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Lewis Hamilton is all set to join Ferrari in 2025, at 39 years of age. Since Hamilton is most likely near the last stages of his career, Ferrari has been advised to focus on the development of Oliver Bearman, a driver who could replace the seven-time champion in the future. Bearman’s rise in motorsport has been phenomenal.

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It was further boosted by his stellar F1 debut in Saudi Arabia last weekend when he made a substitute appearance for Carlos Sainz, who was sidelined due to appendicitis surgery. Since Bearman is also Haas’ reserve driver, there is a possibility that Ferrari could help the 18-year-old land a full-time F1 role with the American outfit, who they have good relations with.

Speaking about the same, Christian Hewgill, from The Fast and The Curious podcast, said, “There’s going to be lots of movement. Alpine’s drivers are out of contract, there could be other movements with the Mercedes seat. [Therefore,] Ferrari are going to want to keep hold of Ollie Bearman. He is a part of the team’s future you know. Lewis [Hamilton] won’t be here forever.”

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Hamilton’s move to Ferrari next year might be late but comes with the aim of landing his eighth world championship. While it may be difficult for him to win the title next year, he could have a chance in 2026 when F1 introduces the new regulations.

If Hamilton does achieve his goal in 2026, there is a possibility that he may choose to hang his boots then. That is when Ferrari could potentially replace the 39-year-old with Oliver Bearman.

Is Oliver Bearman the next big thing in F1?

If Lewis Hamilton does end up leaving Ferrari by the end of the 2026 season, then Oliver Bearman may have to step up and replace his compatriot. The 18-year-old has already shown what he is capable of after a brilliant F1 debut with Ferrari last weekend in Saudi Arabia.

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Bearman got the call to replace Carlos Sainz just three hours before the third and final practice session. However, that did not stop the young Briton from impressing in both qualifying and the race.

Bearman qualified P11 on Friday and came agonizingly close to knocking out Lewis Hamilton. A day later, he finished P7 during the main race and also won Driver of the Day.

Credits: IMAGO Motorsport Images

The Lewis Hamilton v Max Verstappen comparison is one of the most raging debates in the modern F1 era. It all started during Hamilton’s era of domination when Verstappen emerged as the challenger. The debate has continued now that the Dutchman is in the seven-time champion’s position as the reigning champion. The latest to give his two cents to the argument is former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher.

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In a recent interview with German publication Formel1.de, Schumacher said, “Hamilton is of course a seven-time world champion and a fantastic driver. But I don’t think he has the qualities that Verstappen has. I don’t think he’s as consistent as Verstappen. And he can’t take that extra tenth away at any cost.”

Verstappen is indeed going through a purple patch where he is churning out consistently strong performances. One is never able to make out whether he is pushing to the limit because that is how easy he makes it look.

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The result of that was witnessed last year when he registered 19 wins in the 2023 season, a run that has continued in 2024 with two victories out of the same number of races. The record-breaking run is on its course to continue further for at least two more years.

With the way Verstappen has started the 2024 season, it definitely seems like his championship to lose. Moreover, with the regulations set to continue for another year after this, the Dutchman is also the favorite to add another title to his name in 2025.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is nowhere close to emerging as the challenger anytime soon. Mercedes is struggling in high-speed corners, an issue that Hamilton revealed has plagued the team for three years now. Meanwhile, the infamous porpoising is back, giving the engineers in Brackley another headache.

‘Lewis Hamilton won’t bring much to Ferrari’- Ralf Schumacher

Lewis Hamilton caused a major storm in the F1 world with the explosive announcement of his 2025 Ferrari move earlier this year. The move is certainly the biggest driver transfer in the modern era of F1, if not the history of the sport. However, Ralf Schumacher isn’t sure if Hamilton will bring much to the table.

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“He will certainly bring his expertise and his ideas, but I think Ferrari is already well off to a good start. (Lewis) Hamilton won’t be able to bring much. I’m sure Vasseur wouldn’t pay that much money for nothing. He will offer and give to Hamilton everything you need to make it work,” Schumacher remarked.

Ferrari, much like Mercedes, is looking to bounce back to the top in 2026. With the new set of regulations set to kick in, the Maranello team needs an experienced driver to guide the team. Hamilton brings exactly that to the table, with Charles Leclerc being relatively less experienced.

The move could even end up halting the Red Bull-Verstappen juggernaut. The 2026 regulations relate majorly to changes in engine specs, an area Red Bull has little experience in. Ferrari and Mercedes, on the other hand, take pride in the power units that many other teams purchase to fit in their cars.

On a different tangent, Verstappen might end up jumping ship himself. With the ongoing Red Bull saga, Helmut Marko’s place in the team has come under threat. The Dutchman, who remains loyal to the Austrian, has warned that he might leave if Marko leaves.

Credits: IMAGO / PanoramiC

The Christian Horner case has taken a new turn, continuing the saga that began over two months ago. BBC has reportedly learned that the female complainant suspended by Red Bull has lodged an official complaint with the FIA. Meanwhile, Horner continues to deny the allegations against him, adding to the drama around the entire episode.

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The latest act comes after there were reportedly two previous whistleblower complaints registered with the FIA. Per the report from BBC, a whistleblower contacted the FIA on their hotline on 2nd February and directly referenced Horner‘s inappropriate behavior. They asked the authorities to look into Horner’s behavior with female employees. Furthermore, they expressed fears over Red Bull trying to cover it all up.

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On March 6, the whistleblower contacted the FIA again. They made references to the first call and claimed to go to the media next. The FIA has since issued a statement addressing the reports claiming the female employee reaching out to them. The first few lines of the statement read:

“Enquiries and complaints are received and managed by the compliance officer and the ethics committee where appropriate. Both bodies operate autonomously, guaranteeing strict confidentiality throughout the process.”

The statement continues by claiming that the FIA will not be able to confirm the receipt of any complaint. Furthermore, it read that it is unlikely that they will comment on any complaints they receive from any party. The statement enraged followers of F1 on social media, who did not hold back.

F1 community unhappy with the latest statement in the Red Bull employee saga

Soon after the FIA issued the official statement, fans stormed to X to have their say on the matter. They believe the nature of the matter deserves a more public approach. Per the fans, private investigations and hearings are only a means to “cover-up” and stack the odds against the ex-Red Bull employee.

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Following the statement, one fan called for the FIA to be dissolved.

Some fans pointed out how things were different from the latest statement when the Wolffs were being investigated.

Meanwhile, some more fans were upset with the statement.

The off-track incidents continue to take center stage at the Red Bull camp. While they continue to dominate the on-track proceedings, the off-track exploits continue to disrupt their achievements and tarnish their image. Given the same, more and more people are starting to wonder how long some of the team’s biggest names would want to continue their association with the team. Rumors often pop up of top personnel wanting to move away from the team. While the credibility of such reports remains doubtful, a move might not be the biggest surprise.

Credits: IMAGO / Motorsport Images

The 2024 Saudi Arabian GP exposed a major flaw in Mercedes’ challenger- the W15. While battling with the McLarens, Lewis Hamilton was losing up to 5 tenths in the fast, twisty sections of the Jeddah Corniche Street Circuit. Now, to combat this issue, Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, has confirmed that the team is looking to do some “experiments” to ensure it fixes those niggles at the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.

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Auto Motor und Sport quoted Shovlin, “There’s a lot of work going on in the aerodynamics department and the vehicle dynamics department. We’re trying to develop some experiments there that will hopefully give us a direction that will improve our performance.”

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The car that Mercedes has developed this season is like a bullet in the straights. However, as Shovlin explained, their troubles come in the faster corners where the aerodynamic demands are at its peak. What’s more, during the race in Jeddah, the team used different setups on Hamilton and George Russell’s car. Unfortunately, neither car managed to yield a positive feedback.

While the team looks to experiment, Hamilton grows incredibly frustrated. Mercedes has been in a slump since 2022, which has prevented him from winning races too. Unless things take a dramatic turn this season, Hamilton is in for more of the same.

Lewis Hamilton faced tough Jeddah challenge owing to Mercedes’ failures

Hamilton’s race-long battle with the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri was a frustrating tussle for the seven-time world champion. Ex-Ferrari manager, Peter Windsor even termed it as an embarrassment.

In the opening rounds of the Grand Prix, Hamilton had to defend strong to keep the hounding Oscar Piastri at bay. Then, when the final rounds of pitstops were done, Hamilton came out behind Norris.

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With a handful of laps to go, Hamilton went on the attack. However, that’s where Mercedes’ handicap was the most evident. In race trim, the MCL38 is one of the slowest cars in straight-line speed. Still, Norris was able to pull a gap on Hamilton in the middle-section of the track. This is because of Mercedes’ overwhelming weakness in sections that have fast corners.

McLaren’s supreme cornering ability allowed them to thwart Hamilton’s charge and pull a whopping half-a-second over Hamilton, over the course of one lap.

Credits: IMAGO / HochZwei

Christian Horner seems to have had enough of the spotlight on him for the last few weeks. This led to the Red Bull boss asking the media to “move on” from the recent allegations that rocked the F1 world. However, his demand for closure did sit well with journalists, who called the Briton out for his comments.

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Laura Winter, Christian Hewgill, Bettywyn Glover, and Ellie Kime sat together in a recent episode of The Fast and The Curious podcast to discuss Horner’s ongoing saga. They disagreed with Horner’s demand to “move” past his controversy. Hewgill feels that it is up to the fans if they want to move past it or not.

Speaking about the same, Hewgill said, “The reality is when Christian Horner arrived at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend and said we need to move on now. The fact that so much of it is still unknown means that it’s not for Christian to decide when we move on. Formula 1 fans invest a lot of time and money into this sport. And they will decide when it’s time to move on.”

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Glover, adding on the same, declined to stop talking about the controversy. She said “We’re not just going to sit here and ignore everything that’s happening. We can’t do that. So, Christian Horner, we’re not moving on. Thank you very much.”

Furthermore, the hosts also invited a fan to share her thoughts on this month-long ordeal. The fan named Kime, admitted that she was disappointed. At the same time, she wasn’t surprised with how everything unfolded.

How Christian Horner’s investigation came to a close

In the first week of February, a female employee at Red Bull reportedly accused Horner of inappropriate behavior at the workplace. Once the news broke, Red Bull GmbH, the parent company of Red Bull Racing took immediate cognizance of the situation and put Horner under investigation.

However, the outside world did not know what was happening and what the investigation was about. It was after an anonymous mail containing chats between Horner and the female employee was leaked, that everyone started to have an idea about the entire situation.

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About 149 journalists and higher-ups at F1 and FIA received a Google Drive link containing screengrabs of the same. This urged the fans and renowned F1 entities such as Toto Wolff and Zak Brown to call for more transparency regarding the investigation.

Lewis Hamilton also pointed this out as he said the current situation is very serious for the sport. The seven-time world champion said that the ongoing Christian Horner ordeal is affecting everyone in F1. Other drivers, however, have refused to make impactful statements on the matter. For this, they have been called out.

Credits: Imago

In 2013, Lewis Hamilton left McLaren to become a Mercedes driver. 12 years and 6 drivers’ championships later, the British driver will finally move on from the team. From 2025 onwards, Hamilton will become a Ferrari driver, fulfilling a childhood dream. While completing his media duties (video uploaded on X by Sir Lewis Updates) Hamilton addressed the much-anticipated move.

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Speaking to the media, Hamilton ascertained fans that he will always be a Mercedes man. He claimed that he loves Mercedes, and that will never change. He even mentioned that he still hopes that McLaren does well every time they race. Furthermore, Hamilton mentioned his excitement about facing a massive challenge as he moves into the next chapter of his life.

“I think this is a really pivotal point, another chapter I’m going to into my life where I’ve got this massive challenge ahead of me, moving forward, and it’s something that I’m really, really excited about. And it’s worrying, it’s nerve-wracking and it’s exciting.”

Experts and pundits believe Hamilton’s mental peace has taken a hit in recent years. Having last won a race in 2021, the Briton is growing increasingly frustrated with his team. Despite often getting on the podium, a 104th race win has eluded Hamilton for over two years now.

Hopes were high for the 2024 Mercedes car, and Hamilton was optimistic of strong results. However, the first two races of the season were no different from what was seen in the previous two seasons. Hence, with continued struggles, experts and pundits think Hamilton has run out of patience with Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton has mentally checked out from Mercedes

Noting the consistently intense efforts from George Russell, former F1 driver David Coulthard believes Hamilton might already be aligning with the Ferrari team. Per a report from Sports Illustrated, Coulthard does not think Hamilton has been able to settle with the W15 challenger. Russell’s continued improvements with the Mercedes car might also be putting Hamilton on the back foot. However, he added that should Hamilton find a “window of performance,” he shall certainly deliver. However, given the current situation, Coulthard is all but certain that Hamilton is already at Ferrari, albeit mentally.

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Ever since the ground effect regulations came into effect in 2022, Mercedes and Hamilton have struggled a lot. The 7-time world champion is yet to win a race under the latest regulations. Mercedes have fared slightly better as a team. Thanks to Russell, the Silver Arrows won their only race of the latest regulations in 2022 in Sao Paulo. Although Hamilton outperformed Russell in 2023, it looks like the younger driver has the upper hand this season so far. Meanwhile, Ferrari continues to walk down a resurgent path, slowly inching closer to the performances of Red Bull.

Credits: IMAGO PanoramiC

An F1 expert recently explained why he believes that Lewis Hamilton is becoming increasingly “frustrated” at Mercedes. Edd Straw of The Race believes that since the Briton will leave the team for Ferrari in 2025, he is perhaps no longer committed to “fixing” things with his current side.

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When asked on the most recent episode of The Race F1 Podcast if Hamilton has given up, he replied, “I don’t think he has given up. I think he is incredibly frustrated and disappointed“.

Straw believes that since Hamilton wants to fight Max Verstappen and Red Bull at the front, it is disappointing for him to not be able to do so. Meanwhile, another reason why he believes that Hamilton is no longer committed to the Mercedes project is that he will leave for Ferrari in 2025.

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“He is only there for one more year. So I think, at some point, he is going to process the fact that I just get the best out of this car, I don’t really need to fix it for next year and try and make this one better,” explained the expert. At the moment, all Hamilton can do is fight for podiums. Verstappen meanwhile, continues to dominate.

Verstappen has won both the races so far this season. His teammate Sergio Perez followed him P2 in both. In such a situation, Hamilton may indeed be thinking that he will try and do the best he can for Mercedes for the rest of this season, and then plan ahead with Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton will hope to challenge for a record eighth title in 2026

The regulations remain relatively unchanged going into the 2025 season. Hence, Max Verstappen and Red Bull are likely to be the favorites even next year. However, things could change come 2026. With F1 set to introduce new regulations, the pecking order could change massively.

Since the new regulations revolve around engines and Ferrari has years of experience in producing power units, they could be one of the favorites in 2026. Lewis Hamilton is perhaps betting on the same as he continues to hunt for his record-eighth championship. Ferrari fans too, have been excited about this partnership ever since Hamilton announced his move at the end of January.

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Red Bull are currently going through a period of turmoil because of the ongoing Christian Horner saga. There are rumors that the Dutchman may consider leaving the team because of this internal unrest. Since the Briton will be leaving Mercedes, the Silver Arrows are now reportedly fancying signing three-time champion Max Verstappen.

Credits: Imago

Lewis Hamilton recently visited a school in Malaysia as part of a promotional activity for Mercedes’ sponsor, Petronas. There, a fan gave him the ultimate honor and labeled him Lisan Al Gaib, another word for prophet or messiah.

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Lisan Al Gaib became a famous name after the release of Dune, and later Dune 2, one of 2024’s biggest blockbuster films, starring Timothée Chalamet. In the fictional Dune universe, Fremens are a group of people who believe that Lisan Al Gaib is their savior, prophet, or Messiah. Hamilton, one of F1’s most popular stars, was labeled the same.

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While he was exiting a building in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, a fan shouted and called him by the name. The video for the same became viral all over social media. And fans online seem to agree with the comparison.

Hamilton’s larger-than-life figure in the F1 paddock has made him a huge personality. Some even feel that he is bigger than F1 as a whole. Being the prophet and messiah of F1 is a tag Hamilton would love to wear proudly. That is because he is adamant about bringing widespread changes over to the sport.

Fans react to Lewis Hamilton’s Lisan Al Gaib comparison

On X (formerly Twitter), fans didn’t shy away from sharing their reactions to the viral comparison. Some were shocked, others not so much. A user on X named Stefanie felt that Hamilton being called Lisan Al Gaib was actually very “real.”

View post on X

A few surprising reactions aside, some fans were talking about how good the movie would do now. Dune 2 is already a box office hit and has even received a few early Oscar shouts. Having F1’s most famous personality linked to it will make them wonder.

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View post on X

Hamilton’s visit to Malaysia itself shocked some, let alone the Lisan Al Gaib comparisons. With just one week off, many expected the drivers to rest and regroup before a trip down under to Australia. Hamilton, however, decided to fly to the South-East Asian country and appear for Petronas’s event.

UFC star Sean Strickland has admitted that he’s ‘mentally unwell’ in a rare honest confession which was posted on social media.

Fans have become used to the former middleweight champion’s controversial and outspoken takes – such as his recent online rant that included a homophobic slur.

However, the American MMA star has taken to social media to share a video of a completely different focus – as he made admissions to mental health struggles.

Speaking on Instagram, Strickland said: ‘All week I’ve been f***ed up, dude. I’ve been on Twitter saying crazy s***, just f***ing spiraling.

‘I woke up and I told my girl, I was like, ‘Babe, I feel like I’m a danger to people. Like I don’t feel like I should be out in the world.’

UFC star Sean Strickland admitted that he’s ‘mentally unwell’ in an open admission to followers

The American is an outspoken and controversial figure but opted to change that for his video

‘And I think that – I have everything. I’m rich, I’m famous, I have everything I ever f***ing wanted and I am still mentally unwell.

‘I get in these mindsets to where like I want to burn everything down in the world. Like, I want to have nothing, so I can just f***ing lose it and just take out everything on people’.

‘Again, I don’t know why I’m telling you guys this. I’ve just been kind of going through some s***. I’m fine. I’ll be fine. I’m going to go train right now and try to hurt all of my friends, and all of the demons will go away.

‘I just want you guys to know that I have everything I could ever want in the world, and I still struggle. So, whatever you guys are going through man, hope y’all feel better. Go to the gym, train. F***ing wish you all the best.’

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, shortly afterwards, Strickland then wrote: ‘There is always this little voice in me that says “burn it all down, everything”.

‘Then I remind myself “you have a girlfriend, a mortgage. Just stop, it’s gonna be fine just relax move forward, lock it away” Lmao I swear the daily struggle.. ya know?!?!’.

He later took to X to provide more details of his ‘daily struggle’ with mental health issues

Strickland was defeated by Dricus du Plessis in a bout for the middleweight title in January

Just last week, Strickland was seen using a sick homophobic slur during yet another foul-mouthed rant on social media.

On this occasion, Strickland caused offence with a post onto his account on X, formerly known as Twitter, as he produced a bizarre, homophobic rant.

The former UFC champion wrote: ‘I just look at gays like a form of r*****ation.. but I fully accept them

‘Could you imagine if we seen any species on this planet wake up one day and all chose to be gay

‘We would all think “wow there is clearly something wrong with that species. Why are humans exempt? Come on’.

How confession comes shortly after the American MMA star took to social media and claimed that being gay is ‘like a form of r*****ation’

As many fans questioned the post by Strickland, it didn’t take long for the UFC star to return to the platform and suggest that users online ‘can’t take a joke’.

He continued: ‘All can’t take a joke. ARE YOU ALL F***ING HIGH OR JUST WOKE STUPID?!

‘Why is it so difficult to admit that being gay is an abnormality. Be gay, be happy, we accept you

‘BUT You’re a mammal that is human and you fail to do the one thing all mammals want to do. Lmao!! Come on!!’

Eddie Hearn has revealed that Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury could sign a two-fight deal to finally face each other, with one of the bouts potentially taking place at Wembley Stadium.

Joshua dispatched Francis Ngannou inside two rounds in Saudi Arabia earlier this month, and has now had three of his last five fights in the Middle Eastern country.

Fury also fought in Saudi Arabia last time out against Ngannou, and is set to return there in May for his undisputed clash with Oleksandr Usyk.

A win for Fury could set up a fight against Joshua, but fans have become concerned that the pair may not meet on British soil due to Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh being able to offer boxers lucrative money to fight in the Middle East.

However, Joshua’s promoter Hearn has raised hopes that his charge and Fury could meet in the UK, and even claimed that is something Alalshikh is exploring.

Eddie Hearn has revealed Anthony Joshua could fight Tyson Fury twice

Fury has to get past Oleksandr Usyk first, but may then focus his attention on Joshua

One of the fights could take place at Wembley Stadium, according to Hearn

‘This is a gentleman called Turki Alalshikh, who is obviously a very influential figure in sports and entertainment in Saudi Arabia,’ Hearn said on The Sports Agents podcast.

‘He’s also the biggest fight fan I’ve ever met. And quite amazingly, he’s now talking about staging two Fury vs AJ fights – one in Saudi Arabia and one at Wembley Stadium.’

Joshua and Fury have both fought at Wembley before, experiencing some of their best nights in boxing at the iconic venue.

AJ beat Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley in 2017, rising from the canvas to stop the Ukrainian in the 11th round of a back-and-forth contest.

He returned the following year to knock out Russia’s Alexander Povetkin in the seventh round.

Fury was also victorious at the national team stadium as he beat fellow Brit Dillian Whyte in 2022.

Saudi powerbroker Turki Alalshikh (pictured) is on board with making one of the fights in the UK, Hearn claimed

Hearn would love to to bring a Joshua-Fury fight to Wembley, and insists Alalshikh is on board, but admits it is inevitable that big fights will continue to be made in Saudi Arabia in the coming months and years.

Speaking about Alalshikh, Hearn added: ‘He’s one of those guys that listens and reads everything.

‘So he’s definitely read about, “I wish this fight was at Wembley”, or “It’s a shame the fight is in Saudi Arabia”.

‘I mean, we really must have more of a global vision in sport, boxing doesn’t just sit here but two Brits, fighting for the undisputed world championship, I think he would probably bring one of them to the UK, I really do. And that financially, they’ve got the ability to do that.’