Lewis Hamilton collided with Mercedes team-mate George Russell as Max Verstappen raced to pole position for Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Hamilton will start fifth following a bizarre coming together with Russell, who lines up in 12th, at the end of Q2 at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
Verstappen finished four tenths clear of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, with Lando Norris an impressive third for McLaren.
Pierre Gasly took fourth spot for Alpine, one place ahead of Hamilton, who was half-a-second back, with home favourite Fernando Alonso only ninth in his Aston Martin.
Hamilton had to take on a replacement front wing for Q3 after he made contact with Russell in the closing stages of Q2.
With both Mercedes men starting their hot laps, Hamilton moved out of Russell’s tow at 210mph on the main straight.
But the seven-time world champion was forced to take to the grass after his team-mate, who was making his way past Sainz’s Ferrari, unintentionally, closed the door on him.
Hamilton kicked up dirt from the grass as part of his front wing flew off his Mercedes.
“George just backed off,” said Hamilton over the radio. “That is really dangerous. I might have some damage on the car.”
Although Hamilton’s time was good enough to progress to Q3, Russell was eliminated in 12th.
“You didn’t tell me there was a car behind,” said Russell. “I don’t know what the hell was going on in this session. The car was bouncing. I couldn’t get my tyres working.
Russell will start one place behind Perez after the Red Bull driver also failed to make it out of Q2.
Perez is Verstappen’s closest challenger in the championship but a week on from his horror show in Monaco where he finished 16th and two laps down, he qualified only 11th here.
The Mexican ran through the gravel and, although he managed to keep his Red Bull out of the wall, his next lap was not quick enough to carry him through to Q3.
“Unbelievable,” said Perez.
On an afternoon of shock results, Charles Leclerc, who started this race from pole position last year, will line last but one on the grid.
Leclerc complained about the rear of his Ferrari and finished above only Williams rookie Logan Sargeant in the order.
“I don’t have the answers for now,” said Leclerc following his early bath. “The only thing I can say is the left-hand corners were undriveable.”
Q1 was suspended by nine minutes following multiple spins on a track drying out after earlier rain.
Alex Albon, Nyck de Vries, Yuki Tsunoda and Valtteri Bottas all ran off the road, and with gravel on the asphalt, race director Niels Wittich red-flagged the session.
Navello took advantage of the perfect run up the Epsom straight to prevail in a thrilling finish to the Aston Martin “Dash” Handicap.
Trained by George Boughey, the four-year-old was a 25-1 chance for the race billed as the fastest five-furlong race in the world despite scoring at Thirsk only two starts ago.
Andrea Atzeni always had his mount travelling strongly tracking the typically strong pace set by those at the head of proceedings and the gaps opened up at the right time, allowing the Italian rider to steer his mount into the ideal spot to mount a challenge inside the final furlong.
In contrast, Clifford Lee had to bide his time aboard runner-up Silky Wilky as he saw his progress repeatedly stunted as the race developed and although flashing home to force a photo finish, it was not enough to stop Navello registering a short-head success ahead of the Middleham Park Racing-owned duo of Silky Wilky (second) and Clarendon House (third).
Boughey said: “ This has been a bit of a long-term plan. He likes fast ground and he is improving. The strong pace really does suit him, but he’s hit the line well. He doesn’t quite get six, but he gets a stiff five and you can’t get much stiffer than here.
“Andrea felt the whole way through he was the best horse, although he couldn’t see what was coming up the rail. It was a nervy last minute, but good all the same.
“There is nothing really for him at Ascot, but he could go to Goodwood – a similar fast five.”
British Horseracing Authority chief executive Julie Harrington condemned the “reckless and dangerous” actions of a protester who ran on to the Epsom track after the Betfred Derby had started.
The protester broke on to the home straight in the early stages of the race, but was quickly pursued by police and security staff. Moments later a woman tried to jump the fence in front of the grandstand as police officers rushed to stop her.
Angry onlookers could be heard screaming, with one man shouting, “kick her head in”, while police threw her to the floor and handcuffed her just as the horses thundered past the finishing line.
Animal Rising had threatened to “cancel or severely delay” the Derby, but the premier Classic went ahead as planned, with Auguste Rodin securing victory for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore.
Harrington thanked the police and security teams for their speedy response, but criticised the behaviour of the protester involved.
A statement said: “We strongly condemn the actions of the individual who ran onto the track after the Betfred Derby had started.
“Despite Animal Rising having previously stated on multiple occasions that they would do nothing to jeopardise the safety of horses and riders, this reckless and dangerous behaviour did exactly that and I am grateful to Epsom’s security team for their swift response to ensure the race could be completed safely.
“I would like to extend my thanks to the staff at the Jockey Club and my colleagues at the BHA, who have worked tirelessly to ensure the Derby could be staged safely, and to the race’s participants who cooperated fully during what were shortened preliminaries. I also want to thank Surrey Police for their decisive actions ahead of the Derby.”
The Jockey Club was granted a High Court injunction against the activist group last week and chief executive Nevin Truesdale underlined the intention to enforce that.
He said: “Our security teams and the police acted swiftly and decisively to remove an Animal Rising protester who entered the racetrack after the Derby had started and while the race was being run.
“This reckless and illegal behaviour which threatened the safety of our equine and human athletes is a breach of the High Court injunction which the Jockey Club obtained last week and prohibits trespass. The court order provides a clear route to prosecution, fines and even the threat of prison for Contempt of Court and we will now take steps to enforce that.
“Animal Rising have repeatedly stated that they would not attempt to disrupt any races while in progress and we utterly condemn their deplorable and mindless actions today.
“The Derby was first run in 1780 and has continued despite two world wars, the Covid pandemic and a number of other extreme challenges. That the 244th running of the race was able to take place on time today is testament to the determination of everyone to stage one of British sport’s most iconic and loved events.”
Police arrested 31 protesters attempting to disrupt Derby, including 12 in the grounds.
A spokesman for Surrey Police said: “We can confirm that 31 people have been arrested in connection with planned criminal activity at the Epsom Derby Festival this afternoon.
“Eleven people were arrested at addresses in Mitcham and Byfleet in the early hours, following warrants based on intelligence received ahead of the Epsom Derby Festival. A further eight people were arrested after their vehicle was stopped on Canons Lane in Burgh Heath at around 10.20am this morning.
“All were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance and remain in police custody.
“A total of 12 people have been arrested within the Epsom Downs racecourse since the event began this morning, also in connection with planned criminal activity.
“One man was arrested after he ran onto the racetrack after a race had started. He was quickly removed by event security and police officers, meaning the race was not disrupted.”
Chief Superintendent Clive Davies said: “Our officers and event security responded quickly and decisively after a man ran on to the racetrack after a race had begun.
“We will not tolerate criminal behaviour which puts lives in danger, including those of the animals, jockeys, security staff and our officers.”
Giving his reaction, winning rider Moore said: “Andrew Cooper (clerk of the course at Epsom) and his team and the Jockey Club and the BHA (British Horseracing Authority) have been on top of it. It seems to have gone off without a hitch and I think that is a very good sign.”
Coco Gauff fought off the challenge of 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva to reach round four on Saturday while the French Open lost one of its favourites to illness.
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina withdrew minutes before she was due to take to Philippe Chatrier to face Sara Sorribes Tormo, revealing she was struggling with a virus.
Gauff and Andreeva’s combined age is younger than Novak Djokovic, and the American teenager looked like she could lose to a player her junior for the first time in her senior career.
But Andreeva was unable to sustain the level she showed in winning the first set and ended her debut grand slam with a 6-7 (5) 6-1 6-1 defeat.
The Russian is undoubtedly a player of huge potential, though, and she more than matched Gauff during a high-class first set full of fierce shot-making.
The 19-year-old, who was facing a younger opponent for just the third time, served for it at 5-4 but Andreeva broke back and then converted a lead in the tie-break.
There were moments of youthful petulance from Andreeva that she will need to stamp out, particularly an incident late in the tie-break when she swiped a ball angrily into the crowd.
She earned a code violation but was fortunate she did not hurt a spectator, which could have seen her defaulted.
Top seed Iga Swiatek, meanwhile, defeated an opponent 6-0 6-0 for the fourth time in her career and first at a grand slam.
China’s Wang Xinyu was the unfortunate recipient as Swiatek hit top form at Roland Garros – four of the six sets she has played so far this year have now been bagels.
The major barrier to the Pole reaching the final appeared to be a projected last-four clash with Rybakina, who she has lost to three times this season.
Explaining her withdrawal, the fourth seed said: “I was not feeling good already yesterday and the day before, so I didn’t sleep two nights and had some fever. Today I really tried in the warm-up but I feel that the right decision is to withdraw, because it’s really tough to play with these conditions.
“I saw the doctor and they said that actually it’s all a virus here in Paris. I guess with my allergy, immune system just went down and I picked up something. It’s difficult to perform and obviously to run and even breathe. So I think that was the only right decision I could make.
“Today I just wanted to give 100 per cent and obviously I’m far from being 100 per cent. It was unlucky for me. I just try to recover and do my best to be prepared for the grass season already.”
The timing is hugely unfortunate for the 23-year-old, who has established herself at the top of the tree in women’s tennis alongside Aryna Sabalenka and Swiatek.
“Of course I’m really upset not to be able to play but I guess that’s life,” added the Kazakhstan player. “There is a lot of ups and downs.”
Rybakina is due to play her first grass-court tournament in Berlin beginning on June 19 before heading to Eastbourne as she builds up to the defence of her Wimbledon title.
Meanwhile, the seventh prime-time night session on Sunday will belatedly feature a women’s match for the first time, with Sabalenka’s clash against former finalist Sloane Stephens selected for the slot.
Organisers have again come under fire after only picking one women’s match across the fortnight last year.
Roger Varian was left with a sense of Classic deja vu after his 66-1 outsider King Of Steel come close to becoming the first horse since since Shaamit in 1996 to win the Betfred Derby on their first start at three.
The Carlburg Stables handler had seen Kingston Hill suffer a similar fate when hunted down by Australia in 2014 and had to settle for a silver medal once again as this time it was Aidan O’Brien’s Auguste Rodin who showed his class to pass the imposing Amo Racing-owned colt in the closing stages. It was second runner-up finish for the Amo colours, too, after Mojo Star in 2021.
Varian admitted his mind flashed back to his Derby near-miss nine years ago when King Of Steel hit the front in the hands of Kevin Stott and although disappointed his charge could not hold on to give both trainer and jockey their first victory in the premier Classic, he took comfort from the fact his lofty opinion of the horse has been vindicated.
He said: “I knew he was good. I’m gutted, but that’s horse racing. Hopefully, he’ll come out of the race OK and he’s a very good horse. Credit to the winner though, who is a very good horse.
“I never thought I had it, as I’d been in the same position in 2014 with Kingston Hill, who was clear of the field but you could just see Australia coming to us. Again, I could just see Auguste Rodin coming to us. I hoped when he got to us we would find a bit more, but he ran huge – he’s a very good horse.”
The strapping son of Wootton Bassett failed to make the track prior to the blue riband having seen an intended outing in the Dante scuppered when he was withdrawn at the start, and he arrived at Epsom having had to pass a stalls test at Leicester on Monday.
“He was very well behaved at York until he got to the start, but he was just a bit fresh on the day,” continued Varian.
“I promise you could have led him across the Knavesmire in a head collar and rope. He wasn’t unruly, he was just fresh at the start and playful more than anything.
“You could only call it an unconventional route to the Derby, as we went to York without running and then we went to Leicester only on Monday for a stalls test. So he had two days out from the yard, and sometimes not having a hard race two and a half weeks out, as long as they get it out of their system and get a day away, can benefit them – look at Chaldean.
“We’ve always thought for the last 10 or 12 weeks he’s been very good, but he just wasn’t right for those early trials and so the Dante was our last chance, but he stood up in the gates and didn’t take part. Who knows, that might have made the difference. It’s ifs and buts, but he’s a very good horse – he proved that today – and I hope he comes out of it OK and we can enjoy him going forward.
“I don’t think we could have done much more, but it’s a long way to be in front. I thought Kevin gave him a fine ride, and if he hadn’t gone when he did they’d have rolled in on top of him and he might not have got a run.”
Despite Varian praising the ride given by Stott, the jockey himself was left pondering if he had hit the front too soon in his first ride in the race.
Stott said: “I think from every jockey’s perspective, you hit the front in the Derby and a few emotions and a few thoughts go through your head.
“I’m obviously kicking myself a little bit, thinking I might have gone a little bit too early on him, but then again he hasn’t had a run before this year and that might just have caught him out a bit in the last 50 yards.
“Listen, we were beat by a very good horse obviously, but I had faith in my horse from his home work. He’s a very nice horse and you can see from the size of him he’s absolutely huge.”
Meanwhile, connections of third-placed White Birch were delighted with his effort and will now bid to go two places better on home soil in the Irish equivalent.
George Murphy, assistant to his father, John, said: “We’re delighted with him and he stayed on really well.
“He just hesitated again at the gates and put himself into a difficult position, but it was a great run.
“I’d say it will be the Irish Derby next, Colin (Keane) gave him a great ride considering how it played out early on and he galloped all the way to the line, so all going well it’ll probably be the Irish Derby next.
“We didn’t have a lot of time after the Dante and we didn’t want to do too much, but he’s going to have to improve (around the stalls). I don’t actually think he’s too worried in them, he just gets a bit excited. We’re over the moon to have a horse like him and I can’t thank the owners enough. It’s a great day.”
Keane added: “It was a massive run. He got a bit worked up beforehand and was a bit anxious at the gate. I didn’t want to rush him up. It was a great run considering g the ground he gave away at the start. If we can work things out with him he could be a very good year for him.”
Fellow Irish runner Sprewell claimed fourth with Kate Harrington, representing her mother Jessica, also anticipating another crack at Classic honours at the Curragh next month.
She said: “I’m absolutely delighted. He didn’t get the clearest of runs down the hill and into the straight, Shane (Foley) felt that if he got him out and got him rolling a bit closer he thinks he would have been third, but he’s run a cracker.
“It was his first time contesting that ground, so he’s only going to keep on improving. Roll on the Irish Derby.”
Foley said: “It was a big run. He didn’t come down the hill as well as you’d have liked, but he stayed on galloping and I think the Curragh will suit a lot better. I just got a check when I wanted to get going.”
There was no luck for Frankie Dettori in his final Derby appearance as the John and Thady Gosden-trained 4-1 favourite Arrest failed to handle the undulations of Epsom and finished down the field in 10th.
Dettori said: “The track didn’t suit him and he didn’t like the ground. We were done at the top of the straight.
“Back on softer ground there is a good race in him.”
Frankie Dettori bade farewell to the Derby without the fairytale ending many had anticipated.
Truth be told, he half expected it. A good to firm summer surface had turned against his mount, the John and Thady Gosden-trained Arrest, who had been so impressive in taking the soft-ground Chester Vase.
Connections knew he would stay the mile and a half, which he did – just in his own time, the underfoot conditions playing to the strength of his rivals.
Epsom has never really been the luckiest of tracks for the 52-year-old Italian. He had won two Derbys – with Authorised (2002) and Golden Horn (2015) – yet this was his 29th ride on the eccentric rollercoaster of a track.
Still he held the mantle of ‘housewives’ favourite’, and Arrest was duly the 4-1 favourite on the back of Dettori’s Coronation Cup/Oaks double the previous afternoon.
Yet connections of the Juddmonte-owned son of Frankel knew the writing was on the wall, writ large, once they had started the descent to Tattenham Corner.
From a promising position and off a pedestrian early pace, Arrest folded, finishing 10th of the 14 runners, with the exceptional winner Auguste Rodin far away in the distance.
Dettori, who quickly gained some compensation when guiding the Ralph Beckett-trained Prosperous Voyage to victory in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes, was remarkably unemotional as he confirmed it was to be his last Derby ride and following his subsequent victory, his final ride at Epsom.
He said: “Yeah, that’s it, me and Epsom are done. The last one and we won!
“Arrest got very warm beforehand. We jumped good, we had a good slot but from the four (furlong pole) I was in trouble. He was climbing and was finding the downhill from Tattenham Corner very difficult. He took me into the straight and his legs were going everywhere. It was a combination of the left-hand track, downhill and the ground drying up. It is what it is.
“I’ve never ridden him before on this ground, but there we are.”
John Gosden, who had supplied both Dettori’s Group One victories on Friday, had tried to warn punters the Frankel colt would need all the luck in the world on this rattling surface.
He was far from disappointed and said: “Not this track, on that ground. The ground was too quick. He had a leg in every county and Frankie knew he was in trouble halfway down the hill.
“We will freshen him up and see where we will want to go. The track on this ground – when you have that good to firm in there, you are in trouble.
“We anticipated it when we were going home last night. Take nothing from the winner. I don’t think anything would have beaten him on any ground and the second (King Of Steel) has run a blinder.
“It was a brilliant achievement (from Aidan O’Brien) to get the winner back after Newmarket, because obviously something went wrong there.
“It is a superb achievement. He had the class to win and he had a hell of a target to get to in King Of Steel. It was some race – two proper horses.”
This was not the result the punters may have wanted, but unlike last summer’s rather tense Royal Ascot, where Dettori was given some thinly-veiled criticism by the trainer for his perceived lack of dedication, now there was nothing but praise.
“It wasn’t the fairytale for Frankie, and the great thing was he couldn’t have done a Lester (Piggott) and got on either of them, because they are both retained rides, the first and second. So, to that extent I think we are all right,” Gosden said.
“He has been brilliant. He has had a great meeting and he knew straightaway this horse was in trouble. He didn’t knock him about. They backed him down to favourite because of the Frankie factor and the bookies clipping it, and that was a bit silly, because he was never a 4-1 favourite.
“But it was a proper race. The horse sweated up beforehand, but that is his nature. We will freshen him up and see where we go. He is in at Royal Ascot. The horse will tell us over the next week or 10 days. He doesn’t need the ground like he had at Chester, but he does like to get his toe in.”
Before rushing off to Box 11, floor 4, to talk to corporate customers, Dettori had the last word.
“I’m relaxed. I’m going to enjoy it and I’m going to eat a bit of grass.”
With that, he bent down for a second time, chewed a clip of grass in the hat-box winner’s circle and continued to munch while the microphones attempted to catch his every word.
“It’s sweet,” he laughed. “I’m going to soak this in. It’s been a great weekend. Funnily enough, I’m very relaxed and I’m enjoying all of it.
“Most of the latter years, I was doing it, there was a tremendous amount of pressure – I’ve got nothing to prove now, I’m enjoying it. That’s why I’m riding so well – I’m very relaxed.”
Indeed he is. There will doubtless be many more moments on this long farewell tour to cheer this summer. And when it is finally all over and he rides off into the sunset of retirement, the housewives will have long forgiven him.
Plans to disrupt the Betfred Derby were foiled as animal rights activists were arrested attempting to run on to the course at Epsom.
Despite pledges by Animal Rising to “cancel or severely delay” the Derby, the premier Classic went ahead as planned, with Auguste Rodin securing victory for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore.
As spectators waited excitedly for the runners to appear, a man jumped the fence and rushed on to the course.
He was pursued by police as the crowd jeered, with some shouting “get him”, before being pulled away and tackled to the ground where he was handcuffed.
Shortly after, a woman tried to jump the fence in front of the grandstand as police officers rushed to stop her.
Angry onlookers could be heard screaming, with one man shouting, “kick her head in”, while police threw her to the floor and handcuffed her just as the horses thundered past the finish line.
It came after Surrey Police arrested 19 people earlier on Saturday based on intelligence suggesting they were “intent on illegally disrupting” the Derby.
Last week, the Jockey Club, which owns Epsom Downs, was granted the injunction against Animal Rising, claiming it had made “explicitly clear” it intended to breach security at the racecourse.
Observers described the situation as “ludicrous” and “absolute insanity” while others thanked police for putting a stop to the protests.
Giving his reaction, winning rider Moore said: “Andrew Cooper (clerk of the course at Epsom) and his team and the Jockey Club and the BHA (British Horseracing Authority) have been on top of it. It seems to have gone off without a hitch and I think that is a very good sign.”
Nevin Truesdale, chief executive of the Jockey Club, praised the prompt reactions of security staff and the police, but condemned the “reckless and illegal” behaviour of the protesters involved.
He said: “Our security teams and the police acted swiftly and decisively to remove an Animal Rising protester who entered the racetrack after the Derby had started and while the race was being run.
“This reckless and illegal behaviour which threatened the safety of our equine and human athletes is a breach of the High Court injunction which the Jockey Club obtained last week and prohibits trespass. The court order provides a clear route to prosecution, fines and even the threat of prison for Contempt of Court and we will now take steps to enforce that.
“Animal Rising have repeatedly stated that they would not attempt to disrupt any races while in progress and we utterly condemn their deplorable and mindless actions today.
“The Derby was first run in 1780 and has continued despite two world wars, the Covid pandemic and a number of other extreme challenges. That the 244th running of the race was able to take place on time today is testament to the determination of everyone to stage one of British sport’s most iconic and loved events.”
Frankie Dettori secured a victory on his last Derby day as he steered Prosperous Voyage to success in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes.
The 52-year-old will retire at the end of the current campaign and after suffering disappointment in his final ride in the Derby, it looked unlikely he would get on the board when Ralph Beckett’s filly exited the stalls untidily and left Dettori sat plum last.
However, the only Group One winner in the field showed her class at the business end of the race as the 6-4 favourite set about working her way into contention before knuckling down to see out the one-mile contest in game fashion.
Following on from his Group One double on Friday, it was a third victory of the weekend for Dettori on the Surrey Downs and it was fitting the victory came in the colours of Andrew Rosen, who along with co-owner Marc Chan, have been long-time supporters of the Italian.
Auguste Rodin showed his class at Epsom with an exceptional display to run down King Of Steel and provide Aidan O’Brien with a record-extending ninth victory in the Betfred Derby.
Described by the Ballydoyle handler as a “collector’s item” prior to the premier Classic, the son of Deep Impact had a point to prove having been bitterly disappointing when favourite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Despite that he was still popular with backers ahead of the blue riband and having been sent off at 9-2 in the hands of Ryan Moore he set about tackling the undulations of the Surrey Downs from stall 10.
Settled in mid-division as stablemates San Antonio and Adelaide River dictated terms up front, with Frankie Dettori in his final Derby aboard Arrest and Sir Michael Stoute’s Passenger also close by, Moore was content to let the action unfold as Kevin Stott aboard the 66-1 outsider King Of Steel made an audacious bid for home after rounding Tattenham Corner.
However, Roger Varian’s imposing runner soon had a target on his back and with Auguste Rodin eating into King Of Steel’s advantage with every stride, the highly-regarded colt was soon powering his way to pass that rival to give Moore his third Derby victory.
Rafael Nadal is expected to be out for five more months following surgery on his left hip.
The 22-time grand slam champion underwent the procedure on Friday evening at a clinic in Barcelona.
Nadal’s team issued an update on Saturday saying the arthroscopic procedure on his left psoas tendon went well, with the damaged areas cleaned and reinforced, while an old labrum injury was also addressed.
The Spaniard, who turned 37 on Saturday, suffered the injury at the Australian Open in January and had expected to only be out for six to eight weeks.
But repeated efforts to rehabilitate it did not work and last month Nadal announced he would miss the French Open for the first time since 2004.
This latest timescale means Nadal is almost certainly out for the rest of the season but he could potentially make his return in Australia in January.
He said last month he envisaged next year being a farewell tour after repeated injury troubles, with Nadal hoping to play at the tournaments that have meant the most to him.
Regal Reality swooped late in the hands of Ryan Moore to claim the Betfred Diomed Stakes at Epsom.
Trained by Sir Michael Stoute, the eight-year-old was barely in the equation in the early stages as Marie’s Diamond set a brisk pace.
And he still had the majority of the field ahead of him, with Charlie Appleby’s 2-1 favourite Highland Avenue travelling powerfully around Tattenham Corner and surging to the lead.
It was Roger Varian’s Kolsai who first took aim at Highland Avenue and laid down a stern challenge, but all the while Moore was coaxing Regal Reality into a position to strike and having joined the three-way tussle for the lead inside the final furlong, he ran on strongly to win by three-quarters of a length at odds of 5-1.
The winner is owned by Peter Done, brother of Betfred boss Fred Done.
Max Verstappen finished fastest in a rain-hit final practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix.
Verstappen completed his speediest time in the early minutes before it started drizzling at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
The double world champion finished two tenths clear of Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull, with Lewis Hamilton third, four tenths back.
Hamilton completed only eight laps as he elected not to run in the slippery conditions, despite the chance qualifying – which takes place at 4pm local time (3pm BST) – could also be disrupted by showers.
Behind Hamilton, Carlos Sainz finished fourth for Ferrari, one place ahead of his countryman Fernando Alonso in his Aston Martin. George Russell finished sixth for Mercedes.
The one-hour running was suspended for nine minutes after Logan Sargeant crashed out.
Sargeant lost control of his Williams through the high-speed final corner, before sliding into the gravel and grazing the wall.
Verstappen will head into qualifying having finished fastest in all three sessions as he bids to extend his 39-point championship lead over team-mate Perez.
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has been summoned to the stewards following his outburst at the standard of officiating in Formula One.
Steiner, 58, described a five-second penalty handed to Nico Hulkenberg at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix as “completely wrong” before calling for an overhaul of the FIA’s current model.
Four officials from a rotating pool steward every Grand Prix and at least one of those will be a former driver who has raced at a competitive level.
But speaking ahead of Sunday’s race in Spain, Steiner, who now faces a charge of bringing the sport into disrepute, said: “Every professional sport has professional referees.
“F1 is one of the biggest sports in the world and we still have laymen deciding on the fate of people that invest millions in their careers.
“There is no consistency. We need to step it up.”
Hulkenberg was penalised following an aggressive overtake on Logan Sargeant on the first lap in Monte Carlo.
Hulkenberg made his way ahead of the Williams driver without appearing to make contact.
“Nico comes from the inside, is in front, dives into the corner, but I can’t see a collision,” said Steiner, who will face the stewards at 2:30pm local time (1:30pm UK).
“A collision is touching, no? That’s what the definition is. We’re trying to get it explained because I think the decision was completely wrong.”
Nineteen people have been arrested in connection with plans to disrupt the Epsom Derby Festival on Saturday, Surrey Police said.
Officers said 11 people were arrested at addresses in Mitcham and Byfleet in the early hours of the morning following warrants based on intelligence received ahead of the festival.
Eight people were also arrested after a vehicle stopped in Burgh Heath at about 10.20am.
All were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance and remain in police custody.
Activists from the group Animal Rising had pledged to “cancel or severely delay” the Derby in the lead-up to the event.
Pascal Bary’s Feed The Flame will bid to maintain his flawless record in the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on Sunday.
The son of Kingman did not run as a two-year-old and made his debut at ParisLongchamp in April, winning a maiden by five and a half lengths under Christophe Soumillon.
He then returned to the same track later that month to contest the Prix de Ferrieres, a race he won by a length and a quarter over a mile and three furlongs.
The exciting colt has not been seen since and returns to action to try to make it three from three in the French Derby.
“We gave him some time off after he won for the second time, even though he had won easily twice,” said Bary.
“After that we’ve built him up again for Sunday.
“On his debut the ground was perfect, next time it was very soft but there is a big cushion in the ground at the moment, so there’s no reason he won’t handle it.
“I don’t think the draw (stall six) is going to be an issue, there are not going to be that many runners, but you have to ride him the way that suits him anyway.
“Christophe has ridden him. He hasn’t had a retainer this year. He’s one of the best jockeys, so if you can get him it makes sense.
“I do think he will be better over a mile and a half, despite his pedigree, but I think he’ll be quicker on his feet on Sunday than he has been in the past.”
Christopher Head will aim for the second Classic winner of his career as Big Rock attempts to extend a unbeaten run that has seen him win all four starts this term.
After taking a handicap and a Listed event, the Rock Of Gibraltar colt landed two Group Threes in the Prix la Force and the Prix de Guiche and now steps up both in trip and in grade.
“We didn’t know the limits of this horse, that was before he ran in the Prix de Guiche, he then won it by five lengths,” said Head, who trains the brilliant filly Blue Rose Cen.
“When I talk about limits, what I mean is that I didn’t really know how far he could go and he has proven that he is a horse that has a lot of speed and who can go over that trip.
“The thing is with him is that he’s got that cruising speed, he travels at that cruising speed and you can see how he finishes and how he responds over that trip.”
Ryan Moore will partner Aidan O’Brien’s Continuous, a Heart’s Cry colt who was last seen dead-heating for third in the Dante at York.
Prior to that he was twice a winner as a two-year-old, taking a Curragh maiden and then the Group Three Prix Thomas Bryon at Chantilly.
Moore told Betfair: “This looks a very hot contest. We have the French 2000 Guineas winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi, the unbeaten and unexposed Feed The Flame, and the impressive Chantilly winner Big Rock in here, to name but three, but I do think Continuous has a good shot at this.
“I thought he shaped very promisingly indeed for me when dead-heating for third with Passenger in the Dante, a race in which he just got a bit tired late on, on his first start since September.
“I would have thought that race would have brought him on a good deal, and he is a colt I rate. It’s a very deep French Derby but he should go well.”
O’Brien added: “Continuous is well. We’re happy with everything he’s done and we always thought soft ground suited him. He went to York and did it, and if it’s soft he definitely won’t mind it.”
Marhaba Ya Sanafi, trained by Andreas Schutz, takes his chance after a short-neck success in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, the French 2000 Guineas, last time out.
The sole British-trained runner is John and Thady Gosden’s Epictetus, second to Auguste Rodin in the Vertem Futurity Trophy as a juvenile, the winner of the Listed Blue Riband Trial on debut this year and then fifth in the Dante. Frankie Dettori takes the ride.
Andre Fabre’s Flight Leader joins Yann Barberot’s American Flag and Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti’s Winter Pudding in the line-up.
Jean-Claude Rouget has a trio or runners in Rajapour, Padishakh and the unbeaten Ace Impact.
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina pulled out of the French Open ahead of her third-round match because of illness.
The fourth seed was one of the favourites for the title having enjoyed a brilliant season and won the Italian Open in Rome last month.
She won both her first two matches comfortably against teenagers Brenda Fruhvirtova and Linda Noskova but withdrew minutes before she was due to take to Philippe Chatrier to face Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Rybakina said: “I was not feeling good already yesterday and the day before, so I didn’t sleep two nights and had some fever. Today I really tried in the warm-up but I feel that the right decision is to withdraw, because it’s really tough to play with these conditions.
“I saw the doctor and they said that actually it’s all a virus here in Paris. I guess with my allergy, immune system just went down and I picked up something. It’s difficult to perform and obviously to run and even breathe. So I think that was the only right decision I could make.
“Today I just wanted to give 100 per cent and obviously I’m far from being 100 per cent. It was unlucky for me. I just try to recover and do my best to be prepared for the grass season already.”
The timing is hugely unfortunate for the 23-year-old, who has established herself at the top of the tree in women’s tennis alongside Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek and was seeded to meet the Pole in the semi-finals.
“Of course I’m really upset not to be able to play but I guess that’s life,” added the Kazakhstan player. “There is a lot of ups and downs.”
Rybakina is due to play her first grass-court tournament in Berlin beginning on June 19 before heading to Eastbourne as she builds up to the defence of her Wimbledon title.
Tracey Neville announced she would leave her role as England head coach after the Liverpool-hosted World Cup in order to start a family on this day in 2019.
Neville, who led England to Commonwealth gold in 2018, was appointed in 2015 before the World Cup in Australia.
“Under her leadership, the Vitality Roses have made unprecedented progress in the world rankings and at major tournaments, including the gold medal success at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She is now going to take some time away from the game to focus on her personal life,” England Netball said.
Neville, the sister of former footballers Phil and Gary Neville, added: “Over the last few months I have sat down with England Netball to look at how I could fulfil my role whilst taking into consideration my personal circumstances.
“My ambition to have a family is something I want to commit to after the Vitality Netball World Cup.
“The Vitality Roses’ future is paramount in my thoughts and plans, and I will passionately and wholeheartedly continue to support them and England Netball.”
Under Neville’s direction, England went on to claim a bronze medal at the 2019 World Cup.
Neville played 81 times for England, while her coaching career included masterminding two Superleague titles as Manchester Thunder coach.
She returned to the Thunder as performance operations director in 2021 before relocating to Australia following her appointment as an assistant coach at Adelaide Thunderbirds for 2023. She had previously been a Thunderbirds player.
British interest in singles at the French Open ended after Cameron Norrie lost meekly to Lorenzo Musetti in the third round, castigating his attitude and performance in a 6-1 6-2 6-4 defeat.
Novak Djokovic survived the longest three-set match of his grand slam career, battling past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in three hours and 36 minutes, while Carlos Alcaraz had a much easier time against Denis Shapovalov.
In the women’s event, Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka reached round four for the first time but third seed Jessica Pegula is out.
Picture of the dayTweet of the day
Naomi Osaka and boyfriend Cordae are expecting a girl.
Shot of the dayStat of the day
A disastrous first week for the home country, who began with 28 players in the main singles draws.
Fritz earns Mac approval
Not surprisingly, Taylor Fritz’s baiting of the French crowd in his late-night win over Arthur Rinderknech was right up John McEnroe’s street. “I like to see a little confrontation,” said Eurosport pundit McEnroe. The booing was so loud that the on-court interview was limited to one question.
China return
The WTA announced earlier this year that it would be ending its boycott of China over the Peng Shuai affair. Details of the autumn calendar have now been announced, with seven tournaments taking place in the country, including the WTA Finals in Shenzhen.
Fallen seeds
Men: Andrey Rublev (7), Hubert Hurkacz (13), Cameron Norrie (14), Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (29).
Women: Jessica Pegula (3), Anastasia Potapova (24), Irina-Camelia Begu (27).
Who’s up next?
The boot will be on the other foot for 19-year-old Coco Gauff when she takes on Russian Mirra Andreeva, three years her junior, in the third round on Saturday. Defending champion Iga Swiatek meets Wang Xinyu of China while fourth seed Elena Rybakina plays Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo. The night session again features a men’s match – Alexander Zverev up against Frances Tiafoe – while Casper Ruud and Holger Rune are also in action.
Rafael Nadal underwent surgery on Friday evening in a bid to discover the extent of his hip problem.
The 22-time grand slam champion only expected to be out for six to eight weeks with the injury he suffered at the Australian Open in January but nearly five months on he has not recovered.
Nadal was forced to miss the French Open for the first time in nearly two decades having admitted his team had not been able to find a solution to the issue.
The Spaniard, who turns 37 on Saturday, announced last month that he would be taking a break, potentially for the rest of the season, before what he expects to be farewell tour next year.
Nadal’s representatives revealed the surgical intervention on Friday, with the 14-time French Open champion undergoing an arthroscopic investigation on his left psoas muscle in Barcelona.
The results are expected to be announced on Saturday morning.
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