Aug.20 (GMM) There is no “big solution” yet to Red Bull’s fall from Formula 1 dominance in 2024, team F1 consultant Dr Helmut Marko admits. As the sport emerges from its August break and factory shutdowns, Marko said no development work could be done on the car. But he insists: “We have to solve our […]
Haas boss insists Bearman cannot be compared to Mazepin
Aug.19 (GMM) The boss of F1’s smallest team has rubbished comparisons between 2025 rookie Oliver Bearman and former Haas driver Nikita Mazepin. Since Haas unsuccessfully paired Russian driver Mazepin with another rookie Mick Schumacher back in 2021, the team has only run highly experienced drivers. That is changing for 2025, with 19-year-old Ferrari junior Bearman […]
RB is a ‘junior’ F1 team ‘for a reason’ – Hadjar
Aug.19 (GMM) Formula 2 championship leader Isack Hadjar has hinted that he thinks Red Bull should promote him to the big-league sooner rather than later. Currently, the lineup at Red Bull’s second team, RB, is Yuki Tsunoda alongside 35-year-old Daniel Ricciardo. Dutch racing personality Tom Coronel thinks the team should be waving goodbye to Ricciardo […]
Hamilton not coming to Ferrari to retire – Elkann
Aug.19 (GMM) Ferrari chairman John Elkann insists Lewis Hamilton is not on a fast-track to Formula 1 retirement. The seven time world champion is leaving Mercedes at the end of the year to become Charles Leclerc’s teammate at Ferrari – ousting the on-form Carlos Sainz. “It’s tragic that he (Sainz) is having his best season […]
Ralf’s ex-wife hurt by public ‘coming out’ story
Aug.19 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher’s ex-wife says she feels hurt by the former Formula 1 driver’s ‘coming out’ story. 6-time grand prix winner Ralf, 49, was married to Cora Brinkmann between 2001 and 2015, and they have a 22-year-old son David who is also a racing driver. The Ralf-David duo won a Prototype Cup Germany race […]
Marko plays down new Vettel-to-Audi rumours
Aug.19 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has played down reports suggesting Sebastian Vettel might be seriously in the frame to return to Formula 1 with Audi. Osterreich newspaper had cited information from Marko, the Red Bull F1 consultant, suggesting the retired quadruple world champion might be in talks with Audi-owned Sauber. Auto Bild reached out to […]
‘Risks’ with 2024 Red Bull may not pay off – Wache
Aug.15 (GMM) Red Bull’s technical director admits “risks” the team took with its design of the 2024 car may not have paid off. For much of the year, the earlier-dominant Formula 1 team was marred by a leadership power struggle, including a scandal involving boss Christian Horner and a female employee. Following the woman’s appeal, […]
Marko hints Vettel in running for Audi seat
Aug.15 (GMM) Two Germans are reportedly near the top of team owner Audi’s list to join Nico Hulkenberg next year at Sauber. The Sun newspaper in Britain believes Mick Schumacher is being seriously considered for the role, while Dr Helmut Marko told Osterreich newspaper this week that retired quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel is still […]
Liberty admits US gov’t Andretti F1 probe underway
Aug.15 (GMM) The CEO of Formula 1’s owner, Liberty Media, has confirmed the organisation is under investigation by the United States justice department. In May, a group of US congress and senate members challenged F1’s decision to lock American racing entity Andretti-Cadillac out of the sport, admitting their “concerns with the apparent anti-competitive actions that […]
Newey exit not cause of Red Bull slump – Frijns
Aug.15 (GMM) Dutch racing driver Robin Frijns doubts Red Bull’s recent performance decline is directly attributable to the steady departure of Adrian Newey. Italy’s Autosprint magazine reports that design and aerodynamics guru Newey’s next destination in Formula 1 will be Aston Martin, with an announcement likely in September. “We’re not going to sign Adrian,” McLaren […]
McLaren not desperate to sign title sponsor
Aug.15 (GMM) McLaren CEO Zak Brown insists he is not desperate to sign up a title sponsor. The Woking based team is now arguably Red Bull’s closest challenger in Formula 1, but unlike most other teams, a high-paying brand does not appear in McLaren’s official name. It’s a situation sponsorship expert Brown inherited when he […]
Liberty not involved in Perez future decision – Marko
Aug.15 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has hit back at reports suggesting Formula 1 owner Liberty Media intervened in the immediate future of Sergio Perez. Red Bull held a meeting at Milton-Keynes on the day after the Belgian GP, and most insiders were almost certain that Perez would be ousted for poor performance. However, the brand […]
Monza hits F1 deadline, confident of 2026 contract
Aug.6 (GMM) Italian GP officials are confident they are heading down the road towards a new Formula 1 race deal. La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Monza has successfully met its deadline for required upgrade works in the nick of time, with the 2024 Italian GP scheduled for late August. The fabled circuit’s surface has […]
F1 rivals play down loss of engine manufacturer Renault
Aug.6 (GMM) Rival teams have played down the likely loss of Renault as a works engine manufacturer in Formula 1. The French carmaker is in the process of re-jigging the purpose of the F1 engine facility at Viry-Chatillon – and in talks with potential customer power unit suppliers for 2026 and beyond. “I think it’s […]
Verstappen’s sim ban just a ‘recommendation’ – Marko
Aug.6 (GMM) Red Bull’s ban on late-night sim racing sessions for Max Verstappen during Formula 1 race weekends is actually just a “recommendation”. That’s the revised position of the energy drink brand’s F1 consultant Dr Helmut Marko, who initially declared that he and Verstappen had “agreed” that racing “well past midnight” would no longer occur. […]
Angry Alpine F1 engine staff could strike – reports
Aug.5 (GMM) Alpine’s works F1 engines could fall silent even earlier than planned, according to emerging French media reports. Before he stepped down as team boss in the past few days, Bruno Famin admitted at Spa that Renault’s works team was treading very carefully as it plots a new course as a paying user of […]
Ricciardo still fits in at ‘junior’ F1 team – CEO
Aug.5 (GMM) RB CEO Peter Bayer insists Daniel Ricciardo still fits into the “big picture” at the Faenza based ‘junior’ team. F1 team consultant Dr Helmut Marko has been hinting for months now that, at 35, the Australian driver no longer fits the profile. “The shareholders have made it known that it is a junior […]
Renault legend thinks Alpine F1 being prepared for sale
Aug.1 (GMM) Gerard Larrousse, a Formula 1 legend, thinks Renault might be clearing the path to withdraw from the sport altogether. The management turmoil and shakeups at the French carmaker’s Alpine F1 team rolls on, as the successor for the now-departed boss Bruno Famin is named. As expected, it is Oliver Oakes, who at just […]
Williams not revealing Sainz contract exit clauses
Jul.31 (GMM) James Vowles is not confirming suggestions that Carlos Sainz’s newly-signed contract with Williams contains a series of unique exit clauses. With Ferrari replacing him next year with Lewis Hamilton, and Red Bull and Mercedes not finding a place for the 29-year-old Spaniard, Sainz has picked Williams as the best choice out of the […]
Dutch GP denies F1 rotation deal with Spa now agreed
Jul.31 (GMM) The boss of the Dutch GP has denied reports suggesting a deal to annually alternate the grands prix at Zandvoort and Spa-Francorchamps from 2026 has now been reached. Mere days ago, Robert van Overdijk, director of the Zandvoort venue, sounded the alarm about the future of the popular Formula 1 event, warning that […]