Nov.12 (GMM) Frederic Vasseur says Ferrari will maintain a minimally controversial presence in Formula 1 as it has become a “strength” of his reign at Maranello. While Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and other teams have been more willing to stir the pot over various issues in 2024, Ferrari has been keeping a conspicuously lower profile. […]
Month: November 2024
Alpine to release Ocon for Haas test in Abu Dhabi
Nov.12 (GMM) Esteban Ocon has been approved by Alpine to test for his 2025 Formula 1 team Haas before the end of his existing contract. The Frenchman will get an early taste of the Ferrari-powered 2024 Haas car at the post-season Abu Dhabi test. “This will be the first time Esteban will drive our car, […]
Qatar could eventually buy majority Audi F1 stake
Nov.12 (GMM) Audi’s new Formula 1 venture looks set to completely sidestep the financial crisis at Volkswagen. It is emerging this week that, amid the ongoing VW crisis, Sauber’s new 100 percent owner Audi could be set to sell up to half of the F1 team for a tidy profit. Osterreich newspaper reports that Audi’s […]
Horner gives go-ahead for Perez sponsors in 2025
Nov.12 (GMM) Powerful commercial interests look set to cement Sergio Perez in place at Red Bull Racing for 2025. Despite his 2025 contract, the Mexican’s future has been under a dark cloud all season as he struggled with the current car – resulting in Red Bull lagging both McLaren and Ferrari in the lucrative constructors’ […]
Villeneuve statue stolen, Lauda helmet found
Nov.12 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve admitted to losing sleep after a life-size bronze statue of his iconic father, Formula 1 legend Gilles Villeneuve, was stolen. Days ago, operators of the Gilles Villeneuve Museum in Ferrari legend Gilles’ hometown of Berthierville, in Quebec, were stunned to discover the statue – which had stood there for three decades […]
Stroll, Perez, in F1 for money not talent – experts
Nov.11 (GMM) Two Formula 1 drivers are surviving in the sport for reasons of money rather than talent, prominent pundits suspect. Lance Stroll has contested well over 160 grands prix for teams either funded or owned by his billionaire father Lawrence, including Williams, Racing Point and now Aston Martin. The now 26-year-old has had scores […]
Ecclestone, Wolff, think Hamilton ‘fading’ in F1
Nov.11 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone doubts Lewis Hamilton will ever add a record eighth drivers’ world title to his tally. Although the 39-year-old’s decision to switch to Ferrari next year caught Toto Wolff by surprise, the Mercedes boss admits it also “helps” Mercedes. “Because it avoids the moment where we need to tell the sport’s most […]
German pundit thinks Schumacher’s F1 career ‘over’
Nov.11 (GMM) Mick Schumacher’s Formula 1 career is “over”. That’s the view of well-known German pundit and former grand prix driver Christian Danner, after Audi-Sauber opted to fill the last real vacancy on the 2025 grid with rookie Gabriel Bortoleto (20). Even Mick’s own uncle Ralf Schumacher now admits a return to the grid several […]
F1’s Liberty sure MotoGP deal will be approved
Nov.11 (GMM) Greg Maffei, the CEO of Formula 1 owner Liberty Media, is confident the group’s acquisition of MotoGP will go through. Liberty’s intention to also buy the two-wheeled equivalent of F1 was announced way back in April, pending securing the financing and regulatory approval. Maffei is now confident the deal will go through by […]
‘Possible’ Doohan’s Alpine deal will be scrapped
Nov.11 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone admits it’s “possible” Jack Doohan’s confirmed arrival on the Formula 1 grid for 2025 could be called off. Since replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams mid-season, rookie Franco Colapinto has stunned the paddock with his driving, personality, and commercial appeal to Argentinean backers. However, while firmly under long-term contract to Williams’ driver […]
Ecclestone helped Bortoleto secure Audi deal
Nov.11 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone and his wife revealed they provided “help” to get Gabriel Bortoleto onto the Formula 1 grid for 2025 and beyond. The Audi-owned Sauber team last week finally announced that Valtteri Bottas will be ousted at the end of the season and replaced by Bortoleto, a 20-year-old Brazilian. Ecclestone, the famous former […]
‘Insecurities’ cost Norris the 2024 title – pundits
Nov.8 (GMM) The head-to-head for the 2024 drivers’ world championship highlighted the psychological gap between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. Christian Danner, a former Formula 1 driver who is now a well-known German-language pundit, said Verstappen took the opportunity to deal “incredible psychological blows” in the last laps of his victory from P17 on the […]
Ecclestone tips Colapinto to secure 2025 seat ‘soon’
Nov.8 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone thinks a full-time race seat will emerge for promising Argentinean rookie Franco Colapinto “soon”. With Audi-Sauber announcing Gabriel Bortoleto for its second 2025 seat, and Colapinto needing to vacate his current Williams cockpit for Carlos Sainz at the end of the year, the 21-year-old is facing a return to the reserve […]
F1 drivers in ‘tug of war’ with FIA over swearing
Nov.8 (GMM) Formula 1 drivers have hit out at the sport’s governing body and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, insisting they want to be treated like “adults”. Ben Sulayem recently clamped down hard against the language used by the drivers, even sentencing Max Verstappen to community service and fining Charles Leclerc 10,000 euros for uttering […]
F1 return ‘unrealistic’ for Mick Schumacher now
Nov.7 (GMM) Audi-owned Sauber skipped over its other options, including incumbent Valtteri Bottas and Mick Schumacher, and confirmed that it has signed up rookie Gabriel Bortoleto for the 2025 season. That is the despite the fact that, just weeks ago, Blick correspondent and veteran Formula 1 journalist Roger Benoit confidently reported that Bottas, 34, would […]
Mercedes denies Hamilton to sit out last races
Nov.6 (GMM) Mercedes has denied swirling rumours that Brazil could have been Lewis Hamilton’s last grand prix for the team. As his difficult 2024 season descended to a new low at Interlagos, the Ferrari-bound seven time world champion said on the radio after the chequered flag: “If this is the last time that I get […]
Norris, Verstappen no longer friends – Schumacher
Nov.6 (GMM) Lando Norris’ friendship with Max Verstappen may have been stretched beyond its limit in recent weeks. There have been signs – as the pair clashed on track, in the points standings, as well as verbally via the media at times – that the pair are not currently on speaking terms. “It’s hard to […]
Driver penalty situation in F1 ‘crazy’ – Ecclestone
Nov.6 (GMM) Bernie Ecclestone says the way Formula 1 drivers are being penalised for on-track incidents at present is “crazy”. Pundits have been highly critical of some of Max Verstappen’s racing lately, but drivers up and down the pitlane are loudly calling on the FIA to clarify the “guidelines” about what is and is not […]
Audi bosses tell Bottas no contract for 2025
Nov.6 (GMM) Audi-owned Sauber has informed Valtteri Bottas that he will not be retained for 2025. That is the claim of a rising number of authoritative media sources, including La Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy and Germany’s Sport1 broadcaster. Those and other sources, like the respected German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, say Nico Hulkenberg […]
Complaints about Brazil GP conditions ‘laughable’
Nov.6 (GMM) A motor racing legend has slammed as “laughable” complaints that the conditions at the Brazilian GP were too dangerous to race in. As he filled in for the ill Kevin Magnussen at Haas, rookie Oliver Bearman radioed his engineer and declared: “Come on, talk to the FIA – this is really dangerous. “I’m […]