Dec.17 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko thinks former Red Bull champion Sebastian Vettel is struggling politically at Ferrari. Marko groomed the then teenaged German into Formula 1 and onto four world championships, but Vettel, now 32, has been less successful over five years at Ferrari. The German website motorsport-total.com put it to Marko, the architect of […]
FIA tests proved Ferrari engine legal – Binotto
Dec.17 (GMM) Mattia Binotto says the flurry of late-season technical directives and checks demonstrated that Ferrari’s 2019 power unit was legal. The Italian marque’s CEO Louis Camilleri admitted his disappointment about the speculation that marred the end of Ferrari’s season. “Ferrari is known worldwide and we are on the stock exchange,” he said. “Integrity and […]
Verstappen doubts he would join Ferrari
Dec.16 (GMM) Max Verstappen says he doubts he would drive for Ferrari. Last week, Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri furiously slammed the door on the Dutchman, insisting: “A driver who accuses Ferrari of cheating cannot think of being with us.” And now, as he ponders his life-long rivalry with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, Red Bull driver […]
Vettel admits trying vegan diet
Dec.16 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has revealed he tried to become a vegan. Six time world champion Lewis Hamilton is an ardent vegan and climate change activist, and even Ferrari’s Vettel admits he supports Greta Thunberg. “I would have no problem eating out with her,” the German said when asked by Blick newspaper about the high-profile […]
Three drivers left Red Bull driver program
Dec.16 (GMM) Three drivers have left Red Bull’s famous driver programme. Dan Ticktum, once strongly touted for a Toro Rosso seat, was the first to go this year, while Dr Helmut Marko said the arrangement with Patricio O’Ward has also “not worked out”. Now, it emerges that F1 legend Gerhard Berger’s nephew Lucas Auer has […]
Wehrlein to remain Ferrari sim driver – Binotto
Dec.16 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein will continue to spearhead Ferrari’s F1 simulator program. “We have very experienced drivers in the simulator for next year,” team boss Mattia Binotto told the German website motorsport-total.com. “Pascal will stay with us in the coming season.” Wehrlein, a former Sauber and Manor driver, also races in the Formula E series. […]
Magnussen not worried about expiring contract
Dec.16 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen says he is not currently worrying about his future in Formula 1. Like many drivers on the grid, the Dane’s contract runs out at the end of 2020. Magnussen admits that 2019 was a frustrating season for him. “It wasn’t fun to go to the races knowing that the car is […]
Giovinazzi not ready for Ferrari seat – Binotto
Dec.16 (GMM) Antonio Giovinazzi is not ready to step up to a race seat at Ferrari. That is the view of Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto, after Ferrari development driver Giovinazzi’s first full season in Formula 1 this year at Alfa Romeo. “At the moment it is premature to talk about it,” La Gazzetta dello […]
Stroll’s Aston Martin talks ‘advanced’ – source
Dec.16 (GMM) Aston Martin has admitted it is in talks with potential “investors”. The British luxury carmaker is already the title sponsor at Red Bull, but it is strongly rumoured that Racing Point owner Lawrence Stroll may be interested in buying Aston Martin. The Financial Times now reports that executives for the embattled carmaker have […]
Vettel admits eyeing ‘plan’ for future
Dec.16 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he is not yet seriously considering his retirement from F1. The quadruple world champion is under huge pressure at Ferrari, with his young teammate Charles Leclerc clearly a driver of the future and Vettel’s contract expiring next year. 32-year-old Vettel also admits that his 2019 season was not good enough. […]
McLaren to build new F1 simulator
Dec.16 (GMM) McLaren says it will build a new state of the art F1 simulator. Spain’s El Confidencial newspaper quoted former McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton as saying that he used the current simulator “too much” when he drove for the British team. “I could spend a hundred pounds on a Playstation and learn the same,” […]
Gasly to push for Red Bull return
Dec.16 (GMM) Pierre Gasly has set a clear goal to aim for in 2020. “I would like to return to Red Bull,” the Frenchman, who was demoted during the course of 2019, told Corriere dello Sport. 23-year-old Gasly found his form again once he returned to Toro Rosso. He will stay at the junior Red […]
Prost says Renault should prioritise 2021
Dec.16 (GMM) Alain Prost has admitted that Renault will race in 2020 with a very firm focus on the “big opportunity” of the new rules in 2021. The French works team’s goal is to join Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull among the sport’s grandee teams, albeit with a smaller budget. “We showed last year that […]
Russell doubts Williams will join midfield in 2020
Dec.16 (GMM) George Russell has played down hopes that Williams will be a midfield contender in 2020. The British team has slumped to the back of the field with a big gap to the next-best rivals, but 2018 Formula 2 champion Russell said he quickly adjusted to the situation. “I never thought about where I […]
F1 adopted ‘let drivers race’ policy – Masi
Dec.16 (GMM) Race director Michael Masi has reminded the F1 world that the FIA has relaxed its approach to penalising drivers. At the end of the first season without Charlie Whiting, who died in Melbourne, his replacement Masi responded to critics who think stewards’ decisions have been inconsistent in 2019. “People sometimes forget that we […]
Ferrari to consider 2021 lineup in May
Dec.13 (GMM) Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri has admitted that Sebastian Vettel’s future at Maranello is clouded. With the emergence of his young teammate Charles Leclerc, who Camilleri says has a “long term contract”, quadruple world champion Vettel has lost his number 1 status for 2020. Team boss Mattia Binotto says the pair will start 2020, […]
2021 Ferrari debut ‘too early’ for Schumacher
Dec.13 (GMM) A 2021 Ferrari race seat for Mick Schumacher would be “too early” for the F1 legend’s son. That is the claim of team boss Mattia Binotto, even though 20-year-old Schumacher has already tested a 2019 Ferrari and is a member of Maranello’s driver academy. Schumacher, whose father is seven time world champion and […]
Barcelona needs ‘help’ to afford Liberty Media fee
Dec.13 (GMM) Barcelona needs “help” in order to extend its contract to host the Spanish GP beyond 2020. Liberty Media agreed an eleventh hour, single-year solution for next year’s race at Circuit de Catalunya, but track boss Vincenc Aguilera says the next deal should be for “three, four or five years”. “I want to say […]
Verstappen would be ‘less aggressive’ in Mercedes
Dec.13 (GMM) Max Verstappen says he would drive less aggressively at the wheel of a Mercedes. Most pundits agree that the Dutchman was notably more mature in 2019 compared to his early days in Formula 1 as a teenager. But six time world champion Lewis Hamilton has said that Verstappen, 22, is still too aggressive […]
Furious Ferrari slams door on Verstappen
Dec.13 (GMM) Ferrari has slammed the door shut to Max Verstappen. At the Maranello team’s end of season dinner, bosses Mattia Binotto and Louis Camilleri confirmed that Sebastian Vettel’s 2021 seat may be up for grabs. But the talk was mainly about Lewis Hamilton, as Binotto swept away any lingering speculation that Fernando Alonso might […]