Max Verstappen was reprimanded following a stewards' enquiry after an incident involving Lando Norris, but will remain in pole position for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver boosted his chances of wrapping up a second successive world title with four races to spare after claiming his fifth pole of the campaign in Suzuka.

However, Verstappen had to wait for confirmation that he had avoided a grid penalty after stewards reviewed a near-miss between the reigning world champion and McLaren driver Norris during the early stages of Q3.

As both drivers conducted out-laps, Norris rounded 130R to begin a push lap, but was forced onto the grass to avoid a collision after Verstappen suddenly darted to the left under acceleration.

The stewards' report read: "The driver of car one (Verstappen) was aware of car 55 (Sainz) in front and car four (Norris) approaching from behind and decided to accelerate at precisely the same time as car four decided to overtake car one.

"Unfortunately, due to lack of tyre temperature on car one, the driver temporarily lost control of the car causing it to 'snap' anti-clockwise.

"The driver of car four stated that this was simply an unfortunate incident, however it is the driver's responsibility to at all times maintain control of their car.

"Regarding penalty, all previous breaches of this nature have resulted in a reprimand, hence a similar penalty is imposed in this case."

Verstappen said of the incident: "We were all on our out-lap – all lining up to try and create a gap to everyone – and somehow he still wanted to get me into the chicane.

"I was at the point of accelerating, but I was on very cold tyres, so I had a little moment and that’s why he had to drive around me.

"If you are just a bit more respectful, then everyone is anyway already lining up. I don't think anyone is trying to pass into that last chicane, so basically, by trying to pass me, you create that kind of problem."

Max Verstappen was delighted as he boosted his chances of sealing the Formula One World Championship this weekend after taking pole at the Japanese Grand Prix, although he will await the result of a stewards' investigation. 

The Red Bull driver claimed his fifth pole of the season after edging out Charles Leclerc by just 0.010 seconds, while the latter's Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz completed the top three.

Stewards will be investigating an incident involving Verstappen and Lando Norris during the early stages of Q3, with the McLaren driver forced onto the grass to avoid contact on the slow lap after the reigning world champion darted left under acceleration at the exit of 130R.

The Dutchman's time of 1:29.304s eventually proved enough as he increased his chances of wrapping up a second successive title this weekend in Suzuka, where F1 returns for the first time since 2019.

Leclerc and Sainz fell narrowly short in their quests to surpass Verstappen, who revealed his excitement at being back in Japan.

"It was pretty incredible to drive here again, especially in qualifying when you are on low fuel – these cars really come alive through the first sector," Verstappen said.

"Of course, [I'm] very happy to be on pole, but also in general just super happy to be back here.

"It will be interesting first of all to see [what happens with] the weather [on race day]. Some say it will be dry, some say it will be raining at some point during the race. I'm quite confident we have a good car, so [I'm] excited for tomorrow."

Leclerc added: "It's a very tricky lap round here. If you are fast in the first sector, you miss out in the final sector. It's so close with everyone, so we'll try to have a good race from there."

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:29.304
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.010s
3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.057s
4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.405s
5. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +0.861s
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.957s
7. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +1.018s
8. George Russell (Mercedes) +1.085s
9. Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) +1.250s
10. Lando Norris (McLaren Mercedes) +1.699s

Pierre Gasly is heading to Alpine next season to begin a new multi-year contract after being granted an early release from his 2023 commitment to current team AlphaTauri.

Gasly, 26, has one win on his resume back at the Italian Grand Prix in 2020, and tallied 185 points across the 2020 and 2021 seasons before taking a small step back this year with AlphaTauri struggling.

The Frenchman is currently 13th in the point standings this season – four spots ahead of teammate Yuki Tsunoda – and he will join his fellow countryman Esteban Ocon in a much more competitive Alpine car.

In a statement after the announcement on Friday, Gasly spoke of his excitement at the new opportunity and thanked Red Bull after a nine-year relationship came to an end.

"I am delighted to join the Alpine family and begin this new chapter in my Formula 1 career," he said.

"Driving for a team that has French roots is something very special. I know the strengths of Alpine having raced against them over the past couple of years and, clearly, their progress and ambition is very impressive.

"I wish to thank Red Bull as this marks the end of our nine-year journey together. It is thanks to their trust and support that I became a Formula 1 driver, and what we’ve achieved with Scuderia AlphaTauri over the last years has been very special.

"Looking ahead, I want to give the maximum and utilise all my experience to fight for podiums and ultimately contribute to Alpine’s fight for championships in the future."

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer called Gasly "a proven talent" and said he believes he is the right man to help lead a new era for the brand.

"I’m very happy that Pierre will be joining the team for 2023 and beyond," he said.

"He is already a proven talent within Formula 1, and we are looking forward to harnessing that within the team. Our team has several objectives for the coming seasons and I firmly believe our driver line-up is a great reflection of the team’s high ambitions.

"I trust Pierre and Esteban can, together, motivate the team to continue its progress towards these goals. We would also like to thank Red Bull for agreeing the terms to allow Pierre to take this step."

CEO Luca de Meo of the Renault Group, who own the Alpine team added that it is a big moment for a French team to secure the services of two of France's top drivers.

"We are proud to present an all-French driver line-up from 2023," he said. "Our roots are in France, and Alpine was born in Normandy, so this is a serendipity of sorts. 

"Both will drive the team and the group forward and, I hope, we can become a symbol of pride for France."

Pierre Gasly is heading to Alpine next season to begin a new three-year contract after being granted an early release from his 2023 commitment to current team AlphaTauri.

Gasly, 26, has one win on his resume back at the Italian Grand Prix in 2020, and tallied 185 points across the 2020 and 2021 seasons before taking a small step back this year with AlphaTauri struggling.

The Frenchman is currently 13th in the point standings this season – four spots ahead of teammate Yuki Tsunoda – and he will join his fellow countryman Esteban Ocon in a much more competitive Alpine car.

In a statement after the announcement on Friday, Gasly spoke of his excitement at the new opportunity and thanked Red Bull after a nine-year relationship came to an end.

"I am delighted to join the Alpine family and begin this new chapter in my Formula 1 career," he said.

"Driving for a team that has French roots is something very special. I know the strengths of Alpine having raced against them over the past couple of years and, clearly, their progress and ambition is very impressive.

"I wish to thank Red Bull as this marks the end of our nine-year journey together. It is thanks to their trust and support that I became a Formula 1 driver, and what we’ve achieved with Scuderia AlphaTauri over the last years has been very special.

"Looking ahead, I want to give the maximum and utilise all my experience to fight for podiums and ultimately contribute to Alpine’s fight for championships in the future."

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer called Gasly "a proven talent" and said he believes he is the right man to help lead a new era for the brand.

"I’m very happy that Pierre will be joining the team for 2023 and beyond," he said.

"He is already a proven talent within Formula 1, and we are looking forward to harnessing that within the team. Our team has several objectives for the coming seasons and I firmly believe our driver line-up is a great reflection of the team’s high ambitions.

"I trust Pierre and Esteban can, together, motivate the team to continue its progress towards these goals. We would also like to thank Red Bull for agreeing the terms to allow Pierre to take this step."

CEO Luca de Meo of the Renault Group, who own the Alpine team added that it is a big moment for a French team to secure the services of two of France's top drivers.

"We are proud to present an all-French driver line-up from 2023," he said. "Our roots are in France, and Alpine was born in Normandy, so this is a serendipity of sorts. 

"Both will drive the team and the group forward and, I hope, we can become a symbol of pride for France."

The San Diego Padres began their postseason in style, making history in their 7-1 win on the road against the New York Mets in Game 1 of their NL Wild Card series on Friday.

With Max Scherzer starting on the mound for the Mets, the Padres clobbered four home runs off him in the first four-and-two-thirds innings. It was the first time in the Mets' 89-game playoff history they had conceded four home runs in a single game.

They were hit by Josh Bell in the first inning, followed by Trent Grisham in the second inning, before Jurickson Profar and Manny Machado both went deep in the fifth to spell the end of Scherzer's night.

The Mets were able to hit one homer of their own in the bottom of the fifth inning, but that would be the last run of the game as both bullpens pitched four scoreless frames to close the show.

Yu Darvish pitched a gem for the Padres, giving up one run from six hits and no walks in seven complete innings, striking out four batters.

New York will host Game 2 on Saturday, and Game 3, if necessary, on Sunday.

Phillies produce stunning comeback to steal Game 1

The Philadelphia Phillies trailed 2-0 heading into the last inning, and came away with a 6-3 road win against the St Louis Cardinals.

There were no runs from either team in the first six innings as Zack Wheeler pitched six-and-a-third innings for two hits and one walk, while Jose Quintana also gave up only two hits and one walk in five-and-a-third.

A two-run Juan Yepez homer in the seventh gave the Cardinals a late lead, but the Phillies would catch fire in the ninth with three hits, two walks, a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice-fly in a six-run onslaught.

The Phillies' Jean Segura was the only player with multiple hits, with his second coming in the last frame with bases loaded to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead, and they never looked back.

Castillo shuts out the Blue Jays

Competing in their first postseason appearance since 2001, the Seattle Mariners are one win away from advancing to the NLDS after a 4-0 shutout win away against the Toronto Blue Jays.

After being secured in a trade at the deadline, starting pitcher Luis Castillo justified the hefty package the Mariners parted way with by throwing seven-and-a-third innings of scoreless playoff baseball, giving up six hits and no walks.

With the bat, the man who hit the memorable home run to secure their playoff berth, Cal Raleigh, stayed hot with a two-run bomb in the first inning, while Eugenio Suarez collected the other two RBIs.

Ramirez, Bieber come up big for the Guardians

Every run from the Cleveland Guardians' 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay Rays came from two swings in the sixth inning, with Cleveland stars Jose Ramirez and Shane Bieber producing match-winning performances.

On the mound, Bieber pitched seven-and-two-thirds innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out eight batters, but a Jose Siri home run in the sixth inning had the Rays leading 1-0.

That lead was quickly erased later in the same inning, with an Amed Rosario single setting up Jose Ramirez for a two-run home run that would end up being the difference.

Cleveland will have a chance to move on to the NLDS with a win in tomorrow's Game 2 in front of their home fans.

Mito Pereira tied for Friday's round of the day to shoot his way to the top of the leaderboard after two rounds at the Shriners Children's Open.

Chile's Pereira, who burst onto the scene last season when he led until the final hole at the PGA Championship, shot an eight-under 63 to move to 12 under through 36 holes at TPC Summerlin, posting nine birdies and one bogey.

The only other player to shoot better than 65 on Friday was Robby Shelton, who also enjoyed an eight-under round to climb to outright second at 11 under, birdieing his last hole of the day to elevate himself from the group at 10 under.

Tied for third at 10 under is the trio of Maverick McNealy, and South Korea's representatives at last month's Presidents Cup Tom Kim and Kim Si-woo.

Fellow International team member Cam Davis of Australia is at nine under, tied for sixth with Kevin Streelman and Chad Ramey, while some of the tournament favourites are one further back.

Max Homa and Patrick Cantlay were viewed as the best chances before the event, and they are within striking distance four shots off the pace at eight under, with both shooting back-to-back 67s.

After a strong first day, Im Sung-jae shot a 70 to lose some momentum and head into the weekend at seven under, where he is joined by first-round leader Tom Hoge, who backed up his opening 63 with a one-over 72.

Needing a score of four under to make the cut, rising Canadian Taylor Pendrith and Argentina's Emiliano Grillo snuck in right on the number, while America's Paul Hahn, Scotland's Russell Knox and Ireland's Seamus Power missed out by one.

A new NFL policy on the handling of concussions is expected to go into effect any day now after the Players Association approved proposed protocol changes Friday.

The NFL and NFLPA had previously agreed to a revised protocol that would prohibit players returning to the field if they displayed signs of instability in their motor skills. The union issued a statement Friday requesting that the changes be put in place for this weekend’s games.

"Our union has agreed to change the concussion protocols to protect players from returning to play in the case of any similar incident to what we saw on September 25," the statement read. "We would like these changes to go into effect before this weekend’s game to immediately protect the players and hope the NFL accepts the change before then as well."

The September 25 incident the union referred to occurred in a game between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, in which Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa briefly left the contest with what the team initially termed a head injury.

Tagovailoa later returned to the game after passing concussion tests, with Miami head coach Mike McDaniel saying afterward that the injury was to the quarterback’s lower back.

The Dolphins later cleared Tagovailoa to play at Cincinnati four days after the Buffalo game, and the former Alabama star was injured again on a hit from Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou that caused his head to hit the ground hard.

Tagovailoa was stretchered off the field and taken to hospital, and the Dolphins have since ruled him out for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets while confirming a concussion diagnosis.

The NFL later issued a statement saying it intends to also sign off on protocol changes, though it’s unclear when they will begin to be enforced.

"As we have discussed with the NFLPA, we agree that changes to the joint NFL-NFLPA protocols are necessary to further enhance player safety," the league said. "We have already spoken to members of the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee and the leadership of the Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultants and Independent Certified Athletic Trainers who serve as spotters to discuss these likely changes."

The NFL and the union remain in the process of investigating the Dolphins’ handling of Tagovailoa’s September 25 injury and have yet to determine whether the team erred in judgement or violated protocols.

Nashville Predators coach John Hynes was impressed by the seamless fit of his new signings as they contributed in a major way during the 4-1 win against the San Jose Sharks in the opening game of the NHL season on Friday night.

After signing as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, Nashville's Kiefer Sherwood opened the scoring just 61 seconds into the action at Prague's O2 Arena. He was assisted by Ryan McDonagh, who arrived from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade.

Fellow free agent signing Nino Niederreiter also found the back of the net late in the second period to make it 2-1, before Matt Duchene finished things off with an empty-netter.

Speaking after the game, Hynes said it was nice to see the new faces hit the ground running.

"I thought all the new guys to our team obviously contributed," he said. "A lot of them contributed on the scoreboard, but I thought also just the style of game they played really fits the identity, so it's nice. It's nice for those guys to get off to a good start."

Despite the lopsided score, the Sharks only attempted one less shot (31-32), but Predators goaltender Juuse Saros was sharp, and earned praise from teammate Mattias Ekholm.

"He's that kind of goalie, and he's always our best penalty killer," he said. "On most nights, he's our best player.

"Usually that happens when we win. He's just standing in there for us, and he did tonight. Super excited for him. 

"He's a heck of a goalie, and he makes it a lot easier for us defensemen coming back there."

Ekholm also gave a shout out to the Czech crowd for their enthusiasm in the first regular season game to be played outside of North America since 2019, and looked forward to Saturday night's rematch.

"[The atmosphere] was great," he said. "Sold out. I mean, it was awesome, and that was Friday night. I can't wait for Saturday night."

It was also a memorable night for San Jose's Tomas Hertl, who was born and raised in Prague and used this same arena for his home games when playing for Slavia Praha HC.

Hertl scored the Sharks' only goal, with coach David Quinn shining a light on the achievement after his first game in charge.

"It was a pretty special moment, obviously," he said. "He's been thinking about that for a long time. 

"Obviously happy for him, and the team, I thought, got a little bit inspired by that. I thought they played better after that. Unfortunately, we only got one.

"For the most part, I thought, up until they made it 3-1, we were hanging around. I liked some of the things we were doing. 

"But once they made it 3-1, I really thought there was a huge disparity in the way they played compared to the way we played.

"I thought the last 25 minutes, they really took it to us, and I thought we got a little bit demoralized. We've got to toughen up a little bit mentally in that department."

Home favourite Ons Jabeur was on the end of a big upset at the Jasmin Open on Friday as the world number two was eliminated by Claire Liu in the quarter-finals.

Jabeur saw off Ann Li and Evgeniya Rodina in straight sets to reach the last eight, but Liu – ranked 73 in the world – came out on top 6-3 4-6 6-4.

Liu is now into her second semi-final of the season and will face Elise Mertens, who defeated Moyuka Uchijima 6-0 3-6 6-4 in the final match of the day.

Second and third seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Alize Cornet will meet in the other semi after beating Diane Parry and Tamara Zidansek respectively in straight sets.

At the Ostrava Open, meanwhile, tournament favourite Iga Swiatek reached her 10th semi-final of the year with a 6-4 6-4 victory over qualifier Caty McNally.

Swiatek needed nearly two hours to seal her 59th victory of the season – just one short of tying Caroline Wozniacki, the most recent female to hit 60 wins in a calendar year (2017).

She will now face Ekaterina Alexandrova, who proved too strong for Tereza Martincova in a 6-1 4-6 6-1 victory.

Another grand slam winner in Barbora Krejcikova earlier beat Alycia Parks 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 on home soil to maintain her positive form, a week after triumphing at the Tallinn Open.

Awaiting her in the semi-finals is Elena Rybakina following the reigning Wimbledon champion's 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 victory against Petra Kvitova.

Garett Bolles has added to the Denver Broncos' offensive injury woes, suffering a broken leg in the 12-9 overtime defeat to the Indianapolis Colts.

The sixth-year left tackle was forced off with just under four minutes remaining of the fourth quarter on Thursday and was seen on crutches after the game.

Initial tests revealed a broken leg, but the team were awaiting further evaluation on Friday and it was then confirmed by head coach Nathaniel Hackett that he would be out for the remainder of the season.

"Garett Bolles will need surgery. He'll be out for the season." he said.

The Broncos' offense had already lost starting running back Javonte Williams to a season-ending knee injury in a Week 4 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders, with the injuries coming amid on-field woes for the side.

Cornerback Ronald Darby has also been ruled out for the season after suffering an ACL injury and Hackett confirmed he is set for surgery.

Defeat to the Colts left the Broncos 2-3 for the season and are they yet to find their feet under Russell Wilson, following his seismic trade from the Seattle Seahawks.

The Broncos have plenty of time to improve before they take to the field in Week 6 against division rivals the Los Angeles Chargers, the game coming on Monday October 18.

Daniel Jones is expected to be the starting quarterback for the New York Giants against the Green Bay Packers, having recovered from injury.

The fourth-year QB suffered an ankle injury in the win against the Chicago Bears in Week 4 and was briefly taken out of the game, though he made his return to training on Friday.

Jones did not receive an injury status in London on Friday, leaving him set to lead the offense at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

"Early in the week I started feeling better pretty quickly and realised that I was recovering quickly," he said after practice.

While Jones should be passed fit, the Giants' offensive options have been ravaged by injuries, particularly in the wide receiver area with Wan'Dale Robinson (knee), Kadarius Toney (hamstring) and Kenny Golladay (knee) all unavailable.

Despite the Giants' aerial presence taking a hit, Jones remains optimistic, saying: "We've had guys step up throughout the year."

New York are likely to rely heavily on their rushing game again, where Jones and Saquon Barkley have offered a dual threat – the latter standing as the NFL's rushing leader in 2022.

Jones is similarly effective on the ground, having at least six rush attempts in all four contests so far this season and accumulating 193 rushing yards, plus two touchdowns, with Barkley praising the character of his QB.

"He's a gritty guy, he's a tough guy. It does speak volumes when your quarterback has that mindset." he said.

The Giants stand 3-1 heading into the matchup against the Packers, tied with the Dallas Cowboys and behind the Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) in the competitive NFC East.

The Atlanta Falcons will be without second-year tight end Kyle Pitts when they play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South lead on Sunday.  

The Falcons ruled Pitts out with a hamstring injury after he was held out of practice all week.  

Parker Hesse and Anthony Firkser could see more snaps at tight end, but neither option provides the vertical threat of Pitts, who was drafted fourth overall out of Florida in 2021.  

Pitts' absence is another blow for an Atlanta offense that is already missing starting running back Cordarrelle Patterson, who is out at least four games after undergoing a minor knee procedure.  

Pitts' role in the offense so far this season has been a point of contention for some Falcons fans. The 6ft 6in tight end has just 10 catches for 150 yards through four games, although he has been targeted 22 times.  

The Falcons dropped the first two games of the season but bounced back by beating the Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns the past two weeks. The Buccaneers are also 2-2, coming off losses to the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs.  

Novak Djokovic set up a semi-final meeting with Daniil Medvedev at the Astana Open on Friday, cruising past Karen Khachanov in the last eight.

Djokovic complemented a fine display of serving by converting three of his five break points in a 6-4 6-3 victory, recording his seventh consecutive win following his absence from the US Open.

The 21-time grand slam champion has now reached six semi-finals this year, but saw room for improvement in his performance after beating the world number 18.

"I didn't play as well from the baseline as I did in the first two matches, but still it was enough," Djokovic said. "I managed to produce some good tennis when it was most needed in both sets."

Looking ahead to his final-four match, the Serb added: "I always expect highs from myself. Hopefully I can elevate still the level of my game for tomorrow, because it's going to be needed." 

Djokovic will face an 11th tour-level meeting with Medvedev in the next round after his fellow former world number one recorded a dominant 6-1 6-1 win over Roberto Bautista Agut.

On the other side of the draw, third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (10-8) 6-3, and will now face Andrey Rublev after he eased to a 6-1 6-2 win over Adrian Mannarino.

At the Japan Open, a knee injury forced Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios to withdraw from his meeting with Taylor Fritz, with the American set to take on Denis Shapovalov in the semi-finals.

Seventh seed Shapovalov saw off Borna Coric 6-4 6-3 to reach the final four, while fourth seed Frances Tiafoe advanced with a 6-0 6-4 win against Miomir Kecmanovic.

South Korea's Kwon Soon-woo claimed the final place in the semi-finals in Tokyo, beating Spain's Pedro Martinez 6-3 6-0