Apr.27 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says he is not worried about his current performance slump. The reigning world champion hasn’t won yet in 2018, causing Jacques Villeneuve to surmise that Hamilton is “in crisis”. Hamilton’s former teammate Nico Rosberg told Bild: “Lewis is a bit on the ropes, as you’d say in boxing. I have no […]
Ricciardo among ‘best drivers’ in F1 – Wolff
Apr.27 (GMM) Speculation Daniel Ricciardo might move to Ferrari or Mercedes for 2019 is hotting up. In Baku, a paddock rumour is swirling around that the Australian has already signed a ‘pre-agreement’ that locks him into exclusive Ferrari talks. Ricciardo denies it. “I’ve only had talks with Red Bull,” he said. “I’m aware of other […]
Badoer visits Schumacher ‘regularly’
Apr.27 (GMM) Luca Badoer says he has visited Michael Schumacher “regularly” since the F1 legend’s skiing accident in late 2013. The former Ferrari test driver’s comments come after Rubens Barrichello revealed last week that the Schumacher family had blocked him from visiting. “I regularly visit him,” Italian Badoer told Diariodelweb.it. “But the family wants to […]
Alonso right to do Le Mans in 2018 – Todt
Apr.26 (GMM) Jean Todt says he welcomes Fernando Alonso’s decision to split his time between F1 and the world endurance championship in 2018. The FIA president told EFE news agency: “It’s a very personal decision and we have to respect it. “I think it’s good for the promotion of motor sport and he also has […]
Sainz can still improve in 2018 – Gene
Apr.26 (GMM) Carlos Sainz is still able to prove he can match Nico Hulkenberg at Renault. That is the claim of Sainz’s Spanish countryman Marc Gene, who is an experienced Ferrari test driver. Sainz joined Renault late last year on loan from Red Bull, but while solid has so far he has looked out-performed by […]
China a turning point for Verstappen – Haug
Apr.26 (GMM) China could have been a turning point for Max Verstappen, according to former Mercedes boss Norbert Haug. Undoubtedly a young sensation, the Dutchman came under intense scrutiny after the race in Shanghai a fortnight ago following his clash with Sebastian Vettel. F1 legend Niki Lauda even questioned Verstappen’s “intelligence”. Former Mercedes chief Haug […]
Sauber racing Williams now – Ericsson
Apr.26 (GMM) Sauber is now racing “on an equal footing” with Williams. That is the claim of Marcus Ericsson, the Swiss team Sauber’s Swedish driver. Sauber was F1’s slowest team in the past two years, but new management and a deal with Alfa Romeo has led to an uptick for 2018. At the same time, […]
Vettel learned from 2017 Baku incident
Apr.26 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he has learned from the lessons of Baku a year ago. F1 has touched down once again in Azerbaijan, where a year ago the Ferrari driver famously lost his cool and steered deliberately into Lewis Hamilton’s car during a safety car period. “After the race I had the worst feeling,” […]
F1 eyes new races in Vietnam, China – Bratches
Apr.26 (GMM) Vietnam is still on track to join the F1 calendar in the future. That is the claim of Sean Bratches, F1 owner Liberty Media’s commercial boss. “This is a street race where we can go downtown, where we can activate a large fan base,” he told the Associated Press. Bratches also said F1 […]
Williams cannot win again without F1 changes – boss
Apr.25 (GMM) Without changes to formula one, Claire Williams is pessimistic about the future of the British team she leads. Recently, the daughter of team founder Sir Frank Williams attended a meeting with Liberty Media and emerged declaring “Let’s crack open some champagne”. That’s because plans for a $150 million budget cap from 2021 had […]
FIA looks into legality of 2018 Ferrari – report
Apr.25 (GMM) Just as it surges to the front in formula one, the legality of Ferrari’s 2018 car is coming under scrutiny. Marca newspaper in Spain says that after the Maranello team’s car “sounded different” in the corners in China, the FIA’s technical department was in touch. “There are suspicions the SF71H is using special […]
FIA considering pitstop safety changes
Apr.24 (GMM) F1 is considering some mandatory changes in a bid to make pitstops safer. So far in 2018, as sub three second tyre stops become the norm, there have been several incidents caused ostensibly by teams pushing the limits with techniques and technology. The highest profile incident saw a Ferrari mechanic’s leg badly broken, […]
Hamilton hints at long-term Mercedes deal
Apr.24 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has given the strongest hint yet that he definitely wants to stay at Mercedes. Although both sides have indicated they intend to sign a new contract beyond 2018, until now a deal has been delayed as “details” are negotiated. But when asked what the future holds for him, quadruple world champion […]
Horner wants Ricciardo decision by August
Apr.24 (GMM) Red Bull wants Daniel Ricciardo to make his decision about the future by August. Big rumours are swirling that the Australian has signed a ‘pre-agreement’ to replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari next year. Reportedly, Ricciardo now has until the end of June to negotiate with the Maranello team about the terms of a […]
Red Bull can choose 2019 engine supplier – Horner
Apr.24 (GMM) Red Bull is in a position to choose its engine supplier for 2019. That is the claim of team boss Christian Horner, even though just a few years ago, the energy drink-owned outfit risked being left entirely without horsepower in F1. But now, Horner says Red Bull can choose between Renault and Honda […]
Ericsson doesn’t deserve reputation – Leclerc
Apr.23 (GMM) Charles Leclerc says his Sauber teammate Marcus Ericsson deserves more respect. Leclerc is the Ferrari-backed reigning F2 champion, who entered F1 this year as one of the hottest new talents on the grid for a decade. But at present, it is the Swiss team’s existing driver, the often maligned Swede Ericsson, who arguably […]
Official denies Spanish GP in doubt
Apr.23 (GMM) A Spanish official has played down rumours the future of the grand prix in Barcelona could be in doubt. Barcelona’s current contract is set to expire next year, and there are concerns that amid the political wrangling involving the Catalonia region, the F1 race could be left exposed. “As director of another circuit […]
Porsche to decide on F1 entry after May – Berger
Apr.23 (GMM) Porsche is considering entering formula one in 2021. That is the view of F1 legend Gerhard Berger, who is now the boss of the German touring car series DTM. Recently, footage emerged of Porsche’s successful attempt to unofficially break the F1 circuit record at Spa-Francorchamps with its modified Le Mans car. It is […]
Mercedes could help solve Williams problem – report
Apr.23 (GMM) Williams may be reaching out to Mercedes in a bid to end its 2018 car crisis. Under the technical leadership of former Mercedes chief Paddy Lowe, Williams’ 2018 car is among the very slowest on the grid. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that a major issue is the cooling system. “Paddy Lowe […]
Honda quiet about Red Bull negotiations
Apr.20 (GMM) Honda is giving nothing away about the possibility of teaming up with Red Bull in 2019. Red Bull is openly flirting with leaving the Renault camp after this year, and buoyed by the promising early progress of the new Toro Rosso-Honda pairing. “Toro Rosso is open to new ideas and listen to us […]