TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 SPORTS Dembele travels to Finland McLaren can be resistant West Ham manager Bilic backs to undergo tendon surgery to change, says Honda boss fit-again Carroll to fire BARCELONA: Ousmane Dembele has traveled to Finland to undergo sur- LONDON: Honda’s motorsport head has portrayed former champi- LONDON: Striker Andy Carroll will get sharper as the season goes on gery to repair a ruptured left thigh tendon. Barcelona said yesterday the ons McLaren as ‘systematic’ and set in their ways as the Formula One and can play a crucial role for West Ham United in the latter half of the newly signed forward will undergo the procedure with a specialist today. He partners prepare to separate at the end of the season. McLaren are season, manager Slaven Bilic has said. Carroll has featured only twice in was photographed on a wheelchair as he made his way to the airport in the ninth of 10 teams in the constructors’ championship and have direct- the Premier League this season after four months out with a hip injury. Catalan city yesterday. Dembele was injured Saturday during Barcelona’s 2-1 ed much of the blame at Honda, whose engine has suffered embar- He fired three of West Ham’s six shots on goal in Saturday’s win at Getafe in the Spanish league. The club says the 20-year-old rassing failures and is no match for rivals. “Working with McLaren, I’ve 0-0 draw at West Bromwich Albion. Bilic, under pressure Frenchman is expected to be sidelined for three to four months. realised that they are a very big company which is very systematic,” after a tough start to the league campaign that has seen Barcelona signed Dembele from Borussia Dortmund in a deal that Masashi Yamamoto said in an interview published on the Honda West Ham lose three out of five games, backed Carroll to could reach nearly 150 million euros ($180 million), the biggest website (en.hondaracingf1.com). “It’s obviously very strong because swell the team’s poor tally of four goals. “This was his ever in the history of the Catalan club. Dembele replaced Neymar of that but at the same time they can find it hard to adapt to change.” second game and he looks fit and he looks competitive after the Brazil forward moved to Paris Saint-Germain in a He gave no specific examples. Similar comments have been made in and the quality will come through the games,” Bilic told world-record transfer worth more than 220 million euros the past about Honda, who announced with McLaren last Friday that the club’s website (www.whufc.com). “It’s a big boost for ($262 million). Dembele was making only his third their partnership was ending. McLaren, the sport’s second most suc- us and long may it continue... It is very important for appearance with Barcelona, which leads the Spanish cessful team in terms of race wins, will be teaming up with Renault in him to get the games under his belt. He looks good league after four matches.— AP 2018 while Honda are joining Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso. —Reuters now, touch wood.” —Reuters Palmer wants six of the best to boost his F1 hopes LONDON: Departing Renault driver Jolyon with France’s 2016 GP2 champion Pierre Palmer says he wants to end the Formula Gasly, who is already contracted to them. One season on a high after a breakthrough McLaren have Fernando Alonso yet to re- race in Singapore. The Briton finished sixth sign, but are confident of continuing with under the floodlights for his first points of an unchanged lineup, while Sauber are the campaign only two days after his team forging closer ties with Ferrari and seem set announced that Spaniard Carlos Sainz to take current Formula Two leader Charles would be taking his place in 2018. Leclerc. Some still suspect Sainz could be in the That leaves Williams, and specifically the car before the end of the year but Palmer seat of Brazilian veteran Felipe Massa who was adamant he would be staying until the almost retired at the end of last season. last race in Abu Dhabi. “The result this Poland’s Robert Kubica, seeking to return weekend is finally a bit of good luck. This after a 2011 rally accident that seemed to result could have come earlier in Baku, have ended his Formula One career, has Silverstone or Spa. I hope we can build emerged as one potential candidate and is from this in the next six races,” he told Sky being assisted by retired 2016 world cham- Sports television. pion Nico Rosberg. “At the moment the news about Renault Whether Palmer has a hope remains to is quite fresh. From my side I want to go out be seen but he hoped at least his luck had with six of the best races. I want to stay in turned, with German team mate Nico F1 and there are other options. I want to do Hulkenberg suffering reliability problems myself proud in these six races.” Palmer has instead. “I’ve had a tough year, we’ve had limited options, with former champions reliability issues but I’ve made mistakes as Williams now the main focus for several well,” he said. drivers hoping to stay in the sport or “The media were always questioning return. The four top teams have all con- about my future. It’s made it a bit harder firmed their lineups while Red Bull-owned but I’ve learnt to switch off and just focus Toro Rosso are expected to replace Sainz on the driving.” — Reuters Truex opens NASCAR’s playoffs with win at Chicagoland SONOMA: Josef Newgarden, right, stands and celebrates after being presented the Astor Cup for winning the IndyCar championship Sunday, in Sonoma, Calif. Looking on at center is team owner Roger Penske. — AP JOLIET, Ill: Martin Truex Jr. stretched his arms whole lot about statements. I’m just having to his side and waited for a shower of green fun,” Truex said. “It’s important to come here MOTOR RACING slime , the colored goop traditionally poured and not let the pressure get to you, and I over the heads of game-show contestants think we did a good job with that.” and A-list celebrities. Add NASCAR race win- Truex’s longtime girlfriend, Sherry Pollex , ner to the list. “It’s a lot funner to watch peo- was by his side in victory lane, even as she Gamble on Newgarden leads to ple get slimed than it is to get slimed,” a smil- battles a recurrence of ovarian cancer . “I’m a ing and sticky Truex said. “But it’s definitely lot better driver these days because of her worth it to get that after the race.” Truex and what she’s been through,” he said. “We’ve might have left the rest of the field green with learned a lot about life together. We continue 15th title for Roger Penske envy that he was again the driver celebrating to face every challenge head on and not in victory lane. Truex backed up his regular- scared.” Pollex was smart enough to step SONOMA: Roger Penske’s drivers had just fin- moved to Penske’s sports car program next year. Castroneves copied the strategy in an effort to season dominance with a victory Sunday in aside from the slime. The Furniture Row ished 1-2-3 in the IndyCar standings, and shak- “Let’s see what’s going to happen,” help Newgarden. “He was just a massive road- NASCAR’s playoff opener at Chicagoland Racing crew was bathed in the ooze and ing up his lineup didn’t seem to be a priority. But Castroneves said. “Right now let’s celebrate the block,” Dixon said about Castroneves. “It was cir- Speedway that solidified himself as the driver champagne during a raucous victory lane cel- with Josef Newgarden available in free agency, championship. I feel like I am part of it.” It was an cumstance. Once we got clear track, we were to beat over the final nine races as he chases ebration. Truex entered the playoffs at the No. The Captain made a cutthroat move and uphill fight for Dixon, in a Honda for Chip able to hunt them down.” his first Cup championship. 1 seed with four wins, 18 stage wins and he bounced Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Ganassi Racing, and he didn’t have the same The final standings went Newgarden, He raced to his fifth victory of the season totaled a whopping 53 bonus points that he Montoya out of his ride to sign the up-and-com- pace as the Penske cars all weekend. That meant Pagenaud, Dixon, Castroneves and Power. and earned an automatic berth in the second can keep through the first three playoff ing American. Almost a year to the day later, the Dixon would have to rely on an aggressive strat- Chevrolet drivers have won every championship round of the playoffs, piling on more points in rounds. Truex leads the standings by 27 shrewd move resulted in a 15th IndyCar champi- egy to have a shot, but Newgarden and the but one since the engine-supplier returned to his bid to compete for the title in the finale at points over Larson. Here are other items of onship for Team Penske. Newgarden closed out Penske drivers were far too quick in their IndyCar in 2012, and the brand has beaten Homestead. A driver with three Cup wins in note from Chicagoland.