SPIELBERG, Austria: Charles Leclerc revived his Formula One title challenge by holding on to win the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday for a third victory of the season, while his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz’s hopes of a second-place finish ended when his engine blew as he was about to attack Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Leclerc was clearly stressed in the closing laps as his throttle was not working properly, making it more difficult to control his speed into turns.
“Yes! Come on!” Leclerc screamed on team radio after crossing the line. “I was scared. I was really scared. Yessss!”
The Monaco driver held on to beat second-place Verstappen by 1.5 seconds.
“I definitely needed that win, the last five races have been incredibly difficult,” Leclerc said. “At the end it was really difficult, I had this problem with the throttle.”
A relieved Leclerc sang along as the anthem played on the podium, then engaged in a Champagne-spraying joust with a grinning Verstappen. Leclerc didn’t forget Ferrari’s race director Laurent Mekies, either, dousing him with bubbly.
The mutual respect between Verstappen and Leclerc — both 24 years old and former fierce karting rivals — is growing strongly.
“You guys were so fast today,” Verstappen said in the post-race cool down room.
“Yeah, we were very quick,” Leclerc replied.
Leclerc moved up to second overall but is still a distant 38 points behind Verstappen — 208 vs. 170 — with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez dropping to third. He retired after 26 of 71 laps after being hit on the opening lap when trying to overtake George Russell’s Mercedes.
Verstappen picked up a bonus point for fastest lap to go with the eight points he took by winning Saturday’s sprint race.
Lewis Hamilton finished third for Mercedes and encouragingly gained a third straight podium place. Russell got a five-second time penalty for the Perez incident but placed fourth. Even more impressive since Mercedes had to repair both cars after a late crash in Friday’s sprint qualifying.
“Those are great points and we move forward from here,” Hamilton said. “So thankful to the team for working so hard.”
After cutting out on Lap 58 of 71, Sainz’s car was burning and started to slide backward in the gravel as a marshal rushed toward it with a fire extinguisher and urged the Spaniard to jump out. Sainz got out in time as flames were licking his race suit. He was unharmed, sitting on the grass to contemplate his bad luck.
The incident brought out a virtual safety car, causing Leclerc and Verstappen to change to fresh tires in case a real safety car came out.
Leclerc’s fifth career victory was one of his best, considering how he held on at the end. It was also a very welcome one for the driver after five difficult races without a podium and much confusion over team decisions.
Last Sunday, it was Leclerc who was exasperated at the British GP when his team kept him out on track rather than pit him for new tires during a late safety car, leading to Sainz’s first victory and discussion about team divisions within Ferrari.
This time it was Sainz who was left with a bitter taste.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,” he repeated disbelievingly when his engine went.
Seconds later he had more pressing matters as flames rose around him.
Verstappen never really looked like getting his seventh win of the season and his fifth overall at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, where legions of orange-clad fans roared him on at his team’s home race.
“It’s great to see so many fans coming to Austria, it’s just a shame I couldn’t give them a win today,” he said. “We suffered with the tires. Still, second place is a good result.”
Six years after his debut, Esteban Ocon celebrated his 100th F1 race with fifth place for Alpine ahead of Mick Schumacher, who is on a roll with Haas after securing his first career points with eighth place at Silverstone.
Lando Norris (McLaren), Kevin Magnussen (Haas), Daniel Ricciardo (Mclaren) and Fernando Alonso (Alpine) completed the top 10.
Leclerc had already overtaken Verstappen twice with clean passes to control the race. But with around 20 laps to go Verstappen led again after Ferrari pitted Leclerc and Sainz in quick succession.
But with only a small lead Verstappen was unable to hold out for long and Leclerc overtook smoothly — before late drama threatened to scupper his victory.
Verstappen had started from pole ahead of Leclerc and Sainz. They almost collided as they chased each other in Saturday’s sprint race as tensions carried over from Silverstone. By late Sunday afternoon, Leclerc was all smiles and Sainz was being consoled in the team garage.
Elsewhere, Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri bumped Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin into the gravel and got a five-second penalty. After emerging unscratched from a horror crash last Sunday at the British GP, Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu placed 14th for Alfa Romeo.
Leclerc holds on to win Austrian GP, Verstappen 2nd
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Leclerc holds on to win Austrian GP, Verstappen 2nd
- Leclerc had already overtaken Verstappen twice with clean passes to control the race. But with around 20 laps to go Verstappen led again after Ferrari pitted Leclerc and Sainz in quick succession
Delhi down Rajasthan to stay in IPL play-off race
- Delhi posted 221-8 courtesy of Jake Fraser-McGurk’s 20-ball 50 and an attacking 65 by Abishek Porel at their home Feroz Shah Kotla ground
- Rajasthan looked good in their chase after Samson’s fifth half-century of this season but his dismissal turned the match in Delhi’s favor
Delhi posted 221-8 courtesy of Jake Fraser-McGurk’s 20-ball 50 and an attacking 65 by Abishek Porel at their home Feroz Shah Kotla ground.
Rajasthan looked good in their chase after Samson’s fifth half-century of this season but his dismissal, a catch in the deep which was ruled clean by the third umpire, turned the match in Delhi’s favor.
Rajasthan, who are yet to confirm their play-off spot, lost three more wickets in the next two overs and Delhi restricted the opposition to 201-8 for their sixth win in 12 matches.
“We had it in our hands, it was 10-11 runs per over which was achievable but these things happen in the IPL,” Samson said after the loss.
Inaugural champions Rajasthan, placed second behind toppers Kolkata Knight Riders, have eight wins in 11 matches and still favorites to make the top two in the play-offs.
Top four teams will make the play-offs but number one and two will have the advantage of getting an extra match to enter the final on May 26 in Chennai.
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav returned impressive figures of 2-25. Fast bowlers Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar also took two wickets.
But the batters set up victory after Fraser-McGurk, who raised his 50 in 19 balls, and Porel attacked in an opening stand of 60.
Rajasthan lost wickets after the openers departed but Tristan Stubbs hammered 41 off 20 balls in a late charge to take the total to 221-8.
Stubbs was helped by Gulbadin Naib, who hit 19, and Rasikh Salam, who hit two sixes in his nine runs, as Delhi got 53 runs from the last three overs.
The in-form Samson, a wicketkeeper-batsman who has amassed 459 runs, attempted to set up the chase only to depart in the 16th over when Shai Hope caught the batsman off Kumar.
Hope’s foot was parallel to the boundary rope but the third umpire ruled it out and a disappointed Samson walked back after a chat with the on-field officials.
Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin led the Rajasthan bowling with figures of 3-24.
Yuzvendra Chahal took his 350th T20 wicket — first Indian to achieve the feat — when he got skipper Rishabh Pant, a left-hand batsman, caught out at fine leg for 15.
Strong Day 4 showing from World’s Top 10 as Saudi Smash livestream viewership surpasses 2 million globally
- Trio of Top 10 players progress to women's singles last 32; four of men’s Top 10 also progress
- Over 260,000 hours of Saudi Smash action watched on WTT Livestream & Livestream Replay; impressions reach 10 million
JEDDAH: The world’s best players were back in full flow at Saudi Smash 2024 with several top seeds securing statement wins on Tuesday. After some sensational upsets 24 hours prior, the table tennis elite showed their quality and skill on Day 4 of Saudi Arabia’s latest international sporting event – moving within touching distance of the latter stages with some exceptional play and performances.
With the highest-ranked Saudi and Chinese players in action across 29 matches in Jeddah, a wonderful blend of local and international fans watched on as the Men’s Singles round of 32 took centre stage at King Abdullah Sports City. World number 2 Fan Zhendong, French fifth seed Felix Lebrun, Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto (#9), and Germany’s Dang Qiu (#10) all progressed to the last 16 with impressive victories.
A trio of top 10 players also moved within one match of the Women’s Singles quarter-finals. China’s world number 1 and Saudi Smash favorite Sun Yingsha secured passage to the next round alongside her countrywoman Chen Xingtong (#6). Mima Ito (#10) also progressed, setting up a highly anticipated all-Japanese showdown with Miyuu Kihara on Wednesday.
Day 4 came to a close on Table 1 inside the Infinity Arena as hometown heroes Ali Alkhadrawi and Abdulaziz Bu Shulyabi faced off against the Men’s Doubles top seed pairing of Wang Chuqin and Ma Long – the world’s number 1 and 3 ranked players. The Chinese duo progressed to the quarter-finals following a high-quality clash.
Despite falling short against the Men’s Doubles favourites, Ali Alkdahrawi – the Kingdom’s highest-ranked player – was full of optimism ahead of Saudi Smash 2025 and beyond. He said: “Playing against the world’s best pairing is invaluable experience for both of us and the occasion was all the more special because of our home supporters. We’re blessed and fortunate to have received the best support possible in this event. We really enjoyed today’s match and went into it with high confidence. It stands us in good stead as we look to continue our development and we can’t wait to return for next year’s second edition.”
Organised by the Saudi Table Tennis Federation (STTF) and World Table Tennis (WTT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Sport, Saudi Smash is the newest WTT Grand Smash event and one of three major tournaments in the WTT Series Calendar.
Since Saudi Arabia’s first officially sanctioned table tennis event started, its influence and impact have been felt around the globe with accumulated livestream views on WTT channels surpassing two million. Over 260,000 hours of Saudi Smash action have also been watched across livestream and livestream replays – where impressions have also exceeded 10 million.
Running until May 11, Saudi Smash combines the precision and skill of the world’s best table tennis players with the dynamic and entertaining experience of a WTT Grand Smash with 240 of the world’s best men, women, and doubles athletes from 55 countries competing.
The Saudi Smash joins an incredible year-round schedule of international sports in Saudi Arabia and is a part of the Kingdom’s investment in sport, which aims to inspire its people to enjoy active and healthy lives as part of the country’s Vision 2030 cultural transformation.
Tickets to Saudi Smash are on sale here.
For the complete player list, visit here.
UAE claims 9 medals on opening day of Jiu-Jitsu Asian Youth Championship
- It is the first time that youth competitions have been included in the continental championship
- UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team excelled in the jiu-jitsu discipline, securing nine medals, including two golds and two silvers
ABU DHABI: The Jiu-Jitsu Asian Youth Championship kicked off at Mubadala Arena in Zayed Sports City with hosts UAE amassing nine medals on the opening day.
Featuring competitions for athletes under 16, 18, and 21 years old, the youth championship is part of the eighth Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship held under the patronage of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, from May 3-8.
It is the first time that youth competitions have been included in the continental championship.
The inaugural day witnessed competitions across various disciplines including duo-classic, show, jiu-jitsu, and jiu-jitsu fighting. The UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team excelled in the jiu-jitsu discipline, the only discipline it is participating in, securing nine medals, including two golds and two silvers.
Najla Hashem (-48 kg) and Haneen Alkhoori (-57 kg) won gold for the hosts, while Ali Alnajar (-40 kg) and Hamdan Alnajar (-48 kg) won silver. Alyazia Aljneibi (+63 kg), Ghala Al-Hammadi (44 kg), Zayed Al-Hosani (+77 kg), Saif Al-Balushi (44 kg), and Saif Hamad Al Ameri (62 kg) won bronze.
Hyo-Joo Kim relishing chance to play Aramco Team Series event in home country
- ‘Unique format of the event excites me,’ golfer says
- $1m pro-am competition is first for Ladies European Tour in South Korea
LONDON: South Korean golfer Hyo-Joo Kim says she is “excited” about playing in an Aramco Team Series event in her home country later this week.
The series is heading to Seoul for the second leg of a five-location global tour, as the Ladies European Tour makes its debut in South Korea, at the New Korea Country Club.
The event runs from Friday to Sunday and will see 36 teams — each comprising three professionals and one amateur — competing for the team title, before the professionals battle it out on the final day for the individual title and a share of the $1 million prize pot.
Kim said that playing in front of a home crowd would be a major source of motivation to clinch her first Aramco Team Series in her debut year.
“I’ve heard from those on tour how special Aramco Team Series events are and how they are set up like a major. As soon as I heard the series was heading to Korea for the first time there was no doubt that I would be competing,” she said.
“The unique format of the event excites me. I’ve never played in a tournament quite like it. I’m looking forward to competing with some of my fellow LPGA players here on Korean soil and exciting the passionate crowds.”
Kim will be joined by American Danielle Kang, who is on the hunt for her first win since 2022. The 2017 KPMG PGA Championship winner is no stranger to the city and has Korean heritage.
“I’m thrilled to be participating in the Aramco Team Series in Korea,” Kang said.
“I absolutely love the team aspect of this series and can’t wait to play alongside a great field of golfers from both the LPGA and LET. I am very thankful for this opportunity and excited to compete.”
Saudi fighter Al-Qahtani faces Morocco’s Bendaoud as PFL tournament makes MENA debut
- Iraq’s Ali Taleb faces Jordanian Nawras Abzakh in the bantamweight division co-main event
- The first of four PFL MENA Season events takes place in Riyadh
Riyadh: Abdullah “The Reaper” Al-Qahtani headlines the fight card when the Professional Fighters League stages its first PFL MENA event in Riyadh on May 10.
The capital hosts the opening instalment of a four-event sport-season format featuring the region’s top fighters in a groundbreaking initiative with SRJ Sports Investments.
The action at the Green Halls in Riyadh will feature fights in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, with the best Middle Eastern and North African fighters competing in a PFL playoff win-and-advance format.
Al-Qahtani takes on Morocco’s Taha Bendaoud in a featherweight bout, while the co-main event features Iraqi fighter Ali Taleb, who will meet Jordan’s Nawras Abzakh in a bantamweight showdown.
PFL MENA Fight Card
Featherweight main event: Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs. Taha Bendaoud
Bantamweight co-main event: Ali Taleb vs. Nawras Abzakh
Bantamweight: Xavier Alaoui vs. Rachid El-Hazoume
Featherweight: Islam Reda vs. Adam Meskini
Bantamweight: Tariq Ismail vs. Jalal Al-Daaja
Bantamweight: Elias Boudegzdame vs. Hassan Mandour
Amateur female atomweight: Hattan Alsaif vs. Nada Faheem
Featherweight: Maraoune Bellagouit vs. Motaz Askar
Featherweight: Ahmed Tarek vs. Abdelrahman Alhyasat
Showcase featherweight: Mido Mohammed vs. Yazeed Hasanain
Showcase flyweight: Malik Basahel vs. Harsh Pandya
