Friday, 20 February 2026
GEORGE RUSSELL CALLS OUT ''PREMATURE HEAT'' AFTER HEAVY F1 CRITICISM
George Russell has come to the defence of the new F1 regulations following some intense scrutiny from fellow drivers.
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| © XPBimages |
George Russell has labelled the "heat" the new F1 regulations received from some of his fellow drivers "premature" as he moved to defend the revamped rules.
The Briton highlighted the rapid "rate of improvement" seen at the start of any era in F1, pointing out that the new cars are not drastically slower than they were at the end of the contemporary ground effects era, which concluded at the end of last year.
His comments come in response to this harsh verdict handed down by some of his rival drivers, notably Max Verstappen, who branded the development "anti-racing" and likened the championship's new direction to "Formula E on steroids" due to the extreme energy management requirements of the new power units.
The understanding of the new regulations has already come a long way within the paddock since the private shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and the volume of the detractors has quietened over the second and final official test in Bahrain.
With the situation more settled this week, and a seemingly greater level of satisfaction following an F1 Commission meeting on Wednesday, Russell was asked where he feels the greatest improvements have been made.
Speaking to media, including RacingNews365, the Mercedes driver replied: "I do think there has been a lot of progression, to be honest.
"Every 'day one' of a new set of regulations, you face challenges that you weren't anticipating, and the rate of improvement is very steep in those early days — and I think this test has been a much smoother test for everyone."
The five-time grand prix winner used the opportunity to talk up the new cars and talk down the deficit to the era that came before.
"If you actually look at the lap times and some of the race runs, the cars aren't actually a million miles away from the lap times we were seeing 12 months ago, and that was year four of a set of regulations," he said.
"I know there was a lot of heat after Barcelona and [the first] Bahrain [test], which was probably a little bit premature. I think on the whole, people are a bit happier this week."
- Samuel Coop
THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS ARE OFFICIALLY UP FOR SALE
Paul G. Allen’s estate launches a multi-year franchise sale aimed at record NFL valuations and major philanthropic impact.
Summary
- The Seattle Seahawks are officially up for sale less than two weeks after winning Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara
- Paul G. Allen’s estate has begun a formal sale process, honoring his directive to sell his sports holdings and direct the proceeds to philanthropy
- Investment bank Allen & Company and law firm Latham & Watkins will run a multi‑year sale expected to fetch a record NFL franchise price while the team stays locked into Lumen Field and Seattle
Fresh off a second Lombardi and a parade that shut down downtown, the Seattle Seahawks are suddenly the hottest asset on the sports market. The Paul G. Allen Estate has kicked off a formal sale process for the reigning Super Bowl champions, an unprecedented move in the modern NFL and the climactic chapter in the late Microsoft co‑founder’s plan to liquidate his sports empire for charitable giving. Allen bought the franchise in 1997 for just under $200 million, keeping it from bolting to Southern California, and under Paul and Jody Allen the Seahawks evolved from league afterthought to perennial contender and two‑time Super Bowl winner.
The estate has tapped Allen & Company and Latham & Watkins to handle the deal, a process the team says will stretch through the 2026 offseason before any buyer is vetted and ratified by at least 24 of 32 NFL owners. Public valuations peg the Seahawks in the $6.6 billion USD to $7 billion USD range, with some post‑title projections pushing the number toward eight digits, positioning the sale to eclipse the Washington Commanders and even challenge the $10 billion USD Los Angeles Lakers benchmark. With a long‑term lease at Lumen Field, sold‑out crowds since 2003 and the NFL’s next media‑rights cycle on deck, whoever steps in next inherits a ready‑made contender, a locked‑in city and one of the league’s most powerful platforms for both business and philanthropy.
- Hypebeast
Thursday, 19 February 2026
BODO/GLIMT IS DOING THE 'UNTHINKABLE' VS. EUROPE'S GIANTS
Bodo/Glimt has only gotten to play THREE competitive matches in 2026 since their league season ended in November in order to avoid Norway's peak winter. The three games have come against Europe's GIANTS, Man City, Atletico Madrid AND Inter Milan. This team from of a town of just 54,000 people is currently doing the unthinkable. A story that anything is possible in this sport 💛
THIERRY HENRY ON VINICIUS JR AND RACISM
Thierry Henry’s powerful words after Real Madrid’s Champions League game against Benfica 🤝
Henry said he could personally relate to what Vinicius Jr. experienced in last night’s game: “I can relate to what Vinícius Jr. is going through. It happened to me so many times. I talked about it, so many times, after games, being accused of looking for excuses.”
“At times, you feel lonely because it’s going to be your word against his word. And so, because we don’t know what Prestianni said.”
- ESPN FC
GIANNI INFANTINO WADES IN ON VINICIUS JR RACISM SAGA AS FIFA BOSS MAKES POST ION CLEAR
After Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr alleged Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni racially abused him, Gianni Infantino has stepped in and offered his point of view
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| Gianni Infantino has offered his thoughts on the ugliness between Benfica and Real Madrid(Image: YouTube/11Alive) |
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has declared he is "shocked and saddened" by the incidents of alleged racism during the clash between Real Madrid and Benfica.
UEFA has opened an investigation after Vinicius Jr alleged Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni directed racist language at him. The Champions League encounter was halted for 10 minutes by referee Francois Letexier, with both teams departing the field shortly after Vinicius had put his team ahead.
Prestianni and Benfica have rejected the allegations. However, UEFA will now examine video evidence of the incident and interview both Prestianni and Vinicius Jr as part of their probe.
Infantino maintains those found responsible must be held accountable and face severe sanctions if proven guilty of racist behaviour. He said: "I was shocked and saddened to see the incident of alleged racism towards Vinícius Júnior in the UEFA Champions League match between Benfica and Real Madrid CF.
"There is absolutely no room for racism in our sport and in society. We need all the relevant stakeholders to take action and hold those responsible to account.
"At FIFA, through the Global Stand Against Racism and the Players' Voice Panel, we are committed to ensuring that players, officials and fans are respected and protected, and that appropriate action is taken when incidents occur.
"I commend referee François Letexier for activating the anti-racism protocol by using the arm gesture to stop the game and address the situation.
"FIFA and football shows full solidarity to victims of racism and any form of discrimination. I will always continue to reiterate: No to racism! No to any form of discrimination!"
Meanwhile, Vinicius Jr took to social media to condemn racists as "cowards" having been on the end of racist abuse throughout his career.
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| Vinicius Jr said he was racially abused by Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni during this altercation in Tuesday night's Champions League match(Image: Getty Images) |
He said: "Racists are, above all, cowards. They need to put their shirts in their mouths to show how weak they are.
"But they have the protection of others who, theoretically, have an obligation to punish them. Nothing that happened today is new in my life or in my team's life.
"I received a yellow card for celebrating a goal. I still don't understand why. On the other hand, it was just a poorly executed protocol that served no purpose."
- Jeremy Cross
Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Tuesday, 17 February 2026
20-YEAR NASCAR CUP SERIES STREAK COMES TO A SCREECHING HALT AT DAYTONA
For the first time since 2005, the NASCAR Cup Series has a full-time No. 97 car.
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| Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing, NASCAR | Jonathan Bachman/GettyImages |
There weren't many changes to the NASCAR Cup Series driver lineup from the 2025 to the 2026 season, but the changes that were made were signifcant.
Connor Zilisch has replaced Daniel Suarez at Trackhouse Racing after spending the year with JR Motorsports' Xfinity Series team, and Suarez has moved to Spire Motorsports to replace Justin Haley.
Haley is the only full-time Cup driver from 2025 who is no longer competing full-time in the Cup Series in 2026, as he has dropped down to the Truck Series with Kaulig Racing, reuniting him with the team he drove for in both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series from 2019 to 2023.
But Zilisch isn't driving Suarez's No. 99 Chevrolet in 2026.
Instead, the rookie is using the No. 88 Chevrolet that was used by Shane van Gisbergen in 2025. The No. 88 hadn't been used full-time since Alex Bowman drove it at Hendrick Motorsports in 2020.
The No. 99 shifted back over to RFK Racing, where it hadn't been used since 2016, for their Daytona 500 one-off entry for Corey LaJoie, although he failed to qualify. Van Gisbergen, meanwhile, has reverted to the number he used in Australian Supercars (and during the 2024 Xfinity Series season): No. 97.
As a result, the 2026 season is the first season since 2005 to see a No. 97 in the full-time Cup Series lineup.
The No. 97 is also a former Roush Racing number. Kurt Busch took over behind the wheel of the No. 97 Ford late in the 2000 season, and he drove the car until the antepenultimate race of the 2005 season.
For the final two races of the year, after Busch was cited for reckless driving and became "belligerent with Maricopa County (Arizona) sheriff's deputies during a traffic stop", Kenny Wallace filled in for him at Phoenix Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Prior to 2026, the No. 97 hadn't been used in the Cup Series in any capacity since the 2018 season, when Obaika Racing entered the No. 97 Toyota for Tanner Berrhill at Phoenix and Homestead. David Starr also drove the car at Texas Motor Speedway after failing to qualify at Talladega Superspeedway.
Between 2005 and 2018, appearances for the No. 97 entry were few and far between. Jeff Fuller, who failed to qualify the No. 97 Toyota for NEMCO Motorsports for the 2010 Daytona 500, drove the same car later in the year at Talladega.
Kevin Conway drove the same car for the same team twice at Daytona and twice at Talladega in 2011, though his qualifying attempt for the Daytona 500 was unsuccessful.
Bill Elliott got behind the wheel at Talladega and Daytona the following year after failing to qualify for the Daytona 500, before Timmy Hill made a start at Talladega.
- Asher Fair
MOGUL ATTACKED: MILLIONAIRE FORMER PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB OWNER STABBED IN HIS OWN HOME AFTER CONFRONTING MASKED ROBBERS
MILLIONAIRE football mogul Fawaz Al-Hasawi was stabbed when he confronted masked robbers in his home.
The former Nottingham Forest owner was injured as they tried to ransack his £10million house.
The Kuwaiti entrepreneur, 57, is thought to have been sleeping when thugs burst into his room, leaving him with stab wounds on his hand and neck injuries.
They fled and it is not clear if anything was taken in Mayfair, central London, earlier this month.
Images online show Mr Al-Hasawi in a bloodied hospital bed and with his hands bandaged.
His lawyers urged cops to give more details of the attack, claiming that other visitors from the Arabian Gulf “fear facing similar incidents”.
Al-Hasawi is a collector of watches, flashing them on social media.
The Met said the injuries were not life-threatening or life-changing and inquiries were continuing.
The businessman bought Forest from the estate of Nigel Doughty in 2012 and sold the Midlands club to Evangelos Marinakis in May 2017 after going through nine different managers in five years.
It comes just weeks after Manchester City star Ruben Dias and his girlfriend Maya Jama were left devastated after an “away day” gang ransacked their home.
Raiders are believed to have stolen more than £1million of designer watches, jewellery, handbags and clothes at their £4 million mansion in Cheshire.
Ruben and Maya had moved into the four-bedroom property before Christmas.
Prem stars fear that someone they know is tipping off burglars with several spooked by last month’s raid.
In December, The Sun revealed the shocking moment thieves fled Tottenham star Yves Bissouma’s mansion after stealing hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of designer gear.
The Premier League ace, 29, has since opened up on several “traumatic” raids on his home, which saw luxury watches, bags and jewellery nicked.
Bissouma, who earns £50,000-a-week at Spurs, has been targeted by thieves three times – losing £1million worth of precious items.
While the month before, Raheem Sterling confronted the masked burglar gang who broke into his home with a knife, it is understood.
The brave dad reportedly got hold of the weapon to protect his young family after the group of robbers smashed into his house.
- Thomas Godfrey
Monday, 16 February 2026
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