Author: quyen1

Tyson Fury believes 19-year-old British starlet Moses Itauma is the next big thing.

As Fury, Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk near the end of their careers, the debate over who will reign supreme among the next generation of heavyweight stars intensifies.

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Itauma is one of Fury’s sparring partnersCredit: Instagram – Tyson Fury
Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Bakhodir Jalolov and American standout Jared Anderson are often the two names that get mentioned most in that conversation.

But Fury is backing promising British prospect Itauma to make it to the top of the pile once he eventually hangs up his gloves.

Taking to Instagram, Fury wrote: “@m.itauma (Moses Itauma) is the future of the heavyweight division.”

Itauma is undoubtedly one of the most exciting up-and-comers in British boxing right now.

The Chatham-based boxer’s explosive all-action style has led to him being branded ‘Britain’s Mike Tyson’ in the national press while Itauma has eyes firmly set on breaking ‘Iron Mike’s’ record as the youngest heavyweight champion of all time.

He told The Mirror: “I want to become the youngest heavyweight world champion since Mike Tyson who was 20 years old.

“I need to take small steps but also ensure that I step up the tasks very quickly. I want to do short steps but not too much with them.

“Youngest ever world heavyweight champion is in my mid-term goals but it is something that I can believe I can achieve before 2025.

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Itauma has been compared to Tyson in the national pressCredit: Getty
“It is not what I am thinking about right of this second, but I want to let that come once I have grown as a professional. I have gone from not having any press at all to this and it is crazy.

“I am in the right place because Frank Warren has all the other big heavyweights at the moment so I think I have a bright future.”

Since turning over as a professional at the age of 18, the teenage sensation has won all seven of his pro bouts, including five by way of first-round knockout.

It took him just 23 seconds to blast out Marcel Bode in his pro debut and 35 seconds to dispatch Ramon Alberto Ibarra to double his tally.

In the amateurs it was a similar story. Itauma remained undefeated at 24-0 and picked up gold at the Youth European and World Championships.

His stellar skills have led to him being used as a sparring partner for the likes of Joe Joyce, Joshua and Fury.

Most recently, he was drafted into Fury’s camp ahead of ‘The Gypsy King’s’ inaugural February fight date with Usyk to emulate the Ukrainian slickster’s style.

Itauma returns to the ring on Friday at York Hall in Bethnal Green, London on the Chris Bourke vs Ashley Lane undercard.

He faces Dan Garber (6-2) in what, at least on paper, looks to be his toughest test to date.

The historic fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999 is coming up this spring.

The rivals agreed to meet in the ring earlier this year but the clash had to be postponed due to an injury suffered by Fury.

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Fury vs Usyk is ready to finally take centre-stage this May
The Gypsy King endured a ‘freak cut’ during a sparring session just two weeks before the bout was scheduled to take place.

This meant Fury and Usyk’s highly-anticipated bout for the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF titles could no longer happen because the injury required stitches.

Usyk’s camp had been left with the impression it would be ‘several months’ before the Brit was ready to reschedule.

However, a new date is in the diary, which is great for all fans who have waited so long for this fight.

Fury vs Usyk: Date and start time

This 12-round undisputed heavyweight title clash will take place on Saturday, May 18.

The huge bout will be held at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Start times and additional details are expected to be announced in due course, but the undercard is expected to get underway at 6pm UK time, with main event ringwalks around 11pm.

The event will be broadcast live on TNT Sports Box Office and Sky Sports PPV.

talkSPORT will have updates throughout fight week and talkSPORT.com will be running a live blog of all the action as well.

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All the heavyweight belts will be on the line when Usyk and Fury clashCredit: Top Rank

Oleksandr Usyk shows off indestructible abs during brutal training drill as he prepares to fight Tyson Fury

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Fury and Usyk are finally going to face each other after months of negotiationsCredit: Getty

Fury vs Usyk: Undercard

Subject to change

MAIN EVENT: Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk – for WBA, WBO, IBO and IBF heavyweight titles
Joe Cordina vs Anthony Cacace – for IBF and IBO super-featherweight titles
Jai Opetaia vs Mairis Briedis – for vacant IBF cruiserweight title
Sergey Kovalev vs Robin Sirwan Safar
Isaac Lowe vs Hasibullah Ahmadi
Bakhodir Jalolov vs TBA
Moses Itauma vs TBA
David Nyika vs TBA

Fury vs Usyk: What has been said?

Tony Bellew doesn’t believe that Fury can beat Usyk.

The Brit said: “I don’t think anybody beats Oleksandr Usyk.

“I don’t think anybody beats him. I said it many many moons ago. I think now [Fury] has a puncher’s chance, but he isn’t a big puncher, to be honest.

“The craziest part about it is, I think when Fury was with his uncle, I do think he beats him but his style has changed, and now, he’s an aggressive counter-puncher and that isn’t going to work against Usyk.

“I think he’s [Fury] a brilliant fighter, take nothing away from him, what he’s done for the heavyweight division is amazing, but I think Oleksandr Usyk is the best heavyweight in the world.”

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Fury cut his eye during a sparring session after an elbow

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Fury has been spotted in Saudi Arabia ahead of his bout with UsykCredit: Getty
Fury’s ex-promoter Mick Hennessy also believes that the Brit’s unbeaten record will come to an end at Usyk’s hands.

Speaking to talkSPORT, he said: “I think for big heavyweights, modern-day heavyweights, I think a lot of the time, their kryptonite is lateral movement.

“Very quick cruiserweights, that have come up who’ve got that athleticism.

“On top of that he’s also southpaw, he’s a real chess player isn’t he? I think Usyk [will win].”

Fury v Usyk: Betting Odds

Tyson Fury – 4/5

Draw – 14/1

Oleksandr Usyk – 1/1

Odds Correct as of 08/03/2024

See all Boxing betting odds at talkSPORT BET

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The 2024 boxing calendar is already filled with some fantastic fights.

The heavyweight division will see some exciting action in the coming months as the huge undisputed showdown between Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk will finally take place on May 18.

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Fury vs Usyk is on the horizon, with Joshua wanting the winner
Here is a list of the major fights scheduled for early 2024…

March 29, Arizona, USA – Bob Arum’s Top Rank

📺 Sky Sports // 📺 ESPN+

Oscar Valdez vs Liam Wilson (Super-Featherweight)

March 30, Las Vegas, USA – Al Haymon’s PBC

📺 Amazon Prime // 📺 Amazon Prime PPV

Tim Tszyu vs Sebastian Fundora (WBC and WBO Super-Welterweight World Titles)
Rolly Romero vs Isaac Cruz (WBA Super-Lightweight World Title)

March 30, California, USA – Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy
📺 DAZN // 📺 DAZN

Arsen Goulamirian vs Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez (WBA Cruiserweight World Title)

March 31, London, UK – Ben Shalom’s BOXXER

📺 Sky Sports // 📺 Peacock

📻 LIVE on talkSPORT

Fabio Wardley vs Frazer Clarke (British & Commonwealth Heavyweight Titles)
Ben Whittaker vs Leon Willings (Light-Heavyweight)
Viddal Riley vs Mikael Lawal (English Cruiserweight Title)
Florian Marku vs Chris Kongo (Welterweight)

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Wardley vs Clarke will be live on talkSPORT
April 6, Las Vegas, USA – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom
📺 DAZN // 📺 DAZN

Richardson Hitchins vs Gustavo Daniel Lemos (Super-Lightweight)

April 13, Manchester, UK – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom
📺 DAZN // 📺 DAZN

Jordan Gill vs Zelfa Barrett (Super-Featherweight)

April 13, Texas, USA – Bob Arum’s Top Rank

📺 Sky Sports // 📺 ESPN

Jared Anderson vs Ryad Merhy (Heavyweight)

April 20, New York, USA – Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy

📺 DAZN // 📺 DAZN PPV

Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia (WBC Super-Lightweight World Title)

April 20, Bangkok, Thailand – Promoter TBC

📺 None Confirmed // 📺 None Confirmed

Manny Pacquiao vs Buakaw Banchamek (Exhibition)

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Haney vs Garcia is set for April 20Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom

April 27, Fresno, California – Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy

📺 DAZN // 📺 DAZN

Jose Ramirez vs Rances Barthelemy (Super-Lightweight)
Vergil Ortiz vs Thomas Dulorme (Super-Welterweight)

May 4, Las Vegas, USA – Al Haymon’s PBC

📺 None Confirmed // 📺 Amazon Prime PPV and DAZN PPV

Canelo Alvarez vs Jaime Munguia (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO Super-Middleweight World Titles)

May 6, Tokyo Dome, Japan – Akihiko Honda’s Teiken

📺 Sky Sports // 📺 ESPN+

Naoya Inoue vs Luis Nery (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO Super-Bantamweight World Titles)

May 11, Cardiff, Wales – Ben Shalom’s BOXXER

📺 Sky Sports // 📺 Peacock

Jessica McCaskill vs Lauren Price (WBA Welterweight World Title)

May 11, Australia – Bob Arum’s Top Rank

📺 Sky Sports // 📺 ESPN+

Vasyl Lomachenko vs George Kambosos (IBF Lightweight World Title)

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Lomachenko is coming back in a world title fightCredit: Getty
May 18, San Diego, USA – Bob Arum’s Top Rank

📺 Sky Sports // 📺 ESPN+

 Emanuel Navarrete vs Denys Berinchyk (WBO Lightweight World Title)

May 18, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season
📺 TNT, DAZN, Sky PPV // 📺 DAZN PPV

Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO Heavyweight World Titles)

May 24, Rzeszow, Poland – Andrzej Wasilewski’s KnockOut

📺 Sky Sports // 📺 Peacock

Lukasz Rozanski vs Lawrence Okolie (WBC Bridgerweight World Title)

May 25, Leeds, UK – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom
📺 DAZN // 📺 DAZN

Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall 2 (Super-Lightweight)

June 1, California, USA – Fanmio

📺 Fanmio PPV // 📺 Fanmio PPV

Nate Diaz vs Jorge Masvidal (Light-Heavyweight)

July 20, Texas, USA – Jake Paul’s MVP

📺 Netflix // 📺 Netflix

Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson (Heavyweight, Possibly Exhibition)

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Paul vs Tyson is happeningCredit: Netflix

Results

January 6, Las Vegas, USA – Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy

📺 DAZN // 📺 DAZN

Vergil Ortiz TKO1 Fredrick Lawson (Super-Welterweight)
Ohara Davies TKO1 Ismael Barroso (WBA ‘Interim’ Super-Lightweight Belt)

January 13, Quebec City, Canada – Bob Arum’s Top Rank

📺 Sky Sports // 📺 ESPN

Artur Beterbiev TKO7 Callum Smith (WBC, IBF and WBO Light-Heavyweight World Titles)

January 20, Liverpool, UK – Ben Shalom’s BOXXER

📺 Sky Sports // 📺 Peacock

Natasha Jonas SD Mikaela Mayer (IBF Welterweight World Title)

January 23, Japan – Akihiko Honda’s Teiken

📺 None Confirmed // 📺 None Confirmed

Kenshiro Teraji MD Carlos Canizales (WBA & WBC Light-Flyweight World Titles)

January 27, Arizona, USA – Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy
📺 DAZN // 📺 DAZN

Jaime Munguia TKO9 John Ryder (Super-Middleweight)

February 3, London, UK – Ben Shalom’s BOXXER

📺 Sky Sports // 📺 Peacock

Joshua Buatsi UD Dan Azeez (European and British Light-Heavyweight Title)
Adam Azim TKO5 Enock Poulsen (European Super-Lightweight Title)

February 3, Las Vegas, USA – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom

📺 DAZN // 📺 DAZN

Conor Benn UD Peter Dobson (Welterweight)

February 8, Las Vegas, USA – Bob Arum’s Top Rank

📺 Sky Sports // 📺 ESPN

Teofimo Lopez UD Jamaine Ortiz (WBO Super-Lightweight World Title)
Keyshawn Davis TKO6 Jose Pedraza (Lightweight)

February 10, London, UK – Frank Warren’s Queensberry
📺 TNT Sports // 📺 None Confirmed

Hamzah Sheeraz TKO1 Liam Williams (Middleweight)

February 16, New York, USA – Bob Arum’s Top Rank

📺 None Confirmed // 📺 ESPN

O’Shaquie Foster SD Abraham Nova (WBC Super-Featherweight World Title)

February 24, Tokyo, Japan – Akihiko Honda’s Teiken

📺 None Confirmed // 📺 None Confirmed

Junto Nakatani TKO6 Alexandro Santiago (WBC Bantamweight World Title)
Takuma Inoue KO9 Jerwin Ancajas (WBA Bantamweight World Title)
Kosei Tanaka UD Christian Bacasegua (WBO Super-Flyweight World Title)

February 24, Florida, USA – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom
📺 DAZN // 📺 DAZN

Edgar Berlanga KO6 Padraig McCrory (Super-Middleweight)

March 2, Puerto Rico – Jake Paul’s MVP

📺 DAZN // 📺 DAZN

Jake Paul TKO1 Ryan Bourland (Cruiserweight)

March 2, New York, USA – Bob Arum’s Top Rank

📺 Sky Sports // 📺 ESPN+

Raymond Ford TKO12 Otabek Kholmatov (WBA Featherweight World Title)
Luis Alberto Lopez TKO8 Reiya Abe (IBF Featherweight World Title)

March 8, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Turki Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season
📺 DAZN, Sky PPV // 📺 DAZN PPV

Anthony Joshua KO2 Francis Ngannou (Heavyweight)
Joseph Parker MD Zhilei Zhang (WBO ‘Interim’ Heavyweight Belt)
Rey Vargas SD (Draw) Nick Ball (WBC Featherweight World Title)
Israil Madrimov TKO5 Magomed Kurbanov (WBA Super-Welterweight World Title)

March 16, Birmingham, UK – Frank Warren’s Queensberry

📺 TNT Sports // 📺 None Confirmed

Nathan Heaney SD (Draw) Brad Pauls (British Middleweight Title)
Joe Joyce TKO10 Kash Ali (Heavyweight)
Liam Davies TKO2 Erik Robles Ayala (Super-Bantamweight)

March 16, Las Vegas, USA – Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy
📺 DAZN // 📺 DAZN

William Zepeda TKO4 Maxi Hughes (Lightweight)

March 23, Sheffield, UK – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom
📺 DAZN // 📺 DAZN

Dalton Smith KO5 Jose Zepeda (Super-Lightweight)
Sandy Ryan TKO4 Terri Harper (WBO Welterweight World Title)

Credits: IMAGO PanoramiC

There is reportedly turmoil going on in the Red Bull camp over the last few months. As per reports, the rift in the team began after Christian Horner attempted to remove Helmut Marko from the side. Just as such reports emerged, some others leaked the escape clause that Max Verstappen has in his current contract. Reports claim that the Dutchman can leave the team if Marko exits the side. However, it is pertinent to note that Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, has no such clause. The Mexican himself confirmed the same in his most recent press conference in Melbourne.

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During the press conference, Perez said, “I don’t have this clause.” Subsequently, the Mexican driver was also pushed to open up about the contractual details of Max Verstappen.

Responding to that, Perez said, “I don’t know what clause Max has in his contract. You have to ask him. Max has a contract with the team and is fully committed. I can’t comment on the rest. It’s none of my business.”

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After making it clear that he had no say over Max Verstappen’s contractual commitments, Perez revealed that when it comes to his decisions, he himself makes them. The 34-year-old then shed some light on how the Dutchman’s potential departure from the team could affect the harmony within the camp.

Sergio Perez believes Red Bull will suffer a “blow” if Max Verstappen departs

In the same interview, Sergio Perez was questioned about how Max Verstappen’s departure may impact the dynamics within the squad. In response, the 34-year-old initially said that it would be a ‘blow.’ However, he later added that there is less chance that this will happen.

Perez attributed this to the team’s positive dynamics. The Mexican believes that the squad is doing well since they are achieving their targets, which has improved the unity of the team.

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While elaborating on it, Perez said, “The dynamics in the team are good. We work very well together. The engineers and mechanics have worked well together and work as a unit, which is why Red Bull dominates Formula 1.”  

Indeed, as seen by the most recent results, the 34-year-old’s assessment of the situation seems appropriate. In 2023, Verstappen dominated by winning a record 19 of the 22 races. Meanwhile, Perez won two races and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz won one.

Red Bull seem to have carried on their domination from last season as Verstappen has won two of the opening three races so far. It is for the same reason that Perez claims that the Milton Keynes-based outfit is on the right path. Hence, he sees no reason for them to change their approach moving forward.

Credits: IMAGO PanoramiC

Lewis Hamilton has made a name for himself being statistically the most successful F1 driver in the history of the sport. The seven-time world champion drives one of the fastest categories of cars on some of the most challenging and dangerous circuits in the world. As a result, most would expect him to be fearless. But by his own admission, when it comes to the wildlife of Australia, the Briton does tend to second guess his courage.

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Speaking to the fans at the Australian GP, Hamilton revealed (as quoted on Australian GP’s official YouTube channel), “Australia, man, it’s crazy out here! You’ve got all the world’s dangerous animals. Every time I get here I check under my toilet seats. I check in my shoes. Even when I was putting my helmet on yesterday, I was looking inside!”

Hamilton‘s observations about Australia are mostly accurate. The country does indeed boast one of the most diverse groups of animals, insects, and reptiles. Whilst discussing his phobias when he visits Australia, Hamilton also revealed that during a recent surfing trip, one of his friends had a close encounter with a shark.

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However, if the scares are kept aside, Australia’s Albert Park street circuit is one of the best venues for F1 fans to experience a Grand Prix. The 2024 Australian GP did not disappoint either as it featured one of the most interesting races in the recent past.

Ferrari emerged as biggest gainers after the 2024 Australian GP

The race weekend itself started on a promising note for the fans as Red Bull did not appear to be their dominant selves like in the past. Although Max Verstappen still clinched pole away from the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz, the race produced a surprising twist.

After Verstappen was forced to retire on lap 3 of the race due to a brake system malfunction, Sainz received the impetus and went on to clinch a sensational victory. Moreover, with Charles Leclerc finishing second, Ferrari clinched an outstanding 1-2.

Similarly to Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton also had a race to forget. Due to a power unit failure, the Briton ended up retiring from the race.

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However, Mercedes’ troubles just did not end there as George Russell ended up crashing on the last lap of the Grand Prix while chasing Fernando Alonso for P6. Since both Hamilton and Russell registered a DNF, Mercedes failed to score any points.

Credits: Imago

Ferrari secured a 1-2 finish at the Australian GP led by Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc respectively, and if the patterns of the past are to be taken into consideration, the Maranello-based outfit could be in for a memorable campaign. The signs point towards the Ferrari duo toppling not just Max Verstappen, but Red Bull as a whole.

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As pointed out by multiple sources and social media outlets, including Desi Racing Co. on X, every single team that has secured a 1-2 finish in Australia (Melbourne) has gone on to win both world championships that year.

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In 1996, Williams’ double podium finish at Albert Park led to a Damon Hill championship victory and a constructors’ title for the Grove-based outfit. The same was repeated in 1998 with Mika Hakkinen and McLaren, in 200o and 2004 with Michael Schumacher and Ferrari, in 2009 with Jenson Button and Brawn GP, and in 2015 and 2016 with the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg respectively.

On all these occasions, the driver who finished second also belonged to the very same team. They went on to become double champions. So, can Ferrari count on this pattern to hope for a championship win?

Ferrari’s championship-winning prospects

At Albert Park last Sunday, Ferrari seemed faster than Red Bull in terms of race pace. Carlos Sainz put in an incredible shift, taking the lead from Max Verstappen before the Dutchman had to retire from the race.

Charles Leclerc was not as fast as Sainz on the day but still drove well enough to follow the Spaniard and secure Ferrari’s first 1-2 since the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix. However, hoping for a championship charge could prove to be a step too far for Ferrari.

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Red Bull still remains the dominant team. And even though Ferrari has visibly improved, there is still a lot of work to be done for the Maranello-based team. Whether Ferrari’s pace advantage against Red Bull in Melbourne was a one-off event or not can only be verified in the coming races.

The Japanese GP in Suzuka will be an exciting affair because Ferrari will likely bring in new upgrades. If they continue to give Verstappen and Co. a run for their money, the Tifosi will start dreaming about celebrating titles once again.

Credits – IMAGO/ Action Plus

Formula 1 drivers travel around the globe throughout a championship season, and naturally, it won’t be practical for them to have their vehicles shipped along with them for each race weekend. Hence, they often get cars to drive to and from the circuit daily during a Grand Prix weekend. Therefore, during the Australian GP weekend, the Ferrari boys were treated to two exquisite Alfa Romeo cars.

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According to revered F1 photojournalist Kym Illman, both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, who secured an epic 1-2 for the team, were seen rocking up to the Albert Park street circuit in the Alfa Romeo Tonale. The cars cost around $50,000 each, according to Illman.

Fans would’ve expected to see Leclerc and Sainz turn up in their respective Ferraris; however, Illman explained why that was not the case. Illman described the trip to the circuit as a “dusty” affair with a very compact parking area—unsuitable for a Ferrari. On the other hand, the Tonale is a compact SUV, tailormade for the terrains of Australia leading up to the Grand Prix venue.

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There’s a historical spin to Leclerc and Sainz’s rides being an Alfa, too. As it turns out, while Alfa Romeo is currently under the ownership of Fiat-Chrysler, there was a point in time when the two automobile icons were a unified entity, according to Continental Autosports.

Alfa Romeo turns out to be a lucky charm for Ferrari at the 2024 Australian GP

Alfa Romeo officially quit the sport last year as they ended their partnership with Sauber, which is gearing up to be reborn as Audi from the 2026 season onwards. However, their presence at the Australian GP paddock with Leclerc and Sainz turned out to be a lucky charm for the Ferrari duo.

Sainz went on to register an epic victory, ending Max Verstappen’s winning streak after enduring appendicitis surgery just days prior. Leclerc, on the other hand, slotted right behind his teammate as they scored the team’s first 1-2 finish since the 2022 Bahrain GP.

The team is keen to make the most of the momentum as reports have also suggested that Ferrari is preponing their scheduled Imola upgrades for the 2024 Japanese GP instead. That being said, despite a promising weekend in Melbourne, Leclerc has admitted that there is still a long way to go before they catch up to the dominant Bulls.

Credits: IMAGO / Michael Potts

F1’s 2023 rookie Liam Lawson recently gave an interview where he shed some light on his relationship with Max Verstappen. The New Zealander explained how the Red Bull driver is a “really good guy“.

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When asked to share his thoughts about Verstappen, Lawson told Fox Sports Australia, “He’s (Verstappen’s) actually a really, really nice guy out of the car. He’s a really, really good guy.”

Lawson then went on to narrate how Verstappen was among “the few people” who helped and guided him during his brief stint as an F1 driver for AlphaTauri (now V-CARB) last year when he stepped in for an injured Daniel Ricciardo. The 22-year-old then also explained how Verstappen’s aggressive nature on track coupled with his competitiveness often shows him in the wrong light.

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However, Lawson believes that outside the car, Verstappen is a great individual to speak with. It is pertinent to note that Lawson isn’t the first driver to say that about the #1 driver.

In the past, the likes of Ricciardo and Lando Norris have explained how Verstappen, in reality, is a very calm and ‘chilled out‘ kind of person. In recent times, Verstappen himself has revealed how he is a simple and relaxed person when he is not competing.

Is Drive to Survive to blame for Max Verstappen’s villain image?

Max Verstappen isn’t the biggest fan of Netflix’s critically acclaimed docuseries, ‘Drive to Survive’. While the show itself has garnered a huge fanbase in the United States of America, the Red Bull driver is far from impressed with the drama the show tends to usually manufacture.

The 26-year-old feels that the show is predominantly to blame for how he is perceived by the media and the fans. While speaking to Australian Talk Show – The Project, Verstappen explained, “You don’t really see a lot of me in Drive to Survive because I don’t like doing it. So yeah, you probably don’t get the right side of me because it’s just an interview. I’m just sitting down in a dark room, and I hate that!”

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The Dutchman’s disdain reached a high point during season 4 of the series when he opted to boycott it completely and did not give them any interviews. But after receiving reassurances, Verstappen did return for season 5 of the show.

IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

Lewis Hamilton saw his Australian GP come to a premature end stemming from an engine failure. Despite weekend struggles and a P11 start, he briefly reached points before retiring. Addressing the engine issue that led to Hamilton’s retirement, James Allison confessed on Mercedes’ Race Debrief, that the team wasn’t entirely sure what caused it.

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Speaking about Hamilton’s engine failure, Allison said that there was still ambiguity over what happened. He revealed that at the time they were shooting the video, the engine was being boxed up to be shipped to Brackley. Until the engineers at Brackley could confirm what happened, others could only guess what malfunctioned.

“All we know is the symptoms at the time, which was a rapid loss of oil pressure followed by a shutdown of the engine to protect it. Because when you’ve got catastrophic loss like that, the best thing you can do for the future is kill it there and then.”

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Allison explained that in such cases, it is crucial to kill the car as soon as possible to preserve the components. Experts can then assess the same and understand the chain of events that potentially caused the breakdown. It allows them to work on finding appropriate solutions for the future and avoid repetition of the issues. Should one continue to operate the machinery, it could end up as “molten metal.”

Allison reflects on the strategy to have Lewis Hamilton start on softs in Australia

In the same video, Allison also addressed Mercedes’ strategy to start Lewis Hamilton on the soft tires. The Briton did not have the best starting position and needed to make up places. With the soft tires, Hamilton could have an early advantage over those immediately in front of him.

Furthermore, Mercedes anticipated an early safety car, which isn’t unusual in the opening laps of the Australian Grand Prix. The thought process also led to Mercedes expecting a two-stop race, which would allow them to hold an advantage over some of their competitors.

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Mercedes‘ strategy was tailor-made for Lewis Hamilton, given his poor qualifying. The circumstances of the race played another pivotal role in the Silver Arrows expecting a two-stop race. However, a safety car came later, and Hamilton had to pit in Lap 8, losing out on his potential advantage. Soon after, mechanical issues arose for the 7x world champion, adding to his worries.

Eventually, the Mercedes strategy went completely out of the window as Hamilton suffered complete power loss and had to call his time on the race.

Credits: IMAGO/Motorsport Images

Lewis Hamilton recently posted photos of his dog Roscoe playing with his friends on X, formerly Twitter, and labeled them as Roscoe FC. Just like any other Soccer club, Roscoe FC needs more players to form the team, and a fan has already applied for admission, to which Hamilton even responded.

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A fan named Kals posted a picture of his pet, Barkley, asking, “Can Barkley join the team?” To this, Hamilton questioned, “Can he ball?” Kals replied, “Barkley wants to meet up soon.”

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The comment section of the post was filled with wholesome edits of Roscoe. Fans from all over the world edited photos of Hamilton’s son and posted them with soccer trophies one after another.

A fan put Roscoe’s photo beside the Premier League trophy, while another hailed the pup as the best soccer player on the planet. However, the most interesting of all was Roscoe’s Ballon d’Or win! A fan-edited the 11-year-old’s doggo’s photo with the ultimate individual prize in the Soccer world.

This came to Hamilton‘s notice, and he retweeted the photo from his official account. The Briton also replied to some of the fans. Hamilton revealed that his ‘son’ won the match that he was playing, and he even scored a hat-trick!

What makes Roscoe Hamilton so famous?

Roscoe Hamilton is a full-time companion of Lewis Hamilton. Given how the Mercedes driver regards him as his ‘son’ and often brings him to the paddock, it’s needless to say how much importance the dog gets from the media.

Apart from this, the 39-year-old regularly posts about Roscoe on all his social media accounts. Therefore, the young puppy always gets exposure, and that has made him the most famous dog in F1 right now.

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Roscoe has an incredible one million followers on Instagram, and this often gets him ample endorsements to work with. Through this, the doggo often earns enough money [$700 a day as of 2022] that could put any full-time job holder human being to shame.

The son of Lewis Hamilton lives with him in the posh city of Los Angeles. Hamilton, who’s in endless love with his dog, does not leave any scope for hardship for Roscoe and provides top-of-the-line luxury at all times.