Sep.30 (GMM) The tail-end of Formula 1’s intense driver ‘silly season’ should be reaching the chequered flag within a couple of weeks. Currently, after Alfa Romeo locked up its second seat for 2023 by extending Guanyu Zhou’s contract, there are only three official vacancies on next year’s grid – at Williams, Haas and Alpine. However, […]
F1 calendar risks ‘burnout’ – Ralf Schumacher
Sep.29 (GMM) Formula 1’s ever-expanding race calendars may not be sustainable into the future. That is the view of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who contested a 17-race calendar when he made his debut all the way back in 1997. Ten years later, when the now 47-year-old retired, the schedule was still at just 17 […]
Leclerc hails ‘mature’ Verstappen rivalry
Sep.29 (GMM) Charles Leclerc has hailed the civility of his world championship battle with Max Verstappen this year. Last year, Dutchman Verstappen was locked in one of the most intense title battles in F1 history. And given their personal history as boys in karting, many expected that a Verstappen-Leclerc head-to-head could get just as ugly. […]
Schumacher’s F1 career could be over – Stuck
Sep.29 (GMM) German racing legend Hans-Joachim Stuck says it’s “completely incomprehensible” that Mick Schumacher may be pushed out of Formula 1. It appears one of 23-year-old Schumacher’s last options to keep his career alive in 2023 – Williams – actually favours replacing Nicholas Latifi with its own American development driver Logan Sargeant. One of the […]
Singapore title win for Verstappen ‘not likely’ – Marko
Sep.29 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says Red Bull did not travel to Singapore this weekend with boxes of ‘world champion’ t-shirts for Max Verstappen in the luggage. “No, we can’t count on that yet,” said the team’s 79-year-old top Austrian official. “Max would have to win and Leclerc would have to be far behind. That’s […]
Binotto needs help to run Ferrari – Berger
Sep.29 (GMM) Ferrari needs to rethink its basic upper management structure if it wants to compete with Red Bull and Mercedes for titles. This year, the Maranello team impressed early on with its highly competitive 2022 car – but the title challenge collapsed under the weight of reliability, pitstop and key strategic mistakes. Berger, who […]
2026 engines to make F1 cars ‘snails’ – report
Sep.29 (GMM) Pat Symonds has played down fears that Formula 1 will shift down a gear with the all-new engine regulations of 2026. Although Porsche is now stepping away from F1 following the collapse of the Red Bull talks, Audi has signed up for 2026 and now there are rumours Honda is contemplating a full […]
Red Bull right to step away from Porsche – Berger
Sep.29 (GMM) Porsche has reportedly given up on its earlier plan to enter Formula 1 in 2026. Recently, talks between the Volkswagen-owned German sports carmaker and Red Bull Racing over a works tie-up and 50 percent buy-in collapsed. There was talk that Porsche had turned its attention to talk with another team, believed to be […]
Schumacher’s F1 options for 2023 keep dwindling
Sep.28 (GMM) Mick Schumacher’s options to keep his Formula 1 career alive are continuing to dwindle. With Alfa Romeo now confirming that Chinese rookie Guanyu Zhou is staying put for 2023, only two real options for Schumacher remain option – Haas and Williams. His current boss, Haas team principal Gunther Steiner, admits he is looking […]
Vettel denies Stroll ended his F1 career
Sep.28 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has denied he was pushed out of the Aston Martin team by its owner Lawrence Stroll. The quadruple world champion says he made the decision to quit Formula 1 – and not because of the hypocrisy about campaigning on environmental issues whilst working in a fuel-guzzling industry. “Tennis players also travel […]
F1 still pushing to improve ‘show’ – report
Sep.28 (GMM) Formula 1 is already working on the next set of measures designed to spice up the sport’s spectacle. F1’s governing body, the FIA, announced on Tuesday that the amount of ‘sprint race’ weekends will be expanded from three to six from 2023. “The sprint provides action across three days with the drivers all […]
Verstappen is ‘very clear number 1’ at Red Bull
Sep.28 (GMM) There is no more “freaking out” in the character of soon-to-be double consecutive world champion Max Verstappen, according to Dr Helmut Marko. As head of the energy drink company’s F1 driver program, Marko is perhaps most responsible for bringing the now dominant 23-year-old into F1. The 79-year-old Austrian says his development as a […]
Red Bull ‘brave’ to reject Porsche deal – Wolff
Sep.27 (GMM) Red Bull is “brave” to have said no to a works Porsche collaboration and partial team buyout, according to Formula 1 rival Toto Wolff. Most insiders thought the Red Bull-Porsche deal was essentially set in stone until both sides confirmed that talks ultimately did not result in a deal. “It’s a brave strategy […]
Elkann misspoke over ‘number 1’ policy – Binotto
Sep.27 (GMM) Ferrari does not have a ‘number 1’ driver policy, Mattia Binotto insists. The issue returned to the headlines recently when the Maranello marque’s John Elkann said at Monza that Ferrari is aiming to win the title by 2026 “with Charles Leclerc in pole position”. But team boss Binotto insists that doesn’t mean Carlos […]
Briatore aims to ‘raise the bar’ in F1
Sep.27 (GMM) Flavio Briatore is aiming to “raise the bar” in Formula 1 with his new role. Once banned from the paddock over the ‘crashgate’ scandal of over a decade ago, the former Renault boss and driver manager is now back in a different role. “My contact with Bernie (Ecclestone) was never cut off,” he […]
F1 boss Brawn ‘stepping back’ from role
Sep.27 (GMM) Formula 1’s managing director says he wants to ‘step back’ from his role. Having entered retirement in the wake of his leading roles at Ferrari and Mercedes and even a year as Brawn GP team owner, the 67-year-old returned to F1 in 2017 to work for the sport’s new owners Liberty Media. “Life […]
Germany has given up on F1 race – Domenicali
Sep.27 (GMM) Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has slammed German officials for giving up on the German GP. In the not-too-distant past, the country had two races on the calendar – at Hockenheim and the Nurburgring. But now, Domenicali says he is the only one actively ruing the event’s absence. “If someone pushes for a […]
Hamilton in ‘twilight of his career’ – Brawn
Sep.27 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says he is still charging for a record eighth drivers’ world championship. Some believe his narrow title loss to Max Verstappen last year, and his subsequent struggle with Mercedes’ 2022 car, should be a prelude to retirement for the 37-year-old. “Lewis is in the twilight of his career,” F1 managing director […]
Todt plays down rumours of Ferrari return
Sep.26 (GMM) Former FIA president Jean Todt has played down rumours that he might be poised to return to Ferrari. Prior to heading Formula 1’s governing body, the now 76-year-old Frenchman was the ultra-successful team principal at Ferrari throughout the Michael Schumacher era. Now, some insiders speculate that Todt might make a comeback to replace […]
Schumacher deserves another chance in F1 – Brawn
Sep.26 (GMM) Mick Schumacher deserves another chance to prove himself in Formula 1, according to Ross Brawn. Brawn, currently F1’s managing director, is well placed to comment about Schumacher’s current situation as he worked closely at both Ferrari and Mercedes with the German’s father Michael. He admits that the 23-year-old is “different from his father”. […]