F1: Hamilton Takes Pole in Dramatic Russian Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton celebrates with the Pirelli Pole Position Award after qualifying in pole position at the Sochi Autodrom in Sochi. (Reuters)
Lewis Hamilton celebrates with the Pirelli Pole Position Award after qualifying in pole position at the Sochi Autodrom in Sochi. (Reuters)
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F1: Hamilton Takes Pole in Dramatic Russian Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton celebrates with the Pirelli Pole Position Award after qualifying in pole position at the Sochi Autodrom in Sochi. (Reuters)
Lewis Hamilton celebrates with the Pirelli Pole Position Award after qualifying in pole position at the Sochi Autodrom in Sochi. (Reuters)

Lewis Hamilton took a step closer to equaling the Formula One win record on Saturday by clinching pole position at the Russian Grand Prix, after narrowly avoiding early elimination when Sebastian Vettel crashed.

Hamilton charged to a track-record time of 1 minute, 31.304 seconds, beating the Red Bull of Max Verstappen by .563 for his fifth straight pole position. Hamilton can achieve his 91st career win in the race on Sunday, matching the record held by Michael Schumacher.

Hamilton's Mercedes teammate, Valtteri Bottas, was beaten into third by Verstappen's fast run at the end of the session and was .652 off Hamilton's time.

The long run from the grid to the first significant turn means Bottas could yet threaten to overtake Hamilton at the start Sunday using the slipstream from his teammate's car.

“This year you’re seeing that our cars are more draggy and there’s more tow this year than we’ve seen in other years. So I generally expect one of these two (Verstappen and Bottas) to come flying by at some point,” Hamilton said. “I think I'm just going to focus on my race and run the fastest race I can.”

Bottas earned his first win at the 2017 race in Russia after starting third and overtaking the two Ferraris ahead of him at the start.

Verstappen and Bottas both start the race on medium tires, which could give them an edge in terms of pit strategy over Hamilton, who is on soft tires, which wear much faster.

“I’m just going to have to nurse those tires for as far as I can. These guys, if they get by, they’re going to be pulling away,” Hamilton said.

Verstappen said he was delighted to start second.

“I wasn’t expecting that and of course it’s great for us. If we can get a good start tomorrow you never know what can happen," he said.

Vettel lost control of his car over the kerb on the inside of the 90-degree, right-hand turn four and spun into the wall, before the Ferrari bounced back onto the track. Teammate Charles Leclerc was following closely behind and narrowly missed the wrecked car, driving over its discarded front wing.

“Oh my God, that was very, very close," Leclerc told his team over the radio. Leclerc qualified 11th and Vettel 15th as Ferrari failed to reach the top-10 shootout with either car for the third time in four races.

Vettel's crash meant the red flag was waved while Hamilton was trying to set his first valid lap time to make the third session — after his first attempt was earlier ruled out for going off the track.

After the track was cleared and the session restarted, Hamilton had to rush his out-lap and ran off the track before making it over the line in time for another flying lap with just a second to spare.

“It was horrible,” Hamilton said. “Heart in the mouth.”

Hamilton was also asked to report to race stewards over another incident in which he went off the track in the first part of qualifying. No further action was taken. It was found Hamilton didn't gain an advantage because the lap time wasn't counted.

Hamilton is the runaway championship leader with a 55-point advantage over second-place Bottas and 80 over Verstappen. If he can earn four more pole positions in the last seven races, he would be the first driver to 100 in F1 history.



Lionel Messi's 6th Brace in 7 Games Seals Inter Miami's Win over Red Bulls

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF shoots during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium on July 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio.   Jeff Dean/Getty Images/AFP
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF shoots during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium on July 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jeff Dean/Getty Images/AFP
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Lionel Messi's 6th Brace in 7 Games Seals Inter Miami's Win over Red Bulls

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF shoots during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium on July 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio.   Jeff Dean/Getty Images/AFP
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 16: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF shoots during the MLS match between FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF at TQL Stadium on July 16, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jeff Dean/Getty Images/AFP

Lionel Messi had two goals and two assists to lead Inter Miami to a bounce- back 5-1 victory over the host New York Red Bulls on Saturday night in Harrison, N.J.

Messi and Inter Miami (12-4-5, 41 points) erased a 1-0 first-half deficit with a flurry of goals late in the first half -- two of them coming off the foot of Telasco Segovia -- that staked the Herons to a 3-1 halftime lead, Reuters said.

Miami won its sixth MLS match in its past seven after having a five-game winning streak snapped at FC Cincinnati on Wednesday. Messi saw the end of his MLS-record streak of five matches scoring multiple goals, only to record a brace on Saturday.

The Red Bulls (9-9-6, 33 points) failed to string together consecutive wins at home and lost to Inter Miami for the second time this season.

New York scored its lone goal in the 15th minute when Emil Forsberg lifted a corner kick in front of Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo's line of sight. Alexander Hack then kicked it home for the score despite having defender Federico Redondo draped all over him.

Rios Novo made his second start this season for Oscar Ustari, who sat out with an injury.

Jordi Alba, who exited the game in the 84th minute with what appeared to be a leg cramp, scored his first goal of the season in MLS league play off a cross from Messi in the 24th minute to tie the game1-1.

Inter Miami took the lead for good in the 27th when Luis Suarez, who assisted on the first goal, sent a ball ahead to Messi, who then directed it quickly to Alba, who then crossed it back to Segovia for an easy shot into the back of the net.

In the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Redondo advanced the ball into the Red Bulls' box but could not fire off a shot. Segovia, though, surged in and fired a shot off a rebound past Carlos Miguel Coronel for a third goal.

Messi followed with goals in the 60th and 75th minutes to seal the outcome.

Messi increased his total goals in MLS games to 18 this season and has contributed on 27 scores.

The Red Bulls mustered nine shots in the match, but they were outshot 8-1 in shots on target.