Mar.14 (GMM) Flavio Briatore has confirmed that Mercedes is among the leading candidates to acquire the 24 percent Alpine shareholding being offloaded by American hedge fund Otro Capital, adding that three or four potential buyers are currently in the frame. The colourful Italian executive, speaking in Shanghai, was careful to draw a distinction between the […]
Month: March 2026
Russian driver suspects Alonso health story is exit strategy
Mar.14 (GMM) Mikhail Aleshin has suggested that reports of Fernando Alonso’s health problems may be laying the groundwork for an early Aston Martin exit – rather than reflecting any genuine medical crisis. The Russian racing driver questioned the timing of leaks linking Alonso to nerve and joint damage caused by Honda’s vibration problems. “I certainly […]
Wolff dismisses fuel allegations amid Mercedes dominance
Mar.14 (GMM) Toto Wolff has hit back at suggestions that Mercedes’ dominant advantage stems from illegal fuel, as George Russell cruised to another sprint victory in Shanghai to underline the scale of the Silver Arrows’ superiority. “You don’t find 10 horsepower in gasoline. That’s a load of rubbish!” the Mercedes boss told L’Equipe, responding to […]
Slow Verstappen says 2026 punishes fastest drivers
Mar.14 (GMM) Max Verstappen has delivered his most alarming assessment yet of Red Bull’s 2026 package, as analysts link the team’s struggles to the organisational chaos that engulfed the Milton Keynes outfit over the past two years. “The car’s undriveable. We never had anything this bad, with everything together,” Verstappen said in Shanghai, adding: “It […]
Gulf wipeout looms as F1 cancellation standoff drags on
Mar.13 (GMM) Formula 1 is edging towards the cancellation of its April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing conflict triggered by US-Israeli air strikes on Iran – but a financial standoff over who pulls the trigger is complicating and delaying any official announcement. Iranian missile and drone attacks on Bahrain have struck […]
Aston, Honda stonewall as battery crisis rolls on
Mar.13 (GMM) Aston Martin and Honda refused to confirm how many batteries they have available in Shanghai ahead of this weekend’s Chinese GP, as the crisis that crippled their Melbourne campaign shows little sign of easing. Vibration problems in the new Honda power unit damaged batteries throughout pre-season testing and early running in Melbourne, leaving […]
Sainz, Norris back bosses in Mercedes engine row
Mar.13 (GMM) Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris have added their voices to a bubbling dispute over the knowledge gap between Mercedes and its customer teams, backing the concerns raised by their respective team bosses after the Australian GP exposed a significant performance gulf. Williams boss James Vowles said Melbourne had “caught us off guard,” admitting […]
Marko warns F1 must adapt to keep Verstappen
Mar.13 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has weighed in on growing speculation that Max Verstappen could walk away from Formula 1, warning the sport must urgently restore the primacy of the driver if it wants to hold onto its four-time world champion. The retired Red Bull adviser, speaking to outlets including f1-insider.com and Kronen Zeitung, said […]
F1 embraces its Mario Kart moment
Mar.13 (GMM) Ferrari posted a social media video from Shanghai of Charles Leclerc playing Mario Kart on his steering wheel display in the cockpit – a tongue-in-cheek embrace of the mockery that has followed Formula 1 since Melbourne. It preceded Max Verstappen doubling down on the gaming comparison in Thursday’s FIA press conference, where the […]
Aston simulator driver didn’t see crisis coming
Mar.12 (GMM) Aston Martin simulator driver Daniel Juncadella says the Honda power unit vibration crisis came as a complete shock – as ambassador Pedro de la Rosa warned of a “medium-term” fix at the earliest. “In the simulator it’s difficult to understand what happened because I didn’t see it coming,” Juncadella, who joined the team […]
Sainz’s father joins critics of 2026 regulations
Mar.12 (GMM) Carlos Sainz’s famous father has added his voice to the chorus of criticism over Formula 1’s new regulations, calling the racing “fake” and warning that the sport has lost its identity – as official F1 social media posts began attracting community notes accusing the series of censoring fan opinion. “I wasn’t there, but […]
Binotto mocks Ferrari after Audi debut points
Mar.12 (GMM) Mattia Binotto has taken a pointed swipe at his former employer Ferrari, dismissing the idea of using them as a benchmark and noting they have not won a world championship since 2008, as Audi celebrated a points finish on their Formula 1 debut in Melbourne. Gabriel Bortoleto finished P9 in Australia, giving Audi […]
Lindblad overcame celiac disease on road to F1
Mar.12 (GMM) Arvid Lindblad, the only rookie in this year’s Formula 1 field, scored points on his debut in Melbourne despite battling celiac disease as a teenager that stunted his growth for two years. And yet Auto Motor und Sport rated him on a par with race winner George Russell after the 2026 season opener. […]
Spa boss says losing annual F1 slot bad for region
Mar.12 (GMM) The managing director of Spa-Francorchamps has admitted that losing its annual Formula 1 slot is bad news for the Belgian circuit and the wider region, as the Ardennes track prepares to share its grand prix berth with Barcelona from 2028. Formula 1 confirmed last month that Spa will host grands prix in 2026, […]
Ferrari bringing ‘Macarena’ wing to Shanghai
Mar.12 (GMM) Ferrari are carrying their spectacular folding rear wing to Shanghai as cabin luggage, according to Italian journalist Paolo Filisetti, as the Scuderia launch an immediate technical offensive against dominant Mercedes following the Australian GP. The wing, which caused a sensation during Bahrain testing before being withdrawn after half a day, features a mechanism […]
BYD examining F1 entry as Chinese giant eyes motorsport
Mar.11 (GMM) Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD is examining options to enter Formula 1 or endurance racing, Bloomberg has reported, in a development that would add further momentum to the sport’s expansion just as its 11th team, Cadillac, begins its debut season. BYD is “looking at several options following its rapid growth outside its home […]
F1 increasingly braced for Middle East cancellations
Mar.11 (GMM) Formula 1 is increasingly braced for the likely cancellation of its April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia amid the escalating conflict involving Iran and several Gulf states. The Bahrain GP at Sakhir is scheduled for April 12, followed by Saudi Arabia in Jeddah a week later, but growing indications within the paddock […]
Newey’s days as Aston boss numbered – Schumacher
Mar.11 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher, who knows Adrian Newey personally and spends time with him even away from the paddock, believes the Briton’s tenure as Aston Martin team principal will be short-lived – and that the Honda crisis has only accelerated the inevitable. The Sky Deutschland pundit and former F1 driver said that combining the roles […]
Ecclestone predicts crash as fears over new regs grow
Mar.11 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has warned that Formula 1’s new regulations will eventually cause a serious accident, joining a growing chorus of voices – from drivers to team principals to former champions – expressing alarm about the safety and sporting character of the 2026 cars. The 95-year-old former F1 supremo told Swiss newspaper Blick he […]
Mercedes joins Horner in race for Alpine stake
Mar.10 (GMM) Mercedes has emerged as a surprise contender for a stake in Alpine, potentially putting Toto Wolff on a collision course with arch rival Christian Horner in a race to acquire the 24 percent shareholding being offloaded by Otro Capital. Horner and a group of investors have been linked with the Otro stake for […]