Dec.13 (GMM) Ferrari’s 2020 car will feature fundamental changes when it is revealed to the public on February 11. Speaking at the team’s end of season dinner, boss Mattia Binotto thinks Ferrari will be “probably the first” of the ten teams to launch for 2020. Indeed, February 11 is a full eight days prior to […]
Ferrari would veto Wolff as F1 supremo
Dec.13 (GMM) Ferrari says it would veto Toto Wolff’s appointment to the top job in Formula 1. After presiding over six consecutive world championships at Mercedes, the 47-year-old Austrian has been linked with replacing Chase Carey at Liberty Media. But Ferrari has a unique and controversial right of veto, and CEO Louis Camilleri warns that […]
Ecclestone thinks Vettel could quit after 2020
Dec.12 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone thinks Sebastian Vettel may have lost his edge. Many pundits are currently discussing Ferrari’s driver lineup, after quadruple world champion Vettel’s number 1 status was challenged in 2019. The pair’s on-track bickering also culminated in their clash in Brazil, but former F1 supremo Ecclestone thinks the main problem could be German […]
Kvyat must beat Gasly in 2020 – Sirotkin
Dec.12 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat must beat Toro Rosso teammate Pierre Gasly in 2020 to secure his place in Red Bull’s F1 program. That is the view of Kvyat’s Russian countryman Sergey Sirotkin, the Renault and McLaren reserve driver this year. Kvyat claimed recently that 2019 was actually his best in Formula 1, but Sirotkin thinks […]
Liberty asked Red Bull about seat for Alonso
Dec.12 (GMM) Liberty Media made an enquiry in the summer about whether there might be room at Red Bull’s top F1 team for Fernando Alonso. That is the claim of Dr Helmut Marko, who with tongue in cheek described F1 owner Liberty as the new “Alonso managers” who offered to help the two-time world champion […]
Hamilton confirms ‘little spin’ on MotoGP bike
Dec.12 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has confirmed reports that he had a minor incident whilst riding Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP bike at Valencia this week. Amid an information blackout in the 24 hours after the Mercedes and Yamaha swap, Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport reported a rumour that Hamilton had crashed with “no consequences” for the world […]
Williams should focus on 2021 car – Sirotkin
Dec.12 (GMM) Williams should focus on building a much better car for 2021, according to former team driver Sergey Sirotkin. The Russian, who became Renault and McLaren’s reserve driver this year, drove for Williams in 2018, where he witnessed first-hand the famous team’s decline to backmarker status. “Williams made fundamental miscalculations in the processes and […]
McLaren ‘opportunity’ will come in 2022 – Brown
Dec.12 (GMM) Zak Brown thinks McLaren will have to wait until 2022 to get a shot at catching top teams Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. The Woking based team was the most improved in 2019, beating Renault to fourth in the constructors’ world championship. McLaren supremo Brown says the team will have the same budget […]
Founder hails Toro Rosso’s ‘enormous’ progress
Dec.11 (GMM) The founder of the team known as Toro Rosso says he is impressed with the Faenza based team’s recent progress. Giancarlo Minardi, now 72, was actually born at Faenza in Italy, and initially began entering his Minardi team in Formula 2 races in 1980. Minardi sold his ailing F1 team to Paul Stoddart […]
2021 car ‘a priority’ for Renault – Abiteboul
Dec.11 (GMM) 2020 will be a “critical” season for Renault, the French works team’s boss Cyril Abiteboul has admitted. Although missing its goal of getting closer to the top three teams this year, Abiteboul insists that Renault is making progress. “If you want to win in Formula 1 you must have the best drivers, the […]
Marko broke ‘promises’ in 2019 – Gasly
Dec.11 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko broke “promises” to Pierre Gasly in 2019, the French driver claims. Gasly, 23, had a fraught 2019 season, as he underperformed initially for Red Bull’s top team and was relegated back to Toro Rosso, where he thrived. “There are some things that must stay between the team and me,” he […]
Insiders say Mercedes ‘best F1 team ever’
Dec.11 (GMM) Mercedes is perhaps the greatest Formula 1 team ever, according to several well-placed insiders. Although 2020 is shaping up as an epic three-way battle also involving Ferrari and Red Bull-Honda, Mercedes has just wrapped up its record sixth consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ world championships. “Mercedes is the most dominant team ever,” Toro Rosso […]
Haas not commenting as McLaren aero boss leaves
Dec.11 (GMM) Haas is not commenting on reports that McLaren’s aerodynamics boss Guillaume Cattelani is heading to the small American team. Denmark’s BT newspaper cited ‘sources’ who claim Cattelani, who worked for Enstone based Lotus before moving to McLaren in 2014, is switching to Haas. Haas struggled with Pirelli’s tyres but also aerodynamics in 2019. […]
Lehto questions new limited brake parts rule
Dec.11 (GMM) Former F1 driver JJ Lehto has questioned a new Formula 1 rule limiting the amount of brake components a driver can use during a season. Grid penalties will be handed out from 2021 if drivers have to use more than 22 sets of brake discs and pads. The number is derived from the […]
Current Ferrari lineup ‘not explosive’ – Binotto
Dec.11 (GMM) Mattia Binotto insists it is not “difficult” to manage Ferrari’s current driver lineup. With Sebastian Vettel alongside Charles Leclerc labelled by some as too “explosive”, the hot rumour at present is that six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton could be heading to Maranello for 2021. But team boss Binotto is backing the current lineup, […]
Hamilton crashed Rossi’s MotoGP bike – report
Dec.11 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton may have crashed Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP bike at the Valencia circuit this week. The pair swapped their Mercedes and Yamaha machines for a promotional event organised by mutual sponsor Monster, but the media was locked out and no official information whatsoever has been forthcoming. But two Italian newspapers are reporting information […]
Verstappen not prepared to fall down F1 grid
Dec.11 (GMM) Max Verstappen says he will not accept a move down the grid in order to extend his Formula 1 career. The 22-year-old Dutchman is regarded as a title contender for 2020 with Red Bull-Honda, and has been linked with potential moves to Mercedes or Ferrari for 2021. Bt he says the actual length […]
F1 boss Michael Masi ‘looking forward’ to 2020
Dec.11 (GMM) Michael Masi says he is “looking forward” to returning to his new role as F1 race director in 2020. Following the shock death in Melbourne of Charlie Whiting ahead of the 2019 season opener, deputy Masi stepped in and has kept the top role ever since. “I am often asked about the most […]
Tyre pressures must be raised in 2020 – Pirelli
Dec.11 (GMM) Pirelli boss Mario Isola is warning F1 teams that tyre pressures will need to be raised in 2020. Although some teams including Haas were vehemently critical of Pirelli’s 2019 tyres, the teams have voted unanimously to scrap the proposed tyres for 2020. Pirelli said the teams argued that the 2020 tyres were requiring […]
Williams to sign Israeli tester for 2020
Dec.10 (GMM) An Israeli driver looks set to sign up as a Williams test driver for 2020. At the post-grand prix Abu Dhabi test, 25-year-old Roy Nissany, who reportedly sat out the 2019 racing season with an injury, tested the struggling British team’s F1 car. The well funded driver was several seconds off the pace […]