May 20 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin says those who continue to slam him on social media are wasting their time. Ever since Haas signed the divisive Russian rookie for 2021 – but especially after video of an alleged groping incident surfaced – the 22-year-old has been the subject of an ongoing negative campaign on social media. […]
Category: Recent stories
Russell happy to be out of contract for 2022
May 20 (GMM) George Russell says he will be a free agent next year, in yet another sign that he may be lining up to become Lewis Hamilton’s next teammate. In Monaco on Wednesday, the buzz in the paddock was about Lando Norris’ two-year contract extension at McLaren. “I didn’t want to waste time talking […]
Verstappen denies Hamilton crash ‘a matter of time’
May 20 (GMM) Max Verstappen hit back at title rival Lewis Hamilton in Monaco as their 2021 duel heats up both on and off the track. First, the Mercedes driver and seven time world champion alleged that Red Bull has a massive advantage thanks to a ‘bendy’ rear wing that the team can continue to […]
Half-capacity Russian GP looks likely – promoter
May 19 (GMM) Formula 1 looks set to play host to half-full grandstands at the Russian GP in September. Amid the ongoing covid crisis, Formula 1 television viewers are becoming accustomed to either empty grandstands or a spattering of spectators. But it could be a different story at Sochi, even though race promoter Alexey Titov […]
Marko deals blow to Gasly’s Red Bull return hopes
May 19 (GMM) Pierre Gasly’s hopes of returning to Red Bull have been dealt a blow by Dr Helmut Marko. Marko heads the Red Bull driver program, and is therefore most directly responsible for the appointment of Max Verstappen’s recent teammates. In 2019, Frenchman Gasly was promoted to the senior team to replace Daniel Ricciardo, […]
F1 should ‘ignore’ track limits issue – Tost
May 19 (GMM) Franz Tost has proposed a solution to the contentious issue of ‘track limits’ in Formula 1 – specifically, to “ignore it”. So far in 2021, the inconsistency and confusion about which corners are policed and how penalties are applied has been a major talking point. Some are proposing ‘hard limits’ like grass, […]
Linked teams should not share wind tunnels – Brown
May 19 (GMM) Formula 1 should stop teams with “direct relationships” from sharing their wind tunnels, according to Zak Brown. Recently, the McLaren supremo penned an open letter in which he revealed his worries about team alliances in F1 – along the lines of Mercedes-Aston Martin and Haas-Ferrari. For instance, Haas boss Gunther Steiner has […]
Broadcaster pays triple for Dutch F1 TV rights
May 19 (GMM) The television rights to Formula 1 in The Netherlands’ lucrative market is about to change hands. As interest in local hero Max Verstappen’s title charge explodes, Ziggo Sport confirmed that after nine years in Formula 1 it has been out-bid for 2022 and beyond. “In those years, the rates for the broadcasting […]
Wolff wanted Rosberg to stay in 2017
May 19 (GMM) Nico Rosberg says Mercedes wanted him to stay at the team even after he announced his decision to retire from Formula 1 as world champion immediately after winning the 2016 title. Now involved in several business ventures, including as an Extreme E team owner and F1 television pundit, the 35-year-old said he […]
Honda engine still behind Mercedes – Tost
May 19 (GMM) Honda is still trailing Mercedes in terms of ultimate engine performance, Alpha Tauri boss Franz Tost has admitted. Tost heads the second Red Bull-owned team in Formula 1 that is also powered by Honda, the Japanese engine manufacturer that is officially leaving the sport at the end of this season. “Honda did […]
‘Premature’ to green-light Australian GP – PM
May 18 (GMM) A question mark is still hanging over this year’s running of the postponed and rescheduled Australian GP. While other countries are making progress in moving out of the pandemic, it’s a different situation in Australia – where the country is locked up tight to keep out all international cases of covid-19. Prime […]
6000 Austria GP spectators possible – report
May 18 (GMM) It is unclear how many spectators will be permitted to attend Austria’s two forthcoming Formula 1 races in 2021. Although a second race at the Red Bull Ring has been added to replace the axed Turkish GP, there is no news yet about whether spectators will be in the grandstands. “Nobody can […]
Barcelona ‘deserves’ Spanish GP spectators in 2022
May 18 (GMM) The Circuit de Catalunya “deserves” to welcome a full house of spectators to next year’s Spanish GP. That is the view of Josep Lluis Santamaria, the Barcelona venue’s president. He was asked by El Mundo Deportivo if it was fair that unlimited crowds were on the city’s streets on Saturday, but a […]
Alonso took on Alpine ‘leadership role’ – CEO
May 18 (GMM) Fernando Alonso is fulfilling a “leadership role” at Alpine, according to Renault CEO Luca de Meo. Spaniard Alonso, 39, won his two titles at the same Renault works team well over a decade ago, and after a two-year sabbatical returned to Formula 1 this season. “He has the ambition to lead the […]
Mercedes should put Russell in race seat – Schumacher
May 18 (GMM) Mercedes should put George Russell in a race seat “in the medium term”, according to former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher. However, the German said he did not believe rumours that Toto Wolff was seriously considering ousting Valtteri Bottas before the 2021 season is out. “For that, he would have to drive extremely […]
Alpine, Alfa Romeo also have ‘bendy’ wings
May 18 (GMM) At least two other Formula 1 teams will have to change the design of their rear wings in 2021, according to Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko. The FIA’s new clarification about rear wing flexibility has been reported as directly implicating Red Bull, after Lewis Hamilton referred to the “bendy” wing on Max […]
Pressure builds on Perez to support Verstappen
May 17 (GMM) The pressure is slowly building on Sergio Perez’s shoulders at Red Bull. The highly experienced Mexican was drafted in to be Max Verstappen’s teammate for 2021, after first Pierre Gasly and then Alex Albon struggled to get close to the Dutchman’s pace. But now four races into the season, it is clear […]
Cowell not joining Red Bull exodus – Wolff
May 17 (GMM) Andy Cowell is definitely not heading to Red Bull, according to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. For its new Red Bull Powertrains operation, the energy drink owned Formula 1 team has managed to woo at least 15 Mercedes engine staff from Brixworth to Milton Keynes. But Cowell, Mercedes’ well-known engine boss, is not […]
Verstappen ‘best driver’ in 2021 so far – Alonso
May 17 (GMM) F1 veteran Fernando Alonso thinks Mercedes has the edge over Red Bull at present – but he nonetheless hails the performance of the latter team’s top star. Lewis Hamilton, Alonso’s former McLaren teammate, has won three of the opening four grands prix and leads Max Verstappen by 14 points heading into Monaco. […]
Verstappen’s father says Red Bull must close gap
May 17 (GMM) Mercedes has “turned the tide” and now has a clear edge over Red Bull. That is he admission of Jos Verstappen, whose son Max is locked in a close head-to-head battle with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton for the 2021 title. However, despite initially having a quicker car in 2021, Verstappen senior told De […]