A running joke, visible in front of the cameras, is playing out between Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso this season. After Verstappen only qualified ninth for Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix, second-placed Alonso predicted – in a routine which would be laughable if it wasn’t so accurate – that the Red Bull would slingshot past him by lap 25. In similar circumstances three races back in Saudi Arabia, wily double world champion Alonso was near-enough spot-on with the same prophecy. Except this time, it didn’t take Verstappen that long. By lap 15, Verstappen had overtaken seven sitting ducks to reach the rear of team-mate Sergio Perez. Eking out the maximum performance in his set of hard tyres, the Dutchman was in prime position to overtake Perez by the time he pitted for mediums on lap 46. Two rounds of the circuit later, Verstappen stormed clear of Perez’s valiant defence to take a statement victory. That, plus the fastest lap, handed the championship leader a perfect 26-point day. His gap to Perez is now 14 points. Aston Martin’s Alonso, in third, is 44 points behind Verstappen – the closest challenger outside the Red Bull behemoth. But it is the Constructors’ Standings which really tells the tale of this one-sided bloodbath right now. Red Bull, on 224 points out of a possible 235, are 122 points ahead of Aston Martin, a surprise success story. Mercedes and Ferrari – giants of Formula 1, the supposed title challengers – are 128 and 146 points behind Red Bull respectively. We have had just five grand prix weekends. Five. Christian Horner, gleaming under the Florida sun after a fourth Red Bull one-two in five races, simply could not help himself: “We’ve never, ever had a start like this. We’re wondering: where are the others? We’ve made a normal step over the winter. “Where did Ferrari and Mercedes go?” The gap between the RB19 and the rest is truly staggering. Excluding the Australian Grand Prix which concluded under the safety car, the amassed gap between the RB19 and the next-best car is over 1 minute and 45 seconds. 106.8 seconds, to be precise, in just four grand prix. In Miami, the gap was 26.3 seconds, still less than the 38.6 second Red Bull advantage at the season-opener in Bahrain. RED BULL’S ADVANTAGE OVER THE NEXT-BEST CAR Bahrain: 36.6 seconds Saudi Arabia: 20.7 seconds Australia: 0.1 seconds Azerbaijan: 21.2 seconds Miami: 26.3 seconds In short, Mercedes and Ferrari have never been further away from the front in the hybrid era. Last year, in what proved to be a season of double world championship glory for Red Bull, Charles Leclerc was at least winning races and challenging at the start of the campaign. By the end of 2022, Mercedes seemed to have, finally, unlocked their unique package with a one-two finish in Brazil. Yet on Sunday, Leclerc was grappling with Haas’ and Alpines in the midfield on his way to seventh. Lewis Hamilton – who only qualified 13th-fastest – had to make a late surge to leap up to P6. Perhaps the most amusing moment in the closing laps was George Russell, in a state of bewildered shock running in fourth, asking his engineer: “Who is the car ahead of Fernando on track? We’re that close to Perez?!” A simple response squashed any hope. It was simply a lapped car. “No, sorry. It’s Sargeant on track.” Ever since admitting to needing to rip up their current car philosophy in Bahrain, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has referred to the next race in Imola as a potential season benchmark, with a new upgrade highly-anticipated. Yet while Hamilton insisted he needs a “one-second upgrade”, Wolff downplayed expectations. “I don’t think we’ll get there and suddenly we’re half a second faster and in the middle of a fight,” he remarked, after a weekend in Miami when he also described the W14 car as a “nasty piece of work” and “poisonous.” Ferrari, meanwhile, do have a car capable of challenging on a Saturday, as Leclerc showed in the last race in Baku with two pole positions. Yet the contrast to raceday – a reminder to the Scuderia: when the points are won – is perplexing to all those in scarlet red. “Once again today, the significant difference between the SF-23’s performance level in qualifying and the race was clear to see,” a baffled Fred Vasseur, team principal, said. Two weeks’ time in Imola will see Ferrari’s famed legion of fans, the tifosi, turn up in their thousands. What Ferrari greets them, however, remains to be seen. Upgrades are coming for both. Mercedes – and the wider F1 fanbase, truth be told – are pinning their season hopes on this upcoming renovation. Ferrari have new parts coming too, amid a scratching of heads in Maranello. Horner did point out that Red Bull’s penalty for breaking the 2021 cost cap will affect them as the season progresses. Even more reason, he says, to get “fresh air” between Red Bull and the chasing pack right now. But he need not worry. The gap already looks near-insurmountable with 18 races to go. The title fight looks likely to be played out between his men – and even then with a now-undisputed favourite. Keep those fingers and toes crossed for Imola. Maybe the upgrades can miraculously narrow the top-tier playing field. The competitiveness of this season may just hinge on it. Read More ‘Nasty piece of work’: Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes slammed by Toto Wolff Max Verstappen claims Miami boos are due to his success: ‘They don’t like who wins’ Max Verstappen sends chilling message to rivals after Miami win: ‘I always feel unbeatable’ George Russell takes aim at ‘distracting’ razzmatazz before Miami Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton would be taking gamble by leaving Mercedes, says former rival

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Pelvic floor problems and periods will feature as topics for discussion alongside live music, food and drinks at a festival with a difference this summer. Surgeon Julie Cornish, founder of the Everywoman Festival due to take place in Cardiff next month, said she believes it is the first event of its nature to take place in the UK covering such a wide range of women’s health topics. The mother of three, who specialises in pelvic problems after childbirth, said she hoped to create a relaxed and informal setting where typically taboo subjects can be tackled. She said: “The concept of it is as much about prevention and education, as it is about signposting to women with problems. “I’m not aiming this just at women who’ve got problems, I want 16-year-olds to come along to find out about period sustainability products, what is normal for periods and how to know when you’ve got endometriosis. “I want people to understand what is normal and not normal about aspects of women’s health, particularly pelvic health. And I’d like them to be more comfortable talking about their bodies and the symptoms they might get.” Cornish said she is “all too aware of the barriers people face when trying to start conversations about their health” as she warned that if people do not feel able to speak about their health, they may not be able to access the help they need. The event on June 24 at Insole Court in the city will feature a range of expert speakers and more than 48 interactive workshops including pilates, physio sessions and chair yoga, as well as live music, performance art sessions, food and drinks. Welsh health minister Eluned Morgan is set to take part in a discussion on the day on gender health inequality, while some of the other sessions will focus on sexual wellbeing and childbirth injury. For too long, there have been deep-seated and entrenched inequalities in women’s healthcare Welsh health minister Eluned Morgan Morgan said: “For too long, there have been deep-seated and entrenched inequalities in women’s healthcare – from how women’s experiences are viewed to how symptoms are acted upon; health issues and conditions affecting women have been considered ‘taboo’ subjects, limiting awareness and understanding, resulting in women often suffering in silence. “I am committed to improving women’s experiences and health outcomes. “I’ve tasked NHS Wales with designing and delivering a 10-year women’s health plan, which will address inequities in provision and barriers to access and improving the provision of good-quality health services for women throughout their lives. “But if we are to truly deliver lasting change for all women in Wales, we need to look beyond the boundaries of healthcare and normalise conversations about women’s experiences, taking co-ordinated action to remove gender barriers and inequalities. “I am delighted to be speaking at the Everywoman Festival and I look forward to hearing the experiences of all those attending.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Get to know Foday Dumbuya, winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design 7 beauty changes to make as the weather gets warmer Paparazzo says Harry and Meghan car chase was ‘catastrophic experience’

When you think of designer fragrances, a few things may come to mind: Haughty, old-school, and reserved for only the most special of special occasions. Now, some of those things are still true, but none of them can be said about Chanel’s Chance range — a modern, vibrant floral scent, not to mention, personal favorite of mine. (Let’s just say, out of the 30+ fragrances I own, it’s among the ones I reach for most often.)

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