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sports Diabierna 6 Mei 2022

McLaren takes Miami in bid to become North America’s team

(AP) — Bruce McLar- when they took laps Wednes- en’s gains in relevance both
en was a Kiwi, born and day in McLaren road cars. on the F1 grid and in fan pop-
raised in New Zealand. ularity. McLaren was voted
His eponymous Formula O’Ward, who turns 23 on favorite F1 team in a fan sur-
One team and high-tech- Friday, is a Mexican who re- vey and Brown said McLar-
nology supercar company sides in Texas and IndyCar’s en’s image has been cultivat-
are based in England. most recent race winner. ed through its drivers and a
Like Norris, he won his se- commitment to spotlighting
And yet McLaren very much ries’ favorite driver among them through thoughtful so-
wants to be North America’s female voters. Montoya, part cial media aimed at the tar-
official team. of McLaren’s lineup at India- geted younger demographic.
napolis, is a former McLaren
The crowd roared Wednes- F1 driver and the Colom- “The drivers are the right age,
day night at the Opening bian was a longtime Miami right personality,” Brown
Party for the Miami Grand resident and one of the race said. “Pato is a combination
Prix when the Papaya orange ambassadors. Rosenqvist re- of Lando and Daniel. Lando’s
— that’s the shade, don’t located to Indianapolis and quite reserved. Quite witty.
get it wrong — appeared on the Swede has blended into Daniel comes dancing into gins later this year. spired by the livery designed
stage. In a city used to super- the community. the garage. That’s how Pato for the three McLarens in
stars and the super wealthy, is with his presence. Pato has McLaren is using this week, this month’s Indianapolis
the spectators seemed to be It’s the IndyCar team that is the youthfulness of Lando one of a recently unthinkable 500 and will go to the winner
bouncing at the v ery sight McLaren’s ticket to building and the extroverted personal- two U.S. races on this year’s of a video submission contest
of Lando Norris and Daniel a base in sponsor-rich North ity of Daniel.” F1 calendar, to continue to answering “how do you drive
Ricciardo. America, which has finally build its presence. There’s a change?” The challenge asks
taken notice of F1, and ma- “Drivers are a big part of it. full “SpeedShop” experience consumers to describe in 15-
Their bosses were there, too, jor companies are scrambling I think a lot of credit to our that’s been billed as “top se- 30 seconds the impact they
but the inaugural Miami to get involved. It’s fertile digital and comms teams... cret” and “the most immer- make daily in their commu-
Grand Prix has been built ground for Zak Brown, the what do the fans want to sive (race) experience outside nity.
around the star drivers and, head of McLaren Racing who see? It’s the whole reason we of sneaking into the McLaren
wow, does McLaren have a just happens to be a regular went back to papaya in the garage.” The SpeedShop sold “While designing new liv-
crew. Norris was voted most race fan from California. first place. That’s what the out and was offered only eries for Vuse and Arrow
popular among women in a fans wanted. Fans know how to U.S. McLaren fan club McLaren is thrilling, having
fan vote and Ricciardo, the Brown has had a meteoric rise important they are to us, and members. the chance to help celebrate
Australian who drinks cham- from owner of an Indianapo- we have a good two-way rela- and reward someone who is
pagne from his shoe after a lis-based marketing firm that tionship.” At The Wharf in Miami, a on the ground putting in the
win, has the biggest personal- dominated the market during customized 2022 McLaren work and giving back is re-
ity in the paddock and counts NASCAR’s halcyon days and The quest to capture the GT is on display all weekend warding,” said James Bond,
the United States among his pushed Brown to the front of market is working, but also as part of the “Vuse Ultimate founder of UNDEFEATED.
favorite countries. motorsports. He’s now the not that competitive. F1 has Ride” challenge. The car is a
quirky American running the only one team owned by an collaboration with streetwear Brown just wants to give
And then there’s the IndyCar late Bruce McLaren’s team American — Gene Haas — brand UNDEFEATED and away a McLaren and make
trio of Pato O’Ward, Felix his own way. but the series has no Ameri- will be awarded to a fan at the another new fan for the team.
Rosenqvist and Juan Pablo can drivers; McLaren signed Formula One race in Austin,
Montoya, among the first to Brown is a straight shooter 22-year-old Colton Herta, an Texas, in October. “Without the fans, there’s no
drive the sprawling course who wants to have fun, but IndyCar star from California, motorsports,” Brown said.
around Hard Rock Stadium takes little credit for McLar- to a testing contract that be- The olive-green car is in-

Ben Simmons has successful back surgery, Nets announce

(AP) - Ben Simmons un- with Philadelphia before be- said late last month. “I think
derwent what was deter- ing traded to the Nets in the Ben has addressed that there
mined to be a successful move that sent James Harden is a mental component with
back surgery in Los An- to the 76ers — for a variety what he’s going through. But
geles on Thursday. The of reasons, including mental how much and where he’s
Brooklyn Nets are hoping health concerns before the at with that is not for me to
that he is fully recovered trade and then what were speak about. But as far as an
before the start of training originally called back spasms organization, we’re really
camp this fall. after the trade. pushing to support Ben in
any way we can to help him
Simmons will need about The hope is the surgery will improve physically and get
three weeks for an “initial allow Simmons to get back back on the court.”
recovery period,” the Nets on the court, play without
said, before he can start his pain and become another This was the second full sea-
rehabilitation program. The key piece of a title-contend- son that Simmons has missed
procedure Simmons had was ing group led by Kevin Du- in the past six years. He was
called a microdiscectomy, in rant and Kyrie Irving that picked No. 1 in the 2016
which a small fragment of a Brooklyn envisions. Working NBA draft but didn’t debut
herniated disc is removed to through the mental issues that season because of foot
relieve pressure on the spinal that Simmons is dealing with, issues. He was rookie of the
column. Nets coach Steve Nash said year in the following season,
toward the end of Brooklyn’s 2017-18, and was picked for
Training camp will start in season, will remain a top pri- the NBA All-Star games in
late September. ority for the team as well go- 2019, 2020 and 2021.
ing forward.
Simmons last played a game Simmons has three years and
on June 20, 2021. He missed “There is a mental compo- nearly $114 million remain-
this entire season — some nent with everything,” Nash ing on his contract.