https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/ en SPIP - www.spip.net https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/logo32x32.png https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/ 32 32 https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/team-bosses-doubt-v10s-to-return-in-2028,197974.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/team-bosses-doubt-v10s-to-return-in-2028,197974.html 2025-03-22T06:31:00Z text/html en GMM Top team bosses are not confident Formula 1 cars will be screaming with old-school V10 power any time soon. Discussions are clearly taking place behind the scenes about whether the sport should realise the mistake of the radical 2026 engine rules and delay the introduction of the even more electrically-augmented ’power units’. Then, the FIA could simply install regulations for simple, affordable, light and 100 percent sustainable-fuel V10 engines for 2028, restoring the old and highly (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/todt-hopes-f1-returns-to-russia,197930.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/todt-hopes-f1-returns-to-russia,197930.html 2025-03-22T05:52:00Z text/html en GMM Former FIA president Jean Todt hopes Russia will return to the Formula 1 calendar. When Haas sacked Nikita Mazepin and his Russian sponsor at the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis in 2022, F1 also unilaterally axed the heavily Vladimir Putin-supported Russian GP at Sochi. At the time, moves were afoot to relocate the race from Sochi to a new circuit near St Petersburg. Amid reports of negotiations for a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, and signs that the FIA will soon drop restrictions for (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/no-quick-fix-for-fundamental-haas-car-flaw,197973.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/no-quick-fix-for-fundamental-haas-car-flaw,197973.html 2025-03-22T05:23:00Z text/html en GMM Haas’ 2025 car is fundamentally flawed, team boss Ayao Komatsu admits. At the end of 2023, team owner Gene Haas was so unhappy with the small American outfit’s dire performance that he sacked Gunther Steiner and replaced him with senior engineer Komatsu. Haas took a big step forward last year - but have crashed back down to earth so far in 2025. "It was a big surprise," Komatsu admitted to reporters in Shanghai. "In Bahrain for testing the car wasn’t perfect, but we didn’t expect (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/ferrari-hamilton-above-all-relieved-in-china-gene,197972.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/ferrari-hamilton-above-all-relieved-in-china-gene,197972.html 2025-03-22T04:45:00Z text/html en GMM Ferrari, and Lewis Hamilton, are back. "We didn’t expect it at all," long-time development driver and ambassador Marc Gene told DAZN after witnessing Hamilton win the sprint race from pole in Shanghai. "I wouldn’t have bet a single euro of my own money on it," he smiled. Indeed, Hamilton trailed teammate Charles Leclerc in Australia, but even more alarming for the Maranello based team was its struggle merely to score minor points. Gene was asked if the turnaround in China so far made (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/common-sense-added-to-f1-swearing-ban-sainz,197952.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/common-sense-added-to-f1-swearing-ban-sainz,197952.html 2025-03-21T14:29:00Z text/html en GMM "Common sense" has been applied to the highly controversial new swearing ban in Formula 1. That’s the view of Carlos Sainz, who in China was asked about reports from Melbourne a week ago that indicated the FIA had backtracked on the harsh clampdown. From Australia onwards, stewards are only going to consider penalties for foul-mouthed drivers if the swearing takes place outside of the actual cockpit. Senior FIA steward Garry Connelly, also a member of the World Motor Sport Council, (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/jordan-s-friends-recall-f1-legend-s-final-days,197951.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/jordan-s-friends-recall-f1-legend-s-final-days,197951.html 2025-03-21T13:39:00Z text/html en GMM Eddie Jordan clung on to life until the final moments, some of his best friends in Formula 1 have revealed. The iconic former team owner and boss, founder of the Silverstone site that today Aston Martin calls home, left the F1 paddock in shock when his family confirmed he had passed away at the age of 76 at his home in Cape Town. One of his closest friends, and former Jordan driver, Ralf Schumacher, said the Irishman stayed upbeat and engaged with F1 "right up until the end". "We (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/mini-drs-clampdown-about-other-teams-norris,197929.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/mini-drs-clampdown-about-other-teams-norris,197929.html 2025-03-21T07:52:00Z text/html en GMM McLaren "could win every race in 2025," according to Mercedes’ George Russell. Although Max Verstappen finished just behind championship leader Lando Norris in Melbourne, the superiority of the McLaren’s tyre degradation on a drier track was estimated by some to be as much as a full second per lap. Russell thinks McLaren’s current advantage is "greater than Red Bull ever had". Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri shot back: "I have to say, George has been saying some funny stuff lately. (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/three-rookies-under-major-pressure-in-china,197928.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/three-rookies-under-major-pressure-in-china,197928.html 2025-03-21T07:11:00Z text/html en GMM Three F1 rookies have arrived in China with an awful lot of pressure on their shoulders. Max Verstappen’s new teammate, Liam Lawson, had a horror weekend in Australia amid both lagging pace and a crash on Sunday. It prompted McLaren CEO Zak Brown to declare that he thinks Red Bull made a mistake by not putting Yuki Tsunoda in the car instead. "I don’t care what Zak says, to be honest," the New Zealander said in Shanghai. "I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to him." Former Haas boss (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/schumacher-scolds-vettel-for-white-men-remark,197755.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/schumacher-scolds-vettel-for-white-men-remark,197755.html 2025-03-21T06:06:00Z text/html en GMM Ralf Schumacher has chided fellow former Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel for his recent remarks. Vettel, who like Lewis Hamilton had a reputation for advocacy of a range of social justice issues, praised Schumacher for recently ’coming out’ as gay. "It’s still very difficult to ’come out’ in sports and be accepted," the quadruple world champion told the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger. "That’s precisely why role models who have the courage are so important," Vettel, 37, added. His (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/doohan-has-alpine-s-full-support-oakes,197905.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/doohan-has-alpine-s-full-support-oakes,197905.html 2025-03-20T15:52:00Z text/html en GMM Alpine boss Oliver Oakes has defended the team’s decision to sign no fewer than four reserve drivers for 2025. The pressure on rookie Jack Doohan’s shoulders at present is at fever-pitch, with team advisor Flavio Briatore clearly lining up Franco Colapinto to take over the race seat sooner or later. "I have one guy chasing my seat," the Australian rookie said, "but we actually have four now. If you didn’t realise, we have four reserves. All four of them, not just Franco, probably want (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/who-will-win-the-canadian-grand-prix-in-2025,197922.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/who-will-win-the-canadian-grand-prix-in-2025,197922.html 2025-03-20T12:46:00Z text/html en The Canadian Grand Prix is one of the biggest events in the F1 calendar. We are still a few months away from the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve spectacle, but speculations have already begun about the potential champion. Max Verstappen’s dominance in Canada remains unchallenged. He secured his third consecutive Canadian Grand Prix victory in 2024, contributing to his nine wins this season. Red Bull has now won five of the last 10 races at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. While 2025 is expected to be (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/four-big-brand-partnerships-you-ll-see-this-2025-f1-season,197918.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/four-big-brand-partnerships-you-ll-see-this-2025-f1-season,197918.html 2025-03-20T11:04:16Z text/html en Sponsorship is crucial to Formula 1 teams and is about more than just driving around with a brand’s logo on the vehicle. Sponsorship helps to power the sport and bring the excitement of F1 racing to fans around the world. Sponsors provide F1 teams with the financial resources to cover the high cost of competing in the championship, from technological development to aerodynamics research, and remain competitive. Just as importantly is the role of brand development sponsors play. They work (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/ferrari-working-to-fix-simulator-data-flaw,197900.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/ferrari-working-to-fix-simulator-data-flaw,197900.html 2025-03-20T08:38:00Z text/html en GMM Ferrari has been hard at work in the Maranello simulator to fix a flaw that reportedly led to an inappropriate setup baseline in Melbourne, according to Italy’s La Repubblica. All the pre-season hype of a potential world championship challenge for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc fizzled last weekend as the 2025 season began in Australia. "We made a mistake with the setup," team boss Frederic Vasseur lamented. Ahead of this weekend’s Chinese GP, insiders are reporting that Ferrari’s (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/verstappen-s-father-accuses-mclaren-ceo-of-stirring,197896.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/verstappen-s-father-accuses-mclaren-ceo-of-stirring,197896.html 2025-03-20T08:07:00Z text/html en GMM Max Verstappen’s father has accused McLaren CEO Zak Brown of trying to "stir sh*t". In a new interview with London’s Telegraph newspaper, Brown admitted that he thinks the quadruple world champion will leave Red Bull at the end of the year. "Most likely to Merc," said the American, referring to Mercedes. "There’s been talk of Aston Martin, too, with Adrian Newey joining. If I was betting, I’d bet on Merc. "In the last 10 years, they’ve won the championship seven or eight times. (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/f1-considering-scrapping-2026-engine-revolution,197894.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/f1-considering-scrapping-2026-engine-revolution,197894.html 2025-03-20T07:36:00Z text/html en GMM Formula 1 is considering a plan to bring ’green’ normally-aspirated V10 engines back to the grid sooner than was ever anticipated. Next year, the sport is scheduled to put its current 2014-2025 ’hybrid power unit’ era in the past with a move to even heavier and more electrified turbo V6 engines. However, driven by the exciting prospect of loud, light, simple, fan-pleasing V10s powered by 100 percent sustainable fuel, a "contingency plan for the future" has been bubbling behind the scenes (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/f1-teams-pirelli-race-against-delays-in-china,197893.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/f1-teams-pirelli-race-against-delays-in-china,197893.html 2025-03-20T07:05:00Z text/html en GMM Formula 1’s hectic travel schedule is already causing problems in 2025, with multiple top teams receiving delivery of their cars and equipment late in Shanghai. Mere days exist between the opening Melbourne-China double-header, meaning a single cargo plane holdup left McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, Williams and Aston Martin mechanics with little to do in the Shanghai garages. The sport’s sole tyre supplier Pirelli is also affected. The governing FIA reacted by shortening the usual curfew (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/doohan-camp-calm-aid-raging-colapinto-rumours,197878.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/doohan-camp-calm-aid-raging-colapinto-rumours,197878.html 2025-03-19T12:58:00Z text/html en GMM Jack Doohan, and his famous father Mick, sound confident the 22-year-old rookie will still be racing an Alpine at the very end of the 2025 season. Even before the five lights went out in Melbourne and Doohan crashed on the opening lap of his first full season in Formula 1, a cloud was hanging over his future. Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore has ramped up the pressure to fever pitch, admitting that Doohan’s race seat is not set in stone as the highly rated Franco Colapinto, on lucrative (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/norris-hits-back-at-russell-s-championship-advice,197876.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/norris-hits-back-at-russell-s-championship-advice,197876.html 2025-03-19T09:47:00Z text/html en GMM McLaren should not follow George Russell’s advice by halting development of its pacesetting 2025 car. That is the view of world championship leader Lando Norris, who Mercedes driver Russell thinks is now in pole position to retain that lead this season. "McLaren has such a big gap to the others that they could stop development already and focus completely on 2026," Russell had said in Melbourne. "If you have a six-tenths lead at the beginning of the year, nobody overcomes that." (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/replacing-perez-with-lawson-still-right-choice,197871.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/replacing-perez-with-lawson-still-right-choice,197871.html 2025-03-19T09:04:00Z text/html en GMM The jury is out as to whether Red Bull has fudged its driver choice for 2025. Having lost the constructors’ championship last year due to Sergio Perez’s ongoing lag behind Max Verstappen, the team weighed up between Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson - and opted for the latter. Given that Tsunoda was closer to Verstappen’s pace in Melbourne despite being at the wheel of the junior Racing Bulls car, McLaren CEO Zak Brown could only scratch his head. "They seem to make some strange driver (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/no-decision-yet-on-2026-f1-group-launch-event,197858.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/no-decision-yet-on-2026-f1-group-launch-event,197858.html 2025-03-18T12:53:00Z text/html en GMM Formula 1 is still deciding if it will hold a group launch of the new team liveries each and every year. Although it was not very popular among the drivers, the sport’s newest constituent of fans was very happy with ’F1-75’, held at O2 arena in London. "You can see very well that young women are the target group where the sport is growing the fastest," Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said. He said this was particularly noticeable in the autograph area as the drivers entered the paddock in (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/hamilton-ferrari-can-speed-up-soon-rene-arnoux,197857.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/hamilton-ferrari-can-speed-up-soon-rene-arnoux,197857.html 2025-03-18T11:09:00Z text/html en GMM Former Ferrari driver Rene Arnoux tips Lewis Hamilton and the Maranello based team to bounce back from a bad start to the 2025 season in Australia. After all the pre-season hype, seven time world champion Hamilton trailed Charles Leclerc all weekend - but both of them had to fight hard even to score minor points. Bild newspaper called it a "disastrous debut" in red for the famous British driver, while Der Spiegel added: "A teenager who replaced him (Kimi Antonelli) stole the show from (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/ongoing-haas-role-now-unlikely-for-magnussen-report,197854.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/ongoing-haas-role-now-unlikely-for-magnussen-report,197854.html 2025-03-18T10:16:00Z text/html en GMM Kevin Magnussen looks set to split completely with his former Formula 1 team, Haas. Last year, once it became clear that the small American team had other driver plans for 2025, boss Ayao Komatsu insisted that he wanted Magnussen to remain involved with Haas in another capacity. There were rumours of an advisory or pure ambassadorial role, but Komatsu told France’s Auto Hebdo as recently as this January: "He will drive in TPC (tests) and in the simulator." However, the Danish newspaper (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/only-fia-yet-to-sign-new-concorde-agreement-report,197852.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/only-fia-yet-to-sign-new-concorde-agreement-report,197852.html 2025-03-18T09:25:00Z text/html en GMM The FIA is yet to sign on the dotted line of the new five-year Concorde Agreement. With the critical document that binds the teams with Formula 1’s commercial rights holder and the governing FIA expiring this year, F1 made the announcement about the new deal for 2026 and beyond on the day of the season opening Australian GP. Closer inspection, however, showed that F1 revealed only that "all teams" have signed, even though the statement added that the deal "secures the long-term economic (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/susie-wolff-as-fia-president-impossible-marko,197800.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/susie-wolff-as-fia-president-impossible-marko,197800.html 2025-03-18T08:34:00Z text/html en GMM Dr Helmut Marko says Red Bull will be stridently opposed to the idea of Susie Wolff running for FIA president. Recent rumours have suggested that Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who instigated a short-lived investigation into conflict of interest between Susie and Toto Wolff’s current roles, may have a challenger in the FIA elections late this year. 1996 world champion Damon Hill reacted by saying Susie Wolff, currently head of the all-female F1 Academy series, would be a "perfect" successor for (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/marko-saw-new-china-gp-flex-clampdown-coming-report,197850.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/marko-saw-new-china-gp-flex-clampdown-coming-report,197850.html 2025-03-18T07:43:00Z text/html en GMM A leading Dutch journalist thinks he knows why Dr Helmut Marko left Australia with a smile on his face. Describing Max and father Jos as "pessimists" and himself an "optimist", Red Bull advisor Marko said he thought the team could close a quite substantial pace gap to early championship leaders McLaren within five races. Journalist Erik van Haren suspects that Marko, 81, might even have been predicting a faster turnaround even than that. "On Sunday, insiders were already reporting that (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/f1-netflix-defend-under-fire-drive-to-survive,197847.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/f1-netflix-defend-under-fire-drive-to-survive,197847.html 2025-03-18T06:52:00Z text/html en GMM Formula 1, and Netflix producers, have defended ’Drive to Survive’ against withering attacks from the sport’s top stars Lando Norris and Max Verstappen. Verstappen has never hidden his opinion about the exaggerated, Hollywood-esque production, even refusing to take part at all in some editions. One clip from the latest season showed the quadruple world champion looking upset about Lando Norris’ maiden win in Miami - but closer inspection showed that Verstappen was wearing the cap he only (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/mclaren-sues-former-rear-wing-sponsor,197839.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/mclaren-sues-former-rear-wing-sponsor,197839.html 2025-03-17T12:13:00Z text/html en GMM Championship leaders McLaren may be the clearly early favourite in 2025, but it is unlikely to win an off-track battle, according to one publication. A Bola, a Portuguese newspaper, claims the Woking based team recently filed a 1.5 million euros lawsuit against a Swedish chocolate drinks company called Huski Chocolate. Formula 1 fans will recall the branding on McLaren’s rear wing, but the company supposedly did not pay 1.5 million euros of the total 4.66 million euro sponsorship deal, (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/red-bull-can-catch-mclaren-in-five-races-marko,197833.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/red-bull-can-catch-mclaren-in-five-races-marko,197833.html 2025-03-17T10:39:00Z text/html en GMM McLaren’s obvious early dominance in 2025 can still be overcome - within as few as five races. That’s the claim of self-confessed "optimist" Dr Helmut Marko, the powerful advisor at Red Bull. He was speaking after the chequered flag in Melbourne, where despite a close finish in tricky conditions Lando Norris became the first non-Max Verstappen world championship leader in years. Mercedes’ George Russell, also on the podium, doubts the Woking based team can be beaten. "If you have a (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/vasseur-we-learned-a-lot-from-this-weekend,197831.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/vasseur-we-learned-a-lot-from-this-weekend,197831.html 2025-03-17T09:58:00Z text/html en GMM All the pre-season hype about Lewis Hamilton’s sensational move and world championship aspirations fizzled in Melbourne as the red cars finished P8 and P10. Drivers’ and constructors’ championship leaders McLaren, however, are not celebrating just yet. "We haven’t really seen what Ferrari can do yet," team boss Andrea Stella warned. Indeed, it was a scrappy weekend for the Maranello based team, with boss Frederic Vasseur insisting multiple "mistakes" hid the true potential of the 2025 (…) https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/kovalainen-backs-marko-over-hadjar-s-tears,197829.html https://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/en/formula-1/kovalainen-backs-marko-over-hadjar-s-tears,197829.html 2025-03-17T08:36:00Z text/html en GMM Opinions are split over what Dr Helmut Marko described as rookie Isack Hadjar’s "tearful show" in Melbourne on Sunday. After the new Racing Bulls driver impressed in practice and qualifying, he was beyond consoling after crashing even before he completed the formation lap for the Australian GP. The world watched the 20-year-old French-Algerian cry all the way from his crashed car to the paddock, with Lewis Hamilton’s father Anthony rushing to offer him encouragement. "That means a lot (…)