Verstappen Overtakes Leclerc to Win Sprint at Imola

First placed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, talks with second placed Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco on the podium of a sprint race at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack, in Imola, Italy, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (AP)
First placed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, talks with second placed Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco on the podium of a sprint race at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack, in Imola, Italy, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (AP)
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Verstappen Overtakes Leclerc to Win Sprint at Imola

First placed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, talks with second placed Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco on the podium of a sprint race at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack, in Imola, Italy, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (AP)
First placed Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, talks with second placed Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco on the podium of a sprint race at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack, in Imola, Italy, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (AP)

Max Verstappen overtook Formula One leader Charles Leclerc on the penultimate lap to win the sprint race at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on Saturday and reignite his season.

Verstappen started the sprint in pole position after finishing first in Friday’s qualifying, but the Red Bull driver was overtaken by Leclerc’s Ferrari as soon as the lights went out, much to the delight of the "tifosi."

But Verstappen doggedly pursued Leclerc and swept around the outside of the Ferrari into Tamburello then stormed away to secure victory and top spot on the grid for Sunday’s grand prix.

He finished 2.975 seconds ahead of Leclerc and 4.721 ahead of Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez.

"The start was very bad. I don’t know exactly what happened or why it was so bad but after that we had to stay calm," Verstappen said. "Initially, it looked like Charles had more pace but I think he ran out of tires and we could close the gap and make the move.

"I know maybe tomorrow it might be different. But today it worked out for us."

Verstappen's one point for the sprint meant he trailed Leclerc by 45. However, Leclerc actually extended his overall lead. He was 40 points ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz Jr., who moved above Mercedes driver George Russell into second in the standings.

"It’s still a front row start," Leclerc said. "We struggled with the tires at the end, so we need to analyze that for tomorrow. The main race is tomorrow and we need to make sure that we are ready. We will work and come back stronger tomorrow."

Sainz started the sprint in 10th after a crash in Friday’s incident-packed qualifying session but finished fourth, just ahead of McLaren duo Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo.

Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen, Fernando Alonso and Mick Schumacher rounded out the top 10 of the grid.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton will start in 14th as Mercedes' miserable weekend continued.

"We haven’t got it right this year but everyone is working hard as they can to correct it," Hamilton said. "We stick together, we try to motivate everyone.

"We are obviously not fighting for the championship but we are fighting to understand the car and improve and progress through the year. That’s all we can hope for right now."

Leclerc has won two of the season's three races and will be hoping to end Ferrari's three-year wait for a victory on home soil - and at a circuit named after the Italian team’s founder and his son: Enzo and Dino Ferrari.

Imola returned to the F1 calendar in 2020 after a 14-year absence, but this is the first time in three editions that fans have been allowed in because of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 120,000 tickets have been sold for the weekend.



Sinner Does Not Expect Easy Road on Return from Doping Ban

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning his fourth round match against Russia's Karen Khachanov. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning his fourth round match against Russia's Karen Khachanov. (Reuters)
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Sinner Does Not Expect Easy Road on Return from Doping Ban

Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning his fourth round match against Russia's Karen Khachanov. (Reuters)
Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2024 Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates after winning his fourth round match against Russia's Karen Khachanov. (Reuters)

Jannik Sinner held onto his world number one ranking ahead of his return from a three-month doping ban, but the Italian does not expect his comeback to be as smooth when he takes to the court again at the Rome Masters next month.

Sinner has not played since winning the Australian Open at the start of the season and accepted a ban in February following a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which had challenged a tribunal's decision to clear him after two positive tests.

The 23-year-old was allowed to return to training on April 13, and his suspension will end on May 4, before his competitive return at the Italian Open, which gets underway three days later.

Sinner, who spent time building fitness mindful of the French Open starting on May 25, was assured of retaining the top ranking for his home tournament after his closest challenger Alexander Zverev crashed to an early defeat in Monte Carlo.

"We're training very hard. Hopefully we'll get some momentum going again ahead of the clay season. It certainly won't be easy for me," Sinner told broadcaster ORF Sudtirol.

"The first games will be really difficult. But hopefully I'll be able to get back into the rhythm and then we'll see how it goes."

Sinner, who trained with Britain's world number six Jack Draper at the Tennis Club de Beaulieu in France recently, said there were plenty of positives from his enforced absence from the tour.

"I think at the beginning of the three months, it was quite nice," Sinner added.

"A bit of time away from all the grind, I spent time with family, with friends. I was doing new things and getting to know myself better, finding out where I stand.

"I think it helped me a lot."