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A32    sports
                    Diasabra 12 Maart 2022

                         Driving alone, Magnussen tops F1 testing in his Haas return


                                                                      and three extra hours sched-  the season begins in Bahrain  lineup  because  his  father  is
                                                                      uled for Saturday — to make  on March 20.                 a  close  associate  of  Russian
                                                                      up for time the team lost on                              President Vladimir Putin.
                                                                      Wednesday due to the late ar-  Hamilton’s  new-look  Mer-
                                                                      rival of freight shipments that  cedes  was  for  a  second  day  Magnussen, who had driven
                                                                      left the team without enough  all  the  rage  of  the  paddock  Haas  from  2017  through
                                                                      time to assemble its car.    because  it  sports  much  nar-  2020  before  being  let  go,
                                                                                                   rower  sidepods  compared  got  behind  the  wheel  after
                                                                      Magnussen’s best effort bet-  to  testing  in  Barcelona  two  Mick Schumacher drove the
                                                                      tered  the  flying  lap  of  Fer-  weeks ago.             morning session.
                                                                      rari’s Carlos Sainz, who had
                                                                      finished  the  group  session  But  Hamilton  was  more  Nicholas  Latifi  had  a  scare
                                                                      with the leading time.       concerned  about  the  track  when  his  brakes  burst  into
                                                                                                   conditions  that  he  and  the  flames after just 12 laps, send-
                                                                      Defending  champion  Max  other drivers will face in the  ing his Williams spinning to
                                                                      Verstappen  ended  up  with  season opener. Hamilton said  a stop. The Canadian driver
            (AP) — More than a year  when  it  needed  a  last-min-   the third fastest and fierce ri-  that conditions were difficult  grabbed  a  fire  extinguisher
            since being dropped from  ute  replacement  for  Russian  val Lewis Hamilton the fifth,  with sand blowing in on hot  and helped stewards put out
            Formula One, Kevin Mag-      driver Nikita Mazepin, ben-  just  behind  Aston  Villa’s  winds. Temperatures hit 100  the fire that engulfed the rear
            nussen  topped  preseason  efited from an extra hour of  Lance Stroll.                 degrees  Fahrenheit  (38  de-  of his car.
            testing in Bahrain on Fri-   testing when he had the cool-                             grees Celsius) on the Bahrain
            day in his first drive back  er  Sakhir  desert  track  all  to  Daniel  Ricciardo  missed  the  International  Circuit  before  Esteban Ocon had the fastest
            in the seat for Haas, mak-   himself to set a leading time  day’s  testing  and  McLaren  cooling at sunset.        lap time in the morning ses-
            ing  the  most  of  an  ex-  of 1 minute, 33.207 seconds.  later  confirmed  the  Austra-                           sion, which was later bettered
            tended session just for the                               lian  had  tested  positive  for  Amid a wave of global sanc-  by other drivers. Things did
            American-owned team.         Haas, the worst outfit in F1  COVID-19.  He  will  miss  tions  targeting  Russian  oli-  not  go  as  well  after  lunch
                                         last season, was granted four  Saturday,  which  is  the  final  garchs  for  Russia’s  invasion  for  the  Alpine  driver  when
            Magnussen,  who  Haas  re-   hours of extra testing — one  day  of  testing,  but  the  team  of  Ukraine,  Haas  dropped  his car came to a stop on the
            called a year after firing him  tacked on to Friday’s session  hopes to have him back when  Mazepin  from  its  drivers’  track, bringing out a red flag.


                        NFL teams ready to spend even with no franchise QBs around


            (AP)  -  With  the  NFL’s  “With  quarterbacks,  for  ex-  Bowl  —  the  Rams  getting  taken in the first round. The  teams,  with  the AFC  cham-
            broadcasting  rights  fees  ample, whatever is the high-  over the championship hump  game  of  musical  chairs  will  pion Bengals among them at
            skyrocketing  in  the  near  est  deal  that  last  happened,  after acquiring Matthew Staf-  still exist. Teams will be with-  more than $34 million under
            future, leading to a much  the next guy wants 5 to 10%  ford;  the  Bengals  getting  out quarterbacks.             the cap with major needs on
            higher  salary  cap  down  more, and that is how infla-   there with a second-year QB,                              the  offensive  line.  Just  ask
            the  road,  maybe  this  sea-  tion  takes  place  anyway,”  Joe  Burrow,  who  looks  like  “There  will  be  veteran  guys  Burrow about that.
            son’s  free  agency  frenzy  he  explains.  “They  might  the  next  great  one  —  there  who have failed in one place
            won’t  be  as  frenetic  as  smooth  out  the  (salary  cap)  could  be  plenty  of  dollars  before  but  will  get  pretty  Miami,  which  also  had  a
            years past.                  spikes,  because  it  is  in  both  heading into the accounts of  surprising  money,  I  would  winning record in 2021, has
                                         sides’ best interest to make it  the  likes  of  Jameis  Winston,  think.”             more than $50 million avail-
            Don’t bet on it.             be orderly, and that has been  Marcus Mariota and Mitchell                             able.  The  Chargers  are  up
                                         the history of it, too.”     Trubisky.  And  yes,  all  three  Lots of teams have salary-cap  there,  too,  and  Indy  minus
            Sure,  the  salary  cap,  pretty                          have flopped elsewhere.      tightness  and  must  be  more  Wentz has the most room at
            much stagnant for two years  A  major  part  of  the  history                          frugal  than  their  fan  bases  just short of $70 million.
            due  to  the  COVID-19  pan-  of  free  agency,  naturally,  has  “No  stone  unturned  to  find  would  prefer.  In  the  worst
            demic’s  impact  and  now  at  been  where  the  big  names  that guy” is how Denver gen-  shape  as  the  new  business  Other than Adams and God-
            $208.2  million,  is  headed  land. With no franchise-type  eral  manager  George  Paton  year approaches are five NFC  win, keys to their teams’ of-
            upward  —  maybe  into  the  quarterbacks  on  the  mar-  described  the  quarterback  clubs who are between an es-  fenses,  no  huge  stars  were
            stratosphere  —  in  the  next  ket when the bidding begins  search  before  the  Broncos  timated $45 million (Packers)  franchise-tagged,  with  tight
            few years. Still, all of that ex-  Monday  in  the  “legal  tam-  made  the  mega-trade  to  get  and $10-plus million (Bucca-  ends the most popular posi-
            tra money is, for now, make-  pering  period,”  some  of  the  Russell Wilson from Seattle.  neers) over the cap. The Su-  tion for such a move. Dallas
            believe bucks. So the spend-  top  players  received  fran-                            per Bowl champion Rams are  tagged Dalton Schultz, while
            ing  spree  we’ve  seen  every  chise tags: Green Bay’s two-  Tampa Bay with Tom Brady  about $20 million over, while  Miami  did  the  same  with
            spring won’t likely be disap-  time  All-Pro  wide  receiver  retired  and  Pittsburgh  with  the Saints are $33 million too  Mike Gesicki and Cleveland
            pearing this time around.    Davante  Adams  and  Tampa  Ben  Roethlisberger  hanging  high  and  Minnesota  is  $15  with David Njoku.
                                         Bay  WR  Chris  Godwin,  for  it up must be aggressive. Not  million above.
            “You want to get guys signed  example.  That  leaves  at  the  to  mention  Carolina,  New                          Again, no quarterbacks were
            if  you’re  looking  for  long-  top of the class New Orleans  Orleans,  Houston  and,  af-  Big  spenders  could  include  attractive  enough  there,  ei-
            term  deals,”  says  Hall  of  tackle Terron Armstead; New  ter sending Carson Wentz to  some  of  the  league’s  rising  ther.
            Fame  general  manager  Bill  England  cornerback  J.C.  Washington, the Indianapolis
            Polian. “Do it this year, when  Jackson  and  Carolina  CB  Colts. Buyers beware.
            you have an argument against  Stephon Gilmore; edge rush-
            the  agent  (with  less  money  ers  Von  Miller  of  the  Super  “The wisest choice is not to
            available), though that prob-  Bowl  champion  Rams  and  throw good money at a me-
            ably will not resonate much.”  Chandler  Jones  of  the  Car-  diocre  player,”  Polian  says.
                                         dinals; and Kansas City safety  “That’s much easier said by a
            Polian warns that basing new  Tyrann Mathieu.             guy no longer in it. We have a
            contracts  on  projected  rev-                            marketplace that is driven by
            enues and salary caps later on  Keep looking for the quarter-  who is out there and what the
            is a path filled with potholes.  backs  of  value.  They’re  not  agents  think  they  can  com-
            No deals are done in a vacu-  there.                      mand.  You  have  seen  every
            um, of course, and all sorts of                           so-called  expert  talk  down
            factors should come into play  Yet,  with  the  importance  of  the  quarterback  market  in
            during negotiations.         that position magnified even  the draft; I am still not sure
                                         more by who made the Super  we won’t have three or four
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