LAS VEGAS — Formula 1 on Monday at last said it will expand its grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. "As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It's an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world's premier racing series, and we're committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world," GM President Mark Reuss said. "This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM's engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level." The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a U.S. Justice Department investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of F1, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti. Andretti in September stepped aside from leading his namesake organization, so the 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. Towriss is the the CEO and president of Group 1001 and entered motorsports via Andretti's IndyCar team when he signed on financial savings platform Gainbridge as a sponsor. Towriss is now a major part of the motorsports scene with ownership stakes in both Spire Motorsports' NASCAR team and Wayne Taylor Racing's sports car team. Walter is the chief executive of financial services firm Guggenheim Partners and the controlling owner of both the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and Premier League club Chelsea. "We're excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1," Towriss said. "Together, we're assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world." Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 world champion, will have an ambassador role with Cadillac F1. But his son, Michael, will have no official position with the organization now that he has scaled back his involvement with Andretti Global. "The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team," Michael Andretti posted on social media. "I'm very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!" The approval has been in works for weeks but was held until after last weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix to not overshadow the showcase event of the Liberty Media portfolio. Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive championship in Saturday night's race, the third and final stop in the United States for the top motorsports series in the world. Grid expansion in F1 is both infrequent and often unsuccessful. Four teams were granted entries in 2010 that should have pushed the grid to 13 teams and 26 cars for the first time since 1995. One team never made it to the grid and the other three had vanished by 2017. There is only one American team on the current F1 grid — owned by California businessman Gene Haas — but it is not particularly competitive and does not field American drivers. Andretti's dream was to field a truly American team with American drivers. The fight to add this team has been going on for three-plus years, and F1 initially denied the application despite approval from F1 sanctioning body FIA. The existing 10 teams, who have no voice in the matter, also largely opposed expansion because of the dilution in prize money and the billions of dollars they've already invested in the series. Andretti in 2020 tried and failed to buy the existing Sauber team. From there, he applied for grid expansion and partnered with GM, the top-selling manufacturer in the United States. The inclusion of GM was championed by the FIA and president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who said Michael Andretti's application was the only one of seven applicants to meet all required criteria to expand F1's current grid. "General Motors is a huge global brand and powerhouse in the OEM world and is working with impressive partners," Ben Sulayem said Monday. "I am fully supportive of the efforts made by the FIA, Formula 1, GM and the team to maintain dialogue and work towards this outcome of an agreement in principle to progress this application." Despite the FIA's acceptance of Andretti and General Motors from the start, F1 wasn't interested in Andretti — but did want GM. At one point, F1 asked GM to find another team to partner with besides Andretti. GM refused and F1 said it would revisit the Andretti application if and when Cadillac had an engine ready to compete. "Formula 1 has maintained a dialogue with General Motors, and its partners at TWG Global, regarding the viability of an entry following the commercial assessment and decision made by Formula 1 in January 2024," F1 said in a statement. "Over the course of this year, they have achieved operational milestones and made clear their commitment to brand the 11th team GM/Cadillac, and that GM will enter as an engine supplier at a later time. Formula 1 is therefore pleased to move forward with this application process." Yet another major shift in the debate over grid expansion occurred earlier this month with the announced resignation of Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei, who was largely believed to be one of the biggest opponents of the Andretti entry. "With Formula 1's continued growth plans in the US, we have always believed that welcoming an impressive US brand like GM/Cadillac to the grid and GM as a future power unit supplier could bring additional value and interest to the sport," Maffei said. "We credit the leadership of General Motors and their partners with significant progress in their readiness to enter Formula 1." Get local news delivered to your inbox!
LUKE HUMPHRIES showed Luke Littler that he will not surrender his world crown so easily this Christmas. Littler heads to Ally Pally next month as the bookies’ favourite to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy – and become, aged 17, the youngest darts world champion in history. But Cool Hand Luke – the man who lifted the sport's biggest prize in January – has bragging rights after he bagged the Players Championship Finals tonight with a 11-7 victory over The Nuke. This was the contest everybody in Somerset had hoped they would see and it happened after Littler overcame Ross Smith 11-9 in the semi-finals. And within the next hour, the world No.1 advanced to the final with a 11-8 success over big Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode. This was the first defeat Littler had experienced following a 12-game unbeaten streak. That superb run included lifting the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton and surpassing the £1million for yearly prize money. It was a year ago this weekend that Littler won the World Youth final on the Butlin’s Minehead stage and put himself on most people’s radar. In his debut tournament, he raced into the final off the back of five consecutive ton-plus averages. And though he did take out checkouts of 170, 164, 136 and 105, it was Humphries, 29, who celebrated a fifth TV title of 2024 and banked the £120,000 winners' cheque. This was a good-natured, well-spirited showdown between two rivals that respect each other but the referee had to get involved in leg 14 as someone was whistling while Humphries faced the board. Meanwhile, oche legend Steve Beaton will try today to get one final TV farewell before hanging up his darts as a professional. Beaton – the 1996 Lakeside champion – is retiring at the end of the year at the age of 60. He has appeared in every world darts championship since 1992 – BDO and PDC – but that sequence is under threat. The Bronzed Adonis is not part of the field for this winter’s PDC event but gets one more chance to qualify via a tour card holder event in Wigan. LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship at the beginning of the year. The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age - smashing records along the way. He has then gone on to win a host of PDC events and the Premier League title - which he claimed at the O2 Arena by beating world champion Luke Humphries in May . He also finished his first season in the World Series as the No1 ranked player . He has joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list . And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE. The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire. He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle. And he's even the face of a brand new cereal. But he is newly single after splitting from girlfriend Eloise Milburn following a 10-month relationship. Check out all of our latest Luke Littler stories .Ex-Colorado footballer Bloom dedicates time to fulfilling wishes for older adults
KUWAIT CITY, Dec 28: The Ministry of Interior has refuted claims circulating on social media about a KD 500 fine being imposed on domestic workers who fail to complete biometric fingerprinting. In an official statement, the ministry clarified that these reports are inaccurate and urged the public to rely on verified information from official sources. The ministry reminded all expats, including domestic workers, to complete their biometric fingerprinting by the deadline of December 31, 2024, to avoid any disruption to their official transactions. It emphasized the importance of adhering to the process and warned against spreading baseless rumors. For accurate updates, residents are encouraged to refer to the Ministry of Interior's official website at www.moi.gov.kw or contact their helpline.Rain and field goals. The Los Angeles Rams got a crucial win at the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football , with both sides just exchanging field goals in a 12-6 result. > Watch NBC Bay Area News 📺 Streaming free 24/7 Matthew Stafford endured a poor start but the Rams just showed enough over a 49ers side that didn't receive production from Brock Purdy, whose key turnover proved costly in a game of small margins. Purdy had a chance at a Hail Mary on the final play, but didn't even get the ball out, dropping San Francisco to 6-8 in what, though not mathematically, likely ends its postseason hopes. Los Angeles has won seven of its last nine and are 8-6, very well in the mix of things with three games to play. Let's analyze the game further with winners and losers: WINNER: Kyren Williams, Rams When it became clear the game would be affected by rain, Sean McVay turned to his RB1 to deliver. And Williams paid off the faith. Williams rushed for 108 yards on 29 carries, a 3.7 average that may not seem big but definitely had its impact on the Rams' final drive that killed the clock to under 20 seconds in the fourth. LOSER: Brock Purdy, 49ers Purdy is due to get paid soon by the 49ers, and though he obviously deserves a raise given his achievements with the team on a low contract, San Francisco will need to be careful. The former Mr. Irrelevant threw for 142 yards on 14 of 31 completions with a pick, which ultimately turned the game in favor of Los Angeles. PICKED! Darious Williams gets the ball back for the @RamsNFL . #LARvsSF on Prime Video Also streaming on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/aFav3TtBcs Purdy still has the mental capacity to improve, but his fundamental struggles limit the team and his inability to get going when the weather gets shaky is not the best sign. WINNER: Ahkello Witherspoon, Rams In a more delayed revenge game, former 49ers cornerback Witherspoon turned up against his old side. The Ram logged five tackles (four solo) but primarily stood out in coverage, recording three passes defended. LOSER: Deebo Samuel Sr., 49ers In his first game since publicly taking to social media to complain about not getting the ball enough, Samuel Sr. didn't prove much on the field. He recorded just 16 receiving yards on three catches and seven targets, with two rushes for three yards. One inexcusable drop in the third quarter drew audible groans and boos from the home crowd. Deebo... pic.twitter.com/SQlA70izqV It will be interesting to see what the 49ers do with Samuel Sr. long term, as he just hasn't provided enough since getting a major pay day. When they've needed to see him do more, he's consistently failed to help. WINNER: Kickers These are the types of games where kickers really earn their pay. With no touchdowns from either side, Rams' Joshua Karty nailed all four of his attempts. 49ers' Jake Moody made both, too, with his 53-yard attempt just sneaking in amid a second straight inconsistent season.Fans are calling Emma Roberts’ son her “mini me.” The actor’s son, Rhodes, celebrated his fourth birthday on Friday, Dec. 27. To mark the occasion, Roberts shared several photos of him on Instagram , starting with a sweet snap of her son smiling wide for the camera. In another pic, Rhodes lays down in his mom's lap while she took a selfie of the duo. In the last photo of the post, Rhodes stood on top of an arcade game with his mom by his side. A post shared by Emma Roberts (@emmaroberts) “Happy Birthday angel boy,” Roberts wrote in the caption. “4!!” Some fans shared celebratory messages for Rhodes’ birthday while others made a point to call out the uncanny resemblance between the mother and son. “Tell me you’re Emma Roberts’ son without saying anything!” one commenter wrote. “He’s your double!” Another comment read, “I didn’t realize we were cloning people now lol. What a sweetie pie.” “He’s adorable and your mini me for sure!" one commenter pointed out. “I can see the Robert’s blood it runs strong!” an Instagram user added. “Mini you!” another comment read. “Happy birthday.” Rhodes also received a sweet birthday message from his great aunt, Julia Roberts, who wrote in the comments, “happy birthday Rhodeo.” Roberts shares Rhodes with her ex, Garrett Hedlund. The couple split in 2022, and the “American Horror Story” actor got engaged to Cody John in July 2024. Hedlund also shared a sweet Instagram post on Saturday that included several snaps of Rhodes to celebrate his birthday. “Happy 4th Birthday to my dearest Rhodes!” Hedlund wrote in the caption. “My ‘where the roses grow.’ My heart. Here’s to our new year of endless journeys!!!” A post shared by Garrett Hedlund (@garretthedlund) In the past, Roberts has shied away from sharing her son’s face on social media, until a blunder with her mom, Kelly Cunningham. In February 2023, Cunningham posted a photo of Rhodes’ face without her daughter’s permission. Roberts opened up about how she is trying to raise her son to be a gentleman and practice good manners during an April appearance on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna. “I’m trying to reinforce the ‘thank you,’ but take away the ‘no,’” she shared. “To things that are simple, like dinnertime: (He says) ‘No, thank you,’ and I’m like, ‘Actually, you’re welcome.’ “I feel like the way to get kids to do stuff, you have to present it in a very grand way, so I’m like, ‘Your bath is ready, sir. Look at all these toys,’” she added. This story first appeared on TODAY.com . More from TODAY :