Well, what up guys, welcome to all our readers here in New Zealand & around the world, I'm Whets here & you're tuning in into my Kiwiavenger blog but first that there was once a Formula One story about the 3 replacement drivers that would've gone on to become the world champions starting with Michael Schumacher who had been handed his dream F1 debut in Belgium way, way back in 1991 after the Luxembourg born Belgian-French driver of Bertrand Gachot (Dad of Spanish born London based female pop singer Grace, but Bertrand's elderly mother & Grace's grandmother comes from Germany) had been sent behind bars (Originally 18 months before they reduced it to 9, then he was eventually released after serving 2 months inside a British prison when he went straight to Japan for the Grand Prix hoping to find a ride) for a fraca against a taxi driver during a road rage incident in London in which he illegally used a CS gas canister to defend or protect himself should I say as he caused grievous bodily harm (GBH) when Gachot sprayed towards him also way, way back in 1990 in which the verbal argument that then turned physical whilst on his way late to a meeting with Jordan F1 team's sponsor 7UP in which he was involved in a minor collision, meanwhile in the Grand Prix that Schumacher had to retire after a clutch problem (Although he started 7th on the grid during his F1 debut), then he moved to Benetton on a multi-year contract which saw him become the world champion in both 1994 & 1995 before he moved to Ferrari in 1996 in which he was the face of Formula One (For I was doing a blog about the world champion drivers changing allegiances to rival F1 teams), then it was Sebastian Vettel up next way back in 2007 that after just competing the one race in the United States that he made his debut as a rookie where Lewis Hamilton made headlines for McLaren by filling in for the injured Robert Kubica (The one that involved in a serious wreck during a rally event over in Andorra back in 2011 therefore causing serious injuries that ended his Formula One career) who was sidelined through injury sustained in an accident in Canada & it was before the European Grand Prix at his home country in Germany that Toro Rosso had terminated American Scott Speed's contract in which he had to go after a string of poor results that Vettel was in where he competed in his 2nd Grand Prix race whilst making his Toro Rosso debut in which he finished 8th therefore scoring a point, a year before achieving his first pole & win in Monza, Italy also way back in 2008 where he drove one of the hardest races at the Monza circuit in heavy rain which prompted his move to Red Bull for the 2009 season & the rest was history when he became world champion 4 times in a row from 2010 until his last driver's world championship that he won back in 2013, & also Max Verstappen also back in 2016 that after making 24 appearances for Toro Rosso that he moved to Red Bull to replace Daniil Kvyat who caused a collision on the former world champion Vettel during his home race in Russia in which he had been given the sack at Red Bull therefore demoting him at Scuderia Toro Rosso which earned Max's promotion at Red Bull Racing just before the Spanish Grand Prix in which Max (Who qualified 4th for the Grand Prix) won following the 2 Mercedes-AMG drivers of defending champion at the time of Lewis Hamilton & the eventual champion Nico Rosberg tangled together at each other therefore becoming the youngest ever winner in Formula One history (That was 5 years before finally becoming the world champion in 2021, then added 3 more to his tally in 2022, 2023 & last year in which he is now a 4 time world champion).
And secondly onto the cricket stuff such as Australia are in the WTC final, yet again (And they will defend their title that they won in 2023 (Same year that they defended the Ashes against England after the series ended in a draw just like in 2019, then they won the men's Cricket World Cup in India & 2 years later, have now finally beaten the Indians as the AB-Sunny trophy is now rightfully theirs which is in favour of the Aussies (Who have both cricket tests in hand against Sri Lanka in a 2 match test series for the Warne-Muralidaran trophy being contested, but they're over there in the UAE to prepare for their away test series against the Sri Lankans in Sri Lanka) against India at the Oval in London) at Lord's in England against South Africa following their win at the Sydney Cricket Ground against India as well as taking out the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade where the Aussies last won back in 2015, but the Champions Trophy is up next as hosts Pakistan are the defending champions going into the tournament consisting of the top 8 that they finished in the previous men's Cricket World Cup in 2023, including Afghanistan, Australia (Who are the 2nd favourites according to the estimates), Bangladesh, England, India (Who'll play all of their matches in the city of Dubai in the UAE (Which is not far from Pakistan), including both the semis & final after opting not to travel to Pakistan due to political pressure & tensions between the 2 countries under a hybrid model being accepted by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), New Zealand (Who haven't won since 2000 which was during the ICC Knockout Trophy at the time in which the only time the Black Caps had won a limited overs cricket tournament), hosts Pakistan (Who are the defending champions going into the tournament as well as the main tournament favourites due to the home field advantage as Indian cricket legend Sunny Gavaskar once said about it, but I fear it might be an Australia-Pakistan final just like in the World Cup way, way back in 1999) & South Africa.
And onto the tennis department as Denmark's Clara Tauson (An apparent heiress of Caroline Wozniacki) becomes the new ASB Classic women's singles champion in Auckland in the aftermath of Japan's Naomi Osaka who had to be withdrawn through injury after winning the first set, & that's what's happened in a victory speech that Tauson delivered about Osaka being heartbroken that she had to pull out after she had taken a medical timeout, but bring on the men as the ASB classic men's tournament is up next with the men's singles final scheduled for January 11th, just a day before the Australian Open begins on the 12th right through until the 26th, but there has been an update as Frenchman Gael Monfils (Husband of female Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svotlina & dad of young baby girl Skai) becomes the oldest ever champion in an ATP event, surpassing Roger Federer at his home event in Basel, Switzerland back in 2019 since it was established in 1990 & first oldest player to win a men's tennis title since Ken 'Muscles' Rosenwall (2nd oldest behind the late American Pancho Gonzales) from Australia in Hong Kong in 1977 where he beat Belgian Zizou Bergs to win the ASB Classic men's championship in straight sets, meanwhile our own Kiwi Michael Venus & his Croatian doubles partner Nikola Mektic had been declared the men's doubles champion at the same event, in the aftermath of Rajeev Ram (Who is Christian Harrison's doubles partner) pulling out at the last minute through injury therefore Venus & Mektic won via walkover due to the men's doubles final being called off altogether (And bring on the Australian Open as Aryna Sabalenka (Who competes under a neutral nationality) & Jannik Sinner (From Italy) will defend their titles in the women's & men's singles respectively going into the 1st Grand Slam tournament of the year).
And finally that there was a rugby related story that the last side to regain the Super Rugby championship was way back in 2008 in which the Crusaders were champions against the Waratahs in the final at the old Lancaster Park in Christchurch a year after failing to defend their title also way back in 2007 that they won way back in 2006 against the eventual champions the Bulls (The only South African side to win a Super Rugby championship before the Stormers became the first South African side to win the URC (United Rugby Championship) in 2022 during that inaugural competition that replaced the Pro14, then the Sharks won the European Rugby Challenge Cup last year in which they became the first outside of Europe to win a European Rugby competition) in the semi with the Crusaders (Who last won a title in 2023 which was their unprecedented 12th full Super Rugby championship, & their 14th overall, but will it be lucky number 13? (15 if you count both Super Rugby Aotearoa titles to their name in both 2020 & 2021) We will find out once the season ends) are willing to take back the Super Rugby Pacific title for what is theirs after missing out last year to the Blues who would finally gone on to become champions after 21 years against the Chiefs (Who missed out again after appearing back to back finals) in the final in front of a packed Eden Park crowd.
So that is my 593rd blog of the year 2025 (MMXXV) & my 17th of this year, viva Ukraine & Palestine.
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