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 […]
Category: Recent stories
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 […]
2022 engine gives ‘useful advantage’ – Binotto
Oct.11 (GMM) Ferrari may have strategically botched a push for the podium in Turkey, but team boss Mattia Binotto is happy nevertheless. That’s because, with Charles Leclerc getting the 2022 engine update at Sochi and Carlos Sainz receiving the new parts in Istanbul, he thinks the Maranello team is finally catching up in terms of […]
Mercedes faster after ‘surprising’ engine boost
Oct.11 (GMM) Red Bull is concerned that title rival Mercedes has stolen a competitive march as their 2021 battle rages on. Max Verstappen actually re-captured the lead of the world championship in Turkey, but only because of Lewis Hamilton’s grid penalty for an engine change. The seven time world champion was furious after a controversial […]
Schumacher’s son in F1 ‘something special’ – Alonso
Oct.11 (GMM) It is “something special” that Michael Schumacher’s son is in Formula 1, according to Fernando Alonso. Famously, Alonso and F1 legend Schumacher duelled for world championships some decade-and-a-half ago. On Sunday in Turkey, the 40-year-old Spaniard and Michael’s son, Mick, tangled whilst wheel-to-wheel. Afterwards, video captured the pair hugging as Alonso apologised for […]
Big crowds show F1 ‘more alive than ever’ – Domenicali
Oct.10 (GMM) With ‘ghost races’ still fresh in the memory, and multiple races cancelled in 2021 due to covid, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has a different message about the health of Formula 1. He says the “beautiful and exciting” championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton is now being made even better by huge […]
Mazepin says Schumacher ‘closest’ friend in F1
Oct.10 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin has nominated a surprising choice as his closest friend in the Formula 1 paddock. All season, the Russian has been at loggerheads with his fellow Haas rookie teammate Mick Schumacher, including several on and off-track clashes. Nonetheless, when asked who his closest friend is in F1, 22-year-old Mazepin told Ziggo Sport […]
‘Something strange’ about Hamilton engine – Horner
Oct.10 (GMM) Max Verstappen gave a stinging retort to claims Red Bull should not have tinkered with his usual car livery ahead of the Turkish GP. In a tribute to departing works engine partner Honda, and on the occasion of the original date for the cancelled Japanese GP at Honda-owned Suzuka, Red Bull arrived in […]
2022 calendar critics should quit F1 – Tost
Oct.9 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has lashed out at Formula 1’s plans for more triple headers and an unprecedented 23 grands prix reportedly scheduled for 2022. Although the calendar is yet to be published, most F1 insiders have sighted copies of the arduous plan signed off by the sport’s CEO Stefano Domenicali. The victims, according to […]
New F1 gloves to minimise Grosjean-like burns
Oct.9 (GMM) Several Formula 1 drivers are testing prototype gloves designed to prevent the sort of permanent hand burns suffered by Romain Grosjean last year. During practice in Turkey, world champions Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel and three other drivers tested the more protective gloves for “comfort and dexterity”. “Since the beginning of 2021, the […]
Vettel admits to making ‘mistakes’ in F1 midfield
Oct.9 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has openly admitted that he makes “mistakes” when buried in the Formula 1 midfield. Both the quadruple world champion and Aston Martin clearly hesitated when it came to the extension of Vettel’s contract, but the 34-year-old was ultimately convinced that “good things are about to happen”. Indeed, under billionaire Lawrence Stroll’s […]
Hamilton would ‘risk career’ for F1 activism
Oct.9 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says he would “risk his career” before abandoning his new commitment to social and political activism. The seven time world champion has led the incursion of contemporary political conversation and policies in Formula 1, and he says that has become more important to him than mere on-track success. “When I got […]
Andretti driver linked with 2022 Alfa Romeo seat
Oct.9 (GMM) Formula F1 driver Michael Andretti “has already taken over 80 percent” of the Swiss-based Formula 1 team currently known as Alfa Romeo. That is the claim of veteran Swiss F1 journalist Roger Benoit, whose report in Blick newspaper mirrors widespread rumours in the Istanbul paddock. Team boss Frederic Vasseur, who runs Sauber Motorsport […]
Both title chargers face Turkey GP setbacks
Oct.9 (GMM) Both 2021 world championship contenders have reason to feel nervous in Turkey. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who is two points behind, is concerned that he is struggling for handling and pace on the newly-grippier Istanbul surface. “I hope that from here to tomorrow we will improve, because otherwise it doesn’t look good at […]
Honda boss thinks full F1 return possible
Oct.9 (GMM) Honda may already have regrets about pulling out of Formula 1 at the end of the year. Red Bull emerged in Turkey this weekend with a special white livery in tribute to its departing works engine partner. At the same time, the energy drink and Japanese companies issued a statement outlining the “new […]