Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has given his curt response as to whether Max Verstappen signing a new contract at Red Bull is good for the championship.

Yesterday it was confirmed that Verstappen had signed a new contract with Red Bull, tying him to the team until 2030. The deal brings an end to months of speculation, with the Dutchman having been linked with potential moves to teams including both Mercedes and McLaren.

When asked if he was surprised about the news that Verstappen had extended his contract, Hamilton said: “I’ve not really put any thought to it, so not really.

“He’s with a great team. He’s been with them a long, long time, and they just keep going from strength to strength; it’s a really amazing place to be and to work, clearly,” the Ferrari driver added.

However, it was his abrupt and dismissive seven-word response to being asked about whether it’s a good thing for the championship that really caught the eye.

“Of course. Why would it not be?” he said when asked about Verstappen’s continuing presence in the championship.

Four-time world champion Verstappen was reported to have met with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff in Sardinia in July and had even intimated that he may leave the sport due to his dissatisfaction with the new engine regulations in which a greater focus is put on the electrical side of the engine.

Hamilton & Verstappen’s F1 Rivalry

Hamilton and Verstappen contested one of the most hotly-disputed fights for the championship as the 2021 season came to a crescendo. The latter eventually took the title from Hamilton after a highly controversial finish to the season finale in Abu Dhabi when race director Michael Masi did not apply the Safety Car regulations in the manner they were written.

Since then, the pair haven’t really duelled on track as much as they might have liked, owing to a period of Mercedes struggles and Red Bull domination. Now, with Hamilton having switched teams to Ferrari, the pair will be hoping for an uptick in performance that will enable them to go toe-to-toe once more for the top step on the podium.

Max Verstappen Statement After Signing With Red Bull

“I have always said it: The team is like a second family for me and I feel very at home.

“I came to the team hoping to be able to win races. What we went on to achieve together has been simply lovely, and we have shared many incredible moments and won four world championships.

“To continue this journey with the same team that I have been with my whole career is really special and something I have always wanted to do,” Verstappen said in regards to the contract extension.

Real Madrid youngster Endrick has been linked with a shock move to the Premier League this week, with a South American football expert expecting the Spanish side to receive an imminent bid from one of their European rivals ahead of the new season.

Endrick broke scoring records as a youngster at Palmeiras – one of the world’s best academies, which has also produced players like Chelsea’s Estevao – and caught Real Madrid’s eye at just 14.

However, the usual pathway for a Brazilian joining Los Blancos hasn’t been as smooth for Endrick as it was for Vinicius Jr. or Rodrygo. Both made an almost immediate impact and remain mainstays in a squad that is always fighting for silverware.

Having only just turned 20 this year, there’s no doubt the winger has bags of talent that could come to good use at another team, where the competition for places isn’t quite so high. Now could be the perfect time to take a chance on him, with one of Real Madrid’s Champions League rivals reportedly ready to take the punt.

Premier League Club Preparing ‘Imminent Bid’ For Endrick

REUTERS/Mike Segar

South American football expert Tim Vickery told talkSPORT a substantial bid is being prepared by Liverpool, in the same week their moves for Paris Saint-Germain duo Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye stalled, while the Reds also saw their £50 million bid for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh rejected.

The Merseyside club has focussed most of their transfer efforts around bolstering their wide attacking options following the departure of Mohamed Salah, who joined Trabzonspor as a free agent, with new manager Andoni Iraola a devoted subscriber to wide formations and getting the best out of his wingers.

But while reports in Brazil expect them to make a move for Endrick, he has his doubts about whether a deal will be struck, as he explained:

He concluded by asking: “How high are Liverpool prepared to go? And would Real Madrid want to sell him to a competitor in the Champions League?”

Meanwhile, he was also left pondering whether the Reds’ tactical outlay under Iraola would suit that of the Palmeiras youth academy graduate, who prefers to play more centrally in a position much closer to a second-striker. These positions, of course, are already taken up by British transfer record Alexander Isak and the currently-injured Hugo Ekitike.

Liverpool’s Search For a Mohamed Salah Replacement Continues

Peter Powell vs Reuters

Liverpool have really stepped up their search for new wingers in recent weeks, but always seem to end up going down dead ends and cul-de-sacs. It now looks like Iraola will start Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo on either flank when they begin their Premier League season against Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.

There is a belief that they will seal a big-money transfer before the deadline prevents them from doing any more business. But with the squad appearing thin on the ground in defence, and the midfield needing some extra help after the hierarchy sanctioned Curtis Jones’ move to Inter Milan, the biggest worry is that too much of their focus on a winger could leave the rest of the squad suffering.

And that could ultimately leave their new boss having to operate with one arm behind his back during his maiden voyage, in which his team will be expected to have a much more plainsailing route to Champions League qualification than last time out.

A former Mr Olympia bodybuilder has died just weeks after making a mysterious post in which he called on his followers to “stop taking life for granted.”

Navy veteran Dwayne Quamina passed away on Sunday, having just six days earlier competed in a bodybuilding qualifier for the Mr Olympia competition.

After that qualifier, in which he came in sixth in the 212-pound division at the Atlanta Pro competition, he posted: “If it was easy, everybody would do it. The best quality you can have is the ability to pick yourself up and go again, no matter how many times it takes. Watch what comes next!”

The cause of Quamina’s death remains unknown.

“Stop taking life for granted, go all the way and have zero regrets when it’s all over!” he posted to his more than 114,000 Instagram followers last month.

Quamina leaves behind him his wife, Leah, and two children.

A GoFundMe page set up to support his wife and children has so far raised more than $9,300 towards its stated target of $20,000.

“Dwayne was a loving yet fierce man, someone who protected and provided for his family while uplifting others with his presence, kindness, and unwavering spirit. His loss has left an unimaginable void in the hearts of all who knew and loved him,” the page says.

Tributes Pour in For Dwayne Quamina

Tributes have poured in for Quamina. Eight-time Ms Olympia winner Lenda Murray posted: “My thoughts and prayers are for the family. Sincere condolences.”

“It’s absolutely tragic. We competed together just a week ago at the Atlanta Pro. It’s hard to believe he’s gone,” fellow bodybuilder Karol Małecki Ale Lekkie said.

Quamina, known as “King Q”, became a bodybuilder in 2016 after serving in the US Navy for 10 years. He placed 10th in the Mr Olympia tournament in 2018 and won the lightweight title at the 2016 NPC USA Championships and 2017 Europa Phoenix Pro event. He was born in Trinidad and Tobago before eventually moving to the United States and then settling in California.

Alongside his bodybuilding, he also worked as an online coach and posted workout videos and motivational content to his social media followers. He was well known for his content that aimed to inspire his followers to achieve their potential. In one post, he wrote: “Who do you want to become? Once you figure that out, all that’s left is to go out and become.”