Mar.20 (GMM) McLaren has sorted its problems in time for this weekend’s 2018 season opener. Despite dumping Honda and switching to Renault, the once-great British marque remained the team with the most problems in winter testing. “We didn’t have the reliability we had hoped for in winter testing,” team boss Eric Boullier admitted before the […]
Haas ‘seems very fast’ in 2018 – Wolff
Mar.20 (GMM) Toto Wolff admits Haas may be ‘best of the rest’ in Melbourne. It is clear that Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari will lead the way as the 2018 season begins. But many think it will be the small Ferrari-linked Haas team in front of Renault and a densely packed midfield. “From our statistical […]
Wolff confident amid Hamilton contract delay
Mar.20 (GMM) Toto Wolff is still confident Lewis Hamilton will sign up with Mercedes beyond 2018. Earlier, amid claims a contract announcement was imminent, Hamilton suggested that the process may in fact be delayed. When asked about the state of the negotiations, boss Wolff said about a conclusion to the deal: “It’s a matter of […]
Ferrari is close to Mercedes – Wurz
Mar.20 (GMM) Ferrari could be closer to Mercedes this season than has been suggested in recent days and weeks. That is the view of Alex Wurz, who admitted that whether Ferrari can take on the German team is the big unanswered question ahead of the Melbourne season opener. “We have seen in the tests that […]
Toro Rosso took pressure off Honda – Key
Mar.20 (GMM) Toro Rosso has confirmed rumours Honda made a big step forward over the winter after the Japanese engine manufacturer got more ‘freedom’. One analysis of the big improvement made by Honda since the McLaren split is that it now has more room to breathe at its new partner, Toro Rosso. Technical boss James […]
Webber doubts Ferrari will quit F1
Mar.20 (GMM) Mark Webber says he would be “flabbergasted” if Ferrari quits formula one. Mercedes is also unhappy about Liberty Media’s plans for a budget cap and new engine regulations, but Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne has threatened to pull the Maranello based team out of the sport after 2020. “It’s a bit of a chess […]
Hamilton hints at Mercedes contract delay
Mar.19 (GMM) A new deal between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes could be delayed. Earlier, team boss Toto Wolff said he hoped a contract to keep the quadruple world champion at Mercedes beyond 2018 would be agreed by Melbourne. “We started talking about it but it’s not really my priority at the moment,” Hamilton said at […]
Copenhagen official plays down F1 hopes
Mar.19 (GMM) A top Copenhagen official has played down hopes the Danish capital could soon join the F1 calendar. Ninna Hedeager Olsen, the deputy mayor for Copenhagen’s technical and environment department, told Politiken newspaper that an F1 race in the city is “completely unrealistic”. “The organisation of an event like formula one is so extensive […]
Too early to dream about Ferrari – Leclerc
Mar.19 (GMM) Charles Leclerc says it’s too early to dream about a future at Ferrari. The reigning Formula 2 champion is backed by Ferrari, and has been placed at the newly Alfa Romeo-sponsored Sauber team for his F1 debut in 2018. But when asked if he is eyeing Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari seat for 2019, he […]
Ocon admits eyeing Mercedes future
Mar.19 (GMM) Esteban Ocon admits he is quietly eyeing a future at Mercedes. The young Frenchman is currently at Force India, but he is backed by Mercedes. According to RMC, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff recently called the 21-year-old his “little gem”. “It’s always cool to hear things like that from your boss,” Ocon smiled. But […]
Ousted Wehrlein left with ‘weird feeling’
Mar.19 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein admits it’s a “weird feeling” to be left on the sidelines as the 2018 season begins. The Mercedes-backed German drove for Manor and Sauber in 2016 and 2017 respectively, but is now heading back to the German touring car series DTM. “Of course I’d like to still be in formula one […]
F1 cars can speed up with Halo – Wurz
Mar.19 (GMM) F1 can speed up now that the controversial ‘Halo’ safety feature is attached to the cars. That is the view of Alex Wurz, the president of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association. Like many, the Austrian admits that Halo is not appealing “visually”. But he backs the move to make it mandatory. “It’s not […]
Ricciardo on contract ‘tightrope’ – Webber
Mar.19 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo will walk a contract “tightrope” in 2018. That is the view of the Australian’s countryman Mark Webber, referring to the fact that Ricciardo is on the prowl for a potential move from Red Bull for 2019. “The first part of the year is very important for him,” Webber told Melbourne newspaper […]
Verstappen admits he is Marko’s ‘new project’
Mar.19 (GMM) Max Verstappen has admitted he is boss Dr Helmut Marko’s “new project”. With the future of his Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo in the air, Dutchman Verstappen says it is clear Marko wants him to become the next world champion. “I am his new project. He wants to repeat the Vettel story and […]
Brawn admits F1 cars must lose weight
Mar.19 (GMM) Ross Brawn has acknowledged that formula one cars must lose weight. While laptimes are currently impressive, F1 figures including Robert Kubica and Paddy Lowe have said the way the cars have become heavier over the last decade is not positive. F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn admits: “The weight of the cars will be […]
Lowe says Kubica comparisons not right
Mar.15 (GMM) Paddy Lowe has hit back at claims Robert Kubica is a faster driver than both of Williams’ 2018 race drivers. After a seven year absence due to permanent injury, Kubica is back in F1 this year but only with the reserve driver role. But he was reportedly quicker than both Lance Stroll and […]
Zandvoort boss plays down F1 chances
Mar.15 (GMM) Zandvoort owner Bernhard van Oranje has admitted that a Dutch grand prix at the circuit is unlikely. In recent months, reports have suggested The Netherlands could be vying to return to the F1 calendar, potentially at Zandvoort or Assen. But Zandvoort owner van Oranje told the Dutch publication Formule 1: “We are talking […]
Berger backs new Honda boss
Mar.15 (GMM) Gerhard Berger thinks Honda is on track to improve in formula one. The McLaren collaboration in 2015-2017 was so bad that the British team dumped Honda, leaving the Japanese manufacturer to switch to Toro Rosso for 2018. But winter testing results for Toro Rosso-Honda were good, and Honda also spent the winter restructuring […]
Renault exhaust legal for now – Whiting
Mar.15 (GMM) F1’s governing body will not ask Renault to change the layout of its 2018 exhaust. The yellow and black car turned heads during Barcelona testing because it appeared the exhaust had been angled towards a specially heat-resistant rear wing. That is despite the fact that exhaust ‘blowing’ is not allowed. But F1 race […]
Red Bull could replace Ricciardo with Sainz – Horner
Mar.15 (GMM) Red Bull has Carlos Sainz waiting in the wings if talks with Daniel Ricciardo break down. That is the warning made by team boss Christian Horner, amid reports Red Bull has set Australian Ricciardo a deadline to commit to Red Bull beyond 2018. “Our intention is to have him with us in the […]