Monday, 20 April 2026
FIA PRESIDENT ISSUES STATEMENT BEFORE CRUNCH F1 2026 RULES MEETING
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem speaks out ahead of key F1 rules meeting.
 |
| F1 is holding a series of key meetings about the 2026 rules |
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has praised the “invaluable input” from Formula 1 drivers ahead of a crunch meeting about potential rule changes.
F1’s key stakeholders, including team principals and chief executives, are meeting with governing body the FIA on Monday with the aim of thrashing out solutions for tweaks to the much-maligned 2026 regulations.
A near 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power has placed greater emphasis on energy management and led to criticism from both drivers and fans during the opening three rounds of the season.
F1 is utilising the enforced five-week break without racing following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian grands prix due to the Iran War to discuss possible changes to the rules.
It is hoped that agreement on improvements will be reached during Monday’s latest meeting. Any proposed changes would then be put forward for final approval at a World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) e-vote ahead of the Miami Grand Prix on 3 May.
Ahead of Monday’s key meeting, FIA president Ben Sulayem hailed input from the drivers.
"I am delighted to report that there has been constructive and collaborative discussion between the FIA and the Formula 1 drivers ahead of tomorrow’s CEOs and team principals meeting to discuss potential changes to the 2026 Regulations,” he said in a social media post.
"The drivers have provided invaluable input on adjustments which they feel should be made, particularly in the areas of energy management to ensure safe, fair and competitive racing.
"The FIA has also held a series of meetings over the past few weeks with technical representatives from the teams, power unit manufacturers and FOM to discuss proposed changes. Safety and the best interests of the sport are the main focus of these discussions.
"Following the meeting tomorrow, the final proposals will be put before a FIA WMSC e-vote.”
Speaking to media including Crash.net last week, George Russell revealed the main problem areas drivers hope can be addressed.
"I think the two headline points are flat-out qualifying, so no lift and coast, and then reducing the closing speeds,” the Mercedes driver said.
"The closing speed of the Bearman-Colapinto crash was twofold. One, of course Bearman was on his boost button and giving himself 350kW, so he had an abundance of power in an abnormal part of the track. And, on the flip side, Colapinto used his boost on the main straight the half a lap before, and was low on his battery, so he had a lack of power.
"So that is, at least in my eyes, where these closing speed differences are coming from and I think the FIA are definitely very much aware of that. From the drivers' perspective, just looking to reduce that closing speed in abnormal areas, and especially in non-SM [Straight Mode].
“If there's a straight that isn't an SM mode, that means it's because it's a corner and of course the Bearman crash was in a non-SM part of the track. So I think we're all aligned on those points.”
Russell added: "There's a lot of low-hanging fruit. For example, the minus 350 kilowatts super clip is a no-brainer, and that already in itself is going to avoid a lot of lift-and-coast, having the minus 350 kilowatt super clip.
"And there's other small parts of the regulation that say you can only de-rate the engine at a certain rate. So on a very short straight, there isn't enough time to go from 350 kilowatts to a super clip because the straight is too short.
“Some small changes around these regulations will have a major improvement for the overall driving experience."
- Lewis Larkam
LEN BIAS' MOTHER SAID HER SON'S DEATH HELPED SAVE LIVES ACROSS U.S.: "THE DAY LEN DIED WAS THE DAY THEY STOPPED USING COCAINE"
The NBA has seen its fair share of “what-if” stories. Players who many pegged to be on a path of greatness, only to be derailed by injuries. This includes the likes of Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, Brandon Roy, Grant Hill and Greg Oden.
However, arguably the most tragic of them all was Len Bias. A super-talented 6’8″ forward whom the Boston Celtics selected with the second pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, the Maryland standout was expected to lead the team into the future, especially when stars like Larry Bird and Kevin McHale stepped away from the game.
Unfortunately, Bias never even got to play a single second in the big league as he passed away on June 19, 1986, due to cardiac arrhythmia related to his use of powdered cocaine. While the tragedy denied Bias of the chance to realize his basketball dreams, his mother, Lonise, made sure that his death would not be in vain, crusading against drugs in the many years that followed.
A death that woke up a nation
Bias’ death sparked a movement across the United States, with authorities cracking down on recreational cocaine use, especially amongst younger people. According to Lonise, she had been told by many people from different parts of the country that Len’s demise served as a reminder for them to stop using drugs or risk injury or even death.
“Many, many people have come to me throughout the [last] 20 years and have told me that the day Len died was the day they stopped using cocaine,” she shared.
“I’ve had people stop me in the street and tell me that. They still do, telling me they’ve remained clean since that time and that it was the turning point in their lives.”
Len’s passing led to tangible change, as the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 or the “Len Bias Law,” was signed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan in October 1986. The law mandates severe punishment for those who distribute drugs that lead to a person’s death or serious injury.
“His death woke the nation up,” Lonise added. “We got on the ball, and we started a lot of programs, and a lot of things happened to prevent drug use with young people. I believe Len has truly done more in death than he ever could have done in life.”
Gave MJ fits
Len’s glory days came in the NCAA when he established himself as one of the league’s pre-eminent players. After a solid freshman season, his stock rose in his second year when he averaged 15.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Playing for Maryland also meant playing in the ACC, the same conference that the North Carolina Tar Heels play in. And as everyone knows, there was a guy by the name of Michael Jordan who starred there.
According to ESPN ace Scott Van Pelt, he relished watching those intense matchups between Len and Michael.
“I have a picture of him in my basement, it’s a black-and-white photo of him, like at least three feet off the ground straight up in the air with Jordan, with his hand in his face,” SVP shared.
“And there’s a grainy old YouTube video of a game where it was Jordan and Carolina, and Leonard and Maryland. When you watch it, the guy in the blue jersey, no one can stop, it’s obvious that’s Michael, and in the light jersey, no one can stop is Len.”
Len obviously had All-Star potential and perhaps so much more. Unfortunately, a bad decision prevented him from ever realizing what he could have been in the NBA.
- Jonas Panerio
Sunday, 19 April 2026
SACHIN TENDULKAR BREAKS DOWN SHREYAS LYER'S 'CATCH OF THE SEASON' TO DISMISS HARDIK PANDYA
Sachin Tendulkar summed up Shreyas' acrobatic effort, saying that the PBKS captain got everything "spot on".
 |
| Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer celebrates after relaying a stunning catch to dismiss Hardik Pandya. @BCCI |
Legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar was right on the money as he explained Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer's flying attempt, which many described as the "Catch of the Season", to get rid of Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya. Shreyas was at his acrobatic best as he ran in from long-on to reverse-cup Hardik's mistimed pull before relaying it to Xavier Bartlett despite being airborne. The attempt stunned fans and experts alike, including Tendulkar, who described it as "one of the best catches i've ever seen".
The MI dugout had the best view of Shreyas' audacious attempt, especially Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, who were sitting just a few meters away from where the PBKS skipper landed after parrying the ball to the fielder charging in from long-off. In a viral video, Rohit and Surya were seen looking at each other with expressions of pure disbelief.
Taking to X, Tendulkar summed up Shreyas' acrobatic effort, saying that the PBKS captain got everything "spot on".
"What made Shreyas Iyer's catch so special was not just the athleticism, but the awareness behind it. He had to judge the speed of the ball, the height, where the boundary rope was, how close he was to stepping on it, and get his jump absolutely perfect," Tendulkar wrote on X.
The legendary batter noted the key to the catch wasn't just Shreyas' athleticism, but his head position, balance and awareness.
"Then, while still in the air, he caught the ball and released it to a teammate before landing, all the while knowing exactly where that fielder was positioned. To process all of that in a split second takes unbelievable awareness, timing, fitness, and composure.
"Shreyas Iyer got everything spot on. One of the best catches I've ever seen live!"
- Vedant Yadav
PUNJAB KINGS RESPOND TO SALMAN KHAN VIRAL TWEET AS PREITY ZINTA REACTS TO PBKS WIN OVER MI
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Indian cinema icon Salman Khan had earlier shown his support for Bollywood co-star Preity Zinta's IPL franchise PBKS in IPL 2026.
- PBKS thrashed MI by 7 wickets to extend their unbeaten streak.
- PBKS responded to Salman Khan, while Preita Zinta reacted to PBKS' win
What did Salman Khan tweet about Preity Zinta's PBKS?
With just over two weeks into the IPL 2026 season, the excitement around the tournament has already reached fever pitch. From common fans to celebrities, everyone has been hooked to their screens.
Amid the 19th season of the IPL, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan showed his support for Preity Zinta-owned Punjab Kings.
On April 13, Khan's post supporting Punjab Kings went viral on social media. On X (formerly Twitter), the veteran actor wrote: "Well done Zinta, Congratulations Zinta, Team is playing well …. @realpreityzinta."
This is not the first time that Salman Khan has shown his support for the PBKS franchise. 12 years back, during the IPL 2014 campaign, when PBKS performed brilliantly, Khan had openly disclosed his support for Preity Zinta's team.
After a playoff game between PBKS and KKR, which the latter ended up winning, Khan had posted on X (formerly Twitter), "Zinta's team won kya?"
Khan is known to be very close to his film industry colleague Preity Zinta and the duo are very close friends on a personal level. As a result, his tweet naturally grabbed all the eyeballs and went viral on social media.
PBKS responds to Salman Khan after win over MI
Following PBKS' dominating seven-wicket win over MI on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium, which extended their unbeaten streak to five matches this season, the social media admin of the franchise shared a fun post on X.
From their official X handle, the post contained an old image of Salman Khan in front of a Gurudwara. The caption read: "Apa jeet gaye!" Which translates to, "We won!"
How did Preity Zinta react to PBKS' win over MI
Preity Zinta is one of those rare IPL owners who regularly watch her team in action live from stadiums across India. The film actress, despite her busy schedule, hardly misses watching her side play.
However, on Sunday, Zinta was not present at the Wankhede Stadium during the PBKS vs MI clash, however, she made sure that she caught the action live on television.
The actress was naturally on cloud nine as PBKS climbed back to the top of the IPL 2026 table, as she shared a joyous social media post to celebrate the win.
On X, Preity Zinta wrote: "Yes Yes Yessss !!!! Congratulations @PunjabKingsIPL for this win. So much maturity from @prabhsimran01 & wow @arshdeepsinghh Happy to see you shine. Amazing team work under the capable leadership of Sadda Sarpanch @ShreyasIyer15 & @RickyPonting. That was an awesome catch Shreyas ! Best I’ve ever seen. I’m grinning ear to ear."
- RITABRATA_BANERJEE
GT DRIVER LOSES NORDSCHLEIFE LICENSE AFTER SERIOUS RULE BREACH
The stewards at the Nordschleife took this matter very seriously and opted to strip a driver of his licence to race at the track.
Racing driver Oleksandr Kosohov has been stripped of his Nordschleife racing licence following a serious safety violation during Saturday's qualifying session for the 24 Hours of Nurburgring.
The Mühlner Motorsport driver, competing in the team's Porsche Cayman GT4 CS, was caught travelling at 201 km/h through a double yellow flag zone during the qualifying session on 18 April.
Under Nordschleife regulations, double yellow flags require drivers to reduce speed to a maximum of 120 km/h and prohibit overtaking.
Race officials issued an immediate and severe penalty for the breach.
The stewards' decision stated: "Car #999 failed to respect the double yellow flag signal by travelling at 201 km/h. The decision is a 95-second stop-and-go time penalty in the next race after the first lap, immediate disqualification of the driver from the event, and a general withdrawal of the DPN licence."
The DPN, or DMSB Permit Nordschleife, is the mandatory racing licence required to compete on the Nordschleife circui
Its withdrawal effectively bars Kosohov from participating in future events at the legendary German track until, or if, he can reapply.
The second and final race of the weekend will take place at 13:00 local time. Max Verstappen, along with team-mate Lucas Auer, will start from fifth.
- RacingNews365 Staff
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)