Apr.27 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says the departure as long-time Alpha Tauri team boss Franz Tost was “amicable”. On Wednesday, we reported that Ferrari’s sporting director Laurent Mekies – a former top technical executive at Faenza – had signed up to leave Maranello and re-join Red Bull’s second Formula 1 team. The news then became […]
Month: April 2023
Magnussen has ‘five races’ to improve – Steiner
Apr.26 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen might struggle to hang onto his Haas race seat beyond 2023. The 30-year-old is no stranger to the American outfit, having first raced a Haas between 2017 and 2020 – before the team’s experiment with an all-rookie lineup in 2021. Magnussen, though, returned to the cockpit last year, when he shone […]
F1 seat remains ‘top priority’ – Shwartzman
Apr.26 (GMM) Robert Shwartzman insists his “top priority” is securing a race seat in Formula 1. However, the Russian – who switched to an Israeli racing license because of the Ukraine conflict – was in action at the Formula E test in Berlin. That is despite the fact that he is Ferrari’s F1 reserve driver. […]
Ferrari’s F1 struggles hurting Monza, Imola
Apr.26 (GMM) Ferrari’s performance struggles are hurting Formula 1 ticket sales for both Italian races on the 2023 calendar. The popularity of the sport is surging all over the world with record crowds – but according to Angelo Sticchi Damiani, that is not the case in Italy. “We have to keep our commitments to Formula […]
Mazepin admits F1 return ‘looks difficult’
Apr.26 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin says he will continue to take legal action until he is fully able to return to Formula 1. The 24-year-old and his sponsor Uralkali were expelled from Haas and Formula 1 at the outset of the Ukraine conflict, with the FIA now imposing restrictions on any Russian driver wanting to race. […]
Ferrari’s Mekies ‘has signed’ Alpha Tauri return
Apr.26 (GMM) Ferrari’s sporting director Laurent Mekies looks set to return to Faenza. The 45-year-old Frenchman worked initially for Minardi, which became Red Bull’s second Formula 1 team – where Mekies worked in prominent technical roles before he was poached by Ferrari in 2014. Now, according to Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport, Mekies is returning […]
Bottas says works Audi seat ‘possible’
Apr.26 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas admits he needs to perform “this season” if he stands a chance of racing a works Audi in 2026. So far in 2023, the former Mercedes driver has struggled at the wheel of his Alfa Romeo, with some insiders questioning whether the fire still burns within him. “Valtteri is significantly more […]
Alonso ‘closer to victory’ than Ferrari – Sainz
Apr.26 (GMM) Carlos Sainz says fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso is “closer” to the top step of the podium than him so far in 2023. After Melbourne, Ferrari lost an appeal against Sainz’s penalty for a clash with Aston Martin driver Alonso, 41. Sainz said he was “too angry to talk” after the penalty, which dropped […]
FIA president accused of sexism, bullying
Apr.26 (GMM) Charges of sexism against FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem are ramping up. The controversial new head of Formula 1’s governing body has taken a conspicuously lower profile since quotes emerged of him declaring in 2001 that men are “smarter” than women. The saga hit a high gear when interim FIA secretary general Shaila-Ann […]
Second qualifying will be ‘more fun’ – Magnussen
Apr.26 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen thinks Formula 1 drivers will have “more fun” with two qualifying sessions this weekend at Baku. The F1 Commission met in Geneva on Tuesday where the teams voted unanimously to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali’s proposal to give the sprint race this weekend at Baku – and beyond – its own separate […]
Rivals didn’t ‘steal’ Red Bull sponsors – Horner
Apr.25 (GMM) Christian Horner has played down suggestions Red Bull’s rivals tried to “steal” Formula 1 sponsors over the budget cap breach drama of last year. Red Bull was fined $7 million and lost 10 percent of its wind tunnel time this year after being found by the FIA to have slightly overspent in 2021. […]
F1 to thrive even if Verstappen quits – Schumacher
Apr.25 (GMM) Formula 1 would continue to thrive even if Max Verstappen decides to quit at the age of 31. Recently, the reigning back-to-back world champion admitted he was no fan of new initiatives to spice up the ‘show’ – like the second qualifying session for the sprint weekend format that will debut at Baku. […]
Las Vegas to supercharge F1 sponsorship – Maffei
Apr.25 (GMM) Las Vegas will supercharge Formula 1’s quest for sponsorships, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei suggests. The inaugural modern Las Vegas GP that will see the cars race down the fabled ‘Strip’ is scheduled for mid November – and is attracting unprecedented ticket prices for a highly unique 10pm Saturday race time. “I think […]
Marko plays down latest Red Bull rumours
Apr.25 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has played down the latest wild rumours about Red Bull’s involvement in Formula 1. Although the premier team Red Bull Racing is dominating the sport at present, Marko is said to be an odds with the successor of his friend and the energy drink company’s late co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz. Rumours […]
Mazepin takes F1 legal fight to Canada
Apr.24 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin is taking his fight for the right to return to Formula 1 to Canada. Recently, having been ousted by Haas and then restricted by the FIA at the outset of the Ukraine conflict, the Russian driver took his case to Europe’s court of justice – and won. The court said Mazepin, […]
Liberty CEO says F1 owner not selling
Apr.24 (GMM) Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei has confirmed the company has no intention of selling Formula 1. Earlier, amid recent speculation Saudi Arabia was eyeing the sport’s commercial rights for an incredible $20 billion, the Saudi sports minister insisted he had only read about it “on the news”. “I consider that to be mere […]
Leclerc could escape Ferrari contract – Marko
Apr.24 (GMM) Charles Leclerc could probably get out of his Ferrari contract ahead of time if he really wants to. That is the view of Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, who slammed wild online speculation in recent days suggesting Leclerc’s current teammate Carlos Sainz is being coveted by Audi. “More or less anyone can put […]
Zhou ‘on par’ with Bottas in 2023
Apr.24 (GMM) Guanyu Zhou, Formula 1’s only Chinese driver, is now “on par” with his highly experienced race-winning teammate Valtteri Bottas. That is the view of Alfa Romeo’s engineering chief Xevi Pujolar, following a notably lacklustre start to 2023 for both Finn Bottas and the Swiss F1 team. “In 2022, Bottas was still Zhou’s teacher,” […]
Power cuts could red-flag Monaco GP
Apr.24 (GMM) A cloud has moved above this year’s running of the fabled Monaco GP. Amid highly intense anti-Emmanuel Macron protests throughout France, the major energy sector union Confederation Generale du Travail (CGT) is warning that power supplied to major sporting events may be disrupted by strikes. According to RMC Sport and other sources, the […]
Allison returns to top Mercedes role
Apr.24 (GMM) Just two weeks after denying the rumours, James Allison is indeed returning to a highly-prominent role at Mercedes. Earlier in April, team boss Toto Wolff denied speculation the team was losing faith in Mike Elliot and may reinstate Allison as the full-time technical director. Late in 2021, Allison took on a new role […]