Revived Hamilton leads Ferrari one-two in Monaco practice

Monte Carlo, Principality of Monaco: Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton rolled back the years on Friday when he outpaced Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc to clock the fastest time in second practice for Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix. moryak.biz

The 41-year-old Briton, a three-time winner at the unforgiving Mediterranean street circuit and chasing his third pole at the event, clocked a best lap in one minute and 13.026 seconds to beat the local hero by 0.111 seconds.

After his strong second-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix, this was proof that Hamilton has rediscovered his mojo and will seek a record-enhancing 105th pole position and 106th win this weekend.

He won in Monaco in 2008, 2016 and 2019 and is one of six former winners in the field.

His performance came after attributing much of his improved form this year to the role of his 52-year-old Italian race engineer Carlo Santi, who succeeded Riccardo Adami, and other changes made for his second season at Ferrari.

"I feel like Carlo is like my Italian 'Bono'," said Hamilton referring to the Mercedes race engineer Peter Bonnington who now works with championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

"I told Bono that the other day. He's a bit of an OG! He's an older guy that's been around the block. He's very calm. You can hear him on the radio."

Four-time champion Max Verstappen was third fastest for Red Bull, 0.168 adrift, ahead of the Mercedes of George Russell and championship-leading Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, three-tenths and five-tenths off the pace.

Hamilton will also seek an eighth Monaco podium on Sunday to draw level with Ayrton Senna's record of eight.

Isack Hadjar recovered from a crash during opening practice to finish sixth in the second Red Bull ahead of Oscar Piastri of McLaren, whose team-mate world champion Lando Norris suffered battery failure and wound up down in 19th place.

The two Audis of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto were eighth and ninth ahead Olver Bearman of Haas while it was another dismal day for Aston Martin with two-time champion Fernando Alonso 20th and Lance Stroll 22nd.

The session began with Hadjar's car still up on axle stands, as Russell led the way, under a blue sky with a mild 22 degrees Celsius. Verstappen set an early time before the Ferraris took over with Leclerc in front by a whisker ahead of Hamilton until Verstappen took over.

Everyone, bar the Aston Martins on softs, ran on mediums as the track ramped up, providing more grip and faster lap times as Hamilton proved by going top in 1:13.729, 0.279 clear of Verstappen.

Hadjar joined the fray after 14 minutes. "Thank you, guys," he said as he pulled out shortly before a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed briefly when Norris pulled up at the Nouvelle Chicane with a battery-related electrical failure.

On resumption, Leclerc regained control, edging Hamilton by 0.058 seconds in 1:13.613 before Verstappen took softs and clocked 1:13.467. Both Mercedes men also took softs, too, but were unable to catch the trop trio until Russell rose to second.

Ferrari finally took to softs with 26 minutes to go, Leclerc soon clocking 1:13.137 to take command by 0.057 before Hamilton, clearly in the mood, trimmed that in 1:13.026.

In the final minutes, Sergio Perez came to a halt in Casino Square in his Cadillac, the American marque racing in Europe for the first time, with smoke filling his cockpit from the front-right brake ducts.

انتقدت إيران السبت الولايات المتحدة، الدولة المشاركة في استضافة كأس العالم لكرة القدم، لما وصفته بـالمعاملة التمييزية لعدم منحها تأشيرات دخول لبعض أعضاء الوفد الإيراني لحضور البطولة.
وتساءلت السفارة الإيرانية في تركيا في منشور عبر منصة إكس لماذا لا تُعلنون رفض منح التأشيرات لعدد كبير من أعضاء الجهاز الإداري والتنفيذي والمستشارين الفنيين وغيرهم ممن يُعدّون جزءا لا يتجزأ من أي منتخب وطني لكرة القدم؟، في إشارة إلى إعلان سابق للسفير الأميركي لدى تركيا توم براك بمنح تأشيرات دخول للاعبين.
وأضافت السفارة لقد صعّدتم الآن المعاملة التمييزية المتعمدة ضد المنتخب الإيراني لكرة القدم إلى أعلى مستوياتها.

Kollam, Kerala: New Vision Badminton Sport (NVBS) produced a remarkable display of emerging badminton talent at the prestigious YONEX SUNRISE NSB Sub Junior Ranking Tournament 2026, the first Kerala State Ranking Tournament of the season, held from 1st to 5th June 2026 in Kollam, Kerala.

The highly competitive championship featured leading junior badminton players from all 14 districts of Kerala, making it one of the strongest sub-junior ranking events in the state. Amid intense competition from several reputed badminton academies, NVBS once again demonstrated growing reputation as a centre for excellence in player development and competitive in badminton.

Representing the NVBS academy, a contingent of 11 players and two coaches participated across multiple categories, delivering outstanding performances with discipline, determination, and confidence.

One of the biggest highlights of the tournament was the sensational performance of Adam Noujas, who emerged as the Under-11 Boys Singles Champion after defeating top seed player Savion Thomas in the final with an impressive scoreline of 15-13, 15-5. Adam further completed a memorable double-title achievement by winning the Under-11 Boys Doubles Champions alongside fellow NVBS player Aadidev Aji. The pair defeated Muhammed Hayan MP and Savion Thomas in the final 15-11, 15-12.

Adding further significance to his campaign, Adam also competed in the higher Under-13 category and advanced to the quarterfinals after battling through a tough three-set encounter against a strong opponent, underlining his exceptional talent and future potential.

Equally impressive was the performance of Nivedya Aji, who dominated the Under-11 Girls Singles category to claim the championship title after defeating Tanvi Sugesh in the final 15-5, 15-2. Nivedya then secured her second title of the tournament by winning the Under-11 Girls Doubles Champions alongside Varada M K. The duo staged a brilliant comeback in the final against Margaret Prasanth and Tanvi Sugesh, winning 13-15, 15-7, 15-8.

Nivedya further showcased her consistency and competitive maturity by securing the Under-13 Girls Singles 2nd Runner-Up position, proving her capability to compete strongly against higher-category players.

Another major achievement for NVBS came through Parvathy Abin, who delivered an outstanding performance to become the Under-9 Girls Singles Champion after defeating Akshara Ravi in the final with a score of 15-10, 15-8. Akshara Ravi secured the runners-up position in the same category, ensuring a dominant NVBS presence in the event.

Parvathy Abin and Akshara Ravi also combined effectively in the Under-9 Girls Doubles category, securing the 2nd Runner-Up position and adding another podium finish.

Aadidev Aji further impressed throughout the tournament with mature performances and strong fighting spirit, particularly in higher-category matches, continuing to establish himself as one of the promising young players emerging from NVBS.

NVBS strengthened overall medal tally through the commendable performance of Kashvi Nambiar and Ruthvika Shree Deenadayalan, who secured the Under-11 Girls Doubles 2nd Runner-Up position after a series of impressive matches.

Several other NVBS players also showcased tremendous potential and competitive spirit during the ranking tournament, reflecting the academy’s steadily growing strength in junior badminton development.

Prior to the tournament, the NVBS management and coaching staff conducted detailed awareness and preparation sessions for both parents and players, emphasizing the importance of participation in high-level ranking tournaments, mental preparation, discipline, and long-term athlete development. The NVBS academy’s systematic approach towards tournament exposure played a vital role in the confident performances delivered by the players.

NVBS is making players officially authorized and registered under the Kerala Badminton Shuttle Association (KBSA). NVBS academy actively encourages continuous participation in all authorised tournaments, providing players with valuable competitive exposure and opportunities to compete against top-level opponents. This structured tournament pathway helps players enhance their performances, gain ranking points, build confidence, and steadily progress towards achieving championship titles at district, state, national and international levels.

Under the leadership and vision of Manoj Sahibjan, along with the dedicated support of Mrs. Banazir Manoj, NVBS continues to focus on structured long-term athlete development through disciplined coaching, tournament planning, parental education, and continuous player motivation. The NVBS academy’s commitment is increasingly reflected in the rising number of young champions emerging from the institution year after year.

The outstanding performances at the 1st State Ranking Tournament 2026 have further strengthened the reputation of NVBS as a Qatar-based badminton academy committed to developing players capable of representing Kerala and achieving success at higher levels of Indian badminton.

The prize distribution ceremony was graced by distinguished badminton officials M. Shajahan, President of the Kollam District Badminton Shuttle Association, and Dhiraj Ravi, Secretary of the Kollam District Badminton Shuttle Association, who attended the event as chief guests, adding prestige and significance to the sub-junior state ranking tournament.

Berlin: Teenage Germany forward Lennart Karl has been ruled out of the World Cup after sustaining an injury in training, the German Football Federation (DFB) said on Friday.

"Lenny tore a muscle bundle today in the final training season and is ruled out because of this injury. Have a good recovery, we're thinking of you," the DFB said on Instagram.

Germany have called up RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouedraogo to replace the 18-year-old Bayern Munich player.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann had said earlier in Chicago ahead of Saturday's friendly against the United States that Karl's injury "didn't look good" and that he had been taken to hospital for a scan.

The loss of Karl is a blow to Germany. He was one of the revelations of the Bundesliga season after making his top-flight debut this season, quickly establishing himself as part of Vincent Kompany's league-winning side.

He started his first match for Germany in Sunday's 4-0 win over Finland, setting up a goal.

Nagelsmann also confirmed that veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer would not be fit in time to face the US, but hoped he would return for Germany's first World Cup match against Curacao on June 14.

Neuer, 40, a World Cup winner in 2014, was surprisingly recalled for the tournament in May almost two years after announcing his international retirement.

"At his age, he doesn't need a warm-up phase," Nagelsmann said. "He knows how to handle high-pressure situations.

"He's on his way to peak fitness. However, we don't want to take any risks tomorrow."