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Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Verstappen and Red Bull embark on new era
Max Verstappen and Red Bull seek a successful re-set of their season as they launch a new era at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, their first without Christian Horner in charge. As Formula One resumes after a mini-break McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris intensify their duel to succeed the Dutchman as world champion. While Norris seeks his third consecutive win in a bid to reduce team-mate Piastri's eight-point lead it will be Red Bull under the greatest scrutiny as they embark on a new adventure under Frenchman Laurent Mekies. Never before has a Red Bull team raced without the 51-year-old Briton Horner, who was dismissed unexpectedly two weeks ago following 20 years of success, including guiding Verstappen to four consecutive world titles from 2021-2024. His successor Mekies, promoted from junior team Racing Bulls, faces a daunting challenge - not only in keeping the team's focus and performance at the majestic high-speed circuit in the Ardennes, but in bringing stability to Red Bull after a stormy period. Verstappen, born in Belgium, has been linked with a move to Mercedes for 2026 and, while Horner has remained silent since his bombshell exit, the champion has welcomed the arrival of Mekies, who has an engineering background and avoids confrontation and discord. His appointment brings an end to 18 months of rumour and intrigue during which Horner was investigated for alleged inappropriate conduct, the team lost the constructors' title to McLaren and saw key staff members leave. "I was back at the factory last week to spend some time in the sim with the team," said Verstappen in a team release that made no mention of Horner's departure. "I'm looking forward to working closely with Laurent. "Spa is a classic and always my favourite track on the calendar – a very old school circuit where you have to do everything right to get a good lap. "I enjoy the high-speed corners such as Eau Rouge, the layout which is different to other circuits, and elevation changes that make the track more of a challenge to drive." After a desultory outing at Silverstone, where he finished fifth after starting from pole position, Verstappen will enjoy returning to one of his 'home' events, hoping Mekies can rekindle the team's spark to bring him a fourth career win at Spa. - Feisty mood - Mekies said he would spend his first weeks in the job "meeting the guys and girls who do the magic behind the try to understand this beautiful magic machine". His first test will be a Saturday morning sprint race. A win for Verstappen would not be a huge surprise as the characteristics of the Ardennes track favour his car, but he remains a distant third in a title race led by the McLaren men whose intra-team scrap may be their undoing. After his outburst at receiving a 10-second penalty at Silverstone, Piastri is expected to be in feisty mood going into the Belgian and Hungarian double-header that precedes the August 'summer holiday' and another close contest is in prospect. Like Piastri, Mercedes' George Russell will revel in a chance to show his speed in the often changeable conditions, having been stripped of victory last year because his car was underweight. That handed seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton his 105th and last triumph – and he remains in search of his first podium with Ferrari who arrive in Belgium with intent and a major upgrade package. Hamilton was fourth in his home British race where Nico Hulkenberg claimed his first career podium at the 239th attempt to endorse Sauber's momentum this year before becoming the Audi works team next season. str/nr
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Atletico cash in on Real Madrid's Bernabeu concert woes
Mired in legal setbacks, Real Madrid are losing the lucrative star-studded concerts for which their costly Bernabeu stadium revamp was designed -- and cross-town rivals Atletico are cashing in. The megaproject involved three loans totalling more than one billion euros ($1.174 billion) with the goal of transforming the historic ground into a year-round entertainment hub. But the Spanish giants had not reckoned with the determination of angry locals, whose complaints about excessive noise succeeded in stopping the concerts in 2024. With the complaints bogged down in the courts, Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano stadium snapped up the shows of three Spanish stars who were due to perform at the Bernabeu this summer. A bigger coup followed: the announcement of the hosting of 10 gigs next year by reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny, a multiple Grammy Awards winner who sold a Spanish record 600,000 tickets for 12 dates in Madrid and Barcelona. The Puerto Rican's arrival appears to contradict the belief of Madrid's Atletico-supporting mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida, who insisted only the Bernabeu could attract the most prestigious performers like US icon Taylor Swift. For Placido Rodriguez Guerrero, emeritus professor at the University of Oviedo's economics department, "the reputational damage has been big" for Real. "It is a way of showing that not everything Real Madrid do is done well, and more so if the concerts go to the Metropolitano", he told AFP. Lola Indigo, one of the singers whose cancelled Bernabeu show went to the Metropolitano, told El Mundo daily she felt "disappointment, a little betrayed". - 'Major blow' - Club president Florentino Perez has reassured supporters that concerts only represent one percent of Real's budget, with revenues topping 1.1 billion euros in the 2024/25 season. But David Dunn, managing director of the Edinburgh-based consultancy 442 Design, which has worked on commercial projects with clubs including Arsenal and AC Milan, described the situation as "a major blow" for Real. Although the matchday, tour and retail business revenue is "excellent", the club "will have banked on being able to hold multiple large-scale events and concerts", he told AFP. Business Insider Spain has reported Real's plan was to generate around 100 million euros per year from musical events -- enough to sign a couple of stars. Professor Rodriguez Guerrero said Real were losing "tens of millions of euros" this summer to their less storied local rivals, who have previously hosted stars including Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Bruno Mars. If Real wish to pursue their concert ambitions, the investment "will cost quite a lot", he said. - Solution 'not simple' - For Francesc Daumal, an architecture expert at Barcelona's Polytechnic University of Catalonia, the Bernabeu's main weakness is its new retractable roof and the acoustic issues it engenders. The stadium "is like a tent, because it's shut with a light closure. There are openings, exterior sheets that let air in", he explained. "Solving the insulation for those deep frequencies and with those very high acoustic pressures isn't simple," warned Daumal. Atletico's stadium "was born from the start with the intention of soundproofing it", whereas adapting the older Bernabeu is more difficult, he added. Daumal also identified the Bernabeu's proximity to residential buildings as a challenge to contain noise, compared with the esplanade that separates the Metropolitano from its closest neighbours. Atletico are meanwhile cashing in on a packed summer concert schedule with the Bernabeu out of action. Fans flocked to the Metropolitano in May for two sold-out nights by British star Ed Sheeran, with 140,000 tickets going at an average price of 100 euros ($115). Sara, who attended last year's Taylor Swift concert at the Bernabeu, told AFP the Metropolitano was "better as a place... it's a club with more ties to music". "Acoustically, the Bernabeu is the worst place we've seen," added the 34-year-old communications sector employee, who declined to give her surname. Ariel Jackson, a 30-year-old lawyer from the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, said the Metropolitano had "extra space" and was "more comfortable" than the Bernabeu thanks to its distance from the crowded city centre. "We love to say concerts are held" at the Metropolitano amid the Bernabeu's troubles, enthused Atletico fan David Guerrero, 27, sporting a club shirt with Sheeran's name on the back. imm/ds/CHZ/nf
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic overlooked as NRL great names Aussie Ashes team
NRL great Corey Parker has named his Kangaroos XIII for the first Ashes game against England at Wembley and he has controversially left out centres Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic from his side. Kevin Walters was confirmed as the Australian national coach this week with plenty of work to be done before the Kangaroos play a three-match Ashes series getting underway at London's Wembley Stadium on October 25. The former Broncos and Queensland coach won the job over Cameron Smith. And Walters said one of his first moves will be trying to persuade Payne Haas, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow from switching allegiances to Samoa after reports emerged the trio are tossing up the decision. And Walters will now need to start looking at the make-up of his squad with State of Origin over and NRL finals not too far away. And former Kangaroos forward Parker feels neither Mitchell or Trbojevic will be in the best XIII against England come game day. Mitchell played well for the NSW Blues in the State of Origin series, but didn't produce too many moments of magic in the decider with Queensland taking Game 3 in Sydney. Unfortunately for the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Mitchell injured his hamstring in training and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. While there will be time to get fit before the Kangaroos tour to England, Parker has opted to leave Mitchell out with a lack of match fitness working against him. And he has also left Trbojevic out. Trbojevic is the incumbent centre for Australia and was part of the team that won the Pacific Championship last year. The Manly Sea Eagles star had a stellar campaign at centre, but has struggled in 2025 with injuries taking a toll on him. After a couple of unconvincing performances in his preferred position at fullback for the Sea Eagles, coach Anthony Seibold opted to move him into the centres. The Sea Eagles have benefitted from the switch with Lehi Hopoate offering more mobility in the No.1 jersey and Trbojevic simplifying his game in attack. Although Parker isn't convinced just yet we are seeing the Trbojevic of old and also left the incumbent out of his current Kangaroos squad to take on England. Parker went for Knights centre Bradman Best and Broncos star Kotoni Staggs as his pairing. There were no other major surprises in the side with Nathan Cleary expected to come back into the side in the No.7 jersey and partner Cameron Munster in the halves. Parker selected Tom Dearden in the No.14 jersey, despite some claiming the Queensland halfback should be paired with Munster after his State of Origin performances. Parker selected Liam Martin in his side in the back-row, but the Panthers forward has already announced he won't be available for selection due to family commitments. Hudson Young could come into the starting side instead, or Reuben Cotter could fill in. Corey Parker's Kangaroos XIII for the Ashes Dylan Edwards Zac Lomax Kotoni Staggs Bradman Best Xavier Coates Cam Munster Nathan Cleary Lindsay Smith Harry Grant Pat Carrigan Liam Martin Angus Crichton Isaah Yeo Tom Dearden Hudson Young Reuben Cotter Lindsay Collins Cameron Murray pushing for return ahead of Ashes One of the big names that could be making a comeback before the end of the year is Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray. The Rabbitohs lock went down with an Achilles injury before the start of the season. Murray started at lock for NSW, over Isaah Yeo, for Michael Maguire in the Blues' 2023 winning Origin series. His injury this year saw him ruled out with Yeo reverting to the No.13 jersey. Although Murray is lining-up a return for the Rabbitohs before the season's end. This could put him in the frame for selection with a break between the NRL season and the tour. With Haas and Fa'asuamaleaui's selections up-in-the-air for Australia, Murray's inclusion would be huge. This could also allow Walters to shift Yeo through the middle where they lack elite depth, similar to how Maguire used him for NSW, and allow Murray to play lock. Although his selection depends on if he makes a return in time for the Rabbitohs. Cameron Murray is training hard & hoping to return to play for the Rabbitohs sometime before the season is underwent achilles repair surgery in February after suffering a rupture at training & then required another procedure in April to address a post operative… — NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) July 22, 2025
