May 6 (GMM) Pirelli’s Mario Isola has fended off Haas’ complaint about the difficult 2019 tyres. Haas has an objectively fast car this year, but the American team is struggling more than any other rival to get temperature into the tyres in the race. Team boss Gunther Steiner has said the situation is “not Formula […]
Ocon tips long Bottas vs Hamilton fight
May 6 (GMM) Esteban Ocon is expecting Mercedes’ two race drivers to fight for the title throughout 2019. The Frenchman, having lost his Force India seat at the end of last year, is watching closely from the sidelines as Mercedes’ reserve driver. Ocon is reportedly hoping Valtteri Bottas’ contract is not extended, but at present […]
Leclerc denies self-criticism ‘tactical’
May 6 (GMM) Charles Leclerc has denied that his harsh self-criticism after crashing in Baku was strategic. The young Ferrari driver looked on course for a first win in red when he crashed in qualifying. He was incredibly critical of his own mistake, leaving some people wondering if it was a tactic to shield him […]
Ferrari could ‘burn’ Mick Schumacher – Villeneuve
May 6 (GMM) Mick Schumacher is under great pressure to perform in 2019. That is the view of Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion who won his title when Mick’s father, Michael, tried to take him out at Jerez. Now, 20-year-old Schumacher is in Formula 2 and with the Ferrari academy, and Villeneuve said the […]
Schumacher had ‘no respect’ – Villeneuve
May 6 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve says F1 drivers have “no respect” for their on track rivals. And the 1997 world champion says that trend was started by his great nemesis, Michael Schumacher. “He had a total lack of respect for other drivers and what racing is all about,” Villeneuve told the Swedish newspaper Expressen. “It […]
McLaren not comparing itself to midfield – Sainz
May 6 (GMM) McLaren is measuring itself against the top teams, not the best teams in the midfield. That is the claim of Carlos Sainz, when asked if he is happy that McLaren is clearly a strong midfield frontrunner in 2019. “We still have to improve because looking at Mercedes and Ferrari, we can see […]
Bottas hopes for 2020 Mercedes deal
May 6 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas is hoping to be retained by Mercedes beyond 2019. The Finn had a bad 2018 season, but after four races and a new attitude in 2019 he is leading the world championship by a single point. Nonetheless, his current contract is for one year only, and Esteban Ocon is hoping […]
Vettel admits full respect for Hamilton
May 6 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he has developed a special respect for five time world champion Lewis Hamilton. The pair have been title rivals for years, but the German said that in the recent past, he realised that Hamilton deserves his full respect. “At some point it clicked,” Vettel told Der Spiegel. “It’s not […]
Teams unsure about more than 21-race calendar
May 6 (GMM) F1 teams are at “tipping point” in terms of being able to cope with more races on the calendar. Vietnam, and probably also Zandvoort, are joining the schedule next year, raising the spectre of future calendars greater than the 21 grands prix at present. “Our guys are already going around the world […]
Valencia boss charged with F1 race crimes
May 6 (GMM) The man at the centre of the former F1 race in Valencia, Spain, has been indicted in court. A judge found that there is “consistent” evidence that former Valencia president Francisco Camps was involved in embezzlement, bribery and falsification of documents related to the construction of the F1 track. Valencia hosted Formula […]
Female series could support F1 – Coulthard
May 6 (GMM) The new all-female ‘W Series’ is looking to become a support event at grands prix. The single seater series kicked off at the weekend as a support for the German touring car series DTM. But David Coulthard, a leading figure behind the W Series, said organisers of the Australian grand prix wanted […]
Mazepin coy about father’s Williams talks
May 3 (GMM) Formula 2 driver Nikita Mazepin says he is “ready” for Formula 1. After the first two rounds, the 20-year-old is only 15th overall in the category just beneath F1. But his father is Russian billionaire Dmitry Mazepin, who has been linked with buying both the former Force India team and, more recently, […]
Bottas ‘more direct’ with Mercedes in 2019
May 3 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas says he is being “more aggressive” with his team in 2019. The Finn ended the 2018 season under a serious cloud, given his poor performance and the ominous presence of potential 2020 replacement Esteban Ocon. But after four races in 2019, the newly-bearded Bottas has won twice and actually leads […]
Alonso ‘not really’ missing F1
May 3 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he is not missing Formula 1. The two-time world champion quit at the end of last year, with many believing the reason was Alonso’s struggle to find a competitive seat. But Alonso insists that was not the reason. “I would return if I wanted to,” he told Spanish reporters. […]
Ecclestone backs difficult Pirelli tyres
May 3 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has backed Pirelli, amid criticism of the Italian supplier’s 2019 tyres. Recently, Haas boss Gunther Steiner slammed the tyre situation this year as being “not Formula 1”. “We should not be constantly talking about whether a tyre works,” he said. The big complaint is that the so-called tyre operating ‘window’ […]
Lance Stroll ‘damn fast’ – Szafnauer
May 3 (GMM) Lance Stroll, an often maligned Formula 1 driver, is actually “damn fast”. That is the view of his boss at Racing Point, the former Force India team that is now owned by Stroll’s billionaire father Lawrence Stroll. Since leaving Williams, 20-year-old Stroll has scored just four of the team’s points in 2019, […]
Alonso to decide on F1 return ‘in July’
May 2 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he will decide “in July” whether to push for a return to Formula 1 in 2020. The Spaniard has announced that after this year, he will not return to Le Mans and the world endurance championship for now. “Committing to the new season until June 2020 meant closing some […]
Spanish GP negotiations not dead yet
May 2 (GMM) Barcelona has not yet been locked out of the 2020 F1 calendar. This week, reports suggested that with Zandvoort set to host a race next year, the new Dutch GP could actually replace Spain. Indeed, Barcelona’s contract runs out this year, and the negotiations with Liberty Media were believed to be fraught. […]
Senna could have been Brazilian president – Boutsen
May 2 (GMM) Former F1 driver Thierry Boutsen thinks Ayrton Senna could have gone on to become president of Brazil. This week, the worlds of Formula 1 and sport more generally are marking the 25th anniversary of the Brazilian legend’s death at Imola in 1994. One of Senna’s best friends in the paddock was Boutsen. […]
No ‘Q4’ qualifying in 2020
May 2 (GMM) The ‘Q4’ qualifying format proposal for 2020 has been scrapped. Earlier, we reported that authorities were considering adding a fourth segment to the current ‘knockout’-style session. Concerns were raised about whether the teams could cope with the extra segment with their existing allocation of Pirelli tyres per race weekend. “There is a […]