Leclerc sees off Piastri to take pole in Azerbaijan

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took pole position at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the fourth year in a row as title rivals Max Verstappen and Lando Norris qualified sixth and 17th. Norris, who is trying to close a 62-point gap to Verstappen over the final eight races of the year, encountered yellow flags on his final lap in the first session and faces a difficult Sunday. Oscar Piastri qualified second to Leclerc and ahead of the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz.

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Tiger Woods undergoes back surgery to ‘alleviate pain’

Tiger Woods has undergone back surgery after an injury-hit 2024 season. A statement on Woods’ official X account said the 15-time major winner underwent microdepression surgery of the lumbar spine for nerve impingement in the lower back on Friday. Dr Sheeraz Qureshi, of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, performed the surgery and deemed it to be successful.

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Oscar Piastri will ‘help out’ Lando Norris in battle for World Championship

McLaren are to prioritise Lando Norris over team-mate Oscar Piastri in their bid to win both Formula 1 world championships this year. But team principal Andrea Stella said any actions taken to back Norris in the drivers’ title chase would happen only within the team’s principles of sportsmanship and fairness.

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Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard set for at least three weeks out

Arsenal are still waiting to discover the full extent of Martin Ødegaard’s ankle injury but their captain is expected to be unavailable for at least three weeks. This means he will miss Sunday’s north London derby and the trip to Manchester City on 22 September. Ødegaard left the pitch in tears after a challenge from Christoph Baumgartner during Norway’s win over Austria on Monday and was pictured on crutches on Tuesday when he returned to Arsenal for more tests.

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Greek curse continues as Ireland slump to defeat

An improved performance, but ultimately another losing one as Ireland were beaten 2-0 by Greece in tonight’s UEFA Nations League encounter at the Aviva Stadium. Ireland appeared to be in control following an assured first-half display, but ultimately Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side were undone by goals at either end of the second half.

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