Jan.12 (GMM) Toto Wolff says Mercedes is shutting down its diversification experiments and returning to a single-minded focus on Formula 1, as the team prepares for a decisive reset under the 2026 regulations. Speaking to Forbes, the Mercedes boss confirmed that ventures beyond F1 – including involvement in the America’s Cup and technology consulting – […]
Dunne explains McLaren exit amid Red Bull intrigue
Jan.12 (GMM) Alex Dunne has played down speculation surrounding his shock decision to leave McLaren’s driver development program last year, insisting the move was a calculated step toward his ultimate goal of reaching Formula 1. The Irishman’s mid-season exit in October raised eyebrows across the paddock, coming after a breakout rookie Formula 2 campaign with […]
Wittich ‘still doesn’t know’ why FIA sacked him
Jan.12 (GMM) Former Formula 1 race director Niels Wittich says he was dismissed by the FIA without explanation, describing his sudden removal as “the disappointing truth” of how senior officials are treated under the governing body’s leadership. Speaking to DPA news agency, Wittich recounted being summoned to Geneva during a race-free window late in the […]
Rovanpera’s early deficit ‘not surprising’
Jan.12 (GMM) Kalle Rovanpera’s first full race weekend in formula cars ended abruptly in New Zealand, but senior figures close to the Finnish star are playing down suggestions of early trouble. Rovanpera’s Oceanian Formula Regional weekend at Hampton Downs concluded with a first-lap retirement on Sunday after contact in a multi-car incident, sending his Hitech-run […]
FIA sets January 22 meeting as engine tensions rise
Jan.12 (GMM) The FIA has confirmed a January 22 technical meeting with Formula 1 engine manufacturers amid growing unease over the interpretation of the new 2026 power unit regulations. Controversy has been building around a Mercedes concept that rivals believe delivers a real-world advantage while remaining technically legal under current measurement methods. The focus is […]
Million-euro super licence bills await F1’s top drivers
Jan.12 (GMM) The FIA’s super licence fees for 2026 are pushing the sport’s biggest names past the million-euro mark. Every F1 driver must renew a super licence annually, and the cost is tied directly to World Championship points scored the previous season. The structure is simple but brutal – a base fee of EUR 11,842, […]
Audi becomes first team to run real 2026 Formula 1 car
Jan.12 (GMM) Audi has quietly become the first Formula 1 team to put a genuine 2026-spec car on track, completing a private rollout behind closed doors in Barcelona last Friday. Grainy videos and spy shots circulating online show an all-black machine running at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with no sponsors and only Audi’s four-ring logo […]
Horner comeback talks widen as hurdles emerge
Jan.8 (GMM) Christian Horner’s path back to Formula 1 is proving far more complex than early winter rumours suggested, with talks understood to be underway on two separate fronts. Since his shock departure from Red Bull Racing last July, Horner has been repeatedly linked with a return in time for the new regulation cycle. Alpine […]
Ferrari to test two 2026 car concepts as rethink begins
Jan.8 (GMM) Ferrari is planning an unusual split approach to the opening phase of its 2026 preparations, with two different car specifications set to be run before the season begins. According to f1-insider.com, the Scuderia will deliberately separate its early testing program into two distinct concepts as it seeks a clean reset after a disappointing […]
Audi could run first 2026 car this week – report
Jan.8 (GMM) Audi’s all-new Formula 1 project could take its first tentative steps onto the track as early as Friday, according to a report in Germany. Auto motor und sport says the German manufacturer has reserved the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for January 9, well ahead of the first group test, raising the prospect of a […]
Red Bull wrong to drop Lawson in ’25 – Verstappen
Dec.23 (GMM) Max Verstappen says Red Bull Racing acted too quickly in dropping Liam Lawson after just two races at the very start of the 2025 season. “Two races for a teammate, of course I didn’t agree with that at the time,” the quadruple world champion told Viaplay. Lawson – then still a rookie – […]
F1 engine row deepens, FIA weighing one-year compromise
Dec.23 (GMM) The 2026 power unit controversy has intensified amid claims that Mercedes is not alone in exploiting a potential loophole, but may still emerge as the biggest beneficiary. According to Italy’s Corriere dello Sport, Red Bull Powertrains has also been attempting to reproduce the same system that allegedly allows Mercedes engines to reach an […]
Marko exit sparks fears of F1 ‘character crisis’
Dec.23 (GMM) The departure of Dr Helmut Marko is being framed by commentators as more than just a Red Bull issue, with concerns growing that Formula 1 itself is losing some of its last defining personalities. UK company filings this week show that Marko, 82, has been removed as a director from multiple Red Bull […]
Engine row erupts over alleged 2026 compression loophole
Dec.22 (GMM) Formula 1’s 2026 engine rules have been thrown into early controversy after reports that Honda, Ferrari and Audi are challenging Mercedes and Red Bull over an alleged compression-ratio loophole. According to German outlet motorsport-magazin.com, the three manufacturers have lodged a complaint with the FIA claiming Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains have found a […]
Mintzlaff defends Horner exit, plays down Verstappen clause
Dec.22 (GMM) Red Bull chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff has strongly defended the decision to part ways with Christian Horner, insisting the team had no choice but to “turn the page” – while also dismissing suggestions that Max Verstappen holds undue power within the organisation. Speaking to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Mintzlaff said the Horner decision […]
Germany still waiting as Domenicali cools comeback hopes
Dec.22 (GMM) Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has played down expectations of an imminent German GP return, warning that the event will not force its way back onto the calendar without the right commercial conditions. Germany has been absent from the schedule since the pandemic-era race at the Nurburgring in 2020, with the last traditional […]
Verstappen spells out ‘number 2’ Red Bull hierarchy
Dec.22 (GMM) As Isack Hadjar gets ready for his first season alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, the quadruple world champion has made it clear what he believes works best at the sharp end of Formula 1. Speaking to Viaplay, Verstappen said rival McLaren paid a price in 2025 for not enforcing a clear pecking […]
Vasseur considering engineer switch for Hamilton
Dec.22 (GMM) Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has openly acknowledged that the Scuderia misjudged the scale of Lewis Hamilton’s difficulties during his troubled first season in red. Hamilton endured a winless 2025 campaign, managing only a single sprint victory and no grand prix podiums, as Ferrari struggled to integrate the seven-time world champion after his long […]
Colletta plays down Ferrari F1 shake-up rumours
Dec.22 (GMM) Ferrari’s World Endurance Championship boss Antonello Colletta has firmly dismissed speculation that he could be lined up to replace Frederic Vasseur as Formula 1 team principal. Reports in Italy suggested Ferrari might consider the move following a poor 2025 F1 campaign, but Colletta insists there is no rift and no plan for upheaval. […]
Pollock warns Cadillac patience key as F1 newcomer
Dec.19 (GMM) Craig Pollock says Cadillac faces a long, difficult road as it builds a Formula 1 team from scratch – but insists the timing of its entry could hardly be better. The former BAR founder, who led Jacques Villeneuve’s career and launched British American Racing in 1999, told La Presse Canadienne that Cadillac is […]