Max Verstappen will seek to extend his and Red Bull's current sequence of record-breaking invincibility at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix ahead of spectacular...

The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery takes place on Tuesday night, and it’s one of the more intriguing events in all of sports, especially with the prospect at the top of the draft this season.The winner of this year's lottery will have the right to draft French phenom Victor Wembanyama, who is...

James Jaronczyk was known as a racing boat pilot and was described as someone who was skilled in boating

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton bucked the trend by apologising after an incident in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, insisting the rest of the F1 grid “complains and moans to try and not get a penalty.” Hamilton admitted he was at fault for a collision with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at Monza – he received a five-second time penalty as a result – and apologised to the Australian after the race. Wolff, who stated that Max Verstappen’s 10th win in a row was “completely irrelevant”, concurred with Hamilton’s analysis and made a sharp dig at the rest of the field in the process. “Lewis is very sportsmanlike with these things – and he is the only one that I see out there admitting, saying that he’s wrong,” Wolff told media after the race. “We just had a chat and he said ‘I didn’t see him on the right and that is on me’. And I think that kind of sportsmanship is what you need to admire with him. “Pretty much everyone else is complaining and moaning just to try to not get a penalty. “These things happen. It was hard racing to overtake here and we’ve seen a few of these. It [the penalty] was justified.” Ultimately, the penalty had no impact on Hamilton who finished sixth, while the clash cost Piastri a top-10 finish after he had to pit for a new front nose, dropping him down the order. He finished 12th. Hamilton said: “I misjudged the gap I had with Piastri right at the end. It was totally my fault. “I apologised to him straight afterwards and we move on.” Piastri, though disappointed with the race-impacting clash, seemed satisfied with Hamilton’s apology. “He creeped over a bit more than he thought,” Piastri said. “The stewards gave their verdict and Lewis apologised and nothing more I can ask for or do at that point.” Hamilton’s team-mate, George Russell, finished fifth in an indifferent weekend for Mercedes in Monza after the pair signed new contracts until the end of the 2025 season. Read More FIA reveal results of 2022 F1 cost cap process Toto Wolff blunt in response to Max Verstappen’s ‘irrelevant’ record Alex Albon, James Vowles and the start of a Williams renaissance FIA announce results of 2022 F1 cost cap process F1 2023 race schedule: When is the Singapore Grand Prix? Damon Hill unimpressed by Toto Wolff’s dismissal of Max Verstappen’s record win

Manchester United assigned new squad numbers to four players ahead of 2023/24.

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Deontay Wilder has accused Oleksandr Usyk of being ‘afraid’ of fighting him, while teasing a return to the ring. Wilder last fought in October, knocking out Robert Helenius in the first round, and Usyk last competed in August, when he outpointed Anthony Joshua for the second time in a year. The Ukrainian is expected to defend the unified heavyweight titles against Daniel Dubois this summer, while American Wilder is without an opponent. Discussing the prospect of a bout with Usyk, Wilder told ES News on Thursday (25 May): “I’m all for it, but he’s a little afraid – not a little afraid, but a lot afraid. “I’m in the business, so I know a lot of things. I’m ready to go at any given moment in time, they know that.” Addressing the collapse of negotiations between Usyk and Tyson Fury in March, Wilder added: “I’m simple, I don’t do all that stuff. I don’t put up too much of a fight as far as trying to get a fight done [goes]. “I feel like we all can eat. That’s how it should be, being able to help each other fight. It’s not about overpricing yourself out of a fight, because we’re all risking our lives. Damn, let us all at least get a piece of the f***ing pie. “I’ve always given people a piece of the pie, because you just never know what’s gonna happen in and out of that ring. But they don’t make them like me, man, I’m very rare.” Wilder, 37, also spoke about his own return to the ring, saying: “I’ll be back real soon, I promise, you don’t want to miss it. “[Usyk], stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.” Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Tyson Fury seen consoling devastated boxer after first pro loss Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones Katie Taylor’s long reign as boxing queen over despite heroic last stand Wood vs Lara live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend

West Ham's Jarrod Bowen said he is in the form of his life as he prepares to fulfil a childhood dream of...

Chelsea and Liverpool are both in public pursuit of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, and the two teams met in the Premier League on Sunday. The need for Caicedo in both teams was abundantly obvious.

There’s no place like home. For most of the Formula 1 grid, a return to familiar comforts at a much-loved circuit is something to behold, thrive and revel in. In fact, it’s only the Haas pairing of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen and the Alfa Romeo team of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu who have not basked in such an experience in 2023. But all eyes for Zhou – Formula 1’s first Chinese driver in its 73-year history – now point firmly towards 21 April 2024. The sport’s return to one of the world’s powerhouses has, four times, been put on hold due to the pandemic – both the world-altering event itself and the country’s controversial zero-covid policy in the aftermath. Yet next year will see the Shanghai International Circuit host once more; all that was left was for Zhou’s presence to be confirmed. That came on Thursday morning. Ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, the 24-year-old penned a one-year extension with Alfa Romeo to race with the Sauber-works team for a third-straight year. F1’s worldwide popularity boom has not diverted past China – and next spring we will see the full impact of Zhou’s spot on the grid. “It’s the dream fulfilled – the first Chinese driver in F1, it’s a huge thing for a massive country like us,” Zhou tells The Independent. “So many more Chinese fans are engaged in F1 compared to the past, obviously me getting into the sport means more people follow the races. “The pressure started two to three years ago, so it’s no longer a surprise. I’ve been through that period. I’m fine with the pressure. Now, it’s all about having a good example to set and inspire younger generations.” That pressure, both from the fanbase and within the paddock itself, is inescapable. Just ask Nyck de Vries: a Formula 2 and Formula E champion, he was ruthlessly axed from his AlphaTauri seat in July after just 10 races. For all the riches of the globe-trotting spectacle, F1 remains undeniably cut-throat. Yet you won’t see Zhou having too much sympathy. “There’s a lot of pressure in Formula 1,” he states. “Only winners stay in this sport. If you can’t perform, if you’re outperformed by others, you’re going to lose the seat. That’s the reality. It’s the way everyone lives. The pressure is there, you don’t have a lot of time and you’ve really got to get on with it. “If you can’t do that, then you won’t stay here for long.” Zhou’s performances behind the wheel of a struggling Alfa car this year – languishing ninth in the Constructors’ Standings no less – have clearly impressed enough for a third bite at the cherry. Four points from 14 races would, typically, be a topic of major concern. Yet with experienced team-mate Bottas only two points up the standings, it is difficult to place too much blame on the drivers in the cockpit. With Audi’s takeover looming large for 2026, work is hurriedly being done in the background. “The results have been difficult to take,” he says. “We didn’t expect Aston Martin and McLaren to be so fast this year. It basically means we are fighting for two positions every week. My total points don’t show how much I’ve improved as a driver. I made some mistakes last year, but this year it’s more about the car.” Zhou’s assuredness stems from a childhood of contrasts: his formative years spent in the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, followed by time as a teenager in the Steel City. Learning a new language and new culture, he went by the name of Steven at Westbourne School in Sheffield. “The culture and language are obviously completely different,” he says. “The education system too…” He pauses. He reflects on memories which quickened his acclimatisation process. “While in Sheffield, I really enjoyed playing pool. Not snooker, that’s more difficult! But also I was very surprised at how many Chinese people were going to university in Sheffield and at how many shops and restaurants there are. It’s quite far from London but you don’t feel like you’re too far out! Everyone was very laid back.” His ascension to F1 came as something of a surprise. Three seasons spent with the Alpine Academy in F2 – with a 2021 finish of third his best showing – saw Alfa come calling. He scored a point on his F1 debut in Bahrain last March. His start was impressive. But then came Silverstone. “It definitely set me back,” Zhou says now, recalling the time his Alfa spun upside-down towards a barrier at the start of the British Grand Prix. Miraculous images with a miraculous outcome: Zhou barely had a graze on him. “It happens. I recovered quite quickly mentally. It was just a shame because I had some very good momentum, I’d twice been in Q3, but I had to have a recharge afterwards. It wasn’t too bad.” Zhou is not one to reminisce too much. Everything is possible for the Chinese driver with a slice of Sheffield inside him. Audi’s arrival in less than three years is “still so far away.” However, he does admit: “Hopefully I can stay when Audi come.” But that’s in the distant future. For now, it’s on to this weekend and the twists and turns of Marina Bay. Read More Alfa Romeo confirm driver line-up for 2024 F1 season Max Verstappen breaks new ground with record victory at Italian Grand Prix Max Verstappen tells Toto Wolff to focus on Mercedes after snipe Hamilton labels Marko’s comments about Perez ‘completely unacceptable’ Sebastian Vettel refuses to rule out return to Formula 1

Freddie Freeman hit his 14th homer off Shohei Ohtani in the fourth inning, and seven relievers combined on a two-hitter in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ second straight shutout victory over the Los Angeles Angels