May 20 (GMM) Robert Kubica insists he does not regret returning to Formula 1. That is despite the fact that, just five races into his first season since sustaining permanent arm injuries in 2011, rumours of Kubica’s demise are now beginning. Sergey Sirotkin said he would gladly take his Williams cockpit back, and new team […]
Coulthard says Ferrari right to oust Raikkonen
May 20 (GMM) Ferrari did the right thing in ending Sebastian Vettel’s “stress free phase” with the Maranello team, according to David Coulthard. For 2019, Ferrari replaced Vettel’s preferred teammate Kimi Raikkonen with the young charger Charles Leclerc. Coulthard told Auto Bild that it ramped up the pressure for Vettel. “Charles does what he has […]
Father suggests Verstappen considering Red Bull exit
May 20 (GMM) Jos Verstappen has hinted that his son Max may not stay at Red Bull beyond his 2020 contract. Max, 21, is the clear number 1 at the team but his father Jos, a former F1 driver, suggested a move to another team cannot be ruled out. “As it looks now, it is […]
McLaren set to lose Petrobras backing
May 20 (GMM) McLaren looks set to lose a major sponsor. The Brazilian state run oil company Petrobras signed a five-year, $200 million deal with the Woking based team last year. But a new Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, was sworn in this year, and he has announced that the McLaren-Petrobras collaboration will end. “At the […]
Haas team orders to be decided by bosses – Magnussen
May 17 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen says he isn’t sure if Haas will impose team orders on its two race drivers. In Barcelona, Magnussen clashed on track with his teammate Romain Grosjean, and a furious team boss Steiner seemed to blame Magnussen. On the radio, Steiner told Magnussen: “Kevin, the first one to come and see […]
F1 experts praise Seidl at McLaren
May 17 (GMM) F1 experts say Andreas Seidl is a good addition to the improving McLaren team. After the disastrous Honda years, and two subsequent seasons of struggle with current customer engine partner Renault, the once-great British team is finally showing signs of promise in 2019. And now the appointment as team boss of Seidl, […]
F1 eyes grand prix in Africa
May 17 (GMM) Liberty Media is now targeting a race on the continent of Africa. With the new F1 owner adding a race in the Netherlands for 2020, former supremo Bernie Ecclestone observed: “We’re missing a South African grand prix to talk about a real world championship.” But Sean Bratches, who is Liberty’s F1 commercial […]
Horner admits Red Bull ‘not as competitive’ in 2019
May 17 (GMM) Christian Horner has admitted that Red Bull has taken a slight step backwards compared to 2018. The team switched from customer Renault power to a works Honda collaboration for 2019, and Red Bull officials say they are delighted with the move. But Horner admitted: “We are not as competitive as we were […]
Mercedes ‘on another planet’ – Briatore
May 17 (GMM) The number of F1 experts who believe Ferrari can win the 2019 world championship is dwindling. Flavio Briatore, the flamboyant former Renault boss, observes that after five consecutive 1-2s for Mercedes, the German team is on “another planet”. “Barcelona is a circuit that tells you the truth,” he said. “If you go […]
Montoya joins Racing Point as Stroll ‘coach’ – report
May 16 (GMM) Juan Pablo Montoya may have joined the Racing Point team. That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, who reported that the former Williams and McLaren driver was wearing a team shirt in Barcelona. The report said Colombian Montoya may have become a sort of ‘mental coach’ for Lance Stroll, […]
No problem with Bottas clutch in Barcelona
May 16 (GMM) Mercedes says there was nothing wrong with Valtteri Bottas’ clutch in Barcelona. The pole sitter lost the lead to Lewis Hamilton at the very start last weekend, reporting “strange behaviour on the clutch” afterwards. But sporting director Ron Meadows said it was actually not a technical problem. “We believe it was just […]
Sirotkin happy to take Kubica’s seat
May 16 (GMM) Sergey Sirotkin has admitted he would be happy to take struggling Robert Kubica’s place at Williams. The Russian was ousted by the British team at the end of last year, but performance has slumped even more after he was replaced by Kubica. “I am often asked about this,” Sirotkin told Tass news […]
Renault wants late release for 2021 rules
May 16 (GMM) Renault and other teams are still in the dark about F1’s future beyond 2020. At Renault’s engine headquarters in Viry, team bosses Cyril Abiteboul and Alain Prost were on hand this week to lay the first brick of a new building. But team president Jerome Stoll says there is uncertainty about F1 […]
Canada GP promoter not interested in Formula E
May 16 (GMM) The promoter of the Canadian GP says he is not interested in hosting a Formula E race. On the face of it, the all-electric series is gaining in popularity. But Francois Dumontier says Montreal is not interested. “When I look at the championship in general, it’s not an interesting series,” he said […]
New F1 facilities in Montreal ‘ready’ – Carey
May 16 (GMM) Race promoter Francois Dumontier insists Montreal will be ready for the forthcoming Canadian GP. On Wednesday, Chase Carey was at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to help launch the impressive new pit building. However, just over three weeks before the race, the site is still under construction. Dumontier admitted that some finishing touches […]
Protest threat looms over Monaco GP
May 16 (GMM) A protest threat is hanging over next weekend’s Monaco grand prix. On Wednesday, disgruntled taxi drivers disrupted services at Nice Airport over a union dispute, which affected the Cannes film festival. Now, Monaco is in their sights. “If we do not get satisfaction, we are ready to go further,” Nice Matin quoted […]
Pirelli wants drivers like Alonso for testing
May 16 (GMM) Pirelli says it wants more experienced F1 drivers to do its tyre testing. “We always ask the teams to appoint drivers with experience for the tests,” Mario Isola told the Spanish newspaper AS. For instance, Fernando Alonso did some tyre testing for Pirelli recently, but the Spaniard is currently practicing for the […]
Mexico has ‘no contract’ for 2020 GP
May 16 (GMM) Mexico looks set to lose its place on the F1 calendar. It is a highly popular race, but organisers are yet to agree a new deal with Liberty Media for 2020. Liberty needs to axe two existing races to accommodate Zandvoort and Vietnam, having capped the calendar at 21 races for next […]
Giovinazzi admits ‘pressure’ to score first points
May 16 (GMM) Antonio Giovinazzi has admitted he is feeling the “pressure” to perform for Alfa Romeo. Former F1 driver JJ Lehto said recently that the so far point-less Italian, Giovinazzi, could be ousted if he does not start to secure results. “I feel so much pressure from the Italians to take home my first […]
Arrivabene calls on Italy to support struggling Ferrari
May 16 (GMM) Former Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene has called on the Tifosi to support the Italian team. In the season after Arrivabene was ousted and replaced by Mattia Binotto, Mercedes has completed five consecutive 1-2 victories so far in 2019. “The championship is still long and it takes patience,” the Italian told Sky Italia […]