Webb tees up British Open Motivated by Scottish frustration

MAX Verstappen says he’ll try to smooth over his relationship with teammate Daniel Ricciardo after enraging the Australian by ending his Hungarian Grand Prix on the opening lap.

Verstappen apologised after driving into the side of Ricciardo’s Red Bull car as they came through the fourth turn at Hungaroring, although he insisted it was accidental.

Ricciardo, who maintains fourth place in Formula One championships standings, had passed the 19- year- old into turn two to move to fourth having started from sixth.

The crash ended the race for Ricciardo, who went off the circuit and was losing oil.

It sparked an angry reaction from Ricciardo over the team radio. “Someone hit me. Is that who I think it was?” Ricciardo asked his race engineer.

“Yes,” came the reply from Red Bull, and then Ricciardo did not mince his words. “F--ing sore loser,” he said.

While the incident ended Ricciardo’s race, Verstappen was given a 10- second penalty but still managed to finish fifth.

Verstappen offered an apology immediately after the race.

“It was never my intention to hit anyone and especially my teammate, who I have a good relationship with,” he said. “I apologise to Daniel and I will speak to him in private.” NORTH Queensland’s Karrie Webb will attempt to turn frustration into major success at this week’s Women’s British Open after being pipped for the Ladies Scottish Open title.

A “very gutted” Webb was left lamenting the lack of leaderboards after South Korea’s Mi Hyang Lee beat her by one shot at Dundonald Links.

Lee overhauled the 42- year- old Australian great with a final round five- under 66 to win at six- under 282 while Webb ( pictured) stumbled late and carded a 73. The Ayr product had appeared on track for her first LPGA Tour win in more than three years when she chipped in for eagle at the 14th to go two shots clear.

A stroke ahead two holes left, Webb hit what she thought was a perfect 3- wood tee shot on the 17th only to have her ball bounce badly and find a pot bunker. Forced to play out backwards she took a double bogey.

Webb made a birdie on the par- 5 last hole but was not aware that she needed an eagle to match Lee.

“There was no leaderboard at the 18th,” Webb said.

“It’s pretty bad to not have a leaderboard at the last.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever been ( at a tour event) that hasn’t had a leaderboard on 18.

“We didn’t know if Mi Hyang had birdied or not, because there wasn’t like a loud cheer like she had.”

Despite the frustration, Webb’s good form in some tough links conditions earlier in the week bodes well for her when the Women’s British Open gets under way at Kingsbarns on Scotland’s east coast on Thursday.

Webb won the last of her seven major titles 11 years ago at the ANA Inspiration in the US and will be seeking her second British Open title, having won it in 2002, before it became a women’s major.

The second prizemoney of $ US104,559 ($ 131,000) she earned on Sunday gave her a boost to 57th on the LPGA season money list after a lean start to the year.