The first Aussie Super Rugby title
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Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Belgian Grand Prix LIVE: Piastri starts second on grid behind teammate Norris
Latest posts Latest posts 10.18pm Where did Horner go? All the off-season shenanigans explained Hannah Kennelly The Belgian Grand Prix begins the second half of the F1 season, however the bigest moments so far have arguably come from the off-season. In case you've been living under a rock, Red Bull abruptly fired their long-term team principal Christian Horner after a 20-year stint that included eight Formula 1 drivers' titles, six constructors' titles, and 124 race wins. Red Bull did not give a reason for the decision, but thanked Horner for his work and said he will 'forever remain an important part of our team history'. The announcement comes more than a year after Horner was accused of misconduct toward a team employee. So what actually happened? The announcement follows a period of tense internal politics within Red Bull as well as a lacklustre performance on track during the 2025 season. Read more here. Will Max Verstappen go to Mercedes? If you weren't swept up in the Horner saga, it's likely you've been occupied by the rumour-mill concerning Max Verstappen and a potential move to Mercedes. Loading Verstappen currently sits in third place in the driver's championship, and while the Dutchman's talent and drive to win remains unquestionable, it's clear that McLaren have the better car and pace. Mercedes driver George Russell's contract expires this year and a contract renewal has not been announced. This potentially opens the door for Verstappen to switch teams. That speculation hit a fever pitch when news broke Verstappen and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff happened to be in the Italian island of Sardinia at the same time a few weeks ago. So far, no announcements have been made, but a typically wry Verstappen has remained tight-lipped during press conferences. He batted away journalists persistent questions around a Mercedes move and quipped,'There is also a possibility I don't wake up tomorrow!' he said. 'So then, there is no driving at all. Life is unpredictable.' 10.08pm What happened in Qualifying By Hannah Kennelly Nine points. That's all that separates Oscar Piastri (241) from his teammate Lando Norris (232) in the driver's championship standings. During Saturday's qualifying session, Norris pipped Piastri to pole position with a time of 1:40.562, beating the Aussie by 0.085 – less than a tenth of a second. 'The second lap was coming together really well and I just made a little mistake in (turn) 14. It is fine margins out there,' Piastri said after qualifying. 'Not a bad place to be starting, but there was more in it so that is disappointing.' Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start from third and Red Bull champion Max Verstappen sits in fourth for Red Bull. McLaren's pace has been the talk of the season, but Verstappen has shown no signs of giving up his quest for a fifth consecutive championship. The Dutchman started second during the Spa Sprint race and manoeuvred past Piastri to win the race – his first victory since Imola. In a post-race interview, Verstappen described his race strategy as like 'playing cat and mouse'. The Red Bull star sits in third place in the driver's championship with 173 points.
The Age
4 hours ago
- The Age
Belgian Grand Prix LIVE: Piastri starts second on grid behind teammate Norris
Latest posts Latest posts 10.18pm Where did Horner go? All the off-season shenanigans explained Hannah Kennelly The Belgian Grand Prix begins the second half of the F1 season, however the bigest moments so far have arguably come from the off-season. In case you've been living under a rock, Red Bull abruptly fired their long-term team principal Christian Horner after a 20-year stint that included eight Formula 1 drivers' titles, six constructors' titles, and 124 race wins. Red Bull did not give a reason for the decision, but thanked Horner for his work and said he will 'forever remain an important part of our team history'. The announcement comes more than a year after Horner was accused of misconduct toward a team employee. So what actually happened? The announcement follows a period of tense internal politics within Red Bull as well as a lacklustre performance on track during the 2025 season. Read more here. Will Max Verstappen go to Mercedes? If you weren't swept up in the Horner saga, it's likely you've been occupied by the rumour-mill concerning Max Verstappen and a potential move to Mercedes. Loading Verstappen currently sits in third place in the driver's championship, and while the Dutchman's talent and drive to win remains unquestionable, it's clear that McLaren have the better car and pace. Mercedes driver George Russell's contract expires this year and a contract renewal has not been announced. This potentially opens the door for Verstappen to switch teams. That speculation hit a fever pitch when news broke Verstappen and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff happened to be in the Italian island of Sardinia at the same time a few weeks ago. So far, no announcements have been made, but a typically wry Verstappen has remained tight-lipped during press conferences. He batted away journalists persistent questions around a Mercedes move and quipped,'There is also a possibility I don't wake up tomorrow!' he said. 'So then, there is no driving at all. Life is unpredictable.' 10.08pm What happened in Qualifying By Hannah Kennelly Nine points. That's all that separates Oscar Piastri (241) from his teammate Lando Norris (232) in the driver's championship standings. During Saturday's qualifying session, Norris pipped Piastri to pole position with a time of 1:40.562, beating the Aussie by 0.085 – less than a tenth of a second. 'The second lap was coming together really well and I just made a little mistake in (turn) 14. It is fine margins out there,' Piastri said after qualifying. 'Not a bad place to be starting, but there was more in it so that is disappointing.' Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start from third and Red Bull champion Max Verstappen sits in fourth for Red Bull. McLaren's pace has been the talk of the season, but Verstappen has shown no signs of giving up his quest for a fifth consecutive championship. The Dutchman started second during the Spa Sprint race and manoeuvred past Piastri to win the race – his first victory since Imola. In a post-race interview, Verstappen described his race strategy as like 'playing cat and mouse'. The Red Bull star sits in third place in the driver's championship with 173 points.
Perth Now
14 hours ago
- Perth Now
Aussie UFC great devastated by brutal call in comeback fight
UFC great Robert Whittaker has suffered a split decision defeat to Reinier de Ridder in the headline fight in Abu Dhabi. Australian Whittaker (26-9 MMA, 17-7 UFC) came up short in two of the three judges' eyes, who scored the 185-pound (83.9kg) middleweight bout 48-47 for de Ridder, while a third had it 48-47 for Whittaker on Saturday. De Ridder landed 169 total strikes, compared to 100 for Whittaker, and he was also credited with just over nine minutes of control time. He hurt the Aussie with knees in the second round and bloodied his mouth and nose midway through. Whittaker's best moment came early in the third when he dropped de Ridder with a counter right hand to the chin, and nearly finished him off with strikes on the ground immediately after. De Ridder managed to survive the onslaught to go on to win the final two rounds. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Ultimately, it was de Ridder's pressure and volume that Whittaker succumbed to, more than his grappling pedigree. Whittaker, 34, admitted he was 'pretty butt-hurt' by the loss. 'He did what he said he was going to do,' he said. 'I thought I ticked all the boxes, but the pressure was a lot. 'He has a lot of pressure, a lot of skill sets. I've mentioned it before, he's got a particular way of fighting. 'I couldn't really throw too many spanners in the works. He got it off more times than not and walked away a winner, good on him.' De Ridder entered the bout ranked 13th in the division, eight spots behind Whittaker. And the Dutchman had high praise for the Australian after the hard-fought battle. 'I don't want to fight anyone like this man again,' de Ridder said. 'He was too tough. I want to finish a guy in the first round, so maybe it would be better if I fought Khamzat (Chimaev) or Dricus (Du Plessis). Give me my title shot.' If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. De Ridder (21-2), who trains in Florida, earned his fourth UFC victory — and third this year. He submitted Kevin Holland in January, and then knocked out top prospect Bo Nickal in May to earn his first UFC main event. For the 34-year-old Whittaker, it marks the first time he's lost back-to-back fights since 2013. 'I expected to take him (Whittaker) down and choke him out,' de Ridder added. 'He was amazing. So tough, so durable, heavy f***ing hands.'
