Aug.31 (GMM) Brad Pitt will be back in the Formula 1 paddock and grid this weekend at Monza. That is despite the fact that filming for the forthcoming film about Formula 1, which began at Silverstone, had to pause for the Hollywood strike. Lewis Hamilton, whose production company is involved with the Apple-backed project, says […]
Month: August 2023
Focus on the car, not the driver lineup – Ferrari CEO
Aug.31 (GMM) Ferrari’s current focus is on speeding up its Formula 1 car – not thinking about a change of drivers, according to CEO Benedetto Vigna. In recent weeks, and despite Carlos Sainz’s eagerness to enter talks about life beyond his 2024 contract, team boss Frederic Vasseur says the lineup for 2025 will only be […]
Red Bull’s interest in Norris ‘natural’ – Stella
Aug.31 (GMM) McLaren boss Andrea Stella says it’s “natural” that the impressive Lando Norris is being linked with other Formula 1 teams. Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko has hinted that he has his eye on the on-form 23-year-old Briton, while Max Verstappen is obvious friends with Norris and says only his long McLaren contract may […]
Palou ‘not disappointed’ about F1 setback
Aug.31 (GMM) Alex Palou insists he is “not disappointed” that a legal spat with McLaren may have derailed his ambitions to switch to Formula 1. After winning the title in 2021, the 26-year-old Spaniard is now on course for his second Indycar championship this year. He was even a hot tip for a promotion to […]
Stewart doubts Hamilton can win eighth F1 title
Aug.31 (GMM) Former triple world champion and F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart doubts Lewis Hamilton will ever win another world championship. He told the German magazine Sport Bild that one factor is the 38-year-old’s “hunger” after a record-equalling run of seven titles that ended with his loss to Max Verstappen in 2021. “It also depends […]
‘Intelligent’ Perez should quit Red Bull – Berger
Aug.31 (GMM) F1 legend and long-time Red Bull ally Gerhard Berger thinks Sergio Perez should consider a change of teams. Although Mexican Perez, 33, is already under contract for 2024, his form has slumped in recent months and there have been rumblings about Red Bull wanting to slip out of the deal. Berger, once a […]
Lawson could steal injured Ricciardo’s F1 thunder
Aug.30 (GMM) Liam Lawson has gone from near-uncertainty to a prime position in Formula 1 almost instantly. As recently as late July, when Red Bull was dumping struggling Alpha Tauri rookie Nyck de Vries, Dr Helmut Marko said it would have been “certainly wrong” to pull 21-year-old New Zealander Lawson out of the Super Formula […]
Perez confirms ‘bizarre’ theory about form collapse
Aug.30 (GMM) Sergio Perez has confirmed that his performance began to slide in 2023 just as teammate Max Verstappen got more comfortable with the same Red Bull car. Verstappen, who has won a record-equalling nine races on the trot in recent months, admitted this week that it initially took him “a few races” to “fine-tune” […]
Italy GP boss in a ‘hurry’ for F1 contract talks
Aug.30 (GMM) Italian GP chief Angelo Sticchi Damiani says he is in a “hurry” to ink a new Formula 1 race deal with Liberty Media. With the highly popular Dutch GP at Zandvoort facing the prospect of having to annually alternate its calendar spot, it is clear that even the historic venue at Monza is […]
Leclerc denies negotiating with Mercedes’ Wolff
Aug.30 (GMM) Charles Leclerc has given another hint that he definitely sees his future in red. Ferrari, but particularly the Monegasque, driver had a poor weekend at Zandvoort, amid rumours he is not currently keen for contract talks beyond 2024. However, the 25-year-old denied in conversation with La Repubblica newspaper that he has had talks […]
Verstappen enjoying dominating more than 2021 battle
Aug.29 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko is eyeing September’s Japanese GP as the ideal place for Max Verstappen to put the lid on his third consecutive drivers’ title. That would leave a full six grands prix left unraced in 2023, demonstrating just how dominant the Red Bull driver has been this year. “Let’s see if the […]
Aston Martin to keep developing 2023 car – Krack
Aug.29 (GMM) Mike Krack hopes Aston Martin has put its season back on track. After a surprisingly impressive performance and a string of podiums for Fernando Alonso in the first part of the season, the team admits to have slumped with some poor car developments more recently. But with a new upgrade package on the […]
Ferrari must ‘restructure’ struggling team – boss
Aug.29 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur admits there is a need for Ferrari to “restructure” its operations. The Italian press is once again scathing of the fabled Maranello marque’s progress after the Dutch GP, where poor pace was allied with driver and team errors. La Gazzetta dello Sport said it was a “shameful” showing, while Corriere dello […]
Verstappen has ‘talked’ about Norris for Red Bull
Aug.29 (GMM) Speculation that Sergio Perez’s days at Red Bull are numbered just will not go away. Before Daniel Ricciardo broke his hand at Zandvoort, rumours were rife that Red Bull’s plan was to find a way out of Perez’s 2024 deal. But now, with Liam Lawson at the wheel of Ricciardo’s Alpha Tauri for […]
Bad news for injured Ricciardo after surgery
Aug.28 (GMM) Daniel Ricciardo received bad news after undergoing surgery on his broken hand. The Australian, who hit the wall at Zandvoort on Friday when he encountered the crashed McLaren of countryman Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, was initially diagnosed with a broken metacarpal in his left hand. He was put in a cast at a hospital […]
Stroll hits back at wild tennis switch rumours
Aug.28 (GMM) Lance Stroll has lashed back at reports suggesting he may hang up his helmet and attempt to launch a professional tennis career instead. Stroll, the 24-year-old son of Aston Martin owner and billionaire Lawrence Stroll, has been comprehensively outshone by new team recruit Fernando Alonso, 42, this season. And, over the recent summer […]
Schumacher admits ‘time running out’ for F1 return
Aug.28 (GMM) Mick Schumacher admits the time has come for his plans for 2024 to become clearer. At Zandvoort, what did become clear is that the Williams race seat alongside the on-form Alex Albon might be up for grabs, with rookie Logan Sargeant given a mission to up his game. “You have to earn your […]
‘Listless’ Leclerc brushes off Ferrari exit question
Aug.28 (GMM) Charles Leclerc brushed off suggestions he might need a change of environment in Formula 1. The highly-rated Monegasque driver had a notably lacklustre weekend at Zandvoort, as Ferrari’s overall performance slumped even more. “Williams, McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, Aston Martin, they’re all quicker than us here,” his teammate Carlos Sainz admitted. Leclerc, however, […]
Albon will not return to Red Bull – Marko
Aug.28 (GMM) Dr Helmut Marko has played down suggestions Red Bull should reunite with the on-form Alex Albon. At the wheel of a Williams, the British-born Thai driver was in the top 5 or 6 throughout the Dutch GP weekend, before finishing eighth in the race. The performance comes at an awkward time for Max […]
Verstappen ‘best ever F1 driver’ – Marko
Aug.28 (GMM) Max Verstappen is now one of the best Formula 1 drivers “of all time”. That is the view of Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko, as Dutchman Verstappen matched Sebastian Vettel’s old record with his ninth win on the trot at home at Zandvoort. Even F1 legend Fernando Alonso – second in his resurgent […]