Bournemouth have appointed Andoni Iraola as their new head coach after sacking Gary O’Neil.

Spaniard Iraola, who was previously wanted by Leeds, was available having recently ended a three-season spell in charge of LaLiga side Rayo Vallecano.

The 40-year-old former Spain and Athletic Bilbao defender has agreed a two-year contract at the Vitality Stadium.

His imminent arrival in the Premier League was confirmed by Bournemouth just hours after a statement announcing O’Neil’s surprise dismissal.

Cherries chairman Bill Foley said: “We’re so excited to welcome Andoni to the club. With his contract in Spain coming to an end this summer, we wanted to act quickly.

“He was highly sought after by other clubs across the continent, and his style of play has been an important factor in making this decision.”

Iraola, who turns 41 on Thursday, began his managerial career with Cypriot club AEK Larnaca in 2018 before spending the 2019-20 season with Spanish second division side Mirandes.

He then guided Vallecano to promotion to LaLiga in 2021, prior to securing two mid-table finishes, in addition to a run to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey in 2022, which prompted interest from Leeds earlier this year.

Iraola and his backroom staff will begin work with Bournemouth’s squad next month, with his first competitive match in charge coming at home to West Ham on Saturday, August 12.

“His achievements in Spain have certainly been very impressive, and we’re confident that he is the right man to lead our next chapter,” continued Foley.

“We have identified a number of targets in the transfer market, which along with our January additions will supplement our strong playing squad to give Andoni the best chance to consolidate our Premier League status and keep progressing.”

O’Neil was dismissed by the Cherries earlier on Monday afternoon, with Foley saying a change would provide the club with the “best platform from which to build”.

The 40-year-old Englishman guided the Cherries to top-flight safety last season by taking 36 points from 34 games after replacing the sacked Scott Parker in late August following a 9-0 thrashing at Liverpool.

He was initially appointed to his maiden managerial role on an interim basis before the move was made permanent in November.

American businessman Foley, who completed his takeover of the Dorset club in December, has ambitious plans, which include a new state-of-the-art training facility and ongoing discussions around upgrades to the Vitality Stadium.

Speaking of O’Neil’s departure, the 78-year-old said: “Gary’s achievement last season is one I will always be grateful for.

“This has been a difficult decision, but it has been made with great consideration to best position ourselves ahead of the coming season.

“Gary will go on to have a long career as a head coach or manager, but we feel that, at this moment in time, a change is in the best interests of this football club.”

Three-belt world super-welterweight champion Natasha Jonas is to take on Canada’s Kandi Wyatt for the IBF welterweight title, promoters Boxxer have announced.

The fight will take place on the undercard to the Savannah Marshall v Franchon Crews-Dezurn undisputed world middleweight bout at Manchester’s AO Arena on July 1.

It will be Liverpudlian Jonas’ first outing of the year after a stellar 2022 in which she stepped up three divisions to claim the WBC, IBF and WBO belts at super-welterweight.

She now has the chance to become a two-weight world champion after deciding to step back down to the 147lb division to fight for the vacant IBF title.

“I feel in good shape,” Jonas told the PA news agency. “It’s been a great camp and I’m ready. I’ve been ready for a long time.

“After such a busy and successful year last year, I just want to get the ball rolling and get back out there.”

Jonas, the first woman to qualify to represent Great Britain at the Olympics, has won 13 of her 16 professional fights, eight by knockout, with just one defeat.

Wyatt, the WBA Intercontinental champion, has previously challenged for welterweight world titles on three occasions.

Jonas, 39, said: “There isn’t much that we’ve seen of her, but I’ve underestimated people before and it didn’t work out well, so I will never do that again.

“Every fight now I come to be the best version of me and prepare for the best version of them.”

On her decision to drop a division, she said: “It’s about opportunities, but I was never a 154lb fighter.

“The heaviest I weighed in was 149 and that was with clothes on. It made sense just to drop down and go for more world titles at another weight and take the opportunities as they come.”

Becoming a world champion at a second weight would be a rare feat, but Jonas is focusing on the victory rather than the glory.

She said: “I’d be Liverpool’s first to do that – I know that – and it is a great thing, but I’m not focused on the accolades. I’m just focused on going in on the night and getting the win.

“There is an air of confidence you get when you are a champion, but the goal is just to get in the ring and win. Everything else that comes with it is just a bonus.”

Boxxer chief executive Ben Shalom said: “I’m very excited to see Natasha compete at the top of the welterweight division. When you look at what she’s achieved in the last year alone, you know you’re looking at an extra special fighter.”

Aaron Hickey welcomed the test that Georgia superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will provide Scotland at Hampden Park on Tuesday night.

The 22-year-old attacker helped Napoli to their Serie A title win last season, the Italian club’s first in 33 years, and is considered one of the top players in the world at the moment.

Hickey and the Scots are still on a high from Saturday’s stunning 2-1 away win over a Norway side which included Manchester City goal-machine Erling Haaland and Arsenal star midfielder Martin Odegaard.

Haaland netted from the spot but late goals from Lyndon Dykes and Kenny McLean made it three 2024 European Championship qualifying wins out of three for Steve Clarke’s side who top Group A.

The 21-year-old Brentford full-back, who won his 10th cap in Oslo, admitted that playing against Norway’s top players boosted confidence, saying: “Going away and playing against the likes of Haaland and Odegaard – they were a good team.

“I thought they played quite well but we managed to end up getting two goals so obviously it boost your confidence going into the next match.”

Asked about the highly-rated Kvaratskhelia, the former Hearts and Bologna player said: “We all know he is a top player. I am looking forward to it.

“It is going to be a challenge for me but the full team know we have to try shut him off as much as we can.

“When you come up against the best you go into the game knowing what you have to do and prepare yourself knowing that he is a top player

“It is a challenge and these types of players improve you as well. You can learn off them. It will be a good challenge.”

Frankie Dettori looks to have a fantastic chance of starting his final Royal Ascot with a bang when he partners Inspiral in the Queen Anne Stakes.

The Italian has been in the saddle aboard the John and Thady Gosden-trained filly in all but one of her eight career starts and the duo have struck at the highest level on three occasions – including at the Royal meeting 12 months ago when she was a taking winner of the Coronation Stakes.

That was Inspiral’s first outing of the 2022 season having missed the early part of the campaign and connections have kept the daughter of Frankel fresh once again as they attempt to repeat the dose.

“It’s full-on pressure and it’s a very competitive race first time out,” said Chris Richardson, managing director of owners Cheveley Park Stud.

“She runs well fresh and she has done in the past, she was very impressive first time last year in the Coronation Stakes. She’s in good form we think and hope she puts her best foot forward.

“Mrs (Patricia) Thompson was adamant we waited. She wasn’t ready for the Guineas last year and we waited and it was her preference that we followed a similar programme – she is a big believer in listening to her horses and if Inspiral was to be at her best, it would be better to wait until June rather than push her to the Lockinge in May.

“She had a very nice break at the stud last autumn and really thrived and benefitted for that, both mentally and physically. She did very well over the winter and I know both John and Thady Gosden were pleased with how she came back and the way she has sort of progressed in the last month or so.”

Of the attention on Dettori’s rides this week, he added: “We’re concentrating on our filly, but we’re delighted to have Frankie on board and we’ll enjoy the moment.”

Inspiral’s biggest danger appears to be Godolphin’s two-pronged assault on the race via Charlie Appleby’s Classic heroes Modern Games and Native Trail.

Both landed versions of the 2000 Guineas as three-year-old milers last term and Modern Games appears to be the Moulton Paddocks first string after adding to his impressive haul in the Lockinge Stakes last month.

“His record is very good and he won the Lockinge well last time, so I’m looking forward to riding him again,” said his big-race pilot William Buick ahead of the British Champions Series event.

“It would be nearly a rerun of the Lockinge without Inspiral, who is a good filly. As any Queen Anne should be, it will be tough to win.”

Appleby, speaking to www.godolphin.com, added: “Modern Games came out of the Lockinge Stakes in good form and we have been delighted with his preparation. It was great to get a Group One win in the UK under his belt and, providing there is not a deluge of rain, he looks the one to beat again.

“Native Trail has definitely come forward since his run at Newmarket. He is a sharper, fitter individual now and benefited from a racecourse gallop last week. He is a Classic winner in his own right and goes to Ascot with a live chance.”

Richard Hannon’s Chindit gave Modern Games plenty to think about at Newbury – including when trying to bite his rival in the closing stages – and the handler is hopeful his course-and-distance winner can build on that second as he lines up alongside stablemate Lusail.

“He is a gentleman and has never done anything like that before. He only did it because Buick was in close to him,” said Hannon.

“I thought he would be shorter in the betting. He picked up better than Pat (Dobbs) thought he would and he is in the form of his life.

“We are going to ride Lusail a little handier (this time) as he seems to get flat-footed at a crucial part of the race.”

David Simcock saddles both Cash and Light Infantry after the latter went close in the Prix d’Ispahan last month, while Charlie Hills’ Mutasaabeq accounted for both Native Trail (second) and Light Infantry (third) when a good winner of the rearranged Bet365 Mile at Newmarket on his seasonal return and then had excuses when fifth in the Lockinge most recently.

“He’s going to have to run a career best to win this, but he won very well at Newmarket,” said Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell.

“Some people felt Jim (Crowley) went a little bit quick (in the Lockinge) but he felt the horse was just a little bit flat and we ran him back relatively quick.

“He had been away for a stalls test so quite a lot happened in quite a short space of time for him, so we have concentrated on freshening him up and getting him to Ascot in the best shape he can be and we will see how good he is on the day.”

Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of this week’s ATP tournament in Germany citing ongoing knee issues but is hopeful of being fit for Wimbledon.

The Australian played his first tournament since October in Stuttgart last week after undergoing surgery on his left knee in January.

But he complained afterwards about feeling inhibited during a first-round loss to China’s Wu Yibing and has made the decision not to play in Halle.

“Very unfortunate news that I won’t be able to compete at Halle this year,” Kyrgios said in a video on the tournament’s Twitter feed.

“I’m still dealing with a couple of things in my knee, just trying to give myself the best opportunity to compete at Wimbledon. As you all know, that tournament means a lot to me and I just want to do everything right by my body.

“I didn’t want to go out there and not give you the same performance I gave last year. So hopefully next year I’ll be healthy enough to play.”

Kyrgios enjoyed the best season of his career in 2022, with the highlight a run to his first grand slam singles final at Wimbledon, where he was beaten by Novak Djokovic.

When the 28-year-old announced he would need to go under the knife on the eve of the Australian Open, it was hoped he would only be out for a matter of weeks and the fact he is still experiencing problems is a real cause for concern.

After losing in Stuttgart, Kyrgios wrote on Twitter: “Be patient with me my fans please…. It’s a process to get back to where I was. I know it’s hard for you to see me perform like today, but I need more time and hopefully can get back to where I was.”

British wild card Ryan Peniston sprung another surprise at the cinch Championships – and gave Andy Murray a Wimbledon boost – with a straight-sets win over Ugo Humbert.

Essex lad Peniston, currently ranked a lowly 265, shocked top seed and world number five Casper Ruud at Queen’s Club last year on his way to the quarter-finals.

The 27-year-old found the grass of west London to his liking again as he secured a place in the second round, and a potential meeting with second-seed Holger Rune, with an impressive 6-4 6-2 victory.

“I loved playing her last year, so to come back, it feels pretty comfortable to be on the court. It’s just amazing,” said Peniston.

“I was nervous – I was more nervous last year. But once you get going it is a lot of fun out there.”

World number 37 Humbert is one of the players Murray needs to overtake in the rankings if he is to be seeded at Wimbledon next month, so his early exit will only help the Scot’s cause.

A place in the quarter-finals at Queen’s might be enough to place the two-time champion back in the top 32, meaning he can avoid drawing one of the big names in the early rounds at SW19.

Murray, on a 10-match winning streak on the grass, faces Australian world number 18 Alex de Minaur in the first round on Tuesday.

Scotland will feel the love of the Tartan Army at Hampden Park following the stunning start to their 2024 European Championship qualifying campaign and Steve Clarke hopes the good form continues against Georgia.

The Scots made it three wins out of three in Group A with a dramatic 2-1 comeback win in Oslo on Saturday.

The highly-acclaimed victory, thanks to late goals from striker Lyndon Dykes and midfielder Kenny McLean, followed home wins against Cyprus and top seeds Spain in March.

Clarke’s side now prepare to face second-placed Georgia in front of a packed-out national stadium, where they have won their last five matches.

“I am the guy in charge so they are not going to get too excited,” said Clarke of his players, before acknowledging the growing excitement among the supporters.

“It is good. Everybody likes to be loved so when you come into the environment at Hampden Park and the players feel the reception of the crowd before the game and in the warm-up, the national anthem, and hopefully when the game starts we can start on the front foot and get the crowd behind us – it is nice to be loved.

“They want to do well for the crowd. So let’s try to keep that momentum and keep going.

“If you are doing well professionally you feel good about yourself.

“The players are feeling good and they are looking forward to another full house here at Hampden tomorrow, they are looking forward to putting on another good performance and hopefully we get the right result and that feel-good factor continues.”

Clarke, however, noted the strengths of Georgia who moved in to second place, five points behind the Scots with a 2-1 win away to Cyprus on Saturday.

The former Scotland defender, whose squad is “all present and correct” ahead of Tuesday’s clash, said: “It will be difficult. I said right at the start we had the toughest group.

“Georgia are for sure the toughest pot four team, one defeat in 15 matches, they are on a good run, they will feel good about themselves,

“A good win away to Cyprus, a difficult place to go, they have some good players, a good shape to their team. So, tough game.

“In terms of keeping momentum going, a win would be good. It’s all we are focused on.

“We spoke after the March camp about capitalising on the home win against Spain, we managed to do that, albeit late on against Norway.

“Obviously there is a feel-good factor on the back of those  two results but we know football has a habit of biting you if you don’t respect the game.

“We respect our opponent and we respect the game and we try to get another three points against Georgia.”

Clarke believes “togetherness” is key to success with his squad, who are looking to make it to a second successive European Championship finals..

The former West Brom and Kilmarnock boss said: “It is something we have been working on in the last three/four years, since I have been in the job.

“It is something we have tried to build, the togetherness of the group.

“The core of the group are the ones who drive those standards and togetherness.

“Obviously when you are getting good results alongside that everything feels good but you have to understand in football, if you take your eye off the ball you can be punished.”

Ahead of Frankie Dettori’s final Royal Ascot before he retires at the end of the year, we remember 10 of his greatest moments at the showpiece meeting:

Markofdistinction

Dettori’s career in England famously took off when he teamed up with fellow Italian Luca Cumani, and he provided the jockey with his first Royal Ascot winner at the age of 19 in the Queen Anne in 1990. It was only a Group Two then, but Markofdistinction would go on to prove himself at the highest level in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

Drum Taps

Ambitiously campaigned by Lord Huntingdon, Drum Taps stepped up to two and a half miles for the 1992 Gold Cup to provide Dettori with his first Group One winner at the meeting. To prove it was no fluke the pair repeated the trick 12 months later. A real globetrotter, he won in America and Italy and also ran in France, Ireland, the Japan Cup and the Melbourne Cup, finishing ninth behind Vintage Crop.

Lochsong

One of the greatest sights in racing is a sprinter blasting off from the front and few were better at it than Ian Balding’s Lochsong. She won the Stewards’ Cup at three from a mark of 82 and the Ayr Gold Cup off 95 before stepping into Group company. In the first half of 1994 as a six-year-old she won the Palace House, Temple Stakes and King’s Stand, making all in each – the latter by five lengths.

Phantom Gold

Any victory in the late Queen’s colours was treasured by Dettori, but even more so at her favourite meeting. Never happier than when at the races, cheering home her own horse in the Ribblesdale Stakes, a horse she bred herself and ridden by her favourite jockey, will have given her immense satisfaction.

Starborough

Just 12 months on from his Magnificent Seven, Dettori’s love affair with Ascot was in full flow. The first of three successive leading rider awards came in 1997 and arguably the highlight that week was Starborough, one of four winners at the meeting in the St James’s Palace Stakes in the famous Sheikh Mohammed colours, as one of racing’s longest associations began to assert.

Fantastic Light

At the turn of the century Godolphin, Saeed bin Suroor and Dettori were at the peak of their powers and Fantastic Light was among the best they were involved with. In 2001 the Prince of Wales’s Stakes was one of four Group Ones victories, which also included a verdict over the great Galileo at Leopardstown and a win at the Breeders’ Cup. On the day at Ascot, he was in a different league.

Osaila

By 2015 Dettori had endured a well-publicised split from Godolphin and endured the lowest point of his career having been banned for six months for failing a drugs test in 2012. Upon his return he was afforded the chance to ride in the biggest races once more by Sheikh Joaan Al Thani’s Al Shaqab Racing, and it was in those silks that he rode his 50th Royal Ascot winner on Osaila in the Sandringham Handicap.

Lady Aurelia

American trainer Wesley Ward had been a regular visitor to the meeting for some years before teaming up with Dettori to win the Golden Jubilee in 2015 with Undrafted, but it will be the flying filly Lady Aurelia in the Queen Mary for which they perhaps will be best remembered. Not many five-furlong races are won by seven lengths, but when they are at Group Two level it is unheard of. She returned to win the King’s Stand a year later under John Velazquez.

Crystal Ocean

Riding Sir Michael Stoute’s charge for the first and only time, Dettori executed his plan to perfection in driving rain, tracking the early leader and angling out to the middle of the track to lay down his challenge in the straight. Crystal Ocean found plenty for pressure to repel the challenge of Magical and register a length-and-a-quarter success. Dettori’s partner was to become his adversary back at the track the following month though, when Crystal Ocean and Enable engaged in a famous King George battle with Dettori and the latter prevailing by the shortest of necks.

Stradivarius

In the twilight of his career, Dettori was synonymous with two horses – Enable, who never ran at Royal Ascot, and Stradivarius. The great stayer won three Ascot Gold Cups, including by 10 lengths in 2020 when unfortunately the crowds were absent due to Covid. A horse with a real personality, he was also a rarity in that he stayed two and a half miles but possessed a wicked turn of foot.

Andrew 'Beef' Johnston believes an Indian Premier League-style draft would make the LIV Tour more exciting and appealing following its merger with the PGA Tour.

In a contentious move earlier in June, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Tour were merged, with all three now backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Johnston now wants to see improvements made to the sport, and one suggestion he has would be the introduction of a draft system for the LIV Teams.

Speaking to Stats Perform on behalf of the Beef's Golf Club podcast, Johnston pointed to the success that the IPL cricket competition has enjoyed using a similar formula.

"I'd like to see a kind of IPL draft. They have the franchises and then they do the draft, don't they? So, I'd love to see that," he said.

"Golf going into almost that kind of situation where the PGA and DP [Tours] play up until the end of July, and there's a big draft for the LIV [competitions].

"So, no one knows what team they're going to be on. You're going to have captains for that team, but no one really knows who they're going to be playing for and then go into a big team shoot-out for a few months, and I think that'd be a really good way to work it.

"I don't think it happens but in my perfect world, I'd love to see that happen."

LIV Golf caused much controversy after its emergence in 2022, with plenty of big names heading over to the rival tour.

"It'd be interesting if there's another one that comes up in a year's time - you never know, you can never say never, look what's happened," said Johnston when asked if the merger would prevent any other rival tours from emerging.

"You've seen it with cricket with the IPL and now there's loads of T20 leagues knocking around all over the world. So, you can never say never.

"Hopefully, now these three can settle down and build something good. And as a player, I want to be able to step off on that first tee knowing that if I play well, you can have a lot of crazy opportunities.

"If you do so, I don't think it's bad for the players. I think it's good for golf, that we're out of this crazy standoff.

"The standoff was not healthy for golf. So, we can move on."

Johnston added that some players may struggle to trust the tours after the move.

He said: "I think a lot of players are going to struggle with trust. And I think the whole thing that's quite interesting is generally the PGA Tour and DP Tour are built on the fact that the players own that, so we have control.

"Now, literally, we have zero control. And you've seen that the players don't have an actual say in it, not even Rory [McIlroy] or Tiger [Woods].

"You look at the football players who play for [PIF-backed] Newcastle [United], we're in the same situation now. So, I think the players should be freed up of any questions. We're supposed to have a say, and we don't."

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Having played a key role in the very start of Frankie Dettori’s love affair with Royal Ascot, Luca Cumani will be a keen observer when his compatriot bids for a fairytale ending to his association with the meeting.

It is 38 years since a then-teenage Dettori first touched down on British soil, at which stage his experience of riding thoroughbreds was almost as non-existent as his ability to speak English.

Cumani, by then an established trainer at Bedford House stables in Newmarket having previously served as assistant to the late, great Sir Henry Cecil, was tasked with showing his fellow Italian the ropes – and insists it did not take him long to realise he had a rough diamond on his hands.

“Frankie’s father was my father’s stable jockey in Italy, so that was the connection. His father decided that he wanted to send Frankie to England and that’s how it started,” said Cumani.

“When he arrived I knew I had a bit responsibility because this was a 14-year-old kid who couldn’t speak a word of English and had more or less ridden ponies and never really ridden racehorses before.

“But he was a very quick learner, he quickly learnt to speak English to a point and rode very well.

“It was not immediately obvious how much talent he had, but once he started get confidence on a horse and then he started riding work, you could see had a natural affinity with the job.”

It was four years after his arrival that Cumani gave Frankie Dettori his first taste of Royal Ascot, jocking up aboard his apparent second string Rain Burst in the 1989 Coronation Stakes.

Dettori, who at the time was still claiming 3lb, had steered the Sheikh Mohammed-owned filly to a win in lesser company at Goodwood just nine days earlier and she was a 12-1 shot stepping up in class.

Cumani also fielded Comic Talent, who lined up under stable jockey Ray Cochrane following a five-race winning streak in the Cheveley Park silks.

In the end neither were able to land a telling blow, but Rain Burst did outperform her better-fancied stablemate to finish fifth. Cumani had no doubt about giving Dettori his opportunity at the highest level, despite still being an apprentice.

He said: “He was only claiming 3lb and that was a fraud really because he was better than that.”

Dettori rounded off 1989 by being crowned champion apprentice and by the time the following year’s Royal Ascot came around, he was a fully-fledged jockey and Cumani’s main man.

The showpiece fixture got under way with the Queen Anne Stakes, in which Cumani and Dettori teamed up with Markofdistinction, who had previously finished fourth as a hot favourite for the Lockinge Stakes.

Cumani admits that while it was not entirely easy viewing, Dettori was at his brilliant best as he threaded the eye of the needle to secure the first of his 77 Royal Ascot wins to date.

“I remember it well because he took the daring route on the inside, going between runners and against the stands rail,” Cumani recalled.

“As he was poking his head in there I thought ‘good God, I hope he’s done the right thing here!’. Thankfully he burst through and won the race very well.

“We were hopeful of a good performance, never confident because with such high-class races you can’t be confident, but we were hopeful and he delivered.”

No one could have envisaged the glittering career Dettori would go on to enjoy, but Cumani added: “We had an inkling. The fact that he’d only just come out of his apprenticeship and we made him stable jockey was a big vote of confidence.

“We had a good idea that he was going to be around for a long time and was going to be very successful.”

Cumani brought the curtain down on his own illustrious racing career in 2018, retiring from the training ranks after saddling two Derby winners in Kahyasi (1988) and High-Rise (1998) and countless other big-race winners over the course of 43 years.

He will not be travelling to Ascot but would love Dettori to bag at least one winner on his final Royal meeting performance, even if he believes he was hasty in his decision to announce his impending retirement late last year.

“I won’t be going at all this year because my wife has had a foot operation and is hobbling about, so we’ll be watching from home,” Cumani said.

“I send Frankie a message every time he wins a big race and tell him he’s making a mistake in giving up and should carry on!

“He will be a big loss to racing and I’m sure he’s thought about it (changing his mind), but he seems to be determined this will be his last year, or so he tells me!”

Max Verstappen must be considered among the greatest drivers in Formula One history, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said, following the Dutchman’s landmark win at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Verstappen’s emphatic lights-to-flag victory on Sunday was the 41st of his career, putting him level with triple world champion Ayrton Senna.

Only Lewis Hamilton (103 victories), Michael Schumacher (91), Sebastian Vettel (53) and Alain Prost (51) have won more races than Verstappen, who is still only 25.

Verstappen, who started from pole in Montreal following a fine display in Saturday’s wet-dry-wet qualifying session, has triumphed at six of the opening eight rounds this year to open up a commanding 69-point championship lead. Fernando Alonso finished second for Aston Martin with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton third.

“What we are witnessing with Max is the emergence of another mega talent,” said Horner.

“You can start talking about him in the same sentence as the greats now after he matched Ayrton Senna.

“I thought the podium today was very apt actually, in terms of the last couple of decades of Formula One, with Max, Fernando and Lewis up there.

“Max just keeps delivering at such a high level. The race was fantastic but to take pole position in conditions that were continually changing, and his ability to adapt to whatever grip level he had, was Max at his best.”

Verstappen has won four consecutive races and 15 of the last 19 in F1. Red Bull also remain unbeaten this year, and there remains a distinct possibility that the team from Milton Keynes could make history by winning every race in a single campaign.

Hamilton recorded his second consecutive podium finish in his revamped Mercedes machine, but despite the Silver Arrows’ upturn in form, and with 14 rounds still remaining, the seven-time world champion believes Red Bull could complete a perfect campaign.

“I know what I am faced with and there is nothing I can do about Red Bull’s amazing performance,” said Hamilton.

“It is likely that they will win every race this year unless the Aston Martins and us can provide a lot more performance or if their car doesn’t finish.

“It is not a frustration. We have got work to do and I am happy to be back in the mix and I am just hoping that at some stage we are level so we can get back to some of the good races we had in 2021.”

Bournemouth have sacked Gary O’Neil less than seven months after he was appointed as the club’s permanent head coach.

O’Neil guided the Cherries to Premier League safety last season following the dismissal of Scott Parker at the end of August.

According to a club statement, the appointment of a new head coach will be announced imminently.

Bournemouth owner Bill Foley said: “Gary’s achievement last season is one I will always be grateful for.

“This has been a difficult decision, but it has been made with great consideration to best position ourselves ahead of the coming season.”

O’Neil initially took over from Parker on an interim basis following a 9-0 thrashing at Liverpool before being appointed permanently in November.

The 40-year-old took 36 points from his 34 top-flight games in charge to help the Cherries avoid relegation following promotion from the Championship.

“As a club, we have put plans in place for long-term success with improvements being made to infrastructure, most notably the development of a new state-of-the-art training facility and the ongoing discussions around upgrades to our stadium,” continued the statement from American Foley, who completed his takeover of the south-coast club in December.

“We have also identified a number of significant targets in the transfer market this summer and believe this change in direction will provide us with the best platform from which to build.

“Gary will go on to have a long career as a head coach or manager, but we feel that, at this moment in time, a change is in the best interests of this football club.”