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Max Verstappen to start F1 São Paulo GP from 17th as Lando Norris secures pole

  • McLaren driver prevails in delayed, dramatic session
  • Max Verstappen in 17th before potentially defining race

Lando Norris took pole position for the São Paulo Grand Prix in a dramatic and incident-packed qualifying session that could presage a major shift in his world championship battle with Max Verstappen. It puts the McLaren driver in the best possible position to make a huge move in closing the gap to Verstappen, who was unlucky and caught out in qualifying and finished 12th, which will mean he will start the race from 17th with a five-place grid penalty.

Qualifying had been postponed from Saturday after a torrential rainstorm had engulfed Interlagos and instead took place on Sunday morning. When it got going, once more in the wet, Verstappen was unable to finish his final quick lap in Q2 when the session was stopped after a crash by Lance Stroll. The world champion now faces an enormous task in the race.

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‘Empty tank’: Katie Boulter outgunned by Diana Shnaider in Hong Kong final

  • British No 1 beaten 6-1, 6-2 by 20-year-old Russian
  • Boulter excited after reaching career-high ranking of 23

Katie Boulter’s strong run in Hong Kong came to a brutal end on Sunday as she was thoroughly outplayed in the final by top seed Diana Shnaider, who dismantled the British No 1 6-1, 6-2 to win her fourth WTA title of the season.

Boulter, the second seed, was outgunned from the beginning by a brilliant Shnaider, a strong left-hander with a vicious, heavy forehand. As Shnaider continually took the first strike and forced Boulter into uncomfortable positions around the court, she exposed the vulnerable points of Boulter’s game. Boulter overpressed, she lost confidence in her serve and she had no alternative plan against a relentless opponent.

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