Dec.16 (GMM) Davide Brivio will “decide” whether to stay in Formula 1 with Alpine or return to the familiar environment of MotoGP, team owner Renault’s CEO Luca de Meo admits. Recently, rumours swirled in the paddock that because the long-time and successful MotoGP manager was struggling to adjust to F1, he might return to two […]
Renault CEO not promising F1 title by 2023
Dec.16 (GMM) Renault is not giving up on the goal of winning the world championship once again. Luca de Meo, the Renault CEO who decided to rebrand the French manufacturer’s Formula 1 foray as Alpine, fended off suggestions the carmaker may be happy these days to push along in the upper midfield. Indeed, the Enstone […]
Ecclestone hits out at Hamilton’s knighthood
Dec.16 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has questioned whether seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton really deserves his knighthood. On Wednesday, just days after narrowly missing a record eighth world title in Abu Dhabi, the Mercedes driver was officially knighted by Prince Charles in a traditional sword ceremony at Windsor Castle. “Only people who have really done […]
Hamilton, Mercedes snub FIA prize-giving event
Dec.16 (GMM) Mercedes is on the cusp of accepting defeat in the 2021 world championship by dropping its intention to appeal the outcome of the Abu Dhabi finale. That is the current strong rumour on the grapevine as the Thursday deadline looms large – but Red Bull chief Christian Horner isn’t locking it in yet. […]
Bourdais slams Perez for ‘dirty trick’ tactics
Dec.15 (GMM) Former F1 driver Sebastien Bourdais has slammed Red Bull and Sergio Perez for interfering in the world championship fight last Sunday. Red Bull and new world champion Max Verstappen hailed Mexican Perez’s efforts in supporting the team by deliberately holding up Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi. “That was BS,” Bourdais, a 42-year-old […]
China’s Zhou tunes out to F1 ‘haters’
Dec.15 (GMM) 2022 rookie Guanyu Zhou has fended off criticism of his impending Formula 1 debut. When Alfa Romeo signed the strongly-financed Chinese for next year over fellow Alpine academy member and new Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri, many suspected the mighty dollar had once again won the day. “I was surprised by such a […]
Marko, Haug urge Mercedes to drop title appeal
Dec.15 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has urged Mercedes to drop its threat to appeal the outcome of the 2021 world championship. “We travel with the best engineers. Mercedes travels with the best lawyers,” he said, on the eve of Mercedes’ Thursday’s deadline to press ahead with the official appeal. Led by Toto Wolff, who on […]
France’s Macron wants new F1 race deal
Dec.15 (GMM) The president of France has admitted he is keen for the country to remain on the Formula 1 calendar. Paul Ricard’s contract to host the French GP expires after the 2022 edition, but president Emmanuel Macron has indicated he supports moves to extend the deal. “I know that organising a grand prix is […]
Ecclestone confirms wife in running for FIA role
Dec.15 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has admitted he could slide back into an influential position in Formula 1. The 91-year-old lost his role as long-time F1 CEO when Liberty Media took over the sport, and since then has focused on helping his wife Fabiana bring up their first child. But 44-year-old Fabiana Ecclestone, a former Brazilian […]
Indycar star blown away by F1 car
Dec.15 (GMM) Indycar frontrunner Pato O’Ward has raved about his first experience of life at Formula 1 speeds. The 22-year-old Mexican was handed the opportunity to test the orange-clad car in Abu Dhabi this week as a prize for securing a race win for McLaren’s sister Indycar team. “I’m at a loss for words. It […]
Ferrari to consider extending Sainz’s contract
Dec.15 (GMM) Ferrari will consider Carlos Sainz’s future over the winter, team boss Mattia Binotto has revealed. On Sunday, all the attention was on the Max Verstappen versus Lewis Hamilton title battle – but a red-clad Spaniard joined them on the post-race podium. “A podium to end a magic season – first season for me […]
Mazepin’s covid infection only ‘mild’ – spokesman
Dec.14 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin will sit out this week’s post-season tyre test, but the Russian driver is in good health. That is the word from a spokesman representing the 22-year-old Haas rookie, who had to sit out last weekend’s season finale after testing positive to covid-19. On race-day morning, the Russian driver reported that he […]
Alonso to have more surgery in 2022 off-season
Dec.14 (GMM) The first act in Fernando Alonso’s 2021-2022 ‘off season’ is to head into hospital for an operation. After signing to return to Formula 1 this year, the 40-year-old Spaniard kicked off his pre-season with a serious road cycling crash. His injuries resulted in the installation of titanium plates in his jaw, which he […]
Masi ‘overwhelmed’ with tough job in 2021 – Ecclestone
Dec.14 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has defended Formula 1’s under-fire race director, but he says some elements of the way the sport was run this year were “a disaster”. The former F1 supremo is referring to the way that top FIA official Michael Masi is being lashed on all sides for ultimately making the contentious decision […]
Mercedes’ post-title appeal suddenly in doubt
Dec.14 (GMM) Max Verstappen has revealed that Mercedes boss Toto Wolff finally offered belated congratulations for his title win the day after Sunday’s epic and controversial 2021 season finale. While Lewis Hamilton and his father Anthony both personally congratulated the new world champion immediately after the race in Abu Dhabi, a furious Wolff chose instead […]
F1 ‘could be interesting for Audi’ – CEO
Dec.13 (GMM) Audi bosses are still yet to decide if the Volkswagen-linked German carmaker will launch a Formula 1 project. Markus Duesmann, the Audi CEO, does admit to Der Donaukurier newspaper that he and fellow officials are in “intensive talks about the future realignment of Formula 1”. Recently, McLaren denied that Audi had made an […]
2022 cars more like F2-style concept – Binotto
Dec.13 (GMM) Drivers who thrived in Formula 2 are likely to also thrive next year, as Formula 1 prepares to race into the future with its next-generation cars for 2022 and beyond. While Mercedes and Red Bull have been battling for the 2021 title, Ferrari has been quietly chipping away on designing its brand new […]
Marko calls Toto Wolff ‘unworthy loser’
Dec.13 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has described his Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff as an “unworthy loser” after the incredible and controversial 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi. Amid Red Bull’s wild initial celebrations to mark Max Verstappen’s shock title win, Mercedes was busily lodging two protests about the highly contentious final laps. “It was unworthy […]
‘Normal’ for Mercedes to fight title outcome – Danner
Dec.13 (GMM) The Formula 1 paddock is split down the middle as the sport collectively digests the incredible last-lap climax to the 2021 world championship. Noting that Lewis Hamilton snubbed the official post-race FIA press conference, Spain’s AS newspaper claims “Mercedes does not know how to lose”. Others, though, wondered if race director Michael Masi […]
Lucky title for Verstappen is ‘justice’ – Alonso
Dec.13 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko admits seeing Max Verstappen become world champion on Sunday provoked “much more intense” emotions even than Red Bull’s first ever title with Sebastian Vettel. “This goes much further than that. The emotions are much more intense,” the top team official confirmed to Sky Deutschland. “The release that came after that […]