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15-time Major Champion Tiger Woods is poised to help decide whether or not LIV golfers play in PGA Tour events in the future. Earlier this year, the American golfer was named the Player Director of the PGA Tour Policy Board to provide a more “player-driven” framework. Jordan Spieth, Charley Hoffman, Webb Simpson, Patrick Cantlay, and Peter Malnati joined him.

The directors have been working to implement changes on the Tour and their deal with LIV Golf. The last day to complete the PGA-LIV Golf merger is rapidly approaching. Their final meeting will reportedly take place on New Year’s Eve.

According to the Mirror, Woods will play a key role in making decisions about the LIV golfers. He could decide if the players on the Saudi circuit will compete on the American Tour or not.

Woods spoke candidly about the LIV Golf and PGA Tour partnership earlier in November. He mentioned that the player directors have been trying to ensure a better process as the final meeting date draws near.

Woods said (per Mirror.co.uk):

“December 31 is coming up quickly. There is a timetable there that we would like to implement some of these changes that haven’t taken place. All the parties are talking and aggressively trying to get a deal done. We’re trying to make sure the process is better. Implementation of governance.”

He added that player directors have been concentrating on completing the agreement, in the right way, by December 31.

“Getting the deal done, but getting it done the right way. We have multiple options, we would like a deal done December 31. All parties understand that. There are other options out there. As long as a player has input and has faster decisions, as long as the board recognises that. That’s one of the key things the player directors have focused on. The entire board has been accepting of that,” he added.


When will LIV Golf return to action?

The Saudi circuit is focused on the upcoming season amid its possible merger with the PGA Tour. Earlier this month reigning Masters winner Jon Rahm also joined the Saudi circuit, and fans have their eyes set on the third season of the 54-hole format series.

The LIV Golf will return to action in 2024 with the Mayakoba event, which is slated to take place from February 2 to 4. The regular season of the series will have 14 tournaments, including the season-concluding individual championship and team championship.

Here is the schedule for the LIV Golf 2024 season:

  • LIV Golf Mayakoba: February 2-4
  • LIV Golf Las Vegas: February 8-10
  • LIV Golf Saudi Arabia: March 1-3
  • LIV Golf Hong Kong: March 8-10
  • LIV Golf (USA): April 5-7
  • LIV Golf Adelaide: April 26-28
  • LIV Golf Singapore: May 3-5
  • LIV Golf Houston: June 7-9
  • LIV Golf Nashville: June 21-23
  • LIV Golf Andalucía: July 12-14
  • LIV Golf UK: July 26-28
  • LIV Golf Greenbrier: August 16-18
  • INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP: To Be Announced
  • TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: To Be Announced

via Imago

The 82-time PGA Tour champion has broken many records, set many up, and tied a few. However, even with so many achievements to his name, what Tiger Woods has failed to match in his 27-year-long career is the ever-coveted 18 major win record set by the golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

Hailed by Woods as a dear friend and an inspiration, Nicklaus is undoubtedly one of the best golfers in the history of the sport, and his unbeatable major wins record stands testament to that. And even though Woods needs three more to just match that feat, he once claimed that he had “beat them all”! So what exactly did the PGA Tour star mean? Well, as it turns out, Woods sees records differently than laymen.

Soon after turning 40 in 2015, Tiger Woods sat down with the Time’s Lorne Rubenstein and shared various aspects of his personal and professional life. Now, just hours before his 48th birthday, 8 years after his sit-down, one boastful statement he made still draws massive attention—his declaration of beating “all” of Nicklaus’ records!

Did Tiger Woods lie about beating all of Jack Nicklaus’s records?

In the interview, when Rubenstein asked the then 40-year-old if he had beaten most of Jack Nicklaus’s records, he responded with a bold, “I beat them all. I beat them all.” Woods, of course, hasn’t really beaten all of the retired golfer’s records on paper. Although in many areas the 82-time PGA Tour pro has beaten the 83-year-old, besides his major wins, Woods has also never won the California Amateur Championship.

What, then, did the golf legend mean by his statement? Well, as he clarified moments later, the PGA Tour star didn’t perceive records as they’re written, as stats; instead, he looked at them based on age. Hence, when he said he beat all of Nicklaus’s records, he meant that he beat the age at which they were created.

He explained that the records he looked at were “the first time he [Jack Nicklaus] broke 40, the first time he broke 80, the first golf tournament he ever won, first time he ever won the state amateur, first time he won the U.S. Amateur, and the first time he won the U.S. Open.” They were all time and age-related, and Woods wanted to beat the age at which the “best of all time” had achieved those. And he did.

Undoubtedly, Woods would still want to beat Nicklaus’s 18 major wins record, and if he does do so, perhaps the ever-alive GOAT debate between the two may come to an end. After all, the soon-to-be 48-year-old would have both the most major wins and the most PGA Tour wins. But is that really a viable dream? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

via Imago

Tiger Woods‘s life seemed absolutely picture-perfect until it wasn’t. In 2010, the 82-time PGA winner faced one of the most challenging periods of his life. Woods’s separation from his then-wife became one of the most publicized matters of the year.

Now that a decade has passed since the divorce, Woods’s relationship with Elin Nordgeren has seemed to mend up and turned out into something better than before, as Woods made an earnest confession about their relationship.

Tiger Woods’s relationship with Elin Nordegren after divorce

Even after the tumultuous breakup, Woods and Nordegren have consistently prioritized their children’s needs. While the golfer and the model may have been unsuccessful in the marriage department, the two have since come together and successfully co-parented their two children.

Six years after the separation, Woods unveiled his relationship with ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, to the Times on his 40th birthday eve. When asked about what would he have done differently in 2009 when the controversies engulfed him, he expressed his desire to be more honest with his ex-wife.

Woods then went on to continue to describe his relationship after the turn of events and said, “Having the relationship that I have now with her is fantastic. She’s one of my best friends. We’re able to pick up the phone, and we talk to each other all the time.”

via Getty

Furthermore, Woods emphasized that the most important factor in their lives is their children; Sam Woods and Charlie Woods. He elaborated, “We both know that the most important things in our lives are our kids. I wish I would have known that back then.” Nonetheless, the years have passed, and both have become best of friends and there came a time when their friendship took center stage.

Tiger Woods congratulates Nordegren between the game

The Hall of Famer, Woods, and his Charlie were playing the PNC Championship for the third time in 2022. It was also the time when Nordegren had her third child with her husband, NFL player Jordan Cameron. Journalist Jason Sobel tweeted about Woods and Woods Jr. congratulating Nordegren for the same.

He wrote that Woods and Charlie Woods had a camera on the first tee, and after the first shots, they turned to the cameras and congratulated Nordegren for her newborn baby. From exes to best friends, Woods and Nordegren’s story has seen many peaks and valleys throughout their relationship. Now they play their part in becoming better parents and providing a better future for Charlie and Sam Woods.

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have shared some intense battles since partnering up at Mercedes, both on track and in the standings.

F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi - Previews

Lewis Hamilton had the better of his team-mate throughout the 2023 season (Image: Getty)

Lewis Hamilton will beat George Russell in the Drivers’ Championship standings for the second season running in 2024, according to Express Sport readers. The seven-time world champion enjoyed the better of the team-mate battle at Mercedes in 2023.

When Russell arrived at Mercedes as Valtteri Bottas’ replacement ahead of the 2022 season, he was billed as a future world champion, and his one-off outing for the team at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix suggested that he had the potential to be a threat to his legendary team-mate right out of the blocks.

This transpired to be true as Russell finished in the top five at 15 of the first 16 races of the season, demonstrating staggering consistency. Hamilton, meanwhile, struggled with the unpredictable balance of the W13, while also taking a more experimental approach to race-day set-ups as Mercedes attempted to solve their extreme porpoising issues.

A first-ever Grand Prix victory arrived in Sao Paulo as Russell led home a one-two finish for the team before a mechanical DNF in Abu Dhabi sealed Hamilton’s fate in the head-to-head battle. When the chequered flag waved at the Yas Marina Circuit, the 25-year-old was 35 points clear of the seven-time world champion in the standings.

Despite this setback, Hamilton roared back in 2023, finishing in the top ten of every race in which he was classified as he sealed third place in the Drivers’ Championship with one round to spare. Russell, meanwhile, ended the year down in eighth place with just two podium finishes to his name following a messy campaign.

Following a survey of 5,791 Express Sport readers, 60 per cent believe that Russell will finish behind Hamilton again when the 2024 season comes to an end next December. Furthermore, 57 per cent of those questioned believe that he will never win a Drivers’ Championship title during his Mercedes career.

Russell has been self-aware regarding his struggles in 2023. Speaking to Motor Sport, he explained: “No doubt, it’s been probably the toughest season I’ve ever had psychologically. Bouncing back from missed opportunities, missed results, mistakes.

F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi - Practice

George Russell was beaten by Lewis Hamilton throughout the 2023 campaign (Image: Getty)

“I think this is when you push yourself. I could comfortably lift my foot off the gas pedal and drive a per cent below the limit and I could sit here right now and tell you that I wouldn’t make a single mistake.

“And probably when I sit through my Championship years, I probably wasn’t being pushed as much as I’m pushing myself now. I’m purposely trying to push myself further and beyond, and I’m not satisfied with just being on par with my team-mate in qualifying or whatever it may be.”

Photo: Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

Will Charlie Woods be the next Tiger Woods? Dare we ask if he’ll ever win as many major championships as dear ol’ dad?

Charlie hits it a mile and employs an athletic and fundamentally sound swing, as well as many of his father’s on-course mannerisms.

But if you know golf and know its history, well, let’s just say Charlie will most likely win as many major championships as your ol’ man.

Maybe that’s a bit harsh. It’s not like second-generation golfers haven’t succeeded at the highest levels. Come on, it was just 130-some years ago that Willie Park Jr. won his second British Open and ran the combined total for father and son to six.

That was just 15 years after another second-generation champ, Young Tom Morris, won his fourth.

So, yes, we’re saying there’s a chance.

Charlie Woods has drawn plenty of praise for his golf game over the past few years, most recently at the annual silly seaseon tournament, the PNC Championship in Orlando, where he and his dad tied for fifth in a field of 20 teams.

This came a month after Charlie’s high school team won the Class 1A state championship. Charlie tied for 19th individually with rounds of 78-76.

At 14, he’s a quality high school golfer. But at this stage there’s no way to know if that’ll eventually translate to a professional career in golf or, say, professional life as a lawyer or banker with a single-digit handicap and occasional use of the “Reserved for Club Champion” parking spot down at the club.

Jack Nicklaus is the standard by which Tiger Woods has long been measured. Of Jack’s four sons and one daughter, Gary was the best golfer. When he was just 16 and playing for the same school Charlie Woods now attends, Sports Illustrated put him on the cover with the headline, “The Next Nicklaus.”

Given how prominent that magazine was back in the day, you think this put any pressure on young Gary?

Not quite. Gary did reach the PGA Tour and stayed a few years, which is no small feat, but the closest he came to becoming the “Next Nicklaus” was a playoff loss to Phil Mickelson at the 2000 BellSouth Classic.

Just ten father-son combos have won PGA Tour tournaments: Julius and Guy Boros, Al and Brent Geiberger, Craig and Kevin Stadler, Bob and Kevin Tway, Joe Kirkwood Sr. and Jr., Jack Burke Sr. and Jr., Clayton and Vance Heafner, Jay and Bill Haas, Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris and Willie Park and Willie Park, Jr.

The number of second-generation tournament winners seems a bit low when you consider how many second- and even third-generation stars you see in other sports. One reason seems rather obvious. In team sports, where you get a Ken Griffey Jr. or a Christian McCaffrey, the son of a former pro, especially a former star, is likely to get more consideration and more reps at an early age, and therefore more opportunities to succeed.

Yes, genetics also help.

But in golf and the other individual sports, results tell the story. It doesn’t matter how much cachet your name carries. Sure, the name will help a fledgling pro get a sponsor invite into a tournament field here and there, and one of those opportunities might trigger a breakthrough. But most likely, if the professional quality is there, you’re not leaning on sponsor invites very long.

Charlie Woods is obviously set up to go as far as his talent and desire allow — the best equipment, access to the best practice facilities and courses, and a pretty fair instructor across the dinner table.

That instructor defied a lot of odds along the way and did many things never considered likely, and some things never thought possible. Odds and history, however, also pack a formidable punch.

PNC Championship Golf

Tiger Woods’ son Charlie Woods is a rising golfer. The star kid never fails to dazzle onlookers with his expertly hit golf shots. He has garnered major attention from the golf community for his four back-to-back appearances at the PNC Championship in the last few years.

Charlie’s 2023 junior season has gone well. He was part of the winning team, The Benjamin School at the FHSAA Class A state championship, and had four top-10 finishes in the year. He won the team event and was placed 26th in the individual standings.

Charlie Woods started 2023 with a T19 finish at the Medalist Tour-Martin Downs after playing two rounds of 78-78. The 14-year-old then participated in the Crane Watch championship, which took place on April 29 and April 30, at Crane Watch, Evergreen. He finished in a tie for eighth place with a round of 75. His best finish of 2023 came in the Wellington National and SFPGA Tour Championships, where he finished in T5 both times.

Here are the results of all the tournaments Charlie Woods played in 2023 (as per sflpgajr.bluegolf.com):

Medalist Tour – Martin Downs

  • Date: Mar 18 – Mar 19
  • Venue: Martin Downs Golf Club
  • Score: 78-78–156
  • Result: T19

Medalist Tour – Crane Watch

  • Venue: Crane Watch At Evergreen
  • Date: Apr 29 – Apr 30
  • Score: 75
  • Result: T8

Medalist Tour – Wellington

  • Venue: National Wellington National Golf
  • Date: May 6 – May 7
  • Score: -75–158
  • Result: 15

South Florida Jr. PGA Championship

  • Venue: Stonebridge CC
  • Date: Jun 19 – Jun 20
  • Score: 75-81–156
  • Result: T33

39th Nicklaus Junior Championship

  • Venue: Jonathan’s Landing- Medal
  • Date: Jun 22 – Jun 23
  • Score: 79-75–154
  • Result: T20

The SFPGA Jr Cup

  • Venue: Old Palm GC
  • Date: Aug 2 – Aug 4
  • Score: 68-75-76–219
  • Result: 10

SFPGA Labor Day Classic

  • Venue: PGA National – Champion
  • Date: Sep 2 – Sep 4
  • Score: 80-70-82–232
  • Result: T35

SFPGA Tour Championship

  • Venue: The Park West Palm
  • Date: Dec 2 – Dec 3
  • Score: 69-73–142
  • Result: T5

Charlie Woods’ performance at the 2023 PNC Championship

In addition to the junior tournaments, Charlie Woods also played at the 2023 PNC Championship with his father, Tiger Woods. It was the youngster’s fourth consecutive appearance in the tournament. He tied for fifth place.

Charlie and Tiger shot the first round of 64 after making four birdies on the front nine and four on the back nine to settle for an 8-under 64 score. The father-son duo shot nine birdies and an eagle in the second round to score 11-under 61.

Tiger Woods, left; daughter Sam, center; and son Charlie, right; during the final round of the PNC Championship (Image via AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)
Tiger Woods, left; daughter Sam, center; and son Charlie, right; during the final round of the PNC Championship (Image via AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Team Langer won the 2023 PNC Championship. They registered a two-stroke victory over Team Duval.

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Tennis can get intense at times. A perfect example of this would be the 2018 US Open when tennis legend Serena Williams faced Naomi Osaka. In a recent turn of events, renowned journalist Ben Rothenberg shed a different light on the whole debacle that took place in 2018. Rothenberg detailed the whole US Open event as a cultural moment.

Appropriation in tennis and disputes over it are not foreign concepts in tennis. This makes even more sense when the context of what happened during that match is displayed wide open. However, what Rothenberg said about Osaka and the title match is worth talking about.

Ben Rothenberg’s take on Naomi Osaka

Tennis finals are usually about the clash of rackets and serve. However, the 2018 US Open final between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka became something more. In the eyes of renowned journalist Ben Rothenberg, this wasn’t just a match. It was a seismic shift in the tennis landscape. As the 20th seed, Naomi Osaka stepped onto the court; she didn’t just pay.

The victory in straight sets against her idol, Serena Williams, should have been the headline. Yet it was overshadowed by a different narrative. A clash erupted during the US Open, not only between two players but between Williams and chair umpire Carlos Ramos as well. Code violations for coaching from the sidelines and racquet abuse were the major factors. This resulted in the deduction of a game, and Williams’s fiery words marked a match that would be etched into tennis lore.

Ben Rothenberg dissected the tumultuous event and described it as a cultural watershed. In his words, “It was a huge, huge cultural moment and broke across some really interesting cultural lines.” The controversy surrounded Naomi Osaka and provided an unexpected propulsion to her career. Winning a Grand Slam title is impressive, but winning it amid the most talked-about, controversial tennis match of all time elevated Osaka into a higher orbit of attention and celebrity.

Even if Naomi had nothing to do with any of the actual controversy, Ben Rothenberg emphasized, it really did launch her into a much higher, faster orbit of attention and celebrity than she would have just from winning a grand slam title. The 2018 US Open wasn’t just a tennis match; it was a catapult that launched Osaka into the spotlight, where she remains a shining star today.

Osaka’s comeback at the Australian Open

As the tennis world eagerly awaits, whispers of anticipation surround Osaka’s imminent return to the court. Fans, still captivated by the echoes of the 2018 US Open, are brimming with excitement as she gears up for a comeback, set to unfold at the Australian Open.

The prospect of witnessing Osaka’s resilience after the tumultuous events of 2018 has created a buzz in the tennis circuit. From the controversial spotlight of the past to the bright expectations of her return, Osaka’s journey continues to capture the imaginations of fans.  The Australian Open is poised for the return of a star who emerged from the storm stronger than ever. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will be desperate for Mercedes to improve next season.

Toto Wolff wants Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to set the right expectations next year

Toto Wolff wants Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to set the right expectations next year (Image: MERCEDES)

Toto Wolff has insisted that Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will need to manage their expectations in order to help Mercedes close the gap to Red Bull next year. The Silver Arrows have lagged well behind their rivals over the last two seasons, with Red Bull simply in a league of their own as things stand.

Mercedes ended up finishing 451 points adrift of Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship standings last season after failing to win a single Grand Prix all year long. They will be desperate to perform better at the next time of asking but will face a tricky task in closing down their bitter rivals at the front of the pecking order.

Wolff believes that Mercedes will need to set the right standards in order to stand the best chance of catching up, with the Silver Arrows taking plenty of ‘proactive steps’ behind the scenes.

The Silver Arrows have lagged behind Red Bull for the last two seasons

The Silver Arrows have lagged behind Red Bull for the last two seasons (Image: GETTY)

Quizzed on what his team’s biggest challenge will be in 2024, Wolff told Mercedes’ official channels: “It’s to set the expectations right because we have a huge mountain to climb. There’s a team that is so successful and we have a big gap to close. At the same time, I believe we’ve taken some proactive steps to close that gap.

“Is it going to be good enough? I don’t know, but we’re going to see it in testing and then in the first race in Bahrain. I’m super excited. I’d like to start going now. It’s the stopwatch that’s going to tell us what job we’ve done.”

It remains to be seen if Mercedes will fare better in 2024 after enduring another difficult campaign over the last 12 months. They finished the season on a high by beating Ferrari to second place in the Constructors’ Championship standings but they will be determined to put a greater deal of pressure on Red Bull next time around.

Wolff and Mercedes will have the opportunity to make a fresh start next year

Wolff and Mercedes will have the opportunity to make a fresh start next year (Image: GETTY)

“We learned a lot,” added Wolff as he reflected on last season. “The races and the seasons that are difficult are the ones where you learn the most, and we always say, the days we lose are the days our competitors are going to regret because we learn the most.

“I think there are so many lessons that we learned as an organisation, as humans, but also technically that will be beneficial going forward. I wouldn’t be able to pick one out, though, because there are so many things that we have looked at that will help us progress over the next year.”

After a third appearance as a father-son duo at the PNC Championship in south Florida, 14-year-old Charlie Woods accidentally let slip a key insight into his father’s putting.

Tiger Woods and Charlie managed to finish tied for fifth at the tournament – shooting 19-under thanks in part to some short-game struggles on the first day.

When asked by Golf.com about how good of a caddie his dad is, Charlie mentioned that Tiger’s reads are not traditional.

‘For Dad as a caddie, his reads are hook-bias, and I don’t hook as much as he does,’ he said.

‘So all of my putts, I miss right. So I have to account for that.’

Charlie Woods says that his dad, Tiger, tends to hook his putts and that messes up some reads

Charlie Woods says that his dad, Tiger, tends to hook his putts and that messes up some reads

An analysis finds Tiger tends to start his putts aiming right before closing the face at impact

An analysis finds Tiger tends to start his putts aiming right before closing the face at impact

The Woods duo finished tied for fifth at this weekend's PNC Championship

The Woods duo finished tied for fifth at this weekend’s PNC Championship

Analysis of putt lab data (via Golf Digest) found that Tiger actually addresses the ball to the right of his intended line. But thanks to a strong right hand in his putting stroke, he hooks the club face back to being slightly closed.

While not technically ‘perfect’, it is consistent – and Tiger has practiced it enough that it’s become natural and it works well for him.

On Saturday, the pairing only finished eight-under and blamed their work on the greens for a performance that wasn’t up to their standards.

‘I mean, I drove the ball really good today – I didn’t miss a fairway – and we still managed to shoot eight-under,’ Charlie remarked, adding, ‘We just suck at putting.’

Tiger agreed, following up his son’s comments by saying that he ‘summed it up right there’.

Sunday, they got their act together – shooting eleven-under on the day to finish 19-under for the whole tournament.

Bernhard Langer and his son Jason won the tournament by two shots.

Lewis Hamilton in attendance at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton in attendance at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

While Lewis Hamilton may have found himself absent from the title and victory scene again in F1 2023, his attire has seen him named among the best-dressed men of 2023.

Hamilton and his Mercedes team had hoped that F1 2023 would mark their return to title contention, Hamilton pursuing what would be a record-breaking eighth World Championship, though this did not come to pass.

Red Bull would once more control proceedings, taking their dominance to new heights in F1 2023 by winning 21 of the 22 grands prix, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz inflicting their only defeat, while Mercedes and Hamilton were left with a winless campaign, Hamilton now not taking to the top step of the podium since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

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Lewis Hamilton joins best-dressed 2023 list

Every cloud has a silver lining though, as they say.

As a seven-time World Champion, with the most wins, poles and podiums among his F1 records, Hamilton has established himself as arguably the most marketable driver on the grid, while he is also noted for his striking fashion sense around the paddock.

And his style has seen him make the cut with Essence for their best-dressed men of the year 2023.

‘Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has been championing black designers since he’s been growing in popularity,’ the publication notes.

‘Hamilton went to The Met Gala in 2021 and made sure his entire table was filled with emerging black designers like Edvin Thompson of Theophilio, Kenneth Nicholson and Jason Rembert of Aliétte.

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‘You’ll often see the driver in the front row at Fashion Week wearing bold and colorful outfits by brands like Off-White and Valentino.

‘His Grand Prix entrances are our favorite part of the racing sport. Hamilton has created a space for fashion in F1 by expressing himself through his style.’

Hamilton is named among a collection of high-profile celebrity figures in this best-dressed list, including music icons Usher and Pharrell Williams, to Oklahoma City Thunder basketball player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

As Hamilton now recharges ahead of a targeted F1 2024 title push, the seven-time champion recently threw his backing behind Mercedes team principal and one-third owner Toto Wolff, as the eight-time Constructors’ champions look to emerge from their slump and return to winning ways.

“Toto is an amazing leader,” Hamilton said at the FIA Prize Giving Gala when asked about Wolff’s continued influence at Mercedes.

“Obviously, I’ve known him for a long time, we joined the team at the same time and it’s been an interesting journey for both of us to both grow with the team, to see his vision grow and progress within the structure of the team.

“He hasn’t lost an ounce of his competitiveness, he is massively competitive. You see it on TV when he’s sitting at his little desk in the garage, and trying to find a balance in life of, you know, work life and family life – I think he’s done a really great job there.

“But I think just continuing to push everyone, yesterday, again, we were talking to the team together.

“He’s a very, very approachable leader. I think people can relate to him, to his emotions and just to his compassion, or his drive. He’s very understanding.

“I think it’s definitely not been easy for anybody in the team when you’re working towards something, but it’s not quite going the way you want it.

“I think there have been many lessons and I’ve been really proud to see the progress that he’s made just as an individual, as a human being as well.”

Hamilton signed a new Mercedes contract during F1 2023, committing him to the team until the end of 2025.