Oct.18 (GMM) Audi will reveal the name of its partner team for 2026 and beyond “later this year”. It is highly anticipated that a 75 percent buyout deal with Sauber, the Swiss-based team currently known as Alfa Romeo, has already been signed. Audi’s ‘Formula 1 project leader’ Adam Baker, however, is not yet ready to […]
Gasly ‘fastest available driver’ for Alpine – CEO
Oct.18 (GMM) Pierre Gasly was the “perfect” choice to replace two-time champion Fernando Alonso at Alpine next year. That is the view of the Renault-owned carmaker’s CEO Laurent Rossi, who had actually planned to pair Esteban Ocon with rookie Oscar Piastri from 2023. But Australian Piastri, 21, controversially rejected Alpine to drive for McLaren next […]
Newey at centre of Red Bull budget ‘cheating’
Oct.18 (GMM) Adrian Newey, one of the most successful and recognisable Formula 1 designers in history, is reportedly at the centre of the budget cap scandal. This week, McLaren supremo Zak Brown wrote a letter to FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem accusing Red Bull of “cheating” by spending above the budget cap limit en route […]
Russian driver asks FIA for Ukraine conflict reprieve
Oct.17 (GMM) Dakar rally winner Sergey Karyakin has called on F1’s governing body to scrap the hurdles preventing Russian drivers from participating in FIA-sanctioned events. The Russian, who won the fabled Dakar event in the quad category in 2017, told Tass news agency that he has written personally to new FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem. […]
Red Bull penalty ‘worse’ than mere fine – Ecclestone
Oct.17 (GMM) Red Bull’s penalty for breaching the 2021 budget cap will be “worse” than deducted points. That is the extraordinary claim of former Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, as it was expected that the energy drink owned outfit might escape its so-called minor breach with a financial penalty. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, however, says […]
Saudi Arabia eyes second Formula 1 venue
Oct.17 (GMM) Saudi Arabia is keen to host a second annual Formula 1 race. The Arabian kingdom held its first night grand prix on the streets of Jeddah last year, with sports minister and former racing driver Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal admitting he “wouldn’t say no” to a second venue. “We really see the benefits […]
Hulkenberg trains as Schumacher warned about 2023
Oct.17 (GMM) Mick Schumacher must “score some more points” if he is to retain his Haas seat in 2023. That is the clear message ahead of the American team’s home race in Austin made by the normally low-profile owner Gene Haas. Some insiders believe Haas has actually already decided to replace 23-year-old Schumacher with his […]
Sainz hits out at 2022 ‘criticism’
Oct.14 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has revealed the most “frustrating” thing about his time at Ferrari so far. The Spaniard admits to struggling initially this year as his teammate Charles Leclerc impressed in the 2022 car. But once Sainz got up to speed, he says he was dismayed that even Ferrari supporters were calling for him […]
Father warns Verstappen could quit after 2028
Oct.14 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s father thinks the Red Bull driver could dominate Formula 1 for several years – and then retire. After an early show of form from Ferrari, 25-year-old Dutchman Verstappen ended up totally dominating the 2022 season to wrap up his second consecutive drivers’ title with four races still to run. “I think […]
Steiner pushes for F1 ‘sprint’ format shakeup
Oct.14 (GMM) Gunther Steiner says he would support moves to shake up the ‘sprint race’ weekend format in Formula 1. Next year, the number of ‘sprint’ weekends will be doubted from three to six, but the Haas team boss thinks the format for those events can be improved. He would like there to be separate […]
Abandoned track shows Vietnam’s F1 dream is over
Oct.14 (GMM) Vietnam’s Formula 1 dream appears to be over. In 2020, a race in Hanoi was set to go ahead until the outbreak of the pandemic. Now, AFP news agency has published photos of the abandoned circuit which is now commonly used by local cyclists. After the race was cancelled, city mayor Nguyen Duc […]
‘Nonsense’ Verstappen will lose F1 title – Marko
Oct.14 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says it’s “nonsense” that Max Verstappen might lose his 2021 world championship over the budget cap scandal. Red Bull has been found by the FIA to have broken last year’s budget limit by less than 5 percent. “I don’t want to say too much,” Dr Helmut Marko told f1-insider. “Just […]
Haas closing on Uralkali replacement
Oct.14 (GMM) Haas looks to be closing in on a deal with a new title sponsor. Early this year, the small American team parted with Nikita Mazepin and his Russian sponsor Uralkali over the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict. Mazepin is now suing the team for unpaid monies, with Tass news agency reporting on Tuesday […]
Gasly also to blame for recovery vehicle saga
Oct.13 (GMM) Pierre Gasly has some of the blame for a highly dangerous situation that occurred during the Japanese GP. The Frenchman, and many of his fellow Formula 1 drivers, was livid with the FIA after a heavy vehicle entered the Suzuka circuit to recover Carlos Sainz’s crashed Ferrari even though cars were still circulating […]
Williams unfazed by 2023 driver speculation
Oct.13 (GMM) Nicholas Latifi admits his first and only points of the season so far in Japan came too late for him to retain his Williams seat. Only the British team as well as Haas now have vacancies for the 2023 season – with Mick Schumacher reportedly in the running for both of them at […]
Ferrari, Mercedes end 2022 car development
Oct.13 (GMM) Ferrari and Mercedes are at the end of the road with their car development programs for 2022. With Max Verstappen already champion and Red Bull cruising to the constructors’ title, Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto says a new floor at Suzuka was the final development because the team is “at this season’s budget limit”. […]
Another potential African GP venue scratched
Oct.12 (GMM) Formula 1 will need to scratch Zimbabwe off the list of potential hosts of an African GP. With organisers in Kyalami unable to reach a 2023 race deal with the sport for financial reasons, attention had turned to Zimbabwe – as a $1.2 billion circuit project near the famous Victoria Falls was underway. […]
Pirelli hits back at wet tyre criticism
Oct.12 (GMM) Pirelli has deflected driver complaints about the quality of Formula 1’s rain tyres back onto the teams. After Suzuka, fans were once again wondering why the sport seems so averse in the modern era to racing in very wet conditions. The finger was pointed straight at Pirelli, with Sebastian Vettel insisting that the […]
Budget cap scandal ‘really bad’ for F1 teams
Oct.12 (GMM) The budget cap scandal is “really bad” not just for Red Bull, but for all of the Formula 1 teams. The sport has found itself in a deep quandary after the FIA found that the top team of the past two seasons breached the 2021 budget cap by less than 5 percent. The […]
Marko eyes all-time F1 record for champion Verstappen
Oct.12 (GMM) Max Verstappen is on track to break an impressive Formula 1 record in 2022. The Dutchman has already wrapped up his second consecutive drivers’ title in dominant fashion, while Red Bull is cruising for its first constructors’ championship since 2013. And the 25-year-old thinks more dominance is now on the cards. “It will […]