Sep.14 (GMM) The road to a potential return to Formula 1 for Nikita Mazepin continues to clear. The Russian driver, and his sponsor Uralkali, headed by his father Dmitry, was axed by the American team Haas at the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict. But Mazepin, now 25, has struggled even to travel beyond Russian borders […]
Magnussen will not sit out rest of 2024
Sep.14 (GMM) Team boss Ayao Komatsu says Kevin Magnussen will be back at the wheel of his Haas next weekend in Singapore. Experienced team regular Magnussen, who is being replaced by rookie Oliver Bearman for 2025, is sitting out Baku after his FIA super license was suspended for a race. Komatsu, however, admitted on Friday […]
Indycar a good ‘plan B’ for Bottas, says Salo
Sep.14 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas may need to keep his racing career alive by switching to Indycar for 2025. That is the view of fellow Finn and former F1 driver Mika Salo, who thinks the chances are very real that Bottas, 34, will not be retained by Audi-owned Sauber. Audi has obtained permission from the McLaren […]
No more Red Bull F1 appearances for Newey
Sep.14 (GMM) Adrian Newey’s involvement in all Formula 1 matters at Red Bull appears to now be definitely over. That is despite the fact that the 65-year-old British engineer will not actually start work at Aston Martin until March 1 next year. Red Bull could have insisted on a lengthy ‘gardening leave’ period for Newey, […]
No more ‘panic mode’ for Red Bull at Baku
Sep.14 (GMM) “Panic mode” seems to be taking a back seat at Red Bull in Baku, as car upgrades begin to solve the handling problems that threaten to derail Max Verstappen’s world championship charge. “Sergio Perez is back up there too,” Dutch racing personality Tom Coronel told Viaplay after Friday practice in Azerbaijan. “That means […]
Staff press throttle on more Alpine engine protests
Sep.13 (GMM) Angry Renault F1 staff are ramping up their protests against the French manufacturer’s decision to scrap the works Formula 1 engine program. Last time out at Monza, staff travelled from Viry-Chatillon, France, to conduct a peaceful protest from the grandstands, while a worker strike also took place at the factory where the engines […]
No major Red Bull upgrade until Austin – Marko
Sep.13 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko admits “perhaps a podium” might be Red Bull’s most realistic target for Baku. Although there were rumours the team has brought a radical new floor to Azerbaijan, the team’s top F1 consultant says any changes for Baku are not major. “Unless a miracle happens, we don’t expect any improvement at […]
F1 facing reserve driver shortage at Baku
Sep.13 (GMM) Formula 1 is facing a reserve driver shortage this weekend at Baku. Kevin Magnussen is not in Azerbaijan this weekend as he serves his controversial one-race suspension for accumulating 12 penalty points on his super license. His Haas teammate Nico Hulkenberg stridently defended the absent Dane on Thursday, insisting stewards are too quick […]
Red Bull could lose Verstappen to Aston Martin – Marko
Sep.13 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko admits the risk that Red Bull will lose Max Verstappen to Aston Martin is very real. Verstappen’s management, including his mercurial father Jos, have already been flirting with a switch to Mercedes for 2026. But now, Aston Martin has secured Red Bull’s technical genius Adrian Newey from March of next […]
Marko chuckles at McLaren team order decision
Sep.13 (GMM) Top figures at Red Bull admit they are keeping a keen eye on developments at 2024 championship rival McLaren. Following a fortnight of speculation about the ‘team orders’ situation at McLaren, the British team now admits Oscar Piastri may have to play a supportive role to teammate Lando Norris for the 8-race dash […]
Final Audi-owned Sauber seat now a two-horse race
Sep.13 (GMM) The final real vacancy on the 2025 grid is turning into a clear two-horse race between Valtteri Bottas and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto. Not too long ago, it seemed obvious that Bottas, 34, was set to lose his race seat at Audi-owned Sauber – reportedly leading to exploratory talks with Indycar teams. But when […]
Newey aims fire at British F1 media, Sky coverage
Sep.12 (GMM) Adrian Newey has aimed fire at the role played in Formula 1 by “the British media”. The 65-year-old is British himself, and he is switching from Milton-Keynes based Red Bull to Silverstone-based Aston Martin next year – having also designed all of his title-winning F1 cars on British soil. However, he insists British […]
Series owner says Hamilton wants to buy MotoGP team
Sep.12 (GMM) The CEO of Formula 1’s owner Liberty Media has confirmed that Lewis Hamilton is interested in buying a MotoGP team. A few months ago, when it emerged that Liberty was also acquiring the two-wheeled equivalent of F1, rumours began to swirl that Hamilton is eyeing the Ducati-linked MotoGP team Gresini. The seven time […]
Verstappen already linked with Aston Martin switch
Sep.12 (GMM) Fresh on the heels of Adrian Newey’s decision to sign with Aston Martin, Max Verstappen is already being linked with a similarly-sensational move from Red Bull. Italy’s Autosprint magazine believes Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll is already in negotiations with the triple world champion, whose father Jos has already been flirting with […]
Nerves may spoil Norris’ F1 title quest in 2024
Sep.12 (GMM) A former Red Bull driver predicts that the Formula 1 hierarchy will undergo a formal changing of the guard this weekend at Baku. Red Bull’s long and dominant grip on the top of the pecking order has been clearly waning over recent weeks and months, with the gap over McLaren in the constructors’ […]
Honda, Renault could be fined for F1 budget breaches
Sep.12 (GMM) It is possible Formula 1 engine suppliers Honda and Alpine (Renault) will be fined for breaching last year’s budget cap. In a statement, the sport’s governing body, the FIA, said every team successfully complied with the complex cost limit rules last year. However, with separate cost restrictions now also applying to engine manufacturers, […]
Government to wind down Belgian GP backing
Sep.11 (GMM) Organisers of the Belgian GP think they are “making progress” to keep their Formula 1 race at the fabled Spa-Francorchamps circuit alive. Late last year, the sport’s owners agreed to a mere one-year extension to the previous race contract – meaning 2025 is currently scheduled to be the final Belgian GP. It is […]
Newey will have instant impact at Aston Martin – Schumacher
Sep.11 (GMM) Two well-known Formula 1 figures are divided over just how quickly Adrian Newey can have a major impact at Aston Martin. Christian Horner recently insisted that although the sport’s most renowned technical brain stepped away from active duty at Red Bull some months ago, his absence could not possibly explain the team’s fall […]
Newey will no longer work only ‘part time’ in F1
Sep.11 (GMM) Adrian Newey has committed to ramping up his Formula 1 workload back to “full-time”. Although widely credited for Red Bull’s recent successes and dominance, the 65-year-old has not worked full-time on F1 for several years now. “He is going to be full-time,” Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll declared on Wednesday, as Newey’s […]
Norris needs to get ‘more aggressive’ in ’24 – Montoya
Sep.11 (GMM) Juan Pablo Montoya thinks Lando Norris needs to sharpen his elbows if he wants to be given clear ‘number 1’ status for the 2024 championship fight. Despite the 62-point gap, Norris is the suddenly-struggling Max Verstappen’s closest and most realistic rival for the drivers’ title this year. In the sister McLaren, Oscar Piastri […]