Lewis Hamilton expects new rules will be introduced by the FIA this weekend in response to the T-shirt he wore on the podium at Mugello. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Following his victory in the Tuscan Grand Prix, Hamilton wore a T-shirt bearing the messages “arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor” and “say her name”. He also wore the shirt during the pre-race end racism observance and his post-race interview. The FIA is sensitive to grands prix being used for political gestures. In 2006 the Turkish Grand Prix promoter was fined $5 million – a record at the time – when their podium presentation was deemed to have violated the sport’s political neutrality. While Hamilton said he has not spoken to the FIA about the T-shirt, or whether its message was considered a political statement, he expects the rules will be changed this weekend to prevent anyone from doing the same. “I haven’t spoken to them but I heard that tomorrow they’re coming out with a … [Read more...] about Hamilton says FIA will introduce new rules in response to Breonna Taylor T-shirt controversy
Which cases was the exclusionary rule created
Helmet rows, hot mics and more forgotten motorsport stories from 2022
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
‘We were built for racing, unlike Vegas’: COTA boss not concerned by new F1 rivals
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
F1 drivers banned from wearing T-shirts on podium after Hamilton’s Breonna Taylor protest
The FIA has announced changed to its post-race procedure after Lewis Hamilton wore a T-shirt drawing attention to the Breonna Taylor case at the last race. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Revised guidance issued to drivers by the sport’s governing body states the top three finishers in the race “must remain attired only in their driving suits, ‘done up’ to the neck, not opened to the waist” throughout the podium ceremony and post-race interview procedure. At the previous round in Mugello, Hamilton wore a T-shirt bearing the message “Arrest the cops that killed Breonna Taylor” while he was interviewed after the race and during his appearance on the podium. Taylor was shot multiple times and killed by police officers who entered her home in Kentucky in March. The case has been highlighted by worldwide anti-racism protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, which Hamilton is a vocal supporter of. Hamilton said on Thursday he was expecting “a new … [Read more...] about F1 drivers banned from wearing T-shirts on podium after Hamilton’s Breonna Taylor protest
FIA president Ben Sulayem stresses his commitment to “diversity and inclusion”
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has stressed his commitment to encouraging diversity in Formula 1 after comments attributed to him in a recent interview were interpreted as being critical of drivers promoting such causes. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Asked what he feels motorsport should not become, Ben Sulayem was reported to have said : “ Niki Lauda and Alain Prost only cared about driving. Now, Vettel drives a rainbow bicycle, Lewis [Hamilton] is passionate about human rights and Norris addresses mental health. “Everybody has the right to think. To me, it is about deciding whether we should impose our believes [sic] in something over the sport all the time. “I am from an Arabian culture. I am international and Muslim. I do not impose my believes [sic] on other people? No way! Never. If you look at my operation in the UAE: 16 nationalities! Name me one federation that has that many nationalities. “On top, there are over 34% women and seven … [Read more...] about FIA president Ben Sulayem stresses his commitment to “diversity and inclusion”
AlphaTauri will ‘take more parts from the Red Bull menu’ for 2024 car overhaul
AlphaTauri’s new car for the 2024 Formula 1 season will be significantly different to the AT04 as they have been told to use more parts from senior team Red Bull. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free While Red Bull have dominated the 2023 world championship, winning all bar one of the 16 races so far, the junior squad languishes at the bottom of the championship table with just five points. AlphaTauri is at risk of ending the year with their worst championship result during Red Bull’s 18-year ownership of the team. Their lowest championship finish in that time was 10th place with eight points in 2009, when they were known as Toro Rosso. The two teams have used the power units, now known as Honda RBPT, since 2019. They also share some other parts. But after AlphaTauri diverged from the world champions’ design in some areas this year, Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko said its future approach should be “based on Red Bull Racing, as far as the … [Read more...] about AlphaTauri will ‘take more parts from the Red Bull menu’ for 2024 car overhaul