Feb.5 (GMM) Gunther Steiner admits he was fired by Gene Haas because he wanted the billionaire team owner to spend more money on Formula 1. Haas may have finished dead last in 2023, but the small American outfit is first out of the ranks with its new car launch for 2024. New team boss Ayao […]
Sacked de Vries ordered to give up half of F1 pay
Feb.5 (GMM) Nyck de Vries must pay back half of all the money he earned during his ill-fated season with Alpha Tauri last year. The Dutchman, who was ousted by team owner Red Bull mid-season for poor performance, was sued by his former backer Jeroen Schothorst a year ago. The real estate million alleged a […]
Former driver slams F1 for Andretti-Cadillac rejection
Feb.5 (GMM) Spanish racing driver Oriol Servia has slammed Formula 1 for rejecting Andretti-Cadillac’s FIA-approved bid to enter the sport. In its lengthy statement explaining the decision to block Andretti’s debut, the Liberty Media-owned Formula One Group mentioned that team officials actually turned down one particular offer of a meeting in London. Andretti has now […]
Lawson admits F1 future with RB ‘really promising’
Feb.5 (GMM) Liam Lawson admits that the future of the team that he will probably race for sooner or later in Formula 1 is looking “promising”. Last year, Red Bull turned to its top junior to substitute for injured Alpha Tauri regular Daniel Ricciardo – and 21-year-old New Zealander Lawson impressed. Dr Helmut Marko is […]
Not many candidates to replace Hamilton – Schumacher
Feb.5 (GMM) As the dust continues to settle after Lewis Hamilton’s bombshell news last week, the candidates to replace him at Mercedes in 2025 are now starting to pile up. An obvious choice, according to well-known Spanish commentator Antonio Lobato, is Fernando Alonso. “In any case,” he told the El Partidazo radio program, “Fernando will […]
Wolff plays down 2025 Vettel comeback rumours
Feb.5 (GMM) Toto Wolff is already fending off the early and wild rumours about who will replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in 2025. One of the wildest is that it may be the perfect opportunity for quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel to mount a Formula 1 comeback. “We talked yesterday,” team boss Wolff told journalists […]
Next step in Andretti F1 saga could be legal battle
Feb.2 (GMM) The next stage in Andretti-Cadillac’s quest to join Formula 1 could be legal action, according to two of the sport’s top journalists. F1’s Liberty Media-controlled commercial rights holder, the Formula 1 Group, waited four months after the FIA approval of Andretti’s bid to become the eleventh team to reject the application earlier this […]
Alonso recalls ‘very cold tough guy’ Schumacher
Feb.2 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he remembers the great Michael Schumacher as a “tough guy” who was “very cold” as they sparred for the world championships almost two decades ago. Alonso, then in his early 20s, broke Schumacher’s impressive run of drivers’ titles in 2005 and 2006 – and he said he had prepared for […]
Even Batman may not win in a 2025 Ferrari – Briatore
Feb.2 (GMM) Many of the most well-known names in the Formula 1 paddock are already chewing over Lewis Hamilton’s shock decision to scrap his Mercedes deal for 2025 in order to move to Ferrari. “I’m very surprised,” said former Renault boss Flavio Briatore, “but he must have his reasons. “The only thing I can say […]
Hamilton ‘turns F1 world upside down’ with Ferrari switch
Feb.2 (GMM) The Formula 1 media is in a spin as the pre-season ‘silly season’ goes into overdrive, with Lewis Hamilton sensationally switching to Ferrari for 2025. The seven time world champion only signed a new two-year Mercedes contract at the end of last August – but the Toto Wolff-led team now admits it featured […]
Backer denies talks to revive Malaysian GP
Feb.1 (GMM) A proposed backer has poured cold water on new reports that Malaysia could soon be back on the Formula 1 calendar. Sepang, located close to Kuala Lumpur, hosted the sport between 1999 and 2017, eventually opting to bow out after the Malaysian sports minister declared the “cost too high”. There were rumours of […]
MotoGP not ruling out Madrid for joint F1 race weekend
Feb.1 (GMM) Formula 1 and MotoGP, the top global motor racing categories on four and two wheels respectively, are inching towards a sensational joint race weekend. Long time MotoGP supremo Carmelo Ezpeleta, 78, has been dropping hints about the idea for months, with the new 2026 F1 venue in Madrid seen as a possible host […]
2025 Aston Martin contract very likely, Alonso hints
Feb.1 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has dropped a clear hint that he intends to negotiate a new contract with Aston Martin to keep him in Formula 1 beyond this year. After returning to the sport from a sabbatical with Alpine in 2021 and 2022, the 42-year-old two-time champion switched to Aston Martin last year. The last […]
Mercedes must end ‘continuous’ weakness in 2024
Feb.1 (GMM) Mercedes has arrived at a critical moment in its Formula 1 history, according to former grand prix winner Ralf Schumacher. Overall, the German says it’s obvious to him that Red Bull remains the favourite to stay clear of every rival in 2024 – with even greater dominance not even ruled out. “I think […]
Mick Schumacher keeps eye on ‘active’ F1 driver market
Feb.1 (GMM) Mick Schumacher sees signs ahead that his Formula 1 career is not yet over. Since losing his Haas race seat for poor performance at the end of 2022, the 24-year-old has had to settle for the reserve role at Mercedes. This year, though, he will return to racing for Alpine in the Le […]
F1 insiders slam rejection of Andretti-Cadillac
Feb.1 (GMM) Two prominent Formula 1 insiders have criticised the decision to slam the door shut to Andretti-Cadillac. Although former McLaren driver Michael Andretti’s US-based motor racing empire was welcomed by the governing FIA, commercial rights holder Liberty Media has finally now issued a resounding “No” – at least for now. In a statement, F1 […]
Promoter must pay more to save Belgian GP – report
Jan.31 (GMM) Promoters of the fabled Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps may need to pay a lot more to extend its Formula 1 race deal beyond 2025. Late last year, the immediate dark cloud of uncertainty over the race’s future was lifted when Spa Grand Prix, the promoter, managed to sign a mere one-year extension to […]
How Verstappen helps DTM team get ‘faster’
Jan.31 (GMM) The boss of a DTM team says it was “extremely fascinating” to get a close-up look at the working methods of Formula 1-dominator Max Verstappen. Via his marketing company Verstappen.com, triple world champion Verstappen sponsors his friend Thierry Vermeulen in GT and DTM – the 21-year-old son of his manager Raymond. And recently, […]
Sainz’s Ferrari contract talks ‘complicated’
Jan.31 (GMM) Carlos Sainz’s negotiations with Ferrari over a new deal beyond 2024 “have become complicated”. That is the claim of the authoritative Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, which hints that the Spaniard could depart Maranello at the end of the year. The latest news comes after Ferrari inked a new, long and lucrative new […]
Ex-Alpha Tauri team still ‘independent’ of Red Bull
Jan.31 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko insists that the Red Bull-owned Formula 1 team formerly known as Alpha Tauri and Toro Rosso remains “independent” of Red Bull Racing. Now with the clunky new official name Visa Cash App RB, the Italy-based team has been causing a stir recently as it moves certain operations to the UK […]