CNN
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Max Verstappen opted to bite his lip rather than speak his mind following a controversial decision that cost him the win at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Sunday.

The four-time world champion finished second behind Australian driver Oscar Piastri after being hit with a five-second time penalty for leaving the track during a dramatic first-corner incident.

Verstappen had started on pole, but Piastri got a far better start and had his nose in front heading to the first corner. As the pair battled for the lead, Verstappen cut across a chicane which the race stewards deemed had given him an unfair advantage.

The Red Bull driver, who gave a sarcastic response over the radio when told about the punishment during the race, was clearly frustrated but said he didn’t want to comment about the incident due to new rules brought in by the sport’s governing body which seeks to prevent drivers from criticising the organization.

“The problem is that I cannot share my opinion about it because I might get penalized,” Verstappen told reporters. “So it’s better not to speak about it.

“I think it’s better not to talk about it. Anything I say or try to say about it, it might get me in trouble.”

When asked whether he was frustrated with having to keep quiet on such issues, Verstappen said “it’s just the world we live in.”

He added: “You can’t share fully your opinion because it’s not appreciated, apparently, or people can’t handle the full truth.

“For me, honestly, it’s better for me if I don’t need to say too much, it also saves my time because we already have to do so much.

“It’s honestly just how everything is becoming. Everyone is super sensitive about everything. And then, of course, what we have currently, we cannot be critical anyway. So, that’s fine, less talking, even better for me.”

Verstappen was referring to FIA’s latest Sporting Code which includes a new rule forbidding: “Any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA.”

Drivers can be banned 10,000 euros ($11,300) for the first offense, but can be suspended for a month and docked championship points for repeatedly breaching the new rule.

While Verstappen held his tongue, Red Bull’s team principal Christian Horner said the decision was “tough” to take.

“I don’t know where Max was supposed to go in that first corner,” he told Sky Sports.

FIA published its reasons for handing Verstappen a penalty on its website, stating he “left the track and gained a lasting advantage that was not given back.”

It added: “Ordinarily, the baseline penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage is 10 seconds. However, given that this was lap one and turn one incident, we considered that to be a mitigating circumstance and imposed a 5 second time penalty instead.”

It’s the latest setback in what has been a turbulent season so far for Red Bull and Verstappen – with the driver having to dismiss rumors that he could leave the team.

The 27-year-old has been openly critical of the car’s performance in recent weeks but was at least buoyed by a distinct improvement in Saudi Arabia which saw him able to compete with his rivals.

Verstappen, though, still sits third in the standings, two points behind Lando Norris and 12 behind the current leader Piastri.

CNN
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Holger Rune stunned Carlos Alcaraz to win the Barcelona Open on Sunday and end his two-year trophy drought.

The Danish player won 7-6 (6), 6-2 in Sunday’s final on Pista Rafa Nadal, ending Alcaraz’s nine-matching winning streak in the process.

The Barcelona Open trophy is Rune’s fifth ATP Tour title and first since 2023.

“It means the world, it was such a great match,” Rune said afterwards. “In the beginning, I was a little bit stressed because Carlos obviously plays big-time tennis.

“I had to breathe a lot and find my rhythm. After he broke me, I got more into the match and played my tennis. The first set was a big battle, it was super important to win it and gain the momentum. I’m so proud of myself.”

Alcaraz entered the final as the heavy favorite, having established himself as one of tennis’ most dominant clay court players and having beaten defending champion Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals.

The match was the first tour-level final between two players aged 21-or-under since 2022 and it was Rune who fell behind early on.

He was quickly broken by Alcaraz, playing in front of a partisan crowd, but rallied impressively to fight his way back into the match.

Rune won eight consecutive points to go from being a break down to moving ahead. He had two set points but Alcaraz was able to repel them in brilliant fashion.

And having gone to a tie break, it was Rune who came out on top in the first, with Alcaraz hitting his 10th forehand unforced error of the set.

“When I got broken in the first set, I thought to myself that I don’t need to hit every shot on the line,” Rune said afterwards. “So I (asked) myself: ‘What did Novak (Djokovic) do when he beat him?’ I played it in my mind, the Olympics final, and tried to play that style, making a lot of balls. I’m very happy with how I stayed composed when it mattered, and I was really brave.”

In the second set, Alcaraz took an off-court medical timeout in the third game – twice taking treatment during the match for an ailment on his right leg – and couldn’t regain his rhythm against a pumped-up Rune.

Rune saved all four of the break points against him in the second set as the Danish player didn’t drop another game to emphatically claim the Barcelona Open title.

With the result, Rune returns to the top 10 of the men’s world rankings.

CNN
 — 

The United States defeated Canada 4-3 to win the women’s ice hockey world championships thanks to Tessa Janecke’s goal in overtime.

Canada was looking to win a fourth title in five years during Sunday’s final in České Budějovice, Czech Republic, but Janecke’s third goal of the tournament settled what was the longest game in the history of the women’s world championships.

The victory marked the USA’s 11th world title, moving two short of Canada’s 13.

Nearly half the game had gone by without a goal when Caroline Harvey and Abbey Murphy scored within 30 seconds of each other to give the US a 2-0 lead.

However, Canada responded through Danielle Serdachny and Jennifer Gardiner to tie the game at 2-2, with all four of the goals scored in the space of two and a half minutes.

The US took the lead once more in the third period with a goal from Taylor Heise, but Sarah Fillier hit back for Canada to tie the game and force overtime.

With 2:54 left in the final, Janecke scored the game-winner following a superb assist from Heise, avenging the overtime loss to Canada at last year’s world championships in Utica, New York.

“Games between these two teams are always classics and tonight was no different,” said US head coach John Wroblewski. “We had players up and down the lineup step up for us. It was a team effort I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

US goalie Gwyneth Philips, meanwhile, couldn’t hide her glee at the final buzzer: “Shock and awe. I’m ecstatic.”

Having also defeated Canada in the group stages, the US boasted an unbeaten record at the world championships following victories against Germany in the quarterfinal and host Czech Republic in the semifinals.

In the earlier bronze medal game on Sunday, Finland defeated the Czech Republic 4-3 in overtime.

This year’s tournament set an attendance record of 122,331, topping the 119,231 supporters who watched the 2007 world championships in Winnipeg, Canada.