Lewis Hamilton's former teammate delivers verdict on his Ferrari career so far
Two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso has offered an explanation for Lewis Hamilton 's current struggles at Ferrari.
The seven-time world champion, who joined Ferrari this season, has yet to secure a podium finish, while his teammate Charles Leclerc has achieved three.
The Spanish driver, who raced alongside the British driver at McLaren, suggests Lewis Hamilton's difficulties mirror his previous season at Mercedes, where George Russell appeared more comfortable with the car.
He believes the Ferrari car might be challenging to drive, similar to the Mercedes last year, contributing to Hamilton's deficit against Charles Leclerc.
Despite the current form, Alonso acknowledges Hamilton's capabilities and notes that he can quickly turn his performance around.
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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Wimbledon: 14 Britons in action on day one - watch, listen & follow
Update: Date: 11:02 BST Title: 'I thought it was crazy - now we can't stop coming' Content: Harry PooleBBC Sport After I spotted the collection of Spanish bucket hats sat around laughing together, I approached Jorge, Luis, Jose, Eduardo and his son, also Eduardo. "I think I know who you're here for, then?" I said. "Sinner!" came the collective reply, followed by more laughter. Of course, they are here to see one man, Carlos Alcaraz. Do they think he'll win it again this year? "Of course" they again tell me in unison. "We were here last year to watch him in the first round, so he has to win this year as well. Our motivation for queueing was to see him play on Centre Court on the opening day," says Jorge, who is from Madrid. For most of them this is their third or fourth year of embracing the queue and they managed to get themselves in the top 140 - so a centre Court seat for Alcaraz will be theirs. "It's an incredible experience, very unique, obviously, camping here just to get tennis tickets I think is something that you can only do here in Wimbledon," says Jorge. "At the beginning, the first time I came, I thought it was crazy. Then I decided to do it thinking, 'oh, my God, this is crazy'. And then since we did it, we can't stop. We love it because just you find people, I mean, you meet people from everywhere and it's just great experience. So we love it." Update: Date: 11:01 BST Title: Rufus reporting for duty Content: Plenty of familiar faces are back at the All England Club for this year's Wimbledon Championships, including Rufus the American Hawk. Rufus, who is preparing for his 17th year on patrol at Wimbledon, is responsible for scaring away pigeons and keeping the courts pest-free. Update: Date: 10:57 BST Title: 'The world's most gentil festival' Content: Harry PooleBBC Sport In second place in this year's queue, but having to cover a fair bit more ground to get there than Vicki and Nigel in front of them, are Linda and her friend Aleta from Houston in the United States. They also arrived on Friday having flown overnight, dumping their bags at their accommodation before rushing to the queue to make sure their long journey was rewarded with a Centre Court ticket. "I did it last year and I was number five. If you're going to fly that far, you want to make sure you get a really wonderful ticket!" said Linda. "I just thought it was so much fun [last year]. The day I got home to the United States, I booked my Airbnb for this year. One of our other teammates [from our tennis club] is here as well, they're like 680th. "This is, like, the most gentile festival you can ever come to. It makes you love England. Everyone is so polite. Everyone is so nice. You guys queue so well. Everybody's been so kind. I just fell in love with it when I came here, I was going to come by myself if nobody else could join me." Aleta was able to join Linda, with this her first trip to Wimbledon - and anywhere in Europe for that matter. "I'm loving it. I'm scared to fly. This is my first time on a long distance flight and I've always wanted to come to Europe. I like old things, and I got to see the tower of London and some history. The ticket is affordable to get in for the match too, compared to the US Open or other slams. "Everybody's just civilised and it's just nice, it's just so great. We've met a lot of nice people in the queue and yeah I would definitely come back again." Update: Date: 10:55 BST Title: Post Content: From Glastonbury to Wimbledon, it has been a good few days for anyone in the tent business. Plenty of happy campers have been patiently waiting for the first day of Wimbledon to get under way. Update: Date: 10:53 BST Title: Hotting up Content: With more than 10,000 people now in the queue, the All England Club are advising people not to travel from this point. Inside the grounds, the crowds are flooding in, with refreshments the priority for many with the temperatures already ramping up. It's rare to see Henman Hill this quiet at any point during the fortnight - but it's easy to see why spectators might be putting off reserving their spot a little while with the sun already beating down and no cover available. Update: Date: 10:50 BST Title: Live scores, results and order of play Content: The first few days of Wimbledon can be a little bit chaotic with so many matches going on. That's not made easier this year by the fact that we have 23 British players to keep tabs on. If you are keen to keep across live scores, results and order of play, then click here and you'll find our dedicated page. Update: Date: 10:49 BST Title: 'Like being in a parallel universe' Content: Harry PooleBBC Sport First place in the Wimbledon queue for 2025 goes to... Team Wales! Vicki and Nigel from Neath have taken the number one and number two tickets after arriving on Friday at midday. That might seem a long wait but they have loved every minute - and they had plenty of motivation. The pair want to watch Carlos Alcaraz - and I think they're safe on that front - but they also hail from the same tennis club as British player Mimi Xu and hope to give her some support too. They are veterans of the queue - Nigel has been doing this since the 1980s! - and their previous best positions together were numbers five and six, but this time they will be the first to buy their tickets for Monday's action. "We've met people from all over the world, just chatting, away and getting to know people. It's been lovely and the weather's been so nice," said Vicki. "It's just nice to just be able to take time out of everything else. It's like being in a parallel universe. "It's a community of people, all with a common goal. There's never any problems in the queue. The stewards run it so well. "You know, the world's crazy at the moment. But it's like you take time out from that and you're all just talking about tennis, you're talking about where you come from, how long did it take you to get here, how long you're staying for, and it's just lovely, it's really nice." Update: Date: 10:47 BST Title: 'Very special times' Content: Tim HenmanFormer British number one on BBC TV You can just feel the atmosphere on the first morning, getting ready for the players to get under way, it is very special times. Update: Date: 10:45 BST Title: Open for business Content: Gary RoseBBC Sport at Wimbledon The gates opened at 10am on the dot and it was all very civilised as the fans made their way through security checks and into the ground - it's too hot really to get a quick walk on to get to the best spots. Jacob Fearnley, one of the 14 Brits in action today, says he still gets goosebumps when he comes through the gates into the grounds and it is easy to see why as there's nowhere quite like Wimbledon. Update: Date: 10:43 BST Title: British teenage trio creating Wimbledon history Content: For the first time this century, there will be three British players aged 17 and under in the women's singles draw at Wimbledon. Mika Stojsavljevic, Hannah Klugman and Mimi Xu have been rewarded with main-draw wildcards and are all playing on day one. Stojsavljevic, 16, has made the most notable progress, having won the US Open girls' title last year. Last month, Klugman, also 16, became the first Briton in almost 50 years to reach the French Open girls' final. The 17-year-old Xu is ranked just outside the world's top 300 and has already beaten two top-100 opponents on the grass this year. Now, having got their GCSE and A-Level exams out of the way, the trio are focusing on their Wimbledon senior debuts. Update: Date: 10:39 BST Title: Wimbledon's top accessory... Content: Update: Date: 10:34 BST Title: Follow the 'Q' Content: Harry PooleBBC Sport When people arrive at Wimbledon queue, this is what they are looking out for - and they will hope it's not too far from the front of the line. The back of the queue is marked by a large 'Q' flag, below which the Wimbledon stewards direct everyone to where they will begin their wait. Each member of the queue receives a queue card marking their place, and they were permitted to leave for up to 30 minutes to collect refreshments. There was music, ball games, food being delivered, the drinks were flowing, and friendships were being made between people from all around the world. The overnight campers are woken up at around 05:30 BST in the morning to allow time for packing up and leaving any belongings in the left luggage area, before the final wait to see what tickets they will get... Update: Date: 10:30 BST Title: Watch live Content: BBC Two As well as enjoying our live text coverage you can also watch the action at Wimbledon over the next two weeks on the BBC. Build-up to day one is now live on BBC Two and iPlayer for you to enjoy, with play due to begin at 11:00BST. Update: Date: 10:28 BST Title: Will 'sport's best-dressed officials' be missed at Wimbledon? Content: Thomas Sweeney's first incentive to become a line judge was the offer of a free sandwich. For Pauline Eyre, who called the lines at Wimbledon for 16 years, some natty blazers and the chance to buy tickets for the tournament were the main recompense for work she had to take annual leave to do. Nowadays the best officials might earn up to £200 a day plus expenses. But line judging has never been about the money for those who spend hours leaning forward, hands resting on knees, staring intently at a line of chalk to determine in a split second on which side of it the yellow ball has bounced. Being so close to Jana Novotna on Centre Court that she could see her foot shaking on the first point of a Wimbledon final or being "psyched out" by John McEnroe were priceless experiences for Eyre. "It's all the tradition of Wimbledon – the people and the funny uniforms – and that's a bit of personality that's gone," said Eyre. "I think it's all of those little things that made Wimbledon Wimbledon." Traditionalists will miss them, but technology fans will point to progress. BBC Sport has been finding out what umpires, players and line judges make of the move. Update: Date: 10:23 BST Title: Post Content: Jess AndersonBBC Sport at Wimbledon The courts are looking absolutely pristine as ever as the All England Club gets ready for two weeks of drama, action, entertainment, Pimm's and strawberries. In less than an hour's time these courts will be packed with excited punters all waiting to get a glimpse of the best players in the world. At these early stages of the tournament it doesn't matter if you haven't got a ticket for the show courts, there's just as much brilliant action to be seen on the outside more intimate settings. It's first come, first served though so no time for messing around if you want a good seat. Update: Date: 10:19 BST Title: What is the prize money this year? Content: Wimbledon will offer record £53.5m total prize money in 2025 - an increase of 7.1%. The men's and women's singles champions will each take home £3m, with the £38.8m fund available to players in those draws representing a 8.2% increase on 2024. First-round losers in the men's and women's singles are guaranteed to walk away with £66,000 - 10% more than in 2024. Winners of the wheelchair singles events - men's, women's and quad - will each take home £68,000, which is up by 4.6%. Update: Date: 10:16 BST Title: Post Content: Speaking of the queue... There are now over 10,000 people waiting to get in at Wimbledon and The All England Club are advising people not to travel here. Update: Date: 10:08 BST Title: Welcome to the queue! Content: Harry PooleBBC Sport Welcome to the Wimbledon queue, that quintessentially British phenomenon which each year signals the dawn of a new Championships at the All England Club. Crowds have been arriving since as early as Friday afternoon to secure one of the limited number of show court tickets on offer, and spirits remained high despite the long wait and toasty temperatures when I first stopped by on Sunday evening. For thousands of people, this is the doorway to the promised land, and an annual rite of passage for some of tennis' biggest fans. Nobody does queuing quite like the Brits. Update: Date: 10:06 BST Title: Alcaraz opens Centre Court Content: As Wimbledon tradition dictates, men's champion Carlos Alcaraz opens play on Centre Court. The second seed launches his campaign at 13:30 BST as he faces 38-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini. German third seed Alexander Zverev faces France's Arthur Rinderknech. On Court One, Belarusian top seed Aryna Sabalenka gets play under way against Canadian Carson Branstine at 13:00 BST. Branstine, 24, got past French Open semi-finalist Lois Boisson and former US Open winner Bianca Andreescu in qualifying and will be making her main draw debut in a Grand Slam. Update: Date: 10:02 BST Title: British hopes Content: We're just shy of an hour away from the first ball being hit at the 138th edition of the Wimbledon Championships. There are 23 British players in the main draws across the men's and women's singles - the highest involvement since 1984 - and a healthy 14 of them are in action on the opening day. Among those featuring today are Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartal, Cameron Norrie and qualifier Oliver Tarvet.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Jude Bellingham's girlfriend shares unseen photos and videos in new insight into their relationship
Jude Bellingham 's girlfriend Ashlyn Castro gushed over the England and Real Madrid star in a series of unseen photos and videos posted on his 22nd birthday. The midfielder and his 27-year-old model partner have been keen to keep a relatively low profile since their relationship became public in February but Castro gave a rare glimpse into their union to mark Bellingham's special day. Castro took to Instagram to wish the Los Blancos star a happy birthday, posting a series of photos and videos on the platform, the first of which showed the pair in an embrace and included the caption: 'Happy birthday. I love you so much!' The influencer, who boasts a following of more than half a million on the social media platform, also revealed a short clip of the pair singing karaoke together, though fans hopeful of hearing the England star's vocal talents will be left disappointed by the audio of SZA 's 'Snooze' played over the clip. The adorable window into their relationship included Castro's claim of Bellingham being 'the best karaoke partner', equalled by her affirmation in the following image of him as the 'best dance partner'. Her third revelation, however, was an altogether more intimate affair, with the couple pictured in a tight embrace, eyes fixed on one another, in a sultry red room. Bellingham and Castro have been seen together on multiple occasions since going public earlier this year, including last month at the Bernabeu as they watched a Real game from the stands alongside Bellingham's mum Denise. Castro also sat shoulder to shoulder with Denise as the pair watched Madrid star put in a 90-minute shift during England's 1-0 win against Andorra. At recent matches, fans suggested that there may be tension between Castro and Bellingham's mother but at their latest outing, all seemed well between the two. The 27-year-old's penultimate revelation in her catalogue of loved-up images showed the pair out for dinner and contained her most impassioned ode to the young footballer. She wrote: 'Most thoughtful, kind hearted, hard working, incredible human I've ever met. You bring so much light into this world.' Castro's final inclusion in her Instagram story showed a relaxed Bellingham presumably from a recent getaway the couple had shared. The start of Castro's relationship with Bellingham was marred by claims about her past along with an escort site hoax. This led to her taking a four-month break from social media, only returning earlier this month, with Bellingham quick to react to her post. She was previously linked with Hollywood actor Michael B Jordan and NBA stars LaMelo Ball and Terance Mann, while a viral video also claimed that Castro had dated Lewis Hamilton and Jamie Foxx after making tenuous links between social media activity. At recent matches, fans suggested that there may be tension between Castro and Bellingham's mother Denise In an emotional monologue on TikTok of more than 10 minutes, Castro put to bed several false rumours. 'I don't even know where to begin, but I'm going to try my best to just get into it,' she said in a video that was titled 'The hardest part is not speaking the truth, but finding the courage to do it'. She went onto debunk several claims made about her, including allegations of being unfaithful. 'It makes me super uncomfortable talking on camera about my personal life,' Castro added. 'I've never even really spoken on camera too many times, so bear with me. 'Every angle you can think of, people have attacked me, harassed me, been so disrespectful. It's just been too much. 'Let's talk about this dating history. I've had three boyfriends over the last eight years. In 2017, I was in my very first relationship and he's a public figure, so because of that, I've dealt with people talking about me, making up things about me. 'There was nothing on the internet about me prior, so people kind of just made up a bunch of things to justify hating me because of who I was dating at the time. 'And then over the last six years after that, I've dated two people. So three relationships in total.' Bellingham is currently with his Madrid team-mates in the United States contesting the Club World Cup. Xabi Alonso's men take on Italian giants Juventus in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Kirk close to return at Linköping after sacking over relationship with player
The former Leicester and Everton manager Willie Kirk is closing in on a return to football after holding advanced talks with the Swedish top-flight women's team Linköping about becoming their head coach. Kirk, who also managed Hibernian and Bristol City before a spell as Manchester United's assistant manager, has been out of management since he was sacked by Leicester in March 2024 because he had a relationship with one of the club's players. Later last year, in an interview with the Daily Mail, Kirk said: 'I've made a mistake and I've been punished for my mistake. I take responsibility for that.' Kirk's proposed move, which could be announced this week, was first reported by Sportbladet, which said Linköping are set to sack their manager, Jonne Kunnas. The team are 13th, in the relegation zone, but have a strong history in the women's game, having won the Damallsvenskan title in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Kirk is a former Scottish Cup winner with Hibernian and led Everton to a Women's FA Cup final at Wembley in 2020, where his side lost to Manchester City after extra time. He also oversaw Bristol City's promotion to the top flight in 2016. Liverpool have confirmed that their vice-captain Taylor Hinds is leaving when her contract expires on Monday. The defender spent five years with the club and helped them win promotion to the WSL with the second-tier title in 2022. The Guardian revealed last week that Hinds is to move to Arsenal. Liverpool did offer a new deal to Hinds – who can play as a full-back or as a attacking wing-back – but the club respects and understands her decision to move to play Champions League football with the European champions. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion In a message to Liverpool fans, Hinds said: 'Dear Reds, I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to say a proper goodbye. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for making me feel so welcome when I joined back in 2020. I wish nothing but continued success for this team and this club. I'm incredibly proud to have been part of this club and to have worn the shirt – it's truly been a privilege.'
