May 24 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg says he doesn’t want to “imagine” Formula 1 without Monaco. The fabled race on the Principality’s unique and ultra-narrow streets is still much-loved by fans and drivers. But during the Liberty Media era, criticism of the event has grown – including the near-impossibility of overtaking. “What kind of show is […]
F1 teams expect ‘usual’ Concorde Agreement talks
May 24 (GMM) The “usual discussions” surrounding negotiation of a new Concorde Agreement are currently taking place, Christian Horner has revealed. Liberty Media, F1’s commercial rights holder, recently sent out the proposed draft of the new agreement that binds together the teams, the FIA, and Formula 1. The current one expires next year, and some […]
Perez still Red Bull’s ‘first option’ for 2025 – Marko
May 24 (GMM) Sergio Perez is Red Bull’s “first option” to serve as Max Verstappen’s teammate in 2025. Recent rumours suggested the Mexican driver had actually turned down a single-year offer, counter-proposing at least a two year deal including 2026. “Nothing has been signed yet and it’s not the time to think about the contract […]
FIA abandons wet-weather F1 ‘mudguards’ for now
May 24 (GMM) F1’s governing body has abandoned for now its attempt to improve wet-weather visibility with the use of so-called ‘mudguards’. An initial prototype last year did not produce good results, and photos from Ferrari’s recent FIA-sponsored follow-up attempt at Fiorano showed plumes of spray behind the car. “I was behind Arthur Leclerc with […]
Sainz not confirming rumours of Mercedes rejection
May 24 (GMM) Carlos Sainz is staying quiet amid new swirling rumours that Mercedes has definitely turned him down for 2025 – and that he may be in advanced talks with Williams. “I can’t confirm it,” said the departing Ferrari driver in Monaco when asked specifically about the reported rejection by Mercedes. Sainz said a […]
Vettel appears to have abandoned F1 return chances
May 23 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel appears to have accepted that he will not be returning to Formula 1. On the face of it, the quadruple world champion is actually not closing the door completely. He took his 1993 McLaren to Imola last weekend and put on an elaborate tribute to the late Ayrton Senna and […]
Sainz ‘has chosen Audi’ for 2025 and beyond
May 23 (GMM) Audi-owned Sauber appears to be the best remaining option for departing Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz for 2025 and beyond. He has reportedly had a lucrative offer on the table for several weeks now, but has been holding out for even one-year deals at Mercedes or Red Bull. It is also believed that […]
F1 in talks to raise Monaco’s annual race fee
May 23 (GMM) Monaco, arguably the most unique and famous of all Formula 1 races, is the latest European event under pressure to remain on the annual calendar. With Liberty Media receiving big-money offers from potential non-European venues, and yet reluctant to expand the calendar beyond 24 races, many existing events – like Monza, Imola, […]
Three-team battle shaping up for Monaco GP victory
May 23 (GMM) After a long period in Formula 1 of predictable Red Bull dominance, it is no longer so certain that Max Verstappen will simply win another race at Monaco. Although he won from pole at Imola a week ago, the race weekend overall showed that both McLaren and Ferrari are now nipping at […]
Binotto could replace Krack as Aston Martin boss
May 22 (GMM) Former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto could return to Formula 1 with Aston Martin. Italian Binotto, who was replaced by Frederic Vasseur at the end of 2022, was spotted at Imola last weekend, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. “He has been linked many times with Audi,” reports correspondent Luigi Perna, “and then […]
Verstappen’s state-of-the-art F1 motorhome sim setup
May 22 (GMM) Max Verstappen got up to speed within “two laps” of his state-of-the-art simulator being installed in his new motorhome, which he will take to all European grands prix. The triple world champion now famously combined his participation in the real-life Formula 1 race at Imola last weekend with some driving duties in […]
F1 return to France is ‘possible’ says Nice mayor
May 22 (GMM) France’s hopes of returning to the Formula 1 calendar appear to rest with Paul Ricard – the venue that last hosted the country’s grand prix in 2022. Christian Estrosi is the mayor of Nice, but he was also involved in the promotion of the Paul Ricard event that ultimately fell off the […]
Wolff ‘not interested’ in reconciling with Red Bull CEO
May 22 (GMM) Toto Wolff says he has no interest patching up a dispute with the CEO of Mercedes’ direct Formula 1 rival Red Bull. It is believed that part of team boss Wolff’s delay in deciding who will replace Lewis Hamilton next year is because he’s hoping Max Verstappen joins Adrian Newey in deciding […]
Michael Schumacher awarded EUR 200,000 for ‘fake’ interview
May 22 (GMM) Michael Schumacher’s family has secured 200,000 euros in compensation for a ‘fake’ interview with the F1 legend. A year ago, the weekly women’s magazine Die Aktuelle published an AI-powered interview purported to be with the seven time world champion, who has not been heard from or seen since his 2013 skiing accident. […]
Manager says Newey has not signed Ferrari deal
May 22 (GMM) Eddie Jordan has hit back at rumours suggesting his friend Adrian Newey may already have signed up to join Ferrari in 2025 following a short ‘gardening leave’ break from Formula 1. In the official statement announcing that Newey is soon to depart as Red Bull’s chief technology officer, it was mentioned that […]
F1 ‘silly season’ in full swing between Imola and Monaco
May 22 (GMM) The F1 driver market ‘silly season’ is still in full swing even in the few days between Imola and Monaco. Corriere dello Sport in Italy reports that Carlos Sainz may now have said ‘yes’ to Audi-owned Sauber for 2025 and beyond – turning down offers from Alpine and Williams. And over at […]
Andretti hits throttle even harder in push for F1 entry
May 22 (GMM) Andretti is accelerating its push for a place in the Formula 1 paddock. The Hill, a US political newspaper, reports that with congress already instigating an investigation into F1’s snub of the hopeful new team, another official probe may soon be underway. Another bipartisan group of politicians – this time senators – […]
Vettel still not considering F1 comeback
May 21 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he is still no closer to deciding to return to Formula 1. The quadruple world champion retired after the 2022 season – although he has always left the door open for a comeback in the future. Vettel, 36, has stayed connected both to F1 and motorsport in general, including […]
Aston Martin will not scrap Imola car upgrade
May 21 (GMM) Mike Krack insists Aston Martin will not be hitting reverse gear on the Formula 1 team’s latest major car upgrade. Technical boss Dan Fallows went into Imola hailing an “aggressive” upgrade for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll’s cars. And while Stroll scored two points, Alonso qualified and finished an abysmal 19th. Alonso’s […]
Thailand could push Monza off F1 calendar
May 21 (GMM) A potential new Formula 1 race in Thailand looks set to oust an existing European race host from the sport’s annual calendar. Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, told L’Equipe newspaper this week that “France must host a grand prix”, after the Paul Ricard event he promoted fell off the schedule after […]