1+ hour, 4+ min ago (281+ words) DOHA, Dec 1 " Max Verstappen won the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday to set up a final race title showdown with McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The Red Bull driver kept the wheels on his quest for a fifth successive crown after pole-sitter Piastri finished second and standings leader Norris came only fourth. Verstappen's remarkable late season surge has lifted him past Piastri and into second in the championship. The Dutchman now goes into the season-closer next weekend only 12 points behind Norris with Piastri 16 points behind his teammate. Verstappen has fond memories of the last time the title went down to the wire when he beat Lewis Hamilton on the last lap of the last race in Abu Dhabi in 2021. This was a race McLaren should have won, with Piastri heading the grid and Norris alongside him on the…...

1+ hour, 4+ min ago (469+ words) DOHA, Dec 1 " McLaren team chief Andrea Stella admitted his team made a costly strategic blunder on Sunday that cost his title-chasing drivers a victory and a podium finish at the Qatar Grand Prix. McLaren's decision not to pit under an early safety car intervention when every other team pitted both drivers wrecked their hopes as Red Bull's four-time world champion Max Verstappen took control and claimed his 70th career victory. The Dutchman moved within 12 points of Lando Norris at the top of the drivers' title race, six ahead of luckless Australian Oscar Piastri who looked certain to win until derailed by McLaren's blunder. "It was a decision not to pit and in fairness we didn't expect everyone else to pit,' said Stella. "Obviously, once everyone pitted, it makes that the right thing to do. "When you have the lead car, you…...

1+ hour, 4+ min ago (469+ words) DOHA, Dec 1 " McLaren team chief Andrea Stella admitted his team made a costly strategic blunder on Sunday that cost his title-chasing drivers a victory and a podium finish at the Qatar Grand Prix. McLaren's decision not to pit under an early safety car intervention when every other team pitted both drivers wrecked their hopes as Red Bull's four-time world champion Max Verstappen took control and claimed his 70th career victory. The Dutchman moved within 12 points of Lando Norris at the top of the drivers' title race, six ahead of luckless Australian Oscar Piastri who looked certain to win until derailed by McLaren's blunder. "It was a decision not to pit and in fairness we didn't expect everyone else to pit,' said Stella. "Obviously, once everyone pitted, it makes that the right thing to do. "When you have the lead car, you…...

6+ day, 1+ hour ago (262+ words) LAS VEGAS, Nov 25 " The Las Vegas Grand Prix was a sell-out with more than 300,000 fans attending across three days, organisers said today, while hailing the event as a showcase of the sport's global appeal and the city's status as a premier entertainment destination. "We are incredibly proud of what this sold-out Las Vegas Grand Prix delivered," Emily Prazer, CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, told Reuters in an email, adding that it showed "Formula One at its very best." "We elevated the guest experience at every turn and created iconic cultural moments that could only happen in Las Vegas, all while staying firmly rooted in what matters most - the race." F1 officials said they were still gathering final attendance numbers. The splashy night race along the Las Vegas Strip, which debuted in 2023 after eight months of disruptive construction, had attendance…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (195+ words) LAS VEGAS, Nov 22 " Formula One's governing body said it had inspected and welded loose manhole covers after practice disruption at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Thursday's second session was twice red-flagged after a track marshal reported one of the covers was moving as cars passed over it. "The manhole that prompted the red flag in FP2 was disassembled and further inspected. A specific fault was found with the closure mechanism, and it was possible to address this issue overnight," the FIA said in a statement. "In addition to the work conducted to address the issue identified, the cover of this manhole has been welded to provide further mitigation. "All other manhole covers on or close to the racing line were reinspected overnight, and additional welding was applied to a further 14 manhole assemblies." Loose covers were a problem in practice for the…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (193+ words) SAO PAULO, Nov 8 " Lewis Hamilton faced a stewards" investigation after another disappointing day as Ferrari struggled for pace in yesterday"s qualifying for today"s sprint race at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The 40-year-old seven-times world champion will start the sprint from 11th on the grid, unless he is penalised, and was almost lost for words after the session. He was summoned to see the stewards for allegedly failing to slow under double yellow flags waved when team-mate Charles Leclerc spun late in the second sprint qualifying session. The incident wrecked Hamilton"s hopes of delivering a late flying lap to advance to the final sprint qualifier. Without a podium finish in a record 20 races since joining Ferrari this year, Hamilton has been unable to sustain momentum in a season of frustration. "It"s not for the lack of trying,…...