Sep.10 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin has dismissed the criticism of his Haas teammate’s famous uncle. At Zandvoort, following yet another on and off-track stoush between the Russian and fellow rookie Mick Schumacher, Mick’s uncle Ralf said Mazepin has “no place in Formula 1”. Mazepin, however, defended his aggressive style, insisting at Monza that “this is a […]
Vettel admits 2022 contract not confirmed
Sep.10 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel admits his deal to keep racing for Aston Martin in 2022 is not yet confirmed. Unofficially, the last vacant cockpit on next year’s grid is at Alfa Romeo – but technically, Aston Martin is also yet to announce Vettel and Lance Stroll. “There is no news,” quadruple world champion Vettel, who […]
7-8 sprint qualifying races in 2022 – Domenicali
Sep.10 (GMM) “A third” of the 23 grands prix next year will feature the new ‘sprint qualifying’ weekend format. That is the news direct from the mouth of F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who gave an interview to Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport. The second sprint qualifying event is taking place this weekend at Monza, and […]
Giovinazzi not ready to kick F1 ‘drug’
Sep.10 (GMM) Antonio Giovinazzi says he is not ready to quit the “drug” of Formula 1. His boss at Alfa Romeo, Frederic Vasseur, admits that the Ferrari-linked Italian is just one of several candidates to be Valtteri Bottas’ 2022 teammate. The favourite seems to be Formula 2 front-runner and Chinese Guanyu Zhou, who reportedly has […]
2022 Spanish GP deal expected ‘soon’
Sep.10 (GMM) Barcelona is looking to extend its race contracts with both Formula 1 and MotoGP “soon”. “It’s the same with MotoGP,” answered Circuit de Catalunya director Josep Lluis Santamaria, when asked by El Mundo Deportivo about the expiring F1 deal. “Like F1, it was over this year and the news will come out in […]
No Alfa Romeo seat for Hulkenberg
Sep.10 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg’s days on the Formula 1 race grid appear to be over. Having lost his full-time race seat after 2019, and subsequently becoming an Aston Martin reserve, the 34-year-old had left the door open for a potential racing return in 2022. However, the last remaining seat on the grid for next year […]
‘Huge relief’ Dutch GP pressure over – Verstappen
Sep.10 (GMM) Max Verstappen admitted he is relieved his home grand prix at Zandvoort is now behind him. The Dutchman said he enjoyed the fanaticism of the orange-clad crowd last weekend, where he duly responded to the pressure with pole, the win, and his return to the top of the world championship. “Everyone expected me […]
‘No idea’ if Russell better than Bottas – Hamilton
Sep.10 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton says he isn’t sure if George Russell will be a tougher teammate to beat than the departing Valtteri Bottas. Earlier, the seven time world champion made it clear to Mercedes that he wanted Bottas to stay – but was ultimately overruled. When asked what influence he had on Toto Wolff’s decision, […]
Schumacher ‘different’ after brain injury – wife
Sep.9 (GMM) Michael Schumacher is “different” in the wake of his brain injuries sustained in a skiing accident in late 2013, his wife Corinna has revealed. Excerpts of some of the German-language sections of the new official Netflix film about the F1 legend have emerged in the media, including in Kolner Express newspaper. “I have […]
Hamilton, Mercedes dominant for ‘too long’ – Stewart
Sep.9 (GMM) F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart thinks it’s time a new world champion is crowned. “It’s always nice to see a young challenger who can attack the leader,” the 82-year-old, a former triple world champion and team owner, told Ziggo Sport. “Lewis Hamilton was the leader for too long,” he insisted. “His team has […]
F1 CEO worried about future of Italian GP
Sep.9 (GMM) F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is worried about the future of the Italian GP at Monza. Once an unmissable and exciting pilgrimage for the Tifoso, race organisers are now warning that a meagre race-day crowd of just 16,000 spectators have bought tickets to attend this weekend’s race. It is believed the issue could be […]
Wolff shows Hamilton he’s ‘not the king’
Sep.9 (GMM) George Russell’s arrival at Mercedes next year is a sign to Lewis Hamilton that he is “not such a king”. A source close to the seven time world champion this week told a British newspaper that Hamilton is decidedly unhappy about Toto Wolff’s decision to oust Valtteri Bottas. “Lewis says he (Bottas) was […]
Williams not ruling out Red Bull logos in 2022
Sep.9 (GMM) Alex Albon has retained the backing of Red Bull, despite returning to Formula 1 with Mercedes-powered Williams in 2022. At Zandvoort, Toto Wolff warned that he may block the British-born Thai driver’s Williams deal if title rival Red Bull does not sever ties with Albon. So when asked if confirmation of Albon’s new […]
Monza admits few tickets sold for Italian GP
Sep.8 (GMM) A smaller than expected crowd is expected to gather for the Italian GP at fabled Monza this weekend. Due to covid, only 50 percent of the full capacity of almost 120,000 will be allowed to gather for the Formula 1 race. However, La Gazzetta dello Sport claims the actual race-day and sprint qualifying […]
Dutch GP showed Verstappen can win 2021 title – Hulkenberg
Sep.8 (GMM) Zandvoort was proof that Max Verstappen has what it takes to withstand the pressure and capture his first world championship by the end of the season. That is the view of former F1 racer and current Aston Martin reserve Nico Hulkenberg, who hailed Verstappen’s dominance of his first home grand prix last weekend. […]
‘More than two options’ to replace Russell – boss
Sep.8 (GMM) Alex Albon and Nyck de Vries are not the only drivers in the running to replace the Mercedes-bound George Russell at Williams in 2022. “We knew this was a possibility,” said team boss Jost Capito, on the day Mercedes finally announced that Russell is replacing Valtteri Bottas next year. “We have a number […]
Bottas reveals Alfa deal is for three years
Sep.8 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has revealed that his new contract at Alfa Romeo is for a full three years. Officially, the Swiss team is saying only that the current Mercedes driver has inked a multi-year deal starting in 2022. “I will not comment on this further,” team boss Frederic Vasseur told RTL. However, 31-year-old Bottas […]
Mazepin may be eyeing second Alfa Romeo seat
Sep.8 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin has hinted that he and his powerful financial backing may be headed for a different Formula 1 team. The Russian rookie, whose father Dmitry’s company Uralkali is the title sponsor at Haas, is now locked in an open conflict with his teammate Mick Schumacher. “Jenson Button says he is dangerous, and […]
Mercedes needs car update to catch Verstappen – Hamilton
Sep.7 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has followed hot on the heels of title rival Max Verstappen’s similar request for a faster car. With the all-new 2022 rules now looming, most Formula 1 teams are almost exclusively focused on designing their cars for next year. However, as he fell back behind Red Bull’s Verstappen in the drivers’ […]
Father went to hospital after Verstappen win
Sep.7 (GMM) Max Verstappen may have been on top of the world, but his father Jos Verstappen had to be airlifted to hospital shortly after watching the Dutch GP on television. Dutch reports say the 49-year-old former Formula 1 driver was taken to the hospital in Roermond, in the southern Netherlands, due to stomach and […]