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Verstappen takes pole after wild session of six red-flag crashes | The Express Tribune

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Verstappen takes pole after wild session of six red-flag crashes | The Express Tribune



BAKU:

Max Verstappen tip-toed through the hazards of a wild qualifying session featuring six red-flag stoppages on Saturday to claim pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

As series leader Oscar Piastri crashed and his McLaren team-mate and title rival Lando Norris struggled for outright speed on his final lap, Red Bull’s four-time champion made the most of treacherous damp conditions to end a near-crazy two-hour session on top.

The Dutchman clocked a best lap in one minute and 41.117 seconds to finish 0.478 seconds ahead of Williams’ Carlos Sainz and half a second clear of Racing Bulls’ rookie Liam Lawson, who secured his best qualifying result.

Sainz had made the most of his opportunity in Q3 to go quickest before Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crashed to bring a sixth red-flag stoppage that wrecked his hopes of a fifth straight Baku pole – and deliver a mixed up grid.

Mercedes’ under-pressure rookie Kimi Antonelli and George Russell were fourth and fifth ahead of Yuki Tsunoda in the second Red Bull and Norris, who qualified seventh.

Racing Bulls’ second rookie Isack Hadjar was eighth ahead of Piastri and Leclerc with two-time champion Fernando Alonso taking 11th for Aston Martin and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton 12th for Ferrari.

It was Verstappen’s first pole in Baku, his sixth of the season and the 46th of his career.

“It was difficult to get a lap together, with all the red flags,” said Verstappen.

“In the final lap, you just have to send it. I wasn’t even on the best tyres. So, I am happy with the weekend!”

The chaos began in gusty conditions with light drizzle expected and rain threatening for Sunday’s race.

“We nailed it today by being on the right tyres at the right time,” said Sainz. “So tomorrow I will try to stick it on the podium.”

Slippery finale 

As Q1 began, Piastri was in the pits for a new front wing while his rivals hurried for an early banker lap, but as he started his first lap, a red flag halted the action when Alex Albon hit the barriers, leaving the Australian in danger of elimination.

After eight minutes’ delay, Hamiton went top, Piastri took second, just two seconds before Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg hit the wall at Turn Four, triggering a second red flag.

Another eight-minute stoppage followed, after which Russell, Leclerc and then Norris bagged top spot before yet another red flag crash – Alpine’s Franco Colapinto at Turn Four – ended the action.

Q2 began after a further 12 minutes’ inaction, but it lasted only three minutes before Oliver Bearman smacked the wall at Turn Two and broke his car’s rear suspension – causing a fourth red flag to retrieve his abandoned machine.

The stop-go-stop-go session was running nearly an hour off schedule by the time Leclerc and Hamilton led them out again before the Monegasque, chasing a fifth consecutive Baku pole and first win, ran deep at Turn One.

Verstappen then stole top spot again as a luckless Hamilton exited along with two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, Gabriel Bortoleto of Sauber, Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin and Haas’s Oliver Bearman.

On cue, rain fell as the top-ten shootout began.

“It’s too slippery,” reported Russell after running deep at Turn Four before Leclerc, the ‘Baku maestro’, hit the wall at Turn 15, his hopes wrecked,

A fifth red flag followed and, with only three drivers’ laps recorded, Sainz was top ahead of the two Racing Bulls.

“You can start dancing to see if it rains a bit harder, no?” said Sainz on team radio before a frantic, dramatic and slippery finale.



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Daylen Lile’s inside job lifts Nationals past the Mets

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The rookie’s race around the bases for a two-run home run in the 11th inning helps Washington snap a five-game skid.



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WWE Wrestlepalooza live updates and results: John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar up first

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WWE Wrestlepalooza live updates and results: John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar up first


Hello, wrestling fans! WWE is at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the first Wrestlepalooza since 2000, and the show is stacked. Up first, 17-time World Champion John Cena, who is in the midst of a yearlong retirement tour, will attempt to win his 100th Premium Live Event (PLE) match. To do that, he will have to go through rival Brock Lesnar, who Cena recently admitted he is scared to face. Ten-time WWE World Champion and former UFC heavyweight champion Lesnar has faced Cena 13 times in their WWE careers, but it has been 11 years since they last met in a singles match.

Also on the card, three-time Divas Champion AJ Lee makes her return to WWE after over a decade away. She’ll team with her husband, six-time World Champion CM Punk, and take on World Heavyweight title-holder Seth Rollins and his wife, Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch. Neither pair has lost a match when they’ve teamed up in their careers.

IYO SKY and Stephanie Vaquer will also meet for the vacant women’s world championship. The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) take on Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed for the first time in a tag team match. And Cody Rhodes puts his Undisputed Championship on the line against his former The Dashing Ones tag teammate Drew McIntyre, who is one of five Superstars to pin Rhodes since he returned to WWE in 2022.

Andreas Hale is here to break down all the action at WWE Wrestlepalooza. Let’s go!

Get access to ESPN Unlimited and don’t miss out on any WWE action.




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Parkinson: Wrexham ‘outstanding’ over Norwich

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Parkinson: Wrexham ‘outstanding’ over Norwich


Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson spoke of his pride after seeing his side come from behind to grab an impressive 3-2 win at Norwich.

The visitors were one down at the break but then scored three times in 12 minutes to turn the game on its head, with skipper Josh Windass bagging a brace.

Norwich grabbed a late second but it did nothing to take the gloss off an excellent performance which delivered a second win of the season in the new surroundings of the Championship.

“Some of the football we produced during that period of the game [early in the second half] was outstanding,” said Parkinson.

“We played well in the first half only to be caught out by a late goal and I told the lads not to let it affect the way they went about things in the second half.

“I told them if they kept playing in that manner they would get back into it and we did just that with some quality play.

“We were just a lot more clinical in the second half than the first and we also defended well which was pleasing because we have been cut open in some games this season.

“This is a real football ground and I love coming here. I think the last time I was in Norfolk it was at King’s Lynn in front of 800 people and I want people to understand just how far we have come.

“I think one or two people felt a bit flat after our last game [a home defeat against QPR] but they shouldn’t be.

“We have got a developing squad with lots of new players and once they have all settled in, and they are up to speed, I am sure we will be competitive at this level.”

Norwich took the lead on 39 minutes when Jack Stacey ignored appeals for offside to run through and score.

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Wrexham were back on level terms 62 seconds into the second period as impressive debutant Issa Kaboré crossed for Windass to tuck the ball home and went in front seven minutes later, Ryan Longman drilling home another right-wing cross from Kabore.

The points were effectively sealed just before the hour mark when Windass curled in a delightful third, although substitute Jovon Makama did open his Norwich account in added time when he pounced on a rebound off goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.

Asked for his reaction to Norwich’s fourth successive home defeat since he took over in the summer, boss Liam Manning said: “The words that come to mind are anger, frustration and disappointment.

“We were not good enough. Too many elements of our play were not good enough.

“We were just too passive for my liking — both when defending and when we had the ball. We have got to get back to basics — be hard to beat and a lot better with the ball.

“When we conceded early in the second half we needed to stand up to be counted, to ensure we didn’t concede so easily again, but that didn’t happen.

“We needed to give the crowd something to get behind and we didn’t too that for long enough.

“Now it’s a case of reflecting honestly, sticking together and making sure we start moving forward again.”



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