F1 DRIVER ESCAPES BURNING CAR
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton won a crashmarred 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 f lames 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.”
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.
Golf
Christiaan Bezuidenhout came from three shots behind overnight to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship as Adrian Meronk faltered in his quest to become the first Polish player to win a European Tour event, at Malelane, South Africa.
Bezuidenhout finished with a 69 to win on 14 under par overall, four shots clear of overnight leader Meronk (76) and another three players tied for second at Leopard Creek
Country Club.
MLS
Gustavo Bou scored his second goal of the game in the 86th minute to help the visiting New England Revolution beat 10-man Orlando City 3-1 in the Eastern Conference semis.
• Pedros Santos and Gyasi Zardes scored three minutes apart early in overtime and the host Columbus Crew beat expansion Nashville SC 2-0 on Sunday to advance to the MLS Eastern Conference f inals. The third-seeded Crew will host eighth-seeded New England next Sunday for a spot in the MLS Cup.
International soccer
Napoli beat Roma 4-0 in an emotional match in the Italian league as the team paid tribute to Diego Maradona. It was Napoli’s first Serie A game since Maradona died on Wednesday in his native Argentina.
Maradona led Napoli to its only two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990 and is considered a god-like figure in the southern Italian city.
Tottenham ground out a 0-0 draw at Chelsea to return to the EPL’s top spot with an ultra-defensive display.
Wolverhampton beat Arsenal in an away match for the first time in more than four decades, winning 2-1 in the Premier League in a game overshadowed by a serious head injury to Wolves forward Raul Jimenez. The 29-year-old Jimenez was taken away on a stretcher in the fifth minute and then to a hospital, after a collision with Arsenal defender David Luiz while both challenged for a corner from
Willian. Also
Papa Bouba Diop, the tall Senegal midfielder who scored the goal that delivered one of
the greatest upsets in World Cup history (1-0 over France in 2002), died. He was 42.
• Argentine police searched the home and office of one of Maradona’s doctors, 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.
The Charlotte Hornets acquired forward Gordon Hayward and unprotected 2023 and 2024 second-round draft picks from the Boston Celtics in exchange for a heavily protected 2022 second-round draft pick as part of a signand-trade transaction. Hayward previously agreed to a four-year, $120 million deal to join the Hornets. The Hornets also waived guard Nicolas Batum and forward Ray Spalding. Batum is reportedly going to sign with the Clippers if he clears waivers.