May 8 (GMM) Toto Wolff could be lining up as a potential successor to F1 chief executive Chase Carey. In Baku, the Mercedes boss did not deny that his contract expires at the end of 2020. Furthermore, it is believed Wolff has an uneasy relationship with Ola Kallenius, who is set to replace Dieter Zetsche […]
Horner thinks F1 could scrap Friday practice
May 8 (GMM) Another F1 personality is advocating for the scrapping of Friday practice. After the manhole cover incident in Baku, Daniil Kvyat said the grand prix still progressed smoothly with limited practice. “Maybe we should just practice on Saturday morning,” he said. Supporting that idea is Christian Horner, who said a rethink of the […]
Alonso keeping future plans ‘top secret’
May 8 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is keeping “top secret” plans about his future close to his chest. The Spaniard admitted recently that deciding to quit Le Mans and the world endurance championship is so that his 2020 schedule is clear. “I have a clear idea in mind, but until I have discussed the final detail, […]
Montreal still working on new paddock – report
May 8 (GMM) The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is in a race against time to be ready for next month’s Canadian grand prix. A correspondent for Le Journal de Montreal newspaper visited the track on Tuesday and observed that the new paddock building is still very much under construction. Montreal race promoter Francois Dumontier, and the […]
Verstappen ‘ready for the title’ – Marko
May 8 (GMM) Max Verstappen has been the only “flawless” driver on the 2019 grid so far. That is the claim of his boss at Red Bull, Dr Helmut Marko. “Hamilton, Bottas, Vettel and Leclerc have had ups and downs,” he told Auto Bild. “Only Max was flawless and always got the maximum out of […]
CEO Camilleri ‘confident’ Ferrari can win title
May 8 (GMM) Ferrari CEO Louis Camilleri says he is still “confident” the Maranello team can charge for the 2019 title. That is despite the fact that, following a winter season of promise, Ferrari has been beaten in every race so far this year by a Mercedes 1-2. Ferrari has therefore sped up development of […]
Spanish GP negotiations ‘completely alive’
May 8 (GMM) Negotiations to keep Barcelona on the F1 calendar are “completely alive”. That is the claim of what the Spanish newspaper Marca calls an “authorised source”. Recent reports suggested Spanish GP officials had failed to reach a new deal with Liberty Media for 2020 and beyond. The source said: “The negotiations are completely […]
Lauda still not ready for F1 return
May 8 (GMM) Niki Lauda is still not well enough to return to the F1 paddock. The F1 legend had actually hoped to return to his duties as Mercedes team chairman in Australia, but he is still recovering from his 2018 lung transplant. Team boss Toto Wolff said Lauda, 70, will also not be in […]
Brown says McLaren on ‘road to recovery’
May 8 (GMM) McLaren boss Zak Brown says he is “satisfied” with how the British team’s 2019 season is progressing. The once-great team has had a dire time since 2015, but Carlos Sainz finished seventh in Baku with both Renault-powered cars in the top ten. “We have clearly built a better racing car this year,” […]
Silverstone sure new surface to be ready for F1
May 8 (GMM) Silverstone is “confident” a brand new track surface will be ready for July’s British grand prix. The Guardian reports that F1’s governing body ordered the work be done after the current surface led to the cancellation of the MotoGP race last year. Lewis Hamilton said the new surface was the “bumpiest track […]
Vettel struggling for ‘confidence’ in 2019 car
May 7 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he is lacking “confidence” at the wheel of the 2019 Ferrari. So far, Ferrari is maintaining the German’s place at the top of the team hierarchy, but new teammate Charles Leclerc seems more comfortable with the 2019 car. “You need confidence in the car and I’m not yet there,” […]
Barcelona could shake up 2019 order – Sainz
May 7 (GMM) The grid hierarchy could be “shaken” by this weekend’s Spanish grand prix. Traditionally, the scene of the first race in Europe is where teams bring their first major car upgrades of the season. “Yes, it can be shaken,” Carlos Sainz, who drives for McLaren, said at a pre-race event in Madrid. “Barcelona […]
‘No panic’ amid Barcelona axe reports
May 7 (GMM) Barcelona circuit boss Vincenc Aguilera says there is “no panic” amid reports that talks to extend the Spanish GP beyond this weekend’s race have broken down. Some outlets claim Barcelona will be replaced on the 2020 schedule by a Dutch GP at Zandvoort. But Aguilera says that is premature. “There has been […]
Vandoorne to be ‘very good’ Le Mans driver – Alonso
May 7 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has tipped Stoffel Vandoorne to be a “very good” sports car driver. Until last year, the pair were teammates at McLaren. Alonso quit to tackle Le Mans and the Indy 500 this year, while Vandoorne was ousted and signed as Mercedes’ Formula E driver. But Belgian Vandoorne drove for SMP […]
Monza hopes 2020 race deal signed by July
May 7 (GMM) Organisers of the Italian GP have admitted the new deal with Liberty Media saves them “a lot of money”. Liberty Media and Monza announced recently that after a period of uncertainty, they have now agreed a 2020-2024 race deal “in principle”. But Italian automobile club president Angelo Sticchi Damiani admits the actual […]
2021 overtaking concept ‘better than expected’
May 7 (GMM) Liberty Media is “really satisfied” with the research that is being done on the car concept of 2021. It is believed most of the teams are now willing to wait until October for the concept to be finalised, with Pat Symonds leading the efforts for F1 owner Liberty. “We are really satisfied […]
Leclerc accepts team orders ‘to a point’
May 7 (GMM) Charles Leclerc says he will only listen to team orders from Ferrari “to a point” in the coming races. The Monaco born team newcomer is clearly ‘number 2’ to Sebastian Vettel, but he has expressed frustration when told to move aside so far in 2019. “I need to show what I am […]
Calderon hopes for Alfa Romeo test
May 7 (GMM) Tatiana Calderon hopes her route to F1 is the right one. At the weekend, the new all-female single seater category ‘W Series’ had its first race. Calderon, a 26-year-old Colombian driver, was not on the grid. “For me, it would be a step backward,” she said last year. “They use Formula 3 […]
Williams sponsor responds to Villeneuve comments
May 7 (GMM) One of Williams’ biggest sponsors is giving the struggling team time to improve. According to Business Insider Polska, Polish oil company PKN Orlen is paying the British team EUR 10 million in support of Robert Kubica in 2019. But Williams is currently dead last. PKN Orlen, though, is showing patience. “We are […]
Leclerc’s brother eyes F1 test debut
May 7 (GMM) Charles Leclerc’s brother is hoping to make his F1 test debut in 2019. Last year, Charles Leclerc made his F1 race debut for Sauber and in 2019 was promoted to Ferrari. Now, Charles’ 18-year-old brother has been signed up by Sauber’s junior programme, and will race in the German Formula 4 category. […]