Sep.26 (GMM) Robert Kubica’s sponsor is in talks to become the new title backer at Haas. After a public and private debacle with Rich Energy, Haas recently split with its former title sponsor. Around the same time, Kubica announced that he is leaving Williams at the end of the year. His race seat was funded […]
Still no night race for Russian GP
Sep.26 (GMM) Organisers at Sochi are still resisting the lure of a night race. Since the first modern Russian GP in 2014, there have been reports suggesting the Sochi venue could be upgraded with Singapore-like floodlights. “Races look quite interesting under the lights, but the Russian GP is spectacular in daylight,” Alexi Titov, head of […]
Red Bull to get new F1 fuel later in 2019
Sep.26 (GMM) Red Bull-Honda will soon benefit from an updated fuel mix. This week, team boss Christian Horner said some of Ferrari’s current engine advantage is because of a “juicy” fuel supplied by Shell. But Red Bull’s partner ExxonMobil is working hard to match that. Technical advisor Dario Izzo admitted that Red Bull has been […]
Ferrari driver rivalry ‘good’ for Mercedes – Wolff
Sep.26 (GMM) Ferrari’s driver lineup could be “good” for Mercedes’ chances of winning the 2019 title. That is the view of Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, even though Ferrari has rattled the reigning champions by winning the last three races. “They are incredibly hungry and are giving absolutely everything,” championship leader Lewis Hamilton is quoted […]
Stable rules best way to close F1 gaps – Perez
Sep.25 (GMM) Sergio Perez says the best way to close the gap in Formula 1 is for the regulations to be left alone. The teams and Liberty Media are currently squabbling over the details of the latter’s push for a rules revolution in 2021. The plan involves cars that are slower and heavier but easier […]
Legal action to delay Dutch GP preparations
Sep.25 (GMM) Dark clouds continue to gather over next year’s Dutch GP. Zandvoort already has a May 3 calendar spot for 2020, and thanks to Max Verstappen’s immense popularity, the race is already easily sold out. But the race organisers are fire-fighting on multiple fronts. For instance, the municipality of Zandvoort’s August memorandum revealed that […]
Ferrari engine advantage ‘exaggerated’ – Binotto
Sep.25 (GMM) Mattia Binotto says Ferrari’s three wins in a row were not all about engine power. The Italian team was expected to do well at high speed Spa and Monza, and Charles Leclerc duly won both. But then Leclerc was back on pole in Singapore last weekend, with Sebastian Vettel leading home the one-two. […]
Hubert death investigation ‘will take time’ – Masi
Sep.24 (GMM) Michael Masi says he is unable to share much information about investigations into the crash that killed Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert. In the wake of the horror crash that also sees Juan Manuel Correa still seriously injured in a London hospital, investigations were launched by Belgian authorities and F1’s governing body. Australian […]
Doornbos worried about Newey’s F1 involvement
Sep.24 (GMM) A former Red Bull driver has expressed concerns about the F1 team’s technical future. After Singapore, Dr Helmut Marko said a simulator error led to a setup problem that cost Max Verstappen a chance of winning the night race. Verstappen called the weekend a “wake-up call”. Just days earlier, it was announced that […]
Briatore doubts Ferrari can win title
Sep.24 (GMM) Flavio Briatore doubts Ferrari can catch up with Mercedes for the 2019 title. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is leading the best-placed Ferrari by 96 points, but Toto Wolff has warned that it amounts only to “four race wins”. “I am under no illusion that my gap in the championship could disappear,” Hamilton agreed. At […]
Zandvoort happy with minister’s support
Sep.24 (GMM) Dutch GP race organisers are happy to receive the support of the national government. We reported this week that concerns about nitrogen emissions are holding up thousands of construction projects in the Netherlands. But sport minister Bruno Bruins said he “of course” wants the Formula 1 race to go ahead on time in […]
Hamilton warns he could lose 2019 title
Sep.24 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has warned Mercedes that he risks not winning the 2019 world championship. The Briton’s championship lead is actually huge — 96 points to the nearest Ferrari. “That’s four race wins,” said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. “We cannot allows ourselves to be so stupid that we mess up that advantage.” But […]
Ferrari ‘hungrier than Mercedes’ – Hamilton
Sep.23 (GMM) Championship leader Lewis Hamilton criticised Mercedes after the Singapore GP. The Briton was not even on the podium on Sunday, as Sebastian Vettel broke his long victory drought and Ferrari secured its first three-race winning streak since 2008. Toto Wolff calls Ferrari’s upgraded car a “monster”, but Hamilton thinks Mercedes also messed up […]
Magnussen eyes other races outside F1
Sep.23 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen is eyeing next January’s Daytona 24 hour race. Recently, the Dane lamented his stalled midfield career in Formula 1, declaring: “I will only race in Formula 1 as long as I believe I can become world champion.” Now, the Haas driver has admitted to starting to look beyond the F1 paddock. […]
Simulator error caused Singapore struggle – Marko
Sep.23 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says a “mistake” in the simulator prior to Singapore spoiled Red Bull’s chance of victory. Max Verstappen finished third behind the Ferraris, and when asked if there was a chance of a better result on a track that was expected to suit Red Bull, he answered simply: “No. “I could […]
Masi surprised by reaction to decisions
Sep.23 (GMM) F1 race director Michael Masi says he has been surprised by the reaction to new approaches to wheel-to-wheel racing taken in Formula 1 this year. Australian Masi took over at extremely short notice following the sudden death of Charlie Whiting in Melbourne. Under his regime, there have been several controversies based on wheel-to-wheel […]
Gasly not ruling out 2020 Red Bull return
Sep.23 (GMM) Pierre Gasly is not ruling out the possibility of a return to Red Bull for 2020. In Singapore, Dr Helmut Marko said Daniil Kvyat is not in the running for the seat currently occupied by Alex Albon. Rookie Albon was called up by the senior team following Gasly’s struggles in the first half […]
Kubica does not want simulator-only F1 job
Sep.23 (GMM) Robert Kubica says he does not want to become a mere simulator driver in Formula 1. The Pole, who has struggled on his return to the grid this year, is not staying at Williams for 2020. He has subsequently been linked with potential reserve and simulator roles at Racing Point or Haas. “In […]
Nitrogen concerns could affect Dutch GP – minister
Sep.23 (GMM) Dutch deputy sport minister Bruno Bruins hopes next year’s race at Zandvoort is not affected by environmental concerns. Concerned about the effect of nitrogen emissions on biodiversity, it is believed that thousands of construction projects in the country could be delayed. Perhaps the most prominent of those potentially delayed projects is the work […]
Mercedes needs update to catch Ferrari – Hamilton
Sep.22 (GMM) Ferrari’s rivals are surprised by the Italian team’s pace in Singapore. When reminded after qualifying that it is Charles Leclerc’s third pole on the trot, championship leader Lewis Hamilton exclaimed: “Shit!” Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is also upset about not being faster, telling Ziggo Sport: “I came here to win.” Mercedes’ Hamilton explained […]