Feb.16 (GMM) Red Bull’s ban on Max Verstappen taking part in “dangerous sports” appears to be over. It was just before Christmas when the triple world champion admitted that the contractual ban on him skiing and doing other dangerous extracurricular activities was “sad”. “You can also slip in the shower and break your neck. There […]
Bold Mercedes should sign teenager for ’25 – Fisichella
Feb.16 (GMM) A 17-year-old is the early favourite to replace the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025. It has been rumoured that Fernando Alonso or another highly experienced driver might be a better option, but the Toto Wolff-managed Kimi Antonelli – who is named after Kimi Raikkonen – is being tipped as a Max […]
Osaka chief says two Japanese hosts could co-exist in F1
Feb.16 (GMM) Suzuka’s new long-term contract with Formula 1 does not mean a new project in Osaka will fail. That is the insistence of Hiroshi Mizohata, president of the Osaka tourism board, despite F1 having agreed to keep the Japanese GP at Suzuka through 2029. Just weeks earlier, the Osaka tourism board had announced its […]
Verstappen surprised at Red Bull’s radical 2024 car
Feb.16 (GMM) Just when the F1 world expected a gentle evolution of the ultra-dominant 2023 car, Red Bull unveiled a new single seater on Thursday that left jaws agape. “We had such a dominant car last year that you wouldn’t imagine us changing the concept so much,” Sergio Perez said at Milton-Keynes. “I think it […]
Horner, Verstappen swerve around Red Bull scandal
Feb.16 (GMM) As the wraps came off a surprisingly-radical 2024 Red Bull on Thursday, Christian Horner and Max Verstappen tried to swerve around the pre-season scandal. “Everything I’m going to say about that can of course be interpreted in a certain way,” triple world champion Verstappen said when asked about the management scandal and accusations […]
Wolff ‘will do everything’ to sign Verstappen – Marko
Feb.15 (GMM) Bombshell moves in the uncharacteristically tumultuous ‘silly season’ driver market early in 2024 might be far from over, according to former F1 driver Christian Danner. With Lewis Hamilton stunning the Formula 1 world with his decision to terminate his Mercedes contract after this year to switch to Ferrari, the candidates to replace the […]
Marko wants Horner saga ‘turbulence’ to end soon
Feb.15 (GMM) Red Bull has now confirmed officially that its embattled team boss Christian Horner will indeed be present at the launch of the 2024 car on Thursday. A media advisory put out by the dominant Formula 1 team said the live-streamed event from Milton-Keynes will feature “team principal Christian Horner” alongside the drivers. Also […]
Marko worried about F1 rival discovering ‘special trick’
Feb.15 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko admits it’s possible one of Red Bull’s closest rivals could beat the dominant Formula 1 team this year with a “special trick”. Mercedes on Wednesday revealed and debuted at Silverstone the last Brackley-made car that Lewis Hamilton will race before his 2025 switch to Ferrari. It is a major visible […]
Red Bull ‘needs answers’ but Horner ‘innocent’ – Ecclestone
Feb.14 (GMM) Christian Horner is still at work as usual in charge of Red Bull’s Formula 1 team, with his friend Bernie Ecclestone insisting the long-time boss is technically “innocent”. Horner’s entire career is in doubt as the team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH, looks into the accusations of a female staff member who alleges […]
Vasseur denies 2025 Sainz ousting ‘unfair’
Feb.14 (GMM) Ferrari’s team boss denies he is being “unfair” by dumping Carlos Sainz at the end of the 2024 season. As the Maranello team unveiled on Tuesday what Auto Motor und Sport described as a “Red Bull painted in red”, boss Frederic Vasseur admitted that having to tell Sainz that he is being replaced […]
Hamilton exit ‘a mystery’ admits former Mercedes boss
Feb.13 (GMM) Norbert Haug, a former Mercedes F1 boss, says it’s a “mystery” why Lewis Hamilton decided to jump ship to Ferrari for 2025. On Monday at the Aston Martin launch, former Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso poked fun at Hamilton’s reasoning – that it had always been the 39-year-old’s “childhood dream” to race in red. […]
Doohan said no to Le Mans to focus on F1 dream
Feb.13 (GMM) Jack Doohan has a clear plan for 2024 – position himself perfectly as the obvious successor to one of Alpine’s current race drivers. Continuing Alpine team boss Bruno Famin admits that, after Lewis Hamilton exploded the 2025 ‘silly season’, he needs to work to retain the out-of-contract Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon for […]
Aston Martin wants to keep Lance Stroll beyond 2024
Feb.13 (GMM) Aston Martin has no plans to shuffle Lance Stroll towards the exit door. It is well known that, after Lewis Hamilton fired up the early ‘silly season’ with his 2025 Ferrari news, Fernando Alonso is a key contender to replace him at Mercedes. “The transfer season started much earlier than we expected,” admits […]
F1 CEO ‘pressuring Red Bull’ over Horner scandal
Feb.13 (GMM) Stefano Domenicali has reportedly joined his F1 supremo predecessor Bernie Ecclestone in pressing for Christian Horner to consider quietly stepping away from Red Bull. At the Austrian parent company’s request, Horner, 50, met over eight hours last Friday with the Red Bull-appointed independent lawyer who is charged with investigating alleged “inappropriate behaviour”. Ralf […]
Alonso fires up Mercedes rumours at Aston Martin launch
Feb.13 (GMM) Just as Aston Martin pulled the wraps off his 2024 car, a big hint was dropped that Fernando Alonso is very much in the frame to succeed the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. Flavio Briatore, who still oversees the 42-year-old Spaniard’s overall management, posted on Instagram a photo of himself meeting for breakfast […]
Alonso in no hurry for 2025 Aston Martin talks
Feb.12 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is reportedly putting contract talks with Aston Martin on hold in the wake of Lewis Hamilton’s shock defection from Mercedes to Ferrari for 2025. 42-year-old Alonso’s current deal expires this year – as do the contracts of the majority of the 2024 Formula 1 grid. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admits he […]
Hockenheim cannot afford ever-higher F1 race fees
Feb.12 (GMM) Just as Suzuka and Silverstone lock down new long-term Formula 1 race deals, the defunct German GP venue at Hockenheim insists it still cannot afford to return to the calendar. Germany’s storied history in F1 is at a clear low-point, and Hockenheim managing director Jorn Teske admits grand prix hosts inking lucrative deals […]
Alpine squeezing more power from ‘frozen’ 2024 engine
Feb.12 (GMM) Alpine will try to squeeze some extra horsepower out of Renault’s Formula 1 engine in 2024. The outfit tried to convince the FIA last year for special permission within the engine development ‘freeze’ to catch up with its more powerful manufacturer rivals Ferrari, Mercedes and Honda. The request was denied, and so Renault […]
‘Silly season’ will keep raging in 2024 – Hulkenberg
Feb.12 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg is not hiding that he may be looking to move further up pitlane for 2025. The German, who impressed on his 2023 return to Formula 1, ended last season openly criticising Haas’ failure to develop the car – resulting in the small American team finishing dead last. The 36-year-old had even […]
Closer Red Bull relationship an ‘advantage’ – Mekies
Feb.12 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo is eyeing the podium in 2024, as the former Alpha Tauri team moves ever closer in its technical alliance with big-brother team Red Bull Racing. In the second half of last season, as the Faenza based team prepared to reset and rebrand as ‘Visa Cash App RB’ for 2024, the 2023 […]