SILVERSTONE, UK: Max Verstappen showed his relief at surviving tricky and changeable conditions on Saturday when he outpaced friend and rival Lando Norris to take pole position for the British Grand Prix.
The defending double world champion and runaway series leader outpaced McLaren’s Norris with a late final lap to secure pole in one minute and 26.720, beating Norris by two-tenths.
“It’s been a crazy qualifying,” said the 25-year-old Dutchman, who is seeking his first British Grand Prix win at the eighth attempt.
“Really quite hectic and also quite slippery in some places, but we did our laps and in Q3 I was surprised to see those two (McLaren) there.
“I mean, it’s great for McLaren to be here and from our side I am very happy to be on pole.”
McLaren claimed their first front row start at their home British Grand Prix since 2008 through Norris with his team-mate Australian rookie Oscar Piastri taking third behind him ahead of both Ferraris.
Verstappen added that the changing conditions had been a challenge “especially in Q1 and Q2 and there were a few little damp spots so we had to be a bit careful in Q3.
“Of course, you push close to the limit, but obviously we have a quick car so we didn’t need to go to 100 percent.”
“It wasn’t a very big gap today, but for us it has been a great day and I am looking forward to the race already.”
Verstappen’s pole was his fifth in succession, his seventh of the season and the 27th of his career as he leads Red Bull’s bid for a record-equalling 11th consecutive race victory, drawing level with McLaren’s 1988 achievement.
Piastri was third fastest ahead of the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz and the Mercedes of George Russell and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.
As Verstappen celebrated, his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez and nearest championship rival, who trails him by 81 points in the drivers’ title race, suffered a fifth early exit this season, this time from Q1.
Norris who briefly held provisional pole position claimed his third front row start.
“I was close,” he said. “I was P1 in Q1, pretty sure I was P1 in Q2 and just a couple of tenths off being P1 in Q3. Pretty insane! My last lap was a good lap.
“I could hear Zak (team boss, Zak Brown) on the radio on the last lap. For us to be second and third is great for the team, but it’s always Max — and he always ruins everything for everyone!“
Piastri was also delighted.
“What a qualifying session!” he said. “We were almost out in Q1! But the car was a rocket ship in Q2 and Q3 and it felt like I put a pretty good lap together.
“It’s a massive result for the team as well. To have both of us up here is a mega result and we have got to try and stay there for tomorrow.”
Williams’ Alex Albon was eighth ahead of two-time champion Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly of Alpine.
Qualifying began after heavy rain and the first session was red-flagged with three minutes remaining when Kevin Magnussen parked his Haas on track, close to the pits entry.
This led to a delay before, with Perez and Albon at the head of a queue, a re-start was scheduled — during which Verstappen pulled out, but hit the pit wall and damaged his car’s front wing.
After repairs, he was back out and en route to the 27th pole of his career.
Max Verstappen nudges out Lando Norris in ‘crazy’ British Grand Prix qualifying
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Max Verstappen nudges out Lando Norris in ‘crazy’ British Grand Prix qualifying
- McLaren claimed their first front row start at their home British Grand Prix since 2008
- Norris who briefly held provisional pole position claimed his third front row start
Manchester United to leave Old Trafford for 100,000-seat stadium
- The stadium, which will be built on land surrounding Old Trafford, $2.6 billion and the project timescale is five years
- “Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium,” Ratcliffe said
LONDON: Manchester United on Tuesday announced plans to build a new 100,000-capacity stadium close to their historic Old Trafford home, which co-owner Jim Ratcliffe promised would be the “world’s greatest” football ground.
The momentous decision by the Premier League club comes after an extensive consultation process on whether to develop their creaking current ground or move.
The stadium, which will be built on land surrounding Old Trafford, will cost around £2 billion ($2.6 billion) and the project timescale is five years.
United, 20-time English league champions, are one of the world’s most iconic football clubs but have fallen behind rivals such as Manchester City and Liverpool over the past decade.
They are having a dismal season under current manager Ruben Amorim, languishing 14th in the Premier League table and knocked out of both domestic cup competitions.
Ratcliffe himself this week told the BBC some of the club’s players are “not good enough” and some are “overpaid.”
Scaled models and conceptual images for United’s new stadium were revealed on Tuesday at the London headquarters of architects Foster + Partners, appointed in September to design the stadium district.
“Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world’s greatest football stadium, at the center of a regenerated Old Trafford,” Ratcliffe said in a club statement.
“Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport.”
United said the stadium and a wider regeneration project had the potential to deliver an additional £7.3 billion per year to the UK economy, including the possible creation of 92,000 new jobs.
Old Trafford, which has been the club’s home since 1910, will be demolished once construction is completed.
A joint task force was created last year to explore options for regenerating the Old Trafford area of Greater Manchester, with the stadium development at his heart.
It was led by Sebastian Coe, chairman of the organizing committee for the 2012 London Olympics, and also included the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.
British billionaire Ratcliffe, born in Greater Manchester, said in London on Tuesday that United, as the “world’s favorite football club and the biggest in my opinion,” deserved a stadium befitting its stature.
Old Trafford is England’s biggest club ground with a capacity of around 74,000 but criticism of the stadium has grown in recent years, with issues including leaks from the roof.
The proposed new stadium will rank as Europe’s second biggest, behind only Barcelona’s Camp Nou, which will accommodate 105,000 fans once an upgrade is completed.
The move to a new ground has been backed by former United boss Alex Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles during his reign of nearly 27 years that ended in 2013.
“Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where new history can be made,” he said.
United, whose struggles on the pitch are matched by problems off it, are around £1 billion in debt and have yet to say how they will pay for the new stadium.
But chief executive Omar Berrada said he was confident the club would find a way to finance the stadium as it was a “very attractive investment opportunity.”
Foster + Partners designed the new Wembley stadium and the Lusail stadium, the venue for the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
Norman Foster, founder of Foster + Partners, said United’s new stadium would feature an umbrella design sheltering a public plaza that is “twice the size of Trafalgar Square” in London.
The design will feature three masts described as “Trident,” which the architects say will be 200 meters high and visible from 40 kilometers (25 miles) away.
The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust said it was vital that fans were consulted throughout the process.
The group said in a statement: “Will it drive up ticket prices and force out local fans? Will it harm the atmosphere, which is consistently fans’ top priority in the ground?
“Will it add to the debt burden which has held back the club for the last two decades? Will it lead to reduced investment in the playing side at a time when it is so badly needed?“
Tyson Fury and Wayne Rooney to lead England squad at Soccer Aid 2025
- UNICEF says the charity match pitting England against a World XI will take place on June 15 at United’s home stadium
- Former United players Gary Neville and Paul Scholes will also be back at Old Trafford alongside ex-England international Rooney
MANCHESTER, England: Former world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury and ex-Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney will coach an England squad made up of athletes and celebrities for Soccer Aid 2025 at Old Trafford.
UNICEF says the charity match pitting England against a World XI will take place on June 15 at United’s home stadium.
Former England Women players Jill Scott and Steph Houghton, One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson, singer Tom Grennan, Olympic great Mo Farah, ex-England goalkeeper Joe Hart and former Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci are among those who have confirmed their commitment to the event created by pop star Robbie Williams in 2006.
Former United players Gary Neville and Paul Scholes will also be back at Old Trafford alongside ex-England international Rooney, who will take on a player-manager role.
UNICEF says it has raised more than £106 million ($137 million) for children worldwide since the first game. The money raised helps it deliver crucial programs providing food, health care, safe spaces and crisis support to young people in need.
“The prospect of leading my England team to victory this June fills me with just as much excitement as any heavyweight fight,” said Fury. “Everyone knows that I am a huge Manchester United fan too, so it’s even more special for me that the game is at Old Trafford this year, and I get to manage one of my heroes, Wayne Rooney.”
Meet Formula 1’s biggest rookie intake in years. Some already are targeting the podium
- Antonelli is part of F1’s biggest intake of new drivers in years as top teams put some trust in youth
- Six of the 20 drivers on the 2025 grid are starting their first full seasons in F1
Andrea Kimi Antonelli once hid in a stack of tires to get through security and into the Formula 1 paddock. Now the 18-year-old Italian is Lewis Hamilton’s successor at Mercedes.
Antonelli is among F1’s biggest intake of new drivers in years as top teams put some trust in youth. Six of the 20 drivers on the 2025 grid are starting their first full seasons in F1. Some could potentially compete for wins. Others already risk losing a hard-won F1 seat.
An unexpectedly talented Formula 2 field last season came at a time when some F1 teams were keen to move on from older drivers like Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas. Switching in 2025 gives teams a chance to let youngsters gain experience before the F1 car design rules change radically for 2026.
Here’s a look at the rookie class:
Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Stepping into a seven-time champion’s shoes at Mercedes puts the spotlight on Antonelli, who is set to become the third-youngest F1 driver ever. The Italian wants to be known as just “the next Mercedes driver” because of Hamilton’s legacy. The first time Antonelli visited an F1 paddock was age eight in 2014 when his father Marco — who ran a team in a support series — hid him in a stack of tires under an umbrella to get past security and into the German Grand Prix. “That was a really cool experience,” he said last month. Antonelli had a stellar record in junior series and was sixth in F2 last year but a heavy crash in practice for Mercedes at Monza in August was a tough introduction to F1.
Liam Lawson
The Red Bull driver is the odd man out in this list because he’s taken part in 11 F1 races since 2023, though never a full season. He says he’ll feel “more like a rookie” at the start of the season on tracks he hasn’t raced before. Partnering four-time champion Max Verstappen as the replacement for Perez is a daunting task for Lawson, who knocked Verstappen out of qualifying in only his third F1 race in Singapore in 2023. The New Zealander needs to justify Red Bull’s decision to elevate him over his 2024 teammate — and former roommate — Yuki Tsunoda, who outperformed Lawson over their six races together last year.
Oliver Bearman
It’s less than a year since Bearman burst onto the scene in F1 with a combative seventh-place finish for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia while Carlos Sainz Jr. was sidelined because of surgery. He’d never previously raced in Jeddah and was racing with two days’ notice. Bearman beat experienced teammate Nico Hülkenberg in two races for Haas later that year and is now a full-time Haas driver for 2025. Bearman remains part of Ferrari’s junior program but displacing regular Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc is unlikely any time soon.
Jack Doohan
The son of legendary motorcycle world champion Mick Doohan enters 2025 with his F1 career under threat as soon as it has begun. Alpine’s decision to sign ex-Williams driver Franco Colapinto as reserve means a would-be replacement is available if Doohan doesn’t impress team management. “You’re always going to have pressure on your shoulders because you’re in such a cut-throat sport,” Doohan said. The Australian driver placed third in F2 in 2023 but didn’t race at all last year until a surprise entry for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Finishing 15th, he was far off the pace of teammate Pierre Gasly in seventh.
Isack Hadjar
Lawson’s promotion to Red Bull left an opening at its second team, now rebranded Racing Bulls, for F2 runner-up Hadjar. The French driver arrives at a team with a history of changing drivers mid-season if they don’t perform. Even eight-time Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo didn’t last a full year there in 2024.
Gabriel Bortoleto
Despite winning the F2 title last season, beating Hadjar, Antonelli and Bearman, Bortoleto’s arrival in F1 has been overshadowed by his former rivals. That’s partly because his new team Sauber struggled last year and is marking time before a full rebrand as the Audi works team in 2026. With a helmet design paying tribute to three-time champion Ayrton Senna, Bortoleto is F1’s first full-time Brazilian driver since 2017.
Ronaldo, Duran take Al-Nassr into last 8
- Ronaldo, who missed the first leg in Iran, kept his cool and produced a perfect Panenka penalty into the center of the goal to bag his seventh goal of the tournament so far
- Duran got his second five minutes from the end — found in space on the right side of the penalty area — he fired a low shot into the far corner in emphatic fashion
Al-Nassr booked their AFC Champions League Elite quarter-final place on Monday with a comfortable 3-0 win over Esteghlal of Iran.
After a frustrating first leg ended 0-0 in Tehran a week earlier, Jhon Duran and Cristiano Ronaldo did the damage in Riyadh to dump the visitors out of the tournament.
Duran opened the scoring after just nine minutes in spectacular fashion. The Colombian, signed from Aston Villa in January, found space on the right corner of the penalty area and produced an exquisite lob that the goalkeeper got a hand to but could not prevent crossing the line.
After Sadio Mane was fouled in the area, Ronaldo, who missed the first leg in Iran, kept his cool and produced a perfect Panenka penalty into the center of the goal to bag his seventh goal of the tournament so far.
What was already a tough task became mission impossible for the Tehran club after they were reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half time. Mehran Ahmadi was shown a second yellow and as he exited the pitch, with a consoling arm of Ronaldo around his shoulders, he took the slim hopes of Esteghlal with him.
It was then a case of damage limitation and Al-Nassr remained in total control of the tie. Five minutes after the restart, Duran fired a fierce shot against the bar from just outside the area.
The Colombian got his second five minutes from the end. He was found in space on the right side of the penalty area and fired a low shot into the far corner in emphatic fashion.
It ended a perfect evening for the Yellows — seeking a first Asian championship — who are the first Saudi Arabian club to make the last eight.
Al-Ahli are expected to join them on Tuesday after winning their first leg 3-1 against Al-Rayyan of Qatar last week. Al-Hilal, however, have much more work to do after losing 1-0 at the Uzbekistan home of Pakhtakor.
Elsewhere, Al-Sadd of Qatar defeated Dubai’s Al-Wasl 3-1 to take the tie 4-2 on aggregate.
KL Rahul: India’s unsung hero and chase-finishing maestro
- Rohit was full of praise for Rahul’s composure at the sharp end of the nerve-shredding chases
DUBAI: KL Rahul was hailed Monday as India’s Champions Trophy unsung hero, having twice kept a cool head under pressure to see his team to victory in tense semifinal and finals.
Captain Rohit Sharma top-scored with 76 to lead India to a four-wicket final win over New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday, following Virat Kohli’s 84 to anchor India’s semifinal chase against Australia.
Both won Player of the Match awards for their respective knocks, but after they had departed it had been No. 6 Rahul, almost under the radar, who had kept calm to guide India across the finish line.
He was unbeaten on 34 in the final as India chased down 252, just a few days after his 42 not out took India past Australia’s 264 in the last four of the 50-over competition.
Rohit was full of praise for Rahul’s composure at the sharp end of the nerve-shredding chases.
“Look, when we discussed KL’s batting position, that is one thing we discussed quite deeply about how calm he is when he is batting,” Rohit said after guiding India to a third Champions Trophy crown.
“I’m very, very happy with how he ... batted in the pressure situation, both in the semifinals and this game.
“With KL being there, we know that he’s got that mind where he keeps himself calm and keeps the dressing room also very calm.”
While Rohit and Kohli grabbed the headlines, a softly spoken and smiling Rahul, 32, was quietly enjoying his first win in an ICC championship.
“ICC victories are not so easy to get and it’s my first one, so I’m over the moon,” Rahul said.
“It’s been a complete team effort, all 11-12 players have stood up and their chance and opportunity has come and it’s one of the biggest reasons why we have ended up winning the tournament.”
An elegant batsman, Rahul started off as an opener for India in white-ball cricket.
But a loss of form and intense media scrutiny forced him to reinvent his batting.
He dropped down to No. 6 recently as he edged out Rishabh Pant behind the stumps.
“What I have been taught by my coaches from an early age is that cricket’s a team game and whatever the team requires of you, you need to be able to do that,” said Rahul, who sports a trademark beard and a man bun on his tattooed, athletic frame.
“It requires a lot of preparation, lot of work outside the field. I just watch and learn from the batsmen I like at four, five, six.”
Rahul started his cricketing journey as a wicketkeeper-batsman but had given up the gloves in domestic cricket.
It was not until an injury to Pant against Australia in 2020 that he again stood behind the stumps.
“I kept wickets in the series, played at No. 5 and performed well,” said Rahul.
“From then on the captain and team management thought I could do that role.”
