Sport Formula 1 races into 2023

Phillipe Andro

As the 2023 Formula 1 season draws ever nearer, the excitement and suspense for another year of racing has started to build. Who will emerge as the greatest team in Formula 1 history? Will it be the favourites: Red bull and reigning World Champion Max Verstappen? Or, perhaps, the legendary Ferrari team will finally take home the crown with superstar Charles Leclerc? Either way, Formula 1 is set to have one of its most enthralling seasons yet! All across the grid there are new faces, with three new rookies and countless driver transfers to spice up the action. F1 will race across the globe in 2023, including stunners such as Miami, Singapore, Canada, Britain, Italy, and Las Vegas!

Red Bull Racing enters the season as the clear title favourite, as superstar Max Verstappen has won the last two driver’s championships, but the odds may soon be stacked against them, with Red Bull having been fined $7 million and being handed testing restrictions after having broken the spending budget in 2021. Despite this they still have arguably the strongest driver in Formula 1 in their arsenal, making it nigh impossible for any driver who wants to overcome the unstoppable Bulls.

Ferrari enters the season with lots of pressure on their shoulders. Having recruited new team principal Fred Vasseur, they hope to get back to their legendary winning ways. After an embarrassing 2022 season, where they made several costly errors, they will be aiming for more stability and success. Their star driver, Charles Leclerc, will be expecting no less from the Italian outfit. But this pressure creates great intrigue over Leclerc’s future in the team. If Ferrari disappoints again in 2023 – will Leclerc stick around? Or will he jump ship if an opportunity arises elsewhere? One thing is certain – tensions are high, and Ferrari has the driver, car, resources and talent to make winning a reality.

Mercedes enters the season on the back foot, after having endured a disastrous 2022 season. They will be

Schoolboy Ballers?

John-David Myburgh

Schoolboy basketball in South Af- rica isn’t something often given attention, however it has been around for quite some time. South African basketball began rapidly growing in the 1990s and has only further developed with the growing popularity of the sport world wide. Other summer sports, such as cricket, water polo, and athletics, often get more time in the spotlight.

However, this is quickly changing. Schools in Gauteng, Kwazulu Natal, and the Eastern cape have developed a thriving basketball culture. Schools such as St. Charles College and St. John’s College are schools that push the sport further at a high school level. The National Basketball Association (NBA) has shown interest in South African basketball and has held NBA Junior Training Camps in order to grow the sport in Africa.

University basketball has also become increasingly popular. Universities such as the University of Witwatersrand, the University of Johannesburg, the University of Cape Town, and the University of Stellenbosch have successful basketball programmes that contribute talented players to the South African professional basketball scene. Furthermore, the South African professional basketball scene feeds into an Interna- tional basketball league in Africa. South Africa has their very own team in the Basketball Africa League. It is clear to me that basketball has a future in this country. However, to further develop the sport, more focus must be placed on the high school level. expecting to once again return to their championship-winning ways in 2023, but that begs the question of who will come out on top at Mercedes. Will it be 7-time World Champion, Lewis Hamilton? Or will it be the young, up-and-coming George Russell? Russell burst onto the scene at Mercedes last year, be- ing the only Mercedes driver to win a Grand Prix. But Hamilton was still argued to be the stronger driver over the course of the season. So, will this be the year when they finally come to blows or will Mercedes end up favouring their experienced title winner over their young prospect? Who will it be in 2023? Will it be the raging Bull: Max Verstappen? The Ferrari-bred Monégasques: Charles Leclerc? Or will it be the experienced champion: Lewis Hamilton? One thing is certain, all eyes will be locked on the screen as the world awaits the next unwritten chapter in Formula 1 history where anything can happen.

This is where I ask the question: Why does the Western Cape seem to be lacking when it comes to basketball? Furthermore, is there a reason for the lack of attention basketball receives at Paul Roos? Multiple Paul Roos old boys have gone on to play at the university level. Schools such as SACS, Bishops, Wineberg, and the German International School Cape Town all have basketball programmes that feed into university basketball. For a school such as Paul Roos, it would be expected of them to compete. Perhaps Paul Roos would rather focus on more established sports that they are more comfortable competing in. Or maybe the learners at Paul Roos are not yet ready for the commitment of a new sport.

What do you think? Is Paul Roos missing out on an opportunity to compete in a new sport? Should they consider bringing basketball to the school? Or do you doubt learners will show interest?

Personally, I think that the sport would quickly find a home at Paul Roos. No matter your preference, we should all be interested to see how far basketball can be taken in South Africa.