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Former supremo Ecclestone makes F1 podium debut at 94
Former supremo Ecclestone makes F1 podium debut at 94

CNA

time29-06-2025

  • Automotive
  • CNA

Former supremo Ecclestone makes F1 podium debut at 94

SPIELBERG, Austria :Bernie Ecclestone, the former Formula One supremo who rarely stayed to watch races beyond halfway when he was in charge, made his first grand prix podium appearance at the age of 94 in Austria on Sunday. The Briton was present at the Red Bull Ring to hand out a medal on behalf of the president of the governing FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, to McLaren's race winner Lando Norris. Norris hopped off the top step of the podium so that he would be standing at the same level as his diminutive compatriot. "I think it's really nice that the president gives a personal congratulations to the winning competitor," said Ecclestone, who ran the commercial side of the sport for some 40 years until being ousted in 2017. "As he could not attend the race here in Austria, he asked me to present his medal for him which I am pleased and honoured to do. "It was also great to be there as, though it might seem strange, this was the first time in almost 70 years in this sport that I've actually been on the podium." Norris won Formula One's 1,136th championship grand prix and Ecclestone attended the first at Silverstone in 1950. He once said he left races soon after the start because by then his business was done. The President's Medal was first presented to Red Bull's Max Verstappen at the season-ending 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and each one carries the race number and highlights the event's history.

Apologetic Antonelli given Silverstone grid drop
Apologetic Antonelli given Silverstone grid drop

CNA

time29-06-2025

  • Automotive
  • CNA

Apologetic Antonelli given Silverstone grid drop

SPIELBERG, Austria :Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli was given a three-place grid drop for the British Grand Prix after dumping Formula One champion Max Verstappen out of Red Bull's home race in Austria on Sunday. The 18-year-old Italian rookie lost control and collided with the four-times champion on the opening lap, after narrowly missing Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson, with neither able to continue. It was Verstappen's first retirement of the season and left him still third in the championship but now 61 points adrift of McLaren's Oscar Piastri after 11 of 24 rounds. Piastri finished second in a McLaren one-two with race winner Lando Norris. "I braked hard because I was behind other cars, and in that moment I locked the rears. Then I just couldn't stop the car," said Antonelli, who had taken his first career F1 podium in the previous round in Canada. "The car was just taking speed and the crash was inevitable. I just feel super sorry to the team, and to Max of course, because obviously he was just a passenger." Stewards ruled that Antonelli was fully at fault and also gave him two penalty points. At a circuit where he has won a record five times, Verstappen had started seventh on the grid, with Antonelli lining up ninth, "I'm out, I got hit like crazy," Verstappen said over the team radio, with an additional expletive. "It's just unlucky, like yesterday in qualifying," he told Sky Sports television later. "But overall, we didn't really have that great pace anyway this weekend, so a lot of learning for us how we can hopefully do better next weekend. "My mentality doesn't change. We've won a lot in the past. Sometimes you have to accept that you are not winning, and we just try to do the best that we can." The retirement ended a run of 31 grands prix in the points for the Dutch driver, whose fans throng in their thousands to the Red Bull Ring but this time never got to see him race. The start was later than scheduled after Carlos Sainz's Williams got stuck on the grid as cars moved away for the formation lap.

Verstappen out of Austrian Grand Prix
Verstappen out of Austrian Grand Prix

CNA

time29-06-2025

  • Automotive
  • CNA

Verstappen out of Austrian Grand Prix

SPIELBERG, Austria :Max Verstappen suffered his first retirement of the Formula One season on Sunday after a collision with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli on the opening lap of Red Bull's home Austrian Grand Prix. The four-times world champion had started seventh on the grid, with Italian rookie Antonelli ninth, at a circuit where he has won a record five times. Antonelli, who clearly caused the Turn Three collision, also retired and the safety car was deployed. "I'm out, I got hit like crazy," Verstappen, third in the championship going into the race, said over the team radio. "Sorry about that, I locked the rear," Antonelli told his team. The retirement ended a run of 31 grands prix in the points for the Dutch driver, whose fans throng in their thousands to the Red Bull Ring. The race had started later than scheduled after Carlos Sainz's Williams was stuck on the grid as cars moved away for the formation lap. Sainz eventually got going and returned to the pitlane, where his car's brakes caught fire before being extinguished by mechanics with smoke still billowing out as he was pushed back and into retirement.

Verstappen out of Austrian Grand Prix
Verstappen out of Austrian Grand Prix

Reuters

time29-06-2025

  • Automotive
  • Reuters

Verstappen out of Austrian Grand Prix

SPIELBERG, Austria, June 29 (Reuters) - Max Verstappen suffered his first retirement of the Formula One season on Sunday after a collision with Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli on the opening lap of Red Bull's home Austrian Grand Prix. The four-times world champion had started seventh on the grid, with Italian rookie Antonelli ninth, at a circuit where he has won a record five times. Antonelli, who clearly caused the Turn Three collision, also retired and the safety car was deployed. "I'm out, I got hit like crazy," Verstappen, third in the championship going into the race, said over the team radio. "Sorry about that, I locked the rear," Antonelli told his team. The retirement ended a run of 31 grands prix in the points for the Dutch driver, whose fans throng in their thousands to the Red Bull Ring. The race had started later than scheduled after Carlos Sainz's Williams was stuck on the grid as cars moved away for the formation lap. Sainz eventually got going and returned to the pitlane, where his car's brakes caught fire before being extinguished by mechanics with smoke still billowing out as he was pushed back and into retirement.

Mercedes talk of Verstappen is a lot of noise, says Horner
Mercedes talk of Verstappen is a lot of noise, says Horner

Reuters

time28-06-2025

  • Automotive
  • Reuters

Mercedes talk of Verstappen is a lot of noise, says Horner

SPIELBERG, Austria, June 28 (Reuters) - Red Bull team boss Christian Horner dismissed talk of Max Verstappen moving to Mercedes, maybe even next year, as just noise on Saturday and suggested that the four-times world champion was irritated by it. Mercedes have George Russell out of contract at the end of the year and both the British driver and team boss Toto Wolff have referenced the possibility of Verstappen becoming available at some point. "It's a lot of noise. I think Max gets quite annoyed by it and we are very clear with the contract that we have with Max until 2028," Horner told Sky Sports television after Austrian Grand Prix qualifying. "Anything is entirely speculative that is being said but we tend not to pay too much attention to it. "I can imagine that George is frustrated, he hasn't been given a contract yet. But that's between him and his team. The situation with Max, we know clearly where we're at, as does Max," he added. "Everything is subject to noise and within any contract it remains confidential between the parties." Verstappen is known to have a release clause in his contract which would allow him to leave if certain performance targets are not met. The Dutch driver is third overall in the championship, 43 points behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri, but qualified only seventh on Saturday for his team's home race at the Red Bull Ring with McLaren's Lando Norris on pole. Verstappen recognised he would not have been able to take pole position even without the yellow flags that forced him to abort his final effort. "FP3 (final practice) wasn't too bad but somehow in qualifying it just completely disappeared, there wasn't a single corner where I felt happy with the car," said the champion. "That is of course a big problem with qualifying. "Hopefully tomorrow we can at least be competitive with Ferrari or Mercedes. I don't know because with the balance that I had in quali, for sure that is not going to look great for tomorrow."

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