May 9 (GMM) Ferrari admits it has to up its game – but is hoping Red Bull is blowing its development budget for 2022 too early. “Max was faster, like he was at Imola,” Miami pole sitter Charles Leclerc said after being beaten by reigning world champion Max Verstappen on Sunday. “For two races now, […]
Category: Recent stories
Ecclestone questions F1’s new ‘American style’
May 8 (GMM) Formula 1 is being run in an “American style” that Bernie Ecclestone would never have dreamed of overseeing. The buzz around this weekend’s first ever race in Miami is palpable, even if there has been some criticism of the more gaudy aspects – like the fake boat harbour. But Mercedes boss Toto […]
VW ‘pressure’ on F1 to revive German GP
May 8 (GMM) Volkswagen’s double-barrelled Formula 1 foray for 2026 is giving German circuits renewed hope of returning to the sport’s annual race calendar. Hockenheim and the Nurburgring have fallen out of favour with F1 as lucrative and glamorous new venues like Miami steal the limelight. But with Porsche and Audi now on the way […]
Not every driver happy with Miami track
May 8 (GMM) A big buzz is surrounding Formula 1’s first glitzy weekend on the streets of Miami – but not every driver is offering unlimited praise. World champion Max Verstappen, for instance, called one slow and narrow section of the layout “Mickey Mouse” – and Lewis Hamilton also had a negative soundbite. “It reminds […]
Andretti not expecting F1 answer ‘for a while’
May 8 (GMM) FIA president Muhammed Ben Sulayem will “support” Michael Andretti as the former McLaren driver bids to enter a team into Formula 1 in 2024. Andretti’s bid is a big talking point this weekend in Miami – but as well as Liberty Media and the FIA’s reluctance, there are also team bosses arguing […]
Andretti still pushing for 2024 F1 team debut
May 7 (GMM) Mario Andretti is confident his famous surname will be back on the Formula 1 grid in 2024. A proposed buyout of the Sauber team fell through late last year, after F1 legend Andretti’s son Michael and his US-based Andretti Autosport outfit agreed a deal. “I don’t give a crap what anyone says,” […]
‘No interest’ in selling McLaren to Audi
May 7 (GMM) McLaren is definitely not being sold to Audi, team supremo Zak Brown insists. It has already emerged that the British team reportedly turned down a EUR 650 million offer from the Volkswagen brand ahead of its expected F1 debut in 2026. “We’ve had talks with Audi, but we’re not for sale,” Brown […]
Sainz has ‘no idea’ about Ferrari cheat claims
May 7 (GMM) The FIA has dismissed suggestions Ferrari broke the rules during last week’s Pirelli tyre test at Imola. Two teams – one of which is believed to be McLaren – reportedly complained that Charles Leclerc ran a different specification floor than his teammate Carlos Sainz. Tyre testing may not be used by teams […]
Hamilton, Vettel’s F1 protests ‘childish’ – Schumacher
May 7 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton threatened to boycott this weekend’s Miami GP if the FIA pressed ahead with its plans to ban his jewellery from the Mercedes cockpit. In a letter ahead of the inaugural street race, new F1 race director Niels Wittich reiterated his intention to enforce the jewellery ban with trackside “checks”. “I […]
F1 buys land and will promote Las Vegas GP
May 7 (GMM) Formula 1 is going into the business of promoting its own grands prix. Traditionally, the commercial side of organising races was relatively simple for the commercial rights holder – which at present is Liberty Media. But instead of simply taking a sizeable fee from a promoter for next year’s return of Las […]
Alonso could replace Vettel at Aston Martin
May 7 (GMM) Rumours are gaining momentum by the day that Sebastian Vettel is inching towards the end of his Formula 1 career. In multiple recent interviews, a big topic of conversation with the quadruple world champion has been his expiring Aston Martin contract. The Lawrence Stroll-owned team insist they want to retain him for […]
Struggling Mercedes fights back in Miami
May 7 (GMM) The Formula 1 world is wondering in Miami if Mercedes is finally getting to the bottom of its 2022 woes. In practice for the first-ever street race in the Floridian city, George Russell – clearly the more competitive Mercedes driver so far this season – was a shock P1. “The car can’t […]
Domenicali wants to drive down F1 car weight
May 6 (GMM) Stefano Domenicali admits he would like to drive down the ever-increasing weight of Formula 1 cars. After the recent F1 Commission meeting, the FIA confirmed the body’s objectives to “reduce car dimensions” and “reduce or contain car mass” in 2026. Indeed, while minimum car weights were once in the 500-600 kilo range, […]
Boss shows ‘no confidence’ in Ricciardo – report
May 6 (GMM) Zak Brown has opened the door to a potential driver change at McLaren. The Melbourne newspaper Herald Sun is running with the headline “Axed?”, after team supremo Brown admitted Australian Ricciardo’s seat is not safe beyond 2023. The French sports daily L’Equipe quotes American Brown as insisting he is not thinking “too […]
Race director in Miami as F1 dodges covid bullet
May 6 (GMM) Formula 1 has dodged a bullet as one of its two new race directors recovers from covid ahead of this weekend’s first grand prix in Miami. We reported last week that the two men who replaced axed Michael Masi for 2022 – Eduardo Freitas and Niels Wittich – both tested positive for […]
Updates won’t be quick fix for Mercedes – Wolff
May 6 (GMM) Toto Wolff has admitted Mercedes is not an update or two away from returning to the top step of the podium in Formula 1. After winning every single constructors’ championship of the previous regulations era, the German giant has stumbled badly as Ferrari and Red Bull run away with early dominance in […]
VW CEO credits Netflix for F1 popularity surge
May 6 (GMM) It may be controversial, but F1’s official Netflix series Drive to Survive will keep its engines revving for now. A deal has been struck for at least two more seasons of the dramatic documentary, which may have contributed to Volkswagen’s decision to green-light F1 projects for Audi and Porsche. “Formula 1 is […]
Latifi hits back at Piastri rumours
May 6 (GMM) Nicholas Latifi has hit back at rumours suggesting his Formula 1 seat is in danger. The Canadian, who made his debut for Williams in 2020 with the backing of his father’s company Sofina Foods, has struggled for pace whilst also making high profile mistakes so far this season. In the context of […]
VW eyes German drivers for 2026 F1 projects
May 5 (GMM) Volkswagen will try to reignite Germany’s love affair with Formula 1. Far from Michael Schumacher heyday, Germany has slipped out of F1 prominence in recent years and no longer even has a grand prix. Having confirmed this week that the VW board has approved separate F1 projects for 2026 for both Porsche […]
Seidl wants ‘B teams’ banned from F1
May 5 (GMM) Andreas Seidl thinks so-called “B teams” should not be allowed in Formula 1. The McLaren boss is aiming fire at Haas’ close technical relationship with Ferrari, which now involves a facility for the small American team on the grounds at Maranello. “Haas deserves its results, because there are rules and they comply […]