F1 Stars Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Do Voiceovers in Disney Movie 'Lightyear'
May 25, 2022
BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 21: Charles Leclerc of Ferrari celebrates the pole position after qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain on May 21, 2022. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Formula One stars Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will be heard in the international versions of the Disney animated movie Lightyear.
A video released Wednesday showed the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers providing voiceovers for the movie:
"It was a completely different experience from what I have done in the past," Leclerc said, via TMZ Sports.
The teammates will be voicing the same character, with Leclerc appearing in the Italian version of the movie and Sainz will be in the Spanish version.
Both drivers currently sit in the top five of the F1 standings, with Leclerc especially in the midst of a breakout year with two victories. The latest cameos signify their continued rise to stardom on the international stage.
Considering rival Lewis Hamilton already had a cameo in Cars 2, Leclerc and Sainz had to keep up the pace.
F1 Driver Sebastian Vettel Robbed After Spanish Grand Prix; Reportedly Chased Thieves
May 23, 2022
BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 21: Sebastian Vettel of Aston Martin and Germany during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 21, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel was the victim of a robbery following the Spanish Grand Prix, per ESPN.
Aston Martin announced a group of thieves stole a bag from Vettel outside of his Barcelona hotel. The four-time champion then attempted to track down the items by using the GPS from a pair of earbuds that were in the bag, however, he found the earbuds had been removed from the bag and left behind by the thieves. Spanish media reported (via ESPN) that Vettel had used a scooter to attempt to track down his bag.
Aston Martin provided a statement on the incident: "A bag belonging to Sebastian Vettel was stolen in Barcelona this morning. He tried to find it by using his iPhone to track his earphones which were in his bag, but when he located his earphones he found them abandoned and was therefore unable to locate his stolen bag."
Vettel has reported the theft to local authorities on the situation as well, per the BBC's Andrew Benson.
The 34-year-old placed 11th in Sunday's race. He currently sits 14th in the F1 standings after having collected four points from four races.
Vettel is the third F1 driver to be the victim of a robbery within the last year, per ESPN.
Lando Norris was mugged last July outside of Wembley Stadium after the Euro 2020 final. In April, a watch worth $320,000 was stolen from Charles Leclerc.
Max Verstappen Cruises to Victory in 2022 Spanish F1 Grand Prix
May 22, 2022
BARCELONA - Max Verstappen (1) with the Oracle Red Bull Racing RB18 Honda during the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 22, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. REMKO DE WAAL (Photo by ANP via Getty Images)
Max Verstappen may have just taken control of the 2022 Formula One season.
Verstappen cruised to victory in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix, earning his fourth win of the season and overtaking the points lead.
Charles Leclerc, who entered the weekend with a 19-point lead in the standings, is now six points behind Verstappen after a disappointing 20th-place finish.
Sergio Perez finished second behind Verstappen, while George Russell, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five.
Leclerc looked like he had the best car in the field throughout the early part of the race before bowing out on Lap 28 because of power-unit problems.
"We will look at this issue and we cannot afford for this to happen many times during the season, so we need to find the problem," Leclerc told reporters. "The lead of the championship will go down to basically nothing or maybe we will lose it actually, but that's fine. I'm not looking at it.
"I think what is the most important is your own performance, and performance-wise we are performing very well so I can't wait to go at home next week, and hopefully we'll have a great result [in Monaco]."
By contrast, Verstappen spent much of the early part of the race growing frustrated with his car's performance. He was heard over the radio bemoaning the failure of his drag-reduction system before finally settling in and eventually moving to the front of the pack.
Verstappen, Formula One's defending champion, now looks well on his way to winning a second straight drivers' title. He's captured the last three races, digging himself out of the hole created by a 19th-place finish in Bahrain and a retirement in Australia.
Meanwhile, Leclerc's failure could not have come at a worse time. He'd managed to keep the points lead by turning in consistent performance after consistent performance, finishing sixth or better in each of the season's first five races.
Hamilton, the sport's most famous face, is now six races into a season without a victory for the first time since 2016. It's looking increasingly like he will finish out of the top two in final points standings for the first time since 2013.
Spanish F1 Grand Prix 2022: Odds, Preview and Top Storylines
May 21, 2022
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco steers his car during the third practice session at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, Spain, Saturday, May 21, 2022. The Formula One race will be held on Sunday. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen will continue their fight for the Formula 1 drivers' championship at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday.
The two drivers have traded wins over the first five races of the F1 season. Verstappen owns three victories, and Leclerc finished first on two occasions.
The pair of championship favorites are expected to compete for the win in Barcelona on Sunday. Leclerc put his Ferrari in pole position during Saturday's qualifying session, while Verstappen's Red Bull car landed second on the grid.
Their head-to-head showdown is far from the only notable storyline in play, however.
Mercedes has struggled to start the season but appeared to have gained more speed in qualifying. George Russell landed fourth on the grid, and Lewis Hamilton sits in sixth. Mercedes is third in the constructor's championship behind Ferrari and Red Bull despite its rocky start, although there is a 56-point gap to Red Bull in second.
The big question around the upcoming two weeks of racing in Spain and at Monaco is whether or not Mercedes' improvements are enough to help it challenge for wins and podium finishes alongside Ferrari and Red Bull.
Can Anyone Break Up the Leclerc-Verstappen Dominance?
Not even the teammates of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen have been able to challenge the two title favorites over the first five races of the season.
Verstappen is coming off consecutive victories at Imola and Miami. He also won in Saudi Arabia in the second race of the year. The Red Bull driver did not finish in the other two races in Bahrain and Austraila, and Leclerc took first in those events.
Leclerc has finished in either first or second place in four of the five events. A bad break in strategy and then a spin following an overly aggressive move at Imola cost him a podium spot, and he landed in sixth place.
Leclerc and Verstappen's teammates, Red Bull's Sergio Perez and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, may serve as the biggest threats to the championship hopefuls.
Sainz is one of two Spaniards racing in his home Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso is the other, but his Alpine-Renault has struggled to begin the season.
Sainz owns three podium finishes in 2022 but did not finish in the other two races. Perez either landed in second or fourth place in each of the last four events following an 18th-place finish in Bahrain after a car failure on the last lap.
Unless Sainz or Perez benefit from a different strategy, or catch Leclerc and Verstappen sleeping on the start, the duo will likely be fighting it out for the last spot on the podium.
Does Mercedes Have Enough Power To Contend With Red Bull and Ferrari?
Mercedes has not been in the upper echelon of the Formula 1 table through five races.
George Russell has been a constant fixture in the top five, but he only has one podium finish.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton struggled at Imola and in Saudi Arabia. He rebounded with a sixth-place run in Miami, but that is still not up to the lofty standards he has set inside the Mercedes in years past, included a second-place overall finish last season.
Russell and Hamilton showed positive signs during qualifying on Saturday, though, as they landed in fourth and sixth place on the grid.
Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari were the only teams to place drivers on the first three rows of the starting grid.
The strong qualifying runs may be indicators for what's to come for Mercedes on Sunday, when the goal should be for Russell and Hamilton to challenge for podium finishes.
Mercedes might not have enough power to catch the two best cars on the circuit yet, but Sunday could help them close the gap and set up chances to win in the coming weeks at Monaco, Azerbaijan and Canada.
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Miami F1 Grand Prix 2022 Results: Max Verstappen Holds Off Charles Leclerc for Win
May 8, 2022
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, steers his car during the practice session for the Formula One Miami Grand Prix in Miami Gardens, Fla. Saturday, May 7, 2022. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
Max Verstappen cruised to his third checkered flag of 2022 after winning the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.
Verstappen passed Charles Leclerc early in the race and then didn't look back from there. He held off a tough challenge from Leclerc inside the final 10 laps before steadily gaining more comfort at the front of the pack.
Leclerc ultimately finished nearly four seconds behind Verstappen in what proved to be a two-horse race. Carlos Sainz claimed a place on the podium in third.
Leclerc continued his strong start to the season by claiming the pole, narrowly edging out Ferrari teammate Sainz.
The Monte Carlo native only remained in that position for a little more than eight laps before Verstappen overtook him for the lead. The reigning F1 champion took advantage of being in the DRS range and catapulted into first on the inside.
With around 40 laps in the books, inclement weather appeared to be a possibility. Mother Nature was one of the few parties who could extend Leclerc a meaningful lifeline.
The virtual safety car was also brought out on the 41st lap because of a collision between Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly. The prolonged caution allowed Leclerc to make up a lot of ground on Verstappen.
Verstappen maintained his hold on first coming out of the restart but couldn't restore the massive gulf he previously enjoyed on Leclerc. Leclerc kept knocking on the door and waited for an opening.
Charles Leclerc hounding Max Verstappen for the lead with five laps remaining. Any mistake by Verstappen and Leclerc will have an excellent opportunity to move into P1.
That safety car really changed this race. Seems to be great battles now after what had been a pretty dry race. Leclerc vs. Verstappen, Perez vs. Sainz, Russell vs. Hamilton.
Verstappen simply wouldn't oblige, demonstrating why he's one of the best in the world.
The Spanish Grand Prix outside of Barcelona is on tap for F1 on May 22. Lewis Hamilton is the five-time reigning champion in the event, so it could be a great opportunity for the 37-year-old to earn his first victory in 2022.
Hamilton started in the sixth position Sunday and struggled to move up the leaderboard from there. He complained about his tires around the midway point, which summed up how he didn't have the car to compete with Verstappen, Leclerc, Sainz and Valtteri Bottas.
Patrick Mahomes, Paolo Banchero Laugh Off Interview Mixup at 2022 Miami F1 Grand Prix
May 8, 2022
NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 02: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Duke Blue Devils warms up prior to their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four at Caesars Superdome on April 2, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
Paolo Banchero may have led the Duke Blue Devils' men's basketball team to the Final Four and could be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, but he clearly has some work to do if he plans on becoming instantly recognizable on a world stage.
Sky Sports broadcaster Martin Brundle was walking around the grid prior to Sunday's Miami Grand Prix interviewing celebrities and athletes he ran into ahead of the race.
He thought he landed Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes for what surely would have been a coveted interview. Turns out, it was Banchero.
No worries, though, as the Duke star was just "vibing" anyway:
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) May 8, 2022
F1 racing is becoming more popular in the United States in large part because of the Netflix show Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which means more athletes from other sports will surely jump at the opportunity to see a race in person. That is especially true with the start of the race in Miami and the future ones in Las Vegas.
But, as we saw Sunday, it might take some members of the F1 world additional time to learn who the American sports stars are as well.
Charles Leclerc Wins 2022 Australian F1 Grand Prix; Lewis Hamilton Finishes 4th
Apr 10, 2022
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco leads the field into turn two after the start of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, April 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
Charles Leclerc continued his impressive start to the 2022 Formula One season with a victory at Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver posted a time of 1:27:46.548 over the 58 laps, more than 20 seconds ahead of Sergio Perez in second place. George Russell finished in third while Lewis Hamilton could only manage fourth.
Leclerc won the pole and led every lap, also producing the fastest lap on the way to his second win of the year. He now has a commanding lead on top of the driver standings through three events.
DRIVER STANDINGS 📊@Charles_Leclerc increases his championship lead to a larger margin than anyone did in 2021! 🤩
Leclerc was dominant throughout the race at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne. His biggest challenge came from Max Verstappen, who was on his tail for much of the day.
Verstappen saw his chances come to an end on the 39th lap when car troubles forced him to the side:
Heartbreak for Max Verstappen in Australia 💔
An podium opportunity missed for the Dutchman after a strong showing ended prematurely with a car problem 😫#AusGP#F1pic.twitter.com/DXeOAe1r4X
It led to a DNF for Verstappen, his second in three races to start the season. The Dutch driver still sits sixth in the standings, but he has a lot of ground to make up.
Leclerc faced no other challengers from there, pulling away from the field for an easy win. He posted his fastest lap on the final lap of the day.
Perez, who started in third, cruised into second place once Red Bull teammate Verstappen was eliminated.
Hamilton won eight races in 2021 but is still seeking his first win of the year after finishing no better than third in his three starts.
The drivers will now head to Italy for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on April 24.
Report: Formula 1's Las Vegas Grand Prix Set to Debut in November 2023
Mar 24, 2022
Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton (foreground) and Red Bull's Mexican driver Sergio Perez (background) drive during the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in the city of Sakhir on March 20, 2022. (Photo by Mazen MAHDI / AFP) (Photo by MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images)
Formula One fans and fans of the Netflix show Formula 1: Drive to Survive will reportedly have another race to watch in the United States in the near future.
Owen Poindexter of Front Office Sports reported Formula One plans to hold a race in Las Vegas starting Thanksgiving weekend in 2023. There is already a race in Austin and one scheduled to debut in Miami in May, but Poindexter suggested the one in Sin City "could become F1's flagship race in the U.S."
Part of the race will include city streets in and near the Las Vegas Strip.
Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported the numerous pedestrian bridges that cross over the main roads by the Las Vegas Strip were "viewed as a valuable asset for the race" since it would reduce the amount of construction needed to put in viewing structures for fans.
Las Vegas has not hosted Formula One races since competitions in the Caesars Palace parking lot in 1981 and 1982.
Formula One is only growing more popular as the result of the success of the Netflix show. The fourth season was recently released on the streaming platform, and notable drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen provide the star power and rivalries that Americans often seek out in other sports as well.
The 2022 season started Sunday with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc winning the Bahrain Grand Prix.
ESPN announced the telecast averaged more than 1.35 million viewers, which was the largest audience for a Formula One race on an ESPN network since the sport returned to ESPN in 2018.
What's more, it was the second-most viewed Formula One race on cable and ESPN on record, trailing just the 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix.
The season continues Sunday with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Last season ended in controversial fashion when Verstappen passed Hamilton during a one-lap shootout at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It was Verstappen's first championship, but it appeared as if Hamilton was going to win the eighth of his illustrious career until Williams driver Nicholas Latifi's late crash.
Race control elected to move lapped cars between the two contenders out of the way and removed the safety car for the final lap, which allowed Hamilton and Verstappen to restart side by side.
Mercedes protested the race result over the restart procedure, but it was dismissed.
Formula 1 Cancels Russian Grand Prix After Government's Invasion of Ukraine
Feb 25, 2022
Drivers take the start of the Formula One Russian Grand Prix at the Sochi Autodrom circuit in Sochi on September 26, 2021. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / AFP) (Photo by ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Formula 1 announced Friday the Russian
Grand Prix, which was scheduled to take place Sept. 25, can't be held
under the "current circumstances."
The statement comes after Russia
launched a military attack on Ukraine on Thursday.
Four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel
said Thursday he was "shocked" by the Russian invasion of
its western neighbor and would boycott the Russian GP if it was held.
"I should not go, I will not go.
It is wrong to race in the country," Vettel told reporters. "I
am sorry for the innocent people who are being killed for stupid
reasons."
Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion,
added: "When a country is at war, it is not right to race
there."
The sport's governing body had stated
Thursday it was "closely watching the very fluid developments"
in Ukraine before making a decision about September's race.
CNN reported U.S. intelligence
officials are "concerned that Kyiv could fall under Russian control
within days" after a battle for the country's capital city began
Friday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned
Thursday any outside party that attempts to intervene would suffer
"such consequences as you have never experienced in your
history."
U.S. President Joe Biden announced
sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine but confirmed he wouldn't send American troops to fight in the country.
The Russian Grand Prix, which
originated with a two-year run beginning in 1913, returned a century
later in 2014.
This year's race was scheduled to take
place at the Sochi Autodrom for the final time before the event
returns to its roots in St. Petersburg in 2023.
Sebastian Vettel Boycotting F1's Russian Grand Prix over Attack on Ukraine
Feb 24, 2022
BARCELONA, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 24: Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Aston Martin AMR22 Mercedes is seen during Day Two of F1 Testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 24, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
Four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel said that he will not race in September's Russian Grand Prix after Russia launched a military attack on Ukraine on Thursday.
"For myself, my opinion is I should not go—I will not go," Vettel said during a Thursday news conference (h/t Jeff Gluck of The Athletic). "I think it’s wrong to race in the country. I’m sorry for the innocent people who are losing their lives and getting killed for stupid reasons and very, very strange and mad leadership."
F1 released a statement that it is monitoring the situation (h/t TMZ Sports): "Formula One is closely watching the very fluid developments like many others and at this time has no further comment on the race scheduled for September. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely."
World champion Max Verstappen also expressed reservations about racing in Russia.
"I think when a country is at war it's not correct to race there, that's for sure," Verstappen said, per Jerome Pugmire of the Associated Press. "But it's not only what I think, it's the whole paddock [that is] going to decide what we are going to do next."
The Russian Grand Prix is scheduled to be held on September 25 in Sochi.
Vettel's announcement comes amid the UEFA's reported decision to pull the May 28 Champions League final out of Saint Petersburg, per ESPN FC's Mark Ogden.
"Following the evolution of the situation between Russia and Ukraine, the UEFA president has called an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee for 10 a.m. CET [4 a.m. ET] on Friday 25 February, in order to evaluate the situation and take all necessary decisions," UEFA said in a statement. "Further communication will be made after the meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee."
The football federations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic, who are scheduled to take part in a four-team single-leg World Cup qualifying playoff in March, also implored FIFA to move the matches out of Russia.
