Mar.13 (GMM) Williams looks set to hang onto its famous team name. Actually, the Grove based team is totally controlled by US investment firm Dorilton, with late team founder Frank Williams’ daughter Claire relinquishing her top job and the family’s involvement in 2020. But new team boss James Vowles insists: “The name Williams is an […]
Alonso has ‘two year’ Aston Martin contract
Mar.13 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s girlfriend has let a contract secret out of the bag. Last August, the now 41-year-old Spaniard signed what he and the team called a “multi-year” deal starting in 2023. It got off to a stellar start recently in Bahrain with an immediate podium shared by the dominant Red Bulls. Red Bull […]
Title already ‘out of reach’ for Mercedes – Marko
Mar.13 (GMM) Mercedes insists there is no “panic” behind closed doors, but key rival Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko says the German team is tackling “several” problems with its new car. “It’s not one problem, it’s several problems,” Marko, 79, told the German broadcaster ntv. “The solution didn’t come over the winter, either, which I’m […]
Ferrari in turmoil after one race in 2023
Mar.13 (GMM) After just a single grand prix in 2023, Ferrari appears to be in turmoil. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Charles Leclerc asked for a face-to-face meeting with the Italian company’s executive chairman John Elkann after the disappointing Bahrain GP. At the same time, rumours of conflict between Ferrari’s new team boss Frederic […]
NASCAR ‘not afraid’ of F1’s soaring popularity
Mar.10 (GMM) A top NASCAR chief insists the top American motorsport category is not “afraid” of Formula 1. Thanks in large part to the sport’s US-based owners Liberty Media and the official Netflix series Drive to Survive, F1’s popularity in America is soaring. Red Bull boss Christian Horner said of this year’s Las Vegas GP: […]
‘Greed’ ended African GP talks – Scheckter
Mar.10 (GMM) 1979 world champion Jody Scheckter says greed led to the demise of Africa’s return to the Formula 1 calendar. Lewis Hamilton often bemoans the continent’s absence from the world championship schedule, and current champion Max Verstappen also insists the sport “needs” an African GP. “We are basically on every other continent, so I […]
Sergio Perez will be F1 champion – father
Mar.10 (GMM) Sergio Perez has no intention of settling for second best in Formula 1, his father Antonio insists. With back-to-back reigning world champion Max Verstappen riding high at Red Bull, some say it’s obvious that Mexican Perez is the ideal ‘number 2’. Not so, according to father Antonio. “We will have a Formula 1 […]
Top-three target unlikely for Alpine in 2023 – CEO
Mar.10 (GMM) Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi admits the Renault-owned team is unlikely to hits its goal of breaking into the top three constructors’ in Formula 1 this year. Last year, Alpine – then with Fernando Alonso at the wheel – finished fourth overall before the two-time champion defected to Aston Martin. Aston Martin now appears […]
Williams revival will take ‘years’ – Vowles
Mar.10 (GMM) It will take Williams years to return to the top four places in the constructors’ world championship. That is the frank admission of new team boss James Vowles, who switched from Mercedes over the winter to replace the ousted Jost Capito. “It’s about what I expected,” Vowles, 43, told France’s Auto Hebdo. “It […]
Top Ferrari engineer set to join McLaren – reports
Mar.10 (GMM) Another key member of Ferrari’s Formula 1 team has departed. Over the winter, Frederic Vasseur moved to Maranello to replace ousted team boss Mattia Binotto, who was followed through the exit door shortly afterwards by chief strategist Inaki Rueda. And now, specialist Italian publications report that Ferrari’s head of vehicle concept, David Sanchez, […]
Alpine must ‘get closer’ to Aston Martin – boss
Mar.9 (GMM) Alpine needs to take the example of Aston Martin as it continues to push towards the front of the Formula 1 grid. Last year, Renault-owned Alpine finished fourth overall in the constructors’ standings – behind only Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes. Aston Martin, on the other hand, was a lowly seventh. But over […]
Netflix brought ‘female fanbase’ to F1 – Horner
Mar.9 (GMM) Netflix has delivered a new, young, American and female audience to Formula 1. That is the view of Christian Horner, the Red Bull team boss, when asked about the controversial series Drive To Survive which is often criticised by ‘purists’ for blurring the lines between reality and drama. “It’s a bit like the […]
‘Silver bullet’ unlikely for ‘lost’ Mercedes – Marko
Mar.9 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has rubbished as “nonsense” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff’s claim that Red Bull will win every single grand prix in 2023. “That’s nonsense,” he told Osterreich newspaper when asked about comments made not only by Wolff but also Mercedes racer George Russell. “You can’t say that after one race,” Marko added. […]
2026 engine will be Red Bull, not Ford – Marko
Mar.9 (GMM) Red Bull, not Ford, will be at the heart of the reigning champion team’s power unit for 2026 and beyond. The energy drink owned team had talks with existing partner Honda, and then Porsche, about potential engine collaborations for the next rules era. Ultimately, Red Bull decided to team up with Ford. When […]
Sidepods won’t fix ‘trash’ Mercedes car – Wolff
Mar.8 (GMM) Toto Wolff has already written off Mercedes’ chances of winning the 2023 world championship. Fellow Austrian Dr Helmut Marko said after the Bahrain season opener that if Red Bull was in Mercedes’ shoes, “it would take us three or four races” to recover the deficit. Wolff, however, is taking another tack – simply […]
‘Red Bull man’ gave Aston Martin huge boost – Wolff
Mar.8 (GMM) Toto Wolff agrees with Red Bull’s assessment that Dan Fallows is making all the difference at Aston Martin this year. After Bahrain, where the two Red Bull drivers were accompanied on the podium by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, Dr Helmut Marko pointed at the recent defection of its aerodynamics chief. “It’s true – […]
Budget cap penalty will hurt Red Bull – Domenicali
Mar.8 (GMM) Red Bull’s penalty for breaching the budget cap could hurt the team later this season. That is the view of F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who urged Ferrari’s fans not to get too downbeat about Red Bull’s utter dominance seen in Bahrain. “Red Bull demonstrated their strength,” the Italian told Sportmediaset, “but we must […]
2023 not destined to be ‘boring’
Mar.8 (GMM) Although Red Bull looked utterly unbeatable in Bahrain, the next race in Jeddah could be a different story. “I believe they will win every race this year,” a pessimistic Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff told Osterreich newspaper. But not everybody thinks that. “The race was very boring because of course we want to […]
Tsunoda ‘must’ prove himself in 2023 – Marko
Mar.8 (GMM) Alpha Tauri’s current drivers are on notice to perform or risk their place in Formula 1. 2023 is 22-year-old Japanese Tsunoda’s third successive season in F1 with Red Bull’s junior team. When asked if he has to prove himself this year, Red Bull top official Dr Helmut Marko answered: “Yes, he must. “But […]
Horner should be F1 supremo – Ecclestone
Mar.8 (GMM) If Bernie Ecclestone was still running Formula 1, Christian Horner would be next in line for the sport’s top job. Ecclestone, now 92, was ousted amid the Liberty Media takeover in 2017. Former Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali took over as Chase Carey’s successor in 2021, but he would not have been Ecclestone’s pick. […]