Author: quyen1

Credits: IMAGO NurPhoto

A fashion enthusiast at heart, Lewis Hamilton has a wide array of watches from luxury brands. Turns out, his sponsors aren’t far behind. Thomas Hilfiger, also known as Tommy Hilfiger in the fashion world, has similar passions. The 73-year-old recently appeared at the Monaco GP. Accompanying him was his $1.8 million-worth Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 Tiffany.

Hilfiger wasn’t the only one sporting ultra-luxury designer watches at the Monaco GP, though. Popular Instagram handle Insane Luxury spotted several celebrities with some extravagant timepieces.

Among those were Hollywood star Alexandra Daddario, Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, PSG’s Kylian Mbappé, and Prince Albert II. Hilfiger eclipsed them all, though, as his Patek Philippe turned out to be the costliest.

Prince Albert wore a Tag Heuer Monaco skeleton. The 39 mm titanium chronograph retails for $10,750, as per Tag Heuer’s official website.

Mbappe had a $77,000 Hublot adorning his wrist. The Big Bang Unico Rainbow is a 44mm titanium flyback chronograph with eye-catching VIBGYOR colors. Van Dijk wore an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak while Daddario sported a classic Tag Heuer Carrera 36 Pink.

Meanwhile, the Prince was also one of the dignitaries who was felicitating the podium finishers. A racing fanatic himself, he got emotional while handing the winner’s trophy to home favorite Charles Leclerc.

The Ferrari driver, keeping up with sponsorship duties, was wearing a Richard Mille. As per Wrist Aficionado, the RM 72-01 Chronograph retails for a whopping $525,000. It turns out that the expenditure was all worth it for the watchmaker.

Charles Leclerc proves his worth in gold for Richard Mille

Charles Leclerc started racing in F1 in 2018 with Sauber before earning a place at Ferrari the next year. In all these years, Leclerc tasted success several times but failed to even land on the podium of his home race in Monaco.

That was until this past weekend when he climbed the top step of the podium. The spectacle was one to savor not just for him but also for Ferrari’s official timekeeper Richard Mille.

Luxury watch brands and Formula 1 are a match made in heaven. Ever since the 1960s, both have had a relationship that continues to this day. While some trace it to the inherent need for timekeeping in the premier class of motorsport, others link it to the common interests held by rich individuals.

Currently, Formula 1 has Rolex as its official timekeeper. Meanwhile, teams like Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren have their own. Tag Heuer has been one of Red Bull’s trusted sponsors since 2016. Mercedes, on the other hand, has IWC as a partner since 2013.

Richard Mille is the only brand that is associated with two teams. They signed a deal with Ferrari in 2021 while the partnership with McLaren has continued since 2016. Girard-Perregaux joined Aston Martin in 2021, while Alpine signed a deal with H. Moser & Cie. in 2024.

Credits: IMAGO / HochZwei

Formula 1 has never been a stranger to conspiracy theories. And with Red Bull and Max Verstappen looking vulnerable for the first time in the ground-effects era of the sport, fans have gone through the archives to propose the latest F1 conspiracy theory. This time it involves Charles Leclerc and his love for the Piano.

As it turns out, Leclerc made an ominous prediction about Verstappen’s struggles this year, during the 2023 season. The Monegasque released three Singles in 2023, named after the Grands Prix he wrote/recorded them at – AUS23 (1:1), MIA23 (1:2) and MON23 (1:3).

In 2024, Max Verstappen has already lost these three races. He retired on lap 3 of the Australian GP, after mechanical issues, leading to Carlos Sainz winning his third career Grand Prix.

At the 2024 Miami GP, Lando Norris’ revised MCL38 powered him to his first F1 win, seven seconds ahead of Verstappen. Meanwhile, last weekend’s Monaco GP saw Charles Leclerc win his home race for the first time, with Max Verstappen struggling in his RB20 for mechanical grip on the narrow, twisty, and bumpy streets of Monte Carlo.

While it may be all fun and games for the F1 community on social media, the concerns are serious for Red Bull. The season has changed shape since the Miami GP with Max Verstappen’s title defence now in some serious doubts.

Charles Leclerc could pose a realistic championship threat to Max Verstappen

McLaren and Ferrari have both slashed the gap to Red Bull from last year. This time around, the top three look evenly matched with Red Bull having a slight advantage in terms of out-and-out pace.

That being said, the Monaco GP has exposed the RB20’s limitations. The car struggles for grip in low-speed corners as well as on bumpy tarmac and kerbs. On the other hand, McLaren, who were also a team with a significant low-speed disadvantage, have seemingly bolstered its low and medium-speed performances with the Miami GP upgrades.

Furthermore, even Ferrari have thrown themselves into the mix. After the Monaco GP, the iconic Italian team sits only 24 points away from Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship.

Moreover, Leclerc himself has marked himself out to be Verstappen’s championship rival. With Red Bull’s struggles, the entire championship battle could depend on a developmental race between the three top teams.

Track characteristics are also going to play a crucial role in determining how much of an advantage Red Bull can maintain against their rivals. Hence, with the upcoming Canadian GP being similar to the Monaco GP in terms of tarmac and kerbs, Max Verstappen has already written his chances off.

Credits: Imago |
L: Lewis Hamilton R: Michael Schumacher

Just like the eight races before it, the Monaco GP was a forgettable one for Mercedes. However, there was one saving grace for the Silver Arrows, and it came through Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari-bound driver broke yet another record of Michael Schumacher. This time it was for the most number of fastest laps for a single team (54). Schumacher achieved 53 with Ferrari.

Despite it being a team effort, Mercedes did not commemorate the historic feat. The omission came as an unpleasant surprise for Hamilton fans who called the team out on social media. Gradually, the criticism turned into an online protest.

Hamilton broke the record on Sunday, the 26th of May. It wasn’t until his fans lashing out at the team for two days that the Brackley-based outfit finally succumbed to the pressure. On May 28, a Tuesday, Mercedes finally released a graphic on X with the details of the top five drivers. The caption read, “Another record broken.”

Hamilton fans, however, were in no mood to let Mercedes get away with it easily. The comments are filled with responses that take a swipe at them making the post only after the pressure got to them. One fan even suggested it was an attempt to save face.

Another fan sarcastically congratulated them for finally waking up.

Lewis Hamilton announced his 2025 move to Ferrari before the start of the 2024 season. While Toto Wolff maintained it didn’t surprise him, he admitted the timing of the announcement certainly caught him off guard. That may have led to some cracks developing between the driver and his team.

Lewis Hamilton gives up in the fight against George Russell

Once Lewis Hamilton departs, George Russell will become the de facto senior driver at Mercedes. However, it looks like the team is in the mood to fast-track that arrangement even before Hamilton departs.

Mercedes managed to produce only one upgraded front wing at the Monaco GP. With no option but to put it on one car, they picked Russell’s.

The move may have further driven a wedge between Mercedes and Hamilton. Speaking after the race, the 39-year-old responded to his teammate yet again outperforming him. Hamilton admitted the trend might continue over the season.

Meanwhile, Mercedes is making next to no progress while McLaren has solidified itself in the third position. If Lewis Hamilton continues to face cold treatment with no signs of success in sight, relations could further turn sour. That is not what he must be looking forward to before ending an iconic partnership that produced 15 world championships.

Credits: IMAGO / BSR Agency

Lewis Hamilton once again grabbed the limelight because of his fashion choices, after he was spotted flaunting one of IWC’s unreleased watches at the Monaco GP last weekend. Thanks to Mercedes’ partnership with the Swiss watchmakers, Hamilton got early access to this exclusive piece.

According to IWC Watches’ Instagram handle, Hamilton wore one of the company’s timepieces that feature the latest Ceralume technology. This enabled IWC to create luminous ceramic watch cases for the first time.

A unique feature of this watch is that it has a ‘glow in the dark’ effect. It is achieved by adding high-grade super LumiNova pigments to the ceramic raw materials. Its price, however, remains unknown because IWC has not released its latest creation to the public as of yet.

2024 will be the last year Hamilton will enjoy early access to IWC’s special watches. Since he is moving to Ferrari next season, he may receive the benefit of acquiring special timepieces from another famous brand.

Lewis Hamilton could be seen wearing Richard Mille watches in 2025

Almost all F1 teams have a partnership with a famous watch brand. For Mercedes, it is IWC Schaffhausen. Ferrari, on the other hand, have Richard Mille as its sponsor. It is for the same reason that both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz get their hands on Richard Mille’s exclusive watches beforehand. 

Richard Mille has been Ferrari’s partner since the start of the 2021 season. Since then, both Leclerc and Sainz have worn some of the company’s most exquisite timepieces.

For example, Leclerc owns the RM UP-01 Ferrari. This is a limited edition timepiece that Richard Mille produced in 2022. What is most unique about this watch is that it is the thinnest the company has ever produced.

It has a thickness of just 1.75 mm and costs a whopping $1.88 million. Furthermore, Leclerc also wore a watch from Richard Mille to the Monaco Grand Prix last weekend. The Monegasque was spotted wearing the RM 72-01 Chronograph, which costs $525,000.

Lewis Hamilton will likely get access to similar limited edition watches from Richard Mille in the future that the likes of Leclerc have been enjoying access to since the start of 2021.

IMAGO / Nordphoto

Kelly Piquet features heavily in the news because of her relationship with Red Bull star Max Verstappen. But they began dating after she had a daughter with former Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat. This often brought her under the limelight for the wrong reasons, and the 35-year-old is under scrutiny once again, with a former F1 WAG accusing her of being involved in an extra-marital affair.

Natalie Sifferman, ex-wife of former F1 driver Jerome D’Ambrosio, revealed that Piquet tried stealing her husband away, back when they were married.

Commenting under a post, she wrote that Piquet is an “awful human being.” She added Piquet got together with D’Ambrosio while he was still married to her. Furthermore, Sifferman also claimed that the Brazilian was responsible for affecting one of her friend’s careers, out of sheer jealousy.

Sifferman and D’Ambrosio met each other in 2011 and dated for two years before getting married. However, they divorced each other just two years later. On the post, however, Sifferman didn’t comment on whether Piquet’s involvement with her former spouse ended their marriage.

Sifferman’s comment under the post was a scathing attack on Piquet. For the latter’s partner Max Verstappen, however, there seems to be no issue. She is a valuable part of his life, as is her daughter Penelope.

Max Verstappen’s relationship with Kelly Piquet’s daughter

Verstappen often spoke about having a family of his own someday. And currently, he has a small and happy family of his own, all of whom live together in Monaco.

Kelly Piquet moved in with the Red Bull driver a few years ago, and along with her came Penelope. For Verstappen, who is just 26 years old, it wasn’t too easy to have her in his house. In fact, there was a ban on her entering his room when he was streaming or on the simulator. That, however, has changed.

Today, Verstappen claims that having Penelope with him makes things a “lot more fun”. The duo has won the hearts of fans, and Penelope has also started traveling to races to support the three-time World Champion as of late.

Credits: IMAGO / MAXPPP

For the first time in the ground-effect era, Red Bull looks to be in disarray. Max Verstappen is struggling with the handling of the car and Sergio Perez is struggling to match his teammate, adding to the problems for the Milton-Keynes-based outfit. After the team’s qualifying disaster class in Monaco, Verstappen points out one factor that shows just how weak the team was.

The Dutchman reminds Viaplay of how good Perez usually is in street circuits. Perez, a previous winner of the Monaco GP (2022) couldn’t even make it out of Q1 and finished P18 in the lap-timing chart. “When you are P18 and P6, that just shows we performed disastrously.”

Verstappen was referring to his starting position, which will be from the third row (P6). On any other circuit, the #1 driver would have been bullish about the RB20’s race pace bailing him out.

However, he has already accepted the fact that there isn’t much he can do on Sunday, owing to Monaco being a track extremely difficult to overtake.

Perez, on the other hand, may find it difficult to even get into the points. Thanks to the Haas cars’ disqualifications in Monaco, Perez will get to start from P16. But, making six places in a circuit like Monte Carlo, will need outside factors to play a major role.

Red Bull’s biggest problems in Monaco

Red Bull never appeared to be confident of their chances in the Principality. Team Principal Christian Horner admitted that Ferrari would be the favorite, and Helmut Marko predicted Max Verstappen’s run of eight consecutive pole positions to come to an end.

From the very get-go, Verstappen and Perez were struggling with the handling of the car. It was difficult for the Red Bull drivers to use the kerbs to their advantage, and the bumps were hindering their pace. The second and third sectors of this famous circuit in particular, affected Verstappen and Perez.

The Dutchman, however, insists that he wasn’t in his off-game on Saturday. After the session, when reporters asked him, if it was his first ‘mistake’ of the season, Verstappen replied, “I would happily invite everyone in this paddock to drive that car and try to go faster.”

Safety cars and red flags aren’t uncommon in Monaco. And to have a glimmer of hope of making it into the top three come the end of the Grand Prix, the 26-year-old will be praying for the same.

Mick Schumacher could be in line for a return to Formula 1 from the start of next season.

Mick, son of legendary seven-time world champion Michael, followed in his father’s footsteps by competing in F1 when he drove for Haas in 2021 and 2022, finishing 19th and 16th respectively in the drivers’ standings.

However, he was dropped for the 2023 season in favour of veteran Nico Hulkenberg and is the current reserve driver for Mercedes.

He is yet to have an opportunity to compete for the British-based team but signed up to the Alpine World Endurance Championship (WEC) programme ahead of this year, with the 25-year-old set to race at the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans next month.

The French team could offer Schumacher a route back into the sport due to unrest between their current drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, who are both out of contract at the end of the campaign.

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Mick Schumacher could be in line for a return to F1 from the start of next season with Alpine

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Mick is the son of legendary F1 driver Michael Schumacher, who won seven world titles

The French pair have endured an indifferent relationship, and tensions flared up again at the Monaco Grand Prix last weekend.

On the first lap of the race, Ocon recklessly tried to overtake Gasly on the inside and the pair made contact, with the former’s car being knocked into the air before landing.

However, the collision caused too much damage and Ocon was forced to retire, while Gasly was left fuming by his team-mate’s antics.

Ocon was subsequently punished by stewards and later took to social media to apologise.

‘Today’s incident was my fault,’ he reflected. ‘The gap was too small in the end and I apologise to the team on this one. Hoping for a deserved points-finish for the team today.’

Team boss Bruno Famin was similarly angry and warned Ocon there would be consequences when speaking to French broadcasters.

‘It’s sad to see this kind of incident,’ he told Canal+. ‘It’s exactly what we didn’t want to see. Esteban’s attack was totally out of circumstances.

‘It was exactly what we didn’t want to see and we’re going to draw the consequences. We’re going to make a tough decision.

‘If we were fighting for a podium finish at the end of the race, why not, and still… But there, on the first lap, at Le Portier, frankly, it wasn’t the place to make an attack, leaving zero room for his teammate.’

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Alpine boss Bruno Famin said ‘it would be a mistake’ not to consider Mick (left, with Michael)

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Schumacher (right) drove for Haas for two seasons but was dropped for the 2023 season

The fact that Gasly and Ocon will be out of contract at the end of this year potentially opens the door to Schumacher and Famin admitted the Swiss-born German is a candidate to join the team.

‘I’m very happy with Mick,’ he told Sky Germany. ‘He’s super fast. But that’s not the main thing in the WEC, you have to drive at a consistently high level and have a good team spirit.

‘I’m very impressed with him because he adapted his attitude to the long-distance races from day one.

‘He has a very good relationship with his teammates. Everything is open for 2025, everyone talks to everyone. It would be a mistake not to have Mick on the list.’

When pressed on the subject in Monte Carlo, Schumacher remained tight-lipped on the rumours but outlined how he ‘dreams’ of returning to the sport as a main driver.

‘My goal and my dream is to drive in Formula 1,’ he said. ‘It has always been like that and it will always be like that. That’s why we have to make sure that the dominoes fall in my direction and hopefully I end up with a seat.

‘What I can do is to simply give my best performance in the WEC and also in Formula 1 and continue to perform well for the team as a reserve driver and continue to lead the discussions.’

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Schumacher (pictured driving for Haas) finished 19th and 16th in the drivers’ standings

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Alpine pairing Pierre Gasly (left) and Esteban Ocon (right) are both out of contract this year

If he does return, Mick will hope to emulate some of the achievements of his father, who is one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time.

Having claimed the world title in 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, Michael also added 71 fastest laps and 155 podiums to his name during his iconic racing career.

However, he was tragically involved in a skiing accident in December 2013 that left him in a medically induced coma. He hasn’t appeared publicly since.

The German is cared for by a team of medical staff and his wife Corinna at their Lake Geneva home, but little has been made public about his condition.

Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull was officially confirmed on Wednesday in a major blow to the Formula One world champions.

The team confirmed their chief technical officer will leave the Red Bull group in the first quarter of 2025.

Newey has spent nearly two decades with the team and is viewed as the mastermind behind the cars that have taken them to seven drivers’ titles in two stints, through Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.

Red Bull confirmed that Newey will be stepping back from his F1 duties, with his final months at the group set to focus on the development and delivery of Red Bull’s first hypercar.

The RB17 was officially announced 2022, with Newey and Red Bull Advanced Technologies behind the creation of the car.

Red Bull have confirmed the imminent departure of F1’s most successful designer Adrian Newey

Newey pictured with Christian Horner, left, and Max Verstappen, centre, will step back from his F1 duties

The group said two seat hypercar will deliver the ‘ultimate on-track driving experience’.

When announcing the development of the car, Red Bull said it will be powered by a hybrid engine developing over 1,100bhp and will be designed around a carbon composite tub.

The RB17, which takes its name from cars produced by Red Bull for Formula One, is claimed will have the ‘most advanced ground effect package available in a series production car.’

The development of the hypercar, of which only 50 will be made, is viewed as a passion of Newey’s with the designer spearheading the project.

‘The RB17 distills everything we know about creating championship-winning Formula One cars into a package that delivers extreme levels of performance in a two-seat track car,’ he said in February.

‘Driven by our passion for performance at every level, the RB17 pushes design and technical boundaries far beyond what has been previously available to enthusiasts and collectors.’

Newey is set to fully focus on the development of the car, which is due to go into production in 2025, in his final months with the team.

He is understood to be wanted by Ferrari to act as their ‘super consultant’. He currently earns £15million a year at Red Bull and could double his salary with the potential switch.

Newey, left, will instead focus on the development of Red Bull’s hypercar before leaving in the first quarter of 2025

Red Bull Advanced Technologies released a concept photo of the RB17 hypercar in February

A move to Italy would bring F1’s most successful designer into partnership with Lewis Hamilton, who is joining the Scuderia next year.

Newey will continue to attend races this season, including in Miami this weekend.

His departure is a blow to the world champion team and embattled boss Christian Horner, the team principal who brought Newey from McLaren to Red Bull nearly 20 years ago.

Red Bull insist Newey’s departure is not directly linked to the allegations that have engulfed the team since news of allegations of coercive behaviour were made against Horner in February, but driven by growing resentment at how he has been less than fully credited for the team’s success.

Twelve members of US Congress penned a letter to Formula 1’s parent company, Liberty Media, demanding answers about Andretti Global’s rejected bid to join the grid. 

The bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by Rep. John James, claimed the mass media conglomerate was engaging in ‘cartel-like behavior’ by preventing the Indiana-based team from entering the sport.

‘[We have] concerns with the apparent anti-competitive actions that could prevent two American companies, Andretti Global and General Motors (GM), from producing and competing in Formula 1,’ the letter read.

They also noted that the decision to bar Andretti, along with its partners GM and Cadillac, could ‘violate American anti-trust laws.’

F1’s governing body, the FIA, accepted Andretti’s entry last year, agreeing that they had met the necessary criteria.

12 members of congress are demanding answers about Andretti Global’s rejected F1 bid

Former F1 world champion Mario Andretti said his team is ready to join the grid as of 2025

However, the sport’s commercial arm, Formula One Management, denied the team’s bid after discussing the matter with the 10 teams currently on the grid, claiming it would not be competitive by 2025 or 2026.

In a press conference held outside the US Capitol Wednesday, former F1 world champion, Mario Andretti said his team has ‘all the passion and resolve necessary’ to join the grid.

‘We’re ready with everything that’s needed. Give us a green light and let us do our thing,’ the 84-year-old motorsport legend said.

‘Our team, Andretti Global, is part of every major racing discipline in the world. Formula 1 is the one that’s left. And we want to be part of that.’

James, who also appeared at the press conference, suggested Liberty Media could be ‘kicking the can down the road’ as a ‘cash grab’ to extract more money from Andretti should their bid be accepted in 2028, when F1 said it would reconsider the bid.

Rep. John James of Michigan claimed Liberty Media was engaging in ‘cartel-like behavior’

Formula One Management denied Andretti’s bid after discussing it with the teams on the grid

‘Give us a green light and let us do our thing,’ the motorsport legend said in a press conference

‘The commitment has been shown by Andretti-Cadillac, I think, to the tune of millions of dollars a month in preparing for the standards of complying with everything,’ the Michigan representative said.

‘We hope that we can resolve this to do business together for our mutual benefit. But if not, we will have our questions answered,’ he went on.

‘Because we have an obligation to protect the American consumer, to protect American companies, and that is our first allegiance. And those who are seeking to take advantage will be held accountable.’

F1 will return to the US this weekend for the Miami Grand Prix, held at Hard Rock Stadium.

Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet going off-road together with Mark Cox.