- Powell pours in 37 to spark NBA Clippers over Jokic-led Denver
- Recession-hit Argentina gripped by 'Ponzidemia'
- Sakamoto leads Japanese women's sweep at Skate Canada
- Sainz success shows his class as Ferrari rise above the radar
- Verstappen, Norris set for another duel
- Michelle Obama admits fear over vote result, slams Trump
- Sainz takes pole for Mexico City Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen
- Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps defend Skate Canada pairs title
- Lille score twice in stoppage-time to beat Lens after 'extraordinary' week
- Barca in 'flow' state after thrashing Madrid: Flick
- Curfew extended in French Caribbean territory amid power blackout
- Ruling party set to win Georgia election amid opposition protests
- Lille score twice deep in stoppage-time to beat Lens, Brest win
- NASA astronaut released from hospital after return from ISS
- Lewandowski double as Barca shred Madrid in La Liga Clasico
- Floods hit Saint-Tropez as rains lash south of France
- Japan votes with new PM on shaky ground
- Herve Renard completes surprise return as Saudi coach
- Di Lorenzo fires Napoli five points clear, Atalanta hit Verona for six
- Van Graan has 'utmost respect' for Du Toit as Bath go top of Premiership
- Report details fossil fuel threat to 'Amazon of the seas'
- Michelle Obama to boost Harris, as Trump rages against migrants
- Catholic Church assembly acknowledges 'obstacles' for women
- 'Too early' to say Leverkusen out of title race: Alonso
- World champion Malinin grabs men's lead at Skate Canada
- Farrell 'sorry' for second Top 14 yellow in Racing win
- Ruling party set to win Georgian elections
- Piastri, Norris set Mexico practice pace as Verstappen struggles
- Lewis century gifts West Indies consolation victory in Sri Lanka
- Guardiola vows to learn from rock-bottom Southampton after tight win
- Rooney 'angry' despite stunning Plymouth fightback in Preston draw
- Opposition, ruling party both shown ahead in Georgia elections
- Venezuelan prosecutor accuses Lula of faking injury as tensions with Brazil rise
- Draper into Vienna ATP final, ensures career-high ranking
- Farrell opens Top 14 try account in Racing victory, ends game in sin-bin
- Opposition tipped to win narrow majority in Georgia election: exit poll
- Haaland fires Man City to top of Premier League, Villa held
- West Indies set 195 to win rain-hit Sri Lanka ODI
- Leipzig beat Freiburg to go top, Dortmund lose away again
- Shelton downs friend Fils to reach Basel final
- Di Lorenzo fires Napoli past Lecce and five points clear
- Hussain says Pakistan have found 'kryptonite to Bazball' with England series win
- Seven dead in overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine
- Tehran presses on, uneasy after Israeli strikes
- Masood says Pakistan need stability after famous England win
- Iran warns will defend itself after Israeli strikes
- N.Korea involvement in Ukraine raises regional security risks: analysts
- Santner heroics seal historic New Zealand Test series win in India
- Brignone wins ski World Cup opener as Shiffrin flops
- Thitikul surges into three-way lead at LPGA in Malaysia
Dominant Verstappen wins Chinese Grand Prix to increase title grip
Max Verstappen rounded off a dominant weekend with victory in the first Chinese Grand Prix for five years on Sunday to extend his world championship lead, a day after romping to sprint victory.
The three-time world champion controlled the race on its return to the Shanghai International Circuit for the first time since 2019.
He finished 13.7 seconds ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris with Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez third, a further six seconds back.
He was denied a 100 percent points-scoring weekend when Fernando Alonso picked up the bonus for the fastest lap after a late switch to fresh tyres.
It was another all-conquering display from Verstappen, who won his fourth grand prix this season and the 58th of his career.
He increased his lead over Perez at the top of the drivers championship to 25 points with Red Bull pulling 44 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors standings.
Only a rare brake failure and retirement in Melbourne denied Verstappen the chance of a clean sweep of all five rounds in 2024 as he marches towards a fourth consecutive world title.
"It felt amazing. The whole weekend we were incredibly quick. Just enjoyable to drive on every compound," said Verstappen, who took his first victory in China.
"We survived the restarts well and the car was basically on rails and I could do whatever I wanted with it.
"Those kind of weekends are amazing to feel and to achieve what we did this weekend is fantastic."
The Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were fourth and fifth.
Race strategy was largely decided by a safety car on lap 23, which enabled most cars to switch to hard tyres till the end.
George Russell came sixth for Mercedes with Alonso finishing seventh.
The Spanish veteran, 42, made a spectacular late charge through the field from 12th after his final stop on lap 43 of the 56-lap race.
- Unexpected podium -
McLaren's Oscar Piastri was eighth, chased home by Lewis Hamilton who clawed his way up to ninth from 18th on the grid.
The points-scorers were rounded out by Nico Hulkenberg in 10th for Haas.
Norris was delighted to finish second, his best result in 2024, having started from fourth on the grid.
"Surprised, I'm very happy. Today it just worked out," said the Englishman.
"Things came alive today. I don't know why, it was not the race I was expecting, but just got comfortable."
Perez finished on the podium for the fourth time in five rounds this season.
Alonso swooped past him at the start but the Mexican fought back to second within five laps and had been eyeing a second consecutive Red Bull one-two until the safety car set him back.
"It really cost us quite a bit. Fighting like that in the early laps, the life of the tyre goes off dramatically," said Perez.
"But at least we got onto the podium. But it would have been good to be one and two. We were definitely lacking some pace."
China's first Formula One driver Zhou Guanyu was an enormous draw over the weekend as he made his home grand prix debut.
He was allowed to park his car on the grid in front the grandstands after finishing 14th in the race and exited the cockpit in floods of tears to an ovation from the capacity crowd.
"I drove my heart out today, unfortunately not enough for the points but we go again next time," said an emotional Zhou.
"I am just so happy to see the whole crowd. No words. A mixture of emotions and a day to remember. Hopefully in the future more drivers from my country will be stepping in here."
P.Mathewson--AMWN