21/03/2026

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Newey still in charge … as Aston Martin struggle with power unit problems A STON MARTIN said Adrian Newey (pic) remained princi pal of the struggling Formula One team as media specula The softly-spoken Briton, 67, had worked closely with former team boss Christian Horner and Dutch four times world champion Max

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Verstappen at Red Bull but his promo tion as Aston principal came as a sur prise to many. “Adrian is an artist. There’s no point Adrian managing a bunch of people because it’d be chaos. He would be the first to accept that,” Horner told the High Performance Podcast in 2021. Should Wheatley move to Aston Martin, that would close a door to Horner returning to the paddock with the team. The BBC reported, however, that Horner had met Stroll this week. Sky said Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase had also been approached but opted to stay with Red Bull. Wheatley, who also worked with Newey at Red Bull previously and was sporting director when he left, joined Audi’s predecessor Sauber in April last year. Any further move would likely involve a long period of “gardening leave” before he could start work at any rival outfit. Audi also have former Ferrari prin cipal Mattia Binotto overseeing the F1 project. The next grand prix at Japan’s Suzuka circuit on March 29 is a home race for Honda but unlikely to bring any relief for the Japanese manufac turer. – Reuters strong on my serve.” Linette advanced to a third-round matchup against 20-year-old Alexandra Eala of the Philippines, a 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-3 winner over Germany’s Laura Siegemund. It was the longest WTA career match for 29th-ranked Eala, who beat Swiatek in last year’s Miami Open quar terfinals for the biggest win of her career before losing to American Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. Former world No. 1 Venus Williams, 45, lost her first-round match to Britain’s Francesca Jones 7-5, 7-5 after one hour and 51 minutes. with the England hierarchy also facing widespread criticisms regarding the team’s warm-up schedule, preparation and overall selection policy. There has also been mounting frus tration within English county cricket concerning the seeming disregard the England management have for the first class game. Ollie Pope, however, insisted win ning back the hearts and minds of fans was important to the England side. “The misconception might be that we weren’t as fussed as it came across,“ he said. “Of course we want to be a well liked team, on and off the pitch, and unfortunately our performance didn’t allow that to happen in Australia.” – AFP Jones advanced to a second-round match against fifth seed Pegula, last year’s Miami runner-up to Sabalenka. On the men’s side 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca outlasted Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 6-4, 3-6, 6 2, to book a second-round match with world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. – AFP

tion ramped up yesterday that he was set to be replaced by Audi’s Jonathan Wheatley. The www.motorsport.com website reported the acclaimed designer would stand aside to focus on techni cal matters, with Wheatley returning to Britain from Audi’s factory in Switzerland. The BBC and Sky Sports television also reported Aston Martin had made an approach for Wheatley, who was not available for comment, but no contract had been signed. “The team will not be engaging in media speculation about its senior leadership team,” Aston Martin said in a statement. “Adrian Newey continues to lead the team as Team Principal and Managing Technical Partner.” Audi said they were aware of the media reports. “There is no official update from our side at this point in time and we do not comment on speculation,” said a team spokesman. Silverstone-based Aston Martin have yet to score a point or finish either of the two grands prix this season, with their new Honda power unit lack ing performance and producing heavy vibrations. Two-times world champion IGA S WIATEK crashed out of the Miami Open second round yesterday as 50th-ranked fellow Pole Magda Linette fought back for a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over the six-time Grand Slam champion. Reigning Wimbledon champion Swiatek, who won the Miami Open in 2022, suffered her first opening loss at a tournament since the 2021 WTA Finals. It’s just the latest disappointment for Swiatek, who was eliminated in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and in the WTA 1000 events in Doha and Indian Wells. Although she was seeded second in the elite combined ATP and WTA hard court tournament in Miami, Swiatek dropped this week to third in the world as Indian Wells finalist Elena Rybakina moved up behind top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka. Swiatek’s compatriot Linette had to

Fernando Alonso retired from last Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix after say ing he was losing feeling in his hands and feet. On board footage from the race in Shanghai showed Alonso taking his hands off the steering wheel whenever possible to ease the pain. The team are owned by Canadian Lawrence Stroll, whose son Lance races as Spaniard Alonso’s teammate. They finished seventh last season with Mercedes engines. Newey took over as principal this season with previous incumbent Andy Cowell, a former Mercedes engine boss, moving into a strategy role. Newey, whose cars have won 14 drivers’ and 12 constructors’ titles for three different teams, joined Aston Martin from Red Bull last year as a shareholder and tasked with building a winning car. dig deep after Swiatek – who won their last encounter 6-1, 6-1 – raced through the opening set in 33 minutes. But she stuck to her guns and Swiatek double-faulted to give Linette two break points in the 12th game of the second set, Linette forcing a third set with a return winner. “I just had to go for a little bit more,” Linette told Tennis Channel . “I had to start hitting a little bit faster, too, to push her a little bit more back, not give her space. “But I think it all started with serving a bit better.” Swiatek didn’t go meekly, saving a pair of match points on her own serve in the eighth game of the third and two more as Linette served for the match, before Linette sealed the win as Swiatek sent a backhand wide. Linette added: “She actually gets really good on those break points down, match points down. She starts swinging. I just knew I had to stay

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Swiatek stunned in Miami

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England cricket chiefs to front up over Ashes flop E N GLI S H cricket chiefs Rob Key and Richard Gould will speak to the media at Lord’s on Monday regarding a post Ashes review into the team’s series loss in Australia. drinking by players. This was followed by revelations that vice-captain Harry Brook had had an altercation with a nightclub bouncer on the pre-Ashes visit to New Zealand.

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Key, the managing director of men’s cricket, will appear alongside England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Gould to discuss events on and off the field during a woeful 4-1 reverse over five Tests Down Under in 2025/26. In addition to their poor on-field per formance, concerns about the culture of an England squad led by Ben Stokes and coached by former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum emerged during a break in Noosa, an Australian resort, where there were reports of excessive

While no formal review is expected to be published, Key and Gould are set to offer major conclusions ahead of a home season which could lead to a reset for the under-fire coaching regime. The position of McCullum, who reit erated his post Ashes desire to continue as England coach following the white ball team’s semi-final exit at the recent T20 World Cup, remains a major talking point. McCullum has been angered by sug gestions he runs a “casual operation”

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