Verstappen poised to bounce back in Japan but Ferrari threaten

Verstappen poised to bounce back in Japan but Ferrari threaten

Max Verstappen is hot favourite for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix after failing to finish in Australia, but Ferrari are primed to exploit any slip-ups. Triple world champion Verstappen retired from a race for the first time in two years after a brake issue in Melbourne caused smoke to billow from his Red Bull. Carlos Sainz took the chequered flag and team-mate Charles Leclerc followed to claim a one-two […]

April 3, 2024 5

Sport

Norris beats Verstappen to go fastest in first Australian practice

McLaren's Lando Norris outpaced world champion Max Verstappen on Friday to top the timesheets in a first practice in Melbourne that was disrupted when Alex Albon hit a wall at high speed. The Briton Norris powered round the Albert Park circuit with a best time of one minute 18.564 seconds on soft tyres. He grabbed the lead midway through the hour-long session from Red Bull's Verstappen, who responded […]

March 22, 2024 5

Sport

Sainz feeling ‘positive’ about Ferrari return after surgery

Carlos Sainz expressed confidence Thursday he was fit enough to drive his Ferrari in Melbourne but will decide whether to race after seeing how his body holds up in practice. The Spaniard underwent surgery for appendicitis two weeks ago, forcing him to miss the last grand prix in Saudi Arabia, where teenage reserve driver Oliver Bearman came seventh. Sainz said he was improving by the day, having spent […]

March 21, 2024 4

Sport

Susie Wolff takes legal action against FIA over conflict of interest probe

Susie Wolff, director of Formula One's academy series for aspiring female drivers, has taken legal action against motorsport's governing body the FIA over a controversial inquiry into her conduct last year. Wolff and her husband, Mercedes Formula 1 team principal Toto Wolff, were the subject of an investigation into claims of an alleged conflict of interest. The probe arose in December after a magazine report claimed that other […]

March 21, 2024 6

Sport

FIA chief accused of wanting to scuttle Las Vegas GP

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is alleged to have told officials not to certify the track used for last year's Las Vegas Formula One Grand Prix, the BBC reported on Tuesday citing a whistleblower. Ben Sulayem is said to have asked officials "to find some concerns to prevent the FIA from certifying the circuit before the weekend of the race", according to an internal FIA report consulted by the […]

March 6, 2024 2

Sport

Hamilton admits ‘it’s a shock’ as Mercedes top Bahrain practice

Lewis Hamilton warned his Mercedes team not to "get ahead of ourselves" on Thursday after unexpectedly topping the times ahead of team-mate George Russell in practice for this weekend's season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion, who will leave Mercedes for Ferrari next year, said he felt much happier with the team's new 2024 car, adding that there is more performance "to extract". "It's a shock, but […]

March 1, 2024 17

Sport

Verstappen dominates testing as Wolff says Horner probe ‘issue for all F1’

Three-time world champion Max Verstappen gave his struggling rivals little hope for optimism ahead of the new Formula One season when he dominated the first day of winter testing on Wednesday. The Red Bull driver was more than a second faster than Lando Norris in a McLaren with Carlos Sainz, about to start his final year as a Ferrari driver, in third spot at the Sakhir track where the […]

February 22, 2024 2

Sport

F1 urges speedy resolution to Red Bull’s Horner inquiry

Formula One has called for Red Bull to resolve their investigation into team principal Christian Horner "at the earliest opportunity". The world champions' build-up to the new season was blown off course by an accusation of inappropriate and controlling behaviour levelled at Horner by a female member of staff. Red Bull's parent company, the Austrian drinks giant, appointed an external lawyer to take charge of the inquiry. Horner was […]

February 19, 2024 5

Sport

Verstappen says Hamilton set for ‘awkward’ last season at Mercedes

Formula One world champion Max Verstappen believes Lewis Hamilton face an awkward final campaign at Mercedes after his title rival's dramatic move to Ferrari for the 2025 season. Hamilton, 39, stunned motorsport by announcing even before next month's opening 2024 Grand Prix in Bahrain that he would be leaving Mercedes, with whom he has won six of his seven world titles, to race for Italian giants Ferrari next […]

February 16, 2024 6