Mar.5 (GMM) Red Bull-Honda is sounding very bullish about its chances of taking on Mercedes in 2020. Max Verstappen is giving very little away, but it is telling that he has had no complaints about the team’s new car. “The RB16 is not a completely different car,” the Dutchman told Ziggo Sport. “Overall the balance […]
Opening races of 2020 in serious doubt
Mar.5 (GMM) The coronavirus crisis is continuing to cast a shadow over the start of the 2020 season. In Melbourne, preparations are in full swing for the season opener next weekend, with the first team staff understood to already be flying into Australia. But the government is said to be considering severe restrictions on those […]
F1 should follow the lead of Formula E – Hamilton
Mar.5 (GMM) Formula 1 should follow in the wheel tracks of the all-electric single seater series Formula E, according to six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. The British driver was speaking as Mercedes’ F1 team announced that it intends to be carbon-neutral by the end of 2020. His comments come as many regard F1 as being […]
FIA behaviour a ‘real scandal’ – Marko
Mar.5 (GMM) Seven Formula 1 teams are threatening legal action over the secret “settlement” agreed between Ferrari and the FIA over the Italian team’s 2019 engine. It was already known that the non-Ferrari powered teams are furious about the lack of transparency and real penalty, but all seven of those outfits memorialised their rage by […]
Verstappen not ‘real me’ in Netflix series
Mar.4 (GMM) Max Verstappen has hit out at the way he is portrayed in the Netflix series Drive to Survive. With unprecedented access in the paddock and the team garages, the Netflix crew has put together a popular series whose second season has just been released. But not everyone is a fan. “I don’t think […]
Bad Williams car stopped F1 race career – Kubica
Mar.4 (GMM) Robert Kubica thinks he would still be racing in Formula 1 if he had enjoyed a better car for his return to the grid last year. Instead, the Pole is now Alfa Romeo’s new reserve driver, and he will combine that 2020 role with a race seat in the German touring car series […]
Wolff wants FIA to reveal Ferrari engine details
Mar.4 (GMM) A letter calling on the FIA to clarify the saga about the legality of Ferrari’s 2019 engine is doing the rounds. According to Auto Bild, the author of the letter is Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. The development follows the FIA’s controversial announcement that a secret “settlement” with Ferrari had been reached following a […]
Verstappen worried about Zandvoort ‘PR overload’
Mar.4 (GMM) Max Verstappen says he is concerned that his first home grand prix at Zandvoort this year will be stressful. He told Germany’s RTL that he saw first-hand the strain that former teammate Daniel Ricciardo is under at his own home race in Australia, calling it “PR overload”. “I saw it every time we […]
‘Happy’ Leclerc upbeat about Ferrari prospects
Mar.4 (GMM) Charles Leclerc is remaining upbeat, even after his boss Mattia Binotto admitted the 2020 Ferrari will not be an early winner this season. Expert analyses say the new red car may be as much as six tenths off the pace, and Binotto has even suggested Ferrari may switch its focus to 2021 quite […]
Honda not ready to commit to F1 beyond 2021
Mar.4 (GMM) Honda is not yet ready to commit to Red Bull or Formula 1 beyond 2021. The Japanese marque’s F1 boss Masashi Yamamoto told the Japanese media source As-Web: “We are still negotiating with (Helmut) Marko.” But he also admitted that the talks are deeper than simply with Red Bull. Asked if Honda wants […]
Concorde talks ‘on right track’ – Carey
Mar.4 (GMM) Chase Carey says his negotiations with the teams over the next Concorde Agreement are “on the right track”. The current commercial agreements expire at the end of this year, and Liberty Media has made no secret the new deal should memorialise significant changes in the way income is distributed and rules are made. […]
Magnussen admits Haas could quit F1
Mar.4 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen says he can imagine Haas team owner Gene Haas pulling out of Formula 1. Having entered the sport in 2016 to promote his company Haas Automation, Gene Haas made headlines recently by suggesting the team may not be on the 2021 grid. Magnussen, who drives for the small American team, told […]
Leclerc ‘always overdrives’ – Albers
Mar.4 (GMM) Former F1 driver Christijan Albers is not so sure Ferrari’s driver lineup is ideal. Team boss Mattia Binotto thinks Sebastian Vettel alongside Charles Leclerc is the “best combination” on the grid. But Dutchman Albers, who drove for Minardi, Midland and Spyker, told MBS News that he doesn’t necessarily agree. “Vettel does have the […]
Vettel admits he could leave Ferrari
Mar.4 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has admitted the possibility that he could leave Ferrari. While rumours his contract will not be renewed have circulated, boss Mattia Binotti’s latest message has been about the likelihood of a new deal for 2021. “We have started to discuss it with Seb,” he is quoted by La Repubblica. “They are […]
F1 coronavirus crisis ‘incredibly serious’
Mar.4 (GMM) Uncertainty remains the dominant mood as Formula 1 teams prepare for the opening races of 2020. Amid the coronavirus crisis, which has already claimed the Chinese GP, the Melbourne season opener appears safe for now but strong doubts about Bahrain and Vietnam persist. F1’s Italian-based contingent is most affected, as staff for Ferrari, […]
Ferrari may decide to write off 2020 season
Mar.3 (GMM) Ferrari has admitted that it may write off the 2020 season quite early this year. Analyses of the recent winter testing in Barcelona claim that the Italian team’s new car is the only one that is actually slower compared to 2019. Sebastian Vettel hinted that the situation could mean a change of strategy. […]
Leclerc will ‘respect’ Ferrari’s call on Vettel
Mar.3 (GMM) Charles Leclerc says he would be happy if Ferrari signs up Sebastian Vettel for 2021. Amid rumours the Maranello team may replace the quadruple world champion with Carlos Sainz or Daniel Ricciardo, it actually appears as though boss Mattia Binotto intends to keep Vettel beyond his expiring contract. Leclerc, who has already been […]
Media claims ‘whistleblower’ behind Ferrari scandal
Mar.3 (GMM) The Italian media suspects a whistleblower is behind the bizarre saga surrounding the legality of Ferrari’s 2019 engine. Rival teams are reportedly furious that the FIA reached a secret “settlement” following a lengthy investigation into how the power unit works. At best, the story is confusing. “To understand, look outside the FIA,” an […]
DAS not worth ‘two seconds’ – Wolff
Mar.3 (GMM) Toto Wolff has denied that Mercedes’ drivers will get a huge advantage from the new ‘DAS’ innovation. Observers of on-board footage of the silver cars in the Barcelona test noticed Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas often pulling and pushing on the steering wheel, which adjusts the ‘toe’ of the front wheels. It is […]
Mercedes three tenths ahead of Red Bull – analysis
Mar.3 (GMM) Mercedes has a three-tenth advantage over Red Bull-Honda heading into Australia, according to an analysis done by a number of F1 engineers. Germany’s specialist Auto Motor und Sport claims Ferrari comes in next in third place, about 5 to 6 tenths off the pace. Referring to Mercedes, Sebastian Vettel said: “They do fast […]