Jul.29 (GMM) Formula 1 is relishing the intense head-to-head between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in 2021. Their rivalry for this year’s world championship came to a contentious crescendo at Silverstone, when Verstappen was briefly hospitalised after a 51G crash following high-speed contact with his Mercedes challenger. Nico Rosberg, who won a similarly-intense battle with […]
Category: Recent stories
Red Bull to keep all four F1 drivers for 2022
Jul.29 (GMM) Red Bull is shaping up to retain the driver lineups of its two Formula 1 teams for 2022. At the junior outfit Alpha Tauri, Pierre Gasly is clearly the lead driver and looks set to be definitely staying in that seat beyond this season. “We talked in Austria over lunch and we discussed […]
‘Loyal’ Russell rules out Red Bull move
Jul.28 (GMM) George Russell has ruled out moving into the Red Bull camp for 2022. Although his promotion to Valtteri Bottas’ seat at the works Mercedes team recently seemed set in stone, it now appears that Lewis Hamilton may have succeeded in talking boss Toto Wolff out of changing the status quo. “It is clear […]
Hungary will not be Monaco repeat for Ferrari – Sainz
Jul.28 (GMM) Carlos Sainz doubts Ferrari can in Hungary this weekend repeat the sort of pole-setting and podium-getting form demonstrated by the Italian team in Monaco. In late May, Charles Leclerc emerged on top in qualifying on the streets of his home Principality, while teammate Sainz went on to finish just 9 seconds behind race […]
Verstappen set to testify in Red Bull protest
Jul.28 (GMM) F1’s governing body will on Thursday hear a protest lodged by Red Bull against the lenient penalty imposed on Lewis Hamilton by stewards at Silverstone. Max Verstappen saw his championship lead slashed when he crashed at flat-out Copse corner on the opening lap of the recent British GP. “I’m a little bruised of […]
Saudi Arabia could host two races in 2021
Jul.27 (GMM) Saudi Arabia has put up its hand as a potential alternate Formula 1 venue in the covid-marred 2021 season. The first-ever Jeddah street race is already scheduled to take place in early December – just a fortnight after the re-scheduled and now cancelled Australian GP was due to happen. Qatar and Bahrain have […]
‘Event’ ban does not apply to Dutch GP – organisers
Jul.27 (GMM) Dutch GP organisers are continuing to fend off the doubters and push ahead with preparations for a full house of 105,000 spectators per day in early September. That is despite the fact that government authorities, concerned about rising covid numbers, have now reiterated the widespread ban on multi-day festivals until at least September […]
Formula E leader de Vries linked with Williams seat
Jul.27 (GMM) Nyck de Vries has emerged as a contender for the Williams race seat in 2022. It is rumoured that Mercedes-powered Williams could be on the lookout for a highly-respected driver to replace George Russell, who is linked with a promotion to the works Mercedes team. Also mentioned in connection with that seat are […]
Perez ‘hasn’t lived up’ to Red Bull role – van de Grint
Jul.27 (GMM) Sergio Perez “still hasn’t lived up” to his role in support of teammate Max Verstappen’s world championship campaign in 2021. While Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas has now openly stepped into a subservient role to Lewis Hamilton, one missing ingredient for Red Bull is a similar service by Mexican Perez. That is the view of […]
Verstappen ‘fully strong again’ for Hungary – Marko
Jul.27 (GMM) Max Verstappen is preparing for this weekend’s Hungarian GP with little more than a stiff neck, Red Bull top official Dr Helmut Marko has revealed. The team has been highly critical of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ behaviour surrounding the title contenders’ recent high-speed clash at Silverstone. “I feared it would take a little […]
Sprint race format could be permanent – F1 CEO
Jul.26 (GMM) Sprint races could be installed as a permanent replacement for traditional qualifying in Formula 1, CEO Stefano Domenicali has admitted. The format made its debut at Silverstone, with the second of three trial ‘sprint qualifying’ rounds in 2021 now confirmed for the Italian GP in September. “Do you know what the best thing […]
Ex-drivers doubt Bottas will lose Mercedes seat
Jul.26 (GMM) Two former F1 drivers have cast doubt on a widely-believed rumour suggesting Valtteri Bottas will definitely lose his Mercedes seat to George Russell for 2022. Prior to agreeing a new two-year deal for next year and 2023, seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton made it clear his preference is for Bottas to remain […]
F1 CEO not worried about Hamilton-Verstappen clash
Jul.26 (GMM) F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is not worried that the sport’s 2021 season could turn into a dangerous and controversial confrontation for the title. His comments come as F1 race director Michael Masi bans team bosses from appealing personally to the stewards during grands prix – just as Toto Wolff and Christian Horner did […]
Hamilton lacks Verstappen’s ‘charisma’ – Alonso
Jul.26 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s “charisma factor” makes him the most engaging driver in Formula 1. That is the view of two-time champion Fernando Alonso, who after also once starring as F1’s fiery young charger is now preparing to turn 40. The Spaniard says he will continue to race while his “body” allows it and “I […]
F1 to test and start 2022 season in Bahrain
Jul.26 (GMM) Winter testing will be extended from just one to two weeks ahead of the all-new rules for 2022. There were a mere 3 days of pre-season testing in 2021, but according to Auto Motor und Sport, two three-day tests – one in Barcelona and another in Bahrain – are provisionally scheduled for early […]
Domenicali plays down Qatar GP rumours
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. […]
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 […]