Jun.30 (GMM) Rene Arnoux says that under the F1 rules of today, “prison” would have awaited after one of the sport’s most epic and legendary wheel-to-wheel battles. At Dijon in 1979, the French driver clashed wheels multiple times with Gilles Villeneuve in a battle that is now part of Formula 1 folklore. “That kind of […]
New Rio F1 race accused of ‘corruption’
Jun.30 (GMM) Even before a circuit is built, the new project to potentially organise the 2021 Brazilian GP in Rio de Janeiro is being accused of corruption. Controversial president Jair Bolsonaro recently said the project at Deodoro, a neighbourhood of Rio, has a “99 per cent” chance of taking F1 away from Interlagos. But Brazilian […]
Barcelona must try to keep Spain GP – minister
Jun.30 (GMM) Catalunya sport minister Gerard Figueras says he has “good feelings” about Barcelona’s talks to keep the Spanish grand prix. But he also told EFE news agency that it would “not be a drama” if Liberty Media follows through and axes the race to make room for Zandvoort and Vietnam. “There is activity 360 […]
Don’t ‘muck around’ with Silverstone – Ecclestone
Jun.30 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has warned Liberty Media not to “muck around with Silverstone”. The British grand prix promoters have cancelled their race contract for financial reasons, but are still in talks with Liberty about inking a new one. “We are still talking to Silverstone and looking forward to reaching an agreement,” a Liberty spokesperson […]
F1 ‘not racing anymore’ – Ecclestone
Jun.30 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has joined those who are lashing out at the present state of Formula 1. The former F1 supremo, who is in Austria this weekend, was ousted by Liberty Media in early 2017. Asked if he still likes Formula 1, the 88-year-old told Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper: “I still like the brand, yes. […]
Gasly performances ‘unacceptable’ – Marko
Jun.30 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko’s patience with Pierre Gasly appears to be up. Earlier, the Red Bull official said the team would not oust the struggling Frenchman before the end of the season. But the rhetoric has suddenly changed, after Gasly qualified ninth at Red Bull’s home race in Austria. “It’s not easy to be […]
Wolff not ruling out Verstappen for 2020
Jun.30 (GMM) Toto Wolff is not ruling out making a move for Max Verstappen for 2020. The big buzz in the Austrian GP paddock is that Verstappen might be able to escape from his Red Bull contract thanks to a performance clause. Dr Helmut Marko as well as Verstappen’s management have confirmed the existence of […]
No Mercedes driver decision until summer break
Jun.29 (GMM) Toto Wolff says Mercedes will think about its 2020 driver lineup after the summer break. Lewis Hamilton is staying, but there is a big question mark about the identity of his teammate. Valtteri Bottas might struggle to hang onto his seat, particularly with Esteban Ocon in the wings and sensational rumours that Max […]
Wolff says he is happy as Mercedes boss
Jun.29 (GMM) Toto Wolff has once again played down rumours linking him with the top job in F1. Lewis Hamilton has kept the story in the headlines in recent days, first saying he thinks an outsider should take over from Chase Carey but then championing Wolff’s candidacy. “I feel very good in my role,” Wolff […]
Verstappen, Vettel, Alonso fire up 2020 ‘silly season’
Jun.29 (GMM) The driver ‘silly season’ is really shifting into high gear in the paddock in Austria. The big news is that a performance or results clause in Max Verstappen’s Red Bull contract is in play, amid rumours he is eyeing a switch to Mercedes. “I confirm that there is a performance clause, but we […]
F1 ‘must be boring’ for drivers – Panis
Jun.29 (GMM) Olivier Panis says “it must be boring” for today’s F1 drivers to race. The Frenchman raced between 1994 and 2004, and he says much of that period was “magical” for the drivers. “Especially from 2002 to 2004, it was just amazing,” the 52-year-old told Auto Hebdo. “The performance of the cars was crazy. […]
Vettel says Brawn, not teams, should make decisions
Jun.29 (GMM) Formula 1 is sticking with Pirelli’s controversial 2019 tyres for the rest of the season. The sport’s major players, including drivers Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, got together on Friday morning to take a vote on switching to the 2018 tyres with a thicker tread. But according to Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, there were […]
Marko reveals talks for new Austria GP race deal
Jun.28 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says it is likely Red Bull will agree with Liberty Media to extend the contract for the Austrian grand prix. After a ten-year absence, the now Red Bull-owned ‘Red Bull Ring’ returned to the calendar in 2014. But there are rumours energy drink magnate Dietrich Mateschitz is unsure about his […]
Red Bull dumps junior driver Ticktum
Jun.28 (GMM) Dan Ticktum has been dumped from Red Bull’s famous driver programme. The 20-year-old Briton had been touted for a future at Toro Rosso, and was spending 2019 with Red Bull’s support in the Japanese Super Formula series. But Ticktum has now lost that seat, with Red Bull driver manager Dr Helmut Marko confirming […]
Russell denies wanting to leave Williams
Jun.28 (GMM) George Russell has denied he is pushing for a move to a faster F1 team. Although stranded at the back, the reigning Formula 2 champion is nonetheless impressing at Williams as he utterly dominates his teammate Robert Kubica. 21-year-old Russell might therefore be forgiven for lamenting that his fellow rookies including Alex Albon […]
Injury not reason for 2019 struggle – Kubica
Jun.28 (GMM) Robert Kubica has denied that his struggle for pace in 2019 is due to his permanent arm injuries. Until he returned with Williams this year, the Pole sat out eight full seasons after a horror, near-fatal rallying crash. But although they are isolated at the back of the grid, Kubica is being dominated […]
Vettel plays down retirement rumours
Jun.28 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has moved to play down rumours linking him with retirement. After Canada, where he lost victory with a controversial time penalty, the German declared: “This is not the sport I fell in love with.” With pressure from Charles Leclerc and amid Ferrari’s lack of competitiveness, it prompted suggestions the 31-year-old is […]
Pressured Bottas ‘wanting too much’ – Schumacher
Jun.28 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas may be putting “too much pressure on himself” to keep up with his Mercedes teammate in 2019. That is the view of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who notes that the Finn’s early form this year is now giving way to Lewis Hamilton’s dominance. For his part, Bottas is not giving […]
Meeting called to scrap 2019 Pirelli tyres
Jun.28 (GMM) A key meeting has been convened at the scene of the Austrian grand prix. Apparently alarmed by what Sergio Perez calls some of the “incredibly boring” races this year, top officials are behind a new push to scrap Pirelli’s 2019 tyres. The team bosses will meet with FIA and Pirelli representatives at the […]
Hulkenberg linked with Formula E switch
Jun.28 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg is being linked with a shock Formula 1 exit. Amid rumours he could be replaced at Renault by Esteban Ocon next year, and links with Red Bull, a new rumour swept the paddock in Austria about an approach by Porsche’s Formula E team. But although he won Le Mans with Porsche […]