Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff believes former Red Bull boss Christian Horner will struggle to secure a return to Formula 1 after leaving behind significant controversy.

The 52-year-old was dismissed from his long-standing position in July following a period of declining team performance and intense internal disputes.

Prior to his exit, the British executive faced accusations of sexual harassment and coercive behaviour from a female employee, though he was twice cleared following investigations by independent lawyers.

“He has broken quite a lot of glass, and these things have repercussions in our microcosm.”

Toto Wolff speaking to the Press Association

A controversial legacy

The pair endured a fierce rivalry over the past decade as they battled for motorsport supremacy.

Under Horner’s stewardship, the Milton Keynes-based outfit secured eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships.

This success included Max Verstappen’s run of four consecutive drivers’ crowns from 2021 to 2024, which famously ended a dominant era for Lewis Hamilton and the Silver Arrows.

“I said to Fred Vasseur that it needs the good, the bad, and the ugly, and it is now only the good and the ugly left,” Wolff admitted.

“The sport is missing personalities, and his personality was clearly very controversial and that is good for the sport.”

Alpine investment rumours

Recent speculation has linked the former championship-winning principal with a potential move to Alpine.

The French constructor confirmed in January that the unemployed manager was among multiple interested parties discussing potential investment opportunities.

Mercedes are simultaneously exploring the purchase of a 24% stake in Alpine currently held by private investment firm Otro Capital.

However, the Austrian billionaire firmly denied any collaborative intentions, stating it would be quite sad if a joint venture was considered.

“Would I consider that he could ever be an ally or someone that shares objectives?” Wolff questioned.

“I don’t think so,” the Mercedes chief concluded.

Unfinished business

Despite the bitter history between the two executives, Wolff acknowledged his rival’s undeniable achievements.

“Over those years it was just too intense, too fierce, and things happened which even today I cannot comprehend why he has done them,” Wolff explained.

“I certainly don’t wish him bad, and we need to give each other credit as there are not many team principals who have done what he has done.”

The ousted Red Bull leader has previously insisted he has unfinished business in the paddock, despite being overlooked for a vacancy at Aston Martin last year.

Welterweight champion Lauren Price defends her world titles and heavyweights Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora collide during a blockbuster 48 hours of boxing this weekend.

Welsh star Price puts her WBC, IBF and WBA welterweight belts on the line against Puerto Rico’s Stephanie Pineiro in Cardiff on Saturday.

The unbeaten Olympic gold medallist is expected to make her ringwalk at approximately 21:00 GMT.

Fans can watch the entire card live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website from 18:00, with BBC Two joining the broadcast at 20:00.

Heavyweight Drama at the O2

Attention then switches to London’s O2 Arena later that evening for a massive heavyweight clash.

Veteran British fighter Chisora faces fearsome American knockout artist Wilder in a highly anticipated showdown.

Ringwalks for the heavyweight main event are scheduled for after 22:00, with the first bell expected around 22:30.

Live radio commentary of the bout will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live from 22:00.

All-British Unification Bout

The boxing action continues into Sunday at the Olympia in Kensington with a stacked women’s card.

WBC lightweight champion Caroline Dubois faces WBO belt holder Terri Harper in a spectacular unification bout.

Live text commentary for the Sunday event will commence from 19:00 on the BBC Sport website and app.

The Sunday showcase also features Emma Dolan’s super-flyweight world title tilt against Mexican challenger Irma Garcia.

Weekend Fight Cards and Running Orders

The Saturday night showcase in Cardiff features a packed undercard supporting the main title fight.

The heavyweight spectacle in London boasts an equally compelling list of preliminary bouts.

Sunday’s championship event in Kensington rounds off the weekend with multiple world titles on the line.

Liverpool have agreed summer deals to sign centre-backs Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes and Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Wien ahead of the new Premier League season.

The double acquisition represents the first major defensive reinforcement for manager Arne Slot.

Chief executive Michael Edwards sanctioned both moves as the Merseyside club look to build on last year’s extensive squad overhaul.

The Anfield side invested heavily in their midfield last summer but have now shifted their focus towards long-term defensive stability.

£60m deal for French prospect

The most high-profile arrival is a £60m agreement for the 20-year-old Rennes standout.

Terms were originally finalised during the January transfer window before the French youth international was loaned back to the Ligue 1 outfit.

However, the promising defender suffered a significant shoulder injury against Lens in February.

He underwent successful surgery earlier this month and faces an estimated rehabilitation period of up to 12 weeks.

His reduced playing time over the coming months diminishes the risk of further aggravation before he arrives in England.

Investing in Austrian youth

Joining the Frenchman on Merseyside this summer will be an imposing 18-year-old talent.

Standing at 6ft 6in, the teenage prospect has been a regular fixture for Austria Wien’s reserve side in the country’s second tier.

The towering centre-half recently graduated to the Austrian under-18 national setup.

Despite making 10 appearances for his club’s developmental squad this term, he is yet to make his senior competitive debut.

Jannik Sinner has completed a historic ‘Sunshine Double’ by defeating Jiri Lehecka to win the Miami Open without dropping a single set, intensifying his rivalry with world number one Carlos Alcaraz.

The 24-year-old Italian secured a 6-4 6-4 victory over the Czech 21st seed in a rain-interrupted final on the Florida hard courts.

His latest triumph follows a flawless campaign at Indian Wells, making him the first man to capture both prestigious tournaments consecutively without losing a set.

The imperious nature of this achievement serves as a stark reminder of the widening gulf between the top two players and the rest of the men’s tour.

Closing the gap at the summit

Securing the trophy in Miami has allowed the world number two to reduce the deficit to Alcaraz at the top of the rankings to just 1,190 points.

The Spaniard suffered a surprise third-round exit at the tournament, allowing his closest rival to make significant ground.

With the European clay-court swing rapidly approaching, the pair are destined to resume their battle for the sport’s biggest prizes.

“It has been an incredible swing for me and I’m extremely happy with the work we did to be in this position.”

Jannik Sinner

The Italian has now won 34 consecutive sets at Masters events.

This astonishing run joins him with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as the only men to claim three consecutive titles at this tier.

A metronomic serving masterclass

Since experiencing defeats earlier in the season, the lightning-fast baseliner has relied heavily on the improved reliability of his delivery.

Metronomic precision with his opening shot laid the foundation for his success against Lehecka, where he won 92% of his first-serve points.

Hitting 70 aces over six matches marked the highest tally of his career in a three-set tournament format.

The formidable server dropped his service game only once throughout his entire flawless Miami campaign.

When facing three break points at 0-40 in the opening set of the final, he produced five inch-perfect deliveries to effortlessly escape the danger.

This remarkable ability to serve his way out of trouble drew immediate comparisons to the legendary Roger Federer at his peak.

Mohamed Salah could reject lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia in favour of a move to Italy when he leaves Liverpool at the end of the season, according to former defender Jamie Carragher.

The 33-year-old Egyptian international sent shockwaves through Merseyside last week by confirming his imminent departure from Anfield.

His exit will draw the curtain on a glittering nine-year spell that saw him become the club’s all-time Premier League top scorer.

Resisting the Saudi Pro League

Saudi Arabian clubs have made the prolific forward their primary transfer target for several successive windows.

With his impending status as a free agent, a long-anticipated switch to the Gulf state appeared to be a formality for the global icon.

However, Anfield legend Carragher believes the player’s elite mentality will keep him in European football.

Champions League ambitions

“I think Mo Salah, the way he’s driven like a Ronaldo, I don’t see the Saudi thing just yet,” Carragher said on The Overlap podcast.

“I can see him in Italy with one of the giants.”

“I just think your career’s over when you go there [Saudi Arabia].”

“I think he’ll still be looking at his Champions League record or how many goals he can get.”

“I still think he thinks, ‘I’m still one of the best players, and me leaving now is not the end of my top-level career, I’ve still got something to give’.”

Search for a successor

Attention on Merseyside has already shifted towards finding a suitable replacement for their departing talisman.

Bayern Munich attacker Michael Olise has emerged as a tantalising option following a sensational campaign in Germany.

The former Crystal Palace star has cemented his status as one of Europe’s premier attacking talents by racking up 16 goals and 27 assists.

Bavarian obstacle

Any hopes of prising the French youth international away from the Bundesliga appear highly unlikely at this stage.

The German giants view the dynamic winger as central to their long-term project and have no intention of sanctioning a sale.

Furthermore, lingering frustration remains behind the scenes in Munich after the English side recently hijacked a previous transfer bid.

Cardiff City and FC Nantes are set to conclude a long-running legal dispute in a French court on Monday over a £104m compensation claim following the tragic death of Argentine striker Emiliano Sala in 2019.

A commercial court judge will decide whether the Welsh club should be financially compensated by the Ligue 1 outfit for the loss of the 28-year-old.

The Argentine forward and pilot David Ibbotson tragically died when their Piper Malibu aircraft crashed into the English Channel on 21 January 2019.

High-stakes compensation battle

The former Premier League side are demanding more than €120m (£104m) for loss of income and associated damages.

Their legal team argues that the prolific attacker’s arrival would have successfully kept the Bluebirds in England’s top flight.

Instead, the club suffered relegation to the Championship at the end of the 2018-19 campaign and eventually plummeted into League One in April 2025.

Representatives for the French club have strongly denied these claims and officially disputed the existence of any wrongdoing.

The ‘wild west’ of player welfare

The upcoming hearing follows a December 2025 session where the Welsh side argued that Willie McKay, the man who booked the fatal flight, was acting on behalf of the selling club.

Beyond the courtroom, the tragedy heavily scrutinised the opaque nature of global player movement and the usage of illegal charter flights.

Audio messages released after the crash revealed the newly signed striker’s profound unease and confusion regarding the rapid pace of the £15m move.

Despite widespread industry promises following the disaster, experts believe the systemic issues surrounding duty of care remain unresolved.

Calls for mandatory standards

Lorna McLelland, a former player liaison officer at Aston Villa, insists that the current landscape remains largely unregulated.

“In terms of movement of players, central to that is money…it’s always the case and it’s still a little bit of a wild west.”
“I’m really quite shocked that not much has been put in place for this but, as we know, football is a complicated world and there needs to be a lot more change than there has been to date.”

While most professional teams operate internal welfare systems, there are currently no universally mandated standards governing these roles.

This lack of regulation frequently leads to a problematic overlap with the specific duties of agents and intermediaries.

Jonathan Booker, a sports mediation expert, noted that an initial flurry of proactive industry activity following the tragedy ultimately faded away.

“I’d like to see set standards, if not accreditation, for player care and welfare.”

The NFL has authorised the hiring and training of replacement referees starting in May amid stalled contract negotiations with the NFL Referees Association.

The current collective bargaining agreement between the league and the officials’ union is set to expire on 31 May.

With vast differences remaining in economic and structural proposals, league executives are actively preparing for a lockout.

Training for the new recruits, largely drawn from the collegiate ranks, is scheduled to commence on 1 May.

Avoiding past mistakes

During the previous referee lockout in 2012, the league was widely criticised for waiting until July to secure contingency officials.

To avoid a similar drop in officiating standards, franchise owners have opted for early intervention to ensure adequate preparation time.

“To expect people to jump from college to the pros and change in speed in that short of time is destined to be a challenge to succeed.”

A league source added that failing to prepare for the looming expiration would amount to gross negligence.

Financial disputes and structural changes

The gridiron organisation has reportedly offered the union a six-year deal featuring average annual salary increases of 6.45%.

In 2025, the average salary for a top-flight official sat at $385,000 (£305,000).

However, the primary sticking points revolve around performance and accountability measures that the union has largely resisted.

These proposed changes include:

Scott Green, executive director of the NFLRA, has not yet publicly commented on the ongoing negotiations.

Amnesty International has warned the United States is facing a “human rights emergency” ahead of the 2026 World Cup due to severe anti-immigration policies and protest restrictions.

A new report by the campaign group highlights the perceived threat posed by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to travelling fans, local communities, and even the players themselves.

The upcoming tournament, expanded to 48 teams for the first time, will be jointly hosted across North America by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

However, the latest findings suggest that restrictions on freedom of expression across all three host nations could severely undermine the safe and inclusive event promised by world football’s governing body, Fifa.

Immigration policies spark safety fears

The comprehensive document focuses heavily on the United States and the potential impact of discriminatory immigration policies implemented under Donald Trump’s administration.

Researchers point to the significant risks immigrant communities may face when gathering for matches or travelling to the stadiums.

Currently, only four of the 16 host cities have published formal human rights plans ahead of the summer competition.

None of these existing municipal frameworks include explicit protections against immigration enforcement, while cities such as Dallas, Houston, and Miami have established controversial agreements to collaborate with ICE.

Travel bans and surveillance concerns

International supporters from nations including Ivory Coast, Haiti, Iran, and Senegal will be barred from entering the host country without a valid visa secured before 1 January 2026.

The charity also highlighted the prospect of intrusive surveillance, detailing proposals that would force foreign visitors to submit their social media accounts to authorities for screening.

Steve Cockburn, head of economic and social justice at the organisation, stressed the lack of reassurance from governing bodies regarding racial profiling and indiscriminate raids.

“Despite the astounding numbers of arrests and deportations, neither FIFA nor the US authorities have provided any guarantees that fans and local communities will be safe from ethnic and racial profiling, indiscriminate raids, or unlawful detention and deportation.”

Cockburn added that the US government deported more than half a million people in 2025.

The official noted that this staggering deportation figure was more than six times the expected attendance for the tournament finale at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.