Formula 1

Formula One superstar Max Verstappen is standing by his girlfriend after she was forced to address "false accusations" spreading online ... defending Kelly Piquet and calling on the unnecessary hate to come to a screeching halt.

Piquet -- who started dating the Red Bull driver in 2020 -- released a lengthy statement on Tuesday ... breaking her silence on all the rumors on TikTok and Instagram that paint her out to be a pretty terrible person.

While the negativity has piled on recently, Kelly says it's something she's had to deal with for much longer ... but the accusations coming to light over the past few months have been straight-up defamation -- and those close to her know the truth.

F1 star Esteban Ocon is addressing the backlash he's faced after wrecking into Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly on the first lap of the Monaco Grand Prix ... saying he's been on the receiving end of some nasty abuse and negativity online.

It was a tough weekend for the 27-year-old French driver -- he was forced to retire after making contact with Gasly ... going airborne and damaging his car in the process.

Ocon admitted it was his fault for trying to pass Gasly when an opening wasn't available ... but despite owning up to the mistake, there were rumblings he could get benched over it all.

The 2024 Monaco Grand Prix got some of Hollywood's biggest and brightest revving their engines ... with actors, models and more rushing to Europe to watch the action.

Joe Jonas and Anya Taylor-Joy both put on their Sunday best for race day ... while Academy Award winner Jared Leto looked downright tranquil with a peace sign up and his sheer shirt on.

Supermodel Emily Ratajkowski left little to the imagination in a barely there bra underneath a leather racing jacket ... ready to model for the Formula 1 circuit any day now it seems.

The family of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher received a substantial settlement from a German magazine recently ... being awarded a $217,000 check after the publication printed an AI-generated interview with the former Ferrari driver and tried to play it off like the real thing.

As we previously reported, Die Aktuelle ran the controversial cover story back in April 2023 ... claiming it secured the first feature with Schumacher following his 2013 ski accident that resulted in a serious head injury and left him in a coma for months.

At the very end of the article, the outlet fessed up to the interview being fugazi ... but that didn't stop the seven-time champion's family from taking legal action.

According to ESPN, the family confirmed the payout from Die Aktuelle's parent company, Funke Media Group.

Following the backlash, Funke fired the editor-in-chief in charge ... and apologized for the error of judgment.

Charles Leclerc had a podium finish at F1's Imola Grand Prix on Sunday ... but his weekend was pretty crappy overall -- thanks to his adorable puppy, Leo, handling his business right in the middle of the paddock!!

The Ferrari superstar placed third in his team's home race ... with Red Bull's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris taking the top two spots respectively.

Leclerc was more worried about No. 2 following the outing, though ... as Leo dropped a deuce while roaming around the team garages -- and the 26-year-old was NOT prepared.

The Formula One Miami Grand Prix blew the Super Bowl outta the water in the VIP department ... so says gamer FaZe Banks, who tells TMZ Sports last weekend's event was "insane!!"

Folks like Patrick and Brittany Mahomes, Kendall Jenner, Steve Aoki, Jerry Bruckheimer, Joe Burrow, BLACKPINK's Lisa and Ed Sheeran -- just to name a FEW -- were all in attendance for the big race in Florida ... and if that sounds overwhelming, Banks says that's 'cause it really was.

"F1 was f***ing dope," Banks -- who was a special guest of Raising Cane's founder Todd Graves -- said of the festivities. "S***'s lit, people like it clearly."

Two GOATs came face-to-face ahead of Formula 1's Miami Grand Prix ... with Max Verstappen and BLACKPINK's Lisa snapping a photo together during the weekend's festivities!!

The big moment went down prior to the Red Bull driver's second-place finish to McLaren racer Lando Norris' fantastic win on Sunday ... a rarity, as Max has dominated the track for the past three seasons.

Lisa was among the many superstar celebrities in attendance ... as we previously reported, Taylor Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce, was front and center throughout the weekend too.

Travis Kelce's in his Industrial Revolution era ... trading horseback riding for car racing -- 'cause he just arrived at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix!

Videos of the Kansas City Chiefs star are starting to populate online ... and, we gotta say TK's rocking a far chiller -- and, definitely more comfortable-looking ensemble -- for today's event.

Check out the clip ... Travis walks in wearing a loose-fitting green shirt and matching shorts, backward hat and sunglasses on -- a far cry from his full suit and fedora 'fit at the Kentucky Derby Saturday.

Call Rihanna the queen of speed, at least for this weekend, because she and A$AP Rocky are holding court down in Miami as the city is packed with celebs in town for the F1 Grand Prix.

The celeb couple hosted an event Saturday night for Puma ... the athletic gear co. they both rep. The festivities included a stop in a huge arcade, complete with racing simulators and VR goggles ... which A$AP slipped on as RiRi watched.

While A$AP rocked a custom Puma helmet during the event, Rihanna was flaunting her new pink hairdo.

Carlos Sainz's race weekend is over -- the star Ferrari driver will not compete in the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Saturday ... after the team revealed he was diagnosed with appendicitis.

The 29-year-old Spanish driver -- who sat out of Wednesday's media availability -- tried to fight through the illness during practice sessions on Thursday ... but called it the "toughest day" he's ever had in the sport due to the track's high G-Force.

Sainz was hoping to get over the stomach bug and return to full health in time for the race ... but it simply wasn't in the cards.

The team said in a statement he will need surgery to fix the issue ... and Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman will take his spot in P3, qualifying and the race.

It's a big bummer for Sainz -- he finished third at the Bahrain GP last weekend, ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc.

The lengthy investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior made against Christian Horner has concluded ... with the Red Bull team principal officially cleared of any wrongdoing.

The Formula 1 giant confirmed the findings of the probe on Wednesday ... saying it is "confident" the inquiry was handled in the most "fair, rigorous and impartial" manner.

Red Bull -- the six-time constructors' champion -- launched the investigation earlier this month ... although the nature of the allegations was never made public.

The complainant has the right to appeal.

Horner -- who has adamantly denied the claims -- can now shift focus to the start of the 2024 season, which kicks off with the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend.

Red Bull's statement continued ... "The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and therefore we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned."

"Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is at the center of an investigation ... after a staffer within the Formula One organization accused the longtime boss of alleged inappropriate behavior.

The energy drink giant released a statement on Monday ... saying,  "After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation."

Red Bull added the probe is being conducted by an outside party ... and it takes the situation "extremely seriously."

Horner -- who has been with the organization since it joined the grid in 2005 -- has denied the allegations ... although the nature of the claims was not revealed.

Horner is by far the most successful team principal in the sport today -- winning the constructors championship six times at the helm ... and overseeing six drivers championships, most recently with Max Verstappen.

Outside of F1, he's also famously married to Geri Halliwell ... AKA Ginger Spice.

It's unclear if this will have any effect on the upcoming F1 schedule ... as the first race of the season kicks off with the Bahrain Grand Prix in March.

A huge shakeup is coming on the Formula One grid ... with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton leaving Mercedes -- his home since 2013 -- for Ferrari next year.

Ferrari announced the massive news just minutes ago ... saying, "Scuderia Ferrari is pleased to announce that Lewis Hamilton will be joining the team in 2025, on a multi-year contract."

39-year-old Hamilton is one of the most dominant drivers in F1 history -- he won six titles with Mercedes from 2014 to 2020 ... after securing his first championship with McLaren in 2008.

There had been rumors connecting Hamilton and Ferrari for a while ... but Sir Lewis temporarily put an end to the speculation when he agreed to a massive, two-year deal with Mercedes in 2024.

According to reports, Hamilton is eligible to opt out of the contract after the 2024 campaign ... which would pave the way for him to join Ferrari -- which currently seats drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Leclerc recently inked a long-term contract with Ferrari, and Sainz will keep the seat warm for Hamilton until this season comes to a close in November.

Hamilton hasn't shied away from his love for Ferrari in the past -- he told ESPN last year he always wondered what it would be like to drive in the team's iconic red.

Ferrari is a historic team in the sport, but has failed to live up to its own standards in recent years.

The Haas Formula One team will have a new leader in charge in 2024 -- longtime team principal Guenther Steiner has shockingly left his position after 10 years, the organization announced Wednesday.

Steiner -- a star on Netflix's 'Drive To Survive' -- held the role since Haas joined the grid in 2016, reaching as high as fifth in the Constuctor Standings in 2018.

It was a rough 2023 campaign, though ... as Haas finished last with just 12 points.

According to F1, Steiner met with team owner Gene Haas following the 2023 season ... and it was decided they would go their separate ways.

Haas' director of engineering, Ayao Komatsu, will take over as team principal.

"I’d like to start by extending my thanks to Guenther Steiner for all his hard work over the past decade and I wish him well for the future," Haas said in a statement.

"Moving forward as an organization, it was clear we need to improve our on-track performances. In appointing Ayao Komatsu as Team Principal we fundamentally have engineering at the heart of our management."

"We have had some successes, but we need to be consistent in delivering results that help us reach our wider goals as an organization," he added. "We need to be efficient with the resources we have but improving our design and engineering capability is key to our success as a team."

AJ McLean's pit stop on the Vegas Strip -- during the Formula 1 Grand Prix festivities --  had A-listers doing laps around the glitzy event, and got AJ onstage with The Chainsmokers.

The Backstreet Boys star put the pedal to the medal inside XS Nightclub at the Wynn Las Vegas Thursday night, as the trio performed a special rendition of his band's mega-hit "Everybody" -- but not before F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton and Will.i.am kicked things off at the exclusive invite-only opening ceremony the night before.

On Friday, TikToker Alix Earle jumped into the DJ booth with Swedish House Madia at XS ... while Leo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Michael B. Jordan, French Montana, and Saweetie partied in VIP.

The whole weekend was packed with celebs in town for the main event ... Saturday night's race, where RiRi and her man A$AP Rocky immersed themselves in the action. No doubt, it was a nice break from reality for the rapper, ahead of his courtroom appearance Monday in his shooting case.