Sports
Norris wins to seal constructors’ title for McLaren
Lando Norris secured McLaren’s first Formula 1 constructors’ championship for 26 years with victory in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Norris led from start to finish and his fourth win of the season was enough to seal the championship by 14 points, despite Ferrari finishing second and third with Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc’s brilliant drive after starting 19th on the grid kept the tension high – had anything happened to Norris’ car, Ferrari would have clinched the title.
Lewis Hamilton took fourth place in his final race for Mercedes, passing team-mate George Russell around the outside of Turn Nine with six corners of the race to go.
Hamilton did doughnuts on the pit straight after crossing the line and then took a few moments with his car, collecting his thoughts, before congratulating Norris and McLaren F1 boss Zak Brown and consoling Sainz and Leclerc.
The anxiety for McLaren started at the first corner when Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri, who had qualified second to the Briton, was tapped into a spin by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The world champion was given a 10-second penalty for causing the incident.
That put Piastri to the back of the field and left McLaren’s hopes hanging on Norris.
Leclerc increased McLaren’s nerves with a stunning first lap, in which he gained a remarkable 11 places, including passing five cars in one go approaching the chicane at Turns Six and Seven.
Leclerc’s climb continued, as he passed the Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin, and then after his pit stop on lap 20 Pierre Gasly’s Alpine. He took third when the Mercedes of Russell and Hamilton and Verstappen pitted out of his way.
Sitting in third behind Norris and Sainz in the final 15 laps, Leclerc asked if “like this we lose the constructors'” and was told, yes, but the race was not over.
But Norris and McLaren had everything under control and he crossed the line six seconds ahead of Sainz to end a long and painful period without a title.
The win also ensured that Norris finished second in the drivers’ championship, 18 points ahead of Leclerc and 63 behind Verstappen
Sports
Havertz online abuse has terrible consequences – Arteta
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says the online abuse of striker Kai Havertz and his wife has “terrible consequences” and needs to be “eradicated from the game”.
Havertz was criticised for his performance in Sunday’s FA Cup defeat by Manchester United, after he missed a glorious chance to win the game in normal time and then had his penalty saved in the shootout as United won 5-3 on penalties following the 1-1 draw.
The German’s wife Sophia shared screenshots of the “shocking” abuse she received on social media amid the game, including threats to the couple’s unborn child.
Arsenal have reported the abuse to the police and are working with a specialist data firm to identify the culprits, but Arteta says more must be done as he spoke before Wednesday’s north London derby against Tottenham.
“It’s incredible, honestly,” he said. “We really have to do something about it, because accepting that and hiding this has terrible consequences.
“It’s something we have to eradicate from the game because it’s so cynical and dependent to a result of an action.
“There is no other industry like this. When we played Ipswich on December 27, we won 1-0 and Kai Havertz scored. The whole stadium after that is singing the ‘Waka, Waka’ (his chant). That was 20 days ago. Where is the perspective?
“We are all responsible. That’s a really serious matter. It affects me. It affects him and everybody that is in the industry.
“We can accept it and say ‘that’s our job’, but there are certain limits and the line has to be drawn. We put a lot of attention on technology and what is next in football.
“What is next in football is that this should be prohibited. It cannot happen. That’s it.”
Meta, who own Instagram, removed the content for violating its policies.
Sports
I will not be the coach of a Red Bull team – Klopp
Jurgen Klopp says he has made a “clear commitment” that he will not become manager at one of the Red Bull clubs after starting his role as the organisation’s head of global soccer.
The former Liverpool manager was named in the role last year before officially starting at the beginning of 2025.
He has not had a managerial role since leaving Anfield last summer following a highly-successful nine year spell.
Klopp’s new role sees him take more of an oversight role across a number of clubs including RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg and New York Red Bulls.
But when asked at a media conference on Tuesday whether he might be tempted back into day-to-day management if a role at one of the clubs becomes available, Klopp said emphatically said “no”.
“I will not be the coach of a Red Bull team,” he said. “That is a clear commitment. As much as you can give a guarantee, I will not be a coach at all.
“I am probably the only person in this room who will be asked where are you in five years, I don’t have a clue.
“But I will not be a replacement of one of the Red Bull coaches.
Sports
Rising star Fonseca knocks out ninth seed Rublev
Joao Fonseca had a Grand Slam debut to remember as he knocked out ninth seed Andrey Rublev in the first round of the Australian Open.
The 18-year-old Brazilian thrilled the crowd as he caused the biggest upset of the tournament so far with a 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 7-6 (7-5) victory against Rublev.
Fonseca was playing in his first main-draw match at a major, having come through three rounds of qualifying without dropping a set in Melbourne last week.
The victory extends his winning streak to 14 matches – but who is tennis’ latest rising star?
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