🇳🇦NamibiaSouthern Africa
Ferrari drivers Leclerc and Hamilton aim to end Antonelli's winning streak at Monaco Grand Prix
via The Namibian3 min read
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are anticipated to challenge Kimi Antonelli's winning streak at the Monaco Grand Prix. Leclerc, who recently extended his contract with Ferrari, won his home race in 2024 and has secured pole position three times in the last five years. Hamilton, who finished second in Montreal, is looking forward to returning to Monaco, a circuit where power is less critical and car performance is key. Antonelli, the current championship leader, acknowledged that Ferrari's car might be better suited for the Monaco street circuit, where Mercedes has historically faced challenges. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff downplayed their prospects, emphasizing the unique nature of Monaco and the small margins involved. Ferrari aims for their first win since Carlos Sainz's victory in Mexico in 2024. Qualifying will be crucial, and the new 'overtake mode' could lead to more overtaking opportunities during the race. McLaren, the most successful team in Monaco, hopes to celebrate their 60th anniversary and 1000th race start by competing against Ferrari and Mercedes, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar also expected to contend. Cadillac will make their debut race appearance at the event.
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Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel of the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe team secured victory in the 15th stage of the Tour de France, beating race leader Tadej Pogacar in a sprint finish. The 183.9km stage from Champagnole to Plateau de Solaison saw Evenepoel achieve his first Tour road-stage win, adding to his two time-trial successes. Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates – XRG teammate Isaac Del Toro finished third, six seconds behind. The stage was marked by a significant incident when former winner Jonas Vingegaard, who started the day in second place overall, crashed approximately 20km from the finish. Vingegaard, visibly in pain and with what appeared to be a broken collarbone, was forced to withdraw from the race. Following Vingegaard's exit, Pogacar extended his overall lead to five minutes. Evenepoel moved up to second in the general classification, while Del Toro climbed to third and took the best young rider's white jersey from Paul Seixas. Visma sporting director Marc Reef confirmed Vingegaard's withdrawal, stating he was in pain and unable to continue, and had gone for an X-ray. Vingegaard had never previously failed to finish a Grand Tour, having won the Tour de France twice and finished second three times in his five previous participations.
Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, driving for Mercedes, won the Belgian Grand Prix, extending his lead in the Formula One drivers’ championship. The 19-year-old finished 1.9 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull in third. Antonelli’s teammate George Russell crashed out on the opening lap after an incident with Hamilton. Hamilton, driving for Ferrari, finished fourth despite an incident during a pit-stop where he almost hit a mechanic, leading to a stewards’ investigation. Isack Hadjar of Red Bull finished sixth, just ahead of reigning world champion Lando Norris. This victory marks Antonelli’s sixth win and sixth pole position of the season, increasing his championship points to 204, 45 points clear of Hamilton, with Russell in third place with 154 points. The race saw multiple incidents, including a five-second penalty for Hamilton for his collision with Russell, and further investigations by the stewards regarding an unsafe release during a pit-stop.
Must ReadThe African Development Bank has announced a N$5.6 billion investment in Namibia's technical and vocational education and training TVET system and artificial intelligence. This funding aims to modernize vocational institutions, establish a National Artificial Intelligence Institute, and create 15,000 workplace opportunities for young people by 2030. While this is a positive development, there are calls for transparency and accountability, particularly regarding job creation. Concerns have been raised that the 15,000 jobs will be meaningless if private companies are not in a position to hire graduates, which is linked to the fair allocation of state tenders. The article also highlights the need for Information and Communication Technology Minister Emma Theofelus to accelerate the development of laws and regulations for artificial intelligence, noting that policy progress in this area has been slow.