Mar.2 (GMM) Audi appears to be ramping up rather than wriggling out of its commitment to enter Formula 1 for 2026. Just a few days ago, there was talk of more upper management turmoil at the Volkswagen-owned German marque, but Sauber team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi affirmed the “strong commitment of the Audi Group”. Indeed, […]
Gasly ‘anticipated’ qualifying dead last in Bahrain
Mar.2 (GMM) Pierre Gasly admits he expected he might qualify dead last in Bahrain. After the overweight and slow 2024 car struggled through pre-season testing last week, many journalists’ pecking-order predictions thought Alpine may have slumped to the very back of the grid. Indeed, Gasly qualified dead last on Friday – a tenth or so […]
F1, FIA to decide if Horner action required
Mar.2 (GMM) As the Christian Horner saga rolls on, he met privately and separately with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in Bahrain on Friday. Domenicali and the FIA boss then got together later on, to discuss current affairs in Formula 1 at the start of 2024 – and the Horner […]
European races likely to be alternated – F1 CEO
Mar.2 (GMM) Stefano Domenicali admits Formula 1 may begin to annually alternate some of the European grands prix from 2026. The sport’s ever-swelling 24-race calendar is now attracting widespread criticism, but yet another event has been added to the schedule for 2026 – Madrid. “Signing the contract to host the race in Madrid was very […]
Ricciardo only in F1 because of his ‘image’
Mar.2 (GMM) 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has lashed out at one of the sport’s most popular personalities. He thinks Daniel Ricciardo, the always-smiling and cheerful 34-year-old who has resurrected his career at RB after being dropped by McLaren in 2022, doesn’t deserve to be back in Formula 1 purely on merit. “Ricciardo is a […]
Red Bull chiefs give Perez an early boost in 2024
Mar.2 (GMM) Sergio Perez’s bosses have given his chances of securing a new contract for 2025 an early boost. The Mexican, under pressure to retain his place at Red Bull next year from suitors including Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz, qualified P5 in Bahrain – with his teammate Max Verstappen on pole. “The Checo Perez […]
Verstappen rivals all ‘racing for second’ in Bahrain
Mar.2 (GMM) George Russell admits the entire Formula 1 field, except for Max Verstappen, will be “racing for second” as the 2024 season begins in Bahrain on Saturday. However, the Mercedes driver – third behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and the predictably pole-sitting Red Bull – admitted that the qualifying gap to Verstappen was actually smaller […]
Horner affair now ‘private’ after new anonymous leak – Red Bull
Mar.1 (GMM) Red Bull GmbH, the parent company of the dominant Formula 1 team, insists the scandal that put the sword of Damocles over team principal Christian Horner’s entire career is now “private”. After the company ended its investigation into Horner’s alleged and mysterious bad behaviour involving a female staff member by re-affirming his position […]
Rivals suddenly hopeful Red Bull ‘can be caught’ in 2024
Mar.1 (GMM) The team pecking order in Formula 1, which until Thursday appeared to be reasonably clear, was thrown on its head on the opening day of practice in Bahrain. “I’ve spoken with several teams and they all made a ranking with the six best teams. And none of us have the same ranking,” Pedro […]
FIA boss wants more teams, less races in F1
Mar.1 (GMM) The president of F1’s governing body has confirmed he is at odds with the sport’s commercial rights holder in a fundamental way. As the sport re-congregated in Bahrain for the 2024 season opener, top stars like Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso hit out at the now brutal length of the 24-race calendar. When […]
Driver questions if Stroll really ‘wants to be in F1’
Mar.1 (GMM) It’s a big year for Lance Stroll in Formula 1, according to fellow Canadian racing driver Alex Tagliani. While Stroll’s Aston Martin teammate is now being linked with a sensational move to Mercedes in 2025, Stroll is still struggling to make his mark in F1 – despite racing full-time in the series with […]
Krack hopes Alonso chooses Aston Martin over Mercedes
Mar.1 (GMM) Mike Krack, boss of the Aston Martin team, says he is determined to convince Fernando Alonso to sign another contract for 2025. Lewis Hamilton stunned the Formula 1 world with his bombshell decision to leave Mercedes mid-contract at the end of this year to join Ferrari. It is rumoured that the split is […]
Ocon admits Alpine may be dead last in 2024
Feb.29 (GMM) Esteban Ocon has joined his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly in admitting they may be racing “the worst car” early in 2024. It is believed the works Renault team may indeed have slumped behind Haas to bring up the rear in Formula 1 this year, amid suggestions the 2024 car is overweight and still […]
Bottas still eyeing works Audi seat for future
Feb.29 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas admits he hopes the rumbling 2025 driver market ‘silly season’ will not overlook him. The Finn, having lost his seat as Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate after 2021, has subsequently become one of the lowest profile drivers on the entire grid – at least from the perspective of results. Bottas, 34, has […]
Ricciardo expects A-B team saga to ‘calm down’
Feb.29 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo thinks the controversy surrounding RB’s relationship with the senior team Red Bull Racing will “calm down” early in 2024. Outspoken critics including McLaren CEO Zak Brown have been blasting the ever-closer collaboration between his two rival teams, suggesting one of his biggest concerns is that the former Alpha Tauri squad is […]
Three top F1 drivers slam massive 2024 calendar
Feb.29 (GMM) Three top Formula 1 stars have hit out at the ever-lengthening annual race calendar, which has swollen to an all-time record of 24 grands prix for 2024. Fernando Alonso, already 42 and linked with a sensational move to Mercedes for 2025, says he won’t even consider talks with teams until he has decided […]
‘Something else’ behind Hamilton-Wolff split – Kovalainen
Feb.29 (GMM) Yet another well-known F1 name has questioned why Lewis Hamilton triggered an exit clause to get out of Mercedes at the end of 2024 in order to move to Ferrari. Fernando Alonso recently scoffed at Hamilton’s claim that racing for Ferrari has always been a “childhood dream”, and now another former teammate has […]
Did F1 block Russian female from entering F1 Academy?
Feb.29 (GMM) A well-known Russian motorsport boss has slammed Formula 1 for shunning yet another young talent. At the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in early 2022, Nikita Mazepin and his sponsor Uralkali were kicked out of the sport by Haas – with the FIA also imposing tough conditions for any Russian drivers amid ongoing […]
Steiner’s latest move in F1 ‘unusual’ – Schumacher
Feb.29 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher thinks it’s “unusual” that sacked Haas team boss Gunther Steiner has returned to the paddock for 2024 as a television pundit. Ralf, a former F1 race winner, was highly critical of Steiner’s management of Haas when his nephew Mick Schumacher was struggling at the team. Now, with 48-year-old Schumacher working for […]
Alonso’s wild claim about Red Bull dominance ‘realistic’
Feb.29 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko had to smile in Bahrain when asked about Fernando Alonso’s prediction of another sure-fire title for Max Verstappen this year. Alonso said that, based on last week’s pre-season test, all 19 drivers except the reigning triple world champion know they will not win the drivers’ title in 2024. “That’s realistic,” […]