Jul.26 (GMM) Stefano Domenicali has played down rumours that he is lining up Qatar as a potential replacement venue for cancelled grands prix in 2021. With several earlier-scheduled races already postponed or called off due to the ongoing global covid crisis, the F1 CEO admits that this year’s 23-date calendar is not set in stone. […]
Category: Recent stories
Spectators to return to 2021 Italian GP
Jul.26 (GMM) Spectators appear to be racing back to the fabled Italian GP in September. Last year, Pierre Gasly’s sensational maiden Formula 1 win played out before empty grandstands – but that looks set to change for 2021. Tickets are set to go on sale for this year’s event at Monza, according to the Automoto […]
Qatar emerges as 2021 F1 race alternative
Jul.23 (GMM) Qatar has emerged as a potential replacement race in 2021, as dark clouds gather over several scheduled grands prix in the second half of the season. Even at Zandvoort, where Dutch authorities have already given race organisers all the necessary permits to plan for a full house of 105,000 spectators per day in […]
Mercedes not favourite for Hungary – Wolff
Jul.23 (GMM) Toto Wolff admits that Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will be the clear favourite at the next race in Hungary. “On paper, we can’t claim that we are among the favourites,” the Mercedes boss, whose title contending driver Lewis Hamilton controversially clashed with his Dutch rival at Silverstone and went on to win, told […]
Title battle could end with injury – Schumacher
Jul.23 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher is worried this year’s title battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen could ultimately end in injury. At Silverstone, a high-speed crash after an uncompromising duel between the pair at the almost flat-out Copse corner left Verstappen briefly in hospital. Former F1 driver Schumacher thinks it could just be the precursor […]
New pitstop rules delayed until after F1 break
Jul.23 (GMM) The introduction of new pitstop rules in Formula 1 has been delayed. It emerged in June that the FIA will introduce minimum human reaction times for key moments during stops, in a move rumoured to be pointed most directly at championship leaders Red Bull. The rule was set to be enforced from next […]
Bottas to support Hamilton for 2021 title – Wolff
Jul.22 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas will fall in line behind Lewis Hamilton’s championship charge for the remainder of the 2021 head-to-head with Max Verstappen. At Silverstone, a slipstream from the Finn helped Hamilton onto the Friday pole position, and Bottas then obeyed Mercedes’ team orders to let the seven time world champion pass en route to […]
Ocon back up to speed after chassis change
Jul.22 (GMM) Esteban Ocon says he is back up to speed after a notable recent performance dip. We reported after the two races in Austria that the Frenchman was asking for a new Alpine chassis, with Ocon having clearly dropped off teammate Fernando Alonso’s pace. 24-year-old Ocon, whose contract was recently extended, said after the […]
Beating Stroll should be ‘easy’ for Vettel – Schumacher
Jul.22 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel should put the bulk of his focus on consistently beating teammate Lance Stroll. So far in 2021, the quadruple world champion has attracted headlines for struggling to get up to speed at Aston Martin whilst also promoting his new eco-credentials. For instance, his pink helmet this year is in deference to […]
Raikkonen ‘doesn’t care’ who replaces him
Jul.22 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen says he doesn’t care who replaces him if Alfa Romeo decides against renewing his contract. At 41, the Finn is the oldest active driver and longest-serving in Formula 1 history, but he is being generally matched or outpaced by Antonio Giovinazzi this season. There are rumours that Valtteri Bottas, Mick Schumacher, […]
Honda admits cloud over October’s Japanese GP
Jul.22 (GMM) Honda’s F1 boss has admitted a dark cloud hangs over October’s Japanese GP. The world’s top athletes are currently congregating in Tokyo for the postponed 2020 Olympics, but the Japanese government has declared a covid emergency and largely banned spectators. Honda, Red Bull’s departing works engine supplier, owns the Suzuka circuit, and the […]
Honda’s Yamamoto ‘worried’ about Verstappen engine damage
Jul.22 (GMM) Even Honda is weighing into the controversy surrounding championship leader Max Verstappen’s high speed crash at Silverstone last Sunday. When asked by the specialist Japanese outlet As-Web what he will say when he bumps into Toto Wolff in the paddock in Hungary, Honda’s F1 boss Masashi Yamamoto admitted: “I would like to say […]
Wolff understands Verstappen father’s ’emotion’
Jul.22 (GMM) Toto Wolff says he understands the emotional reaction of Max Verstappen’s father in the wake of the incident with Lewis Hamilton at Silverstone. Jos Verstappen, whose relationship with Wolff actually dates back to Max’s days in the junior categories, said Mercedes’ jubilant celebrations whilst his son was still in hospital meant Wolff “no […]
2022 car already ‘a toddler’ in wind tunnel – Wolff
Jul.21 (GMM) Mercedes’ 2022 car is no longer a “baby” behind the scenes at Brackley, according to boss Toto Wolff. “It is a toddler, taking its first steps in the wind tunnel,” he told RTL, “where we can start to estimate where the performance is headed.” Indeed, whilst winding down development of the 2021 car, […]
Hamilton is 2021 title favourite again – Ecclestone
Jul.21 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has joined those who believe Lewis Hamilton should have been more harshly penalised for his clash with title rival Max Verstappen at Silverstone. One round of the former F1 supremo’s criticism had already reached Hamilton prior to the incident, when Ecclestone said the Mercedes driver is no longer “the fighter he […]
Hamilton win celebrations were ‘political’ – Plooij
Jul.21 (GMM) A prominent Dutch Formula 1 pundit thinks Lewis Hamilton’s jubilant post-British GP celebrations had a “political” edge. After serving a penalty for the race-ending Max Verstappen clash, Hamilton emerged from his Mercedes cockpit in an unusually triumphant mood – triggering a fiery and controversial response from his critics. Jack Plooij, the popular pitlane […]
Fittipaldi happy with Alonso’s 2022 contract news
Jul.21 (GMM) F1 legend Emerson Fittpaldi has welcomed news that Alpine is set to confirm a contract ‘option’ that means Fernando Alonso will race on in 2022. Returning to Formula 1 this year to prepare for the all-new regulations of 2022 was always the 39-year-old Spaniard’s plan, but that is now set to be formalised. […]
Marko retains lawyer to explore appeal options
Jul.21 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says the remainder of the fierce 2021 title battle will now become “even more tense”. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton clashed with Red Bull’s championship leader Max Verstappen at Silverstone last Sunday – and Marko says Red Bull has now retained a lawyer to look into whether they can pursue a harsher […]
Wolff responds to Ecclestone’s Hamilton jibe
Jul.20 (GMM) Toto Wolff has reacted to former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone’s claim that Lewis Hamilton is “not quite the fighter that he was”. “There are lots of occasions this year where he could have done better and he hasn’t,” 90-year-old Ecclestone, who was replaced as F1 CEO in 2017, told PA news agency. When […]
Verstappen’s engine may have survived crash – Honda
Jul.20 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s Honda engine may somehow have survived his huge 51G crash at Silverstone. Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko told RTL that initial estimates are that “around three quarters of a million euros” in damage was done after Lewis Hamilton tipped the championship leader into the barriers at Copse corner. He said […]