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Sand dunes and sumo – Wales’ brutal pre-season

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From sand dunes to shark bait sumo, Wales head coach Sean Lynn is delivering on his promise of a brutal pre-season.

After a disappointing first campaign in the 2025 Women’s Six Nations the former Gloucester-Hartpury boss made no secret of the fact he thought Wales lacked the fitness to play the brand of rugby that won him three successive league titles in England.

And with a two-Test tour of Australia and the Rugby World Cup in England fast approaching, Lynn is intent on pushing players to their limits.

True grit

For those fortunate enough never to have partaken, it is a fitness test that involves timed shuttle runs over increasing distances.

“We came in on day one looking at the bronco testing, it’s what our lead S&C [strength and conditioning coach] wanted to measure us on,” said Lynn.

“It’s really exciting because one of our young pathway players absolutely smashed it, and came top of the forwards league table which is really pleasing to see.”

Testing has not just been confined to sweltering indoor training barns. The squad headed to Merthyr Mawr on Friday where they endured the energy-zapping ‘big dipper’ – the largest sand dune in Wales.

“When you’re in these tough situations, it’s about making sure that we’re all in it together,” said Lynn.

“It’s a combination of making sure that we are digging in deep and working hard for each other.

Carys Cox and Lisa Neumann collapsed on the turf after pre-season testingHuw Evans Agency

As well as welcoming back prop powerhouse Sisilia Tuipulotu, Lynn has stayed true to his word by including a handful of pathway players in his 45-player squad.

And they are not just there to make up the numbers with Lynn saying they are “very much in the mix” for selection this summer.

“It’s lovely to see the PDCs [player development centres] at the moment and you can see their fruition.

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Back-row Chiara Pearce and scrum-half Seren Lockwood have both come from Wales Under-18s.

“It’s been challenging physically and mentally, but it’s a great feeling training with all the big guns, because you see them on telly,” Pearce said.

“I feel confident in everything I’m doing, just because he [Lynn] is on my back saying ‘you can do it, just believe in yourself, we’re all here together and we’re all helping you’.”

Lockwood added: “We are here for a reason, so it’s up to us to prove ourselves now.

“It’s crazy to think about it, I’m 18 years old, it [selection] would be a dream, but it is in reach, I’ve just got to fight for it now and see what happens.”

Baby sharks

While impressing the coaches, Pearce, Lockwood and Baverstock admit to being daunted by some of the senior players, especially when they do the ‘shark bait’ contact drill.

“Basically we fight each other, it’s like sumo wrestling and you’ve got to get each other out of the circle. It gets pretty intense,” explained Baverstock.

“I had Abbie Fleming, I got in the ring and I was shaking, I was like ‘oh no’,” said Pearce.

But at the same time the young trio are more than ready to fight for shirts.

“I’ll have no problem putting myself in the mix and fighting for that position because I know how bad I want it,” said Pearce.

That is just the sort of healthy competition Lynn wants before he whittles the squad down to 30 players before heading down under to take on the Wallaroos in Brisbane on 26 July and then in Sydney on 1 August.

Wales beat Australia for the first time in their history at Rodney Parade in a warm-up last September before succumbing to a heavy defeat at WXV2 a week later.

On their return to the UK, Wales will have just over three weeks to shake off the jet lag and get ready for what promises to be the biggest ever Women’s Rugby World Cup, with the 10th edition being held across eight different venues in England.

Wales’ World Cup Pool B fixtures

Scotland v Wales: Saturday, 23 August, Salford Community Stadium,14:45 BST

Canada v Wales: 30 August, Salford Community Stadium, Saturday, 12:00 BST

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Empty stadiums, mismatched teams: What’s wrong with FIFA’s Club World Cup?

When the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 opened on Saturday, Lionel Messi, arguably the world’s greatest footballer, weaved his magic on the field as a cluster of former stars – David Beckham, Ronaldo, Kaka, Bebeto, Roberto Baggio and Javier Zanetti – watched on from their VIP seats at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

While Messi was unable to score any goals in Inter Miami’s 0-0 draw against Egyptian club Al Ahly, football fans turned up in their thousands to watch the Argentinian lead his team in what could have been a goal-fest for the home side.

The organisers, led by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, appeared pleased with the tournament opener and would have hoped for the goals, spectators and popularity to increase as the Club World Cup progressed.

Former Brazilian player Ronaldo, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham and former Italian player Roberto Baggio talk prior to the opening game between Al Ahly and Inter Miami on June 14 [Rebecca Blackwell/AP]

Infantino has treated the tournament as his personal project and aimed to bring the biggest names in football to the United States, one of the co-hosts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

From the unusual last-minute addition of Messi’s Inter Miami to the main draw, to his attempts at luring Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to sign for a participating club and increasing the winner’s prize money by a whopping $35m, the FIFA chief has pulled out all the stops to support his grand proclamation that the Club World Cup is “the start of something historic that will change our sport for the better”.

However, three days in, the tournament, billed by FIFA as the most elite global club competition, has failed to match the hype created by the sport’s governing body.

Here’s what’s gone wrong with the Club World Cup thus far:

Poor match scheduling and player burnout

Kickoffs scheduled at noon and 3pm local time on scorching hot summer days have led to players dealing with difficult conditions. Some of these teams have finished full league and cup competition seasons in their respective countries and confederations.

Others – from the US, South America and Oceania – have hit pause on their regular seasons and will return to their respective leagues after the Club World Cup.

The tournament has been subject to criticism from regional football bodies and players’ unions long before the first kick of the opening game.

“The decision today to schedule the FIFA Club World Cup between June 15 and July 13 without implementing further player workload safeguards demonstrates a lack of consideration for the mental and physical health of participating players, as well as a disregard for their personal and family lives,” players’ union FIFPRO said in a statement when the tournament schedule was released in 2024.

“The extreme mental and physical pressures at the pinnacle of the game is the principal concern of players with multiple club and national team competitions, leading to exhaustion, physical injuries, mental health issues, diminished performance, and risks to career longevity,” the statement added.

FIFPRO called for the consideration of player health and safety regulations as a “matter of urgency” but that failed to deter FIFA from tinkering with the schedule.

Atletico Madrid's Spanish midfielder #08 Pablo Barrios (C) drinks water during a cooling break in the Club World Cup 2025 Group B football match between France's Paris Saint-Germain and Spain's Atletico de Madrid at the Rose Bowl stadium in Los Angeles on June 15, 2025. (Photo by Yuri CORTEZ / AFP)
Atletico Madrid’s Pablo Barrios, centre, drinks water during a cooling break in the match against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on June 15 at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles [Yuri Cortez/AFP]

Mismatched teams and dead rubbers

Auckland City, a club made up of amateur players with full-time day jobs, opened their campaign against six-time European champions Bayern Munich and were handed a 10-0 thumping.

The 34-time German champions, fielding a full-strength team, scored four goals in the first 21 minutes of the game in front of a hapless Auckland defence.

Add to it the fact that the fixture seemed more of a practice outing than a challenge for the Bundesliga side, with Bayern coach Vincent Kompany saying: “The next game against Boca Juniors will be the highlight of the group stage.”

While minnows and favourites are often pitted together in global tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, Oceania champions Auckland will also face Argentinian powerhouse Boca Juniors and Portuguese side Benfica in an incredibly tough draw for the team from New Zealand.

It seems unfair for the team rated 4,957th in the world in the Opta Power Rankings to take on opponents ranked sixth (Bayern Munich), 24th (Benfica) and 131st (Boca Juniors).

El marcador con el resultado 10-0 del Bayern Munich ante el Auckland City en el encuentro del Grupo C del Mundial de Clubes el domingo 15 de junio del 2025. (AP Foto/Jeff Dean)
Bayern Munich humiliated semi-pro side Auckland City with a 10-0 drubbing in their opening game on June 15 [Jeff Dean/AP]

Empty stadiums and low ticket sales

While Messi-mania brought the crowds in the tournament opener in Miami on June 14, and European champions PSG thrashed Atletico Madrid in front of 80,000 Los Angeles fans at the famous Rose Bowl a day later, the same cannot be said for some of the other fixtures.

Monday’s Chelsea vs LAFC encounter at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was played out in front of less than one-third of the stadium’s capacity.

The US-based side are often able to draw close to full-capacity crowds at their home venue in Los Angeles, and Chelsea rarely play in front of so many empty seats, whether at home or away.

The stark contrast from the fervent fan support at their Stamford Bridge home in London prompted Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca to say the atmosphere in Atlanta was “a bit strange.”

The 71,000-capacity venue saw the 3pm kickoff match play out in front of 22,137 spectators.

“I think the environment was a bit strange,” Maresca said after the game.

Of the remaining 36 group-stage games, 13 will be afternoon kickoffs on a weekday and the low ticket sales for the first phase of the tournament could mean that organisers will struggle to fill up the venues.

Strict security measures, which include the presence of border patrol officials and presenting passports as proof of identity, may also deter fans from thronging the venues.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 16: General view inside the stadium with empty seats in the stands during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group D match between Chelsea FC and Los Angeles Football Club at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 16, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Alex Grimm/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by ALEX GRIMM / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
The Chelsea FC vs Los Angeles FC game was played in front of thousands of empty seats in Atlanta, Georgia on June 16 [Alex Grimm/Getty Images via AFP]

‘I found the perfect strawberries and cream perfume that I’ll be wearing all Wimbledon season’

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You can’t have Wimbledon without strawberries and cream, and Juliette Has a Gun’s Miami Shake perfume is the perfect scent to see you through summer’s tennis season

I found the perfect perfume to wear to Wimbledon(Image: Faith Richardson)

When it comes to Wimbledon, strawberries and cream are as synonymous with the event as all-white outfits and tennis rackets, which is why I was thrilled when I found the perfect fragrance to pair with a courtside look. Juliette Has a Gun’s Miami Shake perfume is a relatively new launch from the cult favourite brand, and its combination of strawberries, cream and vanilla make it an absolute essential for Wimbledon season.

As someone who’s tried plenty of different perfumes over the years, I’ve become quite the die hard fan of Juliette Has a Gun’s fragrances because of how long lasting and powerful they are. So I was even happier when I got my hands on the Miami Shake perfume, which had the perfect combination of sweet and fruity notes and was an instant go-to for summer.

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One spritz of Miami Shake and I knew it was going to be the perfect pairing for Wimbledon events, with a light, sweet scent that lasted without being too sugary or overpowering. It has a musky finish and a creamy element to it which stopped it being too cloying and kept it grown up and sophisticated, whilst still being playful and light.

Juliette Has a Gun Miami Shake
The perfume combines strawberries, vanilla and whipped cream(Image: Space NK)

The exact notes are wild strawberry, whipped cream, vanilla and musk, which keep it simple and not too complex, making it an easy to wear scent that you could always layer with other perfumes if you wanted. You can pick it up in 7.5ml, 50ml and 100ml bottles, and currently Sephora’s major beauty sale has slashed 15% off the price of each size.

The 100ml bottle is usually priced at £135 but is now available for £114.75, whilst the 50ml bottle is down from £100 to £85. If you want to try before you commit to a full size bottle, the 7.5ml travel size is now £21.25, down from £25.

You can also pick up the fragrance at Space NK. Also at Space NK you can pick up Phlur’s Strawberry Letter perfume at £99 for a 50ml bottle, which is ideal for those who prefer a more fruity, less sweet scent. It opens with top notes of cassis leaves, strawberry gariguette and plum nectar. Heart notes of wild lily, red poppy and apple blossom add a touch of freshness, while tonka beans and amber make the base sensual and bold.

For a more affordable option, Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa ’40 Perfume Mist is £24 for 90ml or £38 for a huge 240ml bottle. It combines fruity notes with vanilla and musk for a handbag-friendly scent that’s easy to top up on the go.

Juliette Has a Gun Miami Shake
It has a sweet, light and fruity scent(Image: Space NK)

However the Miami Shake scent has been getting plenty of rave reviews from shoppers, with one saying: “Mother’s Day I tried every perfume in the store literally and I absolutely fell in love with this one and I bought it for all of the mothers in my life and then I had to come back and get one for myself.”

Another wrote: “Amazing scent! Everyone around is asking what I’m wearing. Love it a lot!”

However the scent seems to be polarising opinions from some shoppers, with one writing: “I saw an add on Facebook for this and thought “heck yeah, I love strawberry and vanilla, this will be an amazing scent!!” Purchased it online, and just received it today. I can’t describe the scent, but it’s not good. The longevity of the scent is why I have it two stars.”

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Others couldn’t get enough of it, however, saying: “I fell in love…. I love it . It’s sweet but not too much it’s feminine, it’s powerful.”

GK Barry urges women to book a smear test after doctors found early signs of HPV

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GK Barry has urged women not to avoid their smear tests as she opened up about her own test, where doctors found the early signs of human papillomavirus (HPV) and were able to act quickly

GK Barry opened up about testing positive for HPV after having her smear test at 25(Image: Ian West/PA Wire)

I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here star GK Barry spoke on Loose Women about the importance of getting a smear test and how the often-avoided test can save your life. The influencer said that thanks to her recent cervical screening test, doctors were able to find early signs of an STI called human papillomavirus (HPV).

The 25-year-old said that doctors found “bad cells” during her screening. GK, whose real name is Grace, then made a return visit for a colposcopy – a procedure to treat abnormal cells. On June 15, the TikTok creator said: “When my smear test came up, I went to go and get it, and thank god I did because, when I went I tested positive for HPV. I just had some bad cells so I had to then go and get a colposcopy… and get it burnt off”.

She explained that she has check ups “so regularly” to “keep an eye on them,” referring to the “bad cells” infected with HPV. The social media influencer spoke further about how she thinks people don’t get smear tests due to embarrassment or out of fear.

Speaking passionately on the topic, Grace said: “My thing is a lot of people my age… they just think it will be alright. They don’t want to know what the answer is. I think it’s so important to get your smear test done because 90% of the time nothing’s wrong”.

Loose Women panel featuring GK Barry in the centre of the panel
The clip of yesterday’s Loose Women episode reached 2.2 million views on TikTok(Image: Loosewomenofficial/TikTok)

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According to Nuffield Health, one in 20 smear test “note abnormal cell changes and most of these changes won’t lead to cervical cancer. But in some cases the abnormal cells will need to be removed so they can’t become cancerous”.

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She opened up in her advocacy, adding: “I’m the first one out of a lot of my friends and family to have to go back and get something done like a colposcopy, but I’d rather be told I’ve got something early and be able to live than, because I was too scared of catching something or the answer, catch something late and end up dying”.

Grace’s experience has reached over 2.2 million views on TikTok alone with many fans of the show commenting a mix of support and their own uncomfortable experiences. Unintentionally, the comment section became a forum for young and older women alike to help work past the narrative that avoiding the pain is worth the risk.

One user wrote: “I won’t go because I refuse to be put in pain, and yes, it is painful. When they can find less traumatising ways, I’ll go”. In a collective effort to convince what would be a stranger, one of 198 replies to the comment alone.”

Another comment read: “I don’t trust doctors either but after watching my mum go through her cancer battle (bowel) – still chemo/ radiotherapy- the effects cancer has on your body, I would take a smear everyday over that. I’ve had smears that hurt and [were] uncomfortable and ones that were fine but it was nothing compared to seeing what someone with cancer goes through”.#

Grace's admission resonated with millions of women on TikTok
Grace’s admission resonated with millions of women on TikTok(Image: Loosewomenofficial/TikTok)

What is HPV and does it cause cancer?

According to Cancer Research UK, HPV is a common virus that infects the skin and cells lining the inside of the body. It usually has no symptoms and for most people, will be cleared from the body without causing any problems.

It’s contracted through close skin-to-skin contact, typically during sexual activity, including vaginal, anal, or oral sex. There are different types of HPV which range from low to high risk. High risk HPV types can cause cancer if they stay in the body for a long time. Cervical cancer is often linked to HPV as it causes nearly all cases.

You can get a HPV vaccination to help prevent cancer and protect against HPV. Cancer Research state that in the UK all children aged 11-13 in the UK can get the HPV vaccine. It’s also available for free to people up to the age of 25 who missed their vaccine when they were offered it, men who have sex with men (up to the age of 45), and some transgender people (up to the age of 45).

Safe sex, cervical screenings and stopping smoking can also reduce your risk of HPV.

How to book a smear test

The NHS website states that an invitation for a smear test – or cervical screening – will be sent via the NHS App, text or letter when it’s time to book for you to book an appointment once your 25th birthday has passed, and then every three years. Within the invitation, you will receive instructions on where and how to book, though most screenings are done by female nurses and doctors at your GP surgery, says the NHS website.

If you have missed your last screening, there is no need to wait for an invitation. To book an appointment, the NHS advise you call your GP or arrange a screening online.

There is also the option of booking at your local sexual health clinic or walk-in centre, however this is only available in some parts of England so it’s important to check.

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When should you book a smear test?

Smear tests are best to have done when you are not experiencing your menstrual period so try to avoid the two days before and after you’re expected to bleed, advises the NHS. If you do not experience a period then you can book at any time.

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The NHS also suggest you book after you have finished any treatments if you have unusual vaginal discharge or a pelvic infection.

‘This glow-boosting foundation gets me more compliments than any other I’ve tried’

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‘I’ve tried dozens of different foundations, but this is the one I always return to whenever I need my skin to looks its very best,’ says beauty editor Laura Mulley

The foundation that gets our beauty editor ‘so many compliments’(Image: Laura Mulley)

As someone who feels most confident when my skin is looking its best, I wear some sort of face base pretty much every day. While I’ve been loving skin tints and tinted moisturisers recently (this one is incredible), there’s one tried-and-trusted foundation that I fall back on again and again, and which always gets me compliments on my skin – and professional make-up artists love it too.

The product I’m talking about is Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation, a gorgeous buildable, medium coverage face base that, I think, really does make skin look more beautiful: even, glowing and more youthful. It’s available in 30 shades covering all skin undertones and costs £39, and a tube lasts for ages.

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Laura holding charlotte Tilbury foundation
Laura’s go-to medium coverage foundation(Image: Laura Mulley)

The main reason that I love it so much it that it gives ‘proper’ coverage (no hints or tints here) – something that I need, as someone who often has blemishes or redness I want to cover – but never looks patchy, cakey or like you’re wearing a lot of make-up. It also gives skin the perfect amount of glow, and lasts well all day. I typically wear shade 3 Neutral, but could also wear one of the shades 4s too.

On a recent work photoshoot in which I was going to be in front of the camera, I had my make-up done by the professional MUA on set, and the base she used on me was Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation; she told me how much she loves using it on clients. I actually got compliments on how good my skin looked on camera that day, which I put down to this impressive formula.

One top tip I learnt from watching her do my make-up was to not forget to blend your face base down your neck, and to brush a little of what’s left over on the brush over your ears, which cam sometimes appear red.

Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation

Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Beautiful Skin Foundation

£39

Find your shade here

I also recently bumped into an old friend and couldn’t believe how glowing her skin looked. When I just had to ask what she was wearing, she told me it was – you’ve guessed it – Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation.

This does give quite a ‘done’ look, so the only time this wouldn’t be my face base of choice if I wasn’t wearing any other make-up; I think it needs some mascara and blusher for balance. In this photo above I’m wearing it with Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer, £45 (it’s massive), the much-loved Merit Flush Balm, £26, and my go-to mascara for length, Haus Labs B Structural Mascara, £26. At weekends or if I want a barely-there base, I’ll use Jones Road Just Enough Tinted Moisturizer, £44 (you can read my full review of that here).

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Jones Road Just Enough Tinted Moisturizer
My current favourite tinted moisturiser(Image: Jones Road)

F1 Q&A: Should McLaren have allowed Norris to pass team-mate Piastri?

Graphic image of, from left to right, Alex Albon, George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso and Oliver Bearman. It is on a blue background with 'Fan Q&A' below the drivers

George Russell grabbed Mercedes’ first win of the season at the Canadian Grand Prix but the main story of the race was the McLaren drivers.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collided after the Briton misjudged the gap as he attempted to pass his team-mate.

Max Verstappen finished second and rookie Kimi Antonelli claimed his first Formula 1 podium with third.

Do you think McLaren should have issued team orders in the race and allowed Lando Norris past Oscar Piastri to go after Kimi Antonelli? – Keegan

McLaren have made their approach to handling their two drivers abundantly clear over the past two seasons – they allow them to race.

They say the only time that will change is when one of them is not in contention for the championship and the other is, in which case – as last year – one may be told that circumstances could arise in which they are asked to support the other.

The only restrictions McLaren put on them are what they would describe as their guiding principles – give the other car space and, as team principal Andrea Stella put it after their crash together on Sunday in Canada: “There should be no contact between two McLarens.”

The sort of situation described in the question is not unusual in F1.

But in McLaren’s specific situation this year, with both drivers competing for the championship, and each other’s main rival, it’s hard to see how it could work without causing problems and undermining the message they’re trying to give to the drivers.

This season Piastri is in another league compared to his team-mate. The incident in Canada was a direct result of Lando making yet another mistake. McLaren need to prioritise Oscar for the rest of the season, surely? – Anon

To describe Piastri as “in another league” from Norris this year is a bit of a stretch, to say the least.

There’s no doubt Piastri has had a better season than Norris so far, and been the more convincing of the two McLaren drivers. Hence his advantage in the championship and in their head-to-head stats in both races and qualifying.

But in terms of outright performance, there is little between the two, and they are more or less swapping the position of the faster McLaren driver each weekend.

The key this year so far is that Piastri is delivering his best on a more consistent basis than Norris. The Australian is beating Norris, not only on the weekends when he is quicker, but also on some of the weekends when the Briton looks like he probably is, because of the errors he is making.

Canada was a case in point. Had Norris strung his qualifying together, he would probably have been ahead of Piastri on the grid, in which case he would likely have finished ahead of him as well.

The same could have been said of Saudi Arabia and Miami. In Jeddah, Norris crashed in qualifying, trying too hard. In Miami, he qualified ahead but tangled with Verstappen on the first lap, allowing Piastri past.

There is no doubting Norris’ speed, but it’s also undeniable that he is making too many mistakes this season. He knows it; the team know it. And they’re trying to help him with it.

Of course, the question is, why is this happening? Is he feeling the pressure from Piastri? Of being in the best car and this being his best chance of a world title so far in his career? A combination of both, and perhaps other factors as well?

Whatever it is, he certainly needs to get out of the headspace he is in and find a way to get into a place where things flow more naturally for him. Where, essentially, he is not over-striving.

As for the question of prioritising Piastri, that goes back to the first answer. Other than in specific circumstances, that’s not how McLaren go racing, and it’s hard to see a strong argument for it at the moment.

The McLaren is not the fastest car every weekend. But it is consistently the fastest car so far this year.

Canada looks like a win for Max Verstappen. Whilst there’s chaos around him, can his consistency win him the title? – Ed

Verstappen certainly had a good weekend in Canada. He probably maximised his result with second place behind Mercedes’ George Russell, and he gained points on both McLaren drivers. With one or two exceptions, he is having another excellent season.

But let’s not forget that it’s only two weeks since there was “chaos” around Verstappen, too, after his collision with George Russell in Spain.

McLaren and their drivers certainly consider Verstappen a threat for the title, even if he has said a few things that suggest he does not think it is a realistic prospect against the McLaren this year, at least the way the competitive picture stands at the moment.

Both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have a handy points advantage over Verstappen, despite the Briton’s mistake in Canada.

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Why do Red Bull lodge so many protests? It was yellow flags and now it’s a safety car infringement – Shaun

Red Bull’s protest against George Russell in Canada was their second in five races against the same driver.

In Miami, they protested against Russell with the argument that he had not slowed sufficiently for yellow flags.

In Montreal, it was on the basis that he had driven erratically behind the safety car and engaged in unsportsmanlike conduct.

The stewards’ report said Red Bull argued that Russell had braked unnecessarily heavily behind the safety car, which led to Verstappen passing him. Overtaking under the safety car is not allowed.

The unsportsmanlike aspect of the protest was about Russell pointing out that Verstappen had overtaken him in those circumstances.

According to the stewards’ report: “Red Bull suggested that (Russell) complained about the overtake on his team radio knowing that it would be overheard by race control and in the hope that (Verstappen) would be investigated.”

Horner mentioned that the protest would also include a claim that Russell had left too large a gap behind the safety car. But that was not in the case Red Bull put forward, according to the stewards’ report.

Red Bull withdrew that because Russell was correctly following the yellow-flag delta times on his dashboard, which meant he could not keep the required 10 car lengths to the safety car.

Horner said the regulations were “pretty binary, pretty clear”. But the stewards rejected the protest outright as “not founded”, and accepted Russell’s explanations.

Horner said of Sunday’s protest: “It’s certainly not personal to George.”

F1 is an extreme environment which is all about going right up to the edge of the rules to try to gain a competitive advantage.

Red Bull’s credo is to push to the absolute limit in every possible area, and that includes having no compunction about trying to use the stewards and the FIA to their benefit in whatever way they feel they can.

On next year’s calendar, Montreal and Miami are grouped together apparently to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from travel. But with a two-week break between the races, won’t almost all team personnel and cargo fly back to Europe after Miami, defeating the purpose of the change? – Jacob

F1 has been pushing for a while to get Miami and Montreal to run consecutively in the calendar and they have finally managed it for next year.

The idea is to reduce carbon emissions. And while it’s true that most personnel will fly back to Europe between the two races, plenty of equipment will be able to be sent directly from one to the other, which will bring transport efficiencies.

The same applies to the gaps between the long-haul races at the beginning of the season.

Of course, it’s not a realistic prospect for F1 personnel to engage in a nine-month-long world tour in which they simply go from one race venue to the next. People have private lives, and work needs to be done at the teams’ factories as well.

But F1 is taking its responsibilities to the environment seriously. Next year’s new engine regulations feature 100% sustainable fuel and engines with a much larger hybrid component.

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