No Concerns about Hamilton’s Speed, Says Ferrari’s Vasseur

 Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - December 1, 2024 Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - December 1, 2024 Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. (Reuters)
TT

No Concerns about Hamilton’s Speed, Says Ferrari’s Vasseur

 Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - December 1, 2024 Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - December 1, 2024 Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix. (Reuters)

Lewis Hamilton's struggles at Mercedes are not giving his future employers Ferrari any concern, according to team boss Fred Vasseur.

The seven-times Formula One world champion finished only 12th in Qatar on Sunday, the 39-year-old Briton's last race before his farewell to Mercedes in the Abu Dhabi season-ender next weekend.

He also finished 10th in Brazil last month, and 11th in the Saturday sprint there.

Asked after the race at Lusail if he was worried about Hamilton's form going into next year, Ferrari's Vasseur replied: "Not at all.

"I have a look at the 50 laps that he did in Vegas, starting in P10 (10th place), finishing on the gearbox of Russell, I'm not worried at all."

Hamilton finished second in a Mercedes one-two with winner George Russell, who started on pole position, in Las Vegas on Nov. 24.

Hamilton collected two penalties on Sunday -- a five second one for a false start and the other a drive-through for speeding in the pit lane -- as well as a puncture.

At one point, clearly fed up, he sought to retire the car but his race engineer refused the request because the drive-through penalty would have been carried over to Abu Dhabi if left unserved.

The Briton, who turns 40 in January, has been out-qualified 18-5 by Russell this season and 5-1 in the sprints but has also won two grands prix.

"I know I've still got it," Hamilton said on Saturday. "It's just the car won't go faster. But I definitely know I've got it. It is not a question in my mind."

On Sunday he was prepared for one last push.

"I'm still standing, it's not how you fall, it's how you get back up, so I'll get back up tomorrow and give it another shot next week," he said.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff rejected any suggestion Hamilton was losing his speed.

"I'm certain that it's not true. It's just this generation of cars, particularly how the car is now," said the Austrian. "He's a late braker, he carries a lot of speed on the entry to the corner and the car doesn't take it."



African Players in Europe: West Africans Help Plymouth Stun Liverpool

Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Plymouth Argyle v Liverpool - Home Park, Plymouth, Britain - February 9, 2025 Plymouth Argyle's Muhamed Tijani celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Plymouth Argyle v Liverpool - Home Park, Plymouth, Britain - February 9, 2025 Plymouth Argyle's Muhamed Tijani celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
TT

African Players in Europe: West Africans Help Plymouth Stun Liverpool

Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Plymouth Argyle v Liverpool - Home Park, Plymouth, Britain - February 9, 2025 Plymouth Argyle's Muhamed Tijani celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Plymouth Argyle v Liverpool - Home Park, Plymouth, Britain - February 9, 2025 Plymouth Argyle's Muhamed Tijani celebrates after the match. (Reuters)

Sierra Leone international Mustapha Bundu and Nigerian Muhamed Tijani helped second-tier strugglers Plymouth Argyle stun Premier League leaders Liverpool 1-0 in the FA Cup at the weekend.

Bundu led the Pilgrims attack until replaced by Tijani after 72 minutes of a fourth-round tie settled by a Ryan Hardie penalty early in the second half.

Liverpool had hopes of a Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup quadruple dashed after resting several stars, including prolific scorer and Egypt captain Mohamed Salah.

Here, AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the FA Cup and major European leagues:

MUSTAPHA BUNDU/MUHAMED TIJANI (Plymouth)

Bundu had a penalty appeal rejected and set up a scoring chance for Callum Wright that was not far off target in the southern England port city. Later, Tijani mistimed a diving header that could have doubled the lead.

ANTOINE SEMENYO (Bournemouth)

The Ghana forward's ninth goal this season propelled the Cherries to a 2-0 win at Everton.In the last FA Cup tie at Goodison Park before Everton move to a new stadium next season, Semenyo put Bournemouth ahead with a 23rd-minute penalty awarded after James Tarkowski fouled the 25-year-old. Semenyo, who has scored four times in his last six games, said: "It would be lovely to reach a semi-final where we are playing at Wembley."

MOUCTAR DIAKHABY (Valencia)

The Guinea defender scored his first goal after returning from a severe knee injury as Valencia won 2-0 against Leganes in a relegation dog-fight. Diakhaby blasted home from close range to scored their second and sprinted off in celebration having missed nearly a year before he came back in January. "After everything I've been through, it was very special," said the center-back. "I thought about the moment of the injury, how hard I've worked and my family, who were very affected by it."

FISAYO DELE-BASHIRU (Lazio)

The Nigerian international came off the bench and netted Lazio's final goal in a 5-1 thrashing of Monza as the capital club moved back into the Serie A top four. The 24-year-old is on loan at Lazio from Turkish team Hatayspor.

AHMED HASSAN (Le Havre)

The 31-year-old Egypt forward scored his first goal for Le Havre in their shock 2-1 win at Lille, a result which lifted the struggling side off the bottom of Ligue 1. Hassan, also known simply as "Kouka", joined Le Havre during the January transfer window until the end of the season, having previously been at Rio Ave in Portugal.

PATRICK ZABI (Reims)

The tall 18-year-old Ivorian midfielder, whose skills on the pitches of Abidjan earned him the nickname "Magic", moved to Reims in early January. Destined to play for the reserve team in the French lower leagues, he was instead handed a Ligue 1 debut off the bench against Nantes last weekend, and also appeared in a French Cup tie in midweek. Zabi again came off the bench for Reims late on against Lyon on Sunday, only to be sent off in a 4-0 defeat for his team.