Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton took pole position in Saturday qualifying at the Italian Grand Prix, comfortably beating his team-mate Nico Rosberg.After coasting to top spot in final practice in the morning, Hamilton excelled in the afternoon, too, posting a mark of one minute, 21.135 seconds in the final part of qualifying. Rosberg will start alongside his team-mate on the front row, while Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel will begin in third.Here’s how the grid will shape up on Sunday at Monza and a look back at another absorbing day on the Formula One calendar.   Qualifying RecapHere is a look at the standings after Saturday's qualifying and how the drivers will line up for the upcoming race, per the Formula One Twitt...

Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are neck and neck in the Formula One drivers' championship as the field enters the 2016 Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday. Rosberg took the maximum points on offer in Belgium as the reigning world champion trailed in third, but the British icon remains nine points clear at the top of the current standings. The flying German has his best chance to win the championship this season, and victory in Italy could see him leapfrog his Silver Arrows team-mate. Monza remains one of the sport's heritage track venues and is always one of the most eagerly awaited races in the Formula One diary.   Here is how you can follow the action:     Date: Sunday, Sept. 4 Race Time: 1 p.m. BS...

After 14 seasons in the pinnacle of motorsport, Felipe Massa has confirmed he will retire from Formula One at the end of 2016. One of the warmest, most sensitive figures in the paddock, the Brazilian has become a cult hero since arriving on the grid with the Sauber team in 2002 and will celebrate his 250th F1 start when he makes his final appearance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November. Massa spent the peak of his career at Ferrari, where he claimed a total of 11 grand prix victories and came within a single point of winning the world championship in 2008. Now 35, Massa has spent the last three seasons with Williams, whom he led to third place in the constructors' standings in 2014 and '15 with a number of podium finishes. Here, we celeb...

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss the remainder of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season as he continues to suffer from concussion-like symptoms. According to NASCAR.com's Kenny Bruce, Hendrick Motorsports announced the news Friday. Junior, 41, had missed the last six races already. Earnhardt said the following, per Hendrick Motorsports' official website: I wish I could return to the No. 88 team this season. To say I'm disappointed doesn't begin to describe how I feel, but I know this is the right thing for my long-term health and career. I'm 100 percent focused on my recovery, and I will continue to follow everything the doctors tell me. They're seeing good progress in my test results, and I'm feeling that progress physically. I plan to be he...

Mercedes continued to dominate at the Italian Grand Prix on Friday, with Lewis Hamilton finishing ahead of team-mate Nico Rosberg in second practice. Hamilton posted a time of one minute, 22.801 seconds in his qualifying simulation to pip Rosberg in the afternoon runs. Sebastian Vettel gave the Italian fans something to cheer, coming home third for Ferrari. The two Silver Arrows were comfortably quickest in the morning Monza, with Rosberg snatching top spot with a time of 1:22.959. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was the third-quickest in FP1. Here’s a look at the standings following the two practice sessions and a recap of how the action panned out in Italy.   FP2 Recap The Formula One Twitter feed provided the standings from the after...

Two-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez maintains a 53-point lead over motorcycling legend Valentino Rossi as the 2016 season lands at the Silverstone Circuit for the Grand Prix of Britain on Sunday.  Italian hero Rossi has found it difficult to match his previous efforts during the first half of the season, giving Marquez a superior advantage over the best riders in the world. Current champion Jorge Lorenzo of Movistar Yamaha MotoGP resides six points behind Rossi as he attempts to defend his championship crown. Read on for a closer look at the key riders for the race, along with full scheduling and live-streaming details. Live streaming can be found at the BT Sport website (UK), beIN Sport...

Williams' Felipe Massa has announced he will retire from Formula One at the conclusion of the 2016 season. According to Pablo Elizalde of Motorsport.com, the driver revealed his plans on Thursday: In recent months I have been thinking a lot about my future and I have taken the decision that at the end of this season, I will leave Formula 1. Life presents us with many choices and I think for me it has got to the time where I have to go and do something different. Maybe you will see me again at the wheel of a race car, but at the moment the only certainty I have is that I will have a lot of time to decide on what I do in the future. Per Channel 4 F1, he reflected positively on his career: F1 shared some of the numbers behind his time in th...

Williams driver Felipe Massa is set to announce his retirement from Formula One ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix. As reported by F1 journalist Andrew Benson, the Brazilian will hold a joint press conference with deputy team principal Claire Williams at Monza, where he is expected to confirm the end of his long and successful F1 career. Massa's probable exit will mean the team will be on the lookout for a new team-mate for Valtteri Bottas for 2017, with Williams dropping another hint that Sauber's Felipe Nasr will be the man to replace the former Ferrari driver. Should the major 2017 regulation changes fail to have the desired effect, it could be Fernando Alonso announcing his retirement this time next year. The two-time world cham...

The Lady in Black, better known as Darlington Raceway, plays host to the famed (Bojangles') Southern 500. It marks the first of a three-race sprint to the finish before the Chase for the Sprint Cup kicks into high gear. A year ago, Darlington showcased the low downforce aero package that’s in effect today. There were issues with tires and cautions, but once the checkered flag waved, Carl Edwards, the winner of the race, was tickled all kinds of pink. "I don't think I can get in trouble for how much I liked it, but I loved it -- this is as good as it gets," Edwards told NASCAR.com. "This is what it's about. We're sliding cars, tires are falling off -- this is the style of racing -- if there's any chance we can run this in the Chase, I ...

After an exciting weekend in Belgium, the Formula One circus heads south for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, north of Milan. The fast layout of the Autodromo Nazionale plays to Mercedes' strengths (are there any circuits that don't?), so expect to see the Silver Arrows leading the pack again on Sunday. The big question is: Which Merc driver will be in front? Nico Rosberg finally returned to the winner's circle at Spa, assisted by Lewis Hamilton's engine penalties and the collision between Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Max Verstappen on the opening lap. However, the Brit's opportunistic recovery drive to third place limited the damage from his penalties and allowed him to maintain the championship lead over his Mercedes team-mate. Ha...