Nov.12 (GMM) Former F1 driver Fernando Alonso has admitted he enjoys watching Max Verstappen race. Frustrated with the sport last year, Spaniard Alonso quit at the age of 37 and is currently preparing to contest the fabled Dakar rally. “I find the motivation to try new categories due to my passion to win,” he told […]
Toto Wolff to miss Brazilian GP
Nov.12 (GMM) Toto Wolff will this weekend sit out a grand prix for the first time since 2013. Now the Mercedes boss, 47-year-old Wolff began attending races regularly in 2019 when he bought a share of Williams. He left in 2013 when he and fellow Austrian Niki Lauda bought into Mercedes. Last week, Wolff was […]
Carey admits ‘fatigue’ due to longer calendars
Nov.11 (GMM) Chase Carey has acknowledged that rumours of 25-race calendars for the future at not popular in the Formula 1 paddock. Next year, the calendar will swell to an unprecedented 22 races. But in the new regulations for 2021 and beyond, provisions for up to 25 races in the future have been made. “We […]
Mayor rejects moves to block Miami race
Nov.11 (GMM) Efforts to organise a grand prix in Miami have received a reprieve following a recent setback. The plans for a race mainly on the grounds of the Hard Rock Stadium were dealt a blow recently at the Miami-Dade commission. Amid a local outcry from local groups, it was decided recently that road closures […]
Former manager thinks Schumacher will recover
Nov.11 (GMM) Michael Schumacher’s former manager thinks the F1 legend will recover from his brain injuries. Willi Weber who brought Schumacher into the sport in 1991, and worked with the seven time world champion until his less successful comeback in 2010. But he told Kolner Express newspaper that he was completely shut out by the […]
Renault plays down F1 quit rumours
Nov.11 (GMM) Renault has played down rumours it might quit Formula 1. Last week, reports suggested that amid on and off-track scandals, poor results and the loss of engine customers Red Bull and McLaren, new Renault CEO Clotilde Delbos might be poised to pull the carmaker out of F1. But a Renault spokesperson told f1only.fr […]
Team owner has ‘doubts’ about Haas future
Nov.11 (GMM) Team owner Gene Haas has “doubts” about the American team’s future in Formula 1. That is the admission of team boss Gunther Steiner, who says he had to discuss the team’s more-than-difficult 2019 season with owner Gene Haas in Austin. “The biggest problem he has is with our performance,” Steiner told Racer magazine. […]
Brawn admits F1 engine ‘freeze’ possible
Nov.11 (GMM) Ross Brawn has admitted that engine development in Formula 1 may be frozen. While the regulations are changing markedly for 2021, the hybrid ‘power units’ will not. “We know exactly where we are on 2021,” said Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul. “But fuel, bio-fuel, freeze, partial freeze, progressive freeze, complete freeze? In our opinion […]
2021 rules ‘a starting point’ – Brawn
Nov.11 (GMM) Ross Brawn suggests he doesn’t mind if the F1 teams see the newly-published regulations for 2021 as a draft. With the Maranello team having earlier expressed big concerns about the direction of the rules, the paddock was shocked recently when Ferrari voted in favour of them. But CEO Louis Camilleri then said: “What […]
2020 F1 debut ‘not realistic’ – Mick Schumacher
Nov.11 (GMM) Mick Schumacher says a 2020 Formula 1 race debut is not “realistic”. As reigning European F3 champion, the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, who is also a Ferrari academy driver, made his Formula 2 debut this year. But Schumacher, 20, looks set to finish the season just twelfth overall. “It was not […]
Female champion rules out 2020 Williams seat
Nov.11 (GMM) A female driver has dismissed suggestions she is a contender to step up to Formula 1 in 2020. 21-year-old Jamie Chadwick, a 21-year-old Briton, won the inaugural all-female W Series this year. She is also a Williams development driver. But after winning her title, Chadwick admits to thinking her F1 debut is actually […]
Frank Williams still supporting daughter as team boss
Nov.11 (GMM) As Williams’ abysmal 2019 season races on, boss Claire Williams is still insisting she will not quit. The daughter of founder Sir Frank Williams told Yahoo Sport that she has “of course” thought about giving up as the iconic team struggles to recover under her leadership. “I wasn’t prepared to give up because […]
Alonso in talks with Andretti about Indy 500
Nov.8 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is in talks with Michael Andretti’s Indycar outfit. In 2017, Alonso was charging for Indy 500 victory in an Andretti-prepared McLaren entry when his Honda engine failed. But last year, as McLaren went it alone without Andretti Autosport’s support, Alonso failed even to qualify. So it is interesting that according to […]
Dutch GP ‘proud’ to fend off environmental attacks
Nov.8 (GMM) Jan Lammers says he is “proud” that Dutch GP organisers have so far fended off strong environmental opposition to next year’s Zandvoort race. The former F1 driver is the spokesman of the Zandvoort organisers, who have managed to repel the legal and bureaucratic hurdles put in their path so far by environmental groups. […]
Raikkonen not worried about slower cars in 2021
Nov.8 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen is not worried about Formula 1 being slower in 2021. Some have expressed fears that the 3-4 seconds per lap drop to accommodate cars that are easier to overtake with is a step backwards for the sport. But 40-year-old Raikkonen told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “It doesn’t matter if in 2021 […]
Vettel ‘not worthy quadruple champion’ – Irvine
Nov.8 (GMM) Former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine thinks the Maranello team should make Charles Leclerc its number 1 driver. Irvine said at the start of the year that he thinks Vettel would be “a sitting duck” now that Leclerc is his teammate. “I thought Leclerc had a good chance of beating him because I don’t […]
Hamilton ‘thinking about’ Ferrari move – Villeneuve
Nov.8 (GMM) 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve thinks Lewis Hamilton is contemplating a move to Ferrari. Six time world champion Hamilton’s Mercedes contract expires next year, and Toto Wolff said recently it is “natural” that the Briton is attracted to Ferrari because it’s the “most important brand” in F1. “Lewis is chasing all the records […]
Hamilton can beat Schumacher records – Ralf
Nov.8 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton can beat all of Michael Schumacher’s records, according to the F1 legend’s brother Ralf Schumacher. In Austin, Mercedes’ Hamilton put the lid on his sixth drivers’ title. Only Schumacher, with seven world championships, won more. “Both of them achieved something incredible,” Ralf told Auto Bild. “I think Lewis can break Michael’s […]
2019 ‘year of learning’ for Honda – Verstappen
Nov.8 (GMM) 2019 was a “year of learning” for Red Bull-Honda, according to Max Verstappen. Earlier, it was rumoured the Dutchman was trying to get out of his 2020 contract. But now, he sounds upbeat about aiming for the championship next year. “We have already achieved some good results, but we want to take the […]
2021 rules ‘huge step forward’ – Prost
Nov.8 (GMM) Renault team advisor Alain Prost says the 2021 regulations can be a “huge step forward” for Formula 1. In the past days, rumours have suggested the embattled French team and carmaker could actually quit Formula 1 at the end of the season. But Prost told L’Equipe he sees a lot of positives about […]