So that’s that. 22 and out for Formula 1 in 2023. A season dominated, in all but one race, by Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Christian Horner’s team won 21 of the 22 races, with Verstappen claiming his record-extending 19th victory in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. It has been a near-faultless campaign, with the team securing their first ever one-two in the drivers’ championship too thanks to Sergio Perez’s runner-up spot. But what about Mercedes and Ferrari, trailing in their wake? Aston Martin and McLaren were in the mix up top at different points of the season – while Williams took big steps in their first year under James Vowles. From 10th in the final 2023 constructors’ standings to first, we hand out the report cards to all 10 teams after another F1 season comes to a close. 10. HAAS (12 points) – D It was a bright start for the popular American-owned team, led by X-rated team principal maverick Guenther Steiner. But boy did they drop off. After the fifth race of the season in Miami in May, Haas claimed just three points – and only one of those came in a grand prix as opposed to a sprint. It represents a rapid slide. Steiner is very satisfied with his experienced driver pairing of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, but even their wise old heads could not eke any performance out of the VF-23 as the season progressed. While others around them brought impactful upgrades, Haas languished in mediocrity. There was also a lack of panache and excitement associated with the team this year, without any young guns to follow like Mick Schumacher. Usually, the most entertaining episode every year in Drive to Survive is the Haas-focused one. The Netflix producers may have their work cut out this time. 9. ALFA ROMEO (16 points) – C- A similar story to Haas. While Williams and AlphaTauri fought for P7 at the end given their upgraded cars, the Alfa consistently lacked performance throughout 2023. Highlights include Zhou Guanyu’s fifth place in qualifying in Spain and a double-points finish in Qatar last month. But they were anomalies rather than indications of consistent upturns in speed. Valtteri Bottas has dropped into a bottom-half driver since moving from Mercedes at the end of 2021. Again, both drivers have been confirmed for 2024. But further ahead, with Audi taking over in 2026, the German manufacturer have a big job to turn this team into a midfield contender. 8. ALPHATAURI (25 points) – B A season of two halves for Red Bull’s sister team. Remember, for instance, Nyck de Vries’ rough 10 and out stint at the start? It feels like a long time ago. It was July when feathers were well and truly ruffled as Daniel Ricciardo was brought back to the grid, where it all started for him. But an injury sustained in Zandvoort in August handed a chance to junior driver Liam Lawson. As the saying went then: more drivers than points. But an impressive ninth-place finish from Lawson was backed up by three top-10 finishes in the final five races of the season by Yuki Tsunoda. Ricciardo finished seventh in Mexico, too, as AlphaTauri ran Williams close for seventh spot in Franz Tost’s final season in charge. Their rate of improvement was considerable. 7. WILLIAMS (27 points) – A- From five wooden spoons in six years, it’s been quite the one-season turnaround from Williams in their first year spearheaded by ex-Mercedes strategist Vowles. Alex Albon has been terrific. So much so that he is being linked with his old seat at Red Bull. He has taken on the role as team leader with poise and determination, best illustrated by his seventh-place finishes in Canada and Italy. But it could have been better. Rookie Logan Sargeant struggled, earning one solitary point in Austin – and even that was only after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s disqualifications. He finished lower than Albon in every qualifying too and, at the time of writing, the American’s 2024 seat is yet to be confirmed. Nonetheless, the progress made by a titanic team in F1 has been considerable. Kudos to Vowles. The question now is how far can he take them? 6. ALPINE (120 points) – C- A season to forget for the French team. What started with a glitzy car launch in London with the likes of Zinedine Zidane presented as an ambassador ended in nothingness, neither here nor there in sixth place. Top-10 finishes have been hit and miss. Both team-mates have tasted the podium once – Esteban Ocon in Monaco, Pierre Gasly in Zandvoort – and there were only four points to separate them in the standings. But a team who had a 100-race plan at the start of 2022 to compete for titles may have to realign expectations. A crash between their drivers in Melbourne set the tone for a season of frustration and team boss Otmar Szafnauer was dismissed prior to the summer break. A big off-season is needed for the Renault-owned team. 5. ASTON MARTIN (280 points) – B+ The early-season surprise package really tailed away after the summer break – but it’s still been a season of hope and optimism for Aston Martin. The signing of Fernando Alonso was an inspired acquisition, in a car that was quickly dubbed the “Green Red Bull”. The Spaniard recorded five podiums in the first six races, with a twinge of what could have been inevitable after pole position in Monaco was snatched away from him late in the day by the peerless Verstappen. Yet while their rivals at the top upgraded and improved, Aston stood still. If there’s any lesson they can take from this season, it’s to make sure the in-season evolution of the car matches their off-season work. Oh, and stop the over-reliance on Alonso. Lance Stroll is a capable driver – he will be disappointed by his performance (and his professionalism, cc. Qatar) in 2023. While Alonso claimed 206 points, Stroll recorded just 74. 4. MCLAREN – (302 points) – A- If you had told McLaren fans after a disastrous double DNF at the season opener in Bahrain that they’d be challenging for race wins by the halfway mark, you’d have been laughed out of the room. But after an opening where Zak Brown and co admitted they hadn’t reached their off-season development targets, McLaren’s in-season work has paid off big time. The difference between their car pre and post Austria in July was like night and day. Since then, they’ve arguably been the second-quickest car on the grid on race day. Lando Norris has been on the podium seven times, with the only obvious regret the fact he is still yet to claim an inaugural win. Rookie Oscar Piastri has been excellent, too, fully vindicating Brown’s decision to dump Ricciardo last year. He claimed a sprint race win in Qatar and gave Norris the competition he has sorely needed for the last few years. But, can they close the gap to Red Bull next year? 3. FERRARI – (406 points) – B- Ah, the Scuderia. Unlike last year, when they were genuinely armed with a championship-winning car, they – like the rest – slumped behind Red Bull. On a Saturday – particularly in the hands of Charles Leclerc – the car came alive, especially towards the end of the season. But on a Sunday, their race pace floundered all too often. They did give us one of the races of the season, though, with Carlos Sainz’s super drive to win in Singapore. But just one victory, and third place in the constructors’ championship, is a far cry from the glory Ferrari crave. Fred Vasseur took over a shop in disarray following strategic errors in 2022. There’s been less of that. Yet it’ll still take a big winter in Maranello to close the gap to the leaders. 2. MERCEDES (409 points) – C+ Their first winless season in 12 years. Toto Wolff dismissing the car philosophy after just one qualifying session in Bahrain. Both drivers left reeling from an unreliable, pernickety W14 – Mercedes have been a shadow of their former selves. It took until Monaco for them to, finally, ditch the unique and ineffective no-sidepod philosophy. Results then picked up, including a double podium in Barcelona. But that was just about as good as it got. Unlike 2022, Lewis Hamilton won the battle of the team-mates at a canter up against George Russell, who too often cheaply threw away points. The seven-time world champion was on the podium six times but is now without a win for two years. He will be desperate to compete against Verstappen again – and he’s signed up for the fight for another two years. Wolff compared it to scaling Mount Everest after the final race on Sunday. It is going to have to be some climb to haul in the deficit to Red Bull next year. 1. RED BULL (860 points) – A* The most dominant season in Formula 1 history. Winning 21 out of 22 races is an astonishing feat. The RB19 car, designed by Adrian Newey, has been a rocketship, particularly in the hands of the indomitable Verstappen who has swept away the field week after week with exemplary class. For Sergio Perez, there’ll be regrets that he could not bring a title fight to Verstappen. And that should be the target next year – the Mexican has a rare chance to genuinely compete for the top spot. But he claimed P2 in the drivers’ championship comfortably in the end. What was even more comfortable was a wager of the Dutch and Austrian national anthems being played on the podium after every grand prix. Verstappen has, well and truly, been in a league of his own. It’s now all about his legacy – he won’t stop at only three titles and will rightly be the massive favourite next year. Read More Toto Wolff sees ‘Mount Everest’ ahead as Mercedes seek to end Red Bull’s domination Max Verstappen sets new landmark as he ends dominant season with Abu Dhabi win Toto Wolff sees ‘Mount Everest’ ahead as Mercedes seek to end Red Bull’s domination When does the 2024 F1 season start? F1 Abu Dhabi GP LIVE: Race results and reaction at Yas Marina

Jonnie Irwin has revealed that he felt like he was living a lie before he was honest with the world about his terminal cancer diagnosis. The Escape to the Country presenter, 49, said in November that he “doesn’t know how long” he has left to live, after first being diagnosed with lung cancer in August 2020. Irwin, who also fronted the Channel 4 property programme A Place In The Sun, kept his cancer a secret among close friends and family for two years, before deciding to share the news in November 2022 when his cancer spread to his brain. In a new podcast launched on Wednesday (24 May) titled OneChat, by life insurance company AIG Life, Irwin has revealed that he hated hiding his condition from the world. "The day I came out and told the world I had terminal cancer is the day I started living again, I started being Jonnie Irwin again and I actually feel alive,” Irwin said. The presenter explained that he kept his terminal diagnosis a secret out of fear he would lose work. “The only reason I kept it a secret is because I’ve got to feed my babies, I’ve got pay the bills because when you’ve got cancer, people write you off,” he said in the podcast. Irwin and his wife Jessica have three children; three-year-old son Rex and two-year-old twins Rafa and Cormac. “I had to keep on providing for my family. I was living with such a dark cloud above me... anyone outside of my tight-knit [circle] didn’t know.” This “dark cloud” meant Irwin would hide from photographs and selfies with fans as his appearance started changing after chemotherapy. He said that telling the world was a “massive weight” off of his shoulders. “One of the things that really inspired me to go public was because I will leave a little footprint on this planet because of a TV career but I want to leave a positive footprint but I think I can educate people into living their lives better, then I’ve got something my boys can be proud of.” In March, Irwin gave a health update, telling The Sun: “I’m weak now, fragile and my memory is terrible… but I’m still here.” Read More Couple with 37-year age gap who met when he was 15 have hopes dashed Elle Fanning wows fans with daring cut-out dress at Cannes: ‘My nips could never’ ‘I spent too much money on your wedding’: Musician calls out married friend for flirting with other women

It's officially new iPhone season. Apple gave us all the juicy details on the iPhone

Eight in 10 children who experience bedwetting have never attended a sleepover - because they’re too embarrassed. A survey of 742 adults, with children aged 4-11, found that 69 per cent of kids have turned down an invite to a sleepover party. And nearly as many (67 per cent) of parents have declined an invitation on behalf of their child. To help parents and kids deal with the experience, and help kids make friends and gain independence through sleepovers, Pampers Ninjamas teamed up with Dr Ranj Singh on educational and fun content discussing bedwetting, and how to prepare for nights out of the home. The three-part series provides education about why bladder leaks can happen, as well as practical tips on how to manage them, particularly during sleepover moments. Paediatrician, TV presenter and author Dr Ranj, said: “Sleepovers can play an important role in developing the confidence and independence of children, as well as for their enjoyment. “So I am proud to be helping the 82 per cent of children who are currently missing out, to offer practical advice as to how to better prepare for overnight stays with friends and family.” The research also found more than a quarter (26 per cent) of respondents are not comfortable discussing bedwetting with parents hosting sleepovers. And 35 per cent report an increase in bedwetting before going back to school, suggesting scholastic stress could be a trigger. To combat the situation, 76 per cent have invested in a waterproof mattress, while 68 per cent have purchased nappies for older children. Read More Playing with dolls could help a child’s social development Study finds free childcare reform has ‘little benefit’ to poorer families Most children in kinship care living with at least one grandparent, figures show

A drink of choice can say a lot about a person, and now one TikTok-famous bartender has gone viral after admitting she judges people "a little" who opt for the world-famous Long Island Iced Tea. In a clip that's racked up over 3.3 million views, TikTok user @soundbowlbae demonstrates how to make the classic cocktail, while making a lighthearted joke about those who order it. "Let me tell y'all a secret," she said."When you come up to the bar and you order a Long Island, the first thing I'm thinking is, 'Is everything ok? Like, is everything going on alright in your life 'cos why on earth would you want four different liquors in your drink?'. "You are getting rum, vodka, tequila and gin all mixed in one. That's just insane." "If you like it, I love it," she continued, before humouring: "Just know that I'm judging you a little bit." @soundbowlbae Recipe .75 ounces of Vodka,Gin,Rum,Tequila add .5 ounces of Triple Sec and Sour add coke to top. For flavors add puree, stir and top with sprite. #longisland #cocktailreceipe #potionsbyp #bartenderlife The clip is accompanied by the recipe for Long Island fan which entails: "75 ounces of Vodka, Gin, Rum, Tequila add .5 ounces of Triple Sec and Sour add coke to top. For flavors add puree, stir and top with sprite." Thousands of fellow TikTokers flocked to the comments with one stunned user writing: "So you mean to tell me a Long Island isn’t made with iced tea?" "Long island the only way to make sure you got liquor in your drink," another said, to which the creator responded: "You ain’t wrong I’m just talking s*** lol." "A Long Island is my go to drink because anytime I go into a bar I instantly forget every other drink name," one user wrote. Another joked: "I live in the UK and this is my favourite cocktail, I never order anything else and I can confirm, I have problems." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down two state laws that effectively banned abortions after a certain

A major new exhibition is opening at London’s V&A Museum to honor and celebrate the life and iconic designs, as well as many more lesser-known creations by famed French designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

We all have that one friend who treats their pet like it’s their child or

Australia will continue pursuing a case at the World Trade Organization against China’s tariffs on wine imports, rejecting

A company created in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has become its top wheat trader in

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 22, 2023--

Montana Brown has opened up about the struggle to get pregnant with her first child despite being in her twenties. The former Love Island star, 27, gave birth to her and fiancé Mark O’Connor’s son Jude last month – but said she was shocked that it was difficult to conceive in the first place. Speaking to Giovanna Fletcher on herHappy Mum Happy Baby podcast, Brown said she thought “something was wrong” with her when she first started trying to get pregnant but couldn’t. “I thought, ‘We’re young, this is going to be really easy’… for the first four months we’d used ovulation sticks, and then I’d do a pregnancy test and it’d be negative,” she recalled. “And I’d be like, ‘Oh my God, that is so hurtful’ and then you do that month after month. “Then I was kind of overthinking, is there something wrong with me, should I be getting checked?” Brown joked that she also sent O’Connor to the fertility clinic to check his sperm and recalled: “I said, ‘There’s something wrong with your sperm! You need to get it checked out, it’s not me!’” But in the end, both parties went to check their fertility and found that “everything was fine”. “So, Mark loves going in the sauna and also he’s an avid cycler, two things which are not good for sperm, which I did not know,” the reality star continued. “I also found out I had no oestrogen and no testosterone. It kind of left me a bit like, ‘Oh, I can be young, fit and healthy, and still really, really struggle to conceive’.” When she did eventually fall pregnant, Brown said it was a surprise and she thought her symptoms – which included tiredness, nausea and hot sweats – were because of food poisoning. “For some reason, like clockwork in the evenings, I was having hot sweats,” Brown said. “I had stabbing pains. And I was being sick every night. “I said to Mark, ‘I’ve got food poisoning’. And he was like, ‘I don’t think you do… you’re definitely pregnant’. “I said, ‘Mark, please, come on, we had sex that one time… this is not happening, there’s no way’. So I really avoided taking a pregnancy test. I genuinely was so convinced I was just ill.” However, O’Connor insisted that she take a pregnancy test and ordered her one via Deliveroo. Brown said she agreed to take the test “just to shut [him] up”. “I just remember weeing on the stick and just being like, ‘Yeah, it’s not loaded yet’. Just kind of a bit blasé. And then I just remember seeing it and I was like, ‘Oh my God’.” According to Brown, O’Connor, who was FaceTiming her as she took the test, was in disbelief even though he had been right. “He was like, ‘No, you’re joking’. I was like, ‘I’m not joking, it says pregnant!’” The couple welcomed their baby boy, named Jude Isaiah O’Connor, on 23 June and said they were “so smitten”. In the early days of her pregnancy, Brown said she experienced “excruciating pain”, which led her to think she had “a gall stone or appendicitis” rather than being pregnant. Montana and O’Connor announced their engagement in April, after he proposed to her on a beach in Bermuda. They met in 2020 and went “Instagram official” with their relationship the year after. She was a contestant in series three of the ITV reality dating show, where she was coupled up with Alex Beattie by the end of the series. However, the pair broke up shortly after leaving the villa. Read More Sorry lads, we just can’t afford any more reckless, middle-aged adventurers Cruise line apologises after passengers witness dozens of pilot whales being slaughtered Woman’s response to Tinder match asking her to go on an ice cream date sparks debate Margot Robbie has fangirl moment over Love Island stars Ekin-Su, Davide and Liberty Maya Jama reflects on ‘importance’ of her relationship with ex Stormzy Inside the famous Love Island villa near Majorca