Defending champion Norris slams 'worst' F1 cars
The Straits Times
MELBOURNE, March 7 - McLaren's defending champion Lando Norris was scathing of Formula One's engine and chassis overhaul after qualifying sixth at the Australian Grand Prix, saying they had made the cars go from \"best to worst\" in a season. Read more at straitstimes.com.
MELBOURNE, March 7 - McLaren's defending champion Lando Norris was scathing of Formula One's engine and chassis overhaul after qualifying sixth at the Australian Grand Prix, saying they had made the cars go from "best to worst" in a season.
Norris has had a difficult weekend in Melbourne, struggling with reliability and setup problems, and the new mode of driving, which puts more emphasis on energy harvesting and managing battery power, was not helping his mood.
"You decelerate so much before corners, you have to lift everywhere to make sure the (battery) pack's at the top," the Briton said in the Albert Park paddock.
"If the pack's too high, you're also screwed. It's just difficult, but it’s what we have."
While powered by Mercedes engines, constructors champions McLaren were well off the pace of their Mercedes rivals in qualifying.
George Russell's pole lap of 1:18.518 was over eight-tenths of a second quicker than McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who qualified fifth. Russell's Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli qualified second.
March 15 - World number two Jannik Sinner said Daniil Medvedev had found his best form again ahead of Sunday's Indian Wells title clash between the duo, heaping praise on the Russian's serving and returns in a solid start to the season. Read more at straitstimes.com.
March 15 - Toko Koga scored twice as Japan stayed on course for a third Women's Asian Cup title with a 7-0 win over the Philippines in Sydney on Sunday, setting up a semi-final against South Korea. Read more at straitstimes.com.
March 15 - The International Cricket Council (ICC) has reprimanded Pakistan batter Salman Agha for his reaction to a controversial run-out in the second One-Day International against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Friday. Read more at straitstimes.com.
INDIAN WELLS, California, March 15 - Daniil Medvedev said his Indian Wells semi-final win over Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday would prove nothing more than a temporary setback for the Spaniard, and that he and Jannik Sinner were playing at a totally different level from the rest of the tour. Read more at straitstimes.com.
PARIS, March 15 - France head coach Fabien Galthie hailed Louis Bielle-Biarrey as a “lethal weapon” following in the footsteps of Antoine Dupont after the winger’s four-try masterclass helped secure a dramatic Six Nations title-clinching victory over England on Saturday. Read more at straitstimes.com.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - All who wander up and down the leaderboard are not lost. Read more at straitstimes.com.
People feared for the safety of seven delegation members after they refused to sing Iran's national anthem. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The fourth-placed Lakers are currently on a four-game winning streak. Read more at straitstimes.com.
March 14 - The U.S. and Israel's conflict with Iran has led to sporting events being postponed in the region, while competitions elsewhere have been hit by travel disruption, with thousands of flights cancelled in some of the world's busiest transit hubs. Read more at straitstimes.com.
The 52-year-old sits atop the leaderboard with Joaquin Niemann heading into the final round. Read more at straitstimes.com.
March 14 - World number one Aryna Sabalenka said players must halt points straightaway to seek a video review for hindrance and not wait to decide, after Daniil Medvedev's dispute with Jack Draper sparked controversy at Indian Wells. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Victory also ensured their direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. Read more at straitstimes.com.
March 13 - Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina moved into the Indian Wells final with straight-sets victories over Linda Noskova and Elina Svitolina on Friday, setting up a rematch of their Australian Open Grand Slam title clash. Read more at straitstimes.com.