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Associated Press
9 minutes ago
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Are we nearing the end of Barcelona's run as an F1 city? Madrid addition puts race in doubt
MONTMELO, Spain (AP) — Barcelona may be quickly approaching its end as a Formula 1 city after more than three decades of racing in northeastern Spain. The grand prix is under contract through next year, but the addition of a race in Madrid also in 2026 has put a bullseye on the event that has been held near Barcelona since 1991. F1 has trended toward adding urban and temporary circuits, which offer spectators the services and attractions of a city and are not difficult to get to. That push was behind the announcement last year that Spain's capital would get its own race on a temporary circuit. Miquel Sàmper, who is president of the largely publicly-owned Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as the regional minister for business and labor for Catalonia, visited the paddock ahead qualifying for the Spanish GP on Saturday. He told reporters that negotiations were ongoing with F1 to keep the race on the calendar in 2027 but they would take maximum discretion and, most importantly, time, just like 'the best cooking.' 'This will only go well if we are discrete,' Sàmper said. 'There are lots of possible options, and that is making this take longer. We are analyzing each and every one for its pros and cons, and keeping in mind the circumstances: there are more and more countries that want grand prixs.' Two races for Spain? F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said during the presentation of the Madrid event in January 2024 that that the arrival of new race wouldn't rule out keeping the Barcelona event on the calendar. Spain did briefly host two races when it had the European Grand Prix on a street circuit in Valencia from 2008-12. But Italy appears set to lose Imola, leaving it just the Monza race, as F1 expands in the United States, where it now holds three races, and seeks out new fans beyond the already tapped-out European market. When asked by The Associated Press if F1 had slammed the hood on the possibility of having two races in Spain, Sàmper said he couldn't comment. The Madrid race will become the Spanish Grand Prix, meaning that next year's race in Catalonia will have to get a new name. Sàmper said that is still being talked about with F1 as well. Drivers defend Barcelona Fernando Alonso made an impassioned defense of Barcelona on Thursday, going so far as to predict that it would stay on the calendar. 'It's good to have new countries as well that Formula 1 has moved to in the last decade. But at the same time, we need to keep some traditional circuits where the history of Formula 1 has been written and made,' the Spanish two-time champion said. Those bits of F1 history include a memorable duel between Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna as they jousted side by side down pitlane during the first Barcelona race. And for modern fans, current F1 champion Max Verstappen became the youngest race winner at age 18 on this track. 'For F1 in general,' Verstappen said this week, 'it would be a bit of a loss, of course, if this track goes.' The circuit is considered a good standard track with high-speed and medium-speed turns. It has been regularly used for winter testing as well. The thinking goes: if your car performs here, it should perform well in most fixed tracks. Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton both won six times on this circuit as they amassed world titles. Hamilton agreed it is a 'classic' race, while adding it would be difficult for Madrid to build a better track. 'Building a new circuit is hit or miss, and 95% of the time it is worse,' Hamilton said. 'But as long as we have a good as circuit then it is OK.' Things to improve The 4.66-kilometer (2.89-mile) Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya layout is not conducive to overtaking. The best chance trailing drivers have is usually at the very start on the long run to the first turn. Officials have invested in recent years to improve facilities, but it still is difficult to get to despite being located on a hill above the working-class town of Montmelo some 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of Barcelona. Roads and commuter trains are overwhelmed by the more than 100,000 fans who come on race day. So next year could be the swan song for F1 in Montmelo. ___ AP auto racing:
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
Oscar Piastri leads the way in Barcelona ahead of qualifying
Oscar Piastri laid down an ominous marker to McLaren team-mate Lando Norris after he finished half-a-second clear of the British driver in final practice for the Spanish Grand Prix. Piastri, who leads Norris by three points in the world championship, set the fastest time in practice at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya on Friday. And the Australian led the way again on Saturday, ending the one-hour running 0.526 seconds ahead of Norris, who made a mistake on his hot lap, in the other McLaren. McLaren have won six of the eight rounds so far, and their rivals might have hoped that a clampdown on flexible front wings – which some believe has contributed to the British team's rise – would slow them down. However, the evidence of the rule tweak introduced for this race appears to have done little to influence McLaren's speed. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc finished 0.743 sec behind Piastri in third, one place ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, with world champion Max Verstappen fifth – albeit the best part of one second behind. Lewis Hamilton's struggles continued after he finished ninth, 1.1 sec off the pace. Qualifying gets under way at 16:00 local time (15:00 BST).
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Oscar Piastri leads the way in Barcelona ahead of qualifying
Oscar Piastri laid down an ominous marker to McLaren team-mate Lando Norris after he finished half-a-second clear of the British driver in final practice for the Spanish Grand Prix. Piastri, who leads Norris by three points in the world championship, set the fastest time in practice at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya on Friday. Advertisement And the Australian led the way again on Saturday, ending the one-hour running 0.526 seconds ahead of Norris, who made a mistake on his hot lap, in the other McLaren. McLaren have won six of the eight rounds so far, and their rivals might have hoped that a clampdown on flexible front wings – which some believe has contributed to the British team's rise – would slow them down. However, the evidence of the rule tweak introduced for this race appears to have done little to influence McLaren's speed. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc finished 0.743 sec behind Piastri in third, one place ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, with world champion Max Verstappen fifth – albeit the best part of one second behind. Advertisement Lewis Hamilton's struggles continued after he finished ninth, 1.1 sec off the pace. Qualifying gets under way at 16:00 local time (15:00 BST).
Gizmodo
an hour ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
How to Watch the F1 Spanish Grand Prix 2025 on a Free Channel
Can you believe it's already June? It sounds almost as unbelievable as Piastri's third place at the last GP! Will he be able to bounce back? That's a question we'll soon answer, with the F1 Spanish GP available on a free channel. You don't have to spend a fortune to watch some heart-pounding Formula 1 races. As you'll see, there's a convenient free channel that broadcasts the Spanish Grand Prix without requiring an account. We'll explain how to access it in just a moment. Date and time Sunday, June 1st, 3:00 PM CET / 9:00 AM ET / 6:00 AM PT Free channel that broadcasts the race SRF (Swiss TV channel) Stream the race from anywhere with NordVPN Which Free Channel Broadcasts the F1 Spanish GP Live? Have you heard of SRF? SRF is a Swiss-based TV channel with an online streaming platform called SRF Play. SRF Play is an on-demand service that allows you to stream the F1 Spanish GP live for free. It doesn't need a subscription. Users also don't need to make an account to watch it. SRF broadcasts the race on June 1st in Full HD but with Swiss commentary (and the qualifying the day before). It's also worth mentioning that the majority of SRF's content is region-locked. Thus, only people in Switzerland or with a Swiss IP address can access it. If you're traveling to Lucerne, Zurich, or Lugano, good for you. But, if you're enjoying the comfort of your home, you're not lost. There's a clever solution to this problem that people smarter than us have discovered long ago. Get a Swiss IP address with NordVPN How to Stream the Spanish Grand Prix on a Free Channel People online have been using VPNs to counteract geo-blocks. VPNs have paved the way for F1 fans to watch pretty much all races for free. NordVPN, which stands out from the crowd, is a popular pick, as it offers countless Swiss servers with 10 Gbps ports and unlimited data for streaming. Additionally, it provides modern protocols that emphasize speed. This is essential for not missing a single moment of the race. NordVPN works on all devices, so watching the Spanish Grand Prix online for free is possible on the fly. Moreover, it's very easy to install and use, making it perfect for beginners. The solution revolves around connecting to a VPN server in Switzerland and obtaining a Swiss IP address. That's virtually all you have to do. Once you're on SRF, it'll detect your Swiss IP and unblock its content for you, including the Spanish Grand Prix free live stream. Keep in mind that NordVPN isn't free, but many people 'make' it free. They leverage its 30-day money-back guarantee for new accounts. This way, they watch the desired race, quit the VPN, and snatch a full refund after the fact. Can I Watch the Race on F1 TV? Yes, it's accessible on F1 TV, but not every subscription tier allows you to watch it live. The F1 TV Access plan is the one to avoid, as it only provides delayed race replays, some F1 documentaries, and radio recaps. The F1 TV Pro plan is better because it includes all live streams of Formula 1 races without ads and on-demand. Just be mindful of its price which usually stands at $64.99/year in most countries. The last tier is F1 TV Premium. It enables Multiview and 4K Ultra HD streaming on up to 6 devices at a time. Given the price of $89.99/year, it's the priciest, so only the most fiery fans will splurge their money on it. One more thing — it's not available in every country. Some people use a VPN to access it, others do the same for other free channels. Spanish Grand Prix 2025 Full Schedule Here's the full schedule of this weekend's Grand Prix: Event Date Time (EDT) Time (PDT) Time (CET) Practice 1 30th May 7:30-8:30 04:30-05:30 13:30-14:30 Practice 2 30th May 11:00-12:00 08:00-09:00 17:00-18:00 Practice 3 31st May 06:30-07:30 03:30-04:30 12:30-13:30 Qualifying 31st May 10:00-11:00 07:00-08:00 16:00-17:00 Race 1st June 09:00 06:00 15:00 The main race is on June 1st, while the event begins on May 30th with the first practice. You'll be able to watch three free practice sessions and the qualifying, which takes place the day before, on May 31st. Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya spans 4,657 kilometers, includes 66 laps, and the entire race distance is 307,236 kilometers. The fastest-ever lap was driven by Max Verstappen in 2023, clocking at 1:16.330. Try NordVPN risk-free today
NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Liam Lawson gifted Whittaker's chocolate by Kiwi Formula 1 fan
For Liam Lawson, few prizes could be as sweet as victory in this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix. But a fellow Kiwi's gift of several Whittaker's chocolate blocks must surely come close. Todd Kirkwood, a Formula 1 fan, kept the blocks in his luggage for a month while on a two-month
