Apr.17 (GMM) Adrian Newey, arguably the most highly coveted designer in Formula 1 history, has been spotted in Italy. Amid the ongoing Red Bull power struggle, Newey – as well as Dr Helmut Marko and even Max Verstappen – have all been linked with the exit door. Recently, just as it was rumoured 65-year-old Newey had fallen out with Christian Horner, Newey’s wife Amanda ‘liked’ a social media post about her husband regretting ever working for Ferrari. “Now’s your chance to tick off those regrets, Adrian,” the post that Mrs Newey ‘liked’ read. Contractually, Newey is committed to Red Bull throug ..read more

Apr.17 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has hit back at the notion that his form as a driver has drastically improved in 2024, just as Ferrari also ended its habit of getting race strategies badly wrong compared to a year ago. Last year, post-race internet memes constantly poked fun at Ferrari’s often disastrously-botched race strategies. And Sainz, on the other hand, is now seen by some as having radically improved his pace in the cockpit just as Ferrari decided to oust him for 2025 and he shops around for an alternative. The Spaniard says both of those perceptions are simply wrong. “We just simply improve ..read more

Apr.17 (GMM) Stefano Domenicali says Formula 1 has no interest at present in expanding the annual race calendar beyond a bustling 24 grands prix. The sport hit that eye-watering number for the first time ever last year, and the FIA and F1 have now jointly published another 24-race schedule for 2025. In response to the strain it has put on F1’s travelling contingent, the races have been more strategically sequenced for next year – in the official announcement, the sport said the calendar now has a “better geographical flow”. Suzuka in April will now follow Melbourne and China, followed by mainl ..read more

Apr.17 (GMM) Carlos Sainz’s rumoured move to Mercedes for 2025 may not yet be set in stone. What is for sure is that Toto Wolff’s choice to replace the Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton next year is yet to be officially announced. It is clear that the team boss and co-owner’s number 1 target is Max Verstappen, as Red Bull’s disruptive power struggle continues to bubble in the background. Also reasonably clear is that serious talks with soon-to-be Ferrari refugee Sainz have taken place. But as recently as Tuesday, the on-form 29-year-old himself was quoted by F1’s official website as saying that his ..read more

Apr.17 (GMM) Fernando Alonso may simply have extended and expanded his existing contract, but it could be a strategic masterstroke according to one specialist report. Auto Motor und Sport pointed out that when the former two-time champion explained his motives for staying with Aston Martin not only in 2025 but also 2026, he used the words Honda and Aramco “again and again”. Nothing fundamental will change in the Formula 1 regulations for 2025, but for 2026 the rules will be radically different – just as Honda switches its works power unit support from Red Bull to Aston Martin. The Silverstone ..read more

Apr.16 (GMM) Mick Schumacher has emerged as a potential leading candidate to make the leap into Indycar for 2025. The 25-year-old son of Michael Schumacher has yet to write off his goal of returning to Formula 1, currently splitting his time between the world endurance championship with Alpine and his F1 reserve duties at Mercedes. However, it has just been announced that Prema Racing, a top Italian Formula 2 and F3 outfit, will enter Indycar next year with a full two-car operation. In F2, Prema currently runs the impressive duo of Oliver Bearman alongside Kimi Antonelli – but Schumacher also ..read more

Apr.16 (GMM) Former F1 driver Jean-Eric Vergne has hailed Max Verstappen’s attitude towards the all-electric and often-derided motor racing series Formula E. Once positioning itself as a future competitor to Formula 1, Formula E is today filled with top carmakers but still criticised by many for lacking speed. “It’s not a category I would like to drive in myself in the future,” triple world champion Verstappen said. He also slammed the recent city track in Tokyo, joking that the designer “must have been drunk” for designing a layout that included a “proper jump”. “But I think from the driving ..read more

Apr.16 (GMM) Sebastian Vettel has left Porsche waiting for his decision about returning to premier motor racing. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, with a cockpit still to fill for 2025, recently admitted the retired quadruple world champion is currently “flirting” with a comeback. However, Red Bull ruled out a reunion with the 36-year-old German, while the major German newspaper Bild claims Wolff does not regard Vettel as a real contender to replace Lewis Hamilton next year. “Sebastian Vettel has expressed his interest in a Formula 1 comeback,” writes Oliver Reuter in the Kolner Express newspaper, “bu ..read more

Apr.16 (GMM) Charles Leclerc is only lukewarm about Fernando Alonso’s decision to keep racing in Formula 1 despite the fact that he is almost 43 already. The continuing Aston Martin driver’s decision, however, has the full backing of his long-time confidante and team ambassador Pedro de la Rosa. “I am very happy about Alonso’s renewal,” he is quoted by Marca sports newspaper. “It is great for Formula 1. Let’s not forget that Fernando was thinking about retiring.” Alonso’s new deal will probably see him continuing to race not only in 2025 but also 2026. “Aston Martin is committing to a driver w ..read more

Apr.15 (GMM) Red Bull is not being complacent about its likely performance as Formula 1 finally returns to China this weekend. The team has been dominant so far in 2024, but given Max Verstappen’s reliability DNF in Melbourne, and Ferrari’s improved form, the gaps in the drivers’ and constructors’ championships remain modest for now. Also in Melbourne, Red Bull was somewhat caught out in terms of setup and pace. “I hope we don’t have many surprises like in Australia,” Dr Helmut Marko told Sky Deutschland. “The asphalt was so aggressive there. “We were also completely wrong about the tyre wear ..read more