Oct.5 (GMM) Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna appeared in the Sepang paddock after a turbulent week of speculation around team principal Frederic Vasseur, although he insisted his visit had already been planned. Vigna told Sky Italia that Ferrari remains united despite the recent noise. “I had already planned to come to Sepang,” he insisted. “The team […]
Pourchaire wants Mercedes F1 test chance
Oct.5 (GMM) Theo Pourchaire says his reserve and simulator role with Mercedes is valuable, but he now wants time in a real Formula 1 car. The 2023 Formula 2 champion was Mercedes’ reserve driver at Sepang this weekend because Frederik Vesti was racing in IMSA. “It’s great to experience the race weekend with the team,” […]
Malaysia opens talks for permanent F1 return
Oct.5 (GMM) Malaysia has formally opened discussions with Formula 1 about returning to the calendar permanently after Sepang’s successful one-off comeback this weekend. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told Bernama after the race that talks with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali are now underway, although he stressed that no decision is close yet. “That we are discussing […]
Mercedes may scrap upgrade as Russell title hopes fade
Oct.5 (GMM) Mercedes is considering abandoning its major Sepang aerodynamic upgrade after the package appeared to make the W17 slower rather than faster. Toto Wolff admitted after the Bahrain GP in Malaysia that reverting to the previous specification is now a real possibility. “That’s not out of the question,” the team boss confirmed. “Now we […]
Software chaos exposes F1’s 2026 complexity
Oct.5 (GMM) Formula 1’s chaotic wet start at Sepang has triggered fresh criticism of the hugely complex 2026 regulations. Several cars suddenly lost power on the formation lap, forcing race control to halt the starting procedure while the FIA distributed an emergency software update. Top FIA official Nikolas Tombazis admitted the wet-weather software had barely […]
Toyota shuts down Ocon WEC rumours
Oct.4 (GMM) Esteban Ocon’s options for 2027 appear to be narrowing further, with Toyota denying speculation that the departing Haas driver could move into its World Endurance Championship program. Toyota adviser Alexander Wurz told formel1.de that there is “nothing to these rumours”. Wurz said Toyota plans its WEC driver lineup well in advance and has […]
Verstappen tells Russell to stop ‘making a fuss’
Oct.4 (GMM) Max Verstappen has pushed back at George Russell’s complaints about Sepang’s extreme heat and Mercedes’ refusal to develop a better cooling vest under the budget cap. Russell had argued that the FIA should intervene. “The FIA should intervene and allow us to develop them outside the budget cap,” he said. Polesitter Verstappen, however, […]
Verstappen, Wolff accept Qatar-Abu Dhabi decision
Oct.4 (GMM) Max Verstappen and Toto Wolff say they trust Formula 1’s decision to confirm Qatar and Abu Dhabi as the final two rounds of the 2026 season. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has now ended the uncertainty, telling Canal Plus and other broadcasters at Sepang that the original calendar will stand. “We keep the teams […]
Horner says Ferrari comments were overblown
Oct.4 (GMM) Christian Horner has apparently tried to play down the uproar over his recent Ferrari comments, telling Martin Brundle that his remarks were simply intended to be respectful. Speaking on Sky at Sepang, legendary commentator Brundle revealed that he had called Horner directly after the latest round of speculation about Frederic Vasseur’s future. “There […]
Mercedes upgrade backfires at Sepang
Oct.4 (GMM) Mercedes’ major Sepang upgrade appears to have made the W17 slower rather than faster, with both cars missing the top three in qualifying as Max Verstappen took pole. Toto Wolff was stunned by the scale of the setback. “We’ve never had an update go so wrong like this before,” the team boss told […]
Sepang transport chaos leaves F1 fans stranded
Oct.3 (GMM) Formula 1’s return to Sepang has been hit by transport chaos, with enormous crowds left waiting for shuttle buses after Friday practice and some fans eventually walking kilometres from the circuit. Local reports say thousands packed the designated bus areas after FP2, with some spectators claiming waits of three hours or more. Others […]
Qatar, Abu Dhabi confirmed as 2026 finale
Oct.3 (GMM) Formula 1 has finally confirmed that Qatar and Abu Dhabi will go ahead as planned, ending months of uncertainty over the 2026 season finale. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali confirmed the decision to Sky Italia during the relocated Bahrain GP at Sepang. “With the information and reassurances we have received, we can confirm – […]
Komatsu answers Ocon claim over Haas axe
Oct.3 (GMM) Ayao Komatsu has responded to Esteban Ocon’s insistence that performance was not the reason Haas decided to drop him for 2027, saying the decision was based on the “overall picture”. Ocon said at Sepang that he knows why Haas made the call but insisted: “The reason wasn’t my performance.” Komatsu did not directly […]
Tyre survival could decide wide-open Sepang race
Oct.3 (GMM) Formula 1’s return to Sepang looks unusually open, with Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli each topping a practice session and severe tyre degradation emerging as the key factor. Verstappen led FP1, Leclerc FP2 and Antonelli FP3, while Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies believes as many as eight cars could realistically be […]
Alonso tease sparks Verstappen GT3 speculation
Oct.3 (GMM) Fernando Alonso has hinted at more racing outside Formula 1, but Max Verstappen has ruled out one obvious theory – that the pair are about to team up in GT3. With his new Aston Martin deal for 2027 now in place, Alonso said at Sepang that he still wants to explore forms of […]
Bottas clarifies Imola tax comments
Oct.3 (GMM) Valtteri Bottas has moved to clarify his comments about the tax implications of a possible Imola finale. The Cadillac driver had said earlier that “none of the drivers want to race in Imola” partly because of recent Italian tax demands. Max Verstappen hit back: “There is no tax issue. You just have to […]
Vasseur rejects Hamilton hint over Ferrari bosses
Oct.3 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur has pushed back against Lewis Hamilton’s suggestion that Ferrari’s deeper problems may involve people above the team principal, insisting his relationship with senior management is strong and the organisation itself is not the issue. Hamilton said on Thursday that Ferrari’s structure may need reviewing and that “there are also people above” […]
Briatore says Colapinto case is ‘finished’
Oct.3 (GMM) Flavio Briatore has confirmed he was furious with Franco Colapinto after the costly Baku crash, but says Alpine has now closed the matter internally and will impose no publicly disclosed consequences. Colapinto said at Sepang that despite Briatore’s angry post-race statement, Alpine never seriously considered sidelining him. Asked directly about consequences during the […]
Broadcaster claims Qatar, Abu Dhabi are on
Oct.2 (GMM) Formula 1’s long-running uncertainty over Qatar and Abu Dhabi may finally be ending, with Sky Deutschland reporting that both races will go ahead as scheduled. According to the German broadcaster, Qatar will remain on November 27-29 and Abu Dhabi will host the season finale on December 4-6, meaning the Imola contingency would not […]
Bearman thought Monaco sprint was a ‘prank’
Oct.2 (GMM) Oliver Bearman says he initially thought Formula 1’s decision to add a sprint race at Monaco in 2027 was a joke – and Max Verstappen is hardly convinced either. “When they told us that we would get a sprint race in that weekend,” Bearman told Viaplay, “I really thought it was a joke.” […]