Feb.10 (GMM) According to Italian media sources, Ferrari’s 2020 car will be officially named ‘SF1000’ when it is launched in Italy on Monday. Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc and the Maranello team’s other key players will descend to the historic Romolo Valli theatre in Reggio Emilia on Monday to launch the 2020 car. As in 2019, […]
Brawn hoping to stop F1 rule loopholes
Feb.10 (GMM) F1 is working to make it harder for teams to exploit rule ‘loopholes’, sporting boss Ross Brawn admits. To date, when a team aces its rivals with a clever and surprising innovation like Brawn’s double diffuser of 2009, the sport can typically only ban it at the end of a season. “The governance […]
F1 bans garage screens for winter testing
Feb.10 (GMM) Formula 1 teams have been told not to use screens in front of their garages during the forthcoming six days of pre-season testing. Earlier, although Barcelona has hosted the ‘official’ winter season for some years, it was not actually designated a proper ‘event’ by the sport’s authorities. La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that […]
Brawn ‘very worried’ about Williams
Feb.10 (GMM) Ross Brawn has admitted he is “very worried” about the struggling British team Williams. Actually, the Oxfordshire based outfit is one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 history, but Williams slumped badly in 2018 and 2019. “We are very worried about Williams,” F1 sporting boss Brawn told La Gazzetta dello Sport. […]
Hamilton exit ‘depends on Mercedes’ – Verstappen
Feb.10 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton will not retire or quit Mercedes while he has a title-winning car. That is the view of Max Verstappen, who along with Red Bull-Honda has clearly targeted stopping Hamilton from winning a seventh title in 2020. “Lewis is getting older, he’s 35 now I think,” Verstappen, 22, told Auto Zeitung. “He […]
Verstappen not obsessed with being youngest champion
Feb.10 (GMM) Max Verstappen says he is not obsessed about becoming F1’s youngest ever world champion this year. Sebastian Vettel currently holds that record, but many are predicting that 22-year-old Verstappen has a good chance of aiming for it in 2020. “Honda has done an incredible job in the past 12 to 18 months,” F1 […]
Magnussen quiet on 2020 ‘expectations’
Feb.7 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen says he is keeping quiet about his “expectations” ahead of the 2020 season. Last year, the small American team Haas was caught out by an aerodynamic flaw that went undiagnosed for most of the season. As images of the 2020 car were revealed online on Thursday with a throwback livery, team […]
‘No signs’ Mercedes will quit F1 – Brawn
Feb.7 (GMM) Ross Brawn says he sees “no signs” that Mercedes is on the cusp of pulling out of Formula 1 as a works team. Before becoming F1’s sporting boss, Brawn was instrumental in the formation of the works Mercedes team when he sold the Brackley based outfit ten years ago. So when asked about […]
Red Bull seat for Alonso ‘impossible’ – Marko
Feb.7 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has slammed Red Bull’s door on Fernando Alonso. Alonso, who will have his second sabbatical year in 2020, has indicated that he may return in 2021. Flavio Briatore, involved in his management, says the Spaniard would only return for Ferrari, Mercedes or Red Bull. Alonso, 38, has claimed to have […]
Hamilton deserves Schumacher record – Brawn
Feb.7 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton will deserve to match Michael Schumacher’s record tally of seven titles if he wins in 2020, according to Ross Brawn. Brawn, now F1’s sporting boss, was the technical director at Ferrari throughout the ultra-successful Schumacher period some two decades ago. “It’s a bit frustrating for me because it’s a record Michael […]
Aston Martin unlikely to be F1 winner – Kosachenko
Feb.7 (GMM) Aston Martin is unlikely to become a winning works team in Formula 1, according to a former driver manager and team official. Oksana Kosachenko, who was Vitaly Petrov’s manager and also had a commercial role at Caterham, doubts that when Racing Point becomes Aston Martin in 2021, the team will be on the […]
No F1 return for BMW in 2021
Feb.7 (GMM) BMW is still not interested in returning to Formula 1 in the ‘power unit’ era. The German manufacturer pulled out of the sport in 2009, with its main motorsport programme now focusing on Formula E with the Andretti team. F1 has introduced sweeping new rules for 2021, and one aim is to entice […]
Brawn sets deadline for China GP decision
Feb.7 (GMM) The clock is ticking on the likely cancellation or postponement of the 2020 Chinese GP. The coronavirus death toll – currently at 635 – continues to rise by the day, prompting the Shanghai Sports Federation this week to call for the suspension of “all sports events”. The issue was discussed by F1’s strategy […]
Money could break up Hamilton-Mercedes – Horner
Feb.6 (GMM) Christian Horner says it is “the financials” that could break up Mercedes’ successful eight-year relationship with Lewis Hamilton. In that time, the 35-year-old British driver has won four of his six world championships, but Hamilton and Mercedes are reportedly now at a standoff regarding the value of his contract beyond 2020. Horner, the […]
Hamilton contract talks to start soon – Wolff
Feb.6 (GMM) Contract negotiations with Lewis Hamilton will only begin this month, according to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. Earlier, it was rumoured that the six time world champion had rejected Mercedes’ offer of a new two-season deal – for 2021 and 2022 – at $50m per year. Hamilton, who has been linked with a […]
Mercedes ‘definitely’ staying in 2021 – Wolff
Feb.6 (GMM) Toto Wolff has moved to end speculation about Mercedes’ withdrawal from Formula 1 by saying the German marque will “definitely” still be on the grid in 2021. Earlier, Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius denied that the proposal to withdraw as a works team but remain in F1 as an engine supplier would be discussed […]
Government says no to Denmark GP plans
Feb.6 (GMM) Plans to organise a grand prix in Denmark have collapsed for now. Organisers of a proposed street race in Copenhagen met with F1 officials in 2018, and reportedly got a circuit approved by renowned circuit designer Herman Tilke. “The city is unique and the proposed circuit will be so beautiful with the iconic […]
Sons of Montoya, Ralf Schumacher, to race in 2020
Feb.6 (GMM) Former Williams teammates Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher are ushering the next generation into the upper categories of junior open-wheeler motor racing. Montoya, a winner of seven grands prix who also raced for McLaren, is supporting his 14-year-old son Sebastian as he signs for the top Italian Formula 4 team Prema Powerteam. […]
Red Bull cannot afford Vettel – Marko
Feb.6 (GMM) Red Bull cannot afford to spend “a lot of money” on bringing Sebastian Vettel back to the team, according to Dr Helmut Marko. Recently, photos emerged of the Ferrari driver attending the Kitzbuhel world cup ski event alongside Red Bull’s four Formula 1 drivers. Vettel won all four of his titles for Red […]
China GP off as Shanghai bans ‘all sports events’
Feb.6 (GMM) China’s grand prix in April looks set to be scrapped completely. At least 560 people have now died of the coronavirus, whose epicentre is the city of Wuhan which is about 800 kilometres from Formula 1 host Shanghai International Circuit. F1’s strategy group met to discuss the coronavirus situation on Wednesday, but the […]