Max Verstappen strikes title blow with chaotic Brazilian GP win, Lando Norris sixth

Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina waves the chequered flag to Red Bull Racing’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen after winning the F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, at Interlagos, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 3, 2024. (AFP)
Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina waves the chequered flag to Red Bull Racing’s Dutch driver Max Verstappen after winning the F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, at Interlagos, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on November 3, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 03 November 2024
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Max Verstappen strikes title blow with chaotic Brazilian GP win, Lando Norris sixth

Max Verstappen strikes title blow with chaotic Brazilian GP win, Lando Norris sixth
  • The Dutchman’s triumph lifted him to 393 points, increasing his advantage over Norris, on 331, to 62
  • Alpine’s French duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly also on the podium

SAO PAULO: Three-time world champion Max Verstappen produced a virtuoso drive in often atrocious conditions to regain control of this year’s world championship on Sunday when he charged from 17th on the grid to win the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Without a win in 10 races since the Spanish Grand Prix in May, Red Bull’s series leader made light of the chaotic, rain-swept conditions to register a 62nd career triumph and fastest lap while nearest title rival Lando Norris of McLaren went from pole position to sixth.
The Dutchman’s triumph lifted him to 393 points, increasing his advantage over Norris, on 331, to 62 with just three Grands Prix and one sprint race remaining.
Verstappen finished 19.477 seconds ahead of Alpine’s French duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly with Mercedes’ George Russell fourth and Charles Leclerc fifth for Ferrari in a tumultuous contest of accidents, two red-flag stoppages, penalties and planned post-race investigations.
For Alpine, the reward was a leap from ninth to sixth in the constructors championship, reportedly valued at an estimated $50 million.
Norris, who struggled to find his usual pace, came home sixth ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, RB’s Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes.
Verstappen’s success came on the day he overhauled Michael Schumacher’s record of leading the drivers standings for 896 days while many of his rivals faced post-race investigations for various sporting misdemeanours.
“My emotions have been a rollercoaster today — that unlucky qualifying and starting 17th made it such a tough race, but we stayed out of trouble, made the right calls and it is unbelievable to win here from so far back,” said Verstappen.
“What a day,” said a beaming Ocon. “After this difficult season, it’s so nice to drive here and the rain levelled out the performance so I am very happy.”
Gasly added: “Just incredible! For the whole team, after such a tough season, struggling for points, but two cars on the podium. Nobody would have put that on their bingo card.”
After a wet and wild qualifying, Lance Stroll set the tone when he spun off in his Aston Martin on the formation lap, leading to a delayed second start before which Norris led away without a green light and, along with Russell and both RB drivers, faced a post-race investigation.
The big Sunday crowd, part of an Interlagos weekend record of 291,717 waited patiently as Norris finally led a third formation lap before Russell beat him at the start.
Norris tucked into second ahead of Tsunoda on a frantic opening lap that saw Verstappen climb from 17th to 11th, passing Hamilton for 10th on lap two as light rain fell. By lap six, Verstappen was eighth.
By lap 11, Verstappen was sixth and clearly the fastest man on track while a struggling Hamilton bounced off before being passed by Williams driver Franco Colapinto to the delight of the many Argentine fans.
As heavy rain arrived, Leclerc pitted and fell to 11th, Lawson slid off and Nico Hulkenberg pitted before beaching his Haas, prompting a Virtual Safety Car on lap 28.
The German recovered, with aid, to re-join for which he was disqualified.
Another round of pit-stops left Ocon leading ahead of Verstappen, who stayed out to gain a tactical advantage, as Norris passed Russell for fourth behind Gasly as a Safety Car was deployed again before being red-flagged on lap 33 when Colapinto smacked the barriers at Turn 14.
“I guess everyone can just change tires for free now,” said a glum Norris realizing Verstappen had been given a cost-free pit-stop that transformed the race.
A second Safety Car, the seventh of the day, intervened on lap 40 when Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz spun off at Turn Eight and retired.
On resumption, Verstappen seized control when he powered inside Ocon to lead at Turn One while Norris ran off and dropped to seventh.
Ocon stayed second ahead of Gasly and Leclerc, but the Dutchman had the initiative and momentum, turning most pre-race forecasts on their head, making a fourth drivers title look inevitable.


Niemann wins three-way play-off to claim $1m PIF Saudi International

Niemann wins three-way play-off to claim $1m PIF Saudi International
Updated 5 sec ago
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Niemann wins three-way play-off to claim $1m PIF Saudi International

Niemann wins three-way play-off to claim $1m PIF Saudi International
  • American 20-year-old Caleb Surratt and Cameron Smith of Australia push Niemann all the way in thrilling finale at Riyadh Golf Club

RIYADH: Chile’s Joaquin Niemann produced a masterclass of golf under the highest pressure to scoop the $1 million winner’s prize in the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers tournament on Saturday for his second win in the Kingdom this year.

Niemann needed two holes of a play-off to secure the title when he birdied the 396-yard par four 18th for the second time in a row while Caleb Surratt, from 10 feet, and Cameron Smith, from seven, both narrowly missed their putts for a three. The trio had all birdied the first play-off hole, also the 18th, minutes earlier.

The play-off win, which follows his triumph in the LIV Series Jeddah event in March, also secured the The International Series Rankings first prize for the 26-year-old Niemann from Santiago, whose magical chip from light rough to three feet finally secured this important victory.

Surratt, 20, who was chasing his first professional victory and shot a final-round 66, ensured it was no easy cruise for Niemann, who converted six birdies in his final round 67 for a four-round 21-below par total of 263.

However, both Surratt and Niemann surprisingly bogeyed their 72nd hole, the 18th, to allow Smith into a play-off following the Australian’s best-of-the-day 62 earlier on Saturday.

Smith, the 2022 Open Champion, had earlier written off his chances of being in the final mix when he spoke to media, but had not reckoned on uncharacheristic errors on the final hole by the leading duo, which saw Surratt’s tee shot finding water and Niemann’s drive landing in thick rough.

After the drama, champion Niemann praised Golf Saudi, the organizers of the event and responsible for the growth in popularity of the sport in the Kingdom, which produced a record five local players in this year’s event.

Niemann said: “I’m seeing golf developing here in Saudi Arabia thanks to Golf Saudi and it’s great to see them taking the game to the next level here. I’m delighted to be part of that and seeing kids here, too, watching us play is a good sign for a bright future.”

Meanwhile, Peter Uihlein had started the day in pole position to finish The International Series Rankings in top spot but the sure touch that had earned him victory in the previous event in Qatar and had taken him into contention after three rounds here completely deserted him when it mattered most on Saturday.

The American dropped three strokes after the turn, suffering a disastrous double bogey six at the 11th having bogeyed the previous hole, and tumbled to joint 29th overall after a three-over 74, 13 under par overall.

It left him second behind Niemann in The International Series Rankings with New Zealander Ben Campbell in third place following his fourth position in Riyadh thanks to a closing 64 for 20 under par overall.

John Catlin, another American, was also in the winner’s circle at the conclusion of the event for finishing top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit, which he had secured prior to this tournament where he finished joint 34th at 12 under par following a closing round of 65.

The leading Arab finisher was amateur Adam Bresnu of Morocco, who strung together highly creditable rounds of 66, 68, 67 and 66 to finish at 17 under overall for a share of sixth place.


Flick sent off for protesting penalty in Barcelona draw at Betis

Flick sent off for protesting penalty in Barcelona draw at Betis
Updated 9 min 41 sec ago
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Flick sent off for protesting penalty in Barcelona draw at Betis

Flick sent off for protesting penalty in Barcelona draw at Betis
  • Flick disagreed with the referee’s decision to grant a penalty

BARCELONA: Coach Hansi Flick was sent off for protesting a penalty decision and Barcelona was held at Real Betis to 2-2 in La Liga on Saturday.
Flick disagreed with the referee’s decision to grant a penalty following a video review when Betis forward Vitor Roque fell in the area following a brush with Frenkie de Jong.
Giovani Lo Celso converted the 66th-minute penalty to level the score after Robert Lewandowski put the visitors ahead in the 38th.
Substitute Ferran Torres scored from a pass by Lamine Yamal to put Barcelona back in front in the 82nd, but Assane Diao struck in injury time to secure the draw for Betis.
Barcelona have dropped points in four of the last five rounds. The league leader are five points ahead of Real Madrid, which has two games in hand.


Man City drop more points after draw with Crystal Palace

Man City drop more points after draw with Crystal Palace
Updated 16 min 28 sec ago
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Man City drop more points after draw with Crystal Palace

Man City drop more points after draw with Crystal Palace
  • It could have been worse for City after Palace led twice

LONDON: Manchester City’s Premier League title defense took another blow after a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Four-time defending champion City ended a seven-game winless run on Wednesday by beating Nottingham Forest, but dropped more points with the draw at Selhurst Park.
It could have been worse for City after Palace led twice.
Pep Guardiola’s team are fourth in the standings and eight points behind leader Liverpool, which have a game in hand after their derby with Everton was postponed due to a storm.
Aston Villa were fifth after winning against last-placed Southampton 1-0, and Brentford beat Newcastle 4-2.


Gabriel Bortoleto targets F2 championship crown in Abu Dhabi ahead of F1 graduation

Gabriel Bortoleto targets F2 championship crown in Abu Dhabi ahead of F1 graduation
Updated 21 min 40 sec ago
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Gabriel Bortoleto targets F2 championship crown in Abu Dhabi ahead of F1 graduation

Gabriel Bortoleto targets F2 championship crown in Abu Dhabi ahead of F1 graduation
  • The Brazilian driver will race for Kick Sauber in Formula 1 next year

ABU DHABI: The 2024 FIA Formula 2 season has been one of numerous twists and turns, with championship contenders coming and going. Heading into this final weekend at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, there is a clear two-horse race between one driver confirmed to graduate to Formula 1 in 2025, and another with sights on his own promotion.
Similar to his 2023 rookie title success in Formula 3, Gabriel Bortoleto’s consistency was key to his elevation up the drivers’ standings, despite a challenging start to the year. The Invicta Racing driver, who will race for Kick Sauber in F1 next year, suffered three consecutive retirements in the Jeddah feature race, and both Australia outings due to collision damage and mechanical failure, stunting his early momentum.
Bortoleto’s response was impressive, however. Feature race wins in Austria and Monza in Italy, the latter a stunning last-to-first comeback victory, propelled the Brazilian driver into title contention. He is the in-form driver on the grid, and will look to follow in the footsteps of Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Oscar Piastri in immediately following his FIA F3 crown with the F2 title before focusing on his F1 debut.
Bortoleto’s closest challenger for the F2 title is Frenchman Isack Hadjar. The Red Bull junior driver has experienced contrasting fortunes to his rival, with four feature race wins — more than any driver — and looked to be racing towards the title earlier in the year. But the Campos driver only accumulated points in three of the last 10 races before the long break, ahead of the final two weekends in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Should he return to form this weekend and claim the crown, he will certainly have staked his claim for his own F1 graduation with Red Bull sister team RB.
The Italian PREMA Racing squad, typically contending at the top of the Teams’ Championship and producing numerous F1 drivers, has struggled to get the best of the new FIA F2 car introduced in 2024. Its two drivers, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman, both headed for F1 next year, have been unable to fully demonstrate their abilities.
Antonelli’s two feature race wins, and Bearman’s two sprint race wins, are the grand total of the team’s success in 2024. The team will hope to sign off its season on a positive note this weekend, however, much like last year when Frederik Vesti took Sprint Race victory at Yas Marina Circuit.


Musiala strikes twice to help Bayern end mini-skid without the injured Kane

Musiala strikes twice to help Bayern end mini-skid without the injured Kane
Updated 49 min 54 sec ago
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Musiala strikes twice to help Bayern end mini-skid without the injured Kane

Musiala strikes twice to help Bayern end mini-skid without the injured Kane
  • Dayot Upamecano put Bayern ahead in the 18th minute
  • Vincent Kompany sent on Musiala for Thomas Mueller moments after Heidenheim made it 1-1 against the flow of play

BERLIN: Jamal Musiala came off the bench to score twice and help a Bayern Munich side without the injured Harry Kane beat Heidenheim 4-2 in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Bayern were playing their second full game without their top-scoring Kane since he strained his right hamstring in Bayern’s 1-1 draw with Borussia Dortmund last weekend.
Bayern then lost in the German Cup to Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 without the England striker on Tuesday.
Dayot Upamecano put Bayern ahead in the 18th minute with a goal from a corner kick, but the Bayern center back also helped the visitors level in the 50th when Mathias Honsak pounced on his bad pass with only goalkeeper Daniel Peretz to beat.
Vincent Kompany sent on Musiala for Thomas Mueller moments after Heidenheim made it 1-1 against the flow of play.
The Germany international put Bayern back in front in the 56th when he rifled a shot from just inside the area under goalkeeper Kevin Mueller.
Bayern looked ready to close out the relatively easy win when Leon Goretzka made it 3-1 in the 83rd.
But Niklas Dorsch scored a second goal for Heidenheim in the 85th to keep the result in doubt until Musiala struck again in injury time.
Musiala’s eight goals make him the top scoring midfielder in the competition.