Mar.15 (GMM) Ferrari is free to quit formula one after 2020, FIA president Jean Todt says. At the Geneva motor show, Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne doubled down on his threat to quit the sport by saying the Maranello team could race in America instead. “Why not?” he is quoted by the Italian press as saying. […]
Halo still ‘annoying and ugly’ – Magnussen
Mar.14 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen is continuing to rail against the mandatory ‘Halo’ device featured on all F1 cars in 2018. While some drivers support the safety innovation, others like Magnussen are outspoken critics. “It’s very annoying and ugly,” he told Ekstra Bladet newspaper. “And it’s hard to get in and out of the car. Hard […]
Vettel not worried about winter testing results
Mar.14 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he has faith in Ferrari ahead of the 2018 season. After winter testing, the general consensus is that Ferrari may not only be trailing Mercedes, but also Red Bull in terms of pace. But Vettel said testing can be deceptive. Indeed, when the German did a record laptime late in […]
Abiteboul says F1 ‘cannot go on like this’
Mar.14 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul thinks formula one needs to change. The Frenchman is at charge at the Renault works team, who are targeting fourth place in the constructors’ championship this year behind the ‘big three’. “We are starting with a conservative approach,” he told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. “The focus is on reliability, which […]
Haas changes Friday driver policy for 2018
Mar.13 (GMM) Haas says the door to Antonio Giovinazzi will remain basically closed in 2018. Since last July, the Ferrari junior driver replaced Kevin Magnussen on Friday morning at seven grand prix weekends. Haas boss Gunther Steiner said in December: “I cannot say how negative it was, but it was not positive.” At the time, […]
McLaren ‘not pessimistic’ about 2018 – Alonso
Mar.13 (GMM) Fernando Alonso insists he is “not pessimistic” after a fourth consecutive troubled winter for McLaren. After three bad years with Honda, the British team has finally dropped the Japanese manufacturer and switched to Renault power. But McLaren still had winter testing trouble. Alonso told Spanish radio Onda Cero: “I do not see any […]
Renault not targeting 2018 race win – Prost
Mar.13 (GMM) Alain Prost says Renault is not setting goals for 2018, but he will not rule out a podium for the French team. After winter testing, the general consensus is that Renault and Haas will battle to lead the midfield behind top teams Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari. But team advisor Prost says Renault’s […]
No May engine deadline for Red Bull – Horner
Mar.12 (GMM) Christian Horner has hit back at Renault’s imposition of a May deadline to decide its engine supplier for 2019. It is no secret that Red Bull installed Honda as Toro Rosso’s engine supplier this year in order to open the door to a potential deal for the main team in 2019. Currently, Red […]
Ferrari holding F1 to ‘ransom’ wrong – Horner
Mar.12 (GMM) Christian Horner has chided Ferrari for holding F1 “to ransom”. The Red Bull boss is taking a hard position in reaction not only to Ferrari’s quit threat, but president Sergio Marchionne’s claim that Liberty Media knows nothing about F1 technology. “I think that’s disrespectful to Ross Brawn, one of the most successful engineers […]
Haas emerges as dark horse of 2018
Mar.12 (GMM) Haas has emerged as a dark horse favourite to finish ‘best of the rest’ behind the top three teams in 2018. Until recently, it appeared that Renault was clearly the strongest behind Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari. But former F1 driver Alex Wurz told Speed Week: “Haas makes a big impression on me. […]
‘Tension’ in Red Bull driver lineup – Wurz
Mar.12 (GMM) Alex Wurz says he detects “tension” between Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. Comparing Red Bull’s lineup with those of the other two top teams, the former driver and GPDA boss said Ricciardo and Verstappen are the most explosive. “At Ferrari there is a clear division of roles,” the Austrian told Speed Week. “At […]
Newey staying at Red Bull
Mar.12 (GMM) Adrian Newey is staying at Red Bull, even though the former title-winning team has appointed a new technical director. France’s L’Equipe reported that Frenchman Pierre Wache has been appointed Red Bull’s technical boss. But Newey, one of F1’s most famous and successful designers, is staying as chief technology officer. Wache, who already had […]
McLaren defends ‘aggressive’ 2018 car
Mar.10 (GMM) McLaren has defended the ‘aggressive’ design of its 2018 car. Even after dumping Honda, the British team is still the team that endured the most troubled 2018 winter. Many believe the problem can be traced to the aggressive packaging of the orange car, with burn marks and emergency venting seen at the back […]
Renault defends legality of 2018 exhaust
Mar.10 (GMM) Renault has defended the legality of its 2018 car’s exhaust layout. At the rear of the yellow and black car, the engine exhaust is pointed upwards towards the rear wing, which has been reinforced with heat resistant material. And after running, the rear wing shows signs of heat charring, indicating that Renault is […]
Kubica to add Le Mans to 2018 programme
Mar.10 (GMM) Robert Kubica looks set to add Le Mans to his race programme in 2018. The Pole was scheduled to test the Williams in Barcelona on Friday, but he gave up his running for race driver Sergey Sirotkin. “It doesn’t matter if the team asked me or I voluntarily gave priority to the regular […]
Mercedes not one second ahead – Bottas
Mar.10 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has denied that Mercedes is a full second per lap ahead of F1’s other top teams heading into this month’s Australian grand prix. One analysis shows that while qualifying will be closer, the silver car may be a full second per lap faster than Red Bull in a race simulation or […]
Sainz ‘not surprised’ about Hulkenberg worry
Mar.9 (GMM) Carlos Sainz says he is “not surprised at all” with recent comments made by Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul. Days ago, Abiteboul said in Barcelona that after Jolyon Palmer was ousted, Sainz’s arrival at Renault was a sort of wake-up call for Nico Hulkenberg. “It did not wake him up,” the Frenchman said, “because […]
Happy Honda ‘calm’ after McLaren split
Mar.9 (GMM) Honda is feeling more “calm” after leaving McLaren. That is the claim of sources close to the Japanese manufacturer, as Honda appears to thrive at Toro Rosso and McLaren now struggles with Renault power. Asked if Honda is happy with its flawless winter testing performance with Toro Rosso, Japanese journalist Kaz Kawai told […]
No ‘physical barrier’ for women in F1 – Calderon
Mar.9 (GMM) A female F1 test driver says physical strength does not prevent women from racing at the pinnacle of motor sport. This week, Spanish driver and FIA ‘women in motor sport commission’ member Carmen Jorda triggered a controversy when she suggested women might want to focus on an easier series like Formula E. But […]
Sainz backs Renault’s ‘four engine’ plan
Mar.9 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has backed Renault’s deliberations over taking a strategic approach to the long-life engine rules of 2018. Over the winter, the rules have changed so that each driver may now use just three power units all season rather than the four that were allowed in 2017. But Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul, as […]