Alonso gives up F1 — is IndyCar next ride?
Two-time champion Fernando Alonso will leave Formula One at the end of the season and potentially move to IndyCar in the United States.
McLaren Racing confirmed Tuesday the Spaniard will not return to F1 next year for an 18th season, and Alonso said F1’s leadership group tried to persuade him to stay with the series.
“I made this decision some months ago and it was a firm one,” Alonso said in a statement. “Nevertheless, I would like to sincerely thank Chase Carey and Liberty Media for the efforts made to change my mind and everyone who has contacted me during this time.”
There is speculation that McLaren will enter IndyCar with Alonso as one of its drivers. Alonso ran the Indianapolis 500 last year and was in position to win the showcase race until his engine failed.
He also ran the Rolex 24 at Daytona as a warmup for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in which Alonso was part of the winning team. Alonso has been pursuing the top motorsports events and has said he would like to return to Indianapolis and add a win in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” to his resume.
“Let’s see what the future brings,” Alonso said in a statement, “new exciting challenges are around the corner. I’m having one of the happiest times ever in my life but I need to go on exploring new adventures.”
Alonso has 32 career F1 wins, two world titles and runner-up three times.
College football
MARYLAND ADMITS MISTAKES >> The University of Maryland acknowledged that the football player who collapsed during practice and subsequently died did not receive proper medical care and the school must accept “legal and moral responsibility for the mistakes.”
Maryland has parted ways with strength and conditioning coach Rick Court, who resigned in the wake of the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair. Athletic director Damon Evans acknowledged that “mistakes were made” in the treatment of McNair, who was hospitalized on May 29 after a team workout and died June 13. The attorney for the McNair family said a preliminary death certificate indicates the cause of death was heatstroke.
Court posted his letter of resignation on Twitter on Tuesday. He wrote: “I am stepping down to allow the team to heal and move forward.”
Head coach DJ Durkin is on administrative leave, and his future is unclear.
Golf
TIGER SPIKES RATINGS >> There’s nothing like a late charge from Tiger Woods to juice the ratings of a major golf tournament. CBS reached 8.5 million viewers Sunday for final-round competition at the PGA Championship from St. Louis, a whopping 73 percent increase from the 4.9 million people who watched the same tournament’s conclusion in 2017, the Nielsen company said. Woods was playing his best golf in years, leading to a secondplace finish against champion Brooks Koepka. They were the best ratings for a PGA championship since 2009.
SUH, BAN ADVANCE AT U.S. AMATEUR >> Former San Jose high school stars Justin Suh and Shintaro Ban finished in the top 10 of stroke play at the U.S. Amateur and easily advanced to match play of the championship being contested at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. Cal‘s Collin Morikawa and Stanford’s Isaiah Salinda also played their way into the match play round. Lafayette’s Ryan Burnett and Danville’s Joshua McCarthy also advanced.
Tennis
WAWRINKA GETS U.S. OPEN INVITE >> Stan Wawrinka never got to defend his 2016 U.S. Open title, forced to miss last year’s tournament because of a knee injury that dropped him far down the rankings. The U.S. Tennis Association made sure he has a spot this year. Wawrinka and former women’s No. 1 Victoria Azarenka received wild cards for the year’s final Grand Slam tournament. So did Svetlana Kuznetsova, another U.S. Open champion. FEDERER WINS, SERENA LOSES >> Roger Federer made a successful return to the Western & Southern Open. It wasn’t such a great day for Serena Williams. Federer advanced to the third round with a 6-4, 6-4 victory against Peter Gojowczyk, and Williams was eliminated by eighth-seeded Petra Kvitova in a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 second-round loss in Mason, Ohio. Federer and Williams were making their first appearance at the tournament since they each won the title in 2015.
College basketball
WOMEN’S POWERS RENEW RIVALRY >> Connecticut and Tennessee plan to face each other in women’s basketball during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, renewing a rivalry that has been dormant since 2007.
Boxing
CHARGES DROPPED >> Arkansas prosecutors have dropped domestic violence charges against former middleweight boxing champion Jermain Taylor after his accuser halted contact with authorities.
NHL
ELLIS SIGNS BIG DEAL WITH PREDATORS >> Nashville defenseman Ryan Ellis has signed an eight-year deal worth $50 million that keeps him under contract through the 2026-27 season.