Mar.10 (GMM) Dutch public health chief Sjaak de Gouw says he is not worried that the first European race of F1’s 2020 season at Zandvoort will be cancelled. A dark cloud caused by the coronavirus crisis is now hanging over the first three flyaway races of the season in Australia, Bahrain and Vietnam. After that, […]
Marko slams coronavirus ‘scaremongering’
Mar.10 (GMM) The global coronavirus crisis is being portrayed “hysterically”, according to Red Bull’s top F1 official Dr Helmut Marko. On the face of it, the entire world – Formula 1 included – is becoming crippled by the disease outbreak, with China postponed, spectators locked out of Bahrain, and a giant question mark put alongside […]
Ferrari scandal could trigger Vettel exit – Glock
Mar.9 (GMM) The saga about the legality of Ferrari’s 2019 engine could trigger Sebastian Vettel’s exit from the team. That is the view of former F1 driver and fellow German Timo Glock, who was asked by ran.de about quadruple world champion Vettel’s expiring contract. “I think it will also depend on what happens with how […]
Magnussen admits no longer on top teams’ radar
Mar.9 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has admitted he has fallen off the radar of the top teams in Formula 1. Now at Haas, the 27-year-old Dane actually made his debut in 2014 for the then top team McLaren. “I got into Formula 1 in the same way as Verstappen and Leclerc, who went straight into top […]
Ecclestone slams Ferrari-FIA ‘secret deal’
Mar.9 (GMM) Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone is siding with the seven teams who are furious with Ferrari and the FIA. Just before the 2020 season begins, a political war has broken out after the FIA agreed a secret settlement with Ferrari over the Italian team’s questionably-legal 2019 engine. After the seven non-Ferrari affiliated teams […]
F1 ‘looks down’ on US drivers – Newgarden
Mar.9 (GMM) Two-time and reigning Indycar champion Josef Newgarden thinks the world of Formula 1 “looks down” on America’s premier racing scene. The 29-year-old from Tennessee, who won the Indycar titles in 2017 and 2019, had an unsuccessful GP3 campaign in 2010 and after that began his rise through the Indy ranks. Newgarden admitted to […]
Latifi hints Williams close to Alfa Romeo pace
Mar.9 (GMM) With most of the attention on the top of the 2020 field, an interesting battle could be brewing at the very bottom. Williams was dead last in 2019, but rookie Nicholas Latifi – who was the reserve driver last year – says the new car is “much better”. “Have we made as much […]
Sainz denies suggesting Racing Point ‘illegal’
Mar.9 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has backed away from any suggestion that Racing Point’s 2020 car, dubbed the ‘pink Mercedes’ by many in the paddock, might be illegal. Spaniard Sainz, who drives for McLaren, hinted that the engineers he works with do not believe that Racing Point copied Mercedes simply by studying photos. “I asked my […]
Ecclestone says 2020 Ferrari ‘not good’
Mar.9 (GMM) Hopes are high that Red Bull can pose a challenge to Mercedes in 2020. What is clear after winter testing is that Mercedes remains at the front, while Ferrari is struggling. “The (Ferrari) car is obviously not good,” former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone told Blick newspaper. “But like millions of fans of the […]
Coronavirus looms over first four races of 2020
Mar.9 (GMM) Melbourne will not be following Bahrain’s lead by excluding spectators from its 2020 grand prix. Just days before the season kicks off in Australia, serious questions about the viability of the entire world championship remain. China has been postponed, Bahrain has announced that round two next weekend will be held without spectators, and […]
Raikkonen not worried about coronavirus
Mar.6 (GMM) Not every personality in Formula 1 is overly worried about the coronavirus. “At the moment I have a plane to catch to Australia on Saturday and I have a tremendous desire to catch it,” McLaren driver Carlos Sainz said on Thursday. Actually, the global situation with the infectious virus and disease is not […]
Ferrari settlement ‘political suicide’ by FIA – Marko
Mar.6 (GMM) Political “war” has broken out in Formula 1, according to the Italian media. “With a planned attack on Wednesday morning at 9am, Formula 1 was thrown into war,” said Corriere della Sera. It started with the FIA announcing that a confidential settlement had been reached with Ferrari, following an investigation into the team’s […]
Passing to be even harder in 2020 – Ricciardo
Mar.6 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo thinks the difficulty to chase and overtake rival cars has become “even worse” with the faster 2020 cars. The rules are changing fundamentally for 2021, with a car concept specifically designed to make it easier for the drivers to battle one another. But Ricciardo thinks the rules stability between 2019 and […]
Racing Point approach ‘wouldn’t work’ for Williams
Mar.6 (GMM) Claire Williams says Racing Point’s approach to the 2020 season “wouldn’t have worked” for the Grove-based Formula 1 team she leads. Racing Point, now owned by billionaire Lawrence Stroll, caused a major stir in the paddock recently by revealing the car now known as the ‘pink Mercedes’. Williams said: “I would never criticise […]
Sainz reveals McLaren contract talks
Mar.6 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has revealed he is already in talks with McLaren about a new contract. The Spaniard’s name has actually been linked with a move to Ferrari for 2021, to be paired with Charles Leclerc. But Sainz, 25, said he’s not paying much attention to the rumours. “For me, with all due respect, […]
Kvyat wants to be Verstappen’s teammate
Mar.6 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat says he wants to return to Red Bull in order to take on Max Verstappen. The Russian’s first stint at the senior team some years ago almost ended his career, but he says he actually performed better than many think. “I have had some very strong teammates,” said the 25-year-old, who […]
Zandvoort not panicked about coronavirus
Mar.6 (GMM) Race boss Jan Lammers thinks the coronavirus situation should not endanger Zandvoort’s return to Formula 1 in May. With China already postponed, and doubts still remaining about the flyaway races in Australia, Bahrain and Vietnam, many have been saying the Dutch GP could in fact be the first event that actually goes ahead […]
Mercedes ‘not unbeatable’ – Raikkonen
Mar.5 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen says his former team Ferrari should not be written off so easily in 2020. Although a race is yet to be run, most observers – Ferrari included – agree that the Maranello team’s 2020 car was off the pace in winter testing. Some assume that means Mercedes will walk to a […]
Renault not third fastest team – Ricciardo
Mar.5 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo is not sure his Renault car is capable of being on the podium in Australia. However, the Australian actually set the third fastest time overall of the six days of pre-season testing in Barcelona. “We are definitely not as fast as Mercedes,” the 30-year-old, who is heading into a decisive second […]
No special tyres for banked Zandvoort corners
Mar.5 (GMM) Pirelli has decided not to take special tyres to the new Dutch GP at refurbished Zandvoort this year. In winter testing, F1’s official tyre supplier tested some unmarked new front tyres that were designed to more safely tackle the layout’s new steeply banked corners. “I don’t want to hear about ‘panic’,” Pirelli boss […]