May 16 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has diluted the conspiracy theory about why Pirelli’s tyres suddenly changed ahead of the Spanish grand prix. Some, including Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, mused openly that Mercedes successfully lobbied to have the tread of the tyres made thinner. The result was Ferrari suddenly struggling last weekend in Barcelona, while […]
Advisor says Williams aerodynamics ‘stalling’
May 16 (GMM) Alex Wurz says the aerodynamics on Williams’ 2018 car are basically “stalling”. The once-great British team is now among the absolute slowest on the grid, as young drivers Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin struggle to drive the 2018 car. “We lose downforce to the diffuser,” once team driver and now Williams advisor […]
Pirelli could stay in F1 after 2019 – boss
May 16 (GMM) Pirelli boss Marco Tronchetti Provera says the Italian brand wants to stay in formula one. Currently, the tyre company is under contract to be F1’s sole supplier until the end of 2019. “We remain willing to be in formula one, if the economic conditions are the same,” Pirelli CEO Tronchetti Provera is […]
Todt tips Ferrari to drop F1 quit threat
May 16 (GMM) Jean Todt thinks Ferrari’s F1 ‘quit threat’ will eventually recede. Indeed, team president Sergio Marchionne recently eased the threat, saying the latest negotiations with the FIA and Liberty Media over the future were more fruitful. “Ferrari is an iconic brand,” FIA president Todt, himself a former Ferrari chief, said in Barcelona. “There […]
Renault to start Red Bull talks after Monaco
May 16 (GMM) Renault would cope with the loss of Red Bull as a customer. That is the claim of Cyril Abiteboul, boss of the French carmaker’s F1 project. Currently, it is unclear whether Red Bull will stick with Renault power for 2019 or switch to Honda. Renault imposed a May 15 deadline on Red […]
Rivals could protest Ferrari battery – report
May 16 (GMM) A protest threat could mar next weekend’s grand prix in Monaco. Already this year, there have been allegations Ferrari is pushing the limits of legality with regards to the oil consumption and mirrors of its 2018 car. But now, rivals are considering lodging official protests against the Ferrari battery next time out […]
Boss defends Grosjean amid new career crisis
May 15 (GMM) Gunther Steiner has defended under-fire Haas driver Romain Grosjean. The Frenchman is having a bad start to 2018, and is yet to score a single point compared to his on-form teammate Kevin Magnussen’s 19. Not just that, Grosjean crashed out during the safety car in Baku, and in Barcelona was given a […]
Verstappen can win in Monaco – father
May 15 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s father thinks the young Dutchman can finally win again next time out at Monaco. The Red Bull driver had a bad start to the 2018 season, but he put the criticism behind him in Barcelona with a solid third place. “I understand that everyone likes the podium, but we want […]
Wolff slams Marko over tyre conspiracy
May 15 (GMM) Toto Wolff has slammed Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko for alleging that Mercedes is receiving special treatment by F1 tyre supplier Pirelli. Already, Sebastian Vettel has suggested the new, thinner tyre tread supplied by Pirelli in Barcelona was a cause of Ferrari’s sudden struggle. “You don’t have to be a genius to […]
Marko plays down Wehrlein to Toro Rosso rumour
May 15 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein is linked with a return to formula one. After losing his Sauber seat, the Mercedes junior returned to the German touring car series DTM for 2018. But a rumour says Red Bull is interested in signing up the 23-year-old to replace underperforming Toro Rosso driver Brendon Hartley. Bild newspaper claims […]
McLaren plans mid-season Alonso talks
May 15 (GMM) McLaren will open talks with Fernando Alonso about 2019 around the middle of the season. That is the news from team executive Zak Brown, acknowledging the rumours that the Spanish driver may not stay in formula one or at McLaren beyond this year. Alonso, 36, did the Indy 500 last year and […]
Leclerc ‘definitely’ a future champion – Pujolar
May 15 (GMM) Charles Leclerc is “definitely” world champion material. That is the view of Xevi Pujolar, an experienced engineer who works with the Monaco-born rookie at Sauber. “He is a potential champion. Definitely,” he told El Mundo Deportivo newspaper. “The way he is very demanding with himself, I’ve seen in other drivers like him. […]
Ricciardo in no hurry to sign 2019 contract
May 15 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo insists he is still not in a hurry to sign a new contract for 2019. Having entered F1 as a Red Bull junior, the Australian is now an undisputed top driver and looking at a potential move to Ferrari or Mercedes. But Red Bull wants an answer by the summer. […]
FIA to investigate first on-track Halo incident
May 14 (GMM) The FIA will investigate the first incident that may have prevented the injury of a driver due to the controversial ‘Halo’ concept. In Barcelona, a clash of wheels during the F2 race saw the car of a rival strike against the Halo of Japanese driver Tadasuke Makino. Photos of the Makino car […]
Vandoorne should shed ‘nice boy’ image – Hill
May 14 (GMM) Stoffel Vandoorne might need to shed his “nice boy” image in order to thrive in formula one. That is the view of Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion who was once seven time world champion Michael Schumacher’s closest rival. Now, Hill says Belgian Vandoorne’s talent is undisputed, but he might need to […]
Mercedes chiefs want me to stay – Hamilton
May 14 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says even Mercedes’ top bosses are on his side regarding the extension of his contract. Whether the reigning world champion stays at the German team beyond 2018 is technically not clear. But after winning in Barcelona, Hamilton told DPA news agency: “We are not far from finalising things. “It will […]
FIA should make quicker technical decisions – Lauda
May 14 (GMM) Niki Lauda has urged the FIA to speed up its process of deciding whether parts of F1 cars are illegal. In Barcelona, Ferrari arrived with winglets attached to its new Halo-mounted mirror supports, but the FIA said they will have to be removed for Monaco. “We think it’s about the interpretation of […]
Vettel concerned after Barcelona tyre struggle
May 14 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel is concerned but not panicked after falling even further behind in the world championship battle in Spain. The gap to Lewis Hamilton is now 17 points after Barcelona, although unlike in Baku the reason this time is that Mercedes was genuinely faster than Ferrari. Vettel suspects it could be because […]
Williams will struggle to replace Martini – Lowe
May 13 (GMM) Paddy Lowe has admitted that Williams will struggle to replace departing sponsor Martini for 2019. Martini announced it is leaving the British team at the worst possible time, just before Williams’ performance badly slumped and designer Ed Wood inexplicably left. When asked about Martini’s departure and how the money will be replaced, […]
McLaren takes ‘big step’ in Barcelona
May 13 (GMM) McLaren says it has taken a “big step” in Barcelona. The team touched down in Spain with what is effectively a ‘B’ spec car, featuring a radical nose design. Fernando Alonso then qualified 8th. “So far we’ve qualified 13th on average,” the Spaniard said. “This is a big step forward. Everything feels […]