Dec.19 (GMM) Toto Wolff has ridiculed ongoing speculation that his future could be in red. When the Mercedes boss sat out the race in Brazil, it fired up speculation that he might either replace Chase Carey as F1 CEO or join Lewis Hamilton in a 2021 switch to Ferrari. “Sounds like a good plan,” Wolff […]
Sainz eyes new McLaren contract for 2021
Dec.19 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has indicated he will want to stay at McLaren beyond the end of his 2020 contract. In an official Formula 1 poll voted on by the drivers themselves, Spaniard Sainz was named the fourth best of the 2019 season. And the 25-year-old wants to continue to push ahead in 2020. “There […]
Racing Point says 2021 cars to be ‘unstable’
Dec.19 (GMM) Racing Point has hit out at the new rules for 2021. Although designed in part to help the smaller teams compete with their bigger rivals, team boss Otmar Szafnauer said he is “not yet satisfied with the rules”. “They are the way they are but I do not think we will put a […]
Alfa Romeo to turn on new F1 simulator
Dec.19 (GMM) Alfa Romeo will start using its brand new driver simulator in earnest next week. “We started the project a year ago,” team boss Frederic Vasseur revealed to Blick newspaper. “It is part of the development of the team. Next week it opens but things will really get going in the first quarter of […]
No 2020 test for Schumacher – Vasseur
Dec.19 (GMM) Team boss Frederic Vasseur says Mick Schumacher is not currently scheduled to test for Alfa Romeo in 2020. Schumacher, the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, tested the Swiss based team’s 2019 car in Bahrain, but he then struggled in Formula 2 and finished the championship just twelfth overall. “There will be no […]
Marko ‘lost money’ on 2019 predictions
Dec.19 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko admits he lost some bets in 2019. It seems the Red Bull official actually put money down when he claimed early this year that the team would win five races in 2019. “That we only won three races cost me some money on a number of bets,” Marko smiled as […]
Max’s career ‘more fun than my own’ – Jos Verstappen
Dec.19 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s father says he is proud to have helped the Red Bull driver become one of the top stars of Formula 1. “Max was my life project, yes,” Dutchman Jos, who also raced in F1 but did not win a race, told the Dutch publication Formule 1. “I wanted to win with […]
Alfa Romeo chassis ‘destroyed’ in 2020 crash test
Dec.19 (GMM) Alfa Romeo has reportedly failed a mandatory crash test, and in the process “completely destroyed” the first of its chassis for the 2020 season. According to Sky Italia and Germany’s Motorsport-Magazin.com, the test took place at the CSI facility in Milan. “This could lead to delays in the team’s schedule,” Sky Italia claims. […]
Mercedes must be ‘a lot faster’ for 2020
Dec.19 (GMM) Mercedes needs to make its car “a lot faster” in order to beat both Ferrari and Red Bull-Honda in 2020. That is the view of James Allison, the reigning world champion team’s technical boss. Mercedes won its sixth consecutive double world championships this year, but Ferrari now has the best engine and Max […]
Vettel still has ‘key role’ at Ferrari
Dec.18 (GMM) Charles Leclerc had a “clear impact” on Sebastian Vettel’s performance in 2019. That is the admission of Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri, shortly after team boss Mattia Binotto said the pair will head into 2020 “on par”. “He (Leclerc) had a clear impact,” Sky Italia quoted Camilleri as saying. “You can’t avoid it when […]
Ocon ‘not disappointed’ to miss Mercedes seat
Dec.18 (GMM) Esteban Ocon insists he is not “disappointed” to be returning to F1 in 2020 with Renault rather than Mercedes. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff considered replacing Valtteri Bottas with 2019 reserve Ocon for next year, after the Frenchman sat out this year following his Force India demise. Asked if he is disappointed that his […]
Albon wants ‘more normal’ 2020
Dec.18 (GMM) Alex Albon says he is looking forward to a “more normal” 2020 season. The British-born Thai rookie had a rollercoaster ride in 2019. He began as a dumped Red Bull junior with a Formula E contract, then got an unexpected call-up to Toro Rosso, and finally replaced Pierre Gasly at the senior team. […]
Bottas ‘open’ to team move for 2021
Dec.18 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas says he wants to stay at Mercedes for 2020. The Finn had a solid 2019 season and appears to be the perfect teammate for Lewis Hamilton. But Hamilton is being linked with a move for 2021, Max Verstappen reportedly may replace him, and Bottas is also out of contract at the […]
‘No excuses’ for Red Bull in 2020 – Marko
Dec.18 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says Red Bull has “no excuses for 2020”. After switching to works Honda power, the team remained a top three team in 2019 but is clearly targeting the title with Max Verstappen next year. “We have no excuses for 2020,” Marko told Servus TV. “We learned a lot of things […]
Verstappen says ‘who knows’ to Mercedes switch
Dec.18 (GMM) Max Verstappen is playing down all the talk about his future in Formula 1. Since the end of his strong 2019 season, Ferrari has angrily ruled the Dutchman out of contention for when his contract runs out at the end of 2020. “The one who met with Ferrari was Lewis,” Verstappen told Servus […]
Williams not commenting on Chester rumours
Dec.18 (GMM) Recently ousted Renault technical boss Nick Chester could be set to join F1 backmarker Williams. After a disappointing 2019, Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul said the team’s drivers and engine are now strong, “so by elimination, there is the chassis”. Chester, though, could find refuge at Williams, the once-great independent British team. “We never […]
Rivals don’t return Xmas cards – Vettel
Dec.17 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says F1’s top drivers don’t respond to his Christmas greetings. The Ferrari driver had a fraught year alongside new teammate Charles Leclerc, but he told Blick newspaper: “Charles gets a present from me anyway.” When asked by veteran F1 correspondent Roger Benoit what the Christmas present will be, the German answered: […]
Team boss role ‘less fun’ without Lauda – Wolff
Dec.17 (GMM) Toto Wolff has played down persistent speculation that he is first in line to succeed Chase Carey as F1’s CEO. For the first time since 2012, the Mercedes boss skipped a race – Brazil – last month amid rumours he might be planning his next career move. Another rumour is that he could […]
Valentino Rossi eyes four-wheel switch
Dec.17 (GMM) MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi says he sees the next phase of his career on four wheels rather than two. Last week, the 40-year-old Italian got at the wheel of Lewis Hamilton’s title-winning Mercedes in a high profile PR event. “That would work for me,” Rossi laughed when asked by Sky Italia if he […]
No 25-race F1 calendars yet – Todt
Dec.17 (GMM) Jean Todt thinks Formula 1 needs to lift the throttle when it comes to expanding the annual calendar. Next year, for the first time ever, the schedule is growing to 22 races. “This is a big topic in Formula 1,” Sebastian Vettel told Blick newspaper. “Are the break periods too short now?” he […]