Jun.24 (GMM) Robert Kubica has played down the significance of his fight against teammate George Russell at Paul Ricard. Until now, the Pole has been totally outclassed at Williams by his rookie teammate. There are rumours Kubica, 34, could be falling out with the team as he suggests Russell is getting superior equipment. But at […]
Wolff doesn’t want son to be racing driver
Jun.24 (GMM) Toto Wolff says he would prefer if his son says no to a future in Formula 1. Two years ago, the 47-year-old and his wife Susie, a former Williams test driver, welcomed their first child together into the world. “I would hope that he does not become a racing driver,” the Mercedes team […]
Bottas ‘slept’ in sluggish French GP – Wolff
Jun.24 (GMM) Toto Wolff has indicated Valtteri Bottas needs to put his foot back down on the throttle. After a bad 2018, Bottas emerged this year with a new look, a new attitude and impressive new form. But as the season reaches its mid-way point, Bottas is once again showing signs of slumping against a […]
Circuit to blame for boring French GP – Wolff
Jun.24 (GMM) At the chequered flag at Paul Ricard, many in F1 observed that the extremely boring race was indicative of the sport’s core problems. But Toto Wolff, boss of the dominant Mercedes team, thinks the Paul Ricard circuit is also to blame. Currently, the teams are debating with Liberty Media and the FIA about […]
Hamilton era can ‘annihilate’ F1 – report
Jun.24 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton on Sunday said it is not his fault if this year’s world championship is boring. At Paul Ricard, the Briton continued to utterly dominate in a season also dominated by Mercedes. Even teammate Valtteri Bottas’ early challenge to Hamilton seems now to be fading. “A faster man won,” a despondent Bottas […]
Todt says Schumacher condition ‘private’
Jun.24 (GMM) Jean Todt insists the health condition of F1 legend Michael Schumacher is still “very private”. Schumacher, now 50, has not been seen publicly since he fell while skiing with his son Mick in the French Alps just after Christmas in 2013. It is believed he has severe and lasting brain injuries, but only […]
FIA closes technical rules loopholes
Jun.23 (GMM) The FIA has moved to close new loopholes in the technical regulations. Auto Motor und Sport says the implication of the seven new technical directives issued before Paul Ricard is that teams were exploiting the existing rules. One involves the rear wing, specifying the way the main plane should be bolted to the […]
McLaren to build new wind tunnel
Jun.23 (GMM) McLaren has announced plans to build a new wind tunnel at its Woking headquarters. For years, the British team has used the more updated Toyota facility in Cologne to develop its F1 cars. But Andreas Seidl, the newly appointed McLaren team boss, says that will change. “We are 1.5 seconds at least behind […]
Vettel retirement rumours ‘increasing’ – report
Jun.23 (GMM) Serious doubts are beginning to emerge about Sebastian Vettel’s future in F1. Already fiercely private, the German married his long-time partner Hanna between the Canadian and French grands prix. His friend Bernie Ecclestone recently said Vettel does not want F1 to affect the “balance” of his family life. As he was getting married […]
Horner hints at Red Bull involvement at Le Mans
Jun.23 (GMM) Christian Horner has hinted that Red Bull will play a role at Le Mans in the future. Team sponsor Aston Martin has announced that it will enter a car in the new top ‘hypercar’ category. That car will be the Valkyrie, which was designed by Adrian Newey. “I went to Le Mans to […]
Grosjean laments lack of Magnussen upgrade
Jun.23 (GMM) Romain Grosjean has revealed he is not enjoying equal equipment with his Haas teammate Kevin Magnussen. Neither of the pair are competitive at Paul Ricard, as they lament the Pirelli tyre problems that have plagued the American team’s 2019 season. “We do not have a car that works well,” Frenchman Grosjean said at […]
Steward went to police after Canada GP ‘threats’
Jun.23 (GMM) Former F1 driver Emanuele Pirro has hit out at the “ugly media attack” and “personal threats” that followed the Canadian GP. Italian Pirro, who raced 40 times until 1991, was one of the stewards who gave Sebastian Vettel the highly controversial penalty that cost him victory in Montreal. “I think my life changed […]
Verstappen did not want Hamilton practice penalty
Jun.23 (GMM) Max Verstappen did not push for Lewis Hamilton to be punished for an incident in practice for the French GP. While the stewards prepared to rule on the Sebastian Vettel time penalty review, they also had to look into whether Hamilton should be penalised at Paul Ricard for unsafely returning to the track […]
Pirelli not keen on banked corner for Dutch GP
Jun.23 (GMM) Pirelli says it would prefer if Zandvoort scrapped plans for a steeply banked corner for next year’s Dutch GP. Zandvoort race organisers are planning for spectacular 18-degree banking at the final Arie Luyendyk corner. “I’d rather if they didn’t,” Pirelli’s Mario Isola told the Dutch publication Formule 1. “We will have to find […]
Sirotkin to keep Renault, McLaren secrets
Jun.23 (GMM) Sergey Sirotkin has vowed to keep the respective secrets of the Renault and McLaren teams to himself. The Russian, already Renault’s reserve driver, has now been signed by Renault-powered McLaren in the same role. “The work is similar in both teams,” Sirotkin told Russia’s Championat at Paul Ricard. “We have yet to discuss […]
McLaren leaving Alonso era in the past
Jun.23 (GMM) McLaren appears to be moving on from the Fernando Alonso era. In recent days, team supremo Zak Brown said there is no room for the Spaniard in 2020 because McLaren is happy with Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris. And the reserve driver role has just been filled by Sergey Sirotkin. “Fernando cannot attend […]
2020 winter testing to stay in Barcelona
Jun.23 (GMM) Pre-season testing will continue to take place in Barcelona next winter. There are often suggestions that some teams would prefer the limited pre-season running occur in a country with a warmer and more predictable climate. But team bosses met at Paul Ricard and decided that if the circuit fees do not increase, Barcelona […]
Williams denies supplying better car to Russell
Jun.23 (GMM) Claire Williams has denied the struggling British team is not giving Robert Kubica equal equipment in 2019. Kubica, dead last in almost every session this season, has hinted numerous times that he thinks teammate George Russell is driving a fundamentally different car. The Pole was half a second from Russell in Paul Ricard […]
Norris denies McLaren has ‘secret upgrade’
Jun.23 (GMM) Lando Norris has denied claims McLaren took a “secret upgrade” to Paul Ricard. Much was made of Renault’s French GP car and engine upgrade, but it was customer team McLaren setting the ‘best of the rest’ pace in qualifying. “We got beat by the two McLarens and they have a little update they […]
Wolff denies wanting Chase Carey’s job
Jun.23 (GMM) Toto Wolff has once again played down reports linking him with F1 supremo Chase Carey’s job. Carey’s contract runs out next year and many in the paddock think Mercedes chief Wolff would make a good replacement. But Wolff told the Telegraph: “I’m personally very happy. “If you start to realise that other parts […]