Apr.13 (GMM) Charles Leclerc is on the cusp of being Ferrari’s clear ‘number 1′ pick for the 2022 drivers’ title. The world championship leader is already 38 points ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz, who had a dire weekend in Melbourne but has struggled elsewhere so far this year. “It’s surprising that Sainz made so […]
Month: April 2022
Gasly wants to prevent ‘far right’ president
Apr.13 (GMM) Pierre Gasly has put his name to a letter denouncing France’s potential move to the “far right” of politics. After the drivers almost boycotted the recent Saudi Arabian GP, GPDA president Alex Wurz said Formula 1 had experienced a “very swift change” in which the drivers are actively and openly political. “The transformation […]
Safety Car driver responds after ‘turtle’ jibe
Apr.13 (GMM) Formula 1’s safety car driver has defended himself following criticism after the Australian GP. World champion Max Verstappen described the green Maylander-driven Aston Martin safety car in Melbourne as a “turtle”. “In a straight line, he was doing a maximum of 140kph, although there were no wrecked cars in that section. “I don’t […]
Authorities seize Mazepin’s EUR 100m property
Apr.13 (GMM) Axed F1 driver Nikita Mazepin and his father Dmitry have had a EUR 100 million property seized by Italian authorities. Having claimed he is the victim of “cancel culture” over the Russia-Ukraine war, 23-year-old Mazepin has reportedly had financial assets seized. The headline asset, owned by the pair via an investment company, is […]
Struggling Vettel ‘should retire’ – Minardi
Apr.13 (GMM) Former F1 boss Giancarlo Minardi thinks quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel “should retire”. It’s a stinging comment after one of Vettel’s worst performances ever in Formula 1 last weekend in Melbourne. “He was unlucky to have missed two grands prix because of covid,” said the 74-year-old, who is also now the president of […]
Only three teams reject F1 budget cap hike
Apr.11 (GMM) Only three Formula 1 teams are now arguing against a move to raise the budget cap by $7 million. Red Bull’s Christian Horner says teams’ freight costs in particular are “doubling” in 2022 as a result of factors like covid and the Ukraine-Russia war. “We also see it in the cost of living. […]
No problem with ‘special’ Hamilton’s skydiving – Wolff
Apr.11 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton is allowed to do “everything” whilst away from the Formula 1 circuits. That is how Toto Wolff responded when asked how Mercedes feels about paying the seven time world champion so much whilst he risks his life with off-track activities like ten skydives in a single day. In between the Saudi […]
Red Bull opens door to 2023 driver change
Apr.11 (GMM) Red Bull is leaving the door open to a driver change for 2023. World champion Max Verstappen is firmly under contract for the future, although Dr Helmut Marko recently admitted that an exit clause could be triggered by the Dutchman “if we experience a ‘crash’ like in 2014”. The real question mark is […]
Villeneuve slams Aston Martin’s disastrous 2022
Apr.11 (GMM) Aston Martin’s 2022 season so far has been disastrous in almost every way imaginable. From Sebastian Vettel’s covid to the new Aston Martin safety car being called a “turtle” by world champion Max Verstappen, team owner Lawrence Stroll is “finding out that Formula 1 takes more than just money”. That was the blunt […]
‘No reason to believe in title’ – Verstappen
Apr.11 (GMM) World champion Max Verstappen on Sunday was sounding downbeat about his chances of defending his title in 2022. “At this rate I’d need 45 races to be champion,” he is quoted by Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. Indeed, although he won in Saudi Arabia, the Red Bull driver has actually suffered technical failures in two […]
Marko blames Alpine for DRS ‘disadvantage’
Apr.10 (GMM) Red Bull is openly questioning why the FIA banned one of the four DRS zones in Melbourne. Formula 1’s governing body said the decision was made for “safety reasons”, with the porpoising phenomenon particularly noteworthy in the fast and winding stretch to the high-speed turns 9 and 10. “I don’t really understand why […]
F1 drivers clash with new race directors
Apr.10 (GMM) After a smooth start, Formula 1’s new race directors are beginning to collide with the stars of the sport. After Michael Masi’s controversial ousting, some believe new co-directors Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas are trying to stamp their authority on the drivers. In Australia, Sebastian Vettel was fined EUR 5000 for riding a […]
Wolff denies struggling Hamilton will quit F1
Apr.10 (GMM) Toto Wolff has denied that Mercedes’ poor performance so far in 2022 could push Lewis Hamilton into retirement. The seven time world champion admitted in Melbourne that driving his new silver machine is “not fun”. Worse still, the German team is “not making any progress” in catching up with runaway top teams Ferrari […]
Audi ‘would fit in well’ at Alfa Romeo
Apr.9 (GMM) Red Bull is making no secret of its desire to link up with Porsche in Formula 1. On Thursday, Volkswagen’s supervisory board finally approved F1 forays for both the Audi and Porsche brands to coincide with new engine regulations in 2026. The news is contingent not only on the FIA’s ratification of those […]
New money row brewing in F1 paddock
Apr.9 (GMM) A new financial row is brewing in the Formula 1 paddock. As previously reported, some teams are calling for an adjustment to the $140 million budget cap as raging inflation hurts the team’s limited funds. “At the moment there are still three teams against it,” revealed Alpha Tauri’s team boss Franz Tost. “We […]
Red Bull the new ‘benchmark’ in F1 – Wolff
Apr.9 (GMM) Toto Wolff thinks Red Bull and Max Verstappen are “the benchmark” in Formula 1 now. Ferrari has gotten its new era with the revolutionary 2022 rules off to a flying start, but after fighting so hard for the 2021 title, Mercedes’ Wolff thinks Red Bull is in the best situation with its new […]
‘No pressure’ despite Alonso-Piastri dilemma
Apr.9 (GMM) Alpine is under “no pressure” to put reigning Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri in a race seat for 2023. In Melbourne, 40-year-old Fernando Alonso announced that he would like to keep racing next year beyond the end of his current contract. “Two or three more years,” said the Spaniard. “If it’s with Alpine, […]
F1 drivers worried about losing iconic races
Apr.9 (GMM) Formula 1 drivers are worried that the sport’s expansion into new and lucrative markets will result in some of the most historic venues falling off the calendar. F1 will travel to an unprecedented 23 circuits this year including Miami, with another exciting US race scheduled to race down Las Vegas’ fabled ‘strip’ from […]
Norris denies making ‘wrong’ contract decision
Apr.8 (GMM) Lando Norris has hit back at claims that extending his McLaren contract for so long may have been a grave mistake. 2009 world champion Jenson Button raised the alarm about Norris’ lucrative new deal that will see him at the British team until the end of 2025. McLaren has kicked off the all-new […]
Ferrari must bring back ‘team orders’ – Irvine
Apr.8 (GMM) Former ‘number 2’ Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine thinks the Maranello team needs to revive a clear policy of team orders in 2022. That is because Ferrari has emerged for the brand new regulations with a clearly title-contending car, with Charles Leclerc looking more likely than Carlos Sainz to go head-to-head with Max Verstappen […]