Jun.5 (GMM) Kimi Raikkonen has denied that “bad luck” explains why he is trailing his Alfa Romeo teammate so far in 2021. Speculation is mounting that with so many youngsters knocking on the door at the Swiss-based team, F1’s 41-year-old world champion of 2007 might finally be facing the exit. Raikkonen denied that “bad luck” […]
Red Bull ‘ready’ for Mercedes’ rear wing protest
Jun.5 (GMM) Christian Horner has warned his Mercedes counterpart Toto Wolff to “keep his mouth shut” about excessively flexible wings at Baku. Wolff is not backing down over his threat to lodge a protest this weekend about the ‘bendy’ rear wing of Max Verstappen’s championship-leading Red Bull. Verstappen said at Baku that Mercedes is clearly […]
Green light for 75,000 spectators at Spa
Jun.5 (GMM) Even with Singapore now scrapped and several other races looking obviously endangered in 2021, there is some good news for Formula 1. Torrential rain at Spa-Francorchamps has flooded the famous circuit and forced the cancellation of this weekend’s Spa Euro Race, but the Belgian GP scheduled for late August is definitely on. In […]
Second US GP ‘most likely’ to replace Singapore
Jun.5 (GMM) Formula 1 says it is weighing up “several options” to replace the newly-axed 2021 Singapore GP. Singapore promoter Colin Syn said organisers had no choice but to cancel the popular October night race “in light of prevailing restrictions for live events” in the city-state. As for F1’s “options” for a replacement, the speculation […]
Red Bull plays down Mercedes’ Baku slump
Jun.5 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has played down Mercedes’ performance slump on the streets of Baku. The reigning champions also struggled at Monaco, but neither Lewis Hamilton nor Valtteri Bottas were even among the top ten in Friday practice at the Azerbaijan capital. “We just couldn’t find any grip,” said chief engineer Andy Shovlin. Bottas […]
Alonso admits to ‘wasting my time’ in F1
Jun.4 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he quit Formula 1 almost three years ago because he felt he was “wasting my time” in the category. After a two-year sabbatical, including adventures at Le Mans, the Indy 500 and the Dakar Rally, the former two-time champion is now back on the grid. However, at the age of […]
Russia wants Mazepin to do mandatory army service
Jun.4 (GMM) Amid his already controversial first season in Formula 1, Nikita Mazepin is now coming under pressure from the Russian military. The 22-year-old’s billionaire father Dmitry, who owns the Moscow-based chemical company and Haas title sponsor Uralchem, said at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum that the Russian military wants Nikita to complete his […]
Bottas denies blame for botched Monaco pitstop
Jun.4 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has hit back at his Mercedes boss’s suggestion that the Finnish driver was at least partly to blame for his retirement from the Monaco GP. Bottas’ rejoinder comes amid high uncertainty about whether the 31-year-old will be replaced by George Russell for 2022. “We haven’t discussed anything yet,” he said on […]
F1 ‘needs’ Wolff versus Marko fight – Berger
Jun.4 (GMM) The high tension between Mercedes, Red Bull and the title rivals’ respective top bosses is “exactly what Formula 1 needs”. That is the view of F1 legend Gerhard Berger, who was asked by Austria’s Auto Revue to comment on the barbs that are now being regularly exchanged by his countrymen Toto Wolff and […]
Rivals ‘trying to slow us down’ – Verstappen
Jun.4 (GMM) Max Verstappen says it’s “understandable” that Mercedes is “trying to slow us down” by pushing on with the flexible wing saga. Formula 1 has now arrived at Baku, where Toto Wolff recently warned could be the scene of an official protest against the ‘bendy’ Red Bull rear wing. But an unnamed engineer at […]
Russell could be eyeing Mercedes split – pundit
Jun.3 (GMM) Another option may be shaping up for George Russell’s next move in Formula 1. The highly impressive 23-year-old, who almost won his one-off fill-in drive for Lewis Hamilton late last year, has spent the rest of his three-year F1 career so far at the back of the grid with Williams. Strongly supported by […]
Michael Schumacher would have been team boss – Haug
Jun.3 (GMM) Michael Schumacher would have gone on to become a successful top manager or team boss, according to former Mercedes motorsport chief Norbert Haug. Almost nothing is known about the seven time world champion’s current physical condition, but Schumacher has not been seen or heard from publicly since suffering serious brain injuries in a […]
Giovinazzi admits Alfa Romeo future uncertain
Jun.3 (GMM) Antonio Giovinazzi says he can handle the pressure of keeping his seat at Alfa Romeo, as a group of potential replacements nip at his heels. After two fairly nondescript seasons in Formula 1, the 27-year-old Italian is now beginning the show the way to his famous teammate Kimi Raikkonen – at least in […]
Red Bull must keep focus on 2021 title – Verstappen
Jun.2 (GMM) New championship leader Max Verstappen has urged Red Bull to keep its focus on the crucial and close 2021 title battle with Mercedes. While Mercedes chief Toto Wolff said recently that the reigning world champions are now essentially focusing on the all-new car for 2022, Verstappen says Red Bull needs to hold the […]
Hamilton now needs to ‘fight so hard’ – Verstappen
Jun.2 (GMM) Max Verstappen says he feels comfortable despite being “the hunted” driver in the world championship for the first time in his career. Mentally and physically, the Red Bull driver is relishing his battle with the 13-years-older Lewis Hamilton and the mighty Mercedes team. “I don’t mind that I’m the hunted one now,” said […]
Monza hoping for 80pc capacity F1 crowd
Jun.2 (GMM) Monza is hoping to welcome a crowd of up to 80 percent capacity to September’s Italian GP. As the peak of the pandemic begins to recede, major sports events are grappling with ways to fill up the grandstands once again and end the damaging ‘ghost race’ phenomenon. The solution under consideration for the […]
Hamilton ‘not a more complete driver’ – Verstappen
Jun.2 (GMM) Max Verstappen says he feels “much more relaxed” as his Formula 1 career races on, despite finding himself in his first head-to-head for the title with Lewis Hamilton. “I used to yell a lot, now I’m more relaxed,” the Red Bull driver smiled to Servus TV. Respected commentators have also praised the Dutchman’s […]
No regrets about losing Sainz to Ferrari – Marko
Jun.1 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says he has no regrets about losing former Red Bull talent Carlos Sainz to rival Formula 1 teams. In 2015, with Red Bull’s full backing, Spaniard Sainz made his F1 debut at the junior team alongside fellow rookie Max Verstappen. While Verstappen was quickly promoted to the team top, Sainz […]
Red Bull won’t trigger Baku protests – Marko
Jun.1 (GMM) Mercedes will have to pull the trigger on a round of protests this weekend at Baku, according to title rival Red Bull’s F1 supremo Dr Helmut Marko. With Toto Wolff threatening to lodge a protest against Red Bull’s allegedly ‘bendy’ rear wing, fellow Austrian Marko has warned that the energy drink-owned team is […]
Vasseur questions ‘timing’ of rear wing rule change
Jun.1 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur has questioned the timing of the FIA’s new clampdown on rear wing flexibility. While Mercedes, reportedly the instigator of the saga, and the most prominently-affected team Red Bull argue over when the new tests should begin, Alfa Romeo boss Vasseur is wondering why the rules are being changed at all. The […]