Aug.22 (GMM) F1 engine makers are proposing that development of the hybrid technology be frozen for performance and cost reasons. According to Auto Motor und Sport, the idea is being championed by Renault, who are struggling to compete with the top three teams both in terms of performance and budget. “With the budget cap and […]
Wolff rules out Alonso for Mercedes
Aug.22 (GMM) Toto Wolff says Fernando Alonso will not return to Formula 1 with Mercedes. Recently, 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg joked that a petition should be created to bring two-time Alonso back to the grid. However, the 38-year-old’s 2020 project actually looks set to be the off-road Dakar Rally with Toyota. The Japanese carmaker […]
Engine rivals ‘have caught up’ – Wolff
Aug.22 (GMM) Toto Wolff says Mercedes’ F1 engine rivals have “caught up”. The German manufacturer has dominated the sport since the introduction of the new ‘power unit’ rules in 2014. But boss Wolff says that Honda’s performance surge this season indicates that all of the engine makers in Formula 1 are now closely matched. “Honda […]
Vettel defends Ferrari boss Binotto
Aug.14 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has defended his Ferrari team boss. At the end of last year, presumably because of another failed world championship bid, former Ferrari chief Maurizio Arrivabene was ousted. He was replaced by then technical boss Mattia Binotto, whose much more open and relaxed style has been hailed by the press. But on […]
Villeneuve tells Mercedes to keep Bottas
Aug.14 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve does not think Mercedes should drop Valtteri Bottas. Many pundits believe it is likely that team boss Toto Wolff will replace the Finn for 2020 with Mercedes reserve driver Esteban Ocon. Bottas, 29, is currently testing an unbranded M-Sport world rally championship-spec Ford Fiesta in Germany. “You always learn something when […]
Briatore starts political movement
Aug.14 (GMM) Flavio Briatore is entering politics. The former world championship-winning F1 team boss has announced the formation of an Italian political movement he calls Il Movimento del Fare. The 69-year-old said he was motivated amid a “critical moment for our country”. Briatore said it is “totally independent of any current political party” and “at […]
Brown to discuss Alonso’s 2020 plans at Monza
Aug.14 (GMM) Zak Brown says he will talk about Fernando Alonso’s future at the forthcoming Italian GP. It appears that Alonso is not returning to Formula 1 next year, and there are rumours that his 2020 project will in fact be his debut at the off-road Dakar rally. But McLaren is entering the full Indycar […]
Sponsor, Williams, still supporting Kubica
Aug.14 (GMM) Robert Kubica’s major sponsor is continuing to support the Pole. On his high-profile return to Formula 1, the 34-year-old has been consistently outperformed by his rookie teammate George Russell. But team boss Claire Williams says she is happy with Kubica. “We needed a driver like Robert with his engineering and technical intelligence,” she […]
Verstappen supports Red Bull’s driver decision
Aug.14 (GMM) Max Verstappen has backed Red Bull’s decision to axe Pierre Gasly. “Of course it’s a pity for Pierre,” the Dutchman told De Telegraaf newspaper. “But personally I don’t care who my teammate is.” Verstappen’s new teammate is Alex Albon, a British-born Thai driver who is promoted from the junior team Toro Rosso. Dr […]
Verstappen’s father thinks Hamilton is rattled
Aug.13 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s father thinks the on-form Red Bull driver has rattled reigning five time world champion and 2019 championship leader Lewis Hamilton. “When you see what kind of races Max has been driving, I don’t think you can be surprised,” Jos Verstappen, himself a former F1 driver, said of his son. He thinks […]
F1 looking into alternative fuels – Carey
Aug.13 (GMM) Chase Carey has vowed to push ahead with introducing non-fossil fuels in Formula 1. In June, we quoted Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul as saying one way the sport could rev up its green credentials would be to contemplate carbon neutral fuels. It appears that F1 CEO Carey agrees. He is not a critic […]
‘No reason’ to change Ferrari drivers – Binotto
Aug.13 (GMM) Mattia Binotto says Ferrari will head into 2020 with an unchanged driver lineup. There has been high speculation about the future of Sebastian Vettel, with the latest theory being that he could return to Red Bull next year. Indeed, German Vettel gives himself just five out of ten for his first half of […]
Raikkonen ‘drives without instructions’ – Zehnder
Aug.13 (GMM) Alfa Romeo, formerly Sauber, is more than impressed with Kimi Raikkonen. Raikkonen actually started his F1 career at Sauber as a controversially-inexperienced 21-year-old, with Beat Zehnder as the team manager. Zehnder is still at Hinwil, and he told Auto Motor und Sport he is now even more impressed with Raikkonen after his 21 […]
Gasly to show ‘true value’ back at Toro Rosso
Aug.13 (GMM) Pierre Gasly is vowing to push on after being dumped by Red Bull’s premier team. Despite repeatedly insisting that the struggling Frenchman would stay at least for the rest of 2019, Red Bull announced on Monday that he will in fact be replaced immediately after the summer break by Alex Albon. “The team […]
Journalists predict F1 exit for Kubica
Aug.12 (GMM) Two well known F1 journalists think Robert Kubica is likely to lose his place on the grid. After an eight year break with his permanent arm injuries, the 34-year-old Pole returned to Formula 1 this year with Williams but has struggled. “George Russell is clearly the faster man at Williams,” said veteran Swiss […]
Drivers ‘interested’ in Haas – Steiner
Aug.12 (GMM) Gunther Steiner insists top drivers are “still interested” in driving for the small American team Haas. It has been a particularly difficult fourth season for the team, due to problems with the 2019 Pirelli tyres, Haas’ controversial title sponsor, and the drivers. Romain Grosjean looks likely to depart at the end of the […]
Magnussen gets married in F1 break
Aug.12 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has used F1’s August break to get married. Danish media report that the Haas driver married Louise Gjorup in Nyborg, Denmark. The news broke after their friends posted photos of the low-profile event on social media. Magnussen, 26, said in 2019 that he met his now wife after re-assessing his life […]
Verstappen among F1’s ‘more complete’ drivers
Aug.12 (GMM) Max Verstappen thinks he is now one of the “more complete” drivers on the entire F1 grid. Always fast and feisty, many pundits and insiders are now saying the almost 22-year-old Dutchman has notably matured over the past 12 months or so. But the Red Bull-Honda driver says he hasn’t changed his methods […]
20hp engine boost for Ferrari after break – report
Aug.12 (GMM) Toto Wolff is forecasting a “very strong” performance by Ferrari after the summer break. Marca sports newspaper reports that the Maranello team, which was outclassed by Mercedes and Red Bull-Honda in Hungary, will unveil its third-specification engine at Spa. The Spanish publication said the new engine should deliver a 20 horsepower boost. Even […]
Teams to undergo budget cap ‘dry run’ in 2020
Aug.12 (GMM) Formula 1 will carry out a “dry run” of the new budget cap rules next year, CEO Chase Carey has revealed. Actually, the $175 million per team annual budget cap will only be enforced from 2021, but Carey says the teams are supportive of its implementation. “Some teams had concerns or issues going […]