Jul.17 (GMM) Doctors are beginning to bring Alex Zanardi out of his almost month-long artificial coma. The former F1 driver suffered serious head and facial injuries in a June hand-cycling race in Italy. Critical care doctor at the Santa Maria Alle Scotte hospital in Siena, Dr Sabino Scolletta, told La Gazzetta dello Sport that his […]
Month: July 2020
Haas drivers unsure about team’s F1 future
Jul.17 (GMM) Haas’ race drivers have admitted they are not sure the small American team will still be on the grid in 2021. Kevin Magnussen revealed this week that team owner Gene Haas is expected to be in Hungary. Haas, 67, entered Formula 1 in 2016 with a team in close collaboration with Ferrari, but […]
Racing Point ‘good interim solution’ for Vettel – Marko
Jul.17 (GMM) Signing up with Racing Point would be a “good interim solution” for Ferrari refugee Sebastian Vettel. That is the claim of Dr Helmut Marko, the Red Bull chief who brought Vettel into F1 but has told the quadruple world champion there is no room for 2021. “Sebastian is at the best age at […]
Red Bull ‘must be at the front’ in Hungary – Marko
Jul.17 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko insists Red Bull-Honda “have to be at the front” this weekend in Hungary. He admits that Mercedes is currently the favourite for the world championship that he had hoped would make Max Verstappen the youngest ever title winner. “We are not positioned as we had imagined,” Marko, who says Mercedes […]
Sainz denies regretting Ferrari move
Jul.17 (GMM) Carlos Sainz insists he does not regret signing for Ferrari for 2021 and beyond. Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos said this week that given the Maranello team’s current lack of pace, Spaniard Sainz could be “the first” ever driver who isn’t “happy with a Ferrari contract”. Sainz said in Hungary: “I’m a little […]
Russell staying at Williams ‘good for team’ – Bottas
Jul.17 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas on Thursday admitted he is in talks with Mercedes about a new contract. “I can only say that we have started talking about it,” said the Finn in Hungary. But behind the scenes, it is clear that a deal for 2021 is all but done. That scenario only became more likely […]
No ruling on ‘pink Mercedes’ protest in Hungary
Jul.17 (GMM) There will be no news in Hungary this weekend about Renault’s protest against the ‘pink Mercedes’ fielded by Racing Point. Renault officially complained about the team’s Mercedes-style braking components last Sunday in Austria. But Spanish journalist Alberto Fabrega reports that a ruling is not expected until the next races at Silverstone at the […]
‘Normal’ to have talks with Aston Martin – Vettel
Jul.17 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has admitted he is having talks with Racing Point about potentially joining the new Aston Martin project for 2021. “I think it’s quite normal to get information,” he told Sky Deutschland in Hungary. “It is important that I make the right decision for myself.” Alpha Tauri driver Daniil Kvyat thinks quadruple […]
Extra pressure on Albon ‘nothing new’
Jul.17 (GMM) Alex Albon insists he is used to the rising pressure in Formula 1. As Sebastian Vettel admits he would like to return to Red Bull, pundits were pointing out that Max Verstappen’s current teammate is often off the pace. “As far as I can see, they have two drivers there,” Vettel said in […]
F1 legends hit back at Hamilton’s racial activism
Jul.17 (GMM) Two Formula 1 legends have questioned Lewis Hamilton’s recent racial activism. At each race so far in 2020, the Mercedes driver has led a line of his colleagues in kneeling in support of the Black Lives Matter political movement, and on the podium last Sunday he even showed a ‘Black Power’ fist. “I […]
F1 will cope with virus rules in Hungary – Horner
Jul.16 (GMM) Formula 1 will cope with Hungary’s draconian anti-coronavirus measures this weekend, according to Christian Horner. The Red Bull team boss is referring to the fact that UK and some other non-European citizens will be completely confined either to the circuit near Budapest or their hotel this weekend. Because the potential penalties involve jail-time, […]
Hulkenberg ‘itching’ to race again in August
Jul.16 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg has admitted he is “itching” to go racing again. It has been announced that the 32-year-old German, who was dropped by Renault at the end of last year, will make a guest appearance in mid-August in the ADAC GT Masters race at the Nurburgring. He will drive a Lamborghini Huracan GT3. […]
‘Compromise’ likely in pink Mercedes protest – boss
Jul.16 (GMM) An unnamed F1 team boss thinks the FIA will “find a compromise” to the current dispute about customer cars. After the second race in Austria, the governing body seized parts of Racing Point’s braking system, following an official protest lodged by rival team Renault. The claim is that the ‘pink Mercedes’ is a […]
Red Bull-Honda ‘too slow on straights’ – Verstappen
Jul.16 (GMM) Toto Wolff thinks Mercedes could be in for a fight this weekend in Hungary. With Valtteri Bottas on top in race 1 and his teammate Lewis Hamilton winning the second, Mercedes dominated the Austrian double-header. “Obviously, we will continue to work to improve the car but also the engine, because we are also […]
Ferrari will support Vettel in 2020 – Raikkonen
Jul.16 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen says he doubts his friend Sebastian Vettel’s relationship with Ferrari is so broken that the German cannot complete the season at Maranello. Former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine said this week that the team should have “just paid” Vettel to leave, as the “really screwed-up dynamic” is “destructive”. But another former Ferrari […]
Team owner Stroll could oust own son – Schumacher
Jul.16 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher is not so sure that Racing Point will oust Sergio Perez at the end of 2020. It is strongly expected that Ferrari refugee Sebastian Vettel will sign up with the Lawrence Stroll-owned team – set to become Aston Martin – for 2021. Most believe Mexican Perez will have to make way, […]
Steiner admits Ferrari ‘engine power’ an issue
Jul.16 (GMM) Engine power is an issue at Haas this year, boss Gunther Steiner has admitted. With team owner Gene Haas yet to decide whether to keep racing, Haas boss Steiner admitted to Ekstra Bladet newspaper that the 2020 car “is in the slower half of the field”. “First I would like to see how […]
Re-signing Bottas makes sense – Salo
Jul.16 (GMM) It makes sense that Mercedes is hanging onto Valtteri Bottas for 2021. That is the view of former F1 driver and fellow Finn Mika Salo, amid reports Bottas is poised to sign – or has already signed – a new contract with the reigning champions. Bottas has already won a race from pole […]
Racing Point denies Vettel deal already done
Jul.16 (GMM) Sergio Perez’s manager is reportedly looking around for an alternative seat for the Mexican driver. The revelation, claimed by ESPN Mexico, follows reports that Ferrari refugee Sebastian Vettel is poised to race alongside Racing Point team owner Lawrence Stroll’s son Lance at the new Aston Martin team in 2021. The source adds that […]
Renault to be in F1 ‘a long time’ – Briatore
Jul.15 (GMM) Renault will be in Formula 1 “for a long time”, according to the French works outfit’s former boss. Flavio Briatore told Italy’s Tuttosport that he helped his protege Fernando Alonso negotiate the Spaniard’s return to Formula 1 for next year. “We negotiated the return together. I have known for two months,” he said. […]