off 2019 car – Magnussen
Oct.28 (GMM) Haas got an early start with development of its 2020 car, Kevin Magnussen has revealed. The Danish driver said the American team has effectively had to write off its 2019 car, which has fallen almost to the back of the field with its problems in handling the Pirelli tyres. “We know this car […]