Oct.14 (GMM) Reports that former F1 driver Michael Andretti may acquire the team currently known as Alfa Romeo are yet to race past the rumour phase. Some correspondents reported from Turkey last time out that the well-known American motor racing entrepreneur had already taken control of an 80 percent stake in Sauber Motorsport. But Alfa […]
Category: Recent stories
Iconic Eau Rouge F1 chalet demolished
Oct.14 (GMM) Spa-Francorchamps purists are mourning the demolition of a Formula 1 icon. The chalet that sat proudly at the top of Eau Rouge, offering impressive views of arguably the most famous corner in F1 history but also clearly visible from the track itself, has been knocked down. It is to make way for vital […]
Mercedes under pressure for ‘first time in years’
Oct.14 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s title hopes will be dealt another blow if he is forced to take another engine change penalty in 2021. While Red Bull-Honda was clearly inferior to Mercedes in Turkey, Max Verstappen reclaimed the world championship lead in part thanks to Hamilton’s engine change – his fourth unit for the season. And […]
Red Bull not saying Mercedes engine ‘illegal’
Oct.14 (GMM) Red Bull is working “day and night” to “uncover the secret” of how Mercedes pulled so quickly ahead in the otherwise intense 2021 title battle. In recent days, Dr Helmut Marko and his Red Bull Racing colleague Christian Horner cast serious doubt on the legality of Mercedes’ latest engine upgrade. “I don’t think […]
Alpine’s Brivio could return to MotoGP
Oct.13 (GMM) Davide Brivio looks set for a sensational return to MotoGP. Earlier this year, Alpine’s newest team official admitted his transition to Formula 1 after years of successfully running the Suzuka team in MotoGP has been “difficult”. “I will need time, but I am fully committed,” said Brivio, who is currently the racing director […]
Top teams resisting F1 tyre blanket ban
Oct.13 (GMM) Top teams are resisting a push to see tyre blankets banned in Formula 1. The sport is keen to move away from the costly and energy-hungry practice of pre-heating tyres, with the item to be discussed at the F1 Commission in London on Wednesday. But some teams are arguing that, with orders already […]
Kyalami eyes South Africa GP return in 2023
Oct.13 (GMM) Kyalami is in pole position to return to the Formula 1 calendar. Although the schedule is now bursting at the seams with 22-23 races per year, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has admitted he would like to add an event on the African continent. “Compared to the street circuits that were identified, the most […]
Giovinazzi said ‘no’ to Alfa Romeo team order
Oct.13 (GMM) Antonio Giovinazzi appears to have dealt a blow to his chances of keeping his seat at Alfa Romeo. Amid swirling rumours about his 2022 replacement, it appears the Ferrari-backed Italian refused to obey a team order to let teammate Kimi Raikkonen past last time out in Turkey. “We asked to switch positions but, […]
F1 admits unvaccinated medical driver to miss races
Oct.13 (GMM) F1’s regular medical car driver will not be permitted into some of the countries set to host the final grands prix of 2021. In Turkey, the official medical car occupants Alan van der Merwe – the driver – and Dr Ian Roberts had to sit out the race after testing positive to covid. […]
New fire-proof F1 gloves ‘approved’
Oct.13 (GMM) Formula 1 has shown a green light to more fire-resistant gloves for the drivers. In Turkey, several drivers tried the prototypes in practice for their “comfort and dexterity”, after the FIA looked into how to minimise the sort of permanent injuries suffered by Romain Grosjean late last year. “We realised almost immediately after […]
F1 could ‘disappear’ over green issues – Vettel
Oct.13 (GMM) “Formula 1 could disappear” if it doesn’t take environmental issues more seriously. That is the warning of quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel, who recently found himself the subject of criticism for his new political activism from a German politician. However, the Aston Martin driver insists that F1 must do better. “Formula 1 is […]
Binotto to skip more races in 2021
Oct.12 (GMM) Having remained at Maranello while the Formula 1 circus raced in Turkey, Mattia Binotto is set to skip more races. “I will also miss the grands prix in Mexico and Brazil,” the Ferrari team boss told Italy’s Corriere della Sera. “We are in a key phase of the 2022 project.” Indeed, with his […]
F1 race director hits back at Alonso accusations
Oct.12 (GMM) Michael Masi has hit back at F1 veteran Fernando Alonso’s claim that FIA officials often make biased decisions when penalising drivers. In Turkey, the two-time champion bit back when reporters asked him about his driving tactics from the previous race weekend at Sochi. “I’ve been the idiot many times this year when I […]
Other teams also worried about Mercedes engine
Oct.12 (GMM) “Other manufacturers” are also concerned about Mercedes’ latest F1 engine update, according to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. The energy drink-owned team caused a stir in recent days by questioning the legality of what many suspect is a performance-enhancing loophole related to the intercooler that is a feature of the latest Mercedes […]
F1 medical driver could lose job over vaccine stance
Oct.12 (GMM) The career of F1’s regular and long-time medical car driver is on the line over his stance about covid vaccines. Alan van der Merwe, who has driven the medical car at grands prix full-time since 2009, missed the most recent race in Turkey due to his second covid infection. But now he stands […]
Hamilton denies being ‘furious’ about tyre call
Oct.12 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton denies he was “furious” with Mercedes’ race strategy call in Turkey. As Spain’s AS newspaper observed, “A Mercedes won the race, but there was no loud cheering in the pits when the world champion complained on the other line about a dubious strategy”. Indeed, Hamilton was vocally upset on Sunday when […]
‘Hardly anyone’ watching F1 on TV – report
Oct.12 (GMM) F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali’s claims that the category is “more alive than ever” is not borne out by television statistics. With ‘ghost races’ still fresh in the memory, and multiple races cancelled in 2021 due to covid, Domenicali said last week that interest in Formula 1 is actually “growing dramatically”. “In Turkey we […]
Alonso not willing to help Verstappen win title
Oct.11 (GMM) Fernando Alonso politely declined an invitation to help Red Bull in Sunday’s Turkish GP. Dr Helmut Marko said before the race that he hoped Max Verstappen’s championship rival Lewis Hamilton would struggle to get past some prominent drivers as he recovered from his grid penalty. “We know Alonso is not a big Hamilton […]
Vettel won’t ‘turn his back’ on F1 after retiring
Oct.11 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel says he won’t turn his back on Formula 1 once he decides to hang up his helmet. The quadruple world champion admits he contemplated retirement before agreeing to move from Ferrari to Aston Martin for 2021, and then hesitated again before re-committing to the team ahead of next season. The implication […]
F1 race director plays down ‘unsafe’ Austin surface
Oct.11 (GMM) F1 race director Michael Masi has played down a controversy surrounding the venue of the next race on the 2021 Formula 1 calendar. Two years ago, drivers including Lewis Hamilton – who claimed the situation gave him a “massive headache” – complained that the surface at Austin’s US GP venue, Circuit of the […]