Oct.15 (GMM) Red Bull is not ready to lock in Alex Albon for 2020. The energy drink outfit promoted the British-born Thai rookie from Toro Rosso mid this year to replace the struggling Pierre Gasly. After Suzuka, which was Albon’s fifth race alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing, Dr Helmut Marko told Osterreich newspaper: […]
Kubica slams Williams over new wing removal
Oct.14 (GMM) Robert Kubica’s relationship with Williams appears to be breaking down completely. The Pole, who has already announced his departure at the end of the season, slammed the struggling British team after the Japanese GP. Kubica says that after testing a new wing on Friday, he was not told that the component would be […]
Driver situation ‘good’ for Vettel and Leclerc – boss
Oct.14 (GMM) Mattia Binotto has denied that he is losing control of the situation with Ferrari’s drivers. Some think the current struggle between Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc for number 1 status will ultimately descend into chaos for the Maranello team. “I don’t think the philosophy they have there is good for a team,” Mercedes’ […]
Seidl thinks teams will agree to 2021 rules
Oct.14 (GMM) Andreas Seidl says he is “sure” that Formula 1 will soon have clarity over the rules for 2021. That is despite the fact that sources at Suzuka reported that an internal vote revealed that only four teams support Liberty Media’s current proposal. McLaren is one of those teams. “We had a meeting here,” […]
Yamamoto ‘doesn’t fit’ in Red Bull programme – Horner
Oct.14 (GMM) Naoki Yamamoto “should be in Formula 1”. That is the view of 2009 world champion Jenson Button, referring to the Japanese driver who got his first taste of a F1 car at Suzuka last Friday. The 31-year-old is Button’s teammate in the Japanese Super GT series. He is also poised to be this […]
Bottas used old Hamilton chassis at Suzuka
Oct.14 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has revealed he raced to victory at Suzuka in a monocoque used previously by his teammate Lewis Hamilton. Although he slammed team strategy “f*ck ups” on Sunday, Hamilton helped Mercedes to win the constructors’ title at Suzuka. He also excluded the Ferrari drivers and Max Verstappen from contention for the drivers’ […]
Renault accused of racing illegal cars in Japan
Oct.14 (GMM) Renault has vowed to use the time until next weekend’s Mexican GP to prove its 2019 car is legal. Having prepared a 12-page dossier, F1 team rival Racing Point has lodged an official protest against what it alleges is a “pre-set lap distance-dependent brake bias adjustment system” designed and raced by Renault. It […]
Magnussen eyes move to bigger team for 2021
Oct.13 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen says he will keep his eyes open for a move to a bigger team for 2021. The Dane is staying at Haas next year, but he told BT newspaper that he is not content to just stay in the midfield forever. “I feel that I am in the queue of drivers […]
Losing McLaren ‘no impact’ on Renault – Abiteboul
Oct.13 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul has played down signs of a crisis for Renault. The team missed its target of closing the gap to the top three teams in 2019. And this weekend it emerged that the parent company has ousted its CEO Thierry Bollore, who only assumed the role in January following the Carlos Ghosn […]
Vettel crisis ‘will resolve itself’ – Marko
Oct.13 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has backed Sebastian Vettel to re-assert himself at Ferrari. On ‘super Sunday’ at Suzuka following the typhoon, the German ended teammate Charles Leclerc’s four-race run of pole positions. Before that, all and sundry were observing that Leclerc is now obviously the new number 1 in red. “Yes, I’ve talked to […]
F1 selects tracks for 2020 qualifying race trial
Oct.13 (GMM) Formula 1 has decided the location of the three ‘trial’ qualifying races in 2020. It is believed that Ross Brawn told the teams at Suzuka that he wants the 45 minute, reverse-grid qualifying sprint races to take place at Paul Ricard, Spa and Sochi. There will be no mandatory pitstops and drivers are […]
Kubica undecided over F1 role for 2020
Oct.13 (GMM) Robert Kubica has admitted he may switch to Haas for 2020. It is believed his sponsor, the Polish oil company PK Orlen, is in talks to move its backing from Williams to the small American team. Whether Kubica follows Orlen is another matter. “Maybe, but not necessarily,” he answered when asked about Haas […]
F1 to scratch Thursday from weekend format
Oct.13 (GMM) Race weekends in Formula 1 will be slashed from four to just three days from 2021, it has emerged at Suzuka. A typhoon forced the cancellation of all track activities on Saturday, meaning that the sport is in effect testing the three-day format this weekend. “I think the two days is enough,” said […]
Ferrari drivers say Mercedes better at Suzuka
Oct.12 (GMM) A car upgrade may have allowed Mercedes to catch up with Ferrari, according to Sebastian Vettel. After four consecutive pole positions for Charles Leclerc, Mercedes’ championship leader Lewis Hamilton said recently that Ferrari had “changed something about the engine” that makes it “better than all the others”. He therefore urged Mercedes to resume […]
Williams’ 2019 struggle ‘deserved’ – Villeneuve
Oct.12 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve says he is sad but not surprised at what has happened to the Williams team. Now a pundit for Italian television, the French Canadian is the last driver to have won the world championship for the team founded by Sir Frank Williams. The same team, now run by Williams’ daughter Claire, […]
Binotto ‘not the best’ at managing drivers – Lehto
Oct.12 (GMM) A former F1 driver has questioned Mattia Binotto’s ability to handle the growing tension between the Ferrari drivers. With Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel now obviously vying for number 1 status at Ferrari, team boss Binotto played down the mounting tension at Suzuka. “As I’ve often said this season, it’s somehow a luxury […]
Steiner fined EUR 7,500 for insulting F1 steward
Oct.12 (GMM) Gunther Steiner has escaped with a slap on the wrist after his Sochi radio outburst. Some had feared that the Haas boss could be banned from the paddock for a race after lashing out at a “stupid idiotic steward” believed to be former F1 driver Emanuele Pirro. Steiner’s outburst was made over the […]
Russia still eyeing Formula 1 team – minister
Oct.12 (GMM) A Russian government minister is still talking about the prospect of a Russian Formula 1 team. At Sochi recently, trade and industry minister Denis Manturov said a Russian team is “not far off”. His comments came at the same time as Formula 1 and the FIA played down the prospect of new teams […]
Teams meet with Carey on ‘typhoon Saturday’
Oct.12 (GMM) Team bosses are spending Saturday discussing Formula 1’s future with CEO Chase Carey. The drivers will be idler on Saturday, bunkered down at Suzuka’s circuit hotel. Only two staff members per team are allowed at the actual track to monitor team equipment as a powerful typhoon moves across the region. “We have packed […]
Vasseur plays down Hulkenberg’s 2020 hopes
Oct.12 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur has dealt a blow to Nico Hulkenberg’s flagging chances of staying on the Formula 1 grid next year. German Hulkenberg, who has lost his Renault seat for 2020 and is no longer in contention to move to Haas or Williams, said at Suzuka that his supporters would have to play “more […]