Max Verstappen makes F1 history with 10th-consecutive win at Italian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen drove his way into the Formula One history books by taking his 10th-consecutive victory at Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix. Verstappen sat behind Carlos Sainz for 14 of the 51 laps at Monza’s Temple of Speed before fighting his way past the Ferrari pole-sitter at the second chicane. From there, the commanding Dutchman never looked back to better the mark he shared with Sebastian Vettel and become the first driver in Formula One to reach double figures for straight victories. Sergio Perez finished second in the other Red Bull, while Sainz held off team-mate Charles Leclerc in a tantalising late battle between the Ferrari drivers to take the final spot on the podium. George Russell finished fifth with Lewis Hamilton, who served a five-second penalty for colliding with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, sixth. “That is history,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner to his superstar driver. “Unbelievable.” Verstappen’s 12th win from the 14 rounds so far moves him 145 points clear in the championship. Unbeaten since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 30, there remains an outside chance the 25-year-old could be crowned champion of the world for a third time as early as the Japanese Grand Prix in three weeks with half-a-dozen rounds still remaining. Sainz lit up Ferrari’s home track by taking pole position and kept the dream alive of a victory in front of the Italian team’s 80,000-strong crowd by holding off Verstappen on the 500-metre drag to the opening Variante del Rettifilo. Verstappen was the filling in a Ferrari sandwich with Leclerc maintaining third spot ahead of Mercedes’ Russell and Perez. Hamilton started eighth but dropped one position on the first lap. Such has been the superiority of Verstappen’s Red Bull machine this year, Sainz was expected to be easy prey for the all-conquering Dutchman. But to Verstappen’s surprise, Sainz was not prepared to make life easy for the double world champion. On lap six, Verstappen was handed his first opportunity, drawing alongside Sainz on the 220mph run to the first chicane, only for the Spaniard to slam the door in his face. “That was naughty,” said Verstappen. Three laps later, Verstappen was back on the intercom. “They have a lot of top speed, for f*** sake,” he said. Further back and Russell’s mirrors were occupied by the other Red Bull of Perez. Asked to manage his rubber, the Englishman replied: “I don’t know if you can see, but I have got a car right up my a***.” Up front and Verstappen sensed another chance to take the lead on lap 15. A defensive Sainz locked up at the Variante del Rettifilo, handing Verstappen the exit speed on the 200mph charge to the Variante della Roggia. The Red Bull and Ferrari machines were separated by mere centimetres as they went toe-to-toe into the second chicane before Verstappen, benefiting from the inside line, emerged in the lead. Remarkably, Sainz’s 14 laps in the lead was the highest in any event this season by a non-Red Bull driver. The team from Milton Keynes could yet become the first team to go an entire campaign unbeaten with eight races to run. On lap 16, Perez moved up to fourth with Russell – struggling for top-line speed in his Mercedes – unable to keep the Red Bull behind. With Verstappen cruising imperiously to victory, Perez moved up third after seeing off Leclerc. The Mexican set about passing Sainz, and, after a number of failed attempts, he finally blasted past the Ferrari with five laps remaining to ensure a one-two for Red Bull. After emerging from his tyre stop in 10th, Hamilton moved ahead of Fernando Alonso before banging wheels with Piastri in the battle for eighth. Hamilton was hit with a penalty for the incident at the Variante della Roggia as Piastri pitted for a new front wing. “He just turned across me under braking,” bemoaned the Australian rookie. Undeterred by his sanction, Hamilton then raced ahead of Lando Norris before moving past Alex Albon’s Williams to take sixth, finishing 7.4 seconds clear to ensure his penalty had no impact on his result. Albon finished seventh ahead of Norris, with Alonso ninth. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz gets goosebumps after landing pole for Italian Grand Prix Carlos Sainz’s pace in practice gives Ferrari fans hope for Italian Grand Prix How Max Verstappen equalled Sebastien Vettel’s record for consecutive race wins
2023-09-03 23:17
Adam Wainwright's retirement papers reveal wholesome reason why he's hanging it up
Adam Wainwright's retirement is official. However, his reason for retiring, as shown on the papers, is a rather wholesome one.
2023-10-31 04:57
Inter upsets fans by signing former Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado
Inter Milan has completed the signing of Juan Cuadrado from Serie A rival Juventus on a free transfer
2023-07-20 02:54
No. 6 Ohio State squeezes past No. 9 Notre Dame on Trayanum's last-second TD run
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Chip Trayanum plunged across the goal line from a yard out with 1 second left and No. 6 Ohio State beat No. 9 Notre Dame 17-14 on Saturday night.
2023-09-24 14:54
Jude Bellingham focused on winning everything as he targets trophies not records
Jude Bellingham says his career arc is evidence of the mindset that anything is possible as the England teenager looks to win it all. From homegrown hero with Birmingham to teenage star at German giants Borussia Dortmund, the 19-year-old midfielder’s inexorable rise shows few signs of abating. There are few more exciting prospects in world football than Bellingham, who has already established himself as a key component for trophy-hungry England and was named Bundesliga Player of the Year after just missing out on the league title. “The goal has always been winning,” Bellingham told the PA news agency. “When you ask me what my biggest ambitions are in the game, it’s to win everything. And I’m not afraid to say that. “You know, everyone should have that goal I feel like as professional footballers. “I’ll do my best to try and make it happen and if it doesn’t then it won’t be because I haven’t worked hard for it. “But, yeah, I’d say records and stuff and individual records don’t excite me like trophies do, so I think that’s the goal for me.” Bellingham, who was speaking before the Bundesliga finale, knows individual honours and records may well come along the years, with England team-mates often suggesting he could break Peter Shilton’s 125-cap record given he has made 24 appearances already. But accomplishments like that are at the back of his mind as he looks to maximise his ability and opportunities. “Football’s my life, really,” said Bellingham, who hopes to inspire the next generation in his role as ambassador for the McDonald’s Fun Football programme – a programme that provides free, inclusive football coaching for children aged five to 11 across more than 1,500 locations in the UK. “I think I’ve put too much into it so far just to stop and accept that I’m going to play at a certain level and only going to win so much. “So, I feel like the mentality that my parents and friends around me have always put into me is go after everything.” That mindset and his whirlwind journey to date means he has little chance to take stock on his career – something he hopes to do with family and friends this summer. “There are things I had to deal with as part of German life,” Bellingham said of the move to Dortmund in 2020. “I probably dealt with that more behind the scenes than in front of cameras and stuff like that, so I’m really grateful that I had such good people around me. “I had good club staff at the time, obviously I had Jadon (Sancho) who was here before me from England and he kind of showed me the ropes and made me feel comfortable. As soon as I was comfortable, really, I just let my football do the talking.” Bellingham has certainly done that, thriving in BVB’s famous black and yellow shirt with his leadership qualities helping him to become the youngest ever player to captain the side. “I think the key to that has been availability,” Bellingham said in a self-deprecating manner. “I think because I’m available a lot of the time it means that I’m on the pitch and I can show what I do every game. Whilst the team around me gets rotated, I’m more of a mainstay. “I think you gain respect from that, in all honesty, and obviously my performance has been good enough to warrant that. “The coach must have seen other things that he likes to give me that responsibility and whenever I’ve played, I don’t think the armband changes me. “So, yeah, you’re taking a little bit more responsibility, but I enjoy it. It’s a beautiful pressure that you want on you that I wanted since I started playing football. “Especially in the Champions League games – it’s the biggest stage, for me – and to have that pressure is really enjoyable.” Bellingham takes a lot of pride in his path from St Andrew’s to Signal Iduna Park. Life in Germany has been eye-opening and his success there has silenced those that attempted to dissuade him from fulfilling his lofty aspirations. When put to Bellingham that he seems to have the mentality that anything is possible, he said: “Well, I think that I am kind evidence of that, really. “I think if I didn’t have that mentality I wouldn’t have been able to get from the Championship to where I’m at now, thankfully, in the space of two or three years. “When you’re saying it three years ago everyone’s calling you naive and telling you that you need to slow down a little bit. “But when you put your mind to it and you work hard at it, it doesn’t seem so crazy when it actually happens. So that’s the goal for me to try and continue to chase my dreams.” :: Jude Bellingham was speaking at a McDonald’s Fun Football session to announce his role as an ambassador for the UK’s largest grassroots participation programme for 5-11 year-olds. Find your nearest free session at www.mcdonalds.co.uk/football Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jude Bellingham determined to inspire the next generation of footballers Leeds confirm Sam Allardyce will not be staying on as manager De Bruyne v Casemiro and Haaland v Varane – The key FA Cup final battles
2023-06-02 17:27
Arcia drives in go-ahead run, Braves beat Nationals 3-2 in another comeback
Orlando Arcia broke an eighth-inning tie with an infield single and the Atlanta Braves beat the Washington Nationals 3-2 on Friday night in yet another comeback victory
2023-06-10 10:58
NFL great Tom Brady greets fans at pub before watching dramatic Birmingham win
NFL great Tom Brady watched on as Birmingham grabbed a late win against Leeds after Lukas Jutkiewicz converted from the spot at St Andrew's. The game had been heading for a draw, before Jutkiewicz’s penalty in the first minute of stoppage time. Before the game, Brady made an appearance at The Roost, a pub near St. Andrew's stadium, before Blues’ game against Leeds in the second-tier Championship on Saturday. A few hours earlier, Brady posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Any plans before kick off guys? See you at St. Andrew’s.” He later went to the stadium, where he was pictured meeting mascots and signing jerseys. The seven-time Super Bowl champion has partnered with the club’s holding company, U.S.-based Knighthead Capital Management, and become chairman of a new advisory board. Birmingham said Brady will “apply his extensive leadership experience and expertise across several components of the club.” That includes working alongside the sports science department to advise on health, nutrition and recovery programs. Brady won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and another with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. He retired in February, after Tampa’s loss in the playoffs. AP contributed to this report Read More Tom Brady watches on as Birmingham beat Leeds with last-gasp penalty Soccer for sale: What are American sport stars buying British football playing at? Brady proud to join Blues and Housby celebrates – Thursday’s sporting social
2023-08-13 00:19
Is Oklahoma a College Football Playoff contender after knocking off Texas
With the Red River win over Texas, many people are calling Oklahoma a College Football Playoff contender going forward. How legit is the Sooners' case now?
2023-10-08 05:46
MLB Rumors: Grading fits for Braves, Nolan Arenado, Eduardo Rodriguez
MLB Rumors: Could the Braves trade for Marcus Stroman?The Atlanta Braves' biggest hole, at least right now, is in the rotation. They could use another starting pitcher. There are not many of them available and the market, which forced the Los Angeles Angels to pay a premium for Lucas Giolito ...
2023-07-28 10:27
Did the refs screw the Bills on questionable Eagles fumble call?
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Buttler eager to remain England captain despite World Cup woe
Jos Buttler wants to stay on as England captain as he prepares for a World Cup...
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Boutier wins first LPGA major, Hodges wins first PGA Tour title
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Céline Boutier became the third woman from France to win a major championship when she closed with a 3-under 68 for a six-shot victory in the Evian Championship.
2023-07-31 07:58
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