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☆ Mekies to leave Ferrari and replace Tost at AlphaTauri
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Tost to step down as AlphaTauri boss at end of seasonMekies to replace him from FerrariFormer FIA executive Bayer also joins teamApril 26 (Reuters) - AlphaTauri's Franz Tost, Formula One's second longest serving team principal, will step down at the end of the 2023 season and be replaced by Ferrari sporting director Laurent Mekies. "With Peter as new CEO and Laurent as Team Principal, we found two very professional people, who will bring the team to the next level. "I am honoured to take on the role of team principal and to return to the Team where I spent a large portion of my early career," he said. Only Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has been in his job for longer than the Austrian who first came into Formula One in 2000 as track operations manager with Williams's then-partners BMW. Mekies' departure continues something of an exodus from Ferrari after the Italian team changed principals, with Fred Vasseur replacing Mattia Binotto in January.

☆ Climate change activists protest at Berlin Formula E race
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, April 23 (Reuters) - Climate change activists delayed the start of an all-electric Formula E race at Berlin's Tempelhof airport circuit on Sunday after they climbed fences and sat in front of cars lined up on the starting grid. Letzte Generation (Last Generation) posted video on Twitter of white T-shirted supporters scaling the wire fence before being carried away by security. A Formula E spokesperson said the protest was "unrelated to the event". read moreBritain's Grand National horse race was delayed by animal rights protesters, with 118 people arrested read more . Twenty five people were also arrested at Saturday's Scottish Grand National.

☆ Breen died after fence post penetrated car window, Hyundai say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] FIA World Rally Championship - Rally Sweden - Stage 3 of Second Round - Torsby, Sweden - February 14, 2020 Craig Breen of Ireland reacts. TT News Agency/Micke Fransson via REUTERS/File PhotoApril 19 (Reuters) - Irish rally driver Craig Breen was killed instantly in a crash in Croatia last week after a fence post penetrated the car's side window, his Hyundai team revealed on Wednesday. Hyundai are competing in Croatia this weekend with a reduced two car entry and a special livery as a tribute to Breen. The 33-year-old would have been competing in his second rally of the season after finishing runner-up in Sweden in February. The world rally championship has retired Breen's competition number 42 for the remainder of the season.

☆ Harry Styles, Kate Bush among nominees for Ivor songwriting awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 19 (Reuters) - Singers Harry Styles and Kate Bush are among the nominees at next month's Ivors, the annual awards honouring songwriters and screen composers. Styles has three nominations overall, including best song musically and lyrically for "As It Was" and songwriter of the year alongside his collaborator Kid Harpoon. Tom Odell’s "Best Day of My Life", Katie Gregson-Macleod’s "complex", Sault's "Stronger" and Florence + the Machine’s "King" complete the Best Song Musically and Lyrically category. Box office hit "Avatar: The Way of Water" and psychological drama "Don't Worry Darling" are among the nominees for best original film score. Named after the early 20th century Welsh composer, actor and entertainer Ivor Novello, the Ivor Awards were first handed out in 1956.

☆ How digital ecosystems can build a closer, more inclusive world
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Tata Communications | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

How to build a world that looks after everyoneThe conference highlighted the need to embrace equity in all walks of life. Tata Communications’ Genius Wong pledges to build a more inclusive digital economy and work with Georgette Tan (pictured) and the team at United Women Singapore to bridge the digital divide. Adopting Tata Communications' remote broadcast solution helped his organization reduce its normal on-site staff count by over 30% without compromising content delivery. Tata Communications leadership along with SMS Tan Kiat How stand together to build a secure and inclusive digital economy. Find out how Tata Communications is hyperconnecting Formula 1 fans globally to the world-class track-side F1 experience.

☆ Formula One under scrutiny over balance between safety and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Stewards had hoped racing would decide the winner but the carnage only served to trigger a third red flag and a processional win behind a safety car for Red Bull's Max Verstappen. DAMAGE BILLSStriking the right balance between safety and sport has long challenged Formula One, which moved to tighten its safety car rules after controversy hit the title-deciding 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Officials no longer have such discretion but the application of safety car rules continues to flummox drivers and team bosses alike. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he was not sure when to expect a standard safety car versus a virtual one or a red flag after incidents. "Standing starts are the most vulnerable part of any grand prix and we did three of them," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

☆ 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.

☆ Masi's door open to Mercedes but Wolff won't be knocking
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The choice is theirs," Masi told News Corp media. "I've always had an open door policy and will always have an open door policy, since the moment that I arrived in this F1 paddock and that continues." Hamilton said on Thursday he had no plans to meet Masi and was only focussed on his future. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff echoed Hamilton, saying he wanted to leave the past behind. "No," he said when asked if he would meet Masi.

☆ ETFs show that investors are confused about where the markets are going
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A common tool to gauge the market's intent is following inflows and outflows in large ETFs. There have been outflows from corporate bond ETFs like Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond (VCSH), high yield funds like SPDR High Yield ETF (JNK), bank loan ETFs like SPDR Senior Loan ETF (SRLN) and bank stock ETFs like Invesco KBW Bank ETF (KBWB). The Credit Suisse issue was somewhat different. Europeans at the conference were surprised that there was a focus on Credit Suisse. The common thread of the commentary was that Credit Suisse had never recovered from the financial crisis, that it had been in decline for nearly 20 years.

Members of the FIA include the major banks on Wall Street. As a clearing house, the OCC settles and guarantee options contracts, working as a central counterparty for credit risk. Apart from the group meeting with the FIA, the OCC has also discussed this issue individually with some market participants, one of the sources said. The OCC told this person it did not see a major risk, but it wanted to assess its members' views and explore different risk scenarios. Many 0DTE options have a low probability of rising in value as they approach expiration.

☆ F1 stewards exempt Hamilton after 'disfigurement' fear
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANAMA, March 3 (Reuters) - Formula One stewards exempted Lewis Hamilton from a jewellery ban at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday after accepting he risked disfigurement if a nose piercing was removed. Hamilton, 38, has worn a permanent nose stud in his left nostril for years and photographs in Bahrain have shown him also with one on the right. He explained at last October's Singapore Grand Prix, when he was also given an exemption, that taking the left one out had caused the piercing to become infected. The stewards in Bahrain said in a statement they had consulted the FIA medical delegate who examined Hamilton and agreed with the request for a continued exemption. "We have determined to take no further action as there are concerns about disfigurement with frequent attempts at removal of the device," the stewards explained.

☆ Drivers urged to help steer F1 away from 'moral vacuum'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton and other Formula One drivers can help steer the sport away from a 'moral vacuum' by speaking out at season-opening races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, human rights campaigners said on Tuesday. One is a road which is a moral vacuum where the leaders and the administrators seem to going," he said. It called for an independent enquiry to examine the role of races in human rights violations. Bahrain's government has said it "actively supports the role Formula One can play in shedding light on human rights issues in all countries it operates in". Scriven said Formula One drivers would be justified in refusing to race in certain countries if the sport failed to put in place a proper ethical framework.

☆ Formula One rewrites the rule on shortened races
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Formula One has rewritten a rule to ensure reduced points are given for shortened races after Red Bull's Max Verstappen clinched his second title in confusing circumstances last October. A statement of key decisions -- to be rubber-stamped by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council -- included a change of wording "to ensure that shorter races have reduced points even if they don’t finish with a suspended race." It turned out to be full points, enough for Verstappen to clinch the title with four races to spare. The FIA explained at the time that the reduced points rule only applied to grands prix that were suspended and could not be resumed. The meeting was chaired by Formula One Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali and FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis.

☆ Formula 1: The FIA clarifies free speech rule after fierce backlash from Lewis Hamilton and drivers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Drivers take a knee to protest against racism ahead of the F1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone on Aug. 9, 2020. Formula 1's governing FIA has said drivers will be allowed to make political statements only in "exceptional" circumstances after seeking to clarify its contentious new law. The sporting federation recently updated its rules to prevent "political, religious or personal" remarks being made without prior approval. However, the FIA has attracted a fierce backlash from a number of drivers — with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton this week insisting he will not be silenced, and Lando Norris accusing F1's rulers of treating drivers like schoolchildren. However, drivers will face sanctions if they oppose the law while on track — such as during the national anthem before a race or on the podium.

☆ FIA seeks to clarify free speech rules after driver backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

read moreMcLaren's Lando Norris suggested the FIA was treating drivers like schoolchildren. "Participants can express their views on any political, religious or personal matter before, during and after the international competition, in their own space, and outside the scope of the international competition," it said. "On an exceptional and case-by-case basis, the FIA may authorise a participant to make a statement at an international competition that would otherwise be prohibited," it added. The FIA said drivers could not make political, religious and/or personal statements during the pre-race parade, anthem and post-race procedures. Examples included unapproved statements or comments relating to "any military conflict or political dispute between nations, regions, religions, or communities".

☆ Nothing will stop me speaking out, says Hamilton
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton vowed on Wednesday to continue speaking out despite Formula One's governing body clamping down on drivers making 'political' statements. The governing FIA updated its International Sporting Code last December requiring prior written permission to make or display "political, religious and personal statements or comments" at races. "It doesn't surprise me, but nothing will stop me from speaking on the things that I'm passionate about and issues that there are. Asked whether he would be prepared to take a penalty, Hamilton added: "It would be silly to say that I would want to get penalty points for speaking out on things. "But I am still going to be speaking my mind as we still have this platform, there are still a lot of things we need to tackle."

☆ F1 will never gag any drivers, says Domenicali
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Formula One will never gag anyone, chief executive Stefano Domenicali has stated in response to a pre-season controversy between the governing FIA and drivers over 'political' statements and freedom of speech. read moreThe move has been condemned by rights groups and criticised by drivers, who have spoken of their unhappiness and uncertainty. read more read more read more"F1 will never put a gag on anyone," said Domenicali. "Everyone wants to talk so to have the platform to say what they want in the right way the better it is. "I believe the FIA will clarify what has been stated, in terms of respecting certain places where you cannot do it," said Domenicali.

☆ F1 drivers need clarity on political statements, says Albon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GROVE, England, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Formula One drivers need more guidance from the governing FIA on what they can say at races this season after a rule change caused concern, Williams driver Alex Albon said on Monday. The FIA updated the International Sporting Code last December with a clause requiring prior written permission for drivers to make or display "political, religious and personal statements or comments". The move has been a pre-season talking point, with uncertainty about how it might be applied in practice. "It seems quite a broad subject ... we need clarity from the FIA on what they are trying to tell us," Albon told reporters during a livery launch at the team's factory. We need to be open in dialogue about what they are trying to do.

☆ F1 drivers must be allowed to speak out freely, says Perez
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Drivers Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and team principal Christian Horner of Red Bull F-1 Racing Team attend the unveil of the RB19 car in a partnership with Ford during a launch event in New York City, U.S., February 3, 2023. Mexican Perez told reporters at his world champion team's livery launch in New York that drivers needed to be able to speak freely. Several drivers, notably Mercedes' seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton, have used their profile and platform to address issues. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told reporters separately that he felt "sport should never be used as a political tool. Horner said Red Bull had always allowed their drivers freedom to speak out but it was a question of finding a balance.

☆ Asset managers, banks call on EU to cost plans to grab euro clearing from London
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Asset managers, hedge funds and banks on Thursday called on the European Union to properly cost its plans to force market participants to shift derivatives clearing business from London to mandatory accounts in the bloc. London Stock Exchange Group's LCH and ICE in London have long dominated parts of the euro derivatives market, but the EU wants direct say over this activity measured in trillions of euros to ensure financial stability after Britain's departure from the EU. The cross-industry call in a joint statement said the proposals to bolster euro denominated derivatives clearing in the EU would damage the bloc's capital market. Derivatives industry bodies ISDA and FIA, hedge fund and alternative investments association AIMA, and EFAMA, which represents the EU's asset management industry, said the plans would be costly to implement. A strategy based on organic growth and market-driven solutions would best support the competitiveness of EU clearing houses in a global clearing marketplace, they added.

☆ FIA assessing impact of cyber attack on financial data firm ION
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Feb 1 (Reuters) - The Futures Industry Association said on Wednesday it was assessing the impact of a cyber attack on the systems of an ION Group unit, which is affecting trading and clearing of exchange-traded derivatives by ION customers across global markets. The FIA, an industry group that represents futures dealers, investors and exchanges, said it was working with impacted members as well as market regulators to evaluate the extent of the impact on trading, processing and clearing. Dublin-based financial technology company ION Markets said a "cybersecurity event" had impacted its Cleared Derivatives division on Tuesday. All affected servers were disconnected and being remedied, according to the firm. Reporting by Medha Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FIA defends Ben Sulayem after reported sexist comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Sexist comments attributed to the head of Formula One's governing body and splashed across the media do not reflect the beliefs of president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA said on Saturday. The comments, which appeared to be more than two decades old, appeared on an old personal website that could no longer be read online. An FIA spokesman said however that "the remarks in this archived website from 2001 do not reflect the president's beliefs. "He has a strong record on promoting women and equality in sport, which he is happy to be judged on. read moreBen Sulayem had questioned on Twitter a reported $20 billion valuation of the sport following reports of Saudi Arabian interest.

☆ 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.

☆ F1 sends incendiary letter to FIA after Mohammed Ben Sulayem's 'inflated price tags of $20bn' claim
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Mark Kleinman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Formula One bosses have accused FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem of "unacceptable" interference in the alleged sale of the sport. He added that a potential buyer of F1 should "come with a clear, sustainable plan — not just a lot of money." The letter, warned the FIA that "Formula 1 has the exclusive right to exploit the commercial rights in the FIA Formula One World Championship" under a 100-year deal. The response to Ben Sulayem's comments comes at a time of heightened tensions between F1 and its governing body. F1 teams question FIA president's position after latest disagreementsAnalysis by Sky Sports News' Craig Slater...

☆ Let Hamilton speak out, says Bahrain rights group
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) urged Formula One's governing body on Tuesday to allow seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton and other drivers to speak freely on 'political' issues. read moreMercedes' Hamilton, the sport's all-time most successful driver, has used his profile and platform to address human rights abuses and racial injustice around the world. The Middle East has four races this year -- In Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The FIA has said the update is merely aligned with "the political neutrality of sport" but Alwadaei said it appeared to target Hamilton. "We are saying to Mohammed Ben Sulayem that this policy is wrong and it must be reversed immediately," he added.

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