Jul.5 (GMM) Pierre Gasly has until the summer break to up his game at Red Bull. Since stepping up from Toro Rosso to replace Daniel Ricciardo, the Frenchman has struggled alongside the on-form Max Verstappen in the sister car. In Austria, for instance, Verstappen won while Gasly was a lap down and seventh. “That can […]
Marko ‘not worried’ about Verstappen exit clause
Jul.5 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says he is “not worried” about the exit clause in Max Verstappen’s Red Bull contract. Just prior to the Dutchman’s sensational win in Austria, 21-year-old Verstappen would not deny the rumours of an exit and his management confirmed the existence of the exit clause. But the win in Austria, and […]
Less data would make F1 better – Raikkonen
Jul.5 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen says Formula 1 would be more exciting if it limited the amount of data the teams and drivers are able to analyse. With over 300 grands prix to his name, the 39-year-old Finn is the oldest and most experienced driver on the grid. He will stay at Alfa Romeo for 2020, […]
Mercedes admits ‘fundamental’ cooling flaw
Jul.5 (GMM) A “fundamental” car design flaw cost Mercedes its chance of winning a ninth consecutive win of 2019 in Austria. That is the admission of the otherwise dominant team’s trackside engineering boss Andrew Shovlin. The team admitted after the race at the Red Bull Ring, which was won by Max Verstappen, that the 2019 […]
Italy GP boss rejects anti-Ferrari FIA bias
Jul.5 (GMM) Italian GP boss Angelo Sticchi Damiani has defended the FIA and its stewards following a spate of controversial recent decisions. In Canada, Sebastian Vettel lost victory with a time penalty, and Ferrari was subsequently denied its request for a ‘review’. Then a push to revert to the 2018 Pirelli tyres was rejected, before […]
2020 Monza F1 deal ‘on the right track’
Jul.5 (GMM) The future of the Italian grand prix at Monza is “on the right track”. In May, fears about the 2020 race at the historic circuit near Milan eased when the Italian automobile club Aci agreed a deal with Liberty Media. However, even the official F1 website admitted that a “formal signature” was still […]
Vettel has ‘special relationship’ with Red Bull
Jul.5 (GMM) Red Bull maintains a “special relationship” with Sebastian Vettel. That is the claim of Christian Horner, and it comes amid speculation about German Vettel’s future in Formula 1. Vettel, now 32, had great early success with Red Bull, but has failed to win a fifth title with Ferrari since joining in 2015 and […]
Budkowski admits Renault ‘below our potential’
Jul.5 (GMM) Renault’s executive director Marcin Budkowski has admitted the French works team will not beat Mercedes in 2020. In Austria, Daniel Ricciardo lamented a poor showing for Renault, despite significant recent engine and car upgrades. But Budkowski, who caused a stir last year with his move from the FIA, says he is “delighted” to […]
Massa slams Rio’s Brazil GP plans
Jul.5 (GMM) Felipe Massa has slammed the plans to move Brazil’s grand prix from his native Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro. Controversial new Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has said the chance of F1’s move to Rio is “99 per cent”. But there are already doubts about the company that is behind the new project. […]
Vettel wants F1 rules on ‘two A4 pages’
Jul.5 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel wants Formula 1 to dramatically simplify the rules. The complexity of the current rules is a hot topic at present, in part because Ferrari’s Vettel lost his win in Canada after an incident with Lewis Hamilton. “If the rules were on two A4 pages, there would be a lot more room […]
Alonso ‘keen’ to do Dakar Rally – Sainz snr
Jul.5 (GMM) Rallying legend Carlos Sainz snr says Fernando Alonso is “very keen” to contest the famous Dakar Rally. At present, two-time champion Alonso is playing down rumours linking him with a return to Formula 1 next year, but he is also not ruling it out. At the same time, there are reports that Toyota […]
Domenicali says no F1 for Lamborghini
Jul.4 (GMM) Stefano Domenicali has once again rejected speculation Lamborghini could enter Formula 1. VW Group carmakers are often linked with F1 forays, but former Ferrari team boss Domenicali, who now runs VW-owned Lamborghini, says the Italian sports car company is not interested. “It’s not a project that we have ahead of us,” he told […]
Leclerc doubts Vettel will leave Ferrari
Jul.4 (GMM) Charles Leclerc says he doubts Sebastian Vettel is poised to leave Ferrari or Formula 1. In Austria, team boss Mattia Binotto rejected speculation Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Valtteri Bottas or another driver could replace Vettel by insisting the current lineup is already “fixed” for 2020. “I cannot see him stopping,” Leclerc, who is […]
Kubica sponsor rejects mid-year axe rumours
Jul.4 (GMM) Robert Kubica’s sponsor has rejected claims the Pole could be set to leave Williams. Some reports say his major backer PKN Orlen, the Polish oil company, has paid only for the first half of the 2019 season. Kubica, 34, is clearly among F1’s worst performers this year, having returned to the sport following […]
Verstappen still has ‘a year to go’ – Marko
Jul.4 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has once again played down suggestions Max Verstappen is on the move. In Austria, a story emerged that said Verstappen could leave Red Bull at the end of the year thanks to a performance clause in his contract. But Verstappen then won the race, prompting Red Bull driver manager Dr […]
Binotto defends Vettel mistakes
Jul.4 (GMM) Mattia Binotto has leapt to the defence of Sebastian Vettel. German Vettel, who turned 32 this week, is clearly under pressure at Maranello, amid rumours he could retire or return to Red Bull. Some say he is making too many mistakes, which could prompt Ferrari to promote Charles Leclerc and put a driver […]
McLaren’s Pat Fry headed to Williams – rumour
Jul.4 (GMM) Pat Fry could be heading to Williams. Last year, Fry – one of the most experienced top engineers in Formula 1 – was signed up by McLaren to be engineering director. The 55-year-old also worked for McLaren between 1993 and 2010, before moving to Ferrari and departing in 2014. Subsequently, he worked for […]
F1 stock market listing hurting Liberty – Ecclestone
Jul.4 (GMM) Liberty Media is struggling to negotiate F1’s future after listing it on the Nasdaq stock exchange, according to former supremo Bernie Ecclestone. The American company bought the sport early in 2017, listing it on the world’s second largest stock exchange and ousting Ecclestone. 88-year-old Ecclestone was in Austria last weekend and commented on […]
‘Real races’ in Indycar, not F1 – Ericsson
Jul.4 (GMM) Marcus Ericsson says the “real races” occur not in Formula 1, but in Indycar. The Swede, who lost his Sauber seat at the end of last year, is still an Alfa Romeo reserve driver and tester. He was in action for the Hinwil based team in the post-Austrian GP test. But the 28-year-old […]
Stop calling F1 ‘boring’ – Hamilton
Jul.3 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has urged reporters to “chill” rather than denounce Formula 1 as boring. Mercedes has won every race so far in 2019 except for Austria, where the team suffered cooling problems. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, in the Ferrari, instead tussled for victory in a thrilling race. “You guys have […]