Month: November 2023

Associated Press Nov 30, 2023, 01:54 PM ET Open Extended Reactions NASHVILLE, Tenn. — One NASCAR championship down and Ryan Blaney already has his eyes on another prize: the Indianapolis 500. Roger Penske said Thursday that NASCAR’s reigning Cup champion had inquired about someday running “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” but “The Captain” pumped the

Nov 30, 2023, 05:11 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Lewis Hamilton has admitted to moments of self doubt after the 38-year-old Mercedes driver’s second successive Formula One season without a win. Speaking to the BBC and others in an interview published on Wednesday, the seven-times world champion and most successful driver in the sport’s history

Laurence Edmondson, F1 EditorNov 29, 2023, 07:01 AM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2009• An FIA accredited F1 journalist since 2011 Open Extended Reactions Formula One’s media has gradually been running out of adjectives to describe Max Verstappen‘s dominance this year, but the statistics of his phenomenal 2023 season speak for themselves. Below is a list

Nov 29, 2023, 01:13 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Marc Márquez made his Ducati debut at Tuesday’s MotoGP 2024 preseason test in Valencia. Diogo Cardoso/Getty Images The 2023 MotoGP season boasted one of the tightest title fights in recent memory. Throughout the campaign, momentum swung back and forth, like a pendulum, between Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge

Nov 26, 2023, 12:55 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Formula One teams were told to ensure mechanics had eye protection in the pitlane after stewards found numerous breaches during the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday. All team managers were summoned after the race to answer allegations of team members lacking the mandatory eyewear

Nov 26, 2023, 01:13 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton expressed concern about Red Bull’s continued dominance and questioned whether Mercedes could close the gap next year after Formula One’s Abu Dhabi season-ender on Sunday. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took a record 19th victory in 22 Grands Prix, and his 21st

Laurence Edmondson, F1 EditorNov 27, 2023, 02:42 AM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2009• An FIA accredited F1 journalist since 2011 Open Extended Reactions Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has likened the challenge of catching Red Bull to that of climbing Mount Everest after his team scored less than the points of the world champions this

Nov 27, 2023, 06:04 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Luca Marini, the half-brother of Valentino Rossi, will replace Marc Marquez on the Honda MotoGP team next season, the Japanese manufacturer announced Monday. “Honda Racing Corporation are pleased to announce the signing of Luca Marini for the 2024 and 2025 MotoGP World Championship seasons,” Honda said

Associated Press Nov 27, 2023, 12:35 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Two-time IndyCar champion Álex Palou concedes in court documents that he breached his contract with McLaren Racing when the Spaniard did an about-face and stayed at Chip Ganassi Racing. The admission came in Palou’s response to a lawsuit filed against him by McLaren in

Laurence Edmonson Nov 27, 2023, 03:06 AM ET Open Extended Reactions ABU DHABI — Christian Horner believes his Red Bull team has hit its zenith after winning 21 of this year’s 22 races, saying that he fully expects rival teams to close the gap next year. Red Bull’s success this year has been rooted in

Laurence Edmondson, F1 EditorNov 26, 2023, 01:39 PM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2009• An FIA accredited F1 journalist since 2011 Open Extended Reactions ABU DHABI — Sergio Pérez was given a formal warning by the stewards at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after he labelled their decision to hit him with a five-second penalty “a

Nov 26, 2023, 10:44 AM ET Open Extended Reactions VALENCIA, Spain — Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia won the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday to claim a second straight MotoGP world championship after closest contender Jorge Martin crashed out following a collision with Marc Marquez. Pramac Racing’s Martin, who was 14 points behind Bagnaia going into

Nov 25, 2023, 08:17 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Formula One’s governing body barred overtaking in the pitlane exit during the season’s final qualifying in Abu Dhabi on Saturday after triple world champion Max Verstappen forced his way past rivals in practice. Race director Niels Wittich issued a change to the event notes to prohibit

Laurence Edmondson, F1 EditorNov 25, 2023, 12:04 PM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2009• An FIA accredited F1 journalist since 2011 Open Extended Reactions ABU DHABI — Lando Norris took the blame for the mistake that cost him several positions on the grid at Sunday’s Formula One season finale in Abu Dhabi. The McLaren driver looked

Nov 25, 2023, 03:55 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Red Bull team boss Christian Horner named Lewis Hamilton’s father Anthony on Friday as the person who contacted him earlier in the season about a possible switch to the Formula One champions. Horner added that there had been no serious discussions and there was in any

Nov 24, 2023, 11:24 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Formula One is set to change its sprint format for the 2024 season after support from teams and stakeholders to make race weekends easier to follow. The sport’s governing body, the FIA, said on Friday its Sporting Advisory Committee would present a final proposal to the

Laurence Edmondson, F1 EditorNov 23, 2023, 09:22 AM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2009• An FIA accredited F1 journalist since 2011 Open Extended Reactions ABU DHABI — Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has denied Christian Horner’s claim that he contacted Red Bull earlier this year about the possibility of driving for the world champions. A story in

Austin Lindberg, Senior EditorNov 23, 2023, 02:08 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Pecco Bagnaia, left, and Jorge Martín are separated by just 21 points entering this weekend’s MotoGP season finale in Valencia. Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images With just one round remaining in the 2023 MotoGP season, it doesn’t look good for Jorge Martín. And he knows

Laurence Edmondson, F1 EditorNov 23, 2023, 09:52 AM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2009• An FIA accredited F1 journalist since 2011 Open Extended Reactions ABU DHABI — Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur have both been issued with formal warnings for swearing during an FIA news conference at the Las Vegas

Open Extended Reactions We’ve finally reached the end of a 2023 Formula One racing season full of record-setting performances and expanding interest across the world. The 22-race circuit concludes this month with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen will look to extend his historic campaign after securing his third straight title in early

Open Extended Reactions After a successful race weekend, F1 starts a 10-year partnership with Las Vegas. Clive Mason – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images LAS VEGAS – Formula One’s Las Vegas Grand Prix was a huge success, but the toll of the late-night event on drivers and teams will be a big focus point until

Laurence Edmondson, F1 EditorNov 19, 2023, 08:37 PM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2009• An FIA accredited F1 journalist since 2011 Open Extended Reactions Formula One undoubtedly rode its luck during its four-day residency in Las Vegas, yet somehow broke with the city’s oldest tradition and came out on top. Transforming the entertainment capital of America

Nov 19, 2023, 01:14 PM ET Open Extended Reactions McLaren driver Lando Norris assured fans he would be fine for Formula One’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after crashing and being taken to hospital during Saturday’s race in Las Vegas. Norris hit the wall hard at high speed on lap three, triggering a safety car

Nov 19, 2023, 07:33 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Sergio Pérez lost one second place but secured another in Las Vegas on Saturday as Red Bull made sure of the top two places in the Formula One drivers’ championship for the first time. Two weeks after he missed out on the podium in Brazil after

Laurence Edmondson, F1 EditorNov 18, 2023, 05:41 PM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2009• An FIA accredited F1 journalist since 2011 Open Extended Reactions Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll has reiterated his belief that Formula One does not need Andretti to join as an 11th team, despite the American outfit’s recent news that its partner

Laurence Edmondson, F1 EditorNov 18, 2023, 06:49 AM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2009• An FIA accredited F1 journalist since 2011 Open Extended Reactions LAS VEGAS — Max Verstappen said Formula One’s new Las Vegas Grand Prix is lacking emotion and passion, and that the circuit is not even close to matching Monaco, the sport’s most

Laurence Edmondson, F1 EditorNov 17, 2023, 07:56 PM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2009• An FIA accredited F1 journalist since 2011 Open Extended Reactions LAS VEGAS — Formula One has issued an unapologetic statement explaining the events of the chaotic opening day of track running at the new Las Vegas Grand Prix. After a water valve

Brianna Williams, ESPNNov 17, 2023, 02:20 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Las Vegas isn’t just a cushy vacation destination with casinos, wedding chapels and residency performances — over the past few years it has become a full-fledged sports city. Editor’s Picks 2 Related As evidenced by Saturday’s 2023 Formula One World Championship on the newly

Laurence Edmondson, F1 EditorNov 16, 2023, 03:47 AM ET Close • Joined ESPN in 2009• An FIA accredited F1 journalist since 2011 Open Extended Reactions LAS VEGAS — Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has called on Formula One to be wary of the impact this weekend’s Las Vegas Grand Prix will have on residents of the city.

Open Extended Reactions LAS VEGAS — Formula One’s $500 billion Las Vegas Grand Prix got started in farcical circumstances as a loose drain cover caused the abandonment of the first practice session. Only eight minutes into the session, Carlos Sainz‘s Ferrari stopped on the track, triggering a red flag. It appeared the Spaniard had driven