04/02/2026

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | FEB 4, 2026

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Russell impressed by Red Bull F1 favourite expects Verstappen to be back in the fight M ERCEDES’ George Russell shrugged off the tag of Formula One favourite yesterday and rivals, especially on the Red Bull power unit side that looks very impressive,” he told reporters before his team’s season launch online.

CHRISTIAN HORNER has expressed his desire to return to Formula One in his first public comments since his sacking by Red Bull last summer. The 52-year-old British executive was dismissed as Red Bull team principal after July’s British Grand Prix, with his official exit confirmed in September. During his 20-year tenure, Horner oversaw a period of immense success, securing eight drivers’ and six construc tors’ titles. His sacking came a year and a half after allegations of “inappropriate behav iour” by a female colleague, claims he consistently denied and was twice exon erated from by an independent KC. Speaking at the European Motor Show in Dublin, Horner broke his silence, stating: “I feel like I have unfinished busi ness in Formula One. It didn’t finish the way that I would have liked it to finish. “But I am not going to come back for just anything. I am only going to come back for something that can win. “I don’t want to go back in the pad dock unless I have something to do. I miss the sport, I miss the people, I miss the team that I built. “I had 21 incredible years in Formula One. I had a great run, won a lot of races, championships and worked with some amazing drivers, engineers and partners. I don’t need to go back. I could stop my career now. “So I would only go back for the right opportunity to work with great people, and to work in an environment where people want to win, and they shared that desire. “I would want to be a partner, rather than just a hired hand, but we will see how it plays out. “I am not in a rush. I don’t need to do anything.” Horner has been linked with various teams, including Alpine, where he is reportedly part of a group interested in investing in the team, which finished last in the constructors’ championship last season. He has also been mentioned in connection with Aston Martin and Ferrari. Addressing his past rivalry with Mercedes CEO and co-owner Toto Wolff, whose team will supply engines to Alpine from this season, Horner concluded: “A lot of people made a lot out of the rivalry I had with him. I have a huge amount of respect for him. “He has been tremendously success ful. He has won a huge amount. He is very bright. We are just different people, equally competitive, just different. And sport is boring if everybody is friendly and loves each other. “You have got to have a rivalry that will create a real interest. The worst thing is if everyone is too nicey-nicey and chummy.” – The Independent Horner eyeing return to F1 Ű BY PHILIP DUNCAN

lished Russell as their title favourite, ahead of McLaren’s defend ing champion Lando Norris, but Russell was not letting that get to his head. “I don’t really feel anything from hearing that,” he said. “As I’ve said for a long time, I feel ready to fight for a world championship.

said he expected Red Bull’s four times world champion Max Verstappen to remain a title threat this season. Mercedes, distant runners-up to McLaren last year, looked immedi ately strong in a shakedown test with plenty of mileage last week, and Russell recognised the W17 car was ticking all the right boxes. While clearly happy with how things were shaping up, the Briton said Red Bull, who have taken the huge challenge of building their own power unit after splitting from Honda, had also stood out. “We’ve been quite surprised by what we’ve seen from some of our

“So kudos to them. We’ve had a very reliable test but we’ll have to wait and see if the car lives up to the expectation.” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, clearly reassured but trying to rein in too much optimism at such an early stage, put it more bluntly. “Obviously you wake up with more of a smile if the car is quick and the early indications that we had were positive – that at least it doesn’t look like a turd and we’re (in the) midfield,” said the Austrian. “It looks like we have something that you can build upon.” British bookmakers have estab

“Whether we have that comment above us or not, that does not change my approach one single bit.” Verstappen missed out on a fifth successive title by two points last year and the uncertainty sur rounding Red Bull’s engine has weighed on the Dutch driver’s

prospects for 2026. With champions McLaren hav ing a Mercedes engine, which is expected to set the standard in a new rules era, there has also been talk of the fight being between those teams. “It seems like the other power unit manufacturers have done a good job and we know that Red Bull have always had an amazing car,” Russell said. “Even through the years of dominance of Mercedes, it was their engine that was letting them down, not their car, and we obviously know how good Max is. “I think he’s very much going to be in the fight this year... you obvi ously wish you’d have a slightly eas ier time of it, but it should never be easy and if you’re going to win you want to have fought for it and won it fair and square on track.” Mercedes have an unchanged line-up with race-winner Russell partnered by Italian Kimi Antonelli, no longer a rookie and expected to move up a gear, while Danish driver Frederik Vesti takes the reserve role. The season starts in Australia on March 8. – Reuters

Wolff blasts rivals over illegal engine claims

MERCEDES Formula One boss Toto Wolff blasted rivals yesterday for casting doubt on the legality of his team’s new engine through secret meetings and letters. The sport is entering a new era with one of the most sweeping technical overhauls in decades and there has been talk of Mercedes and rivals Red Bull, now making their own engine, exploiting a loophole in the rules through the thermal expansion of components. That could put the three Ferrari-powered teams (Ferrari, Cadillac and Haas), Audi and Aston Martin (Honda) at a competitive disadvantage if true. Mercedes provide engines to four teams, while Rolapp late last year. “I think each one has got to do what’s best for them,“ Rahm said when asked about Reed’s decision to leave LIV. “We’re free to choose where we want to play golf. At least that’s how it should be. He’s made his choice... I have nothing really against him.” Rahm’s LIV and Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton agreed. “He was out of contract and he had options and he decided that for him to move forward he wanted to go back and play on the PGA

ways of testing that just don’t exist.” “Maybe you want to find excuses before you even start it (the season), why things are not good… it’s not how we would do things,” he added. “Especially not after you’ve been told a few times that that is fine, it’s legal and it’s what the regulations say. But again, if somebody wants to entertain themselves by distraction then everybody’s free to do this.” Formula One’s governing body has played down talk of the controversy triggering a protest that overshadows the Australian season-opener on March 8. –Reuters PGA Tour boss Rolapp said Koepka’s deci sion to leave LIV last month had prompted offi cials to consider how they handled the issue of embracing players who wanted to rejoin. The result was the PGA Tour’s new “Returning Member Programme”, which came with “severe and justified consequences”. That included a five-year forfeiture of rights to participation in the PGA Tour’s player equity programme, while Koepka had agreed to make a US$5 (RM20m) million charitable contribu tion to a recipient which will be determined jointly by Koepka and the PGA Tour. – AFP

Red Bull also supply Racing Bulls. “I just don’t understand that some teams concentrate more on the others and keep arguing a case that is very clear and transparent,”Wolff told reporters. “Communication with the FIA was very positive all along. And it’s not only on compression ratio, but on other things too,” added the Austrian. “It’s very clear what the regulations say. It’s very clear what the standard procedures are on any motors, even outside of F1.” Wolff said rivals needed to get their act together instead of “doing secret meetings and sending secret letters and keep trying to invent tour,“ he told reporters. “If he was playing in LIV still, he makes the league stronger,“ he added. “He’s chosen his path and like Jon said you can only wish him the best moving forward.” Rahm was among the leading players and major winners, including Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith, who committed to stay with LIV Golf in 2026. Launched in 2022, LIV Golf’s emergence led to bitter divisions throughout the sport as sev eral of golf’s biggest names left the PGA Tour after signing big-money deals.

Golfers should be ‘free’ to play where they want: Rahm

TWO-TIME major winner Jon Rahm yesterday said golfers should be free to choose to play “where they want”, following the latest defec tion from LIV Golf ahead of the Saudi-backed circuit’s season opener in Riyadh this week. Rahm’s comments came just days after for mer Masters champion Patrick Reed announced he was ditching LIV and returning to the PGA Tour later this season. The move came after Brooks Koepka said in December he had left LIV and joined a “Returning Member Programme” announced by PGA Tour chief executive officer Brian