Nov.6 (GMM) China’s Formula 1 hiatus will end next year, as officials reveal a new race contract to run from 2023 to 2025. Shanghai is not on the 23-race calendar for next year amid the ongoing covid crisis, but F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said he is looking forward to going to China again “as soon […]
Albon takes on coaching role for Tsunoda
Nov.6 (GMM) Former Red Bull driver Alex Albon has assumed a coaching role for struggling Alpha Tauri rookie Yuki Tsunoda. British-born Thai driver Albon, who finished sixth in the German series DTM this year, lost his Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen for 2021. But he was retained by the energy drink brand, who sponsored […]
F1 ‘back in the black’ with latest financial results
Nov.6 (GMM) Formula 1 is back in the black, according to the third quarter financial results just released by the sport’s commercial owner Libert Media. Specialist financial news services analysed the numbers and found that F1 has turned a more than $100 million loss into a more than $300 million profit. That is due to […]
Sainz admits to late-season ‘fatigue’ in 2021
Nov.6 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has admitted he was feeling some “fatigue” as the gruelling 2021 season approaches its climax. This weekend, a particularly arduous and controversial international ‘triple header’ through Mexico, Brazil and Qatar begins. The Ferrari driver admits it is a “quite extreme” task for the F1 community to tackle. Two more races follow […]
‘Better turbo’ helping Verstappen in Mexico
Nov.6 (GMM) Christian Horner is expecting a close fight between the title contenders this weekend in Mexico. With just five races to go – three of them on the trot over the next three weekends – the intensity of the Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton fight is finally reaching its zenith. The same is also […]
Hulkenberg turns down Indycar seat
Nov.5 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg has issued a polite ‘no’ to the prospect of a career in Indycar. The 34-year-old German, who lost his full-time Formula 1 seat at Renault at the end of 2019 and is now Aston Martin’s reserve, tested for McLaren’s Indycar team in Alabama recently. “I can definitely confirm that these monsters […]
Andretti ‘not giving up’ on buying F1 team
Nov.5 (GMM) Michael Andretti has denied that his bid to buy the Formula 1 team currently known as Alfa Romeo failed because of the asking price. We reported speculation that Swiss based Sauber’s current owners were asking for EUR 350 million in addition to a bank guarantee of another 250m to cover the next five […]
F1 should stop expanding race calendar – Stroll
Nov.5 (GMM) Formula 1 should not expand its annual race calendar beyond next year’s unprecedented 23 grands prix. That is the view of Lance Stroll, who says the drivers are the wrong people to ask about the human impact of such a bustling race schedule. The Aston Martin driver, whose father Lawrence owns the team, […]
Bottas vows to ‘help’ Hamilton win title
Nov.5 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas insists he is happy to help his teammate Lewis Hamilton win the 2021 drivers’ title. This week, former F1 driver Timo Glock said Mercedes can actually “no longer rely” on the Finn, who is being ousted and replaced by George Russell for 2022, for support. “You can already see it with […]
Williams offered Russell’s seat to Magnussen
Nov.5 (GMM) George Russell could have been sidelined by Williams this year, according to former Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen. The Dane, who lost his Haas seat at the end of 2020, has revealed to local broadcaster TV3 that the back-of-the-grid British team offered him a deal for this season. “I had the opportunity to […]
Alpine plays down Brivio exit rumours
Nov.5 (GMM) Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi has played down reports suggesting new racing director Davide Brivio might be on the cusp of returning to MotoGP. Italian Brivio joined the Renault-owned Formula 1 team this year but has indicated that his adjustment after running MotoGP outfits has been more difficult than expected. “The first thing I […]
2022 Imola race contract still not signed
Nov.5 (GMM) A new contract for a permanent Formula 1 race at Imola until 2025 is still waiting to be signed. Italian race officials have secured the support of regional authorities, but it appears a deal with Liberty Media is not yet done – perhaps due to the local covid-related conditions. “We hope the situation […]
Saudi F1 circuit ‘will be ready’ – boss
Nov.5 (GMM) The boss of the new Saudi Arabian GP insists that construction of the Jeddah street circuit will be ready in time for December’s inaugural race. New photos from the site reveal that heavy construction works are still ongoing, with the venue appearing to be far from almost ready to welcome Formula 1. But […]
Title rivals play down Senna-Prost comparison
Nov.5 (GMM) The two championship contenders insist they will not stoop to the levels of the toxic historical title fights between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team boss, warned this week that he will not intervene even though he expects Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen may “absolutely try to do the […]
Perez gives Verstappen title advantage – Glock
Nov.4 (GMM) The title protagonists’ respective teammates will play significant roles over the decisive final five grands prix of 2021. That is the view of former F1 driver Timo Glock, who regards Red Bull’s Max Verstappen as being in a better situation than his title rival Lewis Hamilton. That is not just because of the […]
F1 working to solve wet-weather problem
Nov.4 (GMM) Formula 1 is working to ensure more racing in wet weather can take place. It has become a major issue after the Belgian GP at Spa, which because of the weather became a farcical safety car-led washout with half points awarded. But the trend over the years has been more and more caution […]
Red Bull ‘assumes’ Hamilton engine penalty
Nov.4 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko is crossing his fingers that technical trouble strikes for Lewis Hamilton over the course of the decisive final five races of 2021. Mercedes is clearly struggling with engine reliability as it chases down Max Verstappen’s title lead, with Red Bull’s Marko expecting another grid penalty for the seven time world […]
Wolff defends Hamilton after popularity poll
Nov.4 (GMM) The significance of Lewis Hamilton’s achievements will probably only be widely lauded once he has retired from Formula 1. That is the view of Toto Wolff, responding to the fact that despite his unprecedented success, the seven time world champion has only been voted the third most popular driver in F1 by fans […]
Vettel questions ethics of some F1 hosts
Nov.4 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has spoken up about the issue of Formula 1 racing in some of the world’s more controversial countries. Next year, the calendar has an unprecedented 23-race calendar, including stops in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The sport is also visiting Saudi neighbour Qatar this month and then in 2023 and beyond, amid […]
Giovinazzi axe ‘a matter of time’ – Benoit
Nov.4 (GMM) One of F1’s most respected and longest-serving journalists thinks Antonio Giovinazzi’s days at Alfa Romeo are numbered. Days ago, Formula 1 veteran David Coulthard called the 27-year-old Italian a “quality driver” who may nevertheless struggle to keep his seat for 2022. That is because Guanyu Zhou’s Chinese backers are offering Alfa-branded Sauber $30 […]