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Italian World Cup Striker Schillaci Dies Aged 59

FILE PHOTO: Italian striker Salvatore Schillaci (L) of Iwata Jubilo and world selections in the J.League tries to intercept a back pass by Japanese defender Saito of Shimizu S-Pulse during the J.League dream match held at Tokyo's national stadium October 10. The world squad beat the Japanese selections 2-1. JAPAN/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Italian striker Salvatore Schillaci (L) of Iwata Jubilo and world selections in the J.League tries to intercept a back pass by Japanese defender Saito of Shimizu S-Pulse during the J.League dream match held at Tokyo's national stadium October 10. The world squad beat the Japanese selections 2-1. JAPAN/File Photo
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Italian World Cup Striker Schillaci Dies Aged 59

FILE PHOTO: Italian striker Salvatore Schillaci (L) of Iwata Jubilo and world selections in the J.League tries to intercept a back pass by Japanese defender Saito of Shimizu S-Pulse during the J.League dream match held at Tokyo's national stadium October 10. The world squad beat the Japanese selections 2-1. JAPAN/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Italian striker Salvatore Schillaci (L) of Iwata Jubilo and world selections in the J.League tries to intercept a back pass by Japanese defender Saito of Shimizu S-Pulse during the J.League dream match held at Tokyo's national stadium October 10. The world squad beat the Japanese selections 2-1. JAPAN/File Photo

Former Italy and Juventus striker Salvatore Schillaci, a star of the 1990 World Cup on his home soil, has died at the age of 59, his former clubs Inter Milan and Juventus said on Wednesday.

Schillaci led Italy to their third-place finish in 1990, winning the Golden Boot for his six goals during the tournament, including in the semi-final against Argentina and in their third-place victory over England, Reuters reported.

"A football icon is leaving us, a man who has entered the hearts of Italians and sports fans around the world," Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni posted on X.

"Salvatore Schillaci, known by everyone as Toto, the striker from the magic nights of Italia '90 with our national team. Thanks for the emotions you gave us, for having made us dream, celebrate, embrace, and wave our national flag. Bon voyage, champion."

The Sicilian's wide eyes as he celebrated his goals became one of the enduring images of that World Cup.
Schillaci was awarded the Golden Ball as player of the tournament and was later named as the runner-up for the 1990 Ballon d'Or men's player of the year award, behind World Cup winning captain Lothar Matthaus of West Germany.
He had started Italy's opening World Cup game as a substitute but came off the bench to score the winner in a 1-0 victory over Austria.
After the excitement of 1990, Schillaci scored only one more goal for Italy and did not appear for them at any other major tournaments.
A small, bustling striker, Schillaci, nicknamed "Toto", had been a late developer, spending the early years of his career playing in the lower leagues for Sicilian club Messina.
He was the top scorer in Serie B, the Italian second division, in 1988-89, earning him a move to Serie A giants Juventus.
"We immediately fell in love with Toto. With his desire, his story, his passion," Juventus said in a statement.
"We at Juve were lucky enough to get excited about him before, in that incredible summer of 1990, the whole of Italy did."
Schillaci helped Juventus to claim the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup in 1989-90 before winning the latter trophy again four years later with Inter Milan.
Serie A President Lorenzo Casini paid tribute to Schillaci.
"He was a champion who lit up the "magic nights" of Italia 90," he said.
"His desire to reach the top levels in soccer has been and will remain a source of inspiration for so many youngsters pursuing their dream of playing in Serie A."
He then became the first Italian player to play in Japan's J.League and won the league title with his club Jubilo Iwata in 1997.
He retired from football in 1999.

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McLaren Launches Investigation After Norris and Piastri Unable to Start F1’s Chinese Grand Prix

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McLaren has launched an investigation with engine supplier Mercedes to investigate why both of its cars suffered terminal electrical faults that ruled them out of the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, as Formula 1 champion Lando Norris said the team must rule out a repeat.

Norris was stuck waiting in his car in McLaren's garage before time ran out for him to join the grid, and teammate Oscar Piastri had to be withdrawn from the grid minutes before the start with what McLaren termed separate electrical problems with its Mercedes-supplied power unit.

It was the first time in Norris' eight-season F1 career that he has missed a race and Piastri's second missed race in a row after crashing on his way to the grid at his home race in Australia.

“We just have to take it on the chin, learn what the problem was, and make sure it never happens again,” Norris said. “Everyone in the team is frustrated, our engineers, mechanics and HPP (Mercedes High Performance Powertrains) teammates. All of us want to go racing and score points.”

McLaren said a “joint investigation” with Mercedes' HPP engine operation would be launched.

McLaren has so far failed to match the pace of the works Mercedes team, whose drivers have won both Grand Prix races and the sole sprint race under the new 2026 regulations, which put more emphasis on electrical power. McLaren has previously said it's concerned with what it considers a lack of information on how to get the best out of the Mercedes systems.

Four cars in total failed to start Sunday, including Gabriel Bortoleto's Audi and the Mercedes-powered Williams of Alex Albon, which had a hydraulic-system failure.

There are also concerns at Aston Martin after a double retirement for the reliability-plagued team. Lance Stroll's race ended early with a battery failure, a repeat issue with its Honda power unit. Aston Martin said “discomfort from vibrations” forced Fernando Alonso to stop.

Aston Martin team principal Adrian Newey this month said his car was shaking so much it risked “permanent nerve damage” in its drivers' hands without major improvements.

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Lewis Hamilton 'Incredibly Grateful' to Ferrari as Long Wait for F1 Podium Ends

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Formula One F1 - Chinese Grand Prix - Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China - March 14, 2026 Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton after qualifying in third place REUTERS/Jakub Porzycki
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Lewis Hamilton says he is “incredibly grateful” to Ferrari for letting him guide the development of the car that put him back on a Grand Prix podium for the first time since 2024.

Hamilton's third-place finish at the Chinese Grand Prix followed a race-long battle with teammate Charles Leclerc and what Hamilton called “just a kiss” of contact between the pair.

It ended a long wait for a finish in the top three for Hamilton in a full Formula 1 race since his blockbuster move from Mercedes, which took the win Sunday with the driver who replaced him at the team, Kimi Antonelli.

“To see them listen and put some of those things that I’d asked for on the car I’m just incredibly grateful to them for listening on that side of things," Hamilton said.

"It just makes you feel more united with everyone because you’re moving in the same direction. I’m looking forward to getting back next week to (Ferrari HQ in) Maranello and seeing everybody. Big, big push.”

Hamilton’s first year with Ferrari was full of frustration as he and the team failed to get to grips with a car that was very sensitive to setup changes, except for a sprint race win in China a year ago. Ferrari failed to win a single Grand Prix all year.

At times, Hamilton blamed himself, even suggesting in August the team consider a driver change after he was far off Leclerc's qualifying pace. He's said a big part of preparing for 2026 was to come back with a fresh mindset.

Ferrari's fast-starting car helped Hamilton to charge past Antonelli into the lead at the start Sunday, but holding onto that place proved too difficult against a Mercedes pair with what's widely considered to be the best all-round car on the grid. Hamilton said Ferrari would double down on working to out-develop Mercedes for the rest of the year.

“It’s really special to see them back at the front, because this is a phenomenal team. And I know we’ve got our work cut out to beat them, because when they’re on form like this, it’s not easy to beat,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton was Russell's teammate and helped mentor Antonelli before his debut. Also on the podium as Mercedes representative was Hamilton's longtime race engineer Peter “Bono” Bonnington, who now works with Antonelli.

“It’s like sitting here with my whole family, so that’s great,” Hamilton said.

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Kimi Antonelli became Formula 1’s second-youngest race winner with a composed drive to victory for Mercedes in an eventful Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.

The 19-year-old Italian was the youngest pole position starter and briefly lost the lead to Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari at the start but retook it soon after and was in control after that.

It was another 1-2 finish for Mercedes to start the season as Antonelli’s teammate George Russell came through a battle with both Ferraris to finish second. Lewis Hamilton was third for his long-awaited first Grand Prix podium finish for Ferrari.

The only driver younger than Antonelli to win a Grand Prix was Max Verstappen, who was 18 when he took his first victory in 2016.

Formula 1 champion Lando Norris and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri were both unable to start the Chinese Grand Prix after hitting technical problems minutes before the race began.

Piastri was due to start fifth and Norris sixth for Sunday's race. Norris was in his car in the pits but didn't leave for the grid, before Piastri was then withdrawn from the grid following a radio message which indicated an electrical issue.

“Unfortunately, we identified separate issues on both cars which prevented them from starting the Chinese GP, with Oscar’s being removed from the grid shortly before the formation lap. We will now work to identify each issue,” the McLaren team said.

It's the second time Piastri has failed to start in 2026 after he crashed before the start of last week's race in Australia.