SPIELBERG, Austria: Reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen continued his dominant form by winning the sprint at the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday to extend his championship lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez to 70 points.
It was Verstappen’s fifth straight win when including the past four Grand Prix races. Verstappen starts the full race from pole position on Sunday, when he will aim for a 42nd career GP win.
Verstappen collected eight points in the sprint — which he also won here last year — and Perez got seven for finishing second. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. collected six points with third place in the 24-lap sprint. Aston Martin’s Lance stroll took fourth place (five points) ahead of teammate Fernando Alonso (four points), Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg (three points), Alpine’s Esteban Ocon (two) and Mercedes driver George Russell (one).
In wet and rainy conditions at the Spielberg track, Perez jumped past Verstappen at the start.
“The start wasn’t ideal,” Verstappen said. “A bit of wheel spin.”
After Verstappen and Perez almost bumped into each other, Perez then dropped back to third behind Hulkenberg and Verstappen, who regained the lead.
“We could have had a really big shunt,” Verstappen said over team radio of the near miss with Perez. “We need to have a chat about that.”
They did just that, clearing the air moments after climbing out of their cars. Verstappen said they discussed the matter “like human beings” for a couple of minutes and that it was no big deal.
“We talked about it and it’s all good,” Verstappen said. “We don’t need to make it a big story. ... It’s fine.”
With the track drying up, Russell was the first to change his wet-weather tires for quicker ones on Lap 16, followed by teammate Lewis Hamilton and Hulkenberg.
Leclerc, who started from ninth after being given a three-place grid penalty, moved onto medium tires late on but placed 12th.
Verstappen also qualified for the sprint in first place.
The shortened qualifying format — known in F1 as the “sprint shootout” — set the grid for the sprint race, where Hamilton started from 18th place after being knocked out of the first part of qualifying. Hamilton looked pensive as he walked back through the paddock to rejoin his Mercedes garage.
He placed 10th in the sprint. The Austrian GP is the second of six F1 events with a format featuring a sprint race on the Saturday. Perez won the sprint race in Azerbaijan.
Verstappen and other drivers were annoyed with the race stewards on Friday for being too strict about staying within track limits during qualifying for Sunday’s race, where Verstappen starts from the the pole ahead of Leclerc and Sainz.
FERNLEY TRIBUTES
F1 president Stefano Domenicali has paid tribute to Bob Fernley, the former deputy team principal of Force India, who died at the age of 70. His death was announced by F1 on Friday night. No further details were given.
“He was such an important part of Formula 1 and his love and passion for the sport will live forever,” Domenicali said.
Fernley worked briefly with McLaren as president of its Indianapolis 500 return project until he was fired in 2019 when Fernando Alonso failed to qualify. He replaced Domenicali as chairman of the FIA’s single-seater Commission from 2020 to 2022.
Alpine driver Esteban Ocon, who joined Force India in 2017, called Fernley “a great person and leader” on Twitter.
Fernley left the team when it was sold to the Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll in August 2018. Stroll changed the team’s name first to Racing Point and then Aston Martin.
Max Verstappen beats teammate Sergio Perez to win Austrian GP sprint race
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Max Verstappen beats teammate Sergio Perez to win Austrian GP sprint race
- In wet and rainy conditions at the Spielberg track, Perez jumped past Verstappen at the start
- Perez then dropped back to third behind Hulkenberg and Verstappen, who regained the lead
Hosts Morocco cruise, South Africa advance into Cup of Nations last 16
- Olympiakos striker El Kaabi nodded in an early opener and scored an overhead kick shortly after halftime, with both of his goals set up by the outstanding Azzedine Ounahi
- Mali go through in second place after a 0-0 draw with Comoros in Casablanca
- Egypt, who rested stars like captain Salah with first place already assured, topped Group B with seven points after their draw against Angola in Agadir
RABAT: Ayoub El Kaabi’s brace helped Morocco to a 3-0 win over Zambia on Monday as the Africa Cup of Nations hosts cruised into the last 16 while South Africa beat Zimbabwe 3-2 to also secure a berth in the knockout phase.
African player of the year Achraf Hakimi made his comeback from almost two months out injured for Morocco as Mali also qualified for the next round and Mohamed Salah was rested for Egypt’s 0-0 draw against Angola.
Morocco are the tournament favorites as the host nation and Africa’s top-ranked team but they were booed off by supporters following a 1-1 draw against Mali in their last outing.
Nevertheless, Walid Regragui’s team knew a win against Zambia at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in capital Rabat would guarantee their progress to the next round in first place in Group A and they outclassed their opponents.
Olympiakos striker El Kaabi nodded in an early opener and scored an overhead kick shortly after halftime, with both of his goals set up by the outstanding Azzedine Ounahi.
In between, Real Madrid attacking midfielder Brahim Diaz swept home Morocco’s second goal on 27 minutes at the end of a fine team move, again involving Ounahi.
Diaz has found the net in all three of Morocco’s games so far and he and El Kaabi join Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez on three goals at the top of the Cup of Nations scoring charts.
Captain Hakimi came off the bench in the 64th minute for his first appearance since suffering an ankle injury in action for Paris Saint-Germain at the beginning of November.
Morocco will stay in Rabat for a last-16 tie in the same stadium on Sunday against one of the best third-place finishers.
“Scoring early on changes everything,” said Regragui. “We need to continue like this but not get carried away and keep our feet on the ground.”
Zambia go out and have now failed to win any of their 12 AFCON matches across four tournament appearances since lifting the trophy in 2012.
Mali go through in second place after a 0-0 draw with Comoros in Casablanca, a game they ended with 10 men after Amadou Haidara was sent off.
It was a third stalemate in as many matches for the Eagles, who will remain in Morocco’s largest city for a last-16 tie on Saturday.
Salah rested by Egypt
Earlier, Oswin Appollis converted a late penalty to give South Africa victory against Zimbabwe in Marrakech as Bafana Bafana qualified for the knockout stage.
Rising star Tshepang Moremi gave South Africa an early lead with a deflected effort.
However, falling behind motivated Zimbabwe and they deservedly levelled on 19 minutes thanks to the individual brilliance of Tawanda Maswanhise from Scottish Premiership club Motherwell.
Maswanhise gained possession inside the South African half, dribbled past two opponents and fired the ball wide of goalkeeper Ronwen Williams into the far corner.
South Africa began the second period aggressively and regained the lead on 50 minutes through Burnley striker Lyle Foster, for whom it was a second goal of the tournament.
Zimbabwe brought it back to 2-2 on 73 minutes when Aubrey Modiba conceded an own goal, but Appollis then netted from an 82nd-minute penalty to give Bafana the lead for the third time, which they retained.
“Once again we fell asleep after a good start. We continuously lost possession,” said 73-year-old South Africa coach Hugo Broos.
“Our passing was bad at times and we should have concentrated on retaining possession in the closing minutes instead of seeking a fourth goal. We have to work on controlling games.”
Egypt, who rested stars like captain Salah with first place already assured, topped Group B with seven points after their draw against Angola in Agadir. South Africa finished with six points, Angola two and Zimbabwe one.
The last round of group games continues on Tuesday, with Tanzania playing Tunisia and Nigeria facing Uganda in Group C. Senegal take on Benin and the Democratic Republic of Congo play Botswana in Group D.
