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☆ Winning streak 'keeps the fire going', says Verstappen
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Since those musings at a race won by Mexican team mate Sergio Perez, Verstappen has won every grand prix to go 125 points clear at the top -- the equivalent of five victories -- and take his career tally to 45 wins. Soon to be a triple world champion, Verstappen has a contract to the end of 2028 -- by which time who knows how many wins and titles he will have. If I have to rock up and I have no chance of winning then the fire starts to go away," the Dutch driver said at Spa-Francorchamps. Retired four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel is the only driver to have won nine in a row in a single season, with Red Bull in 2013. Red Bull have yet to end a season with their drivers one-two in the standings and Perez's task is to make sure he finishes runner-up this time.

Persons: Max Verstappen, Johanna Geron, Sergio Perez, Verstappen, Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel, Christian Horner, Horner, Perez, Checo, Max, Bull, Alan Baldwin, Ken Ferris Organizations: Belgian, Prix, Red Bull Formula, Spa, Zandvoort, Red, Thomson Locations: Spa, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Mexican, Abu Dhabi, Baku, London

☆ Verstappen leads Red Bull one-two on Sprint grid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The double world champion lapped his team's home Red Bull Ring with a fastest time of one minute 04.440 seconds on a drying track to complete a qualifying double after securing pole on Friday for Sunday's main grand prix. Red Bull have won all of them, Verstappen six. "It's nice to have a lockout in the Red Bull Ring for the team," said the Mexican, who was 0.493 slower than his team mate. "The sprint race doesn't really matter anyway," said Hamilton, who had his fastest effort deleted for exceeding track limits and was then overtaken by Verstappen while trying to set a valid lap. The race will be the second standalone sprint of the season after Baku, won by Perez in April.

Persons: Bull, Perez Norris, McLaren Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Sunday's, Perez, Red Bull, McLaren's Lando Norris, Haas, Nico Hulkenberg, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Sainz, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, Lance, Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Hamilton, Verstappen, Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Alan Baldwin, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Austrian, Prix, Baku, Thomson Locations: Dutch, London

☆ Red Bull ready for a celebration at scenic Spielberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Verstappen already has four wins at the scenic circuit, having also won the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix. I think this year’s event will be maybe the biggest event they’ve ever put on." Of the 19 races since then Red Bull have won 18 and Mercedes one. "At the start of the season, we realized the car needed a fundamental redesign," he said in Montreal. "This track is another one that should suit our car more than some other circuits," said the Thai.

Persons: Bull, Dietrich Mateschitz, Max Verstappen, Red, Spielberg, Alain Prost, Verstappen, Christian Horner, it’s, Sergio Perez, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Perez, Mercedes, George Russell, Ferrari, Leclerc, Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, Andrea Stella, That's, Williams, Alex Albon, Alan Baldwin, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Formula One, Austrian, Prix, McLaren, Renault, Silverstone, Thomson Locations: Austria, Canada, Baku, Hungary, Montreal, London

☆ Turkey's runoff election is paralyzing key oil exports from northern Iraq
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Oil typically flows through Turkey from both the Iraqi state and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). More specifically, this Kirkuk crude flows down the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline linking the north of the Gulf country with Turkey's Ceyhan port in the Mediterranean. But the flows have been paralyzed since March 25 by a legal dispute involving federal Iraq, the KRG and Turkey. This decision led to U.S. companies deciding to exit contracts in Kurdistan and deterred some KRG oil buyers from further purchases. "The ruling party in Turkey [Erdogan's AKP] wants to settle the elections and then deal with KRG's oil with Baghdad."

Persons: KRG, Hayan Abdul, Ghani, —, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Lawk Ghafuri, Yerevan Saeed, Saeed, Bilal Wahab, Wagner Organizations: CNBC, Kurdistan Regional Government, Turkey Pipeline, International, Commerce's, Reuters, ICC, Baghdad, BTC, Kurdistan, Gulf Institute, Sinjar, Washington Institute for Near East Locations: Turkey, Ankara, Baghdad, Iraqi, Kurdistan, Kirkuk, Iraq, Basra, Paris, U.S, Ceyhan, Baku, Syria, Erbil, Yerevan, Washington

☆ Sweden’s Loreen wins historic second Eurovision, after emotional show in Britain that celebrated Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Liverpool, United Kingdom CNN —Sweden’s Loreen has won the Eurovision Song Contest for a second time, earning a historic triumph at an extravagant and crowd-pleasing show held in Liverpool, United Kingdom, on behalf of Ukraine. Loreen of Sweden celebrates with the trophy after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool. Ukraine entrant TVORCHI performing in the grand final for the Eurovision Song Contest final. Eurovision fans enjoy the party atmosphere as they gather in Liverpool to watch the Eurovision Song Contest final. Cameron Smith/Getty ImagesAround the host city of Liverpool, Eurovision fans without tickets rammed into venues to watch the show on big screens, many of them waving Ukrainian flags.

☆ Can the UK afford to host Ukraine’s Eurovision? It can’t afford not to
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

watch nowThe U.K. will host the 67th Eurovision Song Contest on May 13. What is the Eurovision Song Contest? The U.K. is hosting the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, as the war remains ongoing in Ukraine, 2022's winners. For one, the competition can be a great advert for the host city — and country — which can endure well after the party is over. Electro-pop duo Tvorchi is representing Ukraine in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

☆ Leclerc says Ferrari 'struggling like crazy" with their car
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sainz finished fifth and Leclerc seventh in Miami as Max Verstappen led Sergio Perez to Red Bull's fifth win in five races and fourth one-two. "(It's a) very similar picture to the beginning of the year, we are competitive in qualifying (but) once we come to race day we are struggling like crazy," said Leclerc, who had been on pole position at the previous race in Azerbaijan. He had finished second in the sprint in Baku, raising hopes that Ferrari had made a step forward, and a lonely third in the Sunday race. Leclerc crashed in both practice and qualifying, when he looked competitive, at the same corner in Miami and said he had struggled with the car bottoming at speed and also affected by the wind. Leclerc was Verstappen's closest rival last season, winning two of the first three races before the challenge petered out in strategy errors, unreliability and driver mistakes.

☆ Miami Grand Prix: How to watch and everything you need to know as F1 returns to Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Charlie Webster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Despite more competitive sessions, fans were left disappointed with the lack of overtaking in last week’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. What happened last yearIn last year’s inaugural Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari locked out the front row in qualifying with Charles Leclerc taking pole position and teammate Carlos Sainz starting P2. Max Verstappen is the only previous winner of the Miami Grand Prix. Only a chaotic Australian Grand Prix, in which Pérez began from the pit lane after crashing in qualifying, has prevented a perfect start for Red Bull. Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty ImagesFlorida-born rookie Logan Sargeant will be hoping to score his first F1 points at his home Grand Prix.

☆ Formula 1 Rolls Into Miami
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Andrew Das | Josh Katz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Sergio Pérez’s victory last weekend in Baku, Azerbaijan, was his second of the Formula 1 season, and it allowed him to match the victory total of his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen. The result allowed Pérez to close Verstappen’s lead in the drivers’ championship to a mere six points as the series arrived in the United States for Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix. Pérez starts Sunday with the advantage: He is on pole position, and knows a win will give him the lead in the points race. TV: The race will air on ABC in the United States, which is — DVR alert — a switch from its usual home on ESPN. A full list of Formula 1 broadcasters, wherever you are, can be found here.

☆ Pop-Up Grand Prix: The Formula 1 Race Fans Don’t Get to See
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Patricia Mazzei | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — By late Sunday night in Baku, a few hours after Sergio Pérez of Red Bull had won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, much of the equipment necessary to stage a Formula 1 race had been methodically packed, wrapped and hoisted onto pallets, ready to fly halfway across the world. Chartered cargo planes did the heavy lifting from there, hauling disassembled 1,700-pound racecars — and almost anything else imaginable — to Miami International Airport, where, by Monday, the shipment had been offloaded onto trucks and delivered to the pop-up racetrack around Hard Rock Stadium, which will host the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday. Getting from the starting grid to the finish line is not, it turns out, the only high-stakes race against the clock in Formula 1. For the top tier of international open-wheel racing, putting on premier competitions on back-to-back weekends is a complicated logistical symphony. The lights’ flicking off at the start of each race are contingent on everything, somehow, arriving on time, every time.

☆ Mercedes' Russell fastest in first Miami Grand Prix practice
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Formula One F1 - Miami Grand Prix - Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, U.S. - May 5, 2023 Mercedes' George Russell during practice REUTERS/Mike SegarMIAMI, May 5 (Reuters) - George Russell overcame steering issues that threatened to scuttle his first practice session of the Miami Grand Prix on Friday to put his Mercedes top of the timing sheets ahead of team mate and seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton. Red Bull's double world champion Max Verstappen had spent much of the hot and steamy practice at the top of the charts but ended the session fourth fastest behind the two Mercedes and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was fifth fastest followed by Alpine's Pierre Gasly and the Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Hamilton was just 0.212 seconds back while Verstappen, the winner in the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, was nearly a half-second off the pace. Until the spin Hulkenberg had been enjoying a lively practice for the U.S.-owned outfit, sitting second behind Verstappen when the session was paused.

☆ All quiet on the Red Bull home front -- for now
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MIAMI, May 5 (Reuters) - Formula One teams often have to deal with in-house divisions but Sergio Perez insists all is quiet on the Red Bull home front with the drivers championship shaping up as an epic tussle between the cool Mexican and fiery team mate Max Verstappen. Red Bull have won every grand prix this season, with three of the four races producing one-two finishes. Since joining Red Bull in 2021 Perez has been the clear number two. He has played the part of consummate team mate dutifully following orders but there are signs this season things are different. "I do believe the team will give me as much support as they do with Max in that regard we have to appreciate that from Red Bull."

☆ Ocon says FIA and F1 apologised for Baku pitlane incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MIAMI, May 4 (Reuters) - Formula One and governing FIA have apologised for a dangerous pitlane incident at the end of last weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, Alpine's Esteban Ocon said on Thursday. "The FIA have assured us they are making sure they are changing the protocols and making sure there is nobody in the pitlane until the end. Ocon said upgrades taken to Baku had worked, even if not evident at the time with only a handful of laps in the only practice session and the car not optimised. Team mate Pierre Gasly's car caught fire in Friday practice and he then crashed in qualifying. In the previous race in Australia, Ocon and Gasly collided in a late restart after red flags.

☆ No air to be cleared with Verstappen, says Russell
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MIAMI, May 4 (Reuters) - George Russell said he has no need to clear the air with Red Bull's Max Verstappen after their Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint clash, or do anything different in the way he races the Formula One champion. Asked by reporters ahead of the Miami Grand Prix on Thursday, the Mercedes driver said he had not discussed the incident in Baku with Verstappen. Verstappen swore at Russell after the first lap clash in the Saturday sprint ripped a hole in the side of the Red Bull. Verstappen won in Miami last year when the Hard Rock Stadium hosted a race for the first time. Mercedes are third overall, behind Aston Martin, with Russell yet to stand on the podium in 2023.

☆ Formula One statistics for the Miami Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

May 3 (Reuters) - Formula One statistics for Sunday's Miami Grand Prix at the Hard Rock Stadium, round five of the 23-race championship:Lap distance: 5.412km. Red Bull have won every race this season, three of them with a one-two finish, and 14 of the last 15. Red Bull have been on pole in three of the four races, with Leclerc taking the top slot in Azerbaijan. Four teams and five drivers have now made a podium appearance this season -- Red Bull, Aston Martin, Mercedes and Ferrari. MILESTONEBaku was the 25th one-two finish for Red Bull since they entered Formula One in 2005.

☆ Perez rules the streets but title tilt remains a long shot
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Red Bull are also streets ahead of the rest in a private Formula One battle, with their drivers on two grand prix wins apiece after four of 23 rounds and no sign of anyone else getting close. The rest are otherwise fighting for scraps from the Red Bull table, hoping upgrades and the pace of development will eventually close the gap. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who was third on Sunday after starting on pole position, finished 19 seconds behind second-placed Verstappen. The Dutch driver is secure in his top status within Red Bull, who brought in Perez to back him up, and also has a string of favourite circuits still to come. Verstappen won three of the four last year with Perez triumphant on the streets of Monte Carlo.

☆ Team by team analysis of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

He passed Leclerc for the second time at the safety car restart on lap 14. He went side by side with Russell in the pitlane during the safety car and was passed by Hamilton on lap 20. Hamilton started fifth but pitted a lap before the safety car was deployed, dropping to 10th. Leclerc, second in the Saturday sprint, started on pole position and took his team's first podium finish of the season. Norris started seventh, lost out when he pitted before the safety car but managed to pass Hulkenberg to move into the points.

☆ Ferrari Looks Fast. Now It Needs to Finish.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Andrew Das | Josh Katz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Charles Leclerc has done the first part: After turning in the fastest lap in qualifying, he will start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday. Now he has to do the part that has proved problematic for him this season: Finish the race. In three starts this year, Leclerc’s Ferrari has been running at the end only once. Qualifying ahead of them was heartening. How to WatchTime: The Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday starts at 7 a.m. Eastern, which is 3 p.m. local time on the Baku City Circuit.

☆ Verstappen says he can be pleased with second on a learning day
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 30 (Reuters) - Double Formula One world champion Max Verstappen found the silver lining in finishing second to Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez in Azerbaijan on Sunday. The team's third one-two finish in four races this season left Verstappen six points clear of the Mexican in a two-horse title battle. Perez, yet to pit and able to do so without losing position, made the most of his good fortune. Verstappen said he had been experimenting all race with steering wheel settings, looking for a better balance in the car. "So I think all in all, I can be quite pleased with second," added last year's race winner.

☆ Lonely third was best Ferrari could do, says Leclerc
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Leclerc started from pole position, and had finished second in the Saturday sprint from the same grid slot, but was unable to stay ahead for more than three laps. "(The) strategy was really good, everything was really good but we just don't have enough pace in the car today to fight with the Red Bulls. It was a good effort to stay in front of Fernando (Alonso) but at the end it's like this. Leclerc had arrived in Baku with a meagre six points from the first three races, thanks to two retirements, but he left with a total tally of 28. Ferrari have upgrades in the pipeline, planned for their home race at Imola in May, but Leclerc said he was expecting small steps rather than miracles.

☆ Verstappen fumes at Russell after sprint clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 29 (Reuters) - Max Verstappen swore angrily at Mercedes rival George Russell after a first lap clash in Saturday's Baku sprint race ripped a hole in the Formula One champion's Red Bull. Verstappen and Russell exchanged words after the race, television microphones picking up Verstappen hinting at future revenge and calling Russell a 'dickhead' as the Briton walked away. "I respect all the drivers a lot and its a bit of commonsense as well what you do on the first lap," Verstappen told Sky Sports. "I don't think anything would have been any different had the positions been reversed." Verstappen starts from the front row in Sunday's main grand prix, alongside Ferrari's pole-sitter Charles Leclerc, with Russell lining up 11th.

☆ I said cat, not cut; Leclerc clarifies radio confusion
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Asked whether there had been any recurrence of what had sounded like an engine cutout, Leclerc told reporters: "Absolutely not. "There was a cat in the middle of the road and the safety car had to stop, but I think I was probably the only one who saw that. "In the exit of Turn One there was a cat and the safety car braked." Mexican Sergio Perez, the winner for Red Bull who was following Leclerc at the time, said he had not been aware of the cat. Viewers of the Canadian Grand Prix are also used to seeing groundhogs making a dash for safety at Montreal's island Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

☆ Leclerc completes Baku pole hat-trick for Ferrari
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The pole, in a session twice red-flagged early on due to crashes, was Ferrari's first of the Formula One season after Red Bull had qualified fastest in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia. Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen will line up alongside on the front row with his team mate Sergio Perez third. "It feels good...It's good to be back on top," said Leclerc after whooping in delight over the team radio. There was nothing to separate him and Verstappen after the initial flying laps, with both clocking one minute 40.445 seconds but the Red Bull driver on provisional pole due to setting his time first. "We must not forget that our car is probably behind the Red Bull, so it's going to be difficult to keep the lead.

[1/2] Zsolt Hernadi, Executive Chairman of Hungarian oil and gas group MOL poses during an interview with Reuters in Budapest, Hungary, April 27, 2023. Hernadi said MOL was fighting to prevent a hike in oil transit fees in Ukraine and also in Croatia. The BTC pipeline transports crude oil from offshore oil fields in the Caspian Sea to the Turkish coast. He said MOL would pay Ukraine's pipeline operator Ukrtransnafta directly for the transit of Russian oil but there was still a dispute over a Ukrainian hike in fees. "There are still disputes, discussions ongoing about the transit fee, as a multi-fold increase has been flagged (by Ukraine)."

☆ Verstappen fastest in chaotic Baku practice
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 28 (Reuters) - Red Bull's Formula One leader Max Verstappen put in the fastest time right at the chequered flag on Friday in a chaotic sole practice for the new format Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint weekend. The double world champion, last year's winner in Baku, lapped the fast street circuit with a best time of one minute 42.315 seconds with his final effort on the soft tyres. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who has never won in Baku but will be chasing his third successive pole in Azerbaijan in later qualifying for Sunday's grand prix, was second on the timesheets. The Monegasque ended up 0.037 seconds slower, after going top in the dying seconds, with Red Bull's Sergio Perez third and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz fourth. Perez has the best record of any driver on the starting grid in Baku with a victory in 2021, second last year and two third places.

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