Apr.16 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has targeted the 2018 world championship, just as his high-profile teammate Lewis Hamilton begins to struggle. After failing to win in Australia and Bahrain, reigning world champion Hamilton’s season hit a low in China as both he and Mercedes struggled. “Both on my side but also as a team, we’ve been […]
Ricciardo should stay at Red Bull – Horner
Apr.16 (GMM) Christian Horner thinks Daniel Ricciardo should re-commit to Red Bull for the future. The Australian, who commandingly won in China, is out of contract at the end of the year and linked with potential moves to Mercedes or Ferrari. He said serious contract talks about 2019 haven’t started, but grinned that Shanghai – […]
Winning becoming harder for Mercedes – Horner
Apr.16 (GMM) Christian Horner thinks 2018 might finally be the end of Mercedes’ utter domination of F1 in the ‘power unit’ era. Since 2014, the silver team has had rivals, but only in China did some pundits like 1996 world champion Damon Hill actually sense the end of an era. “It’s like empires rising and […]
Lauda questions Verstappen ‘intelligence’
Apr.16 (GMM) F1 legend Niki Lauda has questioned Max Verstappen’s “intelligence” after the Chinese grand prix. The Dutchman’s headline faux pas in Shanghai was a clash with world championship leader Sebastian Vettel, for which he apologised privately. “That was s**t,” Verstappen told Bild newspaper. “It was my fault but I cannot undo it now.” The […]
Drivers not to blame for Williams crisis – Lowe
Apr.15 (GMM) Paddy Lowe has denied that Williams’ crisis is not being helped by the team’s controversial driver lineup. The once-great British team has sunk to the bottom of the F1 pecking order this year, after saying no to Robert Kubica in favour of inexperienced drivers Sergey Sirotkin and Lance Stroll. Technical boss Lowe admitted […]
McLaren may have got 2018 goals wrong – Boullier
Apr.15 (GMM) McLaren has admitted it could have got its sums wrong as it set goals for 2018. After three abysmal years with Honda, hopes were high as the once-great British team switched to Renault power. But the 2018 car is also not fully up to speed — notably on the straights. “There is nothing […]
Ricciardo loses some faith in Renault
Apr.15 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he has lost some faith in Renault this season. Red Bull headed into 2018 with high hopes, but although having a good chassis, it is believed a lack of power and now poor reliability is the team’s main issue. “Of course you never stop hoping,” De Telegraaf newspaper quotes […]
Confident Magnussen hopes to stay at Haas
Apr.15 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen says he is hoping to stay at Haas in 2019. At present, the Dane is arguably the quicker driver at the American team he shares with Romain Grosjean. He puts it down to being under less pressure. “I think I’ve always had confidence,” Magnussen told BT newspaper. “The difference is that […]
Ferrari dominance is F1 ‘turning point’
Apr.15 (GMM) Silver-clad heads are being scratched in Shanghai. That’s because Ferrari is clearly now the fastest car in formula one — both in the Bahraini heat a week ago and now in chilly China. “We’re way too far behind,” Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda said after qualifying. Both Mercedes drivers, as well as pole […]
Raikkonen ‘faster than Vettel’ – Lauda
Apr.14 (GMM) F1 legend Niki Lauda admits that Kimi Raikkonen is looking strong so far in 2018. That is despite the fact that it is his Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel, who is leading the world championship from Lewis Hamilton, who won the opening two races. “We are seeing the best Vettel ever,” the German’s first […]
Force India not on verge of bankruptcy – boss
Apr.14 (GMM) Bob Fernley has denied that Force India is on the brink of bankruptcy. What is clear is that after finishing fourth overall in both 2016 and 2017, the small Silverstone based team is now outpaced by other midfield runners. But deputy boss Fernley told Finnish broadcaster C More that reports the new car […]
Stroll ‘shocked’ at depth of Williams crisis
Apr.14 (GMM) Lance Stroll has admitted he is “shocked” about Williams’ woeful performance in 2018. After a bad start for the once-great British team in Australia and Bahrain, the Canadian driver has been dead last so far in China. “I’m shocked. We are in reverse,” Stroll said. Asked what the problem is, the Canadian said […]
F1 looking into pitstop safety
Apr.14 (GMM) ‘Unsafe release’ is a major buzzword in the paddock ahead of the Chinese grand prix. In Australia, both Haas cars were released from pitstops with loose wheels. Then in Bahrain, a Ferrari mechanic’s leg was sickeningly snapped in an incident, and already in China, an incident has occurred during a practice pitstop involving […]
Ferrari quit threat still on – Marchionne
Apr.14 (GMM) Sergio Marchionne has warned that Ferrari’s F1 quit threat is still very much real. In Bahrain, the Maranello team remained notably silent as Liberty Media revealed its blueprint for the regulations beyond 2020. But president Marchionne has now said during a shareholders’ meeting in Amsterdam: “If F1 becomes more spectacle than sport, if […]
Leclerc needs more time in F1 – Vasseur
Apr.14 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur says Charles Leclerc will take some time to get up to speed in F1. In Bahrain, it was Marcus Ericsson who scored Sauber’s breakthrough points of 2018, despite the fact that rookie Leclerc was earlier touted as the team’s new superstar. “I do not take such a categorical position,” boss Vasseur […]
Haas rejects Alonso rumour
Apr.14 (GMM) Haas has rejected a sensational rumour suggesting Fernando Alonso might move to the American team for 2019. The news was first reported by Diario Gol, saying that Haas had been in touch with the McLaren-driving Spaniard as a potential replacement for Romain Grosjean — who may move to Ferrari. “Alonso to Haas? That’s […]
F1 could scrap fuel limit for 2019
Apr.14 (GMM) F1 may be on the cusp of ending the era of ‘fuel saving’. In the hybrid era, the sport has got used to drivers using the ‘lift and coast’ tactic to get their limited fuel load to the chequered flag. But Auto Motor und Sport reports that, at the forthcoming strategy group meeting […]
Ricciardo criticises Bottas after Bahrain
Apr.13 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo may be staking a claim on the seat alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for 2019. The Australian is on the market and not yet committing to a new Red Bull deal. So it’s notable that he was among those who criticised Hamilton’s current teammate Valtteri Bottas for not mounting a tougher […]
Lauda denies Ecclestone plotting F1 ‘breakaway’
Apr.13 (GMM) F1 legend Niki Lauda has played down speculation Bernie Ecclestone might be plotting to front a ‘breakaway’ world championship. Although ousted as F1 supremo by Liberty Media, 87-year-old Ecclestone was in Bahrain a week ago — and notably he wore a white shirt bearing the now-defunct old F1 logo. Ecclestone has been highly […]
Marko right about Renault needing to improve – Sainz
Apr.13 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has admitted the works Renault team needs to improve. The French outfit went into the winter season looking the most likely to trail immediately behind the top three teams. However, Haas and even Sainz’s former team Toro Rosso have looked faster. It has moved Dr Helmut Marko to note that some […]