Sep.22 (GMM) Red Bull is yet to decide if Max Verstappen will need to take a grid penalty this weekend at Sochi. The world championship will ultimately need to be penalised by fitting an inevitable fourth Honda power unit this year, with Sochi mentioned as a potentially appropriate venue for that. Verstappen is already moving […]
Month: September 2021
Newey not joining Whitmarsh at Aston Martin
Sep.22 (GMM) Red Bull designer Adrian Newey will not be joining Martin Whitmarsh in heading to Aston Martin. The Lawrence Stroll-owned team is in a period of growth for the future, with groundbreaking of a new factory at Silverstone taking place and former McLaren boss Whitmarsh now signing up. Whitmarsh, who has been out of […]
Alpine’s F1 future secure for up to ‘ten years’
Sep.22 (GMM) Alpine’s future in Formula 1 is secure for the next “five to ten years”, the Renault-owned carmaker’s CEO Laurent Rossi has affirmed. Esteban Ocon broke through with victory in Hungary recently, but Rossi denies it was an “important” milestone to secure the ongoing commitment to F1 of Alpine and Renault. “The win wasn’t […]
Haas to confirm current drivers for 2022 ‘before Sochi’
Sep.21 (GMM) Mick Schumacher’s seat at Haas for 2022 “should be confirmed soon”, according to the small American team’s boss Gunther Steiner. Earlier, Ferrari-backed Schumacher was linked with a move to Alfa Romeo, but he will instead remain alongside controversial fellow rookie Nikita Mazepin. “Mick should be confirmed soon,” Steiner told RTL. “Let’s wait a […]
VW interest shows F1 beating Formula E – Horner
Sep.21 (GMM) Formula 1 is fending off the existential challenge posed by all-electric motorsport, according to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. After losing works Honda support beyond this year, Red Bull is becoming its own engine supplier amid rumours it may tie up with Volkswagen. “Whatever engine we have in 2025-2026 it has to […]
Tsunoda’s F1 career to end in 2022 – Coulthard
Sep.21 (GMM) Former F1 driver David Coulthard has issued a scathing prediction about the future of Japanese rookie Yuki Tsunoda. Backed by Honda and lauded by Red Bull as he entered Formula 1 with Alpha Tauri this year, the diminutive 21-year-old has often been erratic on track. Recently, he admitted he was “surprised” to have […]
Schumacher hits out at Hamilton ‘dramatising’
Sep.21 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes were “too dramatising” in the wake of the seven time world champion’s scary incident with title rival Max Verstappen at Monza. That is the view of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who nonetheless agrees that Hamilton is a “colourful” driver who “gives Formula 1 a lot”. However, Schumacher thinks […]
Sainz not content with Barrichello-like career
Sep.21 (GMM) Carlos Sainz says he is not content to be remembered in Formula 1 history as a Rubens Barrichello-type driver. Although highly talented, experienced and accomplished, Brazilian Barrichello will probably be best remembered as the clear number 2 driver to Ferrari’s top star Michael Schumacher. “Would I be happy being a Barrichello? No, clearly […]
De Vries not desperate for F1 career
Sep.20 (GMM) Nyck de Vries insists he is not desperate to race in Formula 1. The 26-year-old Dutchman has been on the cusp of breaking into the sport for several years now, with his latest triumph being the latest Formula E title with Mercedes. Toto Wolff pushed hard for him to be signed by Williams […]
Haas needed 2021 rookies to save F1 team – boss
Sep.20 (GMM) Gunther Steiner says he had no option other than to oust Haas’ former drivers and replace them with rookies Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin for 2021. This year, the struggling American team has been in the headlines for three main reasons – a conspicuous lack of pace, the controversial Mazepin, and the intensifying […]
Prost issues F1 quit threat over reverse grids
Sep.20 (GMM) F1 legend Alain Prost says he would boycott the sport if reverse grid races are introduced. The sport’s chiefs are not ruling out tweaks to the new occasional ‘sprint qualifying’ format for 2022, with some drivers reportedly suggesting that it would be more interesting if grids were shaken up. But for quadruple world […]
Melbourne appears on leaked 2022 F1 calendar
Sep.20 (GMM) Formula 1 fans in Australia will be buoyed by emerging news about the future of the grand prix in Melbourne. Currently, Australia – and major cities Melbourne and Sydney in particular – are in the grip of an intense version of the covid-19 pandemic, with even peaceful lockdown protests outlawed by authorities and […]
Vettel should be bee-keeper after quitting F1 – Berger
Sep.20 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel should focus full-time on “bee-keeping” rather than switch to another racing series after retiring from Formula 1. That is the tongue-in-cheek view of the quadruple world champion’s former Toro Rosso team boss Gerhard Berger, as Vettel signs on with Aston Martin for another year. It had been rumoured that German Vettel, […]
Mazepin has caught up with Schumacher – Salo
Sep.17 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin is catching up with his fellow Formula 1 rookie and Haas teammate Mick Schumacher. That is the view of former F1 driver and occasional FIA steward Mika Salo, who earlier this season said 22-year-old Russian Mazepin “just doesn’t belong in Formula 1”. Others still hold that view, but Finn and former […]
Government called upon to keep Giovinazzi in F1
Sep.17 (GMM) Italian officials are calling on government support to keep Antonio Giovinazzi in Formula 1. With Sebastian Vettel confirmed to be staying at Aston Martin next year, it means Giovinazzi’s Alfa Romeo seat is the last realistic vacancy for 2022. The frontrunner to replace the 27-year-old Italian appears to be Guanyu Zhou, who according […]
Verstappen-Hamilton crash just ‘racing’ – Capito
Sep.17 (GMM) Jost Capito has played down the raging controversy surrounding the Max Versappen-Lewis Hamilton crash at Monza, declaring that it was mere “racing”. Mercedes’ engineering chief Andy Shovlin reports that seven time world champion Hamilton is still suffering from a “sore neck” after being struck on the helmet by the flying Red Bull. “Fortunately, […]
Ferrari admits 20hp deficit to Mercedes engine
Sep.16 (GMM) A heavily upgraded Ferrari power unit, packing between 10-15hp more power, looks set to make its Formula 1 debut at the forthcoming Turkish or US grands prix in October. Team boss Mattia Binotto says it is a fundamental technological and architectural shift for the Maranello team ahead of the all-new rules for 2022. […]
Perez’s similar struggles not ‘comforting’ – Albon
Sep.16 (GMM) Alex Albon denies that Sergio Perez’s struggles this year have been “comforting” to watch. Albon, who is returning to the grid next year for Williams, was dropped by Red Bull at the end of last year to be replaced by the much more experienced Mexican Perez. However, 31-year-old Perez has also struggled to […]
F1 eyes third ‘Grand Slam’ title for 2022
Sep.16 (GMM) Formula 1 could be set to introduce a third world title. Currently, drivers and teams battle it out over the season for the ultimate spoils – the FIA drivers’ and constructors’ world championships. But F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says this year’s three-round trial of the new sprint qualifying format could be expanded to […]
Monza steward Liuzzi plays down Verstappen-Hamilton clash
Sep.16 (GMM) An Italian GP steward has played down the severity of Max Verstappen’s foul on championship rival Lewis Hamilton last weekend at Monza. Mercedes’ Toto Wolff had called it a “technical foul”, with Hamilton declaring that he was lucky to emerge alive following contact between his helmet and the Red Bull’s wheel. Vitantonio Liuzzi, […]