Dec.13 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s mother admits she “begged the angels” for a miracle to help her son become Formula 1 world champion on Sunday. Red Bull boss Christian Horner also said late in the race that only a “miracle” could deliver the crown to the 24-year-old – and that miracle came on the very last […]
Month: December 2021
Brawn, Symonds, to lose top F1 jobs – report
Dec.12 (GMM) Ross Brawn could be set to lose his top job as Formula 1’s managing director. When Liberty Media took over from Bernie Ecclestone some years ago, a trio of managers ran the sport – Chase Carey as CEO, Sean Bratches in charge of commercial matters, and respected F1 engineer Brawn, 67, as sporting […]
Piastri snub a ‘bad example’ for F1
Dec.12 (GMM) Formula 1 is showing youngsters a “bad example” by locking Oscar Piastri out of the top category of motor racing for at least a year. The Mark Webber-managed Australian 20-year-old has dominantly won this year’s Formula 2 championship at his first attempt – having last year won the FIA Formula 3 title, also […]
Bottas to test Alfa Romeo on Tuesday
Dec.12 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has confirmed rumours that he will get his first taste of life in an Alfa Romeo cockpit within days. The Finn has lost his Mercedes seat to George Russell, meaning that Sunday’s 2021 finale in Abu Dhabi is his last race after a five-year stint with the reigning champions. “I’m trying […]
Marko brought ‘relaxation program’ to Verstappen
Dec.12 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says he convinced Max Verstappen to bring his “relaxation program” from Europe to the Middle East ahead of the most important weekend of his career. “He wanted to fly to Europe,” the Red Bull official smiled when asked about the Dutch driver and Abu Dhabi pole-sitter’s post-Saudi Arabian plans. Indeed, […]
Verstappen thinks he makes Hamilton ‘nervous’
Dec.12 (GMM) Max Verstappen has admitted he has stopped using the words ‘Lewis Hamilton’ and ‘Mercedes’ as the incredibly tense and ultra-close 2021 world championship battle finally concludes on Sunday. “That’s right,” the Dutchman told De Telegraaf newspaper when asked if rumours are true that he no longer mentions his rivals by name. “That happens […]
Top teams want more money for F1 sprint races
Dec.11 (GMM) A new financial dispute is breaking out in Formula 1. Top teams Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari are complaining that the expansion of the ‘sprint qualifying’ format next year to six rounds means the budget cap limit should be raised. “Bahrain, Imola, Montreal, Spielberg, Zandvoort and Interlagos are all mentioned as possible candidates,” […]
Binotto not ruling out Ferrari return for Todt
Dec.11 (GMM) Mattia Binotto has played down reports suggesting former Ferrari boss Jean Todt could be about to return to the fabled Maranello team. According to the reports, Italian Binotto would keep the top job but be assisted in political and sporting matters by 75-year-old Todt, who is stepping down as FIA president within days. […]
F1 supremo hoses down hopes for London GP
Dec.11 (GMM) F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali has watered down hopes the sport may soon be racing around the streets of London. Earlier in 2021, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he wants Formula 1 to keep the British GP at Silverstone “but racing in London would top everything”. “I hope the mayor of London and […]
No F1 team for sale at the moment – Zak Brown
Dec.11 (GMM) Zak Brown says Formula 1 is in such robust health at the moment that no team is interested in selling. Brown is the supremo at McLaren, who recently went public to strongly deny speculation that the Woking based company may be sold to Audi. The American marketing specialist is clearly is not about […]
Anti-Verstappen campaign belongs in ‘Hollywood’ – Marko
Dec.11 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton is shaping up as a great Hollywood-quality actor, according to Red Bull’s sarcastic Dr Helmut Marko. As the final qualifying session of the thrilling 2021 world championship battle now looms in Abu Dhabi, the Red Bull camp has hit out at both Hamilton and Mercedes for pointing the “media machine” at […]
F1 finale in doubt for Haas over chassis shortage
Dec.10 (GMM) Haas’ very participation in the 2021 season finale this weekend is in doubt. Boss Gunther Steiner is warning his rookie drivers, Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, that crashes or incidents on Friday could rule them out of qualifying and the race in Abu Dhabi. “Due to the last crashes, our stock of parts […]
Ricciardo to spend Christmas in quarantine
Dec.10 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo says he will be spending Christmas alone in an Australian hotel room. “I’ll be staring at hotel room walls for two weeks,” said the McLaren driver in Abu Dhabi, when asked what his next move will be after the chequered flag falls on the long and intense 2021 season on Sunday. […]
Raikkonen says F1’s politics now ‘ridiculous’
Dec.10 (GMM) The retiring Kimi Raikkonen’s parting shot at Formula 1 is that the off-track political “nonsense” has now entered “ridiculous” territory. 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve had also slammed the sport after the controversial race in Saudi Arabia last weekend, asking: “Do we want sport and good F1? “Or do we just want a […]
Abu Dhabi changes ‘will help Mercedes’ – Horner
Dec.10 (GMM) Max Verstappen deserves to win his first drivers’ title on Sunday, according to two-time world champion Fernando Alonso. The 40-year-old Spaniard was asked about his preferred picks for the two 2021 world championships, which will be decided in Abu Dhabi at the very end of one of the closest and most intense contests […]
‘F*** you’ message at 2021 finale ‘coincidence’ – Hamilton
Dec.10 (GMM) The tension has reached fever pitch in Abu Dhabi as one of closest and most fiercely-contested world championships in Formula 1 history finally comes to a head. After 21 out of 22 grands prix, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are dead-even on points with just Sunday’s 2021 finale on the modified Yas Marina […]
Bottas received second offer for 2022 F1 seat
Dec.9 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has admitted he received a second solid offer to keep racing in Formula 1 next year. The five-year Mercedes veteran has been ousted for 2022, to be replaced by George Russell. Bottas, 32, has been signed up by Alfa Romeo. The Finn told Iltalehti newspaper: “Two days after I made the […]
Todt could become Ferrari ‘super consultant’
Dec.9 (GMM) Ferrari and Jean Todt could be getting back together. Frenchman Todt, 75, is stepping down as FIA president in just over a week, with Graham Stoker and Mohammed ben Sulayem vying to be elected as his successor. Prior to becoming FIA president, Todt was the ultra-successful team boss at Ferrari, where he oversaw […]
Verstappen ‘tough’ but ‘not dirty’ – Stuck
Dec.9 (GMM) Max Verstappen is a “tough” Formula 1 driver, according to German motor racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck. But 70-year-old Stuck, who raced in F1 throughout the 70s, hit out at widespread reporting ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi showdown suggesting Verstappen is also “dirty”. “That is nonsense,” he told f1-insider.com when told about those […]
Hamilton not involved in axed Mercedes sponsorship
Dec.9 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton was part of a push that has seen Mercedes dump its brand new sponsor deal with Irish materials company Kingspan. The logo appeared on the side of the nose of the black Mercedes cars in Saudi Arabia – just as a sizeable controversy about the sponsorship was kicking off. In a […]