Susie Wolff Wants Women in Formula 1

Charlotte Tilbury, the eponymous cosmetics entrepreneur, wanted to back a female race car driver. Susie Wolff had a different idea.
Wolff, the managing director of the all-woman F1 Academy, convinced Tilbury to sponsor the entire racing series, lending the brand's name to what's arguably one of the boldest efforts in racing: getting a woman on the Formula 1 grid. 'I very much wanted to bring in a female-founded, female-focused brand,' Wolff says on the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly.

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Indianapolis Star

2 hours ago

• Indianapolis Star

Will Buxton 1 on 1: Formula 1 regret leads to exploring America through calling IndyCar races

A onetime writer and lifelong devotee of Formula 1 who grew up in the United Kingdom, Will Buxton makes his living these days broadcasting IndyCar races on American television. Tabbed as the lead announcer for Fox Sports' inaugural season alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe, the excitable and gregarious 44-year-old has immersed himself in the history, prepared tirelessly and learned on the fly. Buxton, who had been to only three tracks on the NTT IndyCar Series schedule before taking the role, will reach the halfway point of his 17-race rookie season during the June 20-22 XPEL Grand Prix at Elkhart Lake's Road America. In a half-hour conversation with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Buxton talked about growing into the job, criticism, regrets, the season, the tracks — in particular the rural Wisconsin road course that comes next — and what he's trying to accomplish both on the Fox broadcasts and away from the booth. Here are highlights. Question: As the series hits the midpoint this weekend, how is your comfort level? Answer: I don't think you could ever be entirely comfortable doing play by play, I don't think you ever should be entirely comfortable doing play by play. There's always nerves. There's always massive tension. That expectation of the unknown is part of the allure. It's part of what keeps you coming back. We take what we do very, very seriously. We have a lot of fun doing it, but we all go into it with a huge amount of nerves every single broadcast, because you care. Can you characterize how your confidence level or however you want to describe it compares to before the season started? I wouldn't call it confidence. I think it's more comfort in terms of being more engrained with the championship, building more relationships, feeling more established and OK, we're not even half a season in, but that's the way the IndyCar Series is. It's incredibly open-armed and welcoming, and to have felt that has really aided my learning process and my ability, hopefully, to be able to bring out these characters and these stories and get people immersed in the wonder of IndyCar. Have you spent much time studying the broadcasts or does it pretty much need to be full steam ahead at this point yet? As difficult as it is and as horrible as it is to have to listen back to your own voice, yeah, every, every race, every week, every session, we all watch them back individually. We make notes, we bring them to bear at production meetings or private meetings and personal meetings that we have with the production crew, because we're always looking for ways that we can improve. And I think if we take the (St. Petersburg, Florida, season opener) and compare it to the St Louis race, (it's) a completely different broadcast, I think, a completely different sound, a very different look. And that goes not just for me, but for every member of the team. We have a brilliant director in Mitch Riggin who had never directed a single lap of racing, of auto racing, until we got to St. Pete. We have a diverse crew who have been involved in multiple sports, some of them in racing, some of them not in racing over their careers, and they've all been brought together to try to bring something fresh and something different to IndyCar. There's always things we can learn from (what) the fans are saying and the feedback that the fans are bringing to us. I think one of the most noticeable parts of that has been the pylon on the left-hand side of the screen that denotes who is where and what stage of the race they're in, what tires they might be running. That has changed every single race and I think that really exemplifies the constant desire to grow and to learn and to improve. Insider: Rising IndyCar star David Malukas knows 'I need to mature' on track, 'switch off' Team Penske rumors What you say is instantly out there forever. Are there a couple of things you said that you'd like to have back? About 98% of it. That's the addiction. That's what brings you back every time. You know there is no such thing as a perfect broadcast, there never will be, and the day that anybody achieves that, that's the day you quit, because it's never going to get any better. I started out in print. And I loved having the time to be able to craft and edit and amend and then get your article to a place where you are so happy with it, and then you send it in, and your editor ruins it. So to sort of be unedited is both freeing and also terrifying. You can try to polish it too much, and you can try to make it too perfect, but then it doesn't sound real, and you're not reacting in the moment. And the one thing that we want to do with this broadcast, and the one thing that we as a booth want to do, with myself and Townsend and James, is make the folks at home feel like they're sitting on the couch with us and that our reactions are their reactions and anytime something big happens, it's almost like you're jumping over the couch at them and putting your arm around the viewer and be like, 'Come on, my god, look at this, this is crazy,' and bring them in for the ride. Even the great calls, the legendary calls that go down in history and that we have, that resonate in our minds forever, the announcers who made those calls, they will still look at it and think, timing was a bit off, could have used a different word there. Insider: Why IndyCar's 1 million viewers on Sunday night is good ... but not as good as it looks How do you deal with critics? Anyone who likes to jump on social media and tell me that they don't think I'm good enough, trust me, that thought goes through my mind daily. You should always strive to be better and strive to improve. I find social media a challenge. There's been a very clear shift over the past decade from where it was as a place of community and interaction and trying to share joy and positivity to something that is now inherently negative and can be quite painfully toxic. And I find that a real sadness, because what it has done is it has made me intentionally kind of draw back from the interaction that I used to enjoy so much, and that interaction was all about bringing fans closer to the sport, but it's so difficult not to be affected by the tidal wave of negativity that I have kind of had to take a step back. But I do occasionally go on, and I do occasionally search my own name and have a bit of a giggle at some of the hideous stuff that is written, because you can't take it seriously. There's a great mantra out there, which is don't take criticism from people you wouldn't take advice from, and that's a good one to go along with. 'It's terrifying': Meet Will Buxton, next voice of IndyCar. (He's never attended an Indy 500.) I imagine Indianapolis was an outsized portion of your early preparation. How has the work or the focus changed since May? Actually, I've dedicated I'd say probably equal time to every race and to the championship and the history as a whole. Growing up in Europe, Formula 1 was the sport that I watched the most, and so a lot of its history and its major moments were things that just sort of seeped their way into my subconscious through osmosis. IndyCar is a championship I've always loved, but it wasn't as readily available in the European market as it was in the American market. And so the history and that side of the knowledge base that I need to have, I have had to work at that, and I will always have to work at that in order to get myself to that same place. The 500 was really interesting for me, and I did spend, obviously, quite a bit of time going into the history of it. The 500 is 110 years of history. You just have to do that much more to be that more aware of everything that has gone on there. But with every race weekend, I think you know, the first part for me is learning the recent history, certainly learning the history of the current drivers and what they've achieved on that track and how they might fare there. You've been to some of the tracks on the schedule, but not all, right? Pretty much every track for me is a new experience. I'd done the Milwaukee Mile (as a pit reporter). I'd been to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to do qualifying, but never the 500. I've been to Road America, that we're going to this week, but only as a guest of (racer-turned-broadcaster and fellow Englishman) David Hobbs when we were colleagues back in the NBC and Speed Channel days (of Formula 1 coverage in the United States), because he has a house out at Elkhart Lake. So been there, been to Siebkens (a famous local hotel/restaurant/bar with a long reputation among racers). Just once. Barber (Motorsports Park), for me, absolutely blew my mind. It was like an amalgamation of some of the most beautiful European racing circuits that I've ever visited. Going and doing a race under the lights on a short course oval like we did at (World Wide Technology Raceway outside) St. Louis was absolutely incredible. I'd been to Belle Isle before, so I've been to Detroit, but I'd never done the Detroit street race before, so it's lovely What I'm discovering is, and what I love about this year, is for my entire professional life, I've been used to traveling the world and experiencing different countries and different cultures. And I think it's true what people say about America, that every state and every city within those states you know, is almost like visiting a different country. … I'm loving that kind of cultural discovery of America. What were your impressions of the actual racetrack in your time at Road America? Hobbo actually took me out in a road car at Road America. And yeah, it's a tough track. The drivers all recognize it as a very, very tricky circuit. One of the ones they enjoy the most, obviously, is a circuit steeped in history, and one that you love to see still being on the calendar, because it's one of those ones that really means something to people. But I loved it. I loved driving around. I loved visiting Siebkens and the historical aspect of it. And I think that's what's so wonderful about this championship, going to your classic racetracks like your Laguna Secas and Long Beach and obviously Indianapolis and Road America and places like that, and then also discovering circuits that have only been on the calendar for a decade or less. We've got Arlington coming onto the calendar next year as a brand new race. I actually really enjoyed Thermal, and I know it gets bad press but I enjoyed the facility. I enjoyed the race. Because, again, I come from the world of Formula 1. We had drivers fighting their way up through the field. Will Power had an amazing race that day, and then we had a guy who had sat in third place for most of the race, came out 11 seconds behind the leader, and over the course of the next 10 laps, battled past the two dominant cars of the weekend and pulled off into the distance to win. That in Formula 1 terms is a generational race, but in IndyCar terms was seen to be somewhat below par, and that really taught me a very early lesson about what the expectations are in this championship for an exciting race. As the series has moved from place to place to place, have you had the opportunity to take in the surroundings, or has it been mostly hotel, booth and back? One of the big regrets of my 25 years in Formula 1 was that I don't think I took as many opportunities as I should have done to go out and explore and experience some of the amazing places that I got to visit. I went to China I want to say 12, 13, 14 times (covering Formula 1 as a journalist or broadcast host). I've never seen the Great Wall other than flying over it. Admittedly, the race was nowhere near it, but you'd think you'd probably try and take some time. We went to India a couple of times. I never got to the Taj Mahal. Those things, they're regrets, because you don't get to travel to those places all the time, and when you're traveling there for work, I probably should have taken a couple of days and got out and seen some of the great wonders of the world. I am trying to go and see everything I can. When we went to Barber, I made a point on my first day there, because I had about a half a day where I knew I wasn't needed to do anything, I went and explored the history of Birmingham, the civil rights movement, which is still very recent history of America ... and how important that is, not just to the history of this country, but to the present and the future of this country. And I'm trying to do that everywhere I go. I'm trying to take in the city, the area, the history, together, a fuller context of not just where I am in the moment and that city, but the country, which is one that I love. I've broadcast in America for such a long time, be it with Formula 1 or now with IndyCar, and I feel immensely privileged to be able to do so, but I don't think that you can properly broadcast to a nation unless you fully understand its history and its complex history and what makes the people and what makes the country what it is. So I'm trying to do that everywhere I go. 'Blown out of proportion': Nolan Siegel's radio rant no biggie for Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin After a wild night at World Wide Raceway, what are you looking for this weekend? St. Louis looked like it was going to be a Chevy weekend, and especially like it was going to be a Penske weekend. (Josef) Newgarden looked phenomenal. Obviously, (Will) Power took the pole. And then in the race itself, (Conor) Daly was so impressive. (Christian) Rasmussen was unbelievable. (Pato) O'Ward was in the hunt the entire night. And yet, here we are with not just another Honda win, but another Kyle Kirkwood win. And I think people have been sleeping on Kyle Kirkwood for too long. … And now he's emerged as the guy most likely to challenge Alex (Palou) for the title in 2025 and it's a wonderful story, and it's one I can't wait to tell. But can Penske find a way back? They're having an absolutely horrible season, and everything that could go wrong seems to be going wrong for them. So that's a fascinating narrative, and there are just so many young drivers looking for their breakthrough moment. (David) Malukas has been so impressive over the last few races, and I brought up Rasmussen, he's been mega as well, sixth at the Indy 500, third last time out in St. Louis. A wonderful breakthrough performance for PREMA Racing as well, with (Robert) Shwartzman finishing in the top 10 for them for the first time. There are so many great stories in the NTT IndyCar Series, and that's one of the things that brought me over from F1 was the fact that this, at its heart, is a drivers championship, where the driver makes the difference. And on any given Sunday, it doesn't matter where you start the race, you have a chance to win.

Vogue

19 hours ago

• Vogue

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Deserve It All—and More

Well before the second season of America's Sweethearts premiered on Netflix this week, I knew what I wanted to say about it. In November, I'd spent a game day embedded with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders as the Cowboys played the Texans—though 'day' isn't exactly right. The squad worked for more than 12 hours straight, pulling a shift that stretched from Monday morning to the early hours of Tuesday. Sure, some of that time was spent on buses to and from the Star, the Cowboys' headquarters in Frisco, Texas, and some was spent on hair and makeup. (The cheerleaders are responsible for their own professional-level glam, which demands a lot of powder and a lot of time wielding a Dyson.) But most of those hours were spent dancing: 'Thunderstuck,' their pre-kick-off routine, involves both a 50-yard sprint in under eight seconds (in cowboy boots!) and chorus line jump splits. By the end of the night, the whole team was dripping in sweat and covered in blisters, their pantyhose ripped from their high kicks. Many required trainers for various muscle ailments, or to help wrap their ankles. There were dozens of ice packs, foam rollers, and empty Gatorade bottles scattered across the locker-room floor. But there would be no rest for the pom-pom weary: They had practice the next day, and the day after that. They had all the football games, the corporate shows, the press junkets, and the Cowboys Christmas Spectacular. They had major appearances with Kacey Musgraves, at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, and at Mike Tyson's fight with Jake Paul in Las Vegas. Netflix camera crews were everywhere, as was our team from Vogue. Everyone stood to profit from their glamorous image—everyone, that is, except for the cheerleaders themselves. Their pay was about $15 an hour and $500 for each appearance. Most had to support themselves with other jobs. They did not have health insurance. Once upon a time, that made a kind of sense. The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader squad as we now know it came about in the 1970s. It was advertised as a part-time gig: You had a few practices during the week and performed during the Sunday games. Half a century later, between Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football, Pro Bowls, and countless more events, the DCCC are working 30 to 40 hours a week for much of the year, and the Cowboys franchise is worth $11 billion dollars—three billion more than any other team in the National Football League. Their branding as 'America's team,' complete with an unabashed commitment to a stars-and-stripes, yeehaw aesthetic, has made their image endlessly exportable and mineable. Go anywhere in the world, and people know about the Dallas Cowboys—whether they're winning or not. (In 2024, their record was 7-10.)

USA Today

a day ago

• USA Today

Is there a Formula 1 race this weekend? F1 standings, schedule

Is there a Formula 1 race this weekend? F1 standings, schedule Show Caption Hide Caption 'F1: The Movie' trailer: Brad Pitt drives fast in Formula 1 film Brad Pitt plays a veteran driver recruited for a Formula 1 race team and Damson Idris is the hotshot racer in "F1: The Movie." Formula 1 has a new winner for 2025. Last weekend's Canadian Grand Prix saw a non-McLaren driver take victory for just the third time in the first 10 races. Mercedes' George Russell earned pole position and his first win of the season in the best weekend of the season for the team. His teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, came home third to give Mercedes its first double-podium of the year. Four-time defending champion Max Verstappen kept close to Russell but couldn't challenge him for the win. The McLarens couldn't match Russell and Verstappen's pace on race day. Instead, they collided with each other late enough to force the race to finish under safety car conditions. Lando Norris tried to pass Oscar Piastri for fourth on the start/finish straight but instead hit Piastri's left rear tire and went into the wall. Norris immediately took responsibility for the incident on team radio in the first clash between this year's top two title contenders. That finish meant Piastri widened his lead atop the drivers' championship standings to 22 points, nearly a full race win's points haul, over this teammate. Norris still holds a 21-point gap to Verstappen even with his crash and Verstappen's second-place finish. 'A PRETTY DETERMINED CHARACTER': First female F1 race engineer Laura Mueller on track with Haas' Esteban Ocon at Miami GP That was a thrilling end to an exciting race as usual in Canada. Will F1 be back on track this weekend? Here's what to know: Is there a Formula 1 race this weekend? No, the teams get a week off following the Canadian Grand Prix. It was one of the "fly-away" races of the schedule so the grid gets a week off before and after. The F1 grid returns to Europe in the next race of the season in the Austrian Grand Prix. It's the first of a double-header from June into July. When is the next F1 race? The next F1 race will be the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, June 29. In 2024, that race saw the first of many clashes between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. The two collided when fighting for the lead late in the race, handing the victory to Mercedes' George Russell. 2025 Formula 1 schedule, recap Here's a list of each Grand Prix race with the winner if applicable. Australian Grand Prix (March 2): Lando Norris, McLaren Lando Norris, McLaren Chinese Grand Prix (March 9) : Oscar Piastri, McLaren : Oscar Piastri, McLaren Japanese Grand Prix (April 6) : Max Verstappen, Red Bull : Max Verstappen, Red Bull Bahrain Grand Prix (April 13) : Oscar Piastri, McLaren : Oscar Piastri, McLaren Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (April 20) : Oscar Piastri, McLaren : Oscar Piastri, McLaren Miami Grand Prix (May 4) : Oscar Piastri, McLaren : Oscar Piastri, McLaren Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (May 18) : Max Verstappen, Red Bull : Max Verstappen, Red Bull Monaco Grand Prix (May 25) : Lando Norris, McLaren : Lando Norris, McLaren Spanish Grand Prix (June 1) : Oscar Piastri, McLaren : Oscar Piastri, McLaren Canadian Grand Prix (June 15) : George Russell, Mercedes : George Russell, Mercedes Austrian Grand Prix (June 29) : : British Grand Prix (July 6) : : Belgian Grand Prix (July 27) : : Hungarian Grand Prix (Aug. 3) : : Dutch Grand Prix (Aug. 31) : : Italian Grand Prix (Sept. 7) : : Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Sept. 21) : : Singapore Grand Prix (Oct. 5) : : United States Grand Prix (Oct. 19) : : Mexico City Grand Prix (Oct. 26) : : São Paulo Grand Prix (Nov. 9) : : Las Vegas Grand Prix (Nov. 22) : : Qatar Grand Prix (Nov. 30) : : Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Dec. 7): 2025 Formula 1 drivers' standings Oscar Piastri, McLaren: 198 points Lando Norris, McLaren: 176 Max Verstappen, Red Bull: 155 George Russell, Mercedes: 136 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari: 104 Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari: 79 Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes: 63 Alex Albon, Williams: 42 Esteban Ocon, Haas: 22 Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls: 21 Nico Hülkenberg, Sauber: 20 Lance Stroll, Aston Martin: 14 Carlos Sainz Jr., Williams: 13 Pierre Gasly, Alpine: 11 Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull: 10 Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin: 8 Oliver Bearman, Haas: 6 Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls: 4 Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber: 0 Franco Colapinto, Alpine: 0 2025 Formula 1 constructors' standings McLaren: 374 points Mercedes: 199 Ferrari: 183 Red Bull: 162 Williams: 55 Racing Bulls: 28 Haas: 28 Aston Martin: 22 Sauber: 20 Alpine: 11 The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.