May 19 (GMM) Flavio Briatore says he will be “patient” with Franco Colapinto following a baptism of fire for the Argentine driver at Imola. Fervently supported by his Argentine fans and heavily sponsored by the country’s corporate world, the 21-year-old replaced Jack Doohan at Imola after the team said Colapinto was guaranteed only the next […]
Rossi tells Antonelli to ‘say no’ to home race hype
May 19 (GMM) Kimi Antonelli admits his poorest personal performance of his young Formula 1 career was clearly connected to the hype and commotion of his first home race. The 18-year-old Italian arrived at Imola, a 30-minute train-ride from his home town of Bologna, with 100 dishes of lasagna for Mercedes’ race team. Still studying […]
Upgrade a ‘huge factor’ in Red Bull ‘breakthrough’
May 19 (GMM) A “breakthrough” at Red Bull may have arrived in the nick of time to rescue Max Verstappen’s quest for a fifth consecutive world championship. The Dutchman, and the team, headed to Imola ruing the “depressing” dominance displayed by McLaren in Miami. Team advisor Dr Helmut Marko and Verstappen’s father Jos admitted the […]
F1’s race rotation scheme should save Imola – Brown
May 18 (GMM) Formula 1’s new idea to annually alternate some European races could save the iconic Imola circuit from the axe. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who was actually born near the fabled Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Italy, recently admitted it will be “difficult” for Imola to survive on a bustling calendar that […]
Doohan’s father slams Alpine after Colapinto crash
May 18 (GMM) Jack Doohan’s famous father has aimed a clear jibe at Alpine after the rookie Australian was axed from the race lineup. Franco Colapinto, highly rated but also heavily backed by corporate Argentina, was already off Pierre Gasly’s pace when he entered what would become a disastrous debut qualifying session for the Enstone […]
‘Time will tell’ if Alonso races in 2027 – boss
May 18 (GMM) Aston Martin is not ruling out that Fernando Alonso will still be racing a green car in Formula 1 in 2027. While the 43-year-old Spaniard’s current contract ties him to the Silverstone based team beyond 2026, for instance in an ambassadorial or management role, the deal only guarantees him the actual race […]
Sainz happy to be in blue rather than red in 2025
May 18 (GMM) Carlos Sainz admits he is quite happy to be in a blue car rather than a red one in 2025. Ongoing Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc summed up the ever-more-dire situation at the Maranello based team on Saturday by repeating the words “My God” over and over on the radio. He, like Lewis […]
Verstappen warns rival bosses about F1 future talks
May 18 (GMM) Max Verstappen has issued a clear warning to any rival Formula 1 team boss who is contemplating giving him a phone call. Between Miami and Imola, the quadruple world champion was roaring at record-breaking speed around the Nurburgring’s feared Nordschleife layout in a Ferrari GT3 car. “If I was his team boss, […]
Piastri still not yet clear McLaren number 1 – Brown
May 18 (GMM) Team CEO Zak Brown insists McLaren is holding firm to its principles by refusing to nominate a number 1 driver for the drivers’ title quest. Lando Norris headed into 2025 as the clear favourite and, indeed, led the championship early. More recently, however, Oscar Piastri has secured the obvious upper-hand and his […]
Tsunoda seat still safe after Imola rollover – Marko
May 18 (GMM) Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has reassured Yuki Tsunoda the Japanese driver’s seat is safe despite destroying his car in Imola qualifying. The diminutive 25-year-old, drafted into the lineup following Liam Lawson’s early 2025 struggle, admitted his “really stupid” mistake that resulted in a rollover crash against the barriers. “Five races […]
Verstappen admits he could leave Red Bull
May 17 (GMM) For the first time, Max Verstappen has admitted he is not 100 percent committed to staying at Red Bull Racing next year. Team advisor Dr Helmut Marko confessed at Imola that, given McLaren’s dominance so far, a fifth consecutive drivers’ title for the Dutchman is “becoming unrealistic”. That’s bad news for the […]
Fifth Verstappen title becoming ‘unrealistic’ – Marko
May 17 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s chances of securing a fifth consecutive world championship are becoming “unrealistic”. That’s the frank admission of Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko, who admitted the small step forward delivered by car updates at Imola were nonetheless “disappointing”. As for Verstappen, he said after Friday practice: “The McLaren overtook me and […]
Briatore denies Colapinto only guaranteed five races
May 17 (GMM) Flavio Briatore has denied his own claim that Franco Colapinto is guaranteed only the next five grands prix in Jack Doohan’s Alpine seat. In the days after the recent Miami GP, the Enstone based team announced that it had decided to “rotate” the second seat alongside Pierre Gasly. Executive advisor Briatore was […]
Norris takes advice to adopt lower profile
May 17 (GMM) Lando Norris appears to have taken some wise words of advice to heart. The former world championship leader, now trailing his cool and calm McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, is often criticised for his openness, self-deprecation, and emotion. F1 legend Alain Prost thinks it’s a big mistake. “Now, everything is shown, everything is […]
Russell opens door to F1 team switch
May 17 (GMM) On-form but out-of-contract Mercedes driver George Russell says his Formula 1 future beyond 2025 is wide open. Team boss Toto Wolff finds himself in a dilemma this year, as he leaves a door theoretically open for Max Verstappen for 2026 whilst also clearly satisfied with his existing lineup. Indeed, 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli […]
Alonso learned Aston upgrade plan ‘in the media’
May 16 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he learned through the media that he will not be at the wheel of Aston Martin’s newly-upgraded car in Imola practice. Although the technical team under Adrian Newey is focusing almost exclusively on the 2026 project, a small aerodynamics working group has prepared a new floor and upper bodywork […]
F1 drivers excited as pressure builds on FIA president
May 16 (GMM) Formula 1 drivers admit they are excited at the prospect of a management change right at the top of the sport. Highly controversial FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem looks set to be challenged in December’s presidential elections – by none other than Williams driver Carlos Sainz’s rallying legend father, 63-year-old Carlos Sainz. […]
Piastri racing towards drivers’ title crown – Marko
May 16 (GMM) By the end of the forthcoming triple-header, the 2025 world championship battle could be all but done and dusted. That’s the view of Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko, with quadruple world champion Max Verstappen currently placed third in the standings behind the two McLaren drivers. Verstappen admitted at Imola that McLaren’s […]
Hadjar putting Tsunoda’s seat in doubt – Marko
May 16 (GMM) An exciting future lies ahead for Isack Hadjar – as Yuki Tsunoda begins to “feel the heat on his neck”. That’s the assessment of Red Bull’s famous and notorious F1 consultant Dr Helmut Marko, as he heaps more praise on the opening phase of rookie Hadjar’s Formula 1 career at the junior […]
Horner, Verstappen reject ‘nonsense’ Horner rumours
May 16 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko insists rumours Christian Horner will be ousted as Red Bull team boss after this weekend’s grand prix at Imola are “nonsense”. “That’s not true and is completely nonsense,” the team advisor declared to Kleine Zeitung newspaper. Quadruple world champion Max Verstappen was asked the same question by Dutch reporters […]