Mar.25 (GMM) Former McLaren boss Eric Boullier said he realised immediately that the McLaren-Honda adventure would be a failure. “Already in the first meeting I realised how unprepared they were for the enormous challenge they faced,” the Frenchman told the Sokuho magazine. “I told Ron Dennis immediately that we would need at least three or […]
Sainz hails Renault progress in 2019
Mar.25 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has hailed the improvement made by McLaren’s engine supplier Renault over the winter. After years of struggling with customer Renault power, Red Bull is delighted with its switch to Honda for 2019. But Sainz says Renault – now McLaren’s customer supplier – has really improved since last year. “I’ve been in […]
Kubica return ‘terrible’ for F1 – Villeneuve
Mar.25 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve thinks Robert Kubica’s return to F1 is “terrible” for the sport. After an eight-year absence to recover from and adjust to his permanent arm injuries sustained in a 2011 rallying crash, Kubica finished dead last on his Melbourne return. Villeneuve, the outspoken 1997 world champion, said the return is nonetheless a […]
Zak Brown threatens to pull McLaren out of F1
Mar.25 (GMM) McLaren is threatening to quit F1. The once-great British team has struggled in its most recent Honda and Renault-powered eras. Ahead of the crunch meeting with Liberty Media on Tuesday over the 2021 regulations, current boss Zak Brown said F1 in the future needs to be “financially viable” and allow the team to […]
Williams being run with ‘fear and terror’ – Ralf
Mar.22 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher, who won all six of his F1 victories with the British team, thinks the problem at Williams could be its management. He told Germany’s motorsport-total.com that the struggling Oxfordshire based outfit is currently being run with “fear and terror”. Schumacher, 43, said it was the same as when Sir Frank Williams […]
Ferrari can ‘do better’ in Bahrain – Senna
Mar.22 (GMM) Bruno Senna says Ferrari should not give up on winning the 2019 title. After Australia, where the Italian team’s winter promise failed to materialise, many observers said Mercedes is now the overwhelming favourite for the rest of the season. “Ferrari is good but Mercedes looks stronger,” agrees Senna, a former F1 driver whose […]
Marko says he was ‘right’ about Honda power
Mar.22 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko remains convinced that Red Bull can win the 2019 world championship. In Australia, Mercedes dominated the season opener but it was Max Verstappen, rather than either of the Ferraris, who shared the podium with the silver-clad drivers. “I think we will fight for the world championship this year,” Marko told […]
Carey in Barcelona for Spanish GP contract talks
Mar.22 (GMM) Negotiations to extend Barcelona’s contract to host the Spanish grand prix have begun. Spanish media, including EFE news agency, say F1 chief executive Chase Carey met with circuit officials at the Catalonia parliament on Thursday. In a statement, the Circuit de Catalunya said the meeting “showed the will” of the region to keep […]
Red Bull return for Kvyat ‘possible’ – Aleshin
Mar.22 (GMM) A Russian racing driver says it is possible Daniil Kvyat will return to Red Bull Racing. Former Red Bull Racing driver Kvyat’s F1 career seemed over at the end of 2017, where after a complex run of difficult form he was dropped from the junior team Toro Rosso. But Mikhail Aleshin, a former […]
Zandvoort secures EUR 4m towards F1 race deal
Mar.22 (GMM) Zandvoort has taken another step towards the F1 calendar. Already, the Dutch circuit has signed a deal with Liberty Media to negotiate exclusively until the end of March about a grand prix in the Netherlands in 2020. Now, Dutch media report that the municipality of Zandvoort has pledged EUR 4 million towards the […]
Briatore doubts Ferrari can win 2019 title
Mar.22 (GMM) Flavio Briatore thinks Ferrari will be unable to win the world championship in 2019. Some are tipping the Italian team to bounce back in Bahrain, believing that after dominating winter testing, Ferrari still have a car capable of taking on Mercedes. But former Renault boss Briatore is not so sure. “It will be […]
Hamilton says he will test MotoGP bike
Mar.21 (GMM) Team boss Toto Wolff has admitted Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes engineers did not tell him about a secret superbike test at Jerez last December. The five time world champion even crashed as he tested the plain black Yamaha superbike. “We had a laugh because I couldn’t get hold of him and couldn’t […]
Ferrari may charge for fastest lap in future
Mar.21 (GMM) Ferrari may chase the bonus ‘point for fastest lap’ in Bahrain and beyond. In Melbourne, surprised and disappointed to be off Mercedes and Red Bull-Honda’s pace, team boss Mattia Binotto decided that Charles Leclerc would not be given the opportunity to go for the fastest lap. “We had the window to give Charles […]
Glock defends Kubica after poor F1 return
Mar.21 (GMM) Timo Glock has defended Robert Kubica in the wake of the Pole’s disappointing return to F1 in Melbourne. Kubica’s comeback after an eight year layoff due to injury was a big story in Australia, but he qualified dead last, made mistakes and was even lapped by his own teammate George Russell. It has […]
No ‘new Bottas’ in Melbourne – Ralf Schumacher
Mar.21 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher has hit back at claims that F1 gave birth to a “new” Valtteri Bottas in Melbourne. Disappointed with his performance in 2018 and fearing for his Mercedes seat, Finn Bottas reinvented himself over the winter, growing a beard and insisting he is determined to do anything to succeed. In Melbourne, he […]
Work begins on Vietnam F1 track
Mar.21 (GMM) Work on Vietnam’s new F1 circuit for 2020 began this week. DPA news agency says FIA president Jean Todt was on hand for the ground breaking ceremony in Hanoi. He admitted he was surprised when he learned that Vietnam was seriously bidding for F1. “But I believe in the success of the race […]
Alguersuari felt like ‘a puppet’ in F1
Mar.21 (GMM) Former F1 driver Jaime Alguersuari says the top category of motor racing turns drivers into “a puppet”. The Spaniard, now 28, raced for Toro Rosso until he was ousted in 2011. He is now a full-time DJ. “When I left, I felt hate,” Alguersuari told the Spanish newspaper Ara. “When you’re not ready […]
MotoGP funding system ‘different to F1’ – Ezpeleta
Mar.21 (GMM) Carmelo Ezpeleta, boss of the MotoGP rights holder Dorna, has suggested that the premier motorcycle racing category’s funding model is superior to that seen in F1. With F1 locked in tough negotiations over the 2021 Concorde Agreement, Ezpeleta told France’s Auto Hebdo that the MotoGP model is “different” to how formula one runs […]
Melbourne to proceed with full resurfacing
Mar.21 (GMM) Organisers of the Australian grand prix look set to proceed with a full resurfacing of the Albert Park track in Melbourne. Last weekend for the 2019 season opener, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel urged against the resurfacing, saying the bumps are part of the character of the venue. “We will have to get […]
Domenicali tips Ferrari to bounce back in Bahrain
Mar.21 (GMM) Former Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali is expecting the Maranello team to bounce back in Bahrain. “Yes, that was a difficult weekend for them,” the Italian is quoted by Speed Week, after Ferrari’s winter of promise ended with the team being outpaced by Mercedes and Red Bull-Honda in Melbourne. “Ferrari could not show a […]