Latest news with #ex-FormulaOne
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Michael Schumacher's former F1 boss gives heartbreaking update on his condition
Michael Schumacher's ex-Formula One boss has provided a heart-wrenching new insight into the racing icon's condition, nearly 12 years after the skiing accident that altered his life forever. The F1 superstar was gravely injured after striking his head on a rock whilst skiing in the French Alps in December 2013, resulting in him being placed in a medically induced coma for several months. He returned to his Lake Geneva home the following year but continues to require constant medical attention from a team of professionals and his wife Corinna. Since the accident, Corinna has fiercely guarded Schumacher's privacy, with only a select group of trusted family members and friends permitted to visit him and be privy to the intimate details of his condition. Last year, it was widely reported that the German star made his first public appearance in over a year by attending his daughter Gina-Marie's wedding at the family's villa in Majorca. Guests were reportedly asked to leave their mobile phones at the door to prevent any unauthorised photos of Schumacher from being taken. Now, former Benetton chief Flavio Briatore, who formed a close bond with Schumacher when the legendary driver clinched his first two titles consecutively for the team, has offered a fresh insight into his friend's condition, reports Wales Online. Seemingly confirming that Schumacher is bed-bound, Briatore stated he prefers to recall the joyful memories he shared with the 56 year old, rather than dwell on his current state. '"If I close my eyes, I see him smiling after a victory," he shared with Corriere della Sera. "I prefer to remember him like that rather than him just lying on a bed. Corinna and I talk often, though.' Briatore's update follows F1 reporter Felix Gorner's revelation in March, who is close to Schumacher's family, that the seven-time world champion can no longer communicate verbally." The situation is very sad," he expressed. "He needs constant care and is completely dependent on his caregivers. And he can no longer express himself verbally. "Currently, there's a maximum of 20 people who can approach Michael. And, in my opinion, it's the right strategy. Because the family is acting in Michael's best interests. They've always strictly protected his privacy, and that hasn't changed." During a 2021 Netflix documentary about Schumacher's life, his son Mick revealed he and his father "understand each other now in a different way," while Corinna stated that her husband was "different, but here".There were positive signs in April when Schumacher signed a special helmet worn by Sir Jackie Stewart, which was auctioned off for charity. Johnny Herbert, who was Schumacher's teammate at Benetton in the 1990s, described the signature as an 'emotional' moment and hoped that it was a sign that the legendary driver was "on the mend". "It's wonderful news that Michael Schumacher signed Jackie Stewart's helmet," Herbert told FastSlots. "It was a wonderful moment. We haven't seen something emotional like this in years, and hopefully, it's a sign."
Daily Record
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Monaco GP crash horror as 12-car pile up on first bend brings race to standstill
A dramatic 12-car crash brought the Formula Two race in Monaco to an end amid mounting controversy. A major crash involving 12 cars brought the Formula Two feature race in Monaco to a sudden and dramatic stop, sparking safety concerns and leaving the prestigious street circuit in chaos. The incident unfolded just moments after the race began on Saturday, as two front-runners collided at the first corner. Pole-sitter Alex Dunne and French driver Victor Martins came together while battling for position, resulting in both cars spinning out and slamming into the barriers. What followed was a chain reaction of collisions as drivers behind attempted to avoid the wreckage. Several cars were damaged, some mounting others in the pile-up. In total, a dozen vehicles were caught in the crash, prompting race officials to wave red flags and suspend the event, reports the Mirror. Despite the severity of the incident, all drivers escaped injury and were able to walk away from their vehicles. Medical teams were on hand, but no hospitalisations were reported. Television cameras later captured a furious Martins blaming Dunne for the crash, sarcastically questioning: 'Who does he think he is, Max Verstappen?' — referencing the famously aggressive driving style of the current Formula One world champion. The race was later abandoned altogether following a second red flag, this time due to damage to a safety barrier. At the time of the stoppage, American driver Jak Crawford was leading and was subsequently declared the winner under race regulations. Crawford had earlier expressed confidence in his team's performance over the weekend, saying: 'We've been competitive and managed the conditions well. Monaco is always unpredictable, but we did everything we could with the opportunities we had.' Of the 22 drivers who started the race, seven—including Dunne and Martins—were eliminated in the initial crash. Other drivers taken out included Richard Verschoor, Gabriele Minì, Ritomo Miyata, Pepe Martí, and Max Esterson. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. Crawford was awarded the full 25 points for his win, with Italy's Leonardo Fornaroli finishing second and Sebastian Montoya, son of ex-Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya, rounding out the top three. The incident has reignited debate about safety on narrow street circuits like Monaco's, where limited run-off areas and tight corners leave little margin for error. Race organisers have yet to comment on whether changes will be considered ahead of future events.
Daily Mirror
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
‘I escaped death in fatal plane crash before F1 GP – but I had to race'
Despite his involvement in a fatal plane crash in 2000, ex-Formula One driver and Sky Sports F1 pundit David Coulthard fought through his injuries to compete in the Spanish Grand Prix five days later David Coulthard once took part in a race just five days after surviving a plane crash that left him with broken ribs. The ex- Formula One star was racing for McLaren back in 2000 when he was involved in the harrowing incident on a private jet bound for his residence in the South of France. Coulthard, 54, was travelling with his then-girlfriend Heidi Wichlinski and personal trainer Andy Matthews when their aircraft suffered an engine failure en route to Nice. Forced to make an emergency landing in Lyon from 39,000ft, the plane crashed onto the runway and erupted into flames, tragically killing pilots David Saunders and Dan Worley as the cockpit was torn away. Despite the trauma and his injuries, Coulthard showed remarkable resilience by choosing to compete in the Spanish Grand Prix shortly thereafter, where he was second in the championship standings. In a 2023 interview with the Daily Star, the Sky Sports F1 pundit reflected: "It wasn't meant for me to depart on that particular day. Obviously, it was tragic for the pilots and their families. My girlfriend and my trainer at the time were on board, and we were able to leave the aircraft relatively unscathed, with just a few broken ribs. "You then, like every major moment in your life, have decisions to make. I think the one thing with sports, irrespective of which sport it is, is it teaches you to move on, to compartmentalise what happened and why it happened, and then you turn the page. "You've got to keep moving forward in life and in sport, particularly. That's what I chose to do: keep moving forward. I was physically capable of competing in that Grand Prix." Coulthard nailed a remarkable second place in Spain, forming part of a McLaren 1-2 with two-time F1 world champion Mika Hakkinen. "I did my best in terms of reaching out to the families and the pilot's family and informing them of my intention to race and do so in their memory," he continued. "You're met with something that is obviously a major, major life-changing event; you can dwell on those moments and keep reliving them, or you can just move on, and that's what I've chosen to do." Despite the traumatic incident, Coulthard has been adamant about not letting it impede his life, confessing he still flies frequently. "I spend my life on aircraft, at least a month each year, in terms of hours," he said. "I only spend 11 months of the year on the ground. "The rest is spent in the air. I'm not a fan of worrying about things out of your control, I have to travel. If I wanted to be a control freak, then I would learn how to fly and get my own aircraft." The crash may have left Coulthard physically hurt but it also precipitated a personal transformation, acknowledging that the loss of the two pilots helped him leave behind his playboy ways. Speaking on the Pitlane Life Lessons podcast, he shared the harrowing realisation of the incident's consequences. "Knowing that two families' lives had been changed forever – they were fathers, they were husbands, they were sons – it was horrible, absolutely horrible," he recounted (via the Express). "What that did do was make me grow the f*** up. I think I'd just turned 30 and I was living the comforts of being well paid as a Formula 1 driver, jumping on private planes and all the good things... I think I was getting a little bit spoiled without realising it. "That was a massive kick up the ass to slow down, not on the race track, be a bit more aware of decisions I was making and get rid of the 'I want this, make it happen now' attitude."
New Straits Times
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
Piastri defends Norris after Jones' 'weak' jibe
MIAMI: Oscar Piastri has leapt to the defence of McLaren teammate Lando Norris after the Briton was accused of being "weak" by ex-Formula One world champion Alan Jones. Jones lauded his fellow Australian as a future world champion after Piastri took the championship lead with his third grand prix victory of the season in Saudi Arabia two weekends ago. But Piastri, who is 10 points clear of Norris going into this weekend's Miami Grand Prix, said: "Everybody is different. For me, the most important thing is to try to do things in the style most natural to you. "When you try to do things that aren't your natural way of being a person that's when things become confusing. It's when things start to go wrong. "Everyone handles that differently. Lando handles that quite differently to how I handle it. Probably a lot of the emotions across the grid that happen regardless of whether they're in the public or not they're probably pretty similar. "I think that's just kind of how we're wired as people and as competitors. Obviously there's different emotions and different ways of dealing with that. I don't think there's a right or wrong way. "It's very individual to the person. I'm quite different probably at the other end of the spectrum. If that's what you feel is the best way of venting or trying to reset yourself then go for it." Since winning the season opener in Australia, Norris has struggled with the handling of this year's McLaren. He crashed in qualifying in Jeddah denting his race hopes and has fallen behind Piastri in the championship as a result. Jones, the 1980 champion, told Fox Sports this week that he thought Norris was mentally "quite a weak person. "He's coming out with all this nonsense that he's got a bit of a mental thing, he's dwelling on some of the problems he's had rather than the positives. When they start talking all that nonsense, you know you've got them." - REUTERS
TimesLIVE
02-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Piastri stands by Norris after 'weak' comment from Jones
Oscar Piastri has leapt to the defence of McLaren teammate Lando Norris after the Briton was accused of being 'weak' by ex-Formula One world champion Alan Jones. Jones lauded his fellow Australian as a future world champion after Piastri took the championship lead with his third grand prix victory of the season in Saudi Arabia two weekends ago. But Piastri, who is 10 points clear of Norris going into this weekend's Miami Grand Prix, said: 'Everybody is different. For me, the most important thing is to try to do things in the style most natural to you. 'When you try to do things that aren't your natural way of being a person that's when things become confusing. It's when things start to go wrong. 'Everyone handles that differently. Lando handles that differently to how I handle it. Probably a lot of the emotions across the grid that happen regardless of whether they're in the public or not they're probably similar. 'I think that's how we're wired as people and as competitors. There's different emotions and different ways of dealing with that. I don't think there's a right or wrong way. 'It's individual to the person. I'm different probably at the other end of the spectrum. If that's what you feel is the best way of venting or trying to reset yourself then go for it.' Since winning the season opener in Australia, Norris has struggled with the handling of this year's McLaren. He crashed in qualifying in Jeddah, denting his race hopes and has fallen behind Piastri in the championship as a result. Jones, the 1980 champion, told Fox Sports this week he thought Norris was mentally 'quite a weak person. 'He's coming out with all this nonsense that he's got a bit of a mental thing, he's dwelling on some of the problems he's had rather than the positives. When they start talking all that nonsense, you know you've got them.'
