Formula One management is set to meet with Rwandan officials in September as the country strives to host an F1 race. Africa has long been a target for modern F1, being the only continent (besides Antarctica) not currently represented on the calendar. A race used to be hosted at Kyalami in South Africa, but was dropped after 1993 due to financial costs. It was widely reported that a contract was in the works to host a race at the Kyalami venue for 2024 but that talks broke down due to the country’s support of Russia’s attacks against Ukraine. Although other African countries have expressed interest in hosting a race, Rwanda has the strongest plan, with a proposed permanent circuit in the capitol city of Kigali. Officials from the Rwanda Development Board have already met with the FIA at the Monaco Grand Prix earlier this year and the country will host the annual awards gala at the end of the year. But with the calendar already at capacity and various other countries eager to play host to F1, new venues may face an uphill battle if they want to earn a slot on the schedule.
An appeal by the Red Bull employee behind the allegations that shrouded the team in controversy at the start of the year has been dismissed. Christian Horner, who was accused of misconduct in a grievance filed by a female employee ahead of the 2024 season, was already cleared of any wrongdoing after an eight-week probe by an independent organization. In the aftermath of the investigation, the employee was suspended from her role and decided to use her right of appeal against the probe’s findings. A different independent firm was put in charge of reviewing the appeal and it has been dismissed. It is unclear what the next steps will be in the saga.
Oscar Piastri revealed that he earned his maiden Grand Prix victory while suffering from a broken rib. This came from a social media post he made on X reflecting on the first part of the 2024 season, in which he included an X-ray of his broken rib. The X-ray was dated July 8, which was only 13 days before the 23-year-old Australian would claim his first victory in Hungary. Although he did not provide any insight into how he broke his rib, the X-ray was taken on the Monday after the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Piastri didn’t suffer any major incidents during the weekend, meaning the injury likely occurred off the track.
Liberty Media has confirmed that it is the subject of an investigation by the United States Department of Justice over the rejection of Andretti’s F1 bid. Andretti and Cadillac’s application to become the eleventh team in Formula One was approved by the FIA. It was later denied by F1 management due to the belief that the team would not be competitive and would not bring enough commercial value to the sport. In May, after meeting with Mario Andretti, multiple US politicians criticized the decision as an anti-competitive practice aimed at protecting “weak teams” that are currently in the sport. Despite the rejection, Andretti has continued to develop the F1 project, including hiring staff and opening a new facility in Silverstone. In a quarterly earnings call, Liberty Media reiterated that it will fully cooperate with the investigation as it believes it has complied with US antitrust laws. It also insists it remains open to welcoming new teams, provided they meet the right criteria.
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