Lewis Hamilton’s successor has been chosen

After Fernando Alonso is out of the race due to his contract extension with the Aston Martin team, many rumor mills have decided who will succeed Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

Champion Max Verstappen is currently determining what is happening on the track. The Dutchman got back on the road to success in Suzuka after the zero in Melbourne through no fault of his own and clinched his third victory this year. He also secured the extra point for the fastest lap of the race.

The Red Bull Racing star leads the World Championship ahead of his teammate Sergio Pérez and the Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. The latter had to swallow a bitter pill in Saudi Arabia because he had to undergo surgery for his inflamed appendix and the Spaniard was unable to take part in the third training session, qualifying and race. He returned to Australia with a victory.

The good form of the son of the rally legend of the same name is causing a lot of conversation, after all, Sainz is looking for a cockpit because he will be replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari after the current season. The 29-year-old from Madrid is considered the hottest candidate to succeed the seven-time champion at Mercedes.

The colleagues at “Gazzetta dello Sport” are even sure that the previous Ferrari driver has signed a two-year contract with the star brand’s factory team. Accordingly, Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli should be given more time, for example to gain Formula 1 experience with the Mercedes customer team Williams, before he joins the German car manufacturer’s factory team.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has not yet given any indication when it comes to the driver pairing from 2025. Since the announcement of Lewis Hamilton’s departure after the current season, the Viennese has reiterated that he wants to take his time deciding on his successor.

Japanese GP, Suzuka Circuit
01. Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing, 1:54:23.566 h
02. Sergio Pérez (MEX), Red Bull Racing, +12.535 sec
03. Carlos Sainz (E), Ferrari, +20.866
04. Charles Leclerc ( MC), Ferrari, +26.522
05. Lando Norris (GB), McLaren, +29.700
06. Fernando Alonso (E), Aston Martin, +44.272
07. George Russell (GB), Mercedes, +45.951
08. Oscar Piastri (AUS ), McLaren, +47.525
09. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes, +48.626
10. Yuki Tsunoda (J), Racing Bulls, +1 lap
11. Nico Hülkenberg (D), Haas, +1 lap
12. Lance Stroll ( CDN), Aston Martin, +1 lap
13. Kevin Magnussen (DK), Haas, +1 lap
14. Valtteri Bottas (FIN), Sauber, +1 lap
15. Esteban Ocon (F), Alpine, +1 lap
16. Pierre Gasly (F), Alpine, +1 lap
17. Logan Sargeant (USA), Williams, +1 lap
out
Guanyu Zhou (RCH), Sauber, electrics
Alex Albon (T), Williams, crash
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS), Racing Bulls, Crash

World Championship standings (after 4 of 24 Grands Prix)
Driver
01. Verstappen 77 points
02. Pérez 64
03. Leclerc 59
04. Sainz 55
05. Norris 37
06. Piastri 32
07. Russell 24 08.
Alonso 24
09. Hamilton 10
10. Stroll 7
11. Tsunoda 7
12. Oliver Bearman (GB) 6
13. Hulkenberg 3
14. Magnussen 1
15. Albon 0
16. Zhou 0
17. Ricciardo 0
18. Ocon 0
19. Gasly 0
20. Bottas 0
21. Sargeant 0

Constructors’ Cup
01. Red Bull Racing 141 points
02. Ferrari 120
03. McLaren 69
04. Mercedes 34
05. Aston Martin 33
06. Racing Bulls 7
07. Haas 4
08. Williams 0
09. Sauber 0
10. Alpine 0

Kyle and Richard Petty are not interested in that car anymore Richard Petty’s Son Shockingly Trashes Essence of His Family

If you are a racing enthusiast, and happen to visit NASCAR Hall of Fame, you will be bombarded with so many emotions at one time. The museum in Charlotte holds many precious pictures and artifacts of legendary moments and great racers in the sport’s history. One of them is the popularly advertised and legendary Lee Petty‘s No. 42 car. People travel miles just to have a glimpse of this beauty. But does his own family get nostalgic seeing that? Lee Petty’s son Richard Petty and grandson Kyle Petty answer regarding that.

Kyle and Richard Petty are not interested in that car anymore
In their recent interaction at “The Dale Jr. Download,” the father-son duo opened up on many factors, including the horrific wrecks faced by all of them. Dale Jr. disclosed that he is overwhelmed with emotions when he happens to see Lee Petty’s car at the museum. He eventually asked them if they felt the same about it, or feel bad about the consequences that led after that race.

Kyle Petty stated that they do not really feel a thing about the car, and claim it to be “junk”. “When we walk through the museum, when he says it. And I walk through the museum, we refer to it as junk. That’s that little junk over there, that we had back in the storage building. Because it’s served its purpose, and now you’ve moved on to something else.”

King Richard Petty agrees with his son regarding this. He said, “It was just a happening, it was supposed to be. And you know, you just learn to live with them. Whatever the circumstances, you learn to live with.”

Their family has indeed gone through a lot to develop this much acceptance of life. Lee Petty drove that car in Daytona in 1961 which led to a terrible crash. Lee was admitted to the hospital and came out safely, but could not continue racing post that incident.

The Petty family’s remarkable journey in NASCAR began with Lee Petty, who founded Petty Enterprises in 1949. As the owner, lead driver, and primary decision-maker. His son, Richard Petty, continued and surpassed the legacy by winning 200 victories and seven championships. Richard’s skill on the track and magnetic persona played a pivotal role in propelling NASCAR into the limelight. The racing saga continued with Kyle Petty, Richard’s son, who also made his mark in the racing community.

Throughout its history, Petty Enterprises has been the launchpad for many drivers, yet the Petty family has always been its core. The enterprise has certainly shaped NASCAR’s business and culture far beyond the confines of the racetrack.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame thus honors the Petty family’s legacy, showcasing their remarkable 75-year involvement in racing. Exhibits and historical items on display, showcase their substantial impact on the sport. The enduring heritage of the Petty family extends beyond their triumphs and accolades. There exists a deep-rooted enthusiasm and dedication to racing, that brought smiles to many generations.

Untimely Cautions Hampered Hamlin Criticizing SMI-Owned Texas, Falls Prey to Driver’s Texas Misery Amidst Chase Elliott’s Brewing Redemption

Denny Hamlin’s hope for his third win of the Cup Series season has come to a crushing end after his late spin at Texas Motor Speedway. He and Chase Elliott were contesting for the lead with just a few laps left in the race when the No. 11 coming off aggressively on the restart tried to push his luck by divebombing inside the race track, but it resulted in him getting loose and spinning out, crashing into the wall.

This caution led the race into overtime and once again put “Fan Favorite” Chase Elliott in a prime position to mark his comeback win. The HMS driver has suffered a winless drought of 42 races, and today he just might be able to spark his comeback. Hamlin’s spin certainly didn’t come as a surprise because several drivers suffered a similar fate today.

Untimely cautions hampered Hamlin’s chances for a win

With 23 laps to go, Hamlin made his move to pass Elliott’s No. 9 car choosing the outside lane, and was successful in doing so. From here on, it looked like he was through to make it to the victory lane, but soon a caution completely flipped the race on its head. It was Ricky Stenhouse Jr who ended up crashing into the wall, flagging the 12th caution of the race.

In the aftermath of the crash, Elliott, by the thinnest of margins, got the lead from Hamlin for the restart and certainly made most of it. Hamlin did try his best to repeat his passing move on Elliott, only this time he was aggressive in defending his lead. In a desperate attempt coming into Turn 3, Hamlin tried squeezing inside of the racetrack, but his car soon got loose, resulting in him crashing out.

Explaining the incident after the race, the JGR driver said, “I was on the inside where I needed to be going in Turn 3 and he wasn’t that strong up in the high lane of three and four either. So I thought, I was in a really good spot there even though he was beside me. I didn’t need that caution for sure but that’s what you have here at Texas. Lots of cautions and got to navigate around it and do the best you can,” he said via Frontstretch.

He even acknowledged the rise of Chase Elliott and how this win would bring him back into the title contention.

Elliott is back to winning ways in the NASCAR Cup Series

If there was one driver who desperately needed a win, it was Chase Elliott. From contesting for the championship to not making it to the playoffs in 2023, the HMS driver hit a career low last year and was eyeing a comeback win. The two consecutive top-five finishes allowed him to build momentum and confidence, which eventually transpired into a long-awaited win at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Hamlin was asked if this win put Elliott back in contention for the championship, to which he replied, “I mean they’ve slowly gotten better as the season’s gone on. Yeah, I mean, it seems like a couple of organizations dominating right now, and he’s part of one of them, and he’s capable for a long time. So he’s certainly a threat because he’s done it before.”

Despite the late crash, Denny Hamlin still holds onto his third place in the standings. Meanwhile, Elliott jumped two more spots and is now fourth just behind his JGR rival.