May 7 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton threatened to boycott this weekend’s Miami GP if the FIA pressed ahead with its plans to ban his jewellery from the Mercedes cockpit. In a letter ahead of the inaugural street race, new F1 race director Niels Wittich reiterated his intention to enforce the jewellery ban with trackside “checks”. “I […]
F1 buys land and will promote Las Vegas GP
May 7 (GMM) Formula 1 is going into the business of promoting its own grands prix. Traditionally, the commercial side of organising races was relatively simple for the commercial rights holder – which at present is Liberty Media. But instead of simply taking a sizeable fee from a promoter for next year’s return of Las […]
Alonso could replace Vettel at Aston Martin
May 7 (GMM) Rumours are gaining momentum by the day that Sebastian Vettel is inching towards the end of his Formula 1 career. In multiple recent interviews, a big topic of conversation with the quadruple world champion has been his expiring Aston Martin contract. The Lawrence Stroll-owned team insist they want to retain him for […]
Struggling Mercedes fights back in Miami
May 7 (GMM) The Formula 1 world is wondering in Miami if Mercedes is finally getting to the bottom of its 2022 woes. In practice for the first-ever street race in the Floridian city, George Russell – clearly the more competitive Mercedes driver so far this season – was a shock P1. “The car can’t […]
Domenicali wants to drive down F1 car weight
May 6 (GMM) Stefano Domenicali admits he would like to drive down the ever-increasing weight of Formula 1 cars. After the recent F1 Commission meeting, the FIA confirmed the body’s objectives to “reduce car dimensions” and “reduce or contain car mass” in 2026. Indeed, while minimum car weights were once in the 500-600 kilo range, […]
Boss shows ‘no confidence’ in Ricciardo – report
May 6 (GMM) Zak Brown has opened the door to a potential driver change at McLaren. The Melbourne newspaper Herald Sun is running with the headline “Axed?”, after team supremo Brown admitted Australian Ricciardo’s seat is not safe beyond 2023. The French sports daily L’Equipe quotes American Brown as insisting he is not thinking “too […]
Race director in Miami as F1 dodges covid bullet
May 6 (GMM) Formula 1 has dodged a bullet as one of its two new race directors recovers from covid ahead of this weekend’s first grand prix in Miami. We reported last week that the two men who replaced axed Michael Masi for 2022 – Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich – both tested positive for […]
Updates won’t be quick fix for Mercedes – Wolff
May 6 (GMM) Toto Wolff has admitted Mercedes is not an update or two away from returning to the top step of the podium in Formula 1. After winning every single constructors’ championship of the previous regulations era, the German giant has stumbled badly as Ferrari and Red Bull run away with early dominance in […]
VW CEO credits Netflix for F1 popularity surge
May 6 (GMM) It may be controversial, but F1’s official Netflix series Drive to Survive will keep its engines revving for now. A deal has been struck for at least two more seasons of the dramatic documentary, which may have contributed to Volkswagen’s decision to green-light F1 projects for Audi and Porsche. “Formula 1 is […]
Latifi hits back at Piastri rumours
May 6 (GMM) Nicholas Latifi has hit back at rumours suggesting his Formula 1 seat is in danger. The Canadian, who made his debut for Williams in 2020 with the backing of his father’s company Sofina Foods, has struggled for pace whilst also making high profile mistakes so far this season. In the context of […]
VW eyes German drivers for 2026 F1 projects
May 5 (GMM) Volkswagen will try to reignite Germany’s love affair with Formula 1. Far from Michael Schumacher heyday, Germany has slipped out of F1 prominence in recent years and no longer even has a grand prix. Having confirmed this week that the VW board has approved separate F1 projects for 2026 for both Porsche […]
Seidl wants ‘B teams’ banned from F1
May 5 (GMM) Andreas Seidl thinks so-called “B teams” should not be allowed in Formula 1. The McLaren boss is aiming fire at Haas’ close technical relationship with Ferrari, which now involves a facility for the small American team on the grounds at Maranello. “Haas deserves its results, because there are rules and they comply […]
Owner Stroll confirms F1 talks with Audi
May 5 (GMM) Lawrence Stroll has confirmed talks with Audi about a potential works collaboration in Formula 1 for 2026 and beyond. With the Volkswagen board green-lighting both Audi and Porsche’s separate F1 projects, rumours suggest the Ingolstadt-based car manufacturer has approached Aston Martin as well as McLaren, Sauber and Williams. “Have we been approached […]
China could have three F1 races – Wolff
May 4 (GMM) There is room in Formula 1 for as many as three separate grands prix in China, according to Toto Wolff. Although the 2023 calendar is at breaking point with an unprecedented 23 races, rumours are afoot that the sport could axe a series of traditional European events to make way for new […]
Wolff moves to end Verstappen feud
May 4 (GMM) Toto Wolff took a step towards ending a feud with the Verstappen camp at the recent Formula 1 race at Imola. The two sides bickered bitterly last year as Mercedes and Red Bull duelled intensely for the 2021 world championship. But at Imola, while Max Verstappen’s father Jos chatted in the paddock […]
Williams could make driver change ‘this year’
May 4 (GMM) Williams could soon make a key race driver change, according to former F1 race winner Ralf Schumacher. The German says it’s obvious that Williams is not happy with Nicholas Latifi, despite the financial backing the struggling Canadian driver brings. “The Williams investors want two strong drivers in the car,” Schumacher told Sky […]
Hamilton in F1 ‘generational change’ – Haug
May 4 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton is in the middle of a “generational change” in Formula 1, according to former driver Ralf Schumacher and ex-Mercedes boss Norbert Haug. Haug, Mercedes’ former engine boss, does not think the seven time world champion will lose motivation and potentially quit F1 amid the team’s current slump. “I don’t think […]
Newey thinks F1 should ban wind tunnels
May 4 (GMM) Adrian Newey thinks wind tunnels should be banned from Formula 1. That is despite the fact that the team he designs F1 cars for – Red Bull – has joined McLaren and Aston Martin in deciding to build a brand new tunnel. “We are in the approval phase,” Dr Helmut Marko told […]
Porsche, Audi start F1 engine development – VW CEO
May 3 (GMM) Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess says not every one of the German carmaker giant’s board members is happy about Porsche and Audi entering Formula 1 in 2026. Only the finalisation of the sport’s 2026 engine rules now stands between VW’s green light and F1 getting two premium new German manufacturers on the grid. […]
Wolff pins hopes on back-to-back car upgrades
May 3 (GMM) Mercedes hopes back-to-back car upgrades at the next two grands prix will help cure the terminal ‘porpoising’ issue that has derailed the reigning constructors’ world champions 2022 season so far. Seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton admits the issue is a fundamental one for the German team. “I remember being asked in […]