Jan.19 (GMM) Formula 1 teams do not want control over their allocation of tyre compounds at grands prix, according to Pirelli’s F1 chief Mario Isola. A covid-related rule tweak meant Pirelli no longer allowed teams to be more selective about the full selection of compounds available per driver at the races. That rule was set […]
Category: Recent stories
No Todt return for Ferrari, Briatore to Alpine
Jan.19 (GMM) Jean Todt will not return to Ferrari as a consultant to the fabled Formula 1 team. That is the word from the authoritative Italian daily Corriere della Sera, following speculation former Ferrari boss Todt’s next move after stepping down as FIA president could be a return to the Maranello camp. “The president of […]
Prost reveals 2022 engine ‘reliability problem’
Jan.19 (GMM) Alain Prost’s parting shot at the Renault-owned Alpine team that he is leaving is to reveal a “reliability problem” with the new engine for 2022. Alpine, based in Enstone (UK) and Viry (France), is pinning its hopes on a significant power unit re-design to close a reported 30-plus horsepower gap to the front-running […]
Szafnauer set to be Alpine team boss – Prost
Jan.19 (GMM) Alain Prost has all but confirmed that Otmar Szafnauer will be Alpine’s new team principal. Szafnauer has departed from the same position at Aston Martin, and it is now rumoured that he is taking major sponsor BWT with him to the Renault-owned competitor. “The team will compete with some new faces, and why […]
Departing Prost slams Alpine CEO Rossi
Jan.19 (GMM) F1 legend Alain Prost has pointed the finger squarely at Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi, as he joins an exodus of prominent team managers. Davide Brivio is expected to return to MotoGP, Marcin Budkowski is on ‘gardening leave’, and Aston Martin’s Otmar Szafnauer will shortly be unveiled as the Renault-owned team’s new boss. But […]
No ‘shock’ if Hamilton quits – Brown
Jan.19 (GMM) Mercedes is pressing ahead with its plans for the 2022 season, despite the uncertainty surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s participation. The seven time world champion has maintained strict radio silence in the weeks following his controversial 2021 title loss to Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi. “I wouldn’t be shocked if Lewis stopped,” McLaren team supremo […]
Indycar star slams ‘ridiculous’ F1 license
Jan.18 (GMM) A top Indycar star has slammed Formula 1’s “ridiculous” super license points system. Just after the 2021 finale in Abu Dhabi, Mexican Pato O’Ward got his first taste of life at F1 speeds with a debut test for McLaren. The 22-year-old, who finished third overall in 2021, races for McLaren’s Indycar team – […]
‘Smart’ Red Bull to be fast in 2022 – Albon
Jan.18 (GMM) Red Bull should still be a frontrunner in 2022, according to departing team reserve Alex Albon. Albon, who was Max Verstappen’s teammate in 2019 and 2020, is returning to the grid with Williams this year. But he observed Dutchman Verstappen’s intense and ultimately successful 2021 title campaign up close from the garage, and […]
Prost ousted, Alpine to turn pink in 2022
Jan.18 (GMM) Otmar Szafnauer is expected to become Alpine’s new team boss – and he is reportedly bringing a major sponsor to the Renault-owned team with him. The French team is clearly in the midst of a major management shakeup ahead of the 2022 season, with Davide Brivio expected to return to MotoGP and Marcin […]
F1 makes covid vaccination mandatory in 2022
Jan.17 (GMM) Formula 1 personnel, including the drivers, must have received covid-19 vaccines in order to race and work at the circuits in 2022. We reported recently that, amid the incredible saga surrounding world number 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic’s deportation from Australia, mandatory vaccination was also on the cards for Formula 1. That has […]
No taste of 2022 car until first test – Schumacher
Jan.17 (GMM) Mick Schumacher says he will not get a first taste of his 2022-spec car until he drives the real thing in winter testing. The 22-year-old is closely affiliated with Ferrari, and he will even be the reserve driver this year. But unlike most other 2022 race drivers, he will not be able to […]
Wolff to meet with Hamilton in February
Jan.17 (GMM) Toto Wolff has warned that the saga surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s potential shock retirement from Formula 1 will race ahead for now. It is believed the Mercedes team boss met with the FIA’s new president Mohammed Ben Sulayem last Friday to discuss the matter, while star driver Hamilton is reportedly training and relaxing in […]
F1 risks extinction within a decade – Vettel
Jan.17 (GMM) Formula 1 is at risk of going extinct with a decade. That is the stark warning laid out by quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel, who accuses the sport of stalling its engine as the rest of the world looks to the future. In conversation with Tages-Anzeiger newspaper, the Aston Martin driver pointed the […]
Albon hails Verstappen’s ‘amazing’ mental strength
Jan.17 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s big strength is his mental toughness, according to his Red Bull stablemate Alex Albon. Before Sergio Perez replaced him, British-born Thai driver Albon shared the Red Bull Racing garage with 2021 world champion Verstappen. The 25-year-old, who was Red Bull’s reserve driver last year but will return to the grid with […]
Abiteboul linked with F1 return for Red Bull
Jan.17 (GMM) One F1 boss has gone on gardening leave, another is set for a return to the sport, while a third is preparing for a top job after serving at Porsche and BMW. It’s been a busy start to 2022 from a team management standpoint, with Aston Martin surprising the F1 world by appointing […]
Hopeful Alonso recovering from mouth surgery
Jan.17 (GMM) Fernando Alonso expects his preparation for the 2022 season to be smooth, as he recovers from surgery to remove titanium plates from his mouth. This time last year, as the 40-year-old Spaniard prepared to return to Formula 1 after a two-year sabbatical, he found himself in surgery to repair damage from a cycling […]
Maserati not ruling out F1 return
Jan.14 (GMM) Another iconic carmaker brand is reportedly eyeing a Formula 1 foray. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said part of the justification for the shape of the future engine rules, including the introduction of E10 fuel in 2022, was to entice new manufacturers to the grid. VW’s Audi and Porsche are said to be close […]
F1 teams kick off 2022 with new bosses
Jan.14 (GMM) Two Formula 1 teams are kicking off 2022 with major top management changes. It is believed Otmar Szafnauer, who has now left Aston Martin, will imminently be unveiled as having switched to the top job at Renault-owned Alpine. Aston Martin, insisting that it has “a little time to explore options” before naming the […]
2022 cars ‘pretty damn fast’ – Hulkenberg
Jan.14 (GMM) Fans don’t have to worry that Formula 1 is set to become a lot slower in 2022. That is the news from Nico Hulkenberg, a former F1 driver who is now an official reserve and simulator driver for Aston Martin. After trying the 2022 car in the simulator, he reports that expectations of […]
VW set to take Formula 1 entry ‘decision’
Jan.14 (GMM) Audi is keeping quiet about its rumoured plan to enter Formula 1 in 2026. “We want to surprise with our motorsport projects,” said the carmaker’s managing director of sport, Oliver Hoffman, when asked by Sport1 about the rampant speculation. It is believed Volkswagen-owned Audi as well as Porsche may be considering separate F1 […]