Oscar Piastri wins Spanish Grand Prix as Lando Norris slips back in title fight
LANDO NORRIS LOST ground in the championship race after McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri produced a flawless performance to win Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.
Norris started second and finished in the same position – despite losing out to Red Bull's Max Verstappen off the line – taking the chequered flag 2.4 seconds behind Piastri.
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Ferrari's Charles Leclerc completed the podium after he fought his way past Verstappen following a late safety car re-start.
However, Verstappen accused Leclerc of driving into him as the two made slight contact on the straight and then fell off the road as he attempted to defend from George Russell.
Verstappen was advised to give the position to Russell to avoid a penalty, and while he seemed set to let Russell through, he appeared to drive into the Mercedes.
'What the f***'?' Russell said on the radio, with Verstappen later making way. Russell crossed the line in fourth, with Verstappen fifth. However, Verstappen was hit with a 10-second penalty by the stewards, demoting him to 10th.
Lewis Hamilton finished a poor seventh after he was passed by Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg in the closing stages.
Piastri's win, which came despite a late safety car, marked his fifth of the nine rounds so far to extend his title advantage over Norris from three points to 10.
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The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside Michael Schumacher's tragic health battle in Majorca hideaway – as pal makes heartbreaking prediction for future
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'Michael communicates with his eyes' But nothing has been seen of Michael since his Rumours of medical miracles, appearances, fresh photos and interviews frequently spread online. But a Formula One insider tells The Sun that like Flavio, the world needs to get used to not seeing Michael's beaming smile anymore. Craig Scarborough, who has been covering the sport for around 25 years and interviewed Michael many times, reveals: 'I spoke to someone who is very, very close to him and they just explained we're not going to hear any more from him. Emotional moment Michael Schumacher's son and Sebastian Vettel pay tribute to stricken F1 legend 'He's in a comfortable position as far as he can be with his state of health.' It has been reported that only three people see Michael at his secluded home on the Spanish island of Majorca. Even Flavio, 75, who has been a close friend of Michael since they began working together at the Benetton racing team in 1991, has not seen him for a while. But the Italian says he 'often' speaks to Much of her time is said to be consumed by maintaining her husband's care and keeping the exact details of his current health condition a secret. And Yilmaz Tozturkan, 53, and his son Daniel Lins, 30, threatened to publish videos and pictures of Michael unless they were Security guard Markus Fritsche had copied the private material while working for the Schumachers and sold it to the two men. 7 Michael on the slopes in Italy in 2003 Credit: Rex Features 7 Corinna and Gina accepting a German lifetime achievement award on Michael's behalf in 2022 in Cologne Credit: Rex In February the trio were found guilty of their part in the Fritsche was given a two-year suspended sentence, while Tozturkan was jailed for three years and Lins was given a six-month suspended prison sentence by a German court. Corinna wanted a harsher sentence for Fritsche. She said: 'What still shocks me most is the massive breach of trust. 'He should receive a punishment for this that deters others from potentially doing the same.' And last October stories emerged claiming that Guests and staff had to hand over their mobile phones, while security guards made sure no one could snoop on the ceremony or party. But Michael's former Benetton teammate Johnny Herbert said: 'From what I understand, that was We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he's comfortable. Corinna Schumacher While it remains possible that Schumacher did attend the wedding in a wheelchair, another story was definitely made up. Last year Corinna successfully sued German magazine Die Aktuelle for claiming on its cover 'Michael Schumacher, the first interview!' In fact the quotes had been generated by artificial intelligence. What no outsider can be sure about is whether Michael could give an interview if he wanted to. There have been conflicting accounts of his health condition. When Michael's head hit a boulder in the skiing accident 12 years ago, it split his helmet in two. The brain injury was so serious that he spent 250 days in a coma. The best medical treatment that money could buy brought the sports star, worth £468million, back to consciousness. There had been rumours that further treatment in Paris had allowed Michael to take small steps, but that was later dismissed. 7 Michael won a record-breaking seven Formula One world championships Credit: Getty 7 Flavio Briatore, seen here at Monaco GP last month, spoke about his former Benetton driver Credit: Getty Most people in the know indicate that he is unable to talk, although it is possible he could use eye movements to send messages like the late scientist Stephen Hawking did. In 2020 Flavio's former wife Elisabetta Gregoraci claimed: 'Michael doesn't speak, he communicates with his eyes.' Friends do visit and he still follows sports. Former Ferrari F1 chief Jean Todt said: 'I can see him but of course, what I miss is what we used to do together. 'I watch Grand Prix with Michael.' Corinna also indicated there was an attempt to maintain normality in difficult circumstances. She said in a 2021 Netflix documentary: 'We're together. 'We live together at home. 'We do therapy. 'We're trying to carry on as a family' 'We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he's comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond. 'And no matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will. 'We're trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does.' I hope they can find happiness in the situation they find themselves in. Craig Scarborough It was reported by German media, ahead of the ten-year anniversary of his skiing accident in 2023, that Schumacher receives 24-hour care from a team of up to 15 people. He has been driven in a Mercedes road car, and played sounds from the F1 track, to stimulate his brain with familiar noises. There has been plenty of good family news to lift Michael's spirits. Last month he became a grandfather for the first time when Gina gave birth to her daughter Millie. And his son Mick, 26, is said to have found love with Danish model Laila Hasanovic, 23, who is reportedly trusted enough to have visited Michael. Mick, who spent two years as a F1 driver, was only 14 when his dad suffered the debilitating head injury. In the He commented: 'I think dad and I would understand each other in a different way now, simply because we speak a similar language, the language of motorsport, and we would have a lot to talk about. "That's where my head is at most of the time, thinking that would be so cool. I'd give anything just for that.' Craig reckons having close personal time with Mick and other family members is vital for the stricken motorsports star. Physical workload He says: 'I think a lot of people demand stuff from him and I think that's wrong. 'He is himself, and his family have a lot to contend with. 'Until you've cared for somebody, I don't think anyone realises the emotion and the physical workload. "The fact that they have been bold enough to withdraw from public life and not be tempted to do exclusives out there to various people, I think, is noble, and I hope that continues. 'I hope they can find happiness in the situation they find themselves in.' Like Flavio, Craig is more comfortable talking about the Michael people knew before the ski tragedy. He says: 'He was a guy who enjoyed his personal time. 'He loved his family. 'He did lots of lovely things. 'He clearly liked a drink. 'He loved a big cigar. 'But he had lots of time to bring up his son.' While it is understandable that Michael's army of fans want to hear from him again, they may have to make do with recalling his past glories. There were certainly more than enough of them for Flavio and others to remember.
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
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FEBIAN BRANDY has gone from being one of the hottest young talents in English football to helping clubs unearth the next big thing. Brandy, 36, didn't quite hit the heights after nearly 15 years on the books at Advertisement 10 Febian Brandy was one of Manchester United's top-rated talents in the 2000s Credit: Getty 10 Now Brandy is helping find the next batch of top talent Credit: X @febianbrandy The tricky forward was thought of as one of the brightest sparks in the English game, lauded by team-mates and chased by the likes of But injuries meant that Brandy never played a professional game for Man Utd. He However, he has insisted that he has no regrets over how things worked out, after it was that journey that led him to create Advertisement Brandy told SunSport: "I always saw myself playing for Manchester United, I didn't really know anything else. "I only really knew Man Utd and 'But I thought to myself, for my career, this has to happen. 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Advertisement 10 Brandy spent nearly 15 years on the books at Sir Alex Ferguson's Man Utd Credit: Febian Brandy Instead, after seven months without a club, he found an opportunity with Notts County in League Two. From there injuries meant Brandy was never able to settle at one club, kickstarting a journeyman career that saw him play in Greece and Thailand as well as for the likes of It was during that time of bouncing around from club to club and constantly battling injury that Brandy realised he had to start thinking about his future, which led to the idea for Skouted. Advertisement He recalled: "When I was in my late 20s I had been battling with so many injuries and I started to think about my future. "I didn't really want to be a coach or a manager. That's when I started to put Skouted in place. 'I've always had an entrepreneurial mindset and I think what really triggered it was that when I was at Man Utd, I was pretty fortunate to be there as long as I was. "I was fortunate to get a contract every year from the age of eight until I was 22. Advertisement 'I had friends that might not have been good enough to make it at Man Utd, but they might have been able to go and play at a lesser club. "But when they got released their parents or their guardians didn't have the connections to pick up the phone to someone in the Championship or League One and ask for a trial. 10 Brandy moved to Sheffield United later in his career Credit: Blades 10 He also had a spell with Walsall Credit: PA:Empics Sport Advertisement 'That's when I thought to myself, 'I need to create something that's going to bridge that gap between players and clubs'. "Something where football clubs can find these players and players have got a platform to present themselves in front of these football clubs.' That's exactly what he did, launching Skouted after hanging up his boots at non-league Ebbsfleet in 2017 and turning his attention to helping the next generation of talent. 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Advertisement "But after that he was picked up by a Premier League side before signing a two-year contract with Arsenal. 'He was actually on the Skouted app a few years ago, it just goes to show that we know what we're talking about. "He went from Regents Park, to the Skouted App and now he's gone on to sign for Arsenal'. Now Brandy is planning on expanding his platform for the women's game too, with plans in place to put on a female showcase game this year. Advertisement For the former England youth international and two-time Saint Kitts and Nevis cap, it's all about getting talented players back on the pitch. He added: "Everyone wants to sign a Messi or a Ronaldo, but the reality is that they're rare gems. But my experience at Man Utd helps me know what level top clubs are still looking for. Read more on the Irish Sun 'Some of these players don't know what to do, and their parents don't know what to do. In terms of how they can get involved in the football system. 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The Irish Sun
12 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Premier League side risk ruining pitch as stars race RED BULL F1 CAR in their stadium
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