Feb.18 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo has revealed how he initially struggled to fit inside his new McLaren cockpit. “It’s pretty normal,” the former Red Bull and Renault driver, who has moved to McLaren for 2021 to replace Carlos Sainz, recalled of his recent seat fit. “I do have wide hips. It was the first mock-up of […]
Month: February 2021
RTL not commenting on F1 return reports
Feb.18 (GMM) RTL, F1’s well-known German broadcaster of the last three decades, could be returning to the paddock in 2021 after all. With the pay network Sky Deutschland stepping up with a dedicated F1 channel, RTL had announced last year that staying in Formula 1 was no longer “economically justifiable”. But multiple German sources, including […]
Perez set for early Red Bull test
Feb.18 (GMM) Sergio Perez looks set to get an early taste of life at the wheel of a Red Bull cockpit. Reports suggest that the Mexican, arriving in 2021 to replace Alex Albon who struggled alongside Max Verstappen, will get a one or two-day hit-out – probably in the 2018-spec, Honda-powered Toro Rosso at Silverstone. […]
Ricciardo not McLaren ‘number 1’ – Seidl
Feb.18 (GMM) Neither Daniel Ricciardo nor Lando Norris will be McLaren’s “number 1” driver, team boss Andreas Seidl insists. Ricciardo, a decade older than team incumbent Norris and with seven grand prix wins under his belt, is arriving to replace Carlos Sainz for 2021. But Norris, 21, said at the launch of McLaren’s new car […]
Gasly can return to Red Bull – Tost
Feb.18 (GMM) Pierre Gasly still has a chance to return to a front-of-the-grid team, according to his current boss Franz Tost. After struggling alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull in the first half of 2019, Frenchman Gasly, 25, returned to Alpha Tauri where last year he broke through to win the Italian GP. Tost said […]
Vettel confirms Ferrari car sale reports
Feb.18 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel’s spokeswoman has confirmed reports that the quadruple world champion is offloading several of his privately-owned Ferrari road cars. The reports indicate that, alongside Vettel’s BMW Z8 and two Mercedes, a dealer is claiming that a Ferrari Enzo, a La Ferrari, a F50, a F12 and a Ferrari 458 are all up […]
Haas could turn pink for 2021
Feb.18 (GMM) Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin could be wearing pink for their Formula 1 debuts in 2021. As Russian rookie Mazepin visited Haas’ factory on Wednesday for his seat fitting, rumours swirled that – with Aston Martin turning green for 2021 – the pink-coloured Austrian sponsor BWT could switch camps. Kolner Express newspaper cited […]
McLaren aerodynamic change ‘striking’ – pundit
Feb.17 (GMM) The aerodynamic changes to Formula 1 cars for 2021 are “striking”. That is the view of Ossi Oikarinen, a pundit for Finnish broadcaster MTV Sport. He was speaking after seeing McLaren’s newly-launched car for 2021, which is nearly identical to last year’s version – apart from the mandatory changes to the floor. “The […]
Ricciardo ‘not big step’ as teammate – Norris
Feb.17 (GMM) Lando Norris does not think having Daniel Ricciardo as his new McLaren teammate is a “big step”. Last year, as was also the case for his Formula 1 debut in 2019, the 21-year-old was paired with Carlos Sainz, who for 2021 has stepped up to Ferrari. In the Spaniard’s place is Ricciardo, who […]
Vettel can be a ‘hero again’ in F1 – Rosberg
Feb.17 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel can become “the hero again” as he moves on from his horror last seasons with Ferrari to race for Aston Martin in 2021. That is the view of fellow German and 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg. “He needed a change,” Rosberg told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper, when asked about quadruple world […]
Albon demise shows ‘how hard F1 can be’ – Norris
Feb.16 (GMM) Alex Albon’s demise shows “how hard Formula 1 can be”, according to his friend Lando Norris. As well as George Russell, Norris and Albon also raced through the junior ranks together and remained close as they ascended to the pinnacle of motorsport. British-born Thai Albon was often the quicker of the trio in […]
Marko, Ricciardo approve of 2021 ‘sprint race’ trial
Feb.16 (GMM) F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali’s Saturday sprint race idea is gaining approval up and down the Formula 1 pitlane. The FIA confirmed last week that the proposed shakeup of the race weekend format, which is set to be tested at three circuits in 2021, has received “broad support”. “I like this idea more than […]
Prominent names linked with 2022 Red Bull engine
Feb.16 (GMM) Red Bull is now pushing forward with plans to recruit potentially high-profile names to help with its new in-house engine supplier Red Bull Powertrains. After confirming that it will take over Honda’s operations for 2022 and relocate them to a new facility at the Red Bull factory, the team’s boss Christian Horner said: […]
McLaren plays down 2021 Mercedes engine ‘issues’
Feb.16 (GMM) McLaren has played down reports that its new supplier Mercedes is struggling with “issues” related to its 2021 engine. In material distributed by Mercedes itself, the reigning world champion outfit’s engine boss Hywel Thomas revealed the problems but said there are “plenty of plans in place to fix all of those issues”. “I’m […]
Verstappen to top Mercedes’ 2022 driver wish-list
Feb.16 (GMM) Max Verstappen will be “at the top of the list” if Mercedes needs to replace Lewis Hamilton for 2022, according to Red Bull boss Christian Horner. With Hamilton and Mercedes only re-committing for less than the next ten months, Horner’s colleague Dr Helmut Marko revealed last week that Verstappen could leave Red Bull […]
Alonso should be fit for Bahrain – de la Rosa
Feb.15 (GMM) Despite undergoing surgery for a fractured upper jaw and having teeth removed, Fernando Alonso should be “fine” to test and race in Bahrain next month. “I’m ok and looking forward to getting 2021 underway,” said the Spaniard, after Alpine announced that its 39-year-old driver will remain in hospital for the next two days. […]
F1 CEO wants spectators ‘as soon as possible’
Feb.15 (GMM) Stefano Domenicali is hoping Formula 1 races can be held in front of live crowds in 2021. Last year, the spectator-free ‘ghost race’ trend began to ease amid the 2020 pandemic – but the world is currently gripped by new restrictions due to more virulent strains. F1’s new CEO was asked by the […]
Schumacher admits 2021 preparation not perfect
Feb.15 (GMM) Mick Schumacher says he feels “ready” for his Formula 1 debut next month – even though his preparation has not been ideal. “Because of the covid situation, I can’t do very much besides training,” said the German rookie and son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher. “My preparation is going very well on a […]
Red Bull to run engine program from existing factory
Feb.15 (GMM) Red Bull will operate its own Formula 1 engine program for 2022 out of a rejuvenated building at its existing team facility in Milton Keynes. “We are happy with this decision,” Dr Helmut Marko told the n-tv broadcaster after the FIA confirmed that teams voted to approve a 2022 engine development freeze. Red […]
Audi denies latest F1 project rumours
Feb.15 (GMM) Audi has played down new speculation of a potential F1 project for 2025. The rumours had been kick-started by new F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali’s recent comments about potential interest from new manufacturers in the all-new engine format. “It will be an increasingly hybrid F1,” Domenicali has now told Il Giornale newspaper. Prior to […]