F-1 champ Hamilton wins race marred by fiery crash
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton won a crash-marred Bahrain Grand Prix where Romain Grosjean somehow escaped with only minor burns after his car exploded into a fireball.
The 34-year-old French driver slid off the track Sunday at high speed on the first lap and his Haas car burst into flames after being sliced in two by a barrier. Grosjean clambered out with the fire roaring behind him and his race helmet singed. He was conscious and stable and then taken by helicopter to a military hospital.
Governing body FIA said in a statement that Grosjean was staying overnight in a military hospital to have treatment for burns on the back of both hands, but that he did not have any fractures despite hitting the barriers at an estimated speed of at least
200 kph (125 mph).
Late on Sunday, F1 posted a video of a smiling Grosjean speaking from his hospital bed.
“Just wanted to say I am OK,” Grosjean said. “Thank you very much for all the messages.”
The crash happened with seven-time F1 champion Hamilton leading from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Racing Point’s Sergio Perez.
Hamilton, who secured his title at the Turkish GP on Nov. 15, was subdued and did not celebrate his win after climbing out of his car, other than a brief fist-pump with the Red Bull drivers.
“It was such a shocking image to see … horrifying. It could have been so much worse,” Hamilton said. “I respect the dangers that are in this sport.”
Moments after the race restarted about 90 minutes later, on Lap 3 of 57, there was another incident as Lance Stroll’s Racing Point clipped the AlphaTauri of Daniil Kvyat and flipped over.
Stroll joked about hanging upside down in his car, before squirming out. The Canadian driver was unharmed.
Kvyat was involved in both crashes but not at fault.
The first accident happened when Grosjean lost grip and slid to the right, where his back wheel clipped the front of Kvyat’s car and he flew off into the barrier.
“At first I was angry that he had turned across me in the way he did, but that changed as soon as I saw the flames and what happened in my mirrors,” Kvyat said. “I was really worried. It was a scary moment.”
Hamilton’s record-extending 95th win saw him finish ahead of Verstappen, who took his 41st career podium and a bonus point with the fastest lap.
ETC.
Maradona investigation:
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Argentine police searched the home and office of one of Diego Maradona’s doctors on Sunday, taking away medical records as part of investigations into the death of the 60-year-old soccer star that caused a wave of grief across the country. Neurologist Leopoldo Luque told reporters after the searches that he had given investigators all of the records of his treatment of Maradona, as well as computers, hard drives and cellphones.
Boxing: Mike Tyson stepped through the ropes in his signature black trunks and heard the opening bell in a boxing ring for the first time in 15 years. The former heavyweight champion of the world traded lively punches with
Roy Jones Jr. for eight entertaining rounds that ended with two middleaged legends wearily hugging each other in mutual admiration. Their fight was only an exhibition, and it ended in a draw. But for Tyson, the experience evoked the joy and excitement he felt so long ago at the start of his boxing career – and it was likely the start of a new chapter in his epic life. “I’m happy
I’m not knocked out,”
Tyson said. “I'll look better in the next one.” Tyson showed glimpses of his destructive prime Saturday night during the 54-yearold boxing icon’s return to the ring against the 51year-old Jones. Tyson had the most impactful punches, showing off versions of the footwork and combinations that made him the world’s most feared fighter. After eight two-minute rounds, both Tyson and Jones emerged from Staples Center smiling and apparently healthy.
Soccer: With his country and the world of soccer in mourning for Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi found his own way to mark the passing of the only Argentine player to rival his own greatness on the field. Messi paid tribute on Sunday, when he stripped off his Barcelona top to reveal a shirt honoring Maradona after he scored the final goal in a 4-0 rout of Osasuna. Messi celebrated his powerful strike from outside the box by
taking off Barcelona’s blue-and-burgundy to reveal the red-and-black of Maradona’s jersey from his stint at Newell’s Old Boys. Messi then blew a kiss with both hands to the sky as he looked upward. …
Tottenham ground out a 0-0 draw at Chelsea on to return to the top spot with an ultra-defensive display from Jose Mourinho’s side frustrating the Premier League’s joint top scorers. … AC Milan maintained its unbeaten start to
the Serie A season by beating Fiorentina 2-0 on Sunday to ensure it would end the weekend at the top of the table. … Lille missed the chance to move level on points with French league leader Paris SaintGermain when it drew 1-1 at Saint-Etienne. … Gustavo Bou scored his second goal of the game in the 86th minute to help the New England Revolution beat 10-man Orlando City 3-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.