Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness believes Matthijs de Ligt could leave this transfer window amid rumours he could be heading to Manchester United.

De Ligt, who played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax, has been linked to a move to Old Trafford after struggling in his first two seasons at Bayern.

No formal agreement between the clubs has been reached, though reports suggest the centre-back has agreed to personal terms.

Ten Hag confirmed the club were interested in signing De Ligt, who would be their second defensive addition if he joins, after they sealed a £52million deal for Leny Yoro last week.

Bayern, meanwhile, have also bolstered their defence in the off-season by bringing in Hiroki Ito from Stuttgart, and Hoeness hinted there was a chance De Ligt could leave the Allianz Arena.

"No more players will come unless two or three players leave first," Hoeness said.

"Max Eberl and Christoph Freund know full well that no one will come unless one or two prominent players leave. The FC Bayern has no money-wasters."

"It is possible that a defender will still leave. De Ligt is Dutch, and the coach at Man Utd is Dutch.

"I would have no problem if he stayed. Personally, I would not sell [Dayot] Upamecano."

De Ligt made just 22 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern last year, starting 16, as the club finished third behind unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen and surprise package Stuttgart.

The Seattle Mariners overcame an injury to Julio Rodriguez and a cycle by Houston's Yordan Alvarez to earn a 6-4 win over the Astros in Sunday's finale of an important three-game series.

Luke Raley had a three-run homer and Jorge Polanco added a solo shot while going 2 for 4 as the Mariners avoided a series sweep and moved back into a virtual tie with Houston for first place in the American League West.

Seattle also halted a season-high five-game losing streak despite Rodriguez exiting the contest in the sixth inning. The star center fielder sustained an ankle injury when he crashed into the outfield wall while attempting a play on a ball hit by Alvarez that resulted in a triple.

Alvarez went 4 for 4 and knocked in two runs to record the 10th cycle in Astros history. The All-Star slugger singled in the first inning and homered in the top of the fourth, with the 429-foot blast off Seattle starter Bryan Woo cutting Houston's deficit to 2-1. 

The Mariners had gone ahead on Dylan Moore's two-out triple in the second inning that brought in Josh Rojas and Raley. Rojas had reached on a ground-rule double before Houston starter Ronel Blanco walked Mitch Haniger, who was thrown out at second on Raley's fielder's choice grounder. 

Polanco's homer off Blanco in the bottom of the fourth increased Seattle's lead, though the Astros moved within 3-2 when Mauricio Dubon doubled in the top of the sixth and scored on Alvarez's triple that injured Rodriguez.

The Mariners answered in their half of the sixth, however. Polanco and Haniger reached on singles before Raley launched the first pitch he saw from Seth Martinez into the right field seats for a 6-2 Seattle advantage.

After Houston got closer on Jeremy Pena's solo homer in the seventh, Alvarez completed his cycle with a double in the eighth and later crossed the plate on Chas McCormick's single that cut the lead to 6-4.

The Astros would get no closer, however, as Mariners' closer Andres Munoz struck out the side in the ninth to record his 16th save.

Woo improved to 4-1 on the season after allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five in 5 2/3 innings.

 

Ohtani's mammoth homer helps Dodgers sweep Red Sox

The Los Angeles Dodgers belted a season-high six home runs, including a titanic blast from Shohei Ohtani that cleared the Dodger Stadium bleachers, in a 9-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox that finished a three-game series sweep.

Ohtani's 30th homer of the season, a massive drive off Kutter Crawford in the fifth inning that travelled an estimated 473 feet, highlighted a power barrage that carried the National League West leaders to their first three-game sweep since June 24-26 against the Chicago White Sox. The Dodgers entered the series having lost six of their final seven games before the All-Star break.

Fellow All-Stars Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez also went deep for Los Angeles, as did Gavin Lux, Austin Barnes and Jason Heyward. Lux added a run-scoring double while finishing 3 for 4.

All-Star Game MVP Jarren Duran knocked in four runs for the slumping Red Sox, two of which came on a first-inning home run off James Paxton that staked Boston to a brief 2-0 lead.

Freeman answered with a solo shot in the bottom of the inning before the Dodgers quickly tied the game on consecutive doubles from Andy Pages and Lux.

Hernandez, the 2024 Home Run Derby champion, put Los Angeles ahead in the third with his 20th homer of the season, and Lux reached the seats in the fourth to extend the Dodgers' advantage to 4-2.

Barnes continued the power surge with a lead-off homer in the fifth that preceded Ohtani's monstrous shot, the fifth home run surrendered by Crawford (6-8) on the night.

Crawford allowed six runs in all over five innings, while the ex-Red Sox hurler Paxton overcame a shaky beginning to limit his former team to three runs across five-plus innings to improve to 8-2 on the season.

Paxton was removed after permitting a walk to Connor Wong and a Masataka Yoshida single to open the sixth, with Wong later scoring on Ceddanne's Rafaela's single off reliever Joe Kelly that brought Boston within 6-3.

The Dodgers' offence came back to life in the eighth, however. Lux singled, stole second and came home on Cavan Biggio's single before Heyward followed with a two-run homer off former Los Angeles closer Kenley Jansen for a 9-3 lead.

Boston then threatened in the ninth, with Duran's two-run double off Evan Phillips cutting into the margin. Phillips later issued a pair of walks to load the bases before giving way to Daniel Hudson, who got Yoshida to hit into a fielder's choice that scored Duran and closed the gap to 9-6.

Hudson then retired Wilyer Abreu on a fly ball with the tying run at the plate to end the game and pick up his sixth save of the season.

 

Rookie Phillips stars as Phillies end Pirates' win streak

Tyler Phillips cooled off the Pittsburgh Pirates' hot bats with six outstanding innings as the Philadelphia Phillies prevented a three-game series sweep by their Pennsylvania rivals with Sunday's 6-0 victory.

Phillips (2-0), a rookie making his second career MLB start, yielded just four hits and a walk to help the NL leaders end a three-game skid and halt the surging Pirates' season-high six-game winning streak.

Pittsburgh had totalled 23 hits in the series' first two meetings and scored 27 runs over its previous four games. 

The Phillies gave Phillips all the support he needed by reaching Pittsburgh starter Marco Gonzales for a pair of runs on three hits in the second inning.

Alec Bohm led off the second with a single and took third on Edmundo Sosa's one-out double before scoring the first run on Weston Wilson's sacrifice fly. Garrett Stubbs followed with a single that plated Sosa for a 2-0 lead.

Gonzalez (2-2) held the Phillies scoreless over the remainder of his 4 2/3-inning stint, but a costly error by Pittsburgh shortstop Oneil Cruz allowed Philadelphia to break the game open in the seventh.

With one on and one out, Cruz dropped a relay throw on a potential double-play grounder off the bat of Kyle Schwarber. Trea Turner then drove in a run with a single before Schwarber scored on Bryce Harper's groundout for a 4-0 advantage, and Turner came home on a Bohm single to further increase the margin.

Nick Castellanos accounted for the Phillies' final run with a solo homer in the ninth. Castellanos, Bohm and Stubbs each recorded two hits in the win.

 

Borussia Dortmund fell to a chastening 4-0 defeat versus Thai side BG Pathum United in their second friendly match under new head coach Nuri Sahin.

Sahin took the reins after Edin Terzic resigned in the wake of BVB's Champions League final loss to Real Madrid last month.

His first game at the helm saw Dortmund draw 1-1 with third-tier German side Erzgebirge Aue on Wednesday, before they set off on a pre-season tour of Asia.

On Sunday, they faced BG Pathum United – who finished fourth in the Thai League 1 last term – in Thanyaburi, with a team featuring the likes of Karim Adeyemi, Youssoufa Moukoko, Julian Brandt and Niklas Sule being trounced 4-0.

Speaking after the loss, former midfielder Sahin told reporters: "Of course it's a heavy defeat, but I know how to classify it. Nevertheless, we can't lose 4-0. 

"If you do the basics wrong in terms of your defence, then it can happen, even against a Thai team. I know the boys are tired, but that can't be an excuse at this level. 

"In terms of the defence, I didn't like that at all today. We have to talk about it. The basics have nothing to do with having heavy legs. The basics have to be right."

Xander Schauffele set his sights on a career grand slam after a brilliant final round saw him claim victory at The Open on Sunday.

Schauffele managed a six-under 65 through his fourth round at Royal Troon, with a run of four birdies in six holes down the back nine seeing him pull clear.

He finished two strokes ahead of Justin Rose and Billy Horschel, with Thriston Lawrence, Russell Henley and Shane Lowry rounding out the top of the leaderboard.

Having also triumphed at the PGA Championship at Valhalla earlier this year, Schauffele has become the first player since Brooks Koepka in 2018 (U.S. Open and PGA) to win two majors in the same year.

Rory McIlroy was the last player to win those same two tournaments in one year, achieving the feat back in 2014.

Only five players have ever previously won all four majors in their careers – Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods.

Schauffele is looking to follow in their footsteps in the coming years, telling reporters: "If you look hard enough, you can always find it.

"It's something, when you feel like you need an extra kick in the butt, there's several easy ways to motivate yourself.

"There's still a lot of things that I'd like to do in my career, and this is a very big leap towards that. The fire is still burning, maybe brighter than ever."

Looking at the Claret Jug in his post-tournament press conference, the world number three added: "It's an honour. I've always dreamed of doing it.

"That walk up 18 truly is the coolest with the yellow leaderboards and the fans and the standing ovation. It really is one of the coolest feelings I've ever had in my life."

Justin Rose accepted he had lost out to a "cold competitor" in Xander Schauffele after the American triumphed at the 152nd Open at Royal Troon on Sunday.

Schauffele shot a magnificent final round of 65 to seal a two-shot victory in Scotland, winning his second major after he also came out on top at May's PGA Championship.

Rose joined Billy Horschel in a share of second, the Englishman managing two birdies in his final three holes to close the gap.

Rose – who has gone 11 years without winning a major since claiming the U.S. Open title in 2013 – was proud of his efforts and acknowledged he had simply been beaten by the better player.

"Obviously I tried to enjoy the walk down 18 because we did an incredible job out there," Rose told Sky Sports. "I felt like we played unbelievable golf. 

"But Xander, every credit to him, he made it look so easy on the back nine. He's a cold, cold competitor, but I couldn't be more proud of myself with the way I competed today.

"There was just one little spell in the round where there were putts on 12, 13 and 14 that didn't drop and that's where the momentum shifted to Xander.

"That putt on 18, to finish strong, I knew it was for second place and I think I at least deserved that for the week.

"It's okay to be beaten by someone who shoots 31 on the back nine but I gave that everything."

Fellow runner-up Horschel, who held a one-stroke lead going into Sunday's final round, was disappointed to drop away, saying: "I'm going to always fight until the end. I was rewarded with three birdies there at the end to finish tied second with a good friend, Justin Rose.

"I should feel disappointed. I had a chance to win a major. I was in a really good position. I just made a few too many mistakes today when I didn't need to. 

"But we'll look back on this in an hour and I'll be very happy with what I did this week.

"I did a lot of great things that I can take on to the next few years of majors and hopefully one of these will be my time to step through the door and hold one of them."

Xander Schauffele said his earlier victory at the PGA Championship gave him a sense of calm as he claimed his second major triumph at The Open on Sunday.

Schauffele shot a sensational six-under 65 in the fourth round to come out on top at Royal Troon, beating overnight leader Billy Horschel and Justin Rose by two shots.

The world number three played a brilliant back nine to streak clear of his rivals, birdying the 14th and 16th holes before an excellent shot onto the green on the 17th all but sealed his win.

Speaking to Sky Sports after claiming the Claret Jug, Schauffele said his earlier victory at Valhalla took any nerves out of the occasion.

"I thought that would help me and it actually did," he said. "I had this sense of calm, a calm I didn't have when I played earlier at the PGA.

"For some reason, I was calm and collected. I was telling my caddie Austin that I felt pretty calm coming down the stretch and he said he was about to puke on the 18th tee!

"I told myself to just hit it down there and keep moving along.

"I played that back nine yesterday in really bad weather so I just told myself today is technically easier so go out and get it.

"To have two [major wins] is unbelievable. It took me so long to get one and it gets in your head a little bit, and now I'm just spoiling myself."

The last seven majors have now been won by American players, the longest streak of major victories by Americans since 1982.

While Schauffele won two of four majors this year, Brooks Koepka (2023 PGA), Wyndham Clark (2023 US Open), Brian Harman (2023 Open), Scottie Scheffler (2024 Masters) and Bryson DeChambeau (2024 US Open) have also triumphed in that span.

Ben Stokes hailed Shoaib Bashir after the 20-year-old's five-wicket haul helped England clinch a series victory over West Indies on Sunday.

England surged to a 243-run victory on day four at Trent Bridge, with Bashir finishing with figures of 5-41.

The hosts started the day 248-3 thanks to a terrific partnership between Joe Root (122) and Harry Brook (109), ultimately setting the Windies a target of 385 to win.

Bashir bowled a spell of 3-8 in 15 deliveries, then put some gloss on his performance by rounding off the tail with the dismissals of Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the win, captain Stokes said: "I didn't see it happening that quickly after the opening partnership, I thought they played well.

"You could see at the end of our innings the wicket started misbehaving more than it did in the first three days, a couple were bouncing and then keeping low.

"I thought the way we fought back after that first wicket was impressive, Bashir getting five wickets on a wicket that didn't really do that much.

"I thought he showed his class and his ability to be able to change his pace and undercut the ball. The wicket of Jason Holder showed the world what he's got."

England will now target a series sweep when the Windies go to Edgbaston next week, before taking on Sri Lanka in three Tests between late August and early September.

"It has been a great start after a long break between Test series. I think we've played some good cricket but I still think we can get better," Stokes said.

"I'm really looking forward to the next four matches."

 

Lewis Hamilton labelled his clash with Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix as a "racing incident" after finishing third on Sunday. 

Hamilton and Verstappen made contact coming into turn one at the Hungaroring with seven laps of the race remaining. 

The Dutchman attempted to go on the inside of his former rival to secure the final podium place, but in doing so locked up his front tyres. 

Verstappen and Hamilton made contact, with the three-time world champion briefly sent into the air and off the track as he was overtaken by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. 

The stewards swiftly placed the incident under investigation and conducted their analysis of it after the race, with the pair both escaping punishment for the collision. 

"For me it was a racing incident," Hamilton told Sky Sports. 

"Ultimately he was much quicker and he sent it. I moved a little to defend, but I left enough space on the inside and he locked up and obviously then couldn't turn.

"He came at a different trajectory and clipped my wheels. If he was under control he would have gone by."

“It’s nerve-wracking when you see the pace at which they close the gap on corners," Hamilton added of Red Bull's pace.

"You just laugh to yourself because it’s not something I can do, particularly on the last sector they were very very strong, same as the McLarens.

“I saw him coming from a long way back and he was able to brake a lot later than me, but he sent it up the inside, I stayed still and he clipped the wheel and went over, so I think it was a racing incident."

Hamilton's third-place finish saw him claim a 200th podium, the first driver in the history of the competition to reach that milestone. 

The seven-time world champion, who claimed 49 of those podium finishes with McLaren, was pleased to see his former team produce their first one-two since the Italian Grand Prix in 2021. 

“Big thanks to this amazing crowd and a huge congratulations to the McLarens with the one-two, that’s my old original family so it’s great to see," Hamilton said. 

“For us, the team have done a great job at pushing this car ultimately, we didn’t have the pace of the McLarens or of the Red Bulls but we were just able to hold on at the beginning of the race, it was very tough to hold on and make those tyres last."

In a dramatic turn of events on the fourth day of the second Test at Trent Bridge, the West Indies suffered a resounding 241-run defeat to England, sealing a 2-0 series loss with one Test still to play. Despite the crushing defeat, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite remained optimistic, acknowledging the team's effort while highlighting areas for improvement.

England's Shoaib Bashir was the star of the match, claiming his first five-wicket haul on English soil. His 5 for 41 wrapped up the West Indies innings inside 90 minutes of the final session, ensuring England's dominant victory.

Reflecting on the match, Brathwaite said, "I'm reasonably happy with the performance, but it could have been better with the ball. We were good in the first innings but didn't follow through in the second. The effort from the guys was there; the fitness is evident. We need to be much more disciplined. England showed us how to bowl on this pitch, particularly avoiding getting hit square of the wicket. But the guys will learn. Kavem's hundred followed by a duck is just how Test cricket goes."

Brathwaite continued, "We dropped some crucial catches, and that happens. We need to improve our line and length, but catches win matches. I wouldn't have expected that collapse, but it's gone, it's history. Test cricket is never an easy game. We've got to stay tough and keep fighting."

England's comprehensive win was set up by centuries from Joe Root and Harry Brook, who propelled the hosts to 425 in their second innings. This marked the first time in England's history that they scored over 400 runs in both innings of a Test. Chasing a daunting target of 385, the West Indies started positively, reaching 61 without loss thanks to Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis. However, a devastating spell from Chris Woakes and Bashir saw the team crumble, losing 5 for 21 in the space of 35 balls and ultimately bowled out for 143.

Brathwaite was the top scorer for the West Indies with 47 runs, but his efforts were overshadowed by Bashir's record-breaking performance. At 20 years and 282 days, Bashir became the youngest England bowler to take a five-wicket haul in a men's Test at home, surpassing the previous record held by recently retired seamer James Anderson.

England's first innings score of 416, bolstered by Ollie Pope's 121 and contributions from Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes, set the stage for their commanding position. The West Indies initially responded well with 457, featuring a century from Hodge and notable performances from Da Silva and Athanaze. However, the team faltered in their second innings, leading to a decisive English victory.

 

Xander Schauffele came from nowhere with a brilliant six-under 65 to triumph at The Open, following up his victory at the PGA Championship in May.

Schauffele began Sunday's fourth round as one of six players at three under, one stroke back of overnight leader Billy Horschel in the hunt for the Claret Jug.

But the world number three managed six birdies to beat Horschel and Justin Rose by two shots at Royal Troon, making it the seventh straight major to be won by an American.

Back-to-back birdies at holes six and seven put Schauffele in contention, but it was over the back nine where he really stepped things up to pull clear of his rivals.

He took the outright lead on the 13th, sinking a difficult 13-foot birdie putt as playing partner Rose and fellow contender Thriston Lawrence both dropped a shot.

As was the case at Valhalla in May, Schauffele proved an excellent pace-setter, birdying again on the 14th and the 16th then holding his nerve at the death, finding the heart of the green with ease on the penultimate hole to all but seal the deal.

While Rose shot four under and Horschel three under to share second place, Lawrence was one stroke further back at six under for the week, and Russell Henley finished five under after a bogey-free final round of 69.

Shane Lowry, who had led at the start of the weekend but carded a miserable six over on Saturday, rebounded somewhat with a score of 68 to finish sixth.

Lowry said of victor Schauffele: "You need to hole everything on a day like today, especially to beat someone like Xander, who's in the form he's in.

"It looked like he was running away with it again. He did that on me at the PGA, and he's done it again today.

"He just doesn't really hit many bad shots, does he? I went there two back at the PGA, and I felt like I shot a decent score, and I wasn't anywhere near him. He's obviously good when he's out in front."

Jon Rahm joined Scottie Scheffler and Sung-Jae Im as the only other players with a negative score at one under, having briefly threatened a push for the title with three straight birdies to open his final round before tailing off.

Shoaib Bashir took five wickets as England secured a comfortable 243-run win over West Indies to confirm their series victory at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

Bashir's figures of 5-41 saw England surge towards the win in a single session on the fourth day of the second Test. 

England started the day 248-3 as Joe Root (122) and Harry Brook's first Test century (109) laid the foundations for the triumph, setting West Indies a target of 385 to win. 

The tourists scored 61-0 from the first 13 overs before Chris Woakes (2-28) removed openers Mikyle Louis and Kraigg Brathwaite in quick succession. 

And a spell of five wickets in six overs dismantled any hope of a comeback, as Bashir bowled a magical spell to claim 3-8 in 15 deliveries.

Mark Wood (1-17) sent Kevin Sinclair walking in the 23rd over as Gus Atkinson (2-49) struck twice in three balls to put England within touching distance of the victory.

It would be Bashir who would secure the triumph, bowling out Shamar Joseph to secure his third five-wicket haul in five Test appearances as West Indies were bowled out for just 143. 

It gives England their first series win since the tour of Pakistan in 2022. They will look for a 3-0 sweep when the final Test begins at Edgbaston on Friday.

Data Debrief: Bashir the main man

Root’s 122 was his 32nd Test hundred, one short of Alastair Cook’s England record, moving ahead of Shivnarine Chanderpaul (11,867) to become the eighth all-time run-scorer in Test cricket (11,870).

But on Sunday, it was all about Bashir, England's main man with the ball in hand. He became the first spinner since 2006 to take five wickets in a Test at Trent Bridge.

Arthur Fils came through a decisive tie-break to beat home favourite Alexander Zverev in the Hamburg Open final, securing his second ATP-level title.

The 20-year-old triumphed 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-1) in a three-and-a-half-hour marathon, saving a remarkable 21 of 22 break points, including five in the final set, to follow up his 2023 triumph in Lyon.

Fils raced into a 3-0 lead in the opener before having to fend off four break points in the fifth game as he took the lead, but defending champion Zverev roared back in the second set.

Zverev got the breakthrough six games into a back-and-forth second as the big-serving German forced a decider.

Having saved break points at 4-4 and 5-5 in the third, Fils came on strong in the tie-break, recording the biggest win of his career and his fourth versus a top-10 opponent.

Data Debrief: Fils' rise continues as Zverev falls short

Fils is just the second player aged under 21 to triumph at the Hamburg Open, after Roger Federer in 2002 and Lorenzo Musetti in 2022. 

Zverev, meanwhile, missed the chance to become the fifth man to defend the Hamburg title in the Open Era, after Eddie Dibbs (1973-74), Andre Medvedev (1994-95), Federer (2004-05) and Nikoloz Basilashvili (2018-19).

 

Max Verstappen raged at Red Bull's strategy after finishing fifth at the Hungarian Grand Prix, declaring the team are no longer able to rely on a pace advantage.

Verstappen recorded his joint second-worst finish of the year at the Hungaroring as Oscar Piastri led Lando Norris in a McLaren one-two.

The three-time world champion's race was defined by a collision with old rival Lewis Hamilton, coming into contact with the Mercedes on lap 63 when he overshot a corner on an attempted overtake.

Verstappen vented his frustrations over team radio, telling race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase: "You gave me this s*** strategy. I'm trying to rescue what's left."

Speaking to Sky Sports after the race, the Dutchman refused to apologise for those comments as he said: "I don't think we need to apologise. 

"I just think we need to do a better job. I don't know why people think you cannot be vocal on a radio. This is a sport. If some people don't like that, then stay home."

Verstappen, who also dropped below Charles Leclerc late on, continued: "I'm not happy.

"On a day when we're lacking pace compared to McLaren, you hope we do the right things with strategy, which was not the case.

"You can't rely on a little pace advantage. Maybe last year when the car was quite a lot faster than everyone else, but in the position we are in now, we can't do that.

"Naturally that frustrates me because I want things to be done better. I'm realistic.

"Today we couldn't have beaten the McLarens, but a P3 was on the cards if we were on it a bit more."

Lando Norris said he will always put the team first after handing fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri his maiden Formula One victory at Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.

Norris started on pole at the Hungaroring but dropped two places at the first corner as team-mate Piastri and world champion Max Verstappen surpassed him.

Verstappen later fell away and ultimately finished fifth, while Norris inched ahead of Piastri after making an earlier pitstop.

Norris – who claimed his first win at the Miami Grand Prix in May – was repeatedly asked to hand the lead back to Piastri but refused to do so until two laps before the finish.

It looked like Norris might refuse the order as engineer Will Joseph told him he would need Piastri's support to push for the world championship, but he told reporters after the race he would always prioritise the team. 

"It's tough. It would be tough for anyone when you're leading the race to give it up," Norris told Sky Sports. "I was obviously put in the position. 

"They made me box first and gave me the chance to lead the race and pull away quite comfortably and to do what I was doing.

"I think it was fair to give the position back. I don't want to come across as the guy who is not fair. Oscar has done a lot for me in the past and helped me in many races.

"He drove a better race than I did. He got a good start, a better start and mine sucked. He deserved it and it was the right thing to do."

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, meanwhile, was proud of the drivers' efforts, telling Sky Sports: "We are on this trajectory together. 

"None of us – the team, Lando or Oscar – can go alone. That's the message that we discussed on Sunday morning.

"With racing drivers you need to refresh this message. That's why we have this meeting every Sunday.

"We are extremely pleased by how our drivers are supporting the trajectory of McLaren which is incredible. For me, that's the news today."

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