Page 3 - Formula One

Formula E could return to India as soon as 2025: Co-founder Alberto Longo

Formula E could return to India in 2025 and discussions with other cities to host a race will begin soon, said co-founder Alberto Longo, making it clear that the electric series is keen to race in the country despite the Hyderabad E-Prix cancelation. The Hyderabad race, which was scheduled to take place on February 10, was cancelled last week after just one season with Formula E alleging a breach of the host city agreement by the newly-elected Telangana government. "We are working to coming to India in the future, we will be starting conversations with different cities in India soon," Longo told PTI ahead of the season-opening Mexico E-Prix. "But we will be looking to race in India in the future, hopefully as soon as 2025," he added. He also revealed that one Indian city has already expressed interest in hosting the electric race. "Too fresh (the Hyderabad cancellation), but there has been some approach when they got to know the news of us not coming back to Hyderabad. There was o

Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll sells F1 team stake at £1 bn valuation

The deal comes on the eve of the much-hyped Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend and shows the growing appeal of F1 in the US, the Aston Martin team said in a statement on Thursday

Kush Maini joins young driver development programme of Alpine F1 team

India's Kush Maini on Tuesday joined the young driver development programme of Alpine Formula 1 team. Before Kush, Jehan Daruvala was another Indian who was on the driver programme of a Formula 1 team -- Red Bull Racing in his case -- but he could not graduate to the highest level after three mixed Formula 2 seasons under their wings. Kush, 23, is competing in his rookie Formula 2 season. The Bengaluru-based driver secured his first Formula 2 podium with a third-place finish in the Sprint Race in Australia and his best Qualifying result of second at Silverstone. He currently sits just outside of the top 10 in the championship standings having secured 11 point scoring finishes across the season. Kush's brother Arjun was a development driver with the Haas Formula 1 team but he too could not reach the pinnacle of four-wheel racing. Kush will join the growing Alpine Academy line-up which currently features drivers such as Alpine F1 Team Reserve Driver Jack Doohan and 2022 FIA Formula

Formula One: Verstappen bids for record-breaking 10th straight win at Monza

For Max Verstappen it's not about records, it's about winning. The Red Bull driver could do both at the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday as he looks to firmly etch his name in the Formula One record books. Having equaled Sebastian Vettel's F1 record of nine straight victories at the Dutch GP last weekend, Verstappen can break it on the famous Monza track. But the 25-year-old is focused on one sole thing: the victory. I mean, I never thought that I would win nine in a row, first of all, Verstappen said. But yeah, now that we are here, of course I'll try to win 10, but it's more about that I want to just win." Vettel set the consecutive wins record in 2013 with Red Bull during its first dominant era when he won four straight titles and Verstappen remembers how astounded he was as a teenager when he saw the German driver achieve that feat. I remember when he did it, I said 'Wow, that's just a crazy number. I think no one ever will do something like that', Verstappen said. And here we

Felipe Massa ready to go to court as he claims was robbed of 2008 F1 title

Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa says he is ready to take Formula One's governing body to court to press his claims that he was robbed of the 2008 title, which he lost by one point to Lewis Hamilton. Massa said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday that he has given governing body FIA and Formula One Management until the end of next week to respond to a letter the Brazilian sent them this month, in which he claims both had deliberately ignored the misconduct (at the Singapore Grand Prix) that stripped him of that title. The Brazilian added he is 100% ready to take the case to court if he hears nothing back before then. I trust and I really believe that for justice that we will show what happened was not correct, the 42-year-old Massa told the AP at his apartment in Sao Paulo. I am the champion, and I feel that. I feel that I have the title. The 16th champion of Formula One for Ferrari. We proved that season that we deserved it. Massa's claim centers around an ...

Max wins Dutch GP to equal Vettel's F1 record with 9th straight victory

Runaway Formula One leader Max Verstappen won a rain-marred Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday to equal Sebastian Vettel's F1 record of nine straight victories. The Red Bull star clinched his third straight victory from pole position at the Zandvoort track, with veteran Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso finishing second and picking up a bonus point for the fastest lap. Alpine driver Pierre Gasly crossed the line in fourth place behind Red Bull driver Sergio Perez, but the Frenchman moved up to third because Perez was given a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. The chaotic race was held up for 40-minutes by a late red flag after Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu crashed. It restarted with a rolling start on Lap 65 of 72, in a race that featured multiple tire swaps as changing weather conditions played havoc with strategy calls. The race restarted with Verstappen ahead of Alonso, Perez and Gasly. After two laps behind the safety car, Verstappen comfortably pulled away for his 11th win

Formula One: Verstappen wins Belgian GP to extend huge lead at the top

Defending Formula One champion Max Verstappen emphatically won the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday for an eighth straight win and 10th overall of a crushingly dominant season. He finished 22.3 seconds ahead of teammate Sergio Perez to give Red Bull and easy 1-2. It moved Verstappen ominously closer to a third straight world title and his own F1 record of 15 wins from last year. Verstappen is 125 points ahead of Perez after just 12 races, and his next target is matching Sebastian Vettel's F1 record of nine straight wins with a victory at the Dutch GP when the lopsided season resumes on Aug. 27. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc finished in third spot for a third podium of the season, with Lewis Hamilton in fourth for Mercedes ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso. George Russell was sixth for Mercedes, with Lando Norris (McLaren), Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), and Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) completing the top 10. Leclerc started on pole ahead of Perez, with Hamilto

F1 Hungarian GP: Max Verstappen records 7th consecutive win, Red Bull 12th

Formula One champion Max Verstappen needed only a few seconds to stamp his authority on the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday and win his seventh straight race of a crushingly dominant season. Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton started from pole position ahead of Verstappen, who muscled him out at the first corner and never looked back. Red Bull's 12th straight win, including the final race of 2022, broke McLaren's record for consecutive team wins set in 1988. That was so enjoyable to drive, 12 in a row that is unbelievable, Verstappen said. Unbelievable. I was really enjoying that last stint. Verstappen is cruising toward a third straight F1 title. His ninth victory overall complete with another bonus point for the fastest lap means the 25-year-old Dutchman already leads his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez by 110 points. McLaren driver Lando Norris finished second for the second-straight race and Perez was third for a much-needed second podium in six races. Verstappen's career

Formula 1: Max Verstappen takes 6th straight F1 win at British GP

On a day when Brad Pitt joined the Formula One grid to shoot his new movie, defending champion Max Verstappen was reduced to a cameo role in his own win with F1 fans gripped by the fight for second place. Apart from losing the lead to Lando Norris at the start and then taking it back Verstappen's cruise on Sunday to yet another win his sixth in a row lacked the Hollywood-style drama of Norris' battle with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton for second. That fits a pattern this season of dominant wins for the Red Bull driver and increasingly hard-fought battles behind him as Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin and now McLaren jostle to be the second-fastest team. "It's very confusing, to be honest, because every single race it's someone else," Verstappen said. Filming for Pitt's upcoming F1-themed movie had been taking place all weekend around the F1 sessions, using black-and-gold cars from the fictional APX team. Pitt himself and co-star Damson Idris joined the grid in racing suits

Formula 1 calendar for 2024 'longest in history' with record 24 races

The 2024 Formula One season will feature 24 races for what will be the longest calendar in the sport's history. The season will begin in Bahrain on March 2 and finish in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 8. I am delighted to announce the 2024 calendar with 24 races that will deliver an exciting season for our fans around the world," said Stefano Domenicali, the president and CEO of Formula 1. There is huge interest and continued demand for Formula 1, and I believe this calendar strikes the right balance between traditional races and new and existing venues. The opening two races of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will take place on a Saturday instead of Sunday to accommodate the Muslim holy period of Ramadan, organizers said. The Chinese Grand Prix will return for the first time since 2019. To achieve a more regionalized calendar and improve travel sustainability, three races have switched position for 2024. The Japanese Grand Prix will move from a September date to April, while the Azerba

Ryan Reynolds among new investors backing F1 team Alpine in $218 mn deal

After soccer, Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are setting their sights on Formula One. F1 team Alpine has secured a 200 million euro ($218 million) investment from a group of investors that includes the actors. French automotive company Renault Group Alpine's parent company said Monday that the group has acquired a 24% stake in the team. It includes Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners and Maximum Effort Investments, which is led by Reynolds. The transaction values Alpine Racing Ltd. around $900 million following this investment, the team said in a statement. "It will accelerate Alpine's growth plans and sporting ambitions in F1." Other investors include actor Michael B. Jordan. Reynolds and McElhenney completed a $2.5 million takeover of Welsh soccer team Wrexham in November 2020. The club was thrust into the global spotlight because of its A-list owners and secured promotion to the fourth tier of English soccer this season. With drivers Pierre Gasly and Est

Honda, Aston Martin to reignite partnership in 2026, Alonso onboard

Aston Martin is building a team to win, reconciling Honda and Fernando Alonso for F1 2026

Confetti canons instead of Champagne for podium celebrations in Hyderabad

The podium finishers of the inaugural Formula E race in India on Saturday will not get to 'pop the champagne', a decades old tradition in motorsport, as part of the victory celebrations. Instead, they will have to make do with confetti cannons. Keeping the 'local customs' in mind, all stakeholders of the Hyderabad race promoters Greenko, Telangana government, Formula E and the series champagne sponsor Moet & Chandon have decided to not use the bubbly on the podium, PTI has learnt. The use of champagne on the podium dates back to the 1950s and 1960s. Spraying the sparkling wine on the podium has become synonymous with the widely followed Formula 1. Five-time Formula 1 champion Juan Manuel Fangio was awarded a bottle of Moet & Chandon at the 1950 French Grand Prix and he opened it on the podium. However, champagne was sprayed for the first time in 1966 when Jo Siffert would "accidentally" pop the cork on the crowd to celebrate his win in the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans. The ...

Ford returns to F1 after 2 decades as racing series see surge in popularity

The automaker will reenter F1 in 2026, when new regulations will require teams to increase electrical power by as much as 50% and use fully sustainable ethanol as fuel

From Commonwealth Games to Fifa WC, 2022 was a year of reset for sports

2022 was about one sporting great finally realising his dream and another bowing out after having done it all

Formula One to launch new racing series 'F1 Academy' for female drivers

Formula One is launching a new racing series for female drivers that will start next year. The series, to be known as the F1 Academy, will be subsidized by F1 and is likely to be a support series for one weekend of the F1 season. F1 said it would contribute funding of 150,000 euros ($156,000) per car and will require the drivers to cover the same amount, which represents a fraction of the usual costs in a comparable series. There will be 15 cars on the grid for a 21-race season split across seven rounds. The series will aim to recruit young talent currently in go-karting or other junior categories in the hope they can later graduate to Formula Three as a next step, and eventually compete in F1. The announcement comes less than two months after another all-female event, the W Series, cut its season short due to financial problems. The W Series has been free to enter for drivers, unlike most developmental series which require young drivers to bring their own financial backing from .

Singapore resurgence draws big money, bubble fears with high cost of living

Below the surface, things aren't quite so rosy. As the government mints new long-term visas to attract more high-paid talent, it faces a delicate balancing act to keep its people happy

F1: Max Verstappen takes 2nd straight drivers' title with Japan win

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen clinched his second consecutive Formula One drivers' title by winning the Japanese Grand Prix in the rain at Suzuka on Sunday. Verstappen has been dominant all season and claimed the title with four races remaining. The Dutchman started from pole in pouring rain only for the race to be stopped after two laps as several cars crashed. It was resumed two hours later with 28 of the 53 laps completed and Verstappen leading the whole way. He was followed by teammate Sergio Perez in second and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. They were the only drivers who could have overtaken Verstappen for the title. Verstappen now has an unsurmountable lead with 366 points. Perez has 253 and Leclerc 252. Verstappen did not know initially that he had won the season title after the shortened race, thinking that the full 25 points for a win would not be awarded. But a short time later, the FIA F1's governing body awarded full points. And he apologized to the crowd on the

F1: Perez wins Singapore GP, faces probe for safety car infringement

Red Bull's Sergio Perez raced ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to win his first-ever Singapore Grand Prix

Six sprint races to take place in 2023 season, announces Formula 1

Formula 1 has announced that six Sprint races a season will be taking place from 2023 onwards after the proposal gained approval of top authorities of the sport.The announcement was made on Tuesday. The number of sprint races per season will now double from three to six.The Sprint is a shortened race for Saturdays that debuted last year and returned for 2022 as well. It is a mini version of what one can see on Sundays on Grand Prix races. Drivers race for 100 km, the third of the usual race distance in Grand Prix for grid slots for Grand Prix and points for their championship hopes.The 20 drivers start in order they qualified on Friday and their finishing positions 100 km later become the positions they line up in for the start of Sunday's Grand Prix event.This year, it was seen in Imola and Austria. Both were won by Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing, earning him maximum eight points. It will return at Brazillian GP during the penultimate race of the ongoing season.Though the move ...