Red Bull are hopeful DRS and a strategic edge could help them overhaul Ferrari in Sunday's inaugural Miami Grand Prix, with drivers expecting racing to be difficult on a surface that has been branded "a joke".
World championship leader Charles Leclerc took pole ahead of Carlos Sainz as qualifying ended in a Ferrari one-two.
Max Verstappen was third ahead of Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, who did not mince his words when asked about the track following qualifying.
Echoing a sentiment shared by seemingly every driver in the paddock, Perez was emphatic in his criticism of a lack of grip off the racing line.
"I think most importantly the surface is a joke," Perez told Autosport when asked if there will be overtaking during the race.
"Tomorrow the racing is going to be difficult. And you're going to have the drivers making mistakes because we've been put into this situation."
With racing potentially set to be compromised, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner pointed to the deployment of DRS on straights where Red Bull have a pace advantage over Ferrari as an area where the race could be decided in their favour.
Praising the performance of Verstappen, whose qualifying session was impacted by a lack of track time in Friday practice because of gearbox and hydraulics issues, Horner said: "Max has been on the back foot, he's down on laps on the other guys and still learning about the track so it's a good recovery from him.
"We know both our cars have good straight-line speed and the DRS could be pretty powerful here tomorrow, and with all the support races the braking zones should open up a bit, so there are a couple of places where we should be able to overtake.
"Strategy and pit stops will be crucial, as no one has really been able to do any long runs, it should be a fascinating contest tomorrow."
Leclerc topped the timesheets with a lap of one minute and 28.796 seconds, reaping the benefit of upgrades that appear to have strengthened the hand of the team that have emerged as the favourites to win both championships.
"It's definitely better," Leclerc said of the performance of his F1-75. "Yes, I mean both cars are very competitive, so Carlos and I are very competitive.
"So, it's great for the team and yes, we'll push to try and finish in the same positions tomorrow.
"It is a very strong package that we have, it works in more or less every condition since the beginning of the season so that is a good sign for the future.
"As I've said many times, the upgrades this year will be very, very important. We've had a few here that went in the right direction and hopefully we'll have a few more throughout the season to stay on top."
Verstappen will be out to ensure Ferrari do not stay on top in Florida and joked he may need to call his father for advice, former F1 driver Jos having recently returned to motorsport as a rally driver.
He said: "It's quite slippery outside the racing line, it almost feels like gravel, maybe I need to call my Dad and ask for some rally advice."
New York Rangers coach Gerard Gallant has defended his call to pull goaltender Igor Shesterkin after the first period as Pittsburgh Penguins ran out to a 7-4 victory in Game 3.
The visitors suffered a playoffs setback at PPG Paints Arena, as their Pennsylvanian hosts moved into a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference first-round series.
Shesterkin was hooked after the first period after Pittsburgh raced into a 4-1 lead and was replaced by Alexandar Georgiev.
That helped spark a turnaround for the Rangers, who clawed back three goals in the second period to move back on level terms.
But after Danton Heinen put the Penguins back in front halfway through the third period, Pittsburgh did not relinquish their lead again, with Jake Guentzel and Jeff Carter extending their advantage.
Gallant backed his decision to withdraw Shesterkin, a 2018 Olympic gold medallist, saying that it was to offer the goaltender much-needed rest after a busy schedule and thought it might provide a spark.
"It's 4-1 and you want to change momentum," he stated. "Igor has been outstanding.
"If you look at it right now, he's played 10 periods, more or less, in basically 4 and half, five days. I thought it was a good time to jump-start it.
"It was 4-1. It was totally tilted. Sometimes you spark your team with a goalie change. Igor was our MVP all season.
"I thought we'd give him a little rest tonight and hopefully spark our team. And it worked."
The Rangers will attempt to hit back in Game 4 on Monday.
Jordan Poole has refuted he "broke the code" with a play on Ja Morant that left the Memphis Grizzlies point guard an injury doubt in the Golden State Warriors 142-112 Game 3 win.
Morant posted 34 points, plus three rebounds and seven assists, but limped off with five to go in the last quarter after the Warriors man grabbed his knee in a trap near half-court.
The Warriors surged on to a blowout victory in the end, resulting in them taking a 2-1 lead in the series after they were edged out in Game 2.
That led to a fiery post-game response from the Grizzlies star, who tweeted and then deleted a video claiming that Poole "broke the code" in intentionally injuring him.
The Grizzlies are yet to formally confirm the extent of Morant's injury - but speaking afterwards, Poole knocked back suggestions his play was intended to harm his opponent.
"It was a basketball play when we doubled him," Poole said. "And I hit the ball and I was going for the ball.
"I mean, obviously, you don't want to see anybody get hurt. I'm not even that type of player. I respect everybody.
"Hopefully he gets better and, you know, we can see him out there next game. I don't even play like that for real. That's not my type of game."
Poole's grab is the latest flashpoint in a fiery series, with Memphis forward Dillon Brooks sitting out Game 3 after hitting Gary Payton II in the head, resulting in a fractured elbow.
Memphis boss Taylor Jenkins skirted an official comment on whether Poole's move on his player was intentional, instead saying: "We just watched the replay.
"He was going after a dribble and Jordan Poole actually grabbed his knee and yanked it, which kind of triggered whatever happened.
"I'm actually going to be very curious to see what happens after that. I don't know what goes through you guys' head.
"No, I didn't say that it went on purpose. I said the play happened. There was a grab. I'm just curious what happened."
The two teams meet for Game 4 on Monday at Chase Center, San Francisco once more, with the Warriors looking to go 3-1 up.
Dmitry Bivol won in a unanimous decision over Canelo Alvarez to retain his WBA light heavyweight title in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Using his height and longer reach to his advantage, the Kyrgyz-born Russian landed the cleaner and harder shots against Alvarez in a clinical display.
All three judges handed down scores of 115-113 in Bivol's favour despite what was largely a non-competitive fight.
Alvarez confirmed he would exercise his rematch clause and Bivol took no issue, believing the win solidifies his status in the division.
"No problem," Bivol said via translator post-fight. "I took this fight because I just wanted to get the opportunity and I appreciate this opportunity.
"I didn't fight for anything except getting the fight.
"I'm ready for the rematch, I just want to make sure that I can be treated like the champion now."
Bivol moved to 20-0 with his ninth consecutive title defence, while it marks the second official defeat of Alvarez's career in his return to light heavyweight following 2013's majority-decision loss to Floyd Mayweather.
Charles Oliveira denied Justin Gaethje from claiming his vacated UFC lightweight championship, winning via submission in the first round at UFC 274 on Saturday.
Oliveira was stripped of the lightweight belt he held after missing weight, meaning only Gaethje could win the title on Saturday.
After a furious opening exchange, the 32-year-old secured an 11th consecutive victory, reaffirming his status as the most dominant fighter in the division.
Extending the UFC record for the most submission wins (16) and most finishes (19), the Brazilian made his status in the division clear despite the vacated title.
"There's something missing here. The champ has a name and his name is Charles Oliveira," he said post-fight.
"This is a message to the entire division. I'm a problem for the entire division, look at my team.
"Dana White, I don't care who you put in front of me. I will take them all on."
Gaethje came out the blocks quickly and landed some big shots but critically allowed his opponent to stand back up after he was knocked down.
Given that breathing room, Oliveira recovered immediately, planting a right-hand to get Gaethje down on the ground and then showed composure, not seeking ground-and-pound but a submission.
Gaethje gave up his back after wriggling out of an initial attempt at a triangle, and Oliveira took advantage from there with a rear-naked choke.
Esparza wins as Chandler makes vicious KO
In the co-main event, Carla Esparza claimed victory over Rose Namajunas in a controversial 47-48 49-46 48-47 split decision, to claim the UFC women's strawweight championship.
In what was a very tepid bout, Namajunas effectively left her fate and belt in the hands of the judges, allowing Esparza to make sporadic forays and takedowns.
It was very different to the other lightweight bout of the night, where Michael Chandler scored a breathtaking knockout win over Tony Ferguson in the second round.
After an exciting first round, Chandler ended the fight early with an explosive front kick, catching Ferguson on the chin.
Clayton Kershaw and Mookie Betts starred for the Los Angeles Dodgers swept a double-header on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs.
Kershaw dominated the opener, giving up only five hits and striking out two over 81 pitches in seven innings, as the Dodgers won 7-0.
Betts shone in the night game, smashing a three-run double in the second inning and a two-run homer in the ninth to secure a 6-2 win.
Tyler Anderson struck out seven and gave up four hits over 80 pitches in five innings as the Dodgers claimed a fifth straight win.
They moved to 18-7 for the season and lead a strong National League West division, with every team holding a record at .500 or over.
Flores leads Giants to win over Cards
Wilmer Flores hit a grand slam in the first inning and finished with a career-high six RBIs as the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 13-7.
Logan Webb struck out seven but gave up eight hits and four runs over 84 pitches in five innings, while Mauricio Dubon and Darin Ruf also hit home runs for the Giants.
Yadier Molina reached 1000 career RBIs and Dylan Carlson added a three-run homer, but it was not enough as the Cards had their three-game winning streak ended.
Polanco propels Twins to victory
Jorge Polanco led the Minnesota Twins as they sent the Oakland Athletics to their eighth consecutive defeat, claiming a 1-0 win.
Polanco had three of the Twins' five hits on the night from four at-bats, including a monster home run in the sixth inning, his third for the year.
Minnesota pitchers combined to strike out 15 while allowing three hits, as they maintained their lead atop the American League Central.
The Milwaukee Bucks escaped with a win in Game 3 against the Boston Celtics, claiming a 103-101 victory after a frantic final exchange on Saturday.
Boston trailed 103-100 when Marcus Smart was fouled by Jrue Holiday just before attempting a three-pointer to tie the game with 4.6 seconds remaining.
After making the first free-throw from a non-shooting foul, Smart intentionally missed the second attempt and got the rebound, but he missed his putback attempt.
Robert Williams flew in but the ball bounced off the glass, before Horford picked up the rebound, missed his putback attempt, got his own rebound and banked it in, but his final shot came just after the buzzer sounded, denying overtime.
Giannis Antetokounmpo put up a massive performance on the other end, coming up with 42 points on 16-of-30 shooting, 12 rebounds and eight assists, as well as two steals and blocks.
Dubs defend home court after slow start
The Golden State Warriors blew the Memphis Grizzlies out despite a slow start and poor shooting night from Stephen Curry beyond the arc, taking Game 3 out 142-112.
The Warriors coughed up seven turnovers as the Grizzlies created a double-digit lead in the first quarter, but once the home side took care of the ball, their shooting facilitated a comprehensive turnaround.
Despite two-of-eight from Stephen Curry beyond the perimeter, he and Jordan Poole were able to penetrate off the dribble and get the team great looks. The Dubs went 53-of-84 for the night with an extraordinary true shooting rate of 76.1 per cent.
Curry still finished with an even 50 per cent from the floor and hit all 14 free-throw attempts, getting 30 points and six assists. Poole contributed 27 points off the bench, while the team outside of Curry went 17-of-24 from the perimeter.
Ja Morant limped off late following a knee injury, finishing the night with 34 points and seven assists.
Keegan Bradley shot a three-under 67 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after 54 holes at the Wells Fargo Championship on Saturday.
The 35-year-old scored the low-round on a rain-interrupted day at TPC Potomac to finish on eight-under after 54 holes.
After splitting two birdies and bogeys on the front nine, Bradley regrouped on the back nine with two birdies on the opening three holes, before claiming another on the par-four 16th hole.
Max Homa is two strokes back on six-under after a one-over 71 for the day, with Anirban Lahiri and James Hahn a further two strokes back on four-under.
Heavy rain in Maryland during the week has wreaked havoc at Avenel Farm, but the windy conditions were just as impactful on Saturday's play, requiring particularly gritty shot selection.
Jason Day began the round with a three-stroke lead but shot a disappointing nine-over on moving day, with his tournament unravelling on the front nine.
Day found the water on consecutive holes after a bogey on the par-three third, posting a triple-bogey and bogey respectively, and then scored a double-bogey on the par-five 10th to eventually finish on 79.
While Bradley had the day's low round, only four players cracked par on Saturday, including Rory McIlroy who recovered from Friday's score of 73 and bogeys on the opening two holes to post two-under for the day.
Bradley will come into Sunday seeking his fifth PGA Tour tournament win, with his last coming at the 2018 BMW Championship, which he won in a playoff over Justin Rose.
Alexander Zverev avenged his Monte Carlo semi-final loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas, booking his place at the Madrid Open final with a 6-4 3-6 6-2 win on Saturday.
Zverev was dominant on serve, giving up only two break points for the match with a 73 per cent first-serve rate, while winning 40 of a total 48 points on his first serve.
The German will now aim to defend his title in Sunday's final when he faces Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated world number one Novak Djokovic earlier on Saturday.
The second seed will be seeking his sixth ATP 1000 title, with Sunday's final against the home favourite to be his 10th at that level.
"I'm just extremely happy to be in the final here," Zverev said post-match. "I know it's going to be an extremely tough match tomorrow but I hope I can manage to play my best and give myself a chance.
"It's going to be his [Alcaraz] court for the next 15 years probably. It has been Rafa's [Nadal] court for the past 15 years and it's going to be his court for the next 15 years.
"I just hope I can give him some trouble and I hope I can manage to win tomorrow."
Tsitsipas was similarly strong on his first serve but had a much lower rate at only 56 per cent for the match. Zverev simply had more looks at his opponent's second serve, winning 15 points compared to Tsitsipas' eight, but with each holding a 44 per cent success rate.
The defending champion at Caja Magica capitalised when it mattered, though, claiming the opening three games in the deciding set to set up the eventual win.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was not impressed with Antonio Conte's tactics after Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by Tottenham on Saturday.
The Reds struggled in possession against a side openly looking to exploit them as they dropped two points in the Premier League title race.
Following Son Heung-min's opening goal, Liverpool needed some fortune to equalise in the 74th minute, with Luis Diaz's tame attempt from distance deflecting off Rodrigo Bentancur and wrong-footing Hugo Lloris.
Liverpool moved top on goal difference, but Manchester City can go three points clear by beating Newcastle United on Sunday and Klopp was critical of Spurs' approach at Anfield.
"I'm sorry I'm the wrong person for that, I don't like this kind of football," he said. "But that's my personal problem. I think they're world class, and I think they should do more for the game.
"I think the game against Liverpool they had 36, 38 per cent possession, but it's my problem. I cannot coach it. So that's why I cannot do it.
"So yes, world-class players block all the balls, really difficult. Fine, whatever, fine, absolutely fine. I just can't. I respect everything they do, but it's not me."
With 67 per cent possession in the second half, the Reds generated a cumulative total of 0.17 xG from 11 shots, in comparison to Spurs' 0.69 from five shots.
Klopp took the positives out of what could be a costly result for the Reds four days after they reached the Champions League final with a win over Villarreal.
"It is an important point because it's one point more than before the game," he said. "We're top of the table. In this moment we're disappointed.
"The boys are more disappointed than I am, it might be because I'm older and I've seen more.
"Some good things tonight though, the counter-press. Just little moments, better decision-making. It's easy for me to say because I didn't run, like, I didn't run four days ago. We could have won, but also they could have won because of their insane counter-attacking."
Dante says Nice's 1-0 Coupe de France final defeat to Nantes on Saturday will "hurt for a long time".
Ludovic Blas scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot in the first minute of the second half at the Stade de France.
Blas emphatically drilled home his spot-kick after Hicham Boudaoui handled and that was enough for Nantes to win their first major trophy for 21 years.
Nice were left to rue their lack of a cutting edge as they failed to end a trophy drought that stretches back to 1997, when they lifted the Coupe de France for a third time.
Captain Dante was left to reflect on a painful missed opportunity and warned Christophe Galtier's side must respond when they face St Etienne in Ligue 1 on Wednesday, with European qualification not secured.
The Brazilian defender said: "A lot of sadness. We are very disappointed because we really wanted to give this to our supporters and the people that have been waiting for this for so long, but we didn't manage to do so.
"It will hurt for a long time but we need to quickly lift our heads. We have a very important match on Wednesday."
Nice boss Galtier felt his side did not do themselves justice in Paris.
He said: "My feeling is disappointment. When you reach the final and you play for this magnificent trophy, you do everything possible to try to win it.
"The big regret I have is about our technical quality on an offensive level. We had very little success in what we undertook. We showed too much haste in the game."
He added: "It is a great regret, a very great disappointment."
Xavi is not ready to welcome the end of Barcelona's season despite the relief of clinching Champions League qualification on Saturday.
The Blaugrana beat Real Betis 2-1 in Seville to ensure the fifth-placed side can no longer catch them in second.
Ansu Fati's scuffed shot broke the deadlock, before ex-Barca defender Marc Bartra responded with a similarly untidy header.
It fell to Jordi Alba to win the match and secure Barca's top-four place with a sublime 94th-minute volley.
Coach Xavi saluted his side for the effort they put in to recover from a poor start to the season, having won every match they have played against top-10 opposition in 2022.
But he still has his sights set on tying up second place.
"We've taken a weight off our shoulders," Xavi said. "It could have been a more complicated and difficult season.
"The team has competed a lot. We have not played excellently in many games; in others, yes, but we have a winning soul and competitive character.
"We beat the top 10 in this second round of the season. It's evidence that we have to play better. It has to be analysed, but we have made a titanic effort from November to here.
"We will be in the Champions League, the competition we deserve. Now we want to be second."
However, Xavi added this achievement was the "minimum required" at Camp Nou, saying: "I want to compete for titles. We can't miss another year not being competitive."
The former Barca midfielder will hope Fati can have a big role to play in an improved 2022-23 campaign, having been limited to 12 appearances – in which he has still scored six goals – due to injuries this term.
Xavi hailed Fati as his "difference-maker", scoring 75 seconds after his introduction from the bench, and said: "It's a very good feeling to have him back."
Liverpool's title hopes were hit as Tottenham raided Anfield for a point on Saturday, snatching a 1-1 draw that made Manchester City the big winners of the day without kicking a ball.
City will go three points clear, with three games remaining, if they beat Newcastle United on Sunday.
Brighton inflicted fresh humiliation on a Manchester United side who must be used to it by now, crushing Ralf Rangnick's travel-sick Red Devils 4-0 at the Amex Stadium.
Watford's relegation was confirmed by a 1-0 defeat for Roy Hodgson's team at Crystal Palace, while Chelsea frailties were exposed in a 2-2 draw with Wolves.
After a compelling Saturday of action, Stats Perform looks at key Opta facts from four key games.
Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham: Anfield twist in title race as Reds hope for Newcastle favour
It was a case of looking for consolations for Liverpool and Tottenham after this Anfield draw. One positive for Liverpool is they moved top of the table. Yet they only stood there on goal difference and knew they would relinquish first place on Sunday, unless City were to slip up in their game in hand and lose to Newcastle.
This was a game both sides dearly wanted to win, with Liverpool's title prospects damaged and Tottenham, who led through Son Heung-min, unable to hang on for the win that would have taken them at least briefly into fourth place. They remain fifth.
Liverpool have lost just one of their past 28 Premier League home games against Spurs (W18 D9), and Luis Díaz, who netted a deflected equaliser, has scored in back-to-back appearances for the Reds in all competitions for the first time.
Tottenham became the first team to prevent Liverpool winning at Anfield in the Premier League since Brighton managed a 2-2 draw in October. Liverpool's 12-match winning streak in that respect is now over.
There was no goal from Mohamed Salah on his 250th Liverpool appearance. He has 155 goals for the Reds and had three attempts in this game, but all were blocked.
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte may have faced some snippy post-match comments from Klopp about his team's style of play, but the Italian has lost just one of his six Premier League encounters with Liverpool (W1 D4) and remains unbeaten against the Reds at Anfield in the competition (D3).
Son has 20 goals for the season in the Premier League, and he is just the second Tottenham player (after Gareth Bale's 21 in 2012-13) to score 20 in a league season without any being penalties.
Brighton and Hove Albion 4-0 Manchester United: Seaside surrender guarantees worst Red Devils haul
Rangnick continues to make history at United, only not in the way he would have hoped.
United slumped to a fifth consecutive away league defeat after an abomination of a performance. It is the first time since March 1981, when Dave Sexton's side were beaten in six straight road games, that they have endured such a dire run away from Old Trafford.
Rangnick does not take all the blame for United's pitiful campaign, but he has been at the helm since November so cannot avoid carrying the can to some extent.
United have 58 points and only one game remaining, so they are certain to finish with their lowest Premier League season points tally (previously 64 in 2013-14), and they have conceded 56 league goals, which is the most they have shipped since 1978-79 (63 goals).
Brighton can hold their heads high, after the biggest top-flight win in their history, in what was their 356th match at this level. They have won four of their past six games in the Premier League (D1 L1), more than they had in their previous 25 beforehand (W3 D13 L9).
Chelsea 2-2 Wolves: Coady highlights weakness as new era dawns for Blues
When Conor Coady headed the late leveller at Stamford Bridge, it showed again how susceptible high-flying Chelsea have been in the second half of recent Premier League games.
Thirteen of the last 15 goals Chelsea have conceded in the competition have come after half-time in matches, and their once vice-like grip on third place no longer looks quite that way after the draw with Wolves.
Chelsea were watched by Todd Boehly, who leads the consortium that will complete a £4.25billion takeover later this month, and he saw Romelu Lukaku score his first Premier League goals since a draw with Brighton in December.
Lukaku's double – a penalty followed by a 20-yard finish – came early in the second half. Wolves have not conceded a first-half goal in any of their last 17 away Premier League games, which is the longest such run in the competition's history.
Trincao got the comeback started and Coady's equaliser came six minutes and 29 seconds into stoppage time, making it Wolves' latest goal in a Premier League game since Raul Jimenez netted an equaliser against Burnley 6:55 into time added on in an August 2019 fixture. Coady also made a team-high 10 clearances, twice as many as any other player.
Crystal Palace 1-0 Watford: Hodgson's Hornets sunk by Zaha
Assuming he does not leave before then, this will be the first time in his managerial career that Roy Hodgson will end a Premier League campaign in the relegation zone with a team.
This short-term stint with Watford is set to mark the end of his career, and it was the former England manager's old club Palace that delivered the blow that means there is no way back now for the Hornets.
Having fought their way back into the elite at the first time of asking, Watford are now going straight back down to the Championship. It means Watford have been relegated in consecutive top-flight campaigns for the first time since a run of three seasons that ended in the drop (1987-88, 1999-00 and 2006-07).
Wilfried Zaha, who struck the decisive penalty, became the first Palace player to score both home and away versus Watford in a league season since Zaha himself in 2011-12 in the Championship.
Since the start of the 2013-14 campaign, only Manchester City (52) and Liverpool (51) have scored more Premier League penalties than Palace (48), and this result marked the first time in 30 years (since a run of five between March and April 1992) that Palace have kept four successive home clean sheets in the top flight.
Defending African champions Al Ahly are on the brink of the 2021-22 CAF Champions League final after dominating 10-man ES Setif in a 4-0 first-leg win in the last four.
Setif already had a tough task going away to the 10-time winners of the competition and trailed to Percy Tau's close-ranger header in the 30th minute before the tie took another turn in Al Ahly's favour.
Amir Karaoui was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Hussein El Shahat with 10 minutes of the first half still to play, giving the Algerian side a mountain to climb.
Al Ahly did not immediately punish their opponents, but Taher Mohamed doubled their advantage after 54 minutes when Tau's shot looped up in front of goal.
Tau continued to be involved in all of Al Ahly's best play and fed Mohamed Sherif for a cute finish for number three before completing the scoring himself with a tap in.
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