Ross Brawn has defended the FIA's handling of the Belgian Grand Prix and insisted drivers deserved to be awarded points from the shortest race in Formula One history.

Torrential rain prevented any competitive racing at the Spa-Francorchamps track on Sunday, with Max Verstappen awarded the victory when the red flag was raised after just two laps were completed behind the safety car.

Lewis Hamilton, who was third behind George Russell, branded the event a "farce" and claimed the drivers were only sent out for financial reasons.

Regulations ensured only half the usual points were awarded, but Fernando Alonso stated it was "shocking" that any were given out on a "terrible day”.

F1 managing director of motorsport Brawn knows the outcome was "not ideal" but did not see any alternative.

"I feel terrible for the fans, who turned out in their thousands and braved consistently wet conditions in the grandstands to support their heroes," said Brawn in his column. "They showed such dedication and will never forget this weekend.

"Unfortunately, the weather worked against us. It was relentless. The FIA tried everything they could, sending the cars out twice behind the safety car to assess the conditions. It wasn't so much the intensity of the rain that was the problem, more that it was consistent which led to very poor visibility.

"It's pretty rare to see a weekend where the weather has been so intense, so consistently. Every effort was made to get the race under way safely and normally, there is a window when you can bring the safety car in, but that wasn't possible.

"At the end of the day, safety comes first. And it wasn't safe enough to continue the race. So the FIA did the best they could in what have been very challenging circumstances, of which we've not seen in decades.

"Half points were awarded. It's not ideal but if you can't reward someone for the race, reward them for the bravery in qualifying.

"A lap like George Russell did in qualifying in the absence of a full race should be rewarded. As I say, it's not ideal, but it's where we are. The weather just wasn't in our corner on Sunday."

Thierry Henry has joined the Belgium coaching staff on a permanent basis until after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The former France striker was initially employed to work with the Red Devils five years ago following Roberto Martinez's appointment as head coach.

Henry helped Belgium reach the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia before taking over as Monaco boss.

The Arsenal legend moved to the MLS with Montreal Impact in 2019 after he was sacked by Ligue 1 club Monaco.

Henry ended his spell as Impact head coach in February last year and returned to the Belgium set-up for the rearranged Euro 2020.

The Royal Belgian Football Association on Monday revealed the 44-year-old will be working under Martinez as the Red Devils bid to win a first major tournament next year.

Belgium are top of World Cup qualifying Group E with two wins from three matches.

Luis Suarez will not feature for Uruguay in September's World Cup qualifiers after suffering a knee injury against Villarreal on Sunday.

Suarez started for the first time of the new season for Atletico Madrid and equalised for Diego Simeone's men to record his eighth goal involvement in 13 games against Villarreal.

However, the Atletico forward was forced off 14 minutes later after appearing to have discomfort in his left knee.

Following scans in Spain, Atletico have found a moderate swelling in Suarez's knee and informed Uruguay that the 34-year-old will not be available for the World Cup qualifiers against Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.

The former Barcelona forward is expected to undergo further treatment throughout the week, though it remains unclear whether he will be fit enough to feature against Espanyol on September 12.

Fortunately for the reigning LaLiga champions, they acquired Matheus Cunha in late August and Angel Correa is in fine form, scoring three in his first three games of 2021-22.

Uruguay, though, have not been so lucky. Suarez's injury further compounds Oscar Tabarez's problems as he is left without two strikers for the qualifiers, Edinson Cavani his other absentee.

Manchester United striker Cavani's absence was confirmed on Monday, too, as Uruguay announced he would not be travelling to South America amid issues over quarantining on his return to the United Kingdom.

Raphael Varane was able to reflect on a winning debut for Manchester United, as he revelled in the intensity of the Premier League.

Signed from Real Madrid in the off-season, World Cup-winning defender Varane made his debut in United's 1-0 win over Wolves on Sunday.

Partnering Harry Maguire at the back, Varane made a team-high five clearances and provided the assist for Mason Greenwood's fortuitous late winner.

"A good feeling! I was very, very happy to be here and to help the team get this victory," the 28-year-old told United media.

"The feeling is absolutely amazing. The Premier League is very intense. The game, it's very fast. I came here for that feeling."

Asked if the major difference between his experiences in Spain and England was the intensity or the atmosphere, Varane replied: "Both. The atmosphere is fantastic, and the game is very fast.

"You have a lot of action during the game. You have to be focused and very concentrated because it never stops. It's attack, attack, counter-attack and it's very fast."

Varane is soon to be joined at United by former Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who is to return to Old Trafford after leaving 12 years ago.

United agreed a deal with Juventus on Friday for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who underwent a medical in Portugal this weekend and is expected to finalise his move before Tuesday's deadline.

"I am very happy. He's a legend and all players can learn when you play with him," Varane said of Ronaldo.

"It's a great help for all players, for all young players, and of course he never stops scoring goals, so he will help the team."

YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul survived the biggest test he has faced inside the ring after withstanding former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.

Paul (4-0) was sent to the ropes by boxing debutant Woodley, who landed an overhand right in the fourth round to rattle the 24-year-old in Cleveland on Sunday.

However, Paul overcame the adversity to score a split decision 77-75, 78-74, 75-77 for his fourth professional boxing win.

"He's a tough opponent ... it was a tougher fight than I expected," Paul said afterwards. "My legs felt weird since the locker room, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.

"All respect to Tyron, he's a tough opponent. This is a dream come true."

Paul was not happy one judge awarded the fight to Woodley, adding: "Let's be honest, that's bull****.

"Especially in my hometown. Like, where's that judge at? He hit me with one [real] shot the whole fight."

Woodley demanded a rematch post-bout, the 39-year-old saying: "I feel like I won the fight.

"F*** the Fury fight – me and Jake need to run that back. I want a rematch."

There has been talk of Paul facing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury's younger brother Tommy (7-0) in his next boxing bout.

But Paul said: "I haven't gone to the dentist, I haven't gotten my haircut. My teeth are crooked, my nose is crooked, I may need to chill out for a bit. I'm still only 24."

Wolfsburg made Bundesliga history on Sunday after Mark van Bommel's table-topping side preserved their perfect start to the season with a 1-0 win over RB Leipzig.

Jerome Roussillon scored the only goal of the match as leaders Wolfsburg made it three victories from three games – the only team with a 100 per cent record heading into the international break.

Wolfsburg have collected nine points from their opening three games of a Bundesliga campaign for the first time.

They also ended the day top of the table for the first time since winning the title in 2008-09 (minimum three games played).

"It is always nice to win," former PSV head coach Van Bommel, who was appointed ahead of the campaign, told reporters. "Especially, to do so three games in a row.

"We are the only team in the Bundesliga that has done that at the moment. Anyone can beat anyone. The quality is just very high. Leipzig could have taken a draw or even won. It was very close. Therefore, it was a top game, a proper top game which is decided by details.

"Today we had the advantage. But in two weeks we will travel to Furth and then we start from the beginning again. Bayern [Munich] will do so as well, but not only Bayern. Everyone is behind us. The situation can quickly change.

"We have to be realistic. It is nice to have nine points, it means we are working well. But it is not guaranteed that it will continue this way and no guarantee that we will win every game."

After winning 13 consecutive games, the New York Yankees suffered back-to-back MLB losses following Tony Kemp's late home run as the Oakland Athletics triumphed 3-1.

With the next pitch after Mark Canha's double, Kemp produced the decisive hit in the eighth – his tie-breaking two-run homer lifting the A's on Sunday.

In 16 at-bats against the Yankees this season, Kemp slugged 1.124 and did not strike out once. According to Stats Perform, no other player in history has had a 1.100-plus slugging percentage with zero strikeouts against the Yankees in a season with at least as many at-bats.

Paul Blackburn had earlier tossed down five shut-out innings for the Athletics, before Andrew Chafin closed out the win.

Yan Gomes' fourth-inning run had put the A's ahead before Gary Sanchez scored following fielding errors from Gomes and Mark Chapman on Anthony Rizzo's nine-pitch at-bat.

The result – which completes a split of the four-game series – helped the A's (72-59) move closer in the American League (AL) Wild Card standings, two and a half games adrift as the Yankees (76-54) lead the race.

Franco joins exclusive group as Rays crush Orioles

The Tampa Bay Rays topped the Baltimore Orioles 12-8 to become only the third team in MLB's divisional era to win 18 games against one opponent in a single season. Joey Wendle delivered a two-homer and six-RBI performance, including a seventh-inning grand slam. Rays rookie Wander Franco, meanwhile, extended his on-base streak to 29 games with a sixth-inning single. Franco's run is the longest active streak in the majors, the sixth longest in American League/National League history and second longest in AL history. It is the longest streak by any player under the age of 21 since Hall of Famer Frank Robinson (43) in 1956.

Javier Baez hammered a two-run home run into the second deck before igniting controversy with a thumbs down gesture to his own fans after receiving boos earlier in the game as the New York Mets won 9-4 against the Washington Nationals.

The Chicago White Sox belted five home runs in their 13-1 win over the Chicago Cubs, including a pair from Luis Robert. Jose Abreu joined Paul Konerko (six) and Frank Thomas (10) as the only White Sox players with six-plus 100-RBI seasons. He became the first White Sox to reach 100 RBI in 125 games or fewer since Jermaine Dye in 2006.

Austin Riley drilled a two-run homer to help the Atlanta Braves to a commanding 9-0 shut-out victory over the high-flying San Francisco Giants.

Yoshi Tsutsugo crushed a walk-off three-run homer to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates past the St Louis Cardinals 4-3.

Abreu and Astros suffer blowout

Houston Astros reliever Bryan Abreu had a nightmare as the Texas Rangers powered an eight-run fifth inning in their 13-2 win. Astros pitcher Zack Greinke allowed six runs with nine hits, before Abreu stepped up in the fifth, only to allow seven runs from five hits including an Adolis Garcia grand slam, the Rangers' first since 2019. It was a blowout for the AL West-leading Astros against the Rangers, who are last in the AL West.

Salvy hits hot streak

Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez homered for the fifth consecutive game in his side's 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners, tying Mike Sweeney's franchise record from 2002. Perez has also moved into second for home runs in the majors this season, behind only two-way Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani (42) and he has scored eight home runs and 15 RBIs on the Royals' current 10-game trip.

Sunday's results 

Philadelphia Phillies 7-4 Arizona Diamondbacks
Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 St Louis Cardinals
Tampa Bay Rays 12-8 Baltimore Orioles
Miami Marlins 2-1 Cincinnati Reds
New York Mets 9-4 Washington Nationals
Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians 7-5 Boston Red Sox
Atlanta Braves 9-0 San Francisco Giants
Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 Minnesota Twins
Chicago White Sox 13-1 Chicago Cubs
Texas Rangers 13-2 Houston Astros
Colorado Rockies 5-0 Los Angeles Dodgers
Seattle Mariners 4-3 Kansas City Royals
Oakland Athletics 3-1 New York Yankees

Red Sox at Rays

The Red Sox (75-57) make the trip to Tampa to take on leaders the Rays (82-48) in a crucial clash in the AL East on Monday. Nick Pivetta starts for Boston as Tampa Bay counter with Luis Patino.

Lorenzo Pellegrini said Roma are dreaming of Serie A glory after maintaining their perfect start to the season by routing newly promoted Salernitana 4-0.

Roma captain Pellegrini scored twice as the Giallorossi made it two wins from two matches to open the 2021-22 league campaign on Sunday.

Jordan Veretout and new signing Tammy Abraham were also on target for Roma, who have scored at least seven goals in their first two Serie A matches for just the second time since the 1970s, having defeated Fiorentina 3-1 on matchday one.

Roma have not won the Scudetto since 2000-01, having failed to finish in the top four in 2019 (sixth), 2020 (fifth) and 2021 (seventh).

Former Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter boss Mourinho is in his first season with Roma and after fans were signing about the Scudetto, Italy international Pellegrini told DAZN: "We hope one day to make that dream come true.

"It does feel different this year, we are told to take it one game at a time, and this time it really is the approach we take.

"We will never speak about the next match, no matter how important it is, until this one has been played."

Mourinho became the third Roma head coach to win his first two Serie A games in charge since 2000, after Claudio Ranieri in 2009-10 and Rudi Garcia in 2013-14.

Roma, meanwhile, have won both their first two Serie A games for the first time since the 2014-15 season.

"I'm really pleased, we won a game that wasn't straightforward," said Pellegrini, who has scored five of his last six Serie A goals against newly promoted teams.

"It wasn't easy to find the goal but we managed to do it at the start of the second half and after that it was much easier."

New York Mets star Javier Baez insisted "if we win together, then we're going to lose together" after explaining his thumbs down celebration amid boos from the team's fans.

Baez arrived from the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline, but the World Series champion and two-time MLB All-Star has struggled to impress in New York, where fans have voiced their dissatisfaction.

Since joining the Mets, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Baez has hit .207/.258/.414 with three homers and five RBIs in 16 appearances.

The Mets (63-67) are third in the National League (NL) East and seven games adrift in the Wild Card race.

Baez homered in Sunday's 9-4 win over the Washington Nationals and celebrated by giving the crowd a thumbs down, a gesture replicated by team-mates Francisco Lindor and Kevin Pillar.

"Just the boos that we get," Baez said. "We're not machines, we're going to struggle. We're going to struggle seven times out of 10.

"It just feels bad when I strike out and I get booed, it doesn't really get to me, but I want to let them know that we're going to do the same thing to let them know how it feels.

"If we win together, then we're going to lose together and the fans are a really big part of it. In my case, they've gotta be better. I play for the fans and I love the fans, but if they're going to do that, they're just putting more pressure on the team and that's not what we want."

Baez added: "It was my opinion, it's just how I feel. I love the fans and I like playing for the fans, but we can't have our fans against us."

The Mets released a statement afterwards, with president Sandy Alderson condemning Baez's actions.

"These comments, and any gestures by him or other players with a similar intent, are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated," Alderson said. "Mets fans are understandably frustrated over the team's recent performance.

"The players and the organisation are equally frustrated, but fans at Citi Field have every right to express their own disappointment. Booing is every fan's right.

"The Mets will not tolerate any player gesture that is unprofessional in its meaning or is directed in a negative way toward our fans. I will be meeting with our players and staff to convey this message directly. Mets fans are loyal, passionate, knowledgeable and more than willing to express themselves. We love them for every one of these qualities."

Mets manager Luis Rojas said: "Especially Mets fans, New York fans, this market, this city knows baseball probably more than any other city.

"They have the right to react however they want, and we've got to understand where they're coming from. Our job is to be ready every game to give them the best baseball.

"I haven't had many conversations with Javy about that, everything's been about the game. Getting to know Javy more and more everyday, he's an outstanding kid to be around. Javy being a new guy around here, getting to know our fanbase.

"Some of the reaction that our fanbase has, you see it's something he's learning. Our fans are like that, our fans are very passionate. They're going to demand the best out of everyone here."

Mauricio Pochettino revealed how Lionel Messi has already had an impact on his Paris Saint-Germain team-mates after the new superstar signing made his long-awaited debut for the club.

Messi was introduced as a 66th-minute substitute during PSG's 2-0 win over Reims on Sunday, coming on to replace former Barcelona colleague Neymar in the Ligue 1 fixture.

His brief cameo saw him complete 20 of his 21 attempted passes while he was also fouled three times, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner having received a rousing reception upon his introduction from both the home and away fans inside the stadium.

Pochettino was pleased to see his fellow Argentinian settle in quickly to life in French football, revealing how the 34-year-old's presence has lifted his squad as they bid to reclaim the league title.

"He brought serenity to the team. It's important to get off to a good start, even for him," the PSG head coach said after Messi's maiden appearance.

"He was happy and he is well integrated into the group. It was a matter of common sense not to start him in this game.

"The welcome was something very beautiful to see and hear, from our supporters but also from the fans of Reims. Messi was very happy about it.

"The motivation for competition is there for everyone, but his presence brings optimism. Everyone feels it, he has an influence on the other players."

While Messi may have been the main attraction heading into the fixture, Kylian Mbappe stole the show with both goals.

His brace amid speculation over his future helped PSG make it four wins from four at the start of the new league campaign, leaving them top of the table heading into the international break.

Pochettino was particularly pleased to keep a first clean sheet this term too, albeit they benefited from a VAR check that ruled out a possible Reims equaliser for offside.

"It is a significant success for us. We didn't concede a goal, which was one of our main targets before this match," the former Tottenham boss told the media.

"This is not always obvious because the fitness levels are very different from one another. Some players were returning today.

"We are at 12 points. I'm happy before these two weeks of international break."

Stefano Pioli is open to fielding Olivier Giroud alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic this season after the Frenchman opened his Milan account with two goals against Cagliari.

Giroud curled in a delightful first-time shot to get off the mark on his San Siro bow and doubled his tally from the penalty spot in Sunday's Serie A clash as Milan ran out 4-1 winners.

With that first-half double, Giroud became the first player to score multiple times in his first home league match for the Rossoneri since Mario Balotelli in February 2013.

Ibrahimovic has been Milan's go-to man up top when fit since returning to the Italian club in January 2020, but the veteran striker is currently sidelined with a knee injury sustained in May.

Pioli hopes to have Ibrahimovic back after the international break in two weeks' time, however, and he is not against tweaking formation to pair the Swede with Giroud in attack.

"I am very open to all situations," Milan head coach Pioli told DAZN. "I'll take it one game at a time to pick the best line-up for that match. 

"When we have the need for two strikers, I will not hesitate to use them together. I just hope to have everyone back to full fitness."

Ibrahimovic watched from the stands as Giroud added to goals from Sandro Tonali and Rafael Leao, which came either side of Alessandro Deiola's temporary equaliser in the first half.

Milan scored four-plus goals in the opening half of a Serie A fixture for the first time since November 2011.

Asked if he is looking forward to linking up with former Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United striker Ibrahimovic, Giroud said: "He is a great champion and very important in the locker room. 

"We want to play together, but I am happy playing with any of my team-mates. It doesn't matter who plays, it's important to respect the decisions of the coach."

It was the first time Giroud has scored a league brace since April 2018, for Chelsea against Southampton, and the 34-year-old revelled in the manner his home debut turned out.

"I'm very proud to play for Milan and in a stadium like San Siro," he told DAZN. "I'm happy with the team performance because we started the game playing our style of football. 

"We really connected on the pitch and could've scored more, while the support from the fans was incredible."

Giroud has inherited the number nine shirt at Milan, which is one of the most iconic jerseys in football but has more recently become a poisoned chalice of sorts.

Mario Mandzukic, Krzysztof Piatek and Gonzalo Higuain have all failed to live up to its reputation, yet Giroud is unfazed by the weight of expectation.

"I heard there was something special about the number nine shirt, but I am not superstitious," he said. "I believe in myself and my abilities. 

"As a kid, I watched Marco van Basten, Jean-Pierre Papin and Filippo Inzaghi wear this shirt, so it makes me happy to be here now."

Milan have won their opening two Serie A games this season, just like they did last time out, but face a tough run of games upon their return to action next month.

The Rossoneri meet a Lazio side sitting top of the division on goal difference and rivals Juventus in their next two league matches, either side of kicking off their Champions League return with a trip to Liverpool.

"We've got a remarkable run of games coming up after the break, so we need to keep this mentality and enthusiasm," Pioli said.

"If we really want a positive future, we must treat everyone as first-choice players. We're missing some at the moment, a couple more might arrive, but we must train the way we want to play and play the way we train.

"We are getting used to playing entertaining football and enjoying ourselves, but we must also remember that the great teams are also capable of winning ugly."