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Max Verstappen takes dominant win for Red Bull

Published

9 months ago

March 2, 2024

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sent out a chilling message to his Formula 1 rivals with a crushing victory in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

He brushed off controversy surrounding his team principal Christian Horner to dominate after a brief challenge at the start from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen led team-mate Sergio Perez home ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

Leclerc recovered from dropping to fifth early on to pass Mercedes’ George Russell for fourth in the closing laps.

The weekend in Bahrain had been dominated by Horner, who has been at the centre of a complaint of inappropriate behaviour from a female employee for the last month.

On Wednesday, the day before the on-track action started, Red Bull’s head office announced that the grievance had been dismissed.

An email containing a cache of messages purporting to involve Horner was sent to Formula 1 personnel and media less than 24 hours later.

After qualifying, Verstappen was asked twice whether he had full confidence in Horner as Red Bull team principal, and both times declined to give a definitive reply.

Horner’s wife, the former Spice Girl Horner, flew into Bahrain for the race, as the pair made what appeared to be a studied and calculated appearance for the cameras.

Red Bull’s main shareholder, the Thai businessman Chalerm Yoovidhya, also flew in for the race to offer public support for Horner. Yoovidhya declined to answer BBC Sport’s questions before the race.

Horner was asked before the grand prix by BBC 5 live pit-lane reporter Rosanna Tennant whether the messages were genuine and replied that he “couldn’t comment on messages from an anonymous sender”.

Verstappen, meanwhile, admitted after taking pole that Horner had been “of course a little bit distracted” but said that the controversy was “not our business” and that he was “focused on the performance”. And what a performance it was.

Total dominance from Verstappen

Verstappen went into the race as a strong favourite, after winning a closer-than-expected battle for pole position with Leclerc.

The three-time champion suffered a little wheelspin in the second phase of his start, which allowed the Ferrari driver to challenge on the outside at the first corner.

But Leclerc backed out on the exit and that was the end of the race for victory.

Verstappen pulled away from his pursuers at an average of around 0.8 seconds a lap to take total control of the race on his way to his 55th grand prix victory.

The race was all behind him, as Leclerc struggled in the early laps, frequently locking his front brakes, and coming under pressure from behind.

First Russell passed him, then Perez and Sainz.

Perez closed on Russell but had to wait until after their first pit stops to take second place behind Verstappen on lap 14, Sainz following him through four laps later.

Sainz kept Perez honest, but the Mexican was able to fend off the Spaniard to secure second place and a perfect start to the the season for the world champions.

After the first pit stops, Leclerc’s struggles reduced. He recovered some pace through the second stint, and after his final stop he closed in on Russell to challenge to Mercedes for fourth place.

Leclerc took the position after Russell locked his front brakes into Turn 10 on lap 46, as the Ferrari driver had done regularly when he was struggling in the first stint, and Leclerc was able to slip by along the straight to Turn 11.

McLaren’s Lando Norris was sixth ahead Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took eighth, with the Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completing the points finishers in ninth and 10th.

Author

Ambrose Ijeh

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Local News

‘We’ll Crush Super Eagles To 2026 World Cup Ticket’ – South Africa Coach Vows

Published

9 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Ambrose Ijeh

South African Coach Confident Of Beating Nigeria to 2026 World Cup ticket

South Africa’s head coach, Hugo Broos, is optimistic about his side’s chances of securing the 2026 World Cup ticket ahead of Nigeria and other contenders in Group C, as reported by Soccernet.

The Bafana Bafana currently sit second in Group C with seven points, trailing leaders Rwanda only on goal difference.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Super Eagles sit in a disappointing fifth place with three points, four behind South Africa, with six games left in the qualifying series.

Broos, whose side topped Group K in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers for Morocco 2025, believes South Africa’s recent form gives them the edge.

Reflecting on their progress, he remarked: “It doesn’t mean that we have to now think that we are where we have to be. No. But little by little we are becoming a very good team.”

He continued: “That will give us the confidence that we need for the next thing we have to do, which is qualify for the World Cup.Nigerian football souvenirs

“But I’m confident that we can do it. I think, if SA can qualify for the World Cup it is now because we have quality; we have a good team. We can do it. But we still have to do it.”

South Africa’s Bafana have not lost a match since their semifinal exit against Nigeria at the Cote d’Ivoire 2023 AFCON.

In their last World Cup qualifier, they drew 1-1 with Nigeria in Uyo, a game where they nearly claimed all three points.

Broos plans to capitalise on South Africa’s AFCON momentum to navigate the World Cup qualifiers.

The coach expects to collect maximum points in their next matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, believing this will secure their ticket.

For Nigeria, the road ahead is challenging. The Super Eagles must win all their remaining fixtures while relying on other teams in the group to disrupt South Africa’s campaign.

The qualifiers resume in March 2025, with South Africa hosting Lesotho and Nigeria traveling to Rwanda.

Author

Ambrose Ijeh

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Local News

Victor Boniface Suffers Injury Setback

Published

10 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Ambrose Ijeh

According to SCORENigeria report, Victor Boniface suffered a thigh injury during a final 2025 AFCON qualifier against Rwanda in Uyo.

It was further revealed that the striker could now be sidelined for a couple of weeks on account of this latest injury setback.

‘Boni’ was long heralded as a valuable addition to the Super Eagles after his exploits for history-making German Bundesliga club Leverkusen last season.

However, he suffered a major abductor injury leading up to the delayed 2023 AFCON earlier this year in Cote d’Ivoire.

He subsequently missed the tournament and was sidelined for over three months after undergoing surgery.

The 23-year-old striker has come under heavy fire after he failed to open his goals account despite the opportunities and support he has enjoyed from coach Augustine Eguavoen.

He made his long-awaited Super Eagles debut in September 2023, but has yet to score for the country in 11 appearances.

Author

Ambrose Ijeh

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Oshoala Missing As Ajibade, Nnadozie Make Nominees’ List For CAF Award

Published

18 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Ambrose Ijeh

Oshoala Missing As Ajibade, Nnadozie Make Nominees' List For CAF Award

Two Super Falcons stars, Chiamaka Nnadozie and Rasheedat Ajibade, have earned nominations for the 2024 CAF Women’s Player of the Year award.

The recognition follows their outstanding performances for both club and country between January and October, stamping their places among Africa’s best talents in the women’s category.

For the first time in years, reigning champion Asisat Oshoala, a multiple-time winner of the prestigious award, has missed out on a nomination.

The former Barcelona Femeni forward, who claimed the title last year, has been a dominant figure in the category since 2022.

Nigeria’s standout goalkeeper, Nnadozie, has been in phenomenal form. She played a crucial role for the Super Falcons during the 2024 Olympic qualifiers and the main tournament, earning her a chance to win the Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second consecutive time.Nigerian football memorabilia

Her heroics also extended to her club, Paris FC, where she helped the French side reach the group stage of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Ajibade, on the other hand, has been a pivotal figure for Atlético Madrid and the Super Falcons. The forward was instrumental in securing Nigeria’s qualification for the 2024 Olympics after a 16-year absence.

At her club, she delivered consistently, winning Player of the Month awards in March and September, which further reveal her impact.Nigerian football memorabilia

The 2024 CAF Awards ceremony will take place on December 16 in Morocco, where Africa’s finest footballers will be celebrated.

Nnadozie and Ajibade will face tough competition from other nominees in the Women’s Player of the Year category, including:

Sandrine Niyonkuru (Burundi / FC Masar)
Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi / Olympique Lyonnais)
Temwa Chawinga (Malawi / Kansas City)
Sanaa Mssoudy (Morocco / AS FAR)
Jermaine Seoposenwe (South Africa / Monterrey)
Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa / Tigres UANL)
Barbara Banda (Zambia / Orlando Pride)
Racheal Kundananji (Zambia / Bay FC)