22 Saturday, March 17, 2018 SPORTS Hamilton, Vettel ready to fight for high five London The Briton is the bookmakers’ But it’s not their job to make life ormula One fans will be hearing favourite to defend the title in what easier. a lot about will be the first season to feature two “If you look from outside, does Fthis season as and four-times champions together on a long term dominance of the Sebastian Vettel battle to match the track. team damage the spectacle? Yes it late Argentine’s 1950s feat of five Vettel could be breathing down does,” team boss Toto Wolff told world championships. Hamilton’s neck, a decade after his reporters. Only , with team last won a title, but may “We’ve seen that with the successes seven, has won more titles and find ’s and from Ferrari in the years 2000 and equalling the German’s tally is still running alongside Red Bull a couple of years ago...” largely the stuff of dreamland. if not in front. “I think the most healthy situation “I saw something about being up Even Mercedes recognise it might for is a very competitive Sebastian Vettel there potentially with Fangio, so be best for the sport, in its second environment where multiple teams of Ferrari in the that is quite an exciting prospect,” year with U.S.-based Liberty Media are able to win, the championship pit-lane during Hamilton said when his new running the show, not to have a fifth goes down to the wire...these are testing. Mercedes W09 car made its track successive season of domination by clearly the ingredients it needs.” debut at Silverstone in February. the . (Reuters) Tiger opens strong at Bay Hill Miami Rossi signs two iger Woods sank six Tbirdie putts, including year contract a spectacular 71-footer at the par-3 seventh hole, and leaped into second place with with Yamaha an opening four-under-par 68 Thursday at the Arnold Palmer Doha that decision during the Invitational. ine-time world champion following two years. The 14-time major NValentino Rossi signed a new “During the last champion, among the early reacts to two-year contract with Yamaha on two years I came to starters on a Bay Hill layout making a long putt on the Thursday, scotching any rumours the conclusion that I where he has won seven times seventh green during the about his immediate MotoGP future. want to continue because before, showed the peak form first round of the Arnold The veteran Italian, who celebrated racing, being a MotoGP that sparked his best finish in Palmer Invitational golf his 39th birthday last month, will now rider, but especially riding my five years last week and none tournament at Bay Hill remain in the sport until at least 2020. M1, is the thing that makes me feel of the back pain that sidelined Club & Lodge His existing contract runs out at the good.” him most of the past two end of 2018, his 23rd season. Rossi is still arguably the sport’s seasons. “When I signed my last contract biggest draw, despite finishing fifth in The only reason Woods yards for eagle on the 18th 42-year-old superstar who has with Yamaha, in March 2016, I last season’s championship and his was not sharing the clubhouse fairway to complete an opening not won a major since the 2008 wondered if that would have been the last world title coming back in 2009. lead in his final tuneup for 67, one stroke ahead of fellow US Open and hasn’t captured last contract as a MotoGP rider,” said He has claimed 56 race victories the Masters in three weeks was Americans Woods and Patrick any title since the 2013 Rossi in a statement following the with Yamaha, the Japanese team he Jimmy Walker, the 2016 PGA Reed. World Golf Championships announcement of the contract ahead was with from 2004 to 2010, and Valentino Rossi Championship winner. But the electricity of the Bridgestone Invitational. of this season’s opener in Qatar. then returned to in 2013 after a two poses during a Walker holed out from 132 day came from Woods, the (AFP) “At that time, I decided that I’d take year spell with Ducati. (AFP) photo session at the Losail International Stroll is now face of experience at Williams Circuit, Doha London the standings as the campaign proceeds, in the record books. ance Stroll is still Formula One’s with the Mercedes-powered car not But he recognizes some may youngest driver but the 19-year- looking particularly quick in testing never be convinced that he is more oldL Canadian will also be his Williams either, but Stroll is understandably not than a rich kid whose father’s team’s most experienced man on the one of them. money has given him every starting grid this season. “Williams made a decision to take advantage. It is quite a departure for one of us on board and that’s how it is. I don’t “There will always the sport’s leading constructors, once- think it’s a bad thing,” the driver, son of be jealous people dominant former champions whose a billionaire, told Reuters during testing and haters, cars have been graced by a roll call of in Spain ahead of next week’s season- people who greats but now without a race win since opener in Australia. assume that 2012. “I think, just like everyone else, if we if they were With just 20 grands prix under his do a good job as a team we can get some in your shoes belt, Stroll now has 22-year-old Russian good results.” they could rookie Sergey Sirotkin as team mate The teenager did his best to win do what you’re in place of departed Brazilian veteran over the doubters in 2017 with a front doing,” he said. “That’s . row start, the only podium by a driver just the world we live in. of Williams There are those who see a slide down outside the top three teams and a place (Reuters)