JEDDAH: Sergio Perez stepped up for Red Bull to ensure the team started from the pole at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after a mechanical issue sidelined two-time defending world champion Max Verstappen.
Verstappen was fastest in all three practice sessions at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit but his qualifying effort was cut short Saturday when he radioed “I have a problem. Engine, engine problem,” during the second session. The Dutchman drove to the pits, where a driveshaft issue was discovered, and Verstappen’s qualifying effort was over.
It left Perez as the lone Red Bull representative in the final round of qualifying and he went on to win pole for the second consecutive year — the only two poles of his career.
Verstappen will start 15th.
Charles Leclerc qualified second for Ferrari but will drop 10 positions at the start of Sunday’s race because of a grid penalty for exceeding the allotted electronics control unit on the car’s engine in the season-opening race.
The penalty to Leclerc pushes Fernando Alonso to the front row for the start after the Spaniard qualified third in his new Aston Martin ride. Alonso finished third in his season-opening debut race with Aston in Bahrain.
George Russell qualified fourth for Mercedes — four spots ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time champion qualified eighth.
Carlos Sainz Jr. was fifth for Ferrari followed by Lance Stroll of Aston Martin. Esteban Ocon was seventh.
Oscar Piastri was ninth for McLaren and Pierre Gasly 10th for Alpine.
Logan Sargeant, the American rookie driving for Williams, was briefly atop the speed chart in the first qualifying group until his time was deleted for violating track limits. Sargeant’s tire had briefly touched an area of track considered off limits and the FIA quickly deleted his lap.
Sargeant later spun in the qualifying group in his desperate push to not qualify last. Had his earlier lap not been deleted, Sargeant would have advanced into the second round of qualifying.
Nyck de Vries missed Saturday morning practice with an engine problem then spun almost immediately at the start of qualifying, and Lando Norris of McLaren smacked the wall in the first qualifying group and had to go to the pits for repairs. It prevented him from advancing as his rookie teammate Piastri moved on to the third round for the first time in his career.
The Jeddah circuit is the second-longest track on the F1 circuit at 6.174 kilometers (3.836 miles) and was built alongside the Red Sea. It debuted as the penultimate race on the 2021 calendar and is considered the “fastest street track” on the schedule with average speeds exceeding 250 kmh (160 mph).
Sergio Perez on pole for Red Bull in Saudi Arabia for 2nd year running
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Sergio Perez on pole for Red Bull in Saudi Arabia for 2nd year running
- Verstappen was fastest in all three practice sessions at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit but his qualifying effort was cut short
- Charles Leclerc qualified second for Ferrari but will drop 10 positions
Holders Spain strike late to beat Switzerland in Nations League
TENERIFE, Spain: Bryan Zaragoza won and converted a late penalty to help Euro 2024 winners Spain beat Switzerland 3-2 in a Nations League dead rubber on Monday.
The Nations League holders, already guaranteed top spot in Group A4, twice took the lead but were pegged back by the already-relegated Swiss in Tenerife.
It was the first Spain match on the island in 28 years and fans were able to celebrate a win after Bayern Munich winger Zaragoza’s late spot-kick settled the game.
Coach Luis de la Fuente changed his whole line-up from the win over Denmark on Friday, handing Athletic Bilbao center-back Aitor Paredes his debut in defense.
Yeremi Pino, a Canary Islander, sent Spain ahead on home territory after 32 minutes after Pedri’s penalty was saved.
Captain Alvaro Morata won the penalty and handed Pedri, born in Tenerife, the ball to take the spot kick, but Yvon Mvogo saved the Barcelona midfielder’s effort.
“Here at home with a goal, the win... I can’t ask for more,” Pino told TVE.
“It was a very special game... full marks to the fans.”
De la Fuente sent on another Spain debutant at half-time in Porto striker Samu Aghehowa.
Joel Monteiro levelled for Switzerland but a few minutes later Bryan Gil stole the ball back to restore Spain’s lead.
Andi Zeqiri fired home from the spot after a foul by Fabian Ruiz in the 85th minute but Zaragoza ensured Spain could finish a spectacular year on a high.
The winger, on loan at Osasuna from Bayern, burst into the box and was brought crashing down by Vincent Sierro.
Zaragoza clinically dispatched the resulting penalty to spark jubilant celebrations in Tenerife.
Marcus Stoinis lets rip as Australia crush Pakistan for T20 series whitewash
- After opting to bat, Pakistan raced to 62-1 before crumbling to 117 all out in the 19th over
- Stoinis slammed five sixes and five fours in his 27-ball masterclass, staying unbeaten at 61
HOBART: Marcus Stoinis slammed five huge sixes in an unbeaten 61 as Australia crushed Pakistan by seven wickets in Hobart on Monday to secure a 3-0 T20 series whitewash.
Chasing a meagre 118, the hosts hit the target in the 12th over to hand Pakistan a reality check after the visitors won the preceding ODI series 2-1.
Stoinis was unstoppable once he got going, also blasting five fours in his 27-ball masterclass.
“It’s really nice to get another win and go 3-0 up,” said Australia skipper Josh Inglis.
“When he’s going like that, it’s really hard to stop,” he added of Stoinis. “One of those sixes was probably the biggest I’ve seen.”
The match at Bellerive Oval was a dead rubber after Australia won a rain-hit match in Brisbane by 29 runs and then in Sydney by 13 runs.
After opting to bat, Pakistan raced to 62-1 before crumbling to 117 all out in the 19th over with Babar Azam top-scoring on 41 and Aaron Hardie taking 3-21.
Jake Fraser-McGurk began the run chase with consecutive boundaries from Shaheen Shah Afridi before the speedster dismissed Matt Short for two, caught at mid-on by Irfan Khan.
Fraser-McGurk (18) followed next over, undone by the sheer pace of Jahandad Khan in another mis-fire by the 22-year-old.
But Inglis kept the scoreboard ticking over alongside Stoinis, who let rip in the ninth over, punishing Haris Rauf for 20, including a massive six that landed on the stadium roof.
Their 55-run partnership ended when Inglis scooped Abbas Afridi to Rauf on 27, which brought Tim David to the crease.
He was bystander to Stoinis, who brought up his fifth T20 half-century with another giant six before seeing them home.
“There’s lots of positives, the way some of the players batted and bowled, these youngsters will come good,” said Salman Agha, Pakistan’s skipper for the night with Mohammad Rizwan rested.
“It’s a big achievement for us to win a one-day series here after 22 years, we could have done better in the T20 series but we’ll come back stronger.”
Sahibzada Farhan opened the Pakistan batting with Azam in the absence of Rizwan.
But on a chilly evening, he lasted just seven balls before top-edging a short one from Spencer Johnson — fresh from taking five wickets in Sydney — to Xavier Bartlett.
Azam produced a series of elegant strokes as he and Haseebullah Khan put on a quickfire 44 for the second wicket.
But Kahn was no match for Adam Zampa’s spin, collecting an outside edge on 24 to Short.
Pakistan’s woes mounted with Usman Khan (3) caught on the ropes after slogging Hardie and Agha trapped lbw by the same bowler for one.
It left them reeling on 72-4 at the halfway mark and when Zampa bowled Azam and Khan (10) was needlessly run out they were in deep trouble.
Shaheen Shah Afridi blasted only six of the innings but didn’t last as the tailenders were mopped up.
Tottenham midfielder Bentancur banned 7 games, fined $126,000 for offensive comment on South Koreans
Tottenham midfielder Bentancur banned 7 games, fined $126,000 for offensive comment on South Koreans
- The English Football Association also ordered Bentancur to attend a ‘face-to-face education program’
LONDON: Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was banned for seven matches on Monday for making an offensive comment about South Koreans in relation to a remark about Tottenham teammate Son Heung-min.
The English Football Association said in a statement that an independent commission also imposed a £100,000 ($126,000) fine on the player. The sanction can be appealed.
The suspension only covers domestic matches, meaning that the 27-year-old Bentancur will be available to play for his London club in the Europa League. Spurs take on Roma in the league phase of the tournament on Nov. 28.
Appearing on a Uruguayan television show in June, Bentancur was asked for a Tottenham player’s jersey and replied, “Sonny’s?” He added it could be Son’s cousin, too, because “more or less they are all the same.”
Bentancur later apologized to Son on Instagram, saying it was a “very bad joke” and he would “never disrespect you or hurt you.”
Son accepted the excuses, saying that his teammate had made a mistake and “would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive.”
“We are brothers and nothing has changed at all,” Son said in June. "We’re past this, we’re united, and we will be back together in preseason to fight for our club as one.”
Bentancur was charged by the English FA in September because he was alleged to have “acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute.”
The FA said it constituted an aggravated breach because it included “reference to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin.”
The FA also ordered Bentancur to attend a “face-to-face education program”, details of which will be provided later. The course should be completed by March 11 next year.
“If the player fails to complete the program satisfactorily in that period, he will be immediately suspended from all domestic club football until such time as the mandatory program is completed,” the FA said.
Tottenham and Bentancur did not immediately react to the punishment.
Rafael Nadal, Spain’s Davis Cup captain won’t say whether he’ll play before retirement
- Spain is scheduled to face the Netherlands on Tuesday in the quarterfinals
- Nadal announced last month that he would walk away from tennis after the Davis Cup
FUENGIROLA, Spain: Neither Rafael Nadal nor Spanish captain David Ferrer would say Monday whether the 22-time Grand Slam champion will play singles or doubles – or even at all – at the Davis Cup Final 8, his last event before retirement.
Spain is scheduled to face the Netherlands on Tuesday in the quarterfinals on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena. The winner will play in the semifinals on Friday. The championship will be decided on Sunday.
Asked at a news conference how he has been feeling in practice in recent days and whether he is ready to play, Nadal said: “That’s a question for the captain.” That response drew a smile and laugh from Ferrer, sitting to Nadal’s left.
Moments later at a hotel in Fuengirola, about 12 miles south of the arena in Malaga, the question of Nadal’s participation was put to Ferrer.
“I don’t know yet,” Ferrer said. “At the moment, I have not decided the players that are going to play tomorrow.”
The 38-year-old Nadal announced last month that he would walk away from tennis after the Davis Cup at home in Spain. He has been dealing with a series of injuries the past two seasons and has been limited to fewer than 25 official matches in that span.
“I’m not here to retire. I’m here to help the team win. It’s my last week in a team competition and the most important thing is to help the team. The emotions will come later,” said Nadal, wearing the squad’s red polo shirt with a tiny red-and-yellow Spanish flag on the left sleeve.
“I’m enjoying the week. I’m not putting too much attention to the retirement,” Nadal said. “It will be a big change in my life after this week.”
Nadal said it doesn’t “make sense to keep going knowing that I don’t have the real chance to be competitive the way that I like to be competitive because my body” won’t allow it.
He hasn’t played an official match since the Paris Olympics in early August. He lost in the second round of singles to Novak Djokovic and in the quarterfinals of doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
“I’ve tried to prepare as hard as possible for the last month and a half. I’m trying to give my best for this event,” Nadal said. “When you don’t compete so often, it’s difficult to maintain the level consistently. But the improvement is there every day. I believe that.”
Spain’s Davis Cup team also includes Alcaraz, Marcel Granollers, Roberto Bautista Agut and Pedro Martinez.
Pakistan skittled for 117 in final T20 against Australia
- Aaron Hardie takes three wickets as Pakistan get bowled out in 19th over
- Pakistan have already lost three-match series 2-0 to Australia
HOBART, Australia: Aaron Hardie took three wickets as Pakistan crashed to a meagre 117 all out in the final game of their T20 series against Australia at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval on Monday.
The hosts have already wrapped up the series after winning a rain-hit match in Brisbane by 29 runs and then in Sydney by 13 runs.
After opting to bat, Pakistan were 62-1 before losing focus to be dismissed in the 19th over with Babar Azam top-scoring on 41.
Hardie took 3-21 while spinner Adam Zampa and quick Spencer Johnson grabbed two wickets each.
Pakistan opted to rest captain and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, with Sahibzada Farhan moving up the order to open with Azam.
But on a chilly evening, the partnership failed to fire with Farhan lasting just seven balls before top-edging a short one from Johnson — fresh from taking five wickets in Sydney — to Xavier Bartlett.
Azam produced a series of elegant strokes as he and Haseebullah Khan put on a quickfire 44 for the second wicket.
But Kahn was no match for Zampa’s spin, collecting an outside edge on 24 to Matt Short.
Pakistan’s woes mounted with Usman Khan (3) caught on the ropes after slogging Hardie and skipper Salman Agha trapped lbw by the same bowler for one.
It left them reeling on 72-4 at the halfway mark and when Zampa bowled Azam and Irfan Khan (10) was needlessly run out they were in deep trouble.
Shaheen Shah Afridi blasted the only six of the innings, but didn’t last as the tailenders were mopped up.
A concern for Australia was Glenn Maxwell leaving the field midway through with an apparent left hamstring problem.
