Author Archives: PressBox

Kim Kardashian gave her clearest public hint yet about her rumored relationship with Lewis Hamilton on the Oct. 22 episode of The Kardashians, saying the person she is seeing has checked all 55 items on her ideal-partner list. Kardashian said, “every single box on my manifest list was checked,” added that she was “really, really happy,” and made a playful reference to being “44% British.” She did not name Hamilton in the episode, which offered a rare look into her personal life without directly confirming the romance.

Kardashian has also shown support for Hamilton at the track, including at the Singapore Grand Prix, where she was seen in the Ferrari garage as he finished second. The pair were believed to have been dating since the start of the year, and their first public appearance together reportedly came at the Super Bowl in February. After Monaco, Hamilton said it was “amazing” to have Kardashian’s support and said she supports him every day.

One commentator said the relationship could be helping Kardashian enter her “best era” and could show a more relaxed and authentic side of her life, with Hamilton’s Formula 1 ties giving her access to a different social scene. Kardashian celebrated her 46th birthday this week, while Hamilton is focused on Ferrari and is set to race at the United States Grand Prix in Austin this weekend.

Renault agreed to sell Alpine Racing SAS, its former Formula 1 engine operation at Viry-Châtillon near Paris, to Belgian powertrain specialist Dumarey Group in a deal expected to preserve about 150 jobs. Renault decided in 2024 to end its works Formula 1 engine program, and the financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The acquisition proposal has already been submitted to Alpine Racing and would transfer the Viry-Châtillon operation, including the engineering teams and the tangible and intangible assets needed to run the site. After the deal closes, Alpine Racing SAS will operate under the Dumarey brand, ownership and management. The sale does not include any assets tied to the Alpine Formula 1 team in Enstone.

Completion is subject to consultation with employee representatives and regulatory approval. Alpine executive Axel Plasse said the transaction could secure and further develop the site’s engineering expertise and create new prospects for employees, while Dumarey said it wants to diversify into motorsport. Renault replaced its in-house engine program with Alpine’s customer engine deal with Mercedes, a move that put hundreds of jobs at risk at the site, which served as Renault’s Formula 1 engine base for more than four decades.

George Russell said the 2026 Formula 1 season has tested his character and resilience as early car incompatibility and reliability problems pushed him out of the Drivers’ Championship fight. Russell said victories in Austria and Azerbaijan showed progress for him and Mercedes, but rival teams later closed the gap with upgrades. He added that he learned a lot about himself during the season and was proud he kept fighting through setbacks and poor performances rather than giving up.

Russell said he is no longer focused on stopping Andrea Kimi Antonelli from clinching the title, even though he was 102 points behind Antonelli with 150 points still available. Russell said the first chance for Antonelli to wrap up the championship comes at this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, where Antonelli will clinch the title if he wins, Russell finishes ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton finishes fifth or lower.

Russell said, “This won’t be my last shot,” and said he expects to keep racing for Mercedes in 2027. He also said he expects to remain in Formula 1 for many more years. Helmut Marko said Russell has suffered a “huge mental setback” and said Russell is no longer Mercedes’ number one driver, while Antonelli has taken over that role after winning eight races and taking 14 podiums this season. Russell won the season opener in Australia.

Formula 1 teams Aston Martin and Audi will use rookie drivers in Friday practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix, with Jak Crawford set to drive Lance Stroll’s AMR26 for Aston Martin and 18-year-old Freddie Slater scheduled to make his Grand Prix weekend debut for Audi. The sessions come during Formula 1’s triple-header and are designed to give both drivers more mileage and experience under FIA young-driver regulations.

Crawford’s FP1 outing will be his fourth on-track appearance of the 2026 season and will complete Aston Martin’s mandated rookie practice sessions for the year. The team’s third driver has already taken part in FP1 sessions in Japan, Austria and Belgium, with his best result a P20 at the Red Bull Ring. Crawford said Mexico City is special because it was where he made his FP1 debut last year, and he said he is looking forward to using the experience he has gained through track time, simulator work and testing.

Aston Martin trackside officer Mike Krack said Crawford’s simulator and testing contributions have been valuable and said the session will help the team’s weekend preparations. Slater is set to drive the Audi R26 at both the Mexico City Grand Prix and the São Paulo Grand Prix.

Isack Hadjar sparked debate over Ferrari and Red Bull pace in Singapore by saying Red Bull did not have the fastest car and that Ferrari were the quickest team at the Marina Bay circuit. He said Max Verstappen’s result there did not prove Red Bull were the outright benchmark, added that the team’s car remained very hard to drive, and said Verstappen would have won by an even bigger margin if he had been driving a Ferrari SF-26.

Charles Leclerc dismissed Hadjar’s Ferrari claim as “nonsense,” saying drivers outside a team cannot know another car’s true performance. He said small setup and execution differences can matter in such a close field, added that Mercedes was the only possible outlier and might still unlock more pace than expected, and expected the competition to remain very close ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

Oscar Piastri said Red Bull’s recent upgrades had made the team more consistently quick, while Ferrari were strong in Singapore even though their pace varied by circuit. Hadjar said he was encouraged by Red Bull’s recent performance. He missed Sprint Qualifying in Singapore because of technical problems, then started the grand prix from the pit lane after power-unit changes and finished 10th. He said he wanted a clean race in Austin after two frustrating races and finished 16th at Circuit of The Americas last season.

Oliver Bearman said he is ready to prove himself for a future Ferrari seat, but his immediate focus remains Haas as he waits to learn what comes next for 2027. Bearman said finalizing his Haas future is “out of my hands,” adding that negotiations involving his management and Ferrari still need to be completed. He said Haas is the midfield team he wants to stay with, while his long-term goal is to race for Ferrari and eventually move to a top-four team.

Bearman said this season has been a big step, with better on-track performance, stronger work with Haas and a bigger leadership role. He said he feels ready to fight for podiums. Bearman and Rafael Câmara are both Ferrari Driver Academy prospects, and both joined Ferrari on the same day.

Câmara has been announced as Haas’s driver next season, where he will replace Esteban Ocon. Bearman said Ferrari opportunities often come down to timing, and he pointed to Charles Leclerc’s path as an example. Leclerc’s new multi-year extension is likely to keep him at Ferrari into the 2030s, while Lewis Hamilton’s seat appears to be the likeliest opening, though Hamilton is under contract for 2027 and his future will depend on next season’s performance.