Aug.23 (GMM) Nicholas Latifi looks set to stay at Williams for a third consecutive season in 2022. Currently, while a cloud hangs over George Russell’s future at the Grove-based team, there is less uncertainty about the fate of his Canadian teammate Latifi. “We are very happy with him,” team boss Jost Capito told Sport1. “He […]
Month: August 2021
Ferrari ‘must’ fight for 2022 title – Binotto
Aug.23 (GMM) Ferrari must challenge for the 2022 world championship, according to Mattia Binotto. In 2020, the fabled Maranello team slumped spectacularly, but is now tied on points with McLaren for third in the constructors’ standings. Team boss Binotto, however, says the focus is firmly on the new rules for 2022. “Fighting for the title […]
Bottas says Hamilton wants him to stay
Aug.23 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas says his teammate Lewis Hamilton has told him “directly” that the duo shouldn’t be split up by Mercedes for 2022 and beyond. Amid strong rumours that George Russell is set to oust the Finnish driver, team boss Toto Wolff says his final decision is now looming large. “We have to choose […]
Sainz says he can take on ‘any driver’
Aug.23 (GMM) Carlos Sainz thinks he could take on “any driver” in Formula 1. The Spaniard replaced Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari for 2021, and is now steadily approaching the pace and consistency of his highly-rated teammate Charles Leclerc. “Charles is a very strong driver and that has helped me to improve,” Sainz said. “But I’ve […]
2021 ‘pendulum’ swinging away from Red Bull – Glock
Aug.23 (GMM) Timo Glock thinks the “pendulum” of competitiveness has swung back in Mercedes’ favour. “I hope Red Bull can strike back,” said the former F1 driver, “because I can feel that the pendulum has recently been swinging back in the direction of Mercedes.” Indeed, Max Verstappen was leading the championship until the often controversial […]
Marko admits ‘options’ amid Bottas rumours
Aug.20 (GMM) F1’s August break did not put the brakes on the driver ‘silly season’, with sensational new rumours linking Valtteri Bottas with Red Bull for 2022. Although it had appeared that Red Bull would re-sign Sergio Perez, Dr Helmut Marko is still not ready to confirm that. “There are some options that we are […]
Formula E champion now eyeing Williams move
Aug.20 (GMM) New Formula E champion Nyck de Vries is not ruling out making the big move into F1 for 2022. The 26-year-old Dutchman races for Mercedes’ works team, which is pulling out of the all-electric single seater series next year to “refocus resource for electric-only vehicle development”. When asked what that and his title […]
Vettel says 18-inch tyres are faster
Aug.20 (GMM) Alfa Romeo’s technical boss has warned Formula 1 drivers not to get too excited about the move to low-profile 18-inch tyres for 2022. F1 drivers have been getting a good taste of Pirelli’s new tyres so far in 2021, with Haas, Red Bull and Aston Martin doing the post-British GP test and Mercedes, […]
Albon not ruling out full-time Indycar switch
Aug.20 (GMM) Alex Albon has opened the door to Indycar, after trying out a cockpit for size during a visit with Romain Grosjean at Indianapolis last weekend. Red Bull’s F1 reserve driver is racing in the German tin-top series DTM this year, but he is pushing for a return to Formula 1. However, the official […]
Bad news for 70,000 Dutch GP ticket holders
Aug.20 (GMM) Dutch GP organisers have had to inform a third of the ticketed spectators for the forthcoming Formula 1 race at Zandvoort that they can no longer attend. With government authorities ruling that only two thirds of the sell-out 105,000-capacity audience may attend due to covid, race organisers devised a sort of ‘lottery’ scheme […]
Hamilton-Verstappen clash just ‘racing’ – Todt
Aug.12 (GMM) Jean Todt says the clash between title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen recently was just “racing”. And the FIA president revealed that he told that to Red Bull boss Christian Horner personally, following Verstappen’s brief hospitalisation following the 51G impact at flat-out Copse corner. “I told Christian Horner that I was sorry […]
Alonso praise ‘means a lot to me’ – Russell
Aug.12 (GMM) George Russell says recent praise from F1 legend and rival Fernando Alonso “means a lot to me”. Amid ongoing speculation that Russell is set to be promoted from Williams to Mercedes for 2022, two-time champion Alonso said the 23-year-old’s driving in the lower half of the grid has been “impressive”. “We know that […]
Schumacher, Giovinazzi, set to stay put for 2022
Aug.11 (GMM) Ferrari is in talks with Haas about keeping Mick Schumacher at the small American team for 2022. There have been rumours suggesting the 22-year-old rookie, and son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher, could be heading to another Ferrari-powered team for 2022 – Alfa Romeo. But Haas boss Gunther Steiner has sounded confident about […]
Dutch GP boss tells fans not to boo Hamilton
Aug.11 (GMM) Jan Lammers says Dutch fans should refrain from booing Lewis Hamilton once Formula 1 touches down at Zandvoort early next month. In Hungary, a race attended by many of Max Verstappen’s Dutch fans, the crowd registered its displeasure with Hamilton by booing and jeering his pole position. Lammers, a Dutch former F1 driver […]
Schumacher fighting accident ‘consequences’ – Todt
Aug.11 (GMM) Michael Schumacher “survived” but suffered “consequences” as a result of his 2013 skiing accident, FIA president Jean Todt has confirmed. It is widely believed – but has never been publicly confirmed – that the seven time world champion is permanently brain damaged as a result of the incident of almost eight years ago. […]
Top Alpine engineer could be Red Bull-bound
Aug.11 (GMM) Renault-owned Alpine has confirmed the departure of long-time top engineer Remi Taffin. The Frenchman, who has been with the French manufacturer for over 20 years, was head of the Formula 1 engine program. It is rumoured he could now be bound for Red Bull’s new powertrains division, and is understood to already be […]
Ferrari to launch 2022 engine parts this season
Aug.11 (GMM) Mattia Binotto has confirmed reports that Ferrari will launch several components of its 2022 power unit later this season. Corriere della Sera newspaper this week claimed the Maranello team will run a completely revised engine next year – with parts of it to emerge in the final iteration of its 2021 engine. “The […]
Despite covid, Lammers expects ‘normal’ Dutch GP
Aug.10 (GMM) Jan Lammers remains “confident” Zandvoort will get a green light to welcome a full house of spectators to the Dutch GP early next month. On paper, a covid-shaped cloud is hanging over the event for the second year in succession, leaving race organisers waiting for a government announcement on Friday. “On August 13 […]
F1 must discuss penalty ‘appropriateness’
Aug.10 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko thinks Formula 1 needs to re-think its penalty system, after Sebastian Vettel was disqualified from the recent Hungarian GP. Aston Martin attempted to appeal the exclusion, arguing that the mandatory litre of fuel was indeed on-board even though scrutineers culd not extract it. But the FIA on Monday said Aston […]
2021 duel ‘not like Senna-Prost’ – Verstappen
Aug.10 (GMM) Max Verstappen has played down the parallels between his battle with Lewis Hamilton and the fierce and notorious Senna vs Prost saga of the past. “A fight like Senna and Prost had? That sounds good,” the Dutchman smiled to Bild newspaper. “But seriously, I don’t think about it too much,” Red Bull’s Verstappen […]