Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on pole for Saudi Arabian GP. Ferrari teen stand-in Oliver Bearman 11th Flurry of veteran salary dumps floods NFL free agency with a surplus of safeties
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen qualified on pole position for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on Friday, extending his strong start to the season even as he faced further questions over the turmoil at the Red Bull team.
Verstappen was fastest by 0.319 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez 0.016 further back.
That all puts Verstappen on course for another win on Saturday to follow up victory at the season-opening Bahrain GP last week. It would be his ninth consecutive win going back to last season, one short of his own record.
“Max has done a tremendous lap. That was not possible for me today,” Perez said.
Fernando Alonso was fourth for Aston Martin, ahead of the two McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were seventh and eighth, respectively. Red Bull drama Verstappen took the pole amid continuing instability at the champion Red Bull team, a week after the team’s parent company dismissed a complaint of alleged misconduct by team principal Christian
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ESPN2 — Formula 1: The STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
ESPNEWS — Formula 1: The STC Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (F1 Kids Broadcast)
9 a.m.
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11 a.m.
Horner toward a team employee.
Speaking after qualifying, Verstappen gave strong backing to his longtime mentor Helmut Marko and indicated their futures at Red Bull may be linked amid reports that the 80-year-old Austrian’s position overseeing the two teams owned by Red Bull may be under threat.
“From my side I have a lot of respect for Helmut and what we have achieved together. It goes very far and also, of course, my loyalty to him is very big,” Verstappen said. “And also, I’ve always expressed this to everyone within the
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FOX — Marquette at Xavier team, everyone high up, that he is an important part in my decision making for all the time in the future as well within the team.”
He added: “It’s very important that he stays within the team, including, of course, everyone else, because it’s a whole team effort. And it’s very important that we keep the key people together, because I feel like if such an important pillar falls away, that’s also what I’ve said to the team, that is not good for my situation as well. So, yeah, for sure, for me, Helmut has to stay.”
A day after the Horner complaint was dismissed, a file alleged to contain evidence against Horner was emailed to nearly 200 people in the F1 paddock, including Liberty Media, F1, the FIA, the other nine team principals and multiple media outlets. The source of that leak has not been disclosed.
Asked in Jeddah by Austrian broadcaster ORF if there was a chance he might be suspended and miss the next F1 race in Australia, Marko said: “It’s hard to judge. Put it this way, ultimately I decide for myself what I do.” He added: “Theoretically the possibility always exists.”
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Justin Simmons’ release isn’t just collateral damage from the Russell Wilson debacle in Denver, but the latest sign of a shifting of priorities in the NFL that’s resulted in a surplus of safeties flooding the free agent market.
Like inside linebackers and running backs before them, safeties are finding that teams are more and more inclined to prioritize passers, pass rushers, offensive and defensive linemen, wide receivers and cornerbacks.
This trend, combined with the $85 million in dead cap charges facing the Broncos when they release Wilson as the new league year begins Wednesday, resulted in the Broncos cutting ties with Simmons to save $14.5 million.
A cornerstone of the community, Simmons is a perennial All-Pro who leads the NFL with 30 interceptions since joining in the league in 2016. He also holds the distinction of having the most interceptions — five — of three- time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes.
Simmons immediately shot toward the top of available free agents, but his age (30), the glut of talent at his position and this shift in teams’ finan
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cial focus could keep his earning power from skyrocketing.
When the New York Giants decided not to place one of their tags on Xavier McKinney, the free safety who allowed zero touchdowns last season looked prime to cash in as the cream of the safeties in free agency.
Then, the market was flooded as teams began dumping higher- priced safeties, including some with All- Pro pedigree such as Simmons, Kevin Byard, Eddie Jackson and Jordan Poyer.
Jamal Adams, Eddie Jackson, Quandre Diggs and Rayshawn Jenkins also were cut this week and Marcus Maye is designated for a post-June 1 release from the Saints.
Poyer’s departure from Buffalo was part of the Bills’ massive makeover as they entered the offseason a projected NFLhigh $44 million over the salary cap, necessitating the release of five veterans and the restructuring of Von Miller’s contract.
The Philadelphia Eagles cleared some $13 million in cap space by releasing Byard, a two-time All-Pro who, like Simmons, is 30 years old. He had one interception and 75 tackles in 10 games for the Eagles, who acquired him from Tennessee last season.
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