Sebastian Vettel will bring an end to his illustrious Formula One career at the end of the season, he revealed on Thursday.
The four-time F1 champion has seen the current campaign shrouded by speculation on his future, with his deal with Aston Martin expiring at the end of the year – and he has now made the decision to step away into retirement.
"I have had the privilege of working with many fantastic people in Formula One over the past 15 years - there are far too many to mention and thank," he said in a statement.
"The decision to retire has been a difficult one for me to take, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it. At the end of the year I want to take some more time to reflect on what I will focus on next.
"It is very clear to me that, being a father, I want to spend more time with my family. But today is not about saying goodbye.
"Rather, it is about saying thank you – to everyone – not least to the fans, without whose passionate support Formula One could not exist."
Vettel began his F1 career in 2007 with BMW, then moved to Toro Rosso for a two-year stint before stepping up to join Red Bull.
Finishing second in his first season with Red Bull, Vettel then won four consecutive world titles from 2010 to 2013 and left to join Ferrari in 2015, spending six seasons there.
Vettel finished 12th in the drivers' championship in 2021, his first season with Aston Martin, and lies 14th in the standings in 2022 – having picked up just 15 points.
Aaron Rodgers has backed Allen Lazard to be the number one wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers in the forthcoming NFL season and fill the void left by Davante Adams' departure.
For the first time in his 18-year career, Rodgers heads into the season without a recognised starring man to target following Adams' move to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Lazard is the favourite to step up in the 2022 season, having hauled in 21 receptions for 290 yards and scored five touchdowns in the five matches at the end of the regular 2021 season.
Quarterback Rodgers thinks the 26-year-old can make a big impact.
"When you walk in the locker room for so many years and you see 87's locker, that's Jordy Nelson. You see Davante Adams. It gives you a different feel. You just kind of know that you got that guy," he said during a news conference.
"We have some opportunities for some guys to step into that role.
"I think Allen is ready to make a jump and be a number one wide receiver. [I'm] excited about the opportunity to work with him.
"He's capable of a lot. Since his first day, he's turned heads. He's been working hard. He has a lot to prove to himself I like a hungry Allen Lazard."
The Packers' offense has undergone a major reshuffle ahead of the new season, losing Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency and bringing in Sammy Watkins, as well as drafting three wide receivers.
Rodgers is pleased with the options he has to throw to as the Packers look to make the playoffs for the fourth season in a row.
"Allen sets the standard. Randall [Cobb] sets the standard. The young guys have to pay attention," he added.
"There is a lot of talent in that room for sure, and a lot of motivation for some of the comments that's been sent that room's way. I like what we did on day one."
The Packers face the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs in pre-season, before kicking off the new campaign at the Minnesota Vikings on September 11.
Green Bay Packers All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari barely played last season, and there’s no telling when he’ll be healthy enough to take the field this coming season after he had another procedure on his left knee.
The latest procedure would be at least the third known surgery since Bakhtiari suffered a torn left ACL on New Year’s Eve 2020.
Bakhtiari has played just one game since the original injury, and that came in the regular-season finale at Detroit on January 9 before he was shut down for the playoffs. He was placed on the physically unable to perform list Wednesday as the Packers opened training camp.
Bakhtiari attended the Packers’ offseason program but did not practice, and instead worked off to the side with the rest of the players rehabbing injuries.
''It's a nightmare, my nightmare that I have to live,'' Bakhtiari said. ''I don't know how many days it's been, but I'm just excited to wake up (from the nightmare) one day.''
The Packers remain hopeful that Bakhtiari will be ready for the season opener at Minnesota on September 11.
''I think we're cautiously optimistic,'' general manager Brian Gutekunst said.
Clearly, the Packers are going to take a cautious approach with Bakhtiari, who was playing well enough to earn first-team All-Pro honours for a second time when he originally hurt the knee. His first surgery came after the 2020 season, before the second procedure to reduce swelling in the knee during the 2021 regular season.
''Everyone loves timelines,'' Bakhtiari said. ''When I'm ready, I'll be out there. What I can say is I do feel really good. I really like – I feel normal.
"My knee feels normal and that's the biggest plus. Now it's just getting that normal feeling again when I play football, so that's what it is, the load, stress, strength, but we're not really in an ACL issue. That's actually been a long time ago that we put that chapter to bed.''
With Bakhtiari unavailable for either of Green Bay's past two playoff losses, the Packers allowed five sacks in each of those games.
Green Bay faces the possibility of opening this season without its two best offensive linemen. Elgton Jenkins is also attempting to come back from an ACL tear he suffered on November 21 against Minnesota.
The New York Yankees have acquired outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for three minor leaguers.
New York has been looking for an outfield bat with Giancarlo Stanton going on the injured list recently and Joey Gallo continuing his season-long struggles.
Benintendi, a first-time All-Star this season, was among the better rental bats available and is a free agent after this season. He is batting .321 with three home runs and 39 RBIs in 92 games for the Royals.
The left-handed hitting Benintendi spent his first five seasons with the Boston Red Sox before he was traded to Kansas City in February 2021.
He was one of 10 players that were unable to play in Kansas City’s recent series in Toronto because he is unvaccinated. The Yankees have three games remaining in Toronto this season.
The Yankees own the best record in the majors at 66-33 but have lost 12 of their past 20 games.
Despite missing a pair of National League MVP candidates, the St Louis Cardinals rode a big performance from future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols to a 6-1 away win against the Toronto Blue Jays.
With both Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado unavailable for their side's trip to Toronto due to their vaccination status, it was a combination of new blood and a blast from the past as they made it look easy.
40-year-old starting pitcher Adam Wainwright was at the peak of his powers, giving up just five hits and no walks for one earned run in seven innings, striking out eight batters.
While Wainwright controlled the contest with the ball, 42-year-old Pujols made noise with the bat, knocking a single in his first at-bat, a double in his second try, and then a massive 439-foot, three-run homer with his third trip to the plate. It was longer than any home run Pujols hit in this year's Home Run Derby.
Rookie Nolan Gorman – 20 years younger than Pujols – also went deep with a solo home run, while he and 24-year-old Lars Nootbaar were two of five Cardinals to collect multiple hits.
Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr finished two-for-four at the plate, while ace pitcher Kevin Gausman struggled in one of his worst performances of the season.
Gausman gave up five runs in less than five innings, allowing eight hits and a walk with his six strikeouts.
Mets walk-off against Yankees
The New York Mets threatened to waste a spectacular start from pitcher Max Scherzer, but ultimately got the job done in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the New York Yankees 3-2 in walk-off fashion.
Pete Alonso's solo home run in the second inning and Francisco Lindor's RBI single in the third frame were the only runs before Max Scherzer was withdrawn, having pitched seven shut-out innings.
As soon as Scherzer was removed, the Yankees came back with a two-run homer from Gleyber Torres, but Eduardo Escobar led off the ninth inning with a double, setting up Starling Marte to be the hero and drive him in with a base hit.
J-Rod does it again for the Mariners
Rookie All-Star Julio Rodriguez showed once again why he is one of the most exciting young talents in all of baseball, blasting a three-run home run to give his Seattle Mariners a 4-2 home win against the Texas Rangers.
Rodriguez, 21, stepped up to the plate in the seventh inning with two runners on base, trailing 2-1, and he connected on a 419-foot no-doubter over the left-field wall to snatch back the lead.
This season, Rodriguez leads all rookies in hits (96), runs (54), home runs (17), RBIs (53), and stolen bases (21).
It was smooth sailing for the seeded competitors in action on Wednesday at the Atlanta Open, with Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe and Brandon Nakashima all advancing in straight sets.
Fifth seed Paul started the day off with a straightforward 6-3 6-3 win against South Korea's Kwon Soon-woo thanks to a clear advantage with his serving. He won 73 per cent (36-of-49) of his points on serve, while Kwon could only muster 53 per cent (34-of-64).
Paul will meet Belarus' Ilya Ivashka in the quarter-finals after he successfully navigated the challenge of America's Steve Johnson 4-6 6-2 6-4 after Johnson was a late injury replacement for top overall seed Reilly Opelka.
Ivashka is now 6-3 in his nine matches since the French Open, with his only losses against top-five talents Stefano Tsitsipas and twice against Daniil Medvedev.
Fourth seed Tiafoe was impressive against Japan's Taro Daniel, creating eight total break point opportunities, and capitalising on three.
Tiafoe will play Nakashima in the quarter-finals, with the American surviving a tough first set tiebreaker to eventually defeat Australia's John Millman 7-6 (10-8) 6-4.
In a closely contested match, Nakashima avoided getting into many sticky situations, saving the only break point he faced.
Dominic Thiem battled his way into the quarter-finals of the Austrian Open at the expense of compatriot Sebastian Ofner on Wednesday.
Thiem reached his first semi-final since May 2021 at the Swiss Open last week and is looking to make further strides on home soil this week, having endured an injury nightmare.
The 2020 US Open champion made it through to the last eight in Kitzbuhel but had to dig deep for a 6-2 3-6 6-3 victory over qualifier Ofner.
Thiem only lost one point in the opening two games and wrapped up the first set in commanding fashion, but Ofner claimed the only break of the second set to force a decider.
The former world number three twice came from a break down in the final set to ensure he will face Yannick Hanfmann for a place in the semi-finals.
Seeds Aslan Karatsev and Joao Sousa bowed out, losing to Dusan Lajovic and Jiri Lehecka respectively.
Spanish trio Roberto Bautista Agut, Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Pedro Martinez advanced in straight sets.
Two of the top five seeds were knocked out of the Croatia Open, with Holger Rune and Alex Molcan falling in the round of 16.
Bernabe Zapata Miralles got the better of third seed Rune 3-6 6-3 6-2, while Roberto Carballes Baena ousted Molcan 3-6 6-2 6-3. Jannik Sinner and Giulio Zeppieri secured their quarter-final spots in Umag.
The San Francisco 49ers released defensive end Dee Ford on Wednesday, ending the former Pro Bowler's three-year tenure with the team that was often marred by injuries.
Signed to a five-year, $85.5million contract by San Francisco in 2019, Ford appeared in just seven games over the last two seasons and 18 total regular-season contests in that three-year period.
The 49ers acquired Ford from the Kansas City Chiefs in March 2019 in exchange for a 2020 second-round pick. The 31-year-old recorded 13 sacks and made the Pro Bowl in his final season in Kansas City, then had 6.5 sacks in 11 games with San Francisco in 2019.
However, Ford missed all but one game in 2020 due to a chronic back injury that limited him to six games this past season.
The move will save the 49ers around $1.1 million in 2022 but will leave the team with over $11.6 million in dead cap space over the next two seasons.
A first-round pick of the Chiefs in 2014, Ford twice posted double-digit sack totals during his five-year run in Kansas City and has 40 sacks in 85 games over eight NFL seasons.
Mike Trout has been sidelined with rib cage inflammation for the last two weeks and could be out several more after Los Angeles Angels trainer Mike Frostad revealed on Wednesday that the three-time league MVP has been diagnosed with a costovertebral dysfunction at his T5 vertebrae.
"This is a pretty rare condition that he has right now in his back," Frostad said before the Angels concluded a six-game road trip against the Kansas City Royals. "The doctor [Robert Watkins III], who is one of the most well-known spine surgeons in the country - if not the world, doesn't see a lot of these.”
Trout has not played since July 12 with what was first was being called back spasms before going on the injured list with rib cage inflammation. After an examination by Watkins, the co-director of the Marina Spine Clinic in Los Angeles, it was discovered that the rib issue was in fact the rare spinal dysfunction that Frostad said is something Trout will likely need to cope with for the rest of his playing career.
''We just have to take into consideration what he puts himself through with hitting, swinging on a daily basis just to get prepared, and then also playing in the outfield, diving for balls, jumping into the wall - things like that,'' Frostad said. ''And there's so many things that can aggravate it. But this doctor hasn't seen a lot of it.''
Over the All-Star break, Trout received a cortisone shot, which did alleviate some of the pain, according to Frostad. However, Frostad also said Trout will go at least another week before he partakes in any baseball activity.
"I think he's starting to feel like he's getting the benefits," Frostad said. "But long-term we do have to look at this as something that - he has to manage it, not just through the rest of this season, but also through the rest of his career probably."
Although the Angels entered play Wednesday 22.5 games behind the first-place Houston Astros in the AL West and 11 games out of the league's third wild-card spot, the team has not yet considered shutting Trout down for the rest of the season for the second year in a row.
Limited to just 36 games in 2021 due to a strained right calf, Trout was enjoying another stellar season upon his return this year, compiling 24 home runs, 17 doubles, 51 RBIs and 55 runs with a .270 batting average, .368 on-base percentage, and .599 slugging percentage in 79 games while being elected to his 10th All-Star Game.
The 30-year-old Trout will have another appointment with Watkins next week before the Angels map out a timetable for a potential return.
''He's going to have a follow-up here once we get back," Frostad said, "and we'll just kind of see what the doctor thinks at that point.''
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has criticised the FIA for planned proposals to make further technical regulation changes for the 2023 Formula One season.
Porpoising has been a major talking point in the 2022 season so far, with a number of teams, including Mercedes, struggling with bouncing down the straights at high speed.
Several drivers have complained about the situation and the FIA looks set to take action, with it understood flexible parts and porpoising will be targeted in a new technical directive from the Belgian Grand Prix.
Horner has been critical of any proposed changes throughout the saga, though, and has once again hit out, with his belief that teams have the control to remove the issues by raising ride height but are reluctant to do so due to a loss of speed.
"Changing rules because a couple of teams haven't managed to hit targets is never the right thing to do," he told Eurosport.
"If you want to have convergence in F1, the best thing to do is to leave it alone. Then all the teams will converge.
"What you would see next year, if the rules were left completely alone, I'd be surprised if you saw any bouncing because we've got some of the brightest engineers in the technical world solving these problems.
"These regulations are the biggest change we've had in 40 years. You can already see in recent races there's not been any sign of some of the bouncing from earlier in the year."
Red Bull's stance against further technical regulations has the backing of Ferrari, but Mercedes are continuing to push for changes on the grounds of safety, which has created a stir in the paddock.
The FIA has made it clear they will not back down on the upcoming regulation changes, set to be in effect for the Belgian Grand Prix on August 26-28th – the first race back following the mid-season break that will follow Sunday's race in Hungary.
Top seed Iga Swiatek brushed aside compatriot Magdalena Frech to advance to the last 16 at the Poland Open on Tuesday.
The Warsaw native took 73 minutes to secure a safe passage to the next round with a 6-1 6-2 victory, setting up a clash with Romanian Gabriela Lee – who defeated Raluka Serban on Tuesday.
Swiatek won 76.2 per cent of total service points and won 61.8 per cent of the overall points in the match, with Frech on the back foot throughout, extending her winning streak on clay to 17 matches.
It was Swiatek's first time on the court since defeat at Wimbledon to Alize Cornet, which brought an end to a remarkable 37-match unbeaten run.
Elsewhere, eighth seed Petra Martic overcame Weronika Falkowska 7-5 6-4, while there were also victories for Laura Pigossi, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Sara Errani and Ana Bogdan.
In the Prague Open, Wimbledon quarter-finalist Marie Bouzkova advanced after a dominant 6-1 6-2 victory against Czech teenager Dominika Salkova - setting up a clash against another teenager, 19-year-old Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva.
There were also victories for Chloe Paquet, Wang Qiang and Magda Linette on day five of the tournament.
A LIV Golf League with a 14-tournament schedule will be launched next year.
A controversial Saudi-backed 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series started last month, with the likes of Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson quitting the PGA Tour to join the breakaway tour.
Henrik Stenson is set to make his LIV Golf debut this week after he also defected, prompting the Swede to be stripped of Europe's Ryder Cup captaincy, while Brooks Koepka is among the other high-profile players to sign up.
LIV Golf on Wednesday announced an expansion for 2023, which will see an increase in tournaments for 48 players who will compete for 12 team franchises, with $405million in prize money up for grabs.
Events are set to take place in new locations in both the Americas and Europe, while players will also be expected to showcase their talents in Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East, Indonesia, China, Singapore and Hong Kong.
There will be a total of 25 LIV Golf tournaments next year and a Team World Championship match play grand finale at the end of the season.
LIV Golf stressed that the new 2023 league schedule will not compete with any of the four majors.
Greg Norman, CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf, said: "LIV Golf's expanding global platform will add a new dimension to the golf ecosystem as we know it, one that provides an opportunity for players and fans around the world to help maximise our beloved sport's true potential.
"Our franchise model will bring new energy and excitement to fans from all corners of the world, establishing a league of teams to connect and grow with. The International Series will attract new talent and offer unprecedented pathways that develop the next generation of stars.
"LIV Golf is committed to making sustainable investments that grow the game now and for the future, and we are proud to turn these dreams into a reality."
The Kansas City Chiefs and Travis Kelce have agreed to a contract restructure that will give the star tight end an additional $3 million in salary this season, according to NFL.com.
Kelce was slated to earn about $7.5 million in 2022, the first season of a four-year, $57 million extension he signed in August 2020 that contains $20.75 million in guarantees. Moving some of that money towards the front of the deal gives the Chiefs a little more salary cap flexibility in future years.
The 32-year-old Kelce was named to a seventh straight Pro Bowl in 2021 after recording 92 catches for 1,125 yards and nine touchdowns in 16 games.
Kelce’s six consecutive seasons with at least 80 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards is the longest streak by a tight end in NFL history and the longest active run of any player.
Only five players have produced those numbers in seven or more straight seasons. Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison and Torry Holt each did so in eight consecutive seasons, while Tim Brown and Brandon Marshall had seven-year streaks.
Kelce has also been remarkably durable throughout his nine-year NFL career, having missed just three games over the past eight seasons.
Max Verstappen's path to a second Formula One drivers' championship appears clear following Ferrari's mishaps in France, with the Red Bull ace looking to extend his lead in Hungary.
Heading into the final race before F1's summer break, Verstappen holds a mammoth 63-point advantage over Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in the standings – while Red Bull lead their rivals by 82 points in the constructors' championship.
Ferrari's latest setback, which saw Leclerc retire from the lead for the third time this season, brought an end to what had been a positive stint for the Italian manufacturers – who had won back-to-back races before heading to the Circuit Paul Ricard.
While Leclerc has been the leading man for Ferrari this season, his crash in France was the latest mistake from the young driver – and it may now be Carlos Sainz that has the biggest part to play in chasing down Red Bull.
After a difficult start to the season, the Spaniard has found his rhythm with the car and weaved his way through the field in France to secure fifth place, having started 19th on the grid and impressed in qualifying.
Sainz boasts two fastest laps in 2022, both of which have come in the last four races (in Canada and France) – one more than he recorded in his previous 148 outings, and he's now eyeing consecutive fastest laps for the first time in his F1 career.
Ferrari's record in Hungary is also encouraging, with only McLaren (11) winning more races at the venue than Ferrari (7) – who last won at the Hungaroring in 2017. Red Bull, meanwhile, have won twice, in 2010 and 2014.
Red Bull's main strength this season has been straight-line speed, which may not fit with the Hungaroring's lack of straights – the track is comparable to Monaco, with several corners to string together.
It's on those sorts of corners where Ferrari have been the better outfit but, even with a win, they would require some serious reliability issues or incidents from Red Bull to rejuvenate their flagging title hopes.
Hamilton's charge reviving Mercedes
Mercedes' woes this season have been well documented and are not yet over, with the team extremely disappointed by their upgrade package failing to have the desired effect for the French Grand Prix last time out.
However, Lewis Hamilton is at least back at his best after registering four consecutive podium finishes heading into Hungary, while George Russell's appearance alongside his team-mate on the podium was the first time Mercedes have had both drivers in the top three this season.
The Hungaroring is a track Hamilton knows well, having secured eight victories at the venue – including all five of Mercedes' wins.
Now 12 races without a win, Mercedes are in the longest winless stretch of their F1 history, and Hamilton is still awaiting the triumph which would see him break Michael Schumacher's record of consecutive seasons with at least one victory – with both drivers currently on 15.
Ricciardo's moment of truth
Daniel Ricciardo's spell at McLaren has been disappointing for both driver and team but both are committed to each other for the long haul, with the Australian's contract running through 2023.
Speculation of an early termination appears to have cooled, with Ricciardo taking to social media to quash such rumours before issuing a strong message ahead of France – telling Sky Sports he'll deliver a win if McLaren can deliver a car.
That's something the Silverstone-based team are yet to do, however. Ricciardo's experience in France was another disappointing one, having come in ninth and, yet again, finished behind team-mate Lando Norris.
The young Brit is clearly the more comfortable driver, having registered 70 of McLaren's 89 points this season, and Ricciardo needs to start changing the game.
A positive race in Hungary would provide a significant boost ahead of what is a crucial sequence for the Australian after the summer break.
England boss Eddie Jones says he would love to swap codes and take up an NRL head coach position, but admits the likelihood of a move to rugby league is small.
The Australian spent time following his side's tour victory over the Wallabies visiting leading sports clubs across the country, including NRL premiers Penrith and AFL duo Melbourne and Carlton.
Jones has his focus on taking England one step further than their silver-medal finish at the Japan 2019 World Cup next year when he leads them to France 2023.
But beyond that, his future is unclear, and the veteran admits he would be delighted to get the chance to chance his arm in league's biggest domestic competition, particularly with boyhood club South Sydney Rabbitohs.
"I like the game," Jones told Nine. "If there was an opportunity there [in the NRL] I would jump at it, but the reality is it’s probably not going to be there."
Jones' admiration for the rival code comes at a time when a proliferation of great union successes have been guided by former league stalwarts.
Ex-Wigan forward Andy Farrell guided Ireland to a first-ever series win in New Zealand against the All Blacks earlier this month, while ex-Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield was instrumental in Leicester's Premiership triumph too.
Shaun Edwards has helped revolutionise France's defence under Fabien Galthie, and Jones' own assistant, the former Souths head coach Anthony Seibold, has been an ace in their revival this summer against the Wallabies.
It is the Rabbitohs the 62-year-old grew up as a fan of, and asked if he would be tempted by the top job at Redfern, he admitted: "That would be the dream team. That would be the dream.
"From the age of five, I’ve supported Souths. That would be fantastic [to coach the Rabbitohs]. I loved the old teams with Ronnie Coote, Bob McCarthy, John Sattler and Eric Simms. 100 per cent [I'd take the job]."
Souths are currently led by former assistant Jason Demetriou, who succeeded veteran coach Wayne Bennett at the end of last year, and currently lie sixth on the NRL ladder as they push for the playoffs.
NRWL star Karina Brown says she felt "triggered" by the decision of several Manly Warringah Sea Eagles players to prominently boycott wearing a pride-inspired rainbow jersey this week against Sydney Roosters.
The Sea Eagles will be missing seven players for the NRL crunch clash with the Roosters over the club's decision to wear a kit featuring coloured stripes instead of white on the traditional swap.
Boss Des Hasler apologised to both the LGBTQ+ community and the players, who claim they were not consulted on the call, and have cited family, religious and cultural beliefs for their boycott.
Brown, a two-time World Cup winner and prominently out sportswoman, admitted the furore has left her angered, joining the latest list of voices to speak out against the players' decision.
"It did trigger me, if I’m honest," the Queensland and Australian representative told the On Her Game podcast. "I felt a bit enraged and frustrated.
"This jersey is a Women in League round jersey and it's 'everyone in league' ... whether you love someone of the same sex or whether you love Jesus Christ, there’s a place for you here in rugby league.
"To get upset about a jersey with a few added extra colours on the piping to represent everyone in league, not just pride, I was just astounded that was a stance that some players have taken.
"It's just so important. People are realising that discrimination is so hurtful in this society and so we're trying to do something about it.
"[It's] definitely frustrating that we're still talking about it but it does still exist. I can see now why we don’t have an NRL Pride round."
The continued fallout has led to suggestions a designated pride round could be installed in the NRL as soon as next season, with ARLC chairman Peter V'Landys floating the concept as a possibility on Tuesday.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson backed Manly's decision to stick with their jersey, adding that he was frustrated by continued discrimination.
"It is great what the owners of Manly have decided to do and it is unfortunate that it has panned out this way because everyone is equal, no matter what race, gender, sexual preference, everyone is equal," he stated.
"Let people make their choice and let’s not discriminate against those, and we are still doing that, and that is why it is unfortunate."
Max Verstappen is still "evolving", according to Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, as the Dutchman continues his march towards successive Formula One world championships.
After winning the French Grand Prix for a second year in a row, Verstappen holds a 63-point lead over Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the top of the drivers' standings.
Another title for the reigning champion looks inevitable after he posted six victories in his last nine races, and Verstappen's 2021 rival Lewis Hamilton recently claimed it will be "smooth sailing" for the 24-year-old this year.
Speaking to Eurosport, Red Bull boss Horner hailed Verstappen's development as he suggested the Dutchman ranked among the best drivers to ever feature for the team.
"I think he's very much a mature package now," Horner said. "He's got experience behind him but he's still very, very young.
"He's hugely talented and is using his experience, using his head and his drive, his determination is undiminished.
"So he's just evolving still as a person and as a driver.
"It's very difficult to compare drivers. We've had some amazing drivers but he is certainly right up [there]."
While Verstappen looks likely to cruise to the drivers' title, Red Bull also hold a commanding 82-point advantage over Ferrari in the battle for the constructors' championship.
Although Red Bull are clear favourites to end Mercedes' eight-year stranglehold on the team prize, Horner says he is simply taking it one race at a time.
"The target is to keep building on what we've achieved. There are no finite targets," he added. "It's just about race-by-race, season-by-season and giving him [Verstappen] a car that his talent warrants.
"I still get the same buzz driving into the track on race morning that I did, even when I was driving myself many years ago. It's the competition, going up against the best teams in the world. You need to be at the top of your game.
"It's a team sport, the biggest team sport in the world. If you're lucky enough to win a grand prix, it means every single person within that organisation is doing and fulfilling their part and role."
Verstappen and Red Bull will bid to extend their fine run of form at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum says Kevin Durant is a "great player", but is unsure his team needs to bring the wantaway Brooklyn Nets man onboard.
Two-time NBA Finals MVP Durant requested a trade out of Barclays Center last month following a 4-0 playoff exit to the Celtics.
That sparked discussions between a host of sides and the Nets, with Boston also reportedly making enquiries into his availability.
Durant averaged 29.9 points per game in the regular season across 55 appearances, with only Joel Embiid (30.6) and LeBron James (30.3) averaging more, as well as 6.4 assists and 7.4 rebounds.
But while Tatum has tremendous respect for Durant, having played alongside him for the United States team as part of the Tokyo 2020 gold medal-winning squad, he thinks the Celtics already have the players they need onboard.
"I played with [Durant] during the Olympics," he said on Tuesday at the premiere of Showtime documentary 'Point Gods'. "Obviously, he's a great player, but that's not my decision. I love our team. I love the guys that we got.
"We got two new pieces [in Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari]. I love our team. I just go out there and play with my teammates. I don't put that [general manager] hat on to make decisions."
Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has put his expectations for 2022 firmly on the agenda, saying they need a viable playoff run for a successful season.
The Cowboys had a hugely disappointing first-round home playoff loss last season, going down 23-17 to the San Francisco 49ers after earning the third seed in the NFC.
Long-time Cowboys owner Jones, who turns 80 in October, said they were in better shape for a Super Bowl push this season compared to last, fuelling the expectations on Mike McCarthy's side.
"Well, I need to win it. I need to win it, but I'll be candid with you, there's degrees," Jones told reporters on Tuesday on the first day of the Cowboys' training camp.
"I want to be fair to everybody concerned. We need to be in the playoffs. We need to be viable in the playoffs for it to be a successful season."
He added with a touch of humour: "I told them I've got a birthday coming up here real quick and I don't have time to have a bad time. It ain't on my schedule."
Amari Cooper, La'el Collins and Randy Gregory have all departed the Cowboys in the off-season.
"(Last year) we had it teed up pretty good, and in my mind we made a hell of a run at it," Jones said.
"I think we're in better shape today to make a run at it than when we were sitting here this time last year.
"I thought last year we had a chance to make a heck of a run at it and had people in place that if we were healthy enough, we might get 'em. And I think we're in better shape."
Jones also threw his support behind McCarthy, who has been Dallas' head coach since 2020, finishing his first season with a 6-10 record and missing the playoffs.
"I want to be real clear: He wouldn't be sitting here if I didn't think he was the man to lead this team to a Super Bowl," Jones said.
Jones added: "I like this staff. And frankly, I like the makeup of the players one year later that were on this team last year and I like the new players that we've brought on."
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