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Glock slams McLaren: This drama is complete nonsense

Jeffrey Gooding
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Glock slams McLaren: This drama is complete nonsense

Timo Glock sharply criticizes McLaren’s communication following the collision at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix, describing the aftermath as drama.

The collision between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix is also the dominant topic in Austin. After McLaren team boss Andrea Stella spoke of “consequences” for Norris, there is now fierce criticism from Formula 1 expert Timo Glock.

He continues his criticism: “I have no idea what this little drama is supposed to achieve. Either I keep my mouth shut or I make myself vulnerable. Everyone else is laughing their heads off. Max Verstappen is delighted and says: ‘Go ahead and argue, guys—I’ll be right there when you crash into each other again.’”

That’s not the only thing he criticizes. He thinks it’s completely ridiculous that such a minor contact was even the subject of a full internal team investigation: “He’s racing for the world championship. So should he just wave him past? This whole ‘we all love each other’ and ‘we’ll talk about it in a circle’ thing… I don’t know—I have to be honest and say that I’m starting to have my doubts. “

”The fact is, the two are competing for the world championship, and everyone will give it their all. Lando Norris has to do that. And then there’s the question of whether Oscar Piastri will think again about what he did at Monza – giving up that position, giving up those points, just because the team made a mistake during the pit stop.”

Glock’s analysis: racing accident

The scene would probably not be blown out of proportion if McLaren weren’t trying to control the World Championship battle from A to Z. Glock ultimately sees the collision as a racing accident: “Lando Norris was next to him and stuck his nose in. The issue, of course, is that it’s always a bit hectic at the start of the race. You can see that the cars were very nervous.“

”From Norris’ point of view: the track was slightly damp, he held his line on the inside but had no other option, was a bit surprised by Max Verstappen’s braking maneuver and then lost the rear. There was actually enough space, but when he loses the rear, there’s contact and Lando Norris is through.“

In the dynamics surrounding the world championship title, Glock sees Singapore as a point victory for Norris: ”In the position Lando Norris is in, as a teammate you have to show: ‘Mate, I’m here, I’m wide awake.’ That’s important.”

“The question is what will happen to Oscar Piastri’s mental strength. You always think he never has a pulse above 100, but you’re slowly noticing—through what has happened in the last few races—that he’s also becoming a little more unsettled.”

The action now continues on the American continent with four races before the decision is made with two races in the Middle East. The question is not only which driver will come out on top, but also how much control McLaren wants to exert in the World Championship battle. Or whether Max Verstappen will be the one laughing in the end…

Brundle: McLaren’s papaya philosophy is “doomed to fail”

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Brundle: McLaren’s papaya philosophy is “doomed to fail”

Formula 1 expert Martin Brundle believes that the World Championship battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at McLaren is “doomed to fail in many ways.”

The two McLaren drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, are engaged in an intense battle for their first Formula 1 world championship title. Ahead of this weekend’s US Grand Prix at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, only 22 points separate the two, with Piastri leading the championship.

The “papaya philosophy” that McLaren has been pursuing since the start of the season came under fire for the first time two weeks ago in Singapore. The team has since reviewed the collision between Norris and Piastri in the first lap.

On Thursday in Austin, Norris said that there were consequences for him personally. The current World Championship runner-up did not elaborate on what exactly those consequences were or are. And McLaren team boss Andrea Stella also did little to clarify the situation with his comments. Martin Brundle, a former Formula 1 driver and now a TV expert at Sky, described his view of the McLaren title duel on Friday in Austin: “There’s a title to be won. McLaren has a fantastic car, and Max [Verstappen] is appearing in the rearview mirror pretty quickly.”

“You have two extremely competitive athletes working in a team environment. That’s always going to go wrong. The question is how to deal with it,“ said Brundle, who is convinced: ”This constellation is doomed to fail in many ways.“

The ”papaya philosophy,” which McLaren has been pursuing since the start of the season, came under fire for the first time two weeks ago in Singapore. The team has since addressed the collision between Norris and Piastri in the first lap. On Thursday in Austin, Norris said that there were consequences for him personally. The current World Championship runner-up did not elaborate on what exactly those consequences were or are. McLaren team boss Andrea Stella also did little to clarify the situation with his comments.

Martin Brundle, former Formula 1 driver and current TV expert at Sky, described his view of the McLaren title duel on Friday in Austin: “There is a title to be won. McLaren has a fantastic car, and Max [Verstappen] is appearing in the rearview mirror pretty quickly.”

“You have two extremely competitive athletes working in a team environment. That’s always going to go wrong. The question is how you deal with it,” said Brundle, who is convinced: “This constellation is doomed to failure in many ways.”

When asked what the consequences for Norris might be after the Singapore maneuver against Piastri, Brundle replied: “It’s clear that whatever they do will remain within the team and will have no impact on the overall performance of the team against others.”

And the TV expert also has a very specific idea of what that might look like. “If we were in a development race, Oscar would be the first to get the new parts, for example. Or if it’s a track where you need slipstreaming in qualifying, Oscar would be given priority. It will be some kind of internal team thing that other teams can’t benefit from.”

Jenson Button, 2009 Formula 1 world champion, told Sky: “We all love a good world championship battle. In terms of performance, both are giving their all and going all out. That’s great to see. But when the team gets involved in how hard you can push your teammate, it naturally becomes complicated, especially internally.”

“It’s a little strange because I think what McLaren is doing is actually very good for the sport,” adds Brundle, referring to McLaren’s rule not to drive into each other’s cars. “They can drive freely from start to finish, with one condition: they must not collide with each other.”

“If it hadn’t been Piastri next to him [in Singapore], the team would have cheered Lando for the first few corners. He actually drove brilliantly, he just happened to touch his teammate,” said Brundle.

Symonds: Cadillac’s entry into Formula 1 is “a huge undertaking”

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Symonds: Cadillac’s entry into Formula 1 is “a huge undertaking”

From an empty factory to a Formula 1 team in less than a year: Pat Symonds talks about the enormous pressure involved in setting up the new Cadillac project.

Pat Symonds, Cadillac’s chief technical advisor, describes the development of the new Formula 1 team as “frightening.” The experienced engineer, who previously worked as technical director in Formula 1 and was instrumental in developing the regulations for 2022 onwards, describes the scale of the project as extraordinary – both in terms of the schedule and the complexity.
Cadillac will officially enter Formula 1 in 2026 after General Motors took over the application initiated by Andretti Global. However, the official starting signal was not given until March 7 this year—just 364 days before the first free practice session in Australia in 2026.

“You can’t build a Formula 1 team in 364 days,” says Symonds. “It was impressive how committed Cadillac was even before the official entry was confirmed. Many started at a stage when it wasn’t even clear whether we would actually get approval.”

From nothing to a team of 400 employees

At the beginning of the year, only around 160 people were working on the project, Symonds reports: “When we got the official confirmation, there were already about 200 – and now there are over 420. The growth was rapid, but also incredibly demanding. Recruiting was one of the biggest challenges.“

Symonds is particularly impressed by the quality of the work that has already been accomplished in such a short time: ”I already knew many of the people from before, and what I found was truly top quality – on par with the best teams in the field.”

Infrastructure as the biggest feat

In addition to developing the car, setting up the structures was an enormous task: “Building a Formula 1 car is difficult – I’ve made about 40 of them, so at some point you know what needs to happen and when. But the infrastructure, the processes, the buildings, the logistics – you rarely do something like that, and it’s a huge feat.”

Cadillac has now built a first test chassis to test the homologation and crash test procedures. “This chassis wasn’t a race-ready car because we didn’t know the details of the engine installation at the time,” explains Symonds. “But it helped us verify the necessary processes—also because of the new safety regulations, which are very demanding.”

Cadillac completed all necessary testing with the prototype in the second quarter. “Our first race chassis is already finished, and crash tests are scheduled for the coming weeks. Many parts are now arriving – we are making good progress.“

A mammoth project with a clear goal

Despite the enormous workload, Symonds is optimistic about the future: ”We are on the right track. The team is growing, the quality is right, and we have a clear plan for how to get everything together by the start of the season.”

Added to this are new engine regulations, with electric drive accounting for a higher proportion of the total power output. For Symonds, this is a decisive step: “New aerodynamics, new car, new engine—all at once. It’s not an easy path, but if it works, it will be an extraordinary success.”

Verstappen: Title chances would only have been realistic with a win in Singapore

T0m@dmin1
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Verstappen: Title chances would only have been realistic with a win in Singapore

Max Verstappen believes that his title chances for 2025 have been significantly reduced by his failure to win in Singapore – the Red Bull driver explains what went wrong there.

Ahead of the US Grand Prix in Austin, Max Verstappen has admitted that his chances of winning a fifth Formula 1 world title in 2025 were likely already damaged in Singapore. In his own estimation, Red Bull should have won there in order to put McLaren under serious pressure in the title race. He now puts his chances of winning the world title at only 50:50.

“We really should have won in Singapore,” said Verstappen in Austin. “We’re just not picking up enough points. That was the moment we missed our chance for a really exciting duel.”

Mathematically speaking, the Dutchman is still within reach: with six races to go, he is 63 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri. But Verstappen sees the reality soberly. To make up the deficit, he would have to make up an average of more than ten points per weekend – most recently, he only made up six points in Singapore with second place.

“Of course, it was positive that we were ahead of both McLarens there, even though the track doesn’t really suit our car,” says the 28-year-old. “But in the end, it just wasn’t enough.” When asked whether the victory would have been decisive, he answers clearly: “Yes, one hundred percent.”

Red Bull was too conservative

Verstappen does not deny that more could have been achieved in Singapore. After the race, he had already hinted that Red Bull had not made the most of the weekend – an assessment he now confirms. The decisive factor was a setup change before qualifying, which did not have the desired effect but could not be reversed for the race.

“We were just a little too conservative,” he says. “In hindsight, it would have been better to stick with the original setup. But these decisions are made as a team – and at the time, it seemed like the right choice.”

The start also contributed to Verstappen not getting further ahead. Shortly before the start of the race, a rain shower had left the track partially wet, which is why Red Bull opted for soft tires and a “low grip” setting. But by the time the race started, the asphalt was already dry again.

However, Verstappen does not believe this was a misjudgment: “There was around eight percent less grip on the inside, and I immediately lost a car length,” explains Verstappen. “That’s why we started with this setup. Otherwise, I would have had too much wheel spin.”

Looking ahead to Austin – but without any illusions

Verstappen expects a different balance of power in Austin. After recent improved performances in Monza, Baku, and Singapore, Red Bull seems to have a better understanding of the RB21. Nevertheless, the world champion warns: “There is no guarantee that we will be competitive everywhere.”

The medium-speed corners of the Circuit of The Americas are considered a problem area – according to Verstappen, McLaren has been particularly strong there recently. “It was a little better in Singapore, but we’re still lacking something in these corners. We need to keep working on that.”

On the positive side, Red Bull has now developed a much better understanding of the car, which could help during the sprint weekend in Texas. “We now know pretty much exactly what the car needs,” says Verstappen. “It’s more about getting the most out of a weekend. That’s the key if we want to take points off McLaren.”

Despite all the setbacks, Verstappen does not want to write off the world championship battle prematurely – but his words sound more realistic than ever. “We’ll try,” he says. “If you say, ‘Forget it,’ then I might as well stay at home. But honestly, a win in Singapore could have changed everything.”

Injured: Tennis star Osaka forced to withdraw from Osaka tournament

Jason Maverick
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Injured: Tennis star Osaka forced to withdraw from Osaka tournament

The fan favorite will no longer be able to compete for the title in her home country.

The crowd favorite is out: Japan’s tennis star Naomi Osaka (28) can no longer play in her home tournament in Osaka due to an injury to her left thigh. The former world number one and four-time Grand Slam winner will not be able to compete in her quarterfinal match against Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian on Friday due to the injury, according to the organizers.

Osaka sustained the injury on Wednesday during her hard-fought round of 16 victory over defending champion Suzan Lamens, and was even close to tears. Osaka had to finish the three-set match with a thick bandage on her left thigh and said afterwards that only painkillers had helped her get through the match.

Diarra & Co.: French soccer players put pressure on FIFA

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Diarra & Co.: French soccer players put pressure on FIFA

The fact that the French players’ union UNFP has joined the “Justice for Players” (JfP) movement has received little public attention. However, this move puts enormous pressure on the associations.

In France in particular, the level of organization among professional soccer players is extremely high, with the UNFP claiming to represent the interests of more than 90 percent of professional soccer players. “Our main goal is to offer FIFA a new opportunity to sit down at the negotiating table with the players’ representatives in order to jointly develop new regulations that comply with European law and strike a balance between the interests of employees and employers,” explained its chairman, David Terrier, who once played for FC Metz and AC Ajaccio, among others.

Diarra and the ECJ as background to the development

The background to this development is Lassana Diarra’s successful lawsuit against FIFA and Lokomotiv Moscow after he was denied a contract with Sporting Charleroi due to a ban imposed by the world governing body. A court in Belgium referred the matter to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which ruled that parts of FIFA’s transfer rules were incompatible with EU law.

FIFA subsequently issued a revised set of rules. However, in order to achieve final stability, concrete negotiations with player representatives such as the international union Fifpro are needed. However, Fifpro is also at loggerheads with the world governing body in other areas: its European branch, together with the European Leagues (EL), which also includes the German Football League (DFL), has filed a complaint against FIFA with the European Commission due to the increasingly tight match schedule.

The background to this is the expansion of various competitions under President Gianni Infantino, most notably the Club World Cup, which now features 32 teams. The German players’ union VdV has also lodged a complaint with the Commission about “overloading professionals and cannibalizing competitions.”

Dupont has already turned soccer upside down once before

But back to the JfP initiative: Diarra is now demanding €65 million in compensation. And he has the support of the JfP movement, which was founded in the Netherlands. According to its own statement, the movement is committed to ensuring that professional soccer players have the right to play for a club of their choice at the time of their election and to be compensated for financial losses incurred as a result of transfer regulations.

The fact that Belgian lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont, who also represents Diarra, supports JfP with his law firm “Dupont Hissel” is not the best sign for the associations. He was once responsible for the Bosman ruling, which turned the international transfer market upside down.

JfP is currently recruiting supporters among professionals, former professionals, and player agents in order to increase pressure on associations and clubs in preparation for a class action lawsuit. The fact that the UNFP is joining the initiative can be considered a success given its strong roots among footballers, as in many countries the level of organization among professional footballers is not as high as in France.

Comeback looms: Benitez close to agreement with Panathinaikos

Lesley Summerville
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Comeback looms: Benitez close to agreement with Panathinaikos

After leaving Celta Vigo in spring 2024, things have been quiet around former successful coach Rafa Benitez. But now, the 65-year-old is set to make a comeback. Benitez is expected to sign in Athens until summer 2027.

According to consistent media reports from Spain and Greece, Rafael Benitez is set to join traditional Greek club Panathinaikos. The 65-year-old has reportedly agreed terms with the Athens-based club on a contract until summer 2027.

Panathinaikos is aiming for its first championship title since 2010 and, after a mediocre start to the league a few weeks ago, sacked coach Rui Vitoria. Christos Kontis is currently acting as interim coach. According to the current plan, the 50-year-old will be on the bench for Sunday’s league game at Aris in Thessaloniki, as well as next Thursday’s Europa League game at Feyenoord in Rotterdam. After that, he will make way for the most expensive coach in Greek league history. Benitez and his team are set to earn almost four million euros a year.
Benitez celebrated what is probably the greatest success of his long coaching career in 2005, when he led Liverpool to the Champions League title after trailing AC Milan 0-3 at halftime in the final. He also won the Europa League with Chelsea in 2013 and the UEFA Cup with Valencia in 2004. His trophy collection also includes Spanish league titles, an FA Cup win in England (with Liverpool in 2006) and a Club World Cup with Inter in 2011.

Several former Bundesliga players are currently under contract at Panathinaikos. Leading the way is Renato Sanches (35 Bundesliga games, one goal for Bayern), who moved to Athens on loan from Benfica in the summer. But Tin Jedvaj (115 games, five goals for Leverkusen and Augsburg), Filip Mladenovic (16 times for 1. FC Köln) and Filip Djuricic (eleven games for Mainz) also played in the Bundesliga. Adam Gnezda Cerin, on the other hand, played five second division games for 1. FC Nürnberg in 2019/20.

Cristiano Ronaldo remains the world’s highest-paid soccer player

Sotd Editor
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Cristiano Ronaldo remains the world’s highest-paid soccer player

Just a few days after being declared a billionaire, Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the world’s highest-paid soccer player. Like the Portuguese star, the second and third-ranked players also do not play in Europe.

Cristiano Ronaldo remains the highest-paid soccer player on the planet. This comes around a week after the Portuguese superstar was named a billionaire.

Big gap to rival Messi

According to the business and finance magazine, the 40-year-old striker’s income from Saudi Arabian top club Al-Nassr and sponsorship deals amounts to $280 million (approx. €240.7 million) in the current season. Over the past ten years, CR7, who a few days ago became Portugal’s all-time leading scorer in World Cup qualifying in a 2-2 draw with Hungary, has topped the ranking six times.

The former world footballer, whose net worth is estimated at around $1.4 billion by media and financial company Bloomberg, earns twice as much as his eternal rival Lionel Messi. The Argentine is reportedly earning $130 million this year, but advertising revenue is said to significantly exceed the 2022 World Cup winner’s salary at Inter Miami.

Behind the two long-standing influential figures in world soccer, Frenchman Karim Benzema of Al-Nassr’s league rival Al-Ittihad ranks third on the Forbes list with an income of $104 million. Players who currently earn their living—and everything that goes with it—in a European league only follow in fourth place. This spot is occupied by Benzema’s compatriot and 2018 World Cup winner Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid with $95 million, followed by Erling Haaland ($80 million) and Vinicius Junior ($60 million).

No Maccabi fans at Aston Villa – criticism from the prime minister

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No Maccabi fans at Aston Villa – criticism from the prime minister

When Aston Villa hosts Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Europa League in early November, there will be no visiting fans in the stadium. The Birmingham police fear riots if this were not the case.

Fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv will not be allowed to attend the Europa League match at Aston Villa on November 6 for security reasons. The instruction came from the Security Advisory Group (SAG), which is responsible for issuing security certificates for every match at Villa Park, the Birmingham team announced.

The club and UEFA were informed in the afternoon that no away fans would be allowed. According to the announcement, West Midlands Police had concerns about public safety outside the stadium, as protests were expected.

Politicians also get involved

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized the exclusion. “This is the wrong decision,” the 63-year-old politician wrote on the X portal. “We will not tolerate anti-Semitism on our streets.” He said it was the police’s job “to ensure that all football fans can enjoy the game without fear of violence or intimidation.”

UEFA referred to the responsibility of local authorities. “UEFA wants fans to be able to travel and support their team in a safe and welcoming environment,” it said in a statement. Therefore, clubs and the relevant authorities are called upon to agree on the implementation of appropriate measures to make this possible.

Villa in “constant dialogue” with Maccabi

Aston Villa’s statement said: “The club is in constant dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout the process. The safety of fans and local residents is paramount in all decisions.”

In soccer, but also in other sports, there have recently been repeated pro-Palestinian protests at sporting events involving Israeli participation. The background to this is Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip. Even after the agreement between Israel and the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas on a ceasefire, the waves have not completely subsided.

Aston Villa has won its first two games in the Europa League and is currently third in the table. Maccabi has only earned one point so far. The Israeli club will play its upcoming Europa League home game against FC Midtjylland on October 23 at the TSC Arena in Backa Topola, Serbia.

Too harmless: Bayern loses to champions Fenerbahce

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Too harmless: Bayern loses to champions Fenerbahce

FC Bayern Munich suffered another defeat in the EuroLeague at Fenerbahce. On the fifth match day, the offense struggled again and the German champions lost 73-88 to the long-unimpressive champions from Turkey.

After a poor start to the season, Fenerbahce got back on track against Bayern, without shining. Mikael Jantunen was the top scorer with 15 points, and former Bayern player Wade Baldwin (13) also impressed. For Bayern, who were disappointing in offense, Andi Obst (13, 3/7 three-pointers) was the only really dangerous offensive player.

The hosts initially looked unsettled, and Bayern quickly took an 8-3 lead. Fenerbahce found its way into the game through its defense, and Munich went more than four minutes without scoring until Obst hit an open three-pointer. Obst was clearly good for Bayern, with almost everything going through the world and European champion. Fener had nine turnovers after one quarter, yet Bayern led “only” 20-14 after ten minutes.

After just 150 seconds, however, that lead was gone because the Turks were no longer throwing the ball away. Bayern, on the other hand, missed production from their guards, with both Kamar Baldwin and Xavier Rathan-Mayes contributing far too little (combined 1/7 FG at the break). Mike was a ray of hope, but that alone was not enough. Fenerbahce had turned the game around and led 37-32 at halftime without shining.

Bayern falls apart after the break

And that lead slowly continued to grow. Fener hit open three-pointers and forced Bayern into many difficult shots. Midway through the quarter, the lead was in double digits for the first time, and Nicolo Melli increased it to 59-45 shortly thereafter. Symbolically, a difficult jumper by Justus Hollatz only hit the side of the backboard. Bayern simply couldn’t come up with anything and the game seemed to be decided before the final quarter (62-46).

And so it was when Scottie Wilbekin sank a difficult three-pointer with the clock running down. Morale was completely broken, heads were hanging, and Bayern needed 3:30 minutes in the quarter to even score. Fenerbahce thus strolled to its second EuroLeague win of the season. The Turks are now level with Bayern, who will not play again until Monday in the cup against Braunschweig, followed four days later by Olympiacos Piraeus at the SAP Garden.

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