Sep.12 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has come under fire from several rivals after repeatedly driving slowly on the racing line during Friday practice at F1’s new Madring circuit. Yuki Tsunoda was visibly unimpressed at one point, giving the Ferrari driver a sarcastic thumbs-up from his cockpit after being held up. Carlos Sainz was even more direct, […]
Alonso future saga now worries FIA
Sep.12 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s uncertain Formula 1 future is becoming a wider concern for the sport, with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem now openly trying to convince the Spaniard to stay while Aston Martin quietly prepares for every possibility. Speaking at the New Economy Forum in Madrid, Ben Sulayem revealed he had already met Lawrence […]
Ben Sulayem wants Chinese 12th F1 team
Sep.12 (GMM) FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has again opened the door to a 12th Formula 1 team, directly contradicting Stefano Domenicali’s recent suggestion that another entry is not needed in the medium term. Ben Sulayem says any new entry should be a major Chinese manufacturer, following Cadillac’s arrival as the 11th team. “The FIA […]
Hadjar return still uncertain for Baku
Sep.12 (GMM) Isack Hadjar’s wrist injury appears more serious than initially hoped, with the Red Bull driver still wearing a substantial brace in Madrid and Laurent Mekies refusing to guarantee he will return in Baku. Hadjar has now missed three races, with Liam Lawson again substituting this weekend. Mekies said Red Bull had no hesitation […]
Williams, Horner caught in awkward timing controversies
Sep.12 (GMM) Two timing controversies have emerged around the Madrid GP weekend, involving Williams’ retro livery and Christian Horner’s forthcoming autobiography. Williams unveiled a mainly white design inspired by the team’s 1981 constructors’ triumph, which involved racing at Jarama near Madrid. But he historical reference has drawn criticism because of the wider sponsorship background attached […]
Ben Sulayem says Spain can sustain two F1 races
Sep.12 (GMM) FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says Spain can comfortably support two Formula 1 races, despite Madrid now holding a long-term place on the calendar and Barcelona moving to an alternating arrangement. Madrid is contracted annually through 2035, while Barcelona-Catalunya will return in 2028, 2030 and 2032 under its new rotation agreement. But Ben […]
Alonso says 2027 decision ‘not soon’
Sep.11 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says a decision about his 2027 future is still some way off, while openly admitting that options outside the Formula 1 cockpit are part of the discussion. Asked in Madrid when news about next season should be expected, the 45-year-old replied simply: “Not soon.” Alonso continues to insist his hesitation is […]
Lawson, Tsunoda push back on Verstappen ‘numb’ claim
Sep.11 (GMM) Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda have pushed back against Max Verstappen’s suggestion that the 2026 Formula 1 cars are so “numb” that drivers can adapt unusually quickly. Verstappen pointed to both drivers in a BBC interview this week. “No disrespect,” said the quadruple world champion, “but look at Yuki.” “He jumps in the […]
Imola finale reports grow despite official denials
Sep.11 (GMM) Reports that Imola has already been lined up to replace Abu Dhabi as Formula 1’s 2026 season finale are continuing to gather strength, despite both the FIA and F1 publicly insisting nothing has been decided. Dutch commentator Jack Plooij says he has now heard directly from people within Pirelli that Imola will host […]
Ocon insists drivers are not Haas’ problem
Sep.11 (GMM) Esteban Ocon has pushed back against growing speculation over Haas’ 2027 driver lineup, insisting the team’s current problems are with the cars rather than the drivers. Team boss Ayao Komatsu has already confirmed that several candidates are being evaluated, including through TPC testing, as Ocon fights to retain his seat. But the Frenchman […]
Leclerc cleared to race as Ferrari tension cools
Sep.11 (GMM) Charles Leclerc has been cleared to race in Madrid after further medical checks following his heavy Monza crash, while Ferrari appears to have calmed the tensions exposed during its disastrous home weekend. “It felt like a serious accident,” Leclerc, who reported vision problems after the impact, said on Thursday. “But all the checks […]
Wolff admits nerves over Antonelli kart celebration
Sep.11 (GMM) Toto Wolff has admitted he was nervous when championship leader Kimi Antonelli celebrated his extraordinary Monza victory by immediately heading to the kart track with his Mercedes crew. The 20-year-old spent his only free day after winning from 19th on the grid at the well-known Franciacorta circuit in Castrezzato, Brescia, together with Mercedes […]
Madring design raises major red-flag risk
Sep.11 (GMM) Formula 1 drivers are expecting Madrid’s new Madring circuit to produce crashes, red flags and safety cars this weekend – while Carlos Sainz says the enormous venue leaves plenty of scope to alter the layout in future. The semi-urban circuit has already produced warnings following its Formula 3 test, where repeated stoppages and […]
Antonelli’s value already estimated at EUR 50m
Sep.10 (GMM) Kimi Antonelli’s rapidly growing commercial value has now been estimated at around EUR 50 million following his remarkable victory at Monza. La Gazzetta dello Sport, working with sports business consultancy StageUp, says the figure is not Antonelli’s actual income but an estimate of the economic value he can already generate through sporting performance, […]
Ukraine intensifies pressure on FIA over Russia
Sep.10 (GMM) Ukraine’s national motorsport authority has stepped up its dispute with the FIA, directly accusing president Mohammed Ben Sulayem of failing to act properly over Russia. According to Anadolu Agency, Automobile Federation of Ukraine president Oleksandr Feldman has written to Ben Sulayem demanding that Russia’s FIA membership be suspended and strict restrictions on Russian […]
Herta admits F1 super licence now unlikely
Sep.10 (GMM) Colton Herta has admitted his difficult Formula 2 season is now likely to leave him short of the Super Licence points needed for Formula 1. The American endured another disastrous weekend at Monza, crashing in F2 practice, retiring from Sunday’s feature race and then losing most of his Cadillac FP1 outing to a […]
Sainz sees hope for controversial 2026 rules
Sep.10 (GMM) Carlos Sainz says Formula 1’s controversial 2026 regulations may yet develop into a much better spectacle, even as leading drivers continue to question how much skill the new energy-based racing demands. One criticism, divulged by Max Verstappen this week, is that the cars are comparatively easy for newcomers to adapt to because traditional […]
Verstappen doubts Madring will produce easy overtaking
Sep.10 (GMM) Max Verstappen says Madrid’s new Formula 1 circuit looks demanding but fears its braking-zone characteristics could make overtaking particularly difficult. Speaking on his Twitch channel, recalling his recent laps on the Madring layout in Red Bull’s simulator, Verstappen said the lap is difficult to put together cleanly. “It’s going to be very difficult,” […]
De la Rosa defends ‘underrated’ Stroll
Sep.10 (GMM) Pedro de la Rosa has strongly defended Lance Stroll after an unpleasant qualifying milestone at Monza, insisting the Canadian is far closer to Fernando Alonso than his reputation suggests. Stroll recently passed 200 Grand Prix starts and at Monza became the first driver in F1 history to record 100 Q1 eliminations. But Aston […]
Salo backs Raikkonen’s Red Bull move
Sep.10 (GMM) Mika Salo says Robin Raikkonen’s now-confirmed move into Red Bull’s junior program is a “really great” development and believes the 11-year-old has joined at a better time than he might have under Dr Helmut Marko. Red Bull has now officially confirmed that Kimi Raikkonen’s son will enter its junior program from 2027, after […]