Latest news with #motorsport
The Independent
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
Nigeria enters race to host F1 grand prix in Africa – with ex-Premier League player fronting bid
Nigeria has become the latest African country to declare an interest in hosting a Formula 1 race, with ex-Premier League player Marvin Sordell fronting the bid. F1 currently hosts a race on every habitable continent apart from Africa, with the last iteration taking place 32 years ago via the 1993 South African Grand Prix at the Kyalami Circuit outside Johannesburg. Yet now, South Africa (with Kyalami and Cape Town vying to host), Rwanda and Morocco have all announced their intention to launch a bid. Now, Nigeria have joined the list, with Opus Race Promotions eyeing a new circuit in the capital of Abuja, alongside a karting track, hotels and a motorsport museum. Ex-Burnley and Bolton forward Sordell, who also played for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, is co-chief executive of the promotional company which has now been officially appointed to negotiate on behalf of the Nigerian government with F1 and the FIA. A report in The Times states that the bid has 'early support' from the Nigerian government. F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali, who has made it known his desire to host a race once again in Africa, has been invited to visit Abuja to take a look at the project. Shehu Dikko, chairman of the National Sports Commission in Nigeria, said: 'We are exploring all possibilities to bring Formula 1 to Nigeria as soon as practicable. 'Not just as a sporting event, but as a catalytic driver of tourism, infrastructure development, youth engagement, economy and indeed soft power for Nigeria. 'This vision aligns with the Renewed Hope and Shared Prosperity vision of our president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.' Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has previously insisted the sport must make an African grand prix a priority. Speaking last year, the Ferrari driver said: 'We can't be adding races in other locations and continuing to ignore Africa, which the rest of the world just takes from. 'No one gives anything to Africa.' The race calendar is currently set at 24 races – a figure F1 nor the drivers are keen to increase. Yet the Dutch Grand Prix will be wiped from the calendar after next year's event, with Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium moving to a biennial deal in 2028, potentially paving the way for a new race. Other interested parties to host a race include Thailand (with a Bangkok street circuit in the works), South Korea and Argentina.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
'I didn't feel valuable' - life in the slipstream for Nic Hamilton
Nic Hamilton sat in his dark, messy apartment on the phone to Samaritans. It was his lowest 2016 the racing driver was out of the sport and a recovering gambling addict."I didn't feel valuable," he told the BBC's Sport's Greatest Underdogs podcast."I wasn't racing and I wasn't getting sponsorship. My dad is a multi-millionaire, my brother is a multi-millionaire and they are going on this upward trajectory."I felt very lost and lonely and I just stumbled across gambling."Nic is the younger brother of a British sporting icon - Lewis Hamilton. The Formula One driver has won a joint-record seven World brothers were guided towards a career in motorsport from an early age, with the main focus on Lewis."The first category in motorsport when Lewis was a kid was 'cadet karts' for ages eight to 10," Nic recalled."We had a cheap third hand go-kart, we had no money and we were in a Vauxhall Cavalier. The go-kart was hanging out of the boot with my Mum [Linda Hamilton] holding onto it," he added."We had a gas heater and chicken noodle soup was all we could afford, we put everything into Lewis' racing." 'I disappeared down a six-foot drop' Hamilton has cerebral palsy, external - a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination and which is caused by a problem with the brain that develops before, during or soon after birth - so that makes his success as a racing driver even more remarkable. He currently competes in British Touring Cars with the Un-Limited Motorsport team, becoming the series' first disabled driver in 33-year-old began his motorsport career in the Renault Clio Cup in 2011, cutting his teeth whizzing around UK circuits which included Silverstone, where brother Lewis has won a record nine times in said it was dad Anthony's idea for him to follow in his big brother's tyre marks."My dad was like 'maybe we should just give it a go and see'," he said. "With my cerebral palsy I'm really hyper-sensitive to noise like loud or sudden bangs, they make me jump."So when they used to start the engine up for Lewis it used to scare me."It was in a car park where Nic first got behind the wheel of a kart, despite his nerves."I remember the anxiety I felt inside but excitement as well. I was wearing all Lewis' race kit," he added."I ended up crashing that go-kart, I hit a kerb and I disappeared down a six-foot drop."The world of virtual racing gave Nic the experience and confidence to think about a career in the sport. It is a path followed by current F1 world champion Max Verstappen - the Dutchman has his own sim racing got used to controlling karts and fell in love with driving at speed. In 2011, three years after Lewis had won his first F1 world championship, Nic made it to the Clio Cup grid. It was at one of the most famous circuits in Europe, Brands Hatch, in Kent."It was amazing, I qualified last, which I expected," he said. "I was the only disabled person on the grid, everyone else was able-bodied."I was actually closer than I ever expected. I'd never driven at Brands Hatch before, never driven this car before."Lewis was there and I love him being there, but it's hard as it brings even more attention than I already have."In that first season, Nic finished 14th overall out of 27 competitors. 'Lewis isn't going to be impressed by that' Nic was a bonafide professional motorsport competitor, but not emulating his brother's incredible achievements on tracks around the a serious crash in testing for his third-ever race at Thruxton, he was knocked unconscious after his car "catapulted"."I'm riddled with fear and in a very lonely place because I landed on my side and you never expect to be laying like that in a car," he said."The first thing I heard is a marshal saying 'Lewis isn't going to be impressed by that', straight away."It's the worst thing anyone could say at any moment in my life."That's the problem I've had being Lewis' brother, people really don't understand - they don't get it."They panic and don't know what to say to me and it can be the most disrespectful thing. I have to just take it on the chin."After that crash, Nic jumped back in the car the next day but his parents were concerned about him continuing in the sport."My mum was crying her eyes out and my dad shows fear through anger," Nic said. "He was like 'I told you, don't make mistakes, don't crash'. Then the media picked it up, so it was the biggest thing."The only person who wasn't angry and understood it was Lewis, because he'd been there."Following another year in the Clio Cup series he moved to the European Touring Car Cup. While competing for the Baporo Motorsport team, he finished the championship in last place. 'I was gambling all night' The move to British Touring Cars in 2015 should have been the start of good times for Nic, but it led him to the dark a year he had lost his seat in the series and hit rock-bottom. He became a gambling addict."I was in the darkest space between 2016 and 2017," he recalled."I ended up telling my mum and then she brought my dad over and they reacted in the most decent and kind way."I'm a huge 'mummy's boy' and it was her who was like 'right Nic, we're going to put some structure in your life'. "I was in such a hole, my apartment was a tip and I was eating Pot Noodles because that's all I could afford. I could just gamble and eat."I was literally gambling all night to 6am, then waking up and doing it again."Nic said he stopped gambling when he had no money left and his mum had taken control of his bank was on the road back. Trips to the gym to work on his strength and cardio inspired him to return to 2019, he got a drive in Touring Cars with the Alliance Racing team. The comeback was completely funded by sponsorship deals that he had best result came in the 2023 season while driving for the Tony Gilham Racing team. Hamilton managed a sixth-placed finish in the second race of the campaign at Donnington season he is currently 27th in the standings with three rounds at Croft coming up on 2 and 3 describes himself as a "Paralympian at the Olympics". He may never win a championship but his biggest achievement will be inspiring disabled motorsport stars can look to him and forge their own route to starting grids around the to the Greatest Underdogs podcast here., externalIf you have been affected by any of the issues in this article you can visit the BBC's Action Line for information and support.
Associated Press
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Associated Press
Formula 1: How to watch the Belgian Grand Prix on TV and what to know
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) — Here's a guide that tells you what you need to know about the Belgian Grand Prix. It's the 13th round of the 2025 Formula 1 season. How to watch the Belgian Grand Prix on TV — In the U.S., on ESPN. — Other countries are listed here. The Belgian Grand Prix schedule— Friday: Practice and qualifying for the sprint race. — Saturday: Sprint and qualifying. — Sunday: Belgian Grand Prix, 44 laps of the 7-kilometer (4.35-mile) circuit. It starts at 3 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET / 1300 GMT). Belgian Grand Prix venue Spa is a drivers' favorite for its spectacular route through the hills and forests of eastern Belgium. The uphill, high-speed Eau Rouge is one of the most famed corners in all of motorsport. Originally laid out on public roads, Spa is the longest circuit on the calendar and one where rain often plays a big role. Last time out Lando Norris beat his McLaren teammate and title rival Oscar Piastri to the win the British Grand Prix in a thrilling and controversial race in the rain. Piastri lost the lead after a 10-second penalty for sharp braking under the safety car. Sauber's Nico Hülkenberg took his first career podium after placing third — it was his 239th GP. Max Verstappen was fifth after a spin in what turned out to be Christian Horner's last race as Red Bull team principal. He was fired three days later. Catch up on F1— Lando Norris wins thrilling British Grand Prix in the rain to cut Oscar Piastri's F1 lead — Red Bull fires F1 team principal Christian Horner after 20 title-filled years — Red Bull signals it will keep up title fight after Horner was fired. It faces many other challenges — Oscar Piastri says he'll fuel his F1 title charge with 'frustration' at race-deciding penalty — Sauber's success is an F1 anomaly as teams switch focus to 2026 Key stats 20 — It's the first race in Red Bull's 20-year history without Christian Horner as team principal, after he was fired earlier this month. 100 — Yuki Tsunoda enters his 100th race in F1 with an unwanted record. Nico Hülkenberg's surprise third place in Britain means Verstappen's Red Bull teammate becomes the driver with most F1 starts without a podium finish. 139 — Charles Leclerc will mark his 139th race for Ferrari in Belgium, ranking him joint-third all-time with Felipe Massa for most F1 races for the Italian team. Only Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen have more. What they're saying 'Yesterday, I was informed by Red Bull that operationally I would no longer be involved with the business or the team moving forward... It came as a shock.' — Christian Horner tells Red Bull staff he's leaving. 'It still feels a bit unreal to be here and not to see him.' — New Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies on taking Christian Horner's place. 'I will use the frustration to make sure I win some more races later.' — Oscar Piastri looks back on his penalty at the British Grand Prix. ___ AP auto racing:
Top Gear
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Honda's official motorsport partner is building a sportscar designed by Pininfarina
Honda's official motorsport partner is building a sportscar designed by Pininfarina JAS Motorsport is building a 'high-performance' road car, and Italy's sketching it Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. A company called JAS Motorsport has revealed it is building a high-performance road car. JAS Motorsport has been Honda's official racing partner since 1998, winning touring car, GT and Rally titles, so it knows a thing or three about going fast. And a company called Pininfarina will design it. Pininfarina has knocked out some of the finest looking cars of the 20th and 21st century, so it knows a thing or fifteen about sketching out a high-performance road car. Advertisement - Page continues below We know nothing of what'll power this new high-performance road car, nor what it'll look like, barring the teaser image above. Pininfarina has only said it'll collaborate with JAS Motorsport on reimagining 'one of the most iconic sportscars of the past and offer it to the world of car enthusiasts and collectors'. Does that latter bit mean it'll be another slice of unobtanium? Certainly points to it, considering Pininfarina said it'll be built in Milan in an 'extremely limited edition'. As to the 'iconic sportscars' bit, your guess is as good as ours. Apparently the platform will be 'mechanical' (as opposed to… theoretical?) with 'the very latest automotive technology', will 'respect' its origins, and feature 'modern styling cues that will dress a chassis at the forefront of cutting edge construction technology'. So, there's that. We'll know more as both JAS and Pininfarina begin ramping up the development of the new sportscar, scheduled for a 2026 reveal. More as we get it. Advertisement - Page continues below Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
The Sun
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Former Premier League star, 34, at the front of sensational bid to return F1 to Africa with brand new track
FORMER Premier League star Marvin Sordell is fronting a sensational bid to bring Formula One to Africa, according to reports. Sordell, 34, is a co-chief executive and director for Opus Race Promotions, having retired from football in 2019 to then come out of it for non-league side Kettering Town. 4 4 4 Sordell played for both Bolton and Burnley in the Premier League, but is perhaps best known for his time in the Championship for clubs including Watford, Charlton and Burton Albion. His company has already gained "early support" from the Nigerian government over the prospect of getting the nation to host a grand prix. According to The Times, the plans include far more than simply hosting a race in the capital city of Abuja. The pledges made by Opus outline the building of a karting track, hotels, a technology hub, and a motorsport museum, among other infrastructure. Nigeria 's chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, invited the promoter to Nigeria in April to present a concept of their grand F1 designs. The proposal seemed to have left Dikko impressed, because a month later, the promoter was officially appointed to negotiate with F1 and the FIA on behalf of the Nigerian government. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has also reportedly been invited to Abuja by Opus to review the project. SunSport have contacted F1 for comment over the claims. Domenicali, 60, has repeatedly spoken about his desire to expand the motorsport into new markets. Africa is a major omission from the modern F1 calendar, with the last race on the continent happening at the Kyalami Circuit in South Africa back in 1993. The only other nation F1 has been to on the continent is Morocco, all the way back in 1958. F1 legend Lewis Hamilton has been a major voice pushing for the sport to add a race in Africa. Both South Africa and Rwanda have been among the front-runners linked with that lucrative possibility. However, speaking in May, Domenicali ruled out a race happening anytime soon, saying: "Realistically speaking, I don't think we're going to have an outcome in the very short term." A new European track in Madrid is being added next year in place of Italy 's famous Imola circuit. Meanwhile, Thailand appears on course to be the next new addition to F1. That's after the government there agreed to a roughly £890million funding plan for a street race in Bangkok, which could debut as early as 2028. The 2025 F1 season returns in Belgium this weekend after a two-week break following the chaotic British Grand Prix. 4
