Sep.11 (GMM) Mattia Binotto appears to have dodged the axe at Ferrari after chairman John Elkann pledged his support for the team’s under-fire boss at Monza. Elkann, at Monza to witness Charles Leclerc take a surprise pole with special yellow branding, told La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of the Italian GP that Ferrari needs to […]
Month: September 2022
Bigger race weekend shakeup now looming – F1 CEO
Sep.11 (GMM) Stefano Domenicali insists the controversial ‘sprint race’ format is not the end of his efforts to spice up race weekends in Formula 1. The F1 CEO wants the sprint format to be expanded from three rounds in 2022 to at least six rounds next year. But he also sees other ways to make […]
FIA will not bend rules for Colton Herta
Sep.11 (GMM) Colton Herta’s Formula 1 dream may have to wait for now. It appears increasingly unlikely that rival teams, Formula 1 and the FIA will intervene to allow the Indycar star to secure an Alpha Tauri seat next year with a super license exemption. Nyck de Vries, a favourite to step up to F1 […]
Ferrari chairman says Binotto-run team ‘must mature’
Sep.10 (GMM) Ferrari “must mature” if it wants to return to the very top of Formula 1. That is the admission of the Maranello marque’s current chairman John Elkann, who is present at Monza this weekend as Ferrari got off to a good start to its Italian GP weekend with special yellow branding. Red Bull, […]
Marko ‘in talks’ with Honda and others about 2026
Sep.10 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko says Red Bull is “in talks with Honda” – but insists the energy drink company’s Formula 1 operations can thrive without an engine partner. Porsche has followed in Red Bull’s wheeltracks by confirming that negotiations for a 50 percent works partnership for 2026 and beyond have collapsed. “The two companies […]
‘Silly season’ reaches fever pitch at Monza
Sep.10 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg is back in the headlines as the new frontrunner to replace Mick Schumacher at Haas next year. Team boss Gunther Steiner says he has lost his hunger to run rookie drivers, although F1 legend Gerhard Berger thinks incumbent Schumacher should still be the number 1 pick. “He must be allowed to […]
Red Bull juniors not ready to replace Gasly
Sep.9 (GMM) Formula 1 should have a re-think about its super license rules, as Red Bull’s plans to bring Colton Herta to the grid next year look set to collapse. Some teams but also F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and the FIA seem uninterested in bending the strict credentialing criteria to allow the Indycar driver to […]
F1 had to go down ‘sustainable’ road – Domenicali
Sep.9 (GMM) Formula 1 has no choice other than to join the rest of the world by prioritising “sustainability”. The sport pioneered highly efficient ‘power unit’ technology some eight years ago now, but CEO Stefano Domenicali says it cannot stop there. Indeed, F1 is now pushing a ‘net-zero carbon’ goal for 2023, and intends to […]
Verstappen calls for social media ‘hate’ clampdown
Sep.9 (GMM) World champion Max Verstappen has called for social media companies to clamp down against online “hate”. It comes after Red Bull and Alpha Tauri strategist Hannah Schmitz was subjected to reams of abuse from those pedalling a conspiracy theory about Yuki Tsunoda’s DNF at Zandvoort. “I don’t want to know and I don’t […]
F1 would cope without Porsche in 2026 – Domenicali
Sep.9 (GMM) F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says the sport would be able to cope if Porsche decides not to enter Formula 1 after all. At Monza, Christian Horner denied that Red Bull’s highly anticipated works Porsche deal for 2026 and beyond ultimately fell through because he refused to consider stepping down as team principal. “I […]
Hamilton plays down Ricciardo-to-Mercedes rumours
Sep.9 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has batted away speculation that Mercedes is planning ahead for the seven time world champion’s retirement. Rumours at Monza are strongly linking McLaren refugee Daniel Ricciardo, who seems unable to secure a race seat for 2023, with the reserve role at Mercedes for 2023. “No comment,” the Australian grinned ahead of […]
Leclerc defends Binotto amid Ferrari axe rumours
Sep.9 (GMM) Top Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has defended Mattia Binotto amid rumours at Monza that a change at the very top of the fabled Maranello team may be looming. Binotto has been coming under increasing fire after Ferrari started the 2022 season strongly only to see the title challenge collapse due to ongoing strategy […]
Monza must upgrade circuit to keep F1 race
Sep.8 (GMM) Fabled Italian GP host Monza must improve its circuit facilities or risk falling off the Formula 1 calendar. That is yet another warning about the fate of the historic race made by F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, mere days before Ferrari marks Monza’s 100th birthday with a special yellow livery. But Domenicali, who says […]
No Le Mans return for Alonso with Aston Martin
Sep.8 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he will not be combining his Formula 1 seat with Aston Martin next year with a return to Le Mans. The Spaniard, who is leaving Alpine after this year, won Le Mans back-to-back in 2019 but says the F1 calendar is no longer conducive to a split project. “Difficult,” he […]
Audi could rescue Schumacher’s career
Sep.8 (GMM) Sauber, currently racing as Alfa Romeo, could rescue Mick Schumacher’s Formula 1 career – but the young German may need to take a sabbatical in 2023. Audi recently announced that it will enter the sport to race under the new engine regulations from 2026 – and shortly afterwards Alfa Romeo said its current […]
F1 teams testing bigger rear mirrors for FIA
Sep.7 (GMM) Teams are testing much bigger cockpit side mirrors in order to improve the limited rearwards vision for Formula 1 drivers. Since the Canadian GP in mid June, some teams have been testing their own bigger mirror designs in practice to collect data for the governing FIA. Red Bull, for instance, ran a standard […]
Leaked F1 calendar shows 24 rounds for 2023
Sep.7 (GMM) The first draft of Formula 1’s 2023 calendar has begun to circulate among the German specialist media. Just after the Dutch GP last weekend, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali revealed that Zandvoort would have a tweaked race date for 2023. “It was great to see the enthusiasm, excitement and also the respect of the […]
Ricciardo to consider reserve role in 2023
Sep.7 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo would consider a demotion to reserve driver status next year if it keeps his foot in the Formula 1 door. The Australian also recently admitted a sabbatical next year was a possibility, and in a ‘hot mic’ moment from Zandvoort admitted to rival Sergio Perez that he could indeed take a […]
Verstappen ‘relaxed’ as F1’s new dominant force
Sep.6 (GMM) Max Verstappen insists he is not changing at all – even though he has found himself in a Senna, Schumacher and Hamilton-style position of dominance in Formula 1. The reigning world champion appears to be cruising at a canter to his second consecutive drivers’ title, whilst cementing his position among the 15 highest […]
Pirelli to develop 2024 tyres ‘from scratch’
Sep.6 (GMM) Pirelli will have to develop its Formula 1 tyres for the 2024 season “from scratch”, according to the Italian supplier’s Mario Isola. He says it’s because the sport is gradually phasing out the use of tyre-warming blankets, which will be banned completely from 2024. “It’s not enough to simply develop different compounds that […]