British GP: Lewis Hamilton holds off Max Verstappen to claim record ninth victory at Silverstone | F1 News

British GP: Lewis Hamilton holds off Max Verstappen to claim record ninth victory at Silverstone | F1 News


Lewis Hamilton triumphed in a thrilling British Grand Prix to claim a record ninth victory at Silverstone and end a run of 56 races without a win.

Hamilton held off a late charge from world championship leader Max Verstappen to hang on for victory at his home race after the Red Bull driver had overtaken McLaren’s Lando Norris in the closing stages after a chaotic rain-interrupted contest.

The seven-time world champion had not won a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and has now ensured his final season with Mercedes before joining Ferrari next year will be marked by a victory.

The record-extending 104th grand prix victory of Hamilton’s career saw him become the first Formula 1 driver to win the same race nine times, extending a record he had previously shared with Michael Schumacher. He also extended a record run for podiums at the same race to 12.

Lewis Hamilton wins the British GP and is left emotional on the team radio straight after.

“Since 2021, every day I’m getting up and fighting to train to put my mind to the task and work as hard as I can with this amazing team,” Hamilton said.

“This is my last race here at the British Grand Prix with this team. I wanted to win this so much for them because I love them and appreciate them so much.

Lando Norris takes full advantage of some slippery conditions at Silverstone, as he overtakes both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton for the race lead

“All the hard work they put in over these years. I’m forever grateful to everyone at Mercedes and all our partners. And to all our incredible fans. I could see you lap by lap. There’s no greater feeling to finish at the front here.”

British GP result: Top 10

1) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

2) Max Verstappen, Red Bull

3) Lando Norris, McLaren

4) Oscar Piastri, McLaren

5) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari

6) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas

7) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin

8) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin

9) Alex Albon, Williams

10)Yuki Tsunoda, RB

How Hamilton claimed record win

Having started from second behind George Russell, Hamilton took the lead on lap 18 as his Mercedes team-mate struggled as rain began to fall.

However, Hamilton too found the conditions difficult and only held the lead briefly before Norris and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri came through to occupy the top two places.

Russell retired from the British Grand Prix with a suspected water issue

Hamilton regained second when the intensifying rain forced the field to switch from slick tyres to intermediates around the midway point, as McLaren cost Piastri time by not joining Mercedes in double-stacking their cars in the pits.

Verstappen, who had struggled on the opening stint as he dropped back to fifth, was brought back into play by a smartly timed Red Bull pit stop as he climbed to third, with Russell suddenly retiring from fourth because of a technical issue.

Max Verstappen overtook Lando Norris for second as he looked to chase down Lewis Hamilton for the race win

The rain then eased to leave a final key pit stop for the leaders to switch back to slick tyres, which saw Hamilton undercut Norris for the lead as Mercedes brought him in a lap earlier than the McLaren.

Both went for soft tyres, while the looming Verstappen was on a hard tyre which would give him greater freedom to push in the final stages.

Verstappen passed Norris with four full circuits of the 52-lap race remaining, but Hamilton expertly managed his tyres to maintain a relatively comfortable 1.5s margin at the chequered flag.

Lewis Hamilton and his engineer Peter Bonnington celebrate on the podium together following his emotional British GP victory!

The victory resulted in triumphant celebrations from the British fans at Silverstone, while a tearful Hamilton exchanged emotional messages over team radio with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and his long-time race engineer Peter Bonnington.

The 39-year-old waved a Union Flag out of his cockpit after taking the chequered flag, before being greeted by his mother and father immediately after exiting the car.

Hamilton’s celebrations – in pictures

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after winning the British Formula One Grand Prix race at the Silverstone racetrack, Silverstone, England, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates after winning the British Formula One Grand Prix race at the Silverstone racetrack, Silverstone, England, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates with his mother after winning the British Formula One Grand Prix race at the Silverstone racetrack, Silverstone, England, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates with his father after winning the British Formula One Grand Prix race at the Silverstone racetrack, Silverstone, England, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates on the podium after winning the British Formula One Grand Prix race at the Silverstone racetrack, Silverstone, England, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Verstappen extends championship lead amid Hamilton glory

While he was unable to deny Hamilton on this occasion, Verstappen’s late surge and pass on Norris ensured that he further extended his world championship lead over the Brit.

A dominant start to the season that saw Verstappen win four of the first five races is now a distant memory, with the Dutchman having had to settle for just three victories across the next seven grands prix.

His 84-point lead over Norris at the halfway stage of the 24-race season puts him in an extremely strong position to claim a fourth successive drivers’ title.

Max Verstappen believes Red Bull maximised their result by finishing second

As was the case when he claimed hard-fought victories in Canada and Spain in June, Verstappen needed all of his – and Red Bull’s – excellence to ensure Norris didn’t make ground.

Despite having brought upgrades to Silverstone, the RB20 couldn’t match the pace of either Mercedes or McLaren for much of the race, and it was only when Verstappen had the hard tyre on the final stint that he was finally able to pressure his rivals.

That wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the timing of his switch to intermediate tyres and then Red Bull’s decision to give him hard tyres for the final stint.

In contrast, a distraught Norris felt that his and McLaren’s strategic calls had cost him a first home victory.

Listen into the cool-down room where Lewis Hamilton offers some advice to a despondent Lando Norris about McLaren’s strategy

Allowing Hamilton to pit earlier at the end gave him the opportunity to undercut, but perhaps more importantly, McLaren gave Norris the same soft tyre as the Mercedes, when the new medium they had available was shown to be much faster by Piastri, who used it for his final stint.

Since claiming his maiden F1 victory in Miami in May, Norris has had a very strong chance of winning five of the six races that have followed, but a failure to take advantage of what has often been the fastest car on the track has left the 24-year-old hugely frustrated.

“I know [it’s a podium at the British GP] but I’m fed up of just saying I should have done better and I should have done this and could have done that, or whatever,” Norris told Sky Sports F1.

“I don’t care if it takes time, I don’t want it to take time. I should be doing it now, we should be winning now. I should be making better decisions than what I’m making.

“I’m just disappointed, it’s a win. It’s a win in Formula 1 and I’m not going to settle for something less when we should have achieved it.”

Lando Norris believes he threw away the race win after making the wrong tyre choice and he should be making better decisions instead of missing out on victories

Piastri claimed fourth to secure another strong haul of points for McLaren, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz fifth and claiming an extra point for setting the fastest lap of the race.

Nico Hulkenberg was sixth for a second successive race as Haas claimed another superb result, with the German finish ahead of Aston Martin duo Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. Williams’ Alex Albon and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the points.

Red Bull are 71 points clear of Ferrari at the top of the constructors’ standings, with both teams only getting points from one driver as Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez finished outside the points after switching to intermediate tyres too early when the rain arrived.

Third-placed McLaren closed their deficit to Red Bull to 78 points, while Mercedes are now 152 points off the leaders.

British GP Result

Driver Team Time
1) Lewis Hamilon Mercedes 1:22:27.059s
2) Max Verstappen Red Bull +1.465
3) Lando Norris McLaren +7.547
4) Oscar Piastri McLaren +12.439
5) Carlos Sainz Ferrari +47.318
6) Nico Hulkenberg Haas +55.722
7) Lance Stroll Aston Martin +56.569
8) Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +63.577
9) Alex Albon Williams +68.387
10) Yuki Tsunoda RB +79.303
11) Logan Sargeant Williams +88.960
12) Kevin Magnussen Haas +90.153
13) Daniel Ricciardo RB +1 lap
14) Charles Leclerc Ferrari +1 lap
15) Valtteri Bottas Sauber +1 lap
16) Esteban Ocon Alpine +2 laps
17) Sergio Perez Red Bull +2 laps
18) Zhou Guanyu Sauber +2 laps
George Russell Mercedes DNF
Pierre Gasly Alpine DNF

Next up for F1 is the Hungarian Grand Prix from Budapest on July 19-21. You can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

Wimbledon: Carlos Alcaraz through to quarter-finals after hard-fought four-set win over Ugo Humbert | Tennis News

Wimbledon: Carlos Alcaraz through to quarter-finals after hard-fought four-set win over Ugo Humbert | Tennis News


Carlos Alcaraz was again made to sweat on Centre Court before booking a quarter-final spot with a 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 win over stubborn 16th seed Ugo Humbert.

Having fought back from two sets to one down to defeat Frances Tiafoe in the previous round, Alcaraz seemed to be enjoying a much easier time of it as he stormed the opening two sets, only for Humbert to produce some sublime tennis thereafter.

The Frenchman too would have felt aggrieved to lose the second set, in fact, as he squandered four break points on Alcaraz’s serve in the fifth game. And then, having only coughed up four points all set on his own serve, Humbert was suddenly broken out of nowhere to lose the set 6-4.

Alcaraz vs Humbert: Tale of the Tape

Alcaraz Match Stats Humbert
14 Aces 10
6 Double Faults 1
66% 1st serve win percentage 67%
43% 2nd serve win percentage 47%
24/34 Net points won 26/41
6/8 Break points won 5/13
45 Total winners 47
33 Unforced errors 35
121 Total points won 117

He was not to be deterred, though, as he proceeded to break the Alcaraz serve on four straight occasions over the course of a dominant third set and early into the fourth.

The defending champion appeared to have no answer for Humbert’s immaculate return game, the 16th seed hitting thumping winners with regularity and mixing in the odd heavy ball to the back of the baseline to do for the flat-footed Spaniard.

That said, Alcaraz himself twice broke Humbert to start the fourth set, but things were back on serve by the end of the sixth game as the determined Humbert continued to dig his heels into the Centre Court grass.

More thunderous groundstrokes off the left-hander’s racket helped set up three break points in the eighth game of the fourth set but, as in the second, a wasteful Humbert would ultimately rue spurning every single one of them as three games later it would be Alcaraz who’d earn the crucial break before serving things out.

Paul wins to set up Alcaraz quarter-final showdown

American 12th seed Tommy Paul raced against the fading light on Court Two to dispatch of Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 and set up a quarter-final clash with Alcaraz.

Image:
Tommy Paul is in good form, having triumphed at Queen’s in the lead up to Wimbledon

The 27-year-old took just over two hours to beat Bautista Agut who was bidding to reach his second Wimbledon quarter-final in his 10th appearance here.

Paul, whose grass game is finely tuned after he won the Queen’s Club warm-up event last month, had just too much power and variety for the 36-year-old, now ranked 112.

Bautista Agut made the American work in the second set but a couple of unforced errors lost him the chance to draw level and Paul raced through the final set, clinching the match with an ace.

The players had arrived on court late because of rain showers and the shadows were long across the court when they finished.

“He (Alcaraz) plays amazing tennis on grass but I’m playing pretty good too,” said Paul, who is on a nine-match winning streak. They have split their four previous career meetings, winning two each.

Elsewhere in the men’s singles, world No 5 Daniil Medvedev advanced through to the last eight after 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire with a leg injury while trailing 5-3 in the first set.

He will face world No 1 Jannik Sinner next after the Italian made light work of promising American youngster Ben Shelton, beating the 14th seed in straight sets 6-2 6-4 7-6 (11-9).

What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?

Find out all the ways to watch tennis on Sky Sports, including the US Open, ATP and WTA tours

In the run-up to the final Grand Slam of 2024 – the US Open – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the hard-court season.

  • Hamburg Open (ATP 500) 15-21 July
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  • Swiss Open (ATP 250) 15-21 July
  • Bastad Open (ATP 250) 15-21 July
  • Palermo Ladies Open (WTA 250) 15-21 July
  • Hungarian Grand Prix (WTA 250) 15-21 July
  • Prague Open (WTA 250) 21-26 July

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Match Report – Salford 22 – 20 Hull Super, League, Sky, Sports, Rugby, League, Bulls, Rhinos, Warriors, Harlequins, Wolves, Giants, Tigers, Dragons, Crusaders, Hull, Reds, Wildcats,

Match Report – Salford 22 – 20 Hull Super, League, Sky, Sports, Rugby, League, Bulls, Rhinos, Warriors, Harlequins, Wolves, Giants, Tigers, Dragons, Crusaders, Hull, Reds, Wildcats,


Salford Red Devils profit from missed conversion from Hull FC’s Ben Reynolds late on to extend winning run to four matches; Marc Sneyd registers five goals on 300th Super League appearance as home side consolidate fifth spot in table – watch every Super League match live on Sky Sports

Last Updated: 07/07/24 5:59pm


Salford held off Hull FC to earn their fourth straight win and consolidate fifth place in the Super League table

Ryan Brierley made a try-scoring comeback and Marc Sneyd celebrated his 300th Super League appearance with five vital goals as Salford edged Hull FC 22-20 to register a fourth successive win.

Hull half-back Ben Reynolds missed a 78th-minute conversion to Lewis Martin’s try to send the game to golden point as the Red Devils cemented fifth place in the table.

Full-back Brierley had sat out his team’s three previous victories with a rib injury but returned with a bang against a Hull side still without an away win in 2024 and who sit second bottom of the standings.

Hull led 6-4 in the first half and scored four tries to their hosts’ three in the game but Reynolds failed to improve his team’s final two touchdowns.

A minute’s applause to remember Rob Burrow took place before Super League’s only fixture of the day and there was further recognition of the Leeds Rhinos’ legend on seven minutes as all fans united to sing: ‘There’s only one Rob Burrow.’

The on-field action was less inspiring until Salford made a 27th-minute breakthrough as Deon Cross touched down.

Reynolds scythed through the home defence to register his first try for the Black and Whites and then booted Hull in front but it was all square at half-time as Sneyd kicked a penalty after the hooter.

Marc Sneyd starred for Salford on his 300th Super League appearance

Marc Sneyd starred for Salford on his 300th Super League appearance

Tom Briscoe’s off-the-ball challenge on Brierley earned him a yellow card and his temporary absence and a game-ending injury for hooker Danny Houghton was a double blow for Simon Grix’s side.

When Briscoe returned Salford were 18-6 in front thanks to Sneyd’s converted tries for Brierley and centre Chris Hankinson.

Young Hull forward Denive Balmforth provided an instant response with his third try in as many games but when Salford were gifted a cheap penalty on the hour Sneyd took the points on offer to move the Red Devils two scores in front again.

Final-quarter tries for Jordan Lane and Martin kept Hull in contention right until Reynolds’ costly late miss.

What’s next?

Hull FC host city rivals Hull KR on Saturday July 13 (2.55pm, Sky Sports Arena), with Salford visiting Catalans Dragons later the same day (5.25pm, Sky Sports Arena).

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Netherlands 2 – 1 Turkey

Netherlands 2 – 1 Turkey


Netherlands scored twice in six second-half minutes to beat Turkey 2-1 and set up a Euro 2024 semi-final against England on Wednesday.

Netherlands had won just one of their previous 10 European Championship matches when behind at half-time yet were inspired by the introduction of striker Wout Weghorst at the break which helped force the turnaround.

Turkey had enjoyed the better of the first half and took their chance in the 35th minute when teenager Arda Guler delivered a perfect cross from the right for centre-back Samet Akaydin to head home from inside the six-yard box.

Team news:

  • Ronald Koeman named an unchanged side from Netherlands’ 3-0 victory over Romania in the last 16.
  • Turkey were forced into three changes due to suspensions. Samet Akaydin, Salih Ozcan and captain Hakan Calhanoglu all came into the side for Merih Demiral, İsmail Yuksek and Orkun Kokcu.

Netherlands’ attack had struggled to click but Weghorst, on for Steven Bergwijn at the interval, gave them more presence up against the three Turkey centre-backs, immediately setting up a chance for Memphis Depay.

Turkey, though, despite coming under more pressure in the second half, still saw Guler hit the outside of the left post with a long-range free-kick and forced the unsighted Bart Verbruggen to parry from Kenan Yildiz’s drive.

Image:
Samet Akaydin (middle) celebrates scoring for Turkey.

But after Weghorst’s volley had been tipped behind for a corner, Turkey switched off and Depay’s cross was headed in by the unmarked Stefan de Vrij in the 70th minute before Netherlands took the lead moments later when Mert Muldur inadvertently turned Denzel Dumfries’ cross into his own net under pressure from Cody Gakpo.

Turkey mounted a late onslaught with substitute Zeki Celik’s goalbound effort blocked yards from the line by Micky van de Ven and after Gakpo had been denied, Verbruggen made an outstanding save in added time to keep out Semih Kilicsoy from close range.

What they said…

Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk said:

“How is my heart? It’s fine. You know they’re going to take a lot of risks, but now we’re in the semi-finals. This is very important and very beautiful, with such a crowd. We knew there would be a lot of Turks in the stadium, but I’m proud of these guys.

“In the end we got sloppy, but actually we didn’t give anything away. In the second half, we had to stay calm and take advantage of our chances. Of course, we thought it would be fine, it would be very bad if we didn’t think so. We are one step closer. We can get to work!”

Turkey captain Hakan Calhanoglu said:

“Unfortunately, we could only make it this far. I am happy if we could bring excitement to our nation. Of course, we wanted to continue this path. Unfortunately, there is also losing in football. I would like to, once again, thank all our fans.

“We didn’t start the second half well, we retreated. After the second goal, we tried long balls and took our chances.

“I am proud to have come this far. Everyone represented their country in the best possible way. I would like to thank all my team-mates.”

Stats: Story of the match

Who plays who in the semi-finals?

British GP preview: George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris in battle for home victory with Max Verstappen lurking | F1 News

British GP preview: George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris in battle for home victory with Max Verstappen lurking | F1 News



After a dream qualifying result for the fans at Silverstone, Sunday’s British Grand Prix could hardly be better set up to provide further drama.

George Russell beat his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to pole, with Lando Norris taking third for McLaren to create a British front three on the grid for the first time in Formula 1 at Silverstone, and the first time at any track since 1968.

If the prospect of an all-British battle for victory didn’t provide enough tension, there’s also the lurking threat posed by world championship leader Max Verstappen, starting from fourth.

Interchangeable conditions throughout the weekend so far, with the extremes of the July weather extreme even for Britain, have made it very tricky to work out who will have the strongest race pace.

Norris and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, who starts fifth, appeared strongest in the dry on Friday, while Russell and Hamilton excelled in wet conditions on Saturday, before taking pole on a cool, drying circuit.

Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and fans celebrate England’s win over Switzerland on penalties to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2024.

Verstappen, meanwhile, has so far failed to get the best out of his upgraded Red Bull, but was handicapped in the latter stages of qualifying after a trip onto the gravel in the opening part of the session damaged his car.

With the forecast promising a mixture of showers and sunshine once more on Sunday, it is almost impossible to work out who is most likely to end the day on the top step of the podium, creating a marvellous spectacle for F1 fans.

Who has the fastest car?

It’s an almost impossible question to answer, but we’ll try.

The consensus among those involved seems to be that, as has been the case over recent weeks, Verstappen and Norris would likely have a slight edge over Mercedes in dry conditions.

The pair were on course last weekend in Austria to finish as the top two for a third successive race, before their controversial collision gifted victory to Russell.

George Russell says being on pole at his home Grand Prix is the ‘best feeling’ he has ever had after a qualifying session.

“Realistically we know we’re probably a tenth or two behind Lando and Max, but I think we’ve got a good fight on our hands,” Russell said.

“But the weather’s going to play a huge part in that. You know, it’s been raining and drying up throughout the last couple of days. There’s a bit of rain on the forecast tomorrow.”

Norris, who isn’t usually one for overly optimistic assessments of his chances, appeared to remain in a positive frame of mind after blowing his chances of pole with a mistake in the early stages of his final flying lap in qualifying.

“We’ve been very quick in the races over the last two months,” Norris said. “It’s probably been one of our strengths.

“It’s been actually race pace over qualifying pace. But this is a very different type of circuit. It’s a very different layout. But it’s still a strength. And hopefully it comes back towards us a little bit tomorrow.”

Lando Norris says he expected Mercedes to be his main contenders for pole and will look to bring the fight to them from P3 tomorrow.

As for Verstappen, who before his collision with Norris last week had been on a brilliant run of form that saw him snatch victories away from the seemingly faster McLaren, there was a hint that the RB20 has more performance to unleash.

“It hurts because to let your team down that way,” he said after his Q1 error, “it hurts a lot because I think the weekend was strong up to now. We were just not able to show the pace.”

Will Russell and Hamilton work together?

It must be said that to begin with, at least, this is largely a question for Hamilton.

It’s quite safe to say that with the seven-time world champion seeking a first victory since December 2021, he will be giving everything to beat Russell off the line and take the lead.

In the event that the starting order remains after the first corner, it’s fair to assume that Hamilton may be under some pressure from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to take a sensible approach to racing his team-mate.

Lewis Hamilton says it was the best the 2024 car has ever felt after securing a brilliant Mercedes one-two on the grid for the British Grand Prix.

Given Hamilton is heading to Ferrari next season, he might not care too much about what Wolff wants, but in theory Mercedes will have a major advantage if they can keep their two cars at the front of the pack.

While confirming that he’ll be attempting to implement some sort of plan for his drivers to work together, Wolff appeared somewhat resigned to the reality that there may be moments where the Silver Arrows are fighting each other.

“I think we’re talking about it every Sunday,” he told Sky Sports F1. “And we’re not trying to be a broken record, but we have an opportunity tomorrow, be it only for a podium.

“But we’re starting first and second and as long as we can hold that for a while, that would be good and gives us a better position.”

Karun Chandhok analyses George Russell and Lewis Hamilton’s fastest laps during qualifying of the British GP.

For the Hamilton fans hoping to see the 39-year-old cap his historic time at Mercedes with at least one more victory, he did provide a subtle note of encouragement.

“I think I was cautious with my set-up, more thinking to have a nice balance in the race rather than all for one particular lap,” Hamilton said. “So I do think that the car will be good tomorrow.”

Extra tension on the second row

Verstappen and Norris have recently got quite used to battling for the lead off the start line, but this time their duel will resume from behind the Mercedes.

Their collision in Austria was very clearly the headline news coming into the weekend, but Norris somewhat diffused the situation by withdrawing his post-race demand for an apology from Verstappen.

Lando Norris and Max Verstappen crash in the Austrian Grand Prix, with both drivers then missing out on P1.

The softening of the Brit’s stance led some to suggest that Verstappen, who finished fifth in Austria as Norris retired as a result of damage from the incident, has established a psychological advantage over his closest title challenger.

Norris once more seemed keen to play down the significance of his battle with Verstappen.

“I’m sure Max is going to be racing us tomorrow, but I’ve still got two other guys I’ve got to worry about, so I don’t care just about Red Bull,” he said.

“I think our strategy has been very good over the last two months, so I’m happy. The team are doing a good job and therefore I’m confident we can execute a good race. We need good pace. We need to be able to race well. I need to pass two guys if that’s going to be on the cards.”

Max Verstappen says he is happy to still be in the hunt despite damaging his car as he qualified P4 for the British Grand Prix. 

The idea of looking ahead rather than behind was not just presented by Norris, with McLaren team principal Andrea Stella also appearing quietly confident.

“We could have done a little bit better,” he said. “But we are there and certainly we will play our cards tomorrow.”

Who has the best weather person?

For all the talk of potential performance, there’s a high chance that speed and skill – at least from the drivers – will not turn out to be the most crucial factor on Sunday.

Changing weather conditions during the race mean that strategy could be decisive, with huge gains possible from switching to the right tyre at the right moment.

The drivers will get their instructions from their engineers, but the process stretches beyond each team’s pit wall and garage.

McLaren chief executive Zak Brown, who is part of Sky Sports F1’s coverage this weekend from his team’s pit wall, explained during qualifying that the Woking squad have spotters out on different parts of the track and even in the air keeping a close eye on conditions.

Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz looks back at all the big talking points from Qualifying for the British Grand Prix.

Given Mercedes apparent advantage in the wet and the fact it’s always easier to drive from the front in the rain due to the lack of spray coming from a car in front, Russell could benefit from more showers, but is also wary of their danger.

“We will need a good weather person! It literally takes one small mistake and it can all go wrong,” he said. “Everyone’s in the same boat.”

Like Russell, Norris is attempting to win his home race for the first time, and is confident of taking on his compatriots regardless of the conditions.

“It’s going to rain again tomorrow, so I’m excited,” he said. “It’s going to be a good race. We’re quick. I can bring the fight to George and I can bring the fight to Lewis, so excited to put on a good show tomorrow.”

Sky Sports F1’s live British GP schedule (all F1 sessions on Sky Showcase)

Here’s what you can look forward to during coverage of this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

Sunday July 7
8:15am: F3 Feature Race
9:50am: F2 Feature Race
11:50am: Porsche Supercup
1:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – British GP build-up
3pm: The BRITISH GRAND PRIX
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted’s Notebook

F1’s summer triple-header concludes with the big one, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Showcase, with Sunday’s race at 3pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

Max Kilman to West Ham transfer: Julen Lopetegui’s move for underrated Wolves captain makes sense even at £40m | Football News

Max Kilman to West Ham transfer: Julen Lopetegui’s move for underrated Wolves captain makes sense even at £40m | Football News


Steve Bull is surely Wolves’ greatest-ever signing, brought in for a pittance from West Bromwich Albion and going on to become the club’s all-time top scorer. But there are now 40 million reasons why Maximilian Kilman’s name is in the frame.

At 27, he departs Molineux for around 1,000 times the fee that was paid to Maidenhead for his services in 2018. He has been superb for Wolves, captaining the club this past season. The question now is whether he can be even better for West Ham United.

Kilman should not be underestimated. Even his colleagues have made that mistake in the past. A conversation with Jose Sa, in particular, comes to mind. The goalkeeper knew most of his new team-mates upon arrival but not the fresh-faced lad at the back.

Watch Kilman’s best bits from the 2023/24 Premier League season

“I talked with him,” he told Sky Sports. “I said, ‘Max, the first training session here, when I saw you, I said to myself that this guy cannot be a player’. In that first session, when we were defending, he did not run. I thought that was impossible. This guy doesn’t run!”

His confession to Kilman came months down the line by which point he had realised the truth. “I had to say sorry to him because after that first session all I was thinking was that he did not run and he did not tackle. I eat my words. He is amazing.”

Kilman is not a defender who tends to catch the eye with last-ditch tackles, although he did rank among the top three in the Premier League last season for headed clearances and possession won in the defensive third. It helps that he did not miss a single minute.

His strength, alongside this unusual durability, is his calmness in defence. It has become something of a running joke that references to Kilman’s rise cannot ignore his time playing futsal for England but it is an inescapable element of his development.

A different kind of defender?

Michael Skubala, now head coach of League One side Lincoln City, was the England futsal manager during Kilman’s time in that game. Speaking to him when Kilman first emerged at Wolves, Skubala told Sky Sports: “His journey is quite unique in England.”

He added: “Max did not do futsal within a football environment, he did futsal within a futsal environment. That is to say, he had come out of the professional football system and was in the futsal system being coached by futsal coaches.”

That meant that he was not your average non-League centre-back. He was exposed to another style of play throughout. “By twin-tracking, he was getting all of these elements and he was doing it for years. He used futsal to make him a better footballer.”

And he used his early football career to prepare him for the physicality that futsal could not. Skubala called it “getting across the grass” in reference to making that adjustment to the wide-open spaces of the football pitch. A loan to Marlow helped him progress.

Mark Bartley, his manager there, explained: “You do not need to be crashing into tackles to impose your physicality on a game and ball retention comes naturally to him. A lot of players who step up have to adapt but moving the ball quickly is part of his make-up.

“He has great ball-manipulation skills. He can draw opponents into certain areas and then just manoeuvre his way out of them. It catches you off guard because it is that old cliche, good feet for a big man, but he does have tremendous feet.”

Skubala agreed. “He is really good at rolling out of pressure. He never gave the ball away in tight areas. You could always rely on him security-wise to keep possession of the ball.” Those qualities have remained a feature of his game even at Premier League level.

Lopetegui’s plans for Kilman?

Positionally, it will be interesting to see what Lopetegui has planned for him at West Ham. The most obvious explanation for the appetite for his acquisition would be the exit of the left-footed Nayef Aguerd, opening up a like-for-like space in the Irons’ squad.

Could Kilman partner Konstantinos Mavropanos in a new-look West Ham central defence? Initial reports indicate that Lopetegui is open-minded about it and will assess the situation during pre-season, something possible because of Kilman’s flexibility.

For instance, Nuno Espirito Santo and Bruno Lage both used Kilman on the right of a back three despite being a natural left-footer. Playing on the opposite side allowed him to collect the ball and then carry it forward with a pass out wide easily available.

Asking Lage about this at the time, he explained: “He drives with the ball. He goes inside and when the guys come towards him he finds the spaces.” Gary O’Neil would later shift Kilman back to the right of a three-man build-up, again hailing his adaptability.

Putting that position question to O’Neil, he said: “Sometimes I really like him on the right because he gives us different solutions. And then sometimes he gets the ball and I think we could do with a right-footer there. That he can do both is important.”

Max Kilman's positioning under various different managers during his Wolves career
Image:
Kilman was used very differently by Lopetegui when at Wolves

Lopetegui, Kilman’s manager at Wolves in between Lage and O’Neil, had a more conventional approach. He deployed him as the left-sided centre-back in a four-man defence. Kilman was part of eight clean sheets in his 11 home games under Lopetegui.

The new West Ham manager was impressed by his work ethic and his character, as well as his willingness to take on new ideas. A relative introvert, he has added even more to his game under O’Neil, taking on greater responsibility as a leader in the dressing room.

Lopetegui is banking on all of that to help make a difference as he prepares for his first full season as a Premier League manager. He believes Kilman’s peak years are upon us and it would not be a huge shock if that England call-up soon comes.

Wolves may welcome the fee but they will miss the player. There will be more spectacular signings this summer but few more sensible. This is a defender with no obvious weaknesses in his game. Lopetegui and West Ham will be the beneficiaries.

Wimbledon: Emma Raducanu defeats Maria Sakkari to ease into the fourth round | Tennis News

Wimbledon: Emma Raducanu defeats Maria Sakkari to ease into the fourth round | Tennis News


A clinical Emma Raducanu conjured memories of her stunning US Open win by defeating ninth seed Maria Sakkari to ease into the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Raducanu had thumped Sakkari in the semi-finals in New York, and she again lost only five games under the roof on Centre Court, reminding the tennis world of her rare talent in a 6-2 6-3 victory.

Having not beaten a top-10 player in her career, the 21-year-old has now done it twice in a fortnight, as well as matching her best run at the All England Club from her breakthrough event three years ago.

“I think today was really up there with the most fun I’ve had on the tennis court. I really enjoyed every single moment,” said Raducanu.

“I told myself: ‘How many times in your life are you going to get to play in front of a full Centre Court?’

“I think I’m most proud of how I was so focused and determined on every single point and every single moment.

“I knew, playing Maria – she’s a top-10 opponent – I had to battle and fight hard. She’s so tough and has amazing weapons. I kind of saw it as a free swing.

“You just have to play every point like it could be your last.”

The British wild card will next face qualifier Lulu Sun, ranked 123 in the world, for a place in the quarter-finals on Sunday.

Image:
Raducanu conjured memories of her stunning US Open win on Centre Court


She played down the parallels between this fortnight and New York after swatting aside Elise Mertens in the last round, but there certainly are some, not least the fact she arrived here feeling confident and with plenty of wins under her belt.

Over the last month she has reached her first grass-court semi-final in Nottingham and then beat a top-10 player for the first time, seeing off Jessica Pegula in Eastbourne.

Sakkari pointed out in a rather prickly fashion ahead of the contest that it is she rather than Raducanu who has been among the best players in the world for the last three years.

But she has also struggled at the Grand Slams since making the last four in New York and came into Wimbledon having won just one match in her last five major tournaments.

An error-strewn first game from the Greek, who has never been beyond the third round here, gave Raducanu an immediate break of serve, while the big difference between the two was their handling of the big points.

Raducanu was exceptional, saving five break points across three games in the first set, one with an ace and another a searing forehand down the line.

She had Sakkari at 0-40 in the fifth game without managing to break but found the cushion she was looking for when an Andy Murray-esque lob landed on the baseline to give her a 5-2 lead.

Sakkari had two more chances in the next game but again Raducanu was rock solid, and there was an air of real excitement around Centre Court when she secured another break to lead 2-1 in the second set.

Errors were flowing again from the racket of a frustrated Sakkari, who vented in exasperation at her support box as Raducanu survived another close game, saving two more break points, one with a second-serve ace.

Sakkari saved two match points serving at 3-5 but sent a forehand wide on the third to leave Raducanu grinning in delight.

One of these players will reach the Wimbledon semi-finals

Emma Raducanu

Lulu Sun

Paula Badosa

Donna Vekic

Raducanu on her form: ‘It’s all about winning the day’

“Well I think just having your inner passion. Win or lose, every day I’m just trying to win the day,” she said.

“Different days mean different things. Getting out on the court can sometimes be winning the day.

“Sometimes you win the day and you play amazing tennis. It’s give and take.”

Tale of the Tape

Raducanu vs Sakkari: Tale of the Tape

Raducanu Match Stats Sakkari
3 Aces 2
3 Double Faults 6
71% 1st serve win percentage 69%
50% 2nd serve win percentage 27%
3/3 Net points won 4/8
1/4 Break points won 9/10
15 Total winners 20
13 Unforced errors 31
69 Total points won 52

Kartal’s Wimbledon run comes to an end

Coco Gauff with Sonay Kartal following her victory on day five of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London. Picture date: Friday July 5, 2024.
Image:
Sonay Kartal’s impressive Wimbledon campaign ended in the third round after a straight-sets loss to US Open champion Coco Gauff (left)

Sonay Kartal’s impressive Wimbledon campaign ended in the third round after a straight-sets loss to US Open champion Coco Gauff.

World No 298 Kartal only won three games at the All England Club last year but managed more than that against Gauff and even broke the American in the first set on Court One.

Kartal held her own in several long rallies before Gauff eventually proved too strong with a 6-4 6-0 victory, but the British No 9 could be proud of her week’s work in SW19, which has pocketed her £143,000 in prize money and memories to last a lifetime.

No obvious nerves appeared on show from the 22-year-old though, who had admirably tried to keep up with Gauff’s powerful-hitting and duly did when the American sent her backhand long after a 15-shot rally to get Kartal on the scoreboard.

Big cheers greeted the hold and a 104mph ace helped secure another before the home favourite fashioned two break points in the seventh game.

Gauff sent down a double-fault to get the first set back on serve, but consecutive backhand winners by the world No 2, the first after a successful challenge, was enough to earn her a break back.

The 39-minute opener was closed out with an ace and a wild forehand by Kartal gifted Gauff a break at the start of the second set.

It was largely one-way traffic after but Kartal delighted the crowd by saving three break points in the fifth game of the second set.

Second seed Gauff did eventually seal the break and an ace ended Kartal’s fine run before she exited Court One to rapturous applause.

“I think today was a really good test for me. I’ve never come out with someone like Coco before,” Kartal said.

“My first set today, that set and the whole week has given me confidence to prove that my level is up there.

“It’s important for me now to play the bigger tournaments, play the bigger WTA tournaments, mix in with that level.”

Elsewhere in the women’s singles on Friday, Italian Jasmine Paolini beat Bianca Andreescu 7-6 (7-4) 6-1, Spain’s Paula Badosa knocked out 14th seed Daria Kasatkina 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 6-4 and American Madison Keys beat Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-4 6-3.

Raducanu’s next opponent Sun beat China’s Zhu Lin 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (8-6), American Emma Navarro beat Diana Shnaider 2-6 6-3 6-4, and Croatia’s Donna Vekic beat Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (3-7) 6-1.

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Vivianne Miedema: Man City sign Women’s Super League record goalscorer on free transfer after Arsenal exit | Football News

Vivianne Miedema: Man City sign Women’s Super League record goalscorer on free transfer after Arsenal exit | Football News



Manchester City have completed the signing of Vivianne Miedema, who has signed a contract until the summer of 2027.

Clubs across Europe and North America were interested in the forward but the 27-year-old has moved to City on a free transfer after leaving Arsenal at the end of her contract.

Miedema is the WSL’s all-time leading scorer. However, she has started just eight league matches over the past two seasons due to injury, including an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear in December 2022.

Miedema, who joined Arsenal from Bayern Munich in 2017, won the WSL with the Gunners in 2019, as well as the League Cup in 2018, 2023 and 2024.

The Netherlands international’s decision to leave north London was mutual. Miedema was understood to be keen on a fresh challenge while Arsenal are looking to reinvest in their squad.

Upon signing, Miedema said: “The reason I chose City is because they have the same ambitions as me. They want to win the league and titles.

Vivianne Miedema scored on her final Arsenal appearance against Brighton in the Women’s Super League

“Looking to the future, I’ve always said I want to play with the best players in the world and I think City have got that.

“I haven’t played as much football as I would have wished over the past two years, but I think and hope my best years are still to come. I hope I’m going to be able to help the team as much as I can do.

“I am just really excited to be part of the team and for the girls to hopefully help me and get me back to my best. If I get back to my best again then we can achieve really nice things together.

“I do think this is the place to be right now. In the end, it was an easy choice for me.

“I want to challenge myself every day in training but also every single week in the games we play.”

Vivianne Miedema scored her first goal for Arsenal since December 2022 against Liverpool last season

Head coach Gareth Taylor added: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming Viv to City and seeing her flourish over the next three years.

“Our ambition is to compete on the highest stage and for the highest honours, and Viv is aligned to this desire.

“She’s a top talent that I’m excited to work with, as she’s a player I’ve always admired. Viv will be a real asset to the team.”

Miedema also reunites with her Netherlands team-mates Jill Roord – herself coming back from an ACL injury – and Kerstin Casparij.

She will join up with Man City for pre-season training at the end of July.

Miedema joins formidable Man City attack

Sky Sports’ Charlotte Marsh:

“After missing out on the WSL title by goal difference to Chelsea last season, Taylor and his team are trying to make sure that doesn’t happen again this time.

“Manchester City are building quite the potent attacking force. Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly are on either wing, Bunny Shaw is through the middle and Miedema can play in the No. 10 role or just off Shaw.

“That’s before we even talk about the return of Jill Roord, the breakthrough of Jess Park and the calming influence of Yui Hasegawa in central midfield.

Rosie and Mollie Kmita rank Vivianne Miedema’s best Women’s Super League goals

“Miedema’s arrival could also prove to be the best business of the window. Firstly, it’s a free transfer.

“And, despite writing her name repeatedly into WSL history in her seven years at Arsenal, the forward is just 27 and, arguably, hitting her peak years.

“She too will have something to prove after 18 months of injury disappointments and setbacks. That should be a stark warning for other WSL teams.

“It is time for Miedema to see if she can shine elsewhere in the WSL – and win more silverware along the way.”

Euro 2024: Who should take England’s penalties in a shoot-out? | What lessons can be learned from past spot-kick failures? | Football News

Euro 2024: Who should take England’s penalties in a shoot-out? | What lessons can be learned from past spot-kick failures? | Football News


Here’s a quiz question: What do the 2022 World Cup final, the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final, the 2020 European Championship final and the 2016 Copa America final have in common?

Answer: They were all settled by a penalty shoot-out.

“There are so many things you can do to prepare your team for penalties, to train them for penalties, to help your players and team cope with the pressure of penalties,” says Geir Jordet, professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences and author of the recently-published book, “Pressure: Lessons from the Psychology of the Penalty Shoot-out.”

England have had so many penalty heartaches down the years – not least in the last Euro final when they lost 3-2 to Italy on penalties – with their 2-7 overall record the worst in the history of the tournament, while if you also include the World Cup, the Three Lions’ numbers are even worse, with two wins from nine.

Geir Jordet, professor at Norwegian School of Sport Sciences

“You can do this as an individual, as a team, as a manager,” he adds.

Just this year, France coach Didier Deschamps railed against an attempt by the French Football Federation to come up with an initiative to improve the team’s performance in shoot-outs. France lost in them in the last 16 at Euro 2020 and in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina.

“I’m convinced – and my past as a player gives me this information – that it’s impossible to recreate a situation, on a psychological level, between training and a match,” Deschamps said.

Nini Madueke, Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer were all involved in an argument over a Chelsea penalty against Everton
Image:
Will Chelsea’s Cole Palmer take a penalty for England if their Euro 2024 quarter-final with Switzerland goes to a shoot-out?

Jordet acknowledged that, but said it is “absurd” to not try to simulate these pressure situations in training.

“There are studies showing that training with mild anxiety will prepare you and help you perform better under conditions of high anxiety,” he said, before looking at other professions and areas of work.

“If you look at military training – in peacetime, which is what we’re used to, should they train for war activities and the pressure and stress of being in a conflict, or should they just sit back and say we cannot simulate the pressure and the stress of being in an active firefight? That’s absurd. It’s the same case with pilots or if you look at surgeons or ER doctors.”

Argentina's Gonzalo Montiel score in a penalty shootout during the World Cup final soccer match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Image:
Argentina’s Gonzalo Montiel scores the winning penalty in the 2022 World Cup final against France

Jordet has looked specifically at penalty shoot-outs at the last World Cup and how coaches managed the two minutes they had with their players between extra-time finishing and the shoot-out starting. He noted the winning teams “without exception” were those whose coaches took the shortest time giving their instructions.

In the final, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni’s nomination process took 15 seconds, Jordet said, because his team was prepared.

He added: “Deschamps spent almost 20 seconds considering who should take the shot for each of his penalty takers, looking around, showing basically how little clarity he had about what to do. It was probably something his players would pick up on as well.”

EUROS HISTORY

There have been 22 shoot-outs at the Euros, including four in 1996 and 2020. Of the 232 shots taken in the shoot-outs, 178 were successful – a 76.7 per cent success rate. That fits the data models which typically say the expected success of a penalty is 0.76 per cent (that is, 76 out of 100 penalties would typically be scored).

GO FIRST OR SECOND?

So much for the widely-held perception that the team going second in a shoot-out is at a disadvantage for being under extra pressure. The latest major study of penalties, covering men’s competitions in European football over the last 11 years, showed the winning percentage of the team shooting first in penalty kicks was 48.83 per cent. Jordet said the advantage has “progressively and dramatically shrunk” compared to older research, some of which said there was around a 60 per cent chance of the team going first winning.

TEAM ORDERS

France's Kylian MBAPPE reacts after scoring his second goal during the FIFA World Cup Final match at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail, Qatar on Dec. 18, 2022. ( The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images )
Image:
France’s Kylian Mbappe was successful from the spot in his side’s loss to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final

That same study showed the first kick is scored in shoot-outs more often than any other (nearly 84 per cent) and is typically delivered by the most reliable penalty taker. Messi and Kylian Mbappe took the first two kicks in the World Cup final shoot-out, for example.

The likelihood of success by a team’s second taker dips to as low as around 72 per cent, the study says, while the fifth kicker of the team shooting second has not gotten to take a penalty in 43.26 per cent of shoot-outs. Placing your best taker at No 5 in the list is dangerous, then – just ask Cristiano Ronaldo, who never got to take a penalty when Portugal lost a shoot-out to Spain in the Euro 2012 semi-finals, and Mohamed Salah, who was left stranded as his Egypt team lost the Africa Cup of Nations final in 2021.

TACTICS

Watch out for gamesmanship around shoot-outs or regular penalties. Opponents have been seen attempting to scuff the turf around the spot in the hope of causing the taker to slip. That has led on some occasions to players from the team awarded the penalty gathering around the spot to protect the turf. Another recent phenomenon is one player holding on to the ball near the spot when a penalty has been awarded and then passing it, at the last minute, to the team-mate taking the kick.

SALVADOR, BRAZIL - JULY 05:  Goalkeeper Tim Krul of the Netherlands celebrates with teammates after making a save in a penalty shootout to defeat Costa Ric
Image:
Tim Krul was the Netherlands’ hero in their shoot-out win against Costa Rica in the 2014 World Cup

“It’s about making the individual act of shooting a penalty into a collective team performance,” Jordet said. There also have been numerous examples of back-up goalkeepers or outfield players being brought on as a substitute late in extra-time because they have a better record in penalties than the regular starter. See Netherlands goalkeeper Tim Krul at the 2014 World Cup and Australia goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.

NEW TECHNIQUE

England's Harry Kane celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal from a penalty kick during the Euro 2024 group C qualifying soccer match between England and Italy at Wembley stadium in London, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Image:
England captain Harry Kane has a new penalty-taking technique

There is a new dominant penalty technique – and it is not for the faint-hearted. It involves the taker approaching the ball and waiting for the goalkeeper to make the first move. What invariably becomes a stutter-step routine has been called the “goalkeeper-dependent technique” by experts like Jordet. “It’s very sophisticated and hard to perform when the pressure’s truly on,” he said. “If you’re competent at executing this technique, this will effectively delete the risk factor of the goalkeeper going in the right direction and your odds suddenly going down.”

Poland captain Robert Lewandowski has been using it since 2016 – and used it against France in the group stage at Euro 2024 – and Harry Kane is a recent adopter.

PROVEN PEDIGREE

England's Jadon Sancho reacts after missing his shot at goal during a penalty shootout at the Euro 2020 soccer championship final between England and Italy at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, July 11, 2021.
Image:
England’s Jadon Sancho missed from the spot in the Euro 2021 final loss to Italy at Wembley

History suggests Germany might be the best penalty-taking team in Europe, having won all six of their shoot-outs since losing the European Championship’s first to Czechoslovakia in the 1976 final. Conversely, there is England, who have had so many penalty heartaches down the years – not least in the last Euro final when they lost 3-2 to Italy on penalties – with their 2-7 overall record the worst in the history of the tournament, while if you also include the World Cup, the Three Lions’ numbers are even worse, with two wins from nine. Meanwhile, the Netherlands (2-6) have not fared much better.

Speaking of England, Gareth Southgate’s side take on Switzerland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 on Saturday afternoon in what looks on paper to be an evenly-contested clash that could very well go all the way to penalties in Dusseldorf.

If that is the case, then as mentioned previously, England have the worst penalty shoot-out record of any side still left in the tournament, which does not bode well for their chances of winning the Euros.

However, if the last-eight tie is decided by the dreaded spot-kicks at the ESPRIT Arena on Saturday, then let’s hope Southgate has heeded the above advice and prepared his players in advance.

And if, as is likely, the England manager has been practising in training this week, then it would also be a surprise were he and his coaching team not to know the statistics around who are the Three Lions’ most successful penalty takers.

If not, then a new study has revealed Cole Palmer has the best penalty record of any player in the England squad. Sports analytics platform Tips.gg examined the penalty records of the 13 England players at Euro 2024 who have taken a career penalty, excluding shoot-outs. The players were then ranked based on the highest to lowest conversion rates.

Cole Palmer scores his penalty for his first England goal
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Cole Palmer scores from the spot in England’s recent friendly win against Bosnia

Palmer has the best penalty record of any player in the squad. The 2023/24 Young Player of the Season enjoyed an impressive debut season at Chelsea, scoring nine goals from the spot. Palmer, who has a perfect conversion rate of 100 per cent from 14 penalties, last scored a penalty during England’s pre-tournament 3-0 friendly win against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Rank

Player

Penalties Scored

Penalties Missed

Conversion Rate

1

Cole Palmer

14

0

100.00%

2

Conor Gallagher

5

0

100.00%

3

Trent Alexander-Arnold

4

0

100.00%

4

Jude Bellingham

3

0

100.00%

5

Ivan Toney

30

2

93.75%

6

Eberechi Eze

7

1

87.50%

7

Harry Kane

74

11

87.06%

8

Bukayo Saka

12

2

85.71%

8

Anthony Gordon

6

2

75.00%

10

Jarrod Bowen

6

3

66.67%

11

Ollie Watkins

4

5

44.44%

12

Declan Rice

1

2

33.33%

13

Kieran Tripper

0

2

0.00%

Meanwhile, Conor Gallagher has also been faultless from the spot so far in his career, converting each of his five penalties. Despite a 100 per cent success rate, his last match penalty came in the U18 Premier League back in January 2018.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham also boast a 100 per cent penalty conversion rate, scoring four and three penalties respectively. Like Gallagher, Alexander-Arnold’s penalty success has come in games at youth level, where he was prolific from the spot for England in the Euro U19 qualifiers back in 2016/17. Bellingham’s most recent penalty success came when scoring in Real Madrid’s 3-2 win against Almeria in January.

Ivan Toney rounds off the five England players with the best penalty conversion rate. The Brentford striker has been successful from the spot on 30 out of 32 occasions, with a conversion rate of 93.75 per cent. His last success was back in March in England’s 2-2 draw with Belgium.

Ivan Toney celebrates after equalising for England from the penalty spot
Image:
Ivan Toney has an excellent penalty record with Brentford and England

Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze has a success rate of 87.50 per cent from eight penalties, while England captain and penalty-taker Kane – with his new aforementioned stuttering technique – has converted 87.06 per cent of his 85 spot-kicks.

And finally, Kieran Trippier has the worst penalty record of any player in the England squad. The Newcastle defender is yet to score from the spot after missing each of his two attempts at former clubs Tottenham and Atletico Madrid.

Lando Norris says Max Verstappen doesn’t owe him an apology for ‘pathetic’ Austrian GP collision | F1 News

Lando Norris says Max Verstappen doesn’t owe him an apology for ‘pathetic’ Austrian GP collision | F1 News


Lando Norris withdrew some of his criticism of Max Verstappen regarding their Austrian Grand Prix collision as he insisted his rival does not owe him an apology over the incident.

Red Bull’s Verstappen and McLaren’s Norris collided as they battled for the lead in the closing stages of last weekend’s race, with the Briton left to retire, while Verstappen finished fifth after being forced to pit.

Verstappen was given a 10-second penalty by the stewards for causing the incident, and Norris said after the race he would lose “respect” for the three-time world champion if he did not accept responsibility.

However, speaking at Silverstone ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix, Norris appeared to backtrack from his initial criticism as he confirmed he had spoken to Verstappen, with whom he shares a friendship.

McLaren’s Norris and Red Bull’s Verstappen engaged in an exhilarating battle for the race lead before the pair crashed into one another, as George Russell ended up capitalising to win the Austrian Grand Prix

“Honestly, I don’t think he needed to apologise,” Norris said. “Some of the things I said in the pen after the race were more just because I was frustrated at the time, a lot of adrenaline, a lot of emotions and I probably said some things I didn’t necessarily believe in, especially later on in the week.

“It was tough. It was a pretty pathetic incident in terms of what ended both our races. It wasn’t like a hit, it wasn’t like an obvious bit of contact. It was probably one of the smallest bits of contact you could have, but with a pretty terrible consequence for both of us, especially for myself.

Norris was initially left fuming after his collision with Verstappen

“He doesn’t need to. I don’t expect an apology from him. I don’t think he should apologise. I thought it was, as reviewed, good racing, at times maybe very close to the edge, but like I said we’ve spoken about it and we’re both happy to go racing again.”

Norris: FIA need to be aware something could go wrong

Despite softening his stance, Norris urged the sport’s governing body to provide further clarity regarding drivers moving under braking, which is what he accused Verstappen of doing on multiple occasions over team radio before the collision.

“I think it was still very clear that it was happening, but it’s a tricky one,” Norris said. “Max isn’t going to want to crash, he isn’t going to want to ruin his own race and his own chances.

Lewis Hamilton refuses to comment on the Verstappen and Norris collision

“I think yes, there are definitely things I need to do slightly differently but in the end of it, I don’t think he’s going to change too much, I don’t think I need to change too much.

“Could we have avoided the crash? Definitely, because I easily could have used more kerb. But there’s things from both sides that I’m sure we wanted to do better or in a slightly different way.

“But on the whole, I think avoiding an incident from moving under braking is probably the biggest part of it. There could very easily be an incident that comes from such a thing and I think the only thing we have to be very careful of is something that could happen.

“So that’s just something for the future and something that the stewards and FIA need to be aware of, that something could easily go wrong. So I think to a certain point, you’re defending, you’re being aggressive and that’s okay, but there will be a point when there is a limit and I think that just needs to be defined in a slightly better way.”

The F1 paddock give their view on the controversial collision between Norris and Verstappen

The ultimate consequence of the incident was Verstappen, who is chasing a fourth successive drivers’ title, extending his lead over Norris at the top of the standings to 81 points.

With the season reaching its halfway point at Silverstone this weekend, Norris has a mountain to climb, but insists he is excited to resume his contest with Verstappen in front of his home fans.

“It’s clear how he races. It’s tough, it’s on the limit. It’s what we love, it’s what I love,” Norris said.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the whole fight I had with him. Of course it was a shame things ended the way they did. But apart from that, things are clear from what you see on TV and I’m excited to go racing again this weekend.”

Verstappen ‘only cares’ about Norris friendship

Verstappen insisted that amid the furore that has followed the incident, his only concern was ensuring the maintenance of his friendship with Norris.

The Dutchman revealed that it was Norris who first contacted him on Monday, with Verstappen insinuating that his rival sought to clarify the comments he had made in the heat of the moment after the race.

Verstappen says he was ‘really upset’ by his collision with Norris and insists they have the same opinion on racing each other hard and will continue to do so

“That’s why I already said after the race, there’s no point to discuss it now. Emotions are running high and stuff like that,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.

“I woke up already quite early because I wanted to talk to Lando but he already texted me, in the morning on Monday. I think the day after your emotions are a bit lower.

“I respected that a lot. And we are great friends. He’s a very nice guy, honestly. And of course I was also really upset and disappointed that we got together because naturally, of course on the track you race each other hard, but as a friend as well, you’re very disappointed that happened.”

Verstappen has been jeered and booed by fans at the British Grand Prix over the last two years following his fierce 2021 title battle with Silverstone fans’ favourite Lewis Hamilton, but claimed the crowd reaction this year wouldn’t bother him.

David Croft and Damon Hill discuss Max Verstappen’s driving style and whether an interested Mercedes will be a fan of it.

“I’ve had that already before,” he said. “I just focus on the performance. Everything is cleared, which for me was the most important, and we move on.

“The only thing that I care about in my life is that I’m getting on well with Lando.”

Similarly to Norris, Verstappen insisted that the duo would continue to race hard when their battle inevitably resumes at Silverstone, where Red Bull and McLaren are expected to be the two fastest cars on track once more.

“Also quite quickly, when we were talking, we had the same opinion of we have to race each other hard because that’s what we like to do and that’s what we’ve always done,” Verstappen said.

“Not only in F1, even when we used to race together online and stuff like that, that’s what we really enjoyed about each other – battling hard, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”

Sky Sports F1’s live British GP schedule (all F1 sessions on Sky Showcase)

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The British Grand Prix takes place this Sunday live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Showcase

Thursday July 4
6pm: The F1 Show

Friday July 5
8.35am: F3 Practice
9.55am: F2 Practice
12pm: British GP Practice One (session starts at 12.30pm)
2.05pm: F3 Qualifying
3pm: F2 Qualifying
3.45pm: British GP Practice Two (session starts at 4pm)

Saturday July 6
9.15am: F3 Sprint
11.15am: British GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: British GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: British GP Qualifying
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday July 7
8:15am: F3 Feature Race
9:50am: F2 Feature Race
11:50am: Porsche Supercup
1:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – British GP build-up
3pm: The BRITISH GRAND PRIX
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted’s Notebook

F1’s summer triple-header concludes with the big one, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Watch every session live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Showcase, with Sunday’s race at 3pm. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime