Mercedes-AMG Petronas pulled the covers off its new W08 F1 car for the 2017/18 season - at a windy Silverstone circuit.
Lewis Hamilton
Brazilian victory for Hamilton sets up season defining finale
Lewis Hamilton won the Brazilian Grand Prix yesterday, ensuring the Championship fight goes right down to the final round in Abu Dhabi.
Hamilton wins 2016 British Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton has taken the lead in the Formula 1 Drivers Championship with victory in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Max Verstappen becomes youngest ever F1 race winner
18-year old Max Verstappen has become the youngest driver ever to win a Formula One race, scoring victory by six tenths of a second at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday.
Events, F1, Motorsports, Technology
BBC Sport ends F1 TV deal early
BBC Sport is to end its Formula 1 television contract three years early, with Channel 4 taking over from next season.
The beeb described how it has to 'reluctantly' cancel the remaining three years of its contract as part of savings across the corporation. Barbara Slater, BBC's director of sport said: "The current financial position of the BBC means some tough and unwanted choices have to be made. A significant chunk of BBC Sport's savings target will be delivered through the immediate termination of our TV rights agreement for Formula 1.”
BBC Sport broadcasted 10 live races of Lewis Hamilton's world championship-winning season in 2015 with a one-hour build-up to each grand prix. It also offered highlights of the nine other races. As part of a £150m gap in the corporation's finances from next year, BBC Sport was asked to deliver £35m of savings.
BBC Sport regained F1 rights from ITV in 2009 but - in another cost-saving move - had been sharing the broadcast rights with Sky Sports since the 2012 season.
Channel 4 and Formula One agreed the new three-year deal for 2016-2018, and immediately confirmed the live races to be broadcast without advertising breaks. Channel 4 will broadcast 10 races per season live – with highlights of all 21 races, including practice and qualifying sessions, in each of the three FIA Formula One World Championship seasons from 2016 to 2018. It will also broadcast highlights of all 21 Grands Prix and qualifying sessions – including those shown live by Sky Sports F1. All of the live coverage and highlights will be broadcast free-to-air and in high definition.
Bernie Ecclestone, Chief Executive Officer of the Formula One group said: “I am sorry that the BBC could not comply with their contract but I am happy that we now have a broadcaster that can broadcast Formula 1 events without commercial intervals during the race. I am confident that Channel 4 will achieve not only how the BBC carried out the broadcast in the past but also with a new approach as the World and Formula 1 have moved on.”
David Abraham, Channel 4 Chief Executive said: “Formula One is one of the world’s biggest sporting events with huge appeal to British audiences. I’m delighted to have agreed this exciting new partnership with Bernie Ecclestone to keep the sport on free-to-air television.”
Details of the 2016 races broadcast live by Channel 4 will be agreed in early-2016. Further details of Channel 4’s production and presenting teams will also be announced in due course.
Lewis Hamilton wins third F1 World Championship
Lewis Hamilton has won his third Formula One World Championship.
Taking victory in a dramatic United States Grand Prix, team-mate Nico Rosberg finished second and Sebastian Vettel third in a race weekend that featured extreme rain, a curtailed qualifying and plenty of safety cars.
Hamilton took his 10th win of the season, the 43rd of his Formula One career en route to becoming only the second British driver after Sir Jackie Stewart to be a triple World Champion and is now also the only Briton to successfully defend his crown.
With just 10 laps to go and running in second place behind his team-mate, Hamilton had fresher tyres - having just pitted under yet another safety car, and was able to pressure Rosberg in to making a mistake. It was the lifeline the British driver needed and he was able to capitalise, taking the lead on lap 48 of 56. Hamilton saw the car home, winning the race and sealing the Championship with it.
Hamilton said: "It's an overwhelming moment. The race today was really amazing and anything could have happened. The last 10 - 15 laps were extraordinary - it was just a crazy, crazy race. I was in the lead, then I was fourth and the conditions were really tricky. Nico was driving really well, too. All the way through, I was thinking; "The Championship is there somewhere.. how can I get it?" It was so close I could smell it and there was never a moment I didn't believe I could do it."
The British driver paid tribute to his hero Ayrton Senna: "It's just incredible to equal Ayrton, too. My target was always three titles as he was the one who inspired me. There is no one I want to equal now - I just want to carry on as far and long as I can."
Mexico is the next race for Hamilton and co, returning to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit after a 23 year absence.