Jan.24 (GMM) A dark cloud has moved above April’s running of the Chinese GP. Over 800 cases of the coronavirus, which has killed 18 people so far, have been detected in China. As a result, the country is quarantining entire cities and China’s automobile federation has even banned “all sports competitions until April”. The federation […]
F1 made Vergne feel like ‘a robot’
Jan.24 (GMM) Jean-Eric Vergne does not sound keen on a potential return to Formula 1. His former boss, Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, this week all but ruled out a return for the two-time Formula E champion. But Frenchman Vergne, 29, says the sport actually made him feel like a “robot”. “They constantly told me […]
Sim racing ‘great preparation’ for 2020 – Verstappen
Jan.24 (GMM) Max Verstappen says racing on his driving simulator at home “keeps the calluses on my hands” throughout the winter season. The Red Bull driver and McLaren’s Lando Norris both race for the professional online team called Redline. Their latest competition was a 24 hour Daytona race. “It’s great preparation for the new season,” […]
Hamilton better than Senna, Schumacher – Barrichello
Jan.24 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton may already be “even greater” than F1 legends Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. That is the view of former long-time F1 driver Rubens Barrichello, who idolised his Brazilian countryman Senna and was Schumacher’s teammate at Ferrari. “Hamilton has a talent that is possibly even greater than that of Ayrton and Schumacher,” […]
Indycar driver says no to F1 midfield seat
Jan.23 (GMM) Swedish driver Felix Rosenqvist says he has little interest in launching a Formula 1 career. “Formula 1? No thank you. I want to win races,” he told the Swedish newspaper Expressen. Rosenqvist, 28, had a highly promising junior career in Europe, winning the European F3 title in 2015, back-to-back wins at Macau, and […]
Todt plays down worries about 25 races
Jan.23 (GMM) FIA president Jean Todt has played down concerns about F1’s ever-expanding race calendar. With many in the sport already unhappy about the unprecedentedly-long calendar for 2020, Liberty Media has negotiated a new cap of up to 25 races for the future. Indeed, the F1 commercial rights holder is open about wanting to add […]
Teams ‘not negative’ about 2020 tyres – Isola
Jan.23 (GMM) Mario Isola insists that Formula 1 teams were “not negative” about Pirelli’s rejected tyres designed for the 2020 season. Reports indicated that the teams voted to keep the 2019 tyres this year following a round of negative comments when the drivers tested the 2020 design late last season. But Pirelli’s F1 boss Isola […]
Renault did not make FIA engine queries ‘public’
Jan.23 (GMM) Renault’s engine boss has admitted the French works team was also concerned about the legality of the power unit used by Ferrari last year. Red Bull and Mercedes made no secret of their suspicions about Ferrari’s clear engine advantage mid last season, prompting a round of FIA clampdowns. “We are very happy about […]
Combustion engines have ‘long future’ – Taffin
Jan.23 (GMM) Renault engine boss Remi Taffin thinks there will be “no massive changes” on the grid this year, as the sweeping rule changes for 2021 loom large. “I’m not revealing a big secret when I say that 50 percent of our resources are already aimed at 2021,” he admitted to Auto Motor und Sport. […]
Renault engine now better than Mercedes’ – Taffin
Jan.23 (GMM) Renault’s engine boss claims the French team now has a better engine than Mercedes. In the ‘power unit’ era, the widespread belief was that Renault struggled to keep up with Mercedes and Ferrari. But according to Remi Taffin, who is Renault’s F1 engine chief, performance measurements taken by GPS show that the French […]
Ferrari insider thinks Vettel could stay in 2021
Jan.23 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel could stay at Ferrari beyond the end of his expiring contract, according to well-known Italian F1 insider Leo Turrini. Turrini, who reportedly has key sources at Maranello, caused a stir last week when he claimed that the data about Ferrari’s 2020 car was not looking promising. “I reported that because it […]
Russell would consider F1 team ‘offers’
Jan.22 (GMM) George Russell says he will keep his eye out for “offers” from more competitive F1 teams. The 2019 rookie insists he is happy to remain with backmarker Williams, even though the British team’s car and organisation was abysmal last year. But after beating Robert Kubica throughout last season, Russell says if his backer […]
2020 Alfa Romeo ‘completely new’ – Vasseur
Jan.22 (GMM) Alfa Romeo is building a “completely new car” for 2020, team boss Frederic Vasseur has admitted. Most teams are looking at the new season as a sort of extension of 2019, as the regulations are stable ahead of the sweeping new rule changes for 2021. But Alfa Romeo, having finished just eighth in […]
Sources say 2020 Ferrari has ‘serious’ aero flaw
Jan.22 (GMM) More rumblings about trouble with Ferrari’s 2020 car are emerging. Last week, journalist and Ferrari insider Leo Turrini claimed that data from the 2020 car coming out of the simulator and wind tunnel “have not impressed the engineers”. And now, citing ‘reliable sources within Ferrari’, Germany’s Auto Bild says the data from the […]
No Maranello launch for 2020 Ferrari
Jan.22 (GMM) Ferrari will not launch its 2020 car at the team’s famous Maranello headquarters on 11 February. The Italian team has announced that the event will instead take place at Teatro Valli, a historical theatre in Reggio Emilia, located about 40 minutes from Maranello. “It is a dream come true,” Reggio Emilia mayor Luca […]
Surgeon says Schumacher ‘very different’ today
Jan.22 (GMM) Secret photos of F1 legend Michael Schumacher were offered to publications for $1.3 million, according to Britain’s Mirror newspaper. Last December marked six years since the seven time world champion fell whilst skiing with his son Mick in the French alps. His condition in the wake of serious brain injuries is largely unknown, […]
Marko wants super licence system overhaul
Jan.22 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko wants Formula 1 to revisit the rules concerning how drivers qualify for a super licence. Currently, a complex points system based mainly on a driver’s achievements in the junior categories determines whether he qualifies for the mandatory credential. But Marko, the boss of Red Bull’s successful driver development program, thinks […]
News about Kubica’s DTM seat ‘soon’ – sponsor
Jan.22 (GMM) More news about Robert Kubica’s future will be forthcoming “soon”, according to his backer. On the first day of the year, it was announced that the former Williams racer would be Alfa Romeo’s reserve in 2020. Kubica, 35, wants to combine that role with a race seat in the German touring car series […]
Williams admits Nissany could race in 2021
Jan.22 (GMM) Claire Williams has admitted that Roy Nissany, the team’s new test driver, could be on the grid in 2021. Nissany, 25, has been ridiculed by some for a lack of competitiveness, but he comes with the key backing of Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams. The Israeli driver, who is the son of the infamously […]
Grosjean thinks about life after F1
Jan.22 (GMM) Romain Grosjean has admitted he has given some thought to life after Formula 1. At 33, the Haas driver is now one of the oldest drivers on the grid, but he thinks he still has several years in the fuel tank. “Yes, I have thought about it (retirement). I have a lot of […]