Miami, FL

Miami GP: Red Bull Adrian Newey drama set to cause tension as Mercedes, McLaren bring upgrades to Sprint weekend

Published

2 weeks ago

April 29, 2024

Miami GP: Red Bull Adrian Newey drama set to cause tension as Mercedes, McLaren bring upgrades to Sprint weekend

Ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, Sky Sports F1 analyse the biggest talking points going into sixth round of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

The F1 news cycle appeared to have calmed over recent weeks following a frantic start to the season, but a series of developments since the Chinese Grand Prix have set off more drama.

Reports that legendary designer Adrian Newey has decided to leave Red Bull will undoubtedly create renewed doubt over world championship leader Max Verstappen’s future with the team.

Sauber’s announcement that they have signed Nico Hulkenberg from Haas for the 2025 season ahead of their transition to becoming Audi in 2026 is likely to stimulate further movement in the driver market.

On the track, Verstappen will be seeking to create more history as he looks to continue his dominant start to the season.

However, the fact that Miami is hosting a Sprint weekend for the first time could create unpredictability and a threat to the Dutchman’s streak of pole positions.

Despite their weakest weekend of the season so far in China, Ferrari will be hopeful of bouncing back, but must be careful that a growingly fierce battle on track between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz doesn’t reduce their chances.

Every session is live on Sky Sports F1, with the competitive action getting under way with Sprint Qualifying at 9.30pm on Friday night.

Newey bombshell puts spotlight back on Red Bull

When the most spectacular paddock on the calendar, in the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium, begins to fill with F1 personnel on Thursday, there is little doubt that Newey’s reported desire to leave Red Bull will be at the top of the agenda.

There had been murmurings for a while that the 65-year-old may not be completely happy, but Thursday’s reports that he has decided he wants to leave will have sent shockwaves through the sport.

On a pure performance basis, F1’s best designer leaving a team that is enjoying one of the most dominant spells in the sport’s history is promising for those who desire more competitive racing at the front of the grid.

Beyond the sporting impact, the fact that Newey’s desire to leave is reported to be directly related to how he feels about Christian Horner is likely to put renewed pressure on the Red Bull team principal.

There has been a period of sustained turbulence at Red Bull following the investigation earlier this year by their Austrian parent company into allegations of inappropriate behaviour against Horner by a female colleague.

The grievance against Horner, who has always denied the claims, was dismissed on February 28. The woman who brought the complaint has since appealed the outcome.

Pressure on Horner could be increased by the reaction of Verstappen, who is unlikely to be happy about the prospect of Newey’s departure.

Despite Verstappen’s contract running until 2028, he is understood to hold exit clauses and Newey’s exit will only increase doubt over whether the Dutchman will see out the deal.

Outside of Red Bull, it will also be interesting to see how potential suitors for Newey, such as Ferrari and Aston Martin, will react to the news.

Hulkenberg move to energise driver market?

Another topic of discussion in the paddock will be the driver market, after Hulkenberg’s switch from Haas to Sauber altered the landscape.

While the German’s move – ahead of Sauber’s transition to becoming Audi in 2026 – was widely expected, confirmation of it could trigger a flurry of movement in F1’s remarkably fluid 2025 market.

Hulkenberg is the 10th driver to be confirmed for the 2025 grid, which means half of the seats are still to be filled.

At least one of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu won’t be driving for Sauber in 2025, which will no doubt intensify their representatives attempts to find options for next year.

Hulkenberg’s departure from Haas also opens the door for British teenager Oliver Bearman to make the step up from F2 following his hugely impressive debut for Ferrari when Sainz was unable to race in Saudi Arabia.

While there could be more movement in the seats expected to be towards the rear of the grid, it is Sainz who looks set to dictate much of what may happen at the sharp end.

The Spaniard would appear to have several options after making a strong start to the final season of his stint with Ferrari.

Ferrari duo set to continue battle… in blue

Sainz’s impressive form, punctuated by a victory in Australia, has set up an intriguing battle at Ferrari with his team-mate Leclerc under pressure to prove he was the right choice to remain at the team alongside Lewis Hamilton next year.

While the pair were engaged in some thrilling battles on track last season, the fact that Sainz is leaving the team and doesn’t need to worry too much about the consequences of his actions means the gloves are off.

Leclerc was upset by the way Sainz defended against him, as he was forced off track by his team-mate during the Sprint in China.

A day later in the race, Leclerc appeared to return the favour as he forced Sainz off at the first corner in an incident which saw both Ferraris lose places.

This time it was Sainz who was unamused, as he appeared to refrain from fully expressing his frustrations in his post-race interview with Sky Sports F1.

While the affable duo, who get on well away from the track, are likely to play down the incidents when they face the media in Miami on Thursday, the contest is worth keeping a close eye once their visors go down on Friday.

Viewers will need to be extra sharp to keep track of the Ferraris, as they run a one-off blue livery to publicise the agreement of a title sponsorship deal with American technology company HP.

Verstappen’s chance to surpass Hamilton

Amid the considerable noise around Red Bull, Verstappen is maintaining an incredible level of performance.

The Dutchman’s pole in China was his sixth in a row, creating the longest streak of his career. In Miami, he can level the seven successive poles that Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost each managed, and is two short of Ayrton Senna’s all-time record.

He has won four out of five races this season and may well have also triumphed in Australia were it not for a brake issue forcing him out of the contest.

While Verstappen has largely insisted that records aren’t of huge importance to him as he attempts to stay in the moment, there is an eye-catching feat he could pull off in Miami.

If he were to claim the 59th win of his F1 career on Sunday, Verstappen would move above Hamilton into fourth on career-win percentage.

The 26-year-old has currently won 30.53 per cent of his races, but that number would increase to 30.89. Hamilton is on 30.56 per cent for his career, but seems highly likely to dip lower, with his wait for a first win since December 2021 set to continue.

Will Mercedes, McLaren upgrades have a major impact?

While victory seems an entirely unrealistic prospect for Hamilton following Mercedes’ dismal start to the season, the seven-time world champion’s hopes could at least be boosted by the arrival of upgrades for the W15.

Mercedes’ only top-five finish at the first five races was delivered by George Russell in Bahrain, while Hamilton has failed to finish higher than ninth since coming seventh at the season-opener.

It’s unlikely that these early-season upgrades will make a huge impact, but given the tight margins we’ve seen between Mercedes and Aston Martin, the Silver Arrows could at least make ground in that battle.

The other issue for Mercedes is that they won’t be the only team bringing upgrades, with McLaren, for one, having also confirmed updates are coming to the MCL38.

McLaren will also not expect enormous gains but having seen Lando Norris claim a brilliant second behind Verstappen in China, will be hopeful of at least slightly closing the gap to Red Bull.

Teams bringing upgrades will face the additional challenge of attempting to find an optimal car setup with the new parts after just 60 minutes of practice, given Miami is hosting a second successive F1 Sprint weekend.

The new Sprint format, which seemed to get the thumbs up from most after its debut in China, will at least allow for teams to alter their setups when the cars are released from parc ferme following Saturday’s Sprint, and ahead of full qualifying.

Sky Sports F1’s live Miami GP schedule

Thursday May 2
6.30pm: Drivers’ press conference

Friday May 3
3pm: F1 Academy Practice 1
5pm: Miami GP Practice One (session starts at 5.30pm)
8.20pm: F1 Academy Practice 2
9pm: Miami GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 9:30pm)

Saturday May 4
3.25pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
4pm: Miami GP Sprint (race starts at 5pm)
6.30pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook
7.05pm: F1 Academy Race 1
8pm: Miami GP Qualifying build-up
9pm: Miami GP Qualifying
11pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday May 5
6.05pm: F1 Academy Race 2
7.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday Miami GP build-up
9pm: The MIAMI GRAND PRIX
11pm: Chequered Flag: Miami GP reaction
Midnight: Ted’s Notebook

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Miami, FL

Miami sued by insurance company for paying Commissioner Joe Carollo's legal fees

Published

5 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Press Room

Miami sued by insurance company for paying Commissioner Joe Carollo's legal fees

The city of Miami may be on the hook for millions of dollars in a new lawsuit arising out of Commissioner Joe Carollo’s longstanding legal battle with Little Havana property owners.

QBE Specialty Insurance Company, a firm that provides legal insurance coverage for municipalities, this week sued the city in federal court. The company seeks to recover the millions of dollars it has paid to the city since 2018 to cover the legal costs of defending Carollo in a series of lawsuits.

“This action seeks a declaration that QBE has no duty under the … Policies to defend the City, Carollo or any of the other individuals who are defendants in the Underlying Lawsuits,” QBE wrote in its 66-page complaint. (A copy of the complaint is embedded at the end of this story.)

The decision to have the city pay Carollo’s legal fees was one of the foremost reasons former City Attorney Victoria Méndez was pushed out of her position last month. A staunch defender of Carollo, Méndez said it was the responsibility of the city to pay for his legal representation, despite arguments from critics that his actions fell outside the scope of his duties as a city commissioner.

READ MORE: U.S. Marshals set to auction Joe Carollo’s home over $63.5 million federal judgment

Little Havana entrepreneurs William Fuller and Martin Pinilla sued Carollo in federal court in 2018. They accused Carollo of repeatedly sending code enforcement, police and the city’s fire department to their properties to satisfy what they called a “vendetta” against them. Fuller and Pinilla had supported Carollo’s political opponent Alfie Leon in 2017. They argued Carollo was angry at them for backing his rival, and when he took office, he took it out on their businesses.

Last June, the two businessmen won their lawsuit against the commissioner after a Broward jury found Carollo liable for violating their First Amendment right to free speech. Carollo was ordered to pay $63.5 million in damages to Fuller and Pinilla, a decision the commissioner has since appealed.

In the intervening years, Fuller and his business partners — including Mad Room LLC, which represents the ownership of the Ball & Chain Bar on Calle Ocho — have brought other lawsuits against Carollo and the city of Miami with the same allegations.

Throughout all of the lawsuits, the City of Miami has paid the bill for Carollo’s legal defense out of their insurance policy with QBE.

Millions of dollars in defense

According to the insurer’s complaint, the cost of defending the city in all of the lawsuits has exceeded $10 million.

QBE argues it has no responsibility to insure the city for the facts alleged in Carollo’s lawsuits because they are predicated on “willful” and “deliberate” acts by the commissioner to deprive the plaintiffs of their individual rights.

“The fundamental premise underlying each and every one of the Underlying Lawsuits is that Carollo — through his own actions and by conscripting others to do his bidding — engaged in a years-long campaign of retaliation and harassment with the conscious objective of inflicting harm on the underlying plaintiff,” QBE wrote.

The complaint also alleges that the city was not entitled to make insurance claims for these lawsuits under their Law Enforcement Liability (LEL) policies, because none of the defendants named in the Fuller group’s lawsuits are law enforcement officials. Those defendants include Carollo, Méndez, City Manager Art Noriega, City Building Director Asael Marrero and Assistant City Attorney Rachel Dooley.

Jose A. Iglesias

El Nuevo Herald

City of Miami Attorney Victoria Méndez speaks during a City of Miami Commission meeting on Jan. 12, 2023.

“None of the individual defendants (natural persons) in the Underlying Lawsuits hold any of the ‘Positions to be Insured’ that are listed on the applications for the LEL Policies,” QBE wrote.

The complaint also names Fuller, Pinilla and the other plaintiffs in their various lawsuits against the City of Miami as defendants in QBE’s case. The insurance company wants a federal judge to declare that QBE has no responsibility to insure the city for these cases, and give it permission to recover the funds it has already paid out.

City of Miami officials could not immediately respond to a request for comment from WLRN for this story.

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Miami, FL

Miami-Dade PD: Elderly man has been missing for more than a month

Published

12 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Press Room

Miami-Dade PD: Elderly man has been missing for more than a month

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade police are asking for the public’s help in locating an 80-year-old man who has been missing for more than a month now.

According to police, Eusebio Pantoja was last seen around 11 a.m. April 3 in the 12900 block of Southwest 248th Street.

Police said Pantoja is 6 feet tall and weighs about 170 pounds. He has brown eyes and gray hair, and was last seen wearing a white shirt and blue jeans.

Authorities say he may be in need of services.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call Detective O. Tellez or any detective of the Miami-Dade Police Department, Special Victims Bureau/Missing Persons Squad at (305) 715-3300 or Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477).

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Miami, FL

Elderly man speaks out after he was robbed $1000 at SW Miami-Dade ATM – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

Published

19 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Press Room

Elderly man speaks out after he was robbed $1000 at SW Miami-Dade ATM – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – An elderly man is speaking out about his terrifying encounter with a man who ambushed and robbed while he tried to withdraw money from an ATM.

Eighty-one-year-old Patrick Ferrante said the armed robbery occurred on Sunday morning at a Wells Fargo ATM located at 13449 SW 288th Street in Southwest Miami-Dade.

“He had a knife, when I got the money out,” said Ferrante. “Came out of nowhere. First, he struck me here, and here, and then he knocked me down.”

Ferrante said the cowardly knife-holding man sneaked up from behind and didn’t say a word.

“Nooo! He just took it and ran,” he said. “I was shocked.”

The crime occurred in broad daylight as Ferrante was putting his card in the ATM machine.

“The minute I got the money out, ping, and he nailed me,” said Ferrante.

The victim said the moment he withdrew $1000 from the machine, the subject robbed it from his hands.

Ferrante expected to use the money to make a down payment for a new vehicle to replace another one that no longer works. But he was blindsided by a thief.

“And I’m an old man. By the time I got up, he’s already gone,” said Ferrante. “He got all my money. I was upset.”

The victim is a Vietnam veteran and he said the robbery stings very hard.

“I was in the fourth infantry,” said Ferrante.

He said the robber was unrecognizable.

“All covered up with a hood and mask,” he said.

He said his finances were already tight and this doesn’t help his situation.

“I gotta make it. I’m a Vietnam veteran. I went through a lot in the war,” said Ferrante.

By living off money from the Veterans’ Affairs office, as he is retired, money can only be stretched so much.

“I gotta get food for my girls. Dog food. I worry more about them than me. I love both of them very much,” said Ferrante.

The elderly man lives with his dogs, Canella and Lucky, and they are now living with a major setback that he never saw coming.

“But, you know, this is how it goes sometimes,” said Ferrante.

If you have any information on this crime, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

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