May 4 (GMM) Fernando Alonso will skip the forthcoming post-Spanish grand prix test. As he splits his time in 2018 between F1 and preparation for Le Mans, the Spaniard is this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps for the 6 hour sports car endurance race with Toyota. And McLaren has just announced that Stoffel Vandoorne, Lando Norris and […]
F1 can thrive without big noise – Dupasquier
May 4 (GMM) F1 can survive without the big engines and sounds of the past. That is the view of Pierre Dupasquier, the former Michelin boss who was in F1 at the height of the V10 and tyre war era over a decade ago. Five years into the controversial ‘hybrid’ era, F1 owner Liberty Media […]
Keeping title lead will be difficult – Hamilton
May 4 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has admitted he will struggle to hang onto his new lead in the 2018 world championship. His first win of the season in Baku puts him 4 points ahead of Sebastian Vettel, but Hamilton admits that it is the Ferrari with the fastest car. “Leading the championship is great, but […]
Marchionne steps back from F1 quit threat
May 4 (GMM) Sergio Marchionne has delivered a more upbeat message about Ferrari’s future in formula one. In recent weeks and months, the Ferrari president has been warning F1 owner Liberty Media that it may leave the series over disagreements about the 2021 rules. But now Marchionne sounds more upbeat, particularly about the performance of […]
Renault must plan to lose Sainz – Abiteboul
May 3 (GMM) Renault says it must find a ‘plan B’ in the event it cannot keep Carlos Sainz beyond 2018. The Spanish driver is ‘on loan’ from Red Bull, who could pull him back for 2019 to replace Daniel Ricciardo. So while Ricciardo negotiates with alternative employers, it means Renault needs to put a […]
Carey wants new F1 deal with Barcelona
May 3 (GMM) Chase Carey says he would commit F1 to the Barcelona circuit “almost forever”. But that doesn’t mean a new contract will be agreed between the organisers of the current Spanish grand prix and F1 owner Liberty Media. “It’s not the only circuit in Spain,” F1 chief executive Carey told Spanish reporters in […]
Magnussen clarifies ‘I will die’ quote
May 3 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has clarified reports that said he is prepared to “die” in a F1 car. The Dane already had a reputation among his rivals as a ‘bad boy’. Then, Pierre Gasly said Magnussen is “the most dangerous guy I have ever raced with” after a 320kph brush with the Haas driver […]
Cars too complex for F1 telemetry ban – Alonso
May 3 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has hit back at suggestions F1 should ban telemetry. It has been suggested banning telemetry will move the sport closer to the purity of MotoGP, where riders are essentially alone to manage their own races. But Alonso warned: “They first would have to make the cars simpler. “That’s not possible […]
Budkowski attended first race for Renault
May 3 (GMM) Marcin Budkowski attended his first grand prix in Renault colours at Baku. Earlier, Renault’s signing of the Pole was highly controversial, as the French marque poached him from a leading technical position at the FIA. “I chose a quiet race to make my debut with Renault,” Budkowski smiled to Auto Motor und […]
Verstappen ‘too impatient’ in 2018 – Perez
May 3 (GMM) Sergio Perez says Max Verstappen’s struggles at Red Bull this year seem very familiar. In 2013, Mexican Perez was signed by McLaren but he was let go after a single season. “My time at McLaren hurt me,” Perez is quoted by Speed Week. “I made too many mistakes because I was impatient,” […]
Teams hit out at fuel allowance increase
May 3 (GMM) Some F1 teams have hit out at the FIA’s decision to increase the in-race fuel allowance for 2019. To stop drivers from needing to ‘lift and coast’ and save duel during races next year, the fuel allowance is increasing from 105 to 110kg. “It’s a strange decision,” Williams technical boss Paddy Lowe […]
Raikkonen lost 3.2kg over winter – trainer
May 3 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen’s trainer has confirmed that the Ferrari driver dropped weight over the winter. The Finn recently dismissed a reporter who noticed that the 38-year-old was looking slimmer and fitter in 2018. But Raikkonen’s long time physio Mark Arnall admitted: “The winter season this year was about getting Kimi’s weight down. “This […]
Miami to have ‘no impact’ on Canada GP
May 3 (GMM) Canada GP promoter Francois Dumontier has played down the impact another F1 race in North America will have on the Montreal event. It has emerged that Liberty Media and prospective promoters of a street race in Miami, Florida, are nearing a decision about whether to organise an event for 2019. “The Commission […]
Le Mans will make Alonso ‘tired’ – Hartley
May 2 (GMM) Brendon Hartley is expecting Fernando Alonso to be “pretty tired” as his split duties between F1 and Le Mans racing kick off. Spaniard Alonso is already at Spa Francorchamps, where at the weekend he will begin his adventure racing for Toyota in the world endurance championship. Last year, now Toro Rosso driver […]
Another crash will mean team orders – Marko
May 2 (GMM) Red Bull may consider imposing team orders if Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen collide again. After Baku, bosses Christian Horner and Dr Helmut Marko were furious, but said they remained committed for now to always letting the team’s drivers race. But Marko now tells Sport Bild: “At the next collision, we will […]
Rosberg says 2019 car changes ‘important’
May 2 (GMM) Nico Rosberg and Ross Brawn have hailed the news emerging from Paris. The FIA announced that, after a World Motor Sport Council fax vote, stakeholders including the F1 teams voted to approve car changes for 2019 designed to improve overtaking. The new changes are in addition to an extra allowance in fuel […]
Baku will boost Leclerc’s confidence – boss
May 2 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur has hailed the performance of Sauber rookie Charles Leclerc in Baku. After a difficult start to 2018, the much feted Ferrari junior and reigning Formula 2 champion finally broke through with an impressive run to sixth place. Asked if the performance surprised him, Sauber boss Vasseur told Auto Hebdo: “No. […]
Verstappen admits ‘too eager’ in Baku
May 1 (GMM) Max Verstappen has admitted both he and teammate Daniel Ricciardo may have been “eager” to go wheel to wheel in Baku. The pair were slammed by their furious Red Bull bosses after crashing out of Sunday’s Azerbaijan race. Many think Ricciardo was to blame as he rear-ended Verstappen, but F1 legend Niki […]
Media gives Bottas boost after Baku
May 1 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has been given a boost by one of the most respected newspapers in formula one. Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport gave the Finn the highest ranking of all the drivers in Baku — 8 out of 10, equalled only by the impressive Sauber rookie Charles Leclerc. That is despite the […]
Denmark GP officials meet in Baku
Apr.30 (GMM) Denmark is still inching its way towards the F1 calendar. Organisers of a proposed street race in Copenhagen met with the boss of Azerbaijan’s similar city grand prix at the weekend. “We had a meeting on Friday with the head of Azerbaijan’s grand prix,” Helge Sander, who had travelled to Baku with Lars […]