Oct.25 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s 400th grand prix weekend is off to a bad start. The 43-year-old, who attended a sponsor event for Hugo Boss in downtown Mexico City on Wednesday, was missing in action at the circuit on Thursday. “Fernando Alonso is feeling unwell and will therefore not attend media day,” Alonso’s team Aston Martin […]
Piastri manager Webber seeking Red Bull ‘dialogue’
Oct.25 (GMM) Oscar Piastri’s future could be at Red Bull. Although rumours Sergio Perez could be preparing to announce his retirement from Formula 1 appear wide of the mark, there is no doubt the Mexican’s future as teammate to Max Verstappen is in serious doubt. Perez admitted at his home grand prix in Mexico that […]
Bottas would ‘consider’ Mercedes return for 2025
Oct.25 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has confirmed rumours that a return to Mercedes could be among his ‘plan B’ options for 2025. Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher said in Austin that he has heard from the Finn’s entourage that Bottas could serve as a Mercedes test driver next year. “Firstly, the priority is to stay as […]
No early Ferrari test for Hamilton in 2024
Oct.25 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton will not get an early taste of life in a red cockpit at the end-of-season Abu Dhabi test. Other drivers who are switching teams between 2024 and 2025, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, and the man Hamilton is replacing at Ferrari – Carlos Sainz – have all received the go-ahead to test […]
Brown, Wolff, trying to ’cause unrest’ at Red Bull
Oct.24 (GMM) McLaren is trying its best to create “unrest” at Red Bull, according to Dr Helmut Marko. As Max Verstappen and Lando Norris battle for the world championship, their teams have been jousting over technical innovations and stewards’ penalties. But a more personal war-of-words between team bosses escalated in Austin, after team advisor Marko […]
Horner denies Perez raced old floor in Austin
Oct.24 (GMM) Christian Horner has contradicted Sergio Perez’s claim that he didn’t benefit from the 2024 car’s new floor that debuted a week ago in Austin. While teammate Max Verstappen took a clear step forward at the US GP with the updates, Perez – whose future at the team remains under a dark cloud – […]
Perez slams F1 journalists with an ‘agenda’
Oct.24 (GMM) Sergio Perez thinks those pedalling rumours about his future the hardest have an “agenda”. Less than a month ago, amid a previous wave of speculation that he is preparing to announce his retirement or be ousted by Red Bull, the Mexican hit out at one particular journalist on social media with a Wolf […]
Hamilton may not use Austin-spec floor in Mexico – Wolff
Oct.24 (GMM) Bosses at two Formula 1 teams were scratching their respective heads in the few days between the US and Mexican grands prix. While Mercedes’ upgrade package showed impressive speed at times in Austin, both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton also suffered significant crashes. “Lewis apologised, but he wasn’t even driving at the limit,” […]
Red Bull happy with Lawson’s ‘fight’ with Alonso
Oct.23 (GMM) Red Bull is unfazed by Formula 1 rookie Liam Lawson’s very public and extended spat with two-time champion Fernando Alonso in Austin. The US GP was 22-year-old Lawson’s first race since replacing the ousted Daniel Ricciardo at the Red Bull junior team RB – and he impressed. The New Zealander is clearly a […]
Colapinto linked with race seat at RB for 2025
Oct.23 (GMM) Another way for Franco Colapinto to stay on the Formula 1 grid in 2025 is emerging. Recently, Williams boss James Vowles – who has the Argentine rookie firmly under contract but with no race cockpit availability for next year – offered to loan Colapinto to Audi-Sauber for 2025. It is believed that deal […]
No big laptime drop for F1 cars in 2026 – Tombazis
Oct.22 (GMM) Formula 1 cars will be “hardly any slower” once the radical new rules are in force in 2026. That’s the claim of FIA single seater boss Nikolas Tombazis, allaying fears that the move to even more electrical engine energy will cost several seconds per lap in laptime. At the latest F1 Commission and […]
Hulkenberg has no regrets about Audi move
Oct.22 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg says he has no regrets about leaving the rapidly improving Haas team. After the Abu Dhabi finale, the 37-year-old German will switch from 2025 and beyond to Sauber – in anticipation of the team’s full works transition to Audi for 2026. But Hulkenberg’s decision to move was before it became clear […]
Marko says ‘let’s see’ to Perez retirement rumours
Oct.22 (GMM) Liam Lawson appears to be on the right track to becoming Max Verstappen’s new teammate at Red Bull Racing for 2025. Despite Sergio Perez’s repeated denials, equally persistent rumours that the Mexican might announce his retirement from Formula 1 at his home race this weekend continue to swirl. “It’s a rumour,” team advisor […]
French federation powerless to stop Renault F1 engine axe
Oct.22 (GMM) France’s motor racing federation, the FFSA, says it cannot do anything to prevent Renault from scrapping the works Formula 1 engine program for Alpine. Pierre Gosselin, president of the FIA-affiliated Federation Francaise du Sport Automobile, told Le Figaro newspaper that he is upset there will no longer be French-made engines on the grid. […]
Why Pirelli withdrew designer F1 trophies in Austin
Oct.22 (GMM) Race sponsor Pirelli, and US GP organisers, had to hurriedly backtrack on its plans for novel designer trophies for the F1 winners in Austin. The Pirelli-commissioned trophies, penned and constructed by Italian designer Matteo Machiavelli and affectionately named ‘Heroo’, were revealed with much fanfare in the days before the US GP. To some, […]
Mexico will be ‘more difficult’ for Red Bull – Marko
Oct.22 (GMM) Red Bull is bracing for a “more difficult” task this weekend in Mexico. Amid a mid-season performance slump, the reigning champions worked hard over the three-week break between Singapore and Austin and even managed to extend Max Verstappen’s points gap over Lando Norris in the US GP. Dutch personality Tom Coronel thinks it […]
Audi allowed to spend more than F1 rivals from 2026
Oct.21 (GMM) Audi will be allowed to spend more under Formula 1’s budget cap provisions from 2026. Bosses at the Sauber team, now 100 percent owned by Audi ahead of the start of the German carmaker’s official F1 project from 2026, have argued they should be permitted to spend more because of higher wage bills […]
Austin wants new F1 race contract beyond 2026
Oct.21 (GMM) Organisers of the US GP in Austin want to safeguard their place on the Formula 1 calendar. The event at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) was first held in 2012, prior to the Liberty Media era and having ended the drought of American races in Formula 1. But since Liberty Media took […]
Verstappen not promising to attend FIA award gala
Oct.21 (GMM) Max Verstappen is not completely committing to attending December’s FIA awards ceremony in Kigali, Rwanda. Rwanda is not only a leading contender for a future African GP, it has been named as the scene of the end-of-season FIA prize giving – mandatory for high-achieving drivers like the triple world champion. Verstappen’s relationship with […]
Bottas could be Mercedes test driver in 2025
Oct.21 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas’ Formula 1 racing career may either be over, or it will be safeguarded for multiple more seasons. After Singapore, the Finn seemed to be heading for a new one-year deal with Audi-owned Sauber – but the situation changed dramatically over the subsequent three-weekend break. During that time, younger options Mick Schumacher, […]