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It’s nine on the spin for Max. Even two separate downpours of blustery rain across the sand dunes of Zandvoort – and a late red flag – could not send the flying Dutchman off route. Victory at the Dutch Grand Prix saw Verstappen leave where he left off before the summer break: the faultless displays of driving just keep on coming. It was a victory which put him level with Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine Formula 1 wins in a row. Alberto Ascari achieved the same in 1952-1953, though is technically written out of the record books after not entering the Indianapolis 500, which was part of the drivers’ championship back then. Verstappen will be eyeing a record-breaking 10th win this weekend at Monza. Vettel, now retired but as ever a man with a wise foresight, saw it coming a few months back. “I think at five wins in a row or something, Seb text me and said ‘well done, keep it up’ and something like ‘you’re going to do it’”, Verstappen revealed, after qualifying on Saturday. “It’s not something I have constantly [thought] like ‘I need to do this.’ I’m not in this sport to try and break records. I’m just here to win in the moment.” Though seemingly not focused on records himself, in the end Verstappen could not avoid the talk. While No 10 seems almost an inevitability this coming Sunday, the joint record-holders for the time being pose an interesting thought: whose streak – set at the heights of their career for the same Red Bull team – is more impressive? First, to Vettel. His 2013 win-streak saw him propel to a fourth consecutive drivers’ title – a feat Verstappen will now have half-an-eye on for 2024. The German won the last nine races of the 2013 season, from Belgium to Brazil, squashing Fernando Alonso’s hopes of an inaugural Ferrari crown in the process. Alonso, incidentally, was also runner-up on Sunday in Zandvoort; why is it that the Spaniard always emerges second-best? There is an argument Vettel’s aura of supremacy at the end of the season – just when he needed it – gives him an edge over Verstappen’s current run, with the Dutchman’s world title long wrapped up. Peaking and winning when championships are firmly on the line, against a playing field more level in performance, is the ultimate sign of superiority. That being said, he did secure the world title in race six of his nine wins, in India, with the pressure off for the final three races. As for Verstappen, his win-streak started in Miami in May when he overtook team-mate Sergio Perez in the closing laps for victory. He has not looked back. Even on occasions where he hasn’t started on pole – such as Hungary and Belgium – his ascent to the front has been rapid. No car can compete with Verstappen’s RB19 race-pace, to the extent that by and large no driver is even trying to fend off the Dutchman. The weather is not playing the part hoped, either, for the rest of the grid. Since Azerbaijan in April, every race weekend has seen rain fall. Usually a pointer for unpredictability, Verstappen has not been derailed by any in-race chaos, as shown in Zandvoort on Sunday. As well as the machinery, Red Bull’s strategy is more efficient than the rest of the pack too. But while his numbers are currently impressive, the forecast looks even more overbearing. Verstappen is on track to become the first driver to win over 80% of races in a single season, with Ascari’s 75% in 1952 (when there were only eight races) the current benchmark. His two-out-of-three wins in sprint races – as well as six out of 13 extra points for the fastest lap – means he has won nearly 94% of total points available. That’s 339 out of a possible 362 – a staggering statistic. “It’s something I never thought was possible,” said Verstappen upon matching Vettel’s record. But Verstappen is redefining what is possible, failing to put a foot wrong on his relentless march to this season’s championship. The margin of victory in most of the races points to a driver and team who are simply unstoppable. A 10th victory in a row will overtake Vettel’s tally – and he could secure the title as early as Japan at the end of September. It has left the rest of the grid concerningly looking ahead. Will Red Bull be the first team ever to win every race in a single season? Will Verstappen’s domination continue all the way until the next set of regulations, in 2026? Time will tell, but it will take some reversal from the challengers to swing the pendulum back in their favour. Read More Toto Wolff insists George Russell’s loss of form is a ‘myth’ Max Verstappen’s achievements are still underestimated, says rival Max Verstappen survives dramatic rain chaos to claim record-equalling victory at Dutch GP F2 champion Felipe Drugovich to feature for Aston Martin at Italian Grand Prix Toto Wolff insists George Russell’s loss of form is a ‘myth’ Christian Horner hails ‘untouchable’ Max Verstappen as best driver in the world

Arsenal have turned down an approach from Chelsea over Emile Smith Rowe.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora was on the receiving end of fan frustration for his bullpen management in a loss to the Houston Astros.

Zach Johnson has filled out his U.S. Ryder Cup with some familiar faces

Late Monday Night, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles saw a glaring weakness in the depth of the offensive line and decided to do something about it.

The U.S. Open is the noisiest of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments

Shohei Ohtani's abilities on the mound and offensively have ignited the league, and it could start an interesting trend.

Kansas City Chiefs Rumors: One big threat remains in Chris Jones contract talks. Preseason standout Ihmir Smith-Marsette has been dealt. A Clyde-Edwards Helaire destination.

It was, not for the first time in football, a Jose Mourinho call that proved persuasive. The Roma manager last week rang Romelu Lukaku personally to say he was exactly what they were missing. “We have a good team but we are missing a champion,” Mourinho said. The Portuguese also explained to Lukaku exactly how he would work with Paulo Dybala. The hope is that the loan move reignites Roma’s faltering start to the season, and Lukaku’s career. Staying at Chelsea, while something that manager Mauricio Pochettino at least toyed with, was never really on. The club want to go in a new direction based on younger players developing in their career and capable of going to higher levels. That will be a consideration as they look for a forward in the final days of the window, although there is an expectation they will eventually move for Brentford’s Ivan Toney. The entire Lukaku situation says a lot about this summer’s market, and how it was influenced by the chase for forwards and Saudi Pro League money. The Belgian had a huge offer from the newly disruptive league from the off, that would have more than quadrupled his current wages. Lukaku wasn’t prepared to go there, though, and leave the top end of the game. It had long been anticipated that he would stay at Internazionale, where he was on loan last season, but there were already doubts in his mind. Lukaku felt he was back in top physical condition from the spring, with the goals to prove it, which made it all the more surprising that he was so often left on the bench for big games. Edin Dzeko might have been enjoying a late career surge, but the very fact that Inter manager Simone Inzaghi knew the Bosnian was leaving made it surprising that he didn’t seek to use Lukaku more. Lukaku felt it was better to move on, which is where Juventus came in. As with Roma now, a huge attraction in Juventus wasn’t just the status of the club but also the status of the manager. Lukaku was convinced by Max Allegri. There was just one major problem, as it turned out: Juventus first had to sell Dusan Vlahovic before bringing in Lukaku. This is what took the move so long. In talking with Chelsea about Lukaku, Juventus assured them there was a market for Vlahovic, and it was just a matter of time. That didn’t prove to be the case, despite a series of top clubs wanting strikers – including Chelsea themselves. All of them had Vlahovic on their list, but quite far down. It is quite an unexpected development for a player who turned down Arsenal over a year ago, although unfortunate fitness issues haven’t helped. Either way, Bayern Munich were singularly focused on Harry Kane. Paris Saint-Germain are likely to get Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani, and Vlahovic isn’t seen as a good fit for new PSG manager Luis Enrique in any case. Manchester United were never interested, as they pursued Rasmus Hojlund. “There was no place for him on the chessboard,” in the words of one involved figure. It got to the point where Juventus even turned around and offered Vlahovic to Chelsea. It never happened, though, which left the forward frustrated. There was also the complication that Chelsea were at that point insistent on Lukaku moving on a permanent transfer rather than another loan. It was then that Roma and AC Milan came in, and delicate negotiation was required by Roc Nation’s Alan Redmond and Michael Yormark, as well as Belgian lawyer Sebastien Ledure. The former had the benefit of a good relationship with Chelsea, as Roma took the lead by having Mourinho speak to the player and eventually sending a party to London to do the deal over the weekend. The Portuguese was adamant they don’t come back without getting it done. Milan never went so far, although the interest from almost all of the country’s major clubs reflects Lukaku’s reputation in Italy, where has been hailed as “the king of Serie A”. After long negotiations, and a lot of details to be finalised, a deal on a loan fee was eventually struck. Roma and Lukaku will now press ahead seeking to fire their season. Chelsea will press ahead trying to bring in one more forward before the window closes. Another domino in this interconnected forward market has gone, though. Whether that clears the way or makes it harder to navigate remains to be seen. Read More Chelsea’s Academy stars can rise to Carabao Cup challenge – Mauricio Pochettino Roma set to sign Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku on season-long loan Roma officials fly to London for talks with Chelsea over Romelu Lukaku loan deal Chelsea transfer news: Balogun, Olise, Lukaku, Chalobah and more Football rumours: Manchester City turn attention to Palace’s Eberechi Eze Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea and Romelu Lukaku must share blame for standoff

Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich will replace Lance Stroll for first practice at this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix. Brazilian driver Drugovich, who joined Aston as a test and reserve driver after winning the F2 championship last year, will take one of Aston’s prerequisite rookie practice slots at Monza. Drugovich has happy memories of Monza as it was the track where he clinched the F2 title last year. It will be the 23-year-old’s second taste of action behind the AMR23, having previously filled in for Stroll during pre-season testing in Bahrain after the Canadian injured his wrists a few weeks before the 2023 season. “The car felt great when I drove it in pre-season testing and it will be fascinating to feel how it has improved since then,” said Drugovich. “I’ve spent a lot of time in the simulator helping to develop the car so understanding how that correlates to the real thing will be super valuable for me too. “It’s also a fantastic opportunity for me to demonstrate what I’ve learnt through my testing programme. Since Bahrain I’ve done many more miles in an F1 car so I have an even better understanding of how I can deliver valuable feedback for the team.” All 10 teams are required to fill one FP1 slot per season with a rookie opportunity per car. Robert Shwartzman replaced Carlos Sainz for Ferrari last week in Zandvoort. Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack added: “We are delighted to provide Felipe with another opportunity to drive the AMR23. “He demonstrated his capabilities in pre-season testing, with a vital contribution to the team’s initial development of the car. “Monza will offer another chance for Felipe to work closely with the engineers and mechanics and build his confidence in a Read More Max Verstappen’s achievements are still underestimated, says rival Toto Wolff insists George Russell’s loss of form is a ‘myth’ Toto Wolff insists George Russell’s loss of form is a ‘myth’ Christian Horner hails ‘untouchable’ Max Verstappen as best driver in the world Lewis Hamilton says ‘totally wrong’ weather forecast cost Mercedes a podium spot

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is confident the club’s Academy stars can rise to the challenge when handed a chance to impress in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against AFC Wimbledon. Pochettino is set to fully utilise all the options at his disposal for the visit of the Sky Bet League Two side, looking to manage the workload on a squad which is already depleted by injury. Forward Mason Burstow, midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu and Noni Madueke have all come off the bench in the Premier League this season so could be handed a start, while Diego Moreira and defender Bashir Humphreys may also be involved. Whatever side he selects, Pochettino has no doubt the talented teenagers will have what it takes to make the step up. “We are thinking to start with 11 players that can perform in the way that we want,” Pochettino told a press conference. “(We want to be) right in our assessment, in our risk because you have many injuries and the squad is not big at the moment. “We are going to use four or five young guys from the academy – 17 years old, 16 years old – but Chelsea has always produced good talent, young kids and now is a good opportunity. “It is not because it is our philosophy at the moment, it is because we need to bring young guys to the first team because we have some players that cannot play tomorrow. “But I think it should be good to create the possibility for the young guys to be part of the project, part of producing players for the first team because the Academy and the coaches there are working so hard. “For a club like Chelsea, it is always good to have players from the Academy that can translate the identity of the club.” Pochettino refused to be drawn on continued transfer speculation, with defender Marc Cucurella reportedly subject of interest from Manchester United. “I cannot talk about supposition or rumours. For tomorrow he (Cucurella) is going to be able to play,” the Chelsea boss said. “The club did not communicate (anything else) to me. All of the players that are in our squad are in our plans even if they didn’t play at the moment.” With Chelsea not involved in European football this season, Pochettino intends to focus on just one thing – winning matches, whatever the competition. “I want to win the Carabao Cup, I want to win the FA Cup and I want to win the Premier League, then we will see what happens after,” the former Tottenham boss said. “Even if we are involved in the next few years in the Champions League or different European competitions – every single one is going to be a challenge for us and an opportunity to win.” Chelsea, who beat Luton on Friday night for a first Premier League win of the new season, have agreed a season-long loan deal with Roma for Romelu Lukaku. The Blues have already spent around £350million on new arrivals during the transfer window and have been linked with bringing in at least one more attacking player – with Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe reportedly on the radar. Pochettino said: “I know very well that the club is working very hard to try and finish our business with still a few days, so I think that will happen, maybe yes (another player). “At the moment, we are working to try and deliver what we want, but there is nothing to communicate at the moment.” Pochettino added: “If we had someone who can maybe improve different positions, of course they are welcome, but I am happy with how we are now.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live British athletes and staff left stranded in Budapest after World Championships US Open day one: Djokovic and Swiatek ease through as Brit Lily Miyazaki shines On this day in 2007: Sir Andrew Strauss resigns as England Test captain

Barcelona remain open to offers for wide forward Ansu Fati, while Ferran Torres has played his way back into Xavi Hernandez's plans in recent weeks.