Sports
Max Verstappen Overtakes 100 Amateur Karters in Just 14 Laps at Silverstone Exhibition Race
Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has passed 100 amateur go-kart drivers in only 14 laps and 35 minutes during an exhibition race at Silverstone, finishing the challenge with more than half of his allotted time to spare. The Red Bull driver was given a maximum of 35 laps and 75 minutes to hunt down the entire field from the back of the grid on an adapted version of the grand prix circuit in Northamptonshire. He reached 37th place by the end of a chaotic opening lap in which several drivers crashed and spun, with racing briefly suspended, before climbing to 10th by lap six and fourth by lap 10. The field included television, sport and social media personalities but no professional racing drivers, and every karter Verstappen passed had to retire immediately.
Sports
Former Mercedes Design Chief Mike Elliott Joins Alpine as Chief Technical Officer
Former Mercedes Formula 1 design boss Mike Elliott has joined Alpine as chief technical officer, taking charge of the technical and engineering functions at the team's Enstone factory as the French outfit attempts to climb back from slumping to the back of the field in 2025. The 52-year-old Briton, whose career in the sport began at McLaren in 2000, returns to the team where he served as principal aerodynamicist from 2008 to 2012 during its Renault and Lotus eras, and where he will work again alongside executive adviser Flavio Briatore and managing director Steve Nielsen. Alpine's announcement credits Elliott with contributing to eight constructors' and eight drivers' championships during more than a decade at Mercedes, where he rose from head of aerodynamics to technical director and then chief technical officer across the Lewis Hamilton dominance years. His arrival places him above executive technical director David Sanchez in the engineering structure, and the move carries history: his Mercedes tenure ended under a cloud in October 2023 after the team's zero-pod design philosophy for the ground-effect era failed, persisting with the concept despite porpoising problems and against the pleas of Hamilton to change tack.
Sports
Lando Norris Calls VSC Rule Unfair After Costly Timing Robs Him of Spanish Grand Prix Win
Lando Norris says he was "insanely unlucky" to lose what seemed like a certain victory at the Spanish Grand Prix after a virtual safety car was called seconds after he passed the pit lane entry, allowing rivals to pit cheaply while he could not. Norris, who had taken pole with a lap team principal Andrea Stella called "a masterpiece," led Kimi Antonelli by more than six seconds when Lance Stroll's stopped Aston Martin triggered the caution. A stop under VSC saves around 11 seconds, and Norris emerged more than 15 seconds behind eventual winner Antonelli after tyre trouble cost him five more. Race-winner Antonelli admitted: "Today we didn't deserve to win. Lando deserved to win." Stella called for the F1 Strategy Advisory Committee to review whether VSC periods should last a full lap, as drivers including Max Verstappen back a rule discussion.
Sports
Formula 1 Expands Sprint Races to 10 for 2027 as Portugal and Turkey Return
Formula 1 will run a record 10 sprint weekends in the 2027 World Championship, up from a maximum of six, with first-time sprint events in Bahrain, Australia, Japan, Monaco and Abu Dhabi announced on Wednesday, 16 September 2026. The 24-race calendar, confirmed by the sport's governing body, also marks the return of Portugal and Turkey for the first time since the pandemic era. Bahrain opens the season on 12-14 March, while the future of the Middle East races remains in doubt because of the continuing regional conflict. Silverstone credits this year's sprint with driving its highest ever British Grand Prix attendance, 64,000 more fans than the previous year, and F1 president Stefano Domenicali promised fans even more intensity and drama.
Sports
2026 Formula 1 Season Enters Final Stretch With Verstappen Leading Championship
The 2026 Formula 1 season enters its final stretch with Max Verstappen leading the drivers championship by 45 points. Verstappen has won 10 of the 15 races completed so far extending his dominance of the sport. Red Bull Racing leads the constructors championship by a similar margin over Ferrari. The remaining five races include events in Singapore Japan Brazil Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi. Verstappen needs just two more race victories to clinch the title mathematically though he could secure it earlier depending on results. The Singapore Grand Prix scheduled for September 21 is a night race through the streets of Marina Bay.
Sports
Lewis Hamilton Confirms Move to Ferrari for 2027 Season in Historic Driver Market Shift
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton confirmed on September 2, 2026, that he will leave Mercedes at the end of the current season to join Scuderia Ferrari on a two-year contract worth a reported 65 million dollars per season. The move, which has been rumored since early 2026, makes Hamilton the first driver to race for Ferrari after winning multiple world championships with another constructor. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur stated that Hamilton will partner with current driver Charles Leclerc for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. Hamilton, now 41 years old, said that winning a championship with Ferrari represents the final goal of his career.
Sports
Max Verstappen Wins Italian Grand Prix as Red Bull Secures Constructors Championship
Max Verstappen won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 1, his 12th victory of the season, securing the constructors championship for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen finished 8.3 seconds ahead of Lando Norris of McLaren, with Charles Leclerc of Ferrari completing the podium. The result gives Red Bull an insurmountable 189-point lead in the constructors standings with five races remaining. Verstappen now leads the drivers championship by 156 points over Norris and can clinch the title at the Singapore Grand Prix.