Sports
F1 Driver Accused of ‘Throwing in the Towel’ on His Season After Monaco GP
One F1 driver has been accused of ‘throwing in the towel’ on his season following a very underwhelming Monaco GP performance.
The streets of Monte Carlo delivered a dramatic race which saw Kimi Antonelli clinch his fifth consecutive victory of the 2026 season at the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Italian’s impressive displays and string of victories see him sitting pretty with a healthy 66-point lead over Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in second place.
F1 Driver’s Mentality Called Into Question
However, one driver who has not been performing to his full potential has been accused of ‘throwing in the towel’ following his comments after the race.
George Russell headed into the 2026 Formula 1 season as the favourite to win the Drivers’ Championship and proved his title-winning credentials by claiming victory at the season opener in Melbourne, Australia.
Russell has not been able to kick on from his opening victory and his fellow Mercedes driver, Kimi Antonelli, has won five races in a row since then, sitting top of the standings, whilst the 28-year-old is slumped down in third place – 68 points adrift of his teammate.
His poor performances continued in Monaco as he received a drive-through penalty and finished outside the points in 13th place, failing to close the gap on Antonelli.
Speaking after the Canada Grand Prix, Russell stated that the title is now Antonelli’s ‘to lose’, a statement which did not go down well with ex-F1 driver Christian Fittipaldi.
The Brazilian, who drove for Minardi and Footwork Arrows during his F1 career, stated that Russell’s comments “weren’t right” and made him sound like he was ‘throwing in the towel’.
Speaking on the Pelas Pistas podcast, Fittipaldi said: “I personally think he’s throwing in the towel.
“There were several moments during the weekend where I thought, oh, I think he’s going to give that kid a piece of his mind.
“But now, with this statement, that’s not really the case. He was clearly very frustrated because his car broke down. I understand that, but that statement wasn’t right.”
Russell’s comments have sparked questions about the Brit’s ambition and belief in himself with 16 races and plenty of points still up for grabs.
He has admitted he is in a ‘very weird state of mind’ following a run of bad luck and performances which are sure to have knocked his confidence.
“I still very much believe in myself and that we’re going to be fighting for race wins until the end of the year, but right now, it is tough.”
Russell’s current performance so far this season has been so underwhelming that it could even see his Mercedes contract rendered void. Unless he can turn a corner, the 2026 campaign could be a long one for the Brit.
Sports
Tottenham Move to Sign Crysencio Summerville is ‘Off’
Tottenham Hotspur have been incredibly active in the transfer market already this summer, with Roberto De Zerbi looking to make a major statement.
Spurs narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League thanks to a 1-0 win over Everton on the final day of the season, and the Italian has now moved to strengthen the squad to ensure that is a situation they’re not in again next season.
Andy Robertson has already been announced as the first signing of the new era, while Marcos Senesi is due to be announced imminently to strengthen the defence. Jan Paul van Hecke has also emerged as a target, with personal terms agreed despite two bids being rejected, and Man City star Savinho is advancing on a move, but another deal is now considered to be ‘off’.
Tottenham Move for Summerville ‘Off’
According to Dutch journalist Joost Blaauwhof, Tottenham’s move for West Ham United winger Crysencio Summerville is now ‘off’.
The north London club are keen to bolster their forward options with Randal Kolo Muani’s loan expiring, Richarlison expected to be sold, and Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, and Xavi Simons all dealing with long-term knee injuries.
But with Savinho’s move from Man City understood to be advancing, it’s now reported that Summerville will not be moving across London at this stage.
Spurs were understood to be leading the race for the Netherlands winger, who is set to star at the World Cup in Ronald Koeman’s side having earned a call-up despite West Ham’s relegation to the Championship.
The club were ready to make a ‘concrete offer’ for the 24-year-old winger, but they have now stepped back in their interest. A number of clubs in Italy are understood to be showing an interest in Summerville, including Champions League side AS Roma, and they are now expected to be taking the lead in the race for his signature.
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England World Cup Quiz
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Tottenham Moving Aggressively in Market
Tottenham are pushing hard in the market to strengthen the squad for De Zerbi, and it seems that they have made their mind up on who they want to pursue as a forward option.
Savinho was the top target last summer and they convinced the player to join, only for City to block the move and get him to sign a new deal. But the Brazilian now looks set to depart this year, and Spurs are ready to get it done.
That lessens the need for Summerville to come in, and it makes sense that the club are now prioritising certain deals over others, rather than keeping their fingers in all the pies just for the sake of it.
Sports
Paul Scholes Names England Starting 11 For Croatia World Cup Opener
Paul Scholes has named the starting line-up that he would select for England’s opening 2026 World Cup match against Croatia on June 17.
The Three Lions head into this summer’s tournament as one of the favourites to lift the iconic World Cup trophy in New Jersey on July 19.
Thomas Tuchel raised eyebrows by leaving several high-profile players out of his 26-man squad, including Manchester City’s Phil Foden, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.
England laboured to a 1-0 win over New Zealand in their first World Cup warm-up match on Saturday. Bayern Munich’s prolific centre-forward Harry Kane scored the only goal of the game with a header shortly before half-time.
Tuchel’s men are currently acclimatising to the warm weather conditions in the United States. They face Costa Rica in their final warm-up match on Wednesday night before their Group L opener against Croatia seven days later.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football, Scholes named the starting XI that he believes Tuchel should select for the tournament. Let’s take a closer inspection…
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Goalkeeper and Defenders
Jordan Pickford; Nico O’Reilly, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Reece James
Jordan Pickford is nailed on to start in goal. Scholes would then select Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly, 21, at left-back, with Chelsea’s Reece James at right-back.
O’Reilly’s club teammate Marc Guehi gets the nod at centre-back, alongside John Stones, who has now played his final match for Man City and will sign for a new club later this summer.
Midfielders
Declan Rice / Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers
Scholes is currently undecided over which Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson should start in central midfield alongside Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham. However, Scholes explained why he would start Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers in the playmaker role behind Harry Kane.
“The three in midfield’s the big one, for me,” Scholes said. “They were taking this morning that it’s a straight choice between Bellingham and Rogers for that number 10 role. Bellingham’s not a number 10.
“And they were talking about Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson playing together. I think you can afford to play just one of them, with Bellingham and Rogers.”
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England World Cup Quiz
You scored
out of 20
Forwards
Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka
And upfront, Scholes would select Marcus Rashford over Barcelona-bound Anthony Gordon on the left flank. Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, meanwhile, gets the nod on the opposite flank.
There’s no doubt that influential captain Harry Kane will start for England throughout the tournament. Tuchel has Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney in reserve, but Kane – a leading contender for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award – is arguably the best centre-forward on the planet right now.
Sports
Donald Trump Slammed For Actions During New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs
Donald Trump has been slammed for his actions while attending Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
Trump watched the San Antonio Spurs cut the New York Knicks‘ series lead down to 2-1 thanks to a Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle masterclass, becoming the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals series game.
In order for the US president to be in attendance, security measures for the fixture were ramped up, with many fans forced to queue for longer than normal, which led to Trump receiving cat calls when he appeared on the big screen.
Donald Trump was not the only well-known face in attendance, as celebrities such as Timothee Chalamet, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Ben Stiller, Larry David, and Eli Manning were all also in attendance.
Donald Trump Receives Backlash For NBA Finals Actions
Donald Trump received backlash after the game after he was filmed in his box momentarily falling asleep in his suite while watching the game alongside Knicks owner James Dolan and his granddaughter Kai Trump.
Trump’s nap was heavily criticised on X, with one critic saying: “Bringing half your cabinet courtside just to take a historic nap is wild. He didn’t come to watch the Knicks; he just paid thousands for a premium snooze.”
Another one noted: “‘Fallen asleep at the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden’ is not a sentence you expect to read about a sitting president. But here we are.”
Trump did have his defenders, though, as one stated: “Presidents are not obligated to cheer like college kids at every game. A quiet moment in a suite is not a scandal or medical emergency, it is human.”
San Antonio Spurs Cut New York Knicks’ Lead in Half
Trump’s nap came during a great game of basketball as the San Antonio Spurs scored 35 points in the third quarter to kill talk of a Knicks’ “sweep” in the finals. Defeat for the Knicks ended a 13-game winning streak which was two away from the Golden State Warriors’ 2017 record.
Stephon Castle scored a three-pointer with just under two minutes to go to extend the Spurs’ lead to 111-104. The Knicks picked up a flurry of chances with OG Anunoby hitting a late three-pointer to put them within two points, but it was not meant to be for the hosts as Castle would score two free throws in the final 10 seconds.
The best-of-seven series continues on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden before going back to San Antonio on Saturday night.
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