Adrian Newey has so far had a highly impressive career for multiple teams in F1. The aero-genius has led outfits to record-breaking success in the pinnacle of motorsport. Any driver or crew member would be eager to work alongside Newey and be a small part of the latter’s legacy in the sport. However, the Ex-F1 driver Christian Danner recalled a moment when he declined to work with the Englishman.
Christian Danner had a short-lived career in F1 from 1985 to 1987, he then competed in another season in 1989. Danner had an opportunity to work alongside Adrian Newey during his early days of F2 racing. The German noted that he was the only person in the history of motor racing who declined to work alongside Newey. The 66-year-old labeled this act from him as a ‘rotten privilege.’
I’m the only person in the world of motor racing who has ever said, I don’t want to work with Adrian Newey, which is kind of a rotten privilege.
Christian Danner told FormulaScout
However, despite Danner and Newey getting off to a rocky start early on, neither of the individuals held any grudges. Both made up with each other and were on better terms now after multiple decades passed since the situation. The 66-year-old revealed that both were still having good laughs about that moment back then.
But both Adrian and I are still laughing about it.
Christian Danner added
Adrian Newey was also in the early days of his career back then with the March-BMW works team in 1981. Christian Danner worked with Newey for only one race when the latter was a race engineer for the rookie. Danner suffered a fuel issue and later found out that his fuel tank was leaking. Upon finding this, the 66-year-old asked the Englishman to not work with him due to the lack of experience of both parties.
I didn’t want to work with Newey and I told him: Adrian, you’ve got no experience, I’ve got no experience, this is not going to match.
Christian Danner noted
After witnessing the current success of Newey, Danner would definitely not be very proud of his past decisions. Regardless, such experiences of the Englishman helped him develop into an extremely impressive engineer in F1. As for Danner, he moved on to other racing categories and excelled in those as well.
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With the Toronto Maple Leafs losing star Mitch Marner this offseason, the team has had to fill a massive hole in the lineup. The Toronto front office has done a decent job so far, and the roster looks a little more well-rounded. But it seems that the Maple Leafs may not be done making moves this summer. According to NHL insider Nick Kypreos of SportsNet, Toronto could trade away defensemen Morgan Rielly or Brandon Carlo in an attempt to add more offense. "While we do also have Morgan Rielly on this list, if the Leafs move a defenseman it'll likely only be one of them. But while Rielly comes with the complication of a no-movement clause, Brandon Carlo has just an eight-team no-trade list and so is also worth putting on the trade board. "Making $3.485M against the cap for another two years, Carlo was a welcome addition to the Leafs' defense corps, averaging 19:13 of ice time per game and nearly two minutes on the PK. In the playoffs, he was among the team's shot-blocking leaders," Kypreos wrote. Marner accounted for 27 goals and 75 assists last season, which will be very tough for the Maple Leafs to replace. But the team does have a limited number of tradable assets to work with, which could potentially be why they are thinking of trading a defender. The Toronto front office remains very active on the trade front and it could lead to a deal taking place. There is still plenty of time left between now and the start of the regular season, giving the Maple Leafs some needed optionality before the new year.
One question remains after New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu announced his retirement. How long until Canton calls? On Tuesday, the 12-year NFL veteran revealed he was retiring, effective immediately, ending the New Orleans native's legendary football career. In a statement published to social media, the three-time first-team All-Pro wrote, "As I hang up my cleats, I'm filled with gratitude as I close this chapter of my life and officially retire from the game that's shaped me in every way. "From my first snap in college to my final play in the NFL, this journey has been nothing short of a blessing." He's a surefire first-ballot Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame honoree, breaking out while at LSU (2010-11). During his freshman and sophomore seasons, he forced 11 fumbles with eight recoveries, four interceptions and four total touchdowns while finishing fifth in Heisman voting in 2011. Mathieu was dismissed from the team in 2012 after failing multiple drug tests and then was arrested on marijuana charges, but he didn't allow that to define his career. Instead, he carved out what could be considered a Pro Football Hall of Fame resume, too. Mathieu ends his professional career with 838 tackles, 100 passes defended and 36 interceptions. In addition to being named first-team All-Pro three times, he received three Pro Bowl honors and was a member of the Hall of Fame All-2010 Team. Mathieu also won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in February 2020. Per Mathieu's Pro Football Reference's Hall of Fame Monitor score (65.2), he has a below-average case for enshrinement, with the average Hall of Fame defensive back scoring a 96.93. But players have received a gold jacket with worse scores in the PFR metric, including John Lynch, Eric Allen and Dick LeBeau. While he might have to wait past his first ballot to make it into the Hall of Fame, it would be a shame if Mathieu didn't one day receive his flowers. It certainly helps his case that in addition to being one of the greatest safeties of his generation, Mathieu was, by all accounts, just as outstanding off the field. NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill and Arizona Cardinals insider Kyle Odegard, who covered Mathieu when he played for the Cardinals, were among the media members to share fond stories about Mathieu. "One of those guys who really respected the job we do and would take the time to explain the game," Underhill shared. "He an all-world talent and the most accessible, genuine, introspective superstar I've ever met," Odegard wrote. It could take longer than five years, but it should surprise no one if one day Mathieu receives Hall of Fame recognition. He is the Honey Badger, after all. He takes what he wants.
The Green Bay Packers were able to structure a great deal with right tackle Zach Tom. Not only did they secure him under contract through 2029 under a manageable price tag, the Packers preserved cap space in 2025 with a smart cash flow. According to Tom Silverstein from The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Tom's base salary in 2025 will be close to the veteran minimum, which makes his cap hit this year extremely affordable. What Zach Tom's contract will look like in 2025 Tom received $30.2 million in signing bonus, and its cap hit is spread through five seasons (a $6.04 million cap hit each year). The base salary is $1.206 million, and there was still $126,085 in the proration of Tom's original contract with Green Bay. That means Tom's cap hit in 2025 will be $7.372 million, an addition of only $3.84 million compared to the final year of the offensive lineman's rookie deal. There will still be plenty of room for the Packers to add or extend more players over the next few weeks. Details The Packers don't give guarantees beyond the signing bonus for non-quarterbacks. Zach Tom secured a four-year, $88 million contract in base value, and it can reach $92 million with incentives. That being said, only $30.2 million are fully guaranteed at signing. Tom was already slated to make $3.532 million in 2025 due to a Proven Performance Escalator. So, in practicality, he will play under a five-year, $91.532 million deal—$18.3 million per year. The exact cash flow hasn't been reported yet. However, the Packers usually give a big signing bonus, and roster bonuses in Years 2 and 3, so the team has to option prorate those amounts again and create more cap flexibility. Cap situation Before Zach Tom's extension, the Packers were fifth in cap space in the NFL, with $35.074 million available. With the new deal entering the books, the team goes to seventh, with $31.234 million. Green Bay has to keep a part of it—between $5 million and $10 million—to operate during the season, and the unused space rolls over to 2026.
The New York Knicks are looking to make more moves to upgrade their depth as they figure to be one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference next season. Of course, the Knicks made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000 last season and with the amount of injuries to top players in the East, the Conference is wide open entering next season. Because of this, the Knicks have emerged as one of the favorites to win the East thanks to their core led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Despite this, Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell and Rohan Raman recently created a three-team mock trade that would see the Knicks move on from Towns. In the trade, the Knicks would add Jrue Holiday, Robert Williams III and a 2028 first-round pick via the Portland Trail Blazers while they would send Towns and Pacome Dadiet to Portland. The Trail Blazers would also send Duop Reath to the Atlanta Hawks in this proposed mock trade. While the Knicks are looking at ways to improve their depth, moving on from Towns would be a tough decision for them to make despite his struggles, especially on the defensive side, during the playoffs last season. It would also be a tough decision to swap Towns for Williams III due to his injury history, especially with Mitchell Robinson’s injury history as well and the Knicks’ lack of true center depth. While that may be the case, adding a veteran point guard in Holiday to the second unit could be a good addition to the Knicks’ bench and Williams III would also give them more size. Despite this, it is highly unlikely that the Knicks will move on from Towns this summer and likely into next season as they see their core being able to help them compete for a championship next season.
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