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Archie Owen Claims Maiden F4 Victory in Aramco Saudi Arabian Championship Opener

Archie Owen claims Maiden F4 Victory in Aramco Saudi Arabian Championship Opener. (SPA)
Archie Owen claims Maiden F4 Victory in Aramco Saudi Arabian Championship Opener. (SPA)
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Archie Owen Claims Maiden F4 Victory in Aramco Saudi Arabian Championship Opener

Archie Owen claims Maiden F4 Victory in Aramco Saudi Arabian Championship Opener. (SPA)
Archie Owen claims Maiden F4 Victory in Aramco Saudi Arabian Championship Opener. (SPA)

Welsh driver Archie Owen secured his maiden Formula 4 career victory in only his second appearance in the category, winning the first race of the opening round of the 2026 Aramco F4 Saudi Arabian Championship at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, the Saudi Press Agency said on Saturday.

Organized by ALTAWKILAT Motorsport under the sporting supervision of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), the FIA-certified championship launched its opening round on Friday.

Following the race, SAMF Acting CEO and Saudi Motorsport Company CEO Mansour Almokbel presented trophies to the podium finishers.

Owen (7.23 Racing) clinched the top spot, followed by British driver Harrison Mackie (iCONNA) in second (+4.232s) and Austrian Marlon Bayer (Wrap & Fly) in third (+4.521s).

The opening day's action commenced with free practice and qualifying sessions ahead of the evening race, alongside the Motor Mania JDM Cup.

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Verstappen Takes His First Pole Position of the Year at F1's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen prepares for the second practice session ahead of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang on October 2, 2026. (Photo by Jade Gao / AFP)
Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen prepares for the second practice session ahead of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang on October 2, 2026. (Photo by Jade Gao / AFP)
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Verstappen Takes His First Pole Position of the Year at F1's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia

Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen prepares for the second practice session ahead of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang on October 2, 2026. (Photo by Jade Gao / AFP)
Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen prepares for the second practice session ahead of the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang on October 2, 2026. (Photo by Jade Gao / AFP)

Max Verstappen qualified on pole position for the first time this year at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on a rare off day for Mercedes and Formula 1 standings leader Kimi Antonelli.

Verstappen went fastest by 0.298 of a second from Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, with Verstappen's Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar .130 further back in third.

It was an “incredible result for us looking at the season,” Verstappen said. “I felt good, felt confident and I hope we can show that again tomorrow.”

Verstappen won the last time F1 raced at the Sepang circuit back in 2017. His pole position is the first this year for a car powered by a non-Mercedes engine, The Associated Pr ess said.

Antonelli qualified only fourth, with his Mercedes teammate and closest title challenger George Russell only eighth. Both are set to move up a place on the grid for Sunday's race because Hadjar has a five-place grid penalty for changing his engine over the allocation for the season.

Hamilton's second place came as a relief to the seven-time champion amid a slump in results at Ferrari, which has denied speculation over team principal Fred Vasseur's future.

“Let’s go guys, let’s go. Finally,” Hamilton said over the radio.

Once again, the weather in Malaysia stayed dry for Saturday's sessions despite predictions of heavy rain earlier in the week.

F1 is racing at Malaysia's Sepang circuit for the first time since 2017. The race keeps Bahrain Grand Prix branding and Bahraini staff are organizing it on site.

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He's Here with Me': Japan Cycle Queen Dedicates Gold to Late Brother

Japan's Yumi Kajihara has dedicated her latest Asian Games gold to her brother who died this year. Peter PARKS / AFP
Japan's Yumi Kajihara has dedicated her latest Asian Games gold to her brother who died this year. Peter PARKS / AFP
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He's Here with Me': Japan Cycle Queen Dedicates Gold to Late Brother

Japan's Yumi Kajihara has dedicated her latest Asian Games gold to her brother who died this year. Peter PARKS / AFP
Japan's Yumi Kajihara has dedicated her latest Asian Games gold to her brother who died this year. Peter PARKS / AFP

Japan cycling queen Yumi Kajihara broke down after her latest Asian Games gold as she dedicated victory to her brother who died of cancer this year, saying: "He's here with me".

Kajihara claimed her third consecutive omnium gold at the Izu Velodrome on Friday and dissolved into tears as she talked about how her younger brother Hyogo had helped her cope with some dark moments.

"After I missed a medal at the Paris Olympics (2024) I was really depressed," said the 29-year-old Kajihara, the first woman cyclist from Japan to win an Olympic medal -- omnium silver at the Tokyo Games in the same Izu velodrome, said AFP.

"I hit rock-bottom. And my brother said: 'Why do you look so down? Even though I have cancer, I'm this happy'," she said.

"He was going through an incredibly difficult battle with cancer, alone in a Tokyo hospital.

"It must have been so hard for him but he never once complained. He told me: 'Just being alive means you've already come out ahead'.

"I thought: Yes, he's right.

"It made me realize I needed to be grateful simply to be alive, grateful to those supporting me, and that I needed to enjoy life."

It was Kajihara's fourth Asian Games gold having also won the team pursuit at Hangzhou three years ago.

"Every single day my brother told me to 'enjoy'. I think I've finally begun to understand what it really means," said Kajihara, who also claimed team pursuit silver on Tuesday.

"Whenever I competed here (before) in Izu, he came to watch and stayed with me," she said.

"So today I kept thinking: Maybe he's here at the venue? I'm sure he's here, and I thought about him over and over as I raced.

"I felt as though he was saying to me: 'Enjoy yourself, Yumi, you'll be OK'."

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Sabalenka Makes Dominant Start in China Open Title Bid

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Renata Zarazua of Mexico during their women’s singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, China, 02 October 2026. EPA/ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Renata Zarazua of Mexico during their women’s singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, China, 02 October 2026. EPA/ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES
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Sabalenka Makes Dominant Start in China Open Title Bid

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Renata Zarazua of Mexico during their women’s singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, China, 02 October 2026. EPA/ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Renata Zarazua of Mexico during their women’s singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, China, 02 October 2026. EPA/ANDRES MARTINEZ CASARES

Aryna Sabalenka sent down 11 aces as she dismissed Renata Zarazua 6-1, 6-3 to launch her China Open title charge on Friday in Beijing.

The world number two from Belarus next faces Czech player Nikola Bartunkova in the round of 32.

Sabalenka groaned over a smattering of unforced errors during the 62-minute match but had the clear edge over Mexico's Zarazua, ranked 94th, breaking to win on the second time of asking.

"I was just trying to stay focused on myself. Tried to stay aggressive on my serve, on the return as well," the 28-year-old said, according to AFP.

"So happy with the game I played today."

Next on center court Novak Djokovic was scheduled to play Chinese world no. 104 Bu Yunchaokete in the second round of the men's 500-level event also taking place.

The 39-year-old Serbian great owns six titles from the China Open and is looking to extend an extraordinary unbeaten streak in Beijing.

Earlier on Friday, Japan's Naomi Osaka wrestled back control to survive her second-round clash with Uzbekistan's Maria Timofeeva 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

The four-time Grand Slam champion next plays Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic.

French Open champion Mirra Andreeva of Russia overcame a first-set wobble to beat Chinese wildcard Yuan Yue 3-6, 6-0, 6-0.

Wimbledon winner Linda Noskova, a 2025 Beijing finalist, beat Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-4, 6-1.

Andreeva next faces Uzbekistan's Polina Kudermetova and Noskova will meet Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic in the third round.

In the men's draw, a series of searing forehands from Daniil Medvedev sent qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta home 6-4, 6-2, earning the Russian world number six a second-round meeting with Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff.