Leclerc fumes as VSC benefits Max
Formula 1: Ferrari's Charles Leclerc could only curse his luck as a virtual safety car greatly benefited race leader Max Verstappen.
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ABC News
6 hours ago
- ABC News
Oscar Piastri says he wants a 'fair opportunity' from McLaren to win the F1 drivers' championship
Formula 1 drivers' championship leader Oscar Piastri says all he wants is "a fair opportunity" in his quest to become world champion. Piastri has a 22-point lead over his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, with the duo participating in a championship fight that has captivated audiences through the first half of this season. Four-time defending world champion Max Verstappen, who has two grand prix wins this year, has not given up the fight and is 43 points adrift of Piastri. After predicting that on-track drama was "inevitable" ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Norris drove into the back of Piastri late in the race as the teammates battled for fourth. Norris, who then went into the barrier, failed to finish while Piastri finished fourth and established the season-high 22-point lead in the championship. The championship battle resumes at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, with McLaren insisting their two drivers are free to race each other in pursuit of the title. Piastri, who has won five grands prix this season, refuses to entertain the idea of McLaren prioritising one driver over the other, as the team attempts to win the drivers' championship for the first time since 2008. "I think, for me, I just want — and we all want — a fair opportunity trying to win both championships, especially in the drivers' championship, because ultimately, it can only be one of us," he said. "I think the situation has to change dramatically to start having those conversations, and they're a very long way away at the moment. "So at the moment, all I can ask for is a fair chance to try and win the championship, and that's what I want as well. "No, I'm not willing to enter those talks at all." McLaren enjoys a commanding 175-point lead in the constructors' championship, a title they won in 2024. But George Russell's win in Canada proved Mercedes had made improvements, while Verstappen has been ever-present at the front of the grid. Verstappen is hoping upgrades on his Red Bull Racing car this weekend will provide the boost he needs to try and claw back the deficit he has to both McLaren drivers. "The team has been working hard to get these parts," Verstappen said. "Of course, I'm very happy that we have an upgrade here, and yeah, every little bit forward will help us be more competitive and hopefully close the gap a little bit. "But at the same time, we also know that others are also bringing bits throughout the year. "So, we just need to keep working hard, keep trying to close that gap down."
News.com.au
10 hours ago
- News.com.au
City thrash Juventus to maintain 100% record at Club World Cup
Manchester City turned on the style to seal top spot in Group G at the Club World Cup with an emphatic 5-2 win over Juventus on Thursday. The third straight victory for Pep Guardiola's side increases the chances of City avoiding a meeting with Real Madrid in the last 16 -- a fate that may now await Juventus. City and Juve will not know their opponent until the final pair of games in Group H conclude later on Friday. A positive day for City saw 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri make his first start since rupturing his ACL in September and Guardiola's side, featuring several new faces, look significantly improved on the team which struggled to finish 13 points behind Premier League champions Liverpool last season. City were on top from the outset with a Bernardo Silva header forcing Juve keeper Michele Di Gregorio to save with his feet in the fifth minute. Four minutes later, Guardiola's new-look side had the lead when after a characteristic, patient build-up, Rayan Ait-Nouri split the Juve defence with a superb pass which Jeremy Doku collected and dispatched into the far corner. Juve were gifted an equaliser when City's Brazilian keeper Ederson's pass out was intercepted by Teun Koopmeiners who marched into the box and confidently fired home. Juve returned the gift though in the 26th minute when French defender Pierre Kalulu, under no pressure, turned a low cross from Matheus Nunes into his own net. A short but intense downpour just before half-time cooled the stadium down and Guardiola introduced his prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland at the break and it took just seven minutes for him to find the scoresheet. - Rodri return - Tijjani Reijnders fed Matheus Nunes whose low cross found an unmarked Haaland in the middle and while it wasn't the cleanest of finishes from close range, the striker celebrated his 300th career goal. Rodri left the field in the 66th minute to applause as Ilkay Gundogan took over his role in the centre of midfield but City continued to over-run the Turin side. Haaland latched on to a long ball from Ederson and looked for fellow sub Phil Foden in the middle but put his cross beyond the England man only for Savinho to recover it and set-up Foden for a simple conversion. Savinho then made made it 5-1 when after a Haaland shot was saved by De Gregorio's feet, the Brazilian met the loose ball with a thundering drive which flew in off the underside of the bar. Juventus had created little but restored a little pride when Kenan Yildiz produced a lovely touch and clever pass to set Dusan Vlahovic free and the Serbian beat Ederson from the edge of the box. "It has been a long time since we had a performance like this on and off the ball. The players were committed and we are happy to beat a top side," Guardiola said afterwards. "This is just one game, but I think the players felt again what it was like to be a good team. The belief always comes from your performances, not your past," added Guardiola, who was delighted to have Rodri back at the heart of his team. "We have missed him a lot. He knows exactly what he has to do with the ball, and his personality. I didn't expect him to play as many minutes. He will be ready for the next one. Everybody gave an incredible performance," he said. For Juventus it was a mauling that they will need to quickly recover from before their last 16 game. "They have much stronger players than us and I'm not going to look for excuses," said Croatian coach Igor Tudor. "We suffered. We weren't able to steal the ball, we were deep and we didn't play well with the ball. We paid for everything, we had to be perfect but they always arrived first to the ball," he added. "This defeat does not put anything into perspective, we played against the best team in the world. I have nothing to reproach my players for, we'll take this blow, now we'll rest and move on".
SBS Australia
15 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Newsflash: 27th June - Last drinks for Arkea - B&B? And No Tao in the Tour.. Again
Tensions around team sponsorships are intensifying in the WorldTour. Lotto Dstny secured a last-minute deal to stay afloat for the Tour de France, but its future beyond 2025 remains uncertain. Arkea-B&B Hotels faces a steeper drop, with both main sponsors withdrawing, and the team needing new backers urgently by 2026. The Tour de France start list has taken more hits. Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek) and David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) have withdrawn, as both were unable to regain their race form in time. Benoît Cosnefroy also remains sidelined, further thinning the French hopes at their home Grand Tour.
