Latest news with #Schumacher
7NEWS
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Michael Schumacher's daughter Gina-Maria Schumacher crowned world champion of reining
Michael Schumacher's daughter Gina-Maria Schumacher has been crowned the world champion of reining. The reining world championships were held at CS Ranch in Givrins, Switzerland last week, with riders coming from all over the globe to represent their nations for both team and individual events. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Gina Schumacher crowned reining world champion. Reining is a horse-riding competition with western origins where competitors guide their mounts through a series of specific circles, spins and stops. The ranch is owned by Gina's mother Corinna, and was this year home to the largest ever international event for reiners. Schumacher saluted in the senior professional riders individual competition, one of seven divisions reiners competed across, aboard Take Out The Trash with a score off 225.5. She was half a point clear of Italy's Davide Brighenti, while Tiara van Dongen rounded out the podim with a score of 224. 'GOLD for team Germany. Proud to represent our country,' Schumacher wrote. TikTok fan @ivyxwhiskey added: 'Imagine how proud her dad would be.' Gina's father Michael has not been seen publicly since the ill-fated 2013 skiing accident that almost took his life. Since then, Schumacher's life has been meticulously shielded from public view by his wife and family. His exact health condition is unknown to anyone outside his very close-knit circle. The latest Michael Schumacher health update was a sad one for fans of the F1 legend. Schumacher's friend and former boss, Flavio Briatore, said he finds it incredibly hard to see the bedridden Schumacher. 'If I close my eyes, I see him smiling after a victory,' Briatore told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera last month. 'I prefer to remember him like that rather than him just lying on a bed. 'Corinna and I talk often, though.' Schumacher won seven Formula One world championships across what was arguably the most decorated career in the history of the sport. He last competed in 2012.
Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
F1: The Movie brings high-speed thrills to the big screen
F1: The Movie makes for a thrilling watch that will have fans on the edge of their seats. As for the plot? It could have done with a serious shift in gear. Formula 1 is at the top of its game. The sport has a global fan base of 826.5 million, superstar drivers and countries often vying for a place on its annual calendar – it commands worldwide attention. Formula 1's long and storied history has been both documented and fictionalised in films such as Rush, Senna, Ferrari, Schumacher, Netflix's Drive to Survive and now, F1: The Movie. With the championship in its 75th year, there is arguably no better time to capitalise on its hype than now. The film follows racing driver Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), who is convinced to return to Formula 1 with the struggling APXGP F1 Team on the brink of being sold. He is partnered with rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), whom he is encouraged to mentor and pass down his years of racing knowledge to – but the pair immediately clash, not only on the track but also in the garage, where tensions are high and neither is used to coming second. The production worked hard to make this a real blockbuster. Seven-time world champion Sir Lewis Hamilton was brought in as a producer for the film, and his expertise was aimed at making this the 'most authentic racing movie that's ever been made'. Chassis from Formula 2 vehicles were built up to look like Formula 1 cars, and filmmakers worked with the Mercedes F1 team to build custom bodywork according to real-world regulations. Cameras were then built into the models at 16 different places, giving viewers gripping perspectives of racing not seen before. 'It was a machine built for shooting a Formula 1 movie – completely custom, but a real race car at the heart of it,' director Joseph Kosinski told the F1 Explains podcast. Filming took place over two years at real race weekends and circuits including Silverstone, Spa and Yas Marina, and alongside real Formula 1 drivers on the grid, in the paddock, on the podium and on the track. The results are spectacular visuals that truly capture the spectacle and sheer magnitude of the sport. The audience is treated to shots of wide, open skies above hundreds of thousands of fans, the roar of the crowd rising up from the grandstands, the smoke of flares coloured in Ferrari red and Dutch orange. We ride onboard through every sweeping corner of the racetrack, and feel the pure speed when the pedal hits metal. There are heart-in-throat moments as drivers fight for position, the thrill when they win a tussle and shock when they crash out with sickening crunches of carbon fibre meeting barrier. This is undoubtedly a technically stunning film. However, the movie's push for authenticity is also what lets it down in many places. To be clear, there is a lot one could nitpick here, especially for a passionate F1 fan: there are moments where remaining faithful to regulations and rules of engagement has been abandoned in favour of drama and suspense, and that is to be expected in any Hollywood film. But the decision to film alongside real race teams and drivers blurs the lines between fact and fiction, and can take the viewer out of the experience when paired with the unrealistic moments mentioned above. It also lets the plot down: of course, Formula 1 drivers are not actors, and they aren't expected to be. This results in very little tension in the racing scenes, as viewers cannot be introduced to the rivalry between competitors that is fundamental to the sport and, by extension, any racing movie. One can forgive this lack of developed secondary characters due to the filmmakers' deliberate choice to favour authenticity. However, there isn't much character development for the stars of the film, either. Pitt plays a charismatic and driven driver who has been at the heights of racing fame and fallen to its lowest lows. He is a complicated character who takes massive risks, on and off the track, yet his motivations for being a driver remain elusive. Sonny will eventually admit that he is 'chasing that moment of peace… where everything goes quiet' and he is one with the car, but outside of that one line of script, viewers will be hard-pressed to understand what makes him want to be a racing driver. Joshua Pearce's story is similarly surface-level. Sonny's rookie teammate is portrayed as young and cocky, and while he undergoes some personal development in the course of the film, his storyline never digs deep into his passions, desires or drives. In one scene, he does point out that he had to work 'twice as hard' as other drivers to get to where he is, but the film does not explore that further, which is a shame. There are no other Black men other than Hamilton on the grid, in the film or in the real world, and filmmakers missed an opportunity to present multidimensional, passionate racers of colour – something that has been woefully overlooked in the media for years. Kerry Condon, who plays the team's technical director, Kate McKenna, is also a victim of poor writing. To prepare for her role, Condon worked with former Formula 1 strategists Bernie Collins and Ruth Buscombe – both women who have been instrumental in proving that motorsport is not just a man's game. Unfortunately, Kate is reduced to Sonny's love interest who is only capable of building a fast car once he starts working with her. Other female characters don't fare too well either. Jodie (Callie Cooke), a pit crew mechanic and one of the only team members to have a speaking role, is repeatedly presented as out of her depth as she fumbles around the garage, bumping into drivers and misplacing equipment. Simone Ashley, who spent the past year promoting the film, was cut from the final product almost entirely. Again, filmmakers had an opportunity to break down the stigma around who belongs in racing, and it is a shame that Kate and Jodie were not allowed to shine as smart, strong women in motorsport in their own right. This film brings Formula 1 to the masses, yet it lets a core demographic down by reducing women to stereotypes that women like Collins and Buscombe have been working to dismantle. Ultimately, followers of the sport may leave the cinema disappointed for valid reasons. At the same time, there is a lot the movie gets right. The excitement of fans is tangible, the pure speed is exhilarating, the racing is gritty and dramatic. These are things that make the sport so special. DM
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Qatar Tribune
Schumacher confirms he's in talks with future F1 team Cadillac
DPA Berlin Mick Schumacher has confirmed he's in talks with the future Cadillac team as he hopes for a return to Formula One. "The communication has been very positive so far," Schumacher told the Brazilian edition of the news portal. The son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher was in Brazil last weekend at the World Endurance Championship with his Alpine team. Cadillac is joining the top motorsport series in 2026 as an 11th team and Mick Schumacher believes the American carmaker have "an unbelievable project" and "a great history." There's been much speculation about who will take the two Cadillac seats. Team principal Graeme Lowdon has previously confirmed that Schumacher is among the candidates. "It's an honour to be part of it, to negotiate with them, and a great position to be in," Schumacher said. He made his F1 debut in 2021 with Haas and raced for the US team until 2022, but didn't have his contract extended. According to media reports, former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez is expected to be announced as one of the Cadillac drivers for 2026. Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas is another top candidate.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Michael Schumacher's son Mick in talks over ‘incredible' F1 return after three years
Scroll down to see who the other candidates are TAKING THE MICK Michael Schumacher's son Mick in talks over 'incredible' F1 return after three years MICK SCHUMACHER has confirmed he is in talks to return to F1 with newcomers Cadillac. The son of legendary F1 driver Michael Schumacher could make a comeback next season having not raced in the sport since leaving Haas in 2022. 1 Mick Schumacher could return to F1 with Cadillac next season Credit: Getty He has also been a reserve driver for both Mercedes and McLaren - but was replaced by Valtteri Bottas as Merc driver at the end of last season. New General Motors-backed team Cadillac will be on the grid for the first time from 2026 and are finalising their line-up. The 26-year-old said: "Yes, of course, discussions are ongoing. The communication has been very positive so far. "They've already hired a fantastic number of people for it [the project]. It's an honour to be part of it, to negotiate with them, and a great position to be in." Ex-Red Bull driver Sergio Perez and Bottas are thought to be the favourites for the two Cadillac seats. But team boss Graeme Lowdon remains a huge admirer of Schumacher - who currently drives in the World Endurance Championship with Alpine. During him time in F1, Schumacher started 43 races. His best placing was a sixth place finish, while he only finished in the points twice. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Lowdon has also confirmed that "positive" discussions with Schumacher had taken place while on the High Performance podcast. He said: "Yeah, we're talking to Mick." Comedian given death stare after bodychecking Lewis Hamilton at F1 He also added on Sky Deutschland: "Mick is great. He's a very nice guy, I like him a lot. I've got to know him better now. "He's still young, but he already has F1 experience. Of course, that was a while ago, but he's kept himself up to date. "We really like that. We really like that. He is no stranger to the team. He knows where we stand. There are some positive things to say about Mick. "He is clearly one of the drivers on the list. But I should also say that the list is quite long." Lowdon has also previously confirmed that talks with Bottas have taken place. The Cadillac boss wants the team to make a statement in their first year and not just make up the numbers. He said: "Everyone wants to prove something else again. I never look at that as the biggest motivator. "Our team is not there as a vehicle for someone to prove a point. Our team is there to provide a position on the pitch, if you like. "For someone to prove what they can do for sure, but it's not the vehicle to show the world, prove a point, or whatever. "The driver is there to do the best that they possibly can for their team, and they should be motivated for the team around them as well. So, I'm less keen on people who kind of want to prove a personal point." When asked about the prospect of Perez joining the cause, Lowdon did not rule it out. He added: "Every single person, every name that you're going to read out, we're talking to everyone because everyone wants the drive."
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Michael Schumacher's son Mick in talks over ‘incredible' F1 return after three years
MICK SCHUMACHER has confirmed he is in talks to return to F1 with newcomers Cadillac. The son of legendary F1 driver 1 Mick Schumacher could return to F1 with Cadillac next season Credit: Getty He has also been a reserve driver for both Mercedes and McLaren - but was replaced by Valtteri Bottas as Merc driver at the end of last season. New The 26-year-old said: "Yes, of course, discussions are ongoing. The communication has been very positive so far. "They've already hired a fantastic number of people for it [the project]. It's an honour to be part of it, to negotiate with them, and a great position to be in." READ MORE IN F1 But team boss Graeme Lowdon remains a huge admirer of Schumacher - who currently drives in the World Endurance Championship with Alpine. During him time in F1, Schumacher started 43 races. His best placing was a sixth place finish, while he only finished in the points twice. Most read in Motorsport BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Lowdon has also confirmed that "positive" discussions with Schumacher had taken place while on the High Performance podcast. He said: "Yeah, we're talking to Mick." Comedian given death stare after bodychecking Lewis Hamilton at F1 He also added on Sky Deutschland: "Mick is great. He's a very nice guy, I like him a lot. I've got to know him better now. "He's still young, but he already has F1 experience. Of course, that was a while ago, but he's kept himself up to date. "We really like that. We really like that. He is no stranger to the team. He knows where we stand. There are some positive things to say about Mick. "He is clearly one of the drivers on the list. But I should also say that the list is quite long." Lowdon has also previously confirmed that talks with Bottas have taken place. The Cadillac boss wants the team to make a statement in their first year and not just make up the numbers. He said: "Everyone wants to prove something else again. I never look at that as the biggest motivator. "Our team is not there as a vehicle for someone to prove a point. Our team is there to provide a position on the pitch, if you like. "For someone to prove what they can do for sure, but it's not the vehicle to show the world, prove a point, or whatever. "The driver is there to do the best that they possibly can for their team, and they should be motivated for the team around them as well. So, I'm less keen on people who kind of want to prove a personal point." When asked about the prospect of Perez joining the cause, Lowdon did not rule it out. He added: "Every single person, every name that you're going to read out, we're talking to everyone because everyone wants the drive."
