Automotors

Lewis Hamilton was penalised at the Qatar Grand Prix for a false start having moved – and then stopped – before the lights went out to begin the race.The Mercedes driver picked up his first penalty of a trying race when he nudged forward early, though his loss of momentum as he tried to correct the error saw him lose spots off the line.Seven-time world champion Hamilton was downcast after the race …Keep reading

Organisers of Formula 1’s Dutch Grand Prix have explained the reasoning behind calling time on their event while local hero Max Verstappen is still at the height of his powers.On Wednesday the Dutch Grand Prix and F1 jointly announced they agreed a one-year contract extension for 2026, but that edition will also be Zandvoort’s last for the time being.Propelled by Verstappen’s exploding popularity …Keep reading

The 2024 F1 Constructors’ Championship has been one of, if not the most exciting the sport has seen for the past 15 years. The back and forth between McLaren and Ferrari has culminated in just a 21-point gap between the teams heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.As such, for the first time since 2009 — when Brawn GP stunned the world — a team not named Mercedes-Benz or Red Bull will see …Keep reading

Former Williams Formula 1 driver Logan Sargeant has agreed to drive in the 2025 European Le Mans Series, joining Jamie Chadwick at the new LMP2 entry run by Genesis and IDEC Sport.On Wednesday, Hyundai luxury brand Genesis announced the first details of its Genesis Magma Racing hypercar programme for 2026, when it will enter the GMR-001 in the World Endurance Championship, including the Le Mans 24 …Keep reading

Ferrari has announced its development driver Arthur Leclerc will replace Carlos Sainz during first free practice at Formula 1’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, forming a unique line-up with his elder brother Charles.As part of F1’s requirement to enter a rookie driver in two FP1 sessions, Ferrari has opted to hand Sainz’s Ferrari SF-24 to the younger of the two Leclerc brothers at the Yas Marina …Keep reading

MotoGP’s official crash statistics for 2024 paint a very different picture to what many would have perceived about the recently-concluded season.Without looking at the numbers, one would have thought MotoGP broke the record for the most crashes in a single season. After all, this season was branded as the “championship of mistakes” by Francesco Bagnaia, primarily due to him and title rival …Keep reading

Andre Lotterer and Pipo Derani are the first drivers named for the new Genesis LMDh programme that will enter the 2026 World Endurance Championship.Reigning WEC champion Lotterer and four-time Sebring 12 Hour winner Derani were revealed in the official launch of the entry of Hyundai’s premium brand into top-line sportscar racing. The wide-ranging announcement in Dubai on Wednesday included the …Keep reading

A common complaint among fans of Formula 1’s main feeder series, Formula 2 and Formula 3, is that drivers rarely get the chance to progress into race seats in the top tier. Championship-winning talents have often been forced to sit on the sidelines in a reserve capacity and wait until an established name retires.This was especially evident in the off-season last year, when there were no changes to …Keep reading

Esteban Ocon found out that Alpine wanted him to step down for the final race of the Formula 1 season just hours before the Qatar Grand Prix, Motorsport.com has learned.Ocon’s spell with the French car manufacturer has come to an early end, as he will not take part in this weekend’s Abu Dhabi race with the squad handing Jack Doohan his debut instead.Taking to social media on Tuesday, Ocon …Keep reading

Esteban Ocon will get his first taste of Haas machinery in the end-of-season Formula 1 test in Abu Dhabi, and will be joined by Toyota World Endurance Championship driver Ryo Hirakawa.Ocon was released by Alpine ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to ensure he could pick up his Haas duties early, and thus will be replaced by Jack Doohan at the Anglo-French squad.Haas was set to fulfil …Keep reading