Formula One drivers unite to say ‘Danke Seb’

All 20 drivers of the F1 grid line up for a photo. (Instagram/George Russel)
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Updated 18 November 2022
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Formula One drivers unite to say ‘Danke Seb’

  • Between 2010 and 2013, Vettel dominated the sport, winning four consecutive championships with Red Bull

ABU DHABI: If there was one driver that could unite the entire 2022 F1 grid and have his peers set aside any differences they may have to come together for one night to celebrate him, it had to be Sebastian Vettel.

Emotions will run high this weekend in Abu Dhabi as the four-time world champion bids farewell to Formula One.

Proceedings have already kicked off in the most iconic way as all 20 drivers went to dinner together on Thursday evening at Emirates Palace’s Hakkasan to pay tribute to Vettel.

“We’ve come a long way as drivers and continue to grow as men. Despite whatever may happen on the track we grow and become better each day. Us all coming together to celebrate life and Seb’s amazing career in F1 is truly a night I’ll never forget,” wrote Lewis Hamilton on his Instagram in a post that featured a photo of all the drivers, and one with just him and Vettel.

In a press conference on Thursday at Yas Marina Circuit, three world champions and veterans of the sport sat side by side: Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Vettel, who wasn’t too ready to reflect on his 17-year F1 career just yet.

Between 2010 and 2013, Vettel dominated the sport, winning four consecutive championships with Red Bull.

“When I think of Seb… he was a bit of a nuisance back then!” joked Hamilton on Thursday.

“I’m actually quite sorry,” Vettel cut in. “It’s your answer but I think Baku wasn’t a great moment, because what I did wasn’t right. But actually from that moment onwards…”

“Our friendship got better!” said Hamilton, completing the German’s sentence.

On the track, Vettel is as fierce as they come, but over the years, he somehow managed to combine his sheer competitiveness with a kind and open personality that earned him the respect of his peers.

Daniel Ricciardo revealed earlier this month that Vettel, his former teammate at Red Bull, frequently picked up the phone to check on him when news broke in August of McLaren terminating the Australian’s contract early.

“As a person, I can speak so highly of him. On a personal level, some things that he’s done for me, I’m just very, very appreciative of,” said Ricciardo on Thursday.

“I think he’s a very caring individual. He cares about the sport as a whole but also cares about us drivers. We’re all competitors for sure but he’s definitely able to separate that and just look out for us ultimately.

“As a competitor, I think back to 2013 when he won every race in the second half of the season, it was like a relentless approach, like he just wasn’t satisfied, like he ultimately just wanted to destroy the competition.

“You could just see the raw competitor in him and that drive to, not win, but to destroy if you will; you had to admire and respect that.”

Almost every younger driver on the grid has a personal anecdote that involves an act of kindness from Vettel.

2021 and 2022 world champion Max Verstappen, another former teammate of Vettel, is excited about swapping helmets with the 35-year-old this weekend, and shared a story from after his crash at Silverstone last season on Thursday.

“He’s had a career which a lot of people could only dream of. But at the end of the day that’s not everything,” said Verstappen.

“I think as a person he’s always been very caring. Of course I had many heated battles with him, especially in the beginning of my career. But for me one thing I will always remember for the rest of my life, last year Silverstone I came back from the hospital to get to my motorhome to get all my stuff and he was there waiting for me when I got out of the car and he was like, ‘Max, how are you doing? Are you okay?’ and that just shows how he is, a super nice, caring person, who’s not only there for performance, but means well. I think that’s also really nice to be remembered like that.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Charles Leclerc recalls the time he received a special thank you note from Vettel for all the work he was doing on the simulator at Ferrari’s headquarters.

“He’s been incredible. I remember already in F2, I was doing the simulator work, which okay it’s not easy work to do because it’s really, really tiring and I thought that Seb probably didn’t even know I was on the simulator and I received a letter one day just thanking me for all the hard work and that meant a lot for me at that time. But that was only a small thing,” said Leclerc.

“We became team-mates in 2019 and 2020, where he has taught me a lot of things. We’ve had our tense moments on track but the respect off the track has never changed.

“He’s always been there for me whenever I’ve had difficult times. That was very different to what I was used to with my previous teammates. Obviously in Formula One it’s normal there is inner competition inside the team but he’s always been super caring and trying to help me whenever I was going through more difficult times. He will definitely be missed.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Pierre Gasly, who drives for Red Bull’s junior team AlphaTauri but is moving to Alpine next season, is expecting an emotional weekend in the UAE capital and also sang Vettel’s praises.

“I think he’s been a great player and a great icon and figure for all of us F1 drivers. Personally for me he’s been a great help before I made it to Formula One when I was a reserve driver for Red Bull, I managed to get close to him and ask for some direction and some advice at the time. Definitely he’s going to be massively missed in the paddock,” said the 26-year-old Frenchman.

Alonso, who will take Vettel’s seat at Aston Martin next season, will be wearing a special helmet in Abu Dhabi that features a German flag stripe and the words, ‘Danke Seb’ on either side in honor of Vettel.

“It’s going to be strange to not have him next year in the first race,” said the 41-year-old Spaniard.

“We shared so many things over the last 15 years. Sometimes we fought for championships, sometimes for seventh place, even in Japan until finish line and we still always enjoyed every single battle and respect each other as much as we could.

“I think my career is going to be linked to Sebastian in a way, because we fought for many great things in the best seasons of our life probably. Even though it was on his side the outcome always, I think our names will be linked to other.”

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Jokic-inspired Nuggets stun Thunder, Knicks down Celtics

Updated 06 May 2025
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Jokic-inspired Nuggets stun Thunder, Knicks down Celtics

  • The towering three-time NBA Most Valuable Player finished with 22 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal in addition to his 42-point tally
  • Brunson — the 40-point hero of New York’s series-clinching win over Detroit last week — was once again in superb form as the Knicks climbed out of a 72-52 hole in the third quarter to snatch Game 1 at the TD Garden

LOS ANGELES: Aaron Gordon scored a last-gasp three-pointer and Nikola Jokic produced a 42-point masterpiece as the Denver Nuggets stunned the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder 121-119 in a dramatic NBA Western Conference semifinal series opener on Monday.

Nuggets forward Gordon drained a 25-foot effort from outside the arc with four seconds remaining to snatch victory against a Thunder lineup who had led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder continued to lead by double digits for much of the fourth quarter, but saw their advantage evaporate after 18 points from Serbian star Jokic in the final frame.

The towering three-time NBA Most Valuable Player finished with 22 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal in addition to his 42-point tally.

Oklahoma City were left ruing two missed free throws from forward Chet Holmgren with 10 seconds remaining with his team defending a slender 119-118 lead.

Those misses proved costly, with Denver rebounding and launching the final offensive raid that ended with Gordon’s winning three-pointer.

Denver interim coach David Adelman paid tribute to the all-round effectiveness of Gordon, who finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

“I’m looking at ball-handling, responsibilities, leadership — he is a Denver Nugget, the soul of our team,” Adelman said. “So cool to see him have a moment like that.”

Gordon said the Nuggets’ calmness under pressure had helped them close out the win.

“A lot of guys stepped up,” he said. “We had poise and a belief that we were going to win no matter the circumstances.”

Gordon and Jokic were backed by 21 points from Jamal Murray and 18 points from Russell Westbrook.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 33 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, with Alex Caruso scoring 20 off the bench after shooting five three-pointers.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series takes place on Wednesday.

In the Eastern Conference semifinals, a pulsating battle in Boston saw the New York Knicks dig deep to edge past the reigning champion Celtics 108-105 after Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby scored 29 points apiece for New York.

Brunson — the 40-point hero of New York’s series-clinching win over Detroit last week — was once again in superb form as the Knicks climbed out of a 72-52 hole in the third quarter to snatch Game 1 at the TD Garden.

Brunson’s 29 points included five-of-nine from three-point range, with Anunoby pouring in six three-pointers in his 29-point haul.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum led Boston’s scoring with 23 points apiece on a miserable shooting night for the Celtics, who missed 45 three-point attempts — the most ever missed threes in a playoff game.

“It was a great team win,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.

“We started well, then we fell into a hole and then we fought our way out and then we made tough plays down the stretch,” Thibodeau added.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said lax defense in the second half cost his team dearly.

“We left some of their good shooters open,” Mazzulla said. “There’s detail stuff that we have to be better at.”

Brown, who shot only seven-of-20 from the field and made only one-of-10 attempted three-pointers, said the Celtics would not get hung up on their wayward shooting night as they prepare for game two in Boston on Wednesday.

“We had a historic night of missed three-pointers,” Brown acknowledged. “We’ll take a look and kind of see what the energy was.

“In reality you’ve got to have a short-term memory — throw it away and get ready for game two.

“We don’t have time to let stuff carry over.”


Jannik Sinner all set for Rome Open after doping ban

Updated 06 May 2025
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Jannik Sinner all set for Rome Open after doping ban

  • Sinner was welcomed back to action on Monday by thousands of fans who watched his first training session at the tournament on center court at the Foro Italico
  • Sinner: I’m very happy, happy to be back here. It has been a very long, long three months

MILAN: Jannik Sinner is the star of the show at the upcoming Rome Open as the world No. 1 and Italian tennis hero gears up for his return to the courts after a contested doping ban.

Away from the game since agreeing a suspension with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in February, Sinner was welcomed back to action on Monday by thousands of fans who watched his first training session at the tournament on center court at the Foro Italico.

Such is the interest in Sinner, who has become a national hero in Italy since rising to the top of the men’s game, that Sky Sport broadcast the practice match with world No. 38 Jiri Lehecka live on television.

All eyes will be on the 23-year-old as he hasn’t swung a racket since retaining his Australian Open title in January, a victory which took his Grand Slam tally to three.

“I’m very happy, happy to be back here. It has been a very long, long three months,” Sinner told reporters in a packed conference room inside the center court.

Fans in Rome have waited two years to see Sinner play their clay court tournament after he missed last year’s edition, won by Alexander Zverev, with injury.

It is on a surface which is not his favorite and his rustiness was clear to see on Monday.

Only one of Sinner’s 19 titles has come on clay, in Umag back in 2022, the same year as his best result in Rome, a quarter-final exit at the hands of beaten finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.

However he does have some time before he finally takes to the court, his status as the top-ranked player on the men’s tour allowing him a bye into the second round which starts on Friday.

Sinner has been fortunate that none of his rivals took advantage of his enforced pause, with second-ranked Zverev still almost 2,000 points behind the man who beat him in the Australian Open final.

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz is yet to arrive in Rome after withdrawing from the Madrid Open while Novak Djokovic will have to wait a bit longer for his 100th ATP title after deciding to sit out a tournament he has won six times.

Sinner is eyeing a run at the French Open, the second Slam of the season which follows the Rome tournament.

“My objective is Roland Garros, I’m here to see what level I’m at,” said Sinner.

“I’m not here to beat whoever, but to get past the second round and then see what happens.”

Sinner’s rise to the top of the game in 2024, when he won eight titles including his first two Slams and the ATP Finals, was dogged by the controversy which followed his two positive tests for traces of clostebol in March last year.

He said last month he hit “rock bottom” at the most recent Australian Open, saying he felt like other players “looked at me differently.”

Sinner was aggrieved as he feels he did nothing wrong, and WADA said explicitly he “did not intend to cheat,” accepting he was contaminated by his physiotherapist using a spray containing the banned substance to treat a cut before providing a massage.

Regardless, he also had to accept the three-month ban offered by WADA, rather than risk being forced out of tennis for two years just as he became the dominant force in men’s tennis.

“I didn’t want to do it in the beginning. It was a bit not easy for me to accept it because I know what really happened,” said Sinner.

“But sometimes you have to choose the best in a very bad moment. And that’s what we did. It’s all over now, so I’m happy to play again.”


Milan clinch 2-1 win with two quick-fire goals in rainy Genoa clash

Updated 06 May 2025
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Milan clinch 2-1 win with two quick-fire goals in rainy Genoa clash

  • The result keep Milan at ninth place with 57 points, six points behind fourth-placed Juventus
  • Milan completed the turnaround when Genoa midfielder Frendrup, attempting to clear a short cross, inadvertently tapped the ball into his own net

GENOA: AC Milan secured a 2-1 victory over Genoa in a rainy Monday Serie A clash, with a rapid second-half turnaround driven by Rafael Leao’s equalizer and an own goal from Morten Frendrup.

The result keep Milan at ninth place with 57 points, six points behind fourth-placed Juventus, who occupy the last Champions League spot, with three rounds remaining.

With crucial back-to-back clashes against Bologna looming — first in the league followed by the Coppa Italia final — Milan appeared passive for much of the match, lacking urgency and creativity until a late surge turned the tide.

“We always try to improve. We work on individual and group levels. We work a lot,” Milan manager Sergio Conceicao told reporters.

“The players responded well, which shows we have a group that believes in what we do at Milanello (Milan training ground). I’m pleased with that.”

Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan was the stand out performer in a first half largely dominated by Genoa, making several crucial saves to keep his side level at the break.

Milan began to find their rhythm late in the first half and nearly took the lead just before the break, but Christian Pulisic was denied at point-blank range by a sharp save from Genoa keeper Nicola Leali.

The second half started in a largely uninspired fashion, with the relentless downpour proving more consistent than the football, as play was frequently halted for injury treatments.

Vitinha, introduced only a minute earlier, made an instant impact in the 61st minute, drifting into space inside the box and smashing home a perfectly delivered cross with his first touch to put Genoa in front.

Quick turnaround

A fortunate equalizer from Leao came in the 76th minute, when a low cross from the byline by Santiago Gimenez wrong-footed the Genoa defense and found the Portuguese forward unmarked in the box; his shot took a deflection off Genoa’s Brooke Norton-Cuffy before nestling in the net to level the score.

Less than two minutes later, Milan completed the turnaround when Genoa midfielder Frendrup, attempting to clear a short cross, inadvertently tapped the ball into his own net.

In stoppage time, Milan nearly added a third when Leao fired a powerful effort that Leali was forced to parry away from danger.

“In terms of our game plan, we could’ve done better in possession during the first half. We played against a tough team on a tough pitch. Credit to the opponent — but we could have looked for depth more,” Conceicao said.

“On the goal we conceded, collectively, we could have done more.”


Nottingham Forest draws at Crystal Palace as Champions League hopes fade

Updated 06 May 2025
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Nottingham Forest draws at Crystal Palace as Champions League hopes fade

  • A win at Selhurst Park would have brought them equal with Chelsea and Newcastle but one point means it stays in sixth

LONDON: Nottingham Forest drew with Crystal Palace 1-1 in the Premier League on Monday and saw its Champions League hopes fade.
Nuno Espírito Santo’s men have spent most of the year in the league top three but a run of one win in four has dropped them behind Chelsea, Newcastle and a resurgent Manchester City.
A win at Selhurst Park would have brought them equal with Chelsea and Newcastle but one point means it stays in sixth, with the top five qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Neither team was able to take control of a sometimes scrappy match that saw eight names go in the referee’s book.
Palace took the lead with a penalty kick after an hour. After a video review, Matz Sels was adjudged to have felled Tyrick Mitchell and Eberechi Eze made no mistake from the spot.
Forest bounced right back within four minutes, Murillo doing enough to deflect a goal-bound shot from Neco Williams away from the keeper.
Eze hitting the woodwork in the dying seconds and Eddie Nketiah having a goal disallowed for offside in stoppage time meant FA Cup finalist Palace has not won any of its last five league games.


Minister of Sport receives 2025 AFC Elite Champions League winners Al-Ahli

Updated 05 May 2025
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Minister of Sport receives 2025 AFC Elite Champions League winners Al-Ahli

  • Prince Abdulaziz congratulated the Al-Ahli players and management on their victory over Japan’s Kawasaki
  • Prince Abdulaziz expressed his admiration at the outstanding performances delivered by the team over the course of the tournament

JEDDAH: Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal received the 2025 AFC Elite Champions League winners Al-Ahli at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah and congratulated them on their victory over Japan’s Kawasaki.

The reception was also attended by Assistant Minister of Sport Abdulilah bin Saad Al-Dalak, President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation Yasser Al-Misehal, and several ministry officials and leaders.

Prince Abdulaziz expressed his admiration at the outstanding performances delivered by the Al-Ahli players over the course of the tournament. He also praised the players’ commitment, competiveness and cohesiveness, which paved the way for ultimate victory.