There had been a lot of talk about Max in karting. The first time I saw him was in his opening Formula Three race at Silverstone in 2014. I remember raising it to Helmut Marko – Red Bull’s motorsport consultant – that this kid looks the real deal. Helmut watched him at the Norisring in Germany and he was convinced. There was interest from Niki Lauda and Mercedes, but Red Bull could take him to Formula One immediately. So, he came to us a very young age. He was 16. And I remember in his very first outing for us – a demonstration run in Rotterdam – he took the front wing off the car! But you could tell in the seat fitting the confidence he had for a young guy was exceptional. All of the drivers that came through the junior categories learned their trade out of the spotlight, but Max became the youngest driver in Formula One ever. He was only 17. Every move and every mistake he made was scrutinised. Jean Todt, who was the FIA president at the time, changed the regulations to ensure someone as young and inexperienced as Max could not enter F1. There will never be a driver that moves so rapidly from karting to F1 again. But the way he dealt with it mentally made him a standout character. It was obvious in his first full F1 season when he drove for Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso, that he was an emerging talent, and at the beginning of 2016 he was performing beyond the capability of the car. Daniil Kvyat was struggling, and there was a lot of interest in Max. We made the decision to move him to Red Bull at the Spanish Grand Prix. Mercedes did their thing when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed into each other on the first lap and Max, who started fourth which was already stunning, made the one-stop strategy work to win in his first Grand Prix with the team. He became the sport’s youngest ever winner, aged 18. It was a fairytale. Max had arrived. He won races in 2017 and 2018, and in 2019 he became the team leader following Daniel Ricciardo’s departure to Renault. He grew up, and it was a transformative year for him. In 2021 we had a car and an engine that could take the fight to Mercedes, and that season will go down as one of the most competitive sporting duels the sport has ever had. From the first race in Bahrain through to Abu Dhabi, Max and Lewis were like two heavyweights going up against each other. Max was a dog with a bone. He wouldn’t let it go. And you couldn’t script that they would head to the final race tied on points. Max was very cool. He put the car on pole, and we took our opportunity under the final safety car. Max had one lap to get the job done. I don’t think Lewis expected Max to attack in the corner that he did, and people overlook that he still had to beat Lewis. He still had to win the race. It wasn’t about two unlapped backmarkers. It was about Max reacting to the circumstances and getting the job done. And under the most intense pressure he did just that. He sent it down the inside and the whole place went bananas. To see him and his father, Jos, celebrate was a very special moment because it was the culmination of all the effort that his father had put into him at a very young age. Max achieved his goal, and anything after that was the icing on the cake, because for him, it was all about becoming a world champion. Max has still got all the tenacity he had when he got in the car as a 17-year-old, but he now marries that with experience. Outside of the car, he is a normal guy, too. He has his feet on the ground and he hasn’t had his head turned by fame and fortune. He still loves racing, and he has got good, grounded principals. He is competitive and wears his heart on his sleeve. He is very honest. He will give you everything, but he expects everything in return. He can go on to achieve so much more. We are riding a wave at the moment, and we want to continue riding that wave for as long as we can. Will Max be in Formula One for a long, long time? I don’t think so. He has ambitions beyond F1 and beyond racing. And at 26, 36 seems a long way away. We have a long-term agreement with him until 2028, and he has always said he will be happy to start and end his career here, but motivation will be a crucial factor. Read More Angry Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and storms out of interview Max Verstappen fastest in Qatar practice as he closes in on world championship Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher F1 Qatar Grand Prix LIVE: Sprint race updates and results at Lusail Max Verstappen hails third F1 world title as his best

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Naomi Osaka has welcomed a baby girl with rapper boyfriend Cordae. The 25-year-old tennis star welcomed her first child in Los Angeles, People reported on Tuesday 11 July. “They are doing well,” a source told the outlet. The couple, who have been dating since 2019, announced they were expecting their first child together in January. “Can’t wait to get back on the court but here’s a little life update for 2023,” Osaka captioned an Instagram post, which featured a photo of the baby’s ultrasound. In June, the four-time grand slam champion revealed on Instagram that she was expecting a baby girl. Osaka shared several photos from the princess-themed baby shower, which included a large sign with the words: “A Little Princess Is on the Way” Another photo showed the “Doomsday” rapper kissing Osaka’s growing baby bump. The pro athlete simply captioned the post with a purple and white heart emoji. Although Naomi Osaka is currently focused on being a mother, the former world number one tennis player still plans on returning to the court in 2024, after she had withdrawn from the Australian Open earlier this year. “The past few years have been interesting to say the least, but I find that it’s the most challenging times in life that may be the most fun,” she wrote in her pregnancy announcement. “These few months away from the sport has really given me a new love and appreciation or the game I’ve dedicated my life to,” Osaka continued. “I realise that life is so short and I don’t take any moments for granted, everyday is a new blessing and adventure. I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, ‘that’s my mom’.” “2023 will be a year that’ll be full of lessons for me and I hope I’ll see you guys in the start of the next one ‘cause I’ll be at Aus 2024,” she added, confirming her return to the 2024 Australian Open. “Love you all infinitely.” While the couple have not yet revealed the name of their newborn baby, Osaka previously hinted at some of her baby name choices. “We have been discussing names. I would say that we are going for something more unique than traditional,” she told People earlier this year. Throughout her pregnancy, the Japanese tennis player admitted that she was gearing up to become the “best version” of herself for her daughter. “I would say for me, I just want to be the best version of myself,” Osaka said. “Obviously, I’ve never been a mother before so I’m taking it day-by-day and just trying to be someone that my son or daughter will be proud of.” Read More Naomi Osaka announces pregnancy and will miss rest of 2023 tennis season Naomi Osaka says she's pregnant, plans tennis return in 2024 Serena Williams announces pregnancy and shows off baby bump at Met Gala Foetuses use ‘greedy’ father gene to get more nutrients from mothers, study finds The meaning behind the name of Carrie and Boris Johnson’s third child Emilia Clarke’s brain haemorrhage ‘profoundly changed our lives’, says star’s mother

A designer dress apparently worth US$1,300 has been criticised as looking “cheap” after a woman posted a video of herself styling it on Instagram. Marjan Tabibzada, a fashion influencer whose Instagram account @youngcouture_ has more than 1.2m followers, shared the clip featuring a pink sheer dress by Jacquemus that currently retails for £970. The silk chiffon maxi dress features a cowl neck and strap detailing, as well as a flowing skirt with a train. Viewers, however, were unimpressed by how the dress looked and criticised it for appearing “cheap” and “not worth” the price tag. In her video, Tabibzada said she purchased a pink slip dress from Amazon to wear underneath the Jacquemus dress because it was “way too see-through”. She accessorised with flowery pink earrings, strappy heels from Zara, and a pearl clutch from Los Angeles brand Cult Gaia. In her caption, Tabibzada wrote: “Is this dress worth US$1,300?” Many of her viewers did not think so, with some saying that the influencer “got scammed” into buying the garment. “Definitely not worth the price… US$13 sure but I wouldn’t even spend US$20 on that,” one person said. A disappointed follower wrote: “Why is it so bad though? I had high hopes.” Explaining why they didn’t like the dress, one person said: “Not in love with the dress, especially with the tag showing through due to the sheerness. I don’t get the concept they were going for.” Another said the dress was “giving Shein”, comparing the designer garment to those sold on the fast fashion online retailer. Others defended the dress and its price, highlighting that it is made with luxury fabrics. One person wrote: “People in the comments are foolish, ‘Looks like it’s from Shein’, OK, great, enjoy your $9 (£7) dress. Expensive fabrics typically feel so incomparable on the body. “It won’t be staticky, it probably doesn’t stain as easily or snag… Y’all really think Shein dresses lok like real clothes… I think it’s very elegant. I’ll never understand the fascination with cheap clothes and shoes for some, they don’t feel the same.” Read More Mother reveals the sweet meaning behind viral graduation gift for her daughter Influencer hospitalised for traumatic brain injury after horse falls on her at Arizona ranch Beyoncé’s Renaissance mirror-ball cowboy hat has sold out – but we’ve found some similar styles Exposed bras are the newest fashion trend, but not everyone is convinced All the best-dressed stars at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Italian designer launches scathing attack on Shein over ‘stolen ideas’

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