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Piastri Wins Sprint Race at Qatar GP to Close Gap on F1 Leader Norris to 22 Points

Race winner McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, second right, poses with second placed Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain, second left, third placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, right, and Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic after the sprint race at the Lusail International Circuit ahead of the Qatar Formula One Grand Prix, in Lusail, Qatar, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP)
Race winner McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, second right, poses with second placed Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain, second left, third placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, right, and Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic after the sprint race at the Lusail International Circuit ahead of the Qatar Formula One Grand Prix, in Lusail, Qatar, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP)
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Piastri Wins Sprint Race at Qatar GP to Close Gap on F1 Leader Norris to 22 Points

Race winner McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, second right, poses with second placed Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain, second left, third placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, right, and Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic after the sprint race at the Lusail International Circuit ahead of the Qatar Formula One Grand Prix, in Lusail, Qatar, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP)
Race winner McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, second right, poses with second placed Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain, second left, third placed McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, right, and Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic after the sprint race at the Lusail International Circuit ahead of the Qatar Formula One Grand Prix, in Lusail, Qatar, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. (AP)

Oscar Piastri won the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race from pole position Saturday to move 22 points behind McLaren teammate Lando Norris heading into Sunday's main Formula 1 race.

Piastri's sprint win gave him eight points with seven going to Mercedes driver George Russell in second place. The championship leader Norris took six points for his third-place finish, and Verstappen got five for finishing fourth.

“Yeah, car was good,” Piastri said. "Let's keep it going.”

Norris started the sprint from third on the grid and Verstappen from sixth. The Dutchman was let through by his Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda on the first lap but could not get close enough to pressure Norris.

Heading into Sunday's penultimate race of the season, Norris had 396 points, Piastri 374 and Verstappen 371.

Norris needs to finish four points ahead of Piastri on Sunday to clinch his first F1 title — as long as he is also one point ahead of Verstappen, who is chasing a fifth straight F1 crown.

There is a night-time qualifying session later Saturday for Sunday's race.

“It's going to be a tough race tomorrow but it's not easy to pass around here,” the 26-year-old Norris said. “So it's all about qualifying. I'm looking forward to it.”

Verstappen had complained of bouncing and understeer on his Red Bull on Friday, and the problems persisted.

“The bouncing's still very bad,” Verstappen said four laps into Saturday's sprint.

Tsunoda finished fifth ahead of Kimi Antonelli, with both getting five-second time penalties for going off track limits more than the maximum three times.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso got two points in seventh and Williams driver Carlos Sainz collected one point in eighth.

Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton’s slide continued when he placed 17th. He started from the pit lane after a rear wing change.

The F1 season concludes on Dec. 7 in Abu Dhabi.

Verstappen has won the last two races in Qatar and four of the last five in Abu Dhabi.

Piastri has not won since the final day of August at the Dutch GP and the 24-year-old Australian has no podiums in the past six F1 races, excluding Saturday's sprint.

Verstappen’s title chances increased after the disqualification of both McLaren drivers following last Sunday's Las Vegas GP, which Verstappen won.

Race strategy in Qatar will be harder to impose given that teams have two mandatory pit stops, a measure imposed on safety grounds due to a high risk of tire degradation at the 5.4-kilometer (3.3-mile) Lusail International Circuit.

Pirelli tires are restricted to a maximum of 25 laps in the 57-lap race, which features high-speed corners.

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Sports

Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Saudi FA Financials With SAR 88 Million Surplus

Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Saudi FA Financials With SAR 88 Million Surplus
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Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Saudi FA Financials With SAR 88 Million Surplus

Asharq Al-Awsat Reveals Saudi FA Financials With SAR 88 Million Surplus

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation is set to approve its consolidated financial statements for the period from July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025, at its general assembly meeting scheduled for May 18 in Riyadh. The move reflects the close of the financial cycle and entry into the formal approval phase.

Asharq Al-Awsat has obtained detailed figures from those statements through its sources. Total revenue reached SAR 2.599 billion (about $693.1 million), compared with expenditures of SAR 2.511 billion (around $669.6 million), generating a surplus of SAR 88.4 million (approximately $23.6 million). The outcome points to balanced finances despite elevated spending levels.

Competition-related spending topped the expenditure categories at SAR 717 million (about $191.2 million). This figure covers the organization of domestic competitions as well as hosting regional, continental, and international tournaments. It also includes club support and prize money totaling SAR 246 million (around $65.6 million), underscoring the scale of investment in domestic competitions.

For national teams, the federation reported spending of roughly SAR 467 million (about $124.5 million), while allocations for referees reached SAR 210 million (around $56 million), reflecting a clear push to strengthen technical and organizational standards and develop officiating and training camps.

On the human resources front, total salaries and incentives for federation staff and all Saudi national teams, men’s and women’s (19 teams), amounted to SAR 543 million (about $144.8 million).

In terms of operating revenue, sponsorship agreements, broadcasting rights, and matchday income generated SAR 256 million (around $68.3 million). Meanwhile, travel and transportation costs for federation personnel and national teams totaled SAR 229 million (about $61.1 million), a category tied to the domestic and international scope of activities.

As for the general assembly agenda, it includes announcing the session and confirming its formation in line with the statutes, approving the agenda, and delivering the president’s address. This will be followed by the appointment of three delegates to review the meeting minutes, the designation of independent auditors, and ratification of the previous meeting’s minutes.

The assembly will also review the president’s report on activities since the last meeting, before presenting the external auditor’s report and approving the consolidated financial statements, including the statement of financial position and activities report.

Members will then vote on proposed amendments to regulations and standing orders, culminating in the appointment of an independent external auditor based on a board recommendation, in a session with a distinctly regulatory and financial focus that will shape the next phase.

Sports

Top Tennis Players Slam Roland Garros Prize Money, Citing a Shrinking Share of Tournament Revenue

Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2026 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts during her quarterfinal match against Hailey Baptiste of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2026 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts during her quarterfinal match against Hailey Baptiste of the US. (Reuters)
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Top Tennis Players Slam Roland Garros Prize Money, Citing a Shrinking Share of Tournament Revenue

Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2026 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts during her quarterfinal match against Hailey Baptiste of the US. (Reuters)
Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 28, 2026 Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka reacts during her quarterfinal match against Hailey Baptiste of the US. (Reuters)

A group of leading players including Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have expressed “their deep disappointment” at the level on prize money at Roland Garros amid a lingering dispute with Grand Slam tournament organizers.

The clay-court Grand Slam event starts later this month in western Paris. The players said they have other demands that have not been addressed by officials, including better representation, health and pensions.

The players' call came after French Open organizers announced last month the Roland Garros prize money has increased by about 10% for an overall pot of 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), with the total amount up 5.3 million euros from last year.

“Players’ share of Roland Garros tournament revenue has declined from 15.5% in 2024 to 14.9% projected in 2026,” the group of players responded in a statement on Monday.

Play begins on May 24 at Roland Garros. Men’s and women’s singles champions each receive 2.8 million euros and the runners-up 1.4 million euros. Semifinalists earn 750,000 euros and first round losers get 87,000 euros. Men’s and women’s doubles winners pocket 600,000 euros and the mixed doubles champions get 122,000 euros.

But the statement said “the underlying figures tell a very different story,” claiming that players receive a declining share of the value they contribute to generate.

“According to tournament officials, Roland Garros generated 395 million euros in revenue in 2025, a 14% year-on-year increase, yet prize money rose by just 5.4%, reducing players’ share of revenue to 14.3%,” they said. “With estimated revenues of over 400 million euros for this year’s tournament, prize money as a percentage of revenue will likely still be less than 15%, far short of the 22% that players have requested to bring the Grand Slams into line with the ATP and WTA Combined 1000 events.”

French Open organizers did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

The same group of 20 players had already signed a letter sent to the heads of the four Grand Slam tournaments last year, seeking more prize money and a greater say in what they called “decisions that directly impact us.”

They said in their latest statement they remain “united in their desire to see meaningful progress, both in terms of fair financial distribution and in how the sport is governed.”

They insisted they have not received any response to their proposals on welfare, including pension and long-term health, adding that no progress has been made “on fair and transparent player representation within Grand Slam decision-making.”

“While other major international sports are modernizing governance, aligning stakeholders, and building long-term value, the Grand Slams remain resistant to change,” they said. “The absence of player consultation and the continued lack of investment in player welfare reflect a system that does not adequately represent the interests of those who are central to the sport’s success.”

Sports

Russell Confident Momentum Will Swing Back His Way from Antonelli

Fourth placed George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team celebrates with his team during the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 03, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
Fourth placed George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team celebrates with his team during the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 03, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Russell Confident Momentum Will Swing Back His Way from Antonelli

Fourth placed George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team celebrates with his team during the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 03, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
Fourth placed George Russell of Great Britain and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team celebrates with his team during the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 03, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)

George Russell lost ‌his tag of Formula One title favorite to Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli on Sunday but remained confident the momentum would swing back his way.

The Briton had started the season as frontrunner for the championship, and won the opener in Australia, but after three wins in a row for the Italian is now 20 points adrift.

"Clearly Kimi’s in ‌a ⁠really great place ⁠at the moment and momentum is with him," said Russell, who finished fourth at the Hard Rock Stadium.

"But I’ve got enough experience myself in championships I’ve won on how momentum swings throughout a year and also looking at the ⁠championship last year.

“To be honest, I’m ‌not even considering it. ‌I just want to get back onto the ‌top step of the podium."

The next race is ‌Canada and Russell won from pole with fastest lap in Montreal last year while Antonelli was third.

Russell was also on pole there in 2024, before ‌Antonelli was a Formula One driver, and finished third.

Antonelli, at 19 the youngest ⁠leader ⁠of the Formula One world championship, said he was surprised to be where he was.

"It’s still a very long season and there’s so many things that can change. George for sure is going to be super strong in Canada, he’s always been very strong there, so he’s for sure going to be back at the top," said the Italian.

"But I think I feel much more comfortable in the car, much more in control as well."