Anton Lundell scored twice and Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and two assists as the Florida Panthers extended their franchise-record road winning streak to nine with a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.
Aaron Ekblad and Johan Gadjovich also had goals for the Panthers, who improved to 16-3-2 since Dec. 23 to pull within two points of Eastern Conference-leading Boston.
Tkachuk has been a key catalyst with 13 goals and 19 assists in Florida’s last 17 games.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves to win his fifth consecutive start with a 1.58 goals-against average during that span.
Bryan Rust and John Ludvig scored for the Penguins, who lost their third straight to remain seven points behind the final playoff spot in the East.
Hellebuyck shuts out Sharks
Connor Hellebuyck needed to make just 17 saves for his third shutout of the season and Morgan Barron scored in the Winnipeg Jets’ 1-0 win over the San Jose Sharks.
Hellebuyck stopped four shots in the first period, eight in the second and five in the third for his 35th career shutout.
He became the 10th goaltender in NHL history to allow three goals or fewer in 30 consecutive games in the regular season.
Barron scored with 2:13 left in the opening period and Hellebuyck made it stand up as the Jets won their second straight following a five-game skid.
Wild defeat reeling Coyotes for 4th straight win
Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist and Marc-Andre Fleury turned aside 25 shots as the Minnesota Wild won their fourth consecutive game, 3-1 over the Arizona Coyotes.
Jonas Brodin and Joel Eriksson Ek had the other goals for the Wild, who have won seven of their last nine games.
Logan Cooley scored the lone goal as Arizona lost its seventh game in a row.
Christian Horner will face the media on Thursday as an investigation into an allegation of “inappropriate behaviour” against the Red Bull team principal continues.
The embattled boss is due to attend the world champions’ car launch at their Milton Keynes headquarters in what will be his first public appearance since the accusation by a female colleague surfaced at the beginning of last week. Horner, 50, categorically denies the claim.
For now, Horner remains in his role as team principal and was present at a behind-closed-doors Red Bull test at Silverstone on Tuesday ahead of the new season which starts in just over a fortnight.
Red Bull will unveil their new car on Thursday and Horner is expected to address the media – although the PA news agency understands legalities around the process mean that questions relating to the internal investigation will be off-limits.
Last week, Horner was quizzed by a lawyer for eight hours as part of the probe by Red Bull Racing’s parent company Red Bull GmBH.
There had been a strong desire for Horner’s future to be resolved before Thursday’s launch but sources have indicated that he could face further rounds of questioning as he bids to prove his innocence.
Horner has been Red Bull team principal since they entered F1 19 years ago and is the longest-serving boss on the grid.
During that period he has overseen seven drivers’ world championships and six constructors’ titles. Red Bull have dominated the sport in recent seasons and last year won 21 of the 22 races, with Max Verstappen setting a new record for 10 consecutive victories.
One person has died and more than 20 others have been injured after shots were fired near the scene of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade.
A video on social media showed armed officers rush into Union Station on a day supporters gathered near the building at the end of the parade route to celebrate Sunday’s victory with the team’s players and staff.
The Kansas City Police Department said at least 22 people suffered gunshot wounds, including the fatally injured victim, and confirmed three people had been taken into custody.
Radio Station KKFI said on social media that one of their presenters, DJ Lisa Lopez, was killed in the shooting.
KKFI said in a statement: “Our hearts and prayers are with her family. This senseless act has taken a beautiful person from her family and this KC Community.”
Kansas City Police Department chief Stacey Graves said at a press conference: “At the conclusion of the Chiefs’ rally today, there were shots fired on the west side of Union Station.
“Immediately, officers responded to the area, took two people into custody and also immediately rendered life-sustaining aid to those victims.”
At a later briefing, she added: “We have confirmed there is one deceased person. Our gunshot total has went up to 22.
“Right now, we’re still working on the total number of victims. This is still an active investigation.
“We do have three persons detained and under investigation for today’s incident.
“Our investigators are working with all of the surviving victims to connect them with loved ones. We are also working to identify our deceased victim so we can notify their family as soon as possible.”
The Kansas City Chiefs confirmed their players, coaches and staff were all safe and accounted for.
“We are truly saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred outside of Union Station at the conclusion of today’s parade and rally,” the team said in a statement.
“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and all of Kansas City.
“We are in close communication with the Mayor’s office as well as the Kansas City Police Department.
“At this time, we have confirmed that all of our players, coaches, staff and their families are safe and accounted for.
“We thank the local law enforcement officers and first responders who were on-scene to assist.”
Kansas City players and staff were celebrating beating the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas on Sunday to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions in 19 years.
Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes took to social media, saying: “Praying for Kansas City.”
Travis Kelce wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: “I am heartbroken over the tragedy that took place today. My heart is with all who came out to celebrate with us and have been affected. KC, you mean the world to me.”
Linebacker Drue Tranquill posted: “Please join me in prayer for all the victims in this heinous act. Pray that doctors & first responders would have steady hands & that all would experience full healing.”
Offensive lineman Trey Smith thanked first responders, adding: “You’re the ones who should be celebrated today.”
A statement from the NFL read: “We are deeply saddened by the senseless shooting that occurred today near the end of the rally in Kansas City for the Chiefs. Our thoughts are with the victims and everyone affected.
“We are grateful for the quick and thorough response of law enforcement and emergency personnel.”
Earlier, the city had been in party mode as Super Bowl MVP Mahomes and team-mate Travis Kelce took centre stage on a platform near Union Station.
Mahomes had told a cheering crowd the Chiefs were going for a “three-peat” next season while Kelce led the supporters in some chanting.
One person has died and more than 20 others have been injured after shots were fired near the scene of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade.
A video on social media showed armed officers rush into Union Station on a day supporters gathered near the building at the end of the parade route to celebrate Sunday’s victory with the team’s players and staff.
The Kansas City Police Department said at least 22 people suffered gunshot wounds, including the fatally injured victim, and confirmed three people had been taken into custody.
Kansas City Police Department chief Stacey Graves said at a press conference: “At the conclusion of the Chiefs’ rally today, there were shots fired on the west side of Union Station.
“Immediately, officers responded to the area, took two people into custody and also immediately rendered life-sustaining aid to those victims.”
At a later briefing, she added: “We have confirmed there is one deceased person. Our gunshot total has went up to 22.
“Right now, we’re still working on the total number of victims. This is still an active investigation.
“We do have three persons detained and under investigation for today’s incident.
“Our investigators are working with all of the surviving victims to connect them with loved ones. We are also working to identify our deceased victim so we can notify their family as soon as possible.”
The Kansas City Chiefs confirmed their players, coaches and staff were all safe and accounted for.
“We are truly saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred outside of Union Station at the conclusion of today’s parade and rally,” the team said in a statement.
“Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and all of Kansas City.
“We are in close communication with the Mayor’s office as well as the Kansas City Police Department.
“At this time, we have confirmed that all of our players, coaches, staff and their families are safe and accounted for.
“We thank the local law enforcement officers and first responders who were on-scene to assist.”
Kansas City players and staff were celebrating beating the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas on Sunday to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions in 19 years.
Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes took to social media, saying: “Praying for Kansas City.”
Linebacker Drue Tranquill posted: “Please join me in prayer for all the victims in this heinous act. Pray that doctors & first responders would have steady hands & that all would experience full healing.”
Offensive lineman Trey Smith thanked first responders, adding: “You’re the ones who should be celebrated today.”
A statement from the NFL read: “We are deeply saddened by the senseless shooting that occurred today near the end of the rally in Kansas City for the Chiefs. Our thoughts are with the victims and everyone affected.
“We are grateful for the quick and thorough response of law enforcement and emergency personnel.”
Earlier, the city had been in party mode as Super Bowl MVP Mahomes and team-mate Travis Kelce took centre stage on a platform near Union Station.
Mahomes had told a cheering crowd the Chiefs were going for a “three-peat” next season while Kelce led the supporters in some chanting.
Tiger Woods says he is pain-free ahead of his latest return to professional golf but admits his body is still adapting to ankle fusion surgery.
The 15-time major champion underwent treatment in April last year after withdrawing from the Masters during the third round and did not compete again until the Hero World Challenge in December.
Former world number one Woods is on Thursday set to play his first PGA Tour event of 2024, at the Genesis Invitational in California.
The 48-year-old, who previously said he expects to participate in one event per month this year, continues to enjoy the sport and wants to play for as long as possible.
“My ankle doesn’t hurt any more,” he told a press conference. “The bones aren’t rubbing any more.
“But then again it’s different, other parts of my body have to take the brunt of it, just like my back is fused and so other parts of my body have taken the brunt of that.
“I have two different body parts that are now fused. Other parts of the body have to adapt.
“As far as the love, I still love competing, I love playing, I love being a part of the game of golf.
“This is the game of a lifetime and I don’t ever want to stop playing.”
One person has died and there are multiple injuries after shots were fired near the scene of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade.
A video on social media showed armed officers rush into Union Station on a day supporters gathered near the building at the end of the NFL side’s parade route.
The Kansas City Police Department confirmed that one person had died and two armed people had been taken into custody following the incident.
Kansas City Police Department chief Stacey Graves said at a press conference: “At the conclusion of the Chiefs’ rally today, there were shots fired on the west side of Union Station.
“Immediately, officers responded to the area, took two people into custody and also immediately rendered life-sustaining aid to those victims.
“We’re still gathering information on the number and the status of victims. We know that one of the victims is deceased.
“Right now, we have up to 10 to 15 injured. We do not have an exact number of people who were victims of a gunshot wound.
During the press conference, it was announced that the Kansas City Chiefs had confirmed all their players, coaches and staff were safe and accounted for.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso knew the time to choose between England and Wales would come but not quite so soon.
Less than a year after helping Taunton Titans escape relegation from National League One, the 21-year-old Exeter wing made his Test debut in the Guinness Six Nations.
Whether he would commit to England or Wales became a matter of urgency when he began shredding defences for the Chiefs in his first season in the Gallagher Premiership.
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Born and raised in Cardiff, he qualifies for England through his grandmother, and the tug of war for his allegiance began when he was first called by Steve Borthwick in November.
By January, his mind was made up and he was picked in Borthwick’s squad for the Six Nations with his first cap against Italy following soon after.
“The first conversation I had with Steve was after Northampton away and that wasn’t even a good game for me. That was a terrible game for me!” Feyi-Waboso said.
“He rang me after that and said I’m on his radar. I was really shocked at the call and I kind of thought he was just saying I’m in his mind, but obviously I’m here now.
“It’s always been something to think about. I moved to England. A lot of my family are English.
“My grandmother [Margaret Spence Taylor] is English, lives in Gloucester. My dad [Andrew] is half-English and my mum’s Nigerian.
“As soon as I got into England it was a decision to think about, but I thought it would be a lot further in the future.
“I blocked out a lot of the noise (around the decision). I have a lot of good people around me, like family. They helped my decision and definitely didn’t force my hand. It was definitely my decision.”
Feyi-Waboso’s availability was considered a formality by Wales, but they underestimated the strength of his English ties and determination to study medicine.
Despite being awarded three A stars for his ‘A’ levels, he was unable to secure a place at Cardiff University and having then enrolled at Aston University, the financial collapse of his club Wasps placed him in limbo.
The Chiefs provided him with a new home and a place at Exeter University, where he is able to pursue his true calling.
“I enjoy learning, it’s what I enjoyed even before rugby. If I wasn’t playing rugby, my ideal situation would be just to stay in uni, keep learning, keep going,” he said.
“But obviously being a doctor is a career of constant learning. You don’t really stop. You do five years in uni, then you have two foundation years, then specialise … it’s not boring.
“I feel like learning is now habitual. It’s just something that I really want to do – become a doctor.”
Balancing his medical course with the demands of playing for Exeter and England takes careful planning, and he is being assisted by team doctor Katy Hornby.
“I have an exam in a couple of weeks. So I might have to go back for that, do the exam, then come back to the Six Nations,” he said.
“I also have an exam three days after we come back from France so I’ll be revising. It can be a lot to think about, but you make timetables and you manage – you do manage.
“And there’s a lot of help around – I’m going to do some exam prep with the [RFU] doc.”
Gun shots were fired near the parade route where the Chiefs celebrated their latest Super Bowl title in downtown Kansas City on Wednesday.
Minutes after the conclusion of the rally, one person was shot and nine were injured, according to multiple reports.
The Kansas City Police said shots were fired near Union Station, where players had just addressed fans moments earlier.
The KC Police also said two armed individuals were taken into custody.
City officials estimated that around 1 million people gathered in Kansas City to celebrate the Chiefs' third Super Bowl title in the last five seasons.
Three days after their come-from-behind 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers, Chiefs players and coaches rode on double-decker buses along the parade route as confetti cannons exploded and jubilant fans screamed and applauded.
Gun shots were fired near the parade route where the Chiefs celebrated their latest Super Bowl title in downtown Kansas City on Wednesday.
Minutes after the conclusion of the rally, eight to 10 people were injured, according to multiple reports.
The Kansas City Police said shots were fired near Union Station, where players had just addressed fans moments earlier.
The KC Police also said two armed individuals were taken into custody.
City officials estimated that around 1 million people gathered in Kansas City to celebrate the Chiefs' third Super Bowl title in the last five seasons.
Three days after their come-from-behind 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers, Chiefs players and coaches rode on double-decker buses along the parade route as confetti cannons exploded and jubilant fans screamed and applauded.
Kansas City police said multiple people were struck after shots were fired as the Chiefs celebrated their Super Bowl success in front of a large crowd.
A video on social media showed armed officers rush into Union Station on a day supporters gathered near the building at the end of the NFL side’s parade route.
The Kansas City Police Department confirmed two armed people had been taken into custody following the incident.
A statement said: “Shots have been fired around Union Station. Please leave the area.
“Shots were fired west of Union Station near the garage and multiple people were struck. We took two armed people into custody for more investigation.
“Anyone nearby needs to leave the area as quickly and safely as possible to facilitate treatment of the shooting victims. Please avoid the Union Station parking garage area to allow first responders through.”
Kansas City Chiefs players and staff were celebrating beating the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas on Sunday to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions in 19 years.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce admits his outburst toward coach Andy Reid during the Super Bowl on Sunday was “unacceptable”.
Kelce got into Reid’s face and shouted at the 65-year-old in the first quarter of the game against the San Francisco 49ers, which the Chiefs went on to win to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions in 19 years.
Reid was knocked off balance but made little of the incident and, when Patrick Mahomes threw the match-winning touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman Jr to secure a 25-22 overtime success, all was forgotten.
Kelce’s high-profile relationship with pop superstar Taylor Swift meant there was even greater focus on him heading into the Super Bowl.
The 34-year-old says he was unhappy with being taken off, jokingly telling ESPN: “I was just telling him how much I love him.”
Kelce grew frustrated after Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco fumbled the ball from eight yards out while he was off the field.
On his New Heights podcast alongside brother Jason, he added: “It’s definitely unacceptable and I immediately wished I could have taken it back. Coach Reid actually came right up to me after that and didn’t even have harsh words for me.
“I’m a passionate guy. I love coach Reid. He knows how much I love to play for him, how much I love to be a product of his coaching career.
“It came in a moment when we weren’t playing very well and I wasn’t playing very well.”
Co-host Jason, who plays for Philadelphia Eagles, said: “The yelling in his face, too, was over the top.”
The Chiefs celebrated their successive Super Bowl crowns with a trophy parade in Kansas City on Wednesday.
Star quarter-back Patrick Mahomes has already turned his focus to winning a hat-trick of successive Super Bowls.
“We’re going for that three-peat. Don’t get it twisted, we’re doing it. Three times, first time in NFL history. We’re doing it,” Mahomes told the crowd.
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from next week’s Qatar Open after announcing he is “not ready to compete”.
The 22-time grand slam singles winner, who missed the Australian Open due to a hip injury, had been hoping to feature in the ATP 250 event in Doha.
But the 37-year-old will now target next month’s BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells for his return to competitive action.
Nadal posted on his social media: “I would have loved to play in Doha, where the tournament team, as well as the amazing Qatar fans have always supported me greatly.
“Unfortunately I am not ready to compete and I won’t be able to come to Doha where I really wanted to be and play again after that unforgettable win in 2014.
“I will focus on keep working to be ready for the exhibition in Las Vegas and the amazing Indian Wells tournament.”
Nadal made his comeback at the Brisbane International in January after spending a year on the sidelines due to a long-term hip problem.
The Spaniard sustained a muscle tear near his hip in his quarter-final defeat to Jordan Thompson in Brisbane, but scans revealed it was not in the same area.
Adam Peaty bounced back from individual disappointment to help Great Britain clinch bronze in the 4x100m mixed medley relay at the World Championships in Doha.
The quartet of Medi Harris, Peaty, Matthew Richards and Anna Hopkin finished third in a time of three minutes 40.22 seconds.
Victory went to the United States in 3:40.22, with Australia second in 3:43.12.
Peaty and Hopkin were part of the British 4x100m mixed medley team which won gold and broke the world record at the Tokyo Olympics.
Three-time Olympic champion Peaty, 29, earlier missed out on the medals by finishing fourth in the men’s 50m breaststroke, having claimed bronze over 100m on Monday as he gears up for this summer’s Games in Paris.
Also on Wednesday, Daniel Wiffen made history by becoming Ireland’s first world swimming champion after taking gold in the 800m freestyle final in Doha.
The 22-year-old from County Armagh topped the podium in a time of seven minutes 40.94 seconds.
Wiffen, who was second quickest in qualifying, took the lead with 50 metres to go to claim his first global title ahead of Australia’s Elijah Winnington and Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri.
“Obviously the goal coming into this meet was to win a world medal and make the podium for Ireland, win Ireland’s first ever medal at a world championship level,” he said, as reported by swimireland.ie.
“It’s just really cool to say and I’m really happy.”
Wiffen returns to the pool on Saturday morning for the heats of the 1500m freestyle.
England are ready to thrust Manu Tuilagi straight into their Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland following his recovery from a groin problem.
Tuilagi has been added to Steve Borthwick’s squad for their fallow week training camp in London having missed the opening two Guinness Six Nations rounds because of the injury sustained in December.
If the 32-year-old centre plays at Murrayfield on February 24 it will be his first appearance for nine weeks, but England are confident he would rise to the occasion.
Defence coach Felix Jones said: “Manu had little bit of a run around out there today (Wednesday). It wasn’t anything too intense but he looked good.
“He’s done it a number of times where he’s come back from injury with low levels of game time but still been able to perform at a very high level. Experience accounts for a lot in those situations.”
If Tuilagi proves his fitness in training over the coming days, Borthwick must decide whether to break up the centre partnership of Fraser Dingwall and Henry Slade that started the victories over Italy and Wales or confine him to a bench role.
Tuilagi provides the ability to punch over the gainline currently lacked by the back division and England know that Scotland will build much of their attack around their own muscular carrier Sione Tuipulotu.
The prospect of Ollie Lawrence being available for the round three showdown in Edinburgh is less certain as he overcomes a hip injury.
The Bath powerhouse, another midfield option, was involved in training on Wednesday and a clearer picture of his readiness will emerge over the coming days.
Hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie and lock George Martin are both in contention against Scotland after being added to Borthwick’s 36-man training squad.
Cowan-Dickie was forced to withdraw from the original Six Nations squad after an undisclosed medical condition materialised when he was on club duty for Sale.
His availability will relieve the pressure on captain Jamie George, whose workload has been increased by the lack of experienced alternatives in the position.
Martin’s fitness will be welcomed by England, who benefited from his menacing display against South Africa in the semi-final of last autumn’s World Cup – his most recent international appearance.
The 22-year-old had tweaked his knee, ruling him out of the start of the Six Nations, but will look to secure a place in the second or back row against Scotland.
Adam Beard says Wales will relish the size of their challenge against Guinness Six Nations title favourites Ireland in Dublin.
Wales have not won a Six Nations game at the Aviva Stadium since 2012, drawing one and losing four of the subsequent meetings.
And they face an Ireland side firmly on course to achieve an historic feat of winning Six Nations Grand Slams in successive seasons.
Having accounted for France and Italy in bonus-point fashion, Andy Farrell’s team will be backed by many to inflict similar pain on Wales on February 24.
Wales lost their opening games to Scotland and England – albeit by a combined total of just three points – so a tall order awaits them.
“Physicality is going to be one of the key components of the game,” 53-cap Wales lock Beard said.
“You see the way Ireland play their rugby. It is all about speed, winning collisions and the breakdown.
“Defensively, we have to match up with that physical battle, and in attack it’s about being clinical and physical. It will be a tough game, but one we are looking forward to.
“Ireland are a team that are playing with confidence, and it helps when a lot of them play club rugby together. We are excited to get stuck into them.”
Wales have a new look about them in this season’s Six Nations, with Leigh Halfpenny and Dan Biggar having retired from Test rugby, Louis Rees-Zammit now concentrating on a possible American football career and the likes of Jac Morgan, Taulupe Faletau and Dewi Lake all injured.
It has meant Six Nations opportunities for others, including players like Cameron Winnett, Ioan Lloyd, Archie Griffin and Alex Mann, while 21-year-old Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins is Wales’ youngest captain for 56 years.
Beard added: “We are not far away. This squad is fairly new and boys are experiencing Six Nations rugby for the first time.
“These narrow losses (27-26 against Scotland and 16-14 against England) are disappointing, but can be good for us because it is a learning curve for a lot of players.
“If we keep working hard and developing our game, we are going to be a tough squad to beat and winning a lot more games than we are losing.
“It has probably been two great 40-minute performances from each game. We are a young squad, but Daf Jenkins hit the nail on the head after the (England) game that we can’t use that as an excuse.”
Beard has been impressed with Jenkins’ leadership, a quality he has carried into the tournament after skippering Exeter this season to strong positions in the Gallagher Premiership and Investec Champions Cup.
“He is doing great,” Beard said.
“There are a lot of leaders in this squad, and we are trying to help him out as much as possible and not have too much weight on his shoulders.
“He has had a lot of experience captaining Exeter, and he has taken things in his stride.
“It has not affected his performances in any shape or form. He has been playing some of his best rugby.
“He speaks when he needs to speak, and people listen.”
Leicester’s meeting on Thursday and Friday’s fixture at Ffos Las have both been called off due to waterlogged tracks.
An inspection was called for 4.15pm on Wednesday at Leicester but areas of false ground left officials with no option.
Ffos Las officials were able to make their decision even earlier. An inspection was held on Wednesday morning and after heavy rain, the venue was not fit for action.
The track said on X: “Due to 70 millimetres of rain in the last seven days and with further rain forecast, racing on Friday 16th February has been abandoned.”
Thursday’s fixture at Newcastle must also survive an 8am inspection. The going is heavy and further rain is forecast overnight, while Clonmel’s meeting is also in doubt.
Clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer will inspect at 7.30am with overnight rain forecast on already heavy ground.
Lando Norris insists he can take the championship fight to Max Verstappen after declaring the Dutchman’s Red Bull team as “beatable”.
McLaren emerged as the closest contender to Red Bull last year following an impressive mid-season turnaround with Norris scoring seven podiums.
The 24-year-old, gearing up for his sixth season on the Formula One grid, last month committed his future to McLaren by signing a contract extension which will keep him with the British team for at least the next three seasons.
Red Bull won all but one of the 22 rounds last season, with Verstappen cruising to his third world title in as many years.
But speaking at McLaren’s car launch on Wednesday, Norris said: “If you were to ask, ‘are Red Bull beatable?’ I am going to have to say ‘yes’.
“We have to believe that because we were very close at times last year and at certain times we did beat them.
“Can we beat them over a season? That is going to be a challenge and very difficult to do because of how well they performed, but I am optimistic.”
Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri, who impressed in his rookie campaign last season, were provided their first taste of this year’s machine at a Silverstone shakedown test on Wednesday.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella added: “At the start of the season my expectation of Red Bull is that they will enjoy an advantage.
“I say this because they didn’t develop the car very much last year and I would think it is reasonable to expect that they will have accumulated knowledge and development from last season and bring that to the 2024 car.
“If, and I say if, we continue the development rate from 2023 into 2024, then we can be in a strong position. But whether that is enough to challenge Red Bull and the other top teams who have made improvements, we will find out.”
F1’s sole pre-season test gets under way in Bahrain on February 21, ahead of the opening race, also in the Gulf kingdom, on March 2.
Milton Harris has withdrawn his appeal against the decision of the British Horseracing Authority’s Licensing Committee which ruled he is not a “fit and proper person” to hold a training licence.
The Warminster handler had his licence suspended by the BHA in November pending a hearing in January, with the BHA saying it was “a result of a breach of the conditions on his licence and related matters”.
The Licensing Committee said the concerns of the BHA surrounded “the nature and extent of MH’s admitted breaches of the conditions which already exist on his licence, which were imposed in 2018 and MH’s failure to be candid in his dealings with the BHA in respect of those breaches, particularly when the BHA was seeking to provide opportunities for MH to remedy those breaches”, “misconduct in his dealings with others, including fellow licence holder Mr Simon Earle” and “in respect of safeguarding arising out of MH’s conduct with young persons employed at his racing yard”.
Harris confirmed last week he had lodged an appeal, but the BHA said on Wednesday he had subsequently withdrawn it.
Harris, who started his training career in 2001, had a seven-year enforced absence from 2011 to 2018 due to financial issues.
Since returning to the sport he had saddled some notable winners, highlighted by Knight Salute, who claimed the 2022 Grade One Jewson Anniversary 4-y-o Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree along with three Grade Two victories that season.
The BHA also released a statement informing that conditional jockey Dylan Kitts had been issued with a disciplinary officer exclusion order having failed to comply with an investigation into his ride on Hillsin in July last year.
A disciplinary officer exclusion order is issued “in instances where a person’s presence on premises licensed by the BHA, or association with racing’s participants, is undesirable in the interests of racing based on their conduct”.
The statement read: “The BHA can today confirm that Mr Dylan Kitts has been issued with a disciplinary officer exclusion order as a result of his failure to co-operate with an investigation. This order, which prohibits Mr Kitts from attending premises licensed by the BHA and/or associating with racing’s participants, has been issued after Mr Kitts failed to provide relevant information requested by the BHA’s integrity team as part of an ongoing investigation.
“This investigation remains ongoing and the BHA will be making no further comment at this time.”
Christian Horner will make his first public appearance on Thursday since an investigation was launched into “inappropriate behaviour” against the Red Bull team principal.
The embattled boss is due to attend the world champions’ car launch at their Milton Keynes headquarters following the accusation by a female colleague which surfaced at the beginning of last week. Horner, 50, categorically denies the claim.
For now, Horner remains in his role as team principal and was present at a behind-closed-doors Red Bull test at Silverstone on Tuesday ahead of the new season which starts in just over a fortnight.
Red Bull will unveil their new car on Thursday and Horner is expected to address the media – although the PA news agency understands legalities around the process mean that questions relating to the internal investigation will be off-limits.
Last week, Horner was quizzed by a lawyer for eight hours as part of the probe by Red Bull Racing’s parent company Red Bull GmBH.
There had been a strong desire for Horner’s future to be resolved before Thursday’s launch but sources have indicated that he could face further rounds of questioning as he bids to prove his innocence.
Horner has been Red Bull team principal since they entered F1 19 years ago and is the longest-serving boss on the grid.
During that period he has overseen seven drivers’ world championships and six constructors’ titles. Red Bull have dominated the sport in recent seasons and last year won 21 of the 22 races, with Max Verstappen setting a new record for 10 consecutive victories.
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