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Reuters
5 minutes ago
- Reuters
Hamilton in 'big, big push' to speed up Ferrari
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, July 24 (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton said he refused to be another name on the list of Formula One champions who failed to win a title for Ferrari, and was making "a big, big push" back at the factory to help boost the chances of success. The seven-times world champion and record race winner, who moved from Mercedes to Maranello this season, has yet to stand on the podium after 12 races with the sport's oldest, most glamorous and successful team. Ferrari has not won a drivers' title since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007. "I see a huge amount of potential within this team. The passion -- nothing comes close to that. But it's a huge organisation, and there are a lot of moving parts," Hamilton told reporters on Thursday at the Belgian Grand Prix. "And not all of them are firing on all the cylinders that they need to be. That's ultimately why the team has not had the success that I think it deserves. "So, I feel that it's my job to challenge absolutely every area, to challenge everybody in the team -- particularly the guys that are at the top who are making the decisions." Hamilton named Raikkonen, seemingly forgetting that the Finn won his sole title with Ferrari, along with multiple world champions Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel on a list of those who ended up frustrated with their stint in red. "I refuse for that to be the case with me," said the 40-year-old Briton, who wants an eighth title but knows time is not on his side. "So I'm going the extra mile. "I think if you take the same path all the time, you get the same results. So I'm just challenging certain things. They've been incredibly responsive. We've been improving in so many areas." Hamilton said he had been busy at the factory since his home grand prix at Silverstone, where he finished fourth, holding meetings and going over everything that he felt needed to change. He has called meetings attended by leaders from various departments as well as principal Fred Vasseur. "I've sent documents... after the first few races I did a full document for the team. Then during this break, I had another two documents that I sent in, and then I come in and want to address those," he said. "Some of it's structural adjustments that we need to make as a team in order to get better in all the areas we want to improve. "And the other one was really about the car -- the current issues that I have, some things that you do want to take on to next year's car, and some that you need to work on changing." Hamilton is sixth in the standings, 16 points behind fifth-placed teammate Charles Leclerc. He has so far beaten the Monegasque only twice in regular grands prix. The Briton won in Belgium last year, his 105th and most recent win.
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Sarina Wiegman ‘not for sale' as FA to fight off offers if England win Euro 2025
The Football Association is determined to fight off any offers for Sarina Wiegman if the Lionesses win Euro 2025, with chief executive Mark Bullingham insisting that England manager is 'not for sale' at any price. Wiegman has now reached five major tournament finals in a row, including the last three with the Lionesses, and has the chance to become the first England manager in history to defend a title when her team take on world champions Spain on Sunday. Wiegman is under contract until the end of the 2027 Women's World Cup and Bullingham, who called the Dutch coach 'special', is confident they can keep her in charge even if there is an increased demand for her services if England win the Euros. Sarina Wiegman led England to Euro 2022 glory and has taken them to another major final (Getty Images) 'It's not hard at all,' Bullingham said. 'We are committed to her until 2027 and she is committed to us. We have a new team coming in for her. We haven't quite started working on the plans for 2027 but I know her focus. Hopefully after success on Sunday, it will shift quite quickly to 2027.' There has been some criticism of England's performances during their run to the Euro 2025 final in Switzerland and, while Bullingham said it was not his place to comment on whether Wiegman is taken for granted, he said it was no accident that she is into another final. 'We have a really special coach and we should all recognise that,' Bullingham said. 'I do think the tournament record is incredible but I also see the work she has done with players and the relationships and connections she builds in camps. It is phenomenal. 'She is just a cool head in the way she transmits that onto the pitch. She looks like the coolest person in the stadium and I have no doubts that helps in critical moments. I can only give my opinion but she is a really special coach and we are lucky to have her.' Wiegman will welcome two new additions to her coaching staff in September, with Janneke Bijl and Arvid Smit replacing assistant Arjan Veurink, who will be taking charge of the Netherlands after Euro 2025. Bullingham said there have yet to have been discussions over extending Wiegman's contract, as it is too soon to look beyond the 2027 World Cup, and responded to a suggestion that she should be under consideration for the England men's job after Thomas Tuchel. 'My answer is the same now as it was in 2023,' Bullingham said. 'The starting point is it is almost disrespectful to assume the men's job is more senior to the women's. That is not the way we view it. 'I said two years ago Sarina could do any job in football, she is an amazing talent and we are delighted to have her running the women's team through to 2027.'
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
What's next for Daniel Dubois if he beats Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley?
Daniel Dubois is ready to enter himself into the pantheon of great British heavyweight champions by dethroning the 'Brit basher' Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley on Saturday night. The IBF champion has resurrected his career since losing to Usyk in 2023, claiming his career-best wins against Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and a brutal knockout of Anthony Joshua. If Dubois can cause one of the biggest upsets of the year on Saturday, he will have the world at his feet at just 27 years old and be the first British undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis. But where does he go from there? As the trailblazer for the next generation of heavyweight contenders, he will have his pick of the bunch. Usyk trilogy If Dubois can exact his revenge against the odds and beat Usyk, a trilogy fight is the perfect way to complete his Hollywood-esque career resurgence. This would be close to the top of the list for Dubois, the opportunity to settle the rivalry and for 'Dynamite' to assert himself as the best heavyweight in the world. To beat Usyk twice when the likes of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have both fallen short twice would be a special achievement. Dubois hasn't spoken on the possibility of a trilogy, but there is no doubt it would be a monumental event and a fitting conclusion to the tapestry of the Usyk vs Dubois rivalry. Joseph Parker To not include Parker in this list would be a misstatement of the facts. As confirmed by Frank Warren, Joseph Parker is the next in line for a shot at heavyweight gold. This would be a fight that is easy to make as both Parker and Dubois are in the Queensberry stable of fighters, so there would be no negotiation trouble, and the fight could be made at the drop of a hat. Parker, however, speaking to Seconds Out, didn't like his chances of getting a world title shot any time soon. Parker said: 'There's so many options that could happen after this fight. There could be a rematch clause, the belt could be vacated, they could be wanting to fight someone else.' Dubois was initially scheduled to fight Parker to defend his upgraded IBF title on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2 in February. Pulling out a couple of days before fight night, Dubois was accused by some of ducking the fight with Parker to set up the fight rematch with Usyk instead. Parker wants the opportunity to get back at Dubois for denying him the opportunity to fight for a world title. Parker said: 'I do want to get at Dubois, I think he is a young, hungry fighter. He's getting better and better. But I do want to test myself against this young man who denied me the chance [at a world title].' Both men will feel they have unfinished business with the other if they were to fight. Anthony Joshua rematch An unforgettable night at Wembley saw Daniel Dubois announce himself as the next generation of heavyweight champions, savagely knocking out Anthony Joshua to set up the rematch with Usyk. It was initially expected that Joshua would take an immediate rematch with Dubois, but it never materialised. Joshua was forced to have surgery on an elbow injury, which wrote him off in regards to an immediate rematch. Speaking after Bivol had defeated Beterbiev in the rematch, Eddie Hearn said the fight Joshua wanted most for his comeback was the rematch with Dubois. Hearn said: 'The right thing to do would be to rematch Daniel Dubois. I think that's what he would like to do. To have another shot at the world heavyweight championship.' If Dubois comes through his rematch with Usyk, then he will certainly be on Joshua's radar as the former unified champion has ambitions of joining the exclusive club of fighters that are three-time heavyweight champions. Whether or not Joshua will be on Dubois's radar remains to be seen after Saturday. The next generation If this rematch is to signal a passing of the torch from the generation of Fury, Joshua and Usyk to Dubois, then, as the new king of the division, the Brit will have a long line of young and hungry fighters vying for a shot at his crown. Alongside Parker as the mandatory challenger for the WBO, three other heavyweights are also in the mix for a title shot and with the bureaucracy of boxing, any one of them could be next. Agit Kabayel has come up the hard way to claim his WBC interim title by earning victories over much larger and well-respected opponents including Arslanbek Makhmudov, Frank Sanchez and Zhilei Zhang. As interim champion, he is at the front of the queue when the time for the WBC mandatory challenger comes. One of the brightest young British prospects, Moses Itauma, is also lurking in the heavyweight rankings. He is number one with the WBO, number two with the WBA and number six with the IBF. He will first have to get through the toughest test of his career against the former world title challenger and veteran heavyweight, Dillian Whyte, on August 16. Saturday's chief support is former cruiserweight world champion, Lawrence Okolie, fighting Kevin Lerena in his second heavyweight fight and he currently sits as the number one ranked contender with the WBC. The pair have shared hundreds of rounds of sparring, and a fight between them would carry a lot of history with it. Watch Usyk versus Dubois 2 live and exclusive on DAZN PPV this Saturday - July 19 - for £24.99 UK; $59.99 US; $19.99/equivalent ROW. Buy the PPV now here.
