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,” […]
‘War not over’ despite Horner winning scandal battle
Feb.29 (GMM) The investigation into a staff member’s allegations of bad behaviour has finally resulted in Christian Horner being cleared of wrongdoing. But in the words of France’s L’Equipe: “Horner is cleared, but the war is not over.” Despite calls for clarity and transparency before the track action kicks off in Bahrain on Thursday, Wednesday’s […]
Boss admits MotoGP could be bought by F1 owner
Feb.28 (GMM) Carmelo Ezpeleta, MotoGP’s long-time boss, is not denying that the premier two-wheeled category could be bought by F1 owner Liberty Media. Swirling rumours stepped up a further gear this week, with reports in Spain suggesting that MotoGP promoter Dorna Sports’ current owner, Bridgepoint, might also be in talks over a billion-dollar deal. “Those […]
Schumacher ‘worried’ F1 leaving young drivers behind
Feb.28 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher says he’s “worried” that the flow of young talent onto the Formula 1 grid has ground to a halt for 2024. This season is the first time in the sport’s entire modern history in which not a single rookie will be on the grid. Future Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, currently just […]
Wolff may have leaked Hamilton-Ferrari news – Capelli
Feb.28 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s situation at Mercedes this year could be even more awkward than previously assumed. It emerges that the seven time world champion, and his new team for 2025, Ferrari, may actually have wanted their new pairing to remain a secret for the whole of this season. “It was a move by Toto […]
Mekies hits back at Red Bull critic Zak Brown
Feb.28 (GMM) Laurent Mekies, the new boss of Red Bull’s rebranded second Formula 1 team, has hit back hard at suggestions the two outfits are now far too closely aligned. Dropping the Alpha Tauri name and reverting to the awkward Visa Cash App RB moniker for 2024 has coincided with key changes at the latter […]
Hulkenberg must escape Haas as soon as possible – Schumacher
Feb.28 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher thinks his countryman Nico Hulkenberg should try to escape the dead-last-in-2023 Haas team as soon as possible. While Hulkenberg impressed on his return to Formula 1 last year, the German ended the season being critical of the team’s stalled development progress. However, the 2024 car appears to finally be a step […]
Radical 2024 Red Bull car concept ‘makes sense’ – Wolff
Feb.28 (GMM) Toto Wolff has played down the fact that, just as Mercedes totally scrapped the ‘no sidepods’-style car concept after 2022-2023, Red Bull rolled out a similar car for 2024. “There are a few things they took over from our car,” the Mercedes team boss admitted to Austrian broadcaster ORF. “Not only the sidepods, […]
Honda hard at work on 2026 engine for Aston Martin
Feb.28 (GMM) Although currently powering the ultra-dominant Red Bull team, Honda is already working on its new works Formula 1 project with Aston Martin for 2026. With most power unit development forbidden, or ‘frozen’, until the all-new regulations take effect, Honda Racing Corporation boss Koji Watanabe insisted this week that HRC still works on “durability […]
Red Bull to race in Bahrain with Horner saga ‘clarity’
Feb.28 (GMM) Christian Horner is now counting down the hours before he learns whether his Formula 1 career is over or not. “I can’t imagine the season will begin without some form of clarity,” F1 journalist Louis Dekker, in Bahrain ahead of the start of opening practice on Thursday, told NOS. Indeed, every insider now […]
‘Steiner pulled the plug’ over $20m Haas dispute
Feb.27 (GMM) Gunther Steiner says he was fired by Haas team owner Gene Haas because he was asking for equity in the struggling back-of-the-grid Formula 1 team. The F1 world was stunned recently when Steiner, who led the American outfit from the beginning, was suddenly replaced by engineer Ayao Komatsu for 2024 and beyond. Until […]
Sainz ‘probably’ won’t wait for Red Bull decision – Marko
Feb.27 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko openly admits that at least three drivers, and potentially four or more, are eyeing Sergio Perez’s Red Bull seat for 2025. However, the energy drink company’s top F1 consultant says Mexican Perez still has an opportunity to prove he deserves his contract to be extended. “Checo has to deliver consistent […]
Schumacher, Antonelli, to test F1 cars in 2024
Feb.27 (GMM) Mick Schumacher may be more likely to test a McLaren this year rather than an Alpine or Mercedes. The former Haas racer is an official Mercedes F1 reserve driver again in 2024, but he will also return to the race track – Alpine’s Le Mans-ready world endurance championship hypercar. Alpine boss Bruno Famin, […]
Hamilton visited Maranello ‘more than once’ – Ferrari
Feb.27 (GMM) The jury is out as to whether Lewis Hamilton has ever visited Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters or not. Still a hot topic in Formula 1 is the recent bombshell news that Hamilton, 39, will prematurely exit his Mercedes contract at the end of the year to switch to red overalls for 2025. He is […]
F1 owner Liberty Media now wants to buy MotoGP
Feb.27 (GMM) Liberty Media, the owner of Formula 1’s commercial rights since 2017, has set its sights on acquiring the sport’s two-wheeled equivalent, MotoGP. Recently, we have been reporting that F1 and MotoGP are open to the idea of staging a joint round of both world championships. That speculation has now stepped up a gear, […]
Russell defends F1’s Netflix ‘fakery’
Feb.27 (GMM) George Russell has leapt to the defence of the official Formula 1 Netflix series Drive To Survive, as the newly-released season 6 continues to divide opinions. For years now, despite the series being credited for contributing to F1’s soaring popularity, the sport’s ‘purist’ elements have blasted Netflix for on-screen fakery. But instance, one […]
Horner scandal outcome expected early this week
Feb.27 (GMM) The Christian Horner scandal is finally coming to its end, with Red Bull executives tipped to resolve his future in Formula 1 as he jets back to Bahrain on Wednesday. It is believed the investigation into Horner’s behaviour based on the accusations of a female team member is now complete, with Red Bull […]
‘More talk’ about 2025 than 2024 season – de la Rosa
Feb.27 (GMM) The 2024 season has not even begun, and yet one of the biggest talking points in Formula 1 at present is 2025. In part, it’s because Max Verstappen is expected to utterly dominate again this season – with Red Bull perhaps still half a second clear of the field, and the triple world […]
Sargeant’s 2023 form no longer acceptable – boss
Feb.27 (GMM) Logan Sargeant has been put on notice at Williams – up your game or be ousted. The American rookie struggled notably alongside teammate Alex Albon last year, but Williams team boss James Vowles has given him another chance for 2024. But he required that Sargeant, 23, improve both his physical condition and his […]
F1 moves to close budget cap loopholes
Feb.27 (GMM) Formula 1 is moving to close loopholes in the budget cap rules – but only in time for 2026. It was expected that by limiting spending, teams would become smaller. But the opposite has happened, with top team head-counts actually swelling from what was already alarming staff numbers of up to 1000 people. […]