The momentum in the battle for dominance within the Ferrari team has shifted back to Charles Leclerc following his second place finish at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday. This means the fight for the championship at Ferrari is far from over.
Just two weeks ago, Lewis Hamilton seemed to control the narrative with several strong performances for Scuderia. However, as the championship approaches its midpoint, Leclerc responded best—right on the track.
The victory at Silverstone was the statement the Monegasque driver needed. A week later at Spa-Francorchamps, he confirmed this with another brilliant performance, finishing second behind Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes, securing two consecutive podium finishes and injecting new life into his campaign.
However, this was not without controversy, as Leclerc found himself at the center of one of the most discussed moments of the Belgian Grand Prix after a collision with Oscar Piastri of McLaren at the Les Combes chicane.
When Piastri attempted to overtake, Ferrari seemingly moved, leaving little room and damaging the section of McLaren's floor. Many expected intervention from the stewards, especially given Formula 1's strict driving standards. Instead, Leclerc avoided punishment. This decision immediately sparked debate, particularly because it occurred just moments after Hamilton received a five-second penalty for a first-lap collision with George Russell.
Hamilton's Belgian weekend started off poorly. The seven-time world champion had a significant crash during the final practice session on Saturday, leaving Ferrari mechanics with a huge amount of work before qualifying.
Hamilton stated that he regretted his mistake in practice and promised to increase his concentration. The Brit dismissed the idea that he was unlucky. He noted: 'No, not unlucky. But I am thinking about the mistake I made yesterday.' He continued: 'So I take full responsibility for the fourth place I got because I damaged the car. And then, when they were putting the car together, they missed something in the suspension. The balance was completely different, so I was a couple of tenths, maybe three tenths slower than I should have been in qualifying. Then, in the race, I was further back due to the incident and the five-second penalty, so it was like a domino effect from my mistake.'
Recovering from the setbacks, he drove a measured race, finishing fourth despite the time penalty, which allowed him to leave Belgium with valuable championship points. He added: 'This weekend was a bit unlucky, like Silverstone again, but it's great to see the performance we are bringing to the track and how the car is improving.' He also noted: 'We still have a lot of new development, so it's encouraging. There is a long way to go, and I plan to raise my level of concentration next week.'
Nevertheless, it seems Leclerc has regained his confidence with two consecutive podium finishes, while Hamilton continues to demonstrate the resilience that defined one of the greatest careers in Formula 1 history. Neither driver intends to ease up at this stage. As F1 enters its mid-season break, the biggest battle for Ferrari may not be against Mercedes, Red Bull, or McLaren, but within its own garage.
The London club Arsenal is once again studying the possibility of acquiring the Spanish national team winger Nico Williams, who currently plays for Atletico.
According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal's sporting director Andrea Bertà held negotiations regarding the possible transfer of the 23-year-old footballer. Williams is one of the key players for the Spanish national team at the 2026 World Cup.
In the tournament final, he was the author of the assist for the only goal against Argentina, making a significant contribution to the team winning the world championship title. However, in the current season, his successes at the club have been overshadowed by injuries, which resulted in him starting only 20 matches in La Liga's main squad.
Despite Nico Williams' long-term contract with Atletico, the agreement includes an option to buy the player for 90 million euros. Currently, the Spanish winger has played 199 matches for Atletico, scoring 37 goals and providing 37 assists.
Today, July 22, the international tournament "Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters 2026" is taking place in Chennai, India, where the rankings of the eight strongest chess players will be determined.
As part of this prestigious competition with a prize fund of $79,500 USD, a match between Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Dmitry Andreykin from Russia will take place in the final seventh round, with them playing with black pieces.
In the previous sixth round, Nodirbek played with white pieces against Alireza Firouzja, representing France. In this intense match, both players chose the Murosa variation, which allowed Firouzja to strengthen his lead, scoring 4 points. N. Abdusattorov himself rose to second place, earning 3.5 points for additional performance indicators.
The Indian contender for victory, Arjun Erigaisi, was forced to take third place, scoring 3.5 points, after unexpectedly losing to Nihal Sarin with white pieces in the sixth round.
In the final round, Arjun Erigaisi, who lost points in the sixth round, will face the main favorite of the tournament, Alireza Firouzja, playing with black pieces.
If Abdusattorov can defeat his Russian opponent in the upcoming match, there is a possibility that the Chennai Cup will be won by Uzbekistan. However, it is impossible to predict the outcome of a chess match in advance.
Judging by the games of the last rounds, the fight for prize places will be concentrated between Firouzja, Abdusattorov, and Erigaisi. It should be noted that the tournament winner will receive $25,000 USD, the second-place holder will receive $15,000, and the third participant will receive $10,000. Additionally, participants who finish from fourth to eighth place will also receive monetary rewards according to the competition regulations.
Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni dismissed speculation circulating online regarding Lionel Messi's speech in the locker room before Argentina's defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, stating that he has no idea what people are talking about.
During an interview, Scaloni addressed rumors that emerged on social media following the release of footage from the team's locker room shortly before the match began. The video quickly gained popularity, with many praising the captain's calm leadership. However, some members of the public began hypothesizing about the meaning of Messi's phrase: 'let's forget everything.'
When asked if he had seen these online discussions, Scaloni reported that he had not, adding, 'I don't follow social media. I don't have social media accounts.' When the interviewer mentioned claims of unusual pressure on the Argentine players before the game, Scaloni categorically rejected the idea, noting, 'No. I have no idea.'
The interviewer then showed the viral locker room video and asked if Messi's speech related to anything specific. Scaloni again denied knowledge of the discussed topics, replying, 'I don't know what you are talking about.' After the interviewer quoted Messi's remark: 'Alright guys, let's forget everything. Let's play,' and asked, 'Forget what?', Scaloni responded, 'I don't know. I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.'
Speculation began after fans noticed a change in Argentina's mood before the final. Some social media users felt the team looked subdued compared to their usual pre-match energy, while others compared the players' facial expressions during the field appearance to what was seen in the locker room video. Several theories quickly arose: some suggested Messi might have told his teammates that this final would be his last match for Argentina, while others linked the team's state to disputes surrounding the Falklands banner displayed before the game. None of these claims were confirmed.
Despite the lack of evidence, theories continued to circulate after Argentina lost to Spain 1-0 in extra time, with some fans questioning the team's performance by trying to link it to the viral locker room video. Scaloni's recent statements echo the emotional message he conveyed immediately after Argentina's loss in the World Cup final to Spain, when he was visibly upset at the post-match press conference. Wiping away tears, the Argentine coach thanked the players for their efforts throughout the tournament, stating, 'I must eternally thank these guys for fighting until the very end.'
Scaloni emphasized that Spain deserved the victory, adding, 'The opponent was stronger. We must accept that. They played a great game.' Despite the disappointment, he urged fans to appreciate the team's achievements in reaching another World Cup final. He said, 'We must be great even in defeat. We must appreciate what this team achieved, because reaching another World Cup final is incredibly difficult,' before becoming too emotional to continue the press conference. Scaloni's comments represent the clearest public denial of the speculations, as the Argentine coach insists that he is unaware of internet rumors and does not know what Messi's remarks were supposedly referring to.
