Nov.24 (GMM) Formula 1 drivers have hit back at suggestions it is now “clear” how the FIA will issue penalties for overly aggressive racing tactics. It was a hot topic in a lengthy pre-race driver briefing in Qatar, after Max Verstappen escaped penalty despite running championship rival Lewis Hamilton wide and off the track a […]
Category: Recent stories
‘Illegal’ Mercedes chatter ‘must stop’ – van de Grint
Nov.23 (GMM) Media and paddock chatter about Mercedes’ supposedly illegal 2021 car “must stop”, according to former prominent F1 engineer Kees van de Grint. The narrative – surrounding questionably legal engines, rear wings and other Mercedes innovations – has come amid the reigning champions’ close and bitter battle for the world championship with Red Bull. […]
Mercedes insists rear wing ‘not changed’ in Qatar
Nov.23 (GMM) The sensational, close and near-unprecedentedly tense 2021 world championship is now entering the decisive final rounds in the Middle East. “If Lewis wins the last two races, he’ll win the championship. And he knows that,” Mathias Lauda, the son of F1 great Niki Lauda, told Servus TV. Indeed, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is now […]
Bottas not driving Hamilton-spec car in Qatar
Nov.22 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas says he was not driving an identical Mercedes to teammate and championship chaser Lewis Hamilton in Qatar. The claim comes amid more criticism of the Finn, who is being replaced by George Russell for 2022 and beyond. Speaking after the first F1 race in Qatar, former driver Timo Glock told Sky […]
Alonso ‘the best driver in F1’ – Prost
Nov.22 (GMM) Fernando Alonso’s seven-year absence from the podium finally came to an end in Qatar. Fellow F1 legend and multiple world champion Alain Prost, a key member of the Renault-owned Alpine team, hailed the 40-year-old Spaniard as “the best driver in the field”. Spaniard Alonso, whose last podium was with Ferrari in 2014 before […]
Red Bull’s Marko slams ‘incompetent’ FIA in Qatar
Nov.22 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has doubled down after fellow Red Bull chief Christian Horner was officially rebuked for lashing out at a “rogue” steward in Qatar. Horner’s frustration was about a pre-race grid penalty for championship leader Max Verstappen, with the Dutchman found to have ignored waving yellow flags in the decisive moments of […]
Hamilton to use ‘rocket’ engine in Saudi – Wolff
Nov.22 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s so-called “rocket” engine will return to the rear of his Mercedes for the penultimate round of the 2021 world championship next weekend. The seven time world champion dominated in Qatar, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen admitting that despite his pre-race grid penalty, Hamilton was simply faster. Dutchman Verstappen’s lead shrunk further […]
Nervous Alfa Romeo runs out of spare F1 parts
Nov.21 (GMM) Alfa Romeo is getting dangerously low in spare parts as the long and arduous 2021 season approaches its finale. With three races still to run, including Sunday’s maiden event in Qatar, multiple Formula 1 teams were caught out by the damaging kerbs on the Losail circuit – used primarily for MotoGP. Ferrari’s Charles […]
Construction of Saudi F1 track still not complete
Nov.21 (GMM) The penultimate round in one of the most thrilling world championship battles of all time may reportedly take place on “half a construction site”. Formula 1 officials have played down suggestions the new Jeddah circuit in Saudi Arabia – scheduled to host the second-last race of 2021 in a fortnight – will not […]
Perez ‘not good enough’ in Qatar – Schumacher
Nov.21 (GMM) Sergio Perez needs to up his game as championship leader Max Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate. That is the view of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, even though Red Bull has already signed a new contract with the Mexican for 2022. However, Verstappen has been left sandwiched between the two Mercedes cars for the […]
Hamilton not using Brazil ‘rocket’ in Qatar
Nov.21 (GMM) The needle between Mercedes and Red Bull is raging on in Qatar, as the 2021 world championship battle races towards its thrilling conclusion. With just three Formula 1 races still to run this year, including Sunday’s at the MotoGP circuit Losail, the top teams are warring over allegedly illegal engines, driver manoeuvres and […]
Todt defends Hamilton’s seatbelt fine
Nov.20 (GMM) Jean Todt has defended the decision to slap Lewis Hamilton with a hefty fine after the seven time world champion undid his seatbelts whilst driving in Brazil. The Mercedes driver unsecured his belts on the slowing-down lap after taking the chequered flag, in order to be more visible as he showed the crowd […]
Pourchaire ‘very close’ to F1 debut in 2022
Nov.20 (GMM) Theo Pourchaire says he came “very close” to being signed as Valtteri Bottas’ Alfa Romeo teammate for 2022. The Sauber junior, 18, is clearly the preferred protege of team boss Frederic Vasseur, but Vasseur insists he didn’t want to “burn” his fellow Frenchman by pushing him into Formula 1 too early. “I am […]
Verstappen’s father suspects Hamilton car illegal
Nov.20 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s father and co-manager has spoken out to question the legality of championship rival Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes car. Referring to last weekend’s grand prix in Brazil, Jos Verstappen told De Telegraaf newspaper: “I have never experience such a speed difference from one race to the next in my whole life.” Indeed, a […]
FIA already looking into Mercedes wing – Red Bull
Nov.20 (GMM) Just as the FIA rejected Mercedes’ push for a retrospective penalty for Max Verstappen, Red Bull admitted it is considering a protest of its own against the reigning champions. “If they turn up in Jeddah or Abu Dhabi with that Brazilian wing, we will protest,” team boss Christian Horner warned. He said the […]
Marko slams ‘stupid’ Mercedes protest
Nov.20 (GMM) Red Bull has dismissed Mercedes’ “stupid” protest about Max Verstappen’s driving in Brazil. The intensity of the 2021 championship battle just keeps getting hotter as the finale looms, and it hadn’t even reached the peak when the stewards in Qatar rejected Mercedes’ push for a retrospective penalty for Verstappen. “Everything came to nothing, […]
2022 cars ‘not slow anymore’ – Sainz
Nov.19 (GMM) Ferrari is on track to return to the top step of the podium in 2022. “That’s the plan,” said Spaniard Carlos Sainz in Qatar, adding that after slowly integrating to the team this year he is now close to “100 percent” in recent races. Sainz, 27, was signed by the fabled Maranello outfit […]
Haas the ‘Ferrari B team’ now – Schumacher
Nov.19 (GMM) Haas is fast becoming “the Ferrari B team” of Formula 1. That is the claim of the most prominent and famous of Ferrari’s junior ‘academy’ drivers – F1 legend Michael Schumacher’s 22-year-old son Mick. He currently drives for Ferrari-powered Haas – easily the slowest team in 2021. The American outfit has truly struggled […]
Ferrari to lose EUR 125m title sponsor deal
Nov.19 (GMM) Ferrari’s decades-long partnership with tobacco giant Philip Morris looks to be winding down. La Gazzetta dello Sport claims the fabled Italian team, whose relationship with the cigarette brand Marlboro in particular dates back to 1973, is on the lookout for a new title sponsor for 2022 and beyond. The partnership has looked in […]
Hamilton, Vettel mild on issue of Qatar human rights
Nov.19 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have issued tempered comments about human rights after touching down for Formula 1’s first race in Qatar. The pair are leading the charge in the sport on a range of controversial social, political and environmental issues, but human rights bodies are particularly concerned about F1 racing in Qatar. […]