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So that’s that. 22 and out for Formula 1 in 2023. A season dominated, in all but one race, by Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Christian Horner’s team won 21 of the 22 races, with Verstappen claiming his record-extending 19th victory in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. It has been a near-faultless campaign, with the team securing their first ever one-two in the drivers’ championship too thanks to Sergio Perez’s runner-up spot. But what about Mercedes and Ferrari, trailing in their wake? Aston Martin and McLaren were in the mix up top at different points of the season – while Williams took big steps in their first year under James Vowles. From 10th in the final 2023 constructors’ standings to first, we hand out the report cards to all 10 teams after another F1 season comes to a close. 10. HAAS (12 points) – D It was a bright start for the popular American-owned team, led by X-rated team principal maverick Guenther Steiner. But boy did they drop off. After the fifth race of the season in Miami in May, Haas claimed just three points – and only one of those came in a grand prix as opposed to a sprint. It represents a rapid slide. Steiner is very satisfied with his experienced driver pairing of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, but even their wise old heads could not eke any performance out of the VF-23 as the season progressed. While others around them brought impactful upgrades, Haas languished in mediocrity. There was also a lack of panache and excitement associated with the team this year, without any young guns to follow like Mick Schumacher. Usually, the most entertaining episode every year in Drive to Survive is the Haas-focused one. The Netflix producers may have their work cut out this time. 9. ALFA ROMEO (16 points) – C- A similar story to Haas. While Williams and AlphaTauri fought for P7 at the end given their upgraded cars, the Alfa consistently lacked performance throughout 2023. Highlights include Zhou Guanyu’s fifth place in qualifying in Spain and a double-points finish in Qatar last month. But they were anomalies rather than indications of consistent upturns in speed. Valtteri Bottas has dropped into a bottom-half driver since moving from Mercedes at the end of 2021. Again, both drivers have been confirmed for 2024. But further ahead, with Audi taking over in 2026, the German manufacturer have a big job to turn this team into a midfield contender. 8. ALPHATAURI (25 points) – B A season of two halves for Red Bull’s sister team. Remember, for instance, Nyck de Vries’ rough 10 and out stint at the start? It feels like a long time ago. It was July when feathers were well and truly ruffled as Daniel Ricciardo was brought back to the grid, where it all started for him. But an injury sustained in Zandvoort in August handed a chance to junior driver Liam Lawson. As the saying went then: more drivers than points. But an impressive ninth-place finish from Lawson was backed up by three top-10 finishes in the final five races of the season by Yuki Tsunoda. Ricciardo finished seventh in Mexico, too, as AlphaTauri ran Williams close for seventh spot in Franz Tost’s final season in charge. Their rate of improvement was considerable. 7. WILLIAMS (27 points) – A- From five wooden spoons in six years, it’s been quite the one-season turnaround from Williams in their first year spearheaded by ex-Mercedes strategist Vowles. Alex Albon has been terrific. So much so that he is being linked with his old seat at Red Bull. He has taken on the role as team leader with poise and determination, best illustrated by his seventh-place finishes in Canada and Italy. But it could have been better. Rookie Logan Sargeant struggled, earning one solitary point in Austin – and even that was only after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s disqualifications. He finished lower than Albon in every qualifying too and, at the time of writing, the American’s 2024 seat is yet to be confirmed. Nonetheless, the progress made by a titanic team in F1 has been considerable. Kudos to Vowles. The question now is how far can he take them? 6. ALPINE (120 points) – C- A season to forget for the French team. What started with a glitzy car launch in London with the likes of Zinedine Zidane presented as an ambassador ended in nothingness, neither here nor there in sixth place. Top-10 finishes have been hit and miss. Both team-mates have tasted the podium once – Esteban Ocon in Monaco, Pierre Gasly in Zandvoort – and there were only four points to separate them in the standings. But a team who had a 100-race plan at the start of 2022 to compete for titles may have to realign expectations. A crash between their drivers in Melbourne set the tone for a season of frustration and team boss Otmar Szafnauer was dismissed prior to the summer break. A big off-season is needed for the Renault-owned team. 5. ASTON MARTIN (280 points) – B+ The early-season surprise package really tailed away after the summer break – but it’s still been a season of hope and optimism for Aston Martin. The signing of Fernando Alonso was an inspired acquisition, in a car that was quickly dubbed the “Green Red Bull”. The Spaniard recorded five podiums in the first six races, with a twinge of what could have been inevitable after pole position in Monaco was snatched away from him late in the day by the peerless Verstappen. Yet while their rivals at the top upgraded and improved, Aston stood still. If there’s any lesson they can take from this season, it’s to make sure the in-season evolution of the car matches their off-season work. Oh, and stop the over-reliance on Alonso. Lance Stroll is a capable driver – he will be disappointed by his performance (and his professionalism, cc. Qatar) in 2023. While Alonso claimed 206 points, Stroll recorded just 74. 4. MCLAREN – (302 points) – A- If you had told McLaren fans after a disastrous double DNF at the season opener in Bahrain that they’d be challenging for race wins by the halfway mark, you’d have been laughed out of the room. But after an opening where Zak Brown and co admitted they hadn’t reached their off-season development targets, McLaren’s in-season work has paid off big time. The difference between their car pre and post Austria in July was like night and day. Since then, they’ve arguably been the second-quickest car on the grid on race day. Lando Norris has been on the podium seven times, with the only obvious regret the fact he is still yet to claim an inaugural win. Rookie Oscar Piastri has been excellent, too, fully vindicating Brown’s decision to dump Ricciardo last year. He claimed a sprint race win in Qatar and gave Norris the competition he has sorely needed for the last few years. But, can they close the gap to Red Bull next year? 3. FERRARI – (406 points) – B- Ah, the Scuderia. Unlike last year, when they were genuinely armed with a championship-winning car, they – like the rest – slumped behind Red Bull. On a Saturday – particularly in the hands of Charles Leclerc – the car came alive, especially towards the end of the season. But on a Sunday, their race pace floundered all too often. They did give us one of the races of the season, though, with Carlos Sainz’s super drive to win in Singapore. But just one victory, and third place in the constructors’ championship, is a far cry from the glory Ferrari crave. Fred Vasseur took over a shop in disarray following strategic errors in 2022. There’s been less of that. Yet it’ll still take a big winter in Maranello to close the gap to the leaders. 2. MERCEDES (409 points) – C+ Their first winless season in 12 years. Toto Wolff dismissing the car philosophy after just one qualifying session in Bahrain. Both drivers left reeling from an unreliable, pernickety W14 – Mercedes have been a shadow of their former selves. It took until Monaco for them to, finally, ditch the unique and ineffective no-sidepod philosophy. Results then picked up, including a double podium in Barcelona. But that was just about as good as it got. Unlike 2022, Lewis Hamilton won the battle of the team-mates at a canter up against George Russell, who too often cheaply threw away points. The seven-time world champion was on the podium six times but is now without a win for two years. He will be desperate to compete against Verstappen again – and he’s signed up for the fight for another two years. Wolff compared it to scaling Mount Everest after the final race on Sunday. It is going to have to be some climb to haul in the deficit to Red Bull next year. 1. RED BULL (860 points) – A* The most dominant season in Formula 1 history. Winning 21 out of 22 races is an astonishing feat. The RB19 car, designed by Adrian Newey, has been a rocketship, particularly in the hands of the indomitable Verstappen who has swept away the field week after week with exemplary class. For Sergio Perez, there’ll be regrets that he could not bring a title fight to Verstappen. And that should be the target next year – the Mexican has a rare chance to genuinely compete for the top spot. But he claimed P2 in the drivers’ championship comfortably in the end. What was even more comfortable was a wager of the Dutch and Austrian national anthems being played on the podium after every grand prix. Verstappen has, well and truly, been in a league of his own. It’s now all about his legacy – he won’t stop at only three titles and will rightly be the massive favourite next year. Read More Toto Wolff sees ‘Mount Everest’ ahead as Mercedes seek to end Red Bull’s domination Max Verstappen sets new landmark as he ends dominant season with Abu Dhabi win Toto Wolff sees ‘Mount Everest’ ahead as Mercedes seek to end Red Bull’s domination When does the 2024 F1 season start? F1 Abu Dhabi GP LIVE: Race results and reaction at Yas Marina

The 2023/24 Premier League season is under way and you can follow every game and every goal right here with The Independent. This year sees Manchester City try to defend their crown and claim a historic fourth title in succession. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City, who also won the Champions League and FA Cup last season, will have to see off Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and the rest to claim an unprecedented sixth league title in seven years. Meanwhile Luton Town are making their first appearance in the Premier League, having risen from non-league in an incredible decade of progress. They followed Championship winners Burnley and second-placed Sheffield United in earning promotion to the top flight. Follow the latest action from the Premier League below.

Aston Villa maintained their Champions League charge with a thumping 4-1 win over West Ham. Douglas Luiz’s brace, including a second-half penalty, plus goals from Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey moved them to fifth in the Premier League, just two points off top spot. Jarrod Bowen’s deflected effort made it 2-1 but the hosts recovered for Watkins to smash in a crucial third before Bailey wrapped things up late on. The Hammers, now five points adrift of Villa, slipped to just a third defeat of the season after struggling to match the hosts. Villa had waited long enough for a victory over the Hammers, their bogey side. They had recorded just one win in the last 10 years, a 1-0 victory when Villa were already on the slide in 2015, but under Unai Emery they are a different beast, having earned 10 straight home league wins for the first time in 30 years coming into this match. Emery put his faith in Nicolo Zaniolo, starting while he assists the Italian authorities in their investigation into alleged illegal betting activity. A Sunday afternoon slumber hung over Villa Park in the opening stages but it was roused when Alphonse Areola brilliantly turned Luiz’s 25-yard effort wide. It was a stunning save from the West Ham goalkeeper but he should have been beaten five minutes later. Moussa Diaby’s pass evaded Kurt Zouma for Watkins to turn Vladimir Coufal. The hard work done, the striker had just Areola to beat but dragged inches wide from 12 yards. The momentum was with Villa so there was little surprise when they went ahead after 30 minutes. Zaniolo and Watkins linked on the left with the England striker collecting a cute return pass to tee up Luiz on the edge of the box and he drilled low past Areola. In scoring, the midfielder became the first Villa player to net in six straight home matches in the Premier League. The hosts deserved their lead, Watkins close to doubling it two minutes later when he grazed the side-netting, and West Ham were too compliant as Diaby, Watkins and Zaniolo caused problems. Villa were slicker than the Hammers, who waned in the last third with a final ball missing and Michail Antonio haphazard. Any hopes of a comeback rested on a strong start to the second half but, instead, the Hammers self-destructed after 51 minutes to gift Villa total control. There was little danger when the Hammers looked to play their way out in the corner but Lucas Paqueta’s wretched pass put Edson Alvarez in trouble. Ezri Konsa darted ahead and Alvarez clattered the defender to concede a penalty which Luiz coolly converted. It looked like a Villa cruise but the visitors pulled a goal back out of the blue five minutes later when Bowen’s shot from 25 yards clipped Pau Torres and rolled in the corner. The rarely-seen jitters returned to Villa Park and Matty Cash headed Nayef Aguerd’s strike over before turning Antonio’s dangerous cross behind. Yet Villa ended any hopes of a recovery with 16 minutes left. The Hammers had the hosts on the ropes briefly but were caught out by John McGinn’s long ball to Watkins. The striker, fresh from his winner for England against Australia during the international break, still had plenty to do but sold a dummy to Zouma before drilling into the roof of the net from an angle. Substitute Bailey then wrapped up the points with a minute left, collecting Youri Tielemans’ pass, sidestepping Aguerd and finding the top corner. Read More Sir Bobby Charlton’s glorious career in pictures Mauricio Pochettino hails Reece James’ leadership and defends captain after ban Charity urges players to take stance against link between gambling and football Anwar El Ghazi suspended by Mainz for ‘unacceptable’ post on Israel-Hamas conflict The sporting weekend in pictures Arsenal vs Aston Villa LIVE: Latest Women's Super League updates

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The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money case has said that he may delay the trial because of the former president’s packed court schedule. The trial is currently scheduled for early 2024, but New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan cancelled a hearing set for this week and wrote in a short letter to Trump lawyer Todd Blanche that “In light of the many recent developments involving Mr. Trump and his rapidly evolving trial schedule, I do not believe it would be fruitful for us to conference this case on September 15 to discuss scheduling”. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington DC has scheduled Mr Trump’s case connected to the January 6, 2021 insurrection for 4 March 2024 – the day before Mr Trump is believed to be set to take a strong grip on the Republican presidential nomination on Super Tuesday. The 4 March date is also just weeks before the original schedule for the hush money trial. Previously this summer, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg suggested in a radio interview that he was open to making space for federal prosecutors in his own trial schedule. The office of Mr Bragg was the first to charge Mr Trump – with 34 counts of falsifying business records linked to the hush money payments to adult actor Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election. The judge has said that the prosecutors and defence team may discuss any alterations to the trial schedule on 15 February 2024, when they’re set to meet for the judge’s ruling on Mr Trump’s possible pre-trial motions, according to The Messenger. “We will have a much better sense at that time whether there are any actual conflicts and if so, what the best adjourn date might be for trial,” Justice Merchan wrote. Read More US election 2024 polls: Biden and Trump tied across most polling raises alarms for Democrats Trump lashes out at Biden over prisoner swap deal with Iran after demanding Jan 6 judge recuse herself - live Trump accuses Biden of taking ‘kickback’ in $6bn Iran deal

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