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Budget rumors in F1: The FIA finally speaks plainly

Jason Maverick
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Budget rumors in F1: The FIA finally speaks plainly

Only Aston Martin committed a minor procedural violation in 2024; all other teams complied with the financial rules last year.

All Formula 1 teams can breathe a sigh of relief: Following recent rumors that another team besides Aston Martin may have violated Formula 1 financial rules in 2024, the FIA confirmed on Tuesday that there were no further violations.

A press release states: “Nine Formula 1 teams have been found to be compliant for 2024.” It had already been announced that Aston Martin had violated the cost cap. However, this was merely a procedural violation. The FIA has now announced that Aston Martin “committed a procedural violation, but did not exceed the cost cap and that the violation was very minor in nature.”

It also clarifies: “It was caused by unforeseeable circumstances beyond the control of the Formula 1 team.” A further statement says that Aston Martin “acted cooperatively and in good faith throughout the review process.”

Aston Martin avoids financial penalty

Aston Martin, referred to in these proceedings as AMR in reference to its parent company AMR GP Ltd, entered into an Accepted Breach Agreement (“ABA”) on September 29, i.e. one month ago, thereby accepting its own breach.

The FIA’s Cost Cap Administration (“CCA”) stated: “Due to these exceptional and unforeseeable circumstances, no financial penalties have been imposed on AMR.”

“In addition, the Cost Cap Administration confirmed that there is no allegation or evidence that AMR sought or gained an unfair advantage through the breach,” it continued.

All five engine manufacturers participating in the 2026 Formula 1 season are also subject to their own cost cap. The FIA also states: “All five engine manufacturers have been found to be compliant for 2024.”

It goes on to say: “The FIA confirms that all Formula 1 teams and all engine manufacturers have provided their full support in providing the necessary information. The CCA notes that all teams and manufacturers acted in good faith and cooperatively throughout the process.”

According to the FIA, the review process took a total of seven months. The documents for the past year 2024 had to be submitted by the end of March 2025.

Ferrari back on the podium: Where does the upward trend come from?

T0m@dmin1
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Ferrari back on the podium: Where does the upward trend come from?

Although Ferrari is no longer developing the SF-25, its form has recently been on the rise – why it was on the podium twice in a row in Austin and Mexico

“Overall, it was a good weekend for us,” summarized Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur after the Mexican Grand Prix. For the first time in almost five months, the Scuderia managed to finish on the podium in two consecutive races.
After Charles Leclerc had already finished third at the Grand Prix in Austin, he even managed to take second place in Mexico City. Ferrari had last achieved two podium finishes in a row at the races in Monaco and Barcelona in May and June.

Without a ten-second penalty for Lewis Hamilton, who ultimately finished eighth, the team’s result in Mexico could have been even better. Vasseur points to the strong result in qualifying on Saturday in this context.

The team was “not far off” from “fighting for pole position, and P2 and P3 were a good result,” said the team boss. Leclerc himself also spoke of a “positive weekend” in Mexico City after finishing second in the race.

Where Vasseur sees a “step forward”

But why did things go better for Ferrari again over the past two weekends? The car itself has not become any faster since the disappointing races in Baku (P8 and P9) and Singapore (P6 and P8). Development of the SF-25 was discontinued some time ago.

“I think we took a step forward over the last two weekends when it came to putting everything together,” explains Vasseur, emphasizing that this time they didn’t feel “that we were leaving too much on the table.”

Baku, Singapore, and other Grands Prix were races “where the potential wasn’t so bad, but we had difficulty scoring points.” Or to put it simply: Ferrari simply failed to live up to its own potential.

Leclerc also confirms: “Thanks to perfectly executed weekends, we were able to achieve two podium finishes in a row.” At the same time, however, this circumstance also makes it “very, very hard” to hold on to second place in the Constructors’ Championship until the end.

P2 in the World Championship just a snapshot?

Although Ferrari overtook Mercedes in Mexico, it is currently only one point ahead of the Silver Arrows and ten points ahead of Red Bull in the World Championship. And Leclerc warns: “It’s very difficult to perform at this level all the time.”

When asked whether Ferrari can hold on to second place, the Monegasque replies: “Looking back at the last two weekends, yes. Looking back at the time before those two weekends, not really.”

Because even in the four remaining Grands Prix, you need the “perfect” weekends that Leclerc mentioned. He emphasizes: “We just have to focus on each race individually and execute it perfectly, just like we did in the last two races.”

“It’s a tough battle every weekend,” emphasizes team boss Vasseur, explaining: “We’re fighting for tenths or hundredths of a second. And gusts of wind or ‘dirty air’ in qualifying can knock you back from P2 to P6.”

Did Mexico’s special requirements suit Ferrari?

In Mexico, for example, Lando Norris was clearly ahead of the rest of the field, but behind him it was “very, very close.” The team boss also points out that Mexico is a special track with very specific requirements for car cooling.

And Ferrari regularly does well in this regard, as Vasseur recalls: “Last year we did well [in Mexico]. We were always in contention the year before that too. And this weekend, we were in good shape from the first lap.”

In fact, the Scuderia scored its last Formula 1 victory to date in Mexico in 2024, and in 2023, Leclerc put the Ferrari on pole there and also finished on the podium. So the good weekend in 2025 could also be attributed to the characteristics of the track. If that’s the case, then the upcoming race in Brazil will be a real yardstick for whether Ferrari’s recent upward trend is truly sustainable. After all, the Scuderia hasn’t been on the podium in Sao Paulo since 2022 and hasn’t won there since 2017.

This makes it all the more important to have another “perfect” weekend there.

Sinner confirms relationship

Andrew Jackson
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Sinner confirms relationship

Jannik Sinner wins in Vienna and talks about his relationship for the first time afterwards.

With a score of 3:6, 6:3, and 7:5 in a dramatic final against Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner secured his next title in Vienna—and celebrated it with someone very special. During the award ceremony, the Italian made his relationship with Laila Hasanovic public. The 24-year-old sat in the box of the world number two and listened closely as Sinner said, “Thanks to my family, my girlfriend, and everyone who supports me at home.”

According to Rai News, the Italian added at the press conference: “It’s not easy to juggle everything all the time. But it means a lot to me that my family and Laila are always behind me.”

Hasanovic was in a relationship with Mick Schumacher

This is the first time Sinner has publicly mentioned his new partner. Until now, he had not spoken about the relationship—even though it has long been an open secret in the tennis world.

Hasanovic, who is Danish, has had a prominent partner in the past. She was with Mick Schumacher for two years.

Sinner had a relationship with Russian tennis player Anna Kalinskaya for about a year starting in May 2024.

After defeat in top match: Rodgers resigns as Celtic coach

Sotd Editor
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After defeat in top match: Rodgers resigns as Celtic coach

Brendan Rodgers resigned as coach of Celtic Glasgow late Monday evening. The Scottish champions are currently trailing behind leaders Hearts in the league.

Late Monday evening, Celtic Football Club confirmed in a club statement that coach Brendan Rodgers had submitted his resignation. “The resignation has been accepted by the club, and Brendan will leave his position with immediate effect,” the statement said.

Rodgers had lost Sunday’s top match in the Scottish Premiership with Celtic 1-3 at Heart of Midlothian, leaving the reigning champions in second place, eight points behind Hearts after nine games. Celtic have started their Europa League campaign with four points from three games.

Three titles in two years

Rodgers returned to the Celtic dugout in July 2023, having previously coached in Glasgow from 2016 to 2019. Rogers promptly won the league and cup double, and Celtic were champions again last season.

“The club recognizes Brendan’s contribution to Celtic during his two very successful spells with the club. Brendan leaves Celtic with our thanks for the role he has played during a period of continued success for the club, and we wish him continued success in the future,” the club said in a statement.

The search for a new coach is already underway, “the club will inform the fans as soon as possible.” Former Celtic coach Martin O’Neill and former Celtic player Shaun Maloney will temporarily take over the management of the team. Celtic will announce further details shortly.

New York Red Bulls part ways with Schwarz

T0m@dmin1
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New York Red Bulls part ways with Schwarz

A bombshell at the New York Red Bulls: The MLS club is parting ways with coach Sandro Schwarz. Jochen Schneider’s chapter overseas is also coming to an end.

He came close to winning the title in his very first season. It was only in the final, which was lost 1-2 to Los Angeles Galaxy and Marco Reus in December 2024, that Sandro Schwarz and the New York Red Bulls’ MLS title dream came to an end just under a year ago. In 2025, they only managed 10th place in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, which meant they did not qualify for the playoffs. Now, the former Bundesliga coach (Mainz, Hertha BSC) has been surprisingly let go. His former club announced in a press release on Monday afternoon that it intends to start the coming season with a new head coach.

“Lasting impression on the organization”

“We would like to thank Sandro for his commitment in leading our team on the field over the past two seasons,” said Marc de Grandpré, president of the New York Red Bulls, in a statement. “His professionalism and dedication have left a lasting impression on the organization, and we will always remember him for securing our first Eastern Conference championship. “

Schwarz had to contend with enormous personnel problems in his second MLS season in New York. Scottish international Lewis Morgan and Cameron Harper, two key players, were sidelined for months. Initially, despite missing out on this year’s playoffs, the signs seemed to be green for continued cooperation with Schwarz. He was involved in the planning for the coming season. At the beginning of the week, there was a U-turn.

Since the beginning of the year, Schwarz’s former Mainz coach Jürgen Klopp has been pulling the strings as Head of Global Soccer in the RB soccer empire.

It’s also the end of the road in New York for Schneider

In addition to Schwarz, Jochen Schneider is also leaving the MLS franchise, which has three former Bundesliga pros under contract: Emil Forsberg, Alexander Hack, and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. Schneider (formerly with VfB Stuttgart, Schalke, RB Leipzig, among others) had been sporting director of the New York Red Bulls since June 2022. According to the club, the 55-year-old is leaving MLS at his own request to return to his family in Europe. “We are deeply grateful to Jochen for everything he has contributed during his time with our organization,” said President de Grandpré. “Jochen’s expertise and leadership were instrumental in putting together a team that competed at the highest level. Although we are sad to see him go, he will always remain part of the family.”

Schneider will be succeeded as sporting director by former Canadian international Julian de Guzman, who made his mark as a professional in Spain (La Coruna) and Germany (Saarbrücken, Hannover, Regensburg) and most recently worked under Schneider at the Red Bulls.
In addition to Schneider and Schwarz, Schwarz’s assistant coach Volkan Bulut is also ending his chapter in New York.

Will there be only one Premier League match on Boxing Day 2025?

admin3r
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Will there be only one Premier League match on Boxing Day 2025?

The Premier League appears to be bidding farewell to its Boxing Day tradition this year. According to a media report, this is due to contractual and scheduling reasons.

Boxing Day has been an integral part of the English Premier League since its first season. 137 years later, the tradition is apparently in danger of disappearing, at least temporarily. As the Daily Mail reported on Monday, there could be only one Premier League game on the schedule on Boxing Day 2025. The background to this is a combination of scheduling conflicts and a new contract between the Premier League and the English Football Association (FA). Last year, the two parties agreed that the FA Cup round of 16 would also take place on a weekend in the future, but in return, the FA would waive the traditional replay matches in the event of a draw. Since then, the Premier League has been obliged to offer its media partners 33 match days on weekends and five during the week. And because there is only a very limited period of time available for this in the current season, given the Club World Cup, a long European Cup season, and the 2026 World Cup, it is very likely, according to the media report, that December 26, 2025, will be treated like a “normal” Premier League Friday with only one game, even though final talks are still pending.

This affects matchday 18, which will see Arsenal and Brighton, Liverpool and Wolverhampton, Manchester United and Newcastle, and Nottingham and Manchester City face off, among others. In the Championship, League One, and League Two, i.e., leagues two to four, there will be a full schedule as usual on Boxing Day.

Will Boxing Day 2026 return thanks to the calendar?

Last year, eight of the ten Premier League matches were played on December 26. The last time there was a full match day was in 2015/16, as well as in 2014/15, when Boxing Day last fell on a Friday.

At least because December 26, 2026, is a Saturday, there is a good chance that the Boxing Day tradition will be revived in the Premier League in the new season, even if it is to be feared that it will only be a temporary return to the tradition that dates back to 1888.

After leaving St. Louis: Pfannenstiel becomes sporting director at Aberdeen

Phil Laffertey
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After leaving St. Louis: Pfannenstiel becomes sporting director at Aberdeen

Lutz Pfannenstiel has found a new job. After leaving St. Louis, the 52-year-old is moving to Scotland to join FC Aberdeen.

Lutz Pfannenstiel, who has traveled extensively during his career and held management positions at TSG Hoffenheim and Fortuna Düsseldorf, among others, between 2009 and 2020, joined St. Louis in 2020. The 52-year-old worked there as sporting director for five years, but left at the end of August.

Pfannenstiel was out of work for just under two months, but the native of Lower Bavaria has now found a new role. Pfannenstiel will become sporting director of four-time Scottish champions FC Aberdeen on November 10. The traditional club announced this on Monday afternoon.

Second to last in the league, last in the Conference League

“With his extensive experience as a coach, talent scout, youth development manager and executive, gained in various roles and cultures, we believe Lutz will make a significant contribution to helping the club achieve its footballing goals in the coming years,” club boss Dave Cormack is quoted as saying in a club statement, going into further detail. “In particular, his technical knowledge, experience in academy development and global recruitment network were key factors in the board’s decision to select him for this important position.”

On the pitch, things are far from smooth sailing for Aberdeen FC this season. After seven games in the Scottish Premiership, the reigning cup winners are second from bottom in eleventh place. Things are not going well in the Conference League either, with the team bottom of the table with zero points after two games. Aberdeen recently lost 6-0 to AEK Athens. In mid-September, “The Dons” announced the departure of Pfannenstiel’s predecessor, Steven Gunn.

“Just catch it”: Historic Flagg plays the best game of his career

Jeffrey Gooding
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“Just catch it”: Historic Flagg plays the best game of his career

Cooper Flagg played the best game of his young career to date in the Mavericks’ 139-129 victory. His performance not only inspired his teammates, but also made history.

With his 22 points at the age of 18 years and 309 days, Flagg is the fifth-youngest player in NBA history to score more than 20 points in a game. Only Jermaine O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and LeBron James were younger when they achieved this feat. Besides Kobe, the Mavs rookie is the only 18-year-old in history to have achieved this without a single turnover. “It feels great, I’m really euphoric,” Flagg said after the game. “We want to build on this game and use it as a benchmark. This team just has to keep growing and getting better,” he explained.

He was particularly pleased with the victory for the home fans, who had previously suffered two bitter defeats at the start of the season and had already expressed their displeasure. “The fans were there for the first three games, but today was, I think, the first time we really gave them something to be happy about,” Flagg explained.

Flagg shines in the decisive phase

The No. 1 pick shone especially in the decisive phase in the third quarter, when the Mavs turned a deficit into a double-digit lead with a 26-9 run. Flagg scored seven points during that stretch, dished out three assists, and electrified his team and the fans with a thunderous poster dunk plus foul. “When he gets the crowd going like that, it carries the whole team,” said D’Angelo Russell, who also had his best game in a Mavs jersey with 24 points. “Everyone wants him to play big, and when he performs like that, it’s just contagious.” Dallas now has two more home games coming up (OKC, Pacers) before traveling to Detroit and Houston for a short road trip.

Non-profit status with a question mark: Where uncertainty still prevails

Sports Of The Day
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Non-profit status with a question mark: Where uncertainty still prevails

From a wave of criticism to recognition: eSports is set to become a non-profit activity from 2026. Dr. Oliver Daum explains which paragraphs have been amended and which uncertainties remain in an interview with eSports.

When the phrase “introduction of eSports as a new non-profit purpose” first appeared in the initial draft of the 2025 Tax Amendment Act, there was no cause for celebration – even though it was a huge step forward. After all, politicians had failed to deliver on their promise for seven years.

Lawyer Dr. Oliver Daum explains why criticism nevertheless rained down in an interview with eSport: “The first draft contained an overly restrictive description of eSports. For example, the requirement ‘on a computer or game console’ meant, among other things, that non-profit eSports would not have been possible in mobile games or games on other hardware that are not computers or game consoles.”

Another point of contention was the passage stating that games “in which raw violence, such as killing people, is realistically simulated or tolerated” would be excluded. “That was a criterion that was difficult to grasp and could mean everything or nothing,” says Dr. Daum.

Certain disciplines remain excluded

Instead of rapprochement, the draft even suggested distancing. The turnaround a few days later was all the more surprising: eSports is to become non-profit in 2026. This is based on a number of adjustments to the draft, including the definition. However, Dr. Daum still finds this problematic.

Since only computer and video games are mentioned, projects such as Excel Esports continue to fall through the cracks. However, the newly chosen wording gives cause for hope: the legislator now describes “how eSports are understood and not how they are defined.”

With this chosen wording, the legislator wants to leave a back door open in order to be able to react to changes if necessary. “Rather, the legislator’s definition is one of four different possible interpretations of how standards such as Section 52 of the Tax Code are to be understood. It is therefore entirely possible that a binding definition will emerge over the coming years that differs from that specified by the legislator.”

Shooters in limbo?

There will continue to be many question marks surrounding shooters, even though there have also been adjustments to this paragraph. The current draft law now states: “Games without an age rating from the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK) and computer games with content that glorifies violence are not compatible with the principle of promoting the common good.”

Nevertheless, according to Dr. Daum, the situation remains vague: “If organizations offer games such as CS2 and Fortnite, it is possible that a tax office could deny them non-profit status because, in its legal opinion, they contain ‘content that glorifies violence.’ In the worst case, this could lead to additional tax claims. I am certain that there will be court proceedings on the question of whether certain titles have content that glorifies violence.“

He clearly describes how long this could take: ”If this issue ends up in court, it may be that a tax court in Hamburg, for example, answers this question differently than a tax court in Bavaria. The tax courts are not bound by the decisions of other tax courts. Only if the Federal Fiscal Court in Munich were to be called upon to rule on this issue would its decision be binding. However, it could take years before the Federal Fiscal Court would issue a ruling in this regard.”

Accordingly, the lawyer has a tip: “For clubs, organizations, and other actors that offer multiple eSports disciplines, it is therefore advisable from a practical point of view that they specify the various eSports titles when submitting their application. This allows the tax office to comment in advance on whether certain titles may be excluded from non-profit status.”

Rast and the cursed “Spitzkehre”: His title dreams were already dashed there in 2006

Jeffrey Gooding
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Rast and the cursed “Spitzkehre”: His title dreams were already dashed there in 2006

An incredible parallel involving Rene Rast: How the Spitzkehre in Hockenheim cost him the title in a similar way 19 years ago and what exactly happened in the Seat Cup

Will the hairpin turn in Hockenheim be Rene Rast’s fateful corner? The Schubert BMW driver, who three weeks ago at the DTM finale in Hockenheim was the victim of a chain reaction at this spot in the first lap and lost a possible fourth title, had already experienced drama in the bottleneck earlier in his career. And there, too, the incident cost him the title.

“Such setbacks, such low blows, are not the first to happen in my career. Back in 2006, we lost the Seat Cup title in this very corner,” Rast explains. “In the last race, I was also taken out of the fight.”

But what happened back then? Rast, who was fighting for his career in the Volkswagen one-make cups after leaving formula racing, started the final race on a drying track as the championship leader from the front row.

How the chaos in the hairpin turn cost Rast the title in 2006

But then, as in the 2025 DTM finale in Hockenheim, everything went wrong in the first lap: Rast was hit in the hairpin by defending champion Thomas Marschall, who in turn had collided with Czech driver Erik Janis. For the disappointed Rast, the race was over because his car was too badly damaged.

The race organizers determined that Janis was responsible for the crash, and he was subsequently penalized. The beneficiary was Florian Gruber, who had started the race in third place in the championship and only needed a sixth-place finish to secure the title. Rast, who had won a total of three races that season, ultimately missed out on the title by three points, finishing in second place.

After the setback, Rast got his start in Porsche

In 2007, Rast, who was already working with manager Dennis Rostek at the time, switched to the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, and in 2008 he won the title in the prestigious Porsche one-make cup. However, it was in the Porsche Supercup that the Minden native made a name for himself from 2010 to 2012 with three titles – even though the DTM was still a long way off for him and he had to digest further setbacks.
Rast speaks of “setbacks, like all those DTM trials that we were never allowed to complete successfully and where we never got a cockpit.” This is because Rast was not initially recognized as a talent by either BMW or Audi in their search for drivers for the DTM squad, before he made his DTM debut at Zandvoort in 2016 at short notice due to Adrien Tambay’s injury.

In 2017, he won his first DTM title in his rookie season with Audi – the rest is history.

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