Max Verstappen says he is more worried about making sure Red Bull regains its form than thinking about any options he might have to change Formula 1 teams in 2026.

With Verstappen understood to have exit clauses in his current Red Bull deal that runs until 2028, the world champion’s future at the team has been a constant source of speculation this season, in the wake of power struggles behind the scenes and several key staffers on their way out at the Milton Keynes-based squad.

Verstappen was frequently courted by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, especially once Red Bull started struggling for performance, before Mercedes formally committed to young phenom Andrea Kimi Antonelli last month.

Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com, Verstappen hinted at renewed possibilities to change teams in 2026 instead but stressed that he was more concerned with turning Red Bull’s performances around than anything else.

When asked if he enjoyed the fact that he appears to have options for 2026 and beyond, with several teams keeping their options open, Verstappen replied: “Yes, of course, I know it’s possible, but I’m not really thinking about it right now.

“I think at the moment I have enough to worry about with other things we want to do better.

“We will see what happens in the future. At the moment I am not really thinking about it too much, to be honest. But if it doesn’t happen, then so be it. It won’t change my life.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

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With Verstappen surely of interest to Aston Martin as well, the team that has recently attracted other key Red Bull members including Rob Marshall, Adrian Newey and Will Courtenay, Red Bull is aware of what it needs to do to let the Dutchman see out of his current deal: provide him with a competitive car.

“Most big drivers have exit clauses in their contract that are performance-related, and so does Max,” Helmut Marko told German outlet RTL/ntv. “So if we can’t give him a car to fight at the front, then it will definitely be something he will think about.”

The biggest variable is 2026’s all-new regulations cycle featuring brand-new car designs and heavily revised power units, which will be a huge opportunity to shuffle the competitive pecking order.

Red Bull in particular has plenty of questions to answer over its first-ever power units designed in-house at Red Bull Powertrains, with input from Ford, as Honda departs to become Aston Martin’s works partner.

But Verstappen doesn’t believe Red Bull’s 2026 form is a bigger enigma than that of its rival teams. “Of course it is [a question mark], but you can say that about everyone,” he said. “It’s a completely new car and engine.

“It’s a question mark for everyone, also for the people who think they are in the best position right now. There’s always the question of whether you really did such a great job and it will stay that way [until the 2026 season starts].”

DAN AZEEZ returns to the ring on Saturday night as he looks to move back into major title contention.

The Lewisham boxer takes on the undefeated Lewis Edmondson for the British light-heavyweight title.

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Azeez beat Hosea Burton in 2021 to claim the strap and successfully defended it twice before losing it to Joshua Buatsi in a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender back in February.

Since losing the belt, the 35-year-old drew with Hrvoje Sep in a comeback fight at Selhurst Park in June.

Now Azeez looks to reclaim the vacant title on the huge undercard of Adam Azim vs Ohara Davies.

When is Dan Azeez vs Lewis Edmondson?

• Dan Azeez vs Lewis Edmondson will take place on Saturday, October 19.
• The fight will take place at approximately 8.30pm BST, but note that timings are subject to the length of other fights on the undercard.
• The main card is scheduled to start at 7pm BST.
• London’s Copper Box Arena will host.

What TV channel is Dan Azeez vs Lewis Edmondson on and can it be live streamed?

• Dan Azeez vs Lewis Edmondson will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Mix from 7pm, with coverage moving to Sky Sports Main Event from 8pm.
• Sky Sports customers can live stream all the action via the Sky Sports app or the NOW app/website.

Who else is on the card?

• Adam Azim vs. Ohara Davies; Super-lightweight (MAIN EVENT)
• Anthony Yarde vs. TBA; Light-heavyweight
• Dan Azeez vs. Lewis Edmonson for British light-heavyweight title
• Michael McKinson vs. Tulani Mbenge for IBO welterweight title
• Jaemie TKV vs. Franklin Ignatius
• Francesca Hennessy vs. TBA
• Shannon Courtenay vs. TBA
• Sam Hickey vs. TBA

It is not just in the WSL where there are a lack of female coaches.

Of the 32 coaches at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, only 12 were women. Only three of the 14 coaches in the United States’ domestic league are female.

But Clements says the expansion of the WSL plays a part in creating barriers for homegrown coaches specifically, adding to the existing challenges for English women hoping to take on senior positions in the game.

It’s the FA’s job to “champion the ability and talent we do have in England”, he says.

There remains a large talent pool of English female head coaches in the Women’s Championship – with five currently in charge out of the 11 clubs – and the FA’s national youth team set-ups.

Amy Merricks was recently named head coach at Birmingham City in the second tier, having acted as interim manager at WSL club Brighton on two occasions.

She says it has often been “really difficult to understand” clubs’ recruitment processes and she wants more information on what they are looking for.

“We have a significant amount of female coaches in the game, it’s more about how we build them and give them the experience of what’s required,” Merricks told BBC Sport.

“We can only do that if we know what clubs are looking for. I’ve been in situations where you’re close to the interview process, then a decision has been made. You wonder if you have had a fair chance.

“Do foreign coaches have experience in their leagues and that is therefore perceived as less of a risk?

“How are panels made up in the interview process? Is there enough diversity within that? How many of those head coach appointments have been made by females in those positions? They are the recruiters.

“The other point that I think needs to be addressed is the lack of black coaches. Former Brighton manager Hope Powell was the only black coach and now there are none.”

TYSON FURY’S coach Andy Lee has revealed that the Gypsy King could not spar as he prepared to face Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury, 36, was outpointed by the Ukrainian in Riyadh on May 18.

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The pair had initially been set to do battle on February 17, but the original date was forced to be postponed after the Gypsy King sustained a cut in training.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Lee revealed that Fury’s injury had major repercussions when it came to his subsequent fight camp.

Assessing the bout, the 40-year-old said: “Tyson cruises up until round nine, and takes that punch.

“He shows unbelievable bravery and courage to get through it.

“He sees through the next couple of rounds and then almost wins the last round or two. I thought it could have been a draw.

“Fights are won and lost in the training and preparation. Because of the rearranged and rescheduled fight due to a cut, Tyson couldn’t spar in the camp.”

On how the lack of sparring affected Fury’s performance, Lee went on: “The conditioning, sharpness and your ability to concentrate to stay ready and to sustain attacks.

“In the meantime, it encouraged Usyk to come forward and gave him the emphasis to go forward to take it now because ‘I’m taking a break.’

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“It’ll be different because he’ll be able to spar.”

Fury and Usyk are set to meet again in Riyadh on December 21.

Last week, the Gypsy King warned his opponent that he is a master of rematches.

He said, ahead of the console release of boxing video game Undisputed: “It’s given me a little bit of a lift.

“Now I’ve got something really to return for. And here’s the interesting fact, in two decades, no one has ever survived the rematch with me.

“Of all the rematches I’ve had, with John McDermott, the trilogies with Chisora, trilogy with Wilder and I’m going into a rematch for this.

“I’ve stopped every one of them or knocked them. So yeah, I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Their first bout saw Usyk claim undisputed champion status.

But in order to proceed with his lucrative Fury rematch, the Ukrainian was forced to vacate his IBF belt, since claimed by Daniel Dubois.

Fury’s rematch record

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John McDermott

• 2009, points win
• 2010, 9th-round stoppage win

Deontay Wilder

• 2018, draw
• 2020, 7th-round stoppage win
• 2021, 11th-round stoppage win

Derek Chisora

• 2011, points win
• 2014, 10th-round stoppage win
• 2022, 10th-round stoppage win

Patrick Everson

FOX Sports Betting Analyst

Casual bettors tend to bet on favorites and also love to include them in parlays. But the NFL is one of the most unpredictable professional sports leagues in the world, and this lends itself to several surprising results every week.

Not this week.

Entering the Sunday night matchup between the Bengals and Giants, bookmakers were begging for Giants wagers due to the amount of losses they’d already taken from the earlier games. Week 6 favorites entered that game 11-1 straight up (SU) and 9-2-1 against the spread (ATS), resulting in a massive day for the public.

Joe Brennan Jr., Prime Sports executive chair stated, “What a s— day today in the NFL. If you know anyone who likes the Giants tonight, we have an account ready and waiting for them.” He wasn’t the only one to have those sentiments. 

“It’s the worst day of the season so far. This could get really ugly if the Bengals win and cover,” said Zachary Lucas, director of retail sports for TwinSpires Sportsbook.

To his and many others dismay, the Giants did not win or cover, which meant two things: favorites were now 12-1 SU and 10-2-1 ATS, and sportsbooks desperately needed a Jets win against the Bills on Monday night. 

Jeff Benson, Circa Sports director of operations, posted this on X, summarizing Sunday/Monday in the NFL:

Enter Monday Night Football.

The Jets trailed 20-10 with just eight seconds left in the second quarter before Aaron Rodgers unloaded a 52-yard touchdown pass to make it 20-17 at the conclusion of the first half. 

New York would kick a field goal in the third quarter to tie it up 20-20 headed into the fourth. Field goals were ultimately a huge factor in the outcome of the game, as Greg Zuerlein went two-of-four. After his miss in the fourth quarter, the Bills drove 64 yards down the field in 11 plays and kicked a field goal to take a 23-20 lead. 

Rodgers had just under four minutes to get it done for the sportsbooks, but was intercepted on a deep throw after Mike Williams fell just before he was about to snag the ball. Favorites finished the week 13-1 SU and 11-2-1 ATS. BetMGM senior trader Tristan Davis stated, “Bettors got the entire sundae this week, and they deserved it. It had been a rough start to the season for them.” 

Buffalo’s win also completed several parlays for the public. BetMGM Nevada’s Scott Shelton is quoted saying, “There are some parlays as long as my arm that will cash on Bills -1.5.” 

For perspective, this is just the third time in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) that only one favorite lost SU in Week 6 of the season (1975 and 2005). I’ll leave you with a final quote from Lucas, who was dreading a Buffalo win as mentioned earlier:

“With the Bills’ win, it’s like we have PIN-less ATMs at our sportsbooks. Everyone is cashing out.” 

Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.

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After four weeks away, Formula 1 returns for a frantic six-race run in eight weeks, with the United States Grand Prix a crucial weekend across the grid as 2024’s final upgrades emerge.

The race at the Circuit of the Americas is largely seen as the last major opportunity to unleash a batch of car upgrades this season. Austin is the start of a triple-header that includes Mexico and Brazil, making it logistically the easiest place to introduce new parts.

Then follows another triple-header of Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi to close off a hectic season. Some teams might bring new low-downforce items to outlier Vegas, although it is expected teams will generally re-use their wing specifications from Monza and especially Baku. And by Qatar it will have been too late to get a big return on investment unless teams choose to trial parts for 2025.

So, whatever teams have had in the production pipeline over the last month will now start to emerge as they make one final push to improve their fortunes. Austin is a sprint weekend, giving teams less practice time to dial updates in, but they have become accustomed to the format so their reluctance to bring upgrades to a sprint event is not as big as it used to be.

“We all know that we already started the development of next year’s car and we try to do our best to have small upgrades,” said Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur. “I think it will be probably the last one for everybody; it will be true for us, but it will be true for the other teams. And now it’s so tight over the last four, five, six races, if you have a look on the grid, it may get tight and every single bit can make a difference.”

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

“It’s a natural point in the year that all teams will bring something to Austin,” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner added. “Ferrari has got something sizable. I think Mercedes, McLaren, they’ll all be bringing something.”

At the front, McLaren leads by 41 points and looks primed to keep its advantage until the end of the year, based on its performance gap with Red Bull in recent races. But Red Bull has offered glimpses that it has finally understood where it has gone wrong with the development of its RB20.

Yes, Max Verstappen finished a massive 21 seconds behind McLaren’s Lando Norris in Singapore but was still a clear second at Red Bull’s worst circuit. COTA’s flowing layout might offer a better picture of whether Red Bull has truly turned the corner.

That is the second reason why the Austin weekend is so key. It heralds a return to more traditional circuits featuring high-speed direction changes, contrasting with the most recent run of low-downforce tracks Monza and Baku, and a maximum-downforce but low-speed street circuit in Singapore.

Austin will therefore offer a clearer picture of what the form table might look like until the end of the year, with only November’s race on the Las Vegas Strip the odd one out that’s closer to Baku in nature.

“What we’re looking to do is to build on the understanding that we have and take a car there that’s well balanced between both of its axles, it inspires the confidence of the driver,” Horner said. “It’s a very different challenge. There is that first sector [which] is very high speed. They’ve resurfaced part of the circuit as well, so there’s another variable that’s thrown in.

“It’s a sprint weekend, so you’ve got to hit the ground running. But the whole team’s been working incredibly hard on understanding the issues, addressing them, and getting, hopefully, remedies on the car for Austin.”

While all attention has gone to McLaren’s battle against Red Bull, Ferrari may yet be in the fight, following just 34 points behind Red Bull in third. But the Scuderia is perhaps the team with the biggest question marks to answer this weekend, as it has struggled with high-speed bouncing on the most demanding circuits since the summer.

Maranello’s solutions to that crippling problem have gone unproven on the atypical run of Monza, Baku and Singapore, so Austin will be the litmus test on whether Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have the tools to compete on COTA’s demanding configuration.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

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“We are seeing the numbers that we expected, bringing those new parts on the car, but we still don’t have the definitive answer of how close we got to McLaren or Red Bull on a normal track,” Leclerc said. “I’m sure we did a step forward. How much? I think we’ll see that in Austin.”

Sainz remains cautious too until he sees Ferrari’s latest specification stretch its legs on “normal tracks”, but feels Vegas will be Ferrari’s best bet to take another win this year.

“I think every team has one more upgrade more or less in the pipeline that they’re going to try before the end of the year, so we could still see some swings in performance,” the Spaniard said. “At the same time, we’ve seen upgrades this year don’t [always] mean performance. It doesn’t always translate into lap time. It’s happened to us and other teams, Red Bull, Mercedes, except McLaren.

“What we need to see is if it makes a difference in Austin and Brazil, all the more old-school normal tracks, basically. And then Vegas I think is our next big chance.”