F1 has values? That’s news to me, Lewis

LEWIS HAMILTON weighed in on the controversy raging around Red Bull team principal Christian Horner last week. ‘It is a really important moment for the sport to make sure that we stand true to our values,’ he said.

I’m not being facetious, but I didn’t realise F1 had any. That is not even a criticism, just a statement of my ignorance. I love F1 and I have a lot of respect for the drivers who compete in it, but I’ve never associated it with a moral compass. Maybe, before Saturday’s race in Saudi Arabia, they can let us know more.

⬣ THERE is a certain ignominy in being one of the teams assigned the graveyard slot on Match of the Day. To the chagrin of their supporters, the last game is often the territory allocated to Crystal Palace or Everton or Burnley. Last Saturday, Chelsea found themselves there following their draw with Brentford.

After spending more than a billion pounds on players, their slide into irrelevance still has the power to startle.

⬣ LIKE many people, I have plenty of sympathy with Jude Bellingham after what would have been a last-gasp winner for Real Madrid against Valencia at the weekend was ruled out by the eccentric refereeing of Jesus Gil Manzano. Manzano blew for full time when a cross to Bellingham — which he headed home — was in mid-air and, even if it may have been technically defensible, it was still a ridiculous decision. Bellingham, understandably, was apoplectic and was sent off by Manzano for making his feelings known.

For England fans scarred by the trauma of sendings-off at major tournaments for David Beckham in 1998 and Wayne Rooney in 2006, a red card for a star player so close to the Euros is bound to set alarm bells ringing. The hope is that Manzano’s brand of look-at-me officiating will be absent from the tournament.