Oct.19 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen has wished Ferrari’s new generation of drivers well. The Finn has lost his place at Ferrari for next year to Charles Leclerc, the 20-year-old that Raikkonen now replaces at Sauber. And the newly 39-year-old Raikkonen’s new teammate at Sauber next year will be another Ferrari junior, Antonio Giovinazzi. “I know a […]
Verstappen questions Renault’s new 2019 engine
Oct.19 (GMM) Max Verstappen has cast doubt on Renault’s ability to be competitive in 2019. The Dutchman has been vocally critical of Red Bull’s departing engine supplier at recent races. Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul has announced that, due to limitations with the existing design, the French manufacturer will use an almost completely new power unit […]
Williams targets signing Ocon for 2019
Oct.19 (GMM) Esteban Ocon and Robert Kubica look to be tussling with incumbent Sergey Sirotkin for the second race seat at Williams for 2019. We reported this week that Kubica has secured $10 million in backing by a Polish oil company that puts him in the running for the promotion from reserve driver. But Williams […]
Hamilton among F1’s greatest drivers – Sainz
Oct.19 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest F1 drivers ever. That is the view not only of Fernando Alonso, but also fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz. Alonso said in Austin that Hamilton, who could secure his fifth drivers’ title on Sunday, ranks among “Michael (Schumacher), Fangio, Senna and Prost” as the five greatest drivers […]
Barcelona to host all winter tests in 2019
Oct.19 (GMM) F1 will stick with Barcelona as its exclusive winter testing venue ahead of the 2019 season. There had been suggestions the teams might agree to head to an overseas location like Bahrain to guarantee better weather. But El Mundo Deportivo reports that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will in fact host the only winter […]
F1 split into two categories – Grosjean
Oct.18 (GMM) Romain Grosjean says fighting in the unofficial “B” championship in formula one is nonetheless enjoyable. The Frenchman drives for Haas, the small Ferrari-linked team that is locked in a close battle for fourth with Renault. But not too far behind Renault and Haas are McLaren, Force India, Toro Rosso and Sauber, and Grosjean […]
Bottas hopes for better tyres in 2019
Oct.18 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas says he hopes Pirelli supplies better tyres next year. The Finn says tyre wear and blistering has been excessive in 2018, forcing drivers to overly manage their races rather than race flat out. “We have had a lot of management to do in practically every race this season and especially in […]
FIA tells Ferrari that Mercedes car is ‘legal’
Oct.18 (GMM) The FIA has declared the latest configuration of Mercedes’ 2018 car to be legal. Brazil’s Globo reports from Austin that Ferrari had suspected a regulations breach and requested that changes be made to the Mercedes for what could be the title-deciding race. “The stewards did not accept Ferrari’s arguments,” correspondent Livio Oricchio reports. […]
Vettel could leave Ferrari after 2019 – report
Oct.18 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel’s future at Ferrari is suddenly in doubt. That is the claim of Luigi Perna, a respected correspondent for the respected Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport. Perna said that with Vettel’s title hopes in tatters despite having a match for Mercedes’ car this year, the German is losing support and […]
Kubica to get $10m boost for 2019 race seat
Oct.17 (GMM) Robert Kubica’s chances of securing the vacant Williams race seat for 2019 have received a massive boost. Sport Express, a Russian daily, reports that Polish oil company PKN Orlen is prepared to pump $10 million into the current Williams reserve driver’s sponsorship coffers for 2019. It gives him a fighting chance of competing […]
Honda ‘investing more than Renault’ – Abiteboul
Oct.17 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul has admitted he is “worried” about the latest developments at Honda. Some believe the next performance steps taken by the Japanese manufacturer will move the Honda power unit clear of Renault and close to Mercedes and Ferrari. Renault is finally losing Red Bull as a customer at the end of this […]
Pressure got to Vettel in 2018 – Rosberg
Oct.17 (GMM) Only a “perfect” competitor can knock Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes from their perch at the top of F1. That is the view of Nico Rosberg, the German who quit motor racing after beating Hamilton to the title in 2016. He says he has no regrets about stopping, and not just because he does […]
F1 still ‘unrealistic’ for now – Schumacher
Oct.17 (GMM) A clear favourite has emerged to be Daniil Kvyat’s teammate at Toro Rosso next year. Earlier, the top favourite was Dan Ticktum, but following controversial comments about Mick Schumacher, Red Bull’s top brass say the Briton now needs more time. Pascal Wehrlein was thought to be in the running after skipping out of […]
Marko not sure about 2019 regulations change
Oct.17 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has joined those who are unconvinced the aerodynamic changes for 2019 will substantially improve overtaking. F1’s current generation of cars may be the fastest ever, but the aerodynamic ‘wake’ means it is also harder than ever for a chasing car to follow his rival. “With our car, you can feel […]
Verstappen unfair to only blame Renault – Bell
Oct.16 (GMM) Bob Bell says it’s not fair of Max Verstappen to blame all of Red Bull’s problems on the Renault engine. Bell, a leading technical official at the French manufacturer, is referring to Dutchman Verstappen’s recent outward and repeated criticism of the customer engines supplied by Renault. “For Max, it’s all about being fast […]
Lauda could soon leave intensive care – report
Oct.16 (GMM) Niki Lauda could finally be preparing to leave intensive care, following a lung transplant more than two months ago. Osterreich newspaper quoted a friend as saying: “Niki is already making great progress.” The report said that following a long period of uncertainty, the 69-year-old F1 legend’s body has “accepted the new lung”. “In […]
Vettel denies cracking under pressure in 2018
Oct.16 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has denied that the pressure got to him in his 2018 title battle. Once ahead of Lewis Hamilton in points and with the fastest car in the field, Vettel and Ferrari’s campaign utterly fell apart in the last month and the championship win now seems impossible. Speaking to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, […]
F1 and Formula E could ‘merge’ – Rosberg
Oct.16 (GMM) Nico Rosberg, an investor in the all-electric series, thinks Formula E could one day merge with formula one. The 2016 world champion reckons it may be easier for motor racing’s top open wheeler category to simple absorb Formula E rather than establish its own ‘green’ credentials. Asked by the Washington Post if he […]
Current tyre rules ‘absurd’ – Prost
Oct.15 (GMM) Alain Prost says the tyre rules in formula one are “absurd”. The F1 legend and Renault team advisor told France’s L’Equipe: “We must give more freedom to the teams. “Let them try to play with each other by betting on their tyres. Now everything is completely stereotypical,” Prost, a quadruple world champion, said. […]
Russia hopes for grid girls return in 2019
Oct.15 (GMM) Organisers of the Russian grand prix negotiated with Liberty Media in order to dodge the F1 owners’ new-in-2018 ban on ‘grid girls’. Spectators and viewers of the recent race at Sochi will have noticed that, notwithstanding the sweeping ban, grid girls were prominent in Russia. “I think Liberty Media’s decision was strange and […]