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Motor Sports

Five quick hits — Red Bull's ownership of two teams challenged and new names on the grid

Formula 1 is back after an off-season filled with news and drama. Here are five stories you may have missed to get you up to speed.
Two F1 drivers, one in blue and one in white, wearing caps, talking to each other before a race.

F1 calls for end to Red Bull, Horner turmoil at 'earliest opportunity'

Pressure is mounting on Formula 1's world champions, as allegations of workplace misconduct hover over the new season.
Christian Horner, in a Red Bull branded jacket with headphones around his neck, in the pit garage.

Horner says allegations are a 'distraction' as Red Bull launch new F1 car

Formula 1 champions Red Bull launches their 2024 challenger, overshadowed by an investigation into alleged misconduct by their team principal. 
Christian Horner, in a blue polo shirt, looks into the distance during a practice session.

Hamilton dominating discussion as Ferrari launches title contender

Formula 1's most historic team has unveiled its challenger for 2024 after an off-season filled with drama.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Lecler, wearing their team polo shirts, walking and talking though the F1 paddock

Australia's fastest female road racer is about to make motorcycling history … again

Tayla Relph is the only Australian, and one of only 22 women across the world, to score a spot on the grid for the inaugural FIM Women's Circuit Racing World Championship in Europe later this year. 
A person wearing black and pink protective gear rides a white, blue, and black motorbike at high speed on a race track.

Ricciardo bullish in optimism as his new car is unveiled

Australian Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has said his team is "no longer just a platform for Red Bull Racing".
A man screams in excitement, wearing a white racing suit, during a promotional shoot

Hamilton says Ferrari move is a 'childhood dream' after bombshell defection announced

Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has made his first comments following the announcement he will join Ferrari at the start of the 2025 season. 
Lewis Hamilton, in his race suit, no helmet, wearing sunglasses, looking upward with a smile in the paddock

analysis:Lewis Hamilton gambles everything on red to become F1's greatest champion

F1's statistically greatest driver is joining F1's most successful team, a gamble both are taking to secure the world championship they desperately want, writes Michael Doyle.
Lewis Hamiton, sitting down, holding a towel to his face, looks upward with a red light shining on him, at night after a race

18-year-old spectator's death puts motorsport insurance under the spotlight

After a teen's death at a western Victorian burnout event, the rivalry of regulators competing to represent Australian motorsport, and its safety, has returned to the spotlight.
Updated
spectators watch a car doing burnouts from behind a metal fence and barricades

F1's most successful driver will join its most historic team in major move

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will complete arguably the most sensational team switch in Formula 1 history at the end of the season, leaving Mercedes to sign with Ferrari.
Updated
A split image, with F1 star Lewis Hamilton on one side, and the prancing horse logo of Ferrari on the other.

Concerns for future of famous desert motorsport race after event's $50,000 loss

As bike entries open for this year's Finke Desert Race, organisers blame cost of living pressures and fears about crime in Alice Springs for a decline in sign-ups.
Toby Price's car

Barcelona's future uncertain as Madrid steals F1 grand prix

Madrid has snatched the hosting rights for Formula 1's Spanish Grand Prix away from Barcelona, signalling an uncertain future for the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in F1.
A chequered flag is waived as Max Verstappen crosses the finish line in front of a packed grandstand

The Swan Hill Drag Strip cost millions to build, so why did the wheels fall off less than a decade later?

Despite spending nearly $1 million rectifying track surface defects, the local council had to close the facility in December, saying the faults made it too dangerous for high-speed racing.
Updated
A grey racing car on a drag strip.

Australia's forgotten grand prix was a coastal road race. Now memories are being revived

Every day, South Australians drive on the circuit of the state's first grand prix, but most have no idea of the history beneath their wheels.
A black and white photograph of 1930s racing cars with their drivers waiting to start

Dad-and-daughter duo rebuild dream car after engine fire, now it's a Summernats grand champion contender

Andrew Dodd and daughter Nadine have spent countless hours building their 1935 Ford Coupe — an adventure that first saw the duo racing to finish the car with one hour to go before Nadine's formal.
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A car burnt out with emergency services.

Revheads rejoice as nation's 'wildest' car show Summernats rumbles into Canberra

A sold-out crowd of car enthusiasts is in the nation's capital for the 36th Summernats with 2,500 spectacularly supercharged vehicles on show. 
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A man driving a black car in Canberra.

A decade since his life-changing ski accident, the health of Michael Schumacher remains a guarded secret

The story of Schumacher and his skiing accident is not fully known, with his family electing to keep the German's private life well out of public view. 
A racing driver in a red racing suit, looking to the sky, pumping his fists, in front of cheers fans

Old cars bring new life to outback Australia

Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons remain revered models in these Aboriginal communities, despite ownership being in decline nationally.
ABC News Current
Duration: 2 minutes 3 seconds

'Inherent amount of uncertainty': Sydney to Hobart race might not be smooth sailing amid weather concerns

Record-breaking circumnavigator Jessica Watson said not all hope is lost, as the stormy weather may work in her advantage.
Updated
Large yacht sails directly towards the camera.

Sergio Perez under pressure at Red Bull as Daniel Ricciardo rumours swirl

Despite being second in the championship, Sergio Perez will be under pressure to perform in 2024 as rumours about his future at Red Bull continue to swirl.
A man, wearing a blue cap with the number 11, at night, with a spotlight on his face.

Vision impared get behind the wheel at Eastern Creek

More than 100 blind or vision impaired people go for a joy ride at Eastern Creek.
Updated
ABC News Current
Duration: 1 minute 54 seconds

French F1 team lose fourth significant member as backroom shake-up continues

French Formula 1 team Alpine is set to undergo more management change, with Davide Brivio departing.
Racing driver in his race suit, gesticulating to his team member.

It's fast and it's furious, and Australia helped kick-start this international sport

Speedway motorcycle racing is huge in Europe these days, but did you know a town in the NSW Hunter is widely considered its birthplace? Exactly 100 years ago, on December 15, 1923, the first speedway meet was held at Maitland Showground.
A man sitting on an old motorbike wearing a leather helmet. Image is black and white

WA desert race cancelled after station owner flags environmental, access concerns

A long-running desert race in outback Western Australia has been cancelled after a station owner raised concerns about potential environmental damage the event could cause to the property.
Updated
An ATV bike races through the Gascoyne whilst a helicopter fly's overhead.

Piastri collects final accolade of 2023, winning Rookie of the Year

Oscar Piastri, who won the award in 2021 for his debut season in Formula 2, was sensational as a rookie F1 driver in 2023.
An F1 driver in an orange race suit, in the garage, looking over his left shoulder