Dec.21 (GMM) Honda “will completely close the gap” to top engine manufacturers Mercedes and Ferrari in 2019. That is the prediction of Franz Tost, the boss at Toro Rosso. The junior Red Bull team has been powered by works Honda engines for a full year now, in preparation for the senior team to join the […]
Month: December 2018
‘Nobody in F1 watches Formula E’ – Villeneuve
Dec.21 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve is not excited about the future of Formula E. The 1997 world champion did a couple of races with the then-burgeoning all-electric single seater category, but thinks the latest hype has been overrated. “Nobody wants to see electric racing,” Villeneuve, now a F1 pundit for Italian television, told Automobile Magazine. “The […]
Denmark not giving up on F1 race
Dec.21 (GMM) A Danish official has not given up on bringing formula one to the country. Earlier, plans for a 2020 race on the streets of Copenhagen were well advanced and supported by Liberty Media, until mayor Frank Jensen said the project “carries too much risk”. But Helge Sander, who was behind the Copenhagen plans, […]
Red Bull ‘hiding facts’ about Honda power – Abiteboul
Dec.21 (GMM) Cyril Abiteboul has scoffed at Red Bull’s optimism about life with Honda power. Abiteboul is the boss at Renault, where he was at the epicentre of the French manufacturer’s eventually poisonous relationship with Red Bull. For 2019, Red Bull is finally leaving Renault to become Honda’s new works engine partner. This year, the […]
Gasly ‘not afraid’ of Red Bull and Verstappen
Dec.21 (GMM) Pierre Gasly says he is “not afraid” of life with a top team, nor of having the feisty Max Verstappen as his teammate. The Frenchman has been promoted from the junior team Toro Rosso to replace departed Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo. Gasly and Verstappen, who are both in their early 20s, already […]
Sainz ‘would not mind’ if Alonso tests McLaren
Dec.21 (GMM) Carlos Sainz says he would be happy if his mentor and countryman Fernando Alonso tests the 2019 McLaren next year. Zak Brown, the McLaren boss, has said Alonso is welcome to be a team tester and advisor even though he has retired from formula one. “I would not mind if the driver who […]
Lauda announces 2019 grand prix return
Dec.21 (GMM) Niki Lauda has allayed fears that he might not return to his post at the grands prix with Mercedes. In August, the F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman had a life-saving lung transplant and missed the remainder of the season. But Lauda, 69, says he actually didn’t really miss a race. “I did […]
Sauber still building staff numbers – Vasseur
Dec.20 (GMM) Sauber is still building up its staff numbers, boss Frederic Vasseur has revealed. The Swiss team almost collapsed two years ago, but a buyout as well as a new alliance with Ferrari and Alfa Romeo now has Sauber feeling more confident about the future. For 2019, the team will field Ferrari refugee Kimi […]
Red Bull ‘will look to Verstappen’ in 2019 – Horner
Dec.20 (GMM) Max Verstappen will have a more significant role at Red Bull next year. That is the view of Christian Horner, the energy drink owned team’s boss. Speaking to the Dutch publication Formule 1, Horner is referring to the fact that the more experienced Red Bull driver, Daniel Ricciardo, has left the team. When […]
London could join Silverstone in F1 – Brawn
Dec.20 (GMM) Ross Brawn says a grand prix in the centre of London would be “unacceptable”. But the F1 sporting chief thinks his bosses at Liberty Media are interested in a race “on the periphery” of the British capital. Brawn’s comments to the Evening Standard come amid reports Silverstone, the traditional host of the British […]
Kubica not offended by Vettel comments
Dec.19 (GMM) Robert Kubica says he is not offended by comments made by quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel. Ferrari’s Vettel said that while he is happy 34-year-old Kubica is returning to F1 after an eight year recovery, “there are also young drivers who deserve a chance”. Kubica, whose burgeoning F1 career was interrupted by a […]
Verstappen happy with Ricciardo replacement
Dec.19 (GMM) Max Verstappen says he is happy with Red Bull’s pick for his new teammate. The Dutchman says he cannot understand why Daniel Ricciardo decided to quit Red Bull and switch instead to the less competitive works Renault team. “He had already committed to Dietrich Mateschitz, the big boss of Red Bull, so I […]
Former Ferrari boss not ruling out Alonso return
Dec.19 (GMM) Former Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali says it is possible Fernando Alonso will return to the Maranello team. Alonso raced for Ferrari for five years until their relationship soured and he left at the end of 2014. The 37-year-old Spaniard has now retired from F1 after four subsequent fallow years with McLaren, but is […]
Lauda returned home from rehabilitation – Marko
Dec.19 (GMM) Niki Lauda has now returned home after a long period in hospital and rehabilitation. That is the news from Dr Helmut Marko, who is F1 legend Lauda’s Austrian countryman and friend. 69-year-old Lauda, the Mercedes team chairman, underwent a lung transplant in early August and missed the rest of the 2018 season. But […]
Renault to keep working over Christmas
Dec.19 (GMM) Staff at Renault’s works F1 team will work throughout the Christmas and New Year period. That is the news from Cyril Abiteboul, the French works team’s boss. Renault reached its goal of finishing behind Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull in 2018, but team officials were disappointed they did not more significantly close the […]
Force India to launch 2019 car in Canada
Dec.18 (GMM) Force India has become the second F1 team to announce a reveal date for its 2019 car. Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene recently announced that the Italian team’s new car will be launched on February 15, just days before the start of winter testing. Force India has now announced a February 13 launch date. […]
Sirotkin eyes 2020 F1 return
Dec.18 (GMM) Sergey Sirotkin says his aim is to return to formula one in 2020. The Russian has been replaced at Williams by Robert Kubica for 2019. Backed by SMP Bank, the 23-year-old is tipped to become a Ferrari development driver, but he told Tass news agency that he has no word yet. “Now we […]
McLaren success is ‘long term’ aim – Sainz
Dec.18 (GMM) Carlos Sainz says McLaren is aiming for success only in the medium to long term. The Spaniard says he is happy to move from the works Renault team to McLaren, the beleaguered yet once-great British outfit, on a new two-year contract. Sainz said his countryman Fernando Alonso advised him to sign, because it […]
Silverstone proposes new F1 deal for 2020
Dec.18 (GMM) Silverstone has stepped up its bid to remain on the F1 calendar. Last year, amid growing losses, the circuit-owning British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) triggered a break clause in its contract. As it stands, the last British grand prix will take place at historic Silverstone in 2019. But F1 business journalist Christian Sylt […]
Leclerc targets two race wins for 2019
Dec.17 (GMM) Charles Leclerc is targeting two grand prix wins for his first year with Ferrari. A few days ago, team boss Maurizio Arrivabene said he will work to “protect” the young Monaco-born driver from “the possibility of being burned” in 2019. “He must think of next season as a year of apprenticeship,” the Italian […]