Novak Djokovic immediately set his sights on the next big goal after clinching a record-extending 40th Masters series title in Paris.
The Serbian’s loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final appeared to mark a real shift in men’s tennis but Djokovic has not lost a match since.
He collected a 24th grand slam title at the US Open and has also won titles in Cincinnati and now the French capital, a winning run of 18 matches, six of them against top-10 players.
At 36, Djokovic plays sparingly, but, when he does take to the court, he remains clearly the best player in the world – he has lost only five matches in 2023 and won three grand slam titles.
Next up, Djokovic will aim to win a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title in Turin before trying to lead Serbia to a second Davis Cup crown.
“I try to be a good student of the game and keep track with the numbers but, at the same time, I also want to be able to just direct my attention to the next challenge,” Djokovic told reporters in the French capital.
“As long as I’m an active player, I guess that’s going to be kind of the mentality I will nurture. It’s great, but it’s already behind me.
“This is, fortunately or unfortunately, the way it works for me, and the way I think is the correct mentality moving forward. Because, while I’m still active, I still want to win more and I still want to play at the highest level.
“Obviously grand slams and Masters events are the most valuable tournaments in our sport.”
An insatiable desire to win biggest titles and an almost super-human ability to peak both for the most important tournaments and matches and the key moments within those matches have combined to keep Djokovic at the top of the tree while the sands have shifted around him.
He is nearly a decade older than any other player in the top 13 and struggled with a stomach bug in Paris but was still able to lift the trophy.
This undoubtedly does not reflect particularly well on Djokovic’s rivals, albeit they are taking on one of the greatest athletes of all time, while he again had to confront boos from the crowd on several occasions.
The Serbian’s complex relationship with tennis fans is nothing new, and Parisian crowds have a justified reputation for their willingness to jeer players, which was especially evident at the French Open this year.
Djokovic may wish he was received differently but he has also admitted being portrayed as a villain has driven him on, while it should not be overlooked that he has a sizeable army of devoted fans around the world.
He clearly takes great delight in keeping the young pretenders at bay, and, with his body holding up generally very well, it would be no surprise to see him continue to do so into 2024.
He is only two weeks short of hitting 400 weeks at world number one while he will be the hot favourite to win an 11th Australian Open title in January, which would put him out on his own as the most successful grand slam singles player in history.
Mawj will be prepared for a winter campaign in Dubai following her agonising defeat at the Breeders’ Cup on Saturday.
The daughter of Exceed And Excel provided trainer Saeed bin Suroor with his first British Classic success in 14 years when edging out Tahiyra in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May, but subsequently missed the middle part of the season after suffering injury.
She made a successful return from five months off the track in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland in October, though, and remained in America to take on the colts in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Mawj looked likely to prevail after taking over the lead approaching the final furlong at Santa Anita under Oisin Murphy, but was reeled in by fellow Godolphin runner Master Of The Seas, with just a nose separating them at the line.
Having had a couple of days to reflect on the narrowest of reverses, Bin Suroor remained typically gracious in defeat.
He said: “She ran a huge race and we thought she was going to win, but she was beaten by a good horse, also a Godolphin horse, and I’m happy for Charlie (Appleby).
“Our filly is tough and hard and it was the first time she ran with the colts. She proved herself good enough to be with them.
“Oisin gave her a very good ride, he did everything right and she ran a huge race.”
Mawj will now head to Bin Suroor’s home country for the winter carnival at Meydan before returning to Britain next season in search of more major prizes.
“Now she is going back to Dubai and we’ll try and find a race for her, maybe the Jebel Hatta and then the Dubai Turf. After that we’ll find races for her in the UK and Europe,” the trainer added.
“I think a mile is her best trip, but sometimes it can be hard to find races for her. I know she won over nine furlongs at Keeneland, but at the mile I think she is at her best.”
Trinidad and Tobago emerged the top English-speaking Caribbean nation at the 2023 Pan American Games that concluded in Santiago, Chile on Sunday. The twin-island republic won four medals at the games, securing a gold, one silver and two bronze medals to be tied in 19th position overall.
Paul Nicholls has indicated there is a possibility Bravemansgame could run in the Betfair Chase at Haydock later this month if conditions prove suitable.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up narrowly failed to defend his Charlie Hall Chase crown at Wetherby on Saturday when a mistake at the final fence allowed Mouse Morris’ race-fit Gentlemansgame to snatch victory.
It was thought that the eight-year-old would head straight to Kempton in search of back-to-back victories in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase on Boxing Day, but Nicholls is refusing to rule out an appearance at Haydock on November 25 – a race which was originally slated for Bravemansgame’s seasonal return.
“He’s come out of the race really well, he’s actually had a canter today, and there is still a possibility of him running in the Betfair Chase,” Nicholls told Betfair in his Ditcheat Diary.
“It’s a fantastic race and I love supporting it and have done well in it. Plenty of horses I have had have used that as a stepping stone to the King George and in a lot of ways Saturday was a bit of a racecourse gallop for him.
“He had not been anywhere before Saturday and if we were happy with him and the ground was OK – that is key, I don’t want to give him a hard race, a slog in really testing ground before the King George – but if we had a dry week up to it and the ground was good to soft, then it could be tempting.”
Reflecting on his Wetherby defeat, Nicholls added: “He ran a super race and it was probably a better performance than a year ago.
“The ground was testing enough for him and you could probably run the race 100 times and get a different result each time, but if he hadn’t made that mistake at the last and had landing running, it could have been a whole heap different.
“He got beat by a good, improving, young, race-fit horse and we paid for a little mistake. It was his first run of the season and I was going to have him nowhere near his best first-time out. Obviously, we want him to step forward from that and he will do.”
Henrietta Knight, who saddled Best Mate to three straight Cheltenham Gold Cup triumphs, is poised for a return to the training ranks in the new year.
The 76-year-old is best known for her hat-trick of victories in the blue riband event between 2002 and 2004 but was also the trainer of Champion Chase hero Edredon Bleu, who similarly carried the colours of Best Mate’s owner Jim Lewis.
Knight, who was married to former champion jump jockey Terry Biddlecombe, retired in 2012 but has remained involved in the sport by running a pre-training business and also being an active figure at the sales.
However, she will now recommence training under rules from her West Lockinge base, where she hopes to train around 25-30 horses.
Knight will be assisted by Grand National-winning jockey Brendan Powell, who was a trainer in his own right before serving as assistant to Joseph O’Brien and Rebecca Menzies in recent years, and he is excited to link-up with such a distinguished name in racing.
“I’ve known Hen for 30-odd years and was good friends with Terry,” said Powell.
“I came over here to Rebecca’s and it sort of hasn’t really worked out and Hen mentioned to me in the week that she was thinking if she got the horses, she wouldn’t mind training again and asked if I would consider going down and helping out.
“I had a few chats with her and we decided that I would give it a go and see what happens.”
He went on: “I know she has applied for the licence and there should be no reason why she wouldn’t get it.
“It’s a good place there and my son Brendan rides out there along with Paul O’Brien and James Bowen. She’s always busy and always got plenty of horses in and she is hoping to get around 25-30 horses, which would be just a nice number. We will give it a go and see what happens.
“She has been a great trainer over the years and with the horses she has had. It’s obviously not going to be as big as that now, but I’m sure we can get some nice owners together – she has a few already – and we will see if we can build on that.”
Knight told Telegraph Sport: “People will probably think I’m mad starting again when most people are stopping, but I like doing things and I miss the buzz.
“Cheltenham’s where I love and I can’t wait to get back there. The emphasis will be on trying to find a few chasers to take me back to Cheltenham. I’m very excited and want to get going.”
Cheltenham Festival hero Iroko is set to make his chasing debut at Warwick on Tuesday.
Trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, the five-year-old was a real improver over hurdles last season and, after a pair of commanding wins at Wetherby, brought up a hat-trick when scoring in the Martin Pipe at the Festival in March.
Iroko then finished off his season by finishing an honourable third when stepped up to Grade One company for the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle during Aintree’s Grand National Festival.
Having skipped a possible return at Cheltenham recently, he will now start off over the larger obstacles in the Stan Mellor Memorial Novices’ Chase, a race won 12 months ago by Paul Nicholls’ Stage Star.
Greenall said: “We’ve always thought chasing would be his game, he’s been schooling really well and we’re looking forward to getting going with him.
“He will want three miles eventually, but we’re just going to start off at two and a half and then go up in trip as the season progresses.”
Iroko is owned by JP McManus, whose famous green and gold hoops are also carried by Greenall and Guerriero’s smart hurdling prospect Jagwar.
The four-year-old recruit from France pushed the highly-regarded Inthewaterside all the way on his UK bow at Aintree last Sunday and is exciting his training team.
“He does everything well at home, is really relaxed and easy to train,” continued Greenall.
“He’s going to probably want a trip and fences in time but we will stay over hurdles for now obviously this season.
“We feel he will come on for the experience and fitness wise, so we were very happy with the performance.”
Jagwar could now be set for an immediate step up in class, with a return to Aintree for the Grade One Formby Novices’ Hurdle (formerly the Tolworth) on the Merseyside track’s new Boxing Day card and Newbury’s Challow Hurdle both possible options.
“There’s a few options for him and we’ll probably wait until Christmas time with him now,” explained Greenall.
“He can go back to Aintree on Boxing Day for the new fixture or there is Newbury that we are looking at, we’ll just have to wait and see how he is.
“We’ll probably step him up (in class) a bit, which is what we did with Iroko – and if he won, then great, but if he doesn’t, then he’s gaining experience along the way.
“We probably won’t just go for a little novice as I don’t think he will learn a lot and we’re not gaining anything. We would probably prefer to go and have a go at a better race.
“Aintree would mean going back in trip but it could easily be fairly soft ground that day, which would be fine.”
Toto Wolff said Mercedes’ worst performance on his watch as team principal shows they are right to make wholesale design changes for next season.
Lewis Hamilton finished eighth at Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix – more than a minute behind race winner Max Verstappen – while George Russell retired with an engine failure while running in 11th.
Far from being any closer to Verstappen’s all-conquering Red Bull, Mercedes were slower than McLaren, Aston Martin, Ferrari and the mid-table Alpine team in Sao Paulo, with Pierre Gasly embarrassing the former world champions when he batted Hamilton and Russell aside.
“It is totally baffling and unacceptable,” said a beleaguered Wolff.
“We are a proper structure, a solid team but that didn’t look like a solid team today. For me personally, it was the worst weekend in 13 years (in Formula One).
“The development of that car has been about putting plasters on something that was not right and it shows that it is so unpredictable that it can swing either side.
“Fundamentally, we will have a different car next year and today proves that is the right thing to do.
“It feels horrible for the whole team. And I wish we could start the new season concentrating on the new car.”
Performances at the previous two rounds had afforded Hamilton and Mercedes hope that they were closing the gap to Red Bull.
Armed with a new floor in Austin two weeks ago, Hamilton finished second before he was disqualified after his Mercedes failed a post-race scrutineering check. He was runner-up again in Mexico seven days later, this time with a legal car, 14 sec adrift of Verstappen.
But the Silver Arrows were dealt a grizzly reality check at Interlagos – a venue where they expected to perform well after Russell claimed Mercedes’ sole victory there last season.
Wolff continued: “It’s baffling. From having a really quick and balanced car and drivers really happy, to a nightmare. How is that possible?
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we analyse the cars in the next few days and we find out that there is a mechanical issue in the way we set them up.”
Russell was forced to park his machine with 12 laps remaining but the Englishman hopes Mercedes’ abysmal performance was track specific – with rounds to follow in Las Vegas in a fortnight before the concluding race in Abu Dhabi on November 26.
“It was a mind-boggling weekend to understand,” said Russell. “We had high expectations heading into this weekend and we had absolutely no pace at all.
“There are so many question marks. It is the same car that we have had for the last five races which has been capable of podiums.
“This is clearly a substantial one-off event, but we need to understand what we got wrong because right now, we don’t really know.”
A 30-point triple-double from LaMelo Ball was not enough to get the Charlotte Hornets across the line against the Dallas Mavericks.
Ball scored 23 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter of Charlotte’s 124-118 defeat, to go along with 10 rebounds and 13 assists.
A quiet start from Luka Doncic allowed the Hornets to gain an early advantage, but the Slovenian eventually found his groove to lead the Mavericks’ second-half comeback.
He finished with 23 points, while Kyrie Irving added 18.
The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 112-100 on the back of Desmond Bane’s 30-point effort.
The visitors left it until late, launching a 24-point comeback in the final quarter to pick up their first win of the season.
Jerami Grant top-scored for Portland with 27.
The Phoenix Suns snapped a three-game losing streak with a 120-106 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Kevin Durant stepped up in the absence of injured starting duo Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, scoring a season-high 41 points in the 14-point victory.
The Cleveland Cavaliers surprised the Golden State Warriors 115-104, while Scottie Barnes scored 30 points to lead the Toronto Raptors over the San Antonio Spurs 123-116.
Ronnie O’Sullivan announced his decision to step away from snooker due to personal reasons on this day in 2012.
The star’s self-imposed exile did not last long and he would return for the season-ending World Championship and win it.
World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn said at the time: “I have spoken to Ronnie and he has decided to withdraw from any events he has entered, and he will not be playing for the rest of this season. He has some personal issues which he needs to resolve and we wish him all the best for the future.”
In May 2012, after winning his fourth world title, O’Sullivan said he intended to take some time away from the sport.
“I don’t intend to stay in the game long, even though I feel in a lot better place,” he said. “I’ve made that decision and this might – I’m not saying it is – be my last time in this tournament.”
Just a few months later, in 2013, he won a fifth world title – beating Barry Hawkins – although O’Sullivan had to wait seven years for a sixth, before adding a seventh in 2022.
O’Sullivan has continued his hints at retirement having repeatedly said he had fallen out of love with the game but just last year reiterated his focus.
He said: “I feel like I’ve got life in perspective – I spent enough years getting disappointed by the game. I thought let’s try not to get disappointed and it’s freed me up a bit.
“I’m still competitive. If I take up anything I want to be better, it’s just natural and I’ll never lose that, so the players can expect me to keep coming for more.”
Donovan Mitchell led the way with 31 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers earned their first regular-season victory over the Golden State Warriors in nearly seven years with Sunday's 115-104 win.
Mitchell finished 11 of 19 from the field and added seven assists to help Cleveland snap a 16-game losing streak in the series, which included five losses to the Warriors in the NBA Finals.
The Cavaliers' first regular-season win over Golden State since Christmas Day of 2016 also snapped the Warriors' run of five straight victories since a season-opening loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Darius Garland added 24 points and Evan Mobley compiled 13 points and 16 rebounds in the Cavs' second win in three games following a 1-3 start to the season.
Mitchell recorded 17 points in the first half and Garland had 13 by the break as Cleveland took a 57-45 lead into the intermission, then never trailed in the second half.
Stephen Curry went 7 of 11 from 3-point range and amassed 28 points in the Warriors' first defeat in five road games this season.
Raptors come back from 22 points down to stun Spurs in overtime
Scottie Barnes scored 17 of his game-high 30 points in the fourth quarter to lead a furious second-half rally that catapulted the Toronto Raptors to a 123-116 overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Toronto trailed by 22 points late in the first half and faced an 86-71 deficit after three quarters, but outscored the Spurs by a 23-10 margin to begin the fourth. Barnes later tied the contest at 108-108 with a 3-pointer with 37.9 seconds left in regulation, though Keldon Johnson put San Antonio back ahead with two free throws on the ensuing possession before the Raptors' OG Anunoby forced overtime with a putback with just 1.2 seconds remaining.
The Raptors then opened overtime with an 8-2 run to take the lead for good.
Anunoby and Dennis Schröder each finished with 24 points for Toronto, with Anunoby going 7 of 13 on 3-point tries. Barnes finished 5 of 10 from beyond the arc to go along with 11 rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocks.
Rookie sensation VIctor Wembanyama had 20 points, nine rebounds and five blocks for San Antonio, which also received 26 points from Johnson and 21 points and 11 rebounds from Zach Collins.
Grizzlies rally past Trail Blazers for elusive first win
Desmond Bane scored 30 points and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to earn a 112-100 win over the Portland Trail Blazers for their first victory of the season.
Memphis, which posted the second-best record in the Western Conference last season at 51-31, opened the 2023-24 campaign with six straight losses and looked on the way towards a seventh with Portland owning a 98-86 lead with eight minutes remaining.
The Grizzlies held the Blazers without a field goal the rest of the way, however, as they closed the game on a 26-2 run. Bane had nine points and Jaren Jackson Jr. totalled seven during the game-ending spurt.
Jackson finished with 27 points and seven rebounds and Luke Kennard contributed 15 points off the bench for Memphis.
Jerami Grant led Portland with 27 points and both Malcolm Brogdon and Shaedon Sharpe had 18 in the loss. Brogdon added 11 assists and seven rebounds.
The Anaheim Ducks struck for four unanswered goals in the third period to rally for a 4-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, which extended their winning streak to six games and gave the defending Stanley Cup champions their first regulation loss of the season.
Sam Carrick scored two goals and Mason McTavish had the tie-breaking tally with 3:40 left to play as the Ducks snapped Vegas' 12-game point streak to begin its Stanley Cup title defence. The Golden Knights began the season on an 11-0-1 run and hadn't lost in regulation in a regular-season game since March 28 of last season, going 16-0-4 since that defeat prior to Sunday's setback.
Anaheim's winning streak is the franchise's longest since an eight-game run from Oct. 31-Nov. 16, 2021. The Ducks have missed the playoffs in each of the five previous seasons.
The Knights looked to be on the way towards another win after Ivan Barbashev scored in the first period and Jack Eichel did so in the second to build a 2-0 lead entering the final stanza.
Adam Henrique gave the Ducks renewed life, however, with a power-play goal just 1:38 into the third period.
After Carrick's first goal of the night tied the score with 9:05 remaining, McTavish beat Vegas goaltender Logan Thompson with a one-timer less than 5 1/2 minutes later to put Anaheim ahead.
Carrick later sealed the victory with an empty-net score with 1:09 left.
John Gibson aided the Ducks' comeback with 30 saves, while Thompson stopped 19 of 22 shots in defeat.
Devils bounce back with win over Blackhawks
Dawson Mercer and Max Willman scored first-period goals to help the New Jersey Devils get back on track with a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
New Jersey had a three-game winning streak snapped with Friday's 4-1 loss at St. Louis, then fell behind early in this one when former Devil Taylor Hall gave Chicago a 1-0 lead just 1:51 into the contest.
Mercer and Willman scored just 1:34 apart later in the opening period, however, and Curtis Lazar extended the lead by redirecting teammate John Marino's shot past Blackhawks' netminder Arvid Soderblom 4:35 into the third.
Ryan Donato's goal with 4:46 remaining got Chicago within 3-2, but Michael McLeod scored into an empty net in the closing seconds to seal the Devils' sixth win in eight games.
Soderblom finished with 36 saves, while Vitek Vanecek stopped 32 shots for New Jersey.
Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard, the No. 1 overall pick of this year's draft, was held without a point after registering a goal in each of the team's previous three games.
Iga Swiatek has moved a step closer to reclaiming the world number one spot with a straight-sets victory over Aryna Sabalenka in the WTA Finals.
Swiatek, the world number two, claimed her 67th win of the year and her 10th win in a row in the 6-3 6-2 victory against the current number one Sabalenka on Sunday in Mexico.
The match, which began on Saturday, was suspended after the fourth game due to wet weather which has featured consistently throughout the tournament.
When it resumed on Sunday, Swiatek broke Sabalenka in the first game back and went on to take the win in just over 90 minutes.
“I’m really, really happy, I think that was the toughest and nicest match that I have played here,” Swiatek said after the match.
The 22-year-old from Poland went unbroken throughout the match and won more than 75 per cent of her service points.
She will meet world number five Jessica Pegula in the final on Monday for a chance to finish the year as the world number one.
It only took an hour for Pegula to beat her doubles partner and fellow American Coco Gauff on Saturday in a 6-2 6-1 win to continue her exceptional tournament form.
Both Pegula and four-time grand slam winner Swiatek have gone through the tournament undefeated with neither player dropping a single set.
Daniel Ricciardo said he was thankful to be alive after he narrowly avoided being struck by a flying tyre in Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
The race in Sao Paulo was suspended after a chaotic start which saw the loose carcass hit Ricciardo’s rear wing following a collision between Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg.
Albon, 13th on the grid, drew alongside Hulkenberg ahead of the first corner, but the two machines made contact, sending the London-born driver into Hulkenberg’s Haas team-mate Kevin Magnussen and then into the barrier.
The force of the impact tore the left-rear off Albon’s Williams, with the bouncing tyre, which weighs 13 kilograms, narrowly flying over the top of Ricciardo’s head before smashing into the back of his AlphaTauri.
Footage from Ricciardo’s cockpit shows him turning sharply to the left to avoid the airborne rubber.
“I saw a big crash in front of me and lots of debris,” said Ricciardo.
“I felt I was getting through it and then saw a tyre off the rim coming at me like a frisbee through the air and it started getting closer.
“I remember ducking my head. I didn’t feel anything hit me, so I was happy, but I checked my mirrors and saw my rear wing was pretty much off, so I assumed the tyre hit the wing, and that was frustrating. But looking back, it is nice it did not hit me.
“My immediate relief was turned into disappointment because I realised the race could be over. When you are in race mode you don’t think about it, but in hindsight I am thankful we all got out of it safe.”
Ricciardo, 34, was able to limp back to the pits for the repairs following the fortunate escape, while both Albon and Magnussen emerged unscathed, albeit out of the race.
Hulkenberg was able to carry on before a 25-minute delay ensued as the tyre barrier on the approach to the opening bend was repaired.
The red flag allowed Ricciardo’s mechanics to fix his machine, but he was a lap down for the restart.
Ricciardo continued: “The team did a great job fixing the car so we were ready to go and then I was told I would start a lap behind. All the excitement to race again gets zapped out of you.
“Common sense should be used and we should not have been a lap down because there was not one lap of green-flag racing. It is frustrating that they ruined our day from the beginning.”
Lewis Hamilton all but wrote off his chances of challenging for a record eighth world championship for the next two years following Mercedes’ “inexcusable” performance at Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
As Max Verstappen extended his winning record to 17 races in the most dominant season Formula One has ever seen, Mercedes endured an abysmal afternoon.
Hamilton took the chequered flag in eighth, an eye-watering 63 seconds behind, with George Russell forced to retire the other Mercedes.
Performances at the previous two rounds had afforded Hamilton and Mercedes hope that they were closing the gap to Verstappen’s Red Bull team.
Armed with a new floor, Hamilton finished second in Austin, before he was disqualified after his Mercedes failed a post-race scrutineering check. He was runner-up again in Mexico seven days later, this time with a legal car, 14 sec adrift of Verstappen.
But the Silver Arrows were dealt a grizzly reality check here.
Far from being any closer to Red Bull, Mercedes were slower than McLaren, Aston Martin, Ferrari and the mid-table Alpine team, with Pierre Gasly embarrassing the former world champions when he batted aside Hamilton and Russell.
Hamilton admitted after Saturday’s sprint race – where he laboured to seventh, 35 seconds behind Verstappen – that he was counting down the days until the end of the season.
Twenty-four hours later he expressed his fear that he will not be in a position to take on Verstappen before his £100million two-year deal expires at the end of 2025.
Hamilton, 39 in January, said: “All I can do is try to remain optimistic. But the Red Bull is so far away, they’re probably going to be very clear for the next couple of years.
“I knew it would be a tough one. In the moment, it is a setback. But as a team we will just come together and try to push forward.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff could not hide his despair at the result.
“An inexcusable performance,” the 51-year-old Austrian said.
“There are no words for it. The car finished second last week and the week before and whatever we did to it was horrible.
“Lewis survived out there. I can only feel for the two driving. It is a miserable thing. The car is on a knife’s edge and we have to develop it better for next year because in seven days you cannot have one of the quickest cars (in Mexico) and then you are nowhere.
“The car almost drove like it was on three wheels and not on four. This car doesn’t deserve a win.”
The start had been mildly encouraging for Hamilton. The seven-time world champion started third, up from his grid spot of fifth, when the race resumed after Alex Albon crashed into the wall and his loose tyre narrowly missed striking Daniel Ricciardo on the head.
But Mercedes’ abject pace was soon laid bare for all to see. Fernando Alonso wasted no time in racing past Hamilton at the Curva do Lago on lap four.
With Russell one place behind Hamilton, and having no luck in calling on Mercedes to move his team-mate out of the way, the black-liveried duo started tumbling back through the field.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz made light work of the two Englishmen. Gasly was next, leaving Hamilton in eighth and Russell one place back. Russell was then told to retire his car with an engine failure 12 laps from the end.
Hamilton now trails Perez by 32 points in the race for runner-up in the championship after the Red Bull driver failed to take the final spot on the podium.
Perez got ahead of Alonso on the penultimate lap only for the Spaniard to blast back past the next time round. The two drivers then went toe to toe on the 200mph drag to the chequered flag, with Perez finishing just 0.053 seconds behind.
Lando Norris took second, following another fine drive. He even threatened Verstappen for the lead on lap eight before the Dutchman reasserted his authority.
The 26-year-old’s latest triumph ensures he will end the year with the greatest win ratio ever seen over a single season.
Verstappen has won 85 per cent of the races, and with just rounds in Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi to follow, he will post a greater one-campaign ratio than Alberto Ascari’s 71-year record which stands at 75 per cent.
Max Verstappen completed an emphatic victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix after Daniel Ricciardo escaped injury when his car was struck by a flying tyre.
Lando Norris finished second for McLaren, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso holding off Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez by just 0.053 seconds for third.
But it was an abysmal afternoon for Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton eighth and George Russell forced to retire his car with an engine failure 12 laps from the end. Hamilton crossed the line an eye-watering 63 seconds behind.
The race in Sao Paulo was suspended following a chaotic start which saw a loose tyre hit Ricciardo’s rear wing following a collision between Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg.
Albon, 13th on the grid, drew alongside Hulkenberg ahead of the first corner, but the two machines made contact, sending the London-born driver into Hulkenberg’s Haas team-mate Kevin Magnussen and then into the barrier.
The force of the impact tore the left-rear off Albon’s Williams, with the bouncing tyre – which weighs 13 kilograms – narrowly flying over the top of Ricciardo’s head before smashing into the back of his AlphaTauri.
Footage from Ricciardo’s cockpit shows him turning sharply to the left to avoid the flying rubber.
“I tried to miss it, but the tyre was in the air and it clipped my rear wing,” he said.
The Australian driver, 34, was able to limp back to the pits for the repairs following the fortunate escape, while both Albon and Magnussen emerged unscathed.
Hulkenberg was able to carry on before the race was red-flagged for 25 minutes as the tyre barrier on the approach to the opening bend was repaired following Albon’s shunt.
Norris lined up in second place for the restart following a fine getaway by the British driver from sixth. Hamilton made up two places from fifth to take third on the grid for the second start.
Verstappen mastered the getaway to keep his Red Bull ahead of Norris before Alonso made light work of Hamilton to gazump the British driver at the Curva do Lago.
On lap eight, Norris was suddenly in Verstappen’s slipstream and for a handful of corners it looked as though he could do the unthinkable and take the lead.
Norris drew alongside Verstappen at the outside of Turn 4 to provide the Dutchman with a rare fright. But by the start of the lap, Verstappen had established a lead of more than one second, and for Norris, Verstappen was out of DRS range.
Behind, and it was starting to unravel for Mercedes. Performances at the previous two rounds had afforded Hamilton and the grid’s once-all-conquering team hope that they were closing the gap to the top. But they were dealt a desperate reality check here.
On laps 14 and 18, Perez cruised ahead of Russell and Hamilton respectively before Russell bemoaned that he was being held up by his team-mate.
“Are we working together, or are we just doing our own races?” Russell asked.
Hamilton stopped for rubber, with Russell following his team-mate in on the next lap. Perez came in three laps later than Hamilton and had to re-pass the seven-time world champion, which he did with ease on lap 23. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll then blasted his way past the out-of-sorts Mercedes pair.
Russell, now seventh, was growing increasingly frustrated with Hamilton struggling for pace. Russell wanted Mercedes to order Hamilton out of his way.
“Do you want me to race or concede positions?” he asked.
Later, he added: “I haven’t been on the radio because I thought it was quite obvious about the pace.”
Mercedes were unmoved as Russell tried and failed to make his way ahead of Hamilton.
Carlos Sainz was soon all over the back of the squabbling Mercedes men, cruising past Russell on lap 35, and then Hamilton two laps later.
The Silver Arrows tumbled back through the field, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly moving ahead of Russell for eighth on lap 43.
Russell stopped for a second time on lap 45 with Hamilton in a lap later, only for Gasly to take another position off Hamilton to leave the seven-time world champion in eighth – that is where he would finish.
Hamilton now trails Perez by 32 points in the race for runner-up after the Mexican failed to take the final spot on the podium.
Perez got ahead of Alonso on the penultimate lap only for the Spaniard to blast back ahead on the last lap. The two drivers then went toe to toe on the drag to the finish line, with Alonso narrowly remaining ahead.
Daniel Ricciardo escaped injury after his car was struck by a flying tyre following a chaotic start to the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The loose carcass hit Ricciardo’s rear wing following a collision between Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg moments after the start in Interlagos.
Albon, 13th on the grid, drew alongside Hulkenberg but the two machines made contact, sending the London-born driver into Hulkenberg’s Haas team-mate Kevin Magnussen and then into the barrier.
The force of the impact tore the left-rear off Albon’s Williams, with the bouncing tyre, which weighs 11.5 kilograms – roughly 1.5 times the weight of a ten-pin bowling ball – narrowly flying over the top of Ricciardo’s head before smashing into the back of his AlphaTauri.
Footage from Ricciardo’s cockpit shows him turning sharply to the left to avoid the flying rubber.
“I tried to miss it, but the tyre was in the air and it clipped my rear wing,” he said.
The Australian driver, 34, was able to limp back to the pits for the repairs following the fortunate escape, while both Albon and Magnussen emerged unscathed. Hulkenberg was able to carry on before the race was red-flagged.
Max Verstappen was afforded the front row to himself for the beginning of the race after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crashed out on the formation lap.
Leclerc blamed a hydraulics failure for the accident. The race was suspended for 25 minutes as the tyre barrier on the approach to the opening bend was repaired following Albon’s shunt.
Lando Norris will line up for the restart in second place following a fine getaway by the British driver from sixth on the grid. Lewis Hamilton made up two places from fifth to third.
Dermot Weld’s Falcon Eight was a wide-margin winner of the Comer Group International Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh.
The dual-purpose eight-year-old is often seen to good effect on the track and finished second in the Irish Cesarewitch over a trip just a furlong shorter in September.
On heavy ground he returned to bid for Group honours under Chris Hayes and at 11-4 he succeeded, defeating Willie Mullins’ 2-1 favourite Echoes In Rain by six and a half lengths.
“He’s as tough as teak and is unlucky not to win the last two runnings of the Irish Cesarewitch, so he deserved a nice win here,” Weld said.
“He’s been a great dual-purpose servant and his full-sister Search For A Song won this race two years ago.
“It’s a possibility that he might go over hurdles at Leopardstown at Christmas or he might go to Dubai for the two-mile race.
“He has stacks of enthusiasm but he is a character.”
Trainer Richard Donohoe enjoyed a poignant first Listed win as Vischio stayed on to take the Start Your Racing TV Free Trial Now Finale Stakes under Gary Carroll.
An outsider at 16-1, the mare was not for beating and had victory in her sights a furlong from home as she refused to be passed in a three-quarter-length triumph over Noel Meade’s Helvic Dream.
“It’s absolutely brilliant for the syndicate involved – my cousin Michael and his sister Mag and the sons,” said Donohoe.
“She was bought for a good friend of mine, John Kennedy, who was fighting cancer at the time. She was second in a seller and we were able to claim her for about 8,000 (euros).
“She won a hurdle race just before Michael died and the current syndicate have had nothing but fun with her ever since.
“She started off this spring and has been at nearly every festival since. We thought she might not go on heavy ground and it’s better she’s got on heavy ground.
“You could see lately she was in brilliant form and she’s really strengthened. The races have taken nothing out of her.
“She had a bit to find on several horses in the race today but there is always a chance in an end-of-season race that horses may not run to form and there was a chance to sneak some black type.
“She was definitely going to be in the first three under two furlongs down, but to win was a dream.
“We are dealing with cheap, low grade horses most of the time and she was low grade too at one time. We never have more than about 10 horses but luckily we’ve had horses that have been able to win races this year which makes it enjoyable.
“I’d say she’ll race away. I had it in my head to go to Leopardstown at Christmas for a hurdle race but I don’t know if that will happen now. She has a mark over hurdles that you’d say she might be able to compete off, but we’ll have to sit down and talk with Michael and Mag.”
Novak Djokovic eased past Grigor Dimitrov to claim a record-extending seventh Paris Masters title on Sunday.
After needing three sets to win each of his previous three matches, the world number one found the going more straightforward in the final as he saw off the Bulgarian 6-4 6-3.
It was also the Serbian’s 40th Masters 1000 crown, another record, and his 97th on the ATP Tour.
Djokovic allowed his opponent few opportunities, and a single break of serve in each set proved decisive as the 36-year-old won in 98 minutes.
“I think the match was closer than the scoreline indicates, but another amazing win for me,” said Djokovic on atptour.com.
“I’m very proud of this one, considering what I’ve been through this week – basically, coming back from the brink of losing three matches in a row.
“I was very close to losing those matches and somehow managed to find an extra gear when it was needed.
“Today, I think we both were quite tight at the beginning. I could see that he was running out of gas a little bit, myself as well, but I somehow managed to find an extra shot over the net.”
Djokovic is unbeaten since losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final in July and will head to the ATP finals in Turin next week on an 18-match winning run.
Connections of Vauban are harbouring high hopes as he faces his moment of destiny in Tuesday’s Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington.
The Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old heads the market for the Group One handicap after making a seamless switch to the Flat following three wins at the highest level over hurdles.
A seven-and-a-half-length winner of the Copper Horse Handicap at Royal Ascot, Vauban then struck Group Three gold in the Ballyroan Stakes on his prep run, leaving big-race rider Ryan Moore confident his mount has plenty in his favour in the 24-runner race.
The jockey told Betfair: “You’d be happy enough with his draw in three, but there are pros and cons to being housed in any stall, so let’s focus on what we know. And that is that Vauban looks to hold excellent credentials, second to none, though maybe connections of Gold Trip and Without A Fight, and others, may disagree.
“Whether or not he deserves to be so short in the betting in a 24-runner handicap in which luck in running can be a big factor, I’ll let others decide. I only ride them.
“But you’d rather be on a 5-2 favourite than a 50-1 outsider and this 160-rated Grade One-winning hurdler was pretty awesome for me when winning the Copper Horse at Royal Ascot from his stablemate and subsequent Ebor winner Absurde, who also runs here, and he set himself up nicely for this when winning his Group Three at Naas, a race in which I actually rode the third, Peking Opera.
“Obviously, the Ascot win came off a mark of just 101 and this is a far deeper handicap and sterner test for him, but it seems like they are delighted with the way he has travelled and has settled in and here is hoping he can give me my first winner of this race since Protectionist in 2014. My only win in the race, in fact.”
Mullins is equally upbeat, rating Vauban and Absurde as his best Melbourne team yet, having saddled Max Dynamite to finish second in the race in 2015 and third two years later.
He told www.racing.com: “I think he’s (Vauban) as good as Max Dynamite and maybe better, we’ll find out that on Tuesday.
“It’s our strongest chance ever, it probably will be my strongest chance ever.
“We wouldn’t want to forget Absurde either, he did it very well with Frankie (Dettori) in the Ebor, Frankie gave him a terrific ride there.
“He has quarantined very well, and I think he’s in great shape.”
There are no British-trained runners this year, with Joseph O’Brien’s Okita Soushi the only other European contender, but there are plenty of familiar names in the line up with last year’s winner Gold Trip going again for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, while Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott run 2020 Derby hero Serpentine and Chris Waller has last year’s Irish Oaks victor Magical Lagoon.
The Maher and Eustace team field five, with Hollie Doyle getting the leg up on former French runner Future History for the training duo.
Michelle Payne is the only woman to have ridden a Melbourne Cup winner having steered home Prince Of Penzance in 2015 and Doyle would love to add her name to the roll of honour on her first attempt.
She said: “I’m really excited to be coming to Melbourne and having a ride in the Cup on such a horse with a live chance as in Future History – it’s great for connections to have put me up.
“Obviously, with only 50kg, anything can happen in the Cup and, obviously, you need a lot of luck!
“I’ve spoken a little bit to Peter Trainor (owner), but I’ve been keeping myself up-to-date and following Future History and took an in-depth look into his career so far to get to know him.
“I think he’s got a great chance – he’ll obviously have to take a step forward again, but he seems to have been taking the right steps recently.
“He’s a Bart Cummings winner around Flemington, which is a plus – he’s got that experience on the track.
“He needs to prove he can stay the two miles, which I think he should do. His run in the (Moonee Valley) Gold Cup last week was very solid, around a track that’s probably quite sharp for him, and from a bad draw.”
Caulfield Cup winner Without A Fight, ex-William Haggas runner Soulcombe and Japanese contender Breakup are others to the fore in the betting.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
