AUSTIN, Texas: Max Verstappen claimed a comfortable victory for Red Bull ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and title rival Lando Norris of McLaren in a frantic sprint race on Saturday at the United States Grand Prix.
The three-time world champion and series leader came home 3.8 seconds clear of Sainz, who drove with great determination and speed, and Norris, who was second until a last lap lock-up saw him drop to third.
“That’s not too bad,” said Verstappen, having claimed his first win since the sprint at the Austrian Grand Prix at the end of June to enlarge his title race lead by two points to 54 ahead of Norris.
“It’s a bit like the old times and is a good way to start things. As usual, it was all a bit frantic.”
It was Verstappen’s 11th win from 16 sprint races, a format he claims he dislikes. He has won three sprints in Austin as well as three Grands Prix and on Sunday will seek to secure his first Grand Prix victory in nine races since the Spanish Grand Prix.
Sainz said: “That was a good race with some very good battles and it had a lot going on! I was struggling with my tires, but I saw Lando was too. And I made it stick. It was fun.”
Norris said he was satisfied to collect six points.
“A good race, pretty happy,” he said. “I had so much tire wear and Carlos did a great job.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fourth ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton with Kevin Magnussen taking seventh for Haas ahead of team-mate Nico Hulkenberg.
Sergio Perez and Oscar Piastri of Red Bull and McLaren were outside the points in ninth and 10th places.
Verstappen made a clean start to lead as Norris swept from fourth to second, passing both Leclerc and Russell.
All the cars were on mediums and it was a close contest among the top six, notably as Sainz fought Leclerc for fourth, with Hamilton, sixth, in close attention while, at the front, Russell battled to stay in touch with the two title rivals.
By lap five, Verstappen was 1.3 seconds clear and out of Drag Reduction System (DRS) range of Norris while Russell closed to within six-tenths and, finally, Sainz muscled his way past Leclerc.
The Dutchman pulled clear by 2.1 seconds by lap eight, but with Norris closing again after resisting Russell that advantage was trimmed again to 1.3 before Sainz, in boisterous mood, seized third by passing inside Russell at Turn 15.
Hamilton, sixth, appeared to struggle to stay with the top five and was 4.5 seconds adrift while his Mercedes team-mate, who started second, descended to fifth on lap 11 when Leclerc repeated Sainz’s move.
Further back, Piastri, who started 16th progressed to 11th and a scrap with RB’s Yuki Tsunoda for 10th behind Perez, the trio chasing Hulkenberg in the final point-scoring place.
Tsunoda ran off on lap 15 and was accused of gaining an advantage before the Australian finally passed him on lap 16 to take 10th, albeit with a five-second penalty for an early incident with Pierre Gasly’s Alpine.
Sainz, who leaves Ferrari at the end of the year, continued to show his venom by closing within DRS range of Norris on the penultimate lap as Verstappen cruised clear — the Spaniard taking advantage when Norris locked up at Turn One on his final lap.
Sainz accepted the gift to take second with Leclerc almost hitting Norris on the final lap before Verstappen took the flag for a morale-boosting win.
Max Verstappen claims sprint win in Austin, Norris third
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Max Verstappen claims sprint win in Austin, Norris third
- It was Verstappen’s 11th win from 16 sprint races, a format he claims he dislikes
Pakistan recall Babar Azam for South Africa tour, Sajid Khan out
- Azam was dropped following defeat in first Test against England in October, rested for ongoing limited-over series against Zimbabwe
- Pakistan will play three Twenty20 internationals in South Africa starting from Dec. 10, followed by three one-day matches and two Tests
LAHORE: Pakistan recalled former skipper Babar Azam on Wednesday for the away Test series and white-ball matches against South Africa starting next week, but there was no place for spinner Sajid Khan.
The 30-year-old star batsman Azam was dropped following defeat in the first Test against England in October and rested for the ongoing limited-over series against Zimbabwe.
Pakistan will play three Twenty20 internationals in South Africa starting from December 10, followed by three one-day matches and two Tests.
Fast bowler Mohammad Abbas also returns to the Test side after last playing in 2021.
Off-spinner Sajid misses out despite taking 19 wickets in the 2-1 home Test series win over England, with selectors taking into consideration the less spin-friendly pitches in South Africa.
“We have adopted a horses for courses policy to ensure squads are well-balanced and leaving out Sajid was an extremely difficult decision,” Aaqib Javed, a senior member of the selection committee, said in a Pakistan Cricket Board statement.
Sajid’s spin partner Noman Ali, who took 20 wickets against England, is the only spinner for the Tests in Centurion and Cape Town. The first Test starts on December 26.
Javed said fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has been picked only for the white-ball matches to manage his workload.
Opener Fakhar Zaman is still out because he has yet to regain form and match fitness, said Javed.
Pakistan squads for South Africa tour:
Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
ODIs: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan
T20Is: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan
AC Milan and Bologna reach Italian Cup quarterfinals with convincing wins
- Bologna will play the winners of Atalanta’s match against Cesena. Both those round of 16 matches take place next week
- The Rossoneri will face either Roma or Sampdoria in the last eight
MILAN: AC Milan and Bologna advanced to the Italian Cup quarterfinals with convincing victories on Tuesday.
Milan thrashed Serie B leader Sassuolo 6-1, while Bologna routed Serie A struggler Monza 4-0.
The Rossoneri will face either Roma or Sampdoria in the last eight. Bologna will play the winners of Atalanta’s match against Cesena.
Both those round of 16 matches take place next week.
Tuesday’s match at San Siro was all but over after less than 23 minutes as Sassuolo was swept away by a double from Samuel Chukwueze and other goals by Tijjani Reijnders and Rafael Leão.
It had been a much-changed starting lineup for Milan ahead of a tough Serie A trip to Atalanta on Friday and the Rossoneri made four further changes at halftime.
Milan nevertheless extended its advantage through Davide Calabria and Tammy Abraham, either side of a consolation goal for Sassuolo from Samuele Mulattieri.
Bologna scored two goals in each half, with Tommaso Pobega and Riccardo Orsolini netting in the first period and Benjamín Domínguez and Santiago Castro in the second.
However, Orsolini limped off shortly after scoring and Bologna now faces an anxious wait to discover the extent of his injury. The Italy forward is Bologna’s top goalscorer this season, with six goals.
After Verstappen victory, F1 finale in Abu Dhabi brings auto racing season to a close
ABU DHABI: Heading into the season finale, Verstappen has won 53 of 89 races in his championship seasons, or 59.6 percent. Verstappen can match Michael Schumacher’s record of five straight F1 season titles (2000-04) by winning again next year. Verstappen joined Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton (2017-20), Sebastian Vettel (2010-13) and Juan Manuel Fangio (1954-57) as drivers with four straight championships. Esteban Ocon, 14th in the point standings, has been released by Alpine and Jack Doohan will replace him in the season finale, making his F1 debut.
The race will take place on the Yas Marina Circuit and is 58 laps long.
Last year, Max Verstappen won from the pole position, his seventh consecutive victory to end his third consecutive series championship season.
Verstappen, already crowned the season champion for the fourth straight year, won in Qatar for his second victory in three races and ninth of the season.
Djokovic to begin bid for 25th Grand Slam crown in Brisbane
- In a bid to surpass Margaret Court in Melbourne, he has teamed up with long-time rival and the now-retired Murray
- Other men’s players starting their year in Brisbane include Grigor Dimitrov, Holger Rune, Frances Tiafoe and Matteo Berrettini
BRISBANE: Novak Djokovic will begin his 2025 season and bid for an 11th Australian Open title at the Brisbane International, it was announced Wednesday, with the Serbian superstar now coached by Andy Murray.
The 37-year-old is targeting a record 25th Grand Slam crown after failing to add to the total during a frustrating 2024, although he did win Olympic singles gold in Paris.
The ATP-WTA event runs Dec. 29-Jan. 5, with the Australian Open to begin on Jan. 12.
“I’m excited to be kicking off my Australian swing at the Brisbane International and to compete again at Pat Rafter Arena,” said Djokovic.
“I am looking forward to experiencing the incredible support from the Australian fans and making this tournament one to remember.”
Should he win, it would be his 100th career title, just the third man in the Open era behind Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) to achieve the feat.
Djokovic was beaten in the Australian Open semifinals this year by eventual champion Jannik Sinner with his failure to lift another major leaving him tied with Margaret Court on a record 24 Grand Slam singles crowns.
In a bid to surpass her in Melbourne, he has teamed up with long-time rival and the now-retired Murray.
The Brisbane tournament will also mark the return to competitive tennis of Australian Nick Kyrgios, who has played just one ATP Tour singles match in two years after knee, foot and wrist injuries.
Other men’s players starting their year in Brisbane include Grigor Dimitrov, Holger Rune, Frances Tiafoe and Matteo Berrettini.
Reigning Australian Open women’s champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka had previously announced she too would start her season at the Queensland Tennis Center.
Three other top-10 players including Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro and Daria Kasatkina will also play, as will former Brisbane champion Victoria Azarenka.
A host of other players have opted to start their year at the mixed-teams United Cup in Sydney and Perth, including women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini.
Men’s world No. 2 Alexander Zverev and fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz have also signed up for the United Cup.
Tiger Woods in favor of Americans getting paid at the Ryder Cup as long as it goes to charity
- Woods: We didn’t want to get paid, we wanted to give more money to charity, and the media turned it around against us and said we want to get paid
- The $5 million figure came about when Woods was asked if it should be made clear the money would go to charity, which it has for the last 25 years
NASSAU, Bahamas:Tiger Woods dropped a big financial number related to the Ryder Cup that is sure to make headlines, particularly in Europe.
“I hope they would get $5 million each and donate it all to charity, different charities,” Woods said Tuesday at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. “I think it’s great. What’s wrong with that?”
The source of the topic was a report last month on the PGA of America considering a proposal to pay American players $400,000 at the Ryder Cup, an amount that was a mystery to the executive level at the PGA of America, which still doesn’t have a CEO.
Woods is well-versed on the topic, which dates to 1999 when Woods, David Duval and Mark O’Meara were among those questioning how much money the PGA of America was making off the Ryder Cup. That resulted in $200,000 for each player, half to a charity of their choice and the other half to a golf management program at their university.
“We didn’t want to get paid, we wanted to give more money to charity, and the media turned it around against us and said we want to get paid,” Woods said. “No. The Ryder Cup itself makes so much money, why can’t we allocate it to various charities? And what’s wrong with each player, 12 players getting $1 million and the ability to divvy out to amazing charities that they’re involved in that they can help out?”
The $5 million figure came about when Woods was asked if it should be made clear the money would go to charity, which it has for the last 25 years.
The issue is money coming in and where it goes, and it’s different for each team. The European tour is the lead partner in Ryder Cup Europe, and money from the matches in Europe is crucial in funding the tour. The PGA of America — not the PGA Tour — runs the matches in the US. The PGA of America gives the tour 20 percent of the television deal.
Rory McIlroy was among European players who, when asked about the report, said they would pay to play in the Ryder Cup.
“If the Europeans want to pay to be in the Ryder Cup, that’s their decision to do that, that’s their team,” Woods said. “I know when it’s on European soil that it subsidizes most of their tour, so it is a big event for the European tour and if they want to pay to play in it, so be it.”
Masters stretch run
Nicolai Hojgaard at No. 58 in the world ranking, Mackenzie Hughes (No. 57) and Thomas Detry (No. 61) are among those playing in South Africa at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
At stake is finishing the year in the top 50 to qualify for the Masters, and time is running out. The Nedbank Challenge is followed by the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, and golf concludes with the Mauritius Open.
On the bubble are Min Woo Lee (No. 49), Lucas Glover (No. 51) and Stephan Jaeger (No.53), neither of whom are playing this week or are entered next week.
Corey Conners also is playing in South Africa, although at No. 42 he should be safe for the top 50. For those who don’t make it, there is another top 50 cutoff from the world ranking a full week before the Masters.
The field for Augusta National, currently at 75 players expected to play, could add as many as eight players through the world ranking by the end of the year. Still to be determined is whether the Masters offers special invitations. Joaquin Niemann, Thorbjorn Olesen and Ryo Hizatsune received them for the last Masters.
Crypto payoff for LIV against PGA Tour match
The made-for-TV match between PGA Tour and LIV Golf League starts has a title sponsor and a new form of payment.
Crypto.com is the title sponsor of the Dec. 17 match at Shadow Creek just north of Las Vegas that pits Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka.
The Crypto.com Showdown will be televised across TNT, TBS, truTV and Max, with a commentary crew that includes David Feherty and Charles Barkley. It will be the first broadcast appearance by Feherty outside of LIV since he signed on with the Saudi-funded league.
The 18-hole match will be split among six holes of foursomes, six holes of fourballs and six holes of singles.
As for the payoff? Front Office Sports reports it will be at least $10 million paid for the first time in Cryptocurrency.
Quick study
Nick Dunlap started the year as a sophomore at Alabama. Eleven months later, he is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour and in the Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge hosted by Tiger Woods.
There have been rough patches along the way, especially getting used to the travel, the cuts and courses he had never seen. But he proved to be a quick study, and he gave credit to Will Zalatoris for a practice round at The Players Championship.
“It wasn’t anything he said — it wasn’t really anything — it was just watching the way he prepared for that golf tournament and strategically where he chipped from, where he putted from, where he hit iron shots to,” Dunlap said. “It was eye opening to me because I never really paid that much attention in practice rounds.”
The rest of the year, Dunlap said he spent pre-tournament week trying to learn the course.
“It may only save you a half a shot or a shot and that could mean the difference at the end of the year,” he said.
On the rebound
Anthony Kim posted rounds of 71-72-73-71 and tied for 37th in the International Series Qatar on the Asian Tour. It was the first time Kim made the cut in any tournament since the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
Kim walked away from golf two months after Bay Hill that year and didn’t return until he joined Saudi-backed LIV Golf as a wild card this year. LIV is 54 holes with no cut. In the only other 72-hole tournament Kim played this year, he missed the cut in Macau.
Kim made $14,510 in Qatar. He also moved up 2,281 spots in the world ranking to No. 2,314. The 39-year-old American is playing in Saudi International this week on the Asian Tour.
Divots
Hero MotoCorp. in India has extended its title sponsorship of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas through 2030, along with extending its relationship with Tiger Woods as an ambassador. Woods is the tournament host in the Bahamas. ... Jon Rahm makes his debut in the Dubai Desert Classic next January. Rahm typically spent January in California for The American Express and Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines before going to LIV Golf. ... Claire Welsh of Canada, who previously worked senior roles in player relations for The R&A, is the new tournament director for the CPKC Women’s Open in Canada.
Stat of the week
Japanese amateur Rintaro Nakano had a 25-shot differential between his first and final round at the Australian Open. He started with a 65. He closed with a 90.
Final word
“The players have benefited from it whether you’re on LIV or you’re not on LIV. Love him or hate him, as a golfer, he’s certainly helped our lifestyle.” — Marc Leishman on fellow Aussie Greg Norman, the CEO of Saudi-funded LIV Golf.
