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sports Dialuna 7 Juni 2021

Pérez wins Azerbaijan GP after Verstappen crashes from lead

(AP) — Max Verstappen Lance Stroll's race earlier and
was cruising toward an under red flag the team asked
easy second consecutive F1 that the cars be allowed to
victory until an unexpect- change tires before the two-
ed tire failure turned the lap sprint to the finish.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
into a two-lap shootout F1 had previously announced
and a shock victory for it would experiment with
Sergio Pérez. half-hour sprint races in plac-
es of qualifying later this sea-
The finish Sunday just might son. Baku was an unexpected
have been an unintentional preview of an even shorter,
preview of the changes For- more explosive format.
mula One plans to experi-
ment with later this season in Liberty Media, an American
an effort to add excitement to company, is in its fifth season
the on-track product. running F1 after buying the
commercial rights in 2017.
Championship leader Ver- The U.S. ownership has
stappen crashed out of the brought a focus on a younger
lead with four laps remain- audience on social media and
ing to bring out a red flag in a deal with Netflix.
that set up the unconven- "The Americans took over, so
tional shootout from a stand- I wasn't really surprised that
ing start. Lewis Hamilton we go first with the entertain-
went off course trying to pass ment," Gasly said of the two- Four-time champion Vettel climbed from fifth to third. podium place. Lando Norris
Pérez for the lead, marking lap shootout that decided the took second to give Aston took fifth for McLaren, hours
the first time since 2016 that race. "I was quite happy. It Martin its first ever F1 po- Pérez's second win ties him after the team announced
the top two in the champion- always brings a bit more ex- dium in an impressive drive with Pedro Rodríguez for longtime investor Mansour
ship standings failed to score citement. It creates some sort after qualifying 11th. It was the most in F1 by a Mexican Ojjeh had died aged 68.
point. of adrenaline inside you and I Vettel's highest finish since driver. He waited nine years
knew there will be some op- 2019. Gasly was third for Al- from his 2011 debut to his Fernando Alonso was sixth
That made for an unfamiliar portunities because you start phaTauri. first win and now has two in for Alpine and Gasly's team-
podium as Pérez, Sebastian only for two laps. six months. mate Yuki Tsunoda took a
Vettel and Pierre Gasly all The red-flag was the second Pérez called for an investi- career-best seventh.
finished in the top three for Pérez was the leader on the of the season following a gation into the tire failures,
the first time this year. restart but Hamilton shot crash between Valtteri Bottas which should not happen on Carlos Sainz was eighth for
past him in his attempt to and George Russell at Imola the straightaway at Baku. Ferrari after recovering from
Verstappen had no warning win the race and reclaim the in April, and the longest sus- going off the track and Daniel
his tire was about to fail as he points lead from Verstappen. pension since Romain Gros- "A failure there is something Ricciardo was ninth to give
slammed into the wall. The But he failed to brake in the jean's fiery crash in Bahrain pretty extreme and luckily McLaren a double points day.
Dutchman climbed from first corner and his Mer- last November caused a stop- nothing happened today, but Kimi Raikkonen's 10th place
his car, inspected the tire cedes slid off track. Hamilton page of more than an hour. it's something that has to be for Alfa Romeo was his first
and kicked it in anger before dropped to 15th, snapping a It was the second career win reviewed and make sure that points finish since Nov. 1.
stomping off in disgust over streak of 54 consecutive races for Pérez, who is in his first we understand what's going
the race-changing failure. of earning a points position season with Red Bull. It on," he said. Hamilton's teammate Bottas
"Sometimes you can hate this finish. somewhat salvaged the race was never in contention after
sport," Verstappen said after for the team that had been Charles Leclerc started on qualifying 10th and finished
the race. Hamilton said he acciden- headed toward a 1-2 fin- the pole for Ferrari but 12th after being overtaken by
tally flicked a switch which ish before Verstappen's tire couldn't replicate his quali- both of the Alfa Romeo cars.
Red Bull was clearly con- "basically switches the brakes failed. Verstappen retained a fying pace. He eventually Mercedes failed to score a
cerned about the Pirelli tires off and I just went straight." four-point lead over Ham- finished fourth after losing a point for the first time since
after a similar accident ended ilton in the standings; Pérez fight with Gasly for the last 2018.

Kevin De Bruyne voted player of year by fellow pros again

(AP) — Manchester City England for a second con- The Belgium international is the most important one as
midfielder Kevin De secutive season after help- only the third man to retain an individual trophy in the Fran Kirby was voted women
Bruyne has been voted ing his team regain the the Professional Footballers' league," De Bruyne said in players' player of the year for
men's player of the year by Premier League trophy. Association trophy after a video released by the PFA. a second time after the Chel-
his fellow professionals in Thierry Henry in 2003 and "To be voted by your com- sea forward also collected the
2004 while playing for Arse- petitors who you compete PFA award in 2018. Chel-
nal, and Cristiano Ronaldo with every game, that says a sea won the Women's Super
in 2007 and 2008 during his lot. They are the people, in League and League Cup in
Manchester United career. my view, who know the most the recently completed sea-
about the game and they are son.
De Bruyne scored 10 goals in trying to get to the best level.
all competitions and had 18 Manchester City's 20-year-
assists as City also won the "When you have these things, old forward Lauren Kemp
League Cup and reached its you can show your kids and was voted young player of the
first Champions League fi- say, 'Look, this is what daddy year for a third time.
nal, which it lost to Chelsea. did when he was younger.'"
The PFA was unable to hold
"You want to win all the tro- City teammate Phil Foden, an in-person awards' cer-
phies with the team and then who is 21, won the PFA's emony for a second year due
obviously if you win a tro- young player of the year ac- to ongoing pandemic restric-
phy like this, this is probably colade for the first time. tions.