There is a lot of speculation in Formula 1 about transfers of team bosses and drivers. Young drivers also sometimes want to be put forward as potential replacements for drivers on the current grid. At the Rumors Circuit you can read all the latest suggestions about the future of Formula 1.
Tuesday September 6:
“Athens wants to convince F1 to come to Greece with a new street circuit”
Formula 1 may run in Greece in the future. According to Greece’s News Auto, the representatives of motorsport’s premier class have seen the idea of ​​a street race and were impressed with what was presented. It would be a street circuit in the capital Athens. However, it remains to be seen whether a possible Grand Prix in Athens will fit on the Formula 1 calendar. There will be 24 races next season and the sport will stick to that number for the time being.
Thursday August 31:
“Hamilton earns about the same as Verstappen with a new deal”
According to Sky Sports reporter Craig Slater, salary talks were not a stumbling block before putting pen to paper on Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton’s new contract. “Mercedes, of course, doesn’t tell me how much he gets paid, but a very well-informed source in the paddock has told me that his new contract is moving towards €50 million a year, including bonuses. This brings him close to what Max Verstappen gets paid. Verstappen was the highest paid driver in Formula 1, but Lewis’s (Hamilton, ed.) new deal puts him in the same region, and he is absolutely worth it.
Tuesday August 29:
“Zhou’s third season at Alfa Romeo is hanging by a thread, Pourchaire and Drugovich are mentioned”
Zhou Guanyu seems to have to put a third season in Formula 1 out of his mind, writes the Italian branch of Motorsport.com. The Chinese driver would like to know where his future lies, but Alfa Romeo has not yet provided him with an answer. The driver himself is therefore already familiar with the premier class of motorsport, but it is also clear that Sauber is looking around for a driver next to Valtteri Bottas. Théo Pourchaire, the Sauber academy driver and Formula 2 championship leader, appears to be the prime candidate to replace Zhou. Yet Felipe Drugovich, Aston Martin’s reserve driver, is also mentioned.
Saturday August 26:
‘New, Zandvoort-like circuit in Jordan possible for Formula 1’
At the end of this year, Formula 1 architect Jarno Zaffelli will start construction of a new circuit in South Jordan, not far from the Israeli resort of Eilat. The link with Jordan comes from Jackie Stewart, who is friends with the Jordanian royal family. They decided to build a track and asked Stewart’s son for help, who in turn turned to Zaffelli to design a track. “He was impressed by the banked bends of Zandvoort and that’s how they ended up with us,” Zaffelli explains to NOS. The circuit could possibly host a Formula 1 race, but the Italian wants to confirm or deny whether there is a link with the premier class.
Sunday August 20:
‘De Vries possible reserve driver of Red Bull and AlphaTauri in Mexico’
Nyck de Vries may be able to serve as reserve driver for Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri during the Grand Prix weekend in Mexico, sources report to RacingNews365. The contract of the Dutch driver with Red Bull runs until the end of 2023, so that the Austrian racing team can still rely on the driver. Only if De Vries signs a contract with another team will Red Bull have to look at another option. Liam Lawson is likely to drive in Super Formula that weekend, as the driver is locked in the championship battle.
Sunday August 13:
“Hamilton kindly thanked for a seat at Ferrari after Elkann’s offer”
Leo Turrini, a renowned Italian journalist, has indicated in his blog that Lewis Hamilton was approached by John Elkann, but that the driver kindly declined for a seat at Ferrari. The Briton has not yet signed a new contract with Mercedes, so there are plenty of rumors. Ferrari therefore does not seem to be the next destination of the seven-time world champion. At Auto, Motor und Sport, Michael Schmidt could not deny that such an offer has come from Ferrari.
Tuesday August 8:
“F1 is thinking about abolishing DRS in qualifying, Red Bull would be hit hardest”
Auto, Motor und Sport has learned that Formula 1 may want to abolish DRS during qualifying. This means that the mechanism will still be used during the race, but the wing will remain closed on Saturday (or Friday during a sprint race weekend). As a result, a significant advantage of Red Bull Racing could disappear. The Austrian racing team has a big advantage with the DRS wing open. Since the lead in qualifying is often not that great, the competition should be able to get even closer if the DRS wing stays close to everyone.
Monday August 7:
‘Binotto accepts Alpine proposal and becomes Szafnauer’s successor’
According to the French Autojournal, Mattia Binotto has accepted Alpine’s proposal. The former Ferrari team boss could be found at Spa-Francorchamps last week during the tire tests and spoke to the leaders of the French racing stable. In addition to the fact that Binotto will carry the title of team principal, he may also have other responsibilities. The Italian engineer also has a lot of knowledge when it comes to power sources in Formula 1, an area where Renault has problems. The question is still when Binotto can get started, as he is currently dealing with the gardening leave after his departure from Ferrari.
