Aug.23 (GMM) A Russian government official has scoffed at Formula 1’s claim that the sport will never race again in the country over the Ukraine conflict. Stefano Domenicali is the CEO of Formula One Management, who earlier this year scrapped the Russian GP contract with Sochi and also ruled out the event’s planned move to […]
Candidate emerges for Schumacher’s Haas seat
Aug.23 (GMM) A new candidate has leapt into pole position to potentially replace Mick Schumacher at Haas next year. The small American team’s boss Gunther Steiner admits that Ferrari is behind the appointment of Antonio Giovinazzi for practice session outings at both the forthcoming Monza and US GP rounds. “Ferrari were keen to give Antonio […]
Gasly ‘free’ to leave Red Bull after 2023
Aug.22 (GMM) Pierre Gasly will be “free” to leave Red Bull after 2023, Dr Helmut Marko has revealed. Frenchman Gasly, 26, has been pushing Red Bull to re-promote him from the second team Alpha Tauri – but the energy drink-owned stable has confirmed that he is staying put for 2023. “We have a good relationship,” […]
Red Bull to crash-test lighter 2022 car
Aug.22 (GMM) Red Bull will need to take a lighter 2022 car through renewed FIA crash testing, it has emerged. The energy drink owned team and championship leader Max Verstappen have made no secret that the RB18 is still easily over the minimum weight limit. At the same time, Red Bull suspects that Ferrari is […]
No more big upgrades for 2022 Aston Martin
Aug.22 (GMM) Aston Martin is unlikely to keep developing the 2022 car, team performance director Tom McCullough has admitted. Earlier in 2022, the Silverstone based team was accused of unveiling a major upgrade that turned Aston Martin’s current car into a ‘green Red Bull’. But Sebastian Vettel, who will be replaced by fellow former world […]
Spa boss says 2023 F1 talks ‘going well’
Aug.22 (GMM) Formula 1 will awake from its August slumber this weekend to face a sell-out crowd at Belgium’s fabled Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Local media report that the full 360,000 tickets have been sold – but that still may not be enough to help the promoter’s negotiations for a new contract beyond 2022. “The negotiations with […]
F1 will never return to Russia – Domenicali
Aug.22 (GMM) Formula 1 will never return to Russia, the sport’s CEO Stefano Domenicali has sensationally revealed. The country, until now with an annual grand prix at Sochi and plans to relocate to St Petersburg, was kicked off the calendar as part of sweeping sanctions over the Ukraine conflict. “I’ve always believed that you should […]
Marko blames ‘English press’ for Vips axe
Aug.22 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has blamed “the English press” for Red Bull’s decision to axe promising young junior driver Juri Vips. Estonian Formula 2 driver Vips, 21, kept his F2 seat but lost all backing and support by Red Bull after a recent online incident in which he used the ‘N-word’. “The English press […]
VW brands still not confirming 2026 plans
Aug.22 (GMM) Porsche and Audi are still not ready to confirm their intention to enter Formula 1 for 2026. During F1’s August shutdown, the World Motor Sport Council finally set the new engine rules for 2026 into stone, which the FIA hopes will entice “potential new PU manufacturers” to enter the sport. Audi, however, is […]
Alpine CEO eyes Mick Schumacher for 2023
Aug.22 (GMM) Mick Schumacher may be inching towards a plum Alpine race cockpit for 2023. The young German is rumoured to be struggling to maintain the confidence of both the Haas team as well as Ferrari’s F1 driver development ‘academy’. His uncle Ralf Schumacher, however, thinks 23-year-old Mick is “a candidate” to replace Fernando Alonso […]
Ricciardo likely to leave F1 – Schumacher
Aug.22 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo could very well be left without a Formula 1 seat in 2023, according to former driver Ralf Schumacher. The German admits there are “a lot of rumours” swirling about amid the saga surrounding Oscar Piastri, with Alpine likely to lose the reigning F2 champion to McLaren. “They (Alpine) wanted to put […]
Female champ says F1 may be too physical for women
Aug.12 (GMM) The dominant driver in the all-female open wheeler support category for Formula 1 says she isn’t sure women are ready to take on the men at the pinnacle of motor racing. Much is said, written and promoted about gender equity and inclusivity in Formula 1, but Jamie Chadwick – the two-time W Series […]
Two-horse race to be Bottas’ 2023 teammate
Aug.12 (GMM) The identity of Valtteri Bottas’ teammate at Alfa Romeo in 2023 appears to be down to a two-horse race. Frederic Vasseur is personally championing the Sauber team’s own junior Theo Pourchaire, the 18-year-old fellow Frenchman who is a title contender in Formula 2 this year. Vasseur says Pourchaire will be making a Friday […]
Ferrari set for engine upgrade at Spa
Aug.11 (GMM) Ferrari looks set to introduce an upgraded power unit immediately after the current August break. The Italian team has arguably the quickest car of 2022 so far, but reliability and strategy errors mean Charles Leclerc is a full 80 points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Team boss Mattia Binotto has now told the […]
Year on bench ‘fatal’ for Schumacher career – Stuck
Aug.11 (GMM) Sitting out even a year of Formula 1 would be “fatal” to Mick Schumacher’s career. That is the view of German racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck, responding to rumours the 23-year-old son of Michael Schumacher could be ousted by Haas. “He needs to stick with it now, show himself and set an example, as […]
Zandvoort owner says no chance of second Dutch GP
Aug.11 (GMM) Dutch promoters should give up on the idea of a second Formula 1 race in the Netherlands, according to Zandvoort circuit owner Prince Bernhard van Oranje. He admits the hype around world champion and championship leader Max Verstappen is “bizarre” – prompting speculation there could be space on the calendar for a second […]
‘New entrants’ set to race into F1
Aug.11 (GMM) FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is confident “new entrants” will enter Formula 1 after the 2026 engine rules come into force. Those regulations have faced conspicuous delays as they were debated over the past weeks and months, but the World Motor Sport Council is now “considering” the finalised rules. Referring to F1’s “stakeholders”, […]
Ferrari should consider axing strategy boss
Aug.10 (GMM) Ferrari should consider ousting its Spanish strategy chief, according to the Maranello team’s former boss Cesare Fiorio. Whilst acknowledging reliability and strategy mistakes that have put Charles Leclerc 80 points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, current boss Mattia Binotto insists the current team needs no drastic changes. Fiorio, who was Ferrari boss in […]
Red Bull rules out Alpine switch for Gasly
Aug.10 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko and Franz Tost have blankly dismissed speculation linking Pierre Gasly with the vacant race cockpit at Alpine for 2023. With Alpine poised to lose Oscar Piastri to McLaren, some believe the perfect ‘plan B’ for the Renault-owned team would be an all-French lineup of Esteban Ocon alongside Gasly. Frenchman Gasly, […]
Briatore ‘handwriting’ all over Piastri saga
Aug.10 (GMM) Flavio Briatore’s “handwriting” is all over the Oscar Piastri affair. That is the sensational claim of former F1 driver Christian Danner, after Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer admitted some “sharing of information” could indeed have taken place. The rumour is that Piastri’s manager Mark Webber, Aston Martin defector Fernando Alonso and Briatore himself – […]