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The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Motor racing-Verstappen assures Red Bull he will always deliver
Formula One F1 - Belgian Grand Prix - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium - July 26, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen reacts after winning the sprint race REUTERS/Yves Herman SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (Reuters) -Max Verstappen said Red Bull could always count on him, as the four-times Formula One champion gave new team boss Laurent Mekies a winning start in a Saturday sprint at the Belgian Grand Prix. The race was the first since Christian Horner, who led Red Bull into Formula One in 2005, was dismissed by the team's owners. Verstappen seized the lead on the opening lap from second at the start and kept McLaren's Oscar Piastri behind him to secure his and the team's first win of any sort since Imola in May. While worth only eight points, the victory was a significant statement after the recent restructure at the Milton Keynes factory. "The team can always count on me. They will always get my very best, whoever is in charge. They know that. I'm never holding back or anything," Verstappen told reporters. "I'm always trying to give them the best possible result, and that's also what they pay me for. For sure, it's positive. We need, of course, positive energy, and that's a great start for us." Verstappen said it was too early to talk about further changes to be made at Red Bull and Mekies needed to build relationships and see how the team operated. "Then at one point, you come to conclusions and maybe you want to change something, and this is something that will happen over the coming weeks, months," he said. "So, it's really early days, but so far, he's very keen and very motivated, and that's exactly what you want also. I got on very well with him. So, yeah, it's been a very good start." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)


The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Motor racing-Verstappen wins Red Bull's first race since Horner's exit
Formula One F1 - Belgian Grand Prix - Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium - July 26, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates winning the sprint race REUTERS/Yves Herman SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (Reuters) -Formula One champion Max Verstappen won the Belgian Grand Prix sprint on Saturday in Red Bull's first race under the new leadership of Laurent Mekies following Christian Horner's dismissal. McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri finished second, after starting on pole position, with the Australian increasing his advantage over teammate Lando Norris, who was third, to nine points. Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari with Haas's Esteban Ocon fifth and Carlos Sainz sixth for Williams. Haas's Oliver Bearman and Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar completed the scoring positions. Qualifying for Sunday's main grand prix at Spa-Francorchamps followed later on Saturday. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by...)


The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Swimming-Excited Marchand relishing reduced schedule in pursuit of medley record
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Leon Marchand is hoping a scaled-back schedule will give him a shot at taking out Ryan Lochte's long-standing world record in the 200 metres individual medley when the world championships begin in Singapore on Sunday. The Frenchman was the standout performer in the pool at last year's Olympics, winning the 200 metres and 400 metres individual medley plus the 200 metres butterfly and 200 metres breaststroke in Paris, but will be swimming a reduced programme over the coming eight days of competition. Marchand will not participate in the butterfly or breaststroke events, leaving the 23-year-old better rested to potentially break Lochte's 14-year-old record. "I think this is a transition year for me so I wanted to have a lighter schedule than usual," Marchand told the media on Saturday. "I wanted to focus on the 200 IM and the 400 IM and the relays with the French team. "I'm really excited to do less than usual, just to see how far can I go, how fast can I go in the 200 IM. "I've always done the 200 IM as a race before, the same as the rest, so it'll be fun (to have) a lighter schedule. "I'm just not used to starting on the Wednesday instead of the first day, which is good because I can finally cheer for my teammates." Marchand won gold in the 200 metres and 400 metres IM events at the 2022 and 2023 world championships and is the current world record holder in the longer of the medley events. Lochte's world record in the 200 metres individual medley has stood since July 2011, with Marchand swimming just six-hundredths of a second slower than the American's 1 minute 54.00 second mark when he won Olympic gold last year. "I'm excited for the Worlds. I want to be close to my (personal bests) in every single one of my races," said Marchand. "Of course, I want to break world records in the next few years. I don't know when that's going to happen. I still have a lot to do in the swimming world." (Reporting by Travis Teo; Writing by Michael Church, Editing by Jacqueline Wong)