Tag Archives: Formula One

Sports

Oscar Piastri to race for McLaren after contract resolution

Leave a comment

Oscar Piastri will replace Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren in 2023 after the FIA’s contract recognition board (CRB) upheld the team’s contract with the Formula 2 champion.

McLaren and Alpine both felt they had a valid contract for the Australian’s services for next season.

On Friday the CRB upheld McLaren’s contract, revealing he had signed a two-year contract on July 4., the day after the British Grand Prix.

Immediately after the verdict was released, McLaren announced Piastri would join the team in 2023.

Piastri is considered the best young driver to enter F1 since the 2019 rookie class of Lando Norris — who will be his teammate in 2023 — George Russell and Alex Albon.

Piastri said: “I’m extremely excited to be making my F1 debut with such a prestigious team as McLaren and I’m very grateful for the opportunity that’s been offered to me. The team has a long tradition of giving young talent a chance, and I’m looking forward to working hard alongside Lando to push the team towards the front of the grid.”

The news leaves Alpine without a replacement for Aston Martin-bound Fernando Alonso next year. AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly has emerged as a leading contender for that seat, although Ricciardo, who’s imminent departure from McLaren opened the door for Piastri to join, is still in the mix.

If Alpine wants Gasly they will have to pay Red Bull to buy out the final year of the French driver’s deal.

Alpine released a short statement after the verdict, saying: “We consider the matter closed on our side and will announce our full 2023 driver line-up in due course.”

It is a humiliating setback for Alpine, having lost a long-time member of its driver academy after laying out an extensive Formula One testing programme at great expense for him this year.

The dispute kicked off over Formula One’s summer break after Aston Martin confirmed the signing of Alonso for 2023.

Alpine academy product Piastri, considered to be a star of the future, seemed like the most logical option to fill that gap and Alpine quickly announced him to be stepping up to the F1 team for next year, although it was notable the press release came with no quote from a driver just handed his F1 debut.

Two hours later, Piastri sent a now-famous Tweet: “I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year. This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.”

Piastri’s manager Mark Webber played a key role in the discussions with McLaren. Webber worked with McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl when he was in charge of Porsche’s World Endurance Championship team. Under Seidl’s leadership, Webber was part of the team which won the WEC title in 2016.

With both Alpine and McLaren convinced they had a valid contract with Piastri, the matter went to the contract recognition board (CRB).

The CRB was set up in 1992 to deal with a dispute between Jordan and Benetton over Michael Schumacher’s services, which was won by Benetton. It has been called upon rarely in F1 since, but it settled a British American Racing and Williams dispute over Jenson Button in 2004, which BAR won, and a Toyota and BMW dispute over Timo Glock in 2007, which Toyota won.

Read original article here

Sports

IndyCar champ Palou declares he will be at McLaren in 2023

Leave a comment

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — IndyCar champion Alex Palou, who has contracts signed with two different race teams for 2023 and is being sued by Chip Ganassi Racing, declared Thursday: “I will be in the McLaren family next year.”

The soap opera over Palou’s future continued with more twists and turns than the Spaniard will face in Saturday’s road course race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ganassi this week filed a lawsuit in Marion County Superior Court in Indianapolis that names as defendants both Palou and ALPA Racing, which is listed as Palou’s “racing entity.”

At issue is the contract Ganassi holds with the 25-year-old driver. The team owner says he picked up his exclusive option on Palou to bring him back next year for a third season; Palou says he informed CGR he’s leaving and signed a contract with McLaren Racing.

McLaren boss Zak Brown has not decided if he will use Palou in a third IndyCar seat or in Formula One, but Palou for the first time since the saga began July 12 firmly stated he will be wearing McLaren’s papaya orange next season.

“We are disappointed that Chip Ganassi Racing would attempt to keep Alex from an opportunity to compete in Formula One, and even more so with CGR’s public court filings and continued commentary to the press on this matter,” Palou’s attorney, Rachel Epstein of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, said Thursday. “We would hope the parties can resolve this amicably, but if not, we look forward to resolving this matter in a private arbitration, as CGR has requested.”

Epstein is the first to acknowledge that a shot in F1 is a primary reason for Palou wanting to leave Ganassi. Palou has not divulged much about his reasoning to jump from the No. 10 car after only two seasons.

He has never driven or tested an F1 car before but does hold the super license required by governing body FIA to compete in the world’s top motorsports series. Asked if it was McLaren’s ability to get him into F1, a salary dispute or something else that was luring him away from Ganassi, Palou declined to say. But does he want to drive an F1 car?

“Everybody wants to,” he said.

How does he make that happen?

“I’m not a lawyer; I’m a racing driver,” Palou shrugged.

The entire paddock is watching the Palou situation play out as drivers are unsure if Ganassi’s No. 10 car will be open.

The situation emerged too late for rookie Callum Illot, who began talks in April with Juncos Hollinger Racing on a contract extension that was formally announced Thursday. The 23-year-old British driver who has been part of the Ferrari Formula One development program said other teams have reached out to him over the last two weeks. It was too late for Illot to move on to a bigger program.

“The last couple weeks have been interesting for the whole paddock I think. It’s been quite entertaining,” Illot said. “I’m a man of my word. Of course, there was a lot of interest from other people, but I was very honest from the very beginning if anyone approached me.”

Palou certainly sounds as if he expects his current seat at Ganassi to be available next year to another driver, but in the meantime is in the thick of another title race. He lost ground last weekend during the Iowa Speedway doubleheader and heads into Saturday’s race sixth in the standings, 44 points behind leader and teammate Marcus Ericsson.

Asked if he can still win the championship amid all the distractions, Palou said “it will be amazing when I do.”

Ericsson said he will continue to speak to Palou and work with his teammate until directed to stop, but CGR has cut back Palou’s access to team data. He and Ganassi have not spoken since the fallout began three races ago.

“People are going to have opinions, but I am not afraid of people thinking I’m a monster for being in the middle of this because at the end of the day they don’t really know what is going on,” Palou said.

Among those who aren’t sure about Palou’s character are star Arrow McLaren SP driver Pato O’Ward, who could be teammates in IndyCar with Palou next year.

Palou’s contract is specifically with McLaren Racing, which means Brown can use him anywhere in the organization. O’Ward’s contract is with Arrow McLaren — and both drivers want a shot at F1.

“I think many drivers thought we knew who he was,” O’Ward said. “I feel like he’ll say a lot of things but then he does the complete opposite, which I don’t think is a secret. We’ve all seen it. It kind of seems like reverse psychology, so whatever he’s saying, expect the absolute difference.”

___

More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports



Read original article here

Sports

Lewis Hamilton, F1 condemn Nelson Piquet’s racial slur in interview after 2021 British Grand Prix

Leave a comment

Lewis Hamilton has condemned three-time Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet for using a racial slur about him in an interview.

The 69-year-old Brazilian used the derogatory term in a podcast in Portuguese following last year’s British Grand Prix, when title rivals Hamilton and Max Verstappen collided on the first lap at Silverstone. The podcast came to light this week.

Piquet, who is the father of Verstappen’s girlfriend, Kelly, used a racist term about Hamilton while accusing him of mishandling his car into the first corner. Piquet added Hamilton was “lucky” to continue in the race.

The seven-time world champion said on Twitter on Tuesday: “It’s more than language. These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life.

“There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action.”

He also tweeted in Portuguese: “Let’s focus on changing the mindset.”

On Tuesday, F1 also condemned the term used by Piquet in a statement that read: “Discriminatory or racist language is unacceptable in any form and has no part in society. Lewis is an incredible ambassador for our sport and deserves respect.

“His tireless efforts to increase diversity and inclusion are a lesson to many and something we are committed to at F1.”

Additionally, Hamilton’s team, Mercedes, issued a statement: “We condemn in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind. Lewis has spearheaded our sport’s efforts to combat racism, and he is a true champion of diversity on and off track.

“Together, we share a vision for a diverse and inclusive motorsport, and this incident underlines the fundamental importance of continuing to strive for a brighter future.”

Formula One returns to Silverstone this weekend.



Read original article here

Sports

Lewis Hamilton, F1 condemn Nelson Piquet’s racial slur in interview after 2021 British Grand Prix

Leave a comment

Lewis Hamilton has condemned three-time Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet for using a racial slur about him in an interview.

The 69-year-old Brazilian used the derogatory term in a podcast in Portuguese following last year’s British Grand Prix, when title rivals Hamilton and Max Verstappen collided on the first lap at Silverstone. The podcast came to light this week.

Piquet, who is the father of Verstappen’s girlfriend, Kelly, used a racist term about Hamilton while accusing him of mishandling his car into the first corner. Piquet added Hamilton was “lucky” to continue in the race.

The seven-time world champion said on Twitter on Tuesday: “It’s more than language. These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life.

“There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action.”

He also tweeted in Portuguese: “Let’s focus on changing the mindset.”

On Tuesday, F1 also condemned the term used by Piquet in a statement that read: “Discriminatory or racist language is unacceptable in any form and has no part in society. Lewis is an incredible ambassador for our sport and deserves respect.

“His tireless efforts to increase diversity and inclusion are a lesson to many and something we are committed to at F1.”

Additionally, Hamilton’s team, Mercedes, issued a statement: “We condemn in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind. Lewis has spearheaded our sport’s efforts to combat racism, and he is a true champion of diversity on and off track.

“Together, we share a vision for a diverse and inclusive motorsport, and this incident underlines the fundamental importance of continuing to strive for a brighter future.”

Formula One returns to Silverstone this weekend.



Read original article here

Sports

Lewis Hamilton, F1 condemn Nelson Piquet’s racial slur in interview after 2021 British Grand Prix

Leave a comment

Lewis Hamilton has condemned three-time Formula One world champion Nelson Piquet for using a racially abusive term about him in an interview.

The 69-year-old Brazilian used the derogatory term in a podcast in Portuguese following last year’s British Grand Prix, when title rivals Hamilton and Max Verstappen collided on the first lap at Silverstone. The podcast came to light this week.

Piquet, who is the father of Verstappen’s girlfriend, Kelly, used a racist term about Hamilton while accusing him of mishandling his car into the first corner. Piquet added Hamilton was “lucky” to continue in the race.

The seven-time world champion said on Twitter on Tuesday: “It’s more than language. These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life.

“There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action.”

He also tweeted in Portuguese: “Let’s focus on changing the mindset.”

On Tuesday, F1 also condemned the term used by Piquet in a statement that read: “Discriminatory or racist language is unacceptable in any form and has no part in society. Lewis is an incredible ambassador for our sport and deserves respect.

“His tireless efforts to increase diversity and inclusion are a lesson to many and something we are committed to at F1.”

Additionally, Hamilton’s team, Mercedes, issued a statement: “We condemn in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind. Lewis has spearheaded our sport’s efforts to combat racism, and he is a true champion of diversity on and off track.

“Together, we share a vision for a diverse and inclusive motorsport, and this incident underlines the fundamental importance of continuing to strive for a brighter future.”

Formula One returns to Silverstone this weekend.



Read original article here

Sports

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz suffer nightmare double retirement at Azerbaijan GP

Leave a comment

Ferrari suffered a nightmare double retirement at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to hand another huge opportunity to Max Verstappen and Red Bull.

Ferrari had claimed pole position through Charles Leclerc on Saturday, with Carlos Sainz starting fourth, but within just 20 laps of Sunday’s race both its cars were out of the race.

Sainz retired from fourth position on Lap 9 with what the team later confirmed to be a hydraulic issue.

Leclerc had been beaten to Turn 1 by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez but was on a different strategy to both Perez and Verstappen thanks to a well-timed stop under a Virtual Safety Car.

Any chance of a spectacular fightback for Leclerc was thwarted on Lap 20 when smoke poured from the back of his Ferrari.

Leclerc immediately returned to the pits and retired the car, with what Ferrari confirmed was a power unit issue.

“It hurts,” Leclerc told Sky Sports shortly after his race ended. “We need to look into it so it doesn’t happen again. I don’t find the right words to describe. It’s really disappointing. We need to look into it.”

Ferrari also saw two customer cars suffer failures, with Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen both retiring midway through the race.

The team will only have seven days to get on top of its issues before racing again at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

Leclerc was already nine points down on Verstappen in the championship. Verstappen was leading the race and had the fastest lap when Leclerc’s race ended, meaning the reigning world champion could extend that lead to 35 points by the end of the race.

If Perez finishes second, he will also leap past Leclerc in the championship standings.

Leclerc’s once-promising season has fallen apart in recent races. At the Monaco Grand Prix, his home race, a Ferrari strategy turned a likely victory into a fourth place finish.

Despite claiming six pole positions from eight races this year, Leclerc has only converted two of them into victory — his last this season was at the Australian Grand Prix on April 10.

Reliability issues had been a Red Bull problem at the start of the season. Verstappen’s car failed to finish two of the first three races and after the Melbourne race the Dutchman was 47 points behind Leclerc.

Read original article here

Sports

Mick Schumacher car splits into two pieces in big crash at wet Monaco Grand Prix

Leave a comment

MONTE CARLO — Mick Schumacher walked away unharmed from a big crash at the Monaco Grand Prix that prompted the second red flag of the event.

A downpour just before the scheduled start delayed the race by 70 minutes, and it eventually got going on a drying track.

Drivers had just completed the switch from the full and intermediate wet tyres to dry tyres when Schumacher, running 17th, lost control of his car through the Swimming Pool section and slammed into the wall on the exit of the chicane.

Schumacher’s rear suspension and rear wing completely detached from the Haas car.

Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, immediately climbed out of the car and walked back to the Haas garage.

Curiously, the race stewards cycled through all three of the options available to them in the case of a crash as marshals looked to clear the wreckage.

First, they implemented the virtual safety car, in which drivers are required to drive slowly to a delta time.

The actual safety car was then deployed two minutes later, which requires the field to bottle up behind a pace car.

Just six minutes later, the race was suspended with a red flag to allow marshals to fix the barrier Schumacher had gone into.

When the race resumed, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez led a rolling start.

Read original article here

Sports

Pressure mounts on Daniel Ricciardo as McLaren extends Pato O’Ward deal

Leave a comment

Daniel Ricciardo has not delivered the results hoped for in Formula One, McLaren boss Zak Brown said on Friday after announcing that their IndyCar team had extended their agreement with Pato O’Ward, who is eyeing a Formula One seat.

McLaren took care of a bit of business ahead of Sunday’s Indy 500 by extending O’Ward’s contract through the end of 2025 in a deal that will include some F1 testing for the 23-year-old from Mexico and a new McLaren sports car as a signing on bonus.

McLaren’s commitment to O’Ward will come as a warning to an underperforming Ricciardo, who has managed one points finish in six F1 races this season and had a nightmare start to Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix by crashing in Friday’s practice.

The Australian is under contract through 2023 but Brown said there are “mechanisms” in place that could impact negotiations.

“We’ve got both our drivers under contract so nothing imminent but we’re starting a testing program bringing a couple of drivers in and Pato is definitely going to be one of those,” said Brown, who is in Indianapolis where Arrow McLaren will have three cars in Sunday’s race.

“I don’t want to get into the contract but there are mechanisms which we’re committed to each other and then there are mechanisms which we’re not.

“I spoke to Daniel about it. We’re not getting the results we hoped for but we’re both going to continue to push.

“I think he showed at Monza he can win races. We also need to continue to develop our race car. It is not capable of winning races but we’d like to see him further up the grid.”

O’Ward has also shown a winner’s touch by collecting three victories, four poles and nine podiums since signing on with Arrow McLaren in 2020.

O’Ward, who will start Sunday’s race from seventh on the grid, has set himself a deadline of two years to realise his F1 dream which matches up nicely with his McLaren deal.

“I think the deadline is there just because of age. Once you are 25, 26 that window closes quite a bit,” said O’Ward, who will take home Brown’s Richard Mille watch as a bonus if he wins the 500.

“Obviously, if the opportunity comes about you have to take it. The dream of becoming a racing driver came about from Formula One so that is nothing that is ever going to leave. It is part of me.

“When you want something so much it is hard to block it out of your mind. At the end of the day what is going to make this guy [Brown] want me more is win more.”

Read original article here

Sports

Yemen rebels strike oil depot in Saudi city hosting F1 race

Leave a comment

JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked an oil depot on Friday in the Saudi city of Jiddah ahead of a Formula One race in the kingdom — their highest-profile assault yet that threatened to disrupt the upcoming grand prix.

The attack targeted the same fuel depot that the Houthis had attacked in recent days, the North Jiddah Bulk Plant that sits just southeast of the city’s international airport and is a crucial hub for Muslim pilgrims heading to Mecca.

The Saudi Arabian Oil Co., known as Saudi Aramco, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Saudi authorities acknowledged a “hostile operation” by the Houthis targeting the depot, without describing the weapon used in the attack.

The attacks came as Saudi Arabia still leads a coalition battling the Iran-backed Houthis, who seized Yemen’s capital of Sanaa in September 2014. The kingdom, which entered the war in Yemen in 2015, has been internationally criticized for its airstrikes killing that have killed scores of civilians — something the Houthis point to as they launch drones, missiles and mortars into the kingdom.

Brig. Gen. Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said the fire damaged two tanks and was put out without injuries.

“This hostile escalation targets oil facilities and aims to undermine energy security and the backbone of global economy,” al-Malki said, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency. “These hostile attacks had no impact or repercussions in any way, shape or form on public life in Jiddah.”

An Associated Press photojournalist covering practice laps at the F1 track in Jiddah saw the smoke rising in the distance to the east, just after 5:40 p.m. As the flames rose, the tops of the tanks of the bulk plant were clearly visible some 11.5 kilometers (7 miles) away.

Drivers raced on into the evening even as the fire burned.

The second-ever Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jiddah is taking place on Sunday, though concerns had been raised by some over the recent attacks targeting the kingdom.

The F1 said in a statement that: “The position at the moment is that we are waiting for further information from the authorities on what has happened.” The F1 did not elaborate.

The al-Masirah satellite news channel run by Yemen’s Houthi rebels later claimed they had attacked an Aramco facility in Jiddah, along with other targets in Riyadh and elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Saudi state TV also acknowledged attacks in the town of Dhahran targeting water tanks that damaged vehicles and homes. Another attack targeted an electrical substation in an area of southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border, state TV said.

The North Jiddah Bulk Plant stores diesel, gasoline and jet fuel for use in Jiddah, the kingdom’s second-largest city. It accounts for over a quarter of all of Saudi Arabia’s supplies and also supplies fuel crucial to running a regional desalination plant.

The Houthis have twice targeted the North Jiddah plant with cruise missiles. One attack came in November 2020. The last came on Sunday as part of a wider barrage by the Houthis.

At the time of the 2020 attack, the targeted tank, which has a capacity of 500,000 barrels, held diesel fuel, according to a recent report by a U.N. panel of experts examining Yemen’s war. Repairing it after the last attack cost Aramco some $1.5 million.

The U.N. experts described the facility as a “civilian target,” which the Houthis should have avoided after the 2020 attack.

“While the facility also supplies the Saudi military with petroleum products, it is mostly supplying civilian customers,” the panel said. “If the plant had been out of service of a significant period, the impact on the kingdom’s economy as well as on the welfare of the residents of the Western region would likely have been significant.”

Cruise missiles and drones remain difficult to defend against, though the U.S. recently sent a significant number of Patriot anti-missile interceptors to Saudi Arabia to resupply the kingdom amid the Houthi attacks.

In September, the AP reported that the U.S. had removed its own Patriot and THAAD defense systems from Prince Sultan Air Base outside of Riyadh.

The attacks have renewed questions about the kingdom’s ability to defend itself from Houthi fire as a yearslong war in the Arab world’s poorest country rages on with no end in sight. It also comes as Saudi Arabia issued an unusually stark warning that it is unable to guarantee its oil production won’t be affected by further attacks — which could push global energy prices even higher amid Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Benchmark Brent crude prices briefly rose above $120 a barrel in trading Friday.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Read original article here

Sports

Haas’ Nikita Mazepin faces ban from competing at British Grand Prix

Leave a comment

Russian licensed drivers, such as Haas’ Nikita Mazepin, will not be allowed to compete at the British Grand Prix, it was announced on Wednesday.

David Richards, Chair of Motorsport UK, and the organisation’s board confirmed in a statement that Russian and Belarusian licensed competitors would not be approved to participate in UK motorsport events, potentially barring Haas driver Mazepin from racing at Silverstone on July 3.

The announcement comes after the FIA decided on Tuesday that drivers from Russia and Belarus would be allowed to continue to race under a neutral flag, allowing Mazepin to remain in Formula One with Haas.

However, there is a possibility that Mazepin could still compete at the British Grand Prix if he is able to obtain a license from another country.

“The entire Motorsport UK community condemns the acts of war by Russia and Belarus in Ukraine and expresses its solidarity and support towards all those affected by the ongoing conflict,” Richards said.

“We stand united with the people of Ukraine and the motorsport community following the invasion and the unacceptable actions that have unfolded. This is a time for the international motorsport community to act and show support for the people of Ukraine and our colleagues at the Federation Automobile d’Ukraine (FAU).”

On Tuesday, the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) confirmed that no international FIA competitions would take place in Russia and Belarus until further notice, although F1 had already announced last week that this year’s Russian Grand Prix would be cancelled.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the WMSC’s decision was “aligned with the recommendations recently made by the International Olympic Committee.”

“As you know, the FIA is watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and I hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation. We condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and our thoughts are with all those suffering as a result of the events in Ukraine,” Ben Sulayem said.

“I would like to stress that the FIA, together with our promoters, proactively acted on this matter last week and communicated accordingly on the Formula One, Formula 2, WTCR and the International Drifting Cup.”

The WMSC decision added that no Russian or Belarusian national teams would be allowed to participate in international competitions, and that “no Russian/Belarusian national symbols, colours, flags (uniform, equipment and car) should be displayed.”

In response, Motorsport UK said that: “No Russian/Belarusian licenced teams are approved to enter motorsport competitions in the UK, no Russian/Belarusian licenced competitors and officials are approved to participate in UK motorsport events, and no Russian/Belarusian national symbols, colours, flags (on uniform, equipment and car) to be displayed at Motorsport UK permitted events”

The statement added that Motorsport UK’s decision was made in full consultation with the UK Government and national sports governing bodies.

Read original article here