Latest news with #OscarPiastri
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Aussie sports fans lose it over ‘coolest' photo ever taken
Worlds have collided in epic fashion as Oscar Piastri shared a moment with Aussie track sensation Gout Gout over the weekend. The McLaren driver and teenage sprinter have caused quite a stir with photos showing them catching up during the weekend's Diamond League meet in Monaco. Fox Sports, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every practice, qualifying session and race in the 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship™ LIVE in 4K. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer. As Gout added to his legend by winning the U23 200m event with a 20.10 second run, he had enough time to meet Piastri inside the track at the Stade Louis II stadium. Piastri, who resides in the luxurious French principality in an apartment in Monte Carlo, and his girlfriend Lily Zneimer were VIP attendees at the prestigious track meet. They were seen mixing it up with Prince Albert of Monaco on the track and also posed with some of the other dignitaries in attendance. Piasti sidled up for photos with Swedish freak Armand Duplantis, who again stole the show in the pole vault. He also posed with Aussie pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall. Ferrari ace Charles Leclerc was also there and was seen posing for photos with Olympic sprint king Noah Lyles. The best photo of all, however, was clearly the sight of Piastri and Gout hanging out. Piastri shared images of the moment on his Instagram page, writing: 'Loved athletics as a kid. Unbelievable to watch the best up close'. Gout gave a brief response to the post on Instagram, sharing a number of emojis, including a racing car. World Athletics and the Wanda Diamond League also shared photos of the pair at the event on their social media channels. Piastri's long-time girlfriend Lily was also seen enjoying her time, but the Aussie driver may have made a relationship error when he appeared to show Prince Albert more love than his other half. The sight of Piastri and Gout together was enough to leave some Aussie fans all giddy. One person on X posted: 'Oscar Piastri and Gout Gout... I've never felt more patriotic in my entire life'. Another commented on Piastri's post by writing: 'One of the fastest people on four wheels with some of the fastest people on two legs. Good company. Another person called them the 'two fastest men in Australia'. One fan wrote on Reddit: 'Just your average Aussie school holidays for Gout Gout'. One person wrote on Instagram: 'Oscar and Gout Gout - an iconic Aussie duo.' Gout had plenty of reason to smile after his race. Gout got a solid start and surged down the back straight to win the race in a time of 20.10sec with a -1.9 headwind, finishing ahead of Botswana's Collen Kebinatshipi (20.28) and South Africa's Naeem Jack (20.42). If not for the headwind, it could well have been a 20-second run for Gout, who famously broke Peter Norman's Australian 200m record last year. Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles won the senior 200m event in Monaco in a time of 19.86sec, just ahead of Botswana's Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo (19.97sec). It was a strong day for Australia with Peter Bol smashing his own 800m national record by more than a second, posting a seriously slick time of 1:42.55 in Monaco to finish in fourth place. Bol's performance now ranks him within the top 30 on the all-time global list of 800m performers. Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Jessica Hull continued her superb form, charging to third place in the 1000m in 2:30.96 in a new Area record.
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
The 'two fastest men in Australia' team up in Monaco as Oscar Piastri pops in to support Gout Gout at athletics royalty - and gets a brush with royalty
Fresh from a tense Formula 1 championship battle, Oscar Piastri made an unexpected appearance at Monaco's Diamond League athletics meet – and stole the show in the stands. The 23-year-old Australian driver, currently leading the 2025 F1 standings, took a rare weekend break to attend one of athletics' biggest events. 'I loved athletics as a kid. Unbelievable to watch the best up close,' Piastri posted to Instagram after his visit. Among the highlights: a brush with royalty, a front-row seat to Australian sporting history, and a meeting with sprint prodigy Gout Gout. Piastri's post included a photo with Prince Albert II of Monaco and another sitting alongside Gout, sparking instant fan reactions. 'Oscar and Gout Gout – an iconic Aussie duo,' wrote one fan. Another added, 'Two Aussie legends.' One summed it up perfectly: 'The two fastest men in Australia.' On the track, Gout Gout proved he's a name to remember, winning the under-23 200m final in 20.10 seconds. Despite running into a punishing -1.9 headwind, the 17-year-old outpaced a field that included Olympic silver medallist Busang Collen Kebinatshipi. The Queensland schoolboy, taking advantage of a mid-year break, made the trip to Europe for his Diamond League debut. 'This is preparation,' Gout said. 'Just getting my feet out there. It's really fun to compete out here.' The teen sensation signed autographs and spoke with confidence about racing the world's best. 'I just want to go out there and see what I can do,' he said. His time would have placed him fifth in the men's open 200m final, where Olympic champions Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo ran season-best times. That comparison is even more impressive given the U23 field faced stronger headwinds. Piastri, who has won five of the 12 F1 races this season, leads McLaren teammate Lando Norris by just eight points in the Drivers' Championship. With both drivers finishing on the podium in nearly every race, the title battle is now an all-McLaren affair. 'It's a very tight battle, and I think it will be for the rest of the year,' Piastri said. Team boss Zak Brown has ruled out any team orders, despite the close standings. 'There's just no way we will,' he said when asked if either driver would be forced into a support role. The commitment to fair racing was tested at the British Grand Prix, where Piastri was penalised 10 seconds during a Safety Car period. The decision cost him the win, and he requested a position swap with Norris over radio – a request the team ultimately denied. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella praised the communication. 'We always tell our drivers to speak up. Oscar did exactly that,' Stella said. Piastri's focus remains sharp: 'Finding 100 per cent instead of 99 is very difficult,' he said. 'On our good days, either of us are very hard to beat.' While Piastri's mind is firmly on the championship, his Monaco visit showed his appreciation for Aussie athletes across the board. Jess Hull delivered a national record in the women's 1000m final, slicing more than two seconds off the previous best. She finished third behind Kenya's undefeated Nelly Chepchirchir and American Addison Wiley. 'That last 80 metres was probably the longest I've had in a while,' Hull said. Peter Bol was equally impressive, finishing fourth in the men's 800m with a time of 1:42.55. The performance broke his own national record and moved him into the world's top 30 all-time. 'I've overcome a lot over the last few years, I'm back and I'm better,' Bol said. Pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall joined the list of standout Aussies, clearing 5.92m to secure a podium finish.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
2025 F1 Power Rankings: Belgian Grand Prix Update
We've reached the midpoint of the 2025 Formula 1 season and this week's F1 power rankings are full of fast risers and big fallers. It was a chaotic and messy British Grand Prix, with surprises galore and big names that are licking their wounds after a bad weekend. Here are the 2025 F1 Power Rankings heading into the Belgian Grand Prix in two weeks. 1. Lando Norris | McLaren lando norris F1 power rankings british grand prix Lando Norris bolted to a big win at his home Grand Prix by winning at Silverstone for the first time and securing his second consecutive victory. He began in third position and showcased his racing skills, navigating the changing weather conditions with precision, making strategic pit stops and maintaining a high pace. Norris acknowledged that the race was stressful, despite his admission that he was not at his absolute best. He received his biggest bit of luck when Oscar Piastri's 10-second penalty was imposed. Add in Max Verstappen's spin, and things were just going the young Brit's way. Lando Norris made considerable inroads in the race to the driver's championship, reducing Piastri's championship lead substantially. Advertisement 2. Oscar Piastri | McLaren oscar piastri f1 power rankings Oscar Piastri had a good day and a very bad day at Silverstone, fighting with Lando Norris for first place and passing Max Verstappen to maintain his position at the front during two Safety Car periods. The Safety Car period ended his day when he received a controversial 10-second penalty for his erratic driving behavior, which included a sudden brake at the restart. The penalty resulted in a missed victory opportunity, leaving the Australian driver befuddled. His second-place finish maintained his championship lead, but teammate Lando Norris is fast on his heels. 3. Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari Lewis Hamilton Ferrari F1 Lewis Hamilton finished in a respectable P4, narrowly missing out on a podium finish at his home race. He described the British Grand Prix as a challenging race, admitting that his Ferrari was tough to drive in the mixed conditions, particularly struggling with understeer and tire degradation in low-speed corners. Despite an imperfect run, his performance was a good outcome compared to his teammate Charles Leclerc's struggles, as Hamilton outqualified and outraced him. He was in contention for third, chasing Nico Hulkenberg in the closing stages, but a slightly early pit stop for slicks likely cost him the podium. Advertisement 4. Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber nico hulkenberg f1 sauber Nico Hulkenberg was undoubtedly one of the stars of the British Grand Prix, securing his maiden F1 podium in his 239th career start from an incredible 19th on the grid. His deep experience was on display in the treacherous wet-dry conditions, as he made perfect strategy calls, including a well-timed switch to fresh intermediates and later to slicks. His flawless pace and lack of errors allowed him to climb through the field, and he put up a gritty defense against Lewis Hamilton to cement his third-place finish. This momentous finish for Sauber and Hulkenberg was widely celebrated in the paddock, with many peers acknowledging his long-awaited shower of champagne on the podium. 5. Max Verstappen | Red Bull max verstappen red bull f1 Max Verstappen had a tough race at Silverstone, finishing fifth despite starting on pole position. His Red Bull, set up with a low-downforce wing for dry conditions, became undrivable in the wet, leading to him visibly fighting the car throughout. A rare and significant spin after the second Safety Car restart caused him to drop from second to tenth place. Although his recovery to P5 was described as a miracle given the car's struggles and Red Bull's rapid tire degradation, his Sunday performance was a painful contrast to his brilliant qualifying. He continues to drop further behind in the race for another world championship. Advertisement 6. Pierre Gasly | Alpine pierre gasly alpine f1 power rankings Pierre Gasly delivered Alpine's best result of the year, finishing a strong P6. Despite difficult practice sessions, he secured a Q3 appearance and drove a formidable race, especially in the mixed conditions. His decision to stay on intermediate tires for the opening laps proved to be the right one, allowing him to run solidly in the top 10. He successfully battled with big names like Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, and Max Verstappen, ultimately passing Lance Stroll on the final lap to clinch sixth place. Gasly was understandably ecstatic after the race, proud to have seized the opportunity presented by the chaotic conditions. 7. Charles Leclerc | Ferrari Charles Leclerc took a big dive in our rankings this week, after enduring what he called a 'horror show' at the British Grand Prix, describing it as one of the most challenging races of his career. He finished a lowly 14th after struggling to keep his Ferrari on track from start to finish. His early gamble to pit for slick tires on the formation lap proved a mistake and he had multiple off-track excursions during the race. Leclerc also underachieved in qualifying and made contact with teammate Carlos Sainz, further compromising his race. His lack of race pace compared to Hamilton made it a weekend he'll want to forget. Advertisement 8. George Russell | Mercedes George Russell had a frustrating home race, going as far as to say that absolutely nothing went his way throughout the entire weekend. Starting fourth, he finished 10th, salvaging only a single point. His race was severely impacted by two ill-timed decisions to switch to slick tires: first on the formation lap, which was hampered by a Virtual Safety Car, and again later in the race when the track wasn't ready, leading to a spin into the gravel. Despite a strong pace in the race, his dual slick gambles backfired, preventing him from converting his potential into a stronger result. 9. Alex Albon | Williams alex albon williams f1 Alex Albon P8 in a nice drive after beginning from the 13th spot on the grid while recovering from a difficult Saturday. Albon expressed his disappointment about not qualifying for Q3, yet he demonstrated superior speed to his teammate Carlos Sainz. The Williams team made an excellent decision to switch Albon to slick tires during his final pit stop, maintaining his position inside the top 10. Albon finished his race by overtaking Fernando Alonso during the final lap to claim eighth place while showing strong speed and rhythm throughout the final part of the race. Advertisement 10. Lance Stroll | Aston Martin lance stroll aston martin f1 formula 1 Yes, Lance Stroll. Stroll made a strong recovery to finish P7 after starting 17th, securing Aston Martin's first double points haul of the year alongside Alonso. He showed a bold early gamble for slicks that worked out, allowing him to run as high as third briefly. However, his pace faded later in the race due to high tire degradation, causing him to drop positions, including being passed by Pierre Gasly on the final lap. While his race performance was better than his qualifying struggles, where he was eliminated in Q1 due to car nervousness, his inability to maintain pace ultimately limited his final position. Related Headlines
BBC News
5 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Article: published on 9 July 2025
Red Bull's removal of Christian Horner may appear sudden, given only three days have passed since he oversaw Max Verstappen's fifth-placed finish at the British Grand this was a decision at least 18 months in the in charge for two decades, will go down in F1 history as one of the sport's greatest team his long-standing grip on Red Bull Racing had been slipping for some future was first called into question when it emerged in February last year that a female employee had accused him of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour. He has twice been cleared of the allegations by internal Red Bull is a whole lot more to Horner's demise than that episode, the ultimate conclusion of which remains unknown. But it added extra momentum to the mix that led to Red Bull's at the state of Red Bull right now, it's almost hard to believe that they are the reigning world - regarded by almost everyone in F1 as the best driver in the world - is third in the championship, 69 points off the leader, McLaren's Oscar Piastri, at the halfway point of the Dutchman has won only two races this season. He has won just four out of 24 races in the past year. Red Bull are fourth in the constructors' championship - or to put it another way, last of the top four teams - with no obvious way of improving on that the same time, Verstappen's future is in doubt. Horner has been emphasising that the driver has a contract until 2028. But that has not stopped Mercedes courting Verstappen left, with Red Bull in their current plight in terms of performance, it would be potential armageddon for the team. He has scored 165 points this season. Their second driver has scored just what do we know about what happened and the events that led to his departure? Well, while Red Bull were keeping their own counsel on Wednesday, plenty is known about the machinations behind the scenes, with power struggles, disagreements and concern over both car and driver decisions. Power struggles 'rife for close to three years' The hatches have been bolted down at Red Bull, who are saying nothing other than their public statement that Horner has been "released from his operational duties with effect from today".Even the few internal sources who might normally brief reliably are refusing to talk off the it is impossible to know for sure what was the straw that broke the camel's back to lead to this decision being taken although the decision might be a shock, with a bit of reflection, perhaps it's not as much of a surprise. Let's take a step back and ask: How did things get to this point?To find the beginnings of an answer to that, one has to go back to October 2022, perhaps even earlier, and the death of Red Bull co-owner Dietrich saw an opportunity to enhance his power. He started manoeuvring, and the first person in the way was Helmut Marko, Red Bull's long-time motorsport adviser and a close friend of Mateschitz.A power struggle ensued. For some time, there was talk that Horner was trying to get rid of Marko, and the situation was not resolved until March 2024, when Verstappen stepped in and backed the Austrian. He made it clear that if Marko left, so would he. Meanwhile, Horner was managing internal tensions within the design department between chief technical officer Adrian Newey and technical director Pierre 2023, Horner was briefing that Newey - regarded as the greatest designer in F1 history - was no longer as important as he was. Newey effectively worked only three days a week, Horner would say, bigging up the roles of Wache and the technical leadership team around him, especially head of aerodynamics Enrico the female employee made her allegations about Horner, Newey was unimpressed by what he heard. That, along with the feeling that others were claiming credit for work he believed was his own, led to Newey resigning in April last year. He was immediately removed from any involvement with the F1 team, until his formal departure from the company later in the year. Newey started work for Aston Martin in the time Newey left, Verstappen had won two consecutive world championships - the second of which in 2023 was the most dominant in started the 2024 season with four wins in the first five races. Following Newey's departure, he won three of the next four. Then two of the following performance level has continued into 2025. At the halfway point of the season, Verstappen has won just twice in 12 Red Bull's loss of competitiveness a direct consequence of Newey's departure? No-one can be sure, but it has to have had an effect. A team does not lose someone of Newey's wisdom, experience and wide-ranging expertise without some July, long-time sporting director Jonathan Wheatley also resigned. He is now team principal of Sauber/Audi. Horner, much to Wheatley and Audi's annoyance, announced the move for September, head of strategy Will Courtenay followed suit. He will join McLaren as sporting director as soon as a contractual impasse can be resolved. Red Bull's second car a big problem Meanwhile, Red Bull have been having a second car Verstappen won a record 19 of 22 races in 2023, his team-mate Sergio Perez took just two victories - in the first four races. After that, his form slumped on for 2024, Perez did not win again. And although he finished second to Verstappen three times in four races while they were dominating at the start of last season, his form had already started to decline again - following the trend of the previous season - by yet at that point, around the time of the Monaco Grand Prix, Horner signed Perez to a new two-year contract, to take him to the end of decision seemed baffling at the time. Not only was Perez not performing, but Red Bull held all the if giving Perez a new contract beyond the end of 2024 was a good idea - and many thought it was not - they had no need to sign the Mexican for two more forward to December 2024, and Perez's results had been so bad for the remainder of the season that Red Bull felt they had no option but to drop him. Sources say the decision cost them a pay-off in the region of 18m euros (£15.5m).That might be chicken feed for a company of the size of Red Bull. But it's still an obscenely large amount of money wasted, because of a managerial replace Perez, Horner chose Liam Lawson, who at that point had done just 11 grands prix spread over two seasons for Red Bull's second decision was calamitous. The New Zealander floundered, and was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda after just two Japanese was the more obvious choice of the two - he had done four seasons, and been faster than Lawson when they were it was also equally obvious to anyone with any real insight into F1 drivers' abilities that Tsunoda was not someone capable of getting close to Verstappen's level of performance in a car that by now was known to be extraordinarily difficult to knows how a driver of the level of, for example, George Russell or Charles Leclerc, would do in a Red Bull. But no-one has had a chance to find out, because Red Bull - for which, read Horner - have refused for years to sign it's the lack of performance from the second driver that has left Red Bull floundering in the constructors' championship - which determines the end-of-year prize concerns in the mix? Earlier this year, Horner aligned himself with a push from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to bring V10 naturally aspirated engines back to believed Horner was doing it out of concerns that the engine Red Bull were designing for next year in their new in-hour facility will be uncompetitive compared to Mercedes. He may even have been doing it for what he perceived to be 'the good of the sport'. No-one knows for strategically it was unwise. Red Bull's new engine partner Ford entered F1 because of the new 2026 rules, which double down on hybrid. So it was hardly likely that Ford - already uncomfortable about the allegations surrounding Horner - would approve of this to the miscalculation, it was obvious the V10 plan had no legs - there was too much opposition from Mercedes, Honda and Audi, who together were always going to be able to block it. So why stick your neck out?Horner's closeness to Ben Sulayem on other matters - such as whispering in his ear to take action on the basis of various wild theories to explain McLaren's dominance - was also rubbing people up the wrong way. Horner or Verstappen? Red Bull 'ran out of reasons to keep Horner' When the sexual harassment allegations broke, Horner was saved by the Thai main shareholder Chalerm Yoovidhya, who backed him and kept him in his within a year, Horner had been told that he now reported directly to Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull's chief executive officer of corporate projects and investments. He is the man whose quote was on Wednesday's statement announcing Horner's big rumour doing the rounds within F1 on Wednesday was that Red Bull had been given some kind of ultimatum from the Verstappen camp - either Horner went or Max the moment, it is impossible to know whether that's true. Red Bull have not given a reason publicly. They may never what can be said is that Verstappen has repeatedly said that he wants to work in a calm, relaxed environment. And Red Bull has been anything but that for at least the past 18 months, and probably the end, it probably comes down to this. Results were on the slide. Senior staff, integral to Red Bull's success, had left. A series of questionable decisions had been made. A major reputational threat was still hovering around. And there were questions over their star that situation, the future of any CEO of any company would be looking rocky. In the end, it looks like Red Bull just ran out of reasons to keep Horner.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Why did Oscar Piastri receive a 10-second penalty at British Grand Prix?
Oscar Piastri received a 10-second time penalty in the middle of the British Grand Prix for an infringement behind the safety car. The Australian, who started second on the grid, took the lead from Max Verstappen with superior speed on lap eight. Advertisement Yet after a series of yellow flags and safety cars amid chaos in wet conditions, Piastri made a costly error with the safety car entering the pit-lane on lap 21. At the Hangar Straight in sector three, Piastri inexplicably braked heavily, forcing Verstappen behind him to take drastic action to avoid a collision. Verstappen quickly remarked: 'Woah mate. He just suddenly again slows down!' It looked clumsy from Piastri and the stewards agreed, giving Piastri a 10-second time penalty, handing the initiative to teammate and championship rival Lando Norris. More to follow…
