Max Verstappen edged out Lando Norris to take pole position for the sprint race at the Austrian Grand Prix on Saturday.
Verstappen, who claimed his eighth sprint pole for Red Bull, topped all three segments of qualifying, but was pushed all the way by Norris in the decisive session.
However, Norris finished 0.093 seconds behind the Dutchman, with Oscar Piastri coming in third for McClaren.
Mercedes' George Russell finished in fourth with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz just behind. Lewis Hamilton will start Saturday's sprint sixth on the grid.
Charles Leclerc failed to get around to the line in time before starting his flying lap and will therefore start 10th.
It was another disappointing afternoon for Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez, who was seventh and a huge 1.322s slower than the Dutchman, with the Alpine pairing of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly set to start in eighth and ninth.
“It is great to be first here in front of basically my home fans, my home Grand Prix. It has been a good day so far," Verstappen said at Red Bull's home track, where he holds a record four F1 wins.
"It has been nice to drive the car. Immediately it was well-balanced.
"Of course you make some small changes before spring qualifying and everything has been working really well."
Verstappen's victory came after team principal Christian Horner was questioned on the Dutchman's future with the team following rumours of a potential move to Mercedes, who Hamilton will leave next season.
The three-time world champion has insisted this week that he is happy at Red Bull and is already focusing on next year's car.
"It only reaffirms everything that we already know," Horner responded. "Max is an important part of our team. He’s had all of his victories and podiums in Red Bull Racing cars, his three World Championships so far."
With eight points available for the sprint race winner, Verstappen will look to increase his lead at the top of the drivers' championship, having pulled 69 clear of Norris following his victory at the Spanish Grand Prix last week.
He has seven race wins already this season, and has come out on top in three of the last four despite huge pressure from Norris.
"Max has been absolutely outstanding," Horner said when quizzed on whether this is the best version of Verstappen that we have witnessed in F1. “I think what you’re seeing is a driver that just continues to evolve and continues to develop.
"I think that you’re seeing drives at the calibre that the greats in the sport were capable of delivering – the Ayrton Sennas and the Jim Clarks. You’ve only got to look through the generations.
"What we’re seeing with Max are those key moments, the big moments are what defines any outstanding sportsman or sportswoman, and that’s what he’s delivering."
Jannik Sinner is set to start Wimbledon with a slight advantage over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the race to be crowned 2024 winner.
That is the view of former Wimbledon runner-up Mark Philippoussis, who says the two young stars deserve to be seen as clear frontrunners, particularly with doubts over Novak Djokovic's fitness.
Sinner is the world number one and earned his first grand slam title at the Australian Open this year, while Alcaraz comes into the tournament on a high after claiming his third major at the French Open.
Alcaraz's grand slam titles have come on three different surfaces, but Philippoussis – who lost the 2003 final at Wimbledon to Roger Federer – feels Sinner, who will start his campaign against Yannick Hanfmann, still deserves to start as the marginal favourite.
With the Italian being top seed, following on from Alcaraz having that status last year, this is the first time players aged under 23 have held the top seed in consecutive editions of the men’s singles at Wimbledon since Lleyton Hewitt (2003) and Federer (2004).
"In my eyes, Sinner is the favourite," Philippoussis said to Stats Perform at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at the Hurlingham Club.
"I'm not going to say he is a clear favourite, but he definitely is the favourite. And then I'd say Alcaraz.
"For me, there's a question mark around Djokovic. I'm very surprised to see him here. Apparently he's supposed to be playing a match [on Friday], which is a great idea for him. I think he is definitely going to get a gauge of where he is physically.
"But Sinner and then Alcaraz, like I said, they are the favourites."
With eight-time Wimbledon champion Federer retired and Djokovic now 37 as the likes of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray near the end of their careers, Philippoussis is relieved to see tennis in safe hands with Sinner and Alcaraz, whose rivalry looks likely to dominate the sport for the rest of the decade.
The Australian added: "You have got Alcaraz and Sinner and we are lucky to have them.
"They are incredible for the game, not just because they are the champions they are at such a young age and what they bring to the table as far as their professionalism, but it is also the ambassadors they are for the sport.
"I see the way they are around kids, around fans – they are incredible. They give their time. They make sure they wait around after practice no matter how tired they are. They literally sign as many as they can, if not everyone.
"They are incredible ambassadors for the game. We were worried, especially with Federer and Nadal, Federer gone, Nadal almost there. Who's going to be taking over?
"But I think we are in very, very good hands and they are amazing to have for the game and I'm excited.
"Dominating is a tough thing, there are going to be other guys stepping up as well, but they are the ones who will be spearheading the game in years to come."
Alcaraz, who was drawn against Mark Lajal in round one, could become the youngest player in the Open Era to win at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in a calendar year, but there is always the prospect of a surprise at Wimbledon.
Asked for some of the threats to upset the leading players and go all the way at Wimbledon, Philippoussis named Grigor Dimitrov and Matteo Berrettini.
Dimitrov reached the last eight at the French Open this month – his first major quarter-final since 2021 – while Berrettini recently made the Stuttgart Open final, three years on from reaching the Wimbledon final, which he lost in four sets to Djokovic.
"Dark horses for me, I'm going to say Dimitrov," added Philippoussis, with the Bulgarian 10th seed set to take on Dusan Lajovic in the first round.
"He has been impressing me. He is hitting the ball as well as I have seen for a very long time.
"His hands and his slice backhand, the way he chips the ball back and moves on the grass and his volleys, he is definitely someone that I wouldn't want to see in my part of the draw.
"And I'm going to also say Berrettini. He lost just over a week ago in the last grass court tournament before Halle in the finals.
"He is healthy now and he has got a huge game. He lost in the finals at Wimbledon years ago and he is a dark horse as well."
Among players with 10 or more matches on grass since 2020, Berrettini (84.8%) is one of only three to hold a match win percentage above 80, with the other two being last year's finalists Djokovic (95.2%) and Alcaraz (85%).
The Toronto Raptors agreed to a deal to keep guard Immanuel Quickley on a five-year, $175million contract, multiple media outlets reported Friday.
No new contracts can become official until after the league’s transaction moratorium ends on July 6.
Quickley was traded alongside RJ Barrett ahead of last season’s deadline in the deal that sent OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks.
Quickley, 25, served as the Knicks’ sixth man, but he immediately assumed a starting role for Toronto after the trade and averaged 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 38 starts with the Raptors.
The news of Quickley’s long-term deal came just days after multiple media outlets reported that Scottie Barnes agreed to a maximum rookie extension with the Raptors for five years and $225million.
With Barnes, Quickley and Barrett all signed at least through 2027, the Raptors are hopeful they have a young core to build around in upcoming seasons.
Drafted out of Kentucky in 2020, Quickley has averaged 13.7 points and 3.5 assists in 291 career games and shot a career-best 39.5 percent from 3-point range last season.
Leylah Fernandez will play Daria Kasatkina in the women's singles final at Eastbourne following an enthralling afternoon of action.
In the first game of the day, Canadian Fernandez edged a three-set thriller 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 against Madison Keys to be the first to book her place in Saturday's final.
Having taken the first set, Keys would fight back to take the game to a decider. Despite serving three aces, Fernandez would capitalise after earning an early break point to see out the triumph.
Later that afternoon, Kasatkina would reach her fourth final this year as she came through in another three-set encounter 6-3, 5-7, 3-6 against Jasmine Paolini.
The Italian secured an early break in the third game and would cruise to a first set win, only for Kasatkina to roar back in the second as the pair traded blows throughout.
But an error-strewn final set from Paolini was punished by the Russian, with the Italian threatening a comeback but was unable to recover as she sent a ball long to confirm Kasatkina's place in back-to-back finals at Eastbourne.
Data Debrief: Eastbourne set for intriguing final
Fernandez's victory over Keys was her first against the American, with their only previous meeting back in 2021 at Roland-Garros. The Canadian also ended the contest having won 70% of her first serve points.
Kasatkina won her third game against Paolini, having lost in consecutive games against the Italian. The world number 14 finished was made to work for the victory however, saving 10 of the 14 break points she faced.
Top seed Jannik Sinner will begin his Wimbledon campaign against Yannick Hanfmann, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will face Mark Lajal in the first round.
Seven-time winner Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, has been drawn to face qualifier Vit Kopriva in the first round, having appeared to confirm his participation at the year's third grand slam after recovering from knee surgery.
Djokovic initially said he would only play in SW19 if he felt he had a realistic chance of winning the title after withdrawing from the French Open, but on Thursday he gave reporters a thumbs up when asked if he would participate.
The Serbian is the second seed in the men's draw, putting him on the opposite side of the bracket to both Sinner and Alcaraz – who beat him in last year's final.
Two-time champion Andy Murray, meanwhile, will face Czech Tomas Machac first if he is fit to play after undergoing surgery on a back cyst last weekend.
The 37-year-old, who is expected to retire at the end of 2024, has said he will wait until the last minute before making a decision on his participation.
The Scot could make his 16th appearance in the men's singles draw at SW19, surpassing Jeremy Bates for the outright most by any British player in the Open Era.
Murray is on the same side of the bracket as Djokovic, with fourth seed Alexander Zverev also a potential opponent for the Serbian down the line. The French Open runner-up faces Roberto Carballes Baena in his first match.
In the women's draw, world number one Iga Swiatek will begin her hunt for a first Wimbledon crown against American Sofia Kenin, with 2018 champion Angelique Kerber a potential third-round opponent for the Pole after she received a wild card.
Kerber is one of four former grand slam champions to receive a wild card into the women's draw, alongside Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka and Caroline Wozniacki.
Raducanu will start her campaign against 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova after missing last year's tournament through injury. Osaka will begin against France's Diane Parry while Wozniacki faces Alycia Parks.
Coco Gauff, seeded second, will take on Caroline Dolehide in an all-American first-round matchup, while world number three Aryna Sabalenka faces another American in Emina Bektas.
Bryce Harper limped off the field with a hamstring injury after making the final out of the Philadelphia Phillies’ 7-4 loss to the Miami Marlins on Thursday night.
Harper reached for his left hamstring after crossing first base and hobbled toward the dugout after grounding out to second.
“I felt my lower hammy, just a little bit. We’re going to get an image tomorrow and see what that looks like,” Harper said. “See how I feel tomorrow and go from there.”
Earlier in the day, the slugger was selected by fans to start at first base for the National League in the July 16 All-Star Game at Texas.
The Phillies also lost slugger Kyle Schwarber, who exited in the ninth after experiencing left groin tightness. Schwarber, normally a designated hitter, started in left field – just his third game in the field all season.
Jake Burger hit a go-ahead solo homer for Miami in the eighth after Bryan De La Cruz tied the score at 3 with a three-run double in the seventh.
Burger added an RBI single in the ninth to close the scoring.
Orioles slug 4 homers in rout of Rangers
Heston Kjerstad hit one of the Orioles’ four home runs and drove in three to back Corbin Burnes’ stellar start to lead Baltimore to an 11-2 rout of the Texas Rangers in the teams’ first matchup since last season’s American League Division Series.
Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser and Adley Rutschman also went deep for the homer-happy Orioles, who have won two straight following a season-high five-game skid.
Baltimore leads the majors with 136 home runs with a franchise-record 57 coming in June. Only the Atlanta Braves (61 in 20023) and the Yankees (58 in 2022) have hit more in June in major league history.
Burnes scattered nine hits over seven innings and allowed one run in his 13th quality start this season. He joined teammate Grayson Rodriguez as nine-game winners.
The four-game series is a rematch of the 2023 ALDS, in which the Rangers pulled off a three-game sweep.
Jon Gray was tagged for eight runs and nine hits in five innings.
Adolis Garcia homered for the Rangers (37-44), who lost their fourth straight overall and seventh in a row on the road.
Springer’s blasts propel Blue Jays
George Springer hit a pair of three-run homers and Jose Berrios pitched seven strong innings to lift the Toronto Blue Jays to a 9-2 win over the struggling New York Yankees.
Springer entered batting just .196 with six home runs, two of which he hit on the first two days of the season. But the veteran outfielder drilled a 391-foot drive into the second deck in Toronto’s five-run first inning against Carlos Rodon, then added a 434-foot shot to center in the second to make it 8-0.
Springer’s second homer was the 250th of his career and gave him 22 multihomer games.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added a solo homer as Toronto won its second straight following a seven-game skid.
The Yankees opened June with five consecutive wins, capping an eight-game streak, but are 7-12 since, including a season-worst four straight losses.
Berrios allowed two runs on two hits with three walks and fanned a season-best eight.
Andy Murray is pushing to feature at Wimbledon, where he will play alongside his brother Jamie in the doubles should he be fit.
The All England Club confirmed on Thursday that 37-year-old Murray, who is hoping to feature at Wimbledon for what seems likely to be the final time in his illustrious career, had received a wildcard to team up with his younger sibling in the men's doubles.
Murray had a procedure on a back injury last weekend, but is now back in training.
The former world number one and two-time Wimbledon champion said he will wait as long as possible to make a decision on his participation in the singles event.
"I'm going to wait until the last minute to see if I'm going to be able to play and I've earned that right to do that," he said.
"This is not clear-cut where I am 100% going to be ready to play or there is a 0% chance that I can play. That is the situation.
"I would say it's probably more likely that I'm not able to play singles right now.
"Maybe it's my ego getting in the way but I feel that I deserve the opportunity to give it until the very last moment to make that decision.
"It's complicated, and it's made more complicated because I want to play at Wimbledon one more time.
"I want to have that opportunity to play [in] the tournament."
Murray is planning to retire later this year, as is another modern great, Rafael Nadal, who will skip Wimbledon in order to focus on preparing for the Olympics, where he will team up with Carlos Alcaraz to represent Spain.
Novak Djokovic has been nursing an injury, but should be fit to feature at the British grand slam.
The time has come for guard Bronny James, son of four-time NBA champion LeBron James, to begin his professional career.
The 19-year-old prospect won't have to look far for mentorship.
James was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 55 overall pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday, ushering in the next chapter of the years-long saga between the USC prospect and his future Hall of Fame father.
James has become a somewhat controversial prospect because his family ties appear to have as much influence over his NBA future as his on-court production.
The elder James said in January 2023 that it was a goal of his to play in the NBA with his son.
“I need to be on the floor with my boy,” he told ESPN. “I got to be on the floor with Bronny.”
In more recent interviews, James loosened his stance and opted for a more supportive and open-minded approach.
“Whatever his journey, however his journey lays out, he’s going to do what’s best for him,” LeBron said last May. “We’re going to support him in whatever he decides to do. So just because that’s my aspiration or my goal doesn’t mean it’s his. And I’m absolutely OK with that.”
Bronny’s NBA prospects became hazy on July 24, 2023, when he went into cardiac arrest during an offseason workout with the Trojans.
James was treated for a congenital heart defect in Los Angeles and New Jersey before being cleared to make his collegiate debut last December.
James, who was listed as 6-foot-4 at USC but measured 6-foot-1 ½ in socks at the NBA’s scouting combine, had an inconsistent freshman season with the 15-18 Trojans.
James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25 games while shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from 3-point range.
Despite lacklustre shooting numbers in college, James displayed a confident shooting stroke during combine workouts, and his 40.5-inch vertical leap illustrated some impressive explosiveness.
As a small guard with an inconsistent shooting touch, James’ contributions early in his career will mainly be on the defensive end of the floor. Throughout his season at USC, James showed the athleticism, toughness and intelligence to project as a good defender at the next level.
James has good length for his size, with a wingspan over 6-foot-7, and he carries plenty of muscle on his 210-pound frame – two features that should help him on the defensive end immediately.
“Size is really the only issue for him on defence,” an NBA general manager told The Ringer in April. “If he was actually 6-foot-4 or even a bit bigger, he’d have really excellent potential.”
The NBA community appears understandably torn on James’ future.
On one hand, small guards who struggle to shoot rarely get chances at the next level, and it’s even rarer that they make an impact. Without James’ strong family ties, he likely would have been advised to return to college to show improvement as a sophomore.
James is not without upside, however, and he has shown rare explosiveness and defensive prowess that give some scouts hope he can be a long-time NBA contributor.
Emma Raducanu crashed out at Eastbourne in straight sets against Daria Kasatkina as her attention quickly turns to Wimbledon next week.
The former US Open champion was outclassed by her opponent, with the Russian cruising to a 6-2, 6-2 triumph to progress to the semi-finals of the competition.
Having started brightly, Raducanu would drop an early break point in the fourth game, allowing Kasatkina to race into a commanding lead before seeing out the first set.
The Brit would again start slow as Kasatkina found another early break, and despite Raducanu's best efforts, was unable to mount a comeback.
Kasatkina would end the match with a strong serve, with Radacanu sending the ball long to confirm the win for the Russian, who will play Jasmine Paolini in the next round.
Data Debrief: Raducanu second-best at Eastbourne
Radacanu was outclassed by the world number 14 throughout but can take confidence from her two impressive wins over Jessica Pegula and Sloane Stephens.
For Kasatkina, she reached her second consecutive semi-final at Eastbourne, impressing on centre court as she won 68% of her first serve points against Raducanu.
The Boston Celtics will begin defence of their NBA championship without the services of standout center Kristaps Porziņģis.
Porzingis underwent surgery for a left ankle injury that sidelined him for much of the Celtics' run through the NBA Finals, the team announced Thursday. The one-time All-Star is expected to need five-to-six months of recovery time, which could delay his season debut into December.
The Celtics said in a statement that Porzingis' procedure was to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in his left ankle, an injury he sustained in Boston's win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the Finals on June 9.
Porzingis sat out Games 3 and 4 before returning for a limited role in the Celtics' title-clinching 106-88 victory in Game 5.
The eight-year veteran previously missed 10 play-off games with a strained right calf before returning for Game 1 of the Finals.
Porzingis will also miss next month's qualifying tournament for the Summer Olympics in Paris, where he was to compete for his native Latvia.
Acquired from the Washington Wizards last June as part of a three-team trade that sent former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart from Boston to the Memphis Grizzlies, Porzingis played a major role on a Celtics team that compiled the league's best regular-season record at 64-18 before going on to capture the franchise's first championship since 2008.
The 7-foot-2 Porzingis ranked third among Boston players in scoring at 20.1 points per game, shot 37.5 per cent from 3-point range and also averaged 7.2 rebounds in 57 games.
Porzingis, an All-Star with the New York Knicks in 2017-18, was limited to just seven games this post-season and averaged 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds.
The 28-year-old is under contract for one more season after signing a two-year, $60 million extension shortly after last summer's trade.
Porzingis' injury will likely push veteran Al Horford into a starting role to begin next season. The 38-year-old Horford averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists while starting Boston's final 15 post-season games and recently said he intends to return for an 18th NBA season.
Emma Raducanu crashed out at Eastbourne in straight sets against Daria Kasatkina as her attention quickly turns to Wimbledon next week.
The former US Open champion was outclassed by her opponent, with the Russian cruising to a 6-2, 6-2 triumph to progress to the semi-finals of the competition.
Having started brightly, Raducanu would drop an early break point in the fourth game, allowing Kasatkina to race into a commanding lead before seeing out the first set.
The Brit would again start slow as Kasatkina found another early break, and despite Raducanu's best efforts, was unable to mount a comeback.
Kasatkina would end the match with a strong serve, with Radacanu sending the ball long to confirm the win for the Russian, who will play Jasmine Paolini in the next round.
Data Debrief: Raducanu second-best at Eastbourne
Radacanu was outclassed by the world number 14 throughout but can take confidence from her two impressive wins over Jessica Pegula and Sloane Stephens.
For Kasatkina, she reached her second consecutive semi-final at Eastbourne, impressing on centre court as she won 68% of her first serve points against Raducanu.
Emma Raducanu crashed out at Eastbourne in straight sets against Daria Kasatkina as her attention quickly turns to Wimbledon next week.
The former US Open champion was outclassed by her opponent, with the Russian cruising to a 6-2, 6-2 triumph to progress to the semi-finals of the competition.
Having started brightly, Raducanu would drop an early break point in the fourth game, allowing Kasatkina to race into a commanding lead before seeing out the first set.
The Brit would again start slow as Kasatkina found another early break, and despite Raducanu's best efforts, was unable to mount a comeback.
Kasatkina would end the match with a strong serve, with Radacanu sending the ball long to confirm the win for the Russian, who will play Jasmine Paolini in the next round.
Data Debrief: Raducanu second-best at Eastbourne
Radacanu was outclassed by the world number 14 throughout but can take confidence from her two impressive wins over Jessica Pegula and Sloane Stephens.
For Kasatkina, she reached her second consecutive semi-final at Eastbourne, impressing on centre court as she won 68% of her first serve points against Raducanu.
Alpine have announced that Pierre Gasly has signed a new multi-year contract, keeping him with the team until at least the 2026.
Gasly, who joined Alpine at the start of 2023, will have a new team-mate next year after it was announced that Esteban Ocon would be leaving at the end of the season.
The Frenchman is currently 15th in the driver's championship with five points, with Alpine enduring a difficult start to the campaign and sit seventh in the constructors.
However, their poor start did not deter Gasly putting pen to paper on a new deal, and he is looking forward to helping the team improve moving forwards.
"I feel very much at home at this great team. I enjoy being a real part of both the Formula 1 project and the wider Alpine Cars vision," said Gasly.
"I've been officially here for over 18 months and it has always been the plan to build a long-term project with the team. While on-track it's been a challenging season so far, I remain faithful to the project and I am not going anywhere.
"I am happy with the changes made, the hard work, and the direction the team is taking. There is a lot of potential in this team's personnel and resources.
"I'm excited for what is to come in the future and right now I'm focusing on the everyday details that we are putting in to improve our performances."
Red Bull will be on home soil at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, but Lando Norris is positive about his chances of putting more pressure on world champion Max Verstappen.
Norris has managed six podium finishes and one race victory this season, his maiden F1 win coming in Miami last month.
With 150 points, the McLaren driver now sits second in the drivers' championship standings for the first time in his career, 69 points back of Verstappen.
While Verstappen approaches this weekend – which features the third sprint race of the year – with back-to-back victories in Canada and Spain under his belt, Norris believes McLaren have every chance of pushing him close again.
"We're on a roll and we're doing well," Norris said this week. "I need to tidy up a few little bits and pieces and we'll be on top. I am confident.
"Every weekend we go into now, the car is performing extremely well and we're always there, or thereabouts, within a couple of tenths."
Five of the last six races have seen Verstappen and Norris finish in the top two positions, and the McLaren driver has 10 runner-up finishes since the team introduced transformative upgrades to their car at last year's edition of the Austrian Grand Prix.
With Red Bull heading home after seeing their huge lead over their rivals chipped away in recent weeks, Verstappen expects plenty of thrills and spills.
"It is another sprint race this weekend, which always ends up being a hectic and busy weekend for us," Verstappen said.
"It is really important to nail the set-up of the car straight away and analyse how best we build and improve on our previous races, especially as qualifying is always close here.
"The track lends itself to a lot of overtaking so I'm sure it will be an exciting race.
"The team performed well here last year so hopefully, we can do the fans proud this weekend and bring it home with another win."
This weekend's sprint will be the 15th since the format's introduction, and no driver has more wins (nine), pole positions (seven), fastest laps (seven), podium finishes (13) or points (89) in the sprints than Verstappen.
The Dutchman's four wins in the main race in Spielberg are also an F1 record.
DRIVERS TO WATCH
Lando Norris – McLaren
After two years of near-total dominance, Verstappen finally has a consistent challenger in Norris, who has finished inside the top four at each of his last six races, as many as in his previous 15.
He has already led for a career-high 58 total laps throughout the 2024 season, while his next podium finish will see him match John Watson and go joint-13th in the all-time charts for British drivers, with 20.
Verstappen has not been on pole for any of the last three races, with Norris unable to capitalise when starting at the front of the grid in Barcelona last week. He will be desperate to go one better here.
Sergio Perez – Red Bull
While Verstappen's latest battle with Norris will capture the headlines, Red Bull's home race is also a big one for the Dutchman's team-mate Perez, who is enduring a difficult year.
Perez has finished outside the top five at each of his last four races (two eighth-place places and two retirements). He could find himself outside the top five on five straight outings for the first time since 2021, when he had a miserable five-race run between races in Austria and the Netherlands.
The Mexican, who got a two-year contract extension from the team earlier this month after much speculation regarding his future, needs to be far more consistent, starting here.
With Ferrari 60 points behind Red Bull in the constructors' championship standings and eating away at that advantage, Christian Horner will be desperate to see Verstappen get some support.
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 219 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 150
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 148
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 116
5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – 111
Constructors
1. Red Bull – 330
2. Ferrari – 270
3. McLaren – 237
4. Mercedes – 151
5. Aston Martin – 58
Dusan Lajovic has praised Novak Djokovic's resilience as he continues his preparations for Wimbledon next week.
Djokovic, who has won the tournament seven times, underwent knee surgery earlier this month having withdrawn from the French Open.
As a result, the Serbian was forced to relinquish his number one spot in the world rankings to Jannik Sinner.
However, the Serbian was pictured training at Wimbledon 18 days after his successful operation, but remains unsure over his participation in the competition.
Lajovic, who beat Djokovic in the quarter-finals of the Srpska Open last year, says his compatriot will make the right decision on his fitness.
"It just shows his grit," Lajovic said. "He's always been such a fighter, even if he gives himself a one per cent chance to compete, he's going to do everything to maximise that,"
"He's going to wait until probably the last minute to see if he's ready and if his body can support the stress of playing in a grand slam.
"So, in the end, he normally makes good decisions about his body, and about his tennis as well. If he thinks he can make it, then he probably can make it."
Aston Martin have confirmed that Lance Stroll will remain as a driver with the team for at least two more years.
The 25-year-old, who is the son of the team's owner, Lawrence Stroll, will partner Fernando Alonso, who also signed a new contract in April.
Stroll is currently 11th in the driver's championship, having picked up 17 points from the first 10 races of the season ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend.
"I'm super happy to have committed to staying with the team for 2025 and beyond," Stroll said.
"It's amazing to see how far we've come in the last five years; we've grown so much as a team and there's still so much more to look forward to."
Stroll joined the team in 2019 after his father bought it and saved it from bankruptcy in August 2018.
The team rebranded as Aston Martin in 2022 and finished fifth in last year's constructors' championship, with team principal Mike Krack delighted with the news.
"We are delighted to confirm Lance's future with Aston Martin Aramco," Krack said. "He has played a key role in building this team.
"His technical feedback, alongside his committed simulator work, has helped contribute to the continuous development of the car each season.
"The consistency and stability of both Lance and Fernando remaining with our team is a great platform to continue to realise our ambitions.
"We look forward to creating some more incredible memories and achieving further success together."
Aston Martin will switch from Mercedes to Honda engines in 2026 as part of a works deal with the Japanese manufacturer under F1's next set of technical regulations.
Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff homer for the second straight game and extended his RBI streak to a franchise-record 10 consecutive games in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 4-0 win over the lowly Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night.
Ohtani took Erick Fedde deep on a full-count fastball for his National League-best 25th home run. It was his third leadoff homer of the season and his eighth home run in the last 10 games.
He is batting .310 (27 for 87) with 11 homers and 23 RBIs in 23 games this month.
Gavin Stone shut down the White Sox on four hits in his first career complete game. He struck out seven and walked none to improve to 8-1 with a 2.03 ERA in his last 11 starts.
Los Angeles (51-31) won its fourth straight and has won eight of 10 to move a season-best 20 games over .500.
The major league-worst White Sox (21-61) have lost seven of eight to fall 40 games under .500. They were shut out for the 12th time this season and were 1 for 21 with runners in scoring position while totalling three runs and 17 hits in the three-game series.
Streaking Astros roll Rockies
Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high 10 over seven scoreless innings and was backed by Yainer Diaz’s three hits as the Houston Astros won their season-high seventh straight, 7-1 over the Colorado Rockies.
Arrighetti limited the Rockies to three hits and didn’t walk a batter for the first time in the longest start of his rookie season.
Houston (40-40), which opened 7-19, reached .500 for the first time this season and is batting .320 while averaging 6.9 runs during the seven-game streak.
The Astros broke open the game with a four-run seventh to take a 6-0 lead. Cesar Salazar had a sacrifice fly before Jose Altuve hit a soft grounder to shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and his throw home was high, allowing another run to score.
Alex Bregman then grounded into a forceout, but a throwing error by second baseman Brendan Rogers sent another run home. Yordan Alvarez hit a ground-rule double and Diaz’s single stretched the lead to 6-0.
The Rockies are 0-4 against the Astros this season and have dropped 11 in a row at Minute Maid Park, dating to Aug. 15, 2018.
Orioles end skid, cool Guardians
Cedric Mullins snapped a tie with a seventh-inning home run and Gunnar Henderson belted his 26th of the season as the Baltimore Orioles snapped the Cleveland Guardians’ seven-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory.
Ryan O’Hearn also went deep for the Orioles, who had lost five in a row since a 17-5 pounding of the Yankees on June 20. It was their longest losing streak since May 2022.
Mullins connected off Xzavion Curry to lead off the seventh, putting Baltimore ahead 3-2.
Grayson Rodriguez surrendered solo home runs to Jhonkensy Noel and Gabriel Arias but not much else. He gave up three other hits over seven innings without a walk and struck out four.
Cionel Perez pitched a perfect eighth and Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his 17th save and 434th of his career.
Noel was recalled from Triple-A Columbus and became the fourth Cleveland player to homer in his first major league at-bat. The last Cleveland player to go deep in his first at-bat in the majors was Kevin Kouzmanoff in 2006.
For the second year in a row, a player from France was selected first overall in the NBA draft.
As a testament to the NBA being a global game, a player from France was also taken with the second and the sixth pick in the 2024 draft.
The Atlanta Hawks started off Wednesday's draft from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn by selecting Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick, and the Washington Wizards followed their lead by taking fellow Frenchman Alexandre Sarr with the No. 2 pick.
The run on French players continued with the Charlotte Hornets selecting forward Tidjane Salaun with the sixth pick, making this the first time in modern history that a country other than the United States had three players selected in the top 10.
Risacher is a catch-and-shoot 3-point specialist and an exceptional defender on the wing, while the big man Sarr possesses the ball-handling ability of a wing and is an elite rim protector.
Salaun was the youngest player taken in the draft at 18 years old, and is considered an excellent athlete with a high motor.
There was one more player from France taken before the first round ended, with the New York Knicks taking Pacome Dadiet at No. 25.
With another Frenchman, Victor Wembanyama, being selected first overall last year by the San Antonio Spurs, this also marked the first time in NBA history consecutive No. 1 picks didn’t play collegiately in the United States.
It wasn't all players from France selected, however.
After the top two picks, the Houston Rockets took sharp-shooter Reed Sheppard from Kentucky, and the San Antonio Spurs used their first of two top-10 picks to select guard Stephon Castle from two-time defending American collegiate national champion Connecticut at No. 4.
Three picks later, Castle's team-mate at UConn, centre Donovan Clingan, was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Spurs then used their second top-10 pick to take Kentucky point guard Rob Dillingham at No. 8, but later traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Forward Ron Holland II, an American who skipped college to play in the G League, went three picks earlier to the Detroit Pistons at No. 5.
Perhaps the biggest - no pun intended - surprise of the first round was the Memphis Grizzlies taking Zach Edey with the ninth pick.
The 7-foot-3 Canadian is the back-to-back American collegiate AP national player of the year, yet was slotted to get picked much later by many experts.
The Utah Jazz rounded out the top 10 by selecting Colorado forward Cody Williams - a strong defender and adept ball-handler.
One name absent from the first round was Bronny James - son of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James.
The elder James had previously said it would be a dream to play with his son, but his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, ended up taking Dalton Knecht with the 17th pick.
Knecht, a prolific scorer and an AP All-American this past season at Tennessee, was projected by many prognosticators to be a top-10 pick, but slid down the draft board.
The younger James hadn't been predicted to be selected in the first round, but could be taken at some point on Day 2 of the draft on Thursday.
The Atlanta Hawks are turning to a 19-year-old French phenom with the hopes he can revive their scuffling franchise.
Ditto for the Washington Wizards.
The Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick of Wednesday’s NBA draft, and the Wizards followed by taking fellow Frenchman Alexandre Sarr with the No. 2 pick.
Risacher, Sarr and two-time defending American collegiate national champion Donovan Clingan were all mentioned as possibilities to be picked first, but ultimately the Hawks settled on Risacher.
The decision had been somewhat speculated for days after Sarr had recently worked out and met with the Wizards while declining an invitation from the Hawks, but Atlanta was keeping all options open.
Risacher worked out for Atlanta last week, and ownership evidently liked what it saw from the 6-foot-8 wing, making him the franchise's first No. 1 pick since 1975, when it selected David Thompson.
After another Frenchman, Victor Wembanyama, was picked first overall last year by the San Antonio Spurs, this marks the first time in NBA history consecutive No. 1 picks didn’t play collegiately in the United States.
Considered to have the biggest upside of anyone in this draft class, Risacher is not only a catch-and-shoot 3-point specialist, but also an exceptional defender, thanks to his length.
Not even on the draft radar a year ago, Risacher first started appearing on a lot of mock drafts with his sensational start to the LNB Pro A season in France. He then entered the conversation as a potential top pick with his stellar play at the EuroCup.
He now joins a Hawks team that is in search of a spark after being stuck in mediocrity the past few seasons.
After reaching the Eastern Conference finals in 2021, it totalled three play-off wins in being ousted in the first round in 2022 and ’23 and missed the post-season entirely this past season after finishing 10th in the East.
With Atlanta, Risacher will have an opportunity to hone his game and add some weight to his lanky frame as he makes the transition to the NBA.
Atlanta’s offence revolves around the guard play of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, so Risacher won’t be asked to do too much too soon.
Risacher is far from being a finished product, but the Hawks believe he has the tools to develop into being a core member of the team for years to come.
Atlanta’s decision to draft Risacher, made Washington’s choice at No. 2 a no-brainer, especially after Sarr decided not to meet with the Hawks.
Sarr reportedly viewed Washington as a favourable landing spot over Atlanta, and the Wizards didn’t hesitate in snatching up someone who for a long time was considered the top prospect in the draft class.
The French-born Sarr, who spent the last season playing for Perth in the Australian Basketball League, is an athletic two-way player. He is effective as a finisher near the hoop off the pick-and-roll and is an elite rim protector on the defensive end.
With a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Sarr gives the Wizards interior length and should provide an upgrade on the defensive end considering Washington allowed a league-worst 123 points per game last season.
The Wizards are coming off their worst season in franchise history, going 15-67, and have missed the play-offs each of the last three seasons with only one play-off appearance in the last six.
Sarr is now the centrepiece of Washington’s rebuild.
At 6-foot-11, he has the size of a centre, but possesses the ball-handling ability of a wing, able to dribble through traffic or deliver an accurate pass to an open team-mate.
Sarr needs to add bulk – and a mid-range and 3-point shot – but has enough strengths to his game that he should be able to step right in and help the Wizards on both ends of the court.
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