Jun.20 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel on Sunday was in no mood for questions about his suddenly-missing “climate crime” helmet. Earlier in Montreal, the quadruple world champion was slammed by Alberta’s energy minister Sonya Savage after Vettel blasted the mining of “tar sands”. He had ridden a rainbow-coloured bicycle into the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve paddock with a […]
Category: Recent stories
Verstappen ‘a second faster’ in Canada – Marko
Jun.19 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s dominance of Formula 1 is hitting new heights in Canada. That is the view of Red Bull top official Dr Helmut Marko, who is delighted that the Dutch racer looks set to further extend his 34 point lead over Charles Leclerc on Sunday. Leclerc, one of many Ferrari-powered drivers suddenly down […]
Energy minister slams Vettel ‘hypocrisy’
Jun.19 (GMM) A Canadian politician has slammed Sebastian Vettel for “hypocrisy” as the quadruple world champion continued his environmental activism in Montreal. The German rode into the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve paddock on a rainbow-coloured bicycle wearing a t-shirt accusing Canada of “climate crime”. “Stop mining tar sands,” the t-shirt declared. He told the media: “What […]
Domenicali to get ‘quick answer’ on African GP
Jun.19 (GMM) Formula 1 is preparing to reveal another unprecedentedly-long race calendar for 2023. “30 grands prix would not be reasonable,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. “Our preferred option would be to stay at 23 or 24 races,” he told France’s L’Equipe. The latest buzz in the Montreal paddock is about two potential new races […]
Mercedes removes controversial floor ‘stay’
Jun.19 (GMM) Mercedes in Montreal removed an additional ‘stay’ on the floor of its struggling 2022 car following the suspicions of rival Formula 1 teams. The rivals wondered how the uncompetitive reigning constructors’ world champions knew in advance about the new FIA technical directive on porpoising that opened the door for teams to add the […]
‘No hurry’ to rule out 2022 Latifi-Piastri swap
Jun.19 (GMM) Formula 1’s traditional ‘silly season’ is now in full swing, as the occupants of the race seats for 2023 begin to emerge. Pierre Gasly, for instance, has been told in no uncertain terms by Red Bull that he must honour his contract all the way to the end of next year. “He will […]
Williams plays down Renault engine deal talks
Jun.18 (GMM) Nicholas Latifi’s boss has allayed fears that he may be unceremoniously dropped immediately after his first home race in Canada this weekend. It is widely reported that Oliver Piastri, Alpine’s Australian reserve driver who is the reigning Formula 2 champion, will be loaned to Williams in both 2023 and 2024. Williams boss Jost […]
No Schumacher contract news ‘until summer’
Jun.18 (GMM) Gunther Steiner says he will not be commenting on Mick Schumacher’s future at Haas until “at least the summer”. After a period of off-track unrest in the wake of Schumacher’s lack of performance and a series of high speed crashes, the German driver and his boss touched down in Montreal insisting peace has […]
Domenicali confirms F1 talks with Nice, France
Jun.18 (GMM) F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has admitted the sport may be heading to Nice, France. Paul Ricard’s existing French GP contract expires after next month’s race at Le Castellet, near Marseille. “You are probably not aware, but there is an incredible project in Nice. They want a grand prix,” he told L’Equipe, having recently […]
Marko slams ‘nonsense’ porpoising clampdown
Jun.18 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has slammed the new porpoising clampdown in Formula 1 as “nonsense”. The top Red Bull official suspects the governing FIA has only reacted to the issue of excessive bouncing as a result of the new ‘ground effect’ aerodynamics because of Mercedes’ loud complaints. “It should not be that one of […]
F1 not returning Russia’s 2022 race fee
Jun.17 (GMM) Formula 1 kept the 2022 race fee even after axing the Russian GP contract. That is the claim of VTB Bank, the Russian state-owned bank that was the event’s title sponsor until Formula 1 joined the widespread sanctions as a result of the Ukraine conflict. VTB chairman Andrey Kostin was asked by the […]
Domenicali working on ‘plan B’ for French GP
Jun.17 (GMM) F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali may be working on a ‘plan B’ to keep France on Formula 1’s race calendar. The contract of current French GP host Paul Ricard expires after the event in late July. “I think there are countries that we need to race in and one of them is France,” said […]
Leclerc facing engine change penalty in Canada
Jun.17 (GMM) Charles Leclerc’s championship hopes look set to take another blow, with rumours in the Montreal paddock indicating a ten-place grid penalty may be in the works. The works Ferrari driver suffered a major points hit relative to championship leader Max Verstappen with his engine failure at Baku. “Ferrari can’t change anything in the […]
Schumacher hits back at F1 axe ‘rumours’
Jun.17 (GMM) Mick Schumacher has hit back at claims that the Formula 1 axe may be about to fall on him. In recent weeks, but especially as tensions with Haas obviously ramped up, rumours began to emerge that the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher was fighting for his career. “You shouldn’t believe all the […]
Perez will obey more Red Bull team orders
Jun.17 (GMM) Sergio Perez says he has no problem obeying Red Bull’s team orders. Recently, and just prior to signing a new two-year contract extension, the 2022 drivers’ standings runner-up said being asked to move over for teammate Max Verstappen was “unfair”. “I had a good chat with the team,” he said in Montreal when […]
Latifi denies rumours of post-Canada axe
Jun.17 (GMM) Nicholas Latifi has hit back at claims that his first home race in Canada this weekend could be his last ever Formula 1 event. Rumours are swirling not just about a supposed two-year Williams deal for reigning Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri for 2023 and 2024, but that Alpine’s loan of the young […]
Marko says Montreal ‘is our track’
Jun.17 (GMM) Red Bull is expecting the team’s “high spirits” to get another boost this weekend in Canada. “The whole team is in high spirits,” Dr Helmut Marko told Bild newspaper, referring to Max Verstappen and the team’s dominance of both world championships. It was Charles Leclerc’s engine failure at Baku that provided the massive […]
‘Suspicions’ as F1 issues porpoising clampdown
Jun.17 (GMM) There are mixed feelings in Canada about the FIA’s plan to end the new ‘porpoising’ effect in Formula 1 that left Lewis Hamilton in crippling back pain after Baku. The sport’s governing body said it consulted with doctors and, “in the interests of safety of the drivers”, issued a technical directive that will […]
‘God knows’ if Russia can return to F1
Jun.16 (GMM) Russia is staying in contact with the FIA but “God knows” if the country will be able to return to the Formula 1 calendar. Russian Automobile Federation boss Viktor Kiryanov told Tass news agency that he remains “in touch” with the sport’s governing body after the Russian GP was axed from the 2022 […]
No problems at Red Bull ‘unlike Ferrari’ – Marko
Jun.16 (GMM) While Ferrari is grappling with serious reliability problems, there are no such issues at drivers’ and constructors’ championship leaders Red Bull. “Red Bull had a few reliability problems at the beginning of the season,” F1 legend and former Toro Rosso co-owner Gerhard Berger told Kronen Zeitung newspaper. “Now it’s Ferrari’s turn,” the Austrian […]