Nov.28 (GMM) Alex Albon says it is “a matter of time” until he can give Max Verstappen a real run for his money at Red Bull. Red Bull has been happy with the British-born Thai rookie since he replaced underperforming Pierre Gasly mid-season. But Albon admits that he is still not able to match Verstappen’s […]
‘Good chance’ Mugello will replace Monza
Nov.28 (GMM) There is a “good chance” Mugello will eventually take over as host of the Italian GP. That is the claim of Eugenio Giani, who is president of Tuscany’s regional council. In May, it was announced that a new five-year deal with existing race host Monza had been agreed by Liberty Media. The deal […]
Tobacco giant expands McLaren backing
Nov.28 (GMM) British American Tobacco (BAT) will expand its sponsorship of the McLaren team in 2020, it has emerged. This year, the way Ferrari sponsor Philip Morris (Marlboro) and BAT have used their backing has been highly controversial as they promote smoking alternatives. Ferrari’s campaign, called Mission Winnow, insists it is unrelated to Marlboro or […]
Zandvoort’s banked corner ‘intriguing’ – Lammers
Nov.28 (GMM) A severely banked corner will be an exciting feature of the refurbished Zandvoort circuit for the 2020 Dutch GP, according to race spokesman Jan Lammers. Lammers, a former F1 driver who also won Le Mans and later went into team management, is referring to the circuit’s plans for a corner that will have […]
‘Good chance’ Verstappen will stay in 2021 – Marko
Nov.28 (GMM) Red Bull has “a good chance” of keeping Max Verstappen on board for 2021, according to Dr Helmut Marko. Throughout 2019, and even earlier, it has been rumoured that the highly rated Dutchman might be wooed by Mercedes or Ferrari. But after Verstappen won in Brazil, Marko thinks his chances of re-signing the […]
Early Ocon release ‘very important’ – Prost
Nov.28 (GMM) Renault made Esteban Ocon’s availability for the Abu Dhabi test next week a crucial part of his release from Mercedes. That is the claim of F1 legend Alain Prost, who is now a key advisor for the French team. While Renault and Ocon are both French, the 23-year-old driver was firmly under contract […]
Honda talks about 2022, 2023 already underway – Marko
Nov.28 (GMM) Red Bull is already in talks to extend its engine deal with Honda beyond 2021. Both Red Bull-owned teams announced on Wednesday that their Honda contracts have been extended for one more year. The existing deal had been set to run out in 2020. “This is a great relief for us,” Dr Helmut […]
F1 circuit project in Rio still alive – report
Nov.27 (GMM) Moves to relocate the Brazilian GP from Sao Paulo to a brand new circuit in Rio de Janeiro are continuing. Earlier in 2019, controversial Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro said there was a “99 per cent” chance that Rio will host grands prix in the near future. Officials in Sao Paulo hit back at […]
Montoya unlikely to complete ‘triple crown’
Nov.27 (GMM) Juan Pablo Montoya says he is unlikely to complete motor racing’s coveted ‘triple crown’. Fernando Alonso left Formula 1 last year, stating that his main goal is to complete the ‘triple crown’ of wins in Monaco, Le Mans and the Indy 500. The Indy 500 is now his only missing triumph. Colombian Montoya, […]
Driving style the same with 19-inch tyres – Sainz
Nov.27 (GMM) Driving styles will not change in Formula 1 when the sport switches to 18-inch tyres, according to Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard is one of very few current drivers who have tried Pirelli’s developmental 18-inch tyres, after McLaren ran the new rubber at Paul Ricard recently. “The feedback has been positive,” Pirelli’s Mario Isola […]
No retirement in ‘foreseeable future’ – Vettel
Nov.27 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he is not yet ready to retire. The quadruple world champion has had a difficult season for Ferrari, as his earlier status as clear number 1 was challenged by Charles Leclerc, with whom he controversially crashed in Brazil. “It’s a very uncomfortable situation for him,” Ferrari tester Marc Gene told […]
This year better for Williams than 2018 – boss
Nov.27 (GMM) 2019 was a better season for Williams than the previous year, according to team boss Claire Williams. Actually, the struggling British team scored 7 points in 2018 compared to just a single point this year. And George Russell and Robert Kubica have been stranded alone at the back of the grid and field, […]
Vergne recalls ‘difficult’ time under Marko
Nov.27 (GMM) Two-time Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne has admitted his time in Formula 1 was “really difficult”. Now 29, the Frenchman is one of many drivers who rose through the notorious Red Bull driver programme only to be ousted at a young age a few years later. “I will not attack them, because without […]
Kvyat should leave Red Bull programme – Martsenko
Nov.27 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat should start to think about leaving Red Bull’s F1 programme. That is the view of another Russian racing driver, Nikolay Martsenko, who raced in the GP3 and Formula Renault 3.5 categories. Martsenko thinks Kvyat has suffered a significant performance dip ever since Pierre Gasly returned to Toro Rosso after a disappointing […]
Ecclestone defends Ferrari amid cheating claims
Nov.26 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has defended Ferrari amid accusations of cheating. Max Verstappen made the “cheating” claim explicit recently, but there is no doubt the FIA is now responding to questions about the legality of the Italian team’s power unit. “I prefer not to comment further,” Red Bull-Honda driver Verstappen told Sport Bild. “I am […]
2021 speculation ‘doesn’t affect me’ – Verstappen
Nov.26 (GMM) Max Verstappen thinks Formula 1’s next generation of top drivers is in good shape for the future. Although 2019 was initially billed as a Lewis Hamilton versus Sebastian Vettel battle, the season is ending with most agreeing that 22-year-olds Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are poised to eventually take over. When asked about […]
Hamilton could struggle to win in 2020 – Zanardi
Nov.26 (GMM) Alex Zanardi thinks Lewis Hamilton could have a tough time winning a seventh world championship in 2020. The former F1 and Indycar driver said he enjoyed watching the sport in 2019, which in his words was “not at all boring” despite Hamilton sealing the title with two races to spare. “But I see […]
Hard to identify with ‘modern F1’ – Piero Ferrari
Nov.26 (GMM) Piero Ferrari, the son of team founder Enzo, says he hopes the Maranello team stays in Formula 1 “forever”. Currently, while the 2021 regulations have now been published, the teams and manufacturers are so far all officially uncommitted to the sport beyond 2020. “This applies to all the three top teams,” Red Bull […]
Top teams will still dominate in 2021 – Steiner
Nov.26 (GMM) The top three teams are likely to keep dominating in 2021, according to Haas team boss Gunther Steiner. Actually, the sweeping technical, sporting and financial changes are designed to help the smaller teams to close the gap to the big-budget Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. But in 2020, the big teams will be […]
Gasly could return to Red Bull – Horner
Nov.26 (GMM) Pierre Gasly remains a candidate to return to Red Bull Racing in the future. That is the claim of team boss Christian Horner, even though Frenchman Gasly was demoted mid-season and replaced by rookie Alex Albon. Albon is staying in 2020, but Horner said Gasly is “of course” eligible to return in the […]