Oct.19 (GMM) Indycar is now “better than F1”, according to legend of motor racing Emerson Fittipaldi. The 74-year-old Brazilian is uniquely placed to comment, having won two Formula 1 titles, two Indy 500 crowns, and the title of Indycar’s predecessor CART. He now lives in Italy, where his 14-year-old son – also called Emerson – […]
Mercedes could get new Saudi title sponsor
Oct.19 (GMM) Reports are emerging that Mercedes may soon undergo a change of F1 title sponsorship. It is rumoured that Petronas, the Malaysian oil company that has partnered with the ultra-successful Formula 1 team since 2010, could be replaced by Saudi Aramco – Saudi Arabia’s public oil company. Aramco is already a major sponsor of […]
Mazepin says harsh criticism ‘irrelevant’
Oct.19 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin says the firestorm of criticism he has received so far in his new Formula 1 career is “totally irrelevant”. The Russian rookie wasn’t just dubbed ‘Maze-spin’ on social media, he was subjected to highly vitriolic personal attacks as a result of damning video that emerged prior to his F1 debut. But […]
Newey absence hurt Red Bull ‘motivation’ – Marko
Oct.19 (GMM) After a nervous wait, Dr Helmut Marko says Adrian Newey is now firing on all cylinders once again after “several surgeries” due to a cycling crash. F1’s most famous designer, who oversees technical matters at Red Bull, returned to the pitwall recently in Turkey. “Adrian isn’t fully in shape now, but he’s ready […]
Briatore set for sensational F1 return
Oct.19 (GMM) Flavio Briatore looks set to make a sensational return to Formula 1. The flamboyant 71-year-old left F1 in disgrace over a decade ago following the ‘crashgate’ scandal, but has since been given clearance to return. But it seems it will not be as a team boss. Instead, Italian media claims he is being […]
No Honda engine IP for Red Bull in 2026
Oct.19 (GMM) Red Bull will not be able to use Honda’s engine IP to design a new power unit for the 2026 regulations. It emerged recently that, despite Honda’s official departure from Formula 1 at the end of this season, the Japanese manufacturer and Red Bull will continue to collaborate for the new ‘Red Bull […]
Aston Martin ’embarrassed’ in 2021 – Schumacher
Oct.19 (GMM) Aston Martin should be more “embarrassed” than quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel in 2021. That is the view of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who commented on the reportedly ’embarrassing’ decision to fit slick tyres to Vettel’s green car on the slippery Istanbul track last time out in Turkey. “The team is more […]
Criticism of F1 activists is justified – Glock
Oct.19 (GMM) Criticism of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton’s push into political activism is just as justified as the F1 drivers’ publicly declared views. That is the view of Timo Glock, who for that reason says the world champions – with no less than 11 drivers’ titles between them – must be free to express […]
‘Quiet hell’ in Melbourne endangers F1 race
Oct.19 (GMM) Doubt has been cast on Melbourne’s ability to host the scheduled Australian GP next April. The country has already lost its traditional season opening slot after cancelling the last two grands prix due to covid, while serious restrictions remain in place in Melbourne – the most locked down city on earth. “Nothing is […]
Capito plays down illegal Mercedes engine reports
Oct.18 (GMM) Jost Capito has played down reports that Mercedes’ latest engines have provided a controversial power boost amid the intense title battle with Red Bull. Red Bull team figures have questioned the legality of a supposed intercooler tweak that means Max Verstappen’s Honda engine is significantly down on power in comparison with Lewis Hamilton’s […]
2022 race is ‘make or break’ for Melbourne in F1
Oct.18 (GMM) The newly-published 2022 Formula 1 calendar is “make or break” for Melbourne’s Australian GP, according to chief organiser Andrew Westacott. F1 has finally released the whopping 23-race schedule for next year, confirming that Melbourne – having cancelled its races in 2020 and 2021 due to covid – has lost its traditional spot as […]
2022 could be ‘chaotic’ season for F1 – Vasseur
Oct.18 (GMM) Formula 1 could suffer through a “chaotic” first season with the all-new regulations beginning in 2022. That is the warning of Alfa Romeo boss Frederic Vasseur, although he admits that the new rules are positive for “economic and sporting reasons”. “The new rules will result in tougher racing and more fighting,” he told […]
Alonso – Ferrari lowered expectations after Vettel
Oct.18 (GMM) Ferrari had to lower its expectations after Fernando Alonso and then Sebastian Vettel failed to deliver the title to Maranello. That is the view of 40-year-old Spaniard Alonso, who came close to the world championship whilst wearing red but now races for Renault-owned Alpine. “In my time and Sebastian’s time, Ferrari was not […]
Hamilton making ‘a lot of mistakes’ – Villeneuve
Oct.18 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has “got away” with “a lot of mistakes” as he battles Max Verstappen for the 2021 world championship. That is the view of outspoken 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve – but his views are echoed by fellow former F1 winners David Coulthard and Mark Webber. “He had a couple of incidents […]
Piastri admits Alfa Romeo chances ‘very slim’
Oct.18 (GMM) Oscar Piastri has effectively counted himself out of the running for Formula 1’s last official vacancy on the 2022 grid. Earlier, the Mark Webber-managed Australian, who is leading the Formula 2 standings from fellow candidate Guanyu Zhou, was named as a frontrunner to potentially replace Antonio Giovinazzi at Alfa Romeo next year. But […]
Red Bull’s F1 contracts ‘suffocating’ drivers
Oct.15 (GMM) Red Bull has a “problem” with the way it binds drivers to their Formula 1 contracts. That is the view of former F1 driver Christijan Albers, who says there is only one Red Bull racer with a truly advantageous contract – Max Verstappen. In past years, Red Bull has struggled with a high […]
Bottas not excluded from Mercedes team meetings
Oct.15 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has apparently not been excluded from Mercedes’ key operations, even though he is departing for Alfa Romeo in 2022. As Lewis Hamilton struggled to recover from his engine grid penalty in Turkey, Finn Bottas comfortably kept position in P1 throughout the Istanbul race for his first win of the season. Some, […]
Andretti may ‘jump on’ Alfa Romeo opportunity
Oct.14 (GMM) Reports that former F1 driver Michael Andretti may acquire the team currently known as Alfa Romeo are yet to race past the rumour phase. Some correspondents reported from Turkey last time out that the well-known American motor racing entrepreneur had already taken control of an 80 percent stake in Sauber Motorsport. But Alfa […]
Iconic Eau Rouge F1 chalet demolished
Oct.14 (GMM) Spa-Francorchamps purists are mourning the demolition of a Formula 1 icon. The chalet that sat proudly at the top of Eau Rouge, offering impressive views of arguably the most famous corner in F1 history but also clearly visible from the track itself, has been knocked down. It is to make way for vital […]
Mercedes under pressure for ‘first time in years’
Oct.14 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton’s title hopes will be dealt another blow if he is forced to take another engine change penalty in 2021. While Red Bull-Honda was clearly inferior to Mercedes in Turkey, Max Verstappen reclaimed the world championship lead in part thanks to Hamilton’s engine change – his fourth unit for the season. And […]