FORMULA ONE stars arrived at Albert Park in style ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

Hometown hero Oscar Piastri was swarmed by fans when he arrived at the track on Thursday morning.

6

6

6

The 22-year-old wore the shirt of his favorite Australian Football League club, Richmond.

Some eagle-eyed fans also noticed he was wearing a masterpiece from boutique watchmaker Richard Mille, one of McLaren’s sponsors.

The Australian wore the RM 67-02 Automatic Winding Extra Flat ‘Alexander Zverev’ model, worth around £400,000, as he signed autographs for fans.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton also arrived in style, wearing an orange Balmain jacket and blue jeans.

Ring rider Zhou Guanyu wore a Christian Dior varsity jacket worth around £4,000 with red sunglasses.

And RB star Yuki Tsunoda was spotted in a pastel pink suit jacket with matching trousers and white trainers.

Teenage superstar Ollie Bearman was also spotted arriving at the track, but he was dressed in Ferrari’s team kit.

The 18-year-old made his F1 debut at the Saudi Arabian GP, ​​but he will not be present this weekend following the return of Carlos Sainz.

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS

Sainz was ruled out of the Saudi GP earlier this month after undergoing emergency surgery for appendicitis.

Bearman stepped in at the last minute to replace him and finished seventh in the race, good for six points.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen won the first two races of the season, with his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finishing second both times.

6

6

6

SUSIE WOLFF has revealed she has filed a criminal complaint against the FIA.

The Scot, 41, was accused of exchanging confidential information with husband and Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff in December last year.

3

3

At the time, she labeled the accusations as “misogynistic” and claimed to be “deeply offended.”

She has now taken a step further by taking legal action.

In a statement on social media, Wolff wrote: “I can confirm that I personally filed a criminal complaint with the French courts on March 4 in relation to the statements made about me by the FIA ​​last December.

“There is still no transparency or accountability regarding the conduct of the FIA ​​and its staff in this matter.

“I think it’s more important than ever to stand up, call out inappropriate behavior and ensure people are held accountable.

“While some may think that silence absolves them of responsibility, that is not the case.”

A magazine claimed last year that rival team bosses had raised concerns about Wolff sharing confidential information from employers Formula One Management (FOM) with her husband Toto.

Wolff is employed by FOM, F1’s commercial rights holder, and reports directly to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali in her role as director of the all-female F1 Academy sports series.

The FIA ​​announced at the time that its compliance unit had launched an investigation into the matter.

A statement read: “The FIA ​​is aware of media speculation centering on the allegation that information of a confidential nature was passed to an F1 team principal from a member of FOM staff.

“The FIA ​​Compliance Department is investigating the matter.”

Wolff responded on social media: “It is disheartening to have my integrity questioned in such a way, especially when it appears to be rooted in intimidating and misogynistic behavior, and focused on my marital status rather than my capabilities. “

Just 48 hours later the FIA ​​dropped its investigation.

At the time, all nine of Mercedes’ rival F1 teams denied making any such complaints about Wolff’s conduct.

Lewis Hamilton then slammed the FIA ​​for bungling the situation at the FIA ​​awards gala in Baku.

3

ESSEX boy Oliver Bearman has become Britain’s newest (and youngest) F1 star after making his debut for Ferrari.

The 18-year-old, who only passed his driving test in May, was called up as an eleventh-hour replacement for Carlos Sainz, who had appendicitis.

5

5

5

5

The Spaniard was taken to hospital, where he underwent surgery and is said to be recovering well.

Bearman had just an hour of practice to get up to speed with the Ferrari before qualifying for Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

And he defied all expectations with a brilliant performance to finish 11th on the grid, just 0.036 seconds after knocking Lewis Hamilton out of qualifying.

Bearman made the smallest mistake in turns 22 and 23, otherwise he would have thrown Hamilton out from the second qualifying session.

He was cheered on by his father, David, who watched in the Ferrari garage and winced as his son brushed the walls at high speed and bounced off the curb.

And he revealed he was in the dark about his incredible call until the eleventh hour.

Bearman said: “I woke up this morning fully prepared for my F2 race and got the call late in the day, just a few hours before FP3, that I was going to do it.

“This is not the circumstance in which I would want to make my F1 debut. I wish Carlos the best and I hope he recovers well, but this is a great opportunity.

“I honestly didn’t have time to get nervous because I didn’t have time and it was so late that I had to get ready to go on track and make up for lost time.

“That made my life a little bit harder and I was all over it with the engineers trying to figure out everything to get up to speed as quickly as possible.

Bearman drove for the Haas F1 team during training in Mexico City and Abu Dhabi last season.

Raised in Chelmsford and educated at King Edward VI Grammar, he joined the Ferrari driver academy at just 16.

He dropped out of school – against his mother’s request – and moved to Modena, near Ferrari’s headquarters in northern Italy.

He previously won the Italian Formula 4 and German Formula 4 titles, both in 2021.

Last year he finished sixth in the Formula 2 championship and on Thursday he qualified on pole for the F2 race here in Saudi Arabia.

However, he will now leave his F2 commitments for this weekend after being promoted to replace Sainz.

Bearman is the first Briton to drive for F1’s most famous team since Nigel Mansell in 1990.

He added: “I honestly haven’t spoken to anyone since the announcement, my phone isn’t working but I will try to speak to my mum tonight.

5

“I think my father was in the garage, but I didn’t see him at all. I was in the car and then in the garage and back in the car.

“It’s such a rapid progression in my career. Two years ago I was still in F4 and I only did my first F1 test three or four months ago.

“So it’s been rapid progress. And to make my F1 debut in red, hopefully this is a sign of things to come.”

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen took a routine pole as no one could match his pace on the street circuit in Jeddah.

He put aside the internal conflict between his father Jos and team boss Christian Horner.

And in the latest development in the ongoing saga, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko could now face disciplinary action.

The 80-year-old is believed to be under investigation for his role in the internal investigation.

He was also given strict instructions not to speak to the media, but in an interview with Austrian broadcaster ORF he said he could now miss the next race in Australia.

It is yet another sensational development and should he be found guilty of disclosing confidential information, he could face disciplinary action.

Should he be fired, there is suspicion in the paddock that this could lead to a clause in the Dutchman’s contract, clearing the way for him to break his contract with Red Bull and join Mercedes to close.

Cindy Kimberly looked stunning as she posed for her first PrettyLittleThing TV advert after being announced as the brand’s newest ambassador for 2024.

The 25-year-old model, who is the girlfriend of footballer Dele Alli, showed off her sensational figure as she modeled a number of stylish outfits from PLT LABEL.

The influencer turned heads as she entered the set in a brown mini dress with a cut-out shirt, paired with sky-high heels and sunglasses.

Cindy then changed into a chic green, plunging blazer dress with a pleated skirt before slipping into a daring blue, semi-sheer cut-out maxi dress.

She showed off her amazing figure in the racy number as she played with her hair in the video.

For her latest ensemble, Cindy showed off her toned midriff in a long-sleeved crop top, which she paired with a matching skirt and white pointy heels.

This unveiling marks an exciting collaboration that sees Cindy, better known to many through her Instagram account @wolfiecindy, take the spotlight as the face of the brand for the year.

The collaboration underlines the brand’s commitment to aligning itself with influential personalities who bring a fresh dynamic to their collections and brand identity.

Dele and Cindy made their relationship public in June 2022 when they were spotted vacationing on a yacht in Italy.

The Everton player has been a Premier League footballer for eight years, but Cindy’s rise to fame was much less straightforward.

In 2015, Justin Bieber, then 21, posted a photo of Cindy, then 17, on his Instagram with the caption, “Omg who is this!!”, propelling Cindy to worldwide fame.

Justin had noticed Cindy when she regularly posted about him on Instagram and on the drama series Teen Wolf, which is where the “wolfie” in her username comes from.

Dele previously dated model Ruby Mae from 2016 to 2022, when they reportedly split due to Dele’s Fortnite obsession.

Although Cindy and Justin were never officially in a relationship, she dated Lewis Hamilton and American rapper Tyga.

Cindy has been a great support to Dele recently as he opened up about the sexual abuse he suffered as a child.

The model also stood by him as he opened up about his addictions and mental health issues.

Cindy, born Cindy Kimberly Rubira Adsuar, was a Belieber (Justin Bieber fan) since she was 10 years old.

Just days before Justin posted her, she had deactivated her account, despondent that he hadn’t noticed her after so many years.

She was in Spain at the time, babysitting for just £3 an hour, and her life changed completely in one night.

Cindy now works full-time as a model and has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and Cosmopolitan magazines.

MAX VERSTAPPEN started his F1 title defense with a crushing victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old crossed the line with a whopping 22 second lead over his teammate Sergio Perez.

3

3

3

He was congratulated by his Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who smiled for the first time in weeks after being dogged by controversy.

The run-up to this race has been dominated by one topic: the internal investigation into Horner surrounding claims of inappropriate behavior towards a female colleague.

But he was given the green light to continue in his role after the complaint was rejected by an independent report, but was thrown into crisis when an anonymous email claimed to have leaked the contents of WhatsApp exchanges.

Horner, who had denied the allegations, would only say he would not respond to “anonymous speculation”.

There had also been another tension with rumors of a simmering feud with Verstappen’s father Jos, potentially driving a wedge between his star driver and Horner.

But there was a clear show of support for Horner, who had arrived early at the track in Bahrain.

He had remained in his office in the Red Bull hospitality unit until he went to the paddock gate to greet his wife Geri Halliwell at around 4.15pm.

She wore an elegant cream dress and they walked hand in hand through the meadow as the snappers got their photos before sharing a kiss.

This was a message that shouted loud and clear that their relationship had not been damaged by the anonymous leak.

They chatted with Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, the Dutch billionaire businesswoman who owns 25 percent of the world’s second-largest brewer that bears her surname, making her the richest person in the Netherlands.

Heineken is just one of many team partners, but perhaps the most important business support came from Chalerm Yoovidhya, Red Bull’s Thai co-owner.

He has been in Horner’s corner for several years and owns 51 percent of the energy drink company founded by his father.
The remaining 49 percent once owned by Austrian tycoon Dietrich Mateschitz is now owned by his son Mark.

Yoovidhya and his wife had a photo in front of Verstappen’s car on the grid and stood on either side of Horner.

Before the race, there was still some fear that a second salvo of WhatsApp files would arrive in yet another anonymous email.

There were rumors about the same thing the day before, but they never materialized.

Once the grid was clear and we finally started the 2024 season, it quickly became clear that Verstappen remained in a class of his own.

He thundered away from the lights at a speed almost a second per lap faster than his rivals.

By lap ten he had extended his lead to eight seconds and by the time he pitted on lap 18 it was a terrifying lead of 30.4 seconds.

He stopped for tires and started to rebuild his lead. It was impressive and demoralizing in equal measure.

Last year, Verstappen was unstoppable and won 19 of the 22 races.

Based on pre-season testing, there had been some hope that Ferrari and even Mercedes would give him more of a fight.

But on this evidence it seems all too easy as he cruised to victory, ahead of his second-place Perez.

As the TV camera panned to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, his somber face now told a familiar story for the Silver Arrows.

George Russell, who started in third place, finished fifth. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, finished seventh with McLaren’s British driver Lando Norris ahead of him.

The rest of the grid has work to do if they want to prevent the Dutchman from taking four titles on the spin.

It was a one-two for Red Bull and Verstappen, who had started on pole, also set the fastest lap and earned a bonus point.

THE Formula 1 season starts today with the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Defending champion Max Verstappen will start from pole after topping qualifying for an opener marred by Red Bull chief Christian Horner’s alleged sexting scandal that has rocked the sport.

The team boss has again denied allegations of inappropriate behavior towards a female colleague after he was cleared on Wednesday following an internal investigation before messages claiming to be from him were leaked.

• Start time: 3:00 PM GMT
• TV channel/live stream: Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event

FORMULA ONE has taken action after team members were ordered by security staff to remove the Pride Flag from their backpacks.

Airport-style checks are underway at Bahrain’s international circuit, with some F1 staff prevented from taking their equipment onto the track – or told it would be confiscated.

1

A complaint was made to the sport’s bosses and the circuit’s owners, who say they have now dealt with the “isolated incident”.

F1 has been openly criticized for racing in the Middle East due to well-publicized human rights issues.

And while homosexuality is legal in Bahrain, other rights are limited or not recognized.

Bahrain will host the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix this Sunday, March 3.

And last year, British MPs called on the sport to launch an independent investigation into the link between the Grand Prix and human rights abuses.

However, F1 chiefs say they are committed to helping change and undertaking projects to improve economic, social and cultural benefits in the countries in which they race.

An F1 spokesperson said: “This was an isolated incident which was contrary to the policy of F1 and the organizer of the event in Bahrain.

“It was immediately addressed and resolved.

“As a sport, we and our partners proactively celebrate diversity and inclusion.

“And we have supported everyone in our community to raise awareness of the values ​​we all share.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Bahrain International Circuit added: “BIC, the host of the Bahrain Grand Prix, welcomes everyone to its venue and opposes all forms of discrimination.

“This isolated incident is being investigated and appropriate action will be taken.”

KEVIN MAGNUSSEN shouted “f***ing hell” as Formula 1 stars raced during day two of pre-season testing.

The stars of the sport have descended on Bahrain as the 2024 season draws closer.

3

3

3

With the first race two weeks away, F1 teams are sharpening their strategies to maximize their performance.

During the second day of testing, the drivers simulated a rolling restart.

Lewis Hamilton must have enjoyed it as his Mercedes sped into the distance.

One man who showed frustration, however, was Haas CEO Magnussen.

According to Formula racersthe Dane bellowed into his team radio, “They’re actually racing against each other. Damn it!”

After a winter full of drama, the season starts on March 2 in Bahrain.

It was confirmed in the off-season that Hamilton, 39, will join Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season.

Ahead of his final year at Mercedes, the seven-time world champion recently said: “It was obviously emotional.

HOW TO GET FREE BETTS ON FOOTBALL

“It’s very surreal to be here. I came here in 2013, 11 years with the team, this is the start of my 12th.

“The focus throughout winter training is to get the team back to where we once were.

“We have had a number of difficult years, which have really formed a basis for us.

“It’s a privilege to work with people and see the work they are doing this winter.

“This is the most exciting part of the year. To know everything under the hood, what George (Russell) and I will be able to experience on the track. It’s exciting.”

Team boss Toto Wolff said of the situation: “When the news broke it was clearly a new situation. It’s something we didn’t expect to happen at that stage of the season and it’s a new dynamic and that’s clear something we would have done.” to work on.

But that said, we’ve been together, spent some time at the factory and been to various events and on a human level it’s absolutely fine.

“Professionally speaking, we still have a full season to go. We want to have the most competitive car and give both drivers the opportunity to achieve the best possible results.

“How great it would be to end this year on a high with Lewis. We have had some wonderful times and still ten months to go and we will give it our all.”

Full F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year

FERRARI driver Charles Leclerc has shown his musical talent on piano by releasing four new songs.

The Formula 1 star will become Lewis Hamilton's teammate in 2025 who recently announced that he would be leaving Mercedes.

4

4

4

Leclerc shared his artistic work during the winter break with French pianist Sofiane Pamart, a long-term friend.

The 26-year-old has taken his love for music and released a four-song Extended Play on Spotify with Pamart.

The pair called the EP 'Dreamers' with songs called 'Focus', 'Heartbeat', 'Limitless' and 'The Dream Continues'.

In a message on his Instagram storyLeclerc announced the exciting news, giving fans just a 12-hour warning to prepare for Monegasque's sweet, mellow tunes.

Leclerc said: “I enjoyed every second of this moment.

“During the low season, I went into the studio with Sofiane for two days and we worked on four songs that will be released tonight at midnight.

“I'm so proud of the result. We are also releasing vinyl records that you can pre-order via the link below, for a limited time.

“We will also be releasing the piano scores of the songs. I hope you will love them all.”

HOW TO GET FREE BETTS ON FOOTBALL

In the past, the F1 ace has shared his piano playing talents through popular songs such as 'MON23', 'MIA23' AND 'AUS23'.

But the special feature will certainly be the envy of his soon-to-be teammate Lewis Hamilton, who has also expressed his love for music.

The seven-time world champion has even thought about following his passion after retiring after appearing in Christina Aguilera's music video in 2018.

The Mercedes driver will leave the Silver Arrows to join Ferrari at the end of the coming season due to the expiry of his contract.

4

A bruised but unbowed Christian Horner insisted on Thursday that he has the full support of former Spice Girl wife Geri, following allegations of 'controlling behaviour' by a female colleague.

He also stated that he will still be Red Bull team boss when the Formula 1 season starts in Bahrain on March 2.

The 50-year-old Englishman is among the most successful figures in the sport's history and held a series of media interviews at the team's car launch in Milton Keynes amid the biggest crisis of his career. He categorically denies the claims.

For the first time since the story broke last week, he talked about “business as usual.” That is of course not entirely true. This controversy overshadows preparations for Red Bull's upcoming title defense. Still, whatever else happened, Horner showed courage in sticking to his planned media engagements (although what would it have looked like if he had shirked his duties?).

To be honest, Horner was a bit ashen, and not his usual funny self. Normally on launch days like this he would have made a few jokes. Maybe he commented on someone's shoes or made a playful cut to the ribs. But even though he didn't joke at all during his lunch dates, he refused to be written off.

Ahead of the tests in Bahrain next week, ahead of the first race in the Gulf kingdom, he said: 'I have a very supportive family and a very supportive wife.

'My focus was on the track and the coming season.'

When asked if he would be in Bahrain, he replied: “Yes.”

There is no timetable for the completion of the investigation into his alleged conduct; a process is being conducted by an external lawyer, an English QC, whose name has not been disclosed. Horner argued his defense against him for eight hours last Friday.

Thanks to Red Bull, they kept their launch personal. Ferrari, on the other hand, put theirs on Zoom. They also failed to make a virtue of the exciting news that they have signed Lewis Hamilton for 2025.

Questions were censored and deflected. Signing the seven-time world champion was reason to shout from the rooftops. And Mercedes, even worse, performed a bloodless virtual launch that lasted nine minutes.

Although Horner showed up, the back and forth of evidence between prosecutor and defendant means he is advised not to discuss the intricacies of it all for now.

However, he said: 'There is a day's work that we have to work on. I feel the support within the company and our partners, and within the sector. It's overwhelming.

'There is currently a process underway. There have been some allegations made, which I completely deny, and I have fully complied with that process and will continue to do so until it is resolved.

“Moments of uncertainty bring us together and I have never seen a team more together and supportive than it is.

“Everyone is focused on one thing, which is the performance of that car to go out and defend both world titles that we have worked so hard for over the years.

“So everyone has invested in the car and I'm looking forward to seeing it in action in Bahrain next week.

“I am absolutely committed to this team. I've been here since the beginning. I built this team. There have been highs and lows along the way.

'We won 113 races. Won seven world drivers' championships. We have won six Constructors' World Championships. All in 19 seasons and that is in the history books.

“But it's what lies ahead that is important. So my focus is on the future. The intention is for Red Bull's powertrains to become a start-up engine company. We have an advanced technological business system that produces the first ever Red Bull track car. There's a lot going on on campus.

“I've been back to back in the office doing my work.”

Several key Red Bull figures were present in Milton Keynes – which employs 1,500 staff – for the launch, including those from the energy drinks company's headquarters in Salzburg, including director Oliver Mintzlaff, former CEO of football club RB Leipzig.

He and Horner spoke for a few moments. Mintzlaff also spoke briefly to Max Verstappen, Horner's star driver, who said relations with his team boss were 'as normal'.

There is some sense in suggesting that there is a move in Salzburg to clip Horner's wings, a plot that pits the Austrian contingent against Chalerm Yoovidhya, the Thai billionaire heir to the company (who was not in Milton on Thursday Keynes was, but probably a Horner financier).

Whatever the Horner investigation will reveal, Formula 1 has a penchant for vilification, making scheming Tory backbenchers look like Anchorite monks. But for now, Horner refuses to be deposed.