
Tim Mayer to stand for FIA presidency: reports
Mayer, who said he was dismissed as a Formula One race steward by text message by an assistant of incumbent president Mohammed Ben Sulayem last November, will reportedly confirm his bid at a news conference close to Silverstone today, the BBC said.
The 59-year-old has held leading positions in the American Champ Car series, Imsa and the American Le Mans Series in addition to stewarding in many championships for the FIA, including F1.
Mayer explained last year that Ben Sulayem felt the American had made an attack on him by representing The Circuit of the Americas at a hearing to review a fine the circuit was given after a crowd invasion at the 2024 US Grand Prix. - AFP
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Malaysia Sun
3 hours ago
- Malaysia Sun
Alcaraz, Sabalenka advance to fourth round at Wimbledon
LONDON, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz remained on course for a third straight Wimbledon title after defeating Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round on Friday. The second-seeded Spaniard secured a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory, converting five of 12 break points. He excelled on second returns, winning 34 of 55 points - a key factor in his win. "I think I returned pretty well. It just puts so much pressure on his serve. I think it was the key today," the 22-year-old said. Alcaraz will next take on 14th seed Andrey Rublev, who eased past Adrian Mannarino 7-5, 6-2, 6-3. The two-time champion anticipates a tough match against the aggressive Russian. "He's a really powerful player. I think he plays really well on grass because he always loves to be aggressive," he said. "When he finds his forehand, I think he likes to move his opponent from side to side. It's going to be really difficult because on grass, the movement is the most difficult thing to do," he added. Meanwhile, fifth-seeded American Taylor Fritz advanced with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1 win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and will meet Australia's Jordan Thompson in the next round. Thompson defeated Italy's Luciano Darderi 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. In the women's draw, top seed Aryna Sabalenka overcame a spirited challenge from Britain's Emma Raducanu, winning 7-6 (6), 6-4. Trailing 4-1 in the second set, Sabalenka rallied to claim five consecutive games. "Emma played such incredible tennis and she pushed me really hard to get this win," said Sabalenka. "I had to fight for every point to get this win," the 27-year-old Belarusian added. Elsewhere, Australian Open champion Madison Keys fell to 37-year-old German Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-3, while former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka squandered a set lead to lose 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Malay Mail
6 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Norris silences Silverstone as Verstappen's Red Bull exit door swings wide open
SILVERSTONE, July 5 — Lando Norris thrilled his home fans at Silverstone when he topped the times for McLaren ahead of both Ferraris in second practice on Friday for this weekend's British Grand Prix. In gusty conditions at the former airfield circuit in central England, the 25-year-old Briton clocked a best lap in one minute and 25.816 seconds to outpace Charles Leclerc by 0.222 seconds. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, a record nine-time winner of his home race, was three-tenths adrift in third after topping FP1, his first practice success since last year's Las Vegas Grand Prix and his first with Ferrari. Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who leads Norris by 15 points, was fourth in the second McLaren ahead of four-time champion Max Verstappen, who spent much time grumbling about the balance and performance of his Red Bull. Kimi Antonelli was sixth for Mercedes ahead of Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, George Russell in the second Mercedes and RB rookies Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson. 'That was a good lap from Lando,' said McLaren chief Zak Brown. 'But Ferrari look very strong here and they're fast on both one lap and on race runs.' After a fevered break replete with rumour in the paddock Red Bull boss Christian Horner did little to quell stories claiming Verstappen was bound for Mercedes even when a chance to categorically deny it was presented to him. Max exit clause 'Contracts between the drivers and the team are always going to remain confidential,' he told a news conference. 'And with any driver's contract, there is an element of performance mechanism and that exists within Max's contract. 'Now, absolutely, his intention is that he will be there and driving for us in 2026. It's inevitable that he's of huge interest to any other team and in the pit lane.' Horner's comments confirmed the existence of an exit clause for Verstappen that, it is widely believed, may permit him to agree to join another team if he is outside the top three in the drivers' championship at the end of July. All of this was only a slight distraction from Hamilton's performance in topping the times in FP1 for Ferrari, his first practice success since last year's Las Vegas Grand Prix with Mercedes – and he began FP2 in the same vein by clocking 1:27.280 to set the pace on mediums. After briefly being overhauled by the McLaren duo, he trimmed his time to 1:26.902 while Verstappen was complaining 'Have you seen my front tyres in the high speed? They just don't respond'. He was 10th after 20 minutes when Carlos Sainz, affected by the wind, spun his Williams out of Luffield and almost hit Nico Hulkenberg before Hamilton regained top spot from Leclerc by three-tenths in 1:26.592. The top men bolted on softs with 30 minutes remaining and after Mercedes briefly took control, Leclerc went fastest ahead of Piastri before Norris delighted his fans, in the grandstands named after him, in 1:25.816 to move clear. — AFP


New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Fan favourite Norris on top in British GP practice
SILVERSTONE: Lando Norris lapped fastest ahead of the Ferraris in British Grand Prix practice on Friday as an army of McLaren Formula One fans, many cheering from a sold-out 'Landostand', got what they wanted to see. The Briton was top of the second session with a best effort of one minute 25.816 seconds, with Charles Leclerc 0.222 slower and Lewis Hamilton 0.301 off the pace after going quickest in the first practice. "I think we have a bit of work to do, to be honest," said Norris. "It looks maybe a bit too good today, like always. "Ferrari always catch up into P3 (final practice) like they did last weekend so I'd say I'm pleased with today but nothing to be too proud about just yet." McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri was fourth fastest with Red Bull's four-times champion Max Verstappen fifth and Mercedes Kimi Antonelli, who will have a three-place grid drop for Sunday's race, sixth. Lance Stroll was seventh for Aston Martin with Mercedes' George Russell eighth. Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar was ninth and teammate Liam Lawson 10th. Hamilton, last year's race winner for Mercedes, had raised hopes of more home heroics with the fastest lap of 1:26.892 in first practice while 17-year-old Arvid Lindblad looked strong in his debut session for Red Bull. Hamilton is on a career-low run of 13 races without a podium finish but is a record nine-times home race winner and hoping to end the drought. The seven-times world champion is racing at home in Ferrari's red colours for the first time. The Italian team have yet to win this season, the only top-four outfit yet to do so. "The car felt good in both sessions, even though I hit some traffic on my fastest lap in FP2, so there's definitely time to find," said Hamilton. He had not led a practice session this year before Friday, although he was fastest in Chinese sprint qualifying. Norris, winner in Austria last weekend, was 0.023 slower in session one with Piastri third. DOMINANT ADVANTAGE Piastri leads Norris by 15 points with Silverstone marking the 24-race season's midpoint. Champions McLaren have a dominant 207 points advantage over Ferrari in the constructors' standings. Lindblad, replacing Yuki Tsunoda for first practice only, to satisfy young driver testing requirements, ended up 14th fastest with a time only half a second behind that of teammate and reigning champion Verstappen, who was 10th in that session. Red Bull had to seek special dispensation from the governing FIA for the Anglo-Swedish driver with Indian heritage to be allowed to drive while under the age limit of 18, and team boss Christian Horner was pleased with what he saw. "I thought he acquitted himself very well, his feedback was clear and concise," he said of the Formula Two driver tipped for an eventual seat at Racing Bulls. "He's definitely a prospect for the future." Only one other driver had debuted so young at a grand prix weekend and that was Verstappen in Japanese Grand Prix practice in 2014, three days after his 17th birthday. Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto spun his Sauber full circle at speed but without mishap in the first session. Estonian Paul Aron lapped for Sauber, replacing Nico Hulkenberg for practice one, and was 17th.