Motorsports

On the first of two days of qualifying for the 2023 Indianapolis 500, Felix Rosenqvist paced the field Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

With a four-lap average of 233.947 MPH, Rosenqvist turned in the third-best qualifying performance in Indy 500 history, beating out Alexander Rossi, who averaged 233.528 MPH.

Rosenqvist and Rossi are two of the 12 drivers who will have the opportunity to vie for the Indianapolis 500 pole position on Sunday. Here is a rundown of how the "Fast 12" and the other 22 drivers fared during Saturday's qualifying session, courtesy of the official IndyCar website:

1. Felix Rosenqvist: 233.947

2. Alexander Rossi: 233.528

3. Alex Palou: 233.398

4. Rinus VeeKay: 233.395

5. Scott Dixon: 233.375

6. Tony Kanaan: 233.347

7. Takuma Sato: 233.322

8. Pato O'Ward: 233.252

9. Santino Ferrucci: 233.147

10. Marcus Ericsson: 233.030

11. Benjamin Pedersen: 232.739

12. Will Power: 232.719

13. Ed Carpenter: 232.689

14. Scott McLaughlin: 232.677

15. Kyle Kirkwood: 232.662

16. Conor Daly: 232.433

17. Josef Newgarden: 232.402

18. Ryan Hunter-Reay: 232.133

19. Romain Grosjean: 231.997

20. Helio Castroneves: 231.954

21. Colton Herta: 231.951

22. Simon Pagenaud: 231.878

23. David Malukas: 231.769

24. Marco Andretti: 231.682

25. Stefan Wilson: 231.648

26. Devlin DeFrancesco: 231.353

27. Callum Ilott: 231.320

28. Agustin Canapino: 231.182

29. R.C. Enerson: 231.129

30. Katherine Legge: 231.070

31. Christian Lundgaard: Bumped

32. Jack Harvey: Bumped

33. Sting Ray Robb: Bumped

34. Graham Rahal: Bumped

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In addition to the top 12 drivers competing for the pole Sunday, the bottom four performers from Saturday's session will race for the final three spots in the Indy 500.

Spots 13 through 30 are set, whereas only three of Christian Lundgaard, Jack Harvey, Sting Ray Robb and Graham Rahal will be part of the field.

Rosenqvist, who was the 2019 IndyCar Rookie of the Year and has one career win to his credit, set off a celebration among his Arrow McLaren team when he took the top spot Saturday:

TO. THE. TOP.

Welcome to P1, @FRosenqvist. pic.twitter.com/0sk6vvWjJ1

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 20, 2023

While it was an impressive performance, he is far from guaranteed to secure the pole, as many of the best drivers in the series will also have a shot Sunday.

Included among them are six past Indy 500 winners in Rossi, Takuma Sato, Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson and Will Power.

Kanaan, who won the Indy 500 in 2013, was responsible for one of the best moments of the day when he jumped from outside the Fast 12 into the sixth position to give himself a pole opportunity:

TK is in the Top 12! @TonyKanaan is now sitting P6 after his last attempt and is on pace to advance to Top 12 Qualifying tomorrow. #INDYCAR // @ArrowMcLaren pic.twitter.com/0vgDrEdlFo

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 20, 2023

Another notable accomplishment was Katherine Legge finishing just above the cut-off line in 30th to secure an Indy 500 spot.

Legge is one of just nine different women to have started an Indianapolis 500, but she had not accomplished the feat since 2013.

Past Indy 500 winners Helio Castroneves, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Simon Pagenaud were also among those who ensured their spot in the 2023 race.

If he wins the race, Castroneves will become the first driver in Indianapolis 500 history to win five times.

There will be no Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend as a result of the rain and flooding in the Imola, Italy, region.

Formula 1 announced the decision to cancel the event Wednesday.

"The decision has been taken because it is not possible to safely hold the event for our fans, the teams and our personnel and it is the right and responsible thing to do given the situation faced by the towns and cities in the region," the announcement read. "It would not be right to put further pressure on the local authorities and emergency services at this difficult time."

The decision has been taken not to proceed with the Grand Prix weekend in Imola#EmiliaRomagnaGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/4taauGnFEA

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 17, 2023

Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, added more context:

"It is such a tragedy to see what has happened to Imola and Emilia-Romagna, the town and region that I grew up in, and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the flooding and the families and communities affected.

"I want to express my gratitude and admiration for the incredible emergency services who are working tirelessly to help those who need help and alleviate the situation—they are heroes and the whole of Italy is proud of them."

ESPN's Laurence Edmondson noted F1 personnel were instructed to leave the paddock area Tuesday and remain away Wednesday after Italy's Department of Civil Protection issued a red alert for flooding and landslides in the area because of the heavy rains.

Water in the nearby Santerno river was running high, and Edmondson noted there were two deaths in the area weeks ago when the region was impacted by weather.

Sunday's race was set to be the first Grand Prix since the May 7 one in Miami and the first of three consecutive weekends for the sport, followed by races in Monaco and Spain.

This means Red Bull will have to wait to build its momentum after winning each of the first five races of the season. Two-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen has won three of the races, while teammate Sergio Pérez has won two.

As a result, the team is already 122 points clear of second-place Aston Martin in the constructor standings. Verstappen leads the individual driver standings and is 14 points ahead of Pérez.

The standings leader is coming off an impressive performance in Miami that saw him go from ninth place on the grid after a disappointing qualifying effort to his third win of the year.

Denny Hamlin won Sunday's Nascar Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway, but he may not have been the biggest story.

A post-race conversation between drivers Ross Chastain and Noah Gragson went sour as the two got into a fight before being broken up by bystanders.

The racers both provided some context to the scuffle.

"I'm sick and tired of it," Gragson said of Chastain's driving style. "The guy runs into everyone. When you have guys like Chase Elliott and other guys telling you to beat his ass, everyone is just sick of him."

Chastain seemingly accepted some blame for the situation after the race, citing that the competitive juices of the drivers can make a situation like this possible.

"I got tight off four for sure," Chastain said. "Noah and I have a very similar attitude on the race track. We train together, we prepare together, we know every little bit about each other. I definitely crowded him out of four."

Chastain finished in fifth in the race, while Gragson finished in 29th. Chastain is also the current leader in the Cup Series standings, while Gragson is 32nd.

The next Cup Series race is the Goodyear 400, scheduled for May 14th at Darlington Raceway.

Two-time defending Formula One world champion Max Verstappen is one step closer to a third straight title.

With his distinctive car clad in brand-new livery, Verstappen overtook his Red Bull teammate, Checo Pérez, to win the 2023 Miami Grand Prix on Sunday.

Verstappen started at the ninth post position Sunday after his qualifying race was cut short by red flags following a crash from Scuderia Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. He was not in ninth for long.

On his fourth lap of the Miami International Autodrome, Verstappen overtook Leclerc and Haas' Kevin Magnussen to reach sixth within the first 10 minutes.

Max verstappen you are insane pic.twitter.com/oNllUhK8Ym

— Sem¹ ☆☆☆☆ (@Semmieeef1) May 7, 2023

Next was Mercedes' George Russell. Then Verstappen overtook Alpine's Pierre Gasly to take fourth.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who debuted with Verstappen at Red Bull's junior team in 2015, fell behind him on the 14th lap.

During Lap 15, Verstappen cut past Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso to claim P2 behind Pérez.

Max Verstappen has gone from P9 to P2 in 16 laps 😳

He is inevitable 🚀 pic.twitter.com/J3p0H7tuxT

— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) May 7, 2023

He's a man on a mission.

Verstappen blasts past Sainz and then Alonso in successive laps to move into 2nd by just Lap 15.

Perez leads by under 4 seconds.#F1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/6dd8PtPhJk

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 7, 2023

Verstappen overtook Pérez to take pole position and led the race by over 16 seconds by Lap 28.

He stopped to pit for the first time in Lap 46, and emerged in P2 behind Pérez. Verstappen advanced past his teammate in Lap 47 to take the final lead of the race.

LAP 47/57

WHEEL-TO-WHEEL!

Verstappen seizes the lead from team mate Perez at Turn 1 ⚔️#MiamiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/ENxOTFa8L9

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 7, 2023

Spirited defence from Perez but Verstappen is through. This is a big statement from the reigning champ today. He's going to take some stopping this year.

— Nate Saunders (@natesaundersF1) May 7, 2023

WHEEL TO WHEEL

Verstappen and Perez battle it out!! 💥💥 pic.twitter.com/Sf1cXjx3eD

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) May 7, 2023

Verstappen finished five seconds ahead of Pérez, who held a wide gap over Alonso in third.

Russell, who began to surge in Lap 33, came in fourth. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, who struggled in qualifying and began the race in 13th, snatched P6 from Leclerc in the final laps.

Sainz and Leclerc, the Ferrari teammates who followed Verstappen on the Miami podium in 2022, finished fifth and seventh, respectively. Sainz was hurt by a five-second penalty he accrued by speeding in the pit lane during the 19th lap.

MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE #MIAMIGP FROM P9 ON THE GRID. WHAT A DRIVE! 👏 🏁

2. Perez
3. Alonso
4. Russell
5. Sainz
6. Hamilton
7. Leclerc
8. Gasly
9. Ocon
10. Magnussen#F1 pic.twitter.com/Kbk58zIv1V

— Autosport (@autosport) May 7, 2023

Verstappen has now won three of his five races in 2023. He headed to Miami leading the drivers standings with 93 points, with Pérez just six behind, and will now hold on fast to that lead as the Red Bull teammates duel for the 2023 Drivers' Championship.

Max Verstappen is the two-time reigning Formula 1 world champion driver and may be on his way to a third consecutive title this year, so it is only fitting EA Sports tabbed him as the cover star of its F1 23 video game.

The company announced Wednesday that the game will be available on June 16, with the Red Bull driver who has EA Sports branding on his helmet gracing the cover of the digital-exclusive F1 23 Champions Edition.

I am very excited and proud to be the single cover athlete for the #F123 Champions Edition 🙏 Can’t wait for you guys to see more of what we’ve been working on together with @EASPORTSF1 🔥 https://t.co/OD6NfkxWpy pic.twitter.com/6quvHOxTvY

— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) May 1, 2023

The Standard Edition cover of #F123 features @Charles_Leclerc front and centre beside @LandoNorris and @LewisHamilton 🙌

Reveal trailer drops May 3, 4pm BST | https://t.co/DKlul7JbVs pic.twitter.com/xLHwoY6OQH

— EA SPORTS F1 (@EASPORTSF1) May 1, 2023

There are a number of new features in this year's game, including the return of the Braking Point story mode that will follow the careers of young drivers Aiden Jackson and Devon Butler. The pair will be teammates for Konnersport Racing Team and develop rivalries as they attempt to compete against the more established F1 teams.

What's more, EA Sports incorporated feedback from F1 teams to improve the gameplay experience, with upgrades to handling, accelerating, braking and more.

The game will also debut the Las Vegas Grand Prix and Losail International Circuit in Qatar, and it will include the F1 World hub to streamline multiple game modes and provide players with the opportunity to unlock car upgrades, helmets, race suits and more by completing in-game challenges.

F1 23 will also feature a 35 percent race distance option and red flags that will require strategy to maneuver through on the track.

That Verstappen was named as the cover star comes as no surprise.

After all, he proved his controversial 2021 world title was not a one-time fluke when he cruised to another championship in 2022. He finished last year with 454 points, which was a full 146 points ahead of second-place finisher Charles Leclerc.

He is once again in front in the early going this year with 93 points through four races. Yet Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez isn't far behind with 87 after his victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Pérez may be the one celebrating the most recent win, but it is his teammate who will be on the cover of F1 23 when it is released on PlayStation5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation4 and Xbox One, as well as on PC via EA App, Epic Games Store and Steam.

Four races into the 2023 season, Sergio Pérez has already tied his career high in victories in a single season.

Pérez controlled Sunday's Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix, managing the gap to Max Verstappen to earn his second victory of the season. Red Bull has won all four races at the beginning of the 2023 campaign, with Pérez and Verstappen getting off to a dominant start for their team.

Charles LeClerc, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz Jr. rounded out the top five.

Pérez was also victorious in Saturday's sprint and currently sits just six points behind Verstappen, who also has two wins on the season. No other driver is closer than being within 30 points, and only three other drivers even have half as many points as Verstappen's 93.

Leclerc began the race on the pole but did not hold onto his lead for long. Pérez and Verstappen both easily breezed by him in the early going and did not let up as Red Bull continues to establish itself as the most dominant team in racing. The team has finished no worse than second in any of the last four seasons and has the sport's two hottest drivers leading the charge at the moment.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton's team at Mercedes continues to lag behind. Hamilton finished in sixth place Sunday and has only one podium through the first four races of the 2023 season. The seven-time champion has not won in his last 27 races, by far the longest streak of his career.

Mercedes has continually struggled the last two seasons to provide top-tier cars and has fallen significantly behind Red Bull in terms of performance.

The family of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher is going to take legal action against a German tabloid magazine for running an AI-generated interview with him.

Per ESPN's Nate Saunders, the Die Aktuelle publication promised an exclusive interview with Schumacher for the first time since he suffered a serious brain injury in a December 2013 skiing accident.

"No meagre, nebulous half-sentences from friends. But answers from him! By Michael Schumacher, 54," the magazine stated.

According to Saunders, the magazine revealed at the end of the interview the article was generated by an artificial intelligence chatbot.

A spokesperson for the Schumacher family confirmed to Saunders they intend to take legal action against the publication.

Saunders noted this isn't the first time Die Aktuelle has exploited the Schumacher family to generate interest in its magazine:

"In 2014, the magazine posted a picture of Michael and his wife Corinna on the front cover, with the headline 'Awake', only for the piece in question to have been about people who have awoken from comas in the past.

"The magazine also won a legal case against the Schumachers the following year after a front cover saying 'a new love' had entered Corinna's life, only for the article to be about the couple's daughter Gina."

Schumacher was on a skiing trip with his son when he fell and hit his head on a rock. He was placed in a medically induced coma for a period of time after doctors found he suffered a cerebral contusion and edema when they were operating on him.

Corinna Schumacher, Michael's wife, has provided occasional updates about his condition over the years, but the family has otherwise maintained a low profile since the accident.

Michael Schumacher began his Formula One career in 1991. He retired in 2006 because of neck injuries suffered in a motorcycle crash, but he returned for two years from 2010-12.

At the time he retired in 2012, Schumacher was F1's all-time leader with 91 race wins. Lewis Hamilton surpassed him with his 92nd victory in October 2020.

Schumacher and Hamilton are tied for the most F1 world championships with seven.

NASCAR has announced that Cup Series driver Cody Ware received an indefinite suspension on Monday after he was arrested on a felony assault charge.

According to the announcement, Ware was listed in the jail records of the Iredell County (N.C.) Sheriff's Office with a bond set at $3,000. He was being held on charges of "assault by strangulation—inflict serious injury" and "assault on a female."

A Cup Series driver since 2017, Ware has made 97 career starts and his best finish was sixth place last August at Daytona International Speedway.

The 27-year-old did not participate in this past weekend's event at Bristol Motor Speedway's dirt track, as his father's Rick Ware Racing team released a statement Saturday morning saying he had stepped away "to focus on a personal matter." In Ware's place, Craftsman Truck Series driver Matt Crafton raced in the No. 51 Ford and placed 34th because of an engine failure.

Prior to joining the Cup Series, Ware competed in the Xfinity Series as well as the Truck Series since 2014. He's made 28 Xfinity starts and seven Truck starts in his career.

Justin Owen died from injuries he sustained at the USAC's AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship event at the Lawrenceburg Speedway in Indiana, according to Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star. He was 26.

Per that report, Owen was doing his qualifying run on Saturday evening when "he drifted high into Turn 3, lost control and then slammed into the wall. His car then went airborne and flipped several times before coming to rest in the middle of the track."

USAC shortly thereafter canceled the event, and they later announced Owen had died:

Justin Owen, a sprint car competitor for more than a decade, succumbed to injuries sustained in a crash during Saturday’s USAC @AMSOILINC National Sprint Car event at @BurgSpeedway.

USAC send its deepest condolences to his family & friends.

Full Story: https://t.co/COTliIddde pic.twitter.com/YGVypZzS58

— USAC Racing (@USACNation) April 9, 2023

The racing world reacted to the news of Owen's tragic death:

It’s Never easy to be reminded how quickly things happen in this sport or that we’re not promised tomorrow. Keeping the family, friends and fans of Justin Owen in our prayers. We’re so sorry for your loss.

Godspeed, @OwenTwoSix

-TSR https://t.co/wAhC1Wz9cb

— Tony Stewart Racing (@TonyStewart_Rcg) April 9, 2023

Ended up 7th tonight banging the boards, had a lot of fun and appreciated the opportunity.

Post race I learned about the passing of Justin Owen, raced against Justin quite a bit in sprint cars. Thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. pic.twitter.com/losYQ36rU0

— Chase Briscoe (@chasebriscoe) April 9, 2023

Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to Justin Owen’s family and friends. All racers are part of a big family and he will be missed. Godspeed. pic.twitter.com/XjLGRhHx7A

— Brady Bacon (@BradyBacon) April 9, 2023

Per driver Tyler Kendall's Facebook page, sprint car driver Justin Owen passed away from a crash in practice for tonight's USAC race.

Our heart goes out to the family, friends, and competitors in the sprint car and overall racing world. RIP pic.twitter.com/JvwZ6PCnpx

— QUICK PIT PODCAST (@pit_quick) April 9, 2023

A gut-wrenching reminder how precious life is and how dangerous our sport can be.

God speed Justin Owen. 🙏🏻

— Chris Wilner (@chriswilner26) April 9, 2023

According to the USAC, Owen was the "reigning track champion at Lawrenceburg Speedway, scoring two feature wins and the title in 2022."

He grew up in Harrison, Ohio, just 20 minutes away from the Lawrenceburg Speedway.

He won the Dick Gaines Memorial in 2022 and earned three victories in 2019, winning at the Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series at Pennsylvania's Lernerville Speedway, Indiana's Paragon Speedway and Lawrenceburg's Night of Champions event. He also won in 2016, earning victory at BOSS at Lernerville.

He made two featured starts with the USAC, both at Lawrenceburg in 2019 and 2021.

Three men and a woman were arrested on Wednesday by Italian authorities after stealing F1 driver Charles Leclerc's Richard Mille 67-02 timepiece in April 2022, per Scooby Axson of USA Today.

The watch is valued at $320,000.

Per that report, "Two people wearing motorcycle helmets approached Leclerc to ask for a photo and autographs and after securing the watch... two suspects escaped on a scooter and two others took off in an SUV."

The robbery took place in Tuscany. Italian authorities shared footage of a car chase that ensued:

Da Napoli alla Versilia per rapinare orologi di pregio: i #Carabinieri arrestano 4 persone. Tra gli episodi documentati, la rapina di un prezioso orologio compiuta ai danni del pilota Charles Leclerc -> https://t.co/Hdzu5cUe9q pic.twitter.com/0wAIIuPFm1

— Arma dei Carabinieri (@_Carabinieri_) April 4, 2023

Police also said they found two "valuable" watches when searching the home of one of the suspects who was arrested.

Leclerc, 25, has been an F1 driver since 2018 and currently rides for Scuderia Ferrari. He's had a tough start to the season, managing only six points in three races, which has included two retirements.

"I'm frustrated, obviously it's the worst ever start of the season," he told reporters after his crash at the Australian Grand Prix on the first lap. "I mean, only six points, so it's frustrating."

That has caused Leclerc to change his mindset from the long-term goal of winning a championship to more short-term goals on a race-to-race basis.

"For now, instead of thinking about long-term targets, I think just finishing a race without any penalties or issues whatsoever is a priority," he said. "And then take the momentum and see what's possible."

It's been an astonishing start for Leclerc, who finished the 2022 season in second place behind Max Verstappen. For now, however, challenging him for a title seems like a long shot.