Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Lewis Hamilton claims it’s ‘heartwarming’ to see ex-team McLaren performing exceptionally well in F1
IPA

Seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton shares his praise for the McLaren team, for which he raced during the seasons of 2007–2012. McLaren’s performances this season have been impressive as the outfit has already scored 184 points in eight races.

Lewis Hamilton has been a well-wisher of McLaren ever since he left the team at the end of 2012 to join Mercedes. Hamilton to date is the last world champion to be crowned under the McLaren branding. He did in the 2008 F1 season.

McLaren has been an average team for the past decade and has failed to put up a strong battle for the drivers and constructors championships. However, the Woking-based team has shown signs of strong promise this season and looks like a very capable team to challenge for both titles.

It warms my heart because I was there for such a long time, and they gave me my break. So it's cool. I hope we can get closer as well, I think they [McLaren] also have just shown that you can close the gap and you can catch up if the job's done right. It's inspired us all to get on it. Lewis Hamilton spoke to RacingNews365

Hamilton further said that McLaren has encouraged everyone on the grid to work harder on their performance since they have found the pace to compete with Red Bull and Ferrari. The Andrea Stella-led team has been an inspiration and has shown that it is possible to close the gap to the leaders if the people and the teams just put their hearts and minds to it.

Helmut Marko credits success of McLaren and Ferrari to that of Red Bull

Red Bull Technical Advisor, Helmut Marko spoke on the performance improvement of McLaren and Ferrari, crediting it to the developments made by Red Bull. The two outfits currently stand as fierce competitors to the Austrian team.

We are in the third year with the current regulations and everyone is copying. Some copy better, and you can see the result of this in McLaren. Ferrari has also constantly developed. Helmut Marko spoke to OE24

Marko aimed a dig at McLaren and Ferrari, claiming that the two competitors have ultimately taken their inspiration from the steps made by Red Bull. He further said that this situation was very likely to happen during the third year of the current regulations and that every team on the grid is copying the best developments in other cars, with McLaren and Ferrari doing the very best!

As things stand, Ferrari is only 24 points behind Red Bull in the constructors championship, and McLaren is third with a 96-point gap to the leaders. The coming races of the season will see an exciting three-way battle between the teams for the drivers and the constructors championship.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

TODAY'S BEST

Why as many as 100 NFL players are facing fines and potential suspension
NFL

Why as many as 100 NFL players are facing fines and potential suspension

There is not a bigger sporting event in North America than the Super Bowl, and tickets are only getting more expensive every year. There is also a ridiculous secondary market for tickets where seats sell for well above the original face value. It is usually fans or ticket resellers going for a quick profit. But as was reported on Friday, sometimes it can be players in the NFL looking to make a profit. According to multiple reports, including the Associated Press and ESPN, more than 100 players are facing fines and potential suspensions for selling their allotment of tickets to this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for above face value. Players are reportedly facing fines of one-and-a-half times the face value they originally paid for the tickets, while they are also prevented from purchasing tickets to the Super Bowl for the next seasons. The Associated Press obtained a memo from the NFL detailing the violation and investigation. That memo was as follows: “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy. This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” If players are not willing to pay the fine, they could be facing suspension from the league. It seems unlikely that any of the players — none of whom have been named, or their teams — would refuse to pay such a fine. It's also one of those moments where you can say, professional athletes — they're still normal people trying to make a quick buck. The most logical answer here is perhaps some of the players caught up in this are younger players who have not yet struck it rich on a big contract or perhaps even practice squad players who are not making top dollar.

ESPN Predicts Mets-Twins Trade One Week Before Deadline
MLB

ESPN Predicts Mets-Twins Trade One Week Before Deadline

The New York Mets are a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East, but their pitching staff is still injury-ravaged despite the recent returns of Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas. Brandon Waddell (hip), Dedniel Nuñez (elbow), Max Kranick (flexor), Paul Blackburn (shoulder), Tylor Megill (elbow), Griffin Canning (Achilles), Drew Smith (elbow), A.J. Minter (lat), Danny Young (elbow), and Christian Scott (elbow) are alll on the Mets' IL. The MLB Trade Deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m. EST, so the front office has one week to add healthy arms from around the league this season. ESPN's David Schoenfield predicted on Thursday that New York would trade for a Minnesota Twins reliever. "One guarantee of the trade deadline: The Mets will add to the bullpen, probably with more than one trade. Though the rotation still ranks fifth in ERA, that was built off a hot start," he wrote. "More importantly, the only Mets starter to complete six innings since June 7 has been David Peterson. As a result, manager Carlos Mendoza has run relievers Reed Garrett, Huascar Brazoban, Jose Butto and Ryne Stanek into the ground. The bullpen had a 2.78 ERA through May, but that figure is over 5.00 since the beginning of June (ranking near the bottom of the majors)." "The Twins have two high-profile relievers in [Jhoan] Duran and [Griffin] Jax, both of whom are under team control through 2027, so they'll be much more expensive than your usual short-term relievers if the Twins decide to trade one or both," he continued. "Duran would be harder to deal -- but bring more in return -- so we'll say Jax will go. Don't be fooled by his 4.09 ERA: He has 68 strikeouts and 12 walks in 44 innings with a 97-mph heater. He's an elite strikeout reliever, the type you want on the mound in October." The Mets are hot despite their injuries, as they're on a four-game winning streak and just swept the Los Angeles Angels. Next up is a road trip against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. New York right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes (8-5, 3.48 ERA) will face Giants right-hander Logan Webb (9-7, 3.08 ERA) on Friday.

Another team joins Eugenio Suarez sweepstakes
MLB

Another team joins Eugenio Suarez sweepstakes

The Phillies have had some talks with the Diamondbacks about third baseman Eugenio Suarez, according to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. It isn’t clear whether or not the discussions are anything more than due diligence on the Phillies’ part, but Philadelphia can now be added to a lengthy list of teams with some degree of interest in the slugger. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman raised Suarez as a “potential fit” for the Phils Friday, since the club is in need of third base help with Alec Bohm on the 10-day injured list. Putting Suarez in between the powerful left-handed hitting duo of Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber would only add more balance and pop to the lineup, and make it even harder for opposing pitchers and managers to navigate through what is already a dangerous Philadelphia lineup. Since Bohm is expected back from his fractured rib roughly halfway through August, however, Lauber notes that added Suarez would creates a bit of a positional logjam. Harper and Schwarber have the first base and DH spots locked down, so there would be nowhere for Bohm and Suarez to both play unless Schwarber was moved into left field. Harper doesn’t appear to be a candidate for a return to outfield work, as Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski stated last month. Speculatively, the Phillies could clear space by trading Bohm himself, though such a deal would naturally be trickier since Bohm is on the IL. It is possible Bohm could head to Arizona as part of a Suarez trade package, as adding Bohm would help the D-backs fill some at-bats at first base since Josh Naylor has been traded, and Bohm could provide cover at third base if Jordan Lawlar runs into more struggles at the MLB level. Bohm is arbitration-eligible for the final time this winter, so this extra year of team control might appeal to the Diamondbacks or other teams looking for corner infield help. Since the Diamondbacks are also shopping several of their outfielders, it is possible the two sides could work out a multi-player deal that would see the Phillies add both Suarez and some outfield help in one fell swoop. Lauber writes that Arizona was scouting Mick Abel’s most recent Triple-A start, which again could be due diligence or a signal that the D-backs (known to be pursuing pitching) have a particular interest in Abel as a trade chip. Dombrowski is no stranger to bold trades, so the Phillies can’t be entirely ruled out for Suarez until the dust settles. Money won’t be a factor, as the Phils have already shown they’re more than willing to break the bank in pursuit of a championship. Suarez is still owed roughly $5.2M of his $15M salary for the 2025 season before he heads into free agency. Since the Phillies are already over the highest level ($301M) of luxury-tax penalization, they’ll pay a 110% tax on every dollar spent beyond the $301M threshold, so Suarez’s real price tag for the Phillies will be more than $10.5M.

Yankees not close to done adding ahead of trade deadline
MLB

Yankees not close to done adding ahead of trade deadline

The New York Yankees already made headlines by acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday. That may not be their only move ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Yankees have an extensive shopping list. While a right-handed hitting infielder is a priority, New York is also looking for help in the rotation and bullpen. Acquiring McMahon may have contributed to the push for a right-handed hitting infielder. McMahon has struggled against left-handed pitching throughout his career, posting a .231/.307/.378 batting line in 1,079 plate appearances, hitting 34 homers and 35 doubles. Those struggles have been even more pronounced this year. McMahon is slashing .207/.289/.310 in 97 plate appearances against southpaws, with two homers and three doubles. Kirschner specifically listed Minnesota Twins utility man Willi Castro as someone the Yankees are targeting, whose career .260/.306/.399 batting line in 689 plate appearances against lefties would make him a solid complement to McMahon. Likewise, the club's pursuit of pitching makes sense. Marcus Stroman has been much better since returning from the injured list at the end of June, but he cannot be considered a reliable option. Rookie Will Warren has been inconsistent, and with Clarke Schmidt likely lost until 2027 due to Tommy John surgery, the rotation needs work. New York's relief corps may be further down the team's needs. While every contending team looks to bolster the bullpen ahead of the trade deadline, the Yanks' upgrades could come from within. Relievers Fernando Cruz and Mark Leiter Jr. are expected back in August, while fellow reliever Yerry De los Santos was activated from the IL on Saturday. The Yankees still have a lot of work to do ahead of the trade deadline. It could be a busy next few days in the Bronx.