Latest F1 Gossip

- Fernando Alonso has defended F1's entertainment value and says all sports have a tendency to go through "boring" phases ( Corriere dello Sport ) 

- Sebastian Vettel has moved to deny rumours that he is considering retirement from F1 at the end of the season, with reports in Spain linking Fernando Alonso with a shock return to Ferrari ( RaceFans, via AutoBild

- Max Verstappen is Red Bull’s car development leader according to team principal Christian Horner (Racer)

- Formula 2 driver Mick Schumacher has described reaching Formula 1 as his “destiny” as he aims to follow in the footsteps of legendary father ( Sky Sports F1 ) 

- Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel says he finds Mercedes’ repeated success in F1 “boring” ( BBC Sport ) 

- Sergio Perez says he had a pre-contract option to join Ferrari for the 2014 season, but instead opted to move to McLaren ( RaceFans ) 

- Silverstone is moving closer to agreeing a fresh deal with F1 owners Liberty Media to keep the British Grand Prix at the Northamptonshire circuit ( Financial Times )

- Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo continue to share posts on the latest Ham and Avocado meme inspired from a young Australian F1 fan (Instagram)

- Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes Lewis Hamilton represents the “best and the worst” of the sport ( Corriere della Sera

- Reigning F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton says he is “constantly inspired” by multiple MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi as he enjoyed a trip to the Qatar GP (Twitter) 

- Max Verstappen says he was “never Mad Max” despite outbursts last year as he looks to become Red Bull’s mature team leader in 2019 (Reuters)

- Kimi Raikkonen said Alfa Romeo’s 2019 F1 car felt “good” after completing 33 laps in the renamed team’s latest challenger on Thursday ( Formula1.com

- Daniel Ricciardo has cited his Baku collision with former teammate Max Verstappen  as one of the “little pieces” that helped him make his decision to quit Red Bull for Renault ( BBC )

Daniel Ricciardo does not believe either Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel would have stopped their respective teams Mercedes and Ferrari from signing him  (Sky Sports ) 

- Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says Liberty Media "absolutely underestimated what they were taking on" after purchasing Formula 1 in January 2017.

- Max Verstappen has unveiled his new helmet design for the 2019 Formula 1 season, opting for a whiter design that also includes some of his regular features, including the lion on the top ( Twitter )

- Toto Wolff believes the biggest difference between Mercedes and Ferrari is the team's "attitude" towards winning in the sport.

- Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has been linked with a return to the sport to help solve rising tensions between race promoters and Liberty Media ( T

- Lewis Hamilton has found a new favourite sport in surfing as he steps up his 2019 F1 pre-season preparations ( Daily Mail )

- Former team principal Stefano Domenicali has been linked with a potential return to Ferrari in the near future as speculation surrounding the future of chairman Louis C. Camilleri continues to swirl.

In your post-Christmas F1 gossip: Renault sends a warning shot about costs to compete at the front in F1, Lewis Hamilton gets offered football tickets, and Williams celebrates some success...

“Negativity and envy” is denying Lewis Hamilton full recognition of achievements, according to his Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff – Reuters

- Lewis Hamilton has conceded he used the "wrong words" when he described his hometown of Stevenage as "slums" during his BBC Sports Personality of the Year award nomination speech, saying he "didn't mean anything by it" (

- Ex-Force India Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon believes long-running rival Charles Leclerc will be able to contend for the championship in 2019 during his first year with Ferrari ( racefans.net )