Former Premier League star, 34, at the front of sensational bid to return F1 to Africa with brand new track
Got it Sor-ted Former Premier League star, 34, at the front of sensational bid to return F1 to Africa with brand new track
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
FORMER Premier League star Marvin Sordell is fronting a sensational bid to bring Formula One to Africa, according to reports.
Sordell, 34, is a co-chief executive and director for Opus Race Promotions, having retired from football in 2019 to then come out of it for non-league side Kettering Town.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
4
F1 are reportedly in talks over a new race to be held in Nigeria
Credit: Getty
4
The bid is being fronted by ex-Prem star Marvin Sordell
Credit: PA
4
Stefano Domenicali has reportedly been invited to Abuja to review the project
Credit: AFP
Sordell played for both Bolton and Burnley in the Premier League, but is perhaps best known for his time in the Championship for clubs including Watford, Charlton and Burton Albion.
His company has already gained "early support" from the Nigerian government over the prospect of getting the nation to host a grand prix.
According to The Times, the plans include far more than simply hosting a race in the capital city of Abuja.
The pledges made by Opus outline the building of a karting track, hotels, a technology hub, and a motorsport museum, among other infrastructure.
READ MORE IN F1
GRIN AND BEAR IT Tearful Red Bull staff ordered to 'smile more' after Christian Horner axe
Nigeria's chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, invited the promoter to Nigeria in April to present a concept of their grand F1 designs.
The proposal seemed to have left Dikko impressed, because a month later, the promoter was officially appointed to negotiate with F1 and the FIA on behalf of the Nigerian government.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has also reportedly been invited to Abuja by Opus to review the project.
SunSport have contacted F1 for comment over the claims.
BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK
Domenicali, 60, has repeatedly spoken about his desire to expand the motorsport into new markets.
Africa is a major omission from the modern F1 calendar, with the last race on the continent happening at the Kyalami Circuit in South Africa back in 1993.
Infamous abandoned F1 track that left icon blind in one eye used for completely different sport
The only other nation F1 has been to on the continent is Morocco, all the way back in 1958.
F1 legend Lewis Hamilton has been a major voice pushing for the sport to add a race in Africa.
Both South Africa and Rwanda have been among the front-runners linked with that lucrative possibility.
However, speaking in May, Domenicali ruled out a race happening anytime soon, saying: "Realistically speaking, I don't think we're going to have an outcome in the very short term."
A new European track in Madrid is being added next year in place of Italy's famous Imola circuit.
Meanwhile, Thailand appears on course to be the next new addition to F1.
That's after the government there agreed to a roughly £890million funding plan for a street race in Bangkok, which could debut as early as 2028.
The 2025 F1 season returns in Belgium this weekend after a two-week break following the chaotic British Grand Prix.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
15 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Ally McCoist would accept Rangers sacrificing one thing under Russell Martin to stop Celtic procession
The Light Blues have been starved of domestic success in recent seasons Ally McCoist has loved watching Rangers fly the flag for Scotland in Europe. But the Ibrox legend insists ending Celtic's domestic dominance must be Russell Martin's utmost priority. Gers swatted aside Panathinaikos in Tuesday night's Champions League qualifier to take a commanding 2-0 lead to Athens next week. It's the first of six hurdles the Light Blues will have to overcome if they are to secure a £40million ticket to the lucrative league phase. There's still a long road to go, but if Rangers can get the job done in Greece, they will at least be guaranteed European group stage football. The Ibrox side have boosted Scotland's coefficient in recent years with their Europa League exploits but have been starved of domestic success. And McCoist admits he'd be willing to sacrifice those famous Thursday nights under the lights if it meant derailing serial-winning Celtic's bid for five-in-a-row. He told FourFourTwo: "I would rather see them improve domestically, because we've been miles off it there. "There were good results against Celtic last term but there's an argument that there was more at stake for Rangers, because Celtic were looking like they were running away with it. "It was almost a matter of pride for us. If Rangers can mount more of a title threat, with a repeat in Europe, I'll be happy." While Rangers have spent more than a decade in the shadow of their Old Firm rivals, they've punched well above their weight against some of Europe's elite. It's an ongoing trend that's left Ibrox supporters scratching their heads and McCoist said: "That's been the case for a while now. "It has a lot to do with how they set up to play in Scotland, where they're a dominant side that have to break teams down. "In Europe, even at home, teams aren't looking to sit deep as much - that's when Rangers come to life as they have players that can hit teams on the break. "Some of Rangers' performances in Europe last season were very good - they went to Malmo and won, scored four in Nice, gave Manchester United a really good game, then pulled off an incredible result in Turkey against Fenerbahce in the knockouts. "Some really good performances. I want to be saying that about the league as well." Celtic have also started to make inroads in Europe under Brendan Rodgers, reaching the Champions League knockouts for the first time since 2012/13. McCoist tipped his hat by admitting: "There was a big improvement in their Champions League performances. The 3-1 home win against Leipzig was as good as I've seen them in a long time. "They got a great draw at Atalanta, and they were very unlucky to go out against Bayern Munich in the knockouts, only narrowly losing at home, then drawing in Germany. "They could have taken that to extra-time. It was really encouraging." Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
Scottish Sun
16 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Bargain supermarket launches giant Lionesses sale where EVERYTHING is £1 or less ahead of Euros final this weekend
KICKING OFF Bargain supermarket launches giant Lionesses sale where EVERYTHING is £1 or less ahead of Euros final this weekend Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LIONESSES boss Sarina Wiegman has made history after England beat Italy 2-1 to reach the European Championship final. And a bargain supermarket has launched a giant sale just before this weekend's mammoth event - so that you can join in the celebrations. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 The football fan was delighted with her bargain buy from the retailer Credit: Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group Eagle-eyed shopper A Lioness fan shared her find on Facebook, posting an image of some England flags and her Asda receipt. She captioned the snaps: "Asda have got their England items reduced. "A pack of 2 England flags are now 74p. They had plates, cups, face painting packs, headbands, hats & more. "Perfect for the Lionesses final on Sunday." Asda has stands inside their stores selling £1 hats, flags. cups, headbands and water bottles branded with the St George's Cross ahead of the event, But they have now been slashed in price with some only costing pennies - just in time for you to join in the excitement. Other Asda bargains After Sunday's exciting match, many people will be counting down the days until they are sunbathing by a pool or beach, but some are dreading what they are going to look like. In fact, one in three European women feel uncomfortable sporting a bikini or one-piece, according to a recent survey carried out for Galaxus. But fear not, as George at Asda has got you covered with a five-star bikini that's currently on sale for two quid and shoppers say it's perfect for 'mum tums'. We previously revealed how Sainsbury's Tu Clothing is also delighting shoppers with a five-star rated dress. Lionesses celebrate after bonkers Euro 2025 penalty shootout win over Sweden Priced at just £28, their green leaf-print shirt dress is proving to be a truly versatile hero for the warmer months. Summer Bargain Buys ALDI is selling a no-effort household gadget that can help lessen the load of your household chores. The bargain retailer is currently selling a product that can help to get rid of pesky pet hair that can build up on blankets and other bedding. Sharp-eyed shoppers are rushing to Aldi after a garden must-have that has been dropped to just £4.99. The bargain buy is perfect for summer BBQs and boozy evenings with mates. And B&M shoppers are rushing to buy a trendy furniture set scanning for just £40 down from £110 ideal for giving your living room a spruce. The discounter is shifting the cut-price Chicago table, which comes with two benches, at a 63% discount. Plus, if you fancy a tipple, Bailey's has launched a new "epic" flavour in the UK - but it's only available at one supermarket. Diageo, which makes the tipple, has brought Cinnamon Swirl to the market and it's on sale exclusively in just one store.
Daily Mirror
17 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool waiting on imminent £43m transfer to green light Arne Slot's next move
Liverpool's summer spend will exceed £250m once Hugo Ekitike's transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt is finalised and Arne Slot knows he must offload some players to balance the books - starting with Federico Chiesa Liverpool are waiting for Atalanta to sell Ademola Lookman to Inter Milan before offloading Federico Chiesa to the Serie A side, according to reports. Chiesa has not managed to get going at Anfield since joining the club from Juventus for around £10million last summer, with injuries largely disrupting his progress. The winger only made one start in the Premier League as he was limited to just 14 appearances in all competitions, scoring twice. Chiesa has not been included in Liverpool's pre-season tour of Asia, further putting doubts on his immediate future at the club. Liverpool's summer spend will exceed £250m once Hugo Ekitike has arrived and Arne Slot will need to sanction some exits to balance the books. There has been speculation Chiesa could return to his native Italy for months and Football Italia have revealed that Atalanta are ready to rescue the 27-year-old from his nightmare spell. The Bergamo outfit are ready to make a move for Chiesa, but only once they have confirmed Lookman's exit as they see him as the English star's replacement. Inter are currently in the market for Lookman, who wowed last season after scoring 20 goals and assisting six times, but Atalanta are demanding at least £43m if they want to take their star forward. The Milan outfit are looking to rebuild their squad after the departure of manager Simone Inzaghi, which came after their painful 5-0 loss to PSG in the Champions League final. The report states that Atalanta are willing to sell Lookman, who also has interest from Napoli but only if an interest club meets their demands. So far, Inter have only offered around £34m. It goes on to say that Chiesa is "likely" to become an Atalanta player once Lookman has left, with the player desperate to play regularly again and be in contention for Italy's potential World Cup 2026 squad. Chiesa will know his playing time will be reduced this season with Cody Gakpo the first choice on the left-wing, while the presence of new attacking players Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike will only push him further down the pecking order. He started his career with Fiorentina and became a huge hit as he scored 34 times in 153 appearances before joining Juventus in 2020 - and while he was initially a success in Turin, opportunities quickly dried up amid injury issues before he signed for Liverpool last summer.
