Lucas Paqueta has defended Neymar against "false" accusations that the Brazil star turned up to Paris Saint-Germain training sessions drunk, describing them as "a lie".
The pair, rivals in Ligue 1 and team-mates with the Selecao, are both in camp ahead of their final Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Bolivia.
Neymar has arrived on the back of a rough personal period at Parc des Princes, having been booed alongside Lionel Messi following the club's Champions League exit.
Reports from RMC Sport suggested the forward had breached discipline at the club by showing up to training in a state of inebriation.
But speaking in a pre-match press conference, Lyon attacking midfielder Paqueta has fired back at such claims, hailing his fellow Selecao star as a "great professional".
"It's a total lack of respect, to say or transmit information that is false," he stated. "Obviously, [Neymar] didn't comment on that, I believe it's a lie.
"People talk too much and it ends up affecting us a little in a way, it's difficult to filter all that. You can't believe what people say. I believe Neymar is a great professional.
"Neymar, above all, is a great person, a great professional, who has an incredible talent, without a doubt is our best player in the Brazilian team.
"Having him with us is a privilege, particularly me, when I have Neymar on my side, I feel much stronger, as do all my team-mates.
"I think he also feels the same, we motivate each other more, hug each other more and that makes us stronger."
Paul Pogba is "not satisfied" with how Manchester United have performed over the past five seasons and says he does not feel as though he has a role at Old Trafford.
France international Pogba returned to United in 2016 for a then-record transfer fee of £89million (€105m) following four trophy-laden campaigns with Juventus.
Pogba has had far less success on the trophy front at United, having won only the EFL Cup and Europa League – both of those coming under Jose Mourinho in 2016-17.
The 29-year-old is out of contract at the end of the campaign and is widely expected to depart on a free transfer, with Juve and Barcelona among the clubs reportedly interested.
With United out of each cup competition this term and battling for a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League, Pogba is heading for a fifth year without any silverware at club level.
"We have to be honest, I am not satisfied over the last five years, not at all," he told La Figaro. "This year, it's dead, we will win nothing again.
"Whether it is with Manchester or in another club, I want to win trophies."
Pogba has won the World Cup and UEFA Nations League with France, whom he is currently on duty with ahead of friendlies against Ivory Coast and South Africa.
And unlike at club level with United, where he has played under three managers, Pogba feels far more settled with Les Blues with long-serving boss Didier Deschamps in charge.
"It's simple. With France, I play, and, in addition, in my position. I know my role, I feel the confidence of the coach and the players," he said.
"It's normal to feel this difference with Manchester, because it's hard to be consistent when you often change position, game system or partners.
"At Manchester United, do I really have a role? I ask the question and I don't have the answer."
Will it be Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane? Italy or Portugal – or indeed neither? Can Canada end their long wait, and are the United States and Australia at risk of missing out?
Those questions and plenty more are set to be answered over the next week or so as World Cup qualifying concludes for many nations.
Just 15 of the 32 participants have so far been confirmed for Qatar 2022, leaving 48 teams battling for the 17 remaining spots.
Fourteen more countries will be assured of a finals berth come the end of next week in what is very much crunch time for those still in contention.
Stats Perform looks at the key talking points.
Egypt seeking revenge in AFCON final repeat
Less than two months on from meeting in the Africa Cup of Nations final, Egypt and Senegal face off over two legs for a place in Qatar.
Senegal prevailed in a penalty shoot-out to claim their first AFCON crown and, buoyed by that triumph, will consider themselves as favourites here.
While both teams boast an array of top-class talent, this fixture is being billed as a showdown between Liverpool team-mates Salah and Mane.
The two biggest stars in African football, only one of the pair will be part of the World Cup later this year – and neither will fancy watching it all unfold from home.
This is not the only grudge match taking place in the CAF section over the next week and a half, as fierce rivals Ghana and Nigeria will also face off in a two-legged play-off.
Cameroon are up against Algeria, Mali take on Tunisia and DR Congo meet Morocco in the other three ties, each of which will be concluded on March 29.
European heavyweights on collision course
Since the play-off draw in the UEFA section took place in November, all talk has centered around a potential meeting between Italy and Portugal for a place in the finals.
The winners of the past two European Championships, either the Azzurri or the Selecao will miss out on the biggest tournament of them all.
It should never have been this way, of course, as both teams were strong favourites to finish top of their groups and qualify automatically.
Italy finished second to Switzerland and Portugal were runners-up to Serbia, meaning the sides must now come through two qualifying ties.
First up for the reigning European champions is a meeting with North Macedonia in Palermo, while Portugal face Turkey in Porto, with the winners of both ties advancing.
Should, as expected, Italy and Portugal come through those semi-finals, the latter will have the advantage of staging the final on home soil five days later.
For Portugal skipper Cristiano Ronaldo, it presents what will surely be his last chance to play at a record-equalling fifth World Cup.
Pathways impacted by political events
Path C of UEFA qualifying is undoubtedly the most eye-catching, but there are also some tasty fixtures in the other two sections – not least a possible Home Nations derby.
Scotland and Wales were kept apart in the Path B semi-finals but could meet in the final should they overcome Ukraine and Austria respectively.
However, due to ongoing events in Ukraine, their game against Scotland has been pushed back – likely until June – as has the final involving either Wales or Austria.
In Path C, Russia had been due to face Poland, but the invasion of Ukraine forced FIFA and UEFA's hand and they have been banned from competing.
Poland have therefore been handed a bye to the qualifying play-off final, where either Sweden or the Czech Republic await. That match will be contested next week as planned.
Canada on verge of ending long wait, USA with work to do
The United States qualified for every World Cup between 1990 and 2014, but they missed out on a place at Russia 2018 after an embarrassing loss to Trinidad and Tobago.
Gregg Berhalter's side are by no means assured of one of the three automatic qualification spots in the CONCACAF section this time around, either.
USA sit second with three games to go, but they still have to travel to third-placed Mexico, as well as facing Panama and Costa Rica, who occupy fourth and fifth respectively.
Level on points with Mexico and four ahead of Costa Rica, it could be a tense finale to qualifying for the Stars and Stripes.
That should not be the case for Canada, who are eight points clear of fourth and are all but assured of ending their 36-year wait to make a second World Cup finals appearance.
Brazil and Argentina through, but who will join them?
The drawn-out South American qualifiers are nearing their conclusion and only four of the 10 sides know their fate at this juncture.
It has been plain sailing for Brazil and Argentina, who are assured of an automatic qualifying spot with three games to go, including a rescheduled meeting between the pair.
Behind those perennial World Cup representatives are Ecuador, who have been the surprise package in qualifying and can finish no lower than fifth.
Ecuador will not be content with anything other than a top-four finish, though, and they can make certain of that with victory over Paraguay.
Assuming Ecuador get over the line, that will leave Uruguay, Peru, Chile, Colombia and Bolivia battling it out for progression, which sets up some intriguing fixtures.
Uruguay occupy fourth place, meaning their qualifying aspirations are in their own hands, but they have Peru and Chile – the two sides behind them – still to face.
Socceroos sweating on finals spot
Only four teams advance automatically from the CONMEBOL section, with the team in fifth entering a play-off against the winner of the AFC fourth round in a one-off tie in June.
That may well turn out to be Australia as the Socceroos are five and four points behind top two Saudi Arabia and Japan in Group B with two games to go.
However, those remaining two fixtures are against those nations occupying automatic qualification places, so Australia may yet sneak through.
Iran and South Korea have already made certain of progression in Group A, meanwhile, leaving the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Iraq to compete for third place.
The two third-placed finishers – which, as it stands, are Australia and the UAE – will meet in a one-legged match ahead of that aforementioned play-off with a CONMEBOL side.
Davante Adams says he is like a "kid in a candy store" after making a dream move to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Superstar wide receiver Adams left the Green Bay Packers to join the Raiders in a blockbuster trade last week.
Adams is a lifelong Raiders fan and will be reunited with his former Fresno State Bulldogs team-mate Derek Carr.
The 29-year-old signed a five-year deal worth up to $141million, making him the highest-paid receiver in league history, but stressed it is not all about the money.
He said: "Everybody's saying, 'Congrats on being on the Raiders'. It hasn't been, 'Congrats on 140 million dollars.' It's been, 'Congrats, you get to play for a team you grew up loving.'
"Obviously, I've already made a lot of money. But to have this type of security, get to a place that is almost like leaving high school and going to college again, you're a kid in a candy store.
"To be in a place where they're happy to have you and give you all that money? It's just a bonus. But money doesn't buy you happiness; it can buy you a nice house. It's pretty cool."
He added: "It is a dream to be a Raider, man. It's a dream come true. In a third-grade yearbook, I said I wanted to be a, you know, an NFL star or an NBA star.
"And I was wearing a Charles Woodson jersey at the time. So, it's been documented forever, so I guess you can say it was meant to be."
Leading the league in receiving touchdowns in 2020 (18), Adams has posted combined numbers of 2,927 yards and 29 touchdowns over the past two seasons while attracting intense game-planning from opposition defenses.
Gary Neville believes Manchester United will make an announcement on a new manager in a "week or so" following reports the club has met with Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils have been looking for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's permanent successor since appointing Ralf Rangnick in charge on an interim basis back in November.
Dutchman Ten Hag has been frequently linked to the post, alongside Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino.
Now, Neville anticipates that the club could be closing in on their preferred candidate.
"Reports [suggest] Ten Hag has been interviewed this week," the former United defender wrote on Twitter.
"If formal interviews have started and with it being such a public process I would expect a new manager announcement within a week or so."
United are hiring their third permanent manager in the space of six years, following Jose Mourinho and Solskjaer's tenures in the top job.
Since taking the reins, Rangnick has won nine of his 20 games in charge at Old Trafford, but has been unable to prevent the club from going another season empty handed.
Ajax boss Ten Hag meanwhile is on course to lead the Eredivisie outfit to a third successive league title (the 2019-20 season was voided due to the coronavirus pandemic). They have just three top-flight losses this season and lead PSV by two points in the table.
Wayne Rooney and Patrick Vieira are the latest inductees into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Former Man Utd striker Rooney and ex-Arsenal captain Vieira are the first names included as automatic picks in the class of 2022.
Six more players are set to join them by a public vote over the next fortnight, with the winners from a 25-player field of nominations to be announced in April.
Rooney – United's all-time leading goalscorer and second only to Alan Shearer in the competition's all-time list – won five Premier League trophies, while Vieira skippered the Gunners to three titles.
"It's a huge honour for me to be named in the Premier League Hall of Fame, alongside an incredible group of players who have already been inducted," Derby County boss Rooney said.
"Growing up, I watched the Premier League as far back as I can remember.
"To enter the Hall of Fame is very special for me personally and I'm grateful to be recognised."
Vieira, now back in the Premier League as manager of Crystal Palace, echoed Rooney's sentiments, adding: "Being inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame is a fantastic achievement.
"To be there with the best players in the Premier League, the best league in the world, is bigger than what I was ever thinking about.
"To have my name around those players makes me proud and makes me realise how good I was."
The Premier League of Hall Fame is in its second year of inception, having begun last year with an initial slate of eight honorees.
Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham were inducted previously as the class of 2021.
Paul Pogba has opened up on suffering from bouts of depression during his playing career.
The World Cup winner became the most expensive footballer on the planet for a period when Manchester United re-signed him from Juventus back in August 2016.
Pogba has bore the brunt of criticism at time for the Red Devils' inconsistent performances, with the 29-year-old having not won a major honour with United since collecting winners' medals in the EFL Cup and Europa League in 2017.
Speaking to La Figaro while on international duty with France, Pogba revealed he has had to contend with personal issues away from the pitch.
"I've had depression in my career, but we don't talk about it," he said.
"Sometimes you don't know you are, you just want to isolate yourself, be alone. These are unmistakable signs."
Pogba went on to say he noticed his struggles beginning during Jose Mourinho's time as manager at United.
The two endured a reportedly rocky relationship when the Portuguese was in charge at Old Trafford, with Pogba losing the vice-captaincy in September 2018.
"Personally, it started when I was with Jose Mourinho at United," Pogba added.
"You ask yourself questions, you wonder if you are at fault because you have never experienced these moments in your life."
Pogba added the personal riches and acclaim that come from being a professional footballer does not stop players from going through difficult times.
He said: "All top athletes go through these moments but few talk about it. Inevitably, you will feel it [depression] in your body, in your head, and you may have a month, even a year, where you are not well. But you don't have to say it. In any case publicly.
"We earn a lot of money and we don't complain really, but that doesn't prevent us from going through moments that are more difficult than others, like everyone else in life.
"Because you make money, you always have to be happy? It's not like that, life. But, in football, it does not pass, we are however not superheroes, but only human beings."
Draymond Green says the Golden State Warriors are "playing stupid" after they got "punked" by "one of the worst teams in the league" the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.
The Warriors slumped to a third consecutive defeat, going down 94-90 after scoring only 16 points in the final quarter at Amway Center.
Golden State slipped to 47-25 and are third in the Western Conference, with the struggling Magic registering only a 20th win of the season.
Steve Kerr's Warriors side were once again out of sorts in the absence of the injured Stephen Curry and Green pulled no punches with his verdict on their latest loss.
The four-time NBA All-Star said: "I think we're playing soft. We're playing stupid. We're just not playing good basketball and we're getting punked.
"It's hard to win a game getting punked. So that's where we are right now."
Green added: "In order to execute, that requires a certain level of physicality. We're not meeting that.
"No disrespect to the Orlando Magic, but that's one of the worst teams in the league. We can't match that with them. And if you can't match that with them, you definitely can't match that going against a great team."
Head coach Kerr also gave a frank assessment of Golden State's shortcomings.
He said: "We have to be smarter. There has to be a level of discipline and accountability, of competitive desire.
"And, I know these are great guys. I love these guys. I know they want to win. But we have to learn how to win. Right now we don't know how to win."
You don't know what you've got until it's gone.
That is how tennis fans the world over will be feeling after women's world number one Ash Barty shockingly announced her retirement on Wednesday.
Barty noted that achieving a lifelong goal of winning Wimbledon last year and being "spent physically" were motivating factors behind her decision.
The 25-year-old bows out on top having lifted her home slam at the Australian Open back in January, and is a three-time singles major champion.
Following news of her retirement, Stats Perform has delved into some of Barty's best facts from a stellar career.
SECOND ONLY TO OSAKA IN SLAMS SINCE 2016
There have been 14 different singles grand slam champions in a stacked women's game since 2016.
In that time, Barty has women three major titles – the second most alongside Angelique Kerber. Indeed, the only player to have more in the women's game over that period is Naomi Osaka with four.
Barty retires on a 13-match winning streak (all on hard courts), a run that of course includes her triumph at the Australian Open.
It matches the best run of her career, with Barty proving 13 is not unlucky for all by racking up the same amount of wins on clay and grass between May and June 2019 – that stretch having seen her lift her first slam at the French Open.
KVITOVA A FAMILIAR FOE
Barty has mixed it with the best in the women's game but she has faced no player more than two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
She has faced the Czech on 10 occasions, with the two sharing five wins apiece. Barty has also beaten Sofia Kenin, Karolina Pliskova, Shelby Rogers and Kiki Bertens on five occasions.
Caroline Wozniacki (3) and Mona Barthel (2) are the only players Barty has faced more than once but never beaten in women's tennis.
Conversely, Barty has defeated each of Marketa Vondrousova, Camila Giorgi, and Saisai Zheng four times from as many attempts, her most matches against any players against whom she has maintained a 100 per cent win rate.
STILL GOING STRONG
Never has the saying "always leave them wanting more" been truer than in the case of Barty.
She has averaged seven aces per match in women's tennis in 2022, the joint-most of any player alongside China's Qinwen Zheng and Hailey Baptiste of the United States.
Barty has made 77 aces in total in 2022, the joint-sixth most of any player but 30 fewer than WTA leader Madison Keys (107).
Moreover, she has won 94 per cent of service games, the highest rate of any player and eight percentage points higher than second-ranked Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.
Barty won 71 per cent of her points when serving this calendar year, the highest rate of any player and four percentage points higher than second-most Rybakina.
Indeed, Barty did not lose a match in her shortened 2022 season, finishing 11-0 and winning 25 of her final 26 matches.
114 WEEKS AND OUT
Barty is the second female player to step away from the game when ranked world number one, with Justin Henin having done so in 2008 after 61 consecutive weeks at the top.
Barty does so having racked up 114 straight weeks at the summit of the rankings, a run which represents the fourth longest in the history of the WTA Tour behind only Steffi Graf (186 weeks), Serena Williams (186) and Martina Navratilova (156).
Her accumulated total of 121 weeks represents the seventh highest of all time. Barty finishes her career with 15 singles titles in total and 12 in doubles, while she ends with a 305-102 win-loss singles record, and 200-64 in doubles.
Ash Barty has been hailed by the world of tennis after shockingly announcing her retirement at the age of 25 on Wednesday.
The popular Australian bows out as the world number one and having won three singles grand slam titles, the most recent of which came at her home major the Australian Open in January.
Announcing the news on Instagram, Barty cited achieving a lifelong goal of winning Wimbledon last year coupled with being "spent physically" as reasons that had accelerated her decision.
After making the surprising decision public, Barty has received praise from across the sport.
GUTTED FOR TENNIS
Former men's world number one Andy Murray reacted by saying: "Happy for Ash Barty, gutted for tennis. What a player."
It was a sentiment shared by many on social media, with former women's number one Simona Halep paying tribute to a "special" player.
"Ash, what can I say, you know I have tears right? My friend, I will miss you on tour. You were different, and special, and we shared some amazing moments. What's next for you? Grand Slam champion in golf?! Be happy and enjoy your life to the max xo Simo," Halep wrote.
Dylan Alcott, the only man to complete the Golden Slam in quad singles, winning all four majors and the Paralympics in 2021, added: "Ash Barty. Amazing tennis player but even better person. A champion in every sense of the word. Very proud of you mate."
TENNIS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME WITHOUT YOU
Reflecting the mood of many, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova wrote: "Ash, I have no words... actually you are showing your true class leaving tennis in this beautiful way. I am so happy I could share the court with you.. tennis will never be the same without you! I admire you as a player and a person.. wishing you only the best!"
The great Tracy Austin added: "Happy for you, @ashbarty to go out on your terms but the tennis world will miss a great champion. Love your elegant, athletic style of play and have always been impressed with the way you handle yourself on and off the court. Enjoy the next chapter."
"Nothing but RESPECT for you @ashbarty!!! All the best in your retirement and congratulations on your distinguished career!" Elina Svitolina posted.
Karolina Pliskova spoke of the "privilege" of playing against Barty, writing: "Congrats on an incredible career Ash. It was a privilege to share a court with you. Wishing you all the best in your next chapter, @ashbarty. You will be missed."
"An incredible tennis player but more importantly one of the nicest people on tour. Congratulations @ashbarty on an amazing career and good luck with what’s next!" Madison Keys posted.
Andy Roddick, a former US Open men's singles champion, merely added: "Wow."
FOR EVERY YOUNG GIRL THAT HAS LOOKED UP TO YOU
The WTA posted a glowing tribute to Barty on its official Twitter account.
"For every young girl that has looked up to you. For every one of us that you've inspired. For your love of the game. Thank you, @ashbarty for the incredible mark you've left on-court, off-court and in our hearts," the Tour wrote.
The Australian Open posted several tributes, with one reading: "A career that has inspired the world. Thank you @ashbarty, for everything. We wish you the best in your retirement, and we’ll always be here cheering you on for the next chapter. Forever a champion."
Ash Barty stunned the sporting world on Wednesday by announcing her retirement from tennis, bowing out as the top-ranked player in the women's game.
The popular 25-year-old has not featured since winning her home grand slam at the Australian Open in January, becoming the first female Aussie singles champion of the tournament since Chris O'Neil in 1978.
Announcing the news on her Instagram page, Barty cited achieving a lifelong goal of winning Wimbledon last year as a primary factor behind her decision as well as being "spent physically".
But Barty is by no means the first sporting hero to retire at the top of their game. Below we take a look at some other examples of those who have exited as champions.
ALAIN PROST
The 1993 Formula One season was largely dominated by one man – Williams driver Alain Prost. The Frenchman had to battle hard with the iconic Ayrton Senna at the start of the campaign, with them each taking three wins from the first six races of the season. However, a run of four straight victories for Prost were followed by a string of retirements for Senna, ensuring a fourth world title that provided the ideal ending to a glittering career.
ALEX FERGUSON
One of the most successful managers in world football, Alex Ferguson began a 27-year stint at Manchester United after an excellent spell at Aberdeen. The Scot won 28 major trophies at Old Trafford, including 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions Leagues. His final trophy came with top-flight glory in 2012-13, and 17 days later he brought the curtain down.
PEYTON MANNING
Considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Peyton Manning won his first Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts in 2007 and, after an injury-blighted season that raised doubts about his ability aged 39, he added a second with the Denver Broncos in 2016, bowing out on the ultimate high.
RICHIE MCCAW, DAN CARTER
New Zealand became the first nation to successfully defend the Rugby World Cup trophy by beating Australia 34-17 in the final at Twickenham in 2015, adding to their success on home soil four years prior. It proved the end of the line for captain Richie McCaw, who was at the time the most capped player in rugby union with 148 appearances for the All Blacks, as well as mercurial fly-half Dan Carter. Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Kevin Mealamu were also among an influential contingent that opted to end their international careers.
PETE SAMPRAS
In defeating Andre Agassi in the final of the 2002 US Open, the same opponent he overcame to win his first grand slam 12 years prior, Pete Sampras secured his place among the greats in men's tennis. It was a then-record 14th major singles title for a male player for the American, a milestone that has since been surpassed by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, but he did not compete again and announced his retirement almost one year later.
PHILIPP LAHM, MIROSLAV KLOSE
At 31 you still have a number of years ahead of you in football. However, after lifting the World Cup trophy with Germany in 2014, Philipp Lahm decided to call time on his international career and focus on club football with Bayern Munich. The versatile full-back made 113 appearances for his country and was joined by fellow centurions Per Mertesacker and Miroslav Klose – whose tally of 71 international strikes is a German record – in switching focus to domestic matters.
MARION BARTOLI
A first grand slam at Wimbledon in 2013 appeared to be the breakthrough moment for a 28-year-old Marion Bartoli, but reality proved very different. The Frenchwoman defeated Sabine Lisicki – who had overcome pre-tournament favourites Serena Williams and Agnieszka Radwanska – in the All England Club final, but announced her retirement during the Western and Southern Open just 40 days later due to persistent injuries. She attempted a comeback in 2018 but continued setbacks and injuries curtailed those plans.
NICO ROSBERG
Nico Rosberg had engaged in several intense battles with Lewis Hamilton before finally getting the better of his Mercedes team-mate to become Formula One world champion in the 2016 season. Still only 31, Rosberg had potentially several more years in F1 but the German instead opted to depart having reached the pinnacle of his sport.
Trae Young's return to Madison Square Garden was like a recurring nightmare for New York Knicks fans as the Atlanta Hawks prevailed 117-111.
Young, who became public enemy number one in New York when he erupted in the playoffs, eliminating the Knicks in the process, was spectacular again on Tuesday night.
He finished with a game-high 45 points (13-of-25 shooting, seven-of-15 from three) to go with eight assists, and was supported by a season-high 32 points (11-of-20 shooting, four-of-10 from three) from Bogdan Bogdanovic off the bench.
New York's R.J. Barrett played hard, but was ultimately inefficient, scoring 30 points on nine-of-25 shooting, going one-of-seven from long range and 11-of-17 from the free throw line.
The win pulls the Hawks' record even at 36-36, with last year's Eastern Conference finalists set for a play-in battle as they occupy the 10 seed.
Somehow, the opening race of the 2022 Formula One season in Bahrain last weekend managed to compare to the drama of 2021.
The first Ferrari one-two finish since Singapore in 2019, wheel-to-wheel duels between race winner Charles Leclerc and reigning world champion Max Verstappen, Mercedes achieving damage limitation with late DNFs for both Red Bull cars, new regulations creating the potential for a huge shakeup in the pecking order – there was a lot that went on at the Sakhir circuit on Sunday.
Ferrari are the biggest story coming into Jeddah this weekend, though.
There was enough to suggest Ferrari would compete with Red Bull and Mercedes coming out of winter testing, but just how competitive remained to be seen.
Despite Verstappen's failure to finish, Leclerc and Carlos Sainz dispelled any doubt in that regard with a maximum points haul. Something that arguably reinforces the point on Ferrari's strength was Sainz admitting he did not have the best of weekends.
"I mean in FP1, FP2 and FP3 I was very far behind, the most far that I've been ever in Ferrari and that's why even with a one-two that we scored I'm not entirely happy with the weekend, because as a Ferrari driver it's been my most difficult weekend," Sainz said.
"It just shows I need to put my head down, understand this car, understand where is Charles making the difference with his driving and the way he's approaching the corners and driving the tyres, also in the race."
For Leclerc, however, there's a belief that he finally has a car accordant to his talent to compete for the driver's title.
"Coming into this season, we surely knew we were going to be in a better position compared to the past two years but we didn't really know where, and now we see that we are actually in the mix to fight for a title, so it's amazing," he said.
Ferrari and Mercedes battle across the grid
The fascinating battle between a resurgent Ferrari and a previously dominant Mercedes will not just be fought between the factory teams this weekend in Saudi Arabia.
Amid new regulations, an interesting detail was the battle below the top teams. Ferrari power units made for five of the top ten positions in Sakhir, and four of the top six.
Meanwhile, apart from Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in the factory cars, Mercedes-powered cars made up the bottom six cars to have finished.
The Ferrari-powered Haas and Alfa Romeo have long been lagging at the back of the pack, but now look strong enough to take up the fight to Alpine, as well as the ambitious and Mercedes-powered McLaren and Aston Martin teams.
The midfield battle will be as fierce as the one at the front of the grid, while Saudi Arabia might shed some more light on the McLarens of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo.
How quickly Red Bull bounce back?
Red Bull provided the bulk of the late drama in Sakhir, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez both failing to finish, due to fuel pump failure.
New fuel regulations for 2022 have meant higher engine temperatures on lower fuel, and Red Bull did not do enough low-fuel running during winter testing to encounter what they did in Sakhir.
Meanwhile, Mercedes and Ferrari were able to rectify these problems heading into the season start.
The question is, though the Red Bull is unquestionably strong in terms of race pace, how much will Verstappen have to play catch-up in the drivers' standings as the team sorts their fuel pump problem out?
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 26
2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 18
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 15
4. George Russell (Mercedes) 12
5. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) 10
Constructors
1. Ferrari 44
2. Mercedes 27
3. Haas 10
4. Alfa Romeo 9
5. Alpine 8
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