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Cautious relief: Noah Dettwiler’s condition no longer critical

Jeffrey Gooding
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Cautious relief: Noah Dettwiler’s condition no longer critical

Noah Dettwiler’s condition is stable after his serious Moto3 accident, but no longer critical – Jose Antonio Rueda will soon be able to return to Spain

Following his serious accident during Sunday’s Moto3 race in Sepang, Noah Dettwiler remains in intensive care at the hospital in Kuala Lumpur. However, the CIP team, the Dettwiler family, and his management provided an update on Wednesday that gives cause for cautious relief.

“According to the doctors treating him, Noah’s condition is now stable and no longer critical. He will continue to be closely monitored,” the statement on Instagram said.

The Swiss rider was involved in a serious rear-end collision during the sighting lap shortly before the race when Jose Antonio Rueda crashed into Dettwiler at high speed. The rescue services at the race track provided immediate medical assistance before both were flown to hospital.
Rueda, the designated Moto3 world champion, is also continuing to recover. “After repeating all the tests, we can confirm that my condition continues to improve,” the KTM Ajo team said in a new statement. The Spaniard has since been transferred to a private hospital for closer monitoring of the bruising to his lungs. Doctors expect him to be able to return to Spain soon to undergo surgery on his injured right hand in Barcelona in the next few days. “We would also like to take this opportunity to wish Jose Antonio a happy birthday. We hope to be able to celebrate together soon,” his team added. At the same time, it sends “all our strength to Noah Dettwiler, his family, and friends” and hopes for a full recovery for both riders. After the accident, criticism was voiced across all classes of the Motorcycle World Championship about how the situation was handled—especially the fact that the Moto3 race was started without much information about the condition of those who had crashed.
Experts also called for the reintroduction of warm-ups in the smaller classes, which were canceled in 2023. This is because Dettwiler’s motorcycle is said to have had a technical problem during the formation lap, causing him to slow down when exiting turn 3. With a warm-up, this would probably have been detected earlier.

George Russell reveals: This clause protects him from Max Verstappen

Sotd Editor
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George Russell reveals: This clause protects him from Max Verstappen

George Russell says his Mercedes contract includes a performance-related clause that automatically secures his cockpit for 2027

George Russell has revealed details of a clause in his Mercedes contract that is designed to protect him from four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen. As long as the Briton performs well, his cockpit is secure.

The British driver signed a contract extension with the Brackley-based team after months of negotiations. Russell’s future was the focus of attention at the start of the season when Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff confirmed that he had held talks with Verstappen about a possible cockpit for 2026.

Although Wolff admitted that the likelihood of signing the Dutchman for next year was very low, he was in no hurry to extend the contracts of Russell and his rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Clause in the contract

Shortly after the rumors about Mercedes, Verstappen reaffirmed his commitment to Red Bull for 2026, but left the door open for a future departure from Milton Keynes. Although Russell now has a guaranteed extension at Mercedes, the question remained whether he would have to worry again next year.

However, in an interview with the Telegraph, the 27-year-old has now confirmed that his contract will be automatically extended for 2027 if he achieves a target agreed with Mercedes. This means that his future in the Wolff-led team is in his own hands.

“It’s something I haven’t said publicly before, but the deal is this: if I perform [next year], we have a special clause that says we automatically extend for 2027 if I achieve [the target],” Russell said. “So my cockpit for 2027 is in my hands.”

Russell played poker

“So I’m not going to be strung along here. We’re not going to be in the same situation we were six months ago. If I perform, and I don’t want to go into detail, but if I perform, then I’ll stay 100 percent.”

Regarding the delays in negotiations, he added: “Everything is working out for the best. I actually wanted to sign the contract in October 2024, but the deal I got today is much better than the one I would have gotten back then. So yes, sometimes you just have to trust your abilities, and I feel like I’m only getting stronger.”

Luca Marini: 2026 Honda already more powerful than the current bike

Jeffrey Gooding
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Luca Marini: 2026 Honda already more powerful than the current bike

Honda is making great strides this season, and Luca Marini is convinced that the 2026 RC213V is already more powerful than the current MotoGP bike.

Honda is optimistic about the future of MotoGP: According to factory rider Luca Marini, development of the new 2026 model of the RC213V is making great progress, and the motorcycle is already better than the current version.

If the manufacturer continues at this pace, Marini is certain that Honda will be able to fight for race wins on a regular basis again next year.

After several difficult years, Honda is enjoying its best season since 2021 in 2025. With one victory and three further podium finishes, most recently by Joan Mir at the Malaysian Grand Prix, the Japanese manufacturer has made a noticeable comeback.

Johann Zarco’s triumph at Le Mans and his second place at Silverstone in particular gave the team a much-needed boost. However, the decisive push came from the revised motorcycle, which was introduced after the summer break.

With a new chassis, swingarm, and improved aerodynamics, Mir achieved his first podium finish as a Honda rider at the Japanese Grand Prix. Last weekend in Sepang, he finished third again. Marini was also on course for a podium finish in Indonesia before a collision with Raul Fernandez threw him back.

2026 prototype already impresses

Thanks to the MotoGP concession system, Honda is already allowed to work on the RC213V for 2026, the last motorcycle under the current regulations. Marini tested the new prototype in Misano in September and was enthusiastic.

“Next year’s bike is already better,” he emphasizes. “We are constantly developing new ideas and updates. We will try it out again at the Valencia test, but I am convinced that it is already stronger than the current machine.”

According to Marini, Honda has worked intensively on the rear end in particular. “I personally wanted to develop the rear of the bike in particular, especially the rear end, because there is enormous potential there. Until now, the bike hasn’t given the rider the right feeling,” says the Italian, explaining the shortcoming. “In the past, all Honda riders complained about ‘floating’ and a lack of rear grip. I think we now understand how to solve that.“

”At every test, we bring something new to improve this feeling. We have now reached a very good level. Rear grip is still a problem, but much less so than last year or at the beginning of this season. The 2026 bike is already significantly better in this area.”

Both Honda riders with more confidence

In the last six races, Honda has scored 91 points in the constructors’ championship – more than in 2024 overall. Marini sees the reasons for this not only in the motorcycle, but also in the close cooperation between riders and team.

“We riders, Joan and I, are also developing together with the motorcycle. The bike has definitely taken a step forward, but it wasn’t one single thing that suddenly gave us five tenths. We’ve worked on every detail, in every area,“ says Marini, who sees the overall package as significantly optimized. ”This has allowed us to constantly improve our riding. We brake better, enter corners faster, turn more precisely, and get back on the throttle earlier.” “That’s fantastic because Joan and I are in very good shape right now. I think we can maintain this level of performance until the end of the season. The important thing is that we start again from exactly this point next year and continue to work to be a contender for victory. That will be the goal for next year.”

Honda has clearly set out to regain its former strength. With significant technical advances, growing rider confidence, and a prototype that is already proving impressive, Luca Marini believes the team is well equipped for a comeback to the top.
“We are on the right track. If we maintain this progress, we can regularly fight for victories in 2026. The potential is definitely there.”

Why Norris dominated in Mexico: McLaren team boss Stella explains

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Why Norris dominated in Mexico: McLaren team boss Stella explains

With his start-to-finish victory in Mexico, Lando Norris regained the lead in the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship – Andrea Stella explains the Briton’s dominance

According to McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, Lando Norris’ dominance at the 2025 Mexican Grand Prix was largely due to the fact that the track suited his driving style. The long-time McLaren driver never relinquished the lead during his start-to-finish victory on Sunday at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, taking the lead in the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship with four races remaining in the season. This was also made possible because the previous leader, Oscar Piastri, could not get beyond fifth place in the sister McLaren. The Australian struggled with the special conditions at the altitude of Mexico City and the associated low grip level. These conditions cause the cars to slide heavily in the corners. According to Stella, this suited Norris perfectly, who now leads Piastri by one point after losing the championship lead in April at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Norris’ favorite conditions

“These special conditions with low grip suit him perfectly,” says Stella of Norris, who ended McLaren’s five-race winless streak. “For him, it’s a natural way to find a good lap time, which is almost the opposite of Oscar’s style.”

“That will only boost Lando’s confidence, and that will be important for the last four races,” Stella analyzes. “But I think both Lando and Oscar are going into the last four races with a lot of momentum.”

“I think the team is also going into the last four races with a better understanding of how to consistently get performance out of the car. Because in the races before Mexico, we left some performance in the garage at times.”

Norris’ and McLaren’s work pays off

This is in stark contrast to the rest of the year, in which Norris repeatedly complained about his difficulties in pushing the MCL39 to its limits. This was particularly evident in qualifying: Max Verstappen in the Red Bull has the most pole positions this year with seven, compared to five each for the two McLaren drivers. However, a breakthrough came in a debriefing after the Singapore Grand Prix, just two races before Mexico. McLaren and Norris searched intensively for ways to better tailor the MCL39’s setup to his preferences.

This ultimately led to the 25-year-old’s tenth Grand Prix victory of his career. Mexico was also the most statistically dominant victory by a driver since Max Verstappen in Hungary two years ago: Norris finished 30 seconds ahead of runner-up Charles Leclerc – just four seconds less than the Dutchman’s lead in Budapest at the time.

Norris’ dominance no surprise

However, Stella was not surprised by Norris’ performance, as he has shown similar pace in the past and has now won seven times from pole position.

“If we look at Lando’s past years, we’ve seen weekends with this level of dominance at other venues as well,” Stella said. “Last year we saw it at Zandvoort, we saw it in Singapore. So it’s not the first time Lando has performed at this level.”

“He was very convincing here [in Mexico],” praised the team boss. “I think he was basically the fastest in every single session. He was able to fully exploit the performance and strength of the car.”

German tennis makes its mark in Paris

Sotd Editor
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German tennis makes its mark in Paris

The Davis Cup player defeats a top 10 player and reaches the round of 16 at the last Masters tournament of the season.

Surprise in Paris: Daniel Altmaier knocked world number nine Casper Ruud out of the tournament at the ATP Masters in the French capital. The 27-year-old tennis pro from Kempen won 6-3, 7-5 at the hard court event on Wednesday. His opponent in the round of 16 will be determined by Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime and Frenchman Alexandre Müller. At the tournament, in which German top player Alexander Zverev is defending his title, Altmaier got off to a strong start.

Altmaier beats Ruud

He caused Ruud real problems on his second serve and took the first set. In the second set, the Davis Cup player remained focused and served for the match, but then had to concede another break.

However, Altmaier kept his cool, showed a strong reaction and shouted out his joy after winning the match.

The undignified dismissal of an icon

Phil Laffertey
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The undignified dismissal of an icon

The great career of wrestling legend Bret Hart ended 25 years ago today due to a serious injury—and with a cold letter of termination from his employer at the time.

Bret Hart still resents Bill Goldberg decades later – he has made that clear time and time again.

“When Bill Goldberg kicked me in the head, I lost $16 million in a second,” the WWE icon once said of the fateful moment that ended his career as an active wrestler.

At the end of 1999, a serious injury in a match against his future Hall of Fame colleague heralded the swan song of the “Hitman” – which ended 25 years ago today with an inglorious dismissal by his then employer WCW.

WWE legend Bret Hart at WCW: A misunderstanding

As a reminder, Hart had rather involuntarily switched from the then WWF to its competitor WCW in 1997: The then WWF boss Vince McMahon had suggested the move to his top star himself because he could no longer afford Hart’s expensive deal. This was followed by the famous Montreal incident at Survivor Series 1997. Hart’s WCW engagement turned out to be more of a misunderstanding: Hart was rarely used by the league in the way that he and his fans would have liked.
Although Hart also held various titles at WCW, he later said that he only considered two moments there to be truly special: his tribute match for his brother Owen, who had died in a fall, against Chris Benoit (who later became the perpetrator of a fatal tragedy himself), and a highly acclaimed segment with Goldberg, inspired by Clint Eastwood’s western “A Fistful of Dollars,” in which Hart neutralized Goldberg’s feared spear with a hidden metal plate.

On December 19, 1999, however, Goldberg also unintentionally became the man who ended Hart’s career.

Goldberg’s kick had disastrous consequences

Former NFL football player Goldberg accidentally kicked “The Excellence of Execution” – formerly also his tag team partner – in the head with full force during the title fight at the Starrcade event in Washington. Hart suffered a severe concussion, the danger of which was not properly recognized in the days before the “concussion crisis.” Hart continued to step into the ring, suffered three more concussions according to his own estimate, and developed “post-concussion syndrome,” a permanent condition in which the symptoms of the acute injury became permanent. After a final match against Kevin Nash on January 10, 2000, Hart initially took a break for an indefinite period. Nine months later, Hart received a letter from WCW delivered by FedEx, which coolly stated: “Due to your ongoing disability—post-concussion syndrome—WCW is exercising its right under Section 8(e) to terminate your agreement as an independent contractor with immediate effect on October 20, 2000.” A few days later, Hart announced his retirement, and a few months later, WCW was also history.

Stroke two years after retirement

For Hart, the end of his career was also a financial blow: his WCW deal had only recently been extended for five years.

Worse, however, were the health consequences of his injury, which also affected his everyday life: In 2002, Hart suffered a stroke, which was most likely exacerbated by the previous damage. Hart recovered and even returned to the ring in 2010 for a nostalgic comeback with WWE—but due to his age and health, his performances at that time were nowhere near comparable to what Hart had once been capable of.

The era of “Excellence of Execution” had already ended ten years earlier. Despite the undignified manner in which his best years in the ring came to an end, the legendary status of the now 68-year-old remains untouched and undisputed.

Atalanta like only Bayern: Milan drops points in Bergamo

Sports Of The Day
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Atalanta like only Bayern: Milan drops points in Bergamo

Atalanta Bergamo remains the only undefeated team in Serie A, but recorded its seventh draw on matchday 9. The 1-1 draw is only of limited help to Milan.

The top of Serie A is really tight at the end of October. This made Milan’s away game at Atalanta Bergamo all the more important after their disappointing 2-2 draw with Pisa – especially as Napoli had managed a lackluster 1-0 win at bottom-of-the-table Lecce just minutes earlier. Apart from the undefeated FC Bayern, only Atalanta are still without defeat in the top five leagues – with two wins and six and seven draws respectively after this matchday. But initially, his team found themselves trailing: after a corner, Ahanor cleared the ball poorly in front of the penalty area, where Ricci simply shot. In the melee, Ederson deflected the ball quite unluckily, leaving Carnesecchi with no chance (4th minute).

Redemption for Lookman

However, Juric’s team showed the right response. Atalanta took complete control after going 0-1 down and worked hard to equalize. Ederson was denied by Maignan (21st minute) before the impressive center back Ahanor fired powerfully over the bar (27th minute). In the 35th minute, however, the fans finally had something to cheer about: Pasalic played the ball through to Lookman, who fired it into the near corner. It was the Nigerian’s first Serie A goal since mid-May and after his ultimately unsuccessful strike.

After an entertaining 45 minutes, Milan were still doing pretty well with the score at 1-1. That’s probably why Massimiliano Allegri adjusted his team accordingly in the dressing room for the second half. Former Leipzig player Nkunku and Loftus-Cheek came on quickly and gave the game a new dimension.

Nkunku also initiated Milan’s best chance after the break, but Fofana narrowly missed the target after a header from Bartesaghi (68′). The momentum then slowed down somewhat during the midweek fixtures, before Atalanta almost landed a lucky punch. However, Milan keeper Maignan denied Zappacosta’s powerful curling shot with a superb save (85′).

In the end, it remained a fair draw that didn’t really help either team. Milan are now three points behind Napoli, and Atalanta missed the chance to climb higher than sixth place in the table, at least temporarily.

Despite a shaky performance: Napoli wins in Lecce for De Bruyne

Jeffrey Gooding
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Despite a shaky performance: Napoli wins in Lecce for De Bruyne

SSC Napoli won their first game since Kevin De Bruyne’s serious injury with a flattering 1-0 victory. Bottom-of-the-table Lecce fought hard—and missed a huge chance from the penalty spot.

Napoli had put in an inspiring performance on Saturday, beating Inter Milan 3-1 at home. However, the prestigious victory was overshadowed by De Bruyne’s injury during his penalty kick. The bad news followed on Monday: a serious muscle injury means he will be out for months.

But how would the reigning champions react to this heavy blow? Their opponents in this midweek fixture seemed to be “grateful” after all: Lecce had collected a meager six points from their first eight games, leaving them 16th in Serie A. However, anyone who expected a clear-cut affair was proven wrong.

Lecce defended cleverly against uninspired visitors clad in almost traditional Halloween jerseys and occasionally launched their own pinpricks. Berisha tried his luck from the second row, but missed narrowly (25′). Napoli’s best chance came from left-back Olivera, but Tiago Gabriel saved on the line for beaten keeper Falcone (35′).

Zambo Anguissa scores again

After the break, the heavily disappointing favorites had to come up with much more. But first, there was another injury: summer signing Lang limped off the pitch after another foul, and David Neres replaced him (48′). Suddenly, the home side had a great chance to take a 1-0 lead – VAR had flagged a handball by Juan Jesus. The 17-year-old Camarda took responsibility, but his attempt from 11 meters out was saved by the quick-reacting keeper Milinkovic-Savic (56′).

Napoli coach Antonio Conte – himself born in Lecce – had seen enough in his hometown and brought on three fresh players in Spinazzola, McTominay, and Höjlund (61′). Less than ten minutes later, the favorites were celebrating the lead: David Neres lifted a free kick from the right into the center, where Zambo Anguissa—who had already scored against Inter—headed into the far corner with a little help (69′).

In the last 20 minutes, Napoli comfortably managed their lead and maintained their position at the top of the table with what was ultimately a hard-fought victory. The champions will be aiming for their third win in a row on Saturday when Como, the surprise team of the current Serie A season, visit the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

“Spain’s case is different”: Serie A sticks to plan for match in Australia

Phil Laffertey
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“Spain’s case is different”: Serie A sticks to plan for match in Australia

Spain’s La Liga’s plans for a match abroad are off the table, as public pressure became too great. Serie A, on the other hand, is sticking to its plan for a match in Australia, as Serie A boss Luigi De Siervo confirmed.

Adrien Rabiot won’t be happy to hear this. The Frenchman, who plays for AC Milan, is one of the critics of Serie A’s plans for his club to play Como Calcio in Perth, Australia, on February 8, 2026. But Serie A is sticking to its plans, regardless of what happened in Spain.

There, league boss Javier Tebas’ hopes of playing the match between Villarreal CF and FC Barcelona in Miami shortly before Christmas were dashed. The resistance was too great – from players, fans, and the other La Liga clubs, who spoke of distortion of competition.

For Serie A chairman Luigi De Siervo, this is no reason to rethink his plans for February 2026. “The case of Spain is different; there were internal conflicts there. Despite the cancellation of the match between Villarreal and FC Barcelona, Serie A is sticking to its intention to hold a league match in Australia in the near future,“ he clarified. ”Both teams—Milan and Como—have given their approval, as have the 20 Serie A clubs, unlike in Spain, where there were internal disputes.”

The egg today or the chicken tomorrow?

De Siervo knows that not everyone is enthusiastic about the plans to play abroad, but he is not overly concerned about this. Rabiot already got a taste of this in a sharp retort from the official. “If you ask an athlete if they want to spend 20 hours on a plane to play a soccer game in their league, they will tell you that’s crazy. If you ask a coach who is fighting for the Scudetto or a place in the Champions League, he will also resist it. When you ask people, no one wants to give up the opportunity to go to the stadium.“ For the 56-year-old, however, it’s more a question of ”whether we want the egg today or the hen tomorrow. Anyone who develops a sports product has to think five to ten years ahead.”

De Siervo once again referred to the sporting situation in the USA – for example, the first NBA game in Tokyo in 1990 or the NFL, which moved for the first time in 2005 and played a game in Mexico City. Since then, American professional football players have been traveling abroad regularly – in 2026, they will also be going to Australia for the first time. “You have to aim for the bigger goal. If we want an international league, we must have the courage to make unpopular decisions that do not assume we are listening to the instincts of fans or players who have a short- or medium-term interest,” says De Siervo. Words that are likely to leave any soccer nostalgic feeling perplexed.

However, at least one argument cannot be dismissed. The Winter Olympics will take place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo from February 6 to 22. It would therefore have been impossible to hold Milan’s home game at their home stadium, the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium.

“Divisive and misleading”: Celtic shareholder settles scores with Rodgers

Jeffrey Gooding
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“Divisive and misleading”: Celtic shareholder settles scores with Rodgers

Following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation as Celtic manager, the Scottish champions are still reeling. In a detailed statement, the club’s main shareholder accused Rodgers of “divisive, misleading, and self-serving” behavior.

The club’s initial statement on Monday evening was unspectacular, containing the usual platitudes accompanying a departure. Brendan Rodgers had submitted his resignation as head coach of Celtic Football Club on Monday, and the club politely thanked him on its website for three titles in two years.

Anyone who thought this would be a quiet departure was proven wrong. Shortly afterwards, Dermot Desmond, the majority shareholder of the reigning Scottish champions, published a statement on the club’s official website that packed a punch. A full 551 words about Rodgers’ alleged misconduct.

Rodgers had repeatedly caused a stir with his public statements in recent weeks and months. For example, he complained in the media about the lack of new signings. Then, in mid-October, after the first away defeat in Dundee in 37 years, the 52-year-old said: “You would never get the keys to a Honda Civic in a race and be told, ‘Drive it like a Ferrari.’ It just doesn’t work.”

Celtic sees trust violated

Desmond has now accused the former coach of “divisive, misleading and self-serving” behavior. He said he was “deeply disappointed” by what had happened in recent months. When Celtic signed Rodgers two years ago, it was done with “complete confidence and belief in his ability to lead the club into a new era of success.” “Unfortunately, his behavior and communication over the past few months have not reflected that trust.”

There had been regular communication between Rodgers and the club’s management regarding the sale of existing players and the signing of new ones. Celtic’s transfers had taken place with Rodgers’ “full knowledge, consent, and approval.” “Any other suggestion is completely false,” Desmond said. Rodgers’ comments came “out of the blue” for him, as the coach had not previously expressed any concerns to the decision-makers. Even in a personal conversation after his public statements, Rodgers was unable to cite any instances in which the club had not supported him.

In addition, the club’s management had held out the prospect of a potential contract extension to Rodgers, but in a later press conference, the coach had suggested that he had not been offered a new contract. “That was simply not true,” said Desmond.

Rodgers’ successor still unknown

Rodgers’ behavior contributed to a “toxic atmosphere” at the club. “Celtic is bigger than any one individual. Our focus now is on restoring harmony, strengthening the squad and building the club in a way that is worthy of its values, traditions and fans,” Desmond concluded in his statement.

Rodgers has yet to respond to these allegations, but the departure is likely to cause further unrest in the coming days. The next league game is already scheduled for Wednesday, at home against newly promoted FC Falkirk. Martin O’Neill, 73, who was already on the sidelines at Celtic from 2000 to 2005, will take over. However, the new role as interim coach will only be short-term, O’Neill said on Tuesday. It is not yet clear who will take over in the long term.

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