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      I’m an Arsenal U21 star who was making six figures as a 16 year old… but not from football

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      REUELL WALTERS is a whizkid on the pitch and online – after raking in £10,000 a night from Fortnite aged just 16.The Arsenal Under-21 star found an incredible way to help his friends AND his bank balance.
      Reuell Walters made a small fortune thanks to Fortnite after joining ArsenalCredit: Getty
      The ex-Tottenham schoolboy, now 18, devised a map for the popular video game during the coronavirus lockdown.
      And it was so lucrative that the England Under-19 defender’s first tax bill was into SIX FIGURES!
      It’s also estimated his map was used 250million times in one week.
      And as the Londoner gets a royalty fee every time it’s played, that meant his nightly earnings peaked at 10,000 to 15,000 dollars (£8k to £12k).
      READ MORE TOP STORIES
      In a video posted by 101GreatGoals, linking to UnderArmour, Walters said: “Obviously we weren’t allowed to leave our homes so I picked up a different hobby where everyone loves the game.
      I think as a teenage boy I was playing Fortnite with my friends and they were talking to me about how they just wanted to play this game mode and how it hadn’t been made before.
      “So I just decided, you know, I’ll make something for them to play.”
      He added: “It was probably one of the first things that was made in lockdown.
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      “It was not viral but you know people started to play with other people and you know it started to take off from there.”
      Now the right-back is hoping for the same lift-off for his football career – as he dreams of nearing the first-team squad this season. More

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      We live by Spanish FA chief Luis Rubiales’ ‘orgy villa’ – all we heard was ‘boom boom’ from his wild parties with girls

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      THIS is the luxury villa where embattled Spanish football boss Luis Rubiales allegedly held a sex party with fellow delegates of the Spanish FA.The party during the height of the Covid pandemic was attended by “eight to 10 young girls” brought by a pal.
      The property, named Villa Luxury Paradise, is nestled in the hills of the exclusive neighbourhood of Salobrena, GrenadaCredit: OLIVE PRESS SPAIN
      The villa is allegedly where Luis Rubiales held a sex party with fellow Spanish FA delegatesCredit: OLIVE PRESS SPAIN
      Rubiales denied the claims, insisting the villa was used to host a work meetingCredit: OLIVE PRESS SPAIN
      He is now facing a ‘sexual assault’ probe after kissing World Cup hero Jennifer Hermoso on the lipsCredit: Pixel8000
      The series of wild nights allegedly disturbed angry neighbours until 6am, it can be revealed.
      The stunning property, aptly named Villa Luxury Paradise, is nestled in the hills of the exclusive neighbourhood of Salobrena, just a few miles from Motril, Granada, where he was born and raised.
      The president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has been suspended by FIFA over the “non-consensual” kiss he planted on footballer Jenni Hermoso following their victory in the Women’s World Cup final.
      But it’s the latest in the string of scandals to hit the Rubiales family after his uncle told an anti-corruption trial last year that Luis had illegally used RFEF funds to rent a luxury villa for an “orgy”.
      READ MORE ON LUIS RUBIALES
      Lubiales denied the claims, insisting the stunning villa was used to host a work meeting and that there had simply been “a barbecue and a paella with people of different genders.”
      However, a neighbour today told The Sun: “I remember when he was here, the noise was crazy.
      “Boom, boom, boom until the early hours, there was lots of music, drinking and lots of girls.
      “I could hear them all laughing and partying until five or six in the morning. They were here for a couple of days.”
      Most read in Football
      The local, who only gave her name as Maria, said the property was owned by an Italian businesswoman.
      She added: “It was during the Covid pandemic and it was annoying but we did not call the police because that’s not the kind of neighbours we are.”
      A local Spanish realtor, who asked not to be named, added: “This is an exclusive neighbourhood where Luis knows he is not going to get into any trouble.
      “His family are so well known and loved here, they hold a lot of influence.”
      Luis’s uncle Juan Rubiales told a court in Madrid last year that his mission was to “make life easy for the president, which meant organising and coordinating trips, agenda, institutional relations and organisation of the board of directors, etc.”
      The former press officer of RFEF said the rental of the luxury villa was “solely for the enjoyment of him (Luis) and his closest team, paying the expenses with company cards from the RFEF.”
      He added at the hearing that “a group of eight or ten young girls” were invited.
      It later emerged that the girls were brought by a pal of Luis, Francisco Javier Martin Alcaide, a former footballer and hotel owner.
      Luis’ uncle Juan was giving evidence to an anti-corruption hearing in Madrid last September when he made the claims.
      He later insisted that RFEF funds were not used to pay for the villa, but that an employee stumped up the cash personally, and everyone who attended paid them back later.
      The villa is described on its website as having 210sq metres of living space, three terraces, an infinity pool, a garden and a garage.
      It comes as Rubiales is now facing a “sexual assault” probe after kissing World Cup hero Jennifer Hermoso on the lips.
      Rubiales has refused to resign over the scandal – prompting mass walkouts of players and staff and plunging the World Cup-winning nation into crisis.
      He has insisted the kiss was consensual and that he is the victim of character assassination by “false feminists”.
      In a powerful statement, Hermoso said: “I felt vulnerable and a victim of an assault, an impulsive, macho act, out of place and with no type of consent on my part.”
      But yesterday, Spanish FA chiefs demanded Rubiales quit, with Fifa provisionally suspending him for 90 days and launching proceedings.
      The Spanish FA’s regional presidents held a five-hour meeting on Monday – concluding he should resign immediately.
      In a lengthy statement they said: “After the latest events and the unacceptable behaviours that have seriously damaged the image of Spanish football, the presidents request that Mr. Luis Rubiales immediately present his resignation as president of the RFEF.”
      Rubiales’ mother also revealed that she is “prepared to die” to get justice for her son as she launched a bizarre hunger strike protest.
      Retired hairdresser Angeles Bejar is now more than 24 hours into a hunger strike she launched yesterday morning at a church in Motril.
      She told a Spanish TV station: “I will stay here as long as my body holds out.
      “I don’t mind dying for justice because my son is a decent person and it’s not fair what they’re doing.”
      Read More on The Sun
      The current whereabouts of Rubiales are unknown, but he reportedly travelled to Motril for a holiday on Saturday despite the town hall’s cancellation of a football match he was due to take part in with friends at a municipal stadium for “security reasons.”
      He is said to have met with some of his football pals at a country house just outside of town on Saturday afternoon but has not been seen in public since he shocked the world by refusing to resign at an extraordinary Spanish FA general assembly last Friday.
      Fifa have provisionally suspended Rubiales for 90 daysCredit: AP More

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      Teen who raised £26K for NHS during pandemic will wear her ‘lucky shirt’ for Lionesses’ World Cup semi-final clash

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      A GIRL who inspired the nation to do 7.1million keepy-uppies will wear her “lucky shirt” tomorrow for the Lionesses’ World Cup semi-final.Imogen Papworth-Heidel was 11 when she raised £26,000 to support NHS key workers during the pandemic, completing over 1.1million kick-ups herself.
      Imogen Papworth-Heidel will wear her ‘lucky shirt’ tomorrow for the Lionesses’ World Cup semi-finalCredit: Louis Wood
      England’s Keira Walsh, 26, yesterday said the team were ‘ready for the fight’Credit: PA
      Lioness Lucy Bronze sent the youngster, now 13, her signed shirt, which Imogen will wear at her home in Suffolk for the game against Australia.
      Imogen’s dad Karl, 53, said: “My daughter will be wearing that when she cheers on the Lionesses on Tuesday.
      “She’s been absolutely glued to every game.
      “Imogen just can’t get enough of it and the footie is really keeping her occupied during the summer holidays.
      read more on Lionesses
      “Lucy Bronze’s shirt normally hangs pride of place on Imogen’s bedroom wall, but she’ll be wearing it when England take on Australia.
      “She’s convinced that her lucky shirt will help them win.
      “She hardly ever takes it off the wall and she’s scared of getting it dirty in case washing it will erase Lucy’s autograph.
      “Lucy’s her absolute hero.”
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      England’s Keira Walsh, 26, yesterday said the team were “ready for the fight”. More

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      How China’s football boom went from world’s best-paid players to abandoned stadiums – and what it means for Saudi Arabia

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      FROM a rising powerhouse to a crash-and-burn failure, China’s football boom imploded just as violently as it burst onto the scene.Harsh Covid restrictions, a struggling economy and hasty planning turned the home of Carlos Tevez, Hulk, and Oscar into a cemetery of abandoned stadiums and collapsed clubs.
      President Xi Jinping had ambitious plans to make China a football powerhouseCredit: AFP
      Sergio Aguero (centre) takes a selfie with President Xi Jinping (left) and Britain’s PM David CameronCredit: Sergio Aguero/Manchester City Fooball Club via AP
      Argentine star Carlos Tevez was worth £650,000 a week, or a pound a second, in ChinaCredit: AFP/Getty
      The half-built Guangzhou Evergrande Football Stadium pictured last yearCredit: Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty
      And the boom and bust could be a cautionary tale for Saudi Arabia – whose own football ambitions can draw some direct lines to China.
      Uefa chiefs have urged the kingdom not to make “similar mistakes” which blighted the rise of the sport in the Communist nation.
      Football fans around the world are being left gobsmacked as Saudi scoops players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema on huge contracts worth hundreds of millions.
      But it may feel like supporters have heard this all before, with China once having Saudi’s place as the next budding football destination.
      Read more on football
      China’s football dream kicked off with an ambitious plan by President Xi Jinping – who had huge dreams to become a football superpower by 2050.
      At the turn of the 21st century, he deemed football as one of the best tools to propel the country to the top table of the economic world.
      He wanted China to play in a World Cup, host the tournament, rank within FIFA’s top 20 teams – and even eventually become a World Cup Champion.
      By 2030, the despot wants China’s national men’s team to become one of the highest-ranked teams in Asia.
      Most read in Football
      Beijing also planned to build 50,000 specialist football schools in the next seven years – and get 50million schoolchildren on the pitch to create the next generation of footballers.
      The Chinese Super League matched Xi’s bold aspirations – and hastily became the biggest spender in the football world in the winter transfer window of 2016-17.
      It turned heads with the astronomical wages being offered to attract some of the world’s top players in a huge bid to become a football superpower.
      It splurged a whopping £320million – including the £60million to take Chelsea midfielder Oscar away from the Premier League to Shanghai Port F.C.
      “At the time, Oscar’s signing was the dream of many footballers and agents,” Charles Cardoso, club president at Águas de Santa Bárbara FC, in São Paulo, Brazil, told The Sun
      “Everybody believed that China was the next great thing to happen in football.
      “It was an absolute frenzy in the transfer market. Everyone wanted to send their players there because it was guaranteed money.”
      One transfer, however, caught the attention more than others.
      Carlos Tevez, upon leaving Juventus, was offered a contract by Shanghai Shenhua in 2016 worth £650,000 a week.
      It equated to the former Manchester United and City striker earning a pound a second.
      Fast forward to last year, and the optimism of 2016 vanished almost as fast as it appeared.
      Instead, China was left with a crumbling system as Xi’s football vision seemed to drain money out of China instead of cashing it in.
      “Everyone thought it would be a gold mine, but they didn’t plan well,” football agent Cardoso said.
      “They were planning absurd things, but in reality, they didn’t have the ability to manage it all.”
      More than a decade since Xi announced his dream, the country is now a cemetery of abandoned stadiums and memories of what once was the home to the world’s best-paid players.
      The men’s national team failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – dropping down to the 78th in the FIFA rankings, and the women’s squad failed to break into the top ten.
      The Chinese Super League clubs were also folding left, right, and centre.
      Guangzhou Evergrande – the most successful team in the China Super League’s history – racked up £240 billion in debt, raising serious questions about the club’s future.
      Thanks to poor planning, lack of visibility, the financial crisis, and the pandemic, football practically evaporated from ChinaCharles Cardoso
      Stories emerged of players going unpaid, with some even sent home with their own kit to clean in a bid to avoid any further bills.
      Top foreign footballers such as Renato Augusto and Fernando Martins had their contracts terminated – and complained to FIFA about payments that never arrived.
      Fellow Brazilian Miranda lost out on £7.5million when Chinese club Suning folded.
      Without the offer of Champions League football or domestic trophies in the top five European leagues, CSL clubs ended up wildly overpaying on players towards the end of their careers, such as Tevez.
      “China grew in a way without much infrastructure, and without proper financial organisation,” Cardoso said.
      “The Chinese thought that the country’s entire football market would prevail due to China’s financial condition and by having a strong economic presence globally.
      “But that’s not all that guarantees success in football. Proper management and planning are also needed.
      “The Chinese secured themselves in the financial condition and forgot to make an organisation on how and where to invest.
      Cardoso described China’s rapid rise in the football realm as “hasty”.
      “Football in China started to receive a lot of investment, but after a season it stopped due to the lack of visibility,” he said.
      “They also thought they were on the right track by signing big contracts with big players. 
      “They aimed at the present and forgot about the future.
      “Xi Jinping’s idea was not bad, but the problem lied with the people who were advising him.
      “These people had no knowledge of what it would mean to host a World Cup, let alone win one.
      “Thanks to poor planning, lack of visibility, the financial crisis, and the pandemic, football practically evaporated from China.”
      Dr Rob Wilson, a football finance expert at Sheffield Hallam University, told Sportsmail: “They were trying to buy 150 years of history.
      “What China set out to do was accelerate their position as a world superpower in football so that a Chinese team could potentially win the World Cup.
      “What they’ve demonstrated is that it simply isn’t possible to do that.”
      In its prime, China went into a stadium construction overdrive as the space needed to build the president’s football schools attracted real estate firms.
      Developers snapped up shares in teams in a bid to get access to buying the land made available for development.
      Most of them slapped their name on their clubs for a boost in publicity – but shiny new stadiums and big sponsors didn’t equate to visibility and popularity.
      Everyone thought it would be a gold mine, but they didn’t plan wellCharles Cardoso
      As of 2021, football in China was still being played at largely empty stadiums – and not even the multi-million-pound stars could attract enough supporters to justify the money spent.
      In April 2020, Chinese property giant Evergrande broke ground on a £1.4 billion, 100,000-capacity stadium in Guangzhou. 
      Chairman Xu Jiayin announced that it would become “a world-class new landmark comparable to the Sydney Opera House and Dubai Burj Khalifa, and it is also an important symbol of Chinese football going global”.
      But the half-finished stadium and the land it sits on was seized by the local government to be auctioned – leaving Evergrande with billions in debt.
      In May last year, builders were at full steam building the Workers’ Stadium – but the site is now a ghost venue of the 2023 Asian Cup as China withdrew as hosts.
      Whether or not Xi has failed in his grand plans to become a football superpower remains to be seen as there are still a few years down the road to 2050.
      But meanwhile, Cardoso believes Saudi Arabia and the Middle East may not repeat the mistakes made by China.
      He thinks its a promising destination for stars – saying the market was already starting to be on the upturn before the signing of Ronaldo from Manchester United last December.
      “The Middle Eastern market was already very much heated even before Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in Saudi Arabia,” Cardoso revealed.
      “They will certainly do well because they have not managed to establish a great connection with football, but know where and how much to put their money in.
      Read More On The Sun
      “Just look at PSG and Manchester City, for instance. Unlike China, they have strategy as well as financial power.
      “I really do think that the Middle East is not even the next, but already the big thing at the moment.”
      Former Chelsea star Oscar was transferred away from the Premier League for £60mCredit: AFP/Getty
      Last year, China’s men’s national team failed to qualify for the World Cup in QatarCredit: CHINA PHOTOS/GETTY
      The planned venues for the 2023 Asia Cup are now ghost sites as China will no longer host the tournamentCredit: JADE GAO/AFP
      Hulk was one of the top foreign players in the Chinese Super LeagueCredit: Imaginechina/REX/Shutterstock
      Football matches were played at empty stadiums even before the pandemicCredit: Getty More

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      Ex-Liverpool and Chelsea ace Fernando Torres ‘suing Spanish government for £687k’ after his gym was shut during pandemic

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      FERNANDO TORRES is reportedly taking the Spanish Government to court for damages to his gym business.The former Liverpool and Chelsea star owns a chain of gyms called “New Fitness” but the business took a hit during the Covid-19 pandemic.
      Fernando Torres now runs a chain of gyms called ‘New Fitness’Credit: https://www.instagram.com/fernandotorres/
      Fernando Torres starred at Liverpool between 2007 and 2011Credit: Getty
      The Spaniard scored an iconic Champions League goal for Chelsea in 2012Credit: Getty
      Spanish news outlet El Confidencial, via Football Espana claims Torres’ gym chain had been making profits of up to £86,000.
      However, this was before Spain’s government and Madrid council introduced safety measures to counteract the pandemic.
      As a result of this, the retired striker’s profits fell massively to a £172,000 loss the next year.
      Torres, 39, has since alleged that the government’s restrictions were “disproportionate and intense” and is thought to be seeking a reimbursement of £687,000.
      READ MORE ON FERNANDO TORRES
      His case has been rejected by the local justice system, as per the report.
      But it has has now reached the Supreme Court with Torres demanding that his company’s losses be reimbursed.
      It has not yet been decided if the current Atletico Madrid U19 manager’s challenge will be successful.
      Recently, Torres was sent off during a game for shoving Alvaro Arbeloa, who was coaching Real Madrid’s side.
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      Things spilled over when Torres and Arbeloa began a battle on the touchline as the two men were seen shouting before squaring up to each other after a ruckus on the field.
      Torres joined the English top flight in 2007 for Liverpool before joining Chelsea four years later until his departure in 2015.
      During his time at the Reds he was one of the best strikers in the world as he netted 81 goals in 142 appearances for the club.
      He joined the Blues in 2011 for £50million but struggled to hit the same level at Stamford Bridge.
      Although he was part of the team that won the Champions League in 2012. More

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      I’ve spent £10k travelling to 118 football grounds around the world… but tickets aren’t my only eye-watering expense

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      A FOOTBALL-CRAZY fan has travelled 51,000 miles and spent £13,000 visiting 118 grounds across the world – costing a lot not just for tickets and travel, but also plenty of pints.Oliver Banks has watched games in stadiums spanning ten countries, splashing out £7,000 on entry, £2,000 on getting there – and £4,000 on beer.
      Football fan Oliver Banks at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, where he saw his team Manchester United beat Bayern Munich to win the Champions League in 1999Credit: Jam Press
      Yet the Manchester United supporter says their Old Trafford home remains his favourite.
      He spent his childhood going to United home games with his dad Jon.
      Oliver’s earliest memory was celebrating the Red Devils’ win over Bayern Munich to secure the Treble back in 1999, when he was just eight.
      He started to visit local grounds when on holiday in a foreign country.
      Read More On Football
      Yet it was the Covid-19 lockdown that prompted him to explore further, on realising how much he missed live matches at a time when fans were barred from attending.
      Since restrictions were lifted, he resolved to visit as many as possible – getting to 118 so far and aiming to take in many more.
      He said “My flights alone have been 31,000 miles since I started ground-hopping.
      “I’d probably estimate another 15,000 – 20,000 miles in trains and driving for games in the UK.
      Most read in Football
      “The countries I’ve watched football in include Cyprus, Belgium, Wales, Poland, France, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Spain and England.
      “Stadiums out of the UK include GSP Stadium, Cyprus, and the Stade Roi Baudoin, Belgium.
      “In Poland, I’ve visited Polsat Plus Arena and Stadion Bemowskiego Osrodka Pilki Noznej.
      “In France I’ve visited Parc Des Princes, and I’ve been to BayArena in Germany.
      “In Italy – San Siro, Arena Civica, Gewiss Stadium, Stadio Artemi Franchi, Stadio Ennio Tardini, Stadio Giovanni Zini, Stadio Olimpico, Stadio Pierluigi Penzo.
      “Likewise, I’ve been to many grounds in Spain including Civitas Metropolitano, Estadio La Rosaleda, Estadio Benito Villamarin, Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Estadio de la Ceramica, Reale Arena, Camp Nou.”
      “I fly to overseas games, then train or drive to UK games.
      “I’ve probably spent £1,000 to £2,000 travelling outside of England to different games. I tend to make sure I get reasonably-priced flights.
      “For example, my dad and I did a trip to Warsaw for a game last year and flights were £9.99 return.
      “Flights for my Denmark and Sweden trip are only £40 return, so if you pick the right dates it’s not too bad.
      “England is normally much more expensive to get around – trains to domestic away games are far too expensive.”
      He also made sure to see most of the England “Lionesses” games on their way to winning the European Championship last summer, including beating Germany 1-0 in the final.
      He said: “My favourite game and memory of last season was the final at Wembley, just a brilliant day from start to finish.”
      Supping up adds to the costs, however.
      He said: “Beers at games is also an expensive factor in ground-hopping. I’ll have more at United as I’m not driving.
      “Manchester United charge £3 a pint and most non-league clubs are £3.50 to £5 a pint.
      “I’ve probably spent around £4,000 just on beer.”
      As to the best ground to be at, Oliver added: “It’s hard to pick a favourite ground as it definitely depends on the day around it, the game, the food, the atmosphere.
      “Of course Old Trafford is my favourite ground because it’s my home.”
      His next best is Sevilla’s Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan – despite United’s 3-0 defeat there last month in a Europa League quarter-final second leg, losing 5-2 on aggregate despite leading 2-0 in their earlier encounter at OId Trafford.
      He said: “A terrible result for United, but I’ve never known an atmosphere created by a set of home fans like the one Sevilla made.
      “Next is Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland. I had wanted to visit it since I was a child and it was everything I wanted it to be.
      “Followed by Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. I was fortunate to pick up a last-minute ticket for Wrexham v Grimsby in the play-offs last year and what a fantastic day.
      “Last but by no means least has to be San Siro in Milan, Italy. It was absolutely iconic and totally lives up to its reputation.”
      However, Oliver has had his fair share of grounds that didn’t quite live up to his expectations.
      He added “My bottom four grounds include St Mary’s in Southampton, England. It’s just really dull and feels like it lacks character.
      “Next up would be Leigh Sports Village in Leigh, England. Nothing hugely against the stadium but it’s a farce that Manchester United Women play there, and transport options for it are shocking.
      “Technique Stadium in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Again, similarly to St Mary’s, it’s fine but there’s no real interesting qualities to it.”
      Oliver has revealed how the influence of lockdown and restrictions started his ground-hopping journey.
      He said “I’ve always had an interest in away days, seeing new grounds and so on. If I was going on holiday, I’d try and visit the local ground etc.
      “I think lockdown and the total loss of games to go to really made me appreciate just how much I love attending football games but also having varied football experiences, and that made me start to look at recording the data behind games I was going to.
      “I definitely feel like there’s something spiritual about a football ground – there are very few places where people congregate in such large numbers for one event and with one common goal.
      “Absolutely every ground is different, and ground-hopping takes you to parts of the country and the world that I don’t think I’d otherwise ever see.
      “I don’t have a number in mind really. I’d like to do the 92, but given the two Uniteds dominate my weekends I can’t complete it with any kind of speed.
      “There are ground-hoppers who’ve visited up to 750 grounds and I’d like to get to those kind of numbers in years to come.
      “I will quite happily watch any standard of football anywhere really, so I expect that my match numbers will keep on rising faster than my ground number does.”
      Read More on The Sun
      The fixtures he has ahead include Manchester United facing Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley on June 3 and Copenhagen against Randers in Denmark the following day.
      He then intends to head to Sweden to see Malmo take on Degerfors on June 5, before returning home and seeing Gareth Southgate’s England play North Macedonia at Old Trafford on June 19 in a 2024 European Championship qualifier.
      Oliver Banks first attended matches with his father JonCredit: Jam Press
      Oliver believes he has spent £7,000 on tickets to games – and another £4,000 on beerCredit: Jam Press
      The Polsat Plus Arena in the Polish city of Gdansk is among Oliver’s visitsCredit: Jam Press
      A highlight was Wembley as England’s Lionesses beat Germany in the Euro 2022 finalCredit: Jam Press More

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      Ben Hunt: F1 facing China crisis as Covid cancels Shanghai GP AGAIN… but can they afford to scrap it altogether?

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      PARTNERS and families of people who work in F1 must be wondering what has happened — because their loved ones still have another week at home.It seems like a long time ago that we had the Australian Grand Prix.
      Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu has joined Alfa RomeoCredit: Getty
      And there are still 12 days to go until the Azerbaijan GP.
      Aside from the winter off-season, where there are obviously no races, such a spell at home is unheard of.
      For context, the travel demands in F1 were once so tough that an enforced two-week break was inserted into the rulebook — known as the summer shutdown — amid rocketing divorce rates within the sport.
      This season sees, for the first time, an enforced winter break as teams rightly consider the impact a gruelling schedule has on their workforce.
      READ MORE ON F1
      The 2023 season is the longest in the sport’s history — 266 days across 23 races running from the start of March to the end of November.
      It would have been 24 but for the decision to cancel the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai — which caused this unexpected four-week break.
      This time at home might be welcome, but for Formula One it represents a problem and raises a question about the future of this race.
      The schedule is limited to a maximum of 24 races and organisers of the Chinese GP are allocated one of those slots and have another two years left to run on their contract.
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      Yet with the other 23 slots all signed up, it means F1 is at the mercy of China.
      By that I don’t mean the organisers of the GP, but the country’s Covid stance, including on quarantine, and their ability to process the incoming freight and subsequent logistics.
      It was a combination of both that saw the trigger pulled on this year’s race, F1 acting swiftly in December but maybe not quick enough to thrash out a deal for a suitable replacement.
      There is some suggestion from sources in China that F1 chiefs were too hasty to cancel this year’s race  — but maybe that was done so as to find an alternative race.
      F1 has to include the Chinese GP as part of its planning, but that means bosses are not able to sell that spot on the calendar to another bidder.
      Be that South Africa, Turkey, a second race in Saudi Arabia, or to whoever stumped up the cash.
      A hastily-arranged deal would not be as lucrative, not to mention cause a logistical problem for teams.
      The reality is that there has been no Chinese GP since 2019.
      But since then, a Chinese driver has joined the grid in Zhou Guanyu, who races for Alfa Romeo.
      And we are yet to see the full impact his arrival in the sport has had back home.
      There are currently just two Asian races on this year’s calendar — Japan and Singapore. The Middle East has twice as many.
      The simple fact is, F1 cannot really afford to have an unknown each year when it comes to the Chinese GP.
      Should they just bite the bullet and cancel the contract?
      However, with the potential for investment and sponsorship — not to mention a huge TV audience — can they afford not to at least give it another go?
      For what it is worth, I firmly believe that there will be another Chinese GP in Shanghai, I am just not too sure when that will be.
      LOAD OF BULL
      Daniil Kvyat felt betrayed by Red BullCredit: Getty
      DANIIL KVYAT says he felt “betrayed” and “stabbed in the back” when Red Bull demoted him to Toro Rosso in favour of Max Verstappen in 2016.
      Kvyat, 28, once dubbed ‘The Torpedo’ for the way he crashed into people, is now racing for Lamborghini in their World Endurance Championship.
      He has also detached himself from Russia, the country of his birth and will compete under his Italian racing licence.
      RIN-CREDIBLE
      Alex Rins won the MotoGP in AustinCredit: Reuters
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      The Italian had dominated all weekend at the Circuit of the Americas but has been left rattled by his second expensive error in consecutive races.
      He said: “Now it’s another week in a row, I don’t know why. So I am quite angry and disappointed — but not with myself.
      “I am 100 per cent sure it wasn’t my fault. We have to understand it, we don’t know how it’s happening.”
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      FORMULA E is returning this weekend in Berlin.
      The series then holds a rookie test on Monday where F2 champ Felipe Drugovich will drive for Maserati MSG Racing.
      Brits Jonny Edgar and Jack Aitken test for Envision.
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      Two new grandstands are set to be built for the Singapore GPCredit: Splash
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      in Boxing

      I’m Anthony Joshua’s rival and saw Chinese pals attacked over Covid but nobody dared target me due to my mammoth size

      by

      ZHILEI ZHANG saw Chinese compatriots getting attacked in New York during the Covid-19 pandemic but was too big for the cowards to target.The Beijing 2008 Olympic silver winner trains as a pro in New Jersey and has adopted the US as a second home.
      Zhilei Zhang opened up on how he saw Chinese compatriots being attacked in New YorkCredit: PA
      But when coronavirus gripped the world – and ex-president Donald Trump made a series of allegations against China – 39-year-old Zhang felt like the enemy in the Land of Opportunity.
      Thankfully life is almost back to normal and Zhang was welcomed to London last week to take on Putney’s 37-year-old Juggernaut Joe Joyce at the Copper Box on Saturday.
      Recalling the torrid time his innocent fellow expats faced, the softly spoken giant told SunSport: “We saw people getting pushed on the subway in New York City.
      “I would probably never become a target in the street, because of my size, but I do have Chinese friends and business owners in New York who have been targeted.
      READ MORE IN BOXING
      “These people have suffered, not just financially but also mentally and emotionally.
      “I don’t think it is the right thing to do, I don’t agree with politicising the pandemic, it should not be used as something to attack people.
      “People and human beings are innocent, nobody wants anyone to be sick, suffer or be infected.
      “Nobody wanted the virus and nobody wanted the impact it has had on the world.
      Most read in Boxing
      “Thankfully now we are moving on and getting back to living our lives in a positive way.”
      With China being the cradle of martial arts and boxing coming under that huge and money-spinning umbrella, it’s strange that 6ft 6in Zhang remains a rarity.
      But the 24-1-1 southpaw explains very wisely why a population of 1.4billion people have ZERO world boxing champions and just a few Asian fighters, largely representing Japan in the lightest weight classes.
      “When I got the silver medal in 2008, boxing was still a minor sport in China,” he said.
      “In China the major sports are diving, table tennis and soccer. Even after I got my silver medal I didn’t get recognised a lot. But I know what I have achieved and how far I have come.
      “Last time I fought in Las Vegas, my fight got 60 million views in China, that was record-breaking and historic, so I hope my career is helping make boxing a bigger success in China.
      “Maybe there are a couple of reasons why boxing and Asian countries haven’t really taken off.
      “One might be Geography, Asia is a pretty remote region, cut away from the likes of Europe and the Americas.
      Zhang won a silver medal at the 2008 OlympicsCredit: PA
      “Also Asian guys are traditionally smaller guys, so we have stars like Manny Pacquiao but they operate in the smaller divisions, which don’t get as much attention as the bigger guys from around middleweight and above.
      “I am not from a big family at all, it really is just me! My parents are just average sized”.
      Before Anthony Joshua agreed to fight Jermaine Franklin in his comeback bout in April 1, promoter Eddie Hearn teased the idea of taking him on a round-the-world tour and facing Zhang at the iconic 80,000 seat Bird’s Nest Stadium.
      Sadly it was another bluff but Zhang hopes our London 2012 legend is not getting written off by the British public he won over so spectacularly over the last decade.
      “We talked about something but it was premature,” Zhang confirmed.
      “Maybe after two losses to Usyk he is scared of southpaws forever now?
      “But I don’t think there is any fear among the top boxers – in any division – I believe that we are all fighters who want the biggest and best fights.
      “But I do believe and understand how promoters and broadcasters want to protect their investments, they are the ones who are scared of a loss.
      “Joshua has lost a few times but look at his wins, the respect is there.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I don’t think Joshua fears anyone but I think the business people and investors in him are protecting their career with smart business moves.
      “He might have lost some confidence but I think he deserves time and recognition.” More