George Russell would have no issues with Mercedes signing Max Verstappen
George Russell would have no concerns if Mercedes tried to sign Max Verstappen as he believes he is a match for any driver on the grid.
F1 Sport News
Justin Thomas makes 11 birdies for a 61 to take the lead at Harbor Town
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C.: Justin Thomas had a round to match the immaculate weather Thursday at Harbor Town with 11 birdies that allowed him to tie the course record with a 10-under 61 to lead the RBC Heritage.
Jacks helps Mumbai beat Hyderabad in IPL
MUMBAI: The Mumbai Indians batters and bowlers starred in a comfortable four-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League on Thursday. England all-rounder Will Jacks shone with both bat and ball, picking up two wickets to help restrict Hyderabad to 162 for five and then hitting a 26-ball 36 to help bolster his team’s chase. Five-time champions Mumbai won the toss and bowled on a sluggish pitch at Wankhede Stadium. Decent knocks from openers Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickleton helped set up the chase, while skipper Hardik Pandya smacked a quick 21 runs off nine balls toward the end to seal the game. The match helps restore a bit of Mumbai’s mojo, pushing them into a crowded mid table. They have three victories in seven matches. Pandya said the way his team bowled was “very smart and spot on.” “We stuck to simple, basic plans,” the Mumbai skipper said, adding that once the pressure to get boundaries eased in the second innings, they “pushed the pedal at the end.” Hyderabad openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head kicked off the first innings with a 59-run partnership before Sharma, who hit 40 runs off 28 balls, departed in the eighth over. The team then struggled for momentum with Kishan (2) and Head (28) falling to leave Hyderabad at 83-3 at the end of the 12th over. Disciplined bowling from Jasprit Bumrah and Jacks continued to restrict Hyderabad’s batsmen but a valiant late-innings knock from Heinrich Klaasen (37) infused a glimmer of hope. Young Aniket Verma then smacked a quick 18 runs off eight balls. In reply, Mumbai’s openers made a solid start as Sharma hit 26 and Rickleton 31.
Verstappen ‘very relaxed’ about his F1 future
JEDDAH: Max Verstappen played it cool as speculation swirled around his Formula One future on Thursday, with Red Bull’s four-times world champion saying it was not on his mind and he was ‘very relaxed’. Red Bull’s motorsport consultant Helmut Marko said after last Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix that the team were concerned the Dutch driver might leave at the end of the season. Verstappen finished only sixth, a week after he won in Japan, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri winning from pole with fastest lap. “I don’t know,” Verstappen said when asked by an Italian reporter ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix why Ferrari were not being mentioned as a possible destination as well as Mercedes and Aston Martin.
Young Saudi artist designs Fernando Alonso’s helmet for Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
JEDDAH: Spanish driver Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin’s two-time Formula 1 world champion, will wear a special Saudi-inspired helmet for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit this weekend.
Max Verstappen relaxed over Red Bull future following Helmut Marko comments
Max Verstappen brushed off talk over his Red Bull future and insisted he is “very relaxed” with his situation at the team.
Mbappe leading Real Madrid comeback charge against Arsenal
MADRID: Kylian Mbappe joined Real Madrid in search of Champions League glory, hoping to be on the right side of exactly the kind of magical night they need against Arsenal on Wednesday if they are to progress to the semifinals. The Gunners lead 3-0 after dismantling the holders in London last week in the quarter-final first leg, leaving Madrid craving the sort of dramatic comeback the 15-time winners are renowned for. Returning from a three-goal defeat would be step further than anything Los Blancos have managed so far, but that is precisely why they tried to lure Mbappe to the club for years. The French superstar’s explosive edge gives Madrid hope of achieving what appears to be borderline impossible. “Of course we can,” said Mbappe on his way out of the Emirates last Tuesday, heading to the team bus after Arsenal’s stunning victory. Declan Rice struck two sublime free-kicks and Mikel Merino’s third helped Mikel Arteta’s side put one foot in the final four. Arsenal will be fully aware the job is not yet complete, having seen Mbappe’s devastating impact against Premier League champions Manchester City earlier this season. Mbappe netted a hat-trick against Pep Guardiola’s side in February at the Santiago Bernabeu in the play-off round, helping Madrid eliminate City 6-3 on aggregate. The striker was sent off for a wild challenge against Alaves in La Liga on Sunday, putting his team-mates under pressure, but can make it up to them with a special performance at the Santiago Bernabeu against Arsenal. Madrid scraped a 1-0 win and Mbappe only played 38 minutes before his dismissal, so he should be fresh for Wednesday. Mbappe has 33 goals in 49 games across all competitions this season, matching Madrid’s all-time top goalscorer
Nuggets’ Josh Kroenke shares what went wrong in Denver
DENVER: Nuggets vice chairman Josh Kroenke was apologetic for changes made last week, when coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth were fired without warning.