Apr.18 (GMM) Opinions are divided over whether F1 should tweak its qualifying format for 2020. It is believed Liberty Media wants to add a fourth qualifying segment – ‘Q4’ – to the current knockout-style format. However, some have raised doubts about whether the current allocation of Pirelli tyres can handle a four-segment qualifying. “I think […]
Month: April 2019
Russian billionaire eyes Williams buyout
Apr.18 (GMM) A Russian billionaire could buy Williams. The once-great British team is in a desperate performance crisis, but multiple authoritative outlets are now reporting that Dmitry Mazepin is interested in buying it. Earlier, we reported that Mazepin’s 19-year-old son Nikita, who races in Formula 2, will conduct a series of F1 tests in a […]
Malaysia could return to F1 calendar in 2022
Apr.18 (GMM) Malaysia could be set to revive its grand prix for 2022. Arguing that it is no longer good value for money, the government pulled the plug on the Sepang race after 2017. “Cost too high, returns limited,” said sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin at the time. But Fox Sports reports that the return to […]
Vasseur wants ‘podiums’ for Alfa Romeo
Apr.18 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur is targeting “podiums” for Alfa Romeo. After the Italian brand linked up with Sauber, the Hinwil based team’s boss said he is aware of the successful history of Alfa Romeo in F1. “It’s difficult to feel, but there are some external signs that it is the case,” Vasseur told France’s Auto […]
‘No reason’ to sign Verstappen – Wolff
Apr.18 (GMM) Max Verstappen insists he is happy at Red Bull-Honda. In recent days, rumours have been swirling that the Dutch driver is in talks with Mercedes’ Toto Wolff. Verstappen, his father Jos, and now Wolff have denied it. “When I heard that, I had to laugh,” Wolff is quoted by Speed Week. “I don’t […]
Ferrari not interested in Formula E – Agag
Apr.18 (GMM) Formula E boss Alejandro Agag thinks it is possible there will be “a cooperation” between the electric series and F1 in the future. Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone recently warned that the city-based Formula E series could pose a threat to formula one. “If the head decides and not the heart, I would […]
Top three teams ‘unreachable’ for Renault – Prost
Apr.17 (GMM) Alain Prost has conceded that top three teams Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull are “unreachable” for Renault this year. The F1 legend is an advisor to the French works team, which had targeted getting closer to the top teams in 2019. “You have to be realistic, and the three top teams are unreachable,” […]
Bratches admits China could get second F1 race
Apr.17 (GMM) F1’s owner Liberty Media has admitted it could add a second race in China to the calendar. In Shanghai last weekend for the third race of 2019, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said: “Why not go to Hong Kong or Beijing?” Wolff said China is a big market for the sport and for manufacturers […]
Mercedes beating Ferrari ‘nothing new’ – Briatore
Apr.17 (GMM) Flavio Briatore is not surprised that Ferrari is struggling to beat Mercedes in 2019. The Maranello team began the year with many believing it has the fastest car, but so far it is Mercedes with three consecutive one-twos. “What’s wrong with Ferrari? It’s nothing new,” former Renault boss Briatore told Italian broadcaster La […]
Ferrari working on rear wing fix – Binotto
Apr.17 (GMM) Ferrari is already working to fix the issues that have dropped the Italian team behind Mercedes in 2019. After early signs of promise, Ferrari has been beaten to 1-2 finishes by the reigning champions in all three races so far. 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg says Ferrari’s problem is aerodynamic. “Ferrari have pitched […]
McLaren to decide on Indycar for 2020 in summer
Apr.16 (GMM) Zak Brown says McLaren is deciding whether to enter a full two-car team in the Indycar series in 2020 or 2021. “There is no doubt that the shareholders at McLaren would like to be in Indycar. I think it’s more of a when than an if,” he said. Brown, who is McLaren’s team […]
Carey inspects 2020 Hanoi GP site
Apr.16 (GMM) F1 chief executive Chase Carey travelled straight from China to Vietnam to check out the scene of the Hanoi street race for 2020. Vietnam is the first new race put together from scratch by new F1 owner Liberty Media. “We think this track will make for a very special race and a very […]
Raikkonen ‘leading the B league’ – Zehnder
Apr.16 (GMM) Alfa Romeo team manager Beat Zehnder says it is “a pleasure” to be working once again with Kimi Raikkonen. The pair worked together when Raikkonen made his F1 debut for Sauber in 2001, and the Finn has now returned to the same Hinwil based team for 2019. Currently, he is ‘best of the […]
Red Bull to get new Honda engine in Baku
Apr.16 (GMM) Just a few races into the long 2019 season, Honda is already preparing to introduce an upgrade for its engine. De Telegraaf, a Dutch newspaper, says the more powerful Honda engine will be used by Red Bull in Baku next weekend. Team official Dr Helmut Marko said the upgrade was originally planned for […]
Nothing fundamentally wrong with car – Vettel
Apr.16 (GMM) Just three races into yet another promising season for Ferrari, the Italian press has declared that the great Maranello team is once again in crisis. In China, most had expected Ferrari to bounce back after Charles Leclerc’s near-win of Bahrain. Instead, the team is now fending off a team orders controversy and claims […]
Formula E ‘equally important’ to F1 – Zetsche
Apr.15 (GMM) Mercedes sees its new commitment in Formula E as “equally important” to the F1 team. Mercedes CEO Dieter Zetsche was in China at the weekend where he watched a third consecutive 1-2 for the ultra-successful works team. “I was just talking to Toto Wolff about how the motivation is still high after five […]
No more race victory target in 2019 – Horner
Apr.15 (GMM) After three races in 2019, Red Bull no longer has a target for the number of race wins. Prior to the season, buoyed by the promise of the new works Red Bull-Honda pairing, Dr Helmut Marko said he wanted five victories before the season finale in December. “We all know that Helmut is […]
Budget caps ‘will not help F1’ – Villeneuve
Apr.15 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve says a budget cap is the wrong direction for F1. With support from the FIA and many teams, the sport’s new owner Liberty Media is determined to impose caps on annual spending from 2021. Villeneuve, F1’s outspoken 1997 world champion, is diametrically opposed. “F1 is supposed to represent absolute excess,” he […]
Williams ‘no longer a racing team’ – Villeneuve
Apr.15 (GMM) Williams’ problems can be traced back to the decision to float on the stock exchange. That is the view of Jacques Villeneuve, who in 1997 won the once-great team’s last world championship. “Its leaders are paying for the bad decisions made in recent years,” he told Le Journal de Montreal. After an eight […]
‘Multi-year job’ to catch top teams – Abiteboul
Apr.15 (GMM) Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul says the French team is in the middle of a “multi-year” task to catch the big three teams. The comments come after China, where despite making reliability fixes for its significantly more powerful 2019 engine after Bahrain, Nico Hulkenberg once again retired. “Nico had a problem around the MGU-K,” […]