Retime

ASTON MARTIN F1 team owner, Lawrence Stroll, admits the sport has become “the billionaire boys club”.Lewis Hamilton used the term when he said he felt F1 had become overrun by young drivers with rich parents.
Lawrence Stroll says F1 is an expensive sport dominated by very wealthy racersCredit: The Times
Lewis Hamilton reckons it would be tough for someone from his background to break into F1Credit: PA
And the eight-time world champion, 37, believes it would be impossible for him to break into the sport from his background if he tried to do it now.
Hamilton told Spain news publication AS: “Growing up in a normal working-class family, there is no way I could be here – the guys you are fighting against have that much more money
“We have to work to change that to make it more accessible, for the rich and for people with more humble origins.”
The likes of Lance Stroll, the son of the Aston Martin tycoon, Nikita Mazepin, Lando Norris and Mick Schumacher have all come from wealthy families.
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And Stroll, who is worth around £2.1billion ($3bn), and funded his son’s racing career said: “Racing is definitely expensive, from go-karting on up, there’s no doubt about it.
“It’s a lot less expensive to play golf or play tennis but F1 it’s an expensive sport, there’s machinery. There’s a lot of people who run the machines.
“You have to be a very wealthy individual or a very large corporation to be able to afford to be in Formula One.
“I don’t know what Lewis’s comment was referring to but this is a sport that is very capital intensive.
“If you look at, for example, building a new building or a new wind tunnel, that’s well over £150million.
“But Formula One is definitely an expensive sport to be in, there’s no question about that.”
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@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Regular.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Medium.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:500;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:400;font-stretch:semi-condensed;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-Bold.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;font-stretch:normal;font-display:swap;}@font-face{font-family:’The Sun’;src:url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff2’) format(‘woff2’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.woff’) format(‘woff’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.ttf’) format(‘truetype’),url(‘/assets/fonts/the-sun/TheSun-HeavyNarrow.svg#’) format(‘svg’);font-style:normal;font-weight:700;font-stretch:condensed;font-display:swap;}.css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}.css-q8gelu{margin-bottom:24px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-zkaekv{font-family:The Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-zkaekv::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -1px);}.css-zkaekv::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}Most read in Motorsport.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-zdjvqv{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:space-around;-ms-flex-pack:space-around;-webkit-justify-content:space-around;justify-content:space-around;margin-top:calc(-12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(-12px/2);}.css-zdjvqv:before,.css-zdjvqv:after{content:”;display:block;}.css-1meuhfk{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-top:calc(12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(12px/2);}

Stroll completed his takeover of Aston Martin car company last year and then rebranded the former Racing Point F1 team, more commonly remembered as Force India.
Not only is he building a new factory, but he is upping staff levels from 500 to 800 employees in pursuit of challenging the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes for titles.
When quizzed how long it will take before they are competitive, he added: “I think it’s four, five or six years.
“We’re currently in a good place. We share Mercedes’ wind tunnel, but it is not as good as having your own.
“Facilities wise, we’ve definitely outgrown our current site.
“We’re putting up a lot of temporary facilities in order to accommodate all these new employees.
“But as far as plans going forward, like pretty much every other business I own, is to win.
“In this case, winning and Formula One obviously means world championships. 
“Ultimately, that’s what we are striving for. That’s what I am striving for.
Stroll (right) says his team are targeting world championship winsCredit: Rex
“We all know very well that success in Formula One or any other business for that matter doesn’t come overnight.
“That takes years to put the right people, the right tools, the right processes in place.
“But we’re building and investing in our team with the ambition of moving up the grid year by year.
“And our ultimate ambition is to win world championships.”
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JENSON BUTTON and his model fiancée put their stunning £8million Los Angeles mansion back on the market just a year after buying the place.The Formula One legend, 42, and Brittny Ward, 30, splashed £6.6m on the incomplete luxury pad in the Bel Air region of the city in 2020.
Jenson Button and Brittny Ward have put their luxury mansion back on the marketCredit: BackGrid
The stunning house has plenty of awesome rooms including this home cinemaCredit: BackGrid
The couple only bought the incomplete place in 2020 before getting it finished up but are now hoping to move onCredit: Getty – Contributor
But now all finished, it is up for sale again with a guide price of £8m.
And whoever does stump up the cash for the gorgeous home is in for a real treat.
Measuring 8,000sq ft, the house – described as a mix of vintage and contemporary design – has no fewer than six bedrooms, including one gigantic master suite.
And there will be no waiting for the bathroom to be free because there are six ‘full’ ones to choose from, plus an additional two ‘half’ bathrooms.
But as well as the kitchen with not one but two islands and spacious family and breakfast rooms, the real excitement comes elsewhere: the bar and home cinema.
That’s right, 2009 world champion Button spared no expenses by getting the builders to put in a fully-fitted home bar complete with climate-controlled wine storage as well as a brilliant entertainment room.
The massive TV screen and comfy, tiered sofa seating is the perfect setting for a movie night – or to watch Lewis Hamilton and Co racing around the track in the F1 season.
Button may not be under the same pressure to keep in such pristine physical condition these days – but he and Ward are taking no chances by installing a home gym complete with a treadmill, cross trainer, bike and weights.
The kitchen features not one but two islands – any cook’s dream Credit: BackGrid
The kitchen is completed with chic charcoal cupboards and matching islandCredit: BackGrid
There is plenty of room in this bathroom, one of eight in the house, to get all fresh and readyCredit: BackGrid
The house features a classy blend of vintage and contemporary designsCredit: BackGrid
The interior is classy throughout – even the utility room and pair of double garages bookending the property – but the garden is just as impressive.
A perfect lawn any golf course green keeper would be proud of takes a back seat to allow for the swimming pool to be the main focal point.
With the sun beating down on the garden during the day and the hills to the back providing security and privacy, it really is the perfect spot to relax on a hot Californian afternoon.
Come the evening, there is plenty of outdoor seating to accommodate a large group of guests, regardless of the occasion.
Any person owning this place would undoubtedly be desperate to have people over and make full use of the barbecue area.
But although Button and Ward got the house into fine shape, they have clearly decided they want to move on.
One of the standout highlights is the professional fully-fitted home barCredit: BackGrid
Button and Ward will be keeping in shape with the home gym which looks out on to the gardenCredit: BackGrid
The garden’s focal point is the gorgeous swimming pool with sun loungers. to soak up the Californian raysCredit: BackGrid
It is the perfect garden to host a dinner party with plenty of outdoor seatingCredit: BackGrid
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The couple, who started dating in 2016, got engaged in June 2018.
But they have twice had to postpone their wedding day – firstly after unexpectedly falling pregnant with their first child, son Hendrix who was born in 2019, and then due to the coronavirus crisis.
Back in December, the two welcomed a daughter called Lenny. They plan to finally wed in Italy this year.
Button and Ward welcomes their first son Hendrix into the world in the summer of 2019Credit: Instagram @brittnyward
Their rearranged wedding day was once again postponed, this time due to coronavirus, and will now tie the knot in 2021Credit: Social Media – Refer to Source
Button and Ward started dating in 2016 and got engaged two years later
The garden basks in the sun during the afternoon and is protected by the hillsCredit: BackGrid
The outdoor sofa and comfy seats give another more relaxed optionCredit: BackGrid
There are a total of six bedrooms in the mansionCredit: BackGrid
The house is situated in the Bel Air region of Los AngelesCredit: BackGrid
They bought it for £6.66m last year but the guide price is now £8mCredit: BackGrid
A climate-controlled storage is the perfect extra gimmick for any wine lovers Credit: BackGrid
Button and Ward no doubt made the most of the barbecue and speakers for a brilliant evening in Credit: BackGrid
The house measures approximately 8,000sq ft, giving plenty of space for any familyCredit: BackGrid
The big glass doors and windows allow for plenty of light to flood in during the dayCredit: BackGrid More