Category: Sports News

Formula One: McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo Launches One Car and Has Eyes on Another

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Daniel Ricciardo showed off McLaren’s new Formula One car on Monday but the Australian also had his eye on something from his boss’s private collection.

The 31-year-old, who joined teammate Lando Norris in pulling the wraps off the papaya and blue car in an online launch, has joined from Renault on a three-year contract and as a proven winner.

He stood on the podium twice last year, winning a bet that obliged then-Renault team boss Cyril Abiteboul to get a tattoo of his driver’s choice.

The inking has yet to happen, and Abiteboul has since left Renault, but Ricciardo’s thoughts have turned already to his new situation and what he might wager with McLaren chief executive Zak Brown.

“Only a couple of hours ago we were having some lunch with Zak and he mentioned something about him hating needles,” the Australian told reporters ahead of the presentation.

“So I can’t see the tattoo thing happening with Zak but we’ll think of something else. I know he’s got a pretty good car collection, so maybe we could just bet for one of his cars or something.”

Brown’s collection includes McLaren and Ferrari road cars, as well as Formula One cars raced by champions such as Mario Andretti and Arton Senna.

Ricciardo, winner of seven races with Red Bull, will be the senior driver alongside 21-year-old Norris who is starting his third season.

“I’m certainly the more experienced in F1, this being my 11th season, but actually in terms of McLaren, Lando is the more experienced,” said Ricciardo.

“For sure there’s some things I can learn from him, particularly within the team itself and integration into the McLaren family.

“Every time you have a new teammate it’s a real opportunity to learn something new, whether it’s work ethic or a driving technique. Or both.”

Norris suggested he would be doing more of the learning than Ricciardo.

“He knows what he needs to get out of a team, he knows what he wants, he knows how to speak to his engineers and get them to do what he wants,” said the Briton. “His experience of being in Formula One over-rides his lack of experience with McLaren.”



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Christian Horner Sees Max Verstappen as a Top Target for Mercedes

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Max Verstappen will be the top target for Mercedes once seven-times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton decides to retire, according to Red Bull boss Christian Horner. Asked on Monday whether he expected the champions to be “sniffing around” for his 23-year-old Dutch driver as a possible replacement for the Briton, Horner had no doubt they would be interested.

“I’m sure that should Lewis decide to stop, then Max will naturally be the driver at the top of the list. But they also have George Russell, they’ve also got other drivers available to them,” he told reporters.

Horner said ultimately it would come down to relationships and producing a winning car, with new rules and a fresh start for all in 2022. Mercedes will again start this year as favourites.

“Of course, as there has always been, there is an element of performance related to Max’s contract,” said the team boss, who described the relationship with Verstappen — winner of two races last year — as very strong.

“I’m confident that we won’t need to refer to any contractual clauses. It will ultimately be down to us to deliver a competitive car, that’s what he wants and that’s what we want.”

Red Bull announced on Monday that they will take on departing Honda’s technology and run their own engines from 2022.

Horner said Verstappen believed in the project and could see the investment Red Bull were making.

Hamilton has signed only a one-year extension to his contract with Mercedes, triggering speculation that the 36-year-old may walk away at the end of a year that could bring him a record eighth title.

Verstappen is under contract at Red Bull until 2023 but much will depend on the team’s performance meeting his expectations.

The youngster finished third overall last year, best of the rest after Hamilton and Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas, and has won 10 of his 119 races to date.

Britain’s Russell, the 2018 Formula Two champion, races for Williams but has a long-term Mercedes contract and stood in for Hamilton in Bahrain last year when his compatriot tested positive for COVID-19.



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Formula One Driver Fernando Alonso Leaves Hospital after Cycling Crash

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Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso has left the hospital following surgery on his jaw, Alpine F1 said Monday. Alonso fractured his jaw in a cycling accident in Switzerland on Thursday.

After a period of 48 hours observation at hospital in Switzerland, Fernando Alonso has now been discharged to complete his recovery at home, the team wrote on Twitter. He will now have a short period of complete rest before progressively resuming training to undertake preparation for the start of the season.

Preseason testing begins at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on March 12. The first race will be held at the same venue on March 28.

The 39-year-old Spaniard has won 32 F1 races, with 97 podium finishes. He is due to make his comeback in F1 after retiring at the end of the 2018 season.

“I’m ok and looking forward to getting 2021 underway,” Alonso wrote on Twitter on Friday after the team said he would be fully “operational” for the start of the season.

Alonso won his titles in 2005 and 2006 with Renault, which was re-branded as Alpine for 2021.



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Red Bull to Use Honda-based Formula One Engines from 2022

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Red Bull have formed their own powertrain company and will continue to race from 2022 with engines using Honda technology, the Formula One team said on Monday. Honda, who are engine partners to Red Bull Racing and Italy-based sister team AlphaTauri, announced last year they would be leaving the sport as a power unit manufacturer at the end of 2021 to focus on zero-emission technology.

Monday’s announcement comes after Formula One teams and manufacturers agreed last week to “freeze” power unit development from the start of 2022. The agreement with Honda covers the duration of the freeze, which will run until the sport introduces the next generation of power units in 2025.

“We were understandably disappointed when Honda made the decision to leave the sport as an engine manufacturer…but we are grateful for their support in facilitating this new agreement,” said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. “Honda has invested significantly in hybrid technology to ensure the supply of competitive power units to both teams.”

Red Bull Powertrains Limited will be based at the Red Bull factory in Milton Keynes, England.

Both Red Bull-owned teams won races last year and Honda, who have restored their reputation after a dismal previous stint with McLaren, have promised to develop their engines further before they depart.

Red Bull are hoping to make a serious title challenge to Mercedes’s long domination of the V6 turbo hybrid era this year with Dutch youngster Max Verstappen and experienced Mexican Sergio Perez.

AlphaTauri have Frenchman Pierre Gasly, who won at Monza last year, and Honda-backed Japanese rookie Yuki Tsunoda in their lineup.

The engine freeze was a vital part of the puzzle for the former champions, who had said they would not have been able to afford the costs of continuing to develop the Honda power unit to stay competitive.

The alternative would have been Renault, whose engines powered Red Bull to four successive drivers’ and constructors’ championships with Sebastian Vettel from 2010-13 at the end of the V8 era.

Red Bull fell out with Renault before switching to Honda engines for 2019 and were reluctant to go back to the French manufacturer, who supply only their own team and would have capacity.

The move means Formula One will still have four different engines competing next year — Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Red Bull’s.

“The establishment of Red Bull Powertrains Limited is a bold move by Red Bull but it is one we have made after careful and detailed consideration,” said Red Bull’s motorsport adviser Helmut Marko in a statement.



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Working Hard to be Part of Hockey Team for Olympics, Says Dilpreet Singh

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Indian hockey forward Dilpreet Singh, who has been training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre here as part of the men’s senior core probable group, is eyeing to make the cut in the final 16 who will represent the country at the Tokyo Olympics, slated to begin in July.

The 21-year-old striker has said that due to lack of major competitions in the Covid-19 pandemic-affected 2020, he’s taking each training session as an opportunity to make a strong case for a spot in the Olympics squad.

“We don’t want to be worrying about factors that are not in our control. I don’t want to wait until I get an opportunity to play a match for India to make a strong case for myself but make the most of the opportunity I am getting here at the camp to showcase my skills and prove my worth. We are giving 100 per cent in each and every training session,” said Dilpreet.

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“I have been working on my technical game. I have improved on my finishing. Watching senior players play and spending time with them, helps younger players gain confidence and of course, improve our game. We ask senior players for tips and guidance, and they have been helpful to us throughout,” he added.

Dilpreet, who was a part of the silver medal winning and bronze medal winning teams at the Champions Trophy 2018 and the Asian Games 2018 respectively, returned to the junior core group after the 2018 World Cup.

Speaking about the omission, the Amritsar lad said, “I was quite upset with myself because I have been a part of almost all the major tournaments, and I was eager to feature in the Olympics as well. But, omission from the senior core group hit me hard and made me realise I had thrown away the golden opportunity and had to work harder.”

However a year later after performing well in the junior core probables, Dilpreet was called back for the Pro League tie against World Champions Belgium.

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“I started from scratch. I trained really hard in the junior camp to at least make a place in the senior team. I used to shadow each, and every drill done by the senior team. I was in constant touch with senior players for that, I asked them for guidance, and finally in 2020, I was back in the core group for the FIH Hockey Pro League,” he said.

“Postponement of the Olympics gave players like myself an opportunity to improve and make the most out of the situation. Team selection is not in my hands, I am focused on giving my 100 per cent on the field and improve day-by-day,” he added.

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25 Players Called Up for Indian Hockey Women’s National Camp

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Hockey India has named the 25-member core probable group for the senior women’s national coaching camp as part of the team’s preparations for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

After a two-week break following their Argentina Tour, the core group will assemble at the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Bengaluru on Sunday and will undergo mandatory quarantine.

The 25-member probable list includes goalkeepers Savita, Rajani Etimarpu and Bichu Devi Kharibam. The defenders selected for the camp include Deep Grace Ekka, Reena Khokhar, Salima Tete, Manpreet Kaur, Gurjit Kaur and Nisha.

Nikki Pradhan, Monika, Neha, Lilima Minz, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam and Namita Toppo are the midfielders called-up for the camp while forwards Rani, Lalremsiami, Vandana Katariya, Navjot Kaur, Navneet Kaur, Rajwinder Kaur, Jyoti, Sharmila Devi, Udita, Rashmita Minz will also report.

In January, the group had set out on their first tour in over 12 months and despite not registering a win on the tour, chief coach Sjoerd Marjine was happy with the effort put in by his team against the World No.2 side.

“Considering this was our first tour after a year-long break due to the pandemic, I am quite pleased with the way the team performed. We improved match-by-match and this is a positive step in our preparations for the Olympic Games. Basis this performance, we will be planning the next steps that needs improvement and will be focusing on those areas during this camp,” Marijne said.

“While we are in quarantine, we will make use of this time to analyse in detail every single match we played in Argentina. Each player will be tasked with an assignment to present to the team the areas they need to improve upon. What I am particularly happy about with this team is that they are vocal about the changes they want to make in their performance. They accept criticism and are able to move on with determination to improve,” he added.

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India Colts Begin Training for Junior Asia Cup Hockey

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With their focus on the men’s junior Asia Cup, India colts began training on Saturday following a week-long quarantine.

The 37-member junior men’s core group reported to SAI, Bengaluru on February 6 and underwent mandatory quarantine followed by an RTPCR swab test before resuming training from Saturday.

“The focus of this camp will be to improve our fitness, speed and create some match-scenarios to be best prepared for the Asia Cup,” expressed coach BJ Kariappa.

“Since the senior men’s core group is also housed in the same campus, we want to make the most of their presence here and will plan a few sessions where the junior players can get some match-practice against them,” he added.

The junior men’s core probable list includes goalkeepers Pawan, Prasant Kumar Chauhan and Sahil Kumar Nayak while the defenders called up are Sanjay, Cyril Lugun, Nabin Kujur, Sunil Jojo, Dinachandra Singh Moirangthem, Niraj Kumar Waribam, Shardanand Tiwari and Abhishek Lakra.

The midfielders selected for the national camp includes Gregory Xess, Sukhman Singh, Maninder Singh, Gopi Kumar Sonkar, Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem, Akashdeep Singh, Yashdeep Siwach, Ankit Pal, Vishnu Kant Singh, Mareeswaran Sakthivel, Surya NM, Darshan Vibhav Gawkar and Gurmukh Singh.

Among forwards Amandeep, Rahul Kumar Rajbhar, Boby Singh Dhami, Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Anand, Sudeep Chirmako, Mohd Sadiq, Uttam Singh, S Karthi, Manjeet, Diljeet Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal and Prabhjot Singh have been called up for the camp.

“With the mandatory quarantine period completed, we have begun training from today onwards and the players are all upbeat to make the most of this national coaching camp,” Kariappa said.

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Formula One: Fernando Alonso Has Successful Operation on Fractured Jaw, Alpine F1 Confirm

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Spanish Formula One driver Fernando Alonso underwent an operation for a fractured jaw and will remain under observation for the next two days following a road accident while cycling in Switzerland, his Alpine team said on Friday.

The 39-year-old double world champion, who was involved in the accident on Thursday, is due to make his Formula One comeback this season after two years out of the sport.

“Following his cycling accident yesterday Fernando Alonso was kept under observation in a hospital in Switzerland,” a team statement said.

“Medics discovered a fracture in his upper jaw and conducted a successful corrective operation. The attending medical team are satisfied with his progress.

“Fernando will remain under observation in hospital for a further 48 hours.”

Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper reported on Thursday that the Spaniard, a keen cycling fan, had been hit by a car while training on his bike near his home in Lugano.

Alpine, formerly known as Renault and renamed after the French manufacturer’s sportscar brand, said they expected Alonso “to be fully operational to undertake preparation for the season”.

The Formula One championship is due to begin in Bahrain on March 28, with pre-season testing in the Gulf kingdom from March 12-14.

Alonso, who took his titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006 and has won 32 Grand Prix, last raced in Formula One with McLaren in 2018.



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Formula One: Fernando Alonso Recovering after Cycling Accident, Alpine F1 Confirm

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Formula One driver Fernando Alonso is recovering from a cycling accident in Switzerland, his team Alpine F1 said Thursday.

Alpine said Alonso was involved in a road accident but did not give further details.

Fernando is conscious and well in himself and is awaiting further medical examinations tomorrow morning, the team said in a statement. Alpine F1 Team will not make any further statement at this point in time. Further updates will be given tomorrow (Friday).

The 39-year-old Spaniard has won 32 F1 races, with 97 podium finishes. He is returning to F1 this year after retiring at the end of his final season with McLaren in 2018.

Alonso won his two world titles with French manufacturer Renault, which was re-branded as Alpine for 2021.

Preseason testing begins at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir on March 12 and the first race will also be held there on March 28.



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Portugal Set to Take Vacant Slot on Formula One Calendar in May

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Portugal’s Algarve circuit is set to return to the Formula One calendar this season, taking the vacant slot left by Vietnam on May 2. The BBC and Sky Sports television said teams would be told officially at a meeting of the Formula One commission on Thursday that the third round of the season would be in Portugal.

Sources told Reuters the news, first reported by motorsport.com, was correct.

The Algarve circuit near Portimao hosted a grand prix for the first time last October on a heavily revised calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The return would have been confirmed last month but that was thrown into doubt by the country seeing a spike in cases and imposing a nationwide lockdown.

Bahrain, which opens the season on March 28, could have hosted two successive races if the plans for Portugal had been cancelled.

The Portuguese Grand Prix will be on the weekend before the Spanish round at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.

That would mean the mostly British-based teams would stay abroad, avoiding the need for a period of hotel quarantine that would arise under present rules if they returned directly from Portugal.

Portugal is on Britain’s ‘red list’ of countries with a heightened risk.

Formula One personnel have to undergo regular testing during the season, with teams operating in protective ‘bubbles’ at racetracks.

New F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said last week that the sport still aimed for a record 23 races this year after holding just 17 last season.



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