Sports franchise ownership is more popular and competitive than ever. Once a playground for the families of billionaire businessmen, sports teams are attracting a tsunami of celebrities, actors, and athletes.

Broncos owned by Walmart heirs, Rice and Hamilton

This is Hamilton’s first financial investment in a professional sports team. But it’s not for lack of trying. In April, he and Serena Williams were part of a group that failed to acquire Chelsea FC. Chelsea ended up selling for more than $5 billion to a group led by Todd Boehly, co-owner of the LA Dodgers.

Hamilton wasn’t part of the initial group bidding for the Broncos. In June, the winning bid actually did go to the family of a billionaire businessman. Robert Walton, heir to the Walmart fortune, spearheaded the winning $4.65 billion bid. Walton’s daughter and her husband were also part of the venture. But the ownership group has grown since then.

Earlier this month, Condoleezza Rice came on board as a minority owner. And now Hamilton, the seven-time world champion F1 driver, has taken a stake.

Supporting the @NFL and showing my passion for the @OfficialBrowns! Can't wait for the season to start! pic.twitter.com/95UenwwL

— Condoleezza Rice (@CondoleezzaRice) August 13, 2012

Maybe Condoleezza Rice isn’t the first person you think of when you think of the NFL. But the former US Secretary of State has been associated with some of the hottest NFL rumors. For years, she’s described the NFL Commissioner as her dream job. Meanwhile, in 2018, Condi was apparently on the short list to coach the Cleveland Browns.

Denver: Improving odds and good value

Hamilton and Rice might have some fun watching the Broncos this season. While most people assume the Kansas City Chiefs are a lock for the AFL West, the Denver Broncos could be a contender. After the Broncos picked up QB Russell Wilson earlier this year, the team’s odds significantly improved. In fact, it looks the Chiefs, the Broncos and the Chargers are in for a tight division race.

Meanwhile, the NFL is a hot commodity. If team valuations continue to grow as they have, Hamilton and Rice could make a sizable profit on their Broncos investment. Sportico estimates the value of the average NLF team increased by 17.9% between 2020 and 2021. Meanwhile, MLB franchises increased by 4.9% while NBA teams increased by 8.9% over the same time period.

The average value of an NFL teams is $4.14 billion, according to Sportico. The highest valued NFL franchise are the Dallas Cowboys, estimated at $7.64 billion. By comparison, the Broncos are valued at $4.65 billion, the team’s 2022 purchase price. That valuation put the Broncos in 10th place, giving them room to grow.

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Racing fans the world over wished Sebastian Vettel well on his final F1 season. Sports bettors, however, were less focused on Vettel’s announcement and more intrigued by a change to Vettel’s car. Time will only tell how the odds will change based on who does — and doesn’t — adopt the new rear wing.

Rear wing could be F1 game changer

It’s rare that a 7th place practice finish turns heads. But Aston Martin and Vettel rarely place better than the mid-teens. So, Vettel’s top-ten finish in Saturday’s FP2 was noteworthy — especially since his car was fitted with a rear wing.

Apparently, Aston Martin found a loophole in the specs cleared it with the FIA. And while some downplay its role in Vettel’s practice runs, any potential edge is an edge worth testing.

“Obviously, this is a track where you try to have and put all the downforce on the car that you can. Obviously, there’s a new rear wing, it’s not a secret. – Sebastian Vettel

Well, it’s not a secret now. In fact, other teams are already thinking about a rear wing addition. Ferrari’s racing director Laurent Mekies said, “If they have asked the FIA and the FIA says it’s legal, then everybody tries it. If it’s faster it will come to the cars.”

During a team press conference Red Bull’s Christian Horner said, “If it is according to the rules, it is a possible way to go. And who knows, maybe we’ll copy something off Aston Martin rather than the other way around for once.”

Aston Martin and Vettel leave unfinished business

Vettel’s pending retirement is not a complete surprise. The 35-year-old driver’s contract was up at the end of this season. And while Aston Martin very much wanted to extend its relationship with Vettel, both sides were realistic about what another season would yield.

289 Grand Prix starts. 53 wins. 122 podiums. 57 pole positions. Four #F1 World Championships.

There will only ever be one #SV5. �?a href="//twitter.com/hashtag/ThankYouSeb?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThankYouSeb pic.twitter.com/h6ZWEuAARr

— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) July 28, 2022

When Aston Martin and Vettel joined forces in 2020, it seemed the perfect combination. Aston Martin had deep pockets and a desire to develop a competitive car. Vettel was a savvy veteran driver who was willing to help them on their journey.

Aston Martin’s performance, however, has been elusive and needs more time. And Vettel feels like time is of the essence in his life outside of racing, as the father of three explained on Instagram.

“Thank you for letting me share the track with you. I loved every bit of it.” – Sebastian Vettel

Vettel’s pending retirement is bittersweet. After all, racing was — and still is — his passion. It’s also hard for a world champion not to leave on top.  But even with unfinished business, both Aston Martin and Vettel value the experience they’ve shared.

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Colorado is a progressive state, which became the second state to allow women to vote in 1893. In 2012, Colorado legalized recreational marijuana and the first retail stores opened in 2014. In 2019, the citizens of the state voted to legalize online gambling and sports betting in Colorado, which is one of the many reasons I relocated from California.

I moved into a new house the same week the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup. My new next-door neighbors flew an Avalanche flag on their front porch and invited me to join them watch the game on a gigantic TV set up in their backyard.

I’ve only been a resident of Colorado for a couple of weeks, but I already found myself enjoying mobile sports betting. On just the second Sunday in July, I had the opportunity to wager on five different sports. Here’s a synopsis of my Sunday grind with Colorado sports betting that includes basketball, baseball, cycling, auto racing, and tennis.

Tour de France: Luxembourg Long Shot

To become a successful bettor in the Tour de France, you must pay attention to the stage map. If it’s a flat stage, the top sprinters compete for the stage win. If it’s a mountain stage, then the climbers dominate. When it’s a hilly or punchy stage, then it gets weird and you bet on Belgian star Wout van Aert, who’s fast enough to hang with the sprinters and strong enough to keep up with the climbers in the mountains.

As a new Colorado resident, I finally had the opportunity to bet on each stage. I whiffed the first three stages when the riders I backed — including van Aert twice — finished in second place each time. I finally had a breakthrough when van Aert won Stage 4, and then got hot by picking the winners in Stage 6, Stage 7, and Stage 8.

Every shot of the TV coverage of Stage 9 in the Swiss Alps looked like a postcard or an outtake from “The Sound of Music.”  With the first mountain stage, the big dogs wanted to preserve their energy for later stages, so the consensus was that a team with zero chance to win the overall Tour de France would stage hunt and try to win with a breakaway.

I spread bets around on a couple of different riders, including Luxembourg’s Bob Jungels (AG2R Citroen) at +5000 odds. AG2R Citroen is one of the teams that hadn’t yet won a stage, and Jungels, who was looking good over the last week, appeared due for a win. Jungels nearly got caught by the chase pack, but held them off in the final kilometer to win his first stage on Le Tour. One sport down, one win.

Joker’s Wild at Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Wimbledon semifinals due to a stomach injury, so the men’s final came down to Novak Djokovic versus Nick Kyrgios. I don’t watch tennis these days and never bet on it. But, it was tough to pass up an opportunity to back Djokovic, who was searching for a seventh Wimbledon men’s title and chasing Roger Federer’s record of eight. I didn’t get the best number at -350 odds, but that’s what happens when you bet chalk.

Jokerman got off to a slow start and dropped the first set to Kyrgios 6-4. It was a great start if you like underdogs, but luckily, I was watching the Tour de France and missed the start. Djokovic bounced back and won the next three sets, including a tiebreak in the fourth and final set. He slammed the door on a potential comeback from Kyrgios, who tried to force a fifth set where anything could happen. Djokovic secured his seventh Wimbledon victory since 2011. Two sports down, and two wins.

F1 Tips from the Bass Player

I know nothing about F1, but I can drop quotes from “Days of Thunder” with uncanny accuracy. I know “Days of Thunder” covers NASCAR and not Formula 1 racing, and that’s as far as my knowledge goes. When it comes to betting auto racing, I know zilch, but luckily I have friends and colleagues who know their F1.

My close friend Chris is a musician from Austin who’s an F1 aficionado. Chris played bass in several bands over the years, including Moving Matter and Heartbyrne (a Talking Heads tribute band). Most recently, he’s playing in a funk outfit called The A-Town Get Down.

Chris provided me with an inspiring tutorial, and I tailed his bets in the Austrian F1 Grand Prix. He said Max Verstappen from Red Bull is the favorite for a reason, but he expected it would be a good day for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who started the season with wins in Bahrain and Australia. I consulted OG’s own Amy Calistri — another avid F1 fan — to confirm the picks, which she also liked. I made my first-ever F1 wagers with Verstappen (-225) and Leclerc (+330).

I only got to watch the last few laps, but I definitely understood the appeal. Whenever you place a bet on something, even a meaningless activity, it suddenly gains tremendous excitement due to the sweat equity. Verstappen finished in second place and lost by 1.5 seconds, but Leclerc took the checkered flag after overcoming mechanical problems. I split the bets, but still turned a profit. Three sports down, and three wins.

A cheeky switcheroo at Turn 3 �?/p>

The race-winning move for @Charles_Leclerc �?a href="//twitter.com/hashtag/AustrianGP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AustrianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/LBKYA9yWSe

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 11, 2022

NBA Summer League: Grimes Shines

If you’re going to bet the NBA 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas, you want to back teams with actual veterans who logged time in the league because they’re taking advantage of playing against rookies who are putting on a pro uniform for the first time.

The New York Knicks suck, but they have a lot of good, young players who are getting much-needed workouts in the Summer League because head coach Tom Thibodeau tends to give veterans the bulk of playing time. The Knicks are my hometown team so I’m familiar with their roster in Las Vegas, which includes dreamers hoping to latch on to a team, recently-drafted rookie Trevor Keels from Duke, and a couple of players who had sporadic playing time last season, including Jericho Sims and Quentin Grimes.

Grimes had a spectacular game the other night against the Golden State Warriors with 24 points and eight assists in 32 minutes. He followed it up with 24 points on 7-for-14 shooting — including five 3-pointers — in a 101-69 blowout against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday afternoon. The Knicks easily covered a -7 spread when they won by 32 points. Four sports down, and four wins.

Sunday Night Baseball: Yankees vs Red Sox

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are the fiercest rivalry in baseball and one of the greatest all-time sports rivalries. The two teams played a four-game series and ESPN broadcast the Yankees/Red Sox in prime time as part of their Sunday Night Baseball coverage. I backed my hometown Yankees at -150 on the money line, especially after they collapsed on Saturday in extra innings. The Yankees won the first two games, but the Sox were trying to tie up the series with back-to-back victories at Fenway Park.

Whenever the Yankees and Red Sox play, it’s a long and exhausting marathon. It seems like regular nine-inning games between these rivals take four+ hours to finish. I knew I’d be bogged down for the long haul, especially after a long day of sweating bets, but luckily primetime games air at 5 pm in the Mountain Time Zone.

The Yankees jumped out to a 4-0 lead thanks to a home run blast by Giancarlo Stanton. The Red Sox countered and cut the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the second inning. Veteran Matt Carpenter — and his mustache inspired by Tom Selleck in “Magnum, PI” — slugged a short-porch home run to right field to put the Yankees up 6-2 in the top of the third.

The Red Sox didn’t flinch when they scored two more runs in the bottom of the inning. The Yankees’ bats went cold, and the Red Sox rallied from behind by scoring nine total unanswered runs. The Yankees lost 11-6 and the Red Sox pulled off another come-from-behind win. Those damn Sox cost me a perfect betting Sunday. Five sports complete. Overall, it was a profitable Sunday of sports betting in Colorado with four wins and just one loss.

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ESPN started covering F1 racing in 2018. Even back then, F1’s US popularity was growing. So, in 2019, ESPN was more than willing to pay $5 million a year for a three-year deal. Since then, F1’s popularity has exploded, drawing over a million viewers per race. That growth turned F1’s latest media rights offering into a bidding war. But in this case, the highest bid didn’t win.

ESPN offered F1 a loyal and growing audience

Netflix was in some way responsible for the F1’s popularity surge in the US. Its documentary series, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, brought new fans to the international sport. As a result, Netflix was interested in F1’s media rights. But they just didn’t have the bankroll and dropped out early in the negotiations.

The hardcore bidders for F1’s three-year deal were Amazon, Comcast, and its current provider, ESPN. ESPN, the ultimate winner, will pay F1 between $75 million and $90 million per year — roughly 1,500% more than its previous deal. Reportedly, Comcast was willing to match that amount.

Meanwhile, Amazon was apparently willing to pay $100 million per year. In the end, however, F1 stuck with ESPN, bowing to its experience and proven ability to grow viewership.

Vegas readies for its 2023 debut redux

As much as F1’s US audience has grown, it still has room for more. Next year, it will have six races in US time zones. Three of them, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Montreal, are outside the US. But there will also be three domestic races. Austin, Texas has been a popular F1 venue since its debuted in 2012. This year, F1 added the Miami Grand Prix. And next year, Las Vegas will join the fray.

While the Caesar’s casino parking lot was the site of a couple of F1 races back in the 1980s, the 2023 race will take to the streets. To provide for the pits and paddocks, F1 bought a 39-acre lot, which was home to the former Ice nightclub.

F1 paddock plan update. Ice nightclub building—corner of Koval and Harmon—will be demolished within the next two weeks. (h/t @JamesInLasVegas) pic.twitter.com/MUUflB7onf

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) June 7, 2022

Disney, ESPN’s parent company, will show most of the F1 schedule on its ABC or ESPN television networks. But it will also have the option of streaming some of the races on ESPN+. At this point, neither ESPN nor F1 have released a statement confirming the deal.

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For many years, professional sports avoided Las Vegas, fearing the prevalence of gambling might mar their integrity. But with the unmitigated success of NHL’s Golden Knights and the lifting of nationwide ban on sports betting, Vegas has become a sports franchise mecca.

While many assumed the next major league sport to hit Vegas would be a race between MLS, MLB and the NBA, it appears F1 will beat them down the stretch — or rather — down the Strip. Although to be fair, Las Vegas did host a couple of F1 races, long before the first puck dropped in T-Mobile Arena.

F1 Hits Las Vegas on a Saturday Night

In both 1981 and 1982, F1 held a race on a makeshift track on Caesar’s Palace parking lot. Predating Las Vegas’ thriving sports culture, the events felt more like spectacle than sports. Also, the heat and the odd counterclockwise configuration weren’t popular with drivers.

But 2023’s race, will leave the parking lot and take to the city streets. And hopefully, the heat won’t be as much of an issue on a November evening.

The planned 3.8 mile, 14-turn, track will feature three straightaways, with top speeds expected to exceed 200 mph. Drivers will buzz past some of the Strip’s iconic landmarks, including the Bellagio Fountain and the soon-to-be-completed MSG Sphere. F1 president Stefano Domenicali noted the significance of the Las Vegas venue.

“This is an incredible moment for F1 that demonstrates the huge appeal and growth of our sport with a third race in the US.”

The Las Vegas F1 contract is for three years, which organizers hope will be extended.

F1’s US Fanbase Grew 33% Since 2020

While F1 is an international sport, its popularity had been lackluster in the US. But that changed in recent years, thanks to Netflix.

In a recent Morning Consult poll, more than half of F1’s US fans credit the Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive for their interest. The behind-the-scenes series debuted in 2019. Since 2020, F1’s fanbase has grown by a staggering 33%.

Austin’s Circuit of the Americas (COTA) has hosted F1’s lone US race since 2012. In 2020, the US Grand Prix Austin was canceled due to COVID. But in 2021, COTA drew 400,000 fans over the three-day event, setting a new F1 record. Last month, sales for COTA’s 2022 F1 race sold out in 24 hours. This year, however, fans will get two opportunities to see F1 race on US soil.

The Miami Grand Prix debuts next month. With the addition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, F1 will have its third US race starting in 2023.

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F1 is a truly international sport, which made it easier for the racing series during the pandemic. F1 was able to maintain most of its 2020 season by shifting races to countries where the virus was less severe. This season, however, Russia’s Ukrainian invasion is testing F1’s international framework.

F1 axes Russian Grand Prix contract

Mercedes won every Russian Grand Prix since the race’s 2014 debut. Lewis Hamilton was responsible for five of those victories. But those streaks will now be severed, as the Russian Grand Prix is no more.

The day after Russia invaded Ukraine, F1 canceled this year’s Russian Grand Prix. The race was scheduled for September. As the fighting continued, however, F1 decided to sever ties with the race’s promoter. The contract was to run through 2025.

“Formula 1 can confirm it has terminated its contract with the Russian Grand Prix promoter meaning Russia will not have a race in the future.�?/p>

The FIA World Motor Sports Council chose not to ban Russian and Belarusian F1 drivers, as long as they drove in a “neutral capacity.” The Haas F1 team, however, fired its Russian driver, Nikita Mazepin. But the reason was less about nationality, and more about funding.

Haas cuts family ties, losing both sponsor and driver

In 2021, the Haas F1 Team unveiled a new title sponsor, Uralkali, with great fanfare. The Russian fertilizer company came on board just as Haas picked up Russian driver Nikita Mazepin. The deal, however, was not just a question of national affinity. It was a family affair.

Dmitry Mazepin, a Russian billionaire with ties to Vladimir Putin, co-owns Uralkali. Dmitry is also Nikita Mazepin’s father. When Uralkali became Haas’ title sponsor, it effectively paid for Nikita’s ride. But that ride ended when Haas cut ties with Uralkali.

On March 5, Haas announced the end of its relationship with both sponsor and driver.

“Haas F1 Team has elected to terminate, with immediate effect, the title partnership of Uralkali, and the driver contract of Nikita Mazepin,” said Haas’ statement. “As with the rest of the Formula One community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and wishes for a swift and peaceful end to the conflict.”

Apparently, Nikita was surprised to lose his ride, even after his funding vanished.

pic.twitter.com/6QHUDTXryv

— Nikita Mazepin (@nikita_mazepin) March 5, 2022

Mazepin’s current predicament isn’t enviable. But his past behavior hasn’t been exactly stellar. In 2016, he punched British driver Callum Ilott in the face. Also, just prior to his stint with Haas, Mazepin posted a video in which he inappropriately groped a woman.

Meanwhile, Mazepin’s F1 record is below par. He crashed during the first lap of his first race. As the season progressed, it didn’t get much better. Mazepin earned no points in the 2021 season.

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Verstappen posted a time 0.371 seconds better than Hamilton, who will start from the second position on the grid.

Verstappen chasing first Formula One Championship

He can now claim his first Formula One title if he wins Sunday’s race, or if he simply finishes ahead of Hamilton. Verstappen also enjoys the tiebreaker advantage, as he has won nine races to Hamilton’s eight on the season. That means he will also win the title if neither man finishes in the top 10, or in the specific scenario where Hamilton finishes ninth and Verstappen finishes 10th but also earns a point for having the fastest lap of the race.

If Hamilton otherwise finishes ahead of Verstappen, he will claim his eighth F1 Championship, and his fifth straight. FanDuel Sportsbook sees the battle as a dead heat, with both Verstappen and Hamilton fetching -115 odds of wining the championship at the end of the season.

The battle between Verstappen and Hamilton has proven contentious across the season. The two have collided three times this year, and Formula One officials have warned the teams that an intentional crash could cost a driver the title.

Verstappen says he has lost some respect for Hamilton over the course of the season, both because of the crashes and his response to them. Hamilton and his Mercedes team celebrated a victory at the British Grand Prix while Verstappen spent time in the hospital for an evaluation after the two collided on the first lap.

“Yes very much, and not in a positive way,�?Verstappen told reporters when asked about how his opinion of Hamilton had changed this season.

Other drivers likely to stay out of two-man race

For his part, Hamilton says that he’s treating this title fight just like any other.

“I’m here to do the best job I can with this incredible team,�?Hamilton told the media. “We never thought that we’d be neck and neck going into the last race, we’ve had an amazing recovery collectively as a team, we’ve been in a great position these last few races. We go full steam ahead with that same focus and we don’t waste energy on things that are out of our control.�?/p>

Hamilton still rates as the -115 pick to win the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen (-105). Others, like Valtteri Bottas (+2200) and Lando Norris (+2600) rate far behind. That may be in part because other drivers don’t want to play a part in deciding which of the two contenders ultimately takes home this year’s title.

“I’m a bit nervous, because I kind of want to just stay where I am, and just watch everything unfold over the first few laps, or even the whole race,�?Norris, who is starting in third position, said after qualifying. “I also don’t want to really get involved too much because it can cause a lot of controversy. So I don’t know.�?/p>

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Predictably, billion-dollar sales of top teams make headlines. But the number of new stakes in up-and-coming sports franchises is no less impressive.

Big Leagues Command Big Bucks

Larry and Gail Miller owned the Utah Jazz since the mid-80s. While they weren’t looking to sell the franchise, they were persuaded by the right buyer at the right price. Ryan Smith was flush from the sale of his software company, Qualtrics. He and his wife Ashley traveled in the same social circle as the Millers and shared their passion for the Jazz.

In October, the Millers accepted the Smith’s $1.66 billion offer for the NBA team. The deal included Vivant Arena, the G-League affiliate, and the Salt Lake Bees triple-A baseball team. The Smiths also agreed not to move the Jazz.

Meanwhile, the Wilpons were eager to sell the New York Mets. Yet, just as they’d get close to a deal, the family scuttled it. But billionaire Steve Cohen was persistent in his quest for the team. In September, Cohen finally acquired 95% of the Mets in a deal that valued the team at $2.42 billion.

The mammoth pandemic-era deals were noteworthy, but leagues with mid-range price tags got even more action, especially from celebrity buyers.

Purchase Recaps: WNBA, NWSL, F1, AFC

WNBA

NFL Raiders owner, Mark Davis, agreed to purchase the WNBA Las Vegas Aces from MGM Resorts earlier this year. Since moving the Raiders to Las Vegas, Davis has been an avid Aces fan. He’s planning to build the team a brand new training facility adjacent to the Raiders’ headquarters.

While Davis’ WNBA team purchase was a bit of a surprise, the Atlanta Dream’s ownership change couldn’t come soon enough. Former co-owner Kelly Loeffler had run afoul of both the league and its players. In January, the league announced that the Dream would have a new owner. More than a month later, the WNBA announced the Dream’s purchase by an investment group comprised of two Northland Investment Co. executives and retired player Renee Montgomery.

NWSL

Los Angeles will be home to one of the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) expansion teams. In July, the NWSL granted expansion rights to a star-studded ownership team, including actor Natalie Portman, tennis pro Serena Williams, and 14 former professional women soccer players who all have a stake in Angel City.

Not to be outdone by Williams, her longtime rival and mentor, tennis star Naomi Osaka also bought into the NWSL. Earlier this year, Osaka took an ownership stake in the North Carolina Courage.

The women who have invested in me growing up made me who I am today, I don’t know where I would be without them. Throughout my career I’ve always received so much love from my fellow female athletes so that’s why I am proud to share that I am now a owner of @TheNCCourage ⚽️❤️ pic.twitter.com/Iz0YcVvOqz

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおã�?(@naomiosaka) January 28, 2021

UK Team Action

Men’s soccer got a share of celebrity investment. In November, Wrexham AFC was purchased by actors Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and Rob McElhenney (Always Sunny in Philadelphia). The price tag for the Welsh football club — the third-oldest professional football club in the world — was $2.78 million.

In August, the Williams family sold its F1 racing business to Dorilton Capital Management. The US investment firm paid $200 million for the team, which will retain the Williams Racing name and Oxfordshire headquarters.

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Hamilton missed out on the Sakhir Grand Prix last weekend after testing positive for the coronavirus on the Monday before the race.

Russell Nearly Wins as Mercedes Replacement in Sakhir

The Mercedes driver had already clinched his fourth straight title when he withdrew from the Sakhir race. Hamilton won the previous five Grand Prix contests, and 11 races in total during the 2020 F1 season.

“The FIA, Formula One, and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team can today confirm that Lewis Hamilton has returned a number of negative COVID-19 tests,�?the FIA said in a statement. “He has completed his 10-day quarantine in Bahrain, and was free to leave the country according to the Bahraini health authority regulations.�?/p>

Hamilton proceeded to test negative again in Abu Dhabi, a requirement for him to enter the Formula One paddock.

Last weekend, Williams driver George Russell replaced Hamilton and nearly earned Mercedes another victory. Russell saw his chance for glory slip away twice, first when his pit crew accidentally placed the wrong tires on his car during a stop. Russell held the lead before that incident. He then worked his way up to second place before a late puncture forced another pit stop. He finished in ninth.

“You’re in your first race in a Mercedes and you should have won it, actually, for driving a monumental race, and there’s not a lot you can say,�?Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff told Sky Sports. “And this is where we are, but it’s not going to be his last attempt to win a race. It’s just the beginning of a fairytale that didn’t work out today, and I would say a new star is born.�?/p>

Hamilton Favored vs. Field in Abu Dhabi

Hamilton reentered the field as the odds-on favorite, as usual. FanDuel Sportsbook lists Hamilton as the -270 pick to win in Abu Dhabi, ahead of Veltteri Bottas (+350) and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen (+600). Verstappen was among the favorites to win in Sakhir with Hamilton’s absence, but crashed out on the first lap.

Bottas came into Sakhir as the first choice, but finished eighth for the second consecutive week. Sergio Perez (+3000) ultimately picked up his first win of the season.

While Hamilton has run away with the Drivers’ Championship, there’s still an open race for second place heading into the final race of the season. Bottas currently leads Verstappen by 16 points, meaning Verstappen could potentially pass him with a top-two finish in Abu Dhabi. Bottas will clinch second place in the overall standings with a top-five finish.

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Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One champion, tested negative three times ahead of this past Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix, which he won.

Hamilton Dominant Yet Again

That marked Hamilton’s fifth straight win and his 11th overall this season. But when he woke up on Monday, he felt mild symptoms consistent with COVID-19, after which he tested positive for the disease.

Hamilton is currently isolating and observing Bahrain’s public health guidelines. He has declared his contacts with the FIA â€�?the governing body of international motorsports â€�?and authorities have told him that someone he had contact with before arriving in Bahrain last weekend has also tested positive.

“I’m devastated that I won’t be racing this weekend,�?Hamilton wrote on Instagram. “Since we started the season in June, my team and I have been taking all the precautions we possibly can and following the regulations everywhere we’ve been in order to stay safe. Unfortunately, even though I returned three negative results this past week, I woke up yesterday with mild symptoms and requested another test, which came back positive.�?/p>

Hamilton’s absence from the Sakhir race won’t impact the Formula One title race. He officially clinched the championship two races ago in Turkey, securing his fourth straight title and his sixth in seven years.

That victory may have played a role in Hamilton’s exposure to COVID-19. The driver went above and beyond in attempting to isolate from others during the season. After he clinched the title, however, Hamilton traveled home to Monaco and spent time with his family before heading to Bahrain for last weekend’s race.

Vandoorne Likely to Sub for Mercedes

Mercedes has yet to announce who will replace Hamilton in its top car. The most likely candidate is Stoffel Vandoorne, the team’s official reserve driver. Vandoorne drives for Mercedes in Formula E, where he finished second in the drivers’ championship this season. But other options are possible, such as Nico Hulkenberg, who has substituted in three races for other teams this season.

Had Hamilton entered the race, he would have undoubtedly been the favorite to win the Sakhir Grand Prix. While most bookmakers have taken their odds for the race off the board — for the moment — Europe’s Boyle Sports listed Hamilton at -350 earlier in the week.

With the world’s top driver out of action, however, there’s an open question as to who should claim favorite status. At the Betfair Exchange, Valtteri Bottas leads the pack at +170, while Max Verstappen sits right behind him at +180. Nobody else is closer than Sergio Perez, who fetches +2500 odds.

Bottas sits second in the championship standings, having won two races this year. Verstappen only won one race this season, but also finished as the runner up six times, including last weekend, finishing behind Hamilton on each of those occasions. He currently sits in third place in the driver standings.

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