Lewis Hamilton has declared he "feels for the fans" after Max Verstappen's dominance of the F1 championship battle this season.

The Red Bull ace tops the standings by a whopping 116 points heading into Sunday's race at Singapore, where he can clinch the crown if a series of permutations are met.

It is unlikely that Singapore will be the race where Verstappen wins the title, with a more likely scenario seeing him crowned champion the following week in Japan.

Either way, a second title in a row for Verstappen is inevitable and Hamilton has declared it is "never great" when the battle is concluded prematurely.

"I definitely feel for the fans because for everyone and even for us, last year, going right down to the wire, that was intense for everybody. So, it's never great when the season finishes early," he said at a news conference on Thursday.

"Even when I've experienced having it finish early in places like Mexico. For you as the one individual, it's great but for the actual sport it's not spectacular.

"I'm really grateful to have had 2008 right down to the last 17 seconds, and obviously last year, pretty much the same thing. Let's hope for the future, it's a bit better."

Rory McIlroy believes "golf is ripping itself apart right now" as the battle between the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf Invitational Series rages on.

The introduction of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf has caused a huge divide in the sport, with big names such as Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau defecting from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf.

The storm has also seen some defectors file lawsuits against the PGA Tour after it banned those who made the switch to LIV Golf from playing in its events.

And McIlroy, who has remained fiercely loyal to the PGA Tour, sees the dispute as harmful for players on both sides of the divide, telling reporters: "I don't want a fractured game. I never have.

"You look at some other sports and what's happened and the game of golf is ripping itself apart right now.

"It's no good for the guys on, you know, this side or the sort of traditional system and it's no good for the guys on the other side, either.

"It's no good for anyone. There is a time and a place for it. I just think right now, with where everything is, it's probably not the right time.

"I've always said I think there is a time and a place where everyone that's involved here should sit down and try to work together. It's very hard for that to happen right now when there's two lawsuits going on."

McIlroy already said on Wednesday that it fell upon LIV Golf players to take the lead on repairing relations between the two tours.

"I would just say the ball is in their court," McIlroy told the BBC.

"If they want to come to the table and try to play nicely within the sandbox that's already created, the opportunity is there."

Eddie Hearn has slammed Tyson Fury for his antics in the ongoing discussions for a bout against Anthony Joshua, saying he has been left "baffled by the situation".

Fury had initially set Joshua a deadline of Monday to sign the contract for a December 3 bout and said discussions were "officially over" after the paperwork was not received.

However, the WBC heavyweight champion then backtracked on Thursday and issued his compatriot another deadline for the 'Battle of Britain' bout, giving him until the end of the day to agree terms.

An imminent end to the saga seems unlikely, however, with Joshua's promoter Hearn questioning why the Gypsy King was setting "unrealistic deadlines".

"I don't want to get involved with back and forths that are going to negatively impact this fight being made, but to be honest, we are quite baffled by the situation," he told Sky Sports.

"Firstly, when we agreed terms for the fight, it took us over a week to receive a draft contract. We have not had that contract for 14 days.

"Over the next week, we've worked tirelessly and had a number of meetings with Queensberry to get the contract in some kind of decent shape. Last Monday, we sent our final draft of the contract to Queensberry, only to see that Tyson Fury had publicly pulled out of the fight and it was no longer on the table.

"Yesterday we then received comments back from Queensberry on our final draft of the agreement, of which is now being reviewed.

"I'm not sure why Tyson Fury keeps setting unrealistic deadlines whilst also offering the fight to a number of other heavyweights for the selected date. If he is serious about the fight being made, I suggest he allows Matchroom and Queensberry to keep working hard to make the fight, of which everyone has been trying hard to do.

"You can't publicly keep pulling out of a fight and then restart negotiations when there has been so many positive conversations had. We'll see what happens from here."

Tyson Fury has backtracked on his decision to rule out a December bout with Anthony Joshua after giving his rival until the end of Thursday to agree terms.

WBC champion Fury opened the door for a 'Battle of Britain' with Joshua last month after it became clear a unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk would not occur this year.

After weeks of talks between the fighters' camps, however, Fury said on Monday any chance of the pair meeting was "officially over" after his self-imposed deadline was not met.

But Fury set Joshua, who has lost three of his past five fights, a new deadline in his latest video message on social media that was directed at the two-time world champion.

"My promoter Frank Warren convinced me to let Queensberry [Warren's company] carry on negotiating with your team this week, despite me knowing you were never going to do this fight," Fury said.

"So the deadline was Monday. I allowed Frank to continue doing meetings with your team and your broadcasters and all that."

Fury said the broadcasters were "all on the same page".

"They are happy with everything, they are all ready to rock and roll," he added.

"You guys ask for a lot of stuff. You want to be co-promoters when you're a voluntary challenger. Guess what, I said give it them, let them be co-promoters.

"You wanted full transparency, even though you're not an equal shareholder in this party. You know what I said? Give them full transparency, I've got nothing to hide.

"I'm not trying to rob anybody, I've not robbed anybody of a penny in my life. Now you've got full transparency, everything is clean and fair. Joshua, the ball is really in your court."

Fury revealed earlier this month that he has offered Joshua a 60-40 purse split in a bid to get the heavyweight title fight made after years of build-up.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn said last week an initial contract offer sent by Fury's camp was not acceptable, but the parties were "working positively" to reach an agreement.

That led to Fury making his ultimatum to Joshua to sign the contract by Monday or forget about a fight, which had been set to be held in Cardiff's Principality Stadium.

"Everybody is done," Fury added in his Twitter post. "If you're a man, and if you've got any sort of dignity and pride about you, you'll get this contract signed today. This is it.

"There is no more days, weeks, months, you've had the contract now for over two weeks and you still haven't signed it.

"Show the public that you're really the big coward that I know you are, and don't sign it. I don't care either way if you sign it or you don't, it makes no difference to me at all.

"You're a beaten man and I'm a world champion. I'm chucking you a massive bone, but I know I can punch a face in so I'm willing to give you an opportunity.

"There's nothing more to do, everyone is happy. Get your team onto mine, they will be available all day, like they've been available the last two weeks. Get this contract signed!

"Let the British fans have what they want. There is no running, you have to fight me. You cannot escape. The Fury is coming."

New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson has been cleared to return from a knee injury and start Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Wilson has not played since suffering a meniscus tear and bone bruise in his right knee in the Jets' preseason opener, with veteran QB Joe Flacco stepping in during his absence.

Jets head coach Robert Saleh confirmed Wilson would start ahead of Flacco on Sunday, barring any unforeseen setbacks prior to the game.

"If all goes well this week, absolutely," Saleh said when asked about starting Wilson. "He's very comfortable. He's in a great mental state. Everyone is comfortable with where he's at physically."

Wilson, who was second pick overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, reiterated that he was physically ready.

"I'm 100 per cent, I'm ready to go," Wilson said. "The biggest thing is you haven't played ball in a little bit, you've been trying to replicate as much as possible, so I'm just going to have fun with this process and getting back in and just giving it my best."

Wilson's latest injury was on the same knee that he sprained last season, causing him to miss four games. The Jets quarterback insisted he would not alter his playing style to protect the knee.

"I'm full go. I'm going to play ball how I can," Wilson said. "If somebody comes up, [I'll] make somebody miss, get out on the edge, extend plays when I need to, hang in the pocket. I'm playing exactly how I should be."

In his rookie season, Wilson started 13 games, completing 213 of 383 attempts for 2,334 yards and nine touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He was sacked 44 times.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge made baseball history after blasting his 61st home run of the season to equal Roger Maris' franchise and American League (AL) single-season record.

Judge, who had gone homerless in seven games, crushed a two-run homer in the seventh inning in Wednesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Judge's record-tying 61st home run comes with another seven games remaining in the regular season. Maris' mark dates back to 1961, edging Babe Ruth's previous record of 60 in 1927.

"It's an incredible honour, getting a chance to be associated with one of the Yankee greats, one of baseball's greats, words can't describe it," Judge said.

"That's one thing so special about the Yankees organisation, is all the guys that came before us and kind of paved the way and played the game the right way, did things the right way, did a lot of great things in this game and getting a chance to be mentioned with those guys now is, I can't even describe it, it's an incredible honor that's for sure."

The 30-year-old had gone 31 consecutive homerless plate appearances coming into Wednesday's game with some speculation he may be rested with the Yankees clinching the AL East on Tuesday.

Only three players have scored more homers in a single season for any franchise than Judge; Barry Bonds (73 in 2001), Mark McGwire (70 in 1999 and 65 in 1999) and Sammy Sosa (66 in 1998, 64 in 2001, 63 in 1999). Those three players all achieved the feat during the steroid era.

"I think it puts it a notch above," Boone said about Judge last week. "I got to believe it's right there with some of the best very short list of all-time seasons. I go back to the context of the season, and the more I look at it and dive into it, it's got to be an all-time great season."

The Los Angeles Dodgers have set a new franchise record for wins in a single season after notching their 107th victory of the MLB campaign against the San Diego Padres.

The California outfit posted a 1-0 victory over their neighbours at Petco Park on Wednesday to shatter their previous best of 106, set last year as they came home fifth in the National League (NL) West division.

This time around, the Dodgers sit top of the pile, with only last year's World Series runners-up, the Houston Astros, cracking the triple-digit mark for wins this term. The Dodgers can still better their new record, with seven regular season games to come.

Ex-NL MVP Freddie Freeman made the clutch play in the 10th inning for a career-high 192 hits this season to secure the win, delighting manager Dave Roberts.

"To know that we’ve made our mark on Dodgers history is pretty remarkable," he said. "A lot of people have their hands on this, not just this year but, kind of building where we’re at right now. It’s something to be proud of."

With the postseason looming, the Dodgers will be looking to ensure momentum ahead of a tilt for a second World Series title in three years.

New York Yankees history-maker Aaron Judge should be revered as the single-season home run champion if he can crush a 62nd blast this season, according to Roger Maris Jr.

Judge matched Maris Sr's Yankees and American League single-season record of 61 home runs from 1961 with a seventh-inning two-run shot in Wednesday's 8-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays, ending a run of seven games without a homer.

That moved Judge beyond Yankees great Babe Ruth (60 in 1927), with only three players having hit more homers in one season: Barry Bonds (73 in 2001), Mark McGwire (70 in 1998 and 65 in 1999) and Sammy Sosa (66 in 1998, 64 in 2001, 63 in 1999).

All three of those players set their marks during baseball's so-called 'steroid era', making Judge's achievement appear all the more remarkable. Bonds and Sosa have denied knowingly using steroids.

Maris Jr, who sat in the crowd next to Judge's mother Patty for Wednesday's historic moment, said the Yankees outfielder's feat stood out.

"He's clean. He's a Yankee," Maris Jr told reporters. "He plays the game the right way. And he gives people a chance to look at somebody who should be revered."

The Yankees have seven regular-season games remaining, so Judge is unlikely to get near Bonds' all-time record of 73 despite being on track for that at one point earlier this season.

Instead, Judge will next set his sights when they resume at Yankee Stadium against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday on breaking Maris Sr's mark, which Maris Jr said would set him apart.

"He should be revered for being the actual single-season home run champ," Maris Jr said. "That's really who he is, if he hits 62."

Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Judge for being a great teammate and making the whole group feel part of his achievement.

"He's as beloved as they come," Boone said. "Everyone is just so excited for him but also, I think it's partly because of how Aaron is, everyone feels a part of it.

"That's who he is as a teammate. That's part of the reason guys are so excited. That's a tribute to him."

Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, who also achieved franchise history on Wednesday by tying Ron Guidry's record of 248 strikeouts in a single season, was glowing towards Judge.

"I think it's more special because of what Aaron did tonight, to be honest," Cole said. "It's obviously a really special number. Guidry was so good for us, so magical and his record held for so long."

On Judge's 61st home run, Cole added: "It kind of felt like we were the only ones there. It was just a really special moment of togetherness, and we're all so proud of him and know how hard he works.

"I know he wants to keep it low-key, but boy does he deserve it."

Tua Tagovailoa has been formally listed as "questionable" for the Miami Dolphins' Thursday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Suffering with back and ankle problems, Tagovailoa has only been able to play a limited part in preparation this week.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel asserted on Monday it was the 24-year-old Tagovailoa's injured back that caused him to stumble to the ground in Sunday's 21-19 win over the Buffalo Bills, amid fears of a concussion.

Tagovailoa took a hard hit in that game, as Bills linebacker Matt Milano pushed him to the ground. Tagovailoa's helmet slammed into the turf, but he rose to his feet quickly. However, he then shook his head, appeared woozy and lost balance as he stumbled back to the ground.

The 24-year-old quarterback went to the locker room to be assessed by the team's medical staff, with the Dolphins announcing a head injury.

He returned for the start of the third quarter – a move that prompted the NFL and National Football League Players Association to conduct a joint review of how the decision was made to allow Tagovailoa to return.

McDaniel maintained, however, that proper protocols were followed and Tagovailoa was cleared by the team and the independent neurologist.

Tagovailoa said after the game that it felt like he hyper-extended his back earlier in the contest, which was why his back locked up on him after the hit from Milano, causing the stumble.

The Dolphins have Teddy Bridgewater on standby to start on Thursday.

McDaniel was hoping to make a decision on Wednesday about his starting quarterback, but said it might have to come down to an early call on Thursday instead, stressing he would back 29-year-old Bridgewater to come good if called upon.

"We have a bunch of faith in him. So we're walking through in general, anyway," McDaniel said on Tuesday. "So Teddy has to take reps each and every play in terms of calling the play and visualising everything as it stands.

"We'll probably just take it as long as we have to before we can be convicted. But at some point there has to be [a decision] – it won't be five minutes before kick-off, I know that. Probably some time on Wednesday, but if we have to, we'll move it to Thursday morning."

Aaron Judge made American League (AL) history with his record-tying 61st home run of the season as the New York Yankees won 8-3 over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Judge's seventh-inning two-run blast moved him to 61 single-season homers, equaling Roger Maris' long-held AL and franchise record set in 1961.

The homer ended Judge's run of seven homerless games, along with 31 consecutive plate appearances without a blast.

Judge delivered the shot in his fourth plate appearance of the game, going over left-field deep in the seventh from Tim Mayza, batting leadoff as the designated hitter.

"When I hit it, I thought I got enough but it's been a couple of games since I did that," Judge said.

"So, you never really know if it was going to get out out or, so, I tried to sprint around the bases a little bit then once it got over the fence, just relief that now we're leading the game.

"Getting a chance to tie Roger Maris, you dream about that kind of stuff, it's unreal."

Judge's blast came with scores tied at 3-3, opening up a two-run lead for the AL East-winning Yankees.

Harrison Bader had a single later in the seventh, before driving in two at the top of the ninth, reaching on a fielder's choice.

Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole allowed three hits and three hits in six-and-one-third innings, striking out four to match Ron Guidry's franchise single-season record of 248 from 1978.

Escobar stars in Mets' walk-off win

Eduardo Escobar hit five RBIs including the walk-off game-winner in the 10th inning as the New York Mets got past the Miami Marlins 5-4.

The victory was critical for the Mets, giving them a one-game lead ahead of the Atlanta Bin the National League East, moving their magic number to clinch the division to six.

Trailing 4-0 at the bottom of the seventh inning, Escobar cut the lead in half with a two-run blast, before delivering an eighth-inning two-run single.

Escobar produced the walk-off single in the 10th inning, punching one through the hole of the left-side of the infield to drive in Francisco Lindor from second base.

Braves lose ground after Nats upset

The Braves let slip a huge opportunity to keep the pressure on the Mets, slumping to a 3-2 walk-off loss to the lowly Washington Nationals.

C.J. Abrams chopped a career-first walk-off single to right-field to drive in Alex Call for the game-winning run in the 10th inning. It was Abrams' third hit of the game.

Matt Olson crushed his 30th homer of the season among his two hits, while Michael Harris II hauled in a brilliant leaping catch at the center-field wall before driving in the game-tying eighth inning run for Dansby Swanson.

The Braves and Mets are set to meet in a crucial three-game series starting on Friday in Atlanta, weather permitting.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge made baseball history after blasting his 61st home run of the season to equal Roger Maris' franchise and American League (AL) single-season record.

Judge, who had gone homerless in seven games, crushed a two-run homer in the seventh inning in Wednesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Judge's record-tying 61st home run comes with another seven games remaining in the regular season. Maris' mark dates back to 1961, edging Babe Ruth's previous record of 60 in 1927.

"It's an incredible honor, getting a chance to be associated with one of the Yankee greats, one of baseball's greats, words can't describe it," Judge said.

"That's one thing so special about the Yankees organization, is all the guys that came before us and kind of paved the way and played the game the right way, did things the right way, did a lot of great things in this game and getting a chance to be mentioned with those guys now is, I can't even describe it, it's an incredible honor that's for sure."

The 30-year-old had gone 31 consecutive homerless plate appearances coming into Wednesday's game with some speculation he may be rested with the Yankees clinching the AL East on Tuesday.

Only three players have scored more homers in a single season for any franchise than Judge; Barry Bonds (73 in 2001), Mark McGwire (70 in 1999 and 65 in 1999) and Sammy Sosa (66 in 1998, 64 in 2001, 63 in 1999). Those three players all achieved the feat during the steroid era.

"I think it puts it a notch above," Boone said about Judge last week. "I got to believe it's right there with some of the best very short list of all-time seasons. I go back to the context of the season, and the more I look at it and dive into it, it's got to be an all-time great season."

Aaron Judge made American League (AL) history with his record-tying 61st home run of the season as the New York Yankees won 8-3 over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Judge's seventh-inning two-run blast moved him to 61 single-season homers, equaling Roger Maris' long-held AL and franchise record set in 1961.

The homer ended Judge's run of seven homerless games, along with 31 consecutive plate appearances without a blast.

Judge delivered the shot in his fourth plate appearance of the game, going over left-field deep in the seventh from Tim Mayza, batting leadoff as the designated hitter.

"When I hit it, I thought I got enough but it's been a couple of games since I did that," Judge said.

"So, you never really know if it was going to get out out or, so, I tried to sprint around the bases a little bit then once it got over the fence, just relief that now we're leading the game.

"Getting a chance to tie Roger Maris, you dream about that kind of stuff, it's unreal."

Judge's blast came with scores tied at 3-3, opening up a two-run lead for the AL East-winning Yankees.

Harrison Bader had a single later in the seventh, before driving in two at the top of the ninth, reaching on a fielder's choice.

Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole allowed three hits and three hits in six-and-one-third innings, striking out four to match Ron Guidry's franchise single-season record of 248 from 1978.

Escobar stars in Mets' walk-off win

Eduardo Escobar hit five RBIs including the walk-off game-winner in the 10th inning as the New York Mets got past the Miami Marlins 5-4.

The victory was critical for the Mets, giving them a one-game lead ahead of the Atlanta Bin the National League East, moving their magic number to clinch the division to six.

Trailing 4-0 at the bottom of the seventh inning, Escobar cut the lead in half with a two-run blast, before delivering an eighth-inning two-run single.

Escobar produced the walk-off single in the 10th inning, punching one through the hole of the left-side of the infield to drive in Francisco Lindor from second base.

Braves lose ground after Nats upset

The Braves let slip a huge opportunity to keep the pressure on the Mets, slumping to a 3-2 walk-off loss to the lowly Washington Nationals.

C.J. Abrams chopped a career-first walk-off single to right-field to drive in Alex Call for the game-winning run in the 10th inning. It was Abrams' third hit of the game.

Matt Olson crushed his 30th homer of the season among his two hits, while Michael Harris II hauled in a brilliant leaping catch at the center-field wall before driving in the game-tying eighth inning run for Dansby Swanson.

The Braves and Mets are set to meet in a crucial three-game series starting on Friday in Atlanta, weather permitting.

The New York Yankees are set for a major postseason boost with All-Star infielder D.J. LeMahieu set to be activated on Friday.

LeMahieu has not played for the Yankees since September 4 due to an ongoing toe issue that impacted his extra-base power in August and led to a cortisone injection during the All-Star break. He was placed on the injured list on September 9.

The 34-year-old two-time Silver Slugger Award winner has hit on the field, run bases and taken ground balls during the Yankees' current series against the Toronto Blue Jays in an encouraging sign.

"We're about at that point of, 'Let's go give this thing a go'," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Wednesday.

"Everyone has been encouraged - most importantly DJ - that it’s moving in a pretty good direction."

LeMahieu, who blasted a career-best 26 home runs in the 2019 season, is batting at .262, with .358 on-base percentage with 12 homers and 46 RBIs from 120 games this season.