Feb.27 (GMM) With the sole three-day pre-season test in Bahrain now complete, Italy’s Corriere della Sera neatly summed up the major conclusion. “Red Bull, perfect. Ferrari, hidden potential. Aston Martin amazes,” the headline read. New Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur said: “Overall, we look ok in terms of performance.” However, he’s not too worried about Red […]
Aston Martin rules out Vettel for Stroll’s seat
Feb.27 (GMM) Aston Martin has now ruled Sebastian Vettel out of the running to replace the injured Lance Stroll in Bahrain this weekend. The team is being coy about the extent of Stroll’s injuries, but paddock rumours suggest hr fell during a mountain bike ride – and damaged a wrist. Other rumours suggest both of […]
Unvaccinated Rosberg returns to F1 paddock
Feb.24 (GMM) After a full season on the sidelines, Nico Rosberg will return to the Formula 1 paddock in 2023. Last year, the 2016 world champion was unable to be on-site for his broadcasting duties with British and German television as he chose to remain unvaccinated against covid-19. But Formula 1 has now relaxed its […]
Stroll will ‘try’ to race in Bahrain – Drugovich
Feb.24 (GMM) Lance Stroll is still hoping to race next weekend in Bahrain. At the sole pre-season test at the same circuit this week, however, the 24-year-old son of Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll is missing. Alongside new teammate Fernando Alonso, Stroll has been replaced in the impressive new 2023 car so far by […]
Mercedes, Ferrari play down early pecking order
Feb.24 (GMM) While world champions Red Bull got off to an imperious start to the sole pre-season test, the team’s key rivals were left to wonder how far behind they are. After Max Verstappen set the pace, with Lewis Hamilton sixth and George Russell just ninth overall in Bahrain, Mercedes’ engineering boss Andrew Shovlin insisted […]
Red Bull’s early 2023 form ‘frightening’ – Marko
Feb.24 (GMM) Smiles filled the Red Bull garage on Thursday as the mere three days of pre-season testing kicked off in Bahrain. It was the world’s first real look at the car in which Max Verstappen will defend his back-to-back titles – and the Dutchman led the lap times on day 1. “It’s almost frightening […]
New Williams boss puts focus on 2024 and beyond
Feb.23 (GMM) James Vowles admits it may take time to power Williams off the back row of the Formula 1 grid. Last year, the Grove based team slumped to dead last in the constructors’ championship, after which team boss Jost Capito was ousted. And Marc Surer, a former F1 driver turned German-language broadcaster, expects more […]
Drugovich on pole to replace Stroll in first race
Feb.23 (GMM) Reigning Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich is in pole position to replace Lance Stroll in next weekend’s Bahrain season opener. Stroll, the son of Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll, has been sidelined for the start of pre-season testing this week by a bicycle accident. The team, and 24-year-old Stroll, have not disclosed […]
Sauber ‘boss’ defends unique team structure
Feb.23 (GMM) Alessandro Alunni Bravi has defended Sauber’s new approach to Formula 1 team management. Over the winter, team boss Frederic Vasseur switched to Ferrari to replace the axed Mattia Binotto. McLaren boss Andreas Seidl also made a move over the winter – from the Woking based team to Sauber, which will race as Alfa […]
Teams must speed up at sole F1 test – Marko
Feb.23 (GMM) Formula 1 teams will be quickly up to speed this week as pre-season testing shrinks to just three days in total. “You can’t do big tests – you’ll have to set times as quickly as possible,” Dr Helmut Marko, a top official at world champions Red Bull, told f1-insider.com. Mere days then separate […]
F1 race return unlikely for Schumacher – Ecclestone
Feb.22 (GMM) Mick Schumacher would still be on the Formula 1 grid if his famous father Michael was in good health. That is the view of former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, after young Schumacher, 23, lost his Haas race seat late last year and settled for the Mercedes reserve role for 2023. The German is […]
De Vries must avoid Verstappen comparison – boss
Feb.22 (GMM) Nyck de Vries should be careful not to compare himself with fellow Dutchman Max Verstappen in 2023. That is the warning of Formula 1 rookie de Vries’ first team boss Franz Tost, who will oversee the 28-year-old’s first season on the grid at Alpha Tauri this year. De Vries is actually almost 3 […]
Red Bull not so dominant in 2023 – Marko
Feb.22 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko is confident Red Bull will be able to defend Max Verstappen’s back-to-back titles in 2023. The energy drink owned team also won the constructors’ championship last year. “Yes, we want to defend both titles,” said Marko, the team’s 79-year-old top Austrian official. “But I don’t expect a season as dominant […]
New Aston Martin looks like a ‘fast car’ – Ocon
Feb.21 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s former teammate thinks the two-time champion could have a “very fast car” on his hands in 2023. Last year, Alonso was paired at Renault-owned Alpine by Frenchman Esteban Ocon – who actually beat the Spaniard in the world championship standings. But Alonso, 41, elected to leave Alpine to join what he […]
Honda taking ‘many’ enquiries from F1 teams
Feb.21 (GMM) Formula 1 teams are already enquiring about Honda’s plans for 2026 and beyond. That is despite the fact that, while the Japanese manufacturer may have registered with the FIA as an engine supplier for the next regulations era, an actual decision about staying in the sport is yet to be made. “We like […]
Verstappen signs ‘multi-million dollar’ deal
Feb.21 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s new personal sponsorship with Dutch beer Heineken is a “multi-million dollar deal”, according to De Limburger newspaper. Another Dutch newspaper, De Telegraaf, said the new deal is for six years. Correspondent Erik van Haren explained: “The deal itself is unique, because the brewer doesn’t normally work with individual athletes.” Back-to-back world […]
Saudi Arabia eyes F1 team, driver
Feb.21 (GMM) Plans may be afoot for a Saudi Arabian Formula 1 team. The lucrative Kingdom caused a stir recently amid rumours Saudi’s national investment body could be eyeing a $20 billion buyout of F1’s commercial rights. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali denied it, but with Saudi Arabia’s commercial interests in Formula 1 growing, and with […]
No details yet about Stroll bike crash, injury
Feb.21 (GMM) Aston Martin has not yet disclosed whether the newly-injured Lance Stroll will be replaced at the forthcoming pre-season test in Bahrain. Ahead of this week’s action in Bahrain ahead of the start of the 2023 season at the same circuit, it was announced on Monday that 24-year-old Stroll had crashed his bicycle in […]
Salo ends involvement with Russian racing
Feb.20 (GMM) Mika Salo is no longer involved in Russian motorsport. The same is true for Gunther Steiner, the Haas team boss who ousted Russian Nikita Mazepin and his lucrative sponsor Uralkali at the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis. “No more Russians,” Steiner is quoted as saying in the new edition of F1’s Netflix series […]
Mercedes may regret de Vries’ F1 move
Feb.20 (GMM) Mercedes may end up regretting losing Nyck de Vries to the Red Bull camp. That is the plain admission of Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ trackside engineering boss. Last year, the now 28-year-old Dutchman de Vries was the Brackley based team’s full-time reserve, who got his chance to debut when Mercedes-powered Williams driver Alex Albon […]