Mar.8 (GMM) Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur summed up the Melbourne paddock’s mood on Sunday morning with three words: Mercedes were “on another planet” in qualifying, and almost nobody believes Toto Wolff’s insistence that there was no sandbagging involved in the winter. The numbers were stark. Polesitter George Russell led a Mercedes one-two, with the […]
Category: Recent stories
Massa wins $315,000 costs in Crashgate case
Mar.8 (GMM) Felipe Massa has secured a partial victory in his long-running legal battle over the 2008 Crashgate scandal, with a high court judge ordering the FIA, Bernie Ecclestone and Formula One Management to pay the former Ferrari driver $315,000 in costs. The ruling came as part of the latest round of applications in Massa’s […]
Verstappen ’empty’ as X-ray adds to Melbourne misery
Mar.8 (GMM) Max Verstappen arrived at race day in Melbourne having needed an X-ray on his hand after the strangest crash of his career, emotionally drained by what he called the worst cars he has ever driven, and openly hinting he would rather spend a free April racing at the Nurburgring. The four-time world champion […]
De Vries in full reserve role with McLaren
Mar.8 (GMM) Nyck de Vries has upgraded his relationship with McLaren from simulator and testing work to full reserve driver status, filling the trackside role at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix. The Dutchman, who spent ten races as a full-time F1 driver with Alpha Tauri in 2023, is juggling the McLaren commitment alongside his regular […]
Bortoleto safety call triggers FIA rule chaos
Mar.8 (GMM) Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto sparked a paddock storm in Melbourne on Saturday when a safety complaint he raised prompted the FIA to ban straight-line mode in a key sector – only for the governing body to reverse the decision two hours later under pressure from the other teams. Three hours before third practice, the […]
De la Rosa’s nephew wins on F3 debut in Melbourne
Mar.8 (GMM) Pedro de la Rosa had at least something to celebrate in Melbourne beyond his Aston Martin ambassador duties, with his 19-year-old nephew Bruno del Pino winning on his Formula 3 debut in the support programme to the Australian GP. Del Pino, who previously raced in Spanish Formula 4 with Drivex – the team […]
Honda coy on battery fix for Shanghai
Mar.8 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has made clear that Aston Martin will not hesitate to retire from Sunday’s Australian GP at the first sign of battery trouble, with the team’s participation in next week’s Chinese Grand Prix hanging in the balance. “It’s no secret that we don’t have spare batteries,” Alonso said. “At the slightest anomaly […]
Domenicali to meet teams as Middle East race doubts grow
Mar.7 (GMM) Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is set to meet team bosses in Melbourne on Saturday with the fate of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix expected to dominate the agenda. Former F1 driver and GPDA chairman Alexander Wurz, speaking to Osterreich newspaper, captured the mood bluntly. “Given how the situation is escalating, […]
Aston-Honda split cannot be ruled out – Glock
Mar.7 (GMM) The possibility of Aston Martin terminating its Honda works deal mid-season cannot be ruled out, according to former F1 driver Timo Glock, as the partnership’s crisis deepened further on Saturday in Melbourne. The Sky Deutschland pundit was scathing. “This is a complete catastrophe, an absolute low blow for Honda. Aston Martin and Honda […]
Leclerc talks Ferrari ‘marriage’, warns Mercedes looks strong
Mar.7 (GMM) Charles Leclerc has spoken openly about extending his Ferrari contract – but on track warned that Mercedes looks significantly stronger than anticipated in Melbourne. Speaking to Sky Italia ahead of qualifying, the Monegasque driver drew a parallel with his recent wedding to Alexandra Saint Mleux. “A lifetime marriage to the red car? I […]
Aston blindsided by Honda staffing crisis – Newey
Mar.6 (GMM) Aston Martin only discovered after signing its Honda works deal that the Japanese manufacturer had lost the bulk of its experienced engineering staff – a revelation that goes to the heart of the team’s deepening crisis in Melbourne. Adrian Newey said on Friday that the bombshell only emerged in November last year, when […]
Drivers trust FIA as Iran crisis clouds F1 calendar
Mar.6 (GMM) Formula 1 drivers say they trust the sport’s leadership to make the right call as the escalating Iran crisis casts doubt over the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. With the two April rounds potentially under threat, George Russell said the situation is largely out of the drivers’ hands. “Ultimately, I think all […]
Verstappen dismisses Sainz call for rule talks
Mar.6 (GMM) Max Verstappen has pushed back at GPDA director Carlos Sainz’s suggestion that Formula 1’s leadership should be approached if the 2026 regulations prove damaging to the sport. Sainz had said he would be “the first to go and talk to Stefano Domenicali” if something goes wrong with the new rules. But Verstappen, one […]
Schumacher warns of TV mistakes as F1 complexity soars
Mar.6 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher has warned that even Formula 1’s television experts will struggle to keep up with the complexity of the 2026 regulations, admitting mistakes on air are inevitable in the opening races. The Sky Deutschland pundit and former F1 driver said broadcasters have attended a special commentary workshop where new on-screen graphics – […]
Melbourne pit building demolition to cost $395m
Mar.6 (GMM) The Albert Park pitlane building will be demolished immediately after this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix – and its replacement has become significantly more expensive after asbestos was discovered at the site. A report from Victoria’s auditor-general has revealed the total cost of removing the asbestos and constructing a new facility has blown out […]
Newey can’t be sacked even if Aston wants – Capelli
Mar.6 (GMM) Aston Martin’s deepening crisis has left the team unable to move on from Adrian Newey even if it wanted to, according to former F1 driver and paddock analyst Ivan Capelli. Speaking to Corriere della Sera, Capelli said the Briton’s shareholder status has effectively made him untouchable at a moment when the team is […]
Alonso insists he can race but Aston crisis deepens
Mar.6 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has pushed back at suggestions he cannot safely race this weekend, even as Aston Martin’s Honda power unit crisis reached a new low on Friday with the Spaniard sitting out FP1 entirely and Lance Stroll managing only a handful of laps. Alonso appeared to directly contradict team boss Adrian Newey, who […]
Newey warns Aston vibrations risk driver injury
Mar.5 (GMM) Adrian Newey has warned Aston Martin’s troubled 2026 car could physically harm its drivers if the team pushes too hard at the Australian GP. Arriving in Melbourne with Honda (HRC) president Koji Watanabe, Newey confirmed that the vibrations already known to have damaged the power unit’s battery in testing are also creating a […]
MotoGP doubts Qatar race as F1 weighs calendar changes
Mar.5 (GMM) The escalating Middle East conflict is now threatening multiple global motorsport championships, with MotoGP’s chief admitting the Qatar race is unlikely to go ahead – a signal that could also affect Formula 1. MotoGP CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta said the April race at Losail is already in doubt. “It’s very difficult,” he said at […]
Bottas bucks driver criticism of new F1 rules
Mar.5 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas is breaking ranks with several of his fellow drivers by offering a largely positive assessment of Formula 1’s radical new 2026 cars. While world champion Max Verstappen has famously described the new generation as “Formula E on steroids”, Bottas says he actually enjoys driving them. “I like that the cars are […]