Latest news with #FormulaThree
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'F1 'ending explained: Does Sonny Hayes finally win a Formula One race (and is a sequel in the works)?
F1 stars Brad Pitt as a washed-up Formula One driver who gets another shot at glory when asked to help an old friend's struggling team. The sports drama builds to a thrilling and heartfelt ending filled with burnt rubber and practical stunts. Director Joseph Kosinski said he has plans for a summer blockbuster season has officially arrived, and director Joseph Kosinski's F1 is off to the races. Starring Oscar winner Brad Pitt, the adrenaline-fueled thrill ride follows Sonny Hayes, a once-promising Formula One driver whose career was cut short due to a serious crash three decades earlier. When his friend and old teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) asks him to help save the struggling APXGP team, Sonny, now living out of a beat-up van and racing wherever he can, decides to take one last shot at greatness. Below, we're taking you through F1's emotional final lap, including whether Sonny Hayes (Pitt) comes out on top and what's in store for a possible sequel. After clashing on and off the track, Sonny and Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) — a hotshot rookie with raw talent and an ego to match — finally start to gel at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Sonny pulls out all the stops, exploiting the safety car rules by intentionally triggering minor crashes to bunch up the field. The gamble pays off, as Pearce forces his way into the midfield and scores APXGP's first-ever points finish. With the team feeling like they have a chance, momentum builds. Sonny starts taking simulator training seriously and even convinces the brilliant technical director, Kate (Kerry Condon), to redesign the car for "combat." For the first time all season, APXGP looks like a real contender — then comes the Italian Grand Prix, where everything goes sideways. Under heavy rain, Sonny urges Pearce to stay out on slick tires, a gutsy call that could lead to aquaplaning but boosts him into second place. Pearce's confidence soon gets the better of him, and rather than following Sonny's advice to wait for a straight, he attempts to overtake Max Verstappen at Curva Parabolica. Pearce ends up hitting a curb, and his car flies over the barrier before crashing and bursting into flames. Kosinski revealed to Entertainment Weekly they staged the crash "practically," adding, "It was a massive set-up. Damson put his time up high in the air in a spinning car, which was pretty intense. It was actually based on an incident that happened on the same corner in Formula Three about 10 years ago. We adapted it for our film and put it in the rain and Formula One." Watching it unfold, Sonny is transported back to the career-ending crash he suffered 30 years ago. Without hesitation, he abandons the race and sprints to the wreck, pulling Pearce from the burning car. Pearce misses the next three races, but Sonny keeps the team alive with steady, points-scoring drives. During his first race back, Pearce's aggression boils over, and he forces a crash with Sonny. This knocks both APXGP drivers out of the race, leading to a rift forming between them. With only two races left, Kate proposes an unconventional solution: a poker game, and the winner gets to be APXGP's No. 1 driver for the high-stakes Las Vegas Grand Prix. Pearce wins, but what he doesn't know is that Sonny folded a winning hand. After Sonny lets Pearce win the poker game, he spends the night with Kate. However, their rendezvous is short-lived, as Ruben bursts in and shares that a whistleblower is claiming Kate's upgrades to the car are illegal. Kate denies it, but the FIA steps in and demands the upgrades be stripped before the next race. At the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Sonny's frustration boils over. While racing Sergio Pérez, he loses his cool and crashes his car. Kosinski told EW they had no time to rehearse the sequence. "The Las Vegas track is not a permanent track," he explained. "It's a street track down the strip that is only up for a couple of nights, so it is very hard to get access to. We were not able to get any practice time on it." He continued, "We got one 15-minute slot in the middle of the night. It was freezing cold, so the tires were not getting any grip. And it's the only circuit we drove on that has no safety area. It's walls on both sides on a very, very fast track." Sonny ends up in the hospital. While he recovers, Ruben learns that Sonny's injury from his 1993 crash left him nearly paralyzed and barely able to race. For his own safety, Ruben fires Sonny from the team. As Sonny recovers, APXGP board member Peter Banning (Tobias Menzies) tells him he wants to force Ruben to sell so he can create his own team, one that includes Sonny stepping in as team principal. Peter admits he's the one who forged documents accusing Kate of illegal upgrades, hoping to get APXGP banned from the grid. Ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Pearce finally gets his act together, committing to being more responsible and admitting that his crash wasn't Sonny's fault. Meanwhile, Sonny finds a loophole and convinces Ruben to give him one last shot behind the wheel, finally aiming to secure that long-awaited Formula One win. Oh, and before the race, Sonny makes it clear to Peter that he's not interested in his shady offer by texting him a middle finger emoji. Everything starts coming together, especially once the FIA clears Kate of wrongdoing and allows APXGP to use the upgrades. During the race, Pearce takes the lead but gets passed by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Then, just when things get tense, a red flag drops after Sonny, in fourth place, collides with George Russell, giving both APXGP drivers fresh tires and a second shot at the title. When the race resumes, Sonny charges past Leclerc and, in a selfless move, forces race leader Hamilton to block him instead of Pearce. However, Hamilton and Pearce crash on the final lap, clearing the way for Sonny to claim his lifelong dream of winning a Formula One race. The win also stops the team's sale, and Sonny and Ruben celebrate together on the podium. As the champagne flows, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff offers Pearce a coveted seat, but he passes, choosing to stick with APXGP. Later, Pearce congratulates Sonny but tells him it's cool he took this win because Pearce himself is "gonna win a million races." In the movie's final moments, Sonny and Kate share a bittersweet goodbye (for now). Sonny's got other races to run, even if it means his relationship with Kate is a long-distance one. And with that, Sonny hits the road again, trading Formula One for the rugged Baja 1000 off-road race. As of now, no official F1 sequel has been announced. Rumor has it, though, that the wheels are turning behind the scenes. On Monday, June 30, Variety reported that talks are underway, and director Joseph Kosinski previously told EW he's already got sequel ideas brewing. "But that's up to the audience to decide if they want to see it," he said. "I loved working with this group of people. I loved creating our own Formula One team. I'd love to see what's up next for APXGP and Sonny Hayes." What could an F1 sequel look like? In a chat with British GQ, Kosinski revealed his ultimate dream is to bring in Tom Cruise for an epic Days of Thunder crossover. "Well, right now, it'd be Cole Trickle, who was [Cruise's] Days of Thunder character, we find out that he and Sonny Hayes have a past," he shared. "They were rivals at some point, maybe crossed paths… I heard about this epic go-kart battle on Interview with a Vampire that Brad and Tom had, and who wouldn't pay to see those two go head-to-head on the track?" F1 is now in theaters, but it will become available to stream on Apple TV+ at a later the original article on Entertainment Weekly
The Star
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Motor racing-Brazilian Bortoleto feels the weight of history in Monaco
Formula One F1 - Monaco Grand Prix - Circuit de Monaco, Monaco - May 23, 2025 Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto arrives ahead of practice REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq MONACO (Reuters) -Gabriel Bortoleto can feel the weight of history as the Brazilian rookie prepares to race around the same metal-fenced Monaco streets once dominated by his Formula One idol Ayrton Senna. Triple world champion Senna, whose death at Imola in 1994 shocked the sport, won a record six times in the Mediterranean principality including five in a row with McLaren between 1989 and 1993. Bortoleto, also from Sao Paulo and last year's Formula Two champion who also won the Formula Three title the season before, will be the first Brazilian since Felipe Massa in 2017 to start the showcase race. The 20-year-old Sauber driver, whose team will become the Audi factory outfit next year, said his father had told him stories about Senna for as long as he could remember. "He was, he is, my idol," he told Reuters in an interview. "I believe he was the greatest. I think not only as a driver, but as a person, the Brazilian driver that did the most for the country, did the most for everyone." The legacy, he added, remained very much alive as well as the country's thirst to produce another winner and eventual champion. "Definitely I feel it, you know, and it's obvious because everyone that represents a country, and you are the only one doing that in this series, you end up feeling that from the fans and everyone," he said. "It doesn't matter what position we are in right now, because I'm sure we are going to get better in the future as a team and everything, but having someone on the grid is super important to keep our country alive in this sport." NO POINTS Bortoleto has yet to score a point in seven races with Sauber, currently last of the 10 teams, but he made light of his situation. He has the example of manager and mentor Fernando Alonso, a double world champion with Renault in 2005 and 2006 who went through his 2001 debut season with tail-enders Minardi without scoring. Alonso, still racing at 43 with Aston Martin, has also yet to open his account in 2025. "It's not nice to not have points, but I really don't care because my target in Formula One is not to score one point and 'now I have a point in the season'," said Bortoleto. "My target here is to develop and grow as a driver like I see I'm doing and one day be fighting for a championship and win. "I'm not here to be a guy that scores a couple of points. Who remembers about these people that score a little bit of points and they finish P13 in the championship?" Bortoleto has a contract for 2026 and said this year would be a learning one. That includes having to move aside as a backmarker for faster cars -- such as his friend, simulator racing rival and four times world champion Max Verstappen -- when blue flags are waved. "I'm not used to that, you know, I've never got a blue flag in my life before Formula One," said Bortoleto. "I'm sure that one day, hopefully I will be blue flagging people... you know patience is everything and hopefully my career in Formula One is not a short one. "I'm here to stay for very long, and at some point I'm sure I'm going to have a good car to deliver strong results and to celebrate good things with this great team I have behind me." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
Barnama
25-04-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Expand Sibu International Powerboat Race Promotions For More Foreign Race Competitors
SIBU, April 25 (Bernama) -- Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said the promotions of the Sibu International Powerboat Race 2025, which kicked off today at the Pulau Li Hua waterfront, need to be expanded further as an international-class competition to attract more racers from abroad. He described the race as one with great potential to strengthen Sarawak's tourism sector, especially in Sibu. "This is a very good programme. It can have a big impact on the local tourism industry if expanded with international-scale organising," he said when met after officiating the event today. bootstrap slideshow He stressed that close cooperation from all parties is needed, especially in terms of financing and providing more lucrative cash prizes to attract international racers. 'All parties need to work together to promote this race not only locally but also internationally. My ministry is ready to assist in terms of promotion and organisation,' he said. The race involves various boat categories including Formula Three and Four, with participation from all over Sarawak and also Brunei Darussalam. Commenting on the possibility of organising a Formula One speedboat race, Tiong described the proposal as a good step to provide opportunities for locals to delve into the organising aspects and experience world-class sports. 'If there are any interested parties, we welcome discussions with the Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts and then take this proposal to the federal government level,' he said. He also announced an allocation of RM200,000 from his ministry for the organisation of the prestigious water sports championship.
New York Times
11-03-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Oscar Piastri signs long-term McLaren contract extension: Why F1 team has moved to secure his future
Oscar Piastri has signed a new, multi-year contract with McLaren ahead of the opening round of the 2025 Formula One season in Australia this weekend. Piastri, 23, previously had a contract that ran until the end of the 2026 season that was signed back in 2023 after impressing through his rookie campaign with McLaren. Advertisement The Australian will now remain with McLaren beyond his previous contract's end date after the team announced his deal had been extended just days before his home grand prix in Melbourne. McLaren did not specify how long the new contract would last, but said Piastri 'will continue in papaya for the long-term.' 'It's a great feeling knowing that I'm part of McLaren's long-term vision,' said Piastri in a statement. 'The team had the belief in me when we signed in 2022, and the journey we've gone on over the past two seasons to help return McLaren to the very top of the sport has been incredible.' Piastri joined McLaren ahead of the 2023 season after winning the Formula Two and Formula Three titles as a junior and scored his maiden grand prix victory in Hungary last year. This was followed by a stunning drive to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as well as a string of other performances that helped lift McLaren to its first constructors' title win since 1998. Confirmation of Piastri's new contract ensures McLaren has long-term stability with its driver line-up after signing Lando Norris, last year's championship runner-up, to a new multi-year deal at the start of last year. 'It's fantastic to confirm Oscar's extension with McLaren,' said McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. 'Not only is he an incredibly talented driver, but his work ethic and cultural fit within the team made it a no-brainer to extend his time in papaya. 'We've got the best driver line-up on the grid, and in the past two seasons, we've seen how much of an asset to the team Oscar is both on and off track. 'He was absolutely fundamental in adding to our legacy with the 2024 constructors' championship last season, so we're all excited to see what we can do in the years to come as we continue to fight for world championships together.' This is the second time that McLaren has moved early to renew Piastri's contract despite there being a considerable amount of time left to run, proving just how much the team values him. Much of the spotlight may have been placed upon Norris, 25, who won four races last year for McLaren and spearheaded its constructors' title victory. But Piastri was regularly a close match for his teammate, particularly over race distances, with his main deficit to Norris coming in qualifying. Norris outqualified Piastri for 20 of last year's 24 races. Advertisement Piastri is only entering his third season in F1, fueling a firm belief throughout the paddock that he has an extremely high ceiling. Inevitably, as rival teams came to consider their future line-ups, Piastri's name is one that would have come up regularly after 2026, when his previous contract was set to expire. Speaking in the latest season of 'Drive to Survive' on Netflix, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said he would take Piastri over Norris if he had to sign a McLaren driver. It also points to McLaren holding a firm belief it can manage the inevitable close competition between Piastri and Norris, which flared last year in Hungary after it used team orders to get Norris to move aside while leading. Piastri then helped support Norris's faint drivers' championship hopes through the second half of the season. The new deal is likely to bring Piastri a decent improvement in contractual terms, given he has become a two-time grand prix winner and contributed to the constructors' win since his previous renewal was announced in October 2023. The extension also gives an extra cause for celebration for Piastri and his home fans in Melbourne this weekend, the track being just a short drive from where he grew up in the suburb of Brighton. If he can finish on the podium, Piastri would be the first Australian to finish on the podium for his home grand prix since it became a round on the world championship calendar in 1985. ()
