Dec.18 (GMM) Max Verstappen has all but confirmed he will switch to car number 3 from 2026, rather than reverting to his long-time number 33. With Lando Norris taking the number 1, and new rules allowing Verstappen and other drivers to change their racing numbers, the four-time world champion told Viaplay that the decision is […]
Month: December 2025
FIA confident 2026 rules will improve racing
Dec.18 (GMM) FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis admits Formula 1’s latest ground-effect regulations lost effectiveness over time, but insists the sweeping 2026 reset should deliver closer racing for longer. Speaking as part of the FIA’s detailed presentation of the new rules, Tombazis acknowledged that the 2022-era cars initially solved major overtaking problems – before teams […]
Fatherhood leaves Verstappen relaxed after title loss
Dec.17 (GMM) Max Verstappen admits life away from Formula 1 has taken on a new balance, with fatherhood helping him put both victory and defeat into perspective. Speaking to Viaplay in the wake of his title loss to McLaren’s Lando Norris, the four-time world champion reflected on how becoming a father has changed his outlook […]
Pin reveals Mercedes sim work, hints at possible F1 test
Dec.17 (GMM) Newly crowned F1 Academy champion Doriane Pin has revealed she is already working in Mercedes’ Formula 1 simulator and says a first on-track F1 test could follow. Speaking to Canal Plus after securing the 2025 F1 Academy title at her second attempt, the 21-year-old Frenchwoman confirmed her integration at Brackley is accelerating. “I […]
Verstappen tests GT3 as Portugal seals F1 return
Dec.17 (GMM) Max Verstappen has wasted little time switching gears after the 2025 Formula 1 season, heading to Portugal for a fresh motorsport adventure. Just over a week after the Abu Dhabi finale, the four-time world champion tested a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for the first time at Estoril. The car was run by 2 Seas Motorsport, […]
Horner, Alpine coy amid team buyout speculation
Dec.17 (GMM) Christian Horner has declined to rule out talks about a potential return to Formula 1 ownership, as reports link the former Red Bull boss with a possible minority stake in Alpine. According to De Telegraaf, investment firm Otro Capital is exploring the sale of its 24 percent shareholding in the Enstone-based team, with […]
Verstappen admits to 2025 title race mind games
Dec.16 (GMM) Max Verstappen has admitted he was still playing psychological games during the 2025 title fight with McLaren – despite earlier insisting he no longer needed to. Back in October, the quadruple world champion played down any suggestion of mental tactics against Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, contrasting the season with his bruising 2021 […]
Rovanpera health improving after dizziness setback
Dec.16 (GMM) Kalle Rovanpera’s health scare appears to be easing after the two-time world rally champion was forced to cut short last week’s Super Formula test in Japan. According to Ilta-Sanomat, Rovanpera’s manager Timo Jouhki says the symptoms of benign positional vertigo that sidelined the Finn’s formative preparation for a future Formula 1 bid have […]
I only started earning money in F1 this year – Hadjar
Dec.16 (GMM) Incoming Red Bull Racing driver Isack Hadjar has revealed that 2025 was the first season in which he actually earned a living from motorsport. Speaking to French streamer Zack Nani, the 21-year-old admitted that despite racing his way to Formula 2 runner-up status and then into F1 with Racing Bulls, the road to […]
Concorde Agreement signed, Ben Sulayem re-elected
Dec.15 (GMM) Formula 1’s long-term future was formally secured in Tashkent last Friday as the FIA, Formula 1 Group and all 11 teams signed the ninth Concorde Agreement, locking in governance and participation through the end of the decade. The deal, signed on the sidelines of the FIA General Assembly and prize-giving week in Uzbekistan, […]
Williams aims to be first with 2026 car – Vowles
Dec.15 (GMM) Williams is pushing to have its 2026 Formula 1 car completed significantly earlier than its rivals, as the race against time intensifies ahead of the new rules era. While the first group test is scheduled for late January in Barcelona, team principal James Vowles says Williams intends to have its entire car ready […]
Marko rules out Vettel return, blames Horner for title
Dec.15 (GMM) The newly-departed Dr Helmut Marko has firmly played down speculation that Sebastian Vettel could replace him at Red Bull, before launching his strongest attack yet on former team boss Christian Horner in a series of post-exit interviews. Asked by Osterreich whether Vettel could take on a role at the team where he won […]
Doohan joins Antonelli in blacking out social media
Dec.15 (GMM) Jack Doohan has become the latest Formula 1-linked driver to blank his social media profiles, following a wave of online abuse after a difficult Super Formula test at Suzuka. The move mirrors recent action taken by Kimi Antonelli and comes amid heightened scrutiny of online harassment in the sport, after the FIA reinforced […]
Hamilton Sr registers company as retirement talk grows
Dec.15 (GMM) Speculation about Lewis Hamilton’s long-term future has intensified after it emerged that his father and former manager, Anthony Hamilton, has quietly registered a new company in the UK. According to UK corporate records, Hamilton Sr has set up a business called HybridV10, alongside associated trademarks including Hybrid World Series, Hybrid World Commission, Hybrid […]
Audi, Alpine to test 2026 cars first – report
Dec.12 (GMM) The first running of Formula 1’s new-era 2026 machines is set to come earlier than anyone expected. Grada3 is reporting that Audi and Alpine have secured FIA permission to begin shakedown testing at Barcelona in the second week of January – well ahead of the official late-January closed-door group test. According to the […]
Vettel praises Marko as succession rumours swirl
Dec.12 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has re-emerged in the conversation just as Dr Helmut Marko’s abrupt Red Bull exit continues to dominate headlines. Although Red Bull has reportedly briefed through Sky Deutschland that it does not plan to replace Marko’s advisory role, the 82-year-old himself left the door ajar when departing. “My suggestion is irrelevant,” he […]
Ben Sulayem defends FIA election process
Dec.12 (GMM) Mohammed Ben Sulayem has brushed off criticism and legal challenges as FIA member clubs prepared to vote in Tashkent on Friday to confirm him for a second four-year term as president. Multiple candidates attempted to stand against him, but were blocked under the FIA’s heavily disputed eligibility procedures – prompting accusations of a […]
Rovanpera dizziness setback expected to be brief
Dec.12 (GMM) Kalle Rovanpera’s switch from rally to single-seaters is not believed to be under threat despite the dizziness episode that ended his Super Formula test early, according to Ilta Sanomat. Manager Timo Jouhki said the diagnosis of benign positional vertigo means the Suzuka running is “very likely over”, but stressed the 25-year-old faces no […]
Lance Stroll ‘shouldn’t be in Formula 1 anymore’
Dec.12 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher has sharpened his criticism of Lance Stroll after another season in which the Canadian was comprehensively outperformed by Aston Martin teammate Fernando Alonso. Speaking to Sky Deutschland, Schumacher said Stroll’s 2025 level was “no longer acceptable” for a driver occupying a top seat. “What he’s doing is no longer acceptable to […]
Leclerc free to assess options early in 2026 – report
Dec.12 (GMM) Despite being under contract at Ferrari until 2029, fresh rumours suggest Charles Leclerc could be in play on the driver market as early as next season. According to Austria’s Osterreich, well-connected Italian insider Giuliano Duchessa claims Leclerc will be allowed to “assess his options” after the opening phase of the 2026 championship. McLaren […]