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 […]
Amid Horner crisis, Red Bull may lose technical boss
Feb.12 (GMM) Another layer to Red Bull’s pre-season turmoil has emerged in the shape of the potential defection to Ferrari of its technical director Pierre Wache. The crisis that threatens the Formula 1 career of Red Bull’s long-time team boss Christian Horner began to come to a head last Friday, as the 50-year-old met with […]
Alpine may take initial ‘step back’ in 2024
Feb.9 (GMM) Alpine’s driver duo admits the Renault-linked team is taking a “risky” strategy by launching a radically different Formula 1 car for 2024. While the newly-revealed A524 car may look similarly to its middle-of-the-grid predecessor, team figures insist everything about the 2024 machine is different apart from the steering wheel. “In the middle of […]
F1 commentator can imagine Verstappen in red overalls
Feb.9 (GMM) Max Verstappen may well end his own Formula 1 career in red just like his 2021 title nemesis and fellow multiple world champion Lewis Hamilton. That is the view of Gaetan Vigneron, the long-time F1 commentator for the Belgian broadcaster RTBF. He said he’s not overly shocked by the news of 39-year-old Hamilton’s […]
No plans for team name change, says Williams boss
Feb.9 (GMM) Amid the hectic flurry of Formula 1 activity on the team management, driver lineup and team name change fronts at present, Williams insists it has no intention of changing its iconic name. Sauber has become Stake or Kick, Alpha Tauri is now Visa Cash App RB – but boss James Vowles says Williams […]
Hulkenberg counts himself into 2025 ‘silly season’
Feb.9 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg has been thrown into the suddenly-rampant Formula 1 driver “silly season”, as he denied he is officially off the market for 2025. Lewis Hamilton triggered the current chaos with his shock 2025 defection from Mercedes to Ferrari, leading to a frenzy among the many F1 drivers whose current deals with their […]
Albon defends Sargeant’s 5kg weight gain for 2024
Feb.8 (GMM) In the era of hefty F1 cars, it is notable that Logan Sargeant is admitting to have put on a whopping 5 kilograms over the winter break. A rookie in 2023, the 23-year-old American had to fight to keep his place at Williams for this season, having been clearly outclassed by on-form teammate […]
Mercedes must try to sign Verstappen for 2025 – Danner
Feb.8 (GMM) Mercedes should make the boldest possible step after losing Lewis Hamilton for 2025 and try to woo Max Verstappen away from Red Bull. That is the view of former F1 driver and respected pundit Christian Danner, after Toto Wolff refused to outright dismiss the possibility of looking into whether the Dutch triple world […]
Three Alpine drivers leap into post-Hamilton ‘silly season’
Feb.8 (GMM) Alpine’s entire roster of drivers have counted themselves into the suddenly-rampant Formula 1 ‘silly season’ as a result of Lewis Hamilton’s shock 2025 move to Ferrari. The Renault-linked team launched both its 2024 F1 car and its new Le Mans hypercar on Wednesday, but arguably a hotter topic of conversation was the vacant […]
Sauber ‘not concerned’ about F1 sponsor crisis
Feb.8 (GMM) Sauber insists it is “not concerned” about reports of a Swiss federal investigation into the legality of its new identity in Formula 1. With the Alfa Romeo partnership now ended and two full seasons remaining until the works Audi rebranding, Sauber officially renamed its team and chassis after sponsors Stake and Kick for […]
Another candidate emerges to replace embattled Horner
Feb.8 (GMM) Another candidate to potentially replace Red Bull’s embattled team boss Christian Horner has emerged. An independent lawyer commissioned by the team’s Austrian parent company will be in Milton-Keynes on Friday for a crunch meeting, with Horner facing expulsion over alleged inappropriate behaviour with a female staff member. James Vowles, Horner’s counterpart at Williams […]
Williams keeping 2024 car a secret for now
Feb.7 (GMM) Williams is keeping its car for the 2024 season very close to its chest. The British team actually ‘launched’ for the new year earlier this week in New York – but it was actually just the 2023 car with the new livery for 2024. Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport thinks the big secret […]
Sauber to switch between two team names in 2024
Feb.7 (GMM) Sauber will actually have two different official names for Formula 1’s 2024 season. On the nose of the new neon green car for 2024, the name ‘Sauber’ has prominently returned to the Swiss-team’s livery now that the Alfa Romeo naming deal is over. “For us, it was important, after six years with Alfa […]
Bottas not ruling out shock Mercedes return
Feb.7 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas’ is not ruling out a shock return to Mercedes to replace his Ferrari-bound former teammate Lewis Hamilton in 2025. The Finn, whose contract at Sauber is coming to its end, is tipped to be replaced as the Swiss team prepares for its Audi future in 2026 – with names including Carlos […]