Jun.15 (GMM) One of Russia’s most influential motorsport officials thinks the FIA’s stance about Russian drivers could be “illegal”. Nikita Mazepin is the highest profile example of a Formula 1 driver whose career was halted by the Ukraine crisis because of his Russian nationality – and he is still locked out of the UK and […]
Month: June 2023
Canada GP resisting F1’s date change push
Jun.14 (GMM) Organisers of the Canadian GP are resisting Formula 1’s efforts to change the time of year in which the annual race in Montreal takes place. The event at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has a contract with F1 until 2031, but that hasn’t stopped the sport’s boss Stefano Domenicali from kicking off talks about […]
‘Big risk’ of more F1 dominance beyond 2026 – Newey
Jun.14 (GMM) There is a “big risk” Formula 1 will enter another period of one team dominating all the others once the big regulation changes for 2026 take effect. World champion Max Verstappen is easily on course for a third consecutive drivers’ crown this year – but he thinks Red Bull’s dominance will ease over […]
Ferrari now ‘understands’ upgraded 2023 car
Jun.14 (GMM) An investigation into Charles Leclerc’s uncompetitive Ferrari found no significant problems with the upgraded car, according to Italian media sources. Although the Monegasque driver qualified second to last with the ‘B’ Ferrari in Barcelona and suspected a fundamental flaw, senior Ferrari engineer Jock Clear says Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s car is actually an […]
McLaren hints at new Mercedes engine deal for 2026
Jun.14 (GMM) McLaren looks set to continue its push for the front of the grid with customer Mercedes power. Recently, it was rumoured that the Woking based team flirted with teaming up with Audi for 2026 – or that top engineer Rob Marshall’s amicable move from Red Bull to McLaren was part of a future […]
Ecclestone slams Steiner for Schumacher demise
Jun.14 (GMM) F1’s former chief executive has slammed Gunther Steiner for hurting the career of Mick Schumacher. Schumacher, the 25-year-old son of Formula 1 legend Michael, spent two years at Steiner-led Haas before he was ousted for performance reasons at the end of last season. Franz Tost, who knows the Schumacher family and especially Mick’s […]
Wolff ‘trying’ to sign Hamilton before Canada GP
Jun.14 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton may be just “days” away from putting pen to paper on a new Mercedes contract for 2024 and beyond. The seven time world champion only has another six months to run on his existing deal with the German marque, and although most expect him to stay there have been rumours linking […]
Compared to Vettel, Verstappen ‘the best’ – Marko
Jun.13 (GMM) Even before Max Verstappen wins a third world championship, Dr Helmut Marko says the Dutchman is even better than Red Bull’s “best of the best” driver Sebastian Vettel. Quadruple world champion Vettel won every drivers’ title between 2010 and 2013, but the team’s top Austrian official Marko, 80, says Verstappen is even better. […]
Spa GP promoter has ‘really positive’ F1 meeting
Jun.13 (GMM) Organisers of the fabled Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps had a “really positive” meeting with Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali on Monday. That is the claim of Gaetan Vigneron, a well-known correspondent for the Belgian news agency RTBF following speculation the talks would be about a new race contract for 2024. Earlier, promoter Vanessa […]
Prost hits out at Perez’s ‘counterproductive’ father
Jun.13 (GMM) Sergio Perez’s father is doing the Red Bull driver no favours in his career, according to Formula 1 legend Alain Prost. The quadruple world champion thinks Perez’s strategy of so openly declaring that he is trying to beat teammate Max Verstappen to the 2023 crown was a bad move. “He should make Max […]
Steiner rules out Ferrari move
Jun.13 (GMM) Gunther Steiner has counted himself out of any speculation linking him with a move to another Formula 1 team. Audi has now denied giving former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto – a friend of Haas chief Steiner’s – a recent tour of its headquarters in Neuburg, Germany. Ferrari ousted Binotto at the end […]
Pirelli aims to beat Bridgestone to 2025 F1 deal
Jun.12 (GMM) Pirelli remains hopeful it will remain Formula 1’s official tyre supplier beyond the expiry of its current deal in 2024. It is believed the Italian company faces competition in the new tender process from a familiar F1 face – Bridgestone. The marque’s F1 boss Mario Isola confirmed that Pirelli has met all the […]
FIA, F1 chiefs admit cars are too heavy
Jun.12 (GMM) FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali admit that Formula 1 cars are too heavy. The minimum car-plus-driver weight has skyrocketed with the move to hybrid power units from around 600kg in 2010 to almost 800kg in 2023. “Also the bigger wheels, they’re quite a bit heavier as well,” world […]
Marko wonders if Netflix series ‘necessary’
Jun.12 (GMM) It may eventually not be “necessary” for Formula 1 to cooperate with producers of the officially-sanctioned Netflix series Drive to Survive. That is the view of Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, who admits that the series has coincided with a huge leap in popularity for the sport. “The number of spectators in Formula […]
Ferrari still committed to F1 – CEO
Jun.12 (GMM) Formula 1 is still “very important” to Ferrari, CEO Benedetto Vigna insists. After a decades-long absence, the fabled Maranello marque returned to Le Mans’ top category at the weekend – and sensationally won with former F1 star Antonio Giovinazzi in the lineup. Charles Leclerc was there to support the team. “Why not?” he […]
Binotto called Audi F1 chiefs ‘clowns’ – report
Jun.12 (GMM) Mattia Binotto reportedly rejected an offer to become team boss at Audi’s new works Formula 1 project. Former McLaren boss Andreas Seidl is now the CEO at Sauber – which will transition to the works Audi outfit in F1 by 2026. But rumours suggest Italian Binotto, the ousted Ferrari team boss, was given […]
‘Hard to know’ how good Piastri is – Ricciardo
Jun.12 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo says it’s “hard to know” just how good his McLaren successor and compatriot Oscar Piastri is faring in his race seat. The 33-year-old Australian lost his seat for 2023 despite having a year to run on his contract, off the back of a fallow period with Woking-based McLaren. The team’s new […]
‘Political reasons’ behind Schumacher rejection – Tost
Jun.12 (GMM) Franz Tost admits “political reasons” were behind Mick Schumacher’s failed candidature to race for Alpha Tauri in 2023. Haas refugee Schumacher, 24, kept his Formula 1 dream alive for this year with a Mercedes reserve seat, but Alpha Tauri boss Tost admits he wanted Mick to replace the departing Pierre Gasly. “Until Monza […]
Racing for Ferrari would be ‘great’ – Verstappen
Jun.12 (GMM) Max Verstappen admits it would be “great” to one day call himself a Ferrari driver. The 25-year-old is under contract to Red Bull until the end of 2028, and he told the Italian source Rossomotori that whether he stays beyond that “depends on how competitive we are then”. “It seems to me that […]
Rumours of Perez axe ‘nonsense’ – Marko
Jun.12 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has dismissed rumours Sergio Perez could be ousted before his extended two-year Red Bull contract expires at the end of 2024. Some think Max Verstappen’s former teammate Daniel Ricciardo, now the team’s reserve driver after his McLaren career collapsed, is being lined up for the role. “It’s all nonsense,” Marko […]