SportsNews

Horner: Red Bull has the “strength” to deal with Newey, Wheatley exits

Published

11 months ago

January 9, 2025

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has downplayed the impact of losing two key members of staff ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Technical guru Adrian Newey announced his high-profile departure from the Milton Keynes-based outfit at the Miami Grand Prix, working on the brand’s RB17 project in the time ahead of what was later announced as a switch to Aston Martin.

Another loss came later in the year as sporting director Jonathan Wheatley agreed to become the team principal for Audi’s F1 effort, completing a year of gardening leave alongside the outfit’s final year under the Sauber guise.

Both were part of the Red Bull set-up since the team’s infancy in the championship, playing vital roles in the championship wins for Sebastian Vettel(2010-13) and Max Verstappen (2021-24) – but Horner is unmoved by the potential effects their departures could have.

“There’s only two going and obviously, Adrian left in Miami, so we haven’t seen him. He’s been working on the RB17 since then, so he’s not been working on any F1 projects,” Horner told Autosport.

“Obviously, sad to see them go. They’ve both played important roles in the team over their tenure in the team.

Jonathan Wheatley, Team Manager, Red Bull Racing
© Motorsport.com

Jonathan Wheatley, Team Manager, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Andreas Beil

“But the show goes on, and I think we’ve got the strength and depth we’ve got. We have that and arguably 2026 – what we’re gearing up for in 2026 with our own power unit – is by far the biggest challenge and the most ambitious project this team has ever taken on.

“So, 2025, Jonathan will step off the pitwall, but other than that, everything remains the same.”

Insisting the team was not entering a rebuild, Horner added: “I would say rebuild goes way too far for two people that have left. It’s evolution.

“It’s something that has been on the cards for a little while, so something that has been part of the planning for some time.”

Red Bull, which failed to retain its constructors’ title after being overtaken by McLaren and Ferrarilast term, has made further structural changes to the management team, including the promotion of Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to head of racing.

Former senior strategy engineer Stephen Knowles takes on a new head of sporting regulations role which will help ensure compliance with F1’s rules as the liaison point with the FIA, while senior engineer of car engineering Richard Wolverson is taking on the head of racing operations job.

World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Gianpiero Lambiase, Red Bull Racing race engineer
© Autosport.com

World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Gianpiero Lambiase, Red Bull Racing race engineer

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

On whether Lambiase would still be Verstappen’s voice of reason, Horner explained: “Yes, he’ll still be working directly with Max. He just takes on a broader role, obviously, as he steps up.”

Pointing to the changes made, he added: “It’s just a natural progression trackside with those personnel.

“It’s great because it gives them an opportunity and sometimes an organisation, if it remains stagnant, it fails to progress.

“So, I think this is a fantastic opportunity of progression for many people in the team that have been long standing team members that deserve that opportunity.”

SportsNews

EPL: Full list of players leaving for 2025 AFCON

Published

1 day ago

December 13, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

At least 25 players in the Premier League are set to travel for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The tournament is scheduled to take place from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.

Nigeria, Ivory Coast, DR Congo lead the way in terms of players based in the English topflight, with four selected from each club for the AFCON.

FIFA has directed clubs to release the eligible players from Monday, December 15.

Full list of players confirmed

Sunderland (5):
Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), Reinildo (Mozambique), Bertrand Traoré (Burkina Faso), Arthur Masuaku (DR Congo), Noah Sadiki (DR Congo).

Manchester United (3):
Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon), Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco).

Fulham (3):
Alex Iwobi (Nigeria), Calvin Bassey (Nigeria), Samuel Chukwueze (Nigeria).

Burnley (3):
Axel Tuanzebe (DR Congo), Lyle Foster (South Africa), Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia).

Nottingham Forest (2):
Ibrahim Sangaré (Ivory Coast), Willy Boly (Ivory Coast).

Brentford (2):
Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso), Frank Onyeka (Nigeria).

Manchester City (1):
Omar Marmoush (Egypt),

West Ham United (1):
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (DR Congo)

Wolves (2):
Tawanda Chirewa (Zimbabwe), Emmanuel Agbadou (Ivory Coast).

Brighton & Hove Albion (1):
Carlos Baleba (Cameroon).

Crystal Palace (2):
Ismaïla Sarr (Senegal), Cheick Doucouré (Mali)

Liverpool (1):
Mohammed Salah (Egypt)

SportsNews

NNL bars fans from Ranchers Bees vs Adamawa United

Published

1 day ago

December 13, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

The Nigeria National League, NNL, has announced that matchday six fixture between Ranchers Bees and Adamawa United will be played behind closed doors.

The announcement was made in a statement by the league body.

Only the State Football Association representatives, staff of both teams, kit managers and medical personnel will be allowed into the stadium.

Others are the match officials, security personnel and camera men.

The reason for the decision to play the game without club supporters wasn’t stated by the league body.

The encounter will take place at the Bako Kontagora Stadium in Minna on Saturday (today).

SportsNews

Nigeria vs Egypt Friendly Gets New Date

Published

6 days ago

December 8, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Nigeria’s preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations have taken a fresh hit, with Egypt confirming that the highly anticipated friendly between both nations has been shifted from 14 to 16 December.

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced the adjustment late Friday, noting that FIFA’s updated international release directive, which allows clubs keep African players until 15 December, made the original date unworkable.

EFA Vice President Khaled El-Darandaly explained that the new rule left both Egypt and Nigeria without full squads for the initial date.

Key Pharaohs players, including Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, are now expected to arrive only after the new release window.

Egypt had already named its 28-man provisional squad and opened camp in Cairo, with head coach Hossam Hassan accelerating final preparations for a Group B campaign that includes South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe.

Nigeria’s disruption is more extensive. The Super Eagles were originally scheduled to open camp on 10 December and progress through a streamlined friendly schedule before departing for Morocco. That entire framework has now been dismantled.

Under the revised timeline, camp will open on 14 December, leaving Eric Chelle with barely a week to prepare before AFCON kicks off.

The venue for the friendly is also now uncertain, with Cairo no longer feasible and both federations considering shifting the match to Morocco.

Nigeria’s build-up has been further destabilised by injuries to Ola Aina, Taiwo Awoniyi, Benjamin Fredrick and Felix Agu.

The shock retirement of captain William Troost-Ekong, winner of the 2023 AFCON Player of the Tournament award, creates an additional leadership vacuum in defence.

Chelle, who released a 55-man provisional list, must now trim his squad to 28 within a compressed window. Nigeria will compete in Group C alongside Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania as they chase a fourth continental title.