Oct.17 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul has admitted he is “worried” about the latest developments at Honda. Some believe the next performance steps taken by the Japanese manufacturer will move the Honda power unit clear of Renault and close to Mercedes and Ferrari. Renault is finally losing Red Bull as a customer at the end of this […]
Pressure got to Vettel in 2018 – Rosberg
Oct.17 (GMM) Only a “perfect” competitor can knock Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes from their perch at the top of F1. That is the view of Nico Rosberg, the German who quit motor racing after beating Hamilton to the title in 2016. He says he has no regrets about stopping, and not just because he does […]
F1 still ‘unrealistic’ for now – Schumacher
Oct.17 (GMM) A clear favourite has emerged to be Daniil Kvyat’s teammate at Toro Rosso next year. Earlier, the top favourite was Dan Ticktum, but following controversial comments about Mick Schumacher, Red Bull’s top brass say the Briton now needs more time. Pascal Wehrlein was thought to be in the running after skipping out of […]
Marko not sure about 2019 regulations change
Oct.17 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has joined those who are unconvinced the aerodynamic changes for 2019 will substantially improve overtaking. F1’s current generation of cars may be the fastest ever, but the aerodynamic ‘wake’ means it is also harder than ever for a chasing car to follow his rival. “With our car, you can feel […]
Verstappen unfair to only blame Renault – Bell
Oct.16 (GMM) Bob Bell says it’s not fair of Max Verstappen to blame all of Red Bull’s problems on the Renault engine. Bell, a leading technical official at the French manufacturer, is referring to Dutchman Verstappen’s recent outward and repeated criticism of the customer engines supplied by Renault. “For Max, it’s all about being fast […]
Lauda could soon leave intensive care – report
Oct.16 (GMM) Niki Lauda could finally be preparing to leave intensive care, following a lung transplant more than two months ago. Osterreich newspaper quoted a friend as saying: “Niki is already making great progress.” The report said that following a long period of uncertainty, the 69-year-old F1 legend’s body has “accepted the new lung”. “In […]
Vettel denies cracking under pressure in 2018
Oct.16 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has denied that the pressure got to him in his 2018 title battle. Once ahead of Lewis Hamilton in points and with the fastest car in the field, Vettel and Ferrari’s campaign utterly fell apart in the last month and the championship win now seems impossible. Speaking to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, […]
F1 and Formula E could ‘merge’ – Rosberg
Oct.16 (GMM) Nico Rosberg, an investor in the all-electric series, thinks Formula E could one day merge with formula one. The 2016 world champion reckons it may be easier for motor racing’s top open wheeler category to simple absorb Formula E rather than establish its own ‘green’ credentials. Asked by the Washington Post if he […]
Current tyre rules ‘absurd’ – Prost
Oct.15 (GMM) Alain Prost says the tyre rules in formula one are “absurd”. The F1 legend and Renault team advisor told France’s L’Equipe: “We must give more freedom to the teams. “Let them try to play with each other by betting on their tyres. Now everything is completely stereotypical,” Prost, a quadruple world champion, said. […]
Russia hopes for grid girls return in 2019
Oct.15 (GMM) Organisers of the Russian grand prix negotiated with Liberty Media in order to dodge the F1 owners’ new-in-2018 ban on ‘grid girls’. Spectators and viewers of the recent race at Sochi will have noticed that, notwithstanding the sweeping ban, grid girls were prominent in Russia. “I think Liberty Media’s decision was strange and […]
‘Very easy’ to make Vettel-like mistakes – Alesi
Oct.15 (GMM) Jean Alesi has backed his old team Ferrari, amid criticism of the Italian outfit and its top driver Sebastian Vettel. Ferrari and Vettel are taking heat as their 2018 title charge falls apart, but Frenchman Alesi said mistakes are understandable. “In the last races we were a bit surprised and angry about what […]
Raikkonen fined after hitting parked car
Oct.15 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen must pay a fine of 350 Swiss francs after hitting a car outside his home in Baar, Switzerland. ATS news agency, and the Luzerner Zeitung newspaper, report that the Ferrari driver struck a parked car in May. The reports say Raikkonen was trying to avoid another car at the time and […]
Ricciardo had to leave Red Bull – Valsecchi
Oct.15 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo had little choice other than to leave Red Bull. That is the view of Davide Valsecchi, a former GP2 champion who is now a pundit for Italian TV. He told the Dutch magazine Formule 1 that he thinks Australian Ricciardo decided to join the works Renault team for 2019 because of […]
F1 ‘must end complex rules’ – Aguri Suzuki
Oct.15 (GMM) Former F1 driver and team owner Aguri Suzuki says the sport needs to simplify to improve. “They must stop all these rules that complicate the show so extremely,” said the Japanese, who took part in a parade of former F1 drivers at the Japanese grand prix. “The fans do not understand what is […]
Kvyat ‘more measured’ for 2019 return – Tost
Oct.15 (GMM) Daniil Kvyat should be a better driver when he returns to F1 and Toro Rosso in 2019. That is the view of boss Franz Tost, who is preparing for what will be Kvyat’s third separate stint with the junior Red Bull team. “I was with Daniil in Sochi and we had a fantastic […]
Next step for F3 champion Schumacher in ‘coming weeks’
Oct.15 (GMM) New European F3 champion Mick Schumacher’s next move towards formula one will be revealed soon. A mid-season surge in form culminated in one of the most prestigious junior series title wins for Michael Schumacher’s 19-year-old son at the Hockenheim finale last weekend. “Now we can think about what the next adventure will be,” […]
Todt visits Schumacher ‘twice a month’
Oct.15 (GMM) FIA president Jean Todt admits he visits his friend Michael Schumacher “twice a month”. Once the great German’s boss at Ferrari, Frenchman Todt is now a close family friend and one of the only people now allowed inside the inner sanctum. Schumacher’s health condition following a skiing crash and brain injuries in 2013 […]
Vettel to win Ferrari title ‘sooner or later’ – Arrivabene
Oct.15 (GMM) As criticism surrounds Sebastian Vettel’s in-tatters 2018 title campaign, Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene backed the German’s place at Ferrari. Some believe the Vettel-Ferrari combination needs review, as a firestorm of errors now makes a fifth drivers’ world title basically impossible for Vettel in 2018. “Sebastian looks a lot like Michael Schumacher in talent […]
‘Emotional’ Alonso riding out F1 career
Oct.15 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he is leaving formula one because he misses the winning feeling. Last year, the Spaniard vied for victory at the Indy 500, and earlier in 2018 he won Le Mans. Having burned some bridges in F1, Alonso has been stuck at the steadily declining McLaren team since 2015 but he […]
Ricciardo’s Renault move ‘a concern’ – Webber
Oct.15 (GMM) Mark Webber admits fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo’s move to Renault is a “concern”. Also a former Red Bull driver, Webber says Ricciardo’s decision to leave the energy drink team for the French works outfit could be “an inspired decision”. “We’ll all have to sit back and watch, but the move is under a […]