Apr.5 (GMM) Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton’s new contract is “as good as done”. The Mercedes chief had hoped to get the signatures on paper prior to Melbourne, but amid rumours of squabbles over details, delays were announced. Germany’s Sport Bild now claims that Hamilton’s new contract for 2019, 2020 and 2021 will earn him […]
Month: April 2018
Liberty struggling to launch ‘F1 TV’
Apr.5 (GMM) Liberty Media is struggling to launch F1’s new live streaming service. Before Australia, the new F1 owner announced that limited countries would have access to the service — but it was delayed until Bahrain. And now, it has emerged that ‘F1 TV’ is also not ready for Bahrain, amid rumours beta testing revealed […]
F1 expects better racing in Bahrain
Apr.5 (GMM) Drivers are confident this weekend’s grand prix in Bahrain will be more exciting than Melbourne. While Liberty Media works on making the cars easier to overtake for 2021, the FIA installed a third DRS zone in Australia to help for now. But passing moves were still rare. “I had a party for the […]
FIA staff should be free to join teams – Zander
Apr.4 (GMM) Sauber technical boss Jorg Zander says FIA personnel should be free to move to F1 teams. Recently, the moves of engineers Marcin Budkowski and Laurent Mekies from prominent FIA roles to Renault and Ferrari respectively have made waves in the paddock. But Zander says any ‘gardening leave’ requirements should not be too stifling. […]
Gasly backs Honda to improve
Apr.4 (GMM) Pierre Gasly has backed Honda to up its game in 2018. Following the McLaren-Honda split, Toro Rosso’s hopes were high for its new engine partnership following a promising winter. But then Australia was another bad race weekend for Honda. “Honda is pushing hard because they want to show everyone that they can make […]
New Ricciardo deal must be ‘beneficial’ – Marko
Apr.4 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says he wants Daniel Ricciardo to stay at Red Bull. Actually, Australian Ricciardo has gone onto the driver market for 2019, and is already linked with a move to Mercedes. “I have a good relationship with Daniel,” Marko told France’s Auto Hebdo when asked about speculation regarding Ricciardo’s expiring contract. […]
Kubica not ‘teacher’ for Williams drivers
Apr.4 (GMM) Robert Kubica insists he does not see himself as a “teacher” at Williams. The British team has come under fire for its heavily sponsored and notably young and inexperienced lineup of Lance Stroll alongside Sergey Sirotkin. But Kubica, the experienced former BMW and Renault driver, is the official reserve. “I would not say […]
‘No panic’ at struggling Force India – Ocon
Apr.4 (GMM) Esteban Ocon insists there is “no panic” after a bad start to the season for Force India. The small Silverstone based team finished fourth overall in 2016 and 2017, but now Renault, McLaren and even Haas look set to displace Force India this year. “I suppose some (fans) are afraid that after Melbourne […]
Ecclestone backs calls for engine equalisation
Apr.4 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has backed calls for performance to be equalised in formula one. The former F1 supremo thinks the Mercedes-dominated ‘power unit’ era has been bad for the sport. And when asked if he thinks Liberty Media has done a good job for F1 so far, he told Welt newspaper: “All I know […]
Ecclestone thinks Brawn wants top F1 job
Apr.4 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone thinks Ross Brawn is eyeing the top job in F1. Before being ousted as F1 supremo, Ecclestone said he did not want to work alongside the former Ferrari and Mercedes chief at Formula One Management. Liberty Media has since taken over the company, who ousted Ecclestone and installed Brawn as F1 […]
Victory could take three years – Sainz
Apr.4 (GMM) Carlos Sainz thinks victory for Renault may require a wait of up to three years. The Spaniard is actually ‘on loan’ to the French works team from Red Bull just for 2018. So when asked how the season has started for him, Sainz told Antena 3 television: “You have to bear in mind […]
McLaren promises juniors F1 debut
Apr.3 (GMM) McLaren is tangling a tantalising carrot in front of its junior drivers in 2018. According to Dutchman Nick de Vries, McLaren executive Zak Brown has promised that if he or Lando Norris wins the Formula 2 title this year, the prize will be an F1 seat. “If I become the Formula 2 champion […]
Sirotkin denies Kubica ‘sabotage’ claims
Apr.3 (GMM) Sergey Sirotkin has played down claims Robert Kubica could campaign to derail his formula one career. Recently, 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve warned that as he advances his campaign to return to the grid, Kubica may as reserve driver deliberately sabotage the developmental direction of Williams’ 2018 car. “His dream is to race […]
Liberty considers F1 ‘qualifying race’
Apr.3 (GMM) Liberty Media could be looking to shake up the grand prix weekend format. Auto Motor und Sport reports that a new ‘qualifying race’ could be held on Saturday that determines Sunday’s grand prix grid. And that’s not all. The German magazine said the new weekend format will begin with a ‘public technical inspection’ […]
Monaco layout could be tweaked
Apr.3 (GMM) The famous Monaco grand prix layout could be tweaked by 2025. Forbes’ F1 business journalist Christian Sylt said a EUR 2 billion project to reclaim 25 acres of land from the Mediterranean is already underway. The new land is located just before the F1 circuit’s tunnel entrance. “I am not saying that it […]