New season house of cards

Formula 1 drivers are today having their first taste of Pirelli’s 2019 tyres which it is hoped will improve the standard of racing next year. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Pirelli faced criticism from drivers towards the end of the year over how high levels of tyre degradation shaped some races. However the sport’s official tyre supplier pointed out the degradation levels were set down in the ‘target letter’ given to it by F1. For 2019 Pirelli has set out to improve the performance of the higher compounds, which were often considered too conservative, and to widen the performance gaps at the softer end of the range. The naming convention for the tyres will also change. The three compounds chosen for each race will always be referred to as hard, medium and soft. But the full range of compounds, which will reduce from seven to either five or six, will be referred to by number. ‘One’ will refer to the hardest compound’. “The compounds we are developing … [Read more...] about What’s changed in Pirelli’s new F1 tyre range for 2019 · RaceFans

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 9 WASHINGTON (AP) — Fictional soccer coach Ted Lasso used a White House visit Monday to encourage people, even in politically divided Washington, to make it a point to check in often with friends, family and co-workers to "ask how they're doing, and listen, sincerely,” Comedian Jason Sudeikis, who plays the title character — an American coaching a soccer team in London — and other cast members were meeting with President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden to talk about how mental health contributes to overall well-being. Mental health and looking after one another is a theme of “Ted Lasso,” Sudeikis told reporters from the lectern as he helped press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre open her daily White House briefing. The Emmy-winning, feel-good show on Apple TV+ just opened its third season. “While it’s easier said than done, we also have to know … [Read more...] about ‘Ted Lasso’ visits White House, promotes mental health care

Formula 1’s governing body does not agreement from teams to impose changes to the rules for the 2021 season. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Approval from the Strategy Group and F1 Commission is needed to ratify rule changes for seasons prior to 2021. But as F1’s commercial agreements will expire at the end of 2020, that governance structure does not apply to subsequent seasons. Therefore the FIA can impose changes for 2021 without the approval of teams. This includes the switch to 18-inch wheels, as FIA race director Charlie Whiting confirmed when asked by RaceFans. “That’s part of the regulation package for 2021,” Whiting confirmed. “It doesn’t have to go through the Formula One commission because it’s for 2021.” Asked whether that means the FIA has a “free hand” when it comes to determining F1’s future rules, Whiting said: “We have – there’s no need for regulations to go through the Strategy Group because that governance expires. We don’t have a new … [Read more...] about FIA can bypass teams to impose new 2021 F1 rules · RaceFans

Formula 1 could soon have a new tyre supplier after the FIA opened the process to bidders for the 2025 season onwards. While tyre wars in Formula 1 used to be commonplace, they became a thing of the past when Bridgestone first became the exclusive provider and the sport has since only leaned on one company for its tyre needs. In 2011, that company became Pirelli who continue to supply tyres until this day but their monopoly on the sport’s rubber could soon change with the FIA opening the door for another manufacturer to come in. Following the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the FIA announced it was seeking potential suppliers for the 2025 season onwards in a deal that could last for four seasons. The successful applicant will also gain the contract for the Formula 2 and Formula 3 championships. The brief is not too dissimilar from the current contract with the F1 tyres set to remain at 18 inches but, in line with the sport’s push for more sustainability, the successful candidates … [Read more...] about Could Pirelli have a new rival? FIA launch tyre supplier tender from F1 2025 season

W Series, the new championship targeted exclusively at female racing drivers, has confirmed an initial list of 55 drivers it says are eligible for its first season of racing. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free The series received over 100 applications for the 18 places in the championship. The 55 chosen drivers will under three days of testing including assessments of their driver and fitness. Former F1 drivers David Coulthard and Alexander Wurz and former McLaren racing director Dave Ryan are among those who will be involved in the judging process. W Series CEO Catherine Bond Muir said they are “thrilled but perhaps not surprised by the response. “Even today there is a massive gender imbalance in motorsport and W Series is making the first step to correct that. Drivers from all over the world have stepped forward, so it’s clear that with the right framework we can make the changes this sport desperately needs.” The list features drivers from 26 … [Read more...] about W Series names 55 eligible drivers for inaugural 2019 season – RaceFans

The James Harden era in Houston may feel like a distant memory for Rockets ' fans, but the team's main rival in Harden's tenure is still rolling along as the 2022-23 season comes to a close. The more things change at the Toyota Center, the more they stay the same for Stephen Curry and the Warriors. It hasn't exactly been business as usual for Curry and the Warriors this season. Golden State's title defense is on relatively rocky ground even after Monday's 121-108 win over the hapless Rockets, with the defending champions now sporting an ugly road record of 7–29. But Monday's return to Houston helped the Warriors look largely like their dynastic selves. Curry led all scorers with 30 points, Klay Thompson added 29, and a late surge Golden State made all look right in the Bay Area. For Warriors coach Steve Kerr, returning to the Toyota Center brings a bit of a spark for his veteran group. "This is a great reminder every time we come to the Toyota Center of some amazing battles with … [Read more...] about New year, same story for Rockets as Splash Brothers fuel blowout loss

Netflix has announced Brazilian actor Gabriel Leone will play the role of Ayrton Senna in its upcoming dramatisation of his life. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Leone, 29, was born the year before Senna died in a crash during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. He rose to fame for his role in Dom, a Brazilian television series produced by Amazon. The announcement of his casting was made on what would have been Senna’s 63rd birthday. He is also due to appear in another upcoming motorsport film. Leone has been cast in Michael Mann’s film Ferrari as Alfonso de Portago, the first Spanish driver to finish on the podium in Formula 1. De Portago died along with his co-driver and 10 spectators when he crashed during the Mille Miglia sports car race in 1957. Netflix, which also screens the popular F1 series Drive to Survive, announced its plans for a fictionalised drama about the life of Senna in 2020. Originally announced as an eight-part series which would appear … [Read more...] about Netflix reveal actor who will play Senna in new series · RaceFans

President Biden on Tuesday will designate two new national monuments, putting nearly 514,000 acres off-limits to development as part of his pledge to protect a third of America's lands and waters by 2030. The president will sign proclamations to protect Castner Range, a former military training and testing site in El Paso, and more than 500,000 acres around Avi Kwa Ame (ah-VEE-kwah-may), a sacred tribal site in southern Nevada, according to a White House official. The aide spoke on the condition of anonymity because the announcement was not yet public. The Washington Post reported in November that Biden would safeguard the vast expanse in Nevada using his authority under the 1906 Antiquities Act. It will rank as the largest protected area of Biden's presidency. The moves reflect the administration's efforts to protect wildlife while slashing planet-warming emissions by preventing mining and oil drilling on public lands. They follow a flurry of conservation announcements from … [Read more...] about Biden to protect a half-million acres in Texas and Nevada

If a single 2018 incident demonstrated just how disjointed Formula 1 has become, it was the Haas versus Force India protest filed late on Thursday in Abu Dhabi. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Significantly, the protest came within F1 hours of scrutineering and ahead of the season’s final championship round. Also crucial to proceedings is that Abu Dhabi steward Garry Connelly also officiated in Belgium, where Racing Point Force India was declared a new team holding a new entrant license. Thus there was no cause to postpone or reconvene the matter at a later date, enabling both the hearing and the crucial (and expected) outcome – namely that the Force India cars were legal – to be handed ahead of FP3 on Saturday. However, Force India’s victory actually represents a defeat as we outlined here immediately after verdict. The road map of the mess F1 found itself in has been detailed in these pages since Force India plunged into administration at end-July. But … [Read more...] about Haas’s protest a legacy of F1’s missing Concorde Agreement – RaceFans