Verstappen ‘very happy’ at Red Bull but could quit F1 in 2028

Verstappen ‘very happy’ at Red Bull but could quit F1 in 2028

Triple world champion Max Verstappen reiterated on Thursday that he could walk away from Formula One when his Red Bull contract expires in 2028, but insisted he was "very happy" at the team. The Dutchman won the first two grands prix of the season but he has endured weeks of off-track turbulence at all-conquering Red Bull. He suggested in Saudi Arabia last month that he would consider leaving if […]

April 4, 2024 5

Sport

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

Hamilton slumps to 18th in Melbourne practice as changes backfire

Despondent seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton bemoaned one of the "worst sessions for a long time" after changes made to his Mercedes backfired Friday in Melbourne. The British star finished ninth in the first practice for the Australian Grand Prix, but slumped to 18th in the second session to be 1.5 seconds adrift of Ferrari pacesetter Charles Leclerc. "I obviously don't feel great. We had one of the […]

March 22, 2024 6

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

‘Elegant’ Bagnaia in third title quest on MotoGP’s 75th anniversary

Francesco Bagnaia embarks on his quest for a third straight MotoGP crown in Qatar this weekend as motorcycling's fast and furious elite category celebrates its 75th anniversary. MotoGP has come a long way since the inaugural six-race season in 1949: in 2024 Bagnaia and the pretenders to his crown will criss-cross the world for 21 races culminating in Valencia in November. The Spanish track has been the scene of […]

March 6, 2024 8

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