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 […]
Month: April 2018
Vettel upbeat despite losing title lead
Apr.30 (GMM) Although losing the championship lead to Lewis Hamilton in Baku, Sebastian Vettel was the more upbeat driver. Indeed, while Hamilton’s won the race, it was only because Vettel’s late overtaking move for the win failed. And also because Valtteri Bottas, in the other Mercedes, retired from the lead with a puncture. Hamilton, on […]
Boullier plays down McLaren ‘B’ car hopes
Apr.30 (GMM) Eric Boullier has played down hopes a reported ‘B’ car for Spain could be a silver bullet for McLaren. The British team has struggled so far in 2018 despite having switched from Honda to Renault power. Now, reports suggest the car changes will be so significant for Barcelona next month that it might […]
Drivers should pay for Red Bull crash – Lauda
Apr.30 (GMM) Red Bull’s drivers should have to pay for the damage to their cars after colliding in Baku. That is the view of Niki Lauda, whose fellow Mercedes chief Toto Wolff said after the clash on Sunday that F1 drivers “sometimes go too far”. “I’ve been in Christian (Horner’s) position,” Wolff said after Daniel […]
FIA says 2018 Ferrari car ‘not illegal’
Apr.29 (GMM) The FIA has declared Ferrari’s 2018 car “100 per cent” legal. Earlier, it emerged that F1’s governing body had been in touch with the Maranello team amid suspicions Ferrari is using special engine maps to blow exhaust to the rear wing. It came amid other reports that a mysterious extra lever had been […]
Renault to push for Sainz to stay in 2019
Apr.29 (GMM) Renault is shaping up to push for Carlos Sainz to stay at the team in 2019. Currently, the fate of the Spanish driver is unclear. Red Bull ‘loaned’ him to Renault for 2018, but could pull him back next year if Daniel Ricciardo leaves the team. At the same time, Sainz is struggling […]
Alonso may leave McLaren – Briatore
Apr.29 (GMM) Fernando Alonso could be set to stir up the 2019 ‘silly season’. Currently, Daniel Ricciardo appears to be the key to the driver market, as he weighs up between Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari. The Australian said in Baku on Friday that he would enjoy racing alongside Lewis Hamilton. But he’s also eyeing […]
Stroll not commenting on Mercedes ‘B team’ rumour
Apr.29 (GMM) Williams bosses are reportedly resisting a push to turn the once-great British team into one with a structure similar to Haas. This year, while Williams slumped, Haas has impressed, sparking controversy about how the small American team buys many of its parts from Ferrari. In the meantime, questions have been raised about the […]
Sainz ‘not obsessed’ with beating Hulkenberg
Apr.28 (GMM) Carlos Sainz insists he is not obsessed with beating his teammate Nico Hulkenberg in Baku. Since joining Renault late last year, the Spaniard has not once out-qualified his German teammate. Sainz might be forgiven for being alarmed at that statistic, as he is pushing to either stay at Renault in 2019 or replace […]
Alonso plays down Goss departure
Apr.28 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has played down the reported ousting of McLaren technical boss Tim Goss. Three races into the team’s tough transition from Honda to Renault power, McLaren has been coy over Goss’ apparent departure. “Not much to add,” Spaniard Alonso told El Mundo Deportivo in Baku. “The team makes changes public at times […]
Bottas not worried about Mercedes rumours
Apr.28 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas says he isn’t worried about the ‘silly season’ speculation regarding 2019. The Finn’s Mercedes contract is expiring, and Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon have been linked with his seat for next year. “Not really,” Bottas told C More broadcaster when asked if it is distracting. “I know what the situation is. […]
Engine key to Ricciardo’s 2019 move – Horner
Apr.28 (GMM) Engine performance is the key to Daniel Ricciardo’s next contract. That is the claim of the Australian driver’s boss Christian Horner, who reiterated in Baku that Red Bull wants to keep him. But Mercedes and Ferrari are reportedly also interested, and Horner admitted that the hierarchy of engine performance in F1 is a […]
Grosjean defends ‘complainer’ reputation
Apr.28 (GMM) Romain Grosjean has defended his growing reputation as the “complainer” of F1. Critical radio messages made to the Haas team by the Frenchman are often broadcast on television, but Grosjean thinks it’s unfair to make conclusions about his character based on them. “It hurts when fans say ‘Grosjean complains all the time’,” he […]
Alonso welcomes Button to Le Mans
Apr.28 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has welcomed his former McLaren teammate Jenson Button to Le Mans. After Baku, McLaren driver Alonso’s world endurance championship campaign kicks off next weekend with a six hour race at Spa Francorchamps. “Yes, I’m saving energy,” the Spaniard smiled in Azerbaijan. “It’s necessary to plan how much energy is required, so […]
Vettel plays down talk about mystery lever
Apr.29 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has played down reports he might be getting an advantage in 2018 thanks to an extra lever on his steering wheel. Earlier, it emerged that the FIA had been in touch with the Maranello team amid suspicions Ferrari us using special engine maps to blow exhaust to the rear wing. It […]
Overtaking changes for 2019 unlikely – report
Apr.28 (GMM) Car changes to make overtaking easier in 2019 are unlikely to be approved. That is the claim of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, reporting that proposed tweaks to the front and rear wings in particular will be put to a fax vote on Monday. Correspondent Michael Schmidt said: “The FIA needs 18 yes […]
F1 should be more unpredictable – Briatore
Apr.28 (GMM) F1 races need to be more unpredictable. That is the view of former F1 team boss Flavio Briatore, who is in Baku this weekend. “You know that I’ve never liked this F1 that is for engineers,” the Italian told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “But I admit that the last races were interesting.” However, […]
Hamilton ‘not concentrated’ in 2018 – Ecclestone
Apr.28 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton is “not fully concentrated” in 2018. That is the view of former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who is in Baku as a guest of the Azerbaijan government. World champion Hamilton, who has an extreme new braided hairstyle in Baku, has struggled so far this year. Ecclestone told the Swiss newspaper Blick: […]
Halo can feature mirrors in future
Apr.28 (GMM) F1 fans should notice changes to the controversial Halo designs within a few races. The FIA has told teams that they can mount their rearview mirrors on the cockpit protection system from now on. “If someone wants to go down that route, then yes we will see it in a few races time,” […]
Prost sells Formula E stake to focus on F1
Apr.27 (GMM) Alain Prost has sold his stake in Renault’s Formula E team e.dams in order to focus exclusively on F1. That is the news of the French sports daily L’Equipe, reporting that the quadruple world champion will continue in his role as special advisor at Renault’s works F1 team. “It was difficult to do […]