Latest news with #McLarenFormulaOne
Straits Times
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Fan favourite Norris on top in British GP practice
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SILVERSTONE, England - Fan favourite Lando Norris lapped fastest in British Grand Prix practice on Friday as an army of McLaren Formula One fans, many of them 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 Ferrari's Charles Leclerc 0.222 slower and Lewis Hamilton 0.301 off the pace after going quickest in the first practice. 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 Friday'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, 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. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore PAP has begun search for new candidates; PM Wong hopes to deploy them earlier ahead of next GE Singapore 20 retired MPs spoke up on many issues in Parliament, helped successors prepare for new role: PM Wong Singapore $3b money laundering case: 9 financial institutions handed $27.45m in MAS penalties over breaches Singapore Banks tighten vigilance and processes following $3b money laundering case Asia JB petrol station shooting: Dead man with bullet wounds dumped at hospital Singapore Trilateral work group formed to address allegations of foreigners illegally taking on platform work Singapore Power distribution system in renewal project may be linked to Bukit Panjang LRT disruption: SMRT Singapore Rise in number of scam e-mails claiming to be from Cardinal William Goh: Catholic Church Hamilton 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. Fans again turned out in force, after 60,000 on Thursday. The four-day attendance is expected to be a record half a million people. REUTERS
Scottish Sun
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Outrageous £50m supercar collection for sale after icon's death – including motor that was once fastest in the world
AN OUTRAGEOUS collection of McLaren supercars valued at an estimated £50 million are set to be sold following the death of their owner - a motorsport icon closely tied to the McLaren Formula One team. The fleet of cars, one of the largest McLaren collections in the world, belonged to Mansour Ojjeh, a French-Saudi entrepreneur who was the former owner of TAG Heuer and a major shareholder in the McLaren Group. 5 Mansour Ojjeh's iconic £50m McLaren car collection set to be sold after his passing Credit: 5 Ojjeh's pristine 20-car McLaren collection features the final chassis of each model Credit: 5 The crown jewel of the collection is the final McLaren F1, hailed as the greatest road car ever Credit: 5 McLaren honoured Ojjeh with a unique colour, 'Mansour Orange,' featured across his fleet Credit: 5 Ojjeh (left), shown here in 2006 alongside Ron Dennis, McLaren's former team principal, CEO, and co-owner, played a pivotal role in their success Credit: Getty The businessman spent four decades working in F1 and helped transform the British team into one of the sport's greatest ever in terms of success and standing. He also played a key role in launching their line of road cars, which started with the mythical McLaren F1 in 1992. But Ojjeh passed away at the age of 68 in June 2021, leaving behind his personal collection of 20 pristine McLarens - with all of them said to be the final chassis number of each model. They include iconic machines such as the Speedtail, P1, Senna and, naturally, the F1, considered the collection's 'jewel in the crown'. His family has now decided the time is right for his range of high-performance motors to be sold to a new home, with leading classic car dealer, Tom Hartley Jnr, appointed by the Ojjeh's family to facilitate the sale. While the F1 model has covered just 1,810km and the P1 GTR was used occasionally during McLaren track days, every other car remains unused in factory-delivered condition. They were also maintained under direct instruction by McLaren itself, which is a service no other collector has ever received. Parting with this very personal collection is not easy Kathy Ojjeh, widow of Mansour Ojjeh As reported by Kathy Ojjeh, widow of Mansour Ojjeh, said: 'McLaren meant so much to Mansour. "It was more than business, it was pure passion and it was in that vein that he curated this unique collection of McLaren road cars. 'The 'Last of Legends' car collection is a treasure for our family – a reminder of the hours we witnessed Mansour designing each car to his specifications. The McLaren 765LT - powerful, light and track focused "He had an unusual talent for detail that stuns and impresses, a talent driven by the very passion he nurtured for so many years with McLaren. 'Parting with this very personal collection is not easy, but it is time for it to go to its new custodian, one who truly 'gets it' and will cherish owning and caring for it the way Mansour did.' Hartley Jnr added: 'I'm truly humbled that the Ojjeh family has entrusted my business with the sale of their incredible collection. 'I had the privilege of meeting Mansour on a few occasions, and his attention to detail and appreciation for the finer things in life are clearly reflected in the collection that remains today. 'Offering this collection for sale would be extraordinary in its own right, but the fact that it comes from the home of one of McLaren Automotive's founding figures, a man so instrumental in McLaren's Formula 1 success, makes it truly unrepeatable.' This isn't Hartley Jnr's first rodeo, as earlier this year he sold Bernie Ecclestone's collection of 69 historic Grand Prix and F1 cars for approximately £500m, making it one of the biggest car deals in history. The 41-year-old, who counts billionaires and royalty in his exclusive book of contacts, eventually flogged the cars to Mark Mateschitz, the billionaire co-owner of the Red Bull energy drink firm. He added: 'For me, the highlight of the collection is, of course, the F1. This is the most significant McLaren road car collection ever assembled Tom Hartley Jnr 'It's widely regarded as the greatest road car ever built, and this particular example is the very last one produced. 'It has only just over 1,800km from new and comes directly from Mansour Ojjeh, who, alongside Bruce McLaren and Ron Dennis, was instrumental in shaping the history of the marque. 'I have no doubt this will fetch a world record price for the model when it's sold. 'There are so many other remarkable cars in the collection, each one completely unique and the final example of its model ever built. 'One especially poignant example is the Elva, delivered after Mansour's passing. 'In an extraordinary gesture of respect, McLaren replaced the manufacturer's badges on the front and rear with Mansour's own emblem - a tribute to one of their founders. 'This is the most significant McLaren road car collection ever assembled, and I sincerely hope it is acquired by a single buyer, just as the Ecclestone Grand Prix collection was which we sold earlier this year.' Each car is also notably finished in 'Yquem' – a unique shade likened to orange or Papaya – which McLaren subsequently renamed 'Mansour Orange'. Reports suggest the collection could sell for more than $70m - which is roughly £50m. THE FUTURE'S ORANGE This comes as, back in April, it was revealed McLaren were setting plans to break 62 years of tradition by merging with a luxury EV brand - with an aim to expand its model range beyond supercars. It could see the iconic British marque begin to produce SUVs and other types of vehicles – much like rivals Porsche, Aston Martin and Lamborghini have done in recent years. McLaren Automotive, which is a separate entity from their famous F1 team, was sold to Abu Dhabi investment group CYVN Holdings back in December. But CYVN also backs a number of other brands, including British EV start-up Forseven and Chinese EV maker Nio. Reports suggest they now plan to merge McLaren with Forseven in a radical makeover, enabling McLaren to widen its model range beyond supercars, including the potential introduction of SUVs. McLaren has suffered financial losses in recent years and has engaged in talks with several other carmakers to form partnerships and to secure new funding. However, these talks failed to materialise and brought about negotiations with CYVN. British brands such as Bentley and Aston Martin, and their Italian rivals Ferrari and Lamborghini, have all built SUVs and launched SUV-sized models in recent years. These in turn have helped increase their sales and profits. Porsche, another luxury carmaker famed for its sports cars, infamously produced the Cayenne in 2002 to a mixed reception. However, the high-performance SUV has been a mighty success for the company and ensured their financial stability in the 2000s.
The Irish Sun
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Outrageous £50m supercar collection for sale after icon's death – including motor that was once fastest in the world
AN OUTRAGEOUS collection of McLaren supercars valued at an estimated £50 million are set to be sold following the death of their owner - a motorsport icon closely tied to the McLaren Formula One team. The fleet of cars, one of the largest McLaren collections in the world, belonged to Mansour Ojjeh, a French-Saudi entrepreneur who was the former owner of TAG Heuer and a major shareholder in the McLaren Group. 5 Mansour Ojjeh's iconic £50m McLaren car collection set to be sold after his passing Credit: 5 Ojjeh's pristine 20-car McLaren collection features the final chassis of each model Credit: 5 The crown jewel of the collection is the final McLaren F1, hailed as the greatest road car ever Credit: 5 McLaren honoured Ojjeh with a unique colour, 'Mansour Orange,' featured across his fleet Credit: 5 Ojjeh (left), shown here in 2006 alongside Ron Dennis, McLaren's former team principal, CEO, and co-owner, played a pivotal role in their success Credit: Getty The businessman spent four decades working in F1 and helped transform the British team into one of the sport's greatest ever in terms of success and standing. He also played a key role in launching their line of road cars, which started with the mythical McLaren F1 in 1992. But Ojjeh passed away at the age of 68 in June 2021, leaving behind his personal collection of 20 pristine McLarens - with all of them said to be the final chassis number of each model. They include iconic machines such as the Speedtail, P1, Senna and, naturally, the F1, considered the collection's 'jewel in the crown'. Read more Motors News His family has now decided the time is right for his range of high-performance motors to be sold to a new home, with leading classic car dealer, Tom Hartley Jnr, appointed by the Ojjeh's family to facilitate the sale. While the F1 model has covered just 1,810km and the P1 GTR was used occasionally during McLaren track days, every other car remains unused in factory-delivered condition. They were also maintained under direct instruction by McLaren itself, which is a service no other collector has ever received. Parting with this very personal collection is not easy Kathy Ojjeh, widow of Mansour Ojjeh As reported by Most read in Motors "It was more than business, it was pure passion and it was in that vein that he curated this unique collection of McLaren road cars. 'The 'Last of Legends' car collection is a treasure for our family – a reminder of the hours we witnessed Mansour designing each car to his specifications. The McLaren 765LT - powerful, light and track focused "He had an unusual talent for detail that stuns and impresses, a talent driven by the very passion he nurtured for so many years with McLaren. 'Parting with this very personal collection is not easy, but it is time for it to go to its new custodian, one who truly 'gets it' and will cherish owning and caring for it the way Mansour did.' Hartley Jnr added: 'I'm truly humbled that the Ojjeh family has entrusted my business with the sale of their incredible collection. 'I had the privilege of meeting Mansour on a few occasions, and his attention to detail and appreciation for the finer things in life are clearly reflected in the collection that remains today. 'Offering this collection for sale would be extraordinary in its own right, but the fact that it comes from the home of one of McLaren Automotive's founding figures, a man so instrumental in McLaren's Formula 1 success, makes it truly unrepeatable.' This isn't Hartley Jnr's first rodeo, as earlier this year he sold Bernie Ecclestone's collection of 69 historic Grand Prix and F1 cars for approximately £500m, making it one of the biggest car deals in history. The 41-year-old, who counts billionaires and royalty in his exclusive book of contacts, eventually flogged the cars to Mark Mateschitz, the billionaire co-owner of the Red Bull energy drink firm. He added: 'For me, the highlight of the collection is, of course, the F1. This is the most significant McLaren road car collection ever assembled Tom Hartley Jnr 'It's widely regarded as the greatest road car ever built, and this particular example is the very last one produced. 'It has only just over 1,800km from new and comes directly from Mansour Ojjeh, who, alongside Bruce McLaren and Ron Dennis, was instrumental in shaping the history of the marque. 'I have no doubt this will fetch a world record price for the model when it's sold. 'There are so many other remarkable cars in the collection, each one completely unique and the final example of its model ever built. 'One especially poignant example is the Elva, delivered after Mansour's passing. 'In an extraordinary gesture of respect, McLaren replaced the manufacturer's badges on the front and rear with Mansour's own emblem - a tribute to one of their founders. 'This is the most significant McLaren road car collection ever assembled, and I sincerely hope it is acquired by a single buyer, just as the Ecclestone Grand Prix collection was which we sold earlier this year.' Each car is also notably finished in 'Yquem' – a unique shade likened to orange or Papaya – which McLaren subsequently renamed 'Mansour Orange'. Reports suggest the collection could sell for more than $70m - which is roughly £50m. THE FUTURE'S ORANGE This comes as, back in April, It could see the iconic British marque begin to produce SUVs and other types of vehicles – much like rivals Porsche, Aston Martin and Lamborghini have done in recent years. McLaren Automotive, which is a separate entity from their famous F1 team, was sold to Abu Dhabi investment group CYVN Holdings back in December. But CYVN also backs a number of other brands, including British EV start-up Forseven and Chinese EV maker Nio. Reports suggest they now plan to merge McLaren with Forseven in a radical makeover, enabling McLaren to widen its model range beyond supercars, including the potential introduction of SUVs. McLaren has suffered financial losses in recent years and has engaged in talks with several other carmakers to form partnerships and to secure new funding. However, these talks failed to materialise and brought about negotiations with CYVN. British brands such as Bentley and Aston Martin, and their Italian rivals Ferrari and Lamborghini, have all built SUVs and launched SUV-sized models in recent years. These in turn have helped increase their sales and profits. Porsche, another luxury carmaker famed for its sports cars, infamously produced the Cayenne in 2002 to a mixed reception. However, the high-performance SUV has been a mighty success for the company and ensured their financial stability in the 2000s.
The Sun
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Marc Marquez eyes 68th win at Dutch MotoGP in Assen
RUNAWAY championship leader Marc Marquez can draw level with motorcycling legend Giacomo Agostini's 68 elite wins at the Dutch MotoGP this weekend. That will leave the rejuvenated six-time MotoGP champion 21 grands prix wins shy of all-time record-holder Valentino Rossi. The way the Spaniard has been riding since joining the Ducati factory time this term, catching his retired arch rival's tally is by no means beyond the bounds of possibility. Marquez arrives at Assen's 'Cathedral of speed' circuit fresh from his exploits at Mugello, where he claimed the sprint and the race from pole for the fifth weekend this year. His fifth win from nine grands prix lifted him 40 points clear of his younger sibling Alex, riding for Ducati's satellite Gresini team. Alex Marquez has finished second to Marc in eight of the nine sprints, and four times in the main event, leading some conspiracy theorists to speculate over a form of collusion and sharing of strategies between the siblings. Alex though was quick to knock that notion on the head ahead of this 10th round of the championship. "I think, from outside, some people are trying to create a war or a battle between me and Marc," Alex told "It's what the people want to push, to see some competition. We have that already - we are brothers. "So, we've fought all of our lives. You want to beat your brother and you want to be in front and you want to be better in life than your brother. "But it will not change. At the moment, he is faster than us. For that reason, many times people say 'Alex doesn't attack him'. "I don't attack him because I don't arrive (in a position to take him on)." Bagnaia aims for Assen four-timer The Marquez brothers have left former two-time champion Francesco Bagnaia toiling in their wake this season. The occupant of the other half of the Ducati factory garage is a yawning 110 points off the lead. But 'Pecco' has form at Assen, winning the last three Dutch grands prix, and looked back to his best, hustling for the lead early on in Mugello last Sunday before settling for third. Bagnaia is having similar problems with his bike as McLaren Formula One title contender Lando Norris has been complaining of with his car this season as he battles his teammate Oscar Piastri for the F1 drivers' crown. "I was quite confident in the first part of the race, I was feeling good, and then after six laps, the front started to drop. "I had to slow down because I was risking a crash. The problem is that this season is always like this. I cannot do what I want on the bike," he said after Mugello. "It's a shame, it is what it is. From the first race, it's like this," he continued. "Maybe I start well, then I spend the race watching the brothers, what they are doing, hoping for a mistake from them to maybe have a chance to overtake. But like this, it's not possible."
The Sun
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Alex Marquez dismisses helping brother Marc's title bid
RUNAWAY championship leader Marc Marquez can draw level with motorcycling legend Giacomo Agostini's 68 elite wins at the Dutch MotoGP this weekend. That will leave the rejuvenated six-time MotoGP champion 21 grands prix wins shy of all-time record-holder Valentino Rossi. The way the Spaniard has been riding since joining the Ducati factory time this term, catching his retired arch rival's tally is by no means beyond the bounds of possibility. Marquez arrives at Assen's 'Cathedral of speed' circuit fresh from his exploits at Mugello, where he claimed the sprint and the race from pole for the fifth weekend this year. His fifth win from nine grands prix lifted him 40 points clear of his younger sibling Alex, riding for Ducati's satellite Gresini team. Alex Marquez has finished second to Marc in eight of the nine sprints, and four times in the main event, leading some conspiracy theorists to speculate over a form of collusion and sharing of strategies between the siblings. Alex though was quick to knock that notion on the head ahead of this 10th round of the championship. "I think, from outside, some people are trying to create a war or a battle between me and Marc," Alex told "It's what the people want to push, to see some competition. We have that already - we are brothers. "So, we've fought all of our lives. You want to beat your brother and you want to be in front and you want to be better in life than your brother. "But it will not change. At the moment, he is faster than us. For that reason, many times people say 'Alex doesn't attack him'. "I don't attack him because I don't arrive (in a position to take him on)." Bagnaia aims for Assen four-timer The Marquez brothers have left former two-time champion Francesco Bagnaia toiling in their wake this season. The occupant of the other half of the Ducati factory garage is a yawning 110 points off the lead. But 'Pecco' has form at Assen, winning the last three Dutch grands prix, and looked back to his best, hustling for the lead early on in Mugello last Sunday before settling for third. Bagnaia is having similar problems with his bike as McLaren Formula One title contender Lando Norris has been complaining of with his car this season as he battles his teammate Oscar Piastri for the F1 drivers' crown. "I was quite confident in the first part of the race, I was feeling good, and then after six laps, the front started to drop. "I had to slow down because I was risking a crash. The problem is that this season is always like this. I cannot do what I want on the bike," he said after Mugello. "It's a shame, it is what it is. From the first race, it's like this," he continued. "Maybe I start well, then I spend the race watching the brothers, what they are doing, hoping for a mistake from them to maybe have a chance to overtake. But like this, it's not possible."
