Mar.15 (GMM) The FIA appears unlikely to drop its special conditions for Russian racing drivers any time soon. Ever since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict early last year, resulting in Nikita Mazepin and his Russian sponsor Uralkali’s expulsion from Haas, F1’s governing body has placed certain conditions on Russian athletes. Early this month, Mazepin […]
Hamilton to stay ‘a few more years’ – Russell
Mar.15 (GMM) George Russell can imagine Lewis Hamilton as his continuing Mercedes teammate “for a few more years”. It is clear that, eventually, Toto Wolff sees the much younger Briton Russell as the ultimate successor to 38-year-old teammate Hamilton. But although Hamilton and team boss Wolff are yet to reach a deal for a new […]
F1 insists ‘no discussions’ about London GP
Mar.15 (GMM) Formula 1 has swiftly played down reports the sport’s next high-profile destination will be the streets of London. London is regularly linked with a grand prix, with the latest report – in the pages of London’s major national newspaper The Times – suggesting plans are well advanced for a waterfront race in 2026 […]
Budget cap penalty will ‘vanish’ Red Bull’s lead
Mar.15 (GMM) Red Bull’s rivals could rapidly catch up in the latter part of the 2023 season, Dr Helmut Marko has warned. As the season got off to a start in Bahrain recently, however, it was clear that the reigning champions have a clear margin ahead of Ferrari, Mercedes, and new ‘top four’ newcomer Aston […]
Red Bull eyes ‘options’ for Alpha Tauri future
Mar.15 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko admits there has been interest from some parties in potentially buying Red Bull’s second Formula 1 team, Alpha Tauri. Some have suggested the Faenza based team is the perfect route into the sport for Andretti-Cadillac, especially as Marko admits Alpha Tauri has been underperforming. “Neither the sporting performance nor the […]
Vasseur ‘not worried’ about Ferrari exodus
Mar.15 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur says he’s “not worried” about some high profile departures at Ferrari. In the days between the opening Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs, Italian sources have reported about disarray behind the scenes in the wake of Mattia Binotto’s departure as team boss. “There are people close to Binotto who preferred to leave,” […]
Alonso confirms third F1 title target
Mar.14 (GMM) Fernando Alonso insists his only real objective left in Formula 1 is a third drivers’ world title. The Spaniard, 41, has been charging for it ever since he left Renault at the age of 26 and subsequently raced for McLaren and Ferrari – before retiring at the end of three disappointing seasons for […]
Verstappen admits he could quit at 31
Mar.14 (GMM) Max Verstappen has confirmed rumours that he might retire from Formula 1 at the young age of 31. The back-to-back reigning world champion, currently 25, is all signed up at Red Bull Racing on a long contract that stretches to the end of 2028. “If Max has had enough after 2028, he will […]
F1 will not be ‘all-electric’ – Domenicali
Mar.14 (GMM) Formula 1 is on the right track by resisting pressure to aim for an ‘all-electric’ future. That is the view of the sport’s CEO Stefano Domenicali, who thinks F1 is making a wise choice by sticking with hybrid engines and other sustainability measures rather than simply abandoning fuel altogether. “Technological and energy transitions […]
Vasseur denies being disempowered at Ferrari
Mar.14 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur has hit back at claims he is already unsatisfied with life as Ferrari’s new team boss. Amid a swathe of confirmed and rumoured personnel departures, it was also speculated this week that Frenchman Vasseur has found himself at early loggerheads with Ferrari’s CEO Benedetto Vigna. The rumour is that Vigna vetoed […]
Perez could beat Verstappen to 2023 title – Marko
Mar.14 (GMM) Sergio Perez could “challenge” teammate Max Verstappen for the 2023 world championship. That is the wild claim of Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, even though reigning back-to-back title winner Verstappen got his new campaign off to a dominant start recently in Bahrain. But Marko thinks Mexican Perez has a chance. “He’s certainly in […]
Williams keeping ‘iconic’ F1 team name
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 […]