Mar.28 (GMM) DRS, the ‘drag reduction system’ which helps overtaking in F1, looks set to remain on the cars even after 2021. That is despite the fact that the newly leaked ‘India’ ground-effect concept car for 2021 is designed to radically improve natural overtaking chances. “I think we can keep that (DRS) in our pocket,” […]
Masi to again replace Whiting in Bahrain
Mar.28 (GMM) Michael Masi will once again replace F1’s late race director Charlie Whiting this weekend in Bahrain. Whiting, also the sport’s long-time race starter, died suddenly in Melbourne on the eve of the 2019 season opener. “The FIA does not yet have a long-term plan to fill the position Whiting held at the time […]
Alonso set for ‘formidable’ Dakar Rally challenge
Mar.28 (GMM) Fernando Alonso looks set to take on the “formidable challenge” of contesting the famous off-road Dakar Rally. The Spaniard, who quit F1 at the end of last year, is this week testing a Toyota Hilux in South Africa. “Fernando is now at a point in his life when he is open to any […]
Details of ‘ground effect’ 2021 car concept leaked
Mar.28 (GMM) Technical details about the proposed 2021 cars have leaked in the days since highly secretive meetings took place in London. While the meetings themselves were not secret, it is believed all the leading players have agreed with Liberty Media to maintain radio silence. It is amid a particularly tense time, with the 2021 […]
Schumacher can handle hype of debut F1 test
Mar.27 (GMM) Mick Schumacher says he can deal with all the hype surrounding his meteoric rise to formula one. Ferrari and Alfa Romeo have now confirmed reports that the 20-year-old son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher will test for both teams on consecutive days in Bahrain next week. Schumacher said he can handle all the […]
Honda makes Red Bull ‘a threat’ in 2019
Mar.27 (GMM) Honda is turning Red Bull back into a true world championship contender. That is the view of Toto Wolff, the Mercedes boss who had expected the German team’s battle to be only with Ferrari in 2019. But it was a Honda-powered Max Verstappen sharing the podium with the two Mercedes in Melbourne, prompting […]
Ecclestone backs Wolff over budget cap
Mar.27 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has backed Toto Wolff’s position over the proposed F1 budget cap. Amid tense negotiations between Liberty Media, the FIA and the teams over the 2021 Concorde Agreement and rules, the parties got together in London on Tuesday. Afterwards, F1’s official website declared that the meetings moved the sport “a step closer” […]
Villeneuve slammed over Kubica comments
Mar.27 (GMM) Former F1 driver Lucas di Grassi has slammed Jacques Villeneuve over comments about Robert Kubica’s return to the sport. The always-outspoken 1997 world champion Villeneuve said it is “terrible” that “someone with a disability” can race at “the pinnacle of racing”. Di Grassi, who raced for the Virgin team in 2010, called Villeneuve’s […]
Alonso hits out at official F1 podcast
Mar.27 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has kept himself in the F1 headlines by lashing out at the sport’s official podcast. The latest Beyond The Grid podcast is with former Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who made some comments about the Spaniard’s time with the team. Montezemolo said Alonso was “less close to the team” than were […]
Wehrlein not interested in uncompetitive F1 return
Mar.26 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein says he “definitely” is not angling to return to formula one with a back of the grid team. The former Manor and Sauber driver now races in Formula E, but he has also been signed up for 2019 by Ferrari, where he will be a simulator driver assisting the championship charge […]
Schumacher to also test Ferrari in Bahrain
Mar.26 (GMM) Mick Schumacher looks set to drive not one but two separate formula one cars at the post-Bahrain GP test. Earlier, we reported that the Formula 2 driver and son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher will make his F1 test debut next week for the Ferrari-linked Alfa Romeo team. But multiple authoritative sources, including […]
Non B-teams trying to ‘harm’ Haas – Steiner
Mar.26 (GMM) Haas boss Gunther Steiner says rival teams are trying to “harm” the Ferrari-linked outfit by lobbying to stop the practice of so-called ‘B teams’. Ahead of crunch meetings with the FIA and Liberty Media and tough negotiations over the next Concorde Agreement, Renault and McLaren in particular are reportedly lobbying to prevent top […]
Ferrari make ‘corrections’ for Bahrain
Mar.26 (GMM) Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto has confirmed the Italian team has made “corrections” ahead of the Bahrain grand prix based on the outcome of the 2019 season opener in Australia. Earlier, a Ferrari insider said team bosses “understand” what went wrong and caused a winter of testing promise to result in being beaten […]
Perez ‘more optimistic’ about Mexico GP future
Mar.25 (GMM) Sergio Perez is suddenly sounding more optimistic about the future of Mexico’s grand prix. Earlier, it emerged that the Mexican government was pledging to instead devote the funding allocated to the F1 race to the Mayan train project. But Perez, with close links to Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, is suddenly sounding more upbeat. […]
Schumacher to test Alfa Romeo next week
Mar.25 (GMM) Mick Schumacher’s first formula one test will take place next week in Bahrain. We had already reported that the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher was first in line for the Alfa Romeo seat in the post-Bahrain GP test. Schumacher, 20, will already be in Bahrain for his first Formula 2 race. “Bild […]
Money ‘not the problem’ for Dutch GP – Lammers
Mar.25 (GMM) Dutch GP boss Jan Lammers says money is “not really the problem” as Zandvoort struggles to secure a F1 race for 2020. It has been widely reported that the circuit must find tens of millions in funding by the end of March to finalise the deal with Liberty Media. “The money is not […]
Ferrari engineers ‘understand’ Melbourne problem
Mar.25 (GMM) Bosses at Ferrari “understand” what went wrong in Melbourne. That is the claim of Ferrari insider Leo Turrini, after the Maranello team surprised the F1 world by falling behind both Mercedes and Red Bull-Honda in Australia. Last Friday, Sebastian Vettel met with engineers at the team’s Italian headquarters. Prior to that meeting, the […]
F1 should look into ‘e-fuels’ – Abiteboul
Mar.25 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul says F1 should look into introducing “e-fuels”. In an increasingly environmentally-minded world, the Renault boss doubts F1 did enough in 2014 by introducing the ‘greener’ hybrid engine formula. “It is in our hands whether the young generation is still enthusiastic about driving in circles,” he is quoted by Auto Bild. “That’s […]
Vandoorne not interested in McLaren progress
Mar.25 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne says he did not follow the progress of his former F1 employer McLaren as the 2019 season started. The Belgian driver was ousted by McLaren and now works for Mercedes, both as a simulator and Formula E driver. “No, I didn’t,” he told AS newspaper when asked if he watched how […]
FIA responds to 2019 start light problem
Mar.25 (GMM) F1’s governing body is making adjustments ahead of the Bahrain grand prix so that drivers at the back of the grid can see the start lights. Robert Kubica and Pierre Gasly complained after Melbourne that the new bigger rear wings for 2019 meant they couldn’t see when the five lights went out. “I […]