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A14 sports
Monday 27 February 2023
Bad news for Verstappen’s F1 rivals as Red Bull looks better

ability woes that saw Ver- ing the sweet spot in terms "I think we and the teams
stappen fail to finish two of of set up." sorted it quite well last
the first three races in 2022. Ferrari was third and fourth year." Hamilton is F1's re-
Even despite that setback, in the first test; sixth-best cord holder with 103 wins
he crushed everyone. in the second, and then but did not win a race last
"The car is working really fourth and fifth on Satur- year, and the 38-year-old
well, just going through a day. British driver feels the W14
lot of things we wanted "We've had a very intense car has some limitations.
to try. It's very interesting three days of testing," Teammate George Russell
what we've been trying, so Leclerc said. "We still have broke down with a hydrau-
very positive days for me," some work to do. Red Bull lics issue on Friday, leav-
Verstappen said. "Overall seems to be very strong." ing trackside engineering
I think it's definitely an im- Seven-time F1 champion director Andrew Shovlin
provement to last year." Lewis Hamilton finished sec- confused. "Stopping on
Perez echoed that, say- ond Saturday, but there's track with a reliability is-
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, right, and ing Red Bull will start "much room to improve. sue wasn't great and we
Red Bull driver Sergio Perez of Mexico arrive for a Formula One stronger than we did last At least the ground effect have struggled to get the
pre season test at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, year." — known as porpoising — car balanced well across
Bahrain, Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023. Charles Leclerc won two of which hindered the team the changing conditions,"
Associated Press
the first three races last sea- so much in 2022 seems to Shovlin said. Russell, who
By JEROME PUGMIRE ond straight world title. son before Ferrari faded have been eradicated. won one race last year,
AP Auto Racing Writer But Verstappen topped the badly. He says the car feels "It's nice to drive without the placed only eighth in Sat-
The bad news for Max Ver- first day of F1 testing at the good yet modifications are bouncing for once," Hamil- urday's last test day and
stappen's rivals heading Sakhir circuit in Bahrain and still needed. ton said. "But there are still said challenging for victory
into the Formula One sea- teammate Sergio Perez led "I expect us to be a bit some underlying things in Bahrain "may be a bit
son is that Red Bull's car the last on Saturday. quicker on the straights, we're working through." of a stretch." Among the
could even be better. It's scary to think that Red maybe struggling a bit F1 race director Niels Wit- surprises in testing: Alfa Ro-
That's saying something Bull could head into next more in the corners," the tich is confident bouncing meo topped Day 2 through
considering Verstappen weekend's season-opening 25-year-old from Monaco has been fully resolved. Zhou Guanyu and was third
won a record 15 races last race, held on the same cir- said. "I can say we are still "I think porpoising is not a Saturday with Valtteri Bot-
year on his way to a sec- cuit, with none of the reli- working quite a bit on find- topic anymore," he said. tas behind the wheel.q

AP source: Machado, Padres agree to new $350M, 11-year deal

By BERNIE WILSON Hometown product Joe
AP Sports Writer Musgrove was given a $100
All-Star slugger Manny million, five-year deal in
Machado has agreed to July. The Padres signed Bo-
a new $350 million, 11-year gaerts to a $280 million, 11-
contract that will keep him year deal just after the win-
with the San Diego Padres ter meetings and signed
through 2033, according to ace Yu Darvish to a new
a person with knowledge $108 million, six-year deal
of the deal. earlier this month. With the
The person spoke to The flashy Tatis sidelined all of
Associated Press on condi- last year, first due to injury
tion of anonymity because and then the suspension,
Machado must pass a Machado was a steadying
physical before the deal, force in helping lead the
which was first reported by Padres on a thrilling run to
ESPN, is finalized. Macha- the NL Championship Se-
do was scheduled to bat ries, where they lost in five
second Sunday in the Pa- games to the Philadelphia
dres' spring training game Phillies. The Padres eliminat-
against the Arizona Dia- ed the 101-win New York
mondbacks. Mets in the wild-card round
Machado, 30, had said and then beat the 111-win
that after this season, he San Diego Padres' Manny Machado follows through on an RBI-double during the third inning in rival Dodgers in the NL Divi-
planned to opt out of the Game 2 of a baseball NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Oct. 12, 2022, in Los sion Series. Machado bat-
$300 million, 10-year free Angeles. Associated Press ted .298 with 32 home runs
agent deal he signed in and 102 RBIs. The $350-mil-
2019. With the $120 million second in the NL MVP race Earlier in spring training, O'Malley family that once lion deal will the fourth-larg-
he already has received, last year. He'll anchor a Machado said a deadline owned the Dodgers, hasn't est contract behind Mike
the new deal increases the superstar-laden lineup that for negotiating a new deal been afraid to spend big Trout ($426.5 million for 12
free-spending Padres' com- includes Xander Bogaerts, had passed, but owner Pe- money in pursuit of the fran- years), Mookie Betts ($365
mitment to Machado to Juan Soto and Fernando ter Seidler has said that re- chise's first World Series title. million for 12 years) and
$470 million over 15 years. Tatis Jr., who can return on taining the smooth-fielding The Padres haven't been to Aaron Judge ($360 million
Machado, who has helped April 20 from an 80-game third baseman was his top the Fall Classic since 1998, for nine years). However,
turn the Padres into a World suspension for perfor- priority. when they were swept by the $31.8 million average
Series contender, finished mance-enhancing drugs. Seidler, a member of the the New York Yankees. will rank just 16th.q