Dec.16 (GMM) FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem praised Max Verstappen for completing his ‘community service’ with a smile. After Ben Sulayem clamped down on driver swearing, Verstappen immediately tested the limits of the new situation in Singapore by describing his Red Bull car as “f*cked” in an FIA press conference. “We said that we did […]
F1 calendar ‘over the limit’ with 24 races – Wolff
Dec.16 (GMM) As an African GP edges ever nearer, three top Formula 1 personalities insist the calendar must not be expanded beyond its current 24 grands prix. Max Verstappen served his F-word community service and collected his world championship trophy in Rwanda, where the nation’s president Paul Kagame said he was “happy to formally announce” […]
Hamilton facing ‘big problem’ at Ferrari – Schumacher
Dec.16 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton could soon be facing a “big problem” in his Formula 1 career, according to former grand prix winner Ralf Schumacher. Schumacher admits both the seven time world champion and Ferrari are “two legendary names”, noting that the Italian marque’s share price “soared” when their collaboration from 2025 was announced. “But the […]
Unpaid, inconsistent F1 stewards ‘not fair’ – Steiner
Dec.13 (GMM) Gunther Steiner says the stewarding situation in Formula 1 is his biggest gripe about the sport at the moment. Inconsistency in stewards decisions, particularly when it comes to penalties, became a hot topic in 2024 – even attracting the criticism of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association. Steiner, the former Haas team boss, fully […]
F1 brake supplier hits out at Ferrari split rumours
Dec.13 (GMM) Brembo, the famous Italian brake company synonymous with Formula 1 and Ferrari, has hit back at a circulating rumour. Reports this week had suggested that incoming driver Lewis Hamilton asked Ferrari if he could stick with the French-made Carbon Industrie brakes he has become accustomed to at Mercedes. If true, it would mean […]
No ‘feelings’ amid Doohan-Colapinto rumours – Briatore
Dec.13 (GMM) Flavio Briatore has dropped a worrying hint about Jack Doohan’s immediate future in Formula 1. On the face of it, it’s smooth sailing for the son of MotoGP legend Mick Doohan, after taking over Esteban Ocon’s Alpine cockpit in Abu Dhabi and then following up with the post-season test. “Extremely grateful for the […]
How the intense Verstappen-Russell ‘died down’
Dec.13 (GMM) The intense heat seems to have dissipated after the Max Verstappen versus George Russell spat. When the pair were exchanging barbs and insults over the Qatar GP qualifying penalty situation, insiders raised their eyebrows about Russell’s role as senior director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association. So while the duo sat at opposite […]
Honda ‘pray’ Tsunoda selected to replace Perez
Dec.12 (GMM) Two top Honda officials are hoping Yuki Tsunoda is chosen to replace Red Bull’s endangered Sergio Perez for 2025. Most insiders and analysts agree that Red Bull bosses Christian Horner and Dr Helmut Marko have decided to oust Perez. Currently underway, according to multiple reports, are complicated and expensive negotiations to terminate or […]
Ocon ‘welcome’ to say goodbye to Alpine staff
Dec.12 (GMM) Esteban Ocon is “welcome” to return to Alpine’s UK factory to say goodbye, team boss Oliver Oakes has revealed. The French driver was ousted by the team just before the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi, ostensibly as part of a deal that allowed him to test for his new team – Haas […]
Identity of African GP financier emerges – report
Dec.12 (GMM) One of the financiers behind plans for a grand prix in Africa has emerged in the form of Christopher Aleo. According to Corriere dello Sport, the 38-year-old Italian – CEO of iSwiss bank – attended the season finale in Abu Dhabi last weekend. His visit was accompanied by rumours Aleo could be behind […]
Haas owner only wants to ‘participate’ in F1 – Steiner
Dec.12 (GMM) Haas’ team owner is content merely to “participate” in Formula 1. That’s the frank claim of the small American team’s former boss Gunther Steiner, who was sacked by owner Gene Haas over the telephone before the 2024 season. On the face of it, Haas made significant progress under the new reign of engineer-turned-boss […]
Five recent Maranello visits for Hamilton – report
Dec.12 (GMM) In the last few months alone, Lewis Hamilton visited Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters on no fewer than five separate occasions. That’s the claim of the authoritative Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, adding that the 39-year-old has also been taking Italian lessons. The factory visits were to establish relationships with his key engineers […]
FIA turns down Williams’ budget cap request
Dec.12 (GMM) F1’s governing body has turned down a plea from the Williams team. The James Vowles-led outfit has suffered a perhaps unprecedented string of big crashes recently, not only depleting the spare parts store but also endangering the budget cap spending limit. “Williams quite simply had more than twice as much damage as the […]
Ferrari to power Cadillac, Abu Dhabi buys McLaren
Dec.11 (GMM) Cadillac F1, the new General Motors-backed Formula 1 team set to debut in 2026, will be initially powered by customer Ferrari power units. Originally, when the ultimately rejected ‘Andretti’ team bid was approved by the FIA but rejected by Liberty Media, the outfit had shaken hands with Renault-Alpine for the initial engine supply. […]
No penalty for Verstappen after FIA ‘idiots’ insult
Dec.11 (GMM) Max Verstappen is set to escape additional penalties for calling Formula 1 stewards “stupid idiots” over the radio during the Abu Dhabi season finale. The quadruple world champion already needs to serve his community service – a penalty for using the F-word in an official press conference this season – whilst in Rwanda […]
Tsunoda aimed to ‘impress’ Red Bull with test
Dec.11 (GMM) Yuki Tsunoda admits his aim at the wheel of Max Verstappen’s title-winning Red Bull car in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday was to “impress”. Most insiders see Liam Lawson as the clear favourite to replace the struggling Sergio Perez next year, with the issue discussed in a meeting the day after the Abu Dhabi […]
Replacing Sainz with Hamilton is Ferrari ‘boost’ – boss
Dec.10 (GMM) With Carlos Sainz already sitting in a Williams, Ferrari expects that the arrival of Lewis Hamilton in 2025 will give the Italian team a “good boost”. Recently, the Spanish bank Santander departed Ferrari as a sponsor and the logos have now re-emerged on the 2024 Williams in the Abu Dhabi garage – where […]
Lawson smiles as Perez future announcement looms
Dec.10 (GMM) Liam Lawson’s smile may have given the game away as the hopeful New Zealander concluded his Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi. He is the big favourite to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull Racing next year, with the energy drink brand’s top brass having met to discuss the issue on Monday. “For […]
Colapinto to return to F1 grid ‘sooner or later’ – Alonso
Dec.10 (GMM) Fernando Alonso thinks Franco Colapinto will be back on the Formula 1 grid “sooner or later”. Alonso’s own driver management company, A14 Management, has successfully brought its top protege, the new Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto, to the F1 grid for 2025 with Audi-owned Sauber. But Alonso also has some ties with Colapinto, […]
Ferrari not ruling out Sainz return some day – boss
Dec.9 (GMM) Ferrari is not closing the door on a potential future return for Carlos Sainz. To make way for the arrival of Lewis Hamilton, team boss Frederic Vasseur told Sainz early this year that he needs to vacate his red cockpit at the end of the season. That moment came in Abu Dhabi on […]