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Nico Rosberg made a return to the commentary box for the 2024 Chinese GP, and discussions related to the ‘curse’ have followed him. Rosberg often posts selfies with drivers before a Grand Prix and several times, they have resulted in a dismal showing for the ones competing. This time, however, the ‘Nico Rosberg Curse’ is being predicted to hit in a different form.

Rosberg didn’t post a picture with drivers or teams ahead of the 2024 Chinese GP. Instead, he posted a picture with the Shanghai International Circuit paddock. On social media, the F1 community took it upon themselves to decipher that the entire race will be in danger once the lights go out. “Red flag on the whole race incoming,” a fan wrote on his Instagram post.

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The Rosberg curse has become a running joke, which circulates all over the internet whenever the 2016 champion posts a picture with an entity in F1. It has also worked in the past, with drivers or teams making blunders following Rosberg’s harmless social media posts.

However, with an F1 logo visible in the picture Rosberg posted ahead of the Chinese GP, the joke has grown. Another fan wrote,

“F1 logo spotted in BG [Background], F1 in danger!” 

Some, however, want Rosberg to take advantage of his looming curse. By taking a picture in front of the Red Bull hospitality, Rosberg could spoil Verstappen’s chances of taking what is expected to be a rather convincing victory at the Chinese GP.

When Nico Rosberg’s curse took both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton out

Whether Rosberg cursed the Chinese GP or not, remains to be seen. But, there have been instances when this ‘curse’ took some of the best drivers out. At the 2023 Hungarian GP, Rosberg posted a picture in front of Verstappen’s garage, and the Dutchman failed to secure pole for the race.

Lewis Hamilton got pole instead, and it was a welcome change because Verstappen had been dominating the entire season. Rosberg then posted a picture with Hamilton’s car on Instagram ahead of the race and jokingly, the F1 community predicted a Hamilton defeat.

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Hamilton got off to a horrible start and did lose the race but it didn’t have much to do with Rosberg’s curse. It is a long-standing joke fans love to take part in, but considering Red Bull’s dominance in 2023, the seven-time world champion’s fate was sealed before Rosberg even posted the picture.

Another example of the ‘Nico Rosberg curse’ was at the 2021 Monaco GP, when the German wished hometown hero Charles Leclerc good luck before the race via social media. The Ferrari driver ended up getting pole but because of damage sustained to the car, he couldn’t start the outing.

Otherwise detained in London, a rare weekend free from attending a grand prix live allowed me the unusual pleasure of watching Sky’s coverage as the action unfolded in China.

I usually rerun the televised action on my return, but I never have it in my ear or watch the feed when I am at a race. This has a disadvantage, namely that you miss out on access to bundles of information Sky garner from their team out in the field. It has the advantage – if you can call it such – that at least I can make up my own mind about what is going on, uncluttered by the views of TV group think, and report it as I see it, which I have always thought is the point of being there.

Anyway, tuning in on Sunday morning, the star of the show to my mind was Nico Rosberg. He was in the commentary box with my old pal David Croft, the lead commentator, and the very slight tension between the two made for a successful calling of the race.

Rosberg can be disdainful. Crofty is always matey. And the collision of styles worked.

Rosberg’s task might have been daunting because he was standing in for no less than Martin Brundle, who holds the honour of succeeding Murray Walker as Formula One’s voice, and, sometimes, its conscience.

Nico Rosberg was the star of Sky Sports coverage of the Chinese Grand Prix last weekend

The 2016 world champion stepped in for Martin Brundle, who is now only travelling to 16 races

Rosberg possesses rare credibility when praising or criticising F1 stars like Lewis Hamilton

CHRISTIAN Horner’s sexting scandal will be covered in the next season of the hit Netflix show Drive to Survive.

Show chief James Gay-Rees has revealed his team plans to include the saga that rocked F1 in the documentary‘s seventh season.

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Christian Horner will see his scandal feature in Drive to SurviveCredit: Getty

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It will be new agony for him and wife Geri HalliwellCredit: PA

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Horner and his driver Max Verstappen have already won two races in 2024Credit: Getty
It will potentially reopen wounds for Horner and his wife Spice Girls star Geri Halliwell as they attempt to move on from the drama.

Horner has previously raged against the scrutiny over the scandal – but now it will be the focus of the Netflix show watched by millions.

Brit filmmaker Gay-Rees revealed he has spoken to the Red Bull chief since the scandal broke before the start of the F1 season.

He claims the 50-year-old ex-racing driver told him: “This is all your fault.”

Horner appears to have been referencing the new focus Drive to Survive has put on F1 – especially drama and scandal behind the scenes of the Grand Prix circus.

Speaking of the scandal, Mr Gay-Rees said: “It will have to be referenced in some capacity, yeah.”

“And they will all want it to be told in a particular way, so it’s about treading that line to keep everybody happy, and to keep Netflix happy, and us – so we can sleep at night with the decisions we’ve made,” he told The Telegraph.

Horner was cleared of misconduct by a Red Bull investigation back in February.

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Max Verstappen started the Chinese GP Sprint from P4 on the grid but won it dominantly, finishing 13 seconds ahead of second-placed Lewis Hamilton. In just 19 laps, Verstappen built up this huge gap, sending an ominous message to Red Bull’s rivals for the Grand Prix. However, Verstappen was not particularly satisfied with how the RB20 felt on Saturday.

After the Sprint race, Verstappen admitted that he didn’t feel at his best with the car. “I don’t base my feelings on an advantage,” said Verstappen in a report published by the Dutch Telegraph. “I want to feel it myself.”

Just a few hours later, however, Verstappen put up a brilliant performance at the Grand Prix qualifying. He secured his fifth pole position in as many races this campaign, suggesting that he was more comfortable with the car.

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Red Bull could have adjusted the RB20 before Verstappen suited up for qualifying. Under new rules, teams are allowed to make changes to their cars once the Sprint race concludes, which is probably why Verstappen was able to put up a show.

Verstappen finished over three-tenths of a second ahead of second-placed Sergio Perez, who followed him in P2. The Dutchman and Perez also seem to be the favorites to finish 1-2 at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday.

Verstappen’s pole position on Saturday was Red Bull’s 100th in F1, and the team will be hoping that the 26-year-old brings home their fourth win of the season on Sunday.

Max Verstappen’s Chinese GP so far

Verstappen at his best, is always up to speed from the very get-go of a Grand Prix weekend. But when the Chinese GP weekend kicked off, he kept complaining about the set-up. The Red Bull ace found it difficult to get up to speed in Sprint qualifying, especially with rain affecting proceedings.

He finished P4, which made things slightly more difficult for him when the lights went out ahead of the Sprint. Still, Verstappen made his charge to victory look fairly easy.

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Pole position in Grand Prix qualifying, on the other hand, never looked to be in doubt. Even with difficulties he faced with the RB20, Verstappen was able to win the Sprint with a 13-second gap, so with a car he is comfortable with, he could easily dominate the rest of the grid.

A door opened and a seat became available on Friday for British teenager Ollie Bearman to secure a place on the Formula One grid next season.

The 18-year-old, who made a fine debut for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia last month, is helped by news that Nico Hulkenburg will leave Haas at the end of the year.

The 36-year-old German is joining the old Sauber team, which is due to be rebooted as Audi in 2026.

That means there is a vacancy at the Ferrari-powered Haas.

 Bearman, a Ferrari junior driver, is expected to be handed it.

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A door has opened for British driver Oliver Bearman, 18, to earn a seat in F1 for next season

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Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg (second right) will leave the team for Sauber at the end of the

CHRISTIAN Horner has been spotted at Point to Point races alongside his Spice Girl wife Geri Halliwell.

The pair put up a united front in Buckinghamshire as they celebrated Easter with their family by watching some horse racing.

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Christian Horner at Point to Point races in Buckinghamshire with wife Geri HalliwellCredit: Splash

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The pair were enjoying the day out over the Easter weekendCredit: Splash

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Geri has been standing by her husband throughout the ‘sexting’ scandalCredit: Splash

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The Horner clan posing with a trophy after one of Geri’s horses wonCredit: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5LK-oooIVd/?img_index=1
The Red Bull Team Principal and CEO is going about his business as usual as Geri continues to stand by her man as the “sexting” scandal continues to loom large over the couple.

Pictures show a smiley Geri and her hubby clapping along with hundreds of others at the event as they watch the enthralling races unfold.

Horner has swapped the high octane world of F1 for the racing fields at Kimblewick Races.

He watched the horse races with a beaming smile as he continues to try and put the turbulent months of allegations and grillings behind him.

Credits: IMAGO / PanoramiC

After winning the Chinese GP Sprint on Saturday, Max Verstappen grabbed his fifth pole position of the 2024 season in as many races. This was Red Bull’s 100th F1 pole, and it came at the same circuit where they got their first- the Shanghai International Circuit. A lot has changed in F1 and at Red Bull since then, except for one thing and that is Fernando Alonso.

Sebastian Vettel earned Red Bull’s first pole in China in 2009, with Mark Webber, his teammate finishing P3. Fast forward to 2024, it is Sergio Perez who followed Verstappen to secure P2. Both were monumental occasions for the Milton-Keynes-based outfit, and Fernando was top three on both occasions.

In 2009, Alonso was driving for Renault and finished P2 splitting Webber and Vettel in qualifying. Yesterday, he took P3 driving for Aston Martin. Alonso remains a constant in F1, despite all the changes the sport has been through since Red Bull’s first-ever pole position.

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Back in 2009, Alonso had a disappointing Chinese GP as he only managed to finish ninth despite qualifying second. The Spaniard will hope that he can deliver a better performance this time around, having seemed comfortable with his Aston Martin AMR24 throughout the weekend.

Fernando Alonso defying old-age criticisms

Alonso, one of F1’s greatest drivers ever, is shutting doubters by performing at the top of his game week in and week out, despite turning 42.

The Oviedo-born driver is showing no signs of slowing down and is oozing confidence having recently signed a contract extension with Aston Martin which will keep him tied to the Silverstone-based outfit until at least 2026.

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Alonso made it clear that his goal is to help Aston Martin get to the top. Team principal Mike Krack also revealed that his side will do everything in their potential to help give Alonso a car that is capable of winning races and fighting for the championship.

However, at the moment, they are nowhere close to achieving their goal. Aston Martin is arguably the fifth-fastest side at the moment and Alonso’s best chance of fighting for the championship may come in 2026 when F1 introduces new regulations- only if Aston Martin copes well with them.

There is nothing to suggest, from the outside, that there is anything different about Room 200 at Hotel Castello on the outskirts of the pretty little spa town of Castel San Pietro Terme, a few miles from Bologna.

The bedroom door is as plain and unremarkable as every other door in the modest hotel. Its windows do not have a view to speak of, because there is nothing much to see out here on the edge of town.

But inside, the suite of three rooms has been preserved — with the addition of a flat screen television — the way it was when Ayrton Senna, the man who many still believe to be the greatest racing driver ever, walked out of that door on the morning of May 1, 1994, and never returned.

The plain white decor is the same, the wardrobe with its light brown lacquered finish and its five shallow drawers is the same, the Japanese frieze above the bed, with four panels featuring scenes of the moon and mountains and a spindly tree clinging to the slopes, is the same, too.

The massage couch in the adjoining room is still there. Even the bath, a kind of mini-jacuzzi, has been kept the way it was when Senna left that morning to make the short journey to the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, where he would start on the 65th pole position of his illustrious career for the San Marino Grand Prix.

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Ayrton Senna pictured watching qualifying at the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola in 1994 – the day before the Brazilian Formula One star was killed after his car left the track at Tamburello

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Room 200 at Hotel Castello in Castel San Pietro Terme, where Senna stayed before his crash

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Images of Senna adorn the dining room at the hotel, which seems to exist as a time capsule

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The hotel features a glass cabinet of Senna memorabilia in tribute to the champion driver

A MOTORCYCLIST has died after a fatal crash while competing in the Racefoxx 1000 Kilometers at the Hockenheimring in Germany.

The unnamed 21-year-old fell and died from “serious injuries” obtained on Saturday.

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A young driver has died after a crash at the Hockenheimring trackCredit: Getty Images – Getty
According to German media, police are not yet able to reveal the cause of the accident.

The Mannheim traffic service have started an investigation as they look to “reconstruct the fall with the involvement of an expert”.

A rescue helicopter was deployed immediately after the accident, along with police and emergency services.

The 271-lap race was immediately cancelled.

I bought rare piece of Man U star’s £700k car for £60 – now I’ll make a fortune

All remaining races on Saturday were also abandoned.

The race is a part of the German Endurance Cup and widely considered to be the start of the motorcycle racing season.

The Hockenheimring is a legendary Formula One circuit that played host to the German Grand Prix between 1977 and 2006.

The only time it did not host the race during that 29-year period was in 1985 when it was held at the Nurburgring.

Offset’s Threat to Release Cardi B’s Private Recordings: A Closer Look at the Controversy

The world of celebrity relationships is often fraught with drama and intrigue, and the lives of Cardi B and Offset are no exception. Recently, reports surfaced alleging that Offset, the famed athlete and Cardi B’s ex-husband, threatened to release secret recordings of Cardi B’s intimate encounters with her new boyfriend. This bombshell revelation has left fans and observers wondering about the motives behind Offset’s actions and the potential fallout for Cardi B’s career.

According to reports, Offset’s threats seem to stem from a desire to inflict harm and seek revenge. However, such claims should be approached with caution, as they may be fueled by personal animosity rather than genuine concern. If Offset follows through on his threats, it could have significant repercussions for Cardi B both personally and professionally.

The release of private recordings without consent not only violates privacy rights but also has the potential to damage Cardi B’s reputation and livelihood. In the music industry, public perception plays a crucial role, and the unauthorized disclosure of intimate content could tarnish Cardi B’s image and impact her work.

Moreover, the distribution of confidential material without consent raises serious legal and ethical questions. Depending on the jurisdiction, such actions may constitute violations of privacy laws and statutes. It is imperative to recognize that consent is paramount, and any infringement on personal boundaries can cause harm to the v!ctim.

In the face of Offset’s threats, Cardi B has received overwhelming support from her fans and the general public. This outpouring of solidarity underscores the importance of consent, privacy, and respect for personal boundaries. It reflects a growing societal awareness of the need to combat predatory behavior and uphold individual rights, particularly those of women.

Offset’s actions highlight the disturbing trend of using private recordings as a means of control and manipulation within relationships. Regardless of the circumstances, such behavior is unacceptable and underscores the need for a culture of acceptance and empathy in dating relationships.

As this situation unfolds, it serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting personal boundaries and advocating for the rights of individuals, especially in the realm of privacy and consent. By standing in solidarity with Cardi B, we affirm our commitment to upholding these principles and creating a safer, more respectful society for all.

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