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☆ Leclerc has a hit with a different kind of track
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 27 (Reuters) - Charles Leclerc is flying low in the Formula One standings but climbing high in the music charts with a different kind of track success. The Ferrari driver is a keen piano player and this week released a four minute composition entitled 'Aus23 (1:1)' on streaming platforms. The track was soaring in the Apple iTunes top song rankings alongside hits by the likes of Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Miley Cyrus. Leclerc said the song might be sad, but it was not connected to the disappointing Australian Grand Prix where he spun into the gravel on the opening lap. On track, Leclerc has had two retirements in the first three races and is 10th overall in the championship with just six points.

☆ Vasseur says Ferrari recruiting massively, Mekies exit is no drama
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 27 (Reuters) - Ferrari are recruiting massively as they reorganise the Formula One team and the announced departure of sporting director Laurent Mekies is no drama, team boss Fred Vasseur said on Thursday. He was the second senior team member to head for the exit since Mattia Binotto was replaced by Frenchman Vasseur in January. "I think it’s a mega opportunity for Laurent," Vasseur told reporters at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. "The group is there, we are recruiting massively -- that we are not communicating but we are recruiting massively -- and we will do step by step. Vasseur recognised Mekies' current role was 'quite large" and said it could ultimately be split in two, as some other teams have done.

☆ Formula One statistics for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 25 (Reuters) - Formula One statistics for Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, the fourth round of the 23-race 2023 world championship:Lap distance: 6.003 km. read moreThe street circuit made its debut in 2016 as the European Grand Prix. Daniel Ricciardo won for Red Bull from 10th on the grid in 2017 and Perez from sixth in 2021. Red Bull have been on pole in every race so far in 2023 and the last four in total. Aston Martin have had three successive podium finishes, a first for the Silverstone-based team in its many incarnations dating back to Jordan Grand Prix.

☆ MLB roundup: Cubs' Drew Smyly flirts with perfection vs. Dodgers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

Los Angeles starter Julio Urias (3-2) allowed five runs, seven hits (including two homers) and two walks in 3 1/3 innings. Seven of Urias' 10 earned runs allowed this season have come against Chicago. Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola tossed a season-high seven innings and allowed four hits and three runs with three strikeouts and three walks. Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller (2-0) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, with five strikeouts and a walk. Pivetta (1-1) allowed three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven with one walk.

☆ The worst Pentagon leak in years may have started in a gamer chatroom, where people weirdly keep posting classified documents trying to win arguments on the internet
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The leaked Pentagon documents may have started in an online chatroom for gamers. It's not the first time users have leaked classified or sensitive information to the internet to settle a debate. "Here, have some leaked documents," the user wrote in response to the discussion. In recent years, players of "War Thunder" — a combat video game — have shared highly sensitive information to various chatrooms on multiple occasions, including content about tanks, fighter jets, and missiles. In one case, a user posted information from the manual of an F-16 fighter jet, as well as content about the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.

☆ Leclerc asks fans for privacy after home address leaked
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 9 (Reuters) - Ferrari Formula One driver Charles Leclerc has asked fans to respect his privacy after they keep turning up outside his Monaco apartment. "For the past few months, my home address has somehow become public, leading to people gathering beneath my apartment, ringing my bell, and asking for pictures and autographs," he said. "While I'm always happy to be there for you and I truly appreciate your support, please respect my privacy and refrain from coming to my house. Leclerc and Ferrari have had a difficult start to the Formula One season, with the driver retiring from two of the first three races. Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Italian police arrest four for stealing Leclerc's watch
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ROME, April 4 (Reuters) - Italian police have arrested four people wanted in connection with the theft of a luxury watch from Ferrari's Formula One driver Charles Leclerc last year. Leclerc, who is from Monte Carlo, had his exclusive Richard Mille timepiece stolen from his wrist in the Italian seaside resort of Viareggio last April. The theft took place when the Formula One driver was approached by two people wearing motorcycle helmets who asked for a selfie. An investigative source said it was not yet possible to say if either of the watches found were the one stolen from Leclerc. Reporting by Cristina Carlevaro and Giselda Vagnoni; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Long April break gives F1 time to take stock
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, April 3 (Reuters) - Formula One teams will welcome more than their drivers the breathing space provided by a long April break in a record 23-race season. "I don't want to have that break, because you know which race was missing from that break," said Alfa Romeo's Guanyu Zhou, the sport's only Chinese driver. "You will use it (the break) just to prepare for the next race in a better way and review the first three races. "For the race team, there's an opportunity to have a little bit of rest because the rest of the season will be tough." The break provides more time also for teams to work on upgrades and add spares after a bruising weekend for some in Australia.

☆ Verstappen wins Australian Grand Prix after red flag chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Verstappen wins his second race of the seasonHamilton finishes runner-up ahead of AlonsoRace interrupted by red flags, crashesMELBOURNE, April 2 (Reuters) - Max Verstappen was crowned Australian Grand Prix winner on Sunday after two late red flags and a slew of crashes threw the race into chaos before the Red Bull driver was allowed a processional victory lap around Albert Park. That allowed Verstappen to claim his second win of the season ahead of Hamilton with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso third. Red Bull have now claimed all three grand prix wins in the new season, a record for the team, resuming their dominance after their runaway success in 2022. The Dutchman now has 69 points in the championship race, 15 ahead of team mate Sergio Perez. Verstappen opened up a big gap before the late red flags saw the race turn from procession to drama and back again.

☆ Team by team analysis of the Australian Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

ASTON MARTIN (Fernando Alonso 3, Lance Stroll 4)Alonso's third third-place finish in three races for the team he joined this season from Renault-owned Alpine. The Spaniard started fourth, dropped to fifth but was third by the second red flag. Russell pulled up with his car flaming at the rear on lap 18, triggering a virtual safety car. He had fought back from 11th after pitting during the second safety car period, just before the first red flag. The German was fourth at the final red flag but the positions were reset to the previous grid because no sector had been completed.

☆ Australian GP: Max Verstappen holds off Lewis Hamilton for victory after wild finish to chaotic race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Australia. Max Verstappen held off Lewis Hamilton to claim a maiden Australian Grand Prix victory after a chaotic race, which finished with a processional safety-car lap following a wild late restart. Verstappen looked to be cruising to a comfortable win having reclaimed the lead after losing out to George Russell and Hamilton during a frantic opening, but Kevin Magnussen's crash and an ensuing second red flag of the race set up a two-lap sprint to the finish from a standing start. A third red flag followed, along with further confusion and controversy as there was a long wait before the FIA decided to restore the order from before the restart because the cars had not made it far enough around the track before for the new classification to be confirmed before the red flag came out. That meant that Alonso returned to third, but Sainz was left devastated as a five-second penalty for causing the collision saw him relegated to 12th, leaving Ferrari pointless after Charles Leclerc's first-lap retirement.

☆ Verstappen fastest in first practice at Australian Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, March 31 (Reuters) - Formula One world champion Max Verstappen topped the timesheets for Red Bull before taking a late spin at Albert Park in an eventful first free practice at the Australian Grand Prix on Friday. The Dutchman lapped the lakeside circuit in one minute, 18.790 seconds, nearly half a second quicker than second fastest Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, as two red flags disrupted the session. A second red flag cut the session short by a few minutes as Williams rookie Logan Sargeant came to a halt on track-side grass with an apparent power failure. Verstappen finished his session with a bit of drama, taking a big spin at turn four to ruin his tyres. But he squeezed in a fast lap between the red flags to sandwich himself between Verstappen and Perez's times.

☆ Perez wins Saudi GP as Verstappen goes from 15th to second
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"That safety car again tried to take the victory away from us in Jeddah but not this time," said Perez, who started on pole last year but was caught out by a safety car deployment and ended up fourth. "I was on for victory last year so finally I got it," added the Mexican, who now has five career wins and finished 5.355 seconds clear despite the safety car cutting his early advantage. It took Perez four laps to take charge with the Mexican meeting no resistance as he swept past for the lead, but he could not relax. When the safety car period ended on lap 20, Verstappen was pushing Russell for third and took the place three laps later. Verstappen went second, 5.6 seconds behind Perez, at the half-distance but the gap stayed constant with the Red Bulls in a race of their own.

☆ Perez on pole in Saudi Arabia as Verstappen hits trouble
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"You really feel the Formula One cars coming alive in this place and maximising that lap was very important," said Perez of what was also his second career pole. "Every session was going really well, every time we were on the track the car was working really well. Mercedes' George Russell and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz will share the second row with Canadian Lance Stroll fifth for Aston Martin and Esteban Ocon sixth for Renault-owned Alpine. Seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton, winner in Saudi Arabia in 2021, will start seventh for Mercedes. "It was really, really on the limit," he said.

☆ Verstappen completes practice sweep in Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 18 (Reuters) - Formula One world champion Max Verstappen completed a dominant hat-trick of top times in practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Saturday. Mexican team mate Sergio Perez was second fastest, but a considerable 0.613 seconds slower than Verstappen's best effort of one minute 28.485 on the soft tyres. Apart from Perez, Alonso was the only driver within a second of Verstappen. McLaren's Lando Norris was seventh, and Australian rookie team mate Oscar Piastri eighth, a mere 0.008 behind. Verstappen apologised after lifting off the throttle on track and forcing Norris, coming up fast behind, to swerve around him.

☆ Even from 15th, Verstappen remains a big threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 18 (Reuters) - Red Bull's Max Verstappen will start the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 15th place but none of his rivals were ruling out the Formula One championship leader fighting for victory on Sunday. Mercedes driver George Russell, who qualified third on a circuit where overtaking is relatively easy, expected to see Verstappen in his mirrors. "We saw what Max did last year from 15th in Spa and he's got a faster race car this year." Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who will start 12th after qualifying second but with a 10 place grid drop, said Red Bull were on another planet. Red Bull boss Christian Horner preferred to praise Perez's pole lap.

☆ French government says has deal on anti-inflation shopping basket
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Dominique Vidalon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The discounts are expected to cost retailers "hundreds of millions of euros", Le Maire said. From June, retailers and government officials will reassess the situation and may ask large consumer goods suppliers to re-negotiate prices with retailers, he added. French annual inflation rose unexpectedly to 7.2% in February from 7.0% in January, partly as a result of higher food prices, preliminary figures from the INSEE statistics body found. INSEE has forecast that food price inflation would remain at 13% for the first half of the year. The basket of anti-inflation groceries is the government's latest effort to show political support to lower-income citizens.

☆ Ferrari's only target is the title, says new boss Vasseur
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jan 27 (Reuters) - Ferrari have everything they need to succeed and will be chasing the title this season with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz starting on equal terms, according to new team boss Fred Vasseur. Vasseur, who joined from Swiss-based Alfa Romeo on Jan. 9 as Ferrari's fifth boss in less than a decade, told reporters via Zoom in his first media call since taking over that the target was obvious. "I think when you are a top team, you can't have another target than the win," he said. It would be a lack of ambition and I think we have everything to do a good job and the target has to be to win for sure." "The target is to win for Ferrari.

☆ France may be the next country to send its tanks to Ukraine, but officials worry they could be 'a poisoned chalice'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

France is also considering sending its Leclerc tanks to Ukraine. A French Leclerc tank during an exercise in Germany in November 2019. Some claim it performed better than the M1 Abrams tanks that Saudi Arabia has used in that conflict. The Leclerc's lighter weight may make it more maneuverable than the other Western tanks headed to Ukraine. But other than Rafale jet fighters, the most powerful weapon — symbolically and militarily — that France could provide would be Leclerc tanks.

Ukraine said it had shot down all 24 drones sent overnight by Russia, including 15 around the capital, and 47 of 55 Russian missiles - some fired from Tu-95 strategic bombers in the Russian Arctic. Eleven people were killed and 11 wounded in the drone and missile strikes, which spanned 11 regions and also damaged 35 buildings, a State Emergency Service spokesperson said. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said electricity substations had been hit as Russia continued to target energy facilities. [1/7] Local residents remove debris from a house of their neighbour damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the town of Hlevakha, outside Kyiv, Ukraine January 26, 2023. Both Moscow and Kyiv, which have so far relied on Soviet-era T-72 tanks, are expected to mount new ground offensives in spring.

☆ Factbox: Tanks for Ukraine: who is lining up to send them?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jan 25 (Reuters) - Germany has approved sending tanks to Ukraine, after Britain said it would send Challenger 2 tanks and Poland pushed for Berlin's approval to send German-built Leopard 2 tanks. Ukraine has until recently faced resistance to its requests for main battle tanks to fight against invading Russian forces. It said it would send an initial company of 14 tanks. NORWAYThe Norwegian government is considering whether to send some of its Leopard tanks, newspapers reported. THE NETHERLANDSDutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the Netherlands was prepared to deliver battle tanks to Ukraine if needed.

☆ Explainer: Why has Ukraine sought Leopard 2 battle tanks?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Kyiv has been pushing for the Leopard 2 tank in particular because it has several advantages over the alternatives, such as Britain's Challenger 2 and the U.S. M1 Abrams tanks. With some 20 nations operating the Leopard 2, several nations could each chip in a small portion of their tanks to support Ukraine. Germany has about 350 Leopard 2 tanks today, compared to some 4,000 battle main tanks at the height of the Cold War, according to German military expert Carl Schulze. At the same time, it is all but impossible to buy a large amount of Leopard 2 tanks quickly. However, unlike the Leopard 2, it is not widely used, which limits how many can be made available for Ukraine.

☆ Germany agrees to send Leopard tanks to Ukraine, allies to follow
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Andreas Rinke | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Germany's decision paves the way for other countries such as Poland, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands and Norway to supply some of their Leopard tanks to Ukraine, going some way towards delivering the hundreds of tanks that Ukraine says it needs. "Germany will always be at the forefront when it comes to supporting Ukraine," Scholz told German parliament to applause. Germany aims to quickly establish two battalions with Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine and initially provide 14 Leopard 2 tanks from its own inventory. A battalion normally comprises three or four companies with around 14 tanks each. Poland has also pledged 14 tanks and Britain has promised 14 of its own Challengers.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: German tanks decision 'half a step' away, Kyiv says; Ukraine government reshuffle expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A decision on whether to supply Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine is in its final stages, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Monday, with only a last "half step" to be taken. "We have only half a step left to take in the matter of tanks," Kuleba said during a nationwide news telethon reported by news outlet Ukrinform Monday. "We have already received the British Challengers [tanks], which we were once told were impossible. I have no doubts that the Leopard tanks will reach us. Germany is under intense pressure to decide whether to give the greenlight for German-made tanks to be sent to Ukraine.

[1/5] Ukrainian servicemen are seen near the frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Soledar in Donetsk region, Ukraine January 23, 2023. The corruption scandal could dampen Western enthusiasm for his government just as European countries bicker over sending German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. One of the most widely used Western tanks, Ukraine says it needs them to break through Russian lines and recapture territory this year. Germany is not blocking the re-export of Leopard tanks to Ukraine, the European Union's top diplomat said on Monday. Ukraine says Western tanks would give its ground troops the mobility, protection and firepower to break through Russian defensive lines and resume their advance.

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