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Leclerc Says Will Fight But 'Cannot Do Miracles' for Ferrari

Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton. Luca Bruno / POOL/AFP
Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton. Luca Bruno / POOL/AFP
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Leclerc Says Will Fight But 'Cannot Do Miracles' for Ferrari

Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton. Luca Bruno / POOL/AFP
Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton. Luca Bruno / POOL/AFP

Charles Leclerc said he will fight as much as he can to win Sunday's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Ferrari's Italian heartland but warned he cannot perform miracles.
Speaking after qualifying 11th on the grid, one place ahead of team-mate and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the Monegasque driver admitted that his car lacked pace and potential, AFP reported.

While Oscar Piastri maintained his consistent demonstration of speed by claiming his third pole of the year ahead of four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull, the Ferraris labored and were pushed out of the top ten by both Aston Martins.

"You can always do more with a lap and improve a few things," said Leclerc. "But we are just P-nowhere. There's not enough performance in the car and I keep repeating myself.

"There's not the potential that I would hope for in the car at the moment and we need to be better."

Leclerc claimed Ferrari's sole podium earlier this year but has been unable to sustain a challenge while Hamilton, the team's marquee signing, has failed to adapt and shine.

Leclerc said Ferrari had discussed following the example of Aston Martin and swapping the unpredictable new 'super-soft' C6 tyres supplied by Pirelli, for the 'mediums', but rejected that idea.

"We discussed it, but it wasn't on the cards for us and not something we considered seriously. Congrats to Aston Martin – they are doing good lap times and even with the C6 they were fast."

Looking ahead, he said: "I can fight as much as I want, but I cannot do miracles. This is what there is in the car and I am trying to extract the maximum from it."
Both Leclerc and Hamilton will start from the sixth row on Sunday.

"It's a tough one," said a philosophical Hamilton.

"Ultimately, I feel super gutted and I'm devastated that we weren't able to get through. I feel like we made so many positive steps and the car is generally feeling better, the brakes are better and the balance is nice.

"But where we put the new tyres on in Q2, for some reason, it just didn't have any grip and I couldn't go any faster.

"It's devastating to see everyone working so hard in the garage and to be in Italy for the first Italian race, and for me at Ferrari, and not making it – it's definitely bitter-sweet."

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Sports

Kremlin Welcomes FIFA Boss Infantino's Comment on Lifting Russia Ban

FILED - 13 July 2025, US, East Rutherford: FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the DAZN pre-match interview ahead of the Club World Cup final soccer match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Metlife Stadium. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
FILED - 13 July 2025, US, East Rutherford: FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the DAZN pre-match interview ahead of the Club World Cup final soccer match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Metlife Stadium. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
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Kremlin Welcomes FIFA Boss Infantino's Comment on Lifting Russia Ban

FILED - 13 July 2025, US, East Rutherford: FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the DAZN pre-match interview ahead of the Club World Cup final soccer match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Metlife Stadium. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa
FILED - 13 July 2025, US, East Rutherford: FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the DAZN pre-match interview ahead of the Club World Cup final soccer match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at Metlife Stadium. Photo: Sven Hoppe/dpa

The Kremlin on Tuesday welcomed FIFA president Gianni Infantino's comments on ending a ban on Moscow from international competitions over its Ukraine campaign, while Kyiv denounced his words as "irresponsible" during the war.

Infantino -- who previously had friendly relations with Russia's Vladimir Putin -- said in an interview a day earlier the ban on Russia had "not achieved anything."

His words provoked fury in Ukraine, which said the ban should be in place "as long as Russians continue to kill Ukrainians."

Russia has been mostly banned from international sport since its February 2022 Ukraine attack.

"We have seen these statements (by Infantino) and we welcome them. It's high time to think about this," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"Our footballers, our national team, must have their rights fully restored... We hope that sooner or later such discussions will take place in FIFA," he added.

In an interview with Britain's Sky News, Infantino said the ban should be lifted, arguing it had "just created more frustration and hatred."

He said he believes "having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help."

Ukraine reacted with fury.

Ukraine's sports minister Matviy Bidnyi called Infantino's comments "irresponsible" and "infantile".

"Let me remind you that the Russians have killed more than 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches during their full-scale aggression," he said on social media on Monday.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said "679 Ukrainian girls and boys will never be able to play football -- Russia killed them."

He added: "And it keeps killing more while moral degenerates suggest lifting bans, despite Russia's failure to end its war."

A few Russian athletes in other sports have been allowed to compete again under a neutral flag recently.

Sports

Benzema Moves to Al-Hilal Following Al-Ittihad Departure

Al-Ittihad's Karim Benzema celebrates at the end of the Soccer Club World Cup first round soccer match between Al-Ittihad and Auckland City FC at King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 12, 2023. (AP)
Al-Ittihad's Karim Benzema celebrates at the end of the Soccer Club World Cup first round soccer match between Al-Ittihad and Auckland City FC at King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 12, 2023. (AP)
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Benzema Moves to Al-Hilal Following Al-Ittihad Departure

Al-Ittihad's Karim Benzema celebrates at the end of the Soccer Club World Cup first round soccer match between Al-Ittihad and Auckland City FC at King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 12, 2023. (AP)
Al-Ittihad's Karim Benzema celebrates at the end of the Soccer Club World Cup first round soccer match between Al-Ittihad and Auckland City FC at King Abdullah Sports City stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 12, 2023. (AP)

Karim Benzema has joined Al-Hilal, the Saudi Pro League leaders announced on ​Monday, following the termination of his contract with Al-Ittihad.

Local media reported that the move to Al-Hilal came after Benzema rejected an offer to extend his contract with Al-Ittihad. The former France striker had missed the ‌team’s previous ‌two league matches.

"Al-Hilal ‌signed ⁠French ​star ‌Karim Benzema on a free transfer to represent the football team for one and a half years," the Saudi club said in a statement.

Benzema had a successful spell with the Jeddah-based ⁠Al-Ittihad, leading them to the league title and ‌the King's Cup last ‍season. It was ‍the first domestic double in Al-Ittihad's ‍history.

"This journey gave me a lot, both personally and professionally," Benzema, who joined Al-Ittihad on a free transfer in 2023 ​after 14 years with Real Madrid, said on X.

"I leave with ⁠my head held high, proud to have worn these colors and of everything we shared."

The former Real Madrid striker, 38, scored 16 goals in 21 matches for Al-Ittihad in all competitions this season.

Al-Hilal sit top of the league standings with 47 points, one point ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. ‌Al-Ittihad are sixth with 34 points.

Sports

Winter Olympics to Showcase Italian Venues and Global Tensions

Livigno, Italy - February 2, 2026 General view of the Olympic rings ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. (Reuters)
Livigno, Italy - February 2, 2026 General view of the Olympic rings ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. (Reuters)
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Winter Olympics to Showcase Italian Venues and Global Tensions

Livigno, Italy - February 2, 2026 General view of the Olympic rings ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. (Reuters)
Livigno, Italy - February 2, 2026 General view of the Olympic rings ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. (Reuters)

The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics open on Friday as the Games return to their traditional heartland of the European Alps for the first time in 20 years, while organizers are praying skiing great Lindsey Vonn is fit to compete.

These Games will use a host of existing venues, meaning they will stretch for 350 kilometers (217 miles) across northern Italy from Cortina -- one of the world's iconic skiing locations -- to Milan, with other "clusters" spread through the Alps.

Organizers say that avoiding new construction meets the sustainable brief for an event often accused of creating white elephants, but they admit it has added complexity too.

The first Olympics since the re-election of US President Donald Trump are set to be buffeted by global turbulence.

Italy has maintained that it will retain control of all security operations after it emerged that a branch of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be sent to Italy in an "advisory" role, sparking anger in the host nation.

Olympic power Russia's team of just 13 must compete as neutrals, a sanction imposed by the International Olympic Committee after Moscow invaded Ukraine weeks after the last Winter Games in Beijing in 2022.

The sports program begins on Wednesday, but the Games officially start two days later with a spectacular opening ceremony at the San Siro stadium in Milan featuring performances from US singer Mariah Carey and Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli.

US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to attend.

When the full program of sport gets under way, all eyes will be on Vonn, whose comeback at 41 could be the storyline of this Olympics, provided she can recover from the hard fall she suffered in a World Cup race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Friday.

Following the crash, Vonn said she had injured her left knee, the joint that was fortified with titanium in surgery which allowed her to return to the circuit last year after retiring in 2019.

Vonn insisted "my Olympic dream is not over" and she is due to give an update on Tuesday.

Also eagerly awaited is the men's ice hockey competition, with stars from the National Hockey League (NHL) in the US and Canada -- the world's strongest -- taking part for the first time since 2014.

- 'Additional complexities' -

Kirsty Coventry, the new IOC president, is also under scrutiny as she oversees her first Games since her election as the movement's first woman leader in March.

Coventry admitted that the approach of using existing venues, which are often long distances apart, has complicated the task for organizers.

"I think initially we all thought, 'oh, well, we'll just have it be a little bit more dispersed because that's more sustainable'. Yes, that is very true, but it has added additional complexities in the delivery of the Games," the Zimbabwean said.

Two of the new venues, the sliding center in Cortina for the bobsleigh, skeleton and luge events and the main ice hockey arena in Milan have caused the most headaches.

The location of the sliding center became a political hot potato after the IOC initially said those events would have to be held at existing sites in Switzerland or Austria.

But the insistence in late 2023 of Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini that the events be held in Italy led to a breakneck race to build a track in Cortina, where the 1956 Winter Olympics were held.

Construction didn't start until February 2024, sparking open opposition from the IOC, but it was completed just in time for pre-approval in March last year -- a win for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government.

Meanwhile, repeated delays to the construction of the main ice hockey arena, located in the Santa Giulia district on the outskirts of Milan, led to uncertainty right up until last month over the participation of the NHL players.

Those doubts weren't removed until the successful hosting of a test event at the venue less than a month ago.

Organizers admitted on Sunday that some parts of the Santa Giulia venue are unfinished, but insisted all the scheduled games there would go ahead.

Milan-Cortina estimate the final bill for the Olympics will be 5.2 billion euros ($6 bn). Of that 3.5 bn euros is going on infrastructure and 1.7 bn euros on staging the Games.