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      Meet the Brit drivers of Formula E from Schumacher apprentice and AFC Wimbledon player to die-hard Aston Villa fan

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      OLIVER ROWLAND is the Barnsley-born racing driver lighting up Formula E with a win Tokyo to extend his championship lead. Meanwhile fellow Brit Dan Ticktum bagged his first ever podium with a third-place finish in the Japanese capital. Oliver Rowland is 77 points clear in the drivers’ standingsDan Ticktum has found his home in Formula E after spending time in Williams’ and Red Bull’s academiesFormula E is a motor sport championship for electric cars, and is the only-sport certified net zero event. The championship features 16 races across 10 world cities, and became the first global sport to be certified with a net zero carbon footprint back in 2020.There are six British drivers in total in the series from one nearly making it with AFC Wimbledon, to a die-hard Aston Villa fan – SunSport gives you the low down. OLIVER ROWLAND Rowland is not wrong when says he likes to “do his talking on the track” with the 32-year-old storming towards the title this season. He is leading the championship on a whopping 161 points, 77 points above second-place Antonio Felix Da Costa. Away from the track, the Nissan driver is quiet and reserved, favouring toasting his numerous wins with a “few beers” with his close circle. He is a devoted dad to his daughter Harper who is often seen in the Nissan garage or on his lap when conducting interviews. In April 2017 Rowland was signed to the role of development driver to the Renault F1 Team.Most read in MotorsportA year later Rowland was confirmed as Williams Martini Racing’s official Junior Driver.DAN TICKTUM The 25-year-old Cupra Kiro driver from London could not be any more different than Rowland. Ticktum wears his heart on his sleeve and isn’t afraid to speak his mind on the team radio or in post-race interviews. He has earned a bit of a reputation as the bad boy of motor sport over the years and went viral for a swear-laden rant in Jeddah last season – but it seems in Formula E he has found his home. Ticktum rubbed shoulders with Lando Norris during his karting days and spent time at both Williams’ and Red Bull’s academies. His future is looking bright in Formula E after bagging his first-ever podium in Tokyo. Ticktum was banned for a year from motor sport for ignoring a safety car to purposefully crash into a karting rival.Sam Bird once turned down a shot with AFC Wimbledon to pursue a career in motor sportSAM BIRD Twickenham-born Bird, 38, is an experienced McLaren driver who was once seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher’s apprentice. Sam joined up with Mercedes for four years in 2010 as a test driver, going to most of the races and doing a lot of sim work. As Mercedes returned to F1 in 2010 it coincided with Schumacher making a comeback of his own. Schumacher was Bird’s childhood hero and the pair once even went sky-diving together. Bird isn’t half bad at football and played for AFC Wimbledon as a youngster before turning them down for a career in motor sport. He has two dogs, Buddy and Bear, one is a cavapoo and the other a golden doodle and is in a relationship with former Love Island star Jess Impiazzi. JAKE HUGHES Brummie driver Hughes is a classic example of the saying you can take the boy out of Birmingham but not Birmingham out of the boy. The Maserati driver is a die-hard Aston Villa fan who chooses to bring porridge to the track for his brekky each morning. He loves cats and own two called Benny and Ollie, nicknamed Boo Boo and Bear, with his fiance Abby at their home. Hughes won the inaugural BRDC Formula 4 Championship and has won multiple races at Formula 3.TAYLOR BARNARD The baby-faced 20-year-old was born and raised in Norwich and is forging a name for himself with McLaren’s Formula E team.  At 19 years and 331 days, Barnard became the youngest competitive driver in the series’ 10-year history. In his junior career, Barnard finished second to Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli in both the 2022 ADAC German Formula 4 Championship and 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship.Jake Dennis is the most recent British FE championJAKE DENNIS 29-year-old Dennis competes for Andretti and is the most recent British FE champion, winning the 2022-23 title. He was born in Nuneaton and debuted in karting at eight, winning the junior British Championship in 2010. Read More on The SunIn 2016, Dennis debuted in GP3, winning two races, achieving fourth place in the final standings with Charles Leclerc claiming the title. Dennis, who lives in Monaco, adores his pet chihuahua Billy with the pooch often seen accompanying him on a private jet to races. More

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      Red Bull star Tsunoda in horror 150mph crash at Imola GP qualifying as car flips and smashes into cage metres from fans

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      YUKI TSUNODA has walked away unscathed from a terrifying crash at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.The Red Bull driver was going over 150mph when he smashed hard into the wall during Saturday’s qualifying at Imola. Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull smashed into the wall at Imola after he clipped the kerbCredit: DAZNHis RB21 was flipped after impacting the wall at 150mphCredit: DAZNTsunoda was able to walk away from the crash and enter the medical vanCredit: DAZNTsunoda clipped the kerb at Turn 5 and rolled his Red Bull upside down onto the gravel.After a violent spin, the car crashed hard into the wall just metres from the watching crowd. The 25-year-old was seen walking away from the wreck under his own steam.Tsunoda was immediately assessed in the medical van but appeared to avoid any significant injury. READ MORE ON F1The Q1 session was immediately red-flagged with 12:13 left on the clock.F1 cars are fitted with the halo safety device, which helps protect a driver’s head if the car flips. Sky Sports analyst Anthony Davidson was relieved everything had “done its job” to protect Tsunoda.He said on commentary: “That is a huge off. Everything has done its job.Most read in Motorsport”The catch fencing, the run-off area, the Halo, the helmet itself. Wow.”Tsunoda replaced Liam Lawson as world champion Max Verstappen’s team-mate just two drives into the season.10 Years of Max Verstappen documentary trailerLawson was heard on team radio after the incident gasping: “Oh my god! I just saw the video. Is he ok?”Red Bull chiefs dumped Lawson for Tsunoda after he failed to get to grips with the RB21 during the Australian and Chinese Grand Prixs.Last month, Tsunoda caused huge damage to his Red Bull at the Saudi Grand Prix after a crash in practice. THE new Formula One season is well underway – and one team appear to be running away with it.A massive summer of change saw Lewis Hamilton move on from Mercedes and join Ferrari, while the McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have a big chance to end Max Verstappen’s recent dominance.The Red Bull ace is aiming for a record-equalling FIFTH consecutive world title.INFORMATIONLATEST NEWSSEASON SO FARF1 legend Ayrton Senna was killed at Imola in a high-speed crash during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Once racing got underway again on Saturday, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto was also involved in an accident during his first appearance for the team. Colapinto was only promoted to full-time driver on May 7 after Jack Doohan was dropped.The 21-year-old’s Alpine looked in a bad way after the impact at the exit of Tamburello – but like Tsunoda was able to walk away. More

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      F1 champion Max Verstappen tells Lando Norris why he’s failing to keep up with Oscar Piastri in McLaren title race

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has weighed in on the struggles of title rival Lando Norris compared to his McLaren team-mate so far this season.The Brit was favourite to end Verstappen’s four-year winning streak, but so far he has been pipped by the less experienced Oscar Piastri.Max Verstappen has offered some words to title rival Lando NorrisThe Dutchman told Norris to find some consistency or risk missing out on the title to PiastriNorris, 25, won the first race of the year in Melbourne to underline why he was the bookies’ top billing in the lightning quick MCL39.But he has yet to take another Grand Prix victory since, with Piastri winning four of the last five rounds to move 16 points ahead in the standings.And Verstappen has offered some words of wisdom for Norris ahead of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.The four-time world champ, 27, told The Telegraph: “Honestly, I think both of them are very good. READ MORE F1″Lando, I think, has the pace. It just hasn’t really come out yet over a sustained period of time. “But I think it’s still going to be a tight championship for them. I don’t know where I’m going to be. “I’m just trying to maximise every result. At the end of the day, we can’t rely on them to make mistakes. It has to come from us.”The Dutchman made it clear he thinks Norris, whom he beat to the title by 63 points last year, has to find more consistency.Most read in MotorsportAussie Piastri has enjoyed a breakthrough leading role this seasonVerstappen is the only other driver to have managed a race win so far in 2025, coming at Suzuka’s narrow track after qualifying on pole.And the Red Bull star remains within touching distance with the McLarens, despite the obvious troubles with the RB21 this term.10 Years of Max Verstappen documentary trailerThe best driver of his generation has been more consistent, particularly in qualifying, than Norris – who has the quicker car.After starting on pole, Verstappen failed to make it to the podium last time out at the Miami Grand Prix, after burning up his tyres in a pointless defensive battle with the McLarens.Afterwards, Norris said: “He’s fighting hard, but it’s up to him to do that. He’s ruining his own race. He’s not racing very smart.”Verstappen, who seems to have softened after becoming a first-time dad this month, refused to respond to the Brit’s jab.Qualifying and pit strategy will be crucial again at Imola, as the more traditionally narrow track makes overtaking harder. More

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      Former F1 team boss makes secret return to Imola GP paddock just days after resigning following brother’s arrest

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      FORMER Alpine boss Oliver Oakes has made a shock return to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix paddock days after handing in his resignation.The Brit, 37, quit his team principal role this month after his brother, a fellow motorsport director, was arrested and charged with “transferring criminal property”.Oliver Oakes was spotted in the Emilia Romagna GP paddock only days after his resignationCredit: GettyOakes was spotted behind-the-scenes in the Formula 2 and Formula 3 paddocks in Imola, where he will continue to serve as a director of junior team Hitech GP.His younger brother William, a fellow boss at Hitech, was arrested at Silverstone Park on May 1 after he was found “in possession of a large amount of cash.”Oakes resigned from Alpine two days after the Miami Grand Prix and flew straight to Dubai, rather than travelling with the team back to England.It’s been a hectic month for Alpine, with driver Jack Doohan dropped for Franco Colapinto, who crashed in the first practice session on Friday.READ MORE IN F1Racing director Dave Greenwood has assumed team principal duties, but consultant Flavio Briatore is the de facto boss because he doesn’t hold a required F1 licence.Meanwhile, a third director, Michael William Charles Sanwell-Lewis, has been appointed to the Hitech GP board.While some were surprised to spot Oakes, who only took charge of Alpine in July 2024, he remains committed to Hitech, the team formerly led by Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin.Formula 2 and Formula 3 are only invited to support a few F1 weekends a year, so the timing for Oakes is unfortunate.Most read in Motorsport Start of F1 races will look very different in 2025 with major change for first time in over a decadeWilliam of Rugby, Warwickshire, was remanded in custody after appearing at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on May 3.SunSport has reached out to Hitech for comment. More

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      Formula E CEO says Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton wouldn’t instantly win races as SunSport goes behind the scenes

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      JEFF DODDS says Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton would struggle to win races in Formula E right away. Dodds is the CEO of the radical motor sport series paving the way for the future, with cars all powered by electricity. This season’s FE cars are now accelerating to 100 kilometres in 1.8 seconds, which is 30 per cent faster than F1 carsFormula E CEO Jeff Dodds says within five-years FE cars will be beating F1 cars around MonacoFour-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen could one day dip his toes in Formula EGermany’s Maximilian Gunther won in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this seasonSunSport’s F1 reporter Isabelle Barker went behind-the-scenes at the double-header in Tokyo this weekend to see what the series is all about. In an exclusive interview with SunSport, Dodds says “never say never” to four-time world F1 champion Verstappen one day burning rubber in an electric car. When asked if Hamilton or Verstappen would have instant success in the series, he said: “I’m almost sure they wouldn’t because driving the cars are different.“It isn’t a natural translation from driving a petrol car, a combustion car, to driving an electric car. READ MORE IN SPORT“We have to regenerate our battery, so we’re braking and slowing to put power back into the battery. They accelerate differently, the gearing is different.”Dodds is good pals with Red Bull driver Verstappen, who has made it clear that he wants to dip his toes in other areas of motor racing in the future. The Dutchman recently used a fake name of ‘Franz Hermann’ to shatter the Nurburgring lap record in a Ferrari. Dodds added: “I know Max, I’m a massive fan of Max. He’s a generational talent. Most read in MotorsportBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK”If Max came across and stuck at it for a few years, I think there’s a very good chance he’d be the best Formula E driver ever.“But he wouldn’t show up and be the best Formula E driver ever instantly. Sergio Aguero takes up new sport aged 36 and Man City legend will compete against Brooklyn Beckham“There’s too many of the most talented drivers in the world that have been racing these cars for years.“Max and I have spoken a few times. I had a bet on Max last year, which was pretty well publicised that he would win the title. “It came through but he and I decided to give the money in equal parts to his charity. “Max just loves to race, anything with an engine, motor or even sim racing. “He loves to race, he loves to win, he’s a generational talent. He’s being paid an awful lot of money to race in F1. “He’s unlikely to give up his chance at becoming an eight time world champion and that money simply to go and try something else.“The only thing I would say with Max is, never say never because he doesn’t follow the rules.“If anyone was going to say, ‘hey, screw this, I just want to go and try something else’ it could be Max. He’s very much his own man.”HORSE-POWEREx F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone has been heavily critical of FE and once described the cars as “lawnmowers”. This season’s cars are now accelerating to 100 kilometres in 1.8 seconds, which is 30 per cent faster than F1 cars. The series obviously has sustainability and location on its side with races held in some of the world’s most breathtaking cities from Mexico City to Tokyo, London, Monaco and more. For a UK motor sport fan the cost of a FE weekend is enough to lure you in, with a grandstand pass for a double-header weekend in Berlin at just £104, for example.Or you can bag a one day grandstand ticket with a hotel included from £100 – £124 depending on the Saturday or Sunday race day. To put that into perspective with F1, a grandstand weekend ticket at Silverstone can cost a whopping £309 to £909. CAN HEAR A PIN DROP The elephant in the room though and of the greatest traits that sets F1 apart from other sports is the ear-piercing sounds of V12 and V10 engines. Which makes the sound, or lack thereof in electric cars a hot topic in FE and something die-hard motor sport fans continue to scoff at. But the old-school, predominantly male fan-base is not the market which FE is targeting, with half of the fan base being women. The sound is similar to a high-pitched whirring noise and there are benefits to the quieter atmosphere. Races are able to take place sometimes smack bang in the middle of the world’s best cities. You can also hear every crunch and clank when the cars collide, which makes crashes all the more dramatic. And there have been plenty of crashes at that, just not fiery ones due to the lack of fuel.Also the prime locations mean for a race like Tokyo you can hop on the subway and travel just a few stops to the Big Sight centre where the race is held.F1 fans may be haunted with flashbacks to sitting in hours of traffic en route to Silverstone or Spa in the peeing down rain for the Belgian Grand Prix. NEW AUDIENCE Dodds said: “We have about 400 million fans around the world. Half of them male, half of them female. “That’s very unusual for motor sport, and half of them are under the age of 40.“The reason we attract a slightly different audience is because we don’t bring all of that tradition and history that comes with maybe F1 or Indy car. “The cars are ridiculously fast. The quality of racing is very high impact, very wheel-to-wheel.“It’s all thrills, all spills. There’s an enormous amount of activity you can go and do, music concerts.“It’s family day out but the quality of racing that underpins it is absolutely top class. “You can hear each other speak. You don’t get drowned out or burst your eardrums.”GREEN FLAGOne thing that makes you sit up and take note is that the entire FE paddock, including all the teams, for the whole season is less than the emissions for one whole F1 team for a season. There are typically no pit stops, because the drivers don’t change tyres, for the sake of sustainability.The tyres are are all-weather for sustainability reasons so need to perform on sizzling hot tracks like Jakarta as well as street tracks and in the rain. Race teams only bring with them two sets for a single header while F1 teams can take around 12-13 different sets for a weekend. Dodds added: “Everything we do is zero emission. So not only do you get to watch an amazing race, you get to look in the mirror and feel good about it.”STAR STUDDED LINE UPCurrently the most well known name in the series is former F1 driver Nyck de Vries who competed for Williams and Alpha Tauri. But the series has attracted the likes of Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate turned rival Nico Rosberg, Dodds added: “I’m not sure if Lewis Hamilton retires and then decides he wants to come and do a couple of seasons in Formula E. “It might bring Lewis Hamilton fans to come and have a look. I don’t think it’s transformative for our sport.”There is one more season of the current car but next year the series’ new car will be launched which is set to have twice the power. Dodds added: “I’m very confident that within five years, around Monaco, our cars will be beating F1 cars. “That might not translate immediately to more popularity because I don’t think you can just rewrite history.Read More on The Sun“You can’t erase, and neither should we, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost and Emerson Fittipaldi.”You can’t erase McLaren and Mercedes’ history in F1, there’s a legacy that comes with that and so it should, but our technology will surpass it, there’s no question about it.” More

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      F1 star Pierre Gasly left horrified after running over RABBIT during Imola Grand Prix practice

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      FORMULA ONE star Pierre Gasly suffered damage to his Alpine F1 car after hitting a RABBIT during first practice at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.The Frenchman was the shock package of Friday practice at Imola as he backed up his sixth-quickest time from FP1. Pierre Gasly suffered damage to his Alpine F1 car after hitting a rabbitHe ended the day with the third-fastest time in FP2, just 0.276s behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.But Gasly suffered a bizarre setback in the first practice session when he accidentally hit a rabbit – which caused damage to the front wing and floor of his Alpine.He said: “Very sadly, I couldn’t tell if it was a small cat or a big rabbit – it turned out it was a big rabbit – just jumping across the track.“I couldn’t avoid it so I had quite a big impact on the front wing, which, unfortunately that was it for the rabbit and for the front wing it was not ideal.READ MORE F1 NEWS“Not the end of the session we wanted.”Asked how much damage was done, Gasly replied: “I must say it’s quite unfortunate. “Obviously we always try to look after our parts and do the best job we can, so when such things happen it’s not great.“Quite a bit of damage on the front wing and the floor but the guys managed to do great work to repair it. Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”But I think we could have done without it.”Despite the sad rabbit strike, it was the “best Friday of the year” for Gasly, who was a surprise third, ahead of George Russell’s Mercedes, Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and both Ferraris.Lewis Hamilton fumes ‘have a tea break while you’re at it’ at Ferrari staff and refuses to apologise in Miami GP bust-upHe said: “It’s been a very, very good Friday. From the first lap, I could tell the car was in a much better place than in Miami.“I’m glad we managed to answer some of the question marks we had after the last race. Very pleased with the feeling in the car.“The car reacts the way I want and I’m really able to be at the limit and push it to the maximum, so it’s a nice feeling and the performance is there.“We know from Friday to Saturday others usually keep a bit more in the pocket but I think it’s quite fair to say it’s probably been the best Friday of the year.”Frenchman Gasly races for AlpineCredit: Alamy More

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      George Russell warns Mercedes ‘nothing is out of the question’ with F1 future up in the air

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      GEORGE RUSSELL revealed he’s happy to partner up with ANYONE on the grid as his Mercedes future remains up in the air.The Brit’s current deal expires at the end of the 2025 season and he expects to know about any extension “before the summer”.Mercedes’ George Russell has ruled out nothing with regards to his futureCredit: Shutterstock EditorialRussell opened up to reporters, including SunSport inside the Mercedes motorhome at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, about his preferences for 2026.The 27-year-old, whose last contract extension came in August 2023, said: “I want to be at Mercedes next year. That’s where I want to be.”But things have to be right. It’s all got to make sense. But I can’t see why it won’t happen.”I’ve always said I’d be happy to be team-mates with any driver on this grid.READ MORE F1 NEWS”So I don’t think anything is out of the question for next year, in terms of any movement on the whole grid.”Russell, who sits fourth in the Championship standings after a P3 finish in Miami, also opened up the happier atmosphere around the Silver Arrows crew this season.He said: “There’s been more calm in the team. It’s a good place for us right now.”We’ve made almost no mistakes this year. We’ve been better in high pressure moments on the radio to give the strategists more time to think.”Most read in MotorsportJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSMeanwhile, the entire F1 driver market, including Russell, hinges on the plans of four-time world champion Max Verstappen.The Dutchman, 27, may choose to invoke a performance-based exit clause in his contract should he remain unhappy with Red Bull’s output and the loss of key personnel such as Adrian Newey.Verstappen’s clause reportedly becomes active during the summer break in August – and rival teams like Mercedes are waiting for him to firm up his future before finalising their own line-ups.Lewis Hamilton in awkward car journey with George Russell and Carlos Sainz after Las Vegas GP More

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      Lando Norris to boycott social media after being subjected to fresh abuse as F1 star falls behind Oscar Piastri

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      LANDO NORRIS has boycotted social media after falling behind McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in the F1 title race.Despite Norris’ pre-season billing as the Championship favourite, the McLaren star has been outdone by the Aussie’s momentum in the opening six races of the season.Lando Norris has faced a torrent of abuse and is ditching social mediaCredit: AlamyAnd Norris has been subject to fresh hate and abuse since falling 16 points behind Piastri, who – despite playing second fiddle to the Brit last year – is the new bookie’s favourite.Speaking to reporters including SunSport in the McLaren motorhome at Imola, Norris opened up about his online detox ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this Sunday.The 25-year-old admitted: “I’ve not been on social media for a few weeks now. It’s not something I enjoy. I don’t need to be on it.”It’s my life and I can do what I like. I enjoy not going on my phone as much as I used to. I still text my friends.READ MORE F1 NEWS“But I see social media as a waste of my time and energy. I don’t need it or want it. I don’t find it interesting.“I’ve got more time to do things that I want to do, I play golf and train and want to be productive.”Norris didn’t clarify on his reasons why, but the Brit has been at the receiving end of unnecessary trolling from sections of fans in recent weeks.Of course, it’s still too early to write any driver off with 16 more races up for grabs, but the feeling in the Norris camp seems somewhat bleak going into the European triple header.Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSDespite sitting second, Norris also revealed he feels “unhappy” with how his MCL39 feels and isn’t bothered about the current standings.Asked if he was thinking about the title, Norris said: “No, is the answer.Max Verstappen and Lando Norris open up on F1 rivalry after controversial clashes“I don’t care about it and won’t think about it. It is easy for things to change.“Oscar has done a good job. But a lot of it is just focusing on myself.“He’s just another competitor. Another guy, he’s just dressed in the same colours.“It’s been clear that there have been differences from last year in how the car works, how it acts, and how I’m able to get lap time out of it and perform.“I’m obviously not happy at the moment, but we will see with the upgrades this week.”Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton, 40, unfollowed everyone on Instagram, including all of his Ferrari team, in the days after his played-down radio spat with team strategists in Miami last time out.On this, Norris added: “Lewis can do what he wants, good for him.”Read More on The SunThe Brit’s first season since leaving Mercedes has been a big let down so far, as the Scuderia were meant to be challenging for the title after finishing second in the Constructors race last season.Instead, Andrea Stella’s team linger a staggering 152 points behind leaders McLaren, while Hamilton sits 90 points adrift of Piastri and behind both Silver Arrow drivers in seventh. More