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Judge sets January date to hear NASCAR's motion to throw out antitrust lawsuit
The Associated Press | Updated Dec. 20 - 4:56 p.m. | Save Story
A federal judge has set a Jan. 8 hearing for NASCAR's motion to throw out an antitrust lawsuit filed against the stock car series by Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The two teams are suing NASCAR over an antitrust complaint and were granted a preliminary injunction that will allow them to compete as chartered teams in 2025. The judge also set a Sept. 19, 2025, deadline for discovery to be completed and a trial date of Dec. 1.
Hadjar to fill Lawson's seat at Formula 1 team RB for 2025 season
The Associated Press | Posted Dec. 20 - 3:47 a.m. | Save Story
Racing Bulls saysit has signed 20-year-old driver Isack Hadjar for upcoming Formula 1 season. The Frenchman will team up with Yuki Tsunoda at RB after filling the seat left vacant by new Red Bull driver Liam Lawson. The announcement made by RB on Friday came a day after Red Bull promoted Lawson to drive alongside world champion Max Verstappen. Hadjar finished runner-up in the F2 feeder series this season.
Bottas returns to Mercedes as F1 reserve driver for 2025 season
The Associated Press | Posted Dec. 19 - 10:24 a.m. | Save Story
Valtteri Bottas will return to Mercedes as its reserve driver for next year. Bottas won 10 Formula 1 races over five seasons at Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton's teammate from 2017-21. Mercedes announced the signing Thursday. Bottas did not score a point this season with Sauber and the team replaced him and Zhou Guanyu with a new lineup of Nico Hulkenberg and Brazilian newcomer Gabriel Bortoleto. Bottas' return to Mercedes was made possible after Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, announced he was leaving.
Red Bull picks Liam Lawson as Max Verstappen's F1 teammate in 2025
The Associated Press | Updated Dec. 19 - 2:47 a.m. | Save Story
Formula 1 team Red Bull says Liam Lawson will be the partner for world champion Max Verstappen in 2025. Lawson is a New Zealander. He replaces Sergio Perez after the Mexican was dropped on Wednesday after months of poor results. The 22-year-old Lawson will switch from Racing Bulls, Red Bull's sister team, after racing as a replacement driver in 2023 and this year. He started in Red Bull's junior program. Lawson says it is a "lifelong dream" to be racing with Red Bull. He says "this is something I've wanted and worked toward since I was 8 years old."
23XI Racing and Front Row can compete in NASCAR's 2025 season as chartered teams in legal victory
The Associated Press | Updated Dec. 18 - 1:45 p.m. | Save Story
The two teams suing NASCAR over an antitrust complaint have been granted a preliminary injunction that will allow them to compete as chartered teams in 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth D. Bell says NASCAR fans have an interest in watching all the teams compete with "their best drivers and most competitive teams." 23XI Racing, owned by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports refused in September to sign take-it-or-leave it revenue sharing offers made by NASCAR just 48 hours before the start of the playoffs. NASCAR could appeal.
Formula 1 team Red Bull drops driver Sergio Perez after four seasons
James Ellingworth, Associated Press | Updated Dec. 18 - 11:20 a.m. | Save Story
Formula 1 team Red Bull has dropped Sergio Perez after months of poor results. Perez has not won a race since April 2023, even as his teammate Max Verstappen has dominated F1, and the 34-year-old Mexican was rarely competitive this season. Red Bull announced the move Wednesday, terminating Perez's contract two years early, and said a replacement will be announced "in due course." Nicknamed "Checo," Perez started the 2024 season with four podium finishes from the first five races, but he wasn't in the top three since. His last race finish higher than sixth was in May. Verstappen won nine races and his fourth consecutive title this year.
Red Bull principal Christian Horner says honorary award from King Charles is 'very humbling'
The Associated Press | Posted Dec. 18 - 9:43 a.m. | Save Story
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says it was "very humbling" to receive an honorary award from King Charles III. It came at the end of a Formula 1 season that saw Horner cleared of accusations of inappropriate conduct by a team employee. Horner was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the king's traditional New Year's List for his services to motorsport. He received the award at a Buckingham Palace ceremony. It capped a year in which Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won a fourth straight title, but where the results on the track were sometimes overshadowed by the accusations against Horner.
Future of horse racing in Northern California is dealt a blow after group withdraws meet application
The Associated Press | Posted Dec. 16 - 4:52 p.m. | Save Story
The future of horse racing in Northern California has been dealt a blow. That's because the California Authority of Racing Fairs has voted unanimously to withdraw its application for a racing meeting starting later this month at Pleasanton Fairgrounds. The California Horse Racing Board had been set to discuss racing at Pleasanton at its meeting on Thursday. Business at Pleasanton has been down considerably compared to the Golden Gate Fields fall meeting in 2023. Golden Gate was permanently closed in June, leading to the creation of the Golden State Racing meeting. California is struggling to remain competitive with the rest of the country as the result of lower purses and fewer horses.
Horse of the Year favorite Thorpedo Anna undergoes minor dental surgery
The Associated Press | Updated Dec. 16 - 4:43 p.m. | Save Story
Thorpedo Anna has undergone minor dental surgery to remove a bone fragment in her jaw. The 3-year-old filly is currently on a break at trainer Ken McPeek's farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and wasn't scheduled to return to racing until next year. He says Thorpedo Anna had a small sore inside her mouth and further testing showed a piece of dead bone that became separated from healthy bone in her jaw. She won six of seven races this year and is the favorite to win Horse of the Year honors at the Eclipse Awards next month.
Journalism writes winning story in Los Alamitos Derby, beats 3 entries from Bob Baffert
The Associated Press | Posted Dec. 14 - 6:31 p.m. | Save Story
Journalism won the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity by 3 1/2 lengths, defeating three entries from Bob Baffert. The Hall of Fame trainer was trying to win the Grade 2 race for the eighth time at the Orange County track. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, Journalism ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.04. The 2-year-old colt had been supplemented to the race by trainer Michael McCarthy for $7,500 three days earlier. Baffert's horse, Getaway Car was second and another of his entries, Gaming, was third. Journalism earned 10 qualifying points on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, which determines the 20-horse field for next year's opening Triple Crown race.
Two brothers involved in a dead heat when riding horses at Cheltenham
The Associated Press | Posted Dec. 14 - 1:13 p.m. | Save Story
A pair of brothers have been involved in a dead heat while riding horses in a race at Cheltenham. James Bowen was on Quantock Hills and Sean Bowen was aboard Teriferma in the Juvenile Hurdle on Saturday when the horses of the Welsh siblings crossed the finishing line level. It was the first dead heat at Cheltenham in eight years. James Bowen says "To share it with my brother, it's probably better than anyone else."
Team claims NASCAR rescinded approval to buy new charter unless federal antitrust suit is dropped
Jenna Fryer, Associated Press | Posted Dec. 12 - 12:06 p.m. | Save Story
A new court filing says NASCAR rejected Front Row Motorsports' agreement to purchase a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing unless the team and 23XI Racing dropped their federal antitrust lawsuit against the stock car series. Front Row and 23XI rejected NASCAR's new revenue sharing agreement and have gone to court. NASCAR now says it will move forward in 2025 with 32 chartered teams and eight open spots, with offers on charters for Front Row and 23XI rescinded and the SHR charters in limbo.
Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan reveals cancer diagnosis
The Associated Press | Posted Dec. 12 - 6:34 a.m. | Save Story
Ex-Formula 1 team owner and media personality Eddie Jordan says he has been treated for "quite aggressive" cancer. Speaking on the "Formula For Success" podcast which he hosts with former driver David Coulthard, Jordan says he was diagnosed this year. He urged listeners to seek medical advice for any health concerns. Jordan ran his own team in F1 from 1991 through 2005 and acted as the manager for car design great Adrian Newey when he left Red Bull for Aston Martin this year.
Greyhound racing is increasingly rare worldwide. New Zealand now plans to outlaw the practice
Charlotte Graham-mclay, Associated Press | Updated Dec. 10 - 7:40 p.m. | Save Story
New Zealand's racing minister says the country will outlaw greyhound racing, citing the injury rates for racing dogs. He says it will be shut down over the next 20 months, allowing time for those it employs to find other work and homes to be found for the 2,900 racing dogs. New Zealand is one of only a handful of countries where commercial greyhound racing is held. The industry body says the government has not recognized the progress it has made in animal welfare. The government passed an urgent law Tuesday barring greyhound owners from killing dogs as the industry winds down.
SHR closure leads to a seat shakeup in NASCAR. A look at who is driving where in 2025
Jenna Fryer, Associated Press | Posted Dec. 10 - 9:20 a.m. | Save Story
There won't be a Stewart-Haas Racing in NASCAR next season now that Hall of Famer Tony Stewart has left the series and the four-car organization he co-owned with Formula 1 team owner Gene Haas. The SHR change put four drivers on the free-agent market and the future of three of its vaunted charters in limbo. The existing SHR drivers have taken seats all across the grid as Chase Briscoe, Josh Berry, Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece needed to find new jobs. Michael McDowell is on the move in 2025, as is AJ Allmendinger, and Shane Van Gisbergen will be a full-time Cup driver.
Formula 1 in 2025: Close racing, Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari and plenty of new faces
James Ellingworth, Associated Press | Posted Dec. 8 - 11:57 p.m. | Save Story
Next year could see an even closer competition for the Formula 1 title after four different teams won races in 2024. Lewis Hamilton will be aiming for an eighth career championship at his new team, Ferrari, and there will be ambitious young drivers joining the grid. Lando Norris says he wants to make 2025 his year after losing out to Max Verstappen for the drivers' title this season. The biggest rookie class in years arrives in F1 with plenty of hype as 18-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli steps up from Formula 2 to replace Hamilton at Mercedes.
F1 champion Verstappen to help out with a grassroots program in Rwanda as his penalty for swearing
The Associated Press | Updated Dec. 8 - 7:05 p.m. | Save Story
World champion Max Verstappen will help out with a grassroots program in Rwanda as his penalty for swearing during a news conference in Singapore. Verstappen clinched his fourth straight Formula One drivers' title last month. He was ordered by Formula 1's governing body FIA to carry out a "work of public interest" after being penalized by the stewards for his language during a news conference in September. The Dutch driver will travel to the Rwandan capital Kigali for the FIA awards ceremony on Friday and it is there he will undertake the work.
'Journey into the history books': Lewis Hamilton leaves Mercedes after six titles and 246 F1 races
James Ellingworth, Associated Press | Updated Dec. 8 - 10:41 a.m. | Save Story
Lewis Hamilton left Mercedes with one last overtake and a heartfelt message to the team where he won the Formula 1 title six times. "We dreamed alone but together, we believed," he told race engineer Peter Bonnington and team principal Toto Wolff over the radio. Hamilton is moving to Ferrari for 2025 after 12 years at Mercedes, where he won all but one of his seven drivers' titles. It was the most successful partnership between a team and driver in F1 history.
Lando Norris wins season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to seal constructors' title for McLaren
The Associated Press | Updated Dec. 8 - 10:32 a.m. | Save Story
Lando Norris ended McLaren's 26-year wait for the Formula 1 constructors' title as he won the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Norris held on for the win with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr. in second and Charles Leclerc surging up to third from 19th on the grid. Norris had to do it without help from teammate Oscar Piastri, who dropped down the field after colliding with Max Verstappen at the first corner. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was fourth in his last race for Mercedes before joining Ferrari next year.
