80 years old

Sergio Perez believes the fact he’s Mexican plays a part in how he is perceived and treated by the F1 media. Perez’s nationality has made headlines in recent weeks, due to the Mexican driver being singled out by Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, in which the 80-year-old Austrian alluded to his nationality playing a part in his failure to match Max Verstappen this season. Perez was damned with faint praise by Marko, who told ServusTV: “Let’s remember that he is South American and so his head is not as focused as Max Verstappen or as Sebastian Vettel was, but racing is his forte and he had a very good race.” Helmut Marko apologises for Sergio Perez comments Marko came forward to issue an apology through ServusTV, stating, “Concerning my remark about Sergio Perez, ServusTV Sport and Talk, Monday September 4: I would like to apologise for my offensive remark. “I want to make it absolutely clear that I do not believe that we can generalise about the people from any … [Read more...] about Sergio Perez points to George Russell crash as evidence of nationality bias

Lewis Hamilton has called on those in positions of power to do more to improve human rights in countries such as Saudi Arabia, where Formula 1 is racing this weekend. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Following reports 81 men were executed in Saudi Arabia on a single day earlier this month, Hamilton revealed he had been contacted by Abdullah al-Howaiti, who is on death row in Saudi Arabia. Howaiti was sentenced to death in 2019 over a robbery which occured three years earlier, when he was 14, which his family insist he was not involved in . “It’s obviously mind-blowing to hear the stories,” said Hamilton during Friday morning’s FIA press conference. “I’ve heard that there’s a letter sent to me, for example, from a 14-year-old that’s on death row. At 14 you don’t know what the hell you’re doing in life.” Last year Hamilton described Saudi Arabia’s legislation against its LGBTQ+ community as “terrifying.” Yesterday he said: “My position’s still the … [Read more...] about Hamilton urges more action on human rights after letter from death row inmate

The 2022 Formula 1 season was full of drama on track and in the paddock, some of it leftover from the previous year’s controversies. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free With all that going on, it was easy to overlook some of the strange and surprising stories of the last 12 months. Red Bull ‘launched’ a show car Formula 1 car launches always attract huge interest as they can give the first indication of how the teams will compare against each other for the season ahead with any innovative designs. That was especially the case this year as teams produced their first designs for radically new regulations. Preferring not to give the opposition an early peek at their real RB18, Red Bull instead presented a repainted show car at their launch on February 9th. The real thing, which appeared in testing two weeks later, looked very different. Red Bull presents first images of new car for 2022 F1 season Magnussen’s F1 return has big repercussions After … [Read more...] about Helmet rows, hot mics and more forgotten motorsport stories from 2022

Just this past weekend, the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas held one of its biggest events on its annual calendar: the NASCAR Cup Series. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Featuring a handful of special guest drivers including F1 champions Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen and multiple IMSA champion and Daytona 24 Hours winner Jordan Taylor, it was one of several major international motorsport events being held at the now ten-year-old circuit in 2023 – including the United States Grand Prix, which will take place in October. After a decade of the US Grand Prix at COTA – interrupted only by Covid – Formula 1 appears to have finally found a solid footing in America. Rather than fizzle out like so many other attempts to establish a US race over the decades, attendance at COTA has grown over recent years to the point where it now boasts the largest crowd of the season in terms of total attendance over the race weekend. F1’s arrival at COTA in 2012 … [Read more...] about ‘We were built for racing, unlike Vegas’: COTA boss not concerned by new F1 rivals

In the round-up: Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says that concerns over the reliability of the Ferrari power unit grew after the Monaco Grand Prix In brief Ferrari PU reliability concerns “a little bit bigger” after Monaco – Steiner Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says that concerns over the reliability of the Ferrari power unit grew after the Monaco Grand Prix. The team had to retire driver Kevin Magnussen’s car during the race due to a water leak with his car’s ERS. Two days earlier, Valtteri Bottas had missed almost the entire first practice session due to a Ferrari power unit problem in his Alfa Romeo. Steiner says that following the multiple problems in Monaco, concerns about the reliability of the Ferrari power units has grown. “Obviously we had some issues, mainly in Monte Carlo – before we didn’t have any big issue with it – but Monte Carlo, there were issues for us and Alfa [Romeo], so … [Read more...] about Ferrari power unit reliability concerns “a little bit bigger” after Monaco – Steiner

The curse of sport is that unless you are number one, you are condemned to live under a cloud of failure. For no matter how many races you win, poles you take or points you score, there can only be one champion. The rest all fall short. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Red Bull know this only too well. After being deposed from F1’s Mount Olympus with the onset of the V6 turbo hybrids, their journey back to the top was as frustrating as it was humbling. But that decade of discontent reached its end over the past two seasons, and Red Bull head into a new year as undisputedly and unequivocally the best team in their sport. Emerging bruised, bloodied but victorious from their brutal year-long battle against Mercedes in 2021, Red Bull knew they were vulnerable going into Max Verstappen’s first year sporting the coveted number one on his car. But when Mercedes faltered, Ferrari faced up to Red Bull in their place. However, Ferrari’s implosion as the season … [Read more...] about Will Red Bull dominate again as their development handicap bites in 2023?

The first of 15 drivers who will contest Formula 1’s new all-female junior series has been announced. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free ART Grand Prix, one of the five teams which will contest the inaugural championship, has signed 25-year-old Swiss racer Lena Bühler as the first member of its three-strong squad. Bühler began karting seven years ago having previously raced BMX bikes. She moved into racing cars in 2020, finishing 15th in the Spanish Formula 4 championship. The following year she moved into the Formula Regional European series with R-ace GP, managing a best finish of 20th. Her return the following year was cut short, but she returned to racing in the Formula 4 UAE series this year. Her overalls bore Sauber Academy logos at this week’s round in Kuwait, but no formal tie-up has yet been announced. Bühler said she was pleased to be joining “a team with a fantastic record”. ART has won multiple championships in other series and taken four … [Read more...] about First driver confirmed for new female junior racing series F1 Academy

Max Verstappen’s Formula One debut at the age of 17 next year is set to be a one-off after the FIA added new restrictions to the awarding of a super licence from 2016 . Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Drivers will have to be at least 18 years old to receive a super licence in order to compete in Formula One, and must also have spent two years “running in minor formulas” – two conditions Verstappen will not meet when he starts his first F1 race next year with Toro Rosso. The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council set down three separate sets of criteria for the awarding of a superlicence: safety compliance, sufficient experience and attainment of a suitable performance level. In order to meet safety criteria, in addition to being at least 18 years old drivers must also meet a “valid driving licence requirement” and demonstrate their knowledge of the Formula One Sporting Regulations and the International Sporting Code. To fulfil the experience requirements … [Read more...] about FIA to prevent more Verstappen-like moves with new F1 age limit

Ross Brawn has been confirmed as Formula One’s managing director for motor sports following the departure of Bernie Ecclestone . The 62-year-old’s appointment is immediate and comes as the sport’s new owners also confirmed long-time ESPN executive Sean Bratches as managing director for commercial operations. “It’s fantastic to be returning to the world of Formula One,” said Brawn. “I’ve enjoyed consulting with Liberty Media these last few months and I’m looking forward to working with Chase, Sean and the rest of the Formula One team to help the evolution of the sport. “We have an almost unprecedented opportunity to work together with the teams and promoters for a better F1 for them and, most importantly, for the fans.” New F1 CEO Chase Carey said Brawn “brought his magic touch to every team with which he has worked, has almost unparalleled technical knowledge, experience and relationships, and I have already benefitted greatly from his advice and expertise”. Brawn last … [Read more...] about Brawn among key F1 hires announced by Liberty