Mar.11 (GMM) Gunther Steiner has confirmed that he left Haas over a disagreement with the team owner about whether the small American team needed to change direction in Formula 1. The team’s long-time and now former boss, Steiner, admits Gene Haas’ phone call around the Christmas break “came out of nowhere” – and resulted in […]
Ferrari admits Haas seat ‘a possibility’ for Bearman
Mar.11 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur admits “it’s a possibility” that impressive one-off rookie Oliver Bearman, 18, will make his full-time F1 debut with Haas next year. As Carlos Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis just prior to the pre-qualifying final practice session in Jeddah, Ferrari junior Bearman was plucked out of the Formula 2 paddock and straight […]
Alonso keeps pressure on for constant car upgrades
Mar.11 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is keeping the pressure on Aston Martin high, amid continuing speculation about his looming contract negotiations for 2025. The 42-year-old Spaniard, linked with sensational switches to top teams Mercedes or even Red Bull for next year, qualified an impressive P4 before finishing P5 in Saudi Arabia. But Pedro de la Rosa, […]
Horner faces sack, as F1 scandal heat rises again
Mar.11 (GMM) Just as the Red Bull power struggle looked set to switch from boil to simmer, the heat has been turned back up – this time on Christian Horner yet again. In Saudi Arabia, Dr Helmut Marko survived what appeared to be Horner and the Thai shareholder’s revenge – Marko’s rumoured imminent suspension. “We […]
Bearman now eyeing Haas race seat for 2025
Mar.10 (GMM) As Oliver Bearman scored points and the official ‘driver of the day’ plaudits on Saturday, rumours were also beginning to swirl about his full-time future in Formula 1. Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur admits he was “not optimistic” about the 18-year-old Briton’s chances as Bearman was pulled out of the F2 paddock in Jeddah […]
Bearman heads to Melbourne, as Sainz meets with Mercedes
Mar.10 (GMM) Impressive F1 rookie Oliver Bearman will travel to Australia next week so that he can remain on standby for the recovering Ferrari regular Carlos Sainz. Following his emergency appendix surgery, Sainz walked slowly and cautiously back into the Jeddah paddock on Saturday, where British teenage Formula 2 star Bearman, 18, was preparing to […]
Saudi meetings ease Red Bull saga – for now
Mar.10 (GMM) The scandal and power struggle that has coloured the start of Red Bull’s 2024 season looks to be easing – for now. After Max Verstappen spoke out in support of his newly-embattled mentor Dr Helmut Marko in Saudi Arabia, high-ranking officials gathered for key talks. The result? Marko, having warned that Friday may […]
Mercedes ‘bouncing’ is back for third consecutive season
Mar.9 (GMM) For the third consecutive season, Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes has still failed to eliminate the “bouncing” of its Formula 1 cars amid the new ground-effect era. The team began the season with high hopes thanks to a new, more Red Bull-like car concept – despite losing Hamilton to Ferrari for 2025. The seven […]
Renault CEO jets in amid Alpine’s deep F1 crisis
Mar.9 (GMM) Luca de Meo, the CEO of Renault, has made an ultra-rare appearance at a Formula 1 race – just as the French marque’s Alpine team sinks into deep crisis. After the team’s all-new 2024 car qualified on the very last row of the grid in Bahrain, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly could do […]
Ferrari ‘intensifies contact’ with Red Bull’s Pierre Wache
Mar.9 (GMM) Rival teams have a keen eye on the internal strife that is dogging the otherwise totally-dominant Red Bull Racing. Mercedes, for one, has targeted Max Verstappen to replace the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton – and the key to that move might be finding a place in the silver garage for Dr Helmut Marko. “We […]
Alonso rules out podium with tyre-eating 2024 Aston
Mar.9 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has totally ruled out racing towards the podium in Saudi Arabia – despite topping the times in practice and qualifying fourth on Friday. “We have a very fast car on one lap,” the Aston Martin driver told the Spanish broadcaster DAZN in Jeddah, “but not such a fast car on long […]
Doctor says Sainz could be fit for Melbourne
Mar.9 (GMM) Carlos Sainz could be in good enough shape to return to his Ferrari cockpit in Melbourne in a fortnight. The Spaniard struggled through Thursday practice with what he thought was food poisoning – but a day later, was diagnosed with appendicitis and replaced by 18-year-old Ferrari reserve Oliver Bearman. Bearman, a rookie, was […]
Verstappen threatens to quit if ‘glue’ Marko leaves
Mar.9 (GMM) Max Verstappen says Dr Helmut Marko is the “glue” that keeps him at Red Bull. As the Austrian-Thai energy drink company’s obvious power struggle plays out inside the Formula 1 paddock, the next explosive chapter is that Marko, 80, could be set to imminently depart. That ties in perfectly with reports about a […]
Sauber eyes different drivers for Audi F1 future
Mar.8 (GMM) Mere hours after reports broke that Audi has completed a 100 percent acquisition of the Sauber team, rumours about the drivers began to swirl in Saudi Arabia. Even Germany’s biggest newspaper Bild is following the story, revealing that both Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou are out of contract at the end of 2024 […]
Magnussen admits he must catch up with Hulkenberg
Mar.8 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen admits he needs to up his game relative to Haas teammate Nico Hulkenberg. After Bahrain, but also the 2023 season in which Hulkenberg was consistently quicker over a single lap, new Haas boss Ayao Komatsu said Magnussen lagging 7 tenths off the pace of the sister car was “not acceptable”. Komatsu […]
Leclerc not afraid of Hamilton head-to-head
Mar.8 (GMM) Charles Leclerc insists he is not anxious about having to take on Formula 1’s most successful driver in history as his Ferrari teammate from 2025. It was rumoured that, at least initially, Leclerc was upset that new team boss Frederic Vasseur decided to break up his pairing with Carlos Sainz – a driver […]
De la Rosa plays down Alonso’s Saudi pace
Mar.8 (GMM) Pedro de la Rosa, an Aston Martin team ambassador and close confidante of Fernando Alonso’s, played down the Spaniard’s top time in Jeddah free practice. “It’s just practice,” Alonso, sponsored by Saudi oil company Aramco, warned, alluding to different engine modes and fuel loads that the various teams run in practice. Indeed, Red […]
Marko admits Verstappen contract ‘has clauses’
Mar.8 (GMM) Christian Horner has pleaded for the end of a scandal that endangered not only his top job at Red Bull, but could lead to Max Verstappen’s shock exit. “Every contract has clauses, that’s clear,” said Dr Helmut Marko, amid reports Verstappen’s 2028 deal allows the Dutchman to easily exit in the event Marko […]
Audi already 100 percent Sauber owner – newspaper
Mar.7 (GMM) Audi really is taking over 100 percent of the Sauber team, with multiple authoritative sources now insisting that little doubt remains about the VW-owned brand’s commitment to entering Formula 1 for 2026. Last weekend, we reported Bahrain paddock rumours that despite months of uncertainty about the F1 project and management upheavals, Audi is […]
No ‘miracle’ changes in 2024 F1 pecking order now – Alonso
Mar.7 (GMM) Even just a single race into the 2024 season, respected Formula 1 journalist Michael Schmidt thinks the pecking order is already essentially clear. When asked to divulge his ideas about the hierarchy of performance after the season opener in Bahrain, Fernando Alonso agrees that not much will be different this weekend in Jeddah. […]