Nov.20 (GMM) Jean Todt has defended the decision to slap Lewis Hamilton with a hefty fine after the seven time world champion undid his seatbelts whilst driving in Brazil. The Mercedes driver unsecured his belts on the slowing-down lap after taking the chequered flag, in order to be more visible as he showed the crowd […]
Pourchaire ‘very close’ to F1 debut in 2022
Nov.20 (GMM) Theo Pourchaire says he came “very close” to being signed as Valtteri Bottas’ Alfa Romeo teammate for 2022. The Sauber junior, 18, is clearly the preferred protege of team boss Frederic Vasseur, but Vasseur insists he didn’t want to “burn” his fellow Frenchman by pushing him into Formula 1 too early. “I am […]
Verstappen’s father suspects Hamilton car illegal
Nov.20 (GMM) Max Verstappen’s father and co-manager has spoken out to question the legality of championship rival Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes car. Referring to last weekend’s grand prix in Brazil, Jos Verstappen told De Telegraaf newspaper: “I have never experience such a speed difference from one race to the next in my whole life.” Indeed, a […]
FIA already looking into Mercedes wing – Red Bull
Nov.20 (GMM) Just as the FIA rejected Mercedes’ push for a retrospective penalty for Max Verstappen, Red Bull admitted it is considering a protest of its own against the reigning champions. “If they turn up in Jeddah or Abu Dhabi with that Brazilian wing, we will protest,” team boss Christian Horner warned. He said the […]
Marko slams ‘stupid’ Mercedes protest
Nov.20 (GMM) Red Bull has dismissed Mercedes’ “stupid” protest about Max Verstappen’s driving in Brazil. The intensity of the 2021 championship battle just keeps getting hotter as the finale looms, and it hadn’t even reached the peak when the stewards in Qatar rejected Mercedes’ push for a retrospective penalty for Verstappen. “Everything came to nothing, […]
2022 cars ‘not slow anymore’ – Sainz
Nov.19 (GMM) Ferrari is on track to return to the top step of the podium in 2022. “That’s the plan,” said Spaniard Carlos Sainz in Qatar, adding that after slowly integrating to the team this year he is now close to “100 percent” in recent races. Sainz, 27, was signed by the fabled Maranello outfit […]
Haas the ‘Ferrari B team’ now – Schumacher
Nov.19 (GMM) Haas is fast becoming “the Ferrari B team” of Formula 1. That is the claim of the most prominent and famous of Ferrari’s junior ‘academy’ drivers – F1 legend Michael Schumacher’s 22-year-old son Mick. He currently drives for Ferrari-powered Haas – easily the slowest team in 2021. The American outfit has truly struggled […]
Ferrari to lose EUR 125m title sponsor deal
Nov.19 (GMM) Ferrari’s decades-long partnership with tobacco giant Philip Morris looks to be winding down. La Gazzetta dello Sport claims the fabled Italian team, whose relationship with the cigarette brand Marlboro in particular dates back to 1973, is on the lookout for a new title sponsor for 2022 and beyond. The partnership has looked in […]
Hamilton, Vettel mild on issue of Qatar human rights
Nov.19 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have issued tempered comments about human rights after touching down for Formula 1’s first race in Qatar. The pair are leading the charge in the sport on a range of controversial social, political and environmental issues, but human rights bodies are particularly concerned about F1 racing in Qatar. […]
Giovinazzi hits back at Alfa Romeo boss Vasseur
Nov.19 (GMM) Antonio Giovinazzi has hit back at current team boss Frederic Vasseur for questioning his professionalism. As the news broke that he will be replaced for 2022 by F2 frontrunner Guanyu Zhou, Italian Giovinazzi suggested Formula 1 is often “ruthless” in making decisions based almost purely on money. “They were not easy days for […]
Schumacher questions Hamilton’s ‘rocket’ engine
Nov.19 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher has questioned whether Mercedes should have been allowed to install an engine that Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko has described as a “rocket”. In Brazil, championship chaser Lewis Hamilton was pushed to the back of the grid because a fresh engine – outside of his original allocation of three for the […]
Verstappen will ‘eventually’ beat Hamilton – Ickx
Nov.19 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton will “eventually” be beaten to the title by 2021 championship rival Max Verstappen. That is the view of Jackie Ickx, an iconic Belgian former Formula 1 driver who commented as the stewards delayed their verdict in Mercedes’ “right of review” hearing until Friday. Reports suggest the FIA officials deliberated for “hours” […]
Driver tests proposed new Eau Rouge layout
Nov.18 (GMM) A local racing driver and consultant has tested the proposed new trajectory through Spa-Francorchamps’ legendary Eau Rouge-Raidillon section. Following a spate of dangerous recent incidents at the fabled section, including the death of Anthoine Hubert in 2019, circuit organisers demolished the famous villa at the top of the hill to re-imagine the layout. […]
Red Bull gathering evidence for Hamilton protest
Nov.18 (GMM) Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko is worried that Lewis Hamilton’s current level of performance will cost Max Verstappen his first Formula 1 title. A fresh engine in Brazil – despite the back-of-the-grid penalty – powered Mercedes’ Hamilton to a dominant win, closing his points gap to the Dutchman to 14 points. “I’ve never […]
F1 drivers back Verstappen before Thursday hearing
Nov.18 (GMM) Formula 1’s governing body will hear Mercedes’ arguments about a ‘right of review’ to challenge Max Verstappen’s lack of penalty for his turn 4 move in Brazil. A video hearing has been scheduled for Thursday 5pm in Qatar, with the Red Bull driver’s newly-surfaced on-board video footage of his controversial defensive move against […]
Giovinazzi calls F1 ‘ruthless’ as Zhou signed for 2022
Nov.17 (GMM) Antonio Giovinazzi’s parting shot to Formula 1 is that the sport can be “ruthless” when it comes to the influence of money. The 27-year-old Ferrari-backed Italian has been dropped by Alfa Romeo for 2022, with the Swiss-based team opting instead to sign the well-financed Chinese rookie Guanyu Zhou. The other candidates for the […]
Mercedes’ Verstappen move appeal ‘a shame’
Nov.17 (GMM) Ralf Schumacher says it’s “a shame” that the epic Mercedes versus Red Bull battle for the 2021 world championship is spilling into an off-track war. Reigning champions Mercedes has announced that it has lodged a “right of review” with the FIA regarding Max Verstappen’s controversial turn 4 driving in Brazil involving title chaser […]
Mercedes’ F1 rivals ‘always lose’ – Alonso
Nov.16 (GMM) Formula 1 is perhaps the most unfair sport on earth, according to two-time champion Fernando Alonso. “I was surprised on Saturday,” the 40-year-old Spaniard said, after Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton overcame multiple grid penalties by racing through the entire field to fifth. The seven time world champion then won the main race on Sunday. […]
Audi buying McLaren would be ‘wonderful’ – Haug
Nov.16 (GMM) McLaren has responded swiftly and clearly to reports the Formula 1 team and the entire Woking based company has been sold to Audi. It is well known that Audi, the Volkswagen-owned luxury German carmaker, is being linked with a Formula 1 foray for 2026 – as is sister VW brand Porsche. But those […]
Binotto plays down Mercedes ‘rocket’ engine claims
Nov.16 (GMM) Mattia Binotto has played down suggestions Mercedes will now race away with the 2021 title thanks to the freshly installed “rocket” in Lewis Hamilton’s car. Although Red Bull’s Max Verstappen went into the Brazil weekend as the clear championship favourite, Hamilton managed even to overcome a spate of penalties with the help of […]