Motor racing prospect Anthoine Hubert was killed on Saturday by a horrific high-speed crash just minutes into the Formula 2 (F2) race held before this weekend’s Formula 1 (F1) Belgian Grand Prix, motorsport governing body the FIA announced.
Hubert, who was considered a serious talent by Renault’s F1 setup, died aged 22 following a three-car pile-up also involving Juan Manuel Correa and Giuliano Alesi at the exit of the Raidillon corner, one of the fastest sections of the quick Spa-Francorchamps track.
Tributes poured in for Hubert, with a “devastated” F1 saying: “He will never be forgotten,” and reigning five-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton hailing the Frenchman as a “hero.”
Photo: AFP
“This is devastating. God rest your soul, Anthoine. My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family today,” Hamilton said on Instagram. “If a single one of you watching and enjoying this sport think for a second what we do is safe, you’re hugely mistaken. All these drivers put their life on the line when they hit the track... Anthoine is a hero as far as I’m concerned, for taking the risk he did to chase his dreams... Rest in peace, brother.”
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wrote on Twitter: “Absolutely shocked by the tragic accident of Anthoine Hubert. Terrible. My thoughts are with him and his family, friends, team and loved ones.”
The FIA said in a statement that BWT Arden driver Hubert died at 6:35pm, while Correa is in “stable condition” at CHU Hospital in Liege after suffering leg fractures in the crash.
Hubert was a Renault F1 junior and the reigning GP3 series champion, and his strong performance in junior categories had earned him full backing from Renault, who were preparing him for a big future.
He had won twice in the F2 championship this season, at the French and Monaco Grand Prix races.
His death came after he hit a wall at Raidillon and smashed into Correa at high speed, flipping Correa’s Sauber junior team car upside down and shattering Hubert’s vehicle, the main monocoque separating from the rear.
The impact was so severe that Correa’s feet were left exposed as the nose cone was destroyed and he was trapped in the cockpit.
SSC Napoli’s Italian Serie A title hopes suffered a late setback on Sunday when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Genoa, setting up a thrilling season finale with closest rivals Inter just one point behind. The hosts remain top with 78 points, holding a slim lead over Inter, who won 2-0 at Torino earlier on Sunday, with two rounds remaining. To make matters worse for Napoli, midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, struggling with an ankle injury, was forced off just minutes after the match began. Scott McTominay delivered a perfect pass into the box where Romelu Lukaku got
Harry Kane opened the scoring ahead of lifting his first career silverware as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-0, with veteran Thomas Mueller playing his last home game for the club. Bayern officially won the title on May 4 when defending champions Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg, but were presented with the Bundesliga shield in front of their home fans at full-time. Dripping wet after being showered with beer by teammates, Kane said the title win was “an incredible feeling,” and hoped it would be “the first of many.” “It’s been lot of hard work, a lot of
Taiwanese e-sports veteran Lin “ET” Chia-hung yesterday successfully defended his King of Fighters XV title at this year’s Evolution Championship Series: Japan (EVO Japan), securing his second consecutive championship. Lin claimed victory with a 3-1 win over Japanese pro gamer “mok” in the grand final, repeating his earlier 3-1 win against the same opponent in the winners’ final. The 40-year-old earned a ￥1 million (US$6,897) cash prize at the two-day tournament, which drew 294 competitors. Mok, Lin’s toughest rival in the bracket, took home ￥400,000 as runner-up. Lin remains undefeated in match sets against mok in King of Fighters XV, holding a 10-0 record,
Batting great Virat Kohli yesterday announced his immediate retirement from Test cricket, just days before India name their squad for a tour to England. Kohli, who scored 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, posted his decision on Instagram five days after India captain Rohit Sharma called time on his own Test career. Since making his debut in 2011, Kohli struck 30 hundreds and 31 fifties with a highest score of 254 not out, mainly batting at number four in the order. “It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket,” the
RSS