Aug.25 (GMM) Mika Hakkinen, who is involved in the management of Valtteri Bottas’ career, has defended the Mercedes driver amid strong rumours he is about to lose his seat. “If you look at the facts, the results in all the years Valtteri has driven with Lewis (Hamilton) – what the team has achieved with these […]
Alonso can keep racing in F1 with Alpine – CEO
Aug.25 (GMM) Fernando Alonso can race for Alpine for life, according to the French carmaker’s CEO Laurent Rossi. Spaniard Alonso, 40, returned to Formula 1 this year with the Renault-owned team, more than a decade after his back-to-back titles for the Enstone based works outfit. What is clear is that Rossi is more than happy […]
2021 Verstappen-Hamilton duel is ‘unique’ – Berger
Aug.24 (GMM) The world of Formula 1 is witnessing a “unique” battle for this year’s world championship, according to F1 legend Gerhard Berger. Still closely aligned with Red Bull, the now DTM series chief said Max Verstappen was on course for the 2021 title until Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton turned it around in the most recent […]
New engine to give Ferrari a Belgian GP boost
Aug.24 (GMM) Former F1 tyre engineer Kees van de Grint says fans should keep an eye on Ferrari’s performance this weekend at Spa. The Dutchman, who worked with Bridgestone and Michael Schumacher during Ferrari’s ultra-successful era, says an engine upgrade will be a key weapon for the Maranello based team in the Belgian GP. Although […]
Juan Manuel Correa says F1 dream still alive
Aug.24 (GMM) Juan Manuel Correa will tackle the fabled Eau Rouge once again when he returns to racing action at Spa-Francorchamps two years after almost dying. It was late August in 2019 when, on the exit of F1’s most famous corner, Correa’s Formula 2 car careened into the crashed single seater of 22-year-old Anthoine Hubert, […]
Manager says Schumacher’s wife ‘deleted me’
Aug.24 (GMM) Michael Schumacher’s manager says the F1 legend’s wife “deleted me from her life” after the fateful skiing accident of late 2013. Willi Weber, whose autobiography ‘Benzin im Blut’ (‘petrol in the blood’) is being released, revealed that the last time he saw his former colleague and close friend was in the weeks shortly […]
Authorities probe Wolff-Stroll F1 financial deal
Aug.24 (GMM) Authorities have opened a financial probe involving two of Formula 1’s most powerful figures – team chiefs Toto Wolff and Lawrence Stroll. According to Le Journal de Montreal, the investigation involves Mercedes boss and 33 percent team owner Wolff having bought into fellow team boss Stroll’s Aston Martin brand last year. The Canadian […]
Wolff not ruling out team boss exit
Aug.23 (GMM) Toto Wolff says he could eventually step down as Mercedes’ team boss. The 49-year-old Austrian actually admits that he recently gave thought to stepping away from Formula 1 altogether. “For a year I thought about going back into the financial world,” he told Bild am Sonntag newspaper. “But we at Mercedes decided together […]
Haas to run ‘Ferrari driver’ in 2022 – boss
Aug.23 (GMM) “A Ferrari driver” will be belted into a Haas cockpit next year, team boss Gunther Steiner insists. He hopes it will be Mick Schumacher, who made his Formula 1 debut for the small American team in 2021. However, the young German has been linked with a move to Alfa Romeo. “I’m as confident […]
Age not slowing down Marko, Mateschitz – Horner
Aug.23 (GMM) They may be in their late 70s, but Red Bull’s Austrian chiefs are showing no signs of lifting their feet from the throttle. That is the news from team boss Christian Horner, who was asked if Dr Helmut Marko, 78, or the year-younger Red Bull mogul Dietrich Mateschitz are beginning to eye retirement. […]
Second 2021 GP at Zandvoort ‘not an option’
Aug.23 (GMM) Dutch GP organisers have played down rumours Zandvoort could step in to plug the latest hole in the covid-affected 2021 calendar. With Suzuka now cancelled, some had reported that a second race at Zandvoort would kill two birds with one stone – replacing Japan, and accommodating the almost 30,000 ticketed Dutch fans who […]
Latifi set to stay at Williams in 2022
Aug.23 (GMM) Nicholas Latifi looks set to stay at Williams for a third consecutive season in 2022. Currently, while a cloud hangs over George Russell’s future at the Grove-based team, there is less uncertainty about the fate of his Canadian teammate Latifi. “We are very happy with him,” team boss Jost Capito told Sport1. “He […]
Ferrari ‘must’ fight for 2022 title – Binotto
Aug.23 (GMM) Ferrari must challenge for the 2022 world championship, according to Mattia Binotto. In 2020, the fabled Maranello team slumped spectacularly, but is now tied on points with McLaren for third in the constructors’ standings. Team boss Binotto, however, says the focus is firmly on the new rules for 2022. “Fighting for the title […]
Bottas says Hamilton wants him to stay
Aug.23 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas says his teammate Lewis Hamilton has told him “directly” that the duo shouldn’t be split up by Mercedes for 2022 and beyond. Amid strong rumours that George Russell is set to oust the Finnish driver, team boss Toto Wolff says his final decision is now looming large. “We have to choose […]
Sainz says he can take on ‘any driver’
Aug.23 (GMM) Carlos Sainz thinks he could take on “any driver” in Formula 1. The Spaniard replaced Sebastian Vettel at Ferrari for 2021, and is now steadily approaching the pace and consistency of his highly-rated teammate Charles Leclerc. “Charles is a very strong driver and that has helped me to improve,” Sainz said. “But I’ve […]
2021 ‘pendulum’ swinging away from Red Bull – Glock
Aug.23 (GMM) Timo Glock thinks the “pendulum” of competitiveness has swung back in Mercedes’ favour. “I hope Red Bull can strike back,” said the former F1 driver, “because I can feel that the pendulum has recently been swinging back in the direction of Mercedes.” Indeed, Max Verstappen was leading the championship until the often controversial […]
Marko admits ‘options’ amid Bottas rumours
Aug.20 (GMM) F1’s August break did not put the brakes on the driver ‘silly season’, with sensational new rumours linking Valtteri Bottas with Red Bull for 2022. Although it had appeared that Red Bull would re-sign Sergio Perez, Dr Helmut Marko is still not ready to confirm that. “There are some options that we are […]
Formula E champion now eyeing Williams move
Aug.20 (GMM) New Formula E champion Nyck de Vries is not ruling out making the big move into F1 for 2022. The 26-year-old Dutchman races for Mercedes’ works team, which is pulling out of the all-electric single seater series next year to “refocus resource for electric-only vehicle development”. When asked what that and his title […]
Vettel says 18-inch tyres are faster
Aug.20 (GMM) Alfa Romeo’s technical boss has warned Formula 1 drivers not to get too excited about the move to low-profile 18-inch tyres for 2022. F1 drivers have been getting a good taste of Pirelli’s new tyres so far in 2021, with Haas, Red Bull and Aston Martin doing the post-British GP test and Mercedes, […]
Albon not ruling out full-time Indycar switch
Aug.20 (GMM) Alex Albon has opened the door to Indycar, after trying out a cockpit for size during a visit with Romain Grosjean at Indianapolis last weekend. Red Bull’s F1 reserve driver is racing in the German tin-top series DTM this year, but he is pushing for a return to Formula 1. However, the official […]