Apr.19 (GMM) Haas’ reported refusal to return $13 million in sponsorship to ousted title sponsor Uralkali has been slammed by Russian F1 commentator Alexey Popov. “I understand that they were under pressure and it was impossible not to break the contract with Nikita,” the Match TV broadcaster admitted. “But after they cooperated for a year, […]
Category: Recent stories
Honda problem ‘resolved’ for Imola – Marko
Apr.19 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko thinks Red Bull’s reliability problem will be solved by the time the 2022 car returns to the asphalt this weekend at Imola. World champion Max Verstappen has been left trailing in the championship after two powertrain-related failures in the first two grands prix. “It wasn’t the engine itself that was […]
Ferrari could announce Sainz deal at Imola
Apr.19 (GMM) Carlos Sainz is inching close to a new Ferrari deal – with some suggesting an announcement will be made this weekend in front of the sold-out crowd at Imola. Some sources report that Ferrari wants a one-year contract extension, while the Sainz camp is reportedly keen for the offer of an ‘option’ for […]
Teams ask FIA for ‘white Ferrari’ clarity
Apr.19 (GMM) Gunther Steiner has dismissed claims that Haas’ 2022 car is effectively a ‘white Ferrari’. The small American team, despite the pre-season controversy about the Mazepins and ousted title sponsor Mazepin, has leapt up the grid with its all-new car for the new regulations. “That came as a bit of a surprise,” Alpine boss […]
Ferrari extends Rory Byrne’s F1 contract
Apr.14 (GMM) David Coulthard has compared Charles Leclerc’s stellar start to the 2022 season with his own Michael Schumacher-dominated era. “I had a little bit of a shiver actually, a flashback,” the Scot laughed after Melbourne, where the top Ferrari driver opened up his early championship lead to 34 points over George Russell. Fellow former […]
Red Bull finds cause of Verstappen failure
Apr.14 (GMM) Red Bull has identified the problem that ended world champion Max Verstappen’s Australian GP. The Dutchman is not only behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the drivers’ standings, he is only sixth overall after two failures out of three races so far. “We were able to clarify the cause of the fuel leak in […]
Verstappen’s huge F1 contract ‘normal’ – Marko
Apr.14 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has no regrets that Max Verstappen’s new Red Bull contract could be the most lucrative in Formula 1 history. Some believe the Dutchman is now being paid even more than seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton. “I don’t know if that’s true, because I don’t know Hamilton’s contract,” Marko told […]
Reports of Monaco GP axe ‘totally false’
Apr.14 (GMM) Reports that Monaco could lose its prestigious spot on the annual Formula 1 calendar have been dismissed as “totally false”. “It was implied that Liberty Media’s asking prices were too excessive for us and that the grand prix would no longer be here,” Michael Boeri, president of the Automobile Club de Monaco, told […]
F1 ‘on pause’ as Mazepin eyes off-road rallies
Apr.14 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin says he may keep his motor racing career alive in off-road rallying. The Russian suddenly lost his Formula 1 seat amid the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, when Haas responded to the international sanctions frenzy and also cut ties with title sponsor Uralkali. “Everything would be the same still if the […]
Aston Martin has heaviest car in F1
Apr.14 (GMM) Aston Martin has the heaviest car on Formula 1’s 2022 grid – but Red Bull isn’t far behind. But while Red Bull’s reigning world champion Max Verstappen is still competitive, the same cannot be said of Aston Martin – particularly after the team’s nightmare Australian GP. “The car has potential, but we have […]
Sainz slipping into Ferrari ‘number 2’ role
Apr.13 (GMM) Charles Leclerc is on the cusp of being Ferrari’s clear ‘number 1′ pick for the 2022 drivers’ title. The world championship leader is already 38 points ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz, who had a dire weekend in Melbourne but has struggled elsewhere so far this year. “It’s surprising that Sainz made so […]
Gasly wants to prevent ‘far right’ president
Apr.13 (GMM) Pierre Gasly has put his name to a letter denouncing France’s potential move to the “far right” of politics. After the drivers almost boycotted the recent Saudi Arabian GP, GPDA president Alex Wurz said Formula 1 had experienced a “very swift change” in which the drivers are actively and openly political. “The transformation […]
Safety Car driver responds after ‘turtle’ jibe
Apr.13 (GMM) Formula 1’s safety car driver has defended himself following criticism after the Australian GP. World champion Max Verstappen described the green Maylander-driven Aston Martin safety car in Melbourne as a “turtle”. “In a straight line, he was doing a maximum of 140kph, although there were no wrecked cars in that section. “I don’t […]
Authorities seize Mazepin’s EUR 100m property
Apr.13 (GMM) Axed F1 driver Nikita Mazepin and his father Dmitry have had a EUR 100 million property seized by Italian authorities. Having claimed he is the victim of “cancel culture” over the Russia-Ukraine war, 23-year-old Mazepin has reportedly had financial assets seized. The headline asset, owned by the pair via an investment company, is […]
Struggling Vettel ‘should retire’ – Minardi
Apr.13 (GMM) Former F1 boss Giancarlo Minardi thinks quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel “should retire”. It’s a stinging comment after one of Vettel’s worst performances ever in Formula 1 last weekend in Melbourne. “He was unlucky to have missed two grands prix because of covid,” said the 74-year-old, who is also now the president of […]
Only three teams reject F1 budget cap hike
Apr.11 (GMM) Only three Formula 1 teams are now arguing against a move to raise the budget cap by $7 million. Red Bull’s Christian Horner says teams’ freight costs in particular are “doubling” in 2022 as a result of factors like covid and the Ukraine-Russia war. “We also see it in the cost of living. […]
No problem with ‘special’ Hamilton’s skydiving – Wolff
Apr.11 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton is allowed to do “everything” whilst away from the Formula 1 circuits. That is how Toto Wolff responded when asked how Mercedes feels about paying the seven time world champion so much whilst he risks his life with off-track activities like ten skydives in a single day. In between the Saudi […]
Red Bull opens door to 2023 driver change
Apr.11 (GMM) Red Bull is leaving the door open to a driver change for 2023. World champion Max Verstappen is firmly under contract for the future, although Dr Helmut Marko recently admitted that an exit clause could be triggered by the Dutchman “if we experience a ‘crash’ like in 2014”. The real question mark is […]
Villeneuve slams Aston Martin’s disastrous 2022
Apr.11 (GMM) Aston Martin’s 2022 season so far has been disastrous in almost every way imaginable. From Sebastian Vettel’s covid to the new Aston Martin safety car being called a “turtle” by world champion Max Verstappen, team owner Lawrence Stroll is “finding out that Formula 1 takes more than just money”. That was the blunt […]
‘No reason to believe in title’ – Verstappen
Apr.11 (GMM) World champion Max Verstappen on Sunday was sounding downbeat about his chances of defending his title in 2022. “At this rate I’d need 45 races to be champion,” he is quoted by Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. Indeed, although he won in Saudi Arabia, the Red Bull driver has actually suffered technical failures in two […]