Latest news with #O2Arena
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Why F1 may benefit from Mohammed Ben Sulayem's V8 push
It was on the morning of the glitzy season launch at London's O2 Arena in February when Formula 1 lost its collective head. There, it's said, during an F1 Commission meeting, Christian Horner – Red Bull's then team principal – set his smartphone in the middle of the table. 'Bring back V10s' hissed the voice at the other end of the line: former F1 'ringmaster' Bernie Ecclestone. And, lo, the herd began its charge in that direction, only to crash upon the indifference of F1's engine manufacturers during a crunch meeting ahead of the Bahrain GP. But FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, one of those who got rather ahead of themselves on that chilly February day in London, still believes in the principle of a return to natural aspiration and set out his stall during a media briefing ahead of the British GP in July. The new plan accommodates reservations expressed by the majority of the engine manufacturers during the Bahrain summit: that V10s were unsuitable on many levels, not least the road-relevance front; and some form of electrification would have to be included to provide synergies with road car technologies. It's a debate which has been raging between paddock insiders for many years: should F1 slavishly mirror road car trends or should it adopt a so-called 'set controls for the heart of the sun' policy, focusing completely on noise and power even if it alienates the manufacturers? Many purists espouse the latter but acknowledge the many practical problems, such as what would happen to the manufacturer-based teams and who would actually build the engines. V8s, as now espoused by Ben Sulayem, are more acceptable to the manufacturers since many of them still have engines of that configuration somewhere in the range. At the same time the idea of internal combustion is undergoing something of a renaissance, owing to new technologies and developments in the global trading picture. A Ford DFV V8 engine in the back of a Brabham BT49 For a long time the direction of travel in the car industry has been towards full electrification, pushed by government legislation. But a significant proportion of consumers remain resistant, viewing electric cars as too expensive (and, of course, there are those who fear their genitals may fall off if they are seen driving anything other than a car with a loud, noisy and powerful internal combustion engine). Faced with this and an influx of cheaper, state-subsidised vehicles exported from China, the western car industry is beginning to panic. Former Renault Group boss Luca de Meo admitted as much before he quit. So there is still room for the internal combustion engine, provided the new generation of synthetic fuels can be produced at scale for a reasonable cost. Assuming F1 did return to a V8 engine format, there would be details to work out regarding size and the proportion of electrification. Next year the split will be 50:50 but this has proved controversial, and the technical formula has had to be adapted to embrace adaptive aerodynamic devices to mitigate potential power shortfalls on the straights. It's understood that the solution envisioned by the FIA is to move to an 80:20 ratio in favour of the ICU, or even 90:10. The new format would be introduced when the 2026 technical package has run its course, most likely 2030, though the president has suggested it could be earlier. "We need to do it soon,' he said at Silverstone. 'You need three years, so hopefully by 2029 we have something there.' 2026 Formula 1 rules Ben Sulayem has also talked about achieving radical cost savings by standardising components including the gearbox and the hybrid system. Former president Max Mosley tried to drive through something along these lines at the end of 2008, during the global financial crisis, running a tender process for a homologated drivetrain (ultimately won by Cosworth and Hewland). An additional wrinkle of the plan was to open up new grid spots and have those teams using the standard powertrain effectively running in a championship tier of their own, with a budget cap. But that idea was ultimately too complicated and lost impetus when Mosley stood down. Jean Todt, the next president, let it die entirely. There is an argument to say gearboxes are expensive to design, develop and build, and are no longer performance differentiators, so having a standardised component isn't necessarily a negative. There may be grumblings about whoever wins the putative tender but F1 has been here before, when McLaren Applied Technologies won the contract to supply the whole grid with homologated Engine Control Units. Fears of inequality and skulduggery proved unfounded. Standardised hybrid components may be more difficult for the engine manufacturers to digest – but, equally, this is also an 'invisible' system so far as the audience is concerned and if it can be made less expensive, it will find support. The FIA's position is that cost saving remains one of the most important factors even at a time when F1 is thriving commercially – because that situation could change at any time based on geopolitics and the global economy. 'As the FIA we are the moderators during the discussion of the regulations, mindful to contain costs and create a level playing field for all,' FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis told earlier this year. 'There is some strong resistance at times, as you would expect, from teams or PU manufacturers protecting their interests or investment. Cost-cutting and level of technological freedom are at loggerheads with each other. It is not easy to have both. 'The PU manufacturers came [to discussion regarding the 2026 regulations] with many proposals for cost-cutting on a number of items relating to the engine. They centred on simplification, eliminating certain materials, processes and technologies. 'The amount of cost-cutting we've achieved is not as much as we would all have liked. While we are in a very healthy position as a sport, financially and in terms of popularity, we should never be complacent about that: cost-cutting should always have a high priority.' The Formula One Championship-winning Power Units: Mercedes-AMG F1 M09 EQ Power+ (2018), Mercedes-AMG F1 M08 EQ Power+ (2017), Mercedes-Benz PU106C Hybrid (2016), Mercedes-Benz PU106B Hybrid (2015), Mercedes-Benz PU106A Hybrid (2014) 'Many of the manufacturers produce V8s in their cars, so commercially it's correct,' said Ben Sulayem at Silverstone. 'How much is it? The target is more than 50 percent [cheaper] in everything.' This could be achieved not just through standardising parts but also mandating cheaper materials. It's known, for instance, that the FIA wanted to move to aluminium pistons but the engine manufacturers, having initially supported the idea, U-turned en masse. Another issue F1 faces in its drive towards 'net zero' is the cost of the fully sustainable fuel which will be mandatory next year, said to be in the region of $275-$300 per litre. This reflects both the R&D investment which has had to go into developing these fuels and the energy-intensive means of production. As yet there is no solution to the problem of producing at scale and to a reasonable cost. Since all the teams have commercial fuel-and-lubes supply deals, the question of who actually absorbs those costs is tricky to unpick – and likely to differ depending on how individual deals are structured. Which is why another of Ben Sulayem's proposals is likely to face resistance: a single fuel supplier. What goes in the tank is less of a performance differentiator than it used to be – a chemical composition close to pump fuel is now prescribed, as is a sustainable element – but fuel brands still rely on performance for their storytelling. Shell, for instance, has built the identity of its VPower blend around its partnership with Ferrari. Would the story survive if the Ferrari were to become a mere mobile billboard for the likes of Shell, while the go-juice sloshing around inside had a rather different provenance? Perhaps – after all, we live in an age of profound superficiality. Ultimately if costs can be reduced as much as the president would like, the grid as a whole will benefit – and few will care whether you have a tiger in your tank or not. Read Also: Why F1 drivers don't like Pirelli's wet tyres, and how it plans to fix them To read more articles visit our website.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The Doobie Brothers can still stir up a bit of naughtiness
If a concert can be measured by how quickly a seated audience rises as one to dance, at the O2 Arena on Saturday night, The Doobie Brothers left things a little late. The crowd that more-or-less filled the venue's lower bowl – the top deck was curtained off – responded with only warm applause to the first dozen songs of a 19-song set. But as keyboardist and co-vocalist Michael McDonald struck up What A Fool Believes, a US number one in 1979, the atmosphere changed in an instant. Suddenly, the crowd were up and at 'em. Half an hour later, as the eight-piece band closed their account with Takin' It to the Streets and Listen to the Music, in section 112, I even detected the distinctive aroma of marijuana. The scene may not have rivalled the days in the early 1970s when The Doobie Brothers were beloved of North Californian chapters of the Hells Angels, but at least they can still inspire a little bit of misbehaviour. Melding hard-rock riffs, Latin rhythms, blue-eyed soul, and the musicianship of a great jam-band, their music defies categorisation. For this final date on the Doobie Brothers' UK tour, even the visuals were rather odd: a static stage backdrop featuring trees and fields and mountains made them look as though there were performing in front of a box containing the world's biggest jigsaw puzzle. The production, with its minimalist lighting rig, was easily the smallest I've ever seen at the O2. Nevertheless, the songs filled the room with unerring ease. As befits a group bearing two members who look like wizards, when it comes to superlative musical alchemy, the Doobie Brothers are in a league with Steely Dan, Little Feat and The Allman Brothers Band. Somehow, they manage to combine three lead guitarists and four lead vocalists without once stepping on each other's toes. They can sing five -part harmonies. Watching in wonder as they swerved from Bossa Nova (Dependin' on You) to American roots rock (Rockin' Down the Highway) to light jazz (a tastefully stripped-down version of Amazing Grace), I could only marvel at the virtuosity of it all. With the music doing all the talking, between songs, the group's rapport with the room stuttered like a nervous teenager on a first date. Time and again, the audience at the O2 were told how much their attendance was appreciated and how, you know, amazing it was for the band to be playing in London once more. For an outfit that has been performing live, off and on, for more than half a century, the almost total absence of quality chat was so inexplicable as to be strangely charming. As the night entered its final throw, however, The Doobie Brothers at last found their speaking voice. In a summer in which British audiences have already seen Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Green Day all publicly address the goings on in the United States, Patrick Simmons, one of the band's founding members, spoke of his pleasure that the international tour 'had got us the hell out of' America. 'We believe in inclusivity, we believe in NATO, we believe in all of that stuff,' he said. Faint though it may have been, for a moment at least, 'the Doobies' showed just a glimpse of their old countercultural edge. Evidently, there's life in the old gods yet.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Billie Eilish enforces 'woke' vegan food policy for London concerts leaving attendees 'less than impressed'
enforced a completely vegan food policy at her London concert held at the O2 Arena, making it the venue's first-ever fully plant-based event. The singer, 23, is performing at the venue for six nights for her Hit Me Hard And Soft Tour and every food vendor has been required to offer only plant-based options, removing all animal products from the arena for the evenings. Of the menus available there was a peri-peri haloumi wrap, a corn naan, chipotle tacos, pizzas, and pancakes. While some of Billie's vegan fans praised her decision, others were left disappointed with the food options after paying upwards of $94 for their tickets. One attendee told MailOnline: 'Punters were less than impressed with the vegan options - a mixture of pizzas, cauliflower bits and loaded fries - with more than one asking, "Did they run out of meat or something?" 'When venue staff explained that the directive had come from Billie, they were largely met with eye rolls and groans. 'The curated drinks menu was more well-received, but no doubt plenty of fans will have resorted to ordering a takeaway when they got home.' Before the show started, Billie narrated a short film about veganism, the environment, and all of the steps they have taken on the tour to do their bit. The crew all eat plant-based food on tour, while her merch is made using sustainable practices. They also had an Eco Village at the O2 arena to raise awareness of climate change. Billie is not the only star to take action, Paul McCartney famously refuses to perform at venues that don't offer vegetarian options. Meanwhile, Moby, a longtime vegan and activist, has hosted entirely vegan events and even opened vegan restaurants to further the cause. Despite not all fans being impressed with the food choices, Billie's performance made up for it, as the talented artist belted out hits including Ocean Eyes, No Time To Die, and What Was I Made For? Billie was raised as a vegetarian and has been a consistent advocate for animal rights and veganism, frequently discussing her beliefs when it comes to animals. Billie does however excuse veganism in wearing leather shoes, eating honey and riding horses, she otherwise largely lives a vegan lifestyle. The singer was named after her maternal grandfather, Bill Baird, who hunted and fished, yet her mum took issue with the practices and stopped eating meat in the Seventies. Her mother, Maggie Baird said of her decision: 'It was like a weight off my shoulders… It was never something I strayed from or, you know, had a hard time with.' At first, the family continued to eat animal products, yet Maggie explained that she soon also adopted veganism when she learned more about the industry. She said: '[I stopped when I saw] the cruelty involved. You know, once you really open your mind to knowing about it, it is impossible not to go all the way with it... 'The amazing thing was we all had health benefits, different health benefits. You know, you do it for the philosophical reason, and then you go "wow." … That was a real plus.' Fans have been left stunned after discovering Billie has famous parents, leading them to ask if she is a 'nepo baby'. Billie found fame in the music industry at fourteen years old and has gone on to win an impressive collection of Grammy, BRITs, and Billboard awards. However, diehard fans have only just realized that both her parents are successful actors, having starred in some of the biggest movies and TV shows. Billie's mum Maggie previously held a role in Friends, all the way back in 1999 before she was even born. She appeared in season six, episode four which was titled 'The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance'. It saw Maggie play a casting director, in which Joey (Matt Le Blance) auditions for a part in front of her. She has also starred in 1989 thriller An Innocent Man, while her other acting credits include The X Files, Six Feet Under, and Bones. Meanwhile, Billie's father Patrick O'Connell was cast in the 2008 Iron Man movie. Patrick also appeared in The West Wing, Life Inside Out, Baskets, and Hunter. Shocked fans flooded social media with comments, after learning about Billie's background. One said: 'So Billie is a Nepo Baby?' While another specifically addressed Maggie's Friends appearance, writing: 'I literally just watched this episode and now feeling annoyed that I didn't notice this.' A third said: 'HOLY S**T I THOUGHT SHE LOOKED FAMILIAR!'
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Billie Eilish 'enforces' plant-based menu at London gigs as staff 'met with eye rolls'
Billie Eilish has been performing on her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour lately, with the Grammy Award winner having been at the O2 Arena in London over the last week An exclusively plant-based food policy is said to have been "enforced" by Billie Eilish at the O2 Arena as part of her latest international tour. The singer-songwriter has been performing at the venue in London over the last week. Billie, 23, who's referred to herself as vegan, began the Hit Me Hard and Soft tour last year. She headed to the UK this month on the tour, through which she has been promoting a plant-based diet and some environmental concerns. The Grammy Award winner opened at the O2 Arena last Thursday and has continued to perform at the venue since then, with her final show there taking place tonight. Billie is said to have "enforced a completely vegan food policy" at the arena. According to the Daily Mail, every food vendor has been required to offer 100% plant-based options for her shows, with it expected that they remove all animal products from the arena. The menu for the shows has reportedly included a halloumi wrap, chipotle tacos, pizzas and pancakes. Billie, who reportedly narrated a short film about veganism and the environment prior to the concert, appears to have divided opinion over the apparent decision. One fan wrote on X this afternoon: "Billie Eilish having her concert be a vegan food only event in efforts for the environment and animal welfare is possibly the coolest thing I've ever seen." Whilst she's attracted some praise on social media, it's reported that some concertgoers at the O2 Arena weren't impressed by the menus. One attendee told the outlet: "Punters were less than impressed with the vegan options - a mixture of pizzas, cauliflower bits and loaded fries - with more than one asking, 'did they run out of meat or something?'" They added: "When venue staff explained that the directive had come from Billie, they were largely met with eye rolls and groans. The curated drinks menu was more well-received, but no doubt plenty of fans will have resorted to ordering a takeaway when they got home." The O2 Arena's website confirmed that it would offer plant-based options for Billie's shows. It reads: "In addition to efforts to decrease waste through reducing or eliminating single-use plastics and diverting landfill waste with compost and recycling, venues will be offering plant-based food options at all shows." Following her final show at the O2 Arena in the capital city tonight, Billie will head to Manchester for her next four gigs. She's scheduled to open at the Co-op Live on Saturday, before returning on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The arena has already announced that it will have a fully plant-based menu. It states on its website: "Co-op Live will commit to a fully plant-based food menu, in alignment with [Billie's] dedication to environmental action. This one-off initiative underscores both the artist's and the venue's shared mission to lead the future of sustainable live entertainment." Speaking to Vogue for an interview published in April, Billie said that she grew up vegetarian and "never had any meat," but described dairy as having been her "favourite thing". The performer added that she went vegan "a few years" after her family did. Billie said that she initially changed her diet to lose weight but then "learnt all about" the dairy industry and animal agriculture. She said: "Everyone's allowed to do and eat whatever they want. But the misconception that it isn't completely, unreasonably inhumane to abuse and slaughter animals just for the pleasure of something that tastes good is silly and thoughtless to me."
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Inside Lady Gaga's epic Mayhem Ball Tour leaving fans speechless as she kicks off global trek in Las Vegas
LADY GAGA proved she is still at the top of her game on the opening night of her Mayhem Ball tour – which was as much performance art as power pop. The Bad Romance singer took over the Advertisement 6 The show had a string of costume changes, multiple wigs and seriously impressive choreography Credit: Getty 6 Her new show included a 12-foot-high skull Credit: Getty In one segment, Gaga was buried alive in sand before emerging in a tattered white dress and armour, limping on crutches. The show is a dramatic depiction of Gaga's lifelong battles with the 'light and dark' inside herself. Despite being one of the biggest-selling singers of all time, Gaga halted the show to admit she can't believe she's still selling out giant venues and that she still practices her singing and her piano playing daily. Fighting back tears as she sat at her piano in a gothic veil, the humble star said: 'I hope that you know that the ritual of being yourself is a beautiful practice. Advertisement Read more on Lady Gaga Multiple wigs 'I know you know that. It's a practice that you deserve to have every day of your life. When things get hard, you can return to you. 'You can practice the small things that you're good at, the things that you've always held true to your heart. "I practice singing every day. I play piano. "I do it again and I do it again.' Advertisement Most read in Bizarre She added: 'When I feel sad, I do it again. That's how I've learned to have my own back.' Going all-out from the start with her opera-inspired first act, she served up a two-hours-and-ten-minute spectacle, including a string of costume changes, multiple wigs and seriously impressive choreography. Lady Gaga's Copacabana Concert: Bomb Plot Foiled Amid Historic Crowd And if that wasn't enough, at one point the pop icon made her way down the catwalk in a gondola, steered by her dark alter ego Mistress of Mayhem. Advertisement 6 The singer's energetic routines showed that she has fully recovered from a hip injury Credit: Getty 6 The show is a dramatic depiction of Gaga's lifelong battles with the 'light and dark' inside herself Credit: Getty Singles Abracadabra and Disease broke into the Top Ten, while her She will reach the UK in September for four sold-out shows at London's O2 Arena and two gigs at Manchester's Co-op Live. Advertisement Speaking to Bizarre as Mayhem was released, a source explained that Gaga has finally found inner peace after years of struggling with her pop star persona and the real person behind it, Stefani Germanotta. The person she wakes up as is the same person who hits the stage. Insider The insider explained: 'Gaga has never hidden her real self from the world. "But she's more comfortable now in her ability to associate herself as the creator instead of the product. "The person she wakes up as is the same person who hits the stage.' Advertisement The singer's energetic routines showed that she has fully 6 Lady Gaga brought things back to her old-school, dark-pop roots with jaw-dropping visuals Credit: Getty Delivering the biggest arena production of the year, The show was watched by Gaga's proud fiancé Michael Polansky and her parents Joe and Cynthia. Advertisement Prior to the show, her mum and dad were spotted checking out an exhibition of their daughter at Las Vegas resort, Park MGM. Keeping coy about the gig, Cynthia told one fan she was sworn to secrecy before adding: 'I can't say much, but you'll be very happy.' And judging by the reaction from fans in the audience and online, Gaga has achieved that and then some. The countdown is on until Advertisement 6 She was buried alive in sand before emerging in a tattered white dress and armour, limping on crutches Credit: Getty
