Nov.25 (GMM) Sergio Perez has pledged to keep fighting to help his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen win the 2021 title. While questions are being asked about the Alfa Romeo-bound Valtteri Bottas’ ongoing support for Lewis Hamilton’s championship charge, Perez is all signed up for 2022 and determined to assist. “Max is the driver of […]
Month: November 2021
Hamilton ‘cautious’ for Verstappen title showdown
Nov.25 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says he will be “more cautious than ever before” when dicing wheel-to-wheel with championship rival Max Verstappen in the last and decisive two grands prix of 2021. It has been a near-unprecedentedly tense title battle so far, with the pair separated by just 8 points but chaser Hamilton with the apparent […]
Marko not as worried about Hamilton’s ‘rocket’ engine
Nov.25 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko doubts Lewis Hamilton will get such a benefit from his “rocket” engine in Saudi Arabia next weekend. The Mercedes driver took a grid penalty hit to install the fresh engine in Brazil, going on to actually win the race with up to a 30kph straightline speed advantage. Dubbed a “rocket” […]
Not being afraid of covid ‘strange’ – Hamilton
Nov.25 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says it’s “strange” to him that some athletes are now putting the covid crisis firmly behind them. 20 months after the pandemic struck, and now well into the mass vaccination campaign across the world, some covid restrictions are finally beginning to ease in Formula 1. Seven time world champion Hamilton, however, […]
Pourchaire still in running for F1 future – Vasseur
Nov.24 (GMM) Theo Pourchaire will continue his journey towards Formula 1 in 2022, Alfa Romeo team boss Frederic Vasseur has revealed. After the Swiss-based team confirmed that Guanyu Zhou will be replacing Antonio Giovinazzi next year, Vasseur’s young protege and fellow Frenchman Pourchaire admitted he was “obviously disappointed”. “Even if I am told all day […]
Qatar GP may relocate to capital city Doha
Nov.24 (GMM) Qatar’s plan may be to relocate its grand prix from the MotoGP venue in Losail to the capital city in Doha. While there were some grumbles about the aggressive and damaging kerbs, Formula 1 drivers generally enjoyed the high-speed venue last weekend. “The track is amazing to drive,” seven time world champion Lewis […]
Podium with title chargers felt ‘strange’ – Alonso
Nov.24 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has revealed the “strange” experience of sharing his first Formula 1 podium in seven years with warring title challengers Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. For years, fans and insiders had not seen the Spaniard, now 40, appearing so obviously joyful about a race result, with Qatar marking the end of a […]
Government says yes to new Spanish GP contract
Nov.24 (GMM) Barcelona has taken one more step towards securing a new deal to keep hosting the Spanish GP. Last month, Formula 1 unveiled its calendar for 2022 showing the Circuit de Catalunya as only having a race date that is “subject to contract”. Spanish media, including El Mundo Deportivo, now report that the local […]
Lauda’s son slams ‘childish’ F1 bosses
Nov.24 (GMM) Niki Lauda’s racing driver son Mathias has hit out at “childish” team bosses in Formula 1. He is referring to Christian Horner and Toto Wolff, the warring team principals at championship-battling teams Red Bull and Mercedes respectively. Horner, for example, was chided by F1 race director Michael Masi in Qatar for criticising a […]
Drivers deny issue ‘clear’ after Verstappen move
Nov.24 (GMM) Formula 1 drivers have hit back at suggestions it is now “clear” how the FIA will issue penalties for overly aggressive racing tactics. It was a hot topic in a lengthy pre-race driver briefing in Qatar, after Max Verstappen escaped penalty despite running championship rival Lewis Hamilton wide and off the track a […]
‘Illegal’ Mercedes chatter ‘must stop’ – van de Grint
Nov.23 (GMM) Media and paddock chatter about Mercedes’ supposedly illegal 2021 car “must stop”, according to former prominent F1 engineer Kees van de Grint. The narrative – surrounding questionably legal engines, rear wings and other Mercedes innovations – has come amid the reigning champions’ close and bitter battle for the world championship with Red Bull. […]
Mercedes insists rear wing ‘not changed’ in Qatar
Nov.23 (GMM) The sensational, close and near-unprecedentedly tense 2021 world championship is now entering the decisive final rounds in the Middle East. “If Lewis wins the last two races, he’ll win the championship. And he knows that,” Mathias Lauda, the son of F1 great Niki Lauda, told Servus TV. Indeed, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is now […]
Bottas not driving Hamilton-spec car in Qatar
Nov.22 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas says he was not driving an identical Mercedes to teammate and championship chaser Lewis Hamilton in Qatar. The claim comes amid more criticism of the Finn, who is being replaced by George Russell for 2022 and beyond. Speaking after the first F1 race in Qatar, former driver Timo Glock told Sky […]
Alonso ‘the best driver in F1’ – Prost
Nov.22 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s seven-year absence from the podium finally came to an end in Qatar. Fellow F1 legend and multiple world champion Alain Prost, a key member of the Renault-owned Alpine team, hailed the 40-year-old Spaniard as “the best driver in the field”. Spaniard Alonso, whose last podium was with Ferrari in 2014 before […]
Red Bull’s Marko slams ‘incompetent’ FIA in Qatar
Nov.22 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has doubled down after fellow Red Bull chief Christian Horner was officially rebuked for lashing out at a “rogue” steward in Qatar. Horner’s frustration was about a pre-race grid penalty for championship leader Max Verstappen, with the Dutchman found to have ignored waving yellow flags in the decisive moments of […]
Hamilton to use ‘rocket’ engine in Saudi – Wolff
Nov.22 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s so-called “rocket” engine will return to the rear of his Mercedes for the penultimate round of the 2021 world championship next weekend. The seven time world champion dominated in Qatar, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen admitting that despite his pre-race grid penalty, Hamilton was simply faster. Dutchman Verstappen’s lead shrunk further […]
Nervous Alfa Romeo runs out of spare F1 parts
Nov.21 (GMM) Alfa Romeo is getting dangerously low in spare parts as the long and arduous 2021 season approaches its finale. With three races still to run, including Sunday’s maiden event in Qatar, multiple Formula 1 teams were caught out by the damaging kerbs on the Losail circuit – used primarily for MotoGP. Ferrari’s Charles […]
Construction of Saudi F1 track still not complete
Nov.21 (GMM) The penultimate round in one of the most thrilling world championship battles of all time may reportedly take place on “half a construction site”. Formula 1 officials have played down suggestions the new Jeddah circuit in Saudi Arabia – scheduled to host the second-last race of 2021 in a fortnight – will not […]
Perez ‘not good enough’ in Qatar – Schumacher
Nov.21 (GMM) Sergio Perez needs to up his game as championship leader Max Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate. That is the view of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, even though Red Bull has already signed a new contract with the Mexican for 2022. However, Verstappen has been left sandwiched between the two Mercedes cars for the […]
Hamilton not using Brazil ‘rocket’ in Qatar
Nov.21 (GMM) The needle between Mercedes and Red Bull is raging on in Qatar, as the 2021 world championship battle races towards its thrilling conclusion. With just three Formula 1 races still to run this year, including Sunday’s at the MotoGP circuit Losail, the top teams are warring over allegedly illegal engines, driver manoeuvres and […]