عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Formula One’s Championship Permutations 

F1 - Italian Grand Prix - Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy - September 6, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen poses after qualifying in pole position with second placed McLaren's Lando Norris and third placed McLaren's Oscar Piastri. (Reuters)
F1 - Italian Grand Prix - Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy - September 6, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen poses after qualifying in pole position with second placed McLaren's Lando Norris and third placed McLaren's Oscar Piastri. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Formula One’s Championship Permutations 

F1 - Italian Grand Prix - Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy - September 6, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen poses after qualifying in pole position with second placed McLaren's Lando Norris and third placed McLaren's Oscar Piastri. (Reuters)
F1 - Italian Grand Prix - Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy - September 6, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen poses after qualifying in pole position with second placed McLaren's Lando Norris and third placed McLaren's Oscar Piastri. (Reuters)

Lando Norris (McLaren), Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Oscar Piastri (McLaren) are the three title contenders going into Sunday's Abu Dhabi season-ender at Yas Marina.

It will be the first time the final race has had more than two drivers still in the frame since a four-way battle in 2010 and could end a reign that started for Verstappen at the same circuit in 2021.

Since the first world championship season in 1950, the title has gone down to the wire on 31 occasions and been won by the driver leading into the last race on all but nine times.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, overturning a 15-point deficit to Ferrari's Fernando Alonso from third place overall in 2010, was the last driver to come from behind and seize the title in the final round.

Kimi Raikkonen, with Ferrari in 2007, was the only other driver to do it this century.

The following looks at the possible permutations:

NORRIS (408 points) is champion if he finishes:

- On the podium.

- Fourth or fifth and Verstappen does not win

- Sixth or seventh and neither Verstappen nor Piastri wins

- Eighth and Verstappen is not in the top two and Piastri does not win

- Ninth and Verstappen is not on the podium and Piastri does not win

- 10th or lower and Verstappen is not on the podium and Piastri no higher than third.

VERSTAPPEN (396) is champion if:

- He wins and Norris is not on the podium

- He finishes second and Norris is no higher than eighth and Piastri does not win.

- He finishes third and Norris is ninth or lower and Piastri does not win

PIASTRI (392) is champion if:

- He wins and Norris is not in the top five

- He finishes second and Norris is 10th or lower and Verstappen not on the podium

In the unlikely event that Norris and Verstappen end up tied on points, the number of wins will decide the title on an initial countback.

Since they are level on seven wins, and a tie would only be possible if neither of them win, the countback would go down to second places over the 24-race season. In that scenario, Norris would win.

Verstappen and Piastri cannot end up as the top two tied on points, given Norris's advantage.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Iran Says Wants to Play World Cup Matches in Mexico

Will Iran play its World Cup matches in Mexico? (Reuters)
Will Iran play its World Cup matches in Mexico? (Reuters)
TT
TT

Iran Says Wants to Play World Cup Matches in Mexico

Will Iran play its World Cup matches in Mexico? (Reuters)
Will Iran play its World Cup matches in Mexico? (Reuters)

Iran has suggested to move its World Cup matches from the United States to co-hosts Mexico in connection with the Middle East war.

Sports minister Ahmad Donyamali was quoted by state news agency Irna as saying that they would look into the proposal together with the world governing body FIFA.

"I hope that conditions can be created so that our boys can take part at the World Cup after all," Donyamali said.

"It is important to make careful use of all sporting aspects to ensure that participation is still possible.”

Iran are set to face Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt in the group stage with all three matches to be played in the US, which hosts the June 11-July 19 tournament together with Mexico and Canada.

The US and Israel have been carrying out air strikes against Iran since February 28. Tehran is carrying out counterstrikes in the region.

Donyamali ruled out Iran's participation at the World Cup on Wednesday.

US President Donald trump said the next day it was not "appropriate" for Iran to play for safety reasons. Iran dismissed this, saying that decisions were made solely by FIFA.

Sports

Iran State Media Says Two More Footballers Pull Australia Asylum Bids

The members of Iran's women's football team who did not claim asylum in Australia arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 11, 2026 © ARIF KARTONO / AFP
The members of Iran's women's football team who did not claim asylum in Australia arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 11, 2026 © ARIF KARTONO / AFP
TT
TT

Iran State Media Says Two More Footballers Pull Australia Asylum Bids

The members of Iran's women's football team who did not claim asylum in Australia arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 11, 2026 © ARIF KARTONO / AFP
The members of Iran's women's football team who did not claim asylum in Australia arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 11, 2026 © ARIF KARTONO / AFP

Two more players of the Iranian women's football team, which competed in the Asian Cup in Australia, and one member of the backroom staff have withdrawn their requests for asylum in the country, Iranian state media said on Saturday.

Seven members of the visiting women's football delegation -- six players and one backroom staff member -- had sought sanctuary in Australia after they were branded "traitors" at home for refusing to sing the national anthem during the ongoing war between Iran and the US and its ally Israel, AFP reported.

One of the players had withdrawn her request earlier in the week and linked up with the rest of the team who are returning to Iran via Malaysia, according to Iranian media and Australian authorities.

State broadcaster IRIB said on Saturday "two players and a member of the technical staff of the women's national football team, have given up on their asylum application in Australia and are currently heading to Malaysia."

It posted a picture of the three women -- wearing the Islamic hijab -- as they were apparently about to board a plane.

The rest of the team are believed to still be in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur awaiting their return to Iran.

According to Australian authorities, the first woman who changed her mind over the asylum application exposed the location of the other asylum seekers when she contacted Iran's embassy in Australia.

They were then forced to change the safe house where they were living.

Rights groups have repeatedly accused Iranian authorities of pressuring athletes abroad by threatening relatives or with the seizure of property if they defect or make statements against the Islamic republic.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has lauded the bravery of the women, vowing they would be welcomed with open arms.

But Iran's governing football body has accused Australia of kidnapping the players and forcing them to forsake their home nation against their will.

Iranian players fell silent as the national anthem played ahead of a tournament match in Australia, an act seen as a symbol of defiance against the Islamic republic.

A presenter on Iranian state TV branded the players "wartime traitors", fuelling fears they faced persecution, or worse, if they returned home.

Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, slipped away from the team hotel under the cover of darkness to claim asylum in Australia.

Two more team members -- a player and a support staffer -- claimed asylum before the team flew out of Sydney earlier this week.

Sports

African Champions Pyramids Hit Back to Draw in Morocco

An aerial view shows Cairo's traffic with buildings and houses, through the window of a Turkish Airlines plane, in Cairo, Egypt March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
An aerial view shows Cairo's traffic with buildings and houses, through the window of a Turkish Airlines plane, in Cairo, Egypt March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
TT
TT

African Champions Pyramids Hit Back to Draw in Morocco

An aerial view shows Cairo's traffic with buildings and houses, through the window of a Turkish Airlines plane, in Cairo, Egypt March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
An aerial view shows Cairo's traffic with buildings and houses, through the window of a Turkish Airlines plane, in Cairo, Egypt March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Pyramids of Egypt preserved an unbeaten record in defense of the CAF Champions League title by coming from behind to draw 1-1 at FAR Rabat of Morocco late on Friday.

The home team were ahead after just eight minutes of the quarter-final first leg when Ahmed Hammoudan scored his first goal of the campaign.

Mahmoud Zalaka equalized in the seventh minute of the second half in a match staged behind closed doors due to crowd trouble during an earlier FAR match.

The second leg is set for March 21 in Cairo and the overall winners will face another Moroccan club, Renaissance Berkane, or Al Hilal of Sudan in the semi-finals during April.

Pyramids and FAR also clashed in the quarter-finals last season with the Cairo club winning 4-3 on aggregate.

Surprise winners of the premier African club competition last season, Pyramids have won eight matches and drawn three in pursuit of back-to-back titles.

They pocketed four million dollars (3.5 mn euros) after defeating Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in the 2024/25 final.

This week, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that first prize had been increased by 50% to six million dollars. The runners-up prize is unchanged at two million dollars.

FAR rattled Pyramids by taking an early lead amid the silence of the Olympic Stadium in the Moroccan capital, AFP reported.

A pass into space behind the Pyramids defense found Hammoudan, who raced in from the left flank and beat veteran goalkeeper Ahmed El Shenawy with an angled shot into the far corner.

Both sides had spells of territorial dominance in the opening half, but there were no further goals before half-time with few clearcut chances.

Pyramids pressed for an equalizer from the restart and were rewarded on 52 minutes when Zalaka claimed his second goal of the African campaign.

FAR goalkeeper Ahmed Tagnaouti parried a close-range shot from Ahmed Atef after a corner and Zalaka reacted quickest to poke the loose ball into the net.

Mahmoud Mayele, the Democratic Republic of Congo striker and leading scorer in the Champions League last season with nine goals, was substituted after 83 minutes.

After scoring three goals in qualifiers this season, the 31-year-old has gone eight matches without adding to his tally.

The quarter-final in Rabat kicked off only at 2200 local time due to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.