Apr.21 (GMM) Red Bull is taking a “risk” by introducing car upgrades this weekend at Imola. Dominant-in-2022 team Ferrari has ruled out serious upgrades because of the limited track time this weekend prior to the first ‘sprint’ of the season. “It is very clear,” Dr Helmut Marko told RTL. “Ferrari has such a complex package […]
Month: April 2022
Carmaker CEO proud to have kept Renault in F1
Apr.20 (GMM) Alpine is still on target to win races in Formula 1, according to Renault CEO Luca de Meo. When the Italian left the Volkswagen group in 2020 to join Renault, he was met by a senior management team that had effectively decided to pull the French giant out of Formula 1. “Yes, I […]
Audi and Sauber ‘a good fit’ for F1 – Seidl
Apr.20 (GMM) Audi and Sauber in collaboration would be a “very good fit” in Formula 1. That is the view of Andreas Seidl, who is very familiar with the Volkswagen group of carmakers after leading Porsche’s Le Mans program. Today, he is team boss at McLaren, who reportedly rejected a EUR 650 million buyout bid […]
F1 ‘not over’ for Fittipaldi after Haas snub
Apr.20 (GMM) Pietro Fittipaldi’s attention moved from Formula 1 to Le Mans-style sports cars last weekend after he was overlooked for the full Haas race seat for 2022. The grandson of F1 legend Emerson Fittipaldi is Haas’ fully-fledged reserve driver, but the small American team instead opted for Kevin Magnussen’s experience following the ousting of […]
Schumacher needs ‘three more years’ before Ferrari
Apr.20 (GMM) Mick Schumacher is not ready to step up to a top team like Ferrari. That is the claim of Franz Tost, a figure who was close to the inner circle of Mick’s father Michael and especially the F1 legend’s brother Ralf. Now, team boss Austrian Tost – who may be looking for a […]
2022 F1 cars ‘harder to control’ – Schumacher
Apr.20 (GMM) Some Formula 1 drivers are struggling with the handling of the all-new ‘ground-effect’ cars of 2022. Former driver Marc Surer says that while Carlos Sainz was “a little better” than his teammate last year, the 2021 car was “easy to drive compared to this year’s car”. “The (2022) Ferrari is harder to control […]
Mercedes likely working on ‘B-spec’ 2022 car
Apr.20 (GMM) Car upgrades may be thin on the ground this weekend at Imola. Ferrari is the least likely to see the need for major developments at present, as its car is reliable and Charles Leclerc is dominating the drivers’ standings. Mattia Binotto agrees that with Saturday’s first sprint race of 2022 looming, the first […]
F1 calendar ‘demanding’ for tyre testing
Apr.19 (GMM) Pirelli is pushing for Formula 1 to find space in the “demanding” 2022 schedule for more tyre testing. The sport’s sole tyre supplier delivered the all-new 18-inch tyres for the new regulations but are now struggling to convince the teams to help develop them for the following season. “We are currently in talks […]
Residents try to stop Miami GP
Apr.19 (GMM) An eleventh-hour roadblock has been thrown in front of next month’s inaugural grand prix in Miami. The Spanish-language local El Nuevo Herald newspaper reports that a group of residents have filed a last-minute lawsuit to stop the event from going ahead on the grounds of “intolerable” noise levels. EFE news agency claims a […]
FIA hits back at safety car ‘turtle’ jibe
Apr.19 (GMM) The FIA has hit back at driver complaints about the speed of Formula 1’s Aston Martin safety car. With George Russell declaring in Melbourne that F1’s other safety car – a Mercedes – is five seconds per lap quicker, world champion Max Verstappen likened the green Aston Martin to a “turtle”. The sport’s […]
Haas refuses to hand back $13m Uralkali funds
Apr.19 (GMM) Haas’ reported refusal to return $13 million in sponsorship to ousted title sponsor Uralkali has been slammed by Russian F1 commentator Alexey Popov. “I understand that they were under pressure and it was impossible not to break the contract with Nikita,” the Match TV broadcaster admitted. “But after they cooperated for a year, […]
Honda problem ‘resolved’ for Imola – Marko
Apr.19 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko thinks Red Bull’s reliability problem will be solved by the time the 2022 car returns to the asphalt this weekend at Imola. World champion Max Verstappen has been left trailing in the championship after two powertrain-related failures in the first two grands prix. “It wasn’t the engine itself that was […]
Ferrari could announce Sainz deal at Imola
Apr.19 (GMM) Carlos Sainz is inching close to a new Ferrari deal – with some suggesting an announcement will be made this weekend in front of the sold-out crowd at Imola. Some sources report that Ferrari wants a one-year contract extension, while the Sainz camp is reportedly keen for the offer of an ‘option’ for […]
Teams ask FIA for ‘white Ferrari’ clarity
Apr.19 (GMM) Gunther Steiner has dismissed claims that Haas’ 2022 car is effectively a ‘white Ferrari’. The small American team, despite the pre-season controversy about the Mazepins and ousted title sponsor Mazepin, has leapt up the grid with its all-new car for the new regulations. “That came as a bit of a surprise,” Alpine boss […]
Ferrari extends Rory Byrne’s F1 contract
Apr.14 (GMM) David Coulthard has compared Charles Leclerc’s stellar start to the 2022 season with his own Michael Schumacher-dominated era. “I had a little bit of a shiver actually, a flashback,” the Scot laughed after Melbourne, where the top Ferrari driver opened up his early championship lead to 34 points over George Russell. Fellow former […]
Red Bull finds cause of Verstappen failure
Apr.14 (GMM) Red Bull has identified the problem that ended world champion Max Verstappen’s Australian GP. The Dutchman is not only behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the drivers’ standings, he is only sixth overall after two failures out of three races so far. “We were able to clarify the cause of the fuel leak in […]
Verstappen’s huge F1 contract ‘normal’ – Marko
Apr.14 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has no regrets that Max Verstappen’s new Red Bull contract could be the most lucrative in Formula 1 history. Some believe the Dutchman is now being paid even more than seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton. “I don’t know if that’s true, because I don’t know Hamilton’s contract,” Marko told […]
Reports of Monaco GP axe ‘totally false’
Apr.14 (GMM) Reports that Monaco could lose its prestigious spot on the annual Formula 1 calendar have been dismissed as “totally false”. “It was implied that Liberty Media’s asking prices were too excessive for us and that the grand prix would no longer be here,” Michael Boeri, president of the Automobile Club de Monaco, told […]
F1 ‘on pause’ as Mazepin eyes off-road rallies
Apr.14 (GMM) Nikita Mazepin says he may keep his motor racing career alive in off-road rallying. The Russian suddenly lost his Formula 1 seat amid the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, when Haas responded to the international sanctions frenzy and also cut ties with title sponsor Uralkali. “Everything would be the same still if the […]
Aston Martin has heaviest car in F1
Apr.14 (GMM) Aston Martin has the heaviest car on Formula 1’s 2022 grid – but Red Bull isn’t far behind. But while Red Bull’s reigning world champion Max Verstappen is still competitive, the same cannot be said of Aston Martin – particularly after the team’s nightmare Australian GP. “The car has potential, but we have […]