Jun.26 (GMM) Liam Lawson looks set to replace and oust Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull’s junior team, RB, for 2025. Amid the current driver market ‘silly season’, it emerges that a key date relevant to many contracts and final deadlines is around the end of June. “I’m ready for next week,” nervous Sauber driver Valtteri […]
‘No crime’ in Hamilton sabotage accusations – police
Jun.26 (GMM) British police have ruled that no crime was committed as a rogue Lewis Hamilton fan accused Mercedes of sabotage ahead of the seven time world champion’s 2025 move to Ferrari. The accusations were made in an anonymous email, purported to have been sent by a disgruntled team member, sent to all F1 stakeholders […]
McLaren asked Red Bull for help after Barcelona fire
Jun.26 (GMM) McLaren reached out to Formula 1 rival Red Bull to help it through the remainder of the arduous current ‘triple header’ sequence of grands prix. In Barcelona, the start of a hectic three-week tour through Spain, Austria this weekend and Silverstone just another week on, McLaren endured an electrical fire in its grand […]
Mercedes ‘flexible’ for Verstappen until November
Jun.25 (GMM) Toto Wolff admits he is leaving Mercedes’ door wide open for Max Verstappen for as long as possible this year. Mere days ago, Mercedes CEO and chairman Ola Kallenius caused a stir when he admitted that his top pick to replace Lewis Hamilton next year is another multiple world champion. “The cards are […]
No regrets about 2025 Ferrari move – Hamilton
Jun.25 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton insists he has no regrets about choosing to move to Ferrari next year instead of sticking with the improving Mercedes team. Having struggled with Mercedes throughout the 2022-2025 ‘ground effect’ rules era so far, the seven time world champion hailed the team’s rapid progress last weekend in Barcelona. “Finally we’re starting […]
Climate activists threaten Austrian GP
Jun.25 (GMM) Protesters are reportedly planning to disrupt the Austrian GP this weekend. The Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung said of the Formula 1 race promoted by circuit owner Red Bull: “Emergency services are not ruling out the possibility that climate activists could throw the plans into disarray.” In anticipation of problems, race organisers at the […]
Silly season swirling as Alpine arranges ‘shootout’
Jun.25 (GMM) Even in the few days between Barcelona and Austria, and in the midst of an intense F1 triple-header, the 2005 driver ‘silly season’ continues to rumble. The big news is that two main contenders to replace Esteban Ocon at Alpine next year, Mick Schumacher and Jack Doohan, will test a 2022 car at […]
Alpine emerges as new F1 option for Carlos Sainz
Jun.24 (GMM) Alpine has suddenly emerged as Carlos Sainz’s potential new F1 team for 2025 and beyond. In Barcelona at the weekend, paddock insiders suggested the departing Ferrari driver is basically now ready to decide between Williams and Audi-Sauber – with an announcement due imminently. Charles Leclerc, upset about making contact with his Ferrari teammate […]
Haas insists it did not lose battle with Russian sponsor
Jun.24 (GMM) Haas has hit back at claims the small American F1 team lost a key legal battle against an embittered former sponsor. Last Friday, the axed-in-2022 Nikita Mazepin’s similarly ousted backer Uralkali, a Russian fertiliser giant with links to Vladimir Putin, declared that it won a Swiss arbitration case against the terminated title sponsorship […]
Verstappen would look good in silver – Mercedes CEO
Jun.24 (GMM) Mercedes CEO and chairman Ola Kallenius has stepped into the 2025 Formula 1 ‘silly season’ by making a direct pitch to triple world champion Max Verstappen. Although 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli’s path to the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton’s current race seat now appears clear, team boss Toto Wolff is still not ready to make any […]
Logan Sargeant linked with Indycar move for 2025
Jun.24 (GMM) Logan Sargeant looks set to be the next Formula 1 driver to make the shift to America’s top open wheeler series, Indycar. The entire F1 paddock is now basically unanimous that the struggling 23-year-old Floridian will almost certainly be replaced by someone like Carlos Sainz, Valtteri Bottas or even rookie Kimi Antonelli for […]
Red Bull’s Barcelona upgrade ‘didn’t work’ – Marko
Jun.24 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko admits yet another of Red Bull’s new update packages did not work properly last weekend in Barcelona. McLaren’s Lando Norris, just a couple of seconds behind winner Max Verstappen on Sunday, was annoyed that only a poor race start cost him Spanish GP victory. It’s clear that Red Bull’s dominance […]
Sainz to choose between Williams and Audi next week
Jun.23 (GMM) Carlos Sainz is now mere days away from announcing the identity of his new Formula 1 team for 2025 and beyond. According to a source in the Spanish media, the departing Ferrari driver will not make his decision between Williams and Audi-Sauber on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday – but he will make it […]
Alonso expects ‘painful’ F1 triple-header
Jun.23 (GMM) Fernando Alonso expects the entire triple-header F1 weekend to be “painful”. After a promising and podium-filled 2023, the rapidly developing Aston Martin team is now struggling merely to get into Q3 and score meagre points. Alonso, for instance, qualified P11 at home in Barcelona. “This team has been in the building phase for […]
‘No decision’ about scrapping engine program – Briatore
Jun.23 (GMM) Alpine’s new F1 advisor Flavio Briatore is not denying that the team’s manufacturer parent Renault could totally scrap its 2026 engine project. “I don’t comment on these kinds of rumours,” team boss Bruno Famin told Canal Plus in Barcelona. Briatore, the struggling Enstone based team’s former ultra-successful boss, has been appointed by Renault […]
FIA gives thumbs up to flexing front wings in Spain
Jun.23 (GMM) FIA scrutineers have once again approved McLaren and Mercedes’ controversial front wings, after it emerged in Canada two weeks ago that Red Bull has concerns about excessive flexing. In Barcelona, McLaren’s Lando Norris qualified on pole ahead of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, with the ever-improving Mercedes cars next fastest. “Mercedes have certainly made […]
McLaren’s car now ‘better’ than Red Bull’s – Verstappen
Jun.23 (GMM) McLaren is already “better” than Red Bull, triple world champion and 2024 championship leader Max Verstappen admitted in Barcelona. He was speaking after qualifying, where Lando Norris just managed to squeak ahead of Verstappen’s previously-dominant Red Bull to secure pole position. Heading into the weekend, Red Bull’s F1 advisor Dr Helmut Marko said […]
Briatore can turn Alpine around in ‘two years’
Jun.22 (GMM) Flavio Briatore says he can get the beleaguered Alpine team back in Formula 1’s “top four” within “two years”. The big news as the sport got into action in Barcelona is that the factory team’s successful and controversial former boss has been signed by Renault CEO Luca de Meo as ‘executive advisor’. “Luca […]
Aston Martin owner’s son says ‘everyone’ wants Newey
Jun.22 (GMM) Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll’s son admits that “everyone” in his father’s position wants to sign a contract with the great Adrian Newey. As Formula 1 headed to Barcelona for the Spanish GP, rumours emerged that Red Bull refugee Newey, arguably the most respected designer in F1 history, had been given a […]
Imola test was to give Verstappen ‘reference’ – Red Bull
Jun.22 (GMM) Red Bull admits Max Verstappen was given a private run in the team’s title-winning 2022 car earlier this week to serve as a “reference” for some of the problems with this year’s single seater. Fresh from his Imola test, the Dutch driver was just P5 in Friday practice in Barcelona, but Red Bull […]