Feb.5 (GMM) Mark Webber has backed Red Bull’s decision to switch to Honda power for 2019. Although Honda’s recent history in F1 has been unsuccessful, former Red Bull driver Webber thinks dropping customer Renault power was the right move for the team. “Red Bull needed a change,” he told Speed Week. “You get new energy […]
Gasly ‘under scrutiny’ in 2019 – Marko
Feb.5 (GMM) Pierre Gasly has Red Bull’s full support, but he must perform if he wants to keep his race seat at the senior F1 team. That is the warning of Dr Helmut Marko, who runs Red Bull’s notoriously tough driver programme. Max Verstappen is quoted by Speed Week: “When it became clear that Daniel […]
Vettel and Ferrari ‘deserve’ 2018 title – Wehrlein
Feb.5 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein says his countryman Sebastian Vettel deserves to win the 2019 world championship. Ferrari has announced that German Wehrlein, who also drives in Formula E, will be a Ferrari simulator driver this year. Also in the simulator at Maranello in 2019 will be ousted Toro Rosso driver Brendon Hartley, even though the […]
Lauda will miss winter tests and Australia – Marko
Feb.4 (GMM) Niki Lauda will miss both the forthcoming Barcelona tests and the first race of the season in Australia. That is the claim of the F1 legend’s Austrian countryman and paddock friend Dr Helmut Marko. Lauda, 69, has had a long and complex recovery from a 2018 lung transplant, but had hoped to be […]
Alonso leaving door open to 2020 return
Feb.4 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says winning a third world championship in formula one would be “the greatest joy”. It is just the latest sign that the recently-retired F1 driver – who will tackle Le Mans and the Indy 500 this year and won the 2019 Daytona 24 hour – is not permanently done with F1. […]
Honda ‘promises much more’ than Renault – Marko
Feb.4 (GMM) Red Bull has set the ultimate target for its first year in works collaboration with Honda. “Our ultimate goal is to make Max Verstappen the world champion in 2019,” said Dr Helmut Marko, the Austrian official who is close to team owner Dietrich Mateschitz. Most experts tip Mercedes and Ferrari to remain in […]
Renault may be competitive in 2019 – Isola
Feb.4 (GMM) F1 could be in for a very close year of competition. That is the view of Mario Isola, the F1 boss for sole tyre supplier Pirelli. He admitted to Spain’s AS newspaper that he has a close eye on the weather forecast ahead of the start of official winter testing in Barcelona. “With […]
McLaren’s Brown eyes ‘big step forward’ in 2019
Feb.4 (GMM) Team boss Zak Brown is targeting points finishes for McLaren’s 2019 car. The once-great British team has lost Fernando Alonso after four years of disappointing performance, but Brown said hopes are now high for a “good car”. “The development in the winter has been very consistent, but obviously we do not know what […]
Mexico to stop funding grand prix
Feb.4 (GMM) The highly popular new Mexican grand prix is now in doubt for the future. Claudia Sheinbaum, the mayor of Mexico City, has announced that there will be no more government backing for the race beyond this year’s event in October. She told El Financiero, Mexico’s major national business newspaper, that the F1 funding […]
Vettel ‘broken’ – Coronel
Feb.4 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel is “broken”. That is the view of former racing driver Tom Coronel, who thinks Vettel’s difficult 2018 season with Ferrari may have given the early upper hand for 2019 to new teammate Charles Leclerc. “Vettel is broken because of last year,” Coronel told the Dutch publication Formule 1. “He will not […]
Villeneuve to miss five F1 races in 2019
Feb.4 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve may miss several grands prix in 2019 as he returns to racing. For the past few seasons, the 1997 world champion has been an expert pundit for Canal Plus (France) and Sky (Italy). But this year, the 47-year-old will be racing in the European Nascar series, as well as the Italian […]
Red Bull denies wanting to buy F1
Feb.4 (GMM) Red Bull has denied being interested in buying formula one. It was rumoured last week that Liberty Media, under fire from a majority of disgruntled F1 race promoters, could be looking to sell the sport. Liberty Media would not comment. But when asked about the Red Bull rumours, Dr Helmut Marko told Auto […]
Alfa to reveal innovative 2019 car – report
Feb.4 (GMM) Sauber – now called Alfa Romeo – could have a surprise in store with the design of its 2019 car. That is the claim of Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. The authoritative sports newspaper claims the new Alfa will have a radical shape as it has been designed with “as little caution as […]
Bottas could be back to normal in 2019 – Montoya
Feb.4 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has admitted a few sips of alcohol helped him through the winter period. The Finn struggled alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2018 and it is now rumoured this year will be his last with Mercedes. “I am a normal Finn, and yes on a weekend it (alcohol) sometimes helps,” Bottas smiled to […]
Sauber, now Alfa, gets 2019 budget boost
Feb.2 (GMM) Sauber will reportedly enjoy a big budget boost in 2019. The Hinwil based team has a new name for the new season — Alfa Romeo. “Alfa Romeo Racing, operated by Sauber Motorsport. New name, Same game!” the team announced on Twitter. “It’s a pity that the legendary Sauber name is going,” former F1 […]
Boss suggests Monza prepared to lose F1 race
Feb.1 (GMM) Monza is not the only F1 venue that is worried about the cost of hosting an annual grand prix, according to Italian GP boss Angelo Sticchi Damiani. The Italian automobile club (Aci) president this week confirmed that Monza is among the 16 F1 circuits protesting the race fees charged by Liberty Media. “The […]
‘Difficult’ to be Schumacher’s son – Mick
Feb.1 (GMM) Mick Schumacher has admitted that it is sometimes “difficult” to be the son of F1’s most successful driver of all time. Reigning European F3 champion Schumacher, 19, is stepping up to Formula 2 this year, and he also recently signed up with Ferrari’s driver development programme. Some think Schumacher’s path was made easier […]
Ferrari CEO announces bigger F1 budget for 2019
Feb.1 (GMM) Ferrari will boost its 2019 budget in a bid to finally beat Mercedes to a world championship this decade. The fabled Italian team challenged hard in 2018, but team and driver mistakes ultimately meant Mercedes won its fifth consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ titles. During the course of 2018, Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne died, […]
Haas drivers must work on approach – Steiner
Feb.1 (GMM) Haas’ two race drivers need to get better at being calmly consistent throughout the season. That is the view of Gunther Steiner, the young and small American team’s boss. Last year, the closely Ferrari-aligned team surprised by fielding a truly competitive midfield car, only to eventually finish behind Renault for fifth in the […]
De Vries next in line for F1 promotion
Feb.1 (GMM) Nyck de Vries hopes he is the next Formula 2 driver who makes the big break into formula one. Last year, George Russell, Lando Norris and Alexander Albon finished first, second and third in the F2 championship — and all three are moving into F1 this year. Just behind them in the standings […]