F1 - The African Mirror

Apr

2024

F1 faces a fresh challenge on return to China

FORMULA One returns to China for the first time since 2019 with even world champion Max Verstappen facing a new challenge at a circuit that provided his Red Bull team's first Grand Prix victory 15 years ago. The weekend will host the first sprint of the season, with only one hour of free practice on Friday to fine-tune the cars and do tyre assessments, and the teams have only simulator data to go on. The last time they raced at the Shanghai International Circuit, the cars had 13-inch tyres and a flat floor instead of the current 18-inch Pirelli rubber…

Feb

2024

By MPHO RANTAO

Lewis Hamilton shocks F1 with surprise Ferrari move

MOTORSPORT

WHETHER Formula 1 (F1) chooses to acknowledge this or not, a historic moment happened on February 1, 2024, when Mercedes AMG F1 Petronas team driver Sir Lewis Hamilton was announced to become a Scuderia Ferrari driver from the 2025 F1 season. Social media across all platforms all but shook when British broadcaster Sky Sports F1 News dropped the bombshell reports of Hamilton’s unexpected exit from the Brackley-based team following the 2024 season. The announcement trended higher than the global football deadline day and had football social media accounts reposting the news as well. https://twitter.com/scuderiaferrari/status/1753133900925129140?s=46&t=fie-xWLwPZ0SYPvWeGCBvA It was initially considered a rumour…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Alfa Romeo launches the C43 – its car for the 2023 season

MOTORING

Lean, mean and absolutely gorgeous. Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake unveiled its 2023 challenger, the C43, at a launch event held jointly in Zurich and at the team headquarters in Hinwil, Switzerland, and the world of Formula One has an early contender for the title of most beautiful car on the grid already. The C43, in a striking livery of red and black, will guide Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu in the 2023 World Championship as the team seeks to continue on its path of constant improvement. In an impressive unveil video, the C43 emerged from raw materials and atomised…

Apr

2022

By The African Mirror

Leclerc wins Australian GP

SPORT

CHARLES Leclerc claimed his second win of the Formula One season for Ferrari with a pole-to-flag victory at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday as Red Bull's world champion Max Verstappen suffered "deja vu" with another retirement. Leclerc's car showed impressive pace and performance on the upgraded Albert Park circuit to seal his fourth career win ahead of Red Bull's runnerup Sergio Perez, while third-placed George Russell grabbed his second podium and first for Mercedes in an encouraging day for the struggling constructors' champions. "What a race and what pace," said a thrilled Leclerc on the team radio, having finished…

Dec

2021

By The African Mirror

Hamilton wins dramatic race, sets showdown for final race

SPORT

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER WORLD champion Lewis Hamilton drove a race of his life to win a dramatic, incident-filled F1 in Saudi Arabia and set the scene for a showdown in the final race with rival Max Verstappen. The victory has left Hamilton and Verstappen tied at the top of the world driver championship - each with 369.5 points, They will fight it out in the last race set for the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. It was an epic wheel-to-wheel battle between Hamilton and Verstappen from early in the race, which Hamilton led from pole, to register his third…

Sep

2021

By The African Mirror

Hamilton’s historic win at Sochi marks his 100th

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO On a partly wet Russian afternoon, world champion Lewis Hamilton drove like a legend to win the Russian Grand Prix, retake the world championship race and became the first driver in F1 history to record 100 victories. After he took the chequered flag, Hamilton conceded that a century of victories was a hard toil all the way. “It was hard work,” he said.”. To get to a hundred…” Hamilton’s driving and Mercedes strategy won the race that many thought was going to be won by McLaren’s Lando Norris, who led the race until lap 50 of the 53…

Sep

2021

By The African Mirror

I am lucky to be alive, says Hamilton after rival’s tyre landed on his head

SPORT

BOITUMELO RANTAO THE rear right wheel of his rival's car landed on the safety Halo, just above his head, and seven time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who escaped with a headache, knows that he is lucky to be alive. There was drama in Lap 26 of the Monda F1 race when Hamilton and Red Bull's Max Verstappen battled into the tight Variante del Rettifilo. Hamilton had just pitted and Verstappen was making his way to the front after a horrific 11 second pit stop. With none of the drivers prepared to give room, Verstappen car ended on top of Hamilton's…

Jul

2021

By The African Mirror

Verstappen earns maiden grand slam in Austria

SPORT

MAX Verstappen sealed a dominant end to Formula One’s first triple-header of the 2021 season, extending his lead over championship Lewis Hamilton to 32-points. The Dutch driver took victory in the Austrian Grand Prix after leading every lap in the race, starting on pole, and taking the fastest lap. Reigning world champion Hamilton slumped to a fourth-place finish with car damage after taking too much kerb on turn 10. Verstappen led into the first corner and soon stretched out his lead to five seconds as a battle ensued behind his Red Bull. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez, in his 200th race,…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

Triumph at Gran Premio de España

SPORT

REIGNING World champion Lewis Hamilton stole an emphatic win over Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after a late overtake at the Circuit de Barcelona - Catalunya. Verstappen controlled the pace after a fantastic start which saw the Dutch driver vault into the lead after starting in second on the grid. Mercedes were on the backfoot until Hamilton’s race engineer made the call to pit for fresher tyres with 23 laps to go, in an attempt to catch the leading Red Bull, on the 44th lap. The championship leader exited the pit lane 22 seconds behind Verstappen, yet soon had the upper…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

From vroom to Zoom, F1 sees virtual hospitality taking off

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION

ALAN BALDWIN Formula One's 'Paddock Club' hospitality has gone from vroom to Zoom in the age of COVID-19 and it looks like the virtual version is here to stay with the sport excited by the revenue potential. The regular Paddock Club is an exclusive and expensive world of champagne, fine dining and corporate networking along with star speakers and some of the best seats in the house for the track action. The next two races, Portugal this weekend and then Spain, will have none of that. Circuits are closed to spectators, sponsors and guests due to restrictions on mass gatherings…