Feb.29 (GMM) Esteban Ocon has joined his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly in admitting they may be racing “the worst car” early in 2024. It is believed the works Renault team may indeed have slumped behind Haas to bring up the rear in Formula 1 this year, amid suggestions the 2024 car is overweight and still […]
Month: February 2024
Bottas still eyeing works Audi seat for future
Feb.29 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas admits he hopes the rumbling 2025 driver market ‘silly season’ will not overlook him. The Finn, having lost his seat as Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate after 2021, has subsequently become one of the lowest profile drivers on the entire grid – at least from the perspective of results. Bottas, 34, has […]
Ricciardo expects A-B team saga to ‘calm down’
Feb.29 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo thinks the controversy surrounding RB’s relationship with the senior team Red Bull Racing will “calm down” early in 2024. Outspoken critics including McLaren CEO Zak Brown have been blasting the ever-closer collaboration between his two rival teams, suggesting one of his biggest concerns is that the former Alpha Tauri squad is […]
Three top F1 drivers slam massive 2024 calendar
Feb.29 (GMM) Three top Formula 1 stars have hit out at the ever-lengthening annual race calendar, which has swollen to an all-time record of 24 grands prix for 2024. Fernando Alonso, already 42 and linked with a sensational move to Mercedes for 2025, says he won’t even consider talks with teams until he has decided […]
‘Something else’ behind Hamilton-Wolff split – Kovalainen
Feb.29 (GMM) Yet another well-known F1 name has questioned why Lewis Hamilton triggered an exit clause to get out of Mercedes at the end of 2024 in order to move to Ferrari. Fernando Alonso recently scoffed at Hamilton’s claim that racing for Ferrari has always been a “childhood dream”, and now another former teammate has […]
Did F1 block Russian female from entering F1 Academy?
Feb.29 (GMM) A well-known Russian motorsport boss has slammed Formula 1 for shunning yet another young talent. At the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in early 2022, Nikita Mazepin and his sponsor Uralkali were kicked out of the sport by Haas – with the FIA also imposing tough conditions for any Russian drivers amid ongoing […]
Steiner’s latest move in F1 ‘unusual’ – Schumacher
Feb.29 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher thinks it’s “unusual” that sacked Haas team boss Gunther Steiner has returned to the paddock for 2024 as a television pundit. Ralf, a former F1 race winner, was highly critical of Steiner’s management of Haas when his nephew Mick Schumacher was struggling at the team. Now, with 48-year-old Schumacher working for […]
Alonso’s wild claim about Red Bull dominance ‘realistic’
Feb.29 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko had to smile in Bahrain when asked about Fernando Alonso’s prediction of another sure-fire title for Max Verstappen this year. Alonso said that, based on last week’s pre-season test, all 19 drivers except the reigning triple world champion know they will not win the drivers’ title in 2024. “That’s realistic,” […]
‘War not over’ despite Horner winning scandal battle
Feb.29 (GMM) The investigation into a staff member’s allegations of bad behaviour has finally resulted in Christian Horner being cleared of wrongdoing. But in the words of France’s L’Equipe: “Horner is cleared, but the war is not over.” Despite calls for clarity and transparency before the track action kicks off in Bahrain on Thursday, Wednesday’s […]
Boss admits MotoGP could be bought by F1 owner
Feb.28 (GMM) Carmelo Ezpeleta, MotoGP’s long-time boss, is not denying that the premier two-wheeled category could be bought by F1 owner Liberty Media. Swirling rumours stepped up a further gear this week, with reports in Spain suggesting that MotoGP promoter Dorna Sports’ current owner, Bridgepoint, might also be in talks over a billion-dollar deal. “Those […]
Schumacher ‘worried’ F1 leaving young drivers behind
Feb.28 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher says he’s “worried” that the flow of young talent onto the Formula 1 grid has ground to a halt for 2024. This season is the first time in the sport’s entire modern history in which not a single rookie will be on the grid. Future Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, currently just […]
Wolff may have leaked Hamilton-Ferrari news – Capelli
Feb.28 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s situation at Mercedes this year could be even more awkward than previously assumed. It emerges that the seven time world champion, and his new team for 2025, Ferrari, may actually have wanted their new pairing to remain a secret for the whole of this season. “It was a move by Toto […]
Mekies hits back at Red Bull critic Zak Brown
Feb.28 (GMM) Laurent Mekies, the new boss of Red Bull’s rebranded second Formula 1 team, has hit back hard at suggestions the two outfits are now far too closely aligned. Dropping the Alpha Tauri name and reverting to the awkward Visa Cash App RB moniker for 2024 has coincided with key changes at the latter […]
Hulkenberg must escape Haas as soon as possible – Schumacher
Feb.28 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher thinks his countryman Nico Hulkenberg should try to escape the dead-last-in-2023 Haas team as soon as possible. While Hulkenberg impressed on his return to Formula 1 last year, the German ended the season being critical of the team’s stalled development progress. However, the 2024 car appears to finally be a step […]
Radical 2024 Red Bull car concept ‘makes sense’ – Wolff
Feb.28 (GMM) Toto Wolff has played down the fact that, just as Mercedes totally scrapped the ‘no sidepods’-style car concept after 2022-2023, Red Bull rolled out a similar car for 2024. “There are a few things they took over from our car,” the Mercedes team boss admitted to Austrian broadcaster ORF. “Not only the sidepods, […]
Honda hard at work on 2026 engine for Aston Martin
Feb.28 (GMM) Although currently powering the ultra-dominant Red Bull team, Honda is already working on its new works Formula 1 project with Aston Martin for 2026. With most power unit development forbidden, or ‘frozen’, until the all-new regulations take effect, Honda Racing Corporation boss Koji Watanabe insisted this week that HRC still works on “durability […]
Red Bull to race in Bahrain with Horner saga ‘clarity’
Feb.28 (GMM) Christian Horner is now counting down the hours before he learns whether his Formula 1 career is over or not. “I can’t imagine the season will begin without some form of clarity,” F1 journalist Louis Dekker, in Bahrain ahead of the start of opening practice on Thursday, told NOS. Indeed, every insider now […]
‘Steiner pulled the plug’ over $20m Haas dispute
Feb.27 (GMM) Gunther Steiner says he was fired by Haas team owner Gene Haas because he was asking for equity in the struggling back-of-the-grid Formula 1 team. The F1 world was stunned recently when Steiner, who led the American outfit from the beginning, was suddenly replaced by engineer Ayao Komatsu for 2024 and beyond. Until […]
Sainz ‘probably’ won’t wait for Red Bull decision – Marko
Feb.27 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko openly admits that at least three drivers, and potentially four or more, are eyeing Sergio Perez’s Red Bull seat for 2025. However, the energy drink company’s top F1 consultant says Mexican Perez still has an opportunity to prove he deserves his contract to be extended. “Checo has to deliver consistent […]
Schumacher, Antonelli, to test F1 cars in 2024
Feb.27 (GMM) Mick Schumacher may be more likely to test a McLaren this year rather than an Alpine or Mercedes. The former Haas racer is an official Mercedes F1 reserve driver again in 2024, but he will also return to the race track – Alpine’s Le Mans-ready world endurance championship hypercar. Alpine boss Bruno Famin, […]