Norway Tourism Gets Boost From Foreigners on Krone
Norwegian tourism is thriving after a weaker krone made the famously expensive Nordic country cheaper to visit and
2023-07-28 18:29
Gucci Owner Kering to Buy 30% of Valentino for €1.7 Billion
Kering SA agreed to buy a 30% stake in fashion house Valentino for €1.7 billion ($1.87 billion) in
2023-07-28 16:28
Spanish Growth Slows Slightly as Inflation Unexpectedly Picks Up
Spanish growth slowed slightly in the second quarter while inflation picked up in July as the economy faces
2023-07-28 15:18
South Africa's Power Blackouts Are Crippling Its 300-Year Old Wine Industry
In a picturesque valley two hours’ drive southeast of Cape Town, Berene Sauls is running way behind schedule.
2023-07-28 13:26
Omega, Cartier Models Gain as Rolex Keeps Falling
Some mid-tier priced luxury watches including models by Omega and Cartier outperformed as prices for the most popular
2023-07-28 12:26
Indian-Made Cold Syrup Sent to Iraq Contains Poison, Test Shows
A cold medication made in India and sold in Iraq is tainted with toxic chemicals, a test commissioned
2023-07-28 12:17
Company Behind Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Files for Bankruptcy
Lighthouse Immersive Inc., the company behind an interactive Vincent van Gogh exhibition displayed across the US, has filed
2023-07-28 04:47
Biden Says Extreme Heat Costing US $100 Billion Annually
President Joe Biden said extreme heat is costing the US $100 billion a year and linked it directly
2023-07-28 01:15
George Russell urges FIA to ‘be bold’ if weather makes Belgian Grand Prix unsafe
George Russell has raised the prospect of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix being cancelled amid poor weather. Heavy rain fell over the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit on Thursday, with the grizzly weather expected to continue throughout the weekend. Although the forecast is better for Sunday’s Grand Prix, the weather is notoriously difficult to predict in the Ardennes and there is a fear in the paddock that the weekend’s running – which features a sprint race on Saturday – could be heavily disrupted. Indeed, it is understood Formula One are already looking into potential changes to the timetable. The FIA’s decision to run in the wet conditions will be heightened following the death of 18-year-old Dilano Van ‘t Hoff at Spa-Francorchamps earlier this month. The Dutch teenager was killed after a crash in a rain-hit Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) race on July 1. “Obviously to have a race cancelled is not perfect for anybody, but we don’t want to see another huge incident that we have just seen,” said Russell, 25, director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association. “The conditions are safe and suitable enough to drive for one Formula One car. But when you have got 20 cars on track at once, anybody from third position backwards literally cannot see 20, 30, 40 metres ahead of them. “We have no visibility whatsoever. To give it some perspective, it is like driving down the motorway in pouring rain, and turning your windscreen wipers off. That is how it feels in the cockpit. “It was only a matter of time before the incident in the FRECA race happened. Drivers do not go flat out on the straight because they cannot see, someone gets rear-ended, and then there is a car in the middle of the track. “I also fear a little bit for the junior categories. I truly think Formula Three should not have 30 cars out there at one time at any point, even in dry conditions. I feel like it is a matter of time before a big incident happens there, too.” In 2021, the race here was abandoned after just two laps behind the safety car because of torrential rain, and Mercedes’ Russell continued: “It was the correct decision to call off the race. “The FIA has to be bold with its decisions when it comes to safety and when it comes to visibility. “We want to race, everybody wants to race, but when you go down that straight at over 200mph and you can’t see in front of you, there will be huge incidents, so they have got a big responsibility.” Van ‘t Hoff died following a multiple car pile-up on the exit of the notorious Eau Rouge corner and leading into the Kemmel Straight. In the spray, Van ‘t Hoff was tagged from behind, rebounding off the wall, and into the middle of the circuit where he was hit at high speed by another driver. Frenchman Anthoine Hubert was killed four years ago in an F2 race following a similar incident, albeit in the dry, at a circuit which has now claimed 49 lives. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton said: “It is not something I ever think of. As a driver, you can’t let it enter your mind, but you have to trust in what the FIA do. “We wouldn’t be here if they didn’t think it would be safe. They have done such incredible work over the past few decades and I trust them to make the right decisions moving forwards.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How Max Verstappen and record-breaking Red Bull compare to Formula One greats I held my breath – Lewis Hamilton enjoys ‘extraordinary’ run to pole in Budapest Max Verstappen gives hope to rivals after coming 11th in Hungarian GP practice
2023-07-28 00:52
Carlos Sainz interview: ‘All of us at Ferrari expected more – we haven’t done the best job’
Silverstone, 2022. That was the moment a goal within touching distance for so long was finally grasped by Carlos Sainz. Fittingly, his first pole position of his career was duly followed by a first Formula 1 race win, in his 150th grand prix. Ferrari were back among the top contenders and Sainz, this time, was the leading man ahead of his team-mate Charles Leclerc. The Scuderia were a force at the front once more. Or so we thought. Despite producing a race-winning car, Ferrari failed to capitalise last year amid strategy and reliability clangers. Red Bull leapfrogged the calamitous prancing horse – and have not looked back. Now, Ferrari have not won since Austria last year, just a week after Sainz’s inaugural triumph. They are fourth in the Constructors’ Championship at the halfway stage this season. Sainz has not even finished on the podium. “I thought we’d be fighting for more podiums and wins but unfortunately it’s a very competitive team called Red Bull who are dominating,” Sainz tells The Independent. “It’s been a challenging season. All of us at Ferrari expected more from this year’s car and performance. We haven’t done the best job. “I’m happy with my own performance and the way I’m driving. But for one reason or another the results are not coming.” 2023 marks Sainz’s ninth-straight season in a sport he has devoted his life to. You can only wonder his thoughts as Max Verstappen – the driver he entered the sport alongside at Toro Rosso in 2015 – steamrolls to a third consecutive world championship at Red Bull. Via Renault, McLaren and now the scarlet red of Ferrari, Sainz’s progression through the ranks has been steady, if a bit slow. “I saw from very early on [as a junior] when I was winning that I was very good,” the 28-year-old says. “But I was naïve to believe that just by winning I was going to be an winning F1 driver. “I started to understand that everything needed to align. There needed to be a space for me in F1 and then I would need to be good enough to stay on. There’s always challenges.” An initial challenge, no doubt, was coping with the pressure which naturally came with being Carlos Sainz Jr. His father won the World Rally Championship twice and still competes in Extreme E at the age of 61. But Sainz Jr. is quick to point something out: his dad was not a pushy parent throughout his upbringing in Madrid. “My dad never got me into it, it was just me and something inside me that wanted to drive,” he insists. “It was just the genes, I’m not going to lie. “I happened to fall in love with F1 as a sport. It coincided with racing in go-karts and since the age of two, I’ve always been on top of a car.” His adoration for the sport is palpable. Time spent away from the paddock – whether it be golf, eating tapas or time with his family and dogs – is attuned to his return to the racetrack. Despite being the right side of 30, only three current drivers have completed more consecutive seasons in the sport than him. And unlike his first team-mate Verstappen – who despite his success is adamant he will not race deep into his 30s like Fernando Alonso or Lewis Hamilton – Sainz is not interested by other competitions or opportunities at the moment. Not even the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which Ferrari won this year? “Yes I would, one day,” he says. “But I don’t think about it yet. Why? Because I’m so focused on F1.” Instead, while the ultimate dream is still attainable with a contract at Ferrari until the end of the 2024 season, Sainz will continue down the same road. And that road is currently one of recovery, which starts this weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix before the summer break. “I want to be a world champion one day,” he states. “I want to be winning more races. My brain is only thinking about that and I don’t even think about the other possibilities. Now, my target is to help the team to develop the car and go faster. That will allow me to fight for podiums and wins. “And that’s what I’m here at Ferrari for.” Carlos Sainz is a brand ambassador for Estrella Galicia 0.0. Read More Daniel Ricciardo is back - and this time he wants to go out on top F1 Juniors broadcast an admirable idea – but a reminder that all kids want to be is grown up Max Verstappen making Red Bull rivals ‘look like F2 cars’, says Toto Wolff F1 Academy announces radical team change for 2024 season How to win new fans for a growing sport and rival racing championship F1 2023 race schedule: When is the Belgian Grand Prix?
2023-07-27 21:47
Prada Earnings Jump, Helped by Luxury Demand in Asia, Europe
Prada SpA reported stronger earnings as the Italian fashion group benefited from shoppers in Europe and Asia splurging
2023-07-27 19:47
F1 Academy announces radical team change for 2024 season
All 10 Formula 1 teams will have one driver competing in F1 Academy next year as part of a radical overhaul in the setup of the all-female racing series. The Academy, formed at the back end of last year with Susie Wolff as managing director, is currently in the midst of its first full season, culminating at the United States Grand Prix in October. Now, after an announcement earlier this year that all F1 Academy races would be held on F1 race weekends next year, there has been a further shake-up. The team currently has five teams – ART Grand Prix, Campos Racing, MP Motorsport, PREMA Racing and Rodin Carlin – but next year, all 10 F1 teams will nominate a driver and will have their livery on that car meaning the likes of Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren will all be involved in the competition. The full driver line-up will be announced at a later date, with the remaining five drivers supported by other partners. “This landmark moment not only demonstrates the depth of support for F1 Academy from across the F1 community but will inspire a whole generation of young girls to realise the opportunities both on and off track in motorsport,” said Wolff. “As we join the F1 calendar for next year and host F1 Academy Discover Your Drive events in the lead up to our races, I am confident that we will have a positive impact across our sport in the long term.” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali added: “We created F1 Academy to bring about real and lasting change to ensure young female talent have the right system in place to follow and achieve their dreams. “Today is a very important moment as it shows the impact the project is having and the support it is receiving from across the F1 community. “Susie, the teams, and everyone involved are working tirelessly to ensure we go from strength to strength and continue to deliver on the important objective we have set out together. “In 2024 the F1 Academy will join our race calendar, raising the awareness and profile of the series globally and to have the F1 liveries on the grid will be something very special.” Spanish driver Marta Garcia leads the 2023 standings with a 36-point lead with six races to go. Read More Daniel Ricciardo is back - and this time he wants to go out on top F1 race schedule: What time is the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday? Lewis Hamilton makes damning statement about his level after Hungarian GP F1 2023 race schedule: When is the Belgian Grand Prix? Max Verstappen making Red Bull rivals ‘look like F2 cars’, says Toto Wolff F1 Juniors broadcast an admirable idea – but all kids want to be is grown up
2023-07-27 18:27