Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from January, 2020

Pirelli unlikely to test prototype tyres on race weekends again

Pirelli supplied the tyres it had produced for the 2020 season to all 10 teams at last year's race at Austin, but, on an unusually cold weekend and with the lower peak grip level of the now-abandoned new rubber - a factor introduced to reduce degradation, among other tweaks - many drivers reported issues. Although the rubber was better received at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi, the teams ... Keep reading

Williams announces date for "digital-only" 2020 F1 car launch

The Grove-based team will release images of the FW43 at 8am GMT on February 17, two days before testing kicks off in Barcelona. Williams will thus share the date with Racing Point's Austria-based launch event. The British outfit's 2020 car will be piloted by the returning George Russell and Formula 2 graduate Nicholas Latifi, who has replaced Robert Kubica in the driver line-up. Williams ... Keep reading

Racing Point to be rebranded as Aston Martin after Stroll deal

Following a board meeting of Aston Martin on Thursday night, it was confirmed this morning that a consortium led by Stroll has brought a 16.7 percent stake in the company for £182 million. In filings that were lodged with the London Stock Exchange on Friday morning that detailed the investment, it was made clear that an ‘enhanced’ F1 involvement for Aston Martin was viewed as ... Keep reading

Vettel/Leclerc rivalry an "advantage" for Ferrari - Binotto

Leclerc hit the ground running during his first season at Maranello, taking seven pole positions and two victories in a campaign that left Vettel under pressure to up his game. And although their battle for supremacy boiled over at times, including a collision in Brazil and some outspoken radio remarks over team orders, Binotto is comfortable with how the situation is between the pair. In an ... Keep reading

FIA ready to take "any action" as coronavirus fears grow

The escalating situation in China, with 170 deaths and 7700 cases of infection now confirmed, has grabbed the world's attention as responses grow to try to contain the outbreak. The World Health Organisation (WHO) will meet on Thursday to consider whether the virus now constitutes a global health emergency. This week, the UK Foreign Office warned against all non-essential travel to China ... Keep reading

Hamilton, Mercedes dismiss F1 withdrawal talk

With the reigning world champion outfit quietly setting its sights on a seventh F1 title double this year, there have been numerous reports since the start of the year suggesting its driver line-up and future may not be secure. Various stories over recent days have claimed that talks between Hamilton and Mercedes over a new contract had stalled over pay – with the inference being that such an ... Keep reading

Japanese GP to start an hour earlier in 2020

Details of the race timetable were yet to be decided when an otherwise full season schedule was issued on January 10th. The Suzuka start has been moved from 1410 to 1310, and the event thus becomes the third race to have a new time relative to 2019. As previously announced the British GP has been moved from 1410 to 1510, and the US GP from 1310 to 1410. The two Friday practice sessions in ... Keep reading

Alonso: Rivals aren't exploiting Hamilton's "weakness"

In an exclusive interview with F1 Racing magazine, Alonso – Hamilton's teammate at McLaren in 2007 – was asked to assess his former rival's recent achievements. Read Also: How Alonso plans to exploit Hamilton’s untested F1 weakness Alonso, now a double Le Mans 24 Hours winner and World Endurance champion, has been out of F1 since the end of the 2018 season, and last ... Keep reading

Red Bull backs Gasly to become "great" again

Despite Red Bull having moved Gasly to Toro Rosso after a disappointing first half to last season, the way in which the Frenchman recovered and took a sensational podium finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix left the team and Marko deeply impressed. "It was a blossoming that was incredible," said Marko in an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com. "There, you can see what psychology is all ... Keep reading

Mercedes completes fire-up of 2020 F1 car

The German squad shared an audio clip of the fire-up on Twitter on Tuesday ahead of the car's debut on February 14.   Mercedes' W11 will make its track bow at the Silverstone circuit five days before the start of pre-season testing at Barcelona. Although the on-track debut will not be public, Mercedes plans to share images and video of the car during the day. The W11 will be again ... Keep reading

Williams adds Red Bull, Renault engineers in key tech roles

The Grove-based outfit has announced the appointments of David Worner and Jonathan Carter, as it continues the restructuring of its tech department in the wake of a series of high-profile departures over the past two seasons. This included the likes of Dirk De Beer and Ed Wood, and culminated in the exit of tech chief Paddy Lowe during the team's disastrous 2019 season. New signings Worner ... Keep reading

Haas unveils launch date for its 2020 F1 car

Haas was the first team to reveal its livery for the season last year, but on this occasion is due to wait until February 19 to show off the VF-20 and its colours. The car will be unveiled at 8am local time, 15 minutes before Alfa Romeo - the other team leaving its launch until the very start of pre-season testing - takes the covers off its own 2020 car. The Haas VF-20 will be campaigned by ... Keep reading

Get the best seats in the house for the 2020 F1 French GP

Younger fans might think of Paul Ricard as a newcomer to Formula 1 but this circuit simply oozes history from its previous tenure as home of the French Grand Prix between 1970 and 1990. Sitting on a plateau high above the Mediterranean coast, it offers a typically southern French vista of big skies and distant mountains and is synonymous with F1’s gilded era of fat tyres and opposite ... Keep reading

French GP needs just "four days" for overtaking tweaks

As Motorsport.com reported back in December, Paul Ricard believes that the racing spectacle can be made better if tweaks are made to the first section of its track. The event’s new managing director Eric Boullier told selected media, including Motorsport.com, at an event in Paris on Monday that plans have been submitted to the FIA and the hope is that the revamp can be ready in time for this ... Keep reading

Albon "shares many of the same virtues" as Verstappen - Horner

Albon, who will partner eight-time grand prix winner Verstappen at the main Red Bull outfit in 2020, had endured a topsy-turvy pre-F1 junior career that included a difficult three-year stint in two-litre Formula Renault and an exit from Red Bull's junior programme. He had begun 2018 without the budget for a full season in Formula 2, but ended it with a Nissan Formula E deal, which he then ... Keep reading

The unseen side of F1 life that must not be ignored

For while he is right that many in F1 enjoy a life that is the envy of millions of people who do not have access to food, water or medical facilities, equally it ignored some of the serious issues that those working hard at races go through. Criss-crossing the world by plane - often in cramped economy seats - weeks away from home and family, incredibly long hours, lack of sleep and intense ... Keep reading

Renault firms up role and start date for Fry

Fry will replace former chassis technical director Nick Chester, who announced his exit from the team after 19 years at the end of 2019. Fry has had spells at Benetton, Ferrari, Manor and McLaren, whom he rejoined as engineering director in 2018 in a temporary role while the team waited for James Key's arrival. He left McLaren during the 2019 season but remained under contract with the ... Keep reading

Haas can avoid "big negative spiral" like Williams, McLaren

Though Magnussen's sole F1 podium so far came with McLaren in Australia in 2014, this owed much to engine supplier Mercedes' initial dominance in the hybrid era - and the Woking-based team would only return to the rostrum five years later, with the intervening seasons proving very tough. And while McLaren now seems on the way up, its fellow former top F1 outfit Williams has slumped to the very ... Keep reading

Gasly felt he had to disprove 'bullshit' claims about driving

The Frenchman endured a difficult start to 2019 with Red Bull, when his struggle to get on the pace of teammate Max Verstappen prompted his bosses to swap him with Toro Rosso's Alex Albon. While some suggested that could be the end of Gasly's F1 career, he responded in brilliant fashion – and famously beat Lewis Hamilton to grab a podium finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Reflecting on ... Keep reading

Marko: Verstappen's maturity "far above average"

Verstappen has just signed a long-term deal that will keep him at the Red Bull Formula 1 outfit until the end of 2023, with his sights firmly set on winning the world championship. Marko is full of praise for the young Dutchman, who he says has qualities that stretch well beyond his ‘extraordinary driving talent.” In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Marko reflects how on his ... Keep reading

Russell: Foundations for recovery took longer than expected

Williams’ 2019 season got off to a bad start when its FW42 missed the start of pre-season testing and it quickly became clear the car was uncompetitive and well off the back of F1’s midfield battle. Chief technical officer Paddy Lowe left the team, which went on to score just one point in 2019 and finished last in the constructors’ championship for the second year in a row. Williams ... Keep reading

Renault lacked "force" to harness £15 million investment

The French car manufacturer faced some difficult times in 2019 in the wake of an upgrade it brought to its home race in Paul Ricard not delivering the step forward it had hoped for. That prompted a major internal review of the organisation, with the team coming to the conclusion that it needed some restructuring. As well as shuffling staff around, it has hired former McLaren engineer Pat Fry ... Keep reading

Alfa Romeo sets launch date for 2020 F1 car

The outfit will wait until February 19, the first day of pre-season testing, to publicly show off its new C39 car for the first time. The launch will take place at 8.15am local time at the venue of the test, Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona, in front of the team's pit garage. Along with its 2020 race drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi, the team's new reserve driver Robert Kubica ... Keep reading

New Mosley film includes segments he "would've cut"

A newly released trailer has provided the first look at Mosley, which will have its world premiere at the Manchester Film Festival, with a showing on the afternoon of March 8th. The film does not shy away from controversy, covering Mosley’s relationship with his father Oswald – leader of the British Union of Fascists in the years before World War 2 – as well as the fallout from the News ... Keep reading

The remarkable story of F1’s most unlikely test driver

But for Israeli Chanoch Nissany, his now infamous outing in a Friday free practice session for Minardi at the 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix is something he remains immensely proud of. Some may scoff at his pace that day and suggest Nissany was never good enough to deserve a seat in F1. But to do so would be to not understand the remarkable story of determination that got him there in the first ... Keep reading

Marko rules out further Red Bull F1 call-ups for ex-juniors

The energy drink giant has long placed an emphasis on homegrown talent in signing drivers for its main F1 outfit and the junior team, which will be known in 2020 as AlphaTauri. A shortage of F1-ready drivers in its junior scheme two years ago led to Red Bull signing Brendon Hartley, who had left its programme back in 2010 and had subsequently won the Le Mans 24 Hours and the World Endurance ... Keep reading

Renault: 2021 ambitions can't be an excuse for poor 2020

The French car manufacturer has always been clear that it views the rules overhaul coming for 2021 as a big opportunity for it to make a good step and start challenging the top three teams. Read Also: Renault "the main beneficiary" of F1's 2021 overhaul Ocon signing creates "another dynamic" at Renault But while work has already got underway with its future challenger ... Keep reading

Racing Point reveals date for 2020 F1 car launch

The new Racing Point car is due to make its first public appearance on February 17, at the headquarters of backer BWT in Mondsee, Austria. Water tech company BWT joined what was then Force India back in 2017. Its arrival has led to the Silverstone-based team campaigning cars with pink-dominated colour schemes in the subsequent campaigns. The upcoming 2020 season will mark the team's second ... Keep reading

Date announced for season 2 of 'Drive to Survive'

The programme, which is produced by Box to Box, debuted on the subscription streaming service last year with a well-received first run of 10 episodes, covering the 2018 season. The follow-up series, which will cover the 2019 championship, will become available on Netflix on February 28. This was communicated by various regional editions of the subscription service, and confirmed by the Box ... Keep reading

Ocon signing creates "another dynamic" at Renault

The Frenchman is replacing Nico Hulkenberg this year, after spending last season on the sidelines as a Mercedes simulator driver. Ocon, who last raced with Racing Point/Force India in 2018, began his F1 career as a Renault young driver. "It's another dynamic," Abiteboul told Motorsport.com. "He will push us in a different way, a new energy, a new aggressivity, in my opinion a fully positive ... Keep reading

Honda 2020 gains will leave Red Bull with "no more excuses"

With the Milton Keynes-based outfit having enjoyed an encouraging first year of a new partnership with Honda in 2019, ambitions have ramped up for the campaign ahead with it targeting a fight for title glory. Marko says that with Mercedes remaining such a strong force in F1, Red Bull cannot afford to be playing catch up in performance or points terms if it does not hit the ground running from ... Keep reading

Miami GP organisers reveal new track layout ahead of latest vote

In addition they have promised that there will be “no racing during school hours” in a direct response to complaints about potential noise and air pollution associated with the event impacting local school children. The news comes ahead of a crucial Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, when plans for the race – and specifically zoning issues related to the ... Keep reading

Szafnauer warns Stroll Racing Point gains will take time

Following the former Force India team being put in to administration back in 2018, Stroll helped lead a consortium to buy it in the hope of building it into a more competitive force. The investment has helped the team begin work on some ambitious plans for the future, but Szafnauer says there are no illusions about it being able to make big progress immediately. Asked by Motorsport.com if ... Keep reading

Kubica linked to customer BMW DTM drive

Kubica had publicly stated last year that he wishes to have a dual programme in 2020, with an F1 third driver role paired with a DTM race seat being his ideal scenario. The Polish driver was part of BMW's line-up for post-season testing at Jerez in December, and Motorsport.com understands that Kubica's contract with Alfa Romeo allows him in principle to race for BMW in the category. The ... Keep reading

Pay TV not just about money, says Formula 1

F1 enjoyed an increase in its cumulative TV audience in 2019, while the level of unique users remained stable in its 20 key markets, and actually fell slightly overall. F1 says that its cumulative audience – which it defined as the aggregate of the average audience of all the F1 programmes broadcast across the year – was up 9% on 2018 to 1.922bn, the highest figure recorded since ... Keep reading

Zandvoort holding back data from F1 teams

Formula 1 teams put an incredible effort in to pre-event preparations for races in terms of computer and driving simulations in a bid to try to perfect the set-up they need before the track action begins. But in the hope of making things a bit more unpredictable for the return of the Dutch GP, Motorsport.com has learned that Zandvoort architects Dromo are limiting the amount of information ... Keep reading

Alonso no longer a McLaren ambassador

The two-time world champion maintained ties with the Woking-based outfit last year after his most recent spell racing with it from 2015 to 2018. In his ambassadorial role, Alonso kept close links with McLaren – helping advise the team's drivers and engineers as well as conducting a Pirelli tyre test in the 2019 car. He was also a part of McLaren's efforts at last year's Indianapolis 500 ... Keep reading

F1 announces exit of commercial boss Bratches

Bratches' exit, which was reported by Motorsport.com last week, will officially take place at the end of the current month, although he will remain affiliated with F1 in an advisory capacity. Rumours of the 59-year-old’s departure first surfaced late last year, and at the Abu Dhabi GP F1 Chairman and CEO Chase Carey confirmed that his future would be discussed in the weeks after the final ... Keep reading

Marko: No regrets over Sainz exit as he's "no Verstappen"

Backed by Red Bull through the entirety of his junior career, Sainz spent just under three full seasons racing for its secondary outfit Toro Rosso in F1, before being loaned to Renault. The French manufacturer opted against retaining the on-loan Sainz for 2019, and Red Bull preferred to promote Pierre Gasly instead of Sainz for the Daniel Ricciardo-vacated seat, which led to Sainz being ... Keep reading

Latifi to race with Rosberg's number in 2020

The Canadian, who replaces Robert Kubica in the Grove-based team's line-up, will sport the same number asused by former world champion Nico Rosberg when the German won his title with Mercedes in 2016. Rosberg retired from F1 after winning the title, but his number was not available for the following two seasons, as per the sporting regulations. "A driver's career in Formula 1 will be deemed ... Keep reading

Gasly felt like he was in "Hollywood movie" last year

Along with the joy of his maiden podium finish in the Brazilian Grand Prix, Gasly suffered some dark days as well in 2019 after being dropped mid season by Red Bull and then losing close friend Anthoine Hubert. Reflecting on events, Gasly said there was a sense of things not feeling real at times, such were the extremes that he endured. “It’s been almost like a Hollywood movie,” Gasly ... Keep reading

Todt: Complaints about growing F1 calendar are wrong

The 2020 F1 season will feature a record 22 races, with Vietnam and the Netherlands joining the schedule and only Hockenheim dropping off it, and the regulations allow for a future expansion to 25 events. That has prompted concerns about the strain put on those who travel to all the races, with teams looking at ways of rotating staff. F1 CEO Chase Carey has acknowledged what he calls “wear ... Keep reading

Horner eager to see Hamilton take on F1's latest talent "wave"

While the two 22-year-olds were powerless to stop Hamilton from securing his sixth F1 drivers' title last year, they both impressed and earned new long-term deals with their respective teams. Leclerc has committed to Ferrari through 2024, while Verstappen is due to remain at Red Bull until the end of 2023. Though Hamilton's Mercedes team has dominated F1's hybrid era, Horner is convinced F1 ... Keep reading

Williams: Ticktum "one of the best" it's had in its simulator

Ticktum endured a poor 2019 season, where a move to the Japanese Super Formula championship did not deliver the results he had hoped for – and Red Bull dropped him from its young driver programme. That decision appeared to make it difficult for Ticktum to find his way back in to F1, but late last year Williams announced that it had appointed him as a development driver. But despite ... Keep reading

Richards: F1 shot itself in foot with “foolish” hybrid rows

Speaking in a Motorsport Leaders Business Forum session at Autosport International concerning government apathy towards motorsport, Motorsport UK chairman Richards highlighted the importance of promoting the positive change brought about through motorsport to generate support and referenced F1 “shooting themselves in the foot” over how the 50% thermally-efficient hybrid ICE engines were ... Keep reading

Racing Point growth can be F1's biggest in 2020 - Perez

In its previous iteration as Force India, the Silverstone-based team enjoyed steady improvements in results year-on-year, but this did not prevent it from running into financial trouble and having to go into administration last year. The team's future was secured after a takeover by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, but its relative performance slipped in 2019 and it dropped three places to ... Keep reading

Saudi Arabia track aims to be ready for F1 in 2023

The development, which is situated about 30 miles from Riyadh, is part of a major new entertainment and commercial complex that is being built against the backdrop of a spectacular mountain range. With the layout having been designed by former grand prix driver Alex Wurz to the FIA Grade 1 standards required to hold an F1 race, the aim is to be ready for a grand prix if Saudi Arabia is ... Keep reading

Mercedes sets date for 2020 F1 car's launch and track debut

The 2020 Mercedes will be driven by reigning F1 champion Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas during the season, as the team will look to score its seventh successive title of the hybrid era. The car will make its on-track bow on February 14 at the venue of the British Grand Prix, three days after Mercedes’ main rival Ferrari’s 2020 unveiling is poised to kick off F1’s ‘launch ... Keep reading

Ferrari signs Leclerc's brother Arthur as F1 junior

Charles Leclerc scored two wins and seven pole positions on his way to fourth in the F1 championship in his first season with Ferrari in 2019 and that led to a new long-term contract. Now Ferrari has added Arthur Leclerc to the Ferrari Driver Academy, after he scored one win, seven further podiums and two fastest laps in his first season of German F4 with US Racing. Arthur Leclerc was a late ... Keep reading

Renault "the main beneficiary" of F1's 2021 overhaul

Following some turbulence at the top of the company – triggered by the sudden ousting of former boss Carlos Ghosn – Renault's interim management announced last year that it was reviewing all its activities, including F1. That review has been impacted by the confirmation of the 2021 regulations in October, and the subsequent delivery to teams of a draft Concorde Agreement. Abiteboul is ... Keep reading

Hamilton warns he will be "a machine" in 2020

Posting on Instagram with a photo of him at a new house he has bought, the six-time world champion said that the happiness he now had would make him better than ever in 2020. "To own a home that I love so much, get to create so many wonderful memories brings me more happiness than I ever thought I could deserve," he wrote. "I am at peace when I'm here, can focus and build my mind and body so ... Keep reading

Bratches set to depart F1 commercial role

Former ESPN executive Bratches was announced in the role of managing director of commercial operations when Liberty took over F1 in January 2016. Since then he's served as part of a three-man management team alongside Chairman/CEO Chase Carey and motorsports managing director Ross Brawn. His job has been to focus on boosting the sport's main revenue streams, namely race hosting fees ... Keep reading

New Vietnam circuit reveals first pictures of pit building

The 300m long building, designed by architects Tilke Engineering, draws inspiration from two of the city's major landmarks: the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long and the Pavilion of the Constellation of Literature. The former is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the latter is regarded as the symbol of the city and, according to race organisers, reflects Vietnam's "rich literary heritage and ... Keep reading

Williams insists it has "healthy budget" for F1 2020

The Grove-based outfit is coming off the back of an incredibly disappointing 2019 campaign where its car was the slowest in the field. The team ended up last in the constructors' championship as a result. The drop down the order has meant a fall in commercial rights income for the year ahead, and its financial matters have not been helped by some of its sponsorship deals coming to an ... Keep reading

Red Bull wants to get back to dominating F1 - Verstappen

Between 2010 and 2013, Red Bull won four constructors' titles and four drivers' championships with Sebastian Vettel, who at the end of '13 equalled Alberto Ascari's record of nine consecutive grand prix wins. However, no Red Bull driver has come to even within 100 points of the title since the hybrid era began the following year. Despite this, Verstappen - who has won eight races for Red ... Keep reading

Coulthard: Aging F1 drivers don’t get faster but become smarter

Coulthard, who was speaking at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham, says the trend towards younger drivers isn’t necessarily a bad thing but that they can’t be expected to have the life experience of older rivals. “You would hope you’d be a better person at 30 than you were at 20,” said Coulthard. “I still think that 30-35 is the brilliant window for drivers in terms of ... Keep reading

Williams explains factors behind Nissany test driver decision

The Grove-based outfit announced in Tel Aviv on Wednesday that Nissany will run in three FP1 sessions this year as part of a new deal it has agreed with him. But while there are commercial benefits to the deal, with the Williams car carrying the Israel Start-Up logo on the weekends he is running, the team is adamant that boosting its finances was not the key motivating factor for hiring ... Keep reading

Williams: First-try crash test successes a contrast to 2019

The Grove-based outfit had a troubled start to last season when its new car famously failed to make the start of testing, and then proved slow when it did finally emerge. But following an overhaul of its structure and processes during 2019, the team feels it is hitting the ‘tough targets’ it has set itself for its 2020 design, and says all the indications are it will not be late for testing ... Keep reading

Renault unveils date for its 2020 F1 launch

The team will hold its official 2020 season presentation on February 12, one day after Ferrari is set to kick off F1’s ‘launch season’. The upcoming campaign will mark the fifth season since Renault returned to F1 as a manufacturer team, taking over the Enstone-based Lotus outfit. It finished ninth, sixth and fourth in its first three years, but had a disappointing 2019 despite the ... Keep reading

Only "rabbit out of a hat" can cost F1 its 2020 "classic"

Unbeaten in F1’s hybrid era, Mercedes has wrapped up every drivers’ and constructors’ title since 2014 ahead of each respective season’s finale, as neither Red Bull nor Ferrari have managed to consistently match the Silver Arrows’ performance over a campaign. Last year, Ferrari looked poised to finally end Mercedes’ dominant streak as it grabbed the headlines in the pre-season, only ... Keep reading

Azerbaijan GP claims $500m boost from hosting F1 race

The numbers were compiled by global accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers on behalf of Baku City Circuit in a follow-up to a review conducted after the first two races at the street venue. The race, which ran under the European GP title in 2016, is known to pay one of the highest annual hosting fees of the season, and the report will be a useful tool to help justify the ongoing expense of ... Keep reading

Nissany gets Williams practice outings in new test driver role

The Israeli, who had his first outing for the Grove-based outfit in the post-season Abu Dhabi test, will also run on a rookie test day as well as conduct a simulator programme. The exact events where he will take part in the FP1 sessions have not been confirmed, but they will likely be ones that do not clash with his planned Formula 2 race programme.  Being free on those weekends will also ... Keep reading

How injured Herbert drove “beyond the pain threshold” on F1 debut

Still recovering from his horrendous foot injuries from his terrible Formula 3000 crash at Brands Hatch the year before, Herbert explains in this video from Autosport International just how he “went beyond the pain threshold” by deliberately allowing his injured ankle – which was “the size of a melon” – to smash into the side of the cockpit on the out-lap… Click the play icon on ... Keep reading

McLaren not expecting 2019-style "huge step" in 2020

McLaren was a subdued sixth in its first season with Renault engines in 2018, following a turbulent three years with Honda, but was one of the surprises of last season as it finished fourth in the constructors' championship. That included beating its supplier Renault, and Carlos Sainz recording McLaren's first podium finish since 2014 when he was promoted to third in the Brazilian Grand ... Keep reading

AlphaTauri: 2019 success largely down to Red Bull synergy

The former Scuderia Toro Rosso matched its best ever constructors' championship finish with sixth place, while both Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly secured podium finishes in high attrition races. With both Red Bull and Toro Rosso using the same Honda power unit – after diverging in 2018 when the Italian team first went to Honda – last season the two organisations shared more components than ... Keep reading

Kubica: Blaming tyres "cheap excuse" for disappointing 2019

Equipped with the grid's slowest car last year, Kubica struggled to produce consistent performances, particularly over one lap as he was shut out by rookie squadmate George Russell in qualifying. The current Pirelli rubber, which has what is often described as a narrow operating window for temperature, is widely regarded as one of the key factors determining performance in modern F1 - but ... Keep reading

A skydive that "upset" Ferrari, and more - Leclerc Q&A

The chance to get up close with fans offered a unique opportunity for him to be asked things he is not normally pushed on over grands prix weekends. So with show attendees having been invited to submit questions for Leclerc’s stage appearance, the Monegasque quickly opened up on some fascinating aspects of his life – including his dream dinner guest and how a Skydive had not gone down well ... Keep reading

Norris 'lets slip' McLaren F1 car launch date

The young Briton was supposed to be showing fans around the inside of the McLaren Technology Centre on a live YouTube feed, and gatecrashed a meeting that was discussing the launch of the MCL35. The get-together was taking place in front of a screen showing a graphic of a papaya orange car, with the words 'Confidential'. Speaking to the staff involved in the meeting, Norris asked about the ... Keep reading

Leclerc feels Vettel still stronger in race trim

After an impressive first campaign for Ferrari in 2019, Leclerc is determined to do an even better job this year to become a regular contender for wins and even the title. Having made notable progress in lifting his qualifying potential over the course of last season, he says the key area for now is doing better on Sundays. Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com in a podcast about where he ... Keep reading

Denmark's first F1 driver Tom Belso dies

'The Smiling Dane,' as he was known to the racing fraternity, was a top mechanic who won his debut race in a Volvo and the Scandinavian Touring Car title in 1969, in a Ford Escort. His prize was some backing towards a Formula Ford season so Belso upped sticks to England to race a Hawke. He switched to the new FAtlantic category with a Brabham-BDA BT28/35 in '71, finishing third in the ... Keep reading

Honda still needs to eliminate circuit dependency

The Japanese manufacturer made a big step forward with its power unit during an encouraging first season supplying Red Bull, as it helped Max Verstappen to victories at the Red Bull Ring, Hockenheim and Interlagos – three circuits that all feature long straights. Red Bull and Verstappen, who has extended his contract with the outfit through 2023, are hoping to mount their first proper title ... Keep reading

Leclerc reveals Ferrari victory at Monza “gave me chills”

After starting from pole, Leclerc survived sustained pressure from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton throughout the race, which he eventually won ahead of Valtteri Bottas, with Hamilton completing the podium. It was Leclerc’s second career F1 victory and his second in a week after he beat Hamilton to take a breakthrough win at Spa. “It’s very difficult to find the words to describe what I felt ... Keep reading

Leclerc: I've still "a lot to learn" from Vettel

The Monegasque driver took more pole positions, wins and points than Vettel during a 2019 season that included some controversial moments between the pair – including their collision in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Speaking on stage at the Autosport International Show on Sunday, Leclerc said that having Vettel alongside him was a positive though because of the way the German had opened his eyes ... Keep reading

Bottas knows "final step" to beat Hamilton

Bottas finished second to Hamilton in 2019 – the best championship result of his F1 career so far – but although he showed strong form in the early and late parts of the campaign, a dip in the middle part of the season cost him in the title fight. When asked what he needs to do to finally get ahead of Hamilton in 2020, Bottas, who scored four wins, five poles, 11 other podiums in 2019 ... Keep reading

Kvyat a "living example" of bouncing back for Gasly

Having been dropped from the Red Bull programme late in 2017 Kvyat returned to the former Toro Rosso outfit last season after a year on the sidelines as a simulator driver at Ferrari. He was then joined in the second half of the season by Gasly after the Frenchman was replaced at Red Bull Racing by Alex Albon. With no qualified candidates in Red Bull’s junior ranks, the Faenza outfit ... Keep reading

Perez won't stay in F1 for long if results doesn't improve

The Mexican will enter his 10th season in F1 in 2020, having extended his deal with Racing Point - formerly Force India - again this year. Perez, who has been with the Silverstone-based team since 2014, signed a new three-year contract that will run until the end of 2022. The 29-year-old sees the 2021 rules overhaul as an opportunity for his team to make a big jump ahead, but admitted he is ... Keep reading

Formula 1 announces 2020 race start times

The Silverstone start time was set at 14:10 last year, and allowing for the time difference between BST and CET that brought it into line with the 15:10 in the rest of Europe, in essence to help TV companies maintain a consistent weekend schedule. However, it has now been moved back to 15:10, which means that the timetable will be the same as other European races for those working at the track ... Keep reading

Pirelli: F1 tyres likely to overheat more in 2020

After the teams unanimously voted to reject the new rubber Pirelli had been developing for this season late last year, it was agreed F1 would continue to run the tyres used in 2019. Read Also: F1 teams unanimously reject 2020 tyre spec Although the championship's technical rules have remained stable, the cars are set to get faster as teams develop and improve their ... Keep reading

Symonds: 2019 F1 aero rules probably a mistake

The sport tweaked the front wing designs for last season in a bid to try to help make it easier for cars to follow each other. Using some of the concept ideas that were triggered by early analysis for the 2021 rules, it was hoped that the revisions would offer some insight into how successful the future regulations would be. However, the 2019 cars proved no easier to run close to each other ... Keep reading

McLaren unveils partnership with long-time Williams sponsor

Unilever had been with Williams since 2015, and had used its Formula 1 involvement with the Grove-based outfit to promote its Rexona brand. But with the Williams contract coming to an end, the consumer brand has elected to move to McLaren, which is coming off the back of an encouraging 2019 campaign. The deal between McLaren and Unilever will result in the two companies working together on ... Keep reading

Revealed: How F1 made DRS-open Zandvoort banking idea a reality

The revamp of the Dutch Grand Prix circuit to bring it up to modern standards and at least allow a chance for overtaking has included the re-profiling at 32 percent – the equivalent of 18 degrees – of what will be known as Arie Luyendyk corner. The decision to go ahead with the plan, aimed at allowing cars to run through the corner with DRS fully open so there is enough of a run up to try ... Keep reading

Hamilton pledges $500k to Australian bushfire relief efforts

As of Thursday, Australian authorities have recorded over 20 deaths among the human population due to the fires, while wildlife agencies believe that over one billion animals may have been lost. Alongside a video of a koala bear amid the flames, Hamilton wrote on Twitter: “It breaks my heart to see the devastation the Australian bushfires are causing to people and animals across the country ... Keep reading

How F1 has fans “wired up” to test emotions during races

Speaking on stage at the Autosport International Show on Thursday about where the sport was heading, F1’s chief technical officer said the level of analysis was going as far as monitoring the emotional arousal of fans who had been wired up in front of screens. “We absolutely are focused on what's good for the sport and what makes a good race,” explained Symonds. “You'd be amazed at the ... Keep reading