Latest news with #GrandPrix
TimesLIVE
25 minutes ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Gayton McKenzie names potential sponsors for South African F1 Grand Prix
Sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie has given the strongest indication yet that the country may be close to securing a round of the Formula One championship at Kyalami. Speaking to parliament on Tuesday, he said after meetings with the management of F1, the 'crucial one' would happen in the next two weeks and would be attended by potential sponsors ready to fund the event, which reputedly costs about R2bn. Expected to take place in 2027, it would be the first F1 race to be held in South Africa since 1993, a grand prix won by Alain Prost in a Williams. McKenzie's comments come after Kyalami was recently given the green light for upgrades by the FIA, the organisation that runs F1 racing. Kyalami owner Toby Venter revealed last month the FIA had accepted final design proposals to upgrade the 4.5km circuit from Grade 2 to Grade 1 status, the international standard required to host Formula One racing. The upgrade requires no change to the circuit layout and focuses on enhancing run-off areas, barrier systems, debris fencing, kerbs and drainage. 'When we hosted the Fifa World Cup, we put our country on the map to host big events, and we should not turn back now,' McKenzie told parliament on Tuesday. 'What will be different this time is that government will not be expected to pay. Companies such as MTN, MultiChoice, Heineken and many more have raised their hands and will be present with us in the meeting with Formula One management at the end of the month. 'We've even had patriots saying whenever you need help come to us, one of them being the richest man in the country, Johann Rupert.' In December McKenzie set up an F1 bid steering committee to consider submissions from local promoters and three were received: one from Kyalami and two from Cape Town. While no official announcement has been made about which bid was successful, it is all but certain that Kyalami, which hosted its first F1 race in 1967 and has long held a prominent place in local motorsport, is the preferred option. Several attempts to bring the Grand Prix back to the country were thwarted due to the high cost of hosting the event. As a motorsport fan, McKenzie has campaigned for the country to be on the F1 calendar since his appointment as sports minister in July 2024. He said F1 can't be considered a world championship if it misses an entire continent. Morocco and South Africa have hosted world championship grands prix in the past, Casablanca in 1958, South Africa in East London in the 1960s and Kyalami 20 times between 1967 and 1993. McKenzie kick-started the process when he met Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September. He said many laughed when he said Formula One should come back to South Africa. 'To those who say the country can't afford to host the F1, I'm saying the country can't afford not to host it,' he said, referring to the economic benefits he believed the event could bring in terms of tourism and temporary job creation. It is not known how much tickets would cost, but they are likely to be expensive. The cheapest adult ticket at this year's Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne was about R2,000.
Auto Car
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep.149)
Close This week finds Steve Cropley and Matt Prior talking about Bentley's new EXP15 design concept, and to what extent they had Jaguar in mind when they created it. Cropley goes to Silverstone for some of the British Grand Prix weekend, Prior drives a Ferrari F80 and Bugatti W16 Mistral, and the pair talk much more besides, including your correspondence. You can make sure you never miss an Autocar podcast by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. Make sure you never miss an Autocar podcast. Subscribe to our podcasts via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts or via your preferred podcast platform. And if you subscribe, rate and review the pod, we'd really appreciate that too.
Global News
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Global News
Edmonton's Belle Canto Choir wins international competition
Edmonton's Belle Canto Choir is back home — fresh off a trip to sing at the 2025 International Choir Competition in France. 'We were very excited to go to Provence and to spend some time on the Mediterranean was a thrill for all of us,' Cantilon Choir Program founding artistic director, Heather Johnson said. Over the span of its 30 year history – the choir has been part of many international competitions and tours, but never in the south of France. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'We were hopeful we could hold our own in the competition — we didn't really know. It's been a long time since we've done an international competition,' Johnson said. Out of 22 choirs, theirs was the only one there from North America. Belle Canto competed in four categories and won them all. Story continues below advertisement 'It was very exciting to hear our name announced as the winners — not only one time, but actually a few times over,' choir member Heather Friedenthal said. Because they came in first place in all of their categories, they were asked to compete in the Grand Prix finale where they came out on top as well. 'It was just so exciting to be rewarded – for some of us especially who have been doing this for a very long time,' Friedenthal said. The community choir is made up of about 30 members, thrilled to finally win together on an international stage. 'It was the tour of a lifetime,' Johnson said.
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Former F1 CEO Shares Candid Advice with Max Verstappen Amid Mercedes Links
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former Formula One CEO Bernie Ecclestone has handed important advice to Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen amid speculation about his potential move to the Mercedes F1 team. Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until the end of the 2028 season, but several factors hint at a move to Mercedes, especially given Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff's inclination to have him on the team. The four-time world champion has been facing challenges with Red Bull's RB21 F1 car, managing just two race wins in the first ten races this year, a stark contrast to his seven Grand Prix wins in the same span in 2024. Notably, issues with Red Bull's title challenger began last year, leading the team to finish third in the 2024 Constructors' Championship. Verstappen won his fourth title, but given McLaren's superior performance, the chances of the Dutch driver securing his fifth title this year are lower. F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone talks with Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing and Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Red Bull Racing before the United States Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit of The... F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone talks with Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing and Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Red Bull Racing before the United States Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on October 23, 2016 in Austin, United States. MoreAdditionally, the sudden exit of former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has added a layer of uncertainty to the team's future prospects, as F1 enters a new era of regulations in 2026. Red Bull will roll out its own power unit for the first time next year, which is being developed in collaboration with Ford under the Red Bull Powertrains banner. With Mercedes being a proven power unit supplier in the premier class of motorsport, the Brackley-based outfit could seem like a more reliable option for Verstappen. However, the 27-year-old driver stated a few weeks ago, before Horner's exit, that he was loyal to Red Bull and would stay with the team. But after Horner's departure, who was replaced by former Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies, it remains to be seen whether Verstappen's preference to stay at Red Bull continues. Given the reports of Verstappen's ongoing talks with Mercedes, as claimed by George Russell a few weeks ago, Ecclestone has asked Verstappen to do what makes him happy. Speaking to Sky Sports F1, as quoted by Planet F1, he said: "I think he should be where he's happy. "And wherever it's going to be, as long as he's happy, he'll still be able to perform the way he's performing now, because he's not a guy that messes around, is he? I mean, very straightforward on what he says and what he does." The 94-year-old F1 supremo then revealed that Verstappen should stay at Red Bull. He said: "I'd like to see him stay where he is."
Fashion Network
15 hours ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
OTB names Meryll Rogge new creative director of Marni
OTB Group, which controls Marni, has appointed Meryll Rogge to be the new Creative Director of the Milan-based house. Rogge joins Marni following the success of her eponymous brand, Meryll Rogge, which she launched in 2020. The appointment comes two weeks after Rogge was awarded the Grand Prix in Paris at the 2025 ANDAM Fashion Awards, one of fashion's most prestigious accolades. 'We met many highly qualified candidates, confirming how Marni continues to inspire and attract creatives from around the world. Meryll impressed us with the sensitivity she brought to reinterpreting the brand's DNA, offering a contemporary vision that embraces Marni globally and across all its dimensions – including accessories, interior design, communication, and special projects. I wish her the best in carrying this vision forward with passion, supported by a team and a Group that have always placed creativity at the core of their identity,' said Renzo Rosso, Chairman of OTB, the parent company of Marni, in a release. Rogge succeeds Francesco Risso, who was let go by Marni in June of this year, after a critically acclaimed but commercially challenging decade at the house. 'I'm truly honored to join Marni — a house I've long admired for its independent spirit. To take on a role defined by such visionary creative directors is both humbling and inspiring. I'm deeply grateful to Renzo and Stefano for recognizing the resonance between our worlds and for entrusting me with this extraordinary opportunity. I look forward to helping shape what comes next for Marni,' commented Rogge. Added Stefano Rosso, CEO of Marni: 'It is a great pleasure to welcome Meryll in Marni. She is an exceptional creative talent and an inspiring woman, whose vision and expertise will play a key role in shaping the future of this amazing brand.' Born in Ghent, Belgium, Rogge studied Fashion Design at the Royal Academy of Antwerp. She then moved to New York, joining Marc Jacobs ' design team. Nearly seven years later, she returned to Antwerp to become Head of Women's Design at Dries Van Noten where she stayed for four years, developing and conceptualizing also the beauty line until 2025. In 2021, Rogge won the Emerging Talent of The Year award at the Belgian Fashion Awards, which in 2024 named her Designer of the Year, the first woman to receive this award.
