14 Monday, June 7, 2021 Sports Perez wins GP after Verstappen crash,

KTM Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira competes during the MotoGP Hamilton mistake race of the Moto Grand Prix de Catalunya at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo on the outskirts of Barcelona on Sunday. (AFP) DPA Berlin

Sergio Perez won the Azer- Oliveira powers baijan Grand Prix for on Sunday, after then leading team-mate to victory in crashed with five laps left ow- ing to a puncture and Mer- cedes’ made a rare mistake in the closing Barcelona thriller stages. Perez got his second career Agencies made a mistake at the Turn 4 win ahead of Barcelona right-hander on the third lap whose second place was a first to let Oliveira slip into the lead, podium for him with Aston KTM rider Miguel Oliveira while Quartararo dropped to Martin. complet- fended off Yamaha’s Fabio fifth following an unsuccessful ed a surprise podium in third Quartararo in an intense bat- overtaking attempt on Miller. for Alpha Tauri. tle to claim his first win of the Quartararo steadily im- Verstappen had completely season at the Catalunya Grand proved his lap timings to pass controlled the race since taking Prix in Barcelona on Sunday. Oliveira at the halfway stage the lead from Hamilton during Pramac Ducati’s Johann but the Portuguese roared the first round of pit stops but Zarco made a late charge back to reclaim the lead two crashed heavily into the barri- to finish second as champi- laps later. ers on the home straight, un- onship leader Quartararo Oliveira preserved his able to control the car after the dropped down to fourth after tyres to extend his advantage left rear tyre seemingly pun- being given a three-second at the top before Quartararo tured. penalty for exceeding track ran off the track with three The Dutchman kicked the limits. laps remaining. rubber in disgust before walk- Oliveira came under in- In a bizarre finale, Quarta- ing away and later told Sky TV: creasing pressure from Zarco raro’s leathers burst open and “Of course it is frustrating. I on the final stretch but held he lost his chest protector but had everything under control, off the Frenchman by 0.175 he continued to battle for the there was no pressure from be- seconds, while Jack Miller final podium spot with Miller. hind.” It was the second such Red Bull’s Mexican driver Sergio Perez wins the Grand Prix at the in Baku on Sunday. (AFP) rounded out the podium on Oliveira was flawless in the incident because Aston Mar- his factory Ducati. final stages to take his third tin’s had suffered “It was probably the best victory in the premier class exactly the same fate a few laps Results race of my career so far,” Ol- and move up to seventh in the earlier at the same section. F1 iveira said in a post-race inter- championship standings. The race was stopped and a 1. Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull-) 2hr view. “Everything was so hard Defending world cham- standing start ordered for the 13min 36.410sec, 2. Sebastian Vettel -- the tyre management and pion Joan Mir finished fifth on last two laps where Hamilton (GER/-Mercedes) at 1.385sec, Fabio was just putting pres- his Suzuki, ahead of Yamaha’s tried to pass Perez from sec- 3. Pierre Gasly (FRA/AlphaTauri-Honda) sure on me for so many laps. Maverick Vinales. ond place but locked up, went 2.762, 4. (MON/) 3.828, 5. (GBR/McLaren- “But I kept it really cool Six-times MotoGP cham- straight on in turn one and fin- Mercedes) 4.754, 6. and it was a perfect race. I pion Marc Marquez crashed ished 15th. (ESP/Alpine-) 6.382, 7. Yuki can’t thank KTM enough for out for a third consecutive It completed a weekend Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri-Honda) 6.624, 8. giving me an amazing ma- race, while Honda team mate to forget for champions Mer- Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Ferrari) 7.709, 9. chine today.” Pol Espargaro joined him on cedes with no points at all as (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes) Miller used Ducati’s su- the sidelines. was 12th. 8.874, 10. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Alfa Romeo-Ferrari) 9.576, 11. Antonio preme launch system to take The late drama ensured Hamilton’s mishap also Giovinazzi (ITA/Alfa Romeo-Ferrari) 10.254, the lead on the opening lap Quartararo’s championship meant that Verstappen re- 12. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 11.264, ahead of Oliveira and Quarta- lead was trimmed to 17 points tained the championship lead 13. (GER/Haas-Ferrari) raro, who started on pole posi- by Zarco, with Miller taking four points ahead of him. 14.241, 14. (RUS/Haas- tion for a fifth straight time. third place ahead of Ducati “It is hard to accept. But Ferrari) 14.315, 15. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/ The Australian, however, team mate Francesco Bagnaia. we will come back stronger,” Mercedes) 17.668, 16. (CAN/Williams-Mercedes) 42.379, 17. Hamilton said. George Russell (GBR/Williams-Mercedes) Perez meanwhile said: retired, 18. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull- “Normally Baku is pretty crazy. Honda) retired I have to say sorry to Max, it Retired (not classified) would have been incredible to (FRA/Alpine-Renault), Lance get that one-two for the team. Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin-Mercedes) “But at the end, it was a Red Bull’s Mexican driver Sergio Perez celebrates on the podium after winning the Formula One Azerbaijan World championship fantastic day for us. This is def- Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit in Baku on Sunday. (AFP) standings initely a strong boost of confi- Drivers: 1. Max Verstappen (NED) 105 pts, dence for myself.” Vettel, who leader Hamilton was held up ing the home straight. part on the track. But it can’t 2. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 101, 3. Sergio took Perez place at Aston Mar- because Gasly also arrived in There was no change at the be. Stroll had a crash, I had Perez (MEX) 69, 4. Lando Norris (GBR) 66, tin (formerly Racing Point) the pit lane, and the precious top at the restart and Verstap- a crash. This is the way it is.” 5. Charles Leclerc (MON) 52, 6. Valtteri this season, said: “I’m over the lost seconds were enough pen seemed comfortably on Hamilton then tried to snatch Bottas (FIN) 47, 7. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) 42, 8. Pierre Gasly (FRA) 31, 9. Sebastian Vettel moon. We were not expecting a for the Red Bull duo to move course towards victory when first place at the death in the (GER) 28, 10. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) 26, podium here.” Charles Leclerc ahead of him. he shockingly suffered the restart but was only left to say 11. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 13, 12. Esteban won the start from his surprise Stroll was the only driver same fate as Stroll. “I am sorry guys” via team ra- Ocon (FRA) 12, 13. Lance Stroll (CAN) 9, pole but it was soon clear that who hadn’t pitted yet but run- Verstappen suggested a dio after the attempt went hor- 14. (JPN) 8, 15. Kimi KTM Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira celebrates on the podium after his Ferrari was inferior but he ning in fourth, up from 19th at possible general tyre problem ribly wrong. Raikkonen (FIN) 1, 16. winning the MotoGP race of the Moto Grand Prix de Catalunya at the finally managed a solid fourth the start, his left rear tyre then whe he said in the direction of The season continues (ITA) 1, 17. Mick Schumacher (GER) 0, 18. George Russell (GBR) 0, 19. Nikita Mazepin Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo on the outskirts of Barcelona on place. punctured and he hit the wall tyre makers : “Pirelli will on June 20 with the French (RUS) 0, 20. Nicholas Latifi (CAN) 0. Sunday. (AFP) During the first pit stops hard at almost top speed enter- always say there was another Grand Prix. De Ligt to miss Kroos says he is ready for the final Dutch test Sifan Hassan betters for Euros Euros after COVID-19 illness DPA 10,000m world record DPA Hanover Seefeld (Austria) DPA The will be with- Berlin midfielder Toni out defender Matthijs de Ligt Kroos has said he is fit again in their final tune-up match for Sifan Hassan of the Nether- and ready to play at the Euros the Euros on Sunday against lands on Sunday bettered the after being infected with the Georgia, coach Frank de Boer 10,000 metres world record coronavirus. has said. by almost nine seconds. “In terms of corona, I De Boer said on Saturday The 1,500m and 10,000m don’t feel anything. I’m ready that the measure in connection world champion clocked to play,” Kroos told reporters with groin problems is a pre- 29 minutes 6.82 seconds at the end of a team training caution and that de Ligt is ex- in Hengelo, The Nether- camp in Austria. pected to be fit for the first game lands, bettering the mark The Real Madrid player Germany’s midfielder Toni Kroos during a training session in Seefeld, at the Euros on June 13 against of 29:17.45 from Ethiopian tested positive in mid-May Austria. (AFP) Ukraine. Debutants North Almaz Ayana at the 2016 and had to go into quarantine. Macedonia and Austria are the Olympics in Rio. He joined the Germany team many meet world champions the tournament starts, we will other teams in the group, with Helped by pacemakers on May 30 after testing nega- France, title holders Portu- see whether what we have the Dutch playing all their three early on and then the Wave- tive. gal and Hungary in the group worked out here over the two games in Amsterdam. light technology at the side Kroos said he only had stage from June 15 on - after a weeks works.” Kroos, 31, also Oranje ended a week-long of the track, Hassan was half mild symptoms such as a fever final test Monday against Lat- said he would decide on his training camp in Portugal on a minute faster than in her for a day or two, was exhausted via where he could feature. personal future in the team Saturday and will play Georgia European record in October for a few days but after a week “The basics are there when after the Euros. Kroos won back at home in Enschede. 2020 in the same stadium of training is now fine again. I look at the determination ad the 2014 World Cup with Ger- They drew 2-2 with Scot- and confirmed her status as a Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan wins the women’s 10,000m during the “I’m not worried about my training intensity. But that is many and long-time assistant land in a first tune-up game top contender for the upcom- FBK Games and sets new women’s 10,000m world record in Hengelo, fitness. It’s not like I’m coming no guarantee of a successful Hansi Flick will become the during the camp which raised ing Tokyo Olympics. The Netherlands, on Sunday. (AFP) from a six-week injury. I just tournament,” he said. new head coach in succession questions around de Boer’s 5-3- “Wow, to run this world didn’t do anything for a week,” “It is important that we of Joachim Loew. 2 system. But the coach has in- record here today in Henge- “It’s the perfect confirma- I am so happy to share this he said. find ourselves even better “I have known him forev- sisted “I am convinced that we lo is something I could only tion of the hard work we’ve record in front of my Dutch Kroos said he is upbeat tactically than in the last in- er,” Kroos said of Flick. “I will need this system.” dream of,” she said. put in getting ready for Tokyo. fans. I am so happy!” entering the Euros where Ger- ternational matches. When decide after the tournament.”