Oct.26 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has hit back at suggestions he is only quitting F1 because he could not secure a competitive race seat. As the Spaniard’s long career winds down, many paddock insiders say it is “sad” that Alonso could not win more than his two world championships. “I think it’s something for formula one […]
Vandoorne refusing to be more ‘aggressive’
Oct.26 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne has denied he needs to become more “aggressive” to succeed in motor racing. McLaren has dumped the Belgian driver after two years, with boss Zak Brown saying Vandoorne was not “aggressive” enough. “I don’t have an opinion on that,” Vandoorne, who is moving to Mercedes’ new works Formula E team, said […]
Arrivabene says Raikkonen axe ‘my decision’
Oct.25 (GMM) Maurizio Arrivabene says it was his decision to oust Kimi Raikkonen. Some believe the shake-up, with Raikkonen to be replaced by young charger Charles Leclerc next year, was actually decided by Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne prior to his death in July. But Ferrari team boss Arrivabene told Sky: “It was my decision.” He […]
Perez tips Mexico to sign new F1 contract
Oct.25 (GMM) Sergio Perez is confident Mexico’s place on the F1 calendar is secure. The race in Mexico City is now one of the most popular and for 2018 it is again sold out. But the contract actually expires after the 2019 race. “It is a matter of time before we have confirmation of the […]
Alonso may consider Formula E move – Massa
Oct.25 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s former F1 teammate Felipe Massa thinks the Spaniard could seriously consider a move to Formula E. Alonso, who is quitting F1 after the Abu Dhabi finale next month, has for now ruled out the all-electric series. But Massa, who was Alonso’s teammate at Ferrari some years ago, thinks the double world […]
Source says Vettel having ‘family problems’
Oct.25 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel’s end-of-season slump may be due to “family problems”. That is the claim of the Italian broadcaster Sky, as the German driver’s championship rival Lewis Hamilton stands on the cusp of wrapping up the title in Mexico. Ferrari and Vettel looked the favourites for 2018 spoils earlier this year, leaving many scratching […]
Lauda leaves hospital after transplant
Oct.25 (GMM) Niki Lauda has left Vienna’s general hospital after a three month recovery from a lung transplant. “Yes, Niki Lauda was discharged from the AKH and now he goes into rehabilitation,” professor Walter Klepetko told Osterreich newspaper. A few days ago, the Mercedes team chairman and F1 legend called Lewis Hamilton on the phone […]
Vettel mistakes ‘no coincidence’ – Brawn
Oct.24 (GMM) F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn thinks Sebastian Vettel has driven his own 2018 championship campaign “off the track”. The Ferrari driver is being roundly criticised for the kind of mistakes he has made at recent races, despite often having the fastest car in the field. It means Lewis Hamilton only has to finish […]
Vandoorne did not show talent in F1 – Boutsen
Oct.24 (GMM) Former F1 driver Thierry Boutsen says fellow Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne has lost his race seat because he did not perform. Before Vandoorne made his McLaren debut as a highly rated junior category champion in 2017, grand prix winner Boutsen predicted that he “might even be a world champion” in F1. Two years later, […]
Team making ‘jokes’ about Ricciardo plight
Oct.24 (GMM) Members of the Red Bull team are making “jokes” about Daniel Ricciardo. That is the news from Max Verstappen, the energy drink-owned team’s continuing driver. Ricciardo is switching to Renault’s works team, but ironically he has been bearing the brunt of the problems with the French manufacturer’s customer engine at Red Bull lately. […]
Vandoorne not ‘aggressive’ enough for F1 – Brown
Oct.23 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne’s F1 career could be over because he was not “aggressive” enough with McLaren. That is the view of McLaren team boss Zak Brown, who is replacing the Belgian with rookie Lando Norris for 2019. Fernando Alonso, Vandoorne’s teammate for the two years of his F1 career, says the move to Formula […]
Kubica eyes Ferrari role as 2019 ‘plan B’
Oct.23 (GMM) Robert Kubica’s ‘plan B’ for 2019 could be a test driver role at Ferrari. That was the rumour as the paddock packed up in Austin, amid reports the Pole is also still in contention for the race seat at Williams. The Williams rumour was ramped up after his recent visit to the headquarters […]
Mercedes could oust Bottas for Ocon – Doornbos
Oct.23 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas could be ousted at the eleventh hour in order to improve the Mercedes team and rescue the career of Esteban Ocon. That is the view of former F1 driver Robert Doornbos. Currently, Williams looks likely to choose against Ocon for 2019, after the Frenchman lost his seat at Force India. But […]
Vettel admits he needs to improve for 2019
Oct.23 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has admitted both he and Ferrari need to improve in order to get back into shape to win a world championship. The Italian team finally looked on track to end a more than decade-long title drought earlier this year, until car and driver problems put the advantage back with Mercedes’ Lewis […]
Stroll announcement on hold because of Ocon – Szafnauer
Oct.23 (GMM) Force India is holding off on confirming Lance Stroll for 2019 out of “courtesy” to Esteban Ocon. It is an open secret that Ocon will be ousted and replaced with Stroll, whose billionaire father Lawrence has bought the team. “We will not announce the other driver until Esteban’s future is clarified,” team boss […]
Magnussen slams ‘Formula Fuel-Saving’
Oct.23 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has hit out at F1’s fuel-saving rules. The Haas driver was disqualified in Austin because his car used marginally more fuel than is allowed. “We were racing in formula fuel-saving rather than formula one,” said the Dane. “It’s a shame that we have to save fuel rather than be able to […]
Uncertainty about future ‘annoying’ – Hartley
Oct.23 (GMM) Brendon Hartley says the uncertainty about his place at Toro Rosso for 2019 is getting “annoying”. It is believed team owner Red Bull will replace the New Zealander with rookie Alexander Albon. “We have not yet made a decision,” Dr Helmut Marko told motorsport-magazin.com. “Important decisions take time.” Hartley has generally underperformed in […]
Red Bull-Honda can fight for 2019 title – Marko
Oct.23 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko thinks Max Verstappen could be a title contender in 2019. Daniel Ricciardo is leaving Red Bull and will be replaced by Pierre Gasly, but top team official Marko thinks the team remains in great hands. “Max never surprises us with how good he is,” Marko said after the Dutchman finished […]
Pace difference ‘serious problem’ for F1 – Hamilton
Oct.23 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says the gap between the top teams and the others in the field is a “serious problem” for formula one. The championship leader said the problem is then compounded by how difficult it is for even much faster cars to overtake their slower rivals. “As you get within five seconds, you […]
F1 chequered flag rules changed for 2019
Oct.22 (GMM) F1 has changed a long-standing rule about the iconic chequered flag. In Montreal this year, the end of the Canadian grand prix was thrown into chaos when model Winnie Harlow accidentally waved the flag too early. As the rules stand, whenever the physical chequered flag is waved, the race is over whether the […]