May 8 (GMM) A former FIA steward has slammed the current state of Formula 1. On the surface, the sport is actually thriving in popularity, with F1 declaring that last Sunday’s Miami GP was the largest US television audience in F1 history. But Joaquin Verdegay, a regular F1 steward in the past as well as […]
Category: Recent stories
No Porsche seat for Vettel at 2024 Le Mans
May 8 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel will not launch a return to premier motorsport this year at Le Mans. The retired quadruple world champion recently tested Porsche’s Le Mans-ready 963 hypercar, amid speculation he may join the driver line-up for the marque’s third car entry. It was even suggested that Porsche had delayed the planned announcement […]
Ferrari CEO comments on Newey-to-Ferrari rumours
May 8 (GMM) Christian Horner says he has “no concerns” about the ongoing health of Red Bull Racing, even though key rivals are predicting a staff exodus. Design guru Adrian Newey has stepped down from his Formula 1 duties at the energy drink company’s premier team – without naming his next destination. A clear frontrunner […]
F1 in penalty re-think after Magnussen’s horror Miami
May 7 (GMM) Formula 1 is being urged to change tack as Kevin Magnussen is left on the cusp of a race ban after a horror Miami GP weekend for the Haas driver. The Dane arrived in Miami still recovering from a virus he picked up in Shanghai – before being accused of “unsportsmanlike behaviour” […]
McLaren needs another big upgrade to catch Red Bull
May 7 (GMM) Carlos Sainz and now Lando Norris’ race wins within the first six grands prix of 2024 shows that Max Verstappen’s grip on Formula 1 may now be easing. Miami was not a smooth weekend for the Red Bull driver, who was hurt by the timing of the safety car on Sunday and […]
‘Peace’ returning to Red Bull ‘step by step’ – CEO
May 7 (GMM) Red Bull is now inching towards peace behind the scenes, a CEO of the energy drink company insists. All season so far, one of the biggest topics of conversation in the Formula 1 paddock has been the team’s internal leadership power struggle and the Christian Horner scandal. According to The Times newspaper, […]
Verstappen ‘dangerous’ for F1, Canada GP boss warns
May 7 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s dominance of Formula 1 at the moment is “a bit dangerous” for the sport. That’s the concern of Francois Dumontier, the promoter of the annual Canadian GP in Montreal. McLaren’s Lando Norris may have won in Miami, but even during that same race weekend, triple consecutive world champion Verstappen won […]
Wolff sides with Marko, hits back at Red Bull CEO Mintzlaff
May 6 (GMM) Toto Wolff has lashed back at one of the top CEOs of the Red Bull drinks empire, slamming comments made in Miami by Oliver Mintzlaff. Wolff has made no secret about his attempt to woo Max Verstappen to Mercedes amid Red Bull’s ongoing power struggle, earning him a rebuke from Mintzlaff as […]
Aston Martin to ‘evaluate’ Newey job offer – boss
May 6 (GMM) Aston Martin boss Mike Krack now admits the team is evaluating the possibility of signing Adrian Newey. Earlier in Miami, Krack said when asked about rumours of Aston Martin’s interest in the departing Red Bull technical guru: “We are quite happy with our technical team and we continue with them.” However, 65-year-old […]
Alonso met twice with FIA president in Miami
May 6 (GMM) Fernando Alonso met twice with the FIA president ahead of the Miami GP. A day earlier, the Spaniard said he would seek talks with Mohammed Ben Sulayem over concerns that “nationality” is influencing which drivers are penalised the hardest by stewards. Then, in Sunday’s Miami GP, another Spaniard – Carlos Sainz – […]
Ferrari, McLaren, ending Red Bull’s ‘comfort zone’ era
May 6 (GMM) Wearing a plaster on his nose after a wild party a weekend earlier, and freshly fined 25,000 euros for running across the track after a sprint race crash, Lando Norris on Sunday became Formula 1’s newest race winner. There’s no doubt the 24-year-old was fortunate with the timing of the safety car, […]
McLaren, winner Norris, defend Trump’s Miami GP visit
May 6 (GMM) McLaren insists it is “non-political”, as the Formula 1 team faces backlash for welcoming Donald Trump into its garage in Miami. Earlier, it emerged that race organisers had blocked a businessman close to the former US president from conducting a $250,000 a head fundraiser for Trump in the paddock club. But Trump, […]
Alonso to confront FIA over anti-Spanish bias
May 5 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he will confront the president of F1’s governing body over concerns he is being treated unfairly because of his nationality. In Miami, FIA stewards rejected an appeal lodged by Aston Martin against harsh penalties imposed on Spaniard Alonso for an on-track incident in China recently. The two-time world champion […]
Even Newey couldn’t solve Mercedes slump – Wolff
May 5 (GMM) Even Adrian Newey would struggle to swiftly end Mercedes’ current troubles in Formula 1, according to team boss Toto Wolff. In Miami, following Newey’s decision to leave Red Bull a year early amid the team’s current power struggles, the renowned technical guru has been spotted in conversation with Aston Martin team owner […]
Sainz is waiting for Red Bull and Mercedes, says Bottas
May 5 (GMM) Carlos Sainz is the cork in the bottle holding up the next phase in the hectic and early 2025 driver ‘silly season’. That’s the belief of Valtteri Bottas, who looks certain to be exiting Audi-owned Sauber at the end of the year. The Swiss team, now under full ownership by the Volkswagen […]
Verstappen ‘hasn’t said a word’ about Red Bull exit – CEO
May 5 (GMM) Max Verstappen has not “said a word” about wanting to leave Red Bull’s dominant Formula 1 team, according to a top CEO of the famous energy drink company. Oliver Mintzlaff, one of the direct successors put in place in the wake of founder Dietrich Mateschitz’s death, made a rare visit to the […]
Verstappen backs Red Bull CEO in Toto Wolff criticism
May 5 (GMM) Oliver Mintzlaff, one of the top new CEOs at Red Bull in the wake of founder Dietrich Mateschitz’s death, has scolded Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. Wolff is making no secret of his quest to snatch Max Verstappen away from Red Bull amid the energy drink company’s current power struggle and the Christian […]
Berger reassured RB over Ricciardo’s F1 recovery
May 5 (GMM) F1 legend Gerhard Berger played a role in reassuring the Red Bull camp that Daniel Ricciardo is still a top-line Formula 1 driver. Ricciardo, 34, is dating Berger’s daughter Heidi – and the former Ferrari and McLaren driver recently received a call from the CEO of the junior Red Bull outfit, RB. […]
Wolff denies Antonelli will make F1 debut at Imola
May 5 (GMM) Toto Wolff has moved to shut down rumours that his 17-year-old protege Kimi Antonelli is being immediately fast-tracked into Formula 1. The young Italian is clearly a contender to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year – and he will get a third test outing in an older F1 car next week, […]
F1 could expand points system to P20
May 4 (GMM) It’s possible the proposal to tweak the points system in Formula 1 could be even more radical than first thought. At the end of last month, the F1 Commission met in Geneva amid speculation the current system could be expanded so that P11 and P12 also score points. F1 and the FIA […]