F1 drivers check out the new Madring circuit ahead of the Spanish GP, as they discuss the dangers, difficulties in overtaking and getting a lap done, and talk about the La Monumental corner.
Jeddah? Macau? Monaco? Baku? Zandvoort? The new Madring circuit has been compared to a lot of other tracks on the F1 calendar due to its nature and layout. The drivers are bracing for a hard and tough outing in this weekend's Spanish GP. The narrow and high-speed combination never works well for everyone, with the Saudi Arabian GP a prime example in recent times.
Of course, the F1 drivers eventually find a way through to get things right. But still, ahead of the start, they have mixed emotions, with most agreeing that it will be dangerous. Even though some feel it will not be as dangerous as Jeddah already is, the majority agree that defending will be much easier and overtaking much harder, as seen in Monaco.
Even getting a lap right in qualifying will be a challenge, which the F1 drivers accept. Almost everyone has had a run in the simulator, but they are waiting for the real feel, as the speed and power can only be ascertained once someone is really on track. One of its major attractions is the long, banked La Monumental, which, of course, everyone is looking to try in the real car.
Here's a list of F1 drivers speaking about the dangers:

#drivers #monaco #even #circuit

Girona FC and Al-Ittihad FC have reached an agreement for the loan of midfielder Unai Hernández until the end of the season.
Born in Malgrat de Mar on December 14, 2004, Unai Hernández, 21 years old, returns to a club he knows very well. After starting at the Olímpic Malgrat School, the footballer joined Girona in the Aleví category. In our youth football system, the player from Maresme spent seven seasons where he had a precocious trajectory. He was still a second-year youth player when he joined the reserve team, although he still played some matches with the youth team. In December 2021, Michel called him up to train with the first team, and shortly after, on January 2, 2022, he was part of the squad that traveled to play a league match against Huesca.
It was in the summer of 2022 when FC Barcelona signed Unai, who joined the Juvenil A team before later moving to the Barça reserve team. At this club, he also stood out for his talent. Xavi Hernández had him travel with the first team for the last league match of the 2022-2023 season against Celta. However, his debut with Barça's first team took place in ******* an, in a preseason match against Vissel Kobe. In Barça's reserve team, he became one of the most important players on the team. During the 2023-24 season, he played 38 matches and scored 10 goals.
In January 2025, he was transferred to Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Professional League. With the Jeddah team, he participated in nine matches and scored one goal before continuing his experience in Arab football on loan to Al-Shabab.
The new red-and-white player has excellent ball control, the ability to drive the ball, and enough technique to surpass opponents in tight ******* es. He is a footballer with a lot of personality and a remarkable shot.

#team #hern #ndez #Youth

A new era has begun at Al Ittihad, with 38-year-old German Jens Wissing taking charge of the Jeddah giants as they look to bounce back after last season's disappointing **** le defence.
Perhaps a little unknown to fans of the Roshn Saudi League, Wissing comes to the Kingdom following his debut senior managerial job, with **** an's Gamba Osaka.
Certainly, his appointment represents a new direction for Al Ittihad, who will be out to mount a challenge to reclaim the RSL **** le they lifted two seasons ago.
With that in mind, we break down what Wissing should bring to the club, and why the 2024-25 RSL champions felt he was the right man to succeed Sergio Conceicao.
The first responsibility of any coach is to win games and subsequently **** les, and Wissing arrives having already captured a continental **** le only six months into his senior coaching career.

#wissing #jeddah #saudi

According to Sacha Tavolieri, Schalke are among the clubs showing interest in signing George Ilenikhena from Al-Ittihad. The deal would be difficult for the newly-promoted Bundesliga side as the Saudi Pro League club paid €33 million to sign the Nigerian from AS Monaco in January.
However, the striker is already looking for a return to Europe after only six appearances, with five of them as a substitute. Al-Ittihad are reportedly open to a loan with a buying option.
Tavolieri mentioned Championship side West Ham United and Genoa as other clubs exploring a deal for the 19-year-old. Before turning 20 next month, Ilenikhena is already involved in transfers worth nearly €60 million. He signed a contract until 2029 when he joined the Jeddah club.Ilenikhena scored against Barcelona in the Champions League both as a Royal Antwerp and Monaco player.

#deal #million

Saudi ‌Arabia will organise the next three ⁠editions ⁠of the Asian Champions League Elite finals after the Asian Football Confederation's ⁠executive committee confirmed the country's provisional hosting rights had been made permanent.
The Saudis have hosted the first two editions of the event, which sees the quarterfinals, semifinals and final played in ‌a centralised venue, since the continent's premier club competition was restructured before the 2024/2025 season.
Jeddah-based outfit Al-Ahli have won the **** le on the two occasions the city has hosted the ⁠finals, defeating **** an's Kawasaki ⁠Frontale in 2025 before beating Machida Zelvia, also from **** an, in May.
The upcoming edition of the tournament, which ⁠features the domestic champions of the leading competitions from ⁠the region, will ⁠see the league phase expanded from 24 to 32 teams.
The qualifying rounds will start on August 11, ‌with the draw for the league phase to be held in Kuala Lumpur ‌on ‌August 18 and play commencing on September 14.

#league #arabia

With the IBF world light-middleweight ******* le in his possession, Josh Kelly feels "it's a different version of me" since he dethroned Bakhram Murtazaliev as he promised to "put on a show" in his maiden defence against Caoimhin Agyarko on Saturday.
Kelly had to bide his time for his opportunity, but the silky 32-year-old from Sunderland grabbed it with both hands with a majority points decision verdict against the Russian in January, improving to 18 wins with one defeat and one draw.
In some ways, 29-year-old Belfast challenger Agyarko has followed a similar path, enjoying big promotional backing in spells under the Queensberry and Matchroom banners, but was cut adrift by the latter following what was then a career-best win over Troy Williamson in 2023.
Both men will walk to the ring in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on the undercard of Anthony Joshua's heavyweight return against Kristian Prenga fully aware of how tough it has been to get to this stage.
Kelly, who had to rebuild from a 2021 defeat by David Avanesyan, has rattled off eight successful wins, culminating in his ******* le victory over Murtazaliev in Newcastle, dropping the champion in the fourth before coming through a late storm and surviving his own 11th-round trip to the canvas.

#year #wins #defeat #caoimhin

Six months removed from a destructive knockout victory over Jake Paul, heavyweight superstar Anthony Joshua is back in the ring with eyes on a blockbuster clash against Tyson Fury later this year.
But before turning to Fury, Joshua must get past Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, his first bout since surviving a car accident in Nigeria in December.
"It’s no secret I’ve taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready for stepping back into the ring and (this fight) is the next step on that journey," Joshua said in April.
While scarcely known on the heavyweight scene, Prenga is riding a 16-fight knockout streak. He has scored three-straight first-round stoppages, but against opponents with a combined record of 38-28-5.
"Anthony Joshua is a great fighter, but he made a terrible miscalculation in picking me as his opponent," Prenga said. "This is the kind of fight that changes everything in my life and his. I know they have big plans ahead after this fight. I know they are overlooking me. I’m happy about that. I will derail their plans and shock the world . . . ”

#knockout #heavyweight

Two world-title fights have been added to the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s next bout, as the British heavyweight faces Kristian Prenga on 25 July.
Joshua will take on Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in a warm-up fight for his long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury, which will take place at an as-yet-unknown date – potentially at Wembley Stadium in London.
Joshua, 36, will fight Albanian Prenga one night after Fury’s own warm-up bout, a contest with Mariusz Wach in Thailand.
And Joshua vs Prenga has solid support in the form of two world-title fights at the Jeddah Superdome, as Hamzah Sheeraz and Josh Kelly star on the undercard.
Sheeraz, 27, will defend the WBO super-middleweight ***** le against Simon Zachenhuber, having won the vacant belt in his most-recent outing – a second-round stoppage of Alem Begic in May, on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s victory over Rico Verhoeven at the pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Fabinho’s summer has taken on fresh intrigue, the kind that tends to follow established players once their futures loosen from contract and routine. Recalled by Brazil for the 2026 World Cup after spending three seasons with Al-Ittihad, the former Liverpool midfielder now finds himself back in the market as a free agent, and speaking warmly about a club he once briefly called home.
His return to Brazil’s squad raised eyebrows in some quarters, largely because his recent football has unfolded far from Europe’s weekly glare. Yet there has been substance to his time in Saudi Arabia. Fabinho helped Al-Ittihad secure successive Saudi Pro League ******* les and also lifted the King’s Cup, adding order and experience to a side built to win quickly.
That chapter has now closed. His three-year contract in Jeddah expired at the end of June, with no extension agreed, leaving the 32-year-old free to consider the next step of a career that has already taken him through several of the modern game’s most demanding environments.
When asked about the prospect of a move back to Spain by El Chiringuito TV, Fabinho did little to dampen the conversation. “Would I like to return to Real Madrid? Who wouldn’t like being at Real Madrid? It’s the best club in the world.” It was a clear enough answer, respectful in tone, but open enough to invite speculation around a possible reunion.
His history with Real Madrid is slight, but real. He joined Real Madrid Castilla from Rio Ave in 2012, became a regular for the B team in the Segunda División and worked in close proximity to José Mourinho’s senior squad. His only first-team appearance came in May 2013, when he stepped off the bench in a 6-2 win away to Malaga.

Tyson Fury has announced details of his final tune-up fight before facing Anthony Joshua , revealing a clash against veteran Polish heavyweight Mariusz Wach in Pattaya , Thailand .
The bout, to be shown on Netflix , will take place on Friday July 24, which is just 24 hours before Joshua takes on unknown Albanian Kristian Prenga in his own warm-up fight in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Should everything go to plan in those two contests, boxing fans will finally get the long-awaited showdown between the two best British heavyweight boxers of their generation when Fury and AJ face off in a blockbuster event in the latter stages of 2026 , having agreed terms earlier this year.
Wach does have more of a track record then Prenga and fought for a world heavyweight ******* le against Wladimir Klitschko – impressing as he took the Ukrainian great the distance before losing a unanimous decision for the first defeat of his career.
However, that fight was way back in 2012 and the 6ft 7in Pole is now 46 years old, having dropped from a 27-0 record before facing Klitschko to now being 39-13.

The E1 Racebird boats are fully electric and ride on hydrofoils.
Electric racing has struggled to succeed. Many innovative series have encountered problems, with Formula E the exception rather than the rule. Combining sustainability with another niche – powerboat motorsport – could have been a recipe for disaster. But the electric E1 powerboat racing series has gone from strength to strength, attracting famous names from acting, sport, and music as team owner figureheads. What has been the secret of its success?
“We’re still here,” says Alejandro Agag, Founder of E1, as well as Formula E and Extreme E (recently mutated into Extreme H). “That’s already an achievement. It's always difficult to create a championship, especially in an area like boat racing.” That’s not to say that E1 hasn’t faced problems along the way. “Every championship has difficulty breaking through the media barrier. It’s hard to get broadcasted and very hard to get to the big audiences. That's still our challenge, but if you want to break that wall, first you need to have something that exists. The key to the championships that will survive is to have a business model that allows you to continue without revenue from the media, so when you get the revenue from media it’s on top.”
The incredibly innovative Extreme E series struggled with this problem. Its generally remote race sites meant there was almost never a physical audience, and no potential for marketing these as destinations. “The main success of E1 is the locations,” says Agag. “With some exceptions, like Monaco, they all pay, and in Extreme E we were going to very remote locations where they didn’t pay, because there was effectively no location. With Greenland or the desert in Chile, there was no business model for the venue. Here, there is a business model based on the venues. We have new venues like Angola. We have Lagos that we've done twice. We have Jeddah. In all of them, we make a profit on the event itself, which is the key.”
Agag was speaking before the E1 race in Dubrovnik’s beautiful Pile Bay. “Here, we are sponsored by the Croatian Tourism Board,” he explains. “They have an interest in attracting tourism. The main sponsor is the chain of hotels where we host the hospitality. They're interested in bringing people to the location.” However, a unique aspect of E1 is celebrity involvement. Some very famous people act as figurehead team principals and owners. These include actor Will Smith, legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady, NBA superstar LeBron James, DJ and record producer Steve Aoki, tennis champion Rafa Nadal, Latin music favorite Marc Anthony, and multi-cup-winning footballer Didier Drogba. No other sport has such direct and diverse celebrity involvement.