SPIELBERG, Austria: Reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen continued his relentless march toward a third straight world title with another dominating win at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Verstappen started from pole position for the fourth straight race and notched his fifth straight win and seventh in nine races so far this season. He increased his championship lead to 81 points over his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
“I think our stints were perfect so a great day, I enjoyed it a lot,” Verstappen said. “I am just enjoying driving this car and racing for this team.”
So much so that he even got his way to come in two laps from the end for a shot at the fastest lap, despite his team’s reluctance to take the risk. Typically, he got the bonus point for it on the final lap to complete a perfect weekend after his victory from pole in Saturday’s sprint race.
“I saw the gap and said ‘We have to pit,’” Verstappen said. “From the outside maybe it looks like a big risk, but when you’re in the car it doesn’t feel like a risk at all.”
The victory also took the 25-year-old Dutchman onto 42 F1 wins overall, one ahead of the late Ayrton Senna and alone in fifth place on F1’s all-time list of winners.
Charles Leclerc — last year’s winner of the race — finished 5.2 seconds behind Verstappen in second place with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez placing third, 17.2 behind.
But Verstappen’s winning margin was shortened by his late pit stop, and it was another comfortable victory on his team’s home track in Spielberg.
Making a clean start from pole, he held off Leclerc on Turns 2 and 3 and easily regained the lead from him following a pit stop at the halfway point of the 71-lap race at the Red Bull Ring.
“Most important to me was lap one, stay in front after that (so) we could do our own race,” Verstappen said.
It was only Leclerc’s second podium of the season, but put him in optimistic mood.
“The upgrades we brought made me feel better. It’s looking good for the future,” Leclerc said. “Obviously, there’s still a lot to do, Max and Checo (Sergio) have a lot of pace.”
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. and several other drivers received five-second time penalties for going off track limits.
Perez started 15th and passed Sainz with 10 laps left to collect his first podium since his second place at the Miami GP two months ago.
“It’s a good comeback,” Perez said. “It’s been a bit of a rough patch for me so now hopefully we are back and we can keep that consistency now.”
Sainz was fourth ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in sixth, Hamilton in seventh and his teammate George Russell in eighth.
Red Bull has won all nine races, all 11 when including the two sprint races with Verstappen’s victory in Saturday’s sprint following Perez’s success in Azerbaijan.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll completed the top 10.
After a safety car came out briefly at the end of Lap 1, Verstappen got away cleanly on the restart.
Hamilton, who had started well and was fourth in the early going, began struggling to control his car and began going off track limits.
“I can’t keep it on the track, the car won’t turn,” said Hamilton said, who was issued repeated warnings.
When a virtual safety car came out on Lap 15 after Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg went off the track, most teams opted to make another tire change to take advantage of pit stops costing them less time as cars on the track are forced to reduce speed.
But Verstappen and teammate Perez stayed out.
“I could see already a few laps before the (VSC) that we were pulling out quite a gap so I knew I would get it back,” Verstappen said. “Just following our own plan was the best way forward.”
Drivers kept going wide of track limits on the 4.3-kilometer (2.7-mile) circuit that is known to be particularly difficult to stay within the white lines.
“Has he got a penalty yet?” Hamilton asked about Perez, and continued complaining about other drivers going wide after his own penalty, forcing team principal Toto Wolff to intervene.
“The car is bad, we know, please drive it,” Wolff said.
Perez was warned by his team with 15 laps left to respect the track limits. He was right behind Sainz at that point and could not afford a time penalty.
MINUTE’S SILENCE
Drivers lined up on the grid for a minute’s silence in memory of 18-year-old Dutch driver Dilano van ‘t Hoff, who died on Saturday after a crash at the Formula Regional European Championship at the Spa-Francorchamps track in Belgium.
F1 holds a race in Belgium on July 30.
Red Bull driver Verstappen wins Austrian GP ahead of rejuvenated Ferrari’s Leclerc in 2nd
https://arab.news/8ckda
Red Bull driver Verstappen wins Austrian GP ahead of rejuvenated Ferrari’s Leclerc in 2nd
- Verstappen started from pole position for the fourth straight race
- Charles Leclerc — last year’s winner of the race — finished 5.2 seconds behind Verstappen
Diego Luna’s 2 goals lift US past Guatemala into Gold Cup final
- Luna, a 5-foot-8 Real Salt Lake midfielder, scored his first US goal on Sunday against Costa Rica and leads the team in goal contributions in 2025 with seven (three goals, four assists)
- The US will play either Honduras or Mexico, who play later Thursday, on Sunday in Houston
ST. LOUIS, Missouri: Diego Luna scored twice in the first 15 minutes and the US men’s national team held on for a 2-1 victory over Guatemala in St. Louis on Wednesday to advance to the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Luna tallied in the fourth and 15th minutes before Olger Escobar made it 2-1 in the 80th minute.
American goalkeeper Matt Freese made four saves, including a diving stop at the left post on Joes Morales in the second minute of second-half stoppage time.
The US will play either Honduras or Mexico, who play later Thursday, on Sunday in Houston.
Luna, a 5-foot-8 Real Salt Lake midfielder, scored his first US goal on Sunday against Costa Rica and leads the team in goal contributions in 2025 with seven (three goals, four assists).
At this time a year ago, he was miffed that he was not selected for the US Olympic team for the Paris Games.
Now, he is a mainstay, at least for this iteration of a team that does not include most of the European-based players. Still, Luna appears to be playing his way onto the roster for the 2026 World Cup.
He opened the scoring with his quick reaction to rebound of a long shot by Luca de la Torre. Goalkeeper Kenderson Navarro fumbled the ball straight to Luna, who brought it down with his right foot before delivering a left-footed strike.
Luna silenced the pro-Guatemala even further with his laser from 22 yards after taking a pass from Malik Tillman.
The desperate Guatemalans dominated the rest of the half, outshooting the US 12-2 over the final 20 minutes.
Navarro was the story early in the second half as the US looked for a third goal. First, he parried a header by Patrick Agyemang in the 62nd minute, then two minutes later Agyemang broke free but couldn’t get the ball past the keeper.
The saves proved huge when Escobar dribbled to the top of the box and slipped a shot through several Americans.
This was the nations’ first-ever meeting in a Gold Cup knockout round and Guatemala’s first appearance in a Gold Cup semifinal since 1996.
Hosts Switzerland beaten 2-1 by Norway in their Women’s Euro opener
- The hosts had plenty of opportunities to grab what would have been a famous victory but the Norwegians dug deep to snatch a narrow win
- The victory puts the Norwegians top of Group A, with Finland second after their 1-0 win over Iceland earlier in the day
BASEL, Switzerland: Switzerland took the lead against Norway but fell to a 2-1 defeat on home soil after scoring an own goal on the opening day of the Women’s Euro 2025 Championship on Wednesday, with Norwegian captain Ada Hegerberg netting the equalizer and missing a penalty.
The hosts had plenty of opportunities to grab what would have been a famous victory but the Norwegians dug deep to snatch a narrow win, their third over the Swiss by a single goal in 2025.
Having lost to the Norwegians twice in the Nations League this year, the home side dominated the opening 45 minutes and Geraldine Reuteler came close to giving them the lead in the 24th minute with a shot that cannoned back off the crossbar before Nadine Riesen struck four minutes later to send the St. Jakob-Park Stadium into raptures.
Riesen reacted quickly to an attack that broke down, rattling the ball past Vilde Boe Risa and off the near post into the net to send the Swiss fans at St. Jakob-Park into raptures.
However, it was a different story after the break and it was Norway’s Hegerberg who turned the page.
After barely featuring in the first half, she leveled nine minutes into the second with an emphatic header from a corner that briefly silenced the home crowd and four minutes later, under pressure from Hegerberg, Switzerland’s Julia Stierli turned a low cross from Caroline Graham Hansen into her own net.
Reuteler was sparkling throughout for the Swiss but despite a number of golden chances, she could not get the goal both she and her team deserved, and she conceded a penalty which Hegerberg missed in the 70th minute.
Switzerland were awarded a spot-kick of their own that was overturned after a VAR review and, as the Swiss poured forward, the Norwegians hung on grimly for a victory that puts them top of Group A, with Finland second after their 1-0 win over Iceland earlier in the day.
“This was important, this means a lot for us... the goal was euphoria for me but it was damn important for the team as well,” Hegerberg told Norwegian broadcaster TV2.
“It is very strong of us to manage to turn it around. It may not happen in the prettiest way. We were told forcefully during the break that we did not run enough, then we saw two clips, a defensive and offensive, about how to take them, I think we managed to do that,” vice-captain Graham Hansen said.
Swiss coach Pia Sundhage was unhappy that her side did not manage to get more out of the game.
“I think it’s very heavy, a defeat like that. Our game plan was good and we even scored a goal... today it’s tough but tomorrow we’ll see a smile and start working,” she told broadcaster SVT.
NEOM and McLaren light up Trafalgar Square with bold vision and design
- The Formula E partners unveil bold new look for their cars during McLaren Racing Live: London, a two-day event in the British capital
- The new look introduces vibrant tones inspired by Oxagon, a reimagined industrial city within NEOM focusing on clean, connected manufacturing
LONDON: In a celebration of speed, innovation and cross-continental ambition, the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team on Wednesday unveiled a bold new livery, marking a major moment in their partnership.
Their redesigned Formula E car — wearing a vivid blue “away kit” inspired by NEOM’s industrial hub Oxagon — was revealed at Trafalgar Square as part of McLaren Racing Live: London, a two-day public experience in the city packed with fan interactions, high-tech exhibits, and team appearances.
It represents more than simply a new paint job; it is a visual embodiment of a partnership that aims to accelerate sustainable transformation and push the boundaries of sport, tech and industry.
The new look, developed jointly by NEOM and McLaren, retains the team’s signature papaya touches but introduces vibrant tones inspired by the identity of Oxagon, a reimagined industrial city within NEOM focusing on clean, connected manufacturing.
“This isn’t just about a new look,” said Ian James, the managing director and team principal of McLaren Electric Racing. “It symbolizes the deeper connection between McLaren’s racing heritage and Oxagon’s vision for clean, connected industry.
“NEOM has been with us since the very beginning and now, with this second bespoke livery, we have another opportunity to showcase what the partnership truly represents.”
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, James praised the enthusiasm he has witnessed among the Saudi youth and said the partnership with NEOM continues to inspire and have a real impact.
“What’s incredible about NEOM is that it really is a blueprint for how we can live in the future,” he said. “It’s all about sustainable innovation, something we at McLaren strive to embody through our own technology and engineering.”
James also touched on the success of the Oxagon x McLaren Accelerator business-development program.
“Some of the startups we’ve supported are already piloting next-gen tech, like predictive maintenance systems and robotic container handling,” he said. “These are not just ideas; they’re becoming reality.”
Team drivers Sam Bird and Taylor Barnard also shared their views on the partnership with NEOM. Bird, a seasoned Formula E competitor, said the collaboration fits seamlessly with McLaren’s own mindset.
“This partnership works so well because NEOM’s core values of pushing boundaries, innovation and technology mirror what we believe in at McLaren,” Bird said.
“Every time I visit NEOM I’m blown away by how fast it’s expanding and the scale of ambition.”
He also hinted at what lies ahead: “I know NEOM is developing a bespoke race track as part of a new car club — and if we ever got to race there, that would be unbelievable.”
Barnard, one of the team’s younger talents, noted the ways in which the partnership has influenced his own developing career.
“Formula E is about future-focused racing, and NEOM is the very definition of a future-focused project,” he said. “Being part of something like this is not only exciting for us drivers, it has the potential to inspire a whole new generation, especially in Saudi Arabia.”
Reflecting on his visits to NEOM, Barnard added: “It’s a fascinating environment, and as a young driver it makes me optimistic. This kind of global collaboration shows what’s possible when sport and innovation work hand in hand.”
Vishal Wanchoo, the CEO of Oxagon said: “When you combine McLaren’s performance DNA with Oxagon’s clean industrial mission, you don’t just build cars, you shape the future of industry.”
The team’s takeover of Trafalgar Square was not just about the spectacle. It offered Londoners, and visiting international fans, the chance to get up close with McLaren racing cars used in F1, IndyCar, Formula E, and more. Children from local schools took part in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities, and fans of all ages had a chance to try out racing simulators, pit-stop challenges, and virtual reaction walls.
With the ABB FIA Formula E season finale set to take place in London on July 26 and 27, the NEOM McLaren team is not just chasing results on the track, it aims to redefine what racing partnerships can look like in a changing world.
As the crowd gathered beneath the towering lions of Trafalgar Square, one thing was certain: this was about more than motorsport. It was a statement. A platform. And if NEOM and McLaren have their way, it will be just the beginning.
Liverpool defender Quansah signs for Bayer Leverkusen
- The transfer fee for the 22-year-old could go up to $47m
- “We are very happy to be able to sign Jarell Quansah, one of the most promising English central defenders,” said Rolfes
MUNICH: Center-half Jarell Quansah has joined Bayer Leverkusen from Premier League champions Liverpool for a reported club record fee, the Bundesliga side announced on Wednesday.
According to British and German press, the transfer fee for the 22-year-old could go up to 40 million euros ($47 million), including 10 million euros in add-ons.
German specialist media Kicker and The Athletic also reported the inclusion of a 60-million-euros buy-back clause in the contract, which Liverpool could activate from summer 2027 to re-sign Quansah.
“We are very happy to be able to sign Jarell Quansah, one of the most promising English central defenders,” said Leverkusen managing director of sport Simon Rolfes.
“He made a very impressive contribution to a Liverpool defense full of world-class players. Jarell will give our defense extra dynamism, tempo and strength.”
Quansah becomes the most expensive signing in Leverkusen’s history, following on from the previous record arrival of midfielder Kerem Demirbay for 32 million euros in 2019.
The 2025 European under-21 champion with England joined Liverpool’s academy as a five-year-old, and rose through the ranks before making his first-team debut in 2023.
He went on to appear 58 times for the Merseysiders, winning the League Cup in 2022 and 2024, as well as the Premier League title last season.
After playing second fiddle to first-choice defensive duo Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate for much of the 2024/25 campaign, Quansah arrives at Leverkusen to replace departed former captain Jonathan Tah at the heart of the Bundesliga club’s defense.
“The ambitious targets here were clearly explained to me during the negotiations. It’s a great role and challenge for me to be part of the current Leverkusen rebuild,” said Quansah.
After creating league history by winning the Bundesliga undefeated in 2024, Leverkusen endured a difficult title defense last term, finishing 13 points adrift of winners Bayern Munich.
Stars of their league-and-cup double from two seasons years ago, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, have recently gone in the opposite direction from Quansah, joining Liverpool from Leverkusen this close-season.
India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket clash likely on September 7 in UAE — report
- Uncertainty prevailed over Asia Cup after India and Pakistan’s military conflict in May worsened already strained ties
- Asia Cup to follow group stage, Super Fours format, meaning both can play each other at least twice, says report
ISLAMABAD: Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are likely to face each other in the upcoming Asia Cup cricket tournament on September 7 in the UAE, a report by an Indian publication said on Wednesday.
According to a report in Indian publication ‘Times of India,’ the Asia Cup is likely to start on September 5 with the title clash taking place on September 21. It said that all participating nations, including official hosts India, are close to getting clearances from their respective governments for the tournament which is set to be played in the UAE.
Already-soured relations between India and Pakistan further worsened after four days of intense fighting before a ceasefire was announced in May. Bilateral cricket has been suspended since 2013 between the Asian neighbors, who play each other only in multi-team events as per an International Cricket Council arrangement.
“The 17-day window has been almost finalized by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and India are set to take on Pakistan on September 7 as per the initial schedule,” a report by the Times of India said.
The tournament is set to feature hosts India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and UAE, the report said, adding that it is set to follow the group stage and Super Fours format. This means fans will witness the India-Pakistan contest at least twice, and the second contest could take place on September 14, the report said.
Uncertainty has clouded over the Asia Cup after the two countries were locked in conflict in May. Political tensions have always adversely affected cricket ties between the two countries.
India refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy this year and played all their matches, including the March 9 final, in Dubai.
India will host the women’s 50-overs World Cup this year but Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka under an arrangement made by the International Cricket Council.
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is against playing Pakistan even in neutral venues but will follow whatever the BCCI decided, he said in May.
