SPIELBERG, Austria: Max Verstappen continued his imperious form in Red Bull’s homeland on Saturday when, after winning the sprint race, he claimed a convincing pole position for Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix.
The series leader and three-time world champion clocked a best lap in 1 minute 4.314 seconds to outpace nearest rival Lando Norris of McLaren by 0.404sec for his fourth Austrian pole at the Red Bull Ring.
It also ended a run of three races where he was beaten in qualifying in Monaco, Canada and Spain and brought him his 40th career pole position.
“That went really well,” said Verstappen.
“We tried to adjust things a bit after this morning and it went well. It was warmer than yesterday and a bit tricky but the car felt good and I could attack the corners much more. It felt on point and really good out there.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been on pole and we have worked hard to be more competitive.’
Norris said: “I think that was the best we could do today and Max was in a league of his own — but I am happy and I’ll take that.”
George Russell took third for Mercedes ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes, Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari and Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren.
Piastri’s best flying lap was deleted for exceeding track limits in the closing minutes when he briefly went third.
Sergio Perez was eighth in the second Red Bull, continuing his struggles, ahead of Haas’s Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon of Alpine.
Verstappen led the way out of the pit lane for the opening of Q1 with the Styrian Alps simmering in the heat with a track temperature of 47 degrees and the air at 32.
The conditions, however, did nothing to quell the enthusiasm of the Dutch champion’s ‘orange army’, massed in the grandstands.
With everyone on softs, Verstappen set the pace in 1min 6.054sec on his first lap — he took pole in 1min 04.686sec last year — before the Ferraris and McLarens made their opening forays, Leclerc emerging as the early pace-setter in 1min 05.901sec.
Mercedes left their first runs until later, but Russell temporarily took over top spot with Hamilton slotted in seventh.
Verstappen and Sainz both responded as the times tumbled. Only half a second separated the top nine drivers as Hamilton dropped to 16th and needed a new set of softs to avoid an early exit.
As he survived, Alex Albon of Williams, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas of Sauber, Logan Sargeant of Williams and Zhou Guanyu in the second Sauber were eliminated.
The Q2 session began with Leclerc posting a best time to go top with a lead of just 0.050sec ahead of Ocon only for Verstappen, in imperious mood, sweeping to the top in 1min 04.577sec.
He took a fresh set of softs for a final run in 1min 04.469sec, half a second clear of the pack led by Sainz, Russell and Hamilton with two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin among those to drop out.
Norris and then Hulkenberg took command in Q3 before Verstappen flexed his muscles, clocking 1min 04.314sec to consolidate his position and take pole.
Imperious Max Verstappen takes pole for Austrian Grand Prix
https://arab.news/ypjcz
Imperious Max Verstappen takes pole for Austrian Grand Prix
- The series leader and three-time world champion clocked a best lap in 1 minute 4.314 seconds
Kenya probes goalkeeper match-fixing allegation
- The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed it was aware of videos circulating online involving goalkeeper Patrick Matasi
- “FKF upholds the integrity of football and has launched an official investigation, in collaboration with FIFA, CAF, and other relevant authorities,” the Kenya football board said
NAIROBI: Kenya opened a match-fixing investigation Thursday following allegations that a national team goalkeeper helped rig an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed it was aware of videos circulating online involving goalkeeper Patrick Matasi which raised concern about the possibility of match manipulation.
“FKF upholds the integrity of football and has launched an official investigation, in collaboration with FIFA, CAF, and other relevant authorities,” the Kenya football board said in a statement.
“We reaffirm our zero-tolerance policy on match manipulation and are committed to safeguarding the credibility of our competition.”
The secretly filmed online amateur video seen by AFP shows an unnamed man talking to Matasi over a plan to fix a match in return for cash.
The former AFC Leopards and Tusker goalkeeper, who also had a playing stint with Ethiopian side Coffee Sports Club, played in Kenya’s 4-1 loss to former African champions Cameroon in a 2025 AFCON qualifier in Yaounde last October.
The defeat dimmed Kenya’s hopes of qualifying for the finals in Morocco, and led to the resignation of the team’s coach Engin Firat.
Matasi was dropped from the team by the new coach Benni McCarthy and did not feature in the recent 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Gambia and Gabon.
Kenyan football has been hit by the dark shadow of match-fixing malpractices in the recent past with 14 players and two coaches suspended by the FKF in January 2023 following a tip-off about cheating in the national league.
In February 2020, FIFA banned four Kenyan-based players — one for life — over an “international conspiracy” to fix league matches.
Five Kenyan referees were also later suspended over the same scandal.
The Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis, an independent think tank, warned that match-fixing had infiltrated multiple levels of Kenyan football from grassroots competitions to the professional leagues.
“This has left a trail of disillusionment among fans and undermined the integrity of football and could lead to loss of public trust and confidence in the football industry,” the organization said in a January 2024 report.
Mbappe, Vinicius among Real Madrid stars facing UEFA conduct probe
- “A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of indecent conduct by Real Madrid CF players,” UEFA said
- Spanish media reports suggested Real Madrid players are being scrutinized
MADRID: UEFA opened an investigation into four Real Madrid stars including Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior on Thursday for alleged “indecent conduct” during their Champions League last 16 win over Atletico Madrid.
Madrid’s two superstar forward, as well as defender Antonio Rudiger and midfielder Dani Ceballos, face potential punishment ahead of their quarter-final first leg clash at Arsenal on April 8.
“A UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector has been appointed to investigate allegations of indecent conduct by Real Madrid CF players,” said the European football governing body in a statement.
Spanish media reports suggested Real Madrid players are being scrutinized by UEFA for the manner of their celebrations after the win.
UEFA and Real Madrid did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
Record 15-time champions and current holders Madrid beat their rivals on penalties at Atletico’s Metropolitano stadium on March 12 after a 2-2 aggregate draw.
The night ended in controversy after Atletico forward Julian Alvarez had a penalty controversially disallowed in the shoot-out for supposedly touching the ball twice.
Leverkusen throw down gauntlet to Bayern in title tussle
- Defending champions Leverkusen host 16th-placed Bochum on Friday
- Bayern host a St. Pauli side who are one spot but five points above Bochum
BERLIN: With eight games remaining in the Bundesliga season, Bayer Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso promised his side would “fight until the end” in their chase of league leaders Bayern Munich.
Defending champions Leverkusen host 16th-placed Bochum on Friday and will draw to within three points of Bayern if they win.
A day later, Bayern host a St. Pauli side who are one spot but five points above Bochum.
Normally reserved and circumspect, Alonso was bullish in his pre-match press conference on Thursday, saying the game was “super important... now the goal is clear, to fight until the end.
“We can reduce Bayern’s lead to three points tomorrow. We want to put as much pressure on them as possible.”
Leverkusen’s 4-3 win over Stuttgart two weeks ago, in which they came from 3-1 down to win with a stoppage-time goal, was reminiscent of last season’s incredible late-game heroics on their way to the Bundesliga title.
Alonso also revealed that injured midfielder Florian Wirtz, originally slated to return in April, would be back “sooner than expected,” giving Leverkusen extra incentive to keep the race alive.
“He feels better. He’s close. We don’t want to be conservative with Flo — we want to go full throttle, take risks. If he can play a little earlier, we’ll take that risk.”
While Bochum and St. Pauli may be 16th and 15th respectively, the lowly table placings of Leverkusen and Bayern’s opponents this weekend do not tell the full story.
Since Dieter Hecking took over as coach in November, Bochum have beaten Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, while fighting to draws against Leverkusen and RB Leipzig.
Bochum’s hopes will be buoyed by Hecking announcing he has extended his deal by two seasons at the club until 2027 — provided they beat the drop.
Bochum sit in the relegation play-off position with 20 points, 19 of them accrued since Hecking took over.
Promoted St. Pauli’s bid to stay in the top division is built on an outstanding defense.
St. Pauli have conceded just 30 goals this season, better than every side in the top flight bar Bayern and surprise package Mainz.
In November, Bayern needed an incredible Jamal Musiala strike from outside the box to break down their stubborn opponents in a 1-0 win.
Bayern’s task will be made harder by the long-term absences of Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano, who both look set to be out for the season due to injuries picked up on international duty.
In the off-season, Stuttgart spent a combined 48 million euros ($51 million) to sign strikers Deniz Undav and Ermedin Demirovic, but their shrewdest forward acquisition — Nick Woltemade — cost nothing at all.
The 1.98-meter tall Woltemade, who arrived on a free transfer from Werder Bremen, was expected to be a clear third in the forward pecking order, but has become Stuttgart’s most reliable source of goals in recent months.
Woltemade has eight goals in his past 14 league games, but his showing on Tuesday, where he scored a hat-trick for Germany’s Under-21 side against Spain, has German media asking if he is ready for a call-up to the senior team.
Asked if he would want to play in the European Under-21 Championship or for Julian Nagelsmann’s side in June’s Nations League, Woltemade said: “I don’t think they overlap... I’ve got enough power for both.”
1 — Stuttgart have won just one of their past eight league games.
3 — Augsburg last conceded a league goal on February 1 and have only let in three in 2025 — the lowest mark in Europe’s top five leagues.
4 — Borussia Dortmund have not beaten Mainz in four games, including their infamous final-day 2-2 draw in May 2023 that handed Bayern the title.
Fixtures (1430 GMT unless stated)
Friday
Bayer Leverkusen v Bochum (1930)
Saturday
Bayern Munich v St. Pauli, Holstein Kiel v Werder Bremen, Borussia Moenchengladbach v RB Leipzig, Wolfsburg v Heidenheim, Hoffenheim v Augsburg, Eintracht Frankfurt v Stuttgart (1730)
Sunday
Freiburg v Union Berlin, Borussia Dortmund v Mainz (1630)
Four talking points from dramatic week of Asian World Cup qualifiers
- Saudi Arabia desperately need a prolific goal scorer as Palestine keep unlikely dream alive with Iraq win
- Indonesia’s Kluivert suffers rude awakening in debut, whilst Qatar’s struggles continue
AUSTRALIA: Remember when critics of FIFA’s decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams claimed it would spell the end of the qualifying stages?
That the bloated tournament would make qualifying “easy”and remove any of the drama or jeopardy we normally associate with the marathon effort to reach football’s global showpiece?
Try telling that to fans of Asian football who, for the past six months, have endured one of the most hotly contested qualifying campaigns in recent memory.
There are just two matches remaining in June to determine which six sides will progress automatically, and which six will progress to the next round, where the final two automatic spots for Asia will be decided.
Remarkably, 17 of the 18 teams are still in contention heading into the final fixtures, with only Japan and Iran safely through to the finals next year.
After another frenzied week of action, this is what we learned.
Palestine keeps the fairytale alive
To say you could not script it would be a boringly inaccurate cliche, but if you were going to, you could not have scripted it any better.
One-nil down with 90 minutes on the clock approaching, Palestine’s campaign looked to be done and dusted. Failure to take a point off Iraq would have seen their campaign officially ended.
But this fairytale had another ending, a joyous one for a people so depraved of happiness for the last 18 months. Goals fron Wessam Abou Ali in the 88th minute and Ahmeed Mahajna in the 97th minute saw Palestine record one of their most famous victories.
To see the smiles and ecstasy on the faces of Palestinian players, coaches and fans alike was to witness something so unbridled it brought a tear to the eye of even the hardest of hearts.
After Oman’s win, they are still a long shot to qualify for the next round. But they kept the hope alive for another few months; a currency, sadly, in short supply in Palestine right now.
Kluivert’s baptism of fire
Welcome to Asian football, Patrick Kluivert. The Dutch legend with a patchy coaching record was a surprise choice to replace the popular Shin Tae-yong as Indonesia coach, but after seven crazy minutes in Australia it looked like a masterstroke.
Tim Garuda had knocked Australia around with a blistering start, and as Kevin Diks stood over the spot kick to give Indonesia an unexpected early lead, Kluivert must have been in dreamland.
The dream soon became a nightmare. Diks missed his spot kick, and in the blink of an eye Indonesia went from a chance to go 1-0 up to being 2-0 behind. It was 3-0 by the half-hour mark and Australia were out of sight.
It ended 5-1, and with the incredibly strong Indonesian crowd in Sydney chanting the name of Shin Tae-yong and booing Kluivert whenever he appeared on the big screen at Allianz Stadium.
It is hardly the environment you want heading into your first home game; no wonder the TV cameras caught the sweat pouring down his brow early in the first half. The pressure was well and truly on the former Barcelona striker.
Winning cures all, however, and a 1-0 win over Bahrain in front of almost 70,000 in Jakarta to cement fourth spot, which would see them progress to the fourth round, has Indonesian fans putting the pitchforks down for now.
Wanted: A Saudi goal scorer
To apply, please send your resume to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation marked “Attention: Herve Renard.”
We joke, but Saudi Arabia’s goalscoring woes will be no laughing matter for the Frenchman, with the Green Falcons scoring just one goal in their past six fixtures, coming in the 1-0 win over China last week.
Renard shook up his selection for this camp, hoping to find a spark to ignite their campaign and while four points from China at home and Japan away is a very healthy return, one goal is six is the opposite.
With Australia taking maximum points, Saudi Arabia’s destiny is out of their hands. All they can do is win both games and hope for the best. But to state the obvious, to win games first you must score, and that is where Saudi Arabia are falling down at the moment.
Firas Al-Buraikan is having a tough time at Al-Ahli this year. Saleh Al-Shehri was dropped from the latest squad, while the leading Saudi scorer this season, Al-Khaleej’s Abdullah Al-Salem made his debut off the bench against China and is untested at international level.
It leaves Salem Al-Dawsari as the man shouldering the goalscoring burden, unless Renard can conjure a little bit of magic, because it feels like Saudi Arabia are going to need something supernatural if they are to finish second and qualify automatically.
From champs to chumps
It has been a miserable old campaign for Qatar. They have lost half the games they have played, conceded the most goals and were humbled this week by a Kyrgyzstan side ranked 59 places lower in the FIFA rankings.
All this, let us not forget, and they are still the Asian champions. How is that even possible?
Qatar seem devoid of direction. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the World Cup in 2022 was an endpoint, not the beginning of a bright new future for Qatari football.
Four coaches in three years, all with different tactical ideals, will attest to that.
Last year’s Asian Cup success was seen as wiping the slate clean after their World Cup embarrassment; proof again that this team was good enough on the international stage, and that the World Cup was just an aberration.
But it is becoming increasingly obvious that their Asian Cup successes are the exception, not the norm. While winning a tournament is one measure of a good team, so is consistency of performance across a multi-year campaign, and Qatar has failed at that.
They will likely still make it through to the next round, largely on the back of the generational talent that is Akram Afif, but they have lost the benefit of the doubt when it comes to trusting them to perform when it matters. The World Cup next year looks a long way away.
Big hitters shine as unstoppable Indian Premier League begins
- An average of 208.7 runs were scored per innings during the first 5 matches
The 18th Indian Premier League has begun with a bang. Although not as big a one as the very first match in 2008, when Brendon McCullum smashed an unbeaten 158 off 73 deliveries in a total of 222 for Kolkata Knight Riders, it has generated some powerful batting displays. In the first five matches, an average of 208.7 runs has been scored per innings in the first five matches; in 2008, it was 152.
In the last three years, the average has increased year on year from 165 in 2022 to 173 in 2023 and 175.5 in 2024. On the limited evidence available, this looks set to rise again in 2025.
Various explanatory variables have been suggested. One is the preparation of pitches which are conducive to batting. Second is the increase in so-called matchups, in which batters target individual bowlers. This is based on a level of analysis and data not available in the IPL’s early years. Amongst many outputs, current levels of analysis identify which bowlers are most vulnerable to being hit by particular batters.
Thirdly, an expansion of teams in 2022 from eight to 10 may have caused a dilution in the quality of the player pool. The tournament rules that each squad can have a maximum of 25 players, of whom no more than eight can be overseas. In a playing 11, no more than four can be overseas players. The addition of two teams created a demand for more Indian players and it is a commonly held view that the pool of bowling talent in India is not as deep as the batting pool.
A fourth variable is the introduction of an impact player in 2023. Each team is allowed to make one substitution throughout a match. In terms of team selection, a specialist batter can be played and then substituted by a bowler, who can bowl a full quota of overs, or a specialist bowler can be swapped for a batter. It is an initiative which does not sit well with purists, who believe cricket is an 11-person-per-team game based on carefully judged selection criteria that carry elements of risk. The impact player means selectors can spend less time assessing the optimum balance for an XI.
A classic case of the impact which a substitute can have occurred in match four. Lucknow Super Giants scored 209 for eight and then reduced the Delhi Capitals to 65 for five in the seventh over. Ashutosh Sharma was introduced as an impact player and, together with Viprag Nigam, compiled a 55-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Further wickets fell right down to the final over when six runs were needed with only one wicket remaining. Sharma struck a six to win the game and catapult himself into the limelight. The IPL provides opportunities for heroes to emerge, sometimes those who were not previously household names.
Sharma’s innings of 66 from 31 deliveries will have provided some justification for those in favor of impact players. The IPL management regards itself as progressive and has this year lifted a ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball that was introduced in 2020 during the pandemic. This is good news for the beleaguered bowlers, as is that they will be allowed a choice of a new ball after the 10th over of the second innings, when dew can affect their ability to grip the ball firmly.
It is not only on the pitch where the IPL is scoring heavily. Investment bankers Houlihan Lokey estimate the IPL’s 2024 brand value to be $3.4 billion, an increase of $1.6 billion since 2022. This is second only to the National Football League, which has been running in the USA since 1920.
All the indications point to the IPL’s value continuing to increase in 2025. In addition to the title partner, TATA, the IPL website lists seven other central partners, an increase on 2024. Three associate partners are My11Circle, AngelOne and RuPay. There are four official partners: Wonder Cement, CEAT, Star Sports for broadcasting and JioHotstar for digital streaming.
A major growth-driver will be broadcasting and streaming. The current IPL edition is the first to be broadcast on JioStar, which was formed following the merger of Star India and Viacom18. Its reach is achieved through 24 channels/platforms, plus JioHotstar and is underpinned by ownership of TV and digital rights for the tournament. This reach was witnessed in its coverage of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which became the second-highest rated One Day International in TV history, outside World Cup matches. It is understood JioStar has been able to achieve an increase in advertising rates for the IPL of over ten percent compared with 2024.
The integrated nature of JioStar across the three viewing platforms of linear TV, mobiles and connected TVs provides brands with an opportunity to enhance their brand equity. In 2025, there is no competition for media spend from political election campaigns, the T20 World Cup or the Olympics. As a result, advertisers are allocating significant spend around IPL 2025.
Team sponsorship revenues have also increased, thought to be in the order of 20 percent across the board compared with 2024. Mumbai Indians’ tie-up with Lauritz Knudsen is rumored to have broken all IPL records for front-of-jersey. A combination of new and legacy sponsors has served to raise values. Although front-of-jersey is the prime piece of cricketing kit real estate, franchises have each attracted multiple sponsors for other parts of their kit and playing environment.
The IPL now towers over the cricket world from both a playing and commercial standpoint. It has merged sport, entertainment and business in the creation of a highly visual brand. There have also been spin-off effects; a global franchise cricket product has emerged, whilst there have been economic benefits at both local and national levels in India. The IPL is now embedded in Indian culture, providing a vehicle of expression for its cricket-mad population. It shows no sign of slowing down — quite the opposite, in fact.
