German rookie Nico Hulkenberg stunned Formula One’s title contenders by seizing pole position for Williams by a massive margin at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Saturday.
Title-chasing compatriot Sebastian Vettel was to start second yesterday for championship leaders Red Bull with Australian team mate and rival Mark Webber third next to McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.
Ferrari’s overall leader Fernando Alonso, who could become the sport’s youngest triple world champion in what was forecast to be a dry race yesterday after a wet qualifying, will start fifth.
The Spaniard is 11 points ahead of Webber with two races remaining and 21 clear of Hamilton with Vettel a further four behind.
McLaren’s reigning world champion Jenson Button, who is 42 points adrift and must have won yesterday to have any chance of staying in the title hunt to the final race in Abu Dhabi, qualified a disappointing 11th.
Hulkenberg’s astonishing pole, his time more than one second quicker than Vettel on a drying track, was former champions Williams’ first since May 2005 and the first of the 23-year-old’s career.
“It’s amazing, I still can’t believe it,” said Hulkenberg, whose future at Williams is still unclear with the team making clear that commercial considerations will be a factor in their choice of drivers for next year.
“To go on slicks was obviously the right decision,” added the youngster, so unused to being in the limelight that he had to be guided through the post-qualifying news conference routine.
“Obviously, I know these guys are fighting for the championship so I don’t want to cause any trouble, but I also have to look for my own performance. We are also battling with Force India for sixth place in the constructors’ [standings],” Hulkenberg said.
“I’m sure we can manage it and I hope I can bring home some good points tomorrow,” added the German, who ended a run of eight poles in a row at the Interlagos circuit by native Spanish or Portuguese speakers.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
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