Mar.19 (GMM) Pascal Wehrlein admits it’s a “weird feeling” to be left on the sidelines as the 2018 season begins. The Mercedes-backed German drove for Manor and Sauber in 2016 and 2017 respectively, but is now heading back to the German touring car series DTM. “Of course I’d like to still be in formula one […]
Month: March 2018
F1 cars can speed up with Halo – Wurz
Mar.19 (GMM) F1 can speed up now that the controversial ‘Halo’ safety feature is attached to the cars. That is the view of Alex Wurz, the president of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association. Like many, the Austrian admits that Halo is not appealing “visually”. But he backs the move to make it mandatory. “It’s not […]
Ricciardo on contract ‘tightrope’ – Webber
Mar.19 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo will walk a contract “tightrope” in 2018. That is the view of the Australian’s countryman Mark Webber, referring to the fact that Ricciardo is on the prowl for a potential move from Red Bull for 2019. “The first part of the year is very important for him,” Webber told Melbourne newspaper […]
Verstappen admits he is Marko’s ‘new project’
Mar.19 (GMM) Max Verstappen has admitted he is boss Dr Helmut Marko’s “new project”. With the future of his Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo in the air, Dutchman Verstappen says it is clear Marko wants him to become the next world champion. “I am his new project. He wants to repeat the Vettel story and […]
Brawn admits F1 cars must lose weight
Mar.19 (GMM) Ross Brawn has acknowledged that formula one cars must lose weight. While laptimes are currently impressive, F1 figures including Robert Kubica and Paddy Lowe have said the way the cars have become heavier over the last decade is not positive. F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn admits: “The weight of the cars will be […]
Lowe says Kubica comparisons not right
Mar.15 (GMM) Paddy Lowe has hit back at claims Robert Kubica is a faster driver than both of Williams’ 2018 race drivers. After a seven year absence due to permanent injury, Kubica is back in F1 this year but only with the reserve driver role. But he was reportedly quicker than both Lance Stroll and […]
Zandvoort boss plays down F1 chances
Mar.15 (GMM) Zandvoort owner Bernhard van Oranje has admitted that a Dutch grand prix at the circuit is unlikely. In recent months, reports have suggested The Netherlands could be vying to return to the F1 calendar, potentially at Zandvoort or Assen. But Zandvoort owner van Oranje told the Dutch publication Formule 1: “We are talking […]
Berger backs new Honda boss
Mar.15 (GMM) Gerhard Berger thinks Honda is on track to improve in formula one. The McLaren collaboration in 2015-2017 was so bad that the British team dumped Honda, leaving the Japanese manufacturer to switch to Toro Rosso for 2018. But winter testing results for Toro Rosso-Honda were good, and Honda also spent the winter restructuring […]
Renault exhaust legal for now – Whiting
Mar.15 (GMM) F1’s governing body will not ask Renault to change the layout of its 2018 exhaust. The yellow and black car turned heads during Barcelona testing because it appeared the exhaust had been angled towards a specially heat-resistant rear wing. That is despite the fact that exhaust ‘blowing’ is not allowed. But F1 race […]
Red Bull could replace Ricciardo with Sainz – Horner
Mar.15 (GMM) Red Bull has Carlos Sainz waiting in the wings if talks with Daniel Ricciardo break down. That is the warning made by team boss Christian Horner, amid reports Red Bull has set Australian Ricciardo a deadline to commit to Red Bull beyond 2018. “Our intention is to have him with us in the […]
2018 is year of truth for Liberty – Wolff
Mar.15 (GMM) Toto Wolff thinks 2018 is a year of truth for F1’s new owner Liberty Media. The Mercedes boss said the sport’s new American regime had a “grace period” last year. “It’s always easy to criticise the coach from the stands, because making decisions is not always easy,” Wolff told Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspaper. “But […]
Hamilton expects new deal ‘soon’
Mar.15 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton remains confident he will be staying with Mercedes beyond 2018. Both sides are openly discussing the details of a new deal for 2019 and beyond. Hamilton is quoted by La Repubblica: “We have not done anything official yet but the atmosphere between us is relaxed. “I have a commitment to the […]
Ferrari free to quit F1 – Todt
Mar.15 (GMM) Ferrari is free to quit formula one after 2020, FIA president Jean Todt says. At the Geneva motor show, Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne doubled down on his threat to quit the sport by saying the Maranello team could race in America instead. “Why not?” he is quoted by the Italian press as saying. […]
Halo still ‘annoying and ugly’ – Magnussen
Mar.14 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen is continuing to rail against the mandatory ‘Halo’ device featured on all F1 cars in 2018. While some drivers support the safety innovation, others like Magnussen are outspoken critics. “It’s very annoying and ugly,” he told Ekstra Bladet newspaper. “And it’s hard to get in and out of the car. Hard […]
Vettel not worried about winter testing results
Mar.14 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he has faith in Ferrari ahead of the 2018 season. After winter testing, the general consensus is that Ferrari may not only be trailing Mercedes, but also Red Bull in terms of pace. But Vettel said testing can be deceptive. Indeed, when the German did a record laptime late in […]
Abiteboul says F1 ‘cannot go on like this’
Mar.14 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul thinks formula one needs to change. The Frenchman is at charge at the Renault works team, who are targeting fourth place in the constructors’ championship this year behind the ‘big three’. “We are starting with a conservative approach,” he told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. “The focus is on reliability, which […]
Haas changes Friday driver policy for 2018
Mar.13 (GMM) Haas says the door to Antonio Giovinazzi will remain basically closed in 2018. Since last July, the Ferrari junior driver replaced Kevin Magnussen on Friday morning at seven grand prix weekends. Haas boss Gunther Steiner said in December: “I cannot say how negative it was, but it was not positive.” At the time, […]
McLaren ‘not pessimistic’ about 2018 – Alonso
Mar.13 (GMM) Fernando Alonso insists he is “not pessimistic” after a fourth consecutive troubled winter for McLaren. After three bad years with Honda, the British team has finally dropped the Japanese manufacturer and switched to Renault power. But McLaren still had winter testing trouble. Alonso told Spanish radio Onda Cero: “I do not see any […]
Renault not targeting 2018 race win – Prost
Mar.13 (GMM) Alain Prost says Renault is not setting goals for 2018, but he will not rule out a podium for the French team. After winter testing, the general consensus is that Renault and Haas will battle to lead the midfield behind top teams Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari. But team advisor Prost says Renault’s […]
No May engine deadline for Red Bull – Horner
Mar.12 (GMM) Christian Horner has hit back at Renault’s imposition of a May deadline to decide its engine supplier for 2019. It is no secret that Red Bull installed Honda as Toro Rosso’s engine supplier this year in order to open the door to a potential deal for the main team in 2019. Currently, Red […]