Mar.19 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas admits he could be left out of Sauber’s plans for its works future with Audi. After his race winning days as Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate ended, the Finn switched to the Hinwil-based team that has since transitioned to its Alfa Romeo and now Stake-Kick identities. Sauber, however, has now been 100 […]
F1, not teams, to blame for rookie logjam – Alonso
Mar.18 (GMM) Formula 1 teams should not be blamed for their reluctance to replace experienced drivers with rookies, according to Fernando Alonso. At 42, the Spaniard is currently linked with a sensational switch from Aston Martin to Mercedes in 2025 to replace the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton. But, officially, Alonso insists he is not even ruling […]
Verstappen dominance will cause F1 fans to ‘disappear’
Mar.18 (GMM) Formula 1 fans may begin to “disappear” in the face of Max Verstappen’s ongoing and overwhelming dominance. That is the warning of Jeff Dodds, the new CEO of the all-electric series Formula E, which was once touted as a potential threat to the popularity of F1. That didn’t materialise, given the success so […]
Hopeful successor Lawson tells Ricciardo to ‘step it up’
Mar.18 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo needs to “step it up” or risk being replaced at Red Bull’s junior team RB, hopeful successor Liam Lawson has hinted. The world of Formula 1 has headed to Australia for this weekend’s Melbourne race, where local media and personalities are downbeat about the local driver’s hopes of a good result. […]
‘Why not’ replace Sainz with Bearman, F1 insider wonders
Mar.18 (GMM) One wild theory suggests that Carlos Sainz might struggle to get back at the wheel of his Ferrari this year. In Saudi Arabia, where the Spanish driver had to undergo emergency appendix surgery, his 18-year-old rookie replacement Oliver Bearman impressed. “He did very well,” former Haas boss Gunther Steiner, who was in Adelaide […]
Max’s father wants ‘peace’ and ‘calm’ restored at Red Bull
Mar.18 (GMM) Jos Verstappen wants “peace” and “calm” restored behind the scenes at Red Bull because his son Max is bombarded with questions about the Christian Horner power struggle at every race. The saga surrounding an obvious management power struggle and Horner’s behaviour with a now-suspended female staffer continues to run and run. The latest […]
Impatient Alonso faces longer wait for faster Aston
Mar.15 (GMM) Fernando Alonso will have to wait until Imola, in two month’s time, for a significant upgrade to his 2024 Aston Martin car. After Jeddah, and amid rumours linking the Spanish driver with Mercedes for 2025, both Alonso and his long-time colleague Pedro de la Rosa urged Aston Martin to improve the car at […]
Barcelona reveals EUR 50m bid to stay on F1 calendar
Mar.15 (GMM) The Circuit de Catalunya is spending no less than 50 million euros to convince Formula 1 to stay in Barcelona. It was recently announced that F1 will head to a rival project in Madrid from 2026 – the final year in Barcelona’s current contract. Formula 1 is not ruling out a new deal […]
Horner’s accuser lodges Red Bull investigation appeal
Mar.15 (GMM) The Christian Horner scandal just keeps racing forwards, with news emerging now that the woman at the centre of the allegations has lodged an appeal. It’s clear, however, that the saga is not just about allegations of bad behaviour for Red Bull’s 50-year-old team boss, but a wider power struggle for control. Christijan […]
Wolff keeping close eye on future star Antonelli
Mar.15 (GMM) Kimi Antonelli, who at 17 cannot yet even test a Formula 1 car, is nonetheless a top favourite to replace the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year. And it’s not just because he is already regarded as one of the most promising young drivers to leap through the junior ranks since Max […]
Bearman is Ferrari’s top reserve driver – Vasseur
Mar.15 (GMM) Oliver Bearman has leapt into pole position among his two other development driver colleagues at Ferrari, boss Frederic Vasseur confirms. So impressive was 18-year-old Bearman’s stand-in performance for the ill Carlos Sainz at Jeddah that some are already lining him up as Lewis Hamilton’s natural successor at Maranello. “Let’s not start talking about […]
2024 a ‘wake-up call’ for Audi-owned Sauber
Mar.15 (GMM) The Saudi Arabian GP was a “wake-up call” for the Swiss team formerly known as Alfa Romeo. For 2024, in preparation for a full Audi takeover by 2026, Sauber’s naming deal with Alfa Romeo lapsed, resulting in the awkward ‘Stake’ and ‘Kick’ identities. The new neon-green car, however, is so far only better […]
Hamilton may not ‘keep up’ in F1’s new era – Schumacher
Mar.14 (GMM) Another Formula 1 personality thinks Lewis Hamilton may struggle to keep up with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari next year. Already this week, former Renault boss Flavio Briatore told Italian broadcaster Rai 1 that if Hamilton was already at Maranello, “he would do the same things as Leclerc”. “In the end he might struggle […]
‘Not fair’ to delay 2025 plans for too long – Alonso
Mar.14 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he will not leave Aston Martin hanging for too long as he decides and negotiates his next move in Formula 1. The 42-year-old Spaniard is regarded as a top contender to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year – especially if the team wants a stop-gap solution whilst developing the […]
Wolff not ruling out attracting Newey to Mercedes
Mar.14 (GMM) Toto Wolff is not ruling out a scenario in which Max Verstappen, Dr Helmut Marko and even Adrian Newey all switch from Red Bull to Mercedes. On the track, Red Bull’s 2024 season could not have started any more dominantly. When asked if the Red Bull-Verstappen combination could win every single grand prix […]
Unfair for Massa to take Hamilton’s title – Popov
Mar.14 (GMM) It would not be fair to take away Lewis Hamilton’s first world championship title, Russian Formula 1 commentator Alexey Popov insists. This week, Felipe Massa followed through with his threat to take legal action against F1, the FIA and even Bernie Ecclestone, over the disputed outcome of the 2008 world championship. Massa claims […]
Ford still committed, but Wolff warns Red Bull saga not over
Mar.14 (GMM) For now at least, Red Bull has retained the backing of its 2026 works Formula 1 engine partner Ford amid the Christian Horner power struggle and scandal. At Jeddah, Red Bull’s F1 consultant Dr Helmut Marko – reportedly on the other side of the Horner camp – admitted that both Ford and also […]
Bearman impresses F1 bosses Briatore, Wolff, Steiner
Mar.14 (GMM) Flavio Briatore, Gunther Steiner and even Toto Wolff have joined the ranks of those impressed with teenager Oliver Bearman’s one-off stand-in debut for Ferrari last weekend. “It was exceptional,” Briatore, the former Renault boss who remains involved with the Formula 1 organisation and Fernando Alonso’s management. “He definitely has something,” the Italian told […]
Hamilton will struggle to beat Leclerc at Ferrari – Briatore
Mar.13 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton runs the risk of being humbled by team incumbent Charles Leclerc at Ferrari next year. That is the warning of iconic and notorious Formula 1 personality Flavio Briatore, the former Renault boss who remains Fernando Alonso’s advisor. He met in a Monaco cafe with Toto Wolff just as the Hamilton-to-Ferrari bombshell […]
Three star drivers top Mercedes’ 2025 short-list
Mar.13 (GMM) Three top drivers are clearly at the top of the shortlist to succeed Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year. Team boss Toto Wolff’s obvious top pick is Formula 1’s ultra-dominant Max Verstappen, especially amid the internal conflict and power struggle playing out at Red Bull at present. La Gazzetta dello Sport claims the […]