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Deadspin | Guardians to call-up Travis Bazzana, 2024 No. 1 overall pick   Columbus Clippers’s Travis Bazzana holds the ball during practice at Huntington Park on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio.   The Cleveland Guardians are expected to call up second baseman Travis Bazzana, the top overall selection in the 2024 draft, on Tuesday for the second game of a home series against the Tampa Bay Rays.  According to multiple media reports, rookie Juan Brito, who had started five of the last seven games at second base, will be optioned to Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding move.  Bazzana, a 23-year old native of Sydney, Australia, has appeared in 24 games for Columbus, batting .287 with two homers and 10 RBIs. He has 15 extra-base hits and has drawn 21 walks, and he possesses a .511 slugging percentage and a .933 OPS.  The Oregon State product (2022-24) rose quickly through the minor league ranks in 2025 but sustained oblique injuries in the summer and only got into 26 games in Columbus.   Bazzana is the lone No. 1 overall draft selection in Cleveland’s franchise history. The Guardians had a 2% chance of landing the top pick but won the draft lottery in December 2023.  Brito, who is hitting .176 with no homers and three RBIs in 51 at-bats, didn’t play in the Guardians’ 3-2 loss to the Rays on Monday. The 24-year old also has committed four errors.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Guardians #callup #Travis #Bazzana #pick

Deadspin | Guardians to call-up Travis Bazzana, 2024 No. 1 overall pick
Deadspin | Guardians to call-up Travis Bazzana, 2024 No. 1 overall pick   Columbus Clippers’s Travis Bazzana holds the ball during practice at Huntington Park on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio.   The Cleveland Guardians are expected to call up second baseman Travis Bazzana, the top overall selection in the 2024 draft, on Tuesday for the second game of a home series against the Tampa Bay Rays.  According to multiple media reports, rookie Juan Brito, who had started five of the last seven games at second base, will be optioned to Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding move.  Bazzana, a 23-year old native of Sydney, Australia, has appeared in 24 games for Columbus, batting .287 with two homers and 10 RBIs. He has 15 extra-base hits and has drawn 21 walks, and he possesses a .511 slugging percentage and a .933 OPS.  The Oregon State product (2022-24) rose quickly through the minor league ranks in 2025 but sustained oblique injuries in the summer and only got into 26 games in Columbus.   Bazzana is the lone No. 1 overall draft selection in Cleveland’s franchise history. The Guardians had a 2% chance of landing the top pick but won the draft lottery in December 2023.  Brito, who is hitting .176 with no homers and three RBIs in 51 at-bats, didn’t play in the Guardians’ 3-2 loss to the Rays on Monday. The 24-year old also has committed four errors.  –Field Level Media   #Deadspin #Guardians #callup #Travis #Bazzana #pickColumbus Clippers’s Travis Bazzana holds the ball during practice at Huntington Park on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio.

The Cleveland Guardians are expected to call up second baseman Travis Bazzana, the top overall selection in the 2024 draft, on Tuesday for the second game of a home series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

According to multiple media reports, rookie Juan Brito, who had started five of the last seven games at second base, will be optioned to Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding move.

Bazzana, a 23-year old native of Sydney, Australia, has appeared in 24 games for Columbus, batting .287 with two homers and 10 RBIs. He has 15 extra-base hits and has drawn 21 walks, and he possesses a .511 slugging percentage and a .933 OPS.


The Oregon State product (2022-24) rose quickly through the minor league ranks in 2025 but sustained oblique injuries in the summer and only got into 26 games in Columbus.

Bazzana is the lone No. 1 overall draft selection in Cleveland’s franchise history. The Guardians had a 2% chance of landing the top pick but won the draft lottery in December 2023.

Brito, who is hitting .176 with no homers and three RBIs in 51 at-bats, didn’t play in the Guardians’ 3-2 loss to the Rays on Monday. The 24-year old also has committed four errors.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Guardians #callup #Travis #Bazzana #pick

Columbus Clippers’s Travis Bazzana holds the ball during practice at Huntington Park on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio.

The Cleveland Guardians are expected to call up second baseman Travis Bazzana, the top overall selection in the 2024 draft, on Tuesday for the second game of a home series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

According to multiple media reports, rookie Juan Brito, who had started five of the last seven games at second base, will be optioned to Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding move.

Bazzana, a 23-year old native of Sydney, Australia, has appeared in 24 games for Columbus, batting .287 with two homers and 10 RBIs. He has 15 extra-base hits and has drawn 21 walks, and he possesses a .511 slugging percentage and a .933 OPS.

The Oregon State product (2022-24) rose quickly through the minor league ranks in 2025 but sustained oblique injuries in the summer and only got into 26 games in Columbus.

Bazzana is the lone No. 1 overall draft selection in Cleveland’s franchise history. The Guardians had a 2% chance of landing the top pick but won the draft lottery in December 2023.

Brito, who is hitting .176 with no homers and three RBIs in 51 at-bats, didn’t play in the Guardians’ 3-2 loss to the Rays on Monday. The 24-year old also has committed four errors.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #Guardians #callup #Travis #Bazzana #pick

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How can India qualify for FIFA U-17 World Cup after North Korea withdrew from Asian Cup? <div id="content-body-70915742" itemprop="articleBody"><p>India was handed a major boost for its FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2026 qualification hopes after the Democratic Republic of Korea withdrew from the U-17 AFC Asian Cup last week.</p><p>Korea DPR, also known as North Korea, was drawn with India, Australia and Uzbekistan in the U-17 Asian Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia between May 5 and 22. Nine teams from the Asian Cup will play in the World Cup, including host Qatar.</p><p>However, a late withdrawal from Korea meant only three teams will compete from the group.</p><h4 class="sub_head">How is that a boost for India’s World Cup hopes?</h4><p>The top two teams from each group will qualify for the U-17 World Cup. As a result, India will now need to finish in the top two from a pool of three teams to qualify for the World Cup.</p><p>India has two matches in the group stages:</p><ul class="article-body article-bullet-list"><li> India vs Australia </li><li> India vs Uzbekistan </li></ul><h4 class="sub_head">How can India qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup?</h4><p><b>Scenario 1: </b>India wins one match and draws/wins the other <b>(4 points or more) </b>— With at least four points, India will qualify.</p><p><b>Scenario 2: </b>India wins one match and loses another <b>(3 points) </b>— If the team India beat also loses its other match, India will qualify.</p><p>But if every team wins one match each, the teams will end up with three points each. Then the following criteria will be considered.</p><ul class="article-body article-bullet-list"><li> Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams; </li><li> Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams. </li><li> Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams; </li><li> If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above were reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams; </li><li> Goal difference in all group matches; </li><li> Goals scored in all group matches; </li><li> Penalty shoot-out if only two teams were tied and they met in the last round of the group. </li><li> Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points); </li><li> Drawing of lots. </li></ul><p><b>Scenario 3: </b>India draws both matches <b>(2 points) </b>— India will qualify if the third group–stage match ends with anything but a draw.</p><p>If Uzbekistan vs Australia ends in a draw, then all three teams end up with the same points. Then the following criteria will be considered.</p><ul class="article-body article-bullet-list"><li> Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams; </li><li> Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams. </li><li> Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams; </li><li> If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above were reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams; </li><li> Goal difference in all group matches; </li><li> Goals scored in all group matches; </li><li> Penalty shoot-out if only two teams were tied and they met in the last round of the group. </li><li> Disciplinary points (yellow card = 1 point, red card as a result of two yellow cards = 3 points, direct red card = 3 points, yellow card followed by direct red card = 4 points); </li><li> Drawing of lots. </li></ul><p><b>Scenario 4: </b>India draws one match and loses the other <b>(1 point) </b>— The other match will have to be a draw, India will need to lose by a narrow margin and must score in its draw. Only then will India stand a chance to qualify.</p><h4 class="sub_head">Has India played in the FIFA U-17 World Cup before?</h4><p>India has played in the FIFA U-17 World Cup only once in 2017, when it qualified by default as the host. It is yet to qualify for the World Cup on merit.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 28, 2026</p></div> #India #qualify #FIFA #U17 #World #Cup #North #Korea #withdrew #Asian #Cup

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इंदौर में तेज गर्मी का असर, अप्रैल में ही होने लगी मई महीने में होने वाली बिजली की खपत

Over the past few seasons, Tarik Skubal has been one of the best, if not the best, pitchers in the sport. Since 2023, Skubal has the second-lowest ERA among pitchers with at least 50 starts and ranks 9th in total strikeouts, despite having 13 fewer starts than every pitcher above him on that list. The two Cy Youngs are a culmination of his continued dominance, but now his upcoming free-agent decision looms large for the Detroit Tigers.

Skubal is a Scott Boras client. If you know anything about Boras guys, it’s not common for any of them to take team-friendly deals to stay in smaller markets, so this could very well be his final season in Detroit.

At this moment, the Tigers are 44-52, good for 4th in the AL Central, but are still only 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. Detroit closed out the first half of the regular season strong, going 9-3, and got as close as 4.5 games of the Central division.

In a normal year, the season would be all but over for the Tigers, but fortunately they’re playing in one of the worst American Leagues we’ve ever seen. The trade deadline is August 3rd, so Detroit has five series to decide whether to make a playoff push or sell. Only one of those series is against a team over .500, and three of the other four series are against the three worst teams in the American League.

Detroit isn’t out of it yet

Detroit is finally getting healthier, and a playoff push isn’t out of the question, but that doesn’t make them a contender. Skubal and Casey Mize make one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, but the lineup is terrible.

Last season blinded Detroit to a flawed lineup. Most of the lineup outperformed their expected stats and have plummeted back to Earth this year. Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, and Dillon Dingler are a very solid top of the order, and Gelyber Torres should return from injury soon, but I’m just not very sold on this team.

The return you can get on a guy like Skubal can change the long-term direction of your organization. Mason Miller was dealt at the deadline for four players who are now the first, fourth, and twelfth-ranked players in the Athletics farm system. Skubal would only be a rental, but if you could land a top 10-20 prospect in the sport, I think you have to do it.

Unless Detroit is going to shock the world and pay Skubal’s massive extension, I think the Tigers should start preparing for a world without their ace. This team’s not strong enough to contend and will only set themselves back if they hold on to Skubal.

#Tigers #Moving #Tarik #Skubal #Trade #Deadline #Deadspin.com">Why Tigers Should Consider Moving Tarik Skubal at the Trade Deadline | Deadspin.com   Over the past few seasons, Tarik Skubal has been one of the best, if not the best, pitchers in the sport. Since 2023, Skubal has the second-lowest ERA among pitchers with at least 50 starts and ranks 9th in total strikeouts, despite having 13 fewer starts than every pitcher above him on that list. The two Cy Youngs are a culmination of his continued dominance, but now his upcoming free-agent decision looms large for the Detroit Tigers.Skubal is a Scott Boras client. If you know anything about Boras guys, it’s not common for any of them to take team-friendly deals to stay in smaller markets, so this could very well be his final season in Detroit.At this moment, the Tigers are 44-52, good for 4th in the AL Central, but are still only 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. Detroit closed out the first half of the regular season strong, going 9-3, and got as close as 4.5 games of the Central division.In a normal year, the season would be all but over for the Tigers, but fortunately they’re playing in one of the worst American Leagues we’ve ever seen. The trade deadline is August 3rd, so Detroit has five series to decide whether to make a playoff push or sell. Only one of those series is against a team over .500, and three of the other four series are against the three worst teams in the American League.Detroit isn’t out of it yetDetroit is finally getting healthier, and a playoff push isn’t out of the question, but that doesn’t make them a contender. Skubal and Casey Mize make one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, but the lineup is terrible.Last season blinded Detroit to a flawed lineup. Most of the lineup outperformed their expected stats and have plummeted back to Earth this year. Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, and Dillon Dingler are a very solid top of the order, and Gelyber Torres should return from injury soon, but I’m just not very sold on this team.The return you can get on a guy like Skubal can change the long-term direction of your organization. Mason Miller was dealt at the deadline for four players who are now the first, fourth, and twelfth-ranked players in the Athletics farm system. Skubal would only be a rental, but if you could land a top 10-20 prospect in the sport, I think you have to do it.Unless Detroit is going to shock the world and pay Skubal’s massive extension, I think the Tigers should start preparing for a world without their ace. This team’s not strong enough to contend and will only set themselves back if they hold on to Skubal.   #Tigers #Moving #Tarik #Skubal #Trade #Deadline #Deadspin.com

looms large for the Detroit Tigers.

Skubal is a Scott Boras client. If you know anything about Boras guys, it’s not common for any of them to take team-friendly deals to stay in smaller markets, so this could very well be his final season in Detroit.

At this moment, the Tigers are 44-52, good for 4th in the AL Central, but are still only 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. Detroit closed out the first half of the regular season strong, going 9-3, and got as close as 4.5 games of the Central division.

In a normal year, the season would be all but over for the Tigers, but fortunately they’re playing in one of the worst American Leagues we’ve ever seen. The trade deadline is August 3rd, so Detroit has five series to decide whether to make a playoff push or sell. Only one of those series is against a team over .500, and three of the other four series are against the three worst teams in the American League.

Detroit isn’t out of it yet

Detroit is finally getting healthier, and a playoff push isn’t out of the question, but that doesn’t make them a contender. Skubal and Casey Mize make one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, but the lineup is terrible.

Last season blinded Detroit to a flawed lineup. Most of the lineup outperformed their expected stats and have plummeted back to Earth this year. Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, and Dillon Dingler are a very solid top of the order, and Gelyber Torres should return from injury soon, but I’m just not very sold on this team.

The return you can get on a guy like Skubal can change the long-term direction of your organization. Mason Miller was dealt at the deadline for four players who are now the first, fourth, and twelfth-ranked players in the Athletics farm system. Skubal would only be a rental, but if you could land a top 10-20 prospect in the sport, I think you have to do it.

Unless Detroit is going to shock the world and pay Skubal’s massive extension, I think the Tigers should start preparing for a world without their ace. This team’s not strong enough to contend and will only set themselves back if they hold on to Skubal.

#Tigers #Moving #Tarik #Skubal #Trade #Deadline #Deadspin.com">Why Tigers Should Consider Moving Tarik Skubal at the Trade Deadline | Deadspin.com

Over the past few seasons, Tarik Skubal has been one of the best, if not the best, pitchers in the sport. Since 2023, Skubal has the second-lowest ERA among pitchers with at least 50 starts and ranks 9th in total strikeouts, despite having 13 fewer starts than every pitcher above him on that list. The two Cy Youngs are a culmination of his continued dominance, but now his upcoming free-agent decision looms large for the Detroit Tigers.

Skubal is a Scott Boras client. If you know anything about Boras guys, it’s not common for any of them to take team-friendly deals to stay in smaller markets, so this could very well be his final season in Detroit.

At this moment, the Tigers are 44-52, good for 4th in the AL Central, but are still only 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. Detroit closed out the first half of the regular season strong, going 9-3, and got as close as 4.5 games of the Central division.

In a normal year, the season would be all but over for the Tigers, but fortunately they’re playing in one of the worst American Leagues we’ve ever seen. The trade deadline is August 3rd, so Detroit has five series to decide whether to make a playoff push or sell. Only one of those series is against a team over .500, and three of the other four series are against the three worst teams in the American League.

Detroit isn’t out of it yet

Detroit is finally getting healthier, and a playoff push isn’t out of the question, but that doesn’t make them a contender. Skubal and Casey Mize make one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, but the lineup is terrible.

Last season blinded Detroit to a flawed lineup. Most of the lineup outperformed their expected stats and have plummeted back to Earth this year. Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, and Dillon Dingler are a very solid top of the order, and Gelyber Torres should return from injury soon, but I’m just not very sold on this team.

The return you can get on a guy like Skubal can change the long-term direction of your organization. Mason Miller was dealt at the deadline for four players who are now the first, fourth, and twelfth-ranked players in the Athletics farm system. Skubal would only be a rental, but if you could land a top 10-20 prospect in the sport, I think you have to do it.

Unless Detroit is going to shock the world and pay Skubal’s massive extension, I think the Tigers should start preparing for a world without their ace. This team’s not strong enough to contend and will only set themselves back if they hold on to Skubal.

#Tigers #Moving #Tarik #Skubal #Trade #Deadline #Deadspin.com

Death, taxes, and speculation about Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future.

The sport has been dominated in recent weeks by speculation over Verstappen’s future with Red Bull, keyed by some difficult sessions this season. After crashes during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix and in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix — with Verstappen chasing a podium finish — it is confirmed that he cannot rise to the top two spots in the Drivers’ Championship standings by the summer shutdown, which comes after the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.

With that, according to multiple reports, a clause in his Red Bull contract can be triggered, giving him an out for the 2027 season.

Sprinkle in a dash of the general frenzy that is the F1 driver transfer market, and you have arguably the dominant story ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And despite his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, tamping down those rumors recently, the F1 world got a chance to hear from the driver himself on Thursday in the buildup to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And Verstappen made it clear that his focus is elsewhere.

Mainly, on turning the season around, and his “future” driving for Red Bull.

“There’s nothing to say,” answered Verstappen when asked about the speculation during the FIA Press Conference on Thursday. “I don’t want to say yes and no, and this and that about my future. I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself.”

The driver then addressed the recent struggles, as well as his efforts alongside the team to right the ship.

“Now we’re just looking to the future trying to fix current issues that we have on the car, but that’s an open discussion,” he said. “Yes, sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but for example after Silverstone, you go home and you reset.

“On Wednesday I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead. That’s how I’ve been operating in all the years together. And of course, some years are just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes.”

Part of that process is a focus on the rear wing of the RB22. That component — the revolving design referred to as the “Macarena” wing in the media — has been identified as the reason for those two high-speed crashes from Verstappen in recent weeks. The driver called the situation “super dangerous” when speaking to the media after the crash in Silverstone, and the team will reportedly shelve the component for this weekend.

But in terms of his future beyond Spa, Verstappen remained adamant on Thursday.

“Red Bull are like a second family to me,“ added the driver.

Here at SB Nation we are talking F1 every hour, every day. Join the discussion at the new F1 Feed, a community for Formula 1 fans!

#Belgian #Grand #Prix #Max #Verstappen #focused #future #Red #Bull">Belgian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen is focused on the ‘future’ at Red Bull  Death, taxes, and speculation about Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future.The sport has been dominated in recent weeks by speculation over Verstappen’s future with Red Bull, keyed by some difficult sessions this season. After crashes during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix and in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix — with Verstappen chasing a podium finish — it is confirmed that he cannot rise to the top two spots in the Drivers’ Championship standings by the summer shutdown, which comes after the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.With that, according to multiple reports, a clause in his Red Bull contract can be triggered, giving him an out for the 2027 season.Sprinkle in a dash of the general frenzy that is the F1 driver transfer market, and you have arguably the dominant story ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.And despite his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, tamping down those rumors recently, the F1 world got a chance to hear from the driver himself on Thursday in the buildup to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.And Verstappen made it clear that his focus is elsewhere.Mainly, on turning the season around, and his “future” driving for Red Bull.“There’s nothing to say,” answered Verstappen when asked about the speculation during the FIA Press Conference on Thursday. “I don’t want to say yes and no, and this and that about my future. I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself.”The driver then addressed the recent struggles, as well as his efforts alongside the team to right the ship.“Now we’re just looking to the future trying to fix current issues that we have on the car, but that’s an open discussion,” he said. “Yes, sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but for example after Silverstone, you go home and you reset.“On Wednesday I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead. That’s how I’ve been operating in all the years together. And of course, some years are just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes.”Part of that process is a focus on the rear wing of the RB22. That component — the revolving design referred to as the “Macarena” wing in the media — has been identified as the reason for those two high-speed crashes from Verstappen in recent weeks. The driver called the situation “super dangerous” when speaking to the media after the crash in Silverstone, and the team will reportedly shelve the component for this weekend.But in terms of his future beyond Spa, Verstappen remained adamant on Thursday.“Red Bull are like a second family to me,“ added the driver.Here at SB Nation we are talking F1 every hour, every day. Join the discussion at the new F1 Feed, a community for Formula 1 fans!  #Belgian #Grand #Prix #Max #Verstappen #focused #future #Red #Bull

dominated in recent weeks by speculation over Verstappen’s future with Red Bull, keyed by some difficult sessions this season. After crashes during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix and in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix — with Verstappen chasing a podium finish — it is confirmed that he cannot rise to the top two spots in the Drivers’ Championship standings by the summer shutdown, which comes after the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.

With that, according to multiple reports, a clause in his Red Bull contract can be triggered, giving him an out for the 2027 season.

Sprinkle in a dash of the general frenzy that is the F1 driver transfer market, and you have arguably the dominant story ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And despite his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, tamping down those rumors recently, the F1 world got a chance to hear from the driver himself on Thursday in the buildup to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And Verstappen made it clear that his focus is elsewhere.

Mainly, on turning the season around, and his “future” driving for Red Bull.

“There’s nothing to say,” answered Verstappen when asked about the speculation during the FIA Press Conference on Thursday. “I don’t want to say yes and no, and this and that about my future. I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself.”

The driver then addressed the recent struggles, as well as his efforts alongside the team to right the ship.

“Now we’re just looking to the future trying to fix current issues that we have on the car, but that’s an open discussion,” he said. “Yes, sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but for example after Silverstone, you go home and you reset.

“On Wednesday I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead. That’s how I’ve been operating in all the years together. And of course, some years are just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes.”

Part of that process is a focus on the rear wing of the RB22. That component — the revolving design referred to as the “Macarena” wing in the media — has been identified as the reason for those two high-speed crashes from Verstappen in recent weeks. The driver called the situation “super dangerous” when speaking to the media after the crash in Silverstone, and the team will reportedly shelve the component for this weekend.

But in terms of his future beyond Spa, Verstappen remained adamant on Thursday.

“Red Bull are like a second family to me,“ added the driver.

Here at SB Nation we are talking F1 every hour, every day. Join the discussion at the new F1 Feed, a community for Formula 1 fans!

#Belgian #Grand #Prix #Max #Verstappen #focused #future #Red #Bull">Belgian Grand Prix: Max Verstappen is focused on the ‘future’ at Red Bull

Death, taxes, and speculation about Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 future.

The sport has been dominated in recent weeks by speculation over Verstappen’s future with Red Bull, keyed by some difficult sessions this season. After crashes during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix and in the closing stages of the British Grand Prix — with Verstappen chasing a podium finish — it is confirmed that he cannot rise to the top two spots in the Drivers’ Championship standings by the summer shutdown, which comes after the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.

With that, according to multiple reports, a clause in his Red Bull contract can be triggered, giving him an out for the 2027 season.

Sprinkle in a dash of the general frenzy that is the F1 driver transfer market, and you have arguably the dominant story ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And despite his manager, Raymond Vermeulen, tamping down those rumors recently, the F1 world got a chance to hear from the driver himself on Thursday in the buildup to this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

And Verstappen made it clear that his focus is elsewhere.

Mainly, on turning the season around, and his “future” driving for Red Bull.

“There’s nothing to say,” answered Verstappen when asked about the speculation during the FIA Press Conference on Thursday. “I don’t want to say yes and no, and this and that about my future. I said already many times that if there was something new, I would say it myself.”

The driver then addressed the recent struggles, as well as his efforts alongside the team to right the ship.

“Now we’re just looking to the future trying to fix current issues that we have on the car, but that’s an open discussion,” he said. “Yes, sometimes you get a little bit disappointed or upset after a race, but for example after Silverstone, you go home and you reset.

“On Wednesday I was back at the factory and then you prepare again for the weekends ahead. That’s how I’ve been operating in all the years together. And of course, some years are just a little bit more competitive than others, but in terms of my approach and how we work as a team, nothing really changes.”

Part of that process is a focus on the rear wing of the RB22. That component — the revolving design referred to as the “Macarena” wing in the media — has been identified as the reason for those two high-speed crashes from Verstappen in recent weeks. The driver called the situation “super dangerous” when speaking to the media after the crash in Silverstone, and the team will reportedly shelve the component for this weekend.

But in terms of his future beyond Spa, Verstappen remained adamant on Thursday.

“Red Bull are like a second family to me,“ added the driver.

Here at SB Nation we are talking F1 every hour, every day. Join the discussion at the new F1 Feed, a community for Formula 1 fans!

#Belgian #Grand #Prix #Max #Verstappen #focused #future #Red #Bull

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