MMOTOGPOTOGP | Page 2 GOLF | Page 6 South African Johnson fi res rookie Binder 65 to take one- wins in Brno on shot lead at PGA ‘insane’ bike Championship Monday, August 10, 2020 FOOTBALL Dhul-Hijjah 20, 1441 AH Juventus bet on GULF TIMES Pirlo becoming new Zidane, Guardiola SPORT Page 7 Progress at Qatar 2022 fi nal venue — Lusail Stadium Construction work on the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final venue, Lusail Stadium, is on in full swing. “The #Qatar2022 final venue is making steady progress! The 80,000-seat Lusail Stadium will become the centerpiece of Lusail City, Qatar’s city of the future. Its futuristic design takes inspiration from the bowls and vessels used in Qatar and the region for centuries,” Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy tweeted yesterday. Three of the World Cup venues have already been opened — Khalifa International Stadium, Al Janoub Stadium and Education City Stadium. Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor too is nearing completion, and is expected to be opened later this year. FORMULA 1 Verstappen steps up to end Mercedes’ winning start Hamilton finishes second to stay 30 points clear in the standings; Bottas third, while Leclerc and Albon round out top 5 Reuters Silverstone, United Kingdom Racing Point owner Stroll slams ‘unsporting’ rivals ed Bull’s Max Verstap- pen won Formula One’s Reuters integrity — and that of my team 70th Anniversary Grand Silverstone, United Kingdom — are beyond question.” Prix at Silverstone yes- Racing Point’s car has been Rterday to end Mercedes’ domi- dubbed the ‘Pink Mercedes’ nant start to the season and be- acing Point owner because of its similarity to the come Lewis Hamilton’s closest Lawrence Stroll angrily 2019 Mercedes. challenger. Raccused Formula One The two teams have a close In a race dictated by tyre wear rivals of ‘unsporting behaviour’ relationship, with Mercedes and strategy, six-times world yesterday and rejected sugges- providing their engines and champion Hamilton swept past tions his team had cheated in gearboxes. Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bot- designing a car based on last Williams also use Mercedes tas two laps from the end to take year’s title-winning Mercedes. engines, as will McLaren next second place and stay 30 points Ferrari, McLaren, Renault year, but both are independent clear in the standings. and Williams are intending to constructors who risk losing Hamilton, who gained an extra appeal a stewards’ decision out if smaller outfits can run point for fastest lap, also equalled to fine Racing Point 400,000 competitive ‘cloned’ cars. Ferrari great Michael Schumach- euros ($471,440) and dock Racing Point’s stand-in driver er’s record of 155 career podium them 15 points in a row over Nico Hulkenberg qualified fi nishes and extended his own copied parts. third, behind the two Mercedes, unmatched scoring run to 38 rac- Racing Point, who employ 500 for Sunday’s 70th Anniversary es in a row. people at their Silverstone Grand Prix. “I didn’t see it coming, but af- factory, say they broke no rules “I am appalled by the way ter the fi rst stint it seemed like we and are also considering an Renault, McLaren, Ferrari and were really good on tyres,” said appeal. Williams have taken this oppor- Verstappen as he celebrated a “I do not often speak pub- tunity to appeal, and in doing ninth career win that lifted him to licly, however I am extremely so attempted to detract from 77 points with Hamilton on 107. angry at any suggestion we our performances,” said Stroll. “I didn’t really have a lot of have been underhand or have “They are dragging our name tyre issues at all. We just kept cheated — particularly those through the mud and I will not pushing.” comments coming from our stand by nor accept this. An unhappy Bottas dropped competitors,” said Stroll, who “My team has worked tirelessly to third overall on 73 points after is also executive chairman of to deliver the competitive car starting on pole position in a race British sportscar maker Aston we have on the grid. I am truly run, like all the others, without Red Bull’s Max Verstappen jumps out of his car after winning the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone yesterday. (AFP) Martin, in a statement. upset to see the poor sports- spectators due to the Covid-19 “I have never cheated at manship of our competitors.” pandemic. Hamilton and Bottas had both throughout was evident, the His teammate Sebastian Vet- and he ended up making three anything in my life. These Stroll said he would take “all “As a team, we were sleeping at suff ered late blowouts at the pre- youngster replying to a team tel, a four-times world champion stops. accusations are completely necessary actions” to prove the some point when Max managed vious weekend’s British Grand warning about his tyres by say- who is leaving at the end of the Renault’s Esteban Ocon was unacceptable and not true. My team’s innocence. to get ahead of us and my strat- Prix at Silverstone, when Hamil- ing he was not about to sit behind year, had another dismal after- eighth with McLaren’s Lando egy was far, far from ideal. Lots ton won on three wheels, in try- “like a grandma”. noon — spinning on the opening Norris ninth and Russian Daniil to learn from today, I think,” said ing to eke out a one-stopper. “We haven’t really had an op- lap and fortunate not to take out Kvyat taking the fi nal point for 4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +1:09.669 the Finn. Pirelli had brought softer tyres portunity in all the races so far other cars before dropping to last AlphaTauri. +29.289 Fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton Mercedes had won the delayed this time and Mercedes were suf- to push them and I could see we and fi nishing 12th. The sixth round of the cham- 5. Alexander Albon (Red Bull) (Mercedes) 1:28.451 season’s four previous races, and fering in a fast-changing two- were pushing them. I tried to put Red Bull’s Alexander Albon pionship is at Barcelona’s Circuit +39.146 taken every pole, but Verstappen stop race with Verstappen able to the pressure on, they had to pit, I took fi fth and the Racing Points de Catalunya next weekend. 6. Lance Stroll (Racing Point) Drivers’ standings (top 3) was alone among the top 10 on run a longer fi rst stint to seize the did my own pace,” he said. of Lance Stroll and stand-in Nico +42.538 1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 107 pts the grid to start on the hard tyres initiative. Hamilton ultimately made his Hulkenberg were sixth and sev- RESULTS (top 10) 7. Nico Hulkenberg (Racing Point) 2. Max Verstappen (NED) 77 and it paid off in a race celebrat- “The tyre’s not going to blow, second pitstop with 11 laps to go, enth. 1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +55.951 3. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) 73 ing the championship’s birth at right?,” Hamilton asked about his using his fresh tyres to quickly Hulkenberg had started third 1:19:41.993 8. Esteban Ocon (Renault) Silverstone in 1950. rear left with 17 laps to go. “We pass Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc be- as a replacement for Covid-pos- 2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +1:04.773 Constructors’ standings (top 3) think it’s OK. It’s just the blister- fore targeting Bottas. itive Mexican Sergio Perez but +11.326 9. Lando Norris (McLaren) 1. Mercedes 180 pts ‘LIKE A GRANDMA’ ing,” came the reply. Leclerc ended up fourth after his hopes of a fi rst podium at the 3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) +1:05.544 2. Red Bull 113 Mercedes were mindful that Verstappen’s confi dence doing just one stop. 178th attempt faded at the start +19.231 10. Daniil Kvyat (AlphaTauri) 3. Racing Point 56 Gulf Times 2 Monday, August 10, 2020 SPORT MOTOGP TENNIS World No. 2 Halep to South African rookie decide on US Open aft er Prague event Reuters Mumbai, India Binder wins in Brno orld number two Simona Halep will take the fi nal deci- sion on her partici- Wpation in the US Open after play- ing this week’s WTA Tour event in Prague, the Romanian said yesterday. on ‘insane’ bike Women’s world number one Ashleigh Barty has opted against Morbidelli on Yamaha-SRT and Zarco on a Ducati-Avintia finished second and third travelling to New York to play the hardcourt Grand Slam amid the AFP Covid-19 pandemic, making the Brno, Czech Republic 28-year-old Halep the top draw with tough protocols to hold the at this year’s event. tournament from Aug. 31 with- “I will decide after this tour- out spectators. rad Binder created a se- nament for sure,” Halep told “I know it’s very strict, it’s a ries of fi rsts as he won Reuters by telephone, adding little bit stressful in my opinion,” the Czech MotoGP yes- that the conditions are “tough” Halep said from Prague. terday to make come in the US. “But they need those rules for Btrue “a day I dreamed about “I need to get a feeling, I need the security, the health is most since I was a little boy”. to see what changes they (the US important, they have to take care It was the 24-year-old Bind- Open organisers) are gonna make of everyone. It’s tough for eve- er’s fi rst MotoGP win in only his with travelling and stuff .