Latest news with #WorldDrivers'Championship
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Charles Leclerc puts foot down straight after Lewis Hamilton defeat at Imola GP
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton endured a nightmare qualifying session at the Emilia Romagna GP before the Scuderia stars managed to claim race finishes within the top six Charles Leclerc expressed his disappointment over Ferrari's poor qualifying performance following his first Grand Prix defeat to team-mate Lewis Hamilton at Imola. Both Leclerc and Hamilton had to settle for 11th and 12th positions on the starting grid for the Emilia Romagna GP, after neither of their cars made it past Q2 on Saturday, marking Ferrari's worst qualifying performance this season. Despite the challenging start, both drivers managed to finish Sunday's race in the top six, with Leclerc securing sixth place and the seven-time Formula One world champion achieving a season-best fourth place. This marked the first time this season that Hamilton has outperformed his team-mate in a race, excluding sprints, although he still trails him by eight points in the World Drivers' Championship. Post-race, Leclerc confessed that the team's situation heading into the race was unacceptable, adding to what has been a frustrating start to the season for F1's most successful team. Speaking to Sky Sports, the Monegasque driver insisted that something has to change. He said: "I was saying before, it's one of the races where you've got to race with the heart and put the elbows out a little bit. When it's like this you go very much on the limit, sometimes a little bit over. "But when you are starting P11, as a driver I cannot accept the situation we are in," reports the Express. Meanwhile, Hamilton was more upbeat post-race, acknowledging an improvement and reflecting on his first race in front of the Tifosi as part of the Ferrari family. The 40-year-old racing veteran expressed optimism about recent improvements, saying: "I did think we would make an improvement this weekend with something I've fixed. And I think there is more to come. "The set-up was really good, the car felt really mega and the team did a fantastic job on strategy and pit stops. "It was a lot of pressure on us with struggling through the year with the car so far, and particularly with our qualifying. "I don't remember the last time I had a race like that moving forwards. I'm sure there was one last year but this was different because I'm in the red car. To finally have that connection, that synergy with the car, was a really great feeling." With the season moving to Monaco next week, where Leclerc triumphed last year, he voiced concerns about Ferrari's performance on the slow-speed circuit: "Monaco is exposing quite a few weaknesses of our car," he admitted. Despite the hometown hero's apprehensions, Hamilton remains hopeful for the upcoming race, pinpointing a crucial factor for success. "It will still be a question about getting the tyres working in a single lap. If we can figure that out next week, then I think we could be in a good position," he concluded.
Wales Online
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Wales Online
Lewis Hamilton's astronomic net worth now, shock name change and megastar girlfriends
Lewis Hamilton's astronomic net worth now, shock name change and megastar girlfriends The Formula One star's staggering wealth has been revealed in the 2025 Sunday Times Rich List Hamilton is one of the richest sportsmen in the world Formula One star Sir Lewis Hamilton has once again been named as the UK's richest active sportsperson, according to the 2025 Sunday Times Rich List which was revealed on Friday. The seven-time world champion was last year named as the 350th richest person in the UK, with a staggering net worth of £350 million. However, since his lucrative move from Mercedes to Ferrari ahead of the 2025 Formula One World Championship, his wealth has soared, with his net worth now standing at £385 million, putting him at 324th in the list. The shock move to Ferrari stunned the F1 world when it was announced last year, with Hamilton signing a two-year deal with Mercedes the previous summer before choosing to exercise a one year break clause. The 40-year-old will reportedly earn a staggering £50 million per year with his new team, with his contract agreed for two seasons and an option for a third in 2027. That figure has smashed the record for the biggest F1 salary ever, with the record set by Max Verstappen last season when he banked a base salary of £47 million. Hamilton could end up earning even more than his £50 million salary, with that amount not believed to be inclusive of performances bonuses, meaning it could rise significantly higher if the season goes well. However, with six races now under his belt with Ferrari, the British star is yet to finish on the podium, with his fifth place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix his best result of the World Drivers' Championship so far. His last World Championship win came in 2020, when he sealed his seventh title to equal Michael Schumacher's tally and become the most successful racing driver of all time. However, since then, a lot has happened in Hamilton's life away from the track, with the F1 star romantically linked with a string of A-list stars and even revealing plans to change his name. Here's what you need to know. Shock name change In 2021, Hamilton was awarded a knighthood for services to motorsport and invited his mother Carmen - who split from his father Anthony when he was a child - to watch him receive the honour from Prince Charles at Windsor Castle. The following year, he revealed plans to pay a major tribute to his mum, explaining that he was in the process of legally changing his name to include her maiden name, Larbalestier, as a middle name. "None of you might know that my mum's [sur]name is Larbalestier, and I'm just about to put that in my name," the racing ace explained. "Because I don't really fully understand the whole idea of why, when people get married, the woman loses her name. I really want her name to continue on with the Hamilton name." As of this year, however, it is unclear whether Hamilton has actually successfully changed his name yet or not. Megastar girlfriends As one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time, as well as one of the biggest names in world sport, Hamilton has unsurprisingly seen his romantic life placed under the microscope over the course of his career. The 40-year-old is certainly no stranger to a high-profile relationship, having reportedly dated a string of A-listers in recent years. Most notably, he was in on-off relationship with Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger for around eight years, with their romance well-documented in the tabloid press. The couple met at the MTV EMAs in 2007 but split up three times before calling it quits for good in February 2015, with their final separation leaving them both "devastated". Scherzinger later started relationships with two other sportsmen, dating Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov before later getting engaged to former Scotland rugby international Thom Evans. Hamilton, meanwhile, has since been linked with several high-profile names from across the music, fashion and entertainment worlds. He has played down rumours that he was dating supermodel Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Rihanna, who he described as just good friends. The British star has also been linked with singers Rita Ora, Nicki Minaj and Shakira, as well as Kanye West's model ex-girlfriend Juliana Nalu. Earlier this year, he sparked further romance rumours when he was spotted having lunch with Modern Family actress Sofia Vegara, - who is 12 years older than him - in New York. At the time, TMZ reported that the pair were "engrossed in conversation" with each other, but suggestions that they were ever romantically involved have been played down with the two reportedly nothing more than good friends. Hollywood film role Later this year, Hamilton will share the big screen with the likes of Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem, as F1: The Movie is released in the cinemas. The film sees Pitt play Sonny Hayes, an F1 driver who retires following a horror crash, only to be asked to come out of retirement to mentor a rookie prodigy. Hamilton stars in the film alongside all of the drivers from the ten F1 teams from the 2023 season, who appear as themselves. However, he is also credited as a producer on the film and has been praised for the "instrumental" role he played in helping to bring the story to life. Director Joseph Kosinski revealed that Hamilton played a major role early on in production and was interested to gauge Pitt's abilities behind the wheel. But the first day was really fun. It was me, Brad and Lewis Hamilton at the track together, all of us jumping in cars and driving each other around in sports cars, which was one of those things, I'll never forget having Lewis Hamilton as your driving instructor. 'Brad and Damson are both driving in this film and in order to get them into these race cars, it required months, literally months of training,' Kosinski told "The first day was really fun. It was me, Brad and Lewis Hamilton at the track together, all of us jumping in cars and driving each other around in sports cars, which was one of those things, I'll never forget having Lewis Hamilton as your driving instructor. 'But what we learned and what Lewis was really interested [in] was seeing, did Brad know how to drive, right? Because if Brad can't drive, this whole film wasn't going to work," he added. Article continues below 'What Lewis was very happy to discover was that Brad had a lot of just natural ability right from the start, and I don't know where he got that or if he was born with it, and he rides motorcycles, which I think has something to do with it. "But he's just a very talented, naturally gifted driver, which for Lewis after that first meeting gave him a lot of confidence that we might have a shot at pulling this off."
The Independent
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Oscar Piastri dominates Miami GP as Lewis Hamilton fumes over Ferrari race management
Oscar Piastri crossed the checkered flag in South Florida on Sunday 4.6 seconds ahead of McLaren teammate Lando Norris. The papaya orange team dominated 37.6 seconds ahead of third-place finisher George Russell in a virtual safety car-riddled, overtaking display at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. Piastri, who qualified in fourth on Saturday, gained an advantage when a first-corner tussle between pole-sitter Max Verstappen and Norris had the latter falling down the leaderboard into sixth place. The McLaren driver, who secured his maiden win in Miami last year, unsuccessfully attempted to appeal to the stewards, claiming the four-time world champion pushed him off as Verstappen swept across the start. 'If I don't go for it, people complain. If I go for it, people complain,' Norris said post-race. However, the 25-year-old British driver clawed his way back towards the top on pure pace. Norris closely follows his teammate and current leader, Piastri, in the World Drivers' Championship standings. The threat of a rain-soaked race loomed throughout all 57 laps, but the race remained a dry, one-stop feature with a handful of Virtual Safety Car stoppages as a slew of rookies came rolling to a halt. But it was the two Ferraris who stole the show. Lewis Hamilton, who finished third on Saturday's sprint race, and Charles Leclerc began the race at a disadvantage, with Hamilton failing to make it into the third qualifying session on Saturday for the first time since his switch to Ferrari. Deemed the strongest driver pairing on the grid at the start of the season, the duo has been undermined by a slow car and messy team dynamics. On Sunday, the true cost of two star drivers was on full display. Hamilton, who gained two places on his 12th place start, nearly completed a double overtake on both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz on lap 34, but failed to fully get past his teammate. In the laps that followed, Hamilton complained over the radio to the team that he was 'burning up' his tires behind Leclerc and asked, 'You want me to just sit here the whole race?' The former Mercedes driver reminded the pit wall of his self-imposed swap at the Chinese Grand Prix where he encouraged the team to favour Leclerc's faster pace: 'In China, I got out of the way,' Hamilton said. 'Have a tea break while you're at it,' he added. The seven-time world champion made his feelings clear ahead of eventual team orders to swap: 'This is not good teamwork that's all I'm saying.' But by lap 41 when Hamilton was ahead, his teammate wasn't happy stuck behind in the other Ferrari 's dirty air. After 10 laps of the Monegasque driver complaining about overheating tyres, the team swapped back — nearly risking Hamilton's demotion as he battled Sainz to the finish line. The new addition to the team, audibly frustrated, said over the radio: 'You want me to let him past as well?' Hamilton finished eighth, just three-tenths of a second ahead of Sainz's Williams. Both Williams drivers, Sainz and Alex Albon, proved just how well the car is developing on Sunday. Albon, who finished fifth, outperformed both Ferraris and a Mercedes. Further down the grid, Williams' former fellow group of back-of-the-field teams didn't have as lucky of a race. Oliver Bearman's Haas rolled back into the garage after an engine failure. Teammate Esteban Ocon taught a defensive masterclass, going wheel-to-wheel mid-race with Hamilton, but ultimately fell to 12th. The 2025 F1 rookies didn't fair much better with Liam Lawson and Jack Doohan both retiring following a turn one collision. Gabriel Bortoleto 's engine failed as well, bringing out a Virtual Safety Car. Kimi Antonelli, however, continued to show a similar pace as he had throughout the Miami Grand Prix weekend. On Friday, the 18-year-old became the youngest-ever F1 pole-sitter. Antonelli's team, Mercedes, trails behind McLaren in the constructors' championship standings, followed closely by Red Bull. Piastri leads the drivers' standings by 16 points.
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
George Russell demands 'action' from FIA over swearing ban and says 'words don't mean anything' after F1 drivers called to be treated like adults
George Russell has called for action from the FIA regarding the swearing ban imposed on drivers. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem stated this week that he will revisit the ban. In January it emerged that if a driver commits three such offences then they could receive a one-month suspension as well as having championship points deducted. The move has proven unpopular with drivers and Ben Sulayem indicated this week that alterations could be made. In November last year F1 drivers wrote an open letter to the FIA asking to be treated like adults. The decision to write the letter was made after Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were both punished for swearing. Russell revealed that there has been no further correspondence since the open letter was sent. As reported by BBC Sport, Russell said: 'It's being considered. The words don't mean anything until the change has been made. 'Collectively, we've not spoken any further since the open letter that was sent out. Whether that is the response I'm not too sure. 'It would be great if changes were made and the drivers were at least heard and it's in the best interests of the sport, and ensuring some common sense is applied to it. We can comment on it when we see the action rather than the consideration.' Mercedes star Russell is currently in fourth place in the World Drivers' Championship standings going into the Miami Grand Prix. Speaking in March Oscar Piastri hit out at the rules which could see drivers receive a significant fine for swearing. 'The fines are quite harsh, so I think that is something that we would like to discuss with the FIA,' Piastri told the Herald Sun.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Time of India
Former F1 champion Jenson Button's wife opens up about shocking £250,000 London robbery: 'I just started crying'
Image credit: Jenson Button/Instagram Formula 1 driver turned F1 analyst Jenson Button's wife Brittny Ward has revealed they lost luggage worth 250,000 pounds during their time in London. She said that it contained two luxury handbags worth around 70,000 pounds and some antique jewellery, which she later realised had been put on sale, but she neither ever wanted to go back to London nor get her stuff back because it had changed so many hands. Jenson Button's wife opens up about the London robbery Brittny Ward has shared that the theft took place at the St Pancras station in London when they were loading the luggage into the car a day before Valentine's Day. Opening up about the moment, she told Mirror in an interview, "I just started crying, I was a little upset with Jenson because I felt like he kind of dropped the ball a little but it's not his fault someone was watching us. He also did get his bag stolen a few months ago in a car park in London.' She confirmed being cautious at all times but added, 'I just didn't think that there were gangs literally just waiting for people and watching." Brittny has now revealed that the thief was caught and is currently awaiting his sentence. 'A lot of people assume, 'Your husband bought you those', but actually I bought about half of them and I worked really hard and to have someone come up to me and take them from me - it's just frustrating,' she added. She wanted to pass them down to her daughter as a family heirloom. She said they have no desire of ever going to London, but she knows they will have to if something very important comes up. More about Jenson Button Jenson Button competed in Formula One from 2000 to 2017 and drove for Williams, Benetton (which became Renault), BAR (which became Honda and then became Brawn GP), and McLaren. He even won the World Drivers' Championship in 2009 with Brawn. Also Read: Full circle in Florida: When Lando Norris won 65 years after Bruce McLaren's breakthrough He currently drives for Jota in the FIA World Endurance Championship and also works as an F1 analyst on TV. Button, 45, got married to Brittny Ward in 2022 and the couple have two children together. They live in Los Angeles in the US.
