Jun.7 (GMM) The fabled Spa Francorchamps circuit looks set to secure its place on Formula 1’s 2024 calendar. Early this season, Belgian GP promoter Vanessa Maes travelled to Bahrain for talks with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali about the event’s expiring contract. “In the weeks and months to come, we hope to sign for the next […]
Aston Martin to hit back with ‘biggest upgrade’ of 2023
Jun.7 (GMM) Aston Martin will have a car update in the luggage as Formula 1 treks to Canada next week. Fernando Alonso’s run of six consecutive top four results – including five podiums – came to a screeching halt in Barcelona as he finished just seventh. “We have to understand why we lacked speed compared […]
Verstappen making Red Bull more dominant than ever – Marko
Jun.7 (GMM) Max Verstappen is racing Red Bull to unprecedented dominance in Formula 1, according to Dr Helmut Marko. Despite an earlier challenge by his own teammate Sergio Perez, the back-to-back world champion raced to a more than 50-point lead over Mexican Perez with consecutive recent victories in Miami, Monaco and Barcelona. The Austrian newspaper […]
Bridgestone ‘planning a F1 comeback’ – Benoit
Jun.7 (GMM) More reports have emerged indicating Pirelli may have competition in its bid to secure the next contract to remain Formula 1’s sole tyre supplier. Earlier this year, the FIA launched the next tender process to cover the 2025, 2026, 2027 and possibly 2028 seasons. “Obviously the decision is not in our hands,” Pirelli’s […]
Smog cloud hangs over Canadian GP
Jun.7 (GMM) After the cancellation due to floods in Imola recently, a smog haze is now hanging over next weekend’s running of the Canadian GP. CTV reports that local forest fires have blown smog over the greater Montreal area – where Formula 1 will gather at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. “Those with respiratory issues, such […]
Renault CEO denies eyeing Ferrari switch
Jun.6 (GMM) Renault CEO Luca de Meo has rubbished rumours he might be lining up to join Ferrari in a similarly high-profile role. Renault’s Formula 1 team is Alpine, whose CEO Laurent Rossi recently aimed harsh criticism at the lack of progress so far in 2023. De Meo is happy about what happened afterwards. “The […]
Steiner didn’t mean to ‘destroy’ Mick Schumacher
Jun.6 (GMM) Gunther Steiner has told the German media to forget the past and focus more on Mick Schumacher’s future in Formula 1. This week, 24-year-old Mick will get his first outing at the wheel of a F1 car – the 2023 Mercedes – after being ousted by Haas boss Steiner for poor performance. Lewis […]
Points gap takes pressure off Perez – Horner
Jun.6 (GMM) Sergio Perez’s form may return to normal now that his teammate Max Verstappen is apparently cruising to his third consecutive drivers’ title. That is the view of team boss Christian Horner, after fellow Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko said the issue of who is number 1 driver in 2023 “resolved itself” with […]
Haas not keeping up with car development – Schumacher
Jun.6 (GMM) Haas has fallen down the Formula 1 pecking order due to a lack of development, according to Ralf Schumacher. Of course, Schumacher’s relationship with team boss Gunther Steiner is already strained after the former F1 driver’s nephew Mick was criticised and ousted last year. But after a strong return to Formula 1 this […]
Ferrari upgrade a ‘complete failure’ – media
Jun.6 (GMM) Ferrari’s highly-anticipated big package of updates unveiled in Barcelona is a “complete failure”. That is the view of well-known Italian insider Leo Turrini, but his colleagues in the country’s partisan media agree. “Ferrari sinks more and more into chaos,” La Gazzetta dello Sport observed after the Spanish GP. “The problems of an unpredictable […]
Gap to Red Bull ‘the same’ despite Mercedes step
Jun.6 (GMM) The jury is out as to just how effective Mercedes’ new sidepod-laden ‘B’ car really is. Both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were on the podium behind Red Bull’s dominant Max Verstappen in Barcelona. “At the end of the day they were 23 seconds behind,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner. “But they […]
FIA official plays down Madrid GP ‘noise’
Jun.5 (GMM) A top FIA official has played down “noise” suggesting Madrid is in pole position to replace the current Spanish GP host at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. “There’s a lot of noise but the circuit has not been approved and there is no firm proposal,” said Carmelo Sanz de Barros, who is also president […]
Lack of money preventing W Series revival – driver
Jun.5 (GMM) The female drivers signed up to race in the all-female ‘W Series’ are still waiting to see if the financial problems can be resolved. Although the FIA is now pushing ahead with its own female-only ‘F1 Academy’ series, the original concept – W Series – collapsed late last year. One of the drivers, […]
Sauber admits eye on Sainz for Audi future
Jun.5 (GMM) The Swiss team Sauber, to drop the Alfa Romeo name at the end of the season, admits it has its eye on Formula 1’s two on-form Spaniards for the future. New CEO Andreas Seidl’s face has been absent from the paddock in 2023 so far as Sauber prepare for the future, where by […]
Leclerc has ‘lost his way’ at confused Ferrari
Jun.5 (GMM) Charles Leclerc may have “lost his way” at the struggling Ferrari team, according to well-known Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel. The Maranello team brought a visibly-upgraded car to Barcelona, but despite qualifying second behind Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz slipped to fifth at the chequer. “I did a very careful first stint but after […]
Hamilton, Wolff, set for contract talks on Monday
Jun.5 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton will sit down with Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff for contract talks on Monday. In Barcelona, rumours of tension between the seven time world champion and his teammate George Russell bubbled up as the pair collided at high speed in Q3. Mercedes played it down, but former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher […]
Red Bull tried to slow dominant Verstappen – Marko
Jun.5 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says Red Bull tried to slow runaway championship Max Verstappen en route to yet another victory on Sunday in Barcelona. The Spanish GP was one of the Dutchman’s most dominant displays ever, as he completed the ‘grand slam’ of P1 in every single session. He completed the grand slam with […]
Schumacher backs Steiner over F1 steward saga
Jun.4 (GMM) Gunther Steiner has found an odd ally in his criticism of the stewarding system in Formula 1. The Haas boss was summoned to the stewards in Barcelona on a charge of bringing the sport into disrepute with his criticism of the entire steward system. Steiner, furious with Nico Hulkenberg’s penalty in Monaco, called […]
Rival Madrid, Barcelona bids good for Spanish GP – CEO
Jun.4 (GMM) The Circuit de Catalunya needs to up its game in order to keep the Spanish GP. That is the warning of F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, with the paddock abuzz this weekend about the Spanish GP moving from Barcelona to Madrid for the future. For this weekend, the Circuit de Catalunya scrapped the slow […]
Peter Sauber ‘proud’ of Audi takeover
Jun.4 (GMM) Peter Sauber says he is “proud” that the Formula 1 team he founded in the 90s is now in the process of being taken over by Audi. The retired 77-year-old Swiss is enjoying a rare visit to a grand prix in Barcelona this weekend. He was asked about Sauber – currently known as […]