Aston Martin become second F1 team to miss vital testing in Barcelona
The Aston Martin team have admitted they are to miss at least one day of their allotted three at Formula One’s first pre-season test in Barcelona and will not run their car before Thursday at the earliest.They are the second team to fail to take full advantage of the opening test after Williams also announced they would be unable to take to the track at all in Spain.Testing is taking place from Monday to Friday this week at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with teams able to use three of the five days to assess their cars.They have been designed to entirely new regulations and with new engines this season and consequently three full pre-season tests are being held.But as the track running began, Aston Martin conceded they would not be there at the off and issued a statement.
“The AMR26 will be in Barcelona later this week for its shakedown.Our intention is to run Thursday and Friday,” the statement read.While not a major setback, it will be of concern, perhaps indicating there is still considerable work to be done on the AMR26, the first car to be designed for the team by Adrian Newey, who has also now taken over as team principal.The drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will now have at best two days between them behind the wheel in the first test.Under the ownership of Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin have invested hugely, including building an entirely new factory complex and wind tunnel at Silverstone with no little optimism that the new rules and Newey’s impact would prove a stepping stone toward the front of the grid.
No reasons were given for the delay in coming to the track but, at the launch for the team’s Honda engines in Tokyo last week, senior figures at the Japanese manufacturer were expressing concern that their power unit was not where they required it to be with the season to start in Melbourne on 8 March,Seven teams did take to the track on Monday: Mercedes, Audi, Alpine, Cadillac, Racing Bulls, Haas and Red Bull,Ferrari are due to make their first laps on Tuesday and last year’s drivers’ and constructors’ champions, McLaren, have yet to confirm whether they will open their account on Tuesday or Wednesday,The test is taking place behind closed doors in Barcelona and the priority for teams is to put mileage on the cars and engines in what is being called a “shakedown” before two further tests in Bahrain,Information being released is extremely limited but it was noticeable that all seven teams did complete laps in to double figures, a strong start after such a major regulation change, with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli clocking up more than 20 in the opening two hours.
Gold price jumps above $5,000 an ounce for first time amid Trump turmoil
The price of gold has jumped above $5,000 an ounce for the first time as Donald Trump’s chaotic policies and proclamations drive more investors to seek safe harbour in the precious metal.Gold reached a record high of $5,100 (£3,723) on Monday morning, before easing back to settle up 2.2% at $5,091.The moment came after Trump threatened Canada with 100% tariffs if Ottawa made “a deal with China”, and after the US president’s showdown with Europe over the future of Greenland.With global financial markets already jittery, there are also rising fears of another US shutdown after Democrats threatened funding for the Department of Homeland Security after federal immigration agents killed a man in Minneapolis on Saturday
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Wall Street stocks have risen, at the start of a week of big tech earnings and a closely watched US Federal Reserve policy decision (no change in interest rates is expected).The Dow Jones rose by more than 200 points, or 0.45%, the S&P 500 gained 27 points, up 0.4%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed more than 50 points, or 0.2%
UK maker of AI avatars nearly doubles valuation to $4bn after funding round
A British AI startup that makes realistic video avatars has almost doubled its valuation to $4bn (£3bn), in a boost for the UK technology sector.Synthesia was valued at $2.1bn last year and moved into new offices in central London, marking the moment with a ceremony attended by the Sadiq Khan, the city’s mayor, and Peter Kyle, then technology secretary.On Monday, it announced its latest funding round, led by an existing investor, Google Ventures, had raised $200m and valued the British company at $4bn. Google Ventures is the search firm’s venture capital arm
AI is hitting UK harder than other big economies, study finds
The UK is losing more jobs than it is creating because of artificial intelligence and is being hit harder than rival large economies, new research suggests.British companies reported that AI had resulted in net job losses over the past 12 months, down 8% – the highest rate among other leading economies including the US, Japan, Germany and Australia, according to a study by the investment bank Morgan Stanley.The research, which was shared with Bloomberg, surveyed companies using AI for at least a year across five industries: consumer staples and retail, real estate, transport, healthcare equipment and cars.It found that British businesses reported an average 11.5% increase in productivity aided by AI
Shedeur Sanders set to better father Deion by reportedly making Pro Bowl as rookie
Shedeur Sanders will reportedly become a Pro Bowler in his rookie season as a replacement for Drake Maye.ESPN reported on Monday that the Cleveland Browns rookie has bettered his Hall of Fame father, Deion Sanders, who was drafted in 1989 but had to wait until 1991 to receive the first of his eight trips to the Pro Bowl.Maye dropped out after the New England Patriots beat the Denver Broncos on Sunday to reach next month’s Super Bowl.Sanders’s inclusion will raise eyebrows. The Browns went 3-4 in games he started and he completed just 56
England captain Maro Itoje absent from training camp to attend mother’s funeral in Nigeria
England will kick off their Six Nations training camp in Spain this week without their captain, Maro Itoje, who has travelled to Nigeria for his mother’s funeral. Itoje was absent from the official Six Nations championship launch in Edinburgh on Monday and is not expected to join his squad until Wednesday evening.With the tournament commencing on Thursday week every team is scrambling to be ready, but the Saracens lock has been given permission to miss the start of the training block in Girona this week.“He is in Nigeria for the funeral of his mother and we are all deeply saddened for him,” said Steve Borthwick, whose side open their campaign at home against Wales on Saturday week.“When I have talked to him I sense emotionally he has found it very tough, very challenging
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