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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