1+ week, 10+ min ago (856+ words) Beyonc" and Jay-Z made a surprise appearance at the glittering Las Vegas Grand Prix, alongside friend and Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton. The couple were welcomed into the paddock and greeted by F1s CEO Stefano Domenicali. Beyonc", decked in a custom racing-style Louis Vuitton suit, joined Hamilton for a high-speed 200 mph hot lap in a Ferrari, later sharing a clip on Instagram captioned "Give it to Mama." Fans are already speculating the photo opportunity could hint at the pop titans next album and era. The couple were welcomed into the paddock and greeted by F1s CEO Stefano Domenicali....

1+ week, 2+ day ago (160+ words) Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Swipe for next article Major update emerges on ex-F1 star's legal claim over Lewis Hamilton's 2008 title triumph - Felipe Massa's "64m lawsuit against Formula 1, the FIA, and Bernie Ecclestone over the 2008 'Crashgate' scandal will proceed to trial. - Ex-F1 star Massa alleges that a deliberate crash by Nelson Piquet Jnr at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, and a subsequent cover-up, cost him the world championship, which Lewis Hamilton ultimately won. - A High Court judge ruled that Massa has a "real prospect of proving at trial all the components of his unlawful means conspiracy" but dismissed claims for declaratory relief regarding the FIA's duties to him. - The legal action was reignited by comments made by Bernie Ecclestone in 2023, where he suggested he and then-FIA president Max Mosley knew about…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (206+ words) Follow live F1 coverage from the Las Vegas Strip Circuit as the drivers build up to qualifying Follow live coverage of the Las Vegas Grand Prix with The Independent F1 next heads to Las Vegas for the third iteration of the Las Vegas Grand Prix and round 22 of the 2025 season. Lando Norris extended his lead in the world championship last time out with a perfect weekend in Brazil, winning both the sprint race and the grand prix. With three rounds remaining and 83 points left on the table, the Briton's gap to McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri stands at 24 points. However, he cannot win the title this weekend in Sin City. Max Verstappen fought back from a poor qualifying showing and a pit-lane start to finish on the podium in Interlagos but, nonetheless, lost ground in the title race. The Dutchman, who sealed his…...

6+ day, 23+ hour ago (124+ words) What you need to know about McLaren's disqualification from the Las Vegas Grand Prix - Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were both disqualified from the Las Vegas Grand Prix after their McLaren cars failed post-race technical inspections. - The disqualification stemmed from excessive wear on the cars' underbody planks, which were found to be below the FIA's minimum required thickness of 9mm. - McLaren cited unexpected porpoising and limited testing due to adverse weather as mitigating circumstances, but the FIA ruled that regulations mandated disqualification for such technical breaches. - The decision nullified Norris and Piastri's points from the race, altering their standings in the F1 title race. - This incident is consistent with previous disqualifications for similar technical infringements, including those involving Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc....

3+ week, 3+ day ago (107+ words) Dismay" as grave of McLaren F1 founder desecrated by vandals - The graves of F1 legend Bruce McLaren and his family in Auckland, New Zealand, have been vandalised. - McLaren's daughter, Amanda, has been left 'very upset' by the damage to the headstones at Waikumete Cemetery. - The Bruce McLaren Trust confirmed the desecration, expressing their "dismay" after the graves were sprayed with gold paint and had toy cars affixed to them. - A local volunteer suggested the perpetrator might have intended to restore the gravestones, despite causing significant damage. - The Grave Guardians organisation has offered to repair the damage free of charge, and New Zealand Police are investigating the incident....

3+ day, 1+ hour ago (353+ words) Follow live F1 updates as the title contenders speak to the media ahead of the penultimate race of the season in Qatar Follow live coverage of the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent Comment by Kieran Jackson The first sign that something was amiss, under the bamboozling lightshow that is the Las Vegas strip, came in the final three laps. Out of nowhere, why was Lando Norris's pace dropping off at a rate of knots? Safely in second place, seven seconds behind the race leader, Norris eventually finished 23 seconds off Max Verstappen. Now, we know why. The gap is 24 points. 1. Lando Norris (McLaren) " 390 points 2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) " 366 points 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) " 366 points This is all we've heard from Max since that Vegas win - he is due to speak to the media at 4pm (GMT) this afternoon. F1 next heads to Qatar for…...

2+ day, 22+ hour ago (348+ words) Piastri, level on points with Max Verstappen, trails Norris by 24 points, but McLaren will not alter their approach Oscar Piastri insists McLaren will not implement team orders at this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix despite Max Verstappen moving up to joint-second in the F1 title race. McLaren's shock double disqualification at the last race in Las Vegas means Verstappen is now level on points with Piastri " both drivers trail championship leader Lando Norris by 24 points. British driver Norris can still win the championship this weekend if he outscores Verstappen and Piastri by two points over the course of the sprint race and grand prix. McLaren have stated all season that no team orders will be incorporated and, despite Verstappen hauling in a deficit of 104 points over Piastri in seven races, the Australian insists he will not be required to directly help Norris…...

3+ day, 23+ hour ago (203+ words) Adrian Newey will become Aston Martin team principal next season. Newey, widely considered the greatest technical mastermind of his generation, committed his long-term future to Aston Martin in September 2024 after his departure from Red Bull sparked a bidding war for his services. Pressure has built on current team principal and CEO Andy Cowell amid a disappointing season and reported disagreements with managing technical partner Newey. After speculation linking former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with the Silverstone-based team resurfaced, Aston Martin announced on Wednesday evening that 66-year-old Newey will step up to take charge of trackside operations from 2026. Cowell will take on a new role as chief strategy officer. Newey said: "Over the last nine months, I have seen great individual talent within our team. "I'm looking forward to taking on this additional role as we put ourselves in…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (787+ words) Interview: Cricket fans have questioned TNT Sports" plan for the Ashes this winter, but the broadcaster"s voice of cycling, Rob Hatch, explains why he is the right man to helm the coverage Social media critics were not hard to find, while the Daily Mail described TNT Sports" "half-baked plan" as a "dumbed-down insult to long-suffering England fans", and questioned Hatch and Eykyn's commentating from TV screens with an "inability to see anything other than what their monitors are showing them". Hatch rejects those points. For one, it is hardly unusual in the modern age for commentators to be watching from afar. He cites the 2024 Tour de France, when his voice was the soundtrack to Mark Cavendish's record 35th stage win. The clip has amassed more than one million views on YouTube and his words still produce a tingle down the…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (316+ words) Lawson almost collided with two marshals and was then criticised by Mexico's motorsport authority Liam Lawson admits he was "really surprised" by criticism from Mexico's motorsport authority after his near-miss with two marshals at the Mexico City Grand Prix. Racing Bulls driver Lawson almost collided with the marshals, running across the circuit to pick up debris, in the early stages of the last F1 race. A shaken Lawson said over team radio he "could have killed them." The FIA, F1's governing body, absolved Lawson of any blame but OMDAI Sport Mexico blamed the 23-year-old New Zealander, insisting he didn't sufficiently slow down under double-waved yellow flags. Speaking ahead of this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, Lawson had his say: "I was very surprised. The FIA's statement was very clear and very accurate as well. I don't really need to say too much…...