Formula One

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Re: Formula One

#121 Post by PHXPhlyer » Sat Feb 03, 2024 4:41 pm

Lewis Hamilton says he’s fulfilling ‘childhood dream’ by joining Ferrari

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/03/sport/le ... index.html

Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton said that he’s fulfilling a “childhood dream” by joining Ferrari in 2025 in his first social media post since his sensational move away from Mercedes was announced on Thursday.

“It’s been a crazy few days which have been filled with a whole range of emotions. But as you all now know, after an incredible 11 years at Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, the time has come for me to start a new chapter in my life and I will be joining Scuderia Ferrari in 2025,” Hamilton said on his social media channels on Saturday.

“I feel incredibly fortunate, after achieving things with Mercedes that I could only have dreamed of as a kid, that I now have the chance to fulfil another childhood dream. Driving in Ferrari red.”

Hamilton’s shock move to the Italian outfit to replace Spanish driver Carlos Sainz was first reported by Sky Sports and Spanish media on Thursday and has taken the motorsport world by storm, with the move being called “the single biggest driver transfer in the history of the sport” by F1 broadcaster Will Buxton.

The 39-year-old Hamilton, who shares the record for the most F1 world titles with Michael Schumacher, joined Mercedes in 2013 after beginning his career with McLaren in 2007.

Despite signing an extension with Mercedes until 2025 in August last year, the team said in a statement that Hamilton had “activated a release option in the contract” and would depart the Silver Arrows at the conclusion of the upcoming campaign.

Ferrari announced shortly after that it had signed Hamilton to “a multi-year contract.”

In his Saturday post, Hamilton was clear that, while the “time is right to make a change and take on a new challenge,” the decision was not an easy one to make.

“Mercedes has been a huge part of my life since I was 13 years old, so this decision has been the hardest I’ve ever had to make,” Hamilton said. “I’m incredibly proud of all that we’ve achieved together and I’m very grateful for the hard work and dedication of everyone I have worked with over the years and of course [Mercedes team principal] Toto [Wolff], for his friendship, guidance and leadership.

“Together we have won titles, broken records and become the most successful Driver-Team partnership in F1 history. And of course I cannot forget [former Mercedes non-executive chairman and three-time F1 world champion] Niki [Lauda] who was a huge supporter and who I still miss everyday.”

While the British driver said that he’s excited about the new challenge with the Scuderia, he was adamant that all his focus was on the upcoming season with Mercedes.

“I am more driven than ever, I am fitter and more focussed than ever and I want to help Mercedes win once again. I am 100% committed to the job I need to do and determined to end my partnership with the team on a high.”

Hamilton’s teammate, George Russell, will likely agree with the sentiment, posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday: “It’s been special racing alongside you, @lewishamilton. Let’s make this season one to remember.”

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Re: Formula One

#122 Post by PHXPhlyer » Sat Feb 03, 2024 4:44 pm

Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari from Mercedes is a gamble but it could be a masterstroke

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/02/sport/le ... e-spt-intl

Forget soccer’s transfer deadline day on Thursday. The only switch most sports fans were talking about was the announcement that seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton would be leaving Mercedes at the end of the this season to join Ferrari in 2025, replacing Carlos Sainz at the Italian outfit.

“No two ways about it. For me it’s the single biggest driver transfer in the history of the sport. An incredible story,” F1 broadcaster Will Buxton said on social media.

Despite signing an extension with Mercedes until 2025 in August last year, the team said in a statement that Hamilton had “activated a release option in the contract” and would depart the Silver Arrows at the conclusion of the upcoming campaign.

“I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I’m so proud of what we have achieved together … making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make,” Hamilton said in the statement. “But the time is right for me to take this step and I’m excited to be taking on a new challenge.”

Ferrari announced shortly after that it had signed Hamilton to “a multi-year contract.”

Prior to Red Bull’s recent dominance in F1, the Hamilton-Mercedes partnership has become synonymous with success, with the German manufacturer securing eight World Constructors’ championships and Hamilton winning the drivers’ title six times.

For Ferrari, it’s a remarkable coup, having lured a driver that many consider to be the greatest of all time away from the team that he won six championships with. For Mercedes, it is a devastating loss, unable to retain a generational talent and the face of its entire motorsport brand.

Is the grass greener?
There is jeopardy in Hamilton’s decision to swap the Silver Arrows for the Prancing Horse. He has been so successful with Mercedes that it’s almost hard to imagine the 39-year-old Briton racing for any other team.

Hamilton holds the all-time record for F1 wins (103), achieving 82 of those with Mercedes and 21 with McLaren. His association with the German constructor goes back over 25 years to when he was signed as junior driver by McLaren – who used Mercedes engines – at 13 years old.

Hamilton will depart a team that he knows well – leaving behind mechanics and engineers that he has forged relationships with – to step into an unknown environment.

The Scuderia is statistically the most successful F1 team of all time, although it has not claimed a constructors’ crown since 2008, the year that Hamilton won his first F1 title with McLaren, and has not produced a world champion driver since 2007.

Though Ferrari mounted a challenge with Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel in 2012 and 2017 respectively, it was unable to make a dent in Red Bull’s era of dominance between 2010 and 2013 and fell victim to the Mercedes dynasty during the remainder of that decade.

Now, Red Bull, led by three-time world champion Max Verstappen, is again on top and Ferrari have been unable to get close.

Charles Leclerc briefly flirted with challenging Verstappen at the start of the 2022 season, though both Ferrari drivers finished behind Hamilton in 2023 and Mercedes beat the Scuderia to second in the constructors’ race.

Success in red is far from a guarantee for Hamilton, who will also have to contend with new teammate Leclerc, who is well-established at the team and has long been touted as Ferrari’s next drivers’ champion.

Despite Hamilton’s apparent ability to defy the effects of time, age could also be a factor in how much he achieves with the Maranello-based team.

“[Hamilton] will actually be 40 when he starts racing for Ferrari, which is remarkable in itself that he’s starting this new chapter so late in his career,” Phil Duncan, who is PA Media’s F1 correspondent, told CNN Sport.

The oldest man to win an F1 world title is Juan Manuel Fangio at the age of 46 in 1956 and no driver has won a championship in their forties since Jack Brabham in 1966.
Winning a title in what will be his 19th year in the sport would mean that Hamilton would be doing something unprecedented in modern times.

For the best?
Perhaps the move, however, is a masterstroke.

“A change of scenery can completely rejuvenate you,” said CNN’s Coy Wire on World Sport. “Going into a new building, getting new teammates, no more staleness.”

Wire pointed to the NFL as an example, explaining that Tom Brady’s decision to end a 20-year tenure with the New England Patriots and sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers “brought him to life,” with the quarterback winning a Super Bowl with the franchise in 2021.

Hamilton’s move could reinvigorate the seven-time world champion and give him another chance to compete at the top of the sport. It also reunites him with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, who Hamilton raced for at junior level.

Hamilton is without a win since December 2021, having watched Verstappen claim the world title in the final race of that season and then lap the field in 2022 and 2023.

Much of this can be attributed to Mercedes essentially falling off a cliff after 2021. New technical regulations were introduced in 2022, and while Red Bull swam, Mercedes sunk.

The team has looked uncompetitive, finishing hundreds of points behind Red Bull and losing out on podiums to the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin. Last season, a Mercedes driver failed to win a race across a whole season for the first time since 2011.

A damning indictment of Mercedes’ car development came over the airwaves from team principal Toto Wolff in Austria last year: “Lewis, the car is bad, we know. Please drive it.”

It is uncertain whether Hamilton will have better fortunes on the track at Ferrari, but with Mercedes’ process stagnating, it may well be worth taking the leap to racing’s most famous team.

Aside from all else, the move holds significance on a personal level for Hamilton. He has previously described driving for Ferrari as a “dream” and was unsure about why a move there never came to fruition. Now, as Duncan put it, it is a dream, “fulfilled.”

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Re: Formula One

#123 Post by PHXPhlyer » Tue Feb 06, 2024 1:26 am

Christian Horner, Red Bull's F1 team principal, under investigation by company
Red Bull would not detail the reason behind the investigation.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/chr ... rcna137359

Red Bull has commissioned an investigation into Christian Horner, the team principal of its highly successful Formula 1 racing team.

In a statement Monday, Red Bull characterized the investigation of Horner, who is also CEO of Oracle Red Bull Racing, as independent. It would not detail the reason behind the investigation.

“After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation. This process, which is already underway, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister,” Red Bull said in a statement provided to NBC News. “The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”

The statement from Red Bull came after allegations were published in Dutch publication De Telegraaf.

Horner has denied any wrongdoing, according to international media reports.

Horner did not immediately respond to requests from NBC News for comment sent through social media and to a Hollywood agency that represents him as a paid speaker. Formula 1 also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Red Bull is the reigning constructors' champion in the world's premier auto racing series.

In the 2023 season, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen blew past competitors for a third drivers' championship in a row, and the team won the constructors' title for the second year in a row.

Horner, 50, has led Red Bull since 2005, developing a reputation for having sharp elbows but enjoying extraordinary success, including four drivers' championships with Sebastian Vettel from 2010 to 2013 before Verstappen's three-peat from 2021 to 2023. They have won six constructors' championships on Horner's watch.

He married pop star Geri Halliwell of Spice Girls fame in 2015. Last year he was bestowed the honor of Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

News of the investigation came as London-headquartered Formula 1 has seen increasing success in the United States, a market that it had struggled to penetrate for years. It comes less than a month before the first race of the 2024 season, scheduled to take place in Bahrain on March 2.

The league held three races in the United States in 2023, added an American driver, and saw domestic viewership grow in recent years. It is scheduled to host the three U.S. races again this year — in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas.

Last year ESPN, which televises the races, said each race's domestic television audience in 2021 drew nearly 1 million viewers on average, and that grew 28% in 2023.

Since 2019, the Netflix show "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" also made a splash globally, and Horner has loomed large in the docuseries, which has pitted him against other team bosses as each season progresses.

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Re: Formula One

#124 Post by PHXPhlyer » Wed Feb 28, 2024 5:02 pm

Red Bull clears Christian Horner after investigation into Formula 1 team boss
The company announced Wednesday that "the grievance has been dismissed" after a probe about unspecified allegations that were made against the successful team principal.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/red ... rcna140670

Red Bull announced Wednesday that a complaint against Formula One team principal Christian Horner “has been dismissed” after an investigation, clearing him to continue in his current role.

“The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed,” a Red Bull spokesperson said in a statement.

“The complainant has a right of appeal. Red Bull is confident that the investigation has been fair, rigorous and impartial. The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and therefore we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned,” the spokesperson said. “Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards.”

The news comes just ahead of the first race of the 2024 season this weekend in Bahrain. Horner, 50, had denied the allegations and insisted he was proceeding with business as usual, appearing at the Red Bull car launch on Feb. 15 and at the Bahrain track for preseason testing last week.

Horner has led the Red Bull F1 team since it was founded in 2005, enjoying an extraordinary run of success including 113 race wins.

In that short time, Red Bull has won seven drivers’ championships: four with Sebastian Vettel, from 2010 to 2013, and three in a row with reigning champion Max Verstappen, from 2021 to 2023. It has converted six of those to constructors’ championships, losing out narrowly to Mercedes in 2021.

Based on early indications, Verstappen and Red Bull are seen as the favorites again in the 2024 season.

Red Bull announced the “independent investigation” by “an external specialist barrister” in early February, with a spokesperson citing “certain recent allegations” without elaborating on what they were. The Austria-based energy drink company said at the time that it “takes these matters extremely seriously” and would finish the probe “as soon as practically possible.”

Rumors about the allegations have since spread through the F1 media and European tabloids. NBC News has not independently confirmed the specifics of the allegations or the identity of the individual who made them.

Verstappen's current contract with Red Bull goes through 2028. The team's other F1 driver is Sergio Perez, whose contract ends after the 2024 season.

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Re: Formula One

#125 Post by 1DC » Wed Feb 28, 2024 8:41 pm

Main sponsor Ford are not happy that the review has been done "in house" and is not transparent, it is rumoured that they and other sponsors may with withdraw if the review remains private..
The woman involved has apparently said that if she lost the review she would go legal..

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Re: Formula One

#126 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sun Mar 03, 2024 11:10 pm

Well the Bahrain race was a boring procession. I've had more fun on the Hilton Park Services footbridge on the M6 watching motorway traffic speed - or sometimes crawl - underneath.
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Re: Formula One

#127 Post by tango15 » Mon Mar 04, 2024 10:38 am

CharlieOneSix wrote:
Sun Mar 03, 2024 11:10 pm
Well the Bahrain race was a boring procession. I've had more fun on the Hilton Park Services footbridge on the M6 watching motorway traffic speed - or sometimes crawl - underneath.
+1 I'm losing interest at the same rate as Verstappen's acceleration. And I could do without all the fuss surrounding Mr Horner. At least there weren't too many at Bahrain who'd paid good money to watch the race. Has anyone else noticed how few grandstands there are?

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Re: Formula One

#128 Post by OFSO » Thu Mar 07, 2024 2:44 pm

Lost interest years ago. BTC series much more rewarding to watch.

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Re: Formula One

#129 Post by tango15 » Thu Mar 07, 2024 3:21 pm

OFSO wrote:
Thu Mar 07, 2024 2:44 pm
Lost interest years ago. BTC series much more rewarding to watch.
I saw the BTC racing a couple of times at Silverstone. Pure enthusiasm, and none of the attitude that you get with the F1 circus.

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Re: Formula One

#130 Post by PHXPhlyer » Thu Mar 07, 2024 3:39 pm


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Re: Formula One

#131 Post by OFSO » Thu Mar 07, 2024 4:16 pm

The GTC series - German Touring Cars series - used also to be fun to watch in the old days when I had the RTL channel, due to the complete absence of fear and partial absence of common sense in many of the drivers. It was rather like driving down the Frankfurt-Darmstadt autobahn on a Friday evening after work, only somewhat slower.

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Re: Formula One

#132 Post by Woody » Mon Apr 01, 2024 5:43 pm

Liberty Media who “own “ F1 have bought the MotoGP series for a large amount of money.
When all else fails, read the instructions.

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Re: Formula One

#133 Post by tango15 » Mon Apr 01, 2024 6:24 pm

Woody wrote:
Mon Apr 01, 2024 5:43 pm
Liberty Media who “own “ F1 have bought the MotoGP series for a large amount of money.
That's MotoGP b*ggered as well, now. Was never a fan, but I wouldn't have wished Liberty on them. Look at the mess F1 is in now.

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Re: Formula One

#134 Post by OFSO » Sat Apr 06, 2024 10:47 am

Some driver's names sound like foreign diseases.

"I've got a gasly case of the tsunodas. Doctor LeClerc prescribed me one 500mg tablet of ocon per day. And a glass of Magnusson powder in water after meals"

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