23/05/2026

SPORTS SATURDAY | MAY 23, 2026

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E STEBAN OCON has slammed the “fabri cated b******t” rumours suggesting he’s fighting for his Formula 1 future. He has scored just one point so far this year while younger teammate Oliver Bearman has 17. The Brit also outscored the more experienced Ocon last year and Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu publicly called out his disappointing results. And rumours claiming his days in F1 are num bered have intensified in recent days, amid claims of a falling-out with his Japanese boss in Miami earlier this month. Rumours which, Ocon told reporters on media day ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, are “complete nonsense”. George Russell dismissed Kimi Antonelli claim again in Canadian GP war cry. The 29-year-old said: “Honestly … complete b******t, to be honest. It’s unbelievable. This is complete nonsense. Honestly, it’s all fabricated. We were just talking with Ayao just now. The article I saw was calling him ‘Ryo Komatsu,’ which is quite funny. And they were even saying that we had a massive dispute in Miami.

Ocon fires back F1 star responds as axe rumours build ahead of Canadian GP

so big for no reason, that I had to get a bit involved into it, our team, and we had to have a look and understand where that could have come from. “Obviously it’s been relayed on all the s****y medias that are there on socials. And, yeah, it became so big that obviously you can’t just not notice it. If you live in a cave, maybe, but you can’t. But as soon as we talked to the real people that are involved with the story, it’s quite clear that it’s complete nonsense. “I’m human, so it does affect in a way, it does affect my family, it does affect the sponsors that are obviously counting on me and supporting me, for many races and seasons for some sponsors that I got. “And it’s disappointing to see, you know, that you can make such damage to a reputation of a driver in two or three days – while there’s nothing founded, and these people would just get away with no issues. “They just fabricate stories, put all this on your back, and it’s all fine for them. It’s quite crazy.” – Express Newspapers

the media later. Ocon said he felt the need to comment as: “It’s crazy how things have escalated. I try not to pay attention too much, but when it gets so big, it’s almost like bullying in a way.” While F1 drivers often do their best to pay no attention to any speculation in the media, Ocon admitted that this particular rumour had touched a nerve. He continued: “I try not to pay atten tion to that too much, but that became

“I came to this team for the reason that I know Ayao since so long. I’ve got a great relationship with him. That’s always been the case and there’s nothing like what people have been saying going on. It’s completely not true. I’m fully focused on what I have to do, the job I have to do with the team. I’m fully on board with the team for the whole year. I’ve got a contract with the team.” Haas have not issued any pub lic comment on the rumours, though Komatsu is certain to be asked about the story when he speaks to

Hamilton rejects Ferrari exit talk

Alonso joins critics of hybrid Formula One FE RN A N DO ALO NS O yesterday joined the throng of critics of Formula One’s hybrid “new era” and accused the sport of wasting a decade in a move that has seen the disappearance of “pure rac ing.” Speaking ahead of this week end’s Canadian Grand Prix, the two-time world champion, now with the struggling and under powered Aston Martin team, accused F1 of pushing hybrid technology at the expense of the sport’s traditional raw power appeal. In hitting out at the contro versial “new era” formula intro duced this year, which has frus trated drivers who have to man age power loads in cars using a 50-50 split engine power and electric power, he has joined four-time world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull and oth ers. “The DNA of these power units will be always the same,” he said, when asked if a move to a 60-40 split in favour of engines. “And it will always reward going slow in the corners.” he added. This was a reference by Alonso to the need for drivers to conserve energy while racing, which many feel is fundamen tally wrong for the sport. He blamed Formula One for moving towards hybrid power in 2014. “The thing that the world went, or thought, to go into was the electrification, and that was thought to be the future… But it doesn’t apply to racing. “Racing is a different animal. Now, we go a little bit back to this 60-40 and then in the future to less and less. “But, unfortunately, we had this period from 2014, with the turbo era and now even more, when we lost a little bit, nearly one decade or even more, of pure racing.” Many drivers have grumbled at the need for “super-clipping’ and lift-and-coast practices to manage energy and power in the car when they wanted to race without any inhibitions. Alonso said this has resulted this season in artificial overtak ing and artificial racing. – AFP

Ronaldo strikes twice to end long wait for Saudi title

LEWI S HAMILTO N spoke out against Formula One retirement speculation yesterday and said he had a contract at Ferrari for 2027 and would be around for some time. The seven-times world cham pion has yet to win a race for the Italian team since joining from Mercedes last year and will be 42 next January. “I’m still under contract so every thing’s 100% clear to me,” the Briton told a press conference at the Canadian Grand Prix when asked about next season. “I’m still focused, I’m still moti vated. I still love what I do with all my heart and I’m going to be here for quite some time, so get used to it.” Hamilton added that there were “a lot of people that are trying to retire me and that’s not even in my thoughts”. The Briton is the most successful F1 driver of all time with a record 105 wins and 104 pole positions. The first of those victories came at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in his debut 2007 season with McLaren. His most recent was in Belgium in 2024. “From the outside world results are what people call success, but I think internally, for me, it’s just pro gress,” Hamilton said. “If you’re progressing, then you’re succeeding. I don’t really put a lot of pressure on. “I’ve always said I’m really grate ful for the records and those sorts of things, but they’re not things I ever think of.” Hamilton also revealed a change in approach for the Canadian week end, saying he had decided not to spend time in the simulator at Maranello. He said he had not used it before the Chinese Grand Prix either and that race had been his best this year, with third place and his first Ferrari podium. “You find a setup (in the simula tor) that you’re comfortable with, you get to the track and everything’s opposite. So then you’re undoing the things you’ve learned,” he said. “So it’s kind of hit and miss. I just decided, for this one, I’m just going to sit it out and focus more on the data.” – Reuters

Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) celebrates with the Saudi Pro League trophy after Al Nassr’s victory over Damac FC at Al Awwal Park in Riyadh on Thursday. – REUTERSPIC

C R I S TIA N O R O N ALDO scored twice as Al Nassr clinched the Saudi Pro League title with a 4-1 win over Damac yesterday, ending his long wait for domestic silverware. A trademark freekick and a close range finish, both in the final half hour, sealed the win Al Nassr needed on the last night of the season, with Al Hilal finishing just two points behind. Ronaldo, 41, who was without a major club trophy since winning Serie A with Juventus in 2020, arrived in the oil-rich desert kingdom to great acclaim in 2023, wept as he watched the final minutes from the bench. He adds the Saudi championship

This season, he disappeared from Al Nassr’s line-up for three games in an apparent protest at Karim Benzema’s transfer to rival team Al Hilal. Al Hilal and Al Nassr were among the stable of Saudi teams owned by the Public Investment Fund, the country’s US$900 billion (RM3.5 tril lion) sovereign wealth fund. Before yesterday, Ronaldo’s only silverware with Al Nassr was the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. He was also disappointed on Saturday, when Al Nassr lost to Gamba Osaka in the AFC Champions League Two final. – AFP

to his English, Spanish and Italian titles and five Champions League medals. Next up for the all-time leading men’s international goalscorer, with 143 goals, is a sixth crack at the World Cup after he was named in Portugal’s squad this week. Ronaldo was the Pro League’s top scorer in his first two seasons, with his career tally now at 973 – tantalisingly close to the 1,000-goals milestone. His Saudi stint has not always been smooth. In 2024, he was left in floods of tears when Al Nassr lost the King’s Cup final to Al Hilal on penal ties, denying him his first Saudi title.