Oct.24 (GMM) US GP polesitter Max Verstappen bristled when asked if he is nervous about another clash with championship rival Lewis Hamilton on Sunday. “I don’t see why we always have to keep bringing this up,” said the Dutchman, whose Red Bull will line up just ahead of Hamilton’s Mercedes in Austin. More important than […]
Month: October 2021
Sauber ‘already sold’ to Andretti – Schumacher
Oct.23 (GMM) Michael Andretti’s buyout of the Formula 1 team currently known as Alfa Romeo is a done deal. That is the view of Ralf Schumacher, a former F1 driver who purports to know for sure that Swedish billionaire Finn Rausing has sold most of his stake in Swiss-based Sauber. “It hasn’t been officially confirmed […]
Ricciardo misses locked-down Australian parents
Oct.23 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo admits he has struggled to cope with Australia’s controversial handling of the covid-19 pandemic. The political situation in Australia is now attracting widespread international attention, with authorities often brutally enforcing severe restrictions whilst borders remain tightly locked. The Victorian state government, where Melbourne is the capital, has even warned that unvaccinated […]
Verstappen says ‘no’ to Indycar’s oval racing
Oct.23 (GMM) Max Verstappen has counted himself out of a potential future in Indycar. In Austin, the paddock is abuzz with speculation US racing giant Michael Andretti and his top Indycar star Colton Herta could be in Formula 1 next year. Plenty of former F1 drivers, meanwhile, are now on the Indycar grid, including Romain […]
2022 cars only slightly slower – Symonds
Oct.23 (GMM) Formula 1 cars may not be as slow as some feared in 2022. There is no doubt that the field will be generally slower next year as Formula 1 enforces all-new technical rules designed to make overtaking easier. Championship leader Max Verstappen admits he will miss “the laptimes and the speed”. But what […]
Nevada governor confirms Las Vegas F1 talks
Oct.23 (GMM) The governor of Nevada has confirmed that Formula 1 may be heading to Las Vegas. With Miami joining the schedule next year, it would be the third grand prix in the United States – as Austin looks set to extend its US GP contract beyond this weekend’s race. “Anything that would stop the […]
Red Bull finds ‘antidote’ to Mercedes speed
Oct.23 (GMM) Max Verstappen should be able to lift the 2021 world championship trophy just two more race wins, according to Red Bull official Dr Helmut Marko. He was speaking after his star Dutch driver called title rival Lewis Hamilton a “stupid idiot” whilst showing him the middle finger in Austin practice. Verstappen’s engineer told […]
Lundgaard pulls out of F1 driver market
Oct.22 (GMM) Christian Lundgaard has withdrawn from the Formula 1 driver market for now – and he hinted that likely Formula 2 champion Oscar Piastri will soon join him. Lundgaard, a highly rated Danish 20-year-old with links to the Alpine team, said earlier this year that 2021 is “a crucial season in relation to my […]
Mazepin had trouble with US travel visa
Oct.22 (GMM) Two Russian racing drivers had trouble entering America for the US GP weekend. Female driver Irina Sidorkova, slated to contest the W Series support race in Austin this weekend, was refused a visa by US authorities. “My season is over. I was denied a visa,” she is quoted by Tass news agency. “First […]
Ecclestone doubts Andretti will buy Sauber
Oct.22 (GMM) The F1 paddock in Austin is abuzz with speculation that Michael Andretti has definitely bought a major stake in the team currently known as Alfa Romeo. Multiple team bosses have already commented on the reports, including Gunther Steiner, whose Haas outfit faces the prospect of losing its status as the only American team […]
Melbourne GP boss plays down Sydney F1 rumours
Oct.22 (GMM) Australian GP boss Andrew Westacott has played down reports the country’s Formula 1 race could move from Melbourne to Sydney. Local broadcaster 7 News claims “high level talks” are underway with officials in Sydney, after Melbourne’s state Victorian government axed the last two grands prix and will now mandate vaccines for F1’s travelling […]
Verstappen snubs ‘fake’ F1 Netflix series
Oct.22 (GMM) Max Verstappen, who has been voted by fans in an official survey as the most popular driver in Formula 1, has ruled himself out of the next edition of ‘Drive to Survive’. The Dutchman said in Austin that he didn’t want to be part of the Netflix series because scenes and narratives are […]
Ecclestone helped injured Newey with F1 return
Oct.21 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone pulled strings to help Red Bull gets its technical boss back up and running. It has emerged that Adrian Newey missed several races this season following a serious cycling crash that required multiple surgeries. He was back on the pitwall in Turkey, where Red Bull’s title rival Mercedes had a clear […]
New sporting rules delayed until 2023 – Masi
Oct.21 (GMM) Plans to introduce a raft of novel sporting regulations in 2022 have been delayed for a year. Formula 1 had intended to make key changes including scrapping Thursday’s ‘media day’ and tweaking the new sprint qualifying format which will take place at up to 6 or 7 races in 2022. But those changes […]
Miami F1 race will be moved ‘downtown’ – mayor
Oct.21 (GMM) A store with close ties to Fernando Alonso has opened up in Miami – the home of Formula 1’s newest grand prix in the United States next year. Prior to the US GP this weekend in Texas, the two-time champion stopped by in Miami for the launch of a SimplyEV store – the […]
Las Vegas could be third F1 race in America
Oct.21 (GMM) Las Vegas, the fabled casino capital of the US, could be the next host to be added to the Formula 1 calendar. According to Italy’s Autosprint, representatives will meet with Formula 1 officials this weekend in Austin to discuss a potential debut race in 2023. With Miami to host its first grand prix […]
Mazepin ‘first to hear’ about Schumacher ski crash
Oct.21 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin has played down reported tension with Mick Schumacher, insisting he actually shares a unique bond with his fellow rookie teammate. The Russian admits he even clashed with Schumacher, also 22, back in his karting days – but Mazepin also shared some previously undisclosed information about his ties to the Schumacher family’s […]
No ‘unvaccinated’ F1 drivers can race in Melbourne
Oct.21 (GMM) “Unvaccinated” Formula 1 drivers and personnel will not be permitted to race in Melbourne next April. That is the news straight from the mouth of Daniel Andrews, the premier of the Australian state of Victoria – where Melbourne is the capital. He was responding to reports that world tennis number 1 Novak Djokovic […]
Zandvoort could help make other F1 races more exciting
Oct.20 (GMM) Formula 1 may turn to organisers of the highly-popular Dutch GP to advise other race hosts about how to better entertain spectators on grand prix weekends. We reported on Tuesday that former team boss Flavio Briatore may have been recruited by Formula 1 to work on what the controversial Italian called extra “excitement, […]
Williams boss has eye on Mick Schumacher
Oct.20 (GMM) He drives for Haas, has been linked with Alfa Romeo and is managed by Ferrari – and now Mick Schumacher can add another admiring team’s name to his resume. “I have to say that Mick is doing an excellent job,” said Jost Capito, Williams’ German team boss. 22-year-old Schumacher, the son of F1 […]