Formula 1

Petra Ecclestone, the fashion designer/socialite, has filed legal docs to change the names of her 3 kids -- from her ex-husband's name to hers ... and it underscores the bitterness of their divorce.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Petra wants the last name of her three kids -- Andrew Kulbir Stunt, James Robert Frederick Stunt and Lavinia Stunt, to Ecclestone.

As for why, according to the docs, "To conform children's last name to mother's last name ... difficult in both daily life and traveling with children with a different name to mother."

The doc goes on to give another reason for the name change ... "Change and remove last name of absentee father who is subject to regular negative media and tabloid articles and criminal investigation."

The father of the 3 kids, James Stunt, is awaiting trial for money laundering, forgery and racially abusing a black police officer ... charges he has denied.

Stunt, a gold bullion dealer, and Ecclestone divorced in 2017, and it there is clearly still a lot of bad blood.

Petra, whose dad is Formula 1 honcho Bernie Ecclestone, is engaged to Sam Palmer ... they have a one-year-old daughter together.

7-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton is now Sir Lewis Hamilton -- the racing superstar just received his knighthood from Prince Charles at Windsor Castle!!

36-year-old Hamilton first learned of the honor last December -- after matching Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 7 championships.

In case you're not up to speed on the honors, a knighthood is an award and title given to someone by the royal family for high achievement and service to their country within their respective industry.

Of course, the Mercedes driver has won more races than any other in F1 history ... and was on his way to securing a record-breaking eighth title this past Sunday, had it not been for a controversial decision at the end.

Hamilton had a lead wiped out when a safety car was deployed after a late crash ... allowing Max Verstappen to eventually catch up and pass him.

According to reports, the British racing star was heard saying, "This has been manipulated, man," on his car radio, but Hamilton later congratulated Max and his team after the race was over.

Wednesday's ceremony hopefully helped ease the loss -- Hamilton attended with his mother, Carmen, who watched as her son became just the fourth driver in Formula 1 history to be knighted.

Megan Thee Stallion's entourage might need to learn the rules of the road track when it comes to media etiquette at a Formula 1 event -- at least according to this driver-turned-reporter.

Check out this interaction between Sky News' Martin Brundle (an ex-racer himself) and Meg, whom he bum-rushed while she and her posse were striking their way across the grid at the U.S. Grand Prix Sunday ... where all the cars and pit crews were hanging out on the ground-level, and where camera crews were rolling ... with journos on the hunt for interviews.

In the middle of their live coverage -- which was getting broadcast on ESPN -- Brundle noticed MTS making her way through the commotion, and tried getting an impromptu one-on-one chat with her ... which he sorta successfully did, if only for a short while.

He asks her if she has any "rap for us today on Formula One" ... and she laughs, saying no -- she didn't have anything for him. Brundle pressed further, asking who she was rooting for.

Before Megan even got a chance to respond, some dude in her crew swooped in from behind and pushed Brundle back ... apparently telling him he "couldn't do that."

Well, old Martin had a helluva comeback to that ... saying that not only can he do that, but he just did. OHHHHHHH!!!! The irritated look-back from the blond assistant is classic too. 😆

There are different reactions to this ... some say MB shouldn't have gotten in her space like that. However, others say she (and her team) shoulda known it's fair game in the F1 world ... especially from Martin, who's a vet in the biz and well-known figure -- not a random pap.

Great news for Formula One driver Fernando Alonso -- the 2-time champ says he's ready to return to the track ... just 3 weeks after breaking his jaw in a gnarly cycling accident.

The 39-year-old racing star was road cycling in Switzerland last month when he was hit by a car that was attempting to turn into a supermarket parking lot.

Alonso was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors performed surgery to repair a fracture to his upper jaw.

Now, just 3 weeks later ... Alonso says he's ready to get back behind the wheel of his race car to compete in the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 28.

Before the accident, Alonso hadn't competed in an F1 race since 2018 -- and was excited to get back on the track.

"I feel great and in the best shape I’ve ever been before both physically and mentally," Alonso told media Tuesday.

"I’ve been preparing myself for this comeback for quite a while now and I have a fresh motivation. I’m ready!"

Alonso insists his preparation and his overall fitness level are still top-notch -- despite the damage to his mouth.

Alpine F1 Team CEO Laurent Rossi also spoke about Alonso's recovery at the team's car launch on Tuesday .. saying he fully expects FA to compete right off the bat.

"He had a bad accident. A bike accident is rarely something that goes easy, but he was lucky, and he ended up only suffering from his jaw."

"So besides the necessary surgery and care on his jaw, the rest is totally fine. Fernando is completely fit. He is totally operational."

Alonso has been training like crazy following the crash ... and has posted updates of his own via Instagram.

"We are even surprised that he's recovered so quickly," Rossi added. "He confirmed to us almost immediately after the incident that he will be here in Bahrain, which has been confirmed with his doctors."

Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso was rushed to the hospital after getting hit by a car while out cycling in Switzerland this week ... this, according to multiple reports.

The 2-time champ was out training with his team when he was hit by a vehicle near his home in Lugano, according to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport.

Alonso's Alpine F1 team released a statement confirming the accident ... saying Alonso was "conscious and well in himself” and would have a further examination on Friday.

FYI -- Alonso spends a lot of time on the bike when he's not behind the wheel ... and frequently shares snaps of his cycling on Instagram.

X-rays showed Alonso could have suffered multiple fractures .. and it is believed he may have fractured his jaw.

The accident throws a wrench in Alonso's planned comeback -- the driver was set to make his return to F1 for the first time since 2018 ... and the season starts March 28 in Bahrain.

Lindsey Vonn says she seriously considered switching sports from downhill ski racing to Formula 1 racing ... but claims a policy about pregnancy prevented it from happening.

The 35-year-old Olympic legend explained the whole thing on "In Depth with Graham Bensinger" ... saying she was specifically told she would need to make a 3-year commitment to NOT getting pregnant in order to get a shot as a pro driver.

"I was thinking about switching, going to Formula One. Like actually trying to be a racer, a driver. But, I couldn't because they wanted me to commit, what was it, 3 years? And, they're like you can't get pregnant, you can't do anything. I'm like hmm, I don't know if I really want to do that."

Vonn says the opportunity would have been with the Red Bull racing team -- and it's something she would have "loved to have done" ... but ultimately, she wasn't down to put off having a family.

BTW, Vonn is engaged to NHL star PK Subban -- and it's clear having kids is definitely on the table.

Lindsey is a huge fan of race car driving -- she's a natural behind the wheel. And, says if F1 didn't work out, jumping to NASCAR was also a possibility.

During the interview, which airs on TV this weekend, Vonn also mentions how much MONEY race car drivers make compared to skiers.

"Probably the salary of one racer is probably the total amount of money that ski racing has for their annual budget as a sport. [Lewis Hamilton] makes more money than all of ski racing combined!"

More outlandish and offensive stuff from Formula 1 racing boss Bernie Ecclestone ... who is now pushing the narrative that Black people are more racist than whites.

Seriously. Here's his latest quote -- "In lots of cases, Black people are more racist than what White people are."

Okay, some background ... the 89-year-old racing legend was talking to CNN about Lewis Hamilton's social justice efforts in the recent months -- when things turned sideways.

It started out nice ... Ecclestone praised Hamilton saying he's "very, very, very talented as a driver and he seems to be now extremely talented when's he standing up and can make speeches."

"This last campaign he's doing for Black people is wonderful."

So far, so good.

But, when Ecclestone was asked about Lewis' new endeavor -- The Hamilton Project (created to help promote diversity in racing) ... things started to go off the rails.

"I don't think [The Hamilton Project] is going to do anything bad or good for Formula One."

"It'll just make people think which is more important. I think that's the same for everybody. People ought to think a little bit and think: 'Well, what the hell? Somebody's not the same as White people and Black people should think the same about White people.'"

He followed up with this gem -- "In lots of cases, Black people are more racist than what White people are."

When CNN pushed for specific examples, Bernie didn't cite any concrete evidence -- explaining it's something he's "noticed" over the years.

Oh really, Bernie?

When was the last time a white driver was racially taunted at a race?

It happened to Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and 2009 -- when a bunch of racists put on blackface to taunt Lewis at the Spanish Grand Prix wearing shirts that read, "Hamilton's Family."

There's obviously no shortage of examples, but you get the point.

Bernie has said a bunch of terrible stuff over the years -- famously praising Adolf Hitler in 2009 for being "able to get things done."

He also publicly supported Vladimir Putin's anti-gay policies and also sprinkled in some sexism ... saying women should dress in white "like all other domestic appliances."

Legendary Formula 1 racer Niki Lauda has died ... according to his family.

Lauda, considered one of F1's greatest drivers ever, died Monday ... nine months after undergoing surgery for a lung transplant.

Niki won the F1 drivers' championship in 1975 and '77 with Ferrari and again in '84 with McLaren ... but he's most famous for crashing and catching fire in 1976 at the German Grand Prix.

Lauda was badly burned in the crash, but he made a miraculous recovery an returned to racing only 6 weeks later.

Lauda's incredible comeback after dodging death instantly made him the stuff of legend .. and his 1976 rivalry with British driver James Hunt was the plot line of the movie "Rush."

Niki, who was born in Austria, had a tight working relationship with 5-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton. Lauda was involved when Lewis signed with McClaren ahead of the 2013 racing season.

Niki's family released a statement after his death ... saying, "With deep sadness, we announce that our beloved Niki has peacefully passed away with his family on Monday."

"His unique achievements as an athlete and entrepreneur are and will remain unforgettable, his tireless zest for action, his straightforwardness and his courage remain."

"A role model and a benchmark for all of us, he was a loving and caring husband, father and grandfather away from the public, and he will be missed."

Lauda was 70.

1:44 PM PT -- Lewis has apologized for his comment, saying he meant no harm and did not mean to offend anyone. He says he realizes it's wrong to marginalize or stereotype anyone, and asks for forgiveness in his lapse of judgment.

Lewis Hamilton is in some serious hot water after posting a video in which he seems to shame a grade school-aged male family member for wearing a princess dress.

The video -- which has since been deleted from his social media -- shows Hamilton admonishing the kid, asking him if he asked for the dress for Christmas, then finally shouting at him.

"BOYS DON'T WEAR PRINCESS DRESSES."

The kid seems gleeful about his outfit, but Lewis is visibly disappointed and tells the camera (and his millions of social media followers) all about it.

Since posting the vid, Hamilton has been getting absolutely DESTROYED on Twitter (where the clip is still being circulated) with people accusing him of bullying and humiliating his nephew in front of the world.

There will be no repeat victory for Formula One champ Nico Rosberg ... the reigning champ just announced his retirement ... days after winning his very first F1 championship.

The 31-year-old -- who had been bested by his rival Lewis Hamilton for years -- made the announcement moments ago on Facebook.

"Since 25 years in racing, it has been my dream, my ‘one thing’ to become Formula One World Champion. Through the hard work, the pain, the sacrifices, this has been my target. And now I’ve made it. I have climbed my mountain, I am on the peak, so this feels right."

So, what's next for the racing legend?

"Now, I’m just here to enjoy the moment. There is time to savour the next weeks, to reflect on the season and to enjoy every experience that comes my way."

"After that, I will turn the next corner in my life and see what it has in store for me ..."

Lewis Hamilton is having a great time in Barbados.

Here's the Formula One champ thrusting around the Crop Over festival with a couple of scantily clad lady friends.

Usain Bolt would be proud ...