LAS VEGAS: Max Verstappen, needing just three points over Lando Norris at the Las Vegas Grand Prix to seal a fourth consecutive Formula 1 championship, is suddenly in jeopardy of being denied the crown Saturday night.
The most jarring sign of trouble came in Thursday night’s second practice when the Dutchman was a dismal 17th on the speed chart compared to Norris, who was among the top three fastest drivers in both sessions.
Red Bull apparently brought the wrong rear wing to Las Vegas and GPS data showed its two cars to be significantly slower on the straights than both McLaren and Mercedes, which led both practice sessions with Lewis Hamilton. Red Bull said it doesn’t have a replacement rear wing in Las Vegas to fix the issue and little chance of getting two flown in from England in time.
Verstappen, however, proved two weeks ago in Brazil that adversity is nothing he can’t overcome. He started 17th on a wet and rainy circuit and still managed to win his first race since June by nearly 20 seconds.
Verstappen, whose eight wins this season are his fewest since 2020, has not won back-to-back races since Canada and Spain in June. But the Brazil win widened his lead over Norris in the standings to 62 points and the championship is his barring a complete collapse over the final three races.
He is not sure what to expect Saturday night.
“I just want to focus on the weekend and try to have a good performance. Brazil was a very welcome victory for us after a while, but this is again very different,” said Verstappen, who won the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix last year.
Prior to discovering the rear wing issue, Verstappen felt decent about his chances in Las Vegas.
“Three races left, you’re getting close to the end of the season and it’s looking good in the championship, but we still need to score a lot of points so we’ll just focus on that,” he said. “Once we are doing that then you get closer to the end result.”
Norris not giving up
Norris was admittedly downtrodden after Brazil, where he started on the pole but finished sixth and lost ground to Verstappen after first cutting the lead to 44 points by winning the sprint race.
“This was almost a defining moment for the championship. It was a defining moment for the championship. The doors are almost shut,” Norris said. “For a week, I was pretty down because I had that realization of things pretty much out of my control now, not within reach necessarily. That’s a tough realization when your hopes and belief are so high. For it to get knocked down so much all of a sudden was pretty demoralizing.”
Even so, Norris is convinced he will one day be F1 world champion.
“I have what it takes,” Norris said. “I think it’s the first time in the last six years of F1 when we’ve had a chance to fight at the front. This is our, and my, first opportunity to do so, and my first opportunity to see where I stand. I definitely was not at the level I needed to be at the beginning of the year.
“I still need to make tweaks and I still need to improve on things, that’s clear. I’m not completely satisfied with how I’ve done and I definitely know I need to make improvements,” he added. “But, for the first time, I’m confident to say I have what I think I need to fight for a championship.”
Norris has the first three wins of his career this season and has McLaren currently atop the constructor championship standings. He knows he’s got more work to do to be champion, especially against Verstappen.
“It doesn’t mean I’m complete, it doesn’t mean I’m perfect. When you’re competing against drivers who are close to that, like Max, you have to be close to perfect if you want to challenge him,” Norris said.
Constructor championship
McLaren is still clinging to a 36-point lead over Ferrari in the battle for the constructor championship, a title worth a bonus estimated to be $150 million.
McLaren last won that title in 1998, while Ferrari last won in 2008. Red Bull has won the last two titles. Ferrari could chip away at McLaren’s lead at Las Vegas.
“Ferrari have been strong for a long time,” said Norris. “They have two very good drivers, they’re a very good team, they’ve clearly improved their car a good amount and found a better direction to head down. We do know that Vegas is probably a track that will suit the Ferraris a bit more, it suited them well last year, but Qatar we know maybe will be more favorable to us.”
Carlos Sainz Jr., in his final three races for Ferrari before he is replaced by Hamilton and moves to Williams, wants to close his tenure by helping the team win the constructors title.
“I would love to win the championship for Ferrari this year,” Sainz said. “I think it would be a great way to sign off the season.”
He predicted that McLaren will be stronger in the final two races of the year, at Qatar and Abu Dhabi. But at Las Vegas? Sainz expects he and teammate Charles Leclerc to be stronger.
“This (track) is more Ferrari than McLaren, but at the same time, the temperature is not, so we’ll see how it pans out,” Sainz said of temperatures expected to be in the 40s Fahrenheit (5-10 degrees Celsius) on Saturday night.
Red Bull brings wrong rear wing to Las Vegas in mistake that could stall Verstappen’s title chances
https://arab.news/ytvfz
Red Bull brings wrong rear wing to Las Vegas in mistake that could stall Verstappen’s title chances
- The most jarring sign of trouble came in Thursday night’s second practice when the Dutchman was a dismal 17th on the speed chart compared to Norris
- Red Bull apparently brought the wrong rear wing to Las Vegas and GPS data showed its two cars to be significantly slower on the straights than both McLaren and Mercedes
De Bruyne ‘surprised’ over Man City exit
- Kevin De Bruyne has revealed he was “a bit surprised” to be told his glittering Manchester City career will finish at the end of this season
LONDON: Kevin De Bruyne has revealed he was “a bit surprised” to be told his glittering Manchester City career will finish at the end of this season.
De Bruyne recently announced he will leave the Etihad Stadium once the current campaign is over, bringing the curtain down on a memorable era in Manchester for the Belgian midfielder.
The 33-year-old arrived from German club Wolfsburg in 2015 and has been instrumental in City’s incredible success during boss Pep Guardiola’s reign.
De Bruyne has won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and the 2023 Champions League — which capped an incredible treble-winning season.
Guardiola hinted it was his decision to end De Bruyne’s stay after the playmaker’s struggles with injuries and inconsistent form over the last two seasons.
City have dipped dramatically this term, surrendering their four-year spell as champions and were reduced to focussing on the battle to qualify for the Champions League.
But De Bruyne admitted he was shocked not to receive a new contract offer because he believes he can still shine at the highest level.
“I have not had any offer the whole year, they just took a decision,” he said after City’s 2-0 win at Everton on Saturday.
“Obviously, I was a bit surprised but I just have to accept it. Honestly I still think I can perform at this level like I’m showing but I understand clubs have to make decisions.
“Maybe if the team didn’t struggle and I came back like I did this year and bedded in like normal then maybe they take another decision.”
De Bruyne said he has not made any decisions about his future as he is concentrating on the race to secure a top-five spot to extend City’s run in the Champions League into a 15th successive season.
He has already been linked with moves to Major League Soccer in the United States but he hasn’t ruled out staying in the Premier League or joining a major European club.
“I feel like I still have a lot to give. Obviously I know I’m not 25 any more but I still feel like I can do my job,” he said.
“I’m open for anything. I have to look at the whole picture. I’m looking at sporting, family, everything together, what makes the most sense for me and my family.
“I like to compete. That’s what I feel so I can’t say that I want to quit because I still feel that whenever I’m in training I want to beat the guys.
“I feel like I’m doing really well and that’s why I’ve also played a lot lately.”
De Bruyne applauded off at Goodison Park after Saturday’s win, with his performance a bright spot in another spluttering City display.
“It’s something really rare to come out and get an applause from another team so I just want to say thank you to them. I think they appreciate the way that I play,” he said.
Saudi footballers face Uzbekistan in AFC U17 Asian Cup final
- Saudi Arabia began the tournament with a 2-0 win over China in the first round
TAIF: The Saudi Arabia U-17 national team will look to end a 37-year wait for continental glory when they face Uzbekistan in the final of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup on Sunday.
Kick-off at King Fahd Sports City Stadium in Taif is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. local time.
The Green Falcons are aiming to capture their third title, having previously lifted the trophy in 1985 and 1988. Meanwhile, Uzbekistan are seeking a second championship after first winning the tournament in 2012.
Saudi Arabia finished second in Group A during the tournament’s opening phase, collecting six points from three matches — three points behind group winners Uzbekistan. China placed third with three points, while Thailand finished bottom without a point.
The Saudis began their campaign with a 2-0 victory over China and a 3-1 win against Thailand, before falling 3-0 to Uzbekistan in the final group match. In the knockout stages, Saudi Arabia edged Japan 3-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the quarterfinals, and again triumphed on penalties against South Korea in the semifinals, winning 3-1 following a 1-1 stalemate.
Uzbekistan dominated the group stage, recording three consecutive victories: 4-1 against Thailand, 2-1 over China, and 3-0 against Saudi Arabia.
They carried their strong form into the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over the UAE and secured a place in the final after a convincing 3-0 semifinal victory against North Korea.
Both Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan have already secured qualification for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar later this year. They will be joined by fellow Asian qualifiers Japan, the UAE, Indonesia, South Korea, North Korea, and Tajikistan.
Top F1 qualifiers face intense competition in Jeddah
Jeddah: After Max Verstappen secured pole position in the top qualifiers for the F1 Saudi Arabian GP on Saturday night, the leading three drivers said that the competition was very intense for Sunday’s race.
Speaking to the media during the post-qualifying conference, Verstappen (Red Bull Racing), Oscar Piastri (McLaren), and George Russell (Mercedes) discussed how optimistic they were for Sunday’s race and other challenges.
“I am very happy,” Verstappen said. “I definitely didn’t expect to be on pole here after FP3 as well and looking at how the whole weekend was. We made some final changes, and it was a lot more enjoyable to drive.”
Speaking about Sunday’s race, Verstappen said: “I think in the race it will be tough to keep them behind, but we’re going to give it a good go.”
“It is much better than what we had in Bahrain, of course. And, yeah, let’s see what we can do tomorrow in the race,” he added.
Russell said: “If Oscar gets into the lead, you’ll probably see a repeat of Bahrain. If we stay in the order we qualified, I think it could be a tight race until the pit stops.”
Meanwhile, Piastri said that it would be a long and tough race. “I’m happy with the job I did,” he said. “I think it was playing catch-up a little bit through the first part of qualifying and then, yeah, that last lap felt more or less like the best I could have done. So, you know, I think Max has done a good job.”
He added: “Yes, we will fight hard for the final. I think our pace is good. It’s going to be a tough race and the tires are a bit softer than last year, so we’ll see if that plays to our advantage.”
The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is known for its high-speed turns, creating challenges for drivers. All three top qualifiers emphasized the need for rhythm and precision on the track.
Lewandowski injury confirmed in blow to Barca quadruple bid
- Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski was diagnosed with a hamstring injury on Sunday and is set to miss the Copa del Rey final and Champions League semifinal according to Spanish media reports
BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski was diagnosed with a hamstring injury on Sunday and is set to miss the Copa del Rey final and Champions League semifinal according to Spanish media reports.
The 36-year-old Polish forward, Barcelona’s top goalscorer with 40 goals across all competitions, came off during his team’s 4-3 La Liga win over Celta Vigo on Saturday.
“Tests carried out on Sunday have confirmed that first-team player Robert Lewandowski has a semitendinosus injury in his left thigh,” said Barcelona in a statement, without specifying how long he would be sidelined for.
Spanish media reported Lewandowski could be out for three weeks, meaning he would not be available next Saturday as Barcelona face Real Madrid in the Copa final in Seville.
The La Liga leaders also host Inter Milan on April 30 in the Champions League semifinal first leg, and visit the Italians on May 6.
Lewandowski is set to miss league games against Mallorca on Tuesday and Valladolid on May 3, with a potential return against Real Madrid on May 11, a match which could decide the title race.
Barcelona, who won the Spanish Super Cup in January, are chasing a potential quadruple and are in the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2019.
Coach Hansi Flick has used Ferran Torres through the middle as a replacement for Lewandowski before, and has also experimented with Dani Olmo operating as a false nine.
Saudi Arabia open to 64-team World Cup in 2034
- Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal told a select group of reporters at the Saudi Arabian Formula One Grand Prix in Jeddah that his country would have no objection to do so
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia would be ready and willing to host a 64-team World Cup in 2034 if FIFA accepts a controversial proposal to expand the tournament from 48, according to the kingdom’s sports minister.
South America’s CONMEBOL has officially suggested staging the centenary 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal and Morocco with 64 teams but the idea has been opposed by some other continental confederations.
Next year’s tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico will have 48 countries participating, up from 32 in 2022.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal told a select group of reporters at the Saudi Arabian Formula One Grand Prix in Jeddah that his country would have no objection to an increase in the numbers for 2034.
“We’re ready, or we will be ready, inshallah (God willing). If that’s a decision that FIFA takes and thinks that that’s a good decision for everyone, then we’re more than happy to deliver on it,” he said.
He pointed to the infrastructure already in place for Islamic pilgrims, with four million people attending Makkah for Umrah during Ramadan this year and five million expected for the Hajj.
The global football governing body officially announced Saudi Arabia as hosts of the 2034 men’s World Cup in December.
The bid book pledged 15 stadiums, new or refurbished, by 2032 and which are expected to be completed with help of migrant labor.
Al-Faisal said worker safety was of the highest priority and Saudi organizers were talking regularly with FIFA and 2022 hosts and neighbors Qatar, the first World Cup in the region, to learn from their experience.
“We’ve had more than 100 international events so far. We’ve had people come from all over the world to attend these sporting events. And everyone’s happy with the hospitality, the setup, the experience that they get,” he added.
