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Chaotic F1 Qatar GP ends with Max Verstappen win, sets up season finale showdown

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Chaotic F1 Qatar GP ends with Max Verstappen win, sets up season finale showdown

Max Verstappen, fresh off of securing his fourth world championship, won the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday. Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri joined the Dutchman on the podium, drawing the constructors’ championship battle between McLaren and Ferrari closer heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi next weekend.

McLaren, which entered the race up 30 points on second-place Ferrari, stared down the possibility of winning its first constructors’ championship since 1998, needing to outscore Ferrari by 15 points on Sunday for it to be wrapped up in Qatar.

But with Lando Norris ending the day 10th after receiving a 10-second stop-and-go penalty, the gap now sits at 21 points between McLaren and Ferrari with one race to go on Dec. 8. Ferrari must out-score McLaren by 22 points at the Yas Marina Circuit to win its 17th constructors’ championship, most all-time in F1.

“Simply lovely, guys,” Verstappen said over the radio as he crossed the line. “What an unbelievable race again, that was really fun!”

The Qatar GP had a chaotic start, with a safety car coming out early after multiple collisions occurred. Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon and Nico Hülkenberg were involved in a Turn 1 incident, while Alex Albon and Lance Stroll had a separate moment. Stroll took a 10-second penalty, which he served, but the Aston Martin driver later retired from the race.

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At the restart, Piastri got the jump on Leclerc, an important moment for the constructors’ championship. By Lap 19, Norris and Piastri were second and fourth, while Leclerc and Carlos Sainz sat fifth and sixth. That would mean McLaren would only outscore Ferrari by 12 points, assuming none of the four drivers secured the fastest lap.

Mercedes’ George Russell was the first front-runner to pit, and it was a very slow seven-second pit stop. McLaren opted to keep Piastri out, and clean air helped his pace improve.

But the race completely changed around Lap 34. Both Lewis Hamilton and Sainz suffered punctures, triggering another safety car. Piastri had pitted just before the safety car, which meant he lost out to Leclerc, who pitted (along with the rest of the leaders) during the safety car period. Debris needed to be cleaned up during this stretch as well, such as the broken mirror on the start/finish straight.

Verstappen was still in the lead when the safety car ended, with Norris second, Leclerc third, Piastri fourth, and Sainz down in seventh. Norris and Verstappen battled at the restart, but the race didn’t stay at full speed. Hülkenberg ended up in the gravel, and Pérez reported losing drive before the restart. A third safety car was called. The same order remained at the restart, but Piastri reported seeing sparks coming from one of his tires, feeling a vibration.

What changed the constructors’ championship was Norris’ penalty. The stewards handed him a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for “failing to slow under yellow flags.”

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This initially knocked him out of the points, ruining the Briton’s race and throwing a wrench in the constructors’ battle. Norris recovered for a points finish and secured the fastest lap, though not as big of a haul as it once looked for his team.

Meanwhile, Hamilton sped in pit lane and was handed a drive-through penalty. All of the chaos allowed teams in the midfield to score crucial points. Pierre Gasly helped Alpine’s fight for P6 in the team standings with a fifth-place finish, while Kevin Magnussen ended his day ninth. Zhou Guanyu brought home the first points finish of the year for Sauber, finishing eighth.

Here is how the top 10 finished.

  1. Max Verstappen
  2. Charles Leclerc
  3. Oscar Piastri
  4. George Russell
  5. Pierre Gasly
  6. Carlos Sainz
  7. Fernando Alonso
  8. Zhou Guanyu
  9. Kevin Magnussen
  10. Lando Norris

Top photo: Giuseppe CACACE / AFP

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Lakers beat Nets, but Luka Doncic is facing suspension again after 16th technical

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Lakers beat Nets, but Luka Doncic is facing suspension again after 16th technical

For the second time in less than a week, Luka Doncic faces a one-game suspension because of technical foul accumulation.

Only a week after Doncic’s 16th technical foul was rescinded by the NBA, the Lakers superstar picked up another one in a 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday and is in line to miss the Lakers’ next game against the Washington Wizards on Monday.

In the third quarter with the Lakers trailing by one against the lowly Nets (17-57), Doncic was called for an offensive foul against Nic Claxton as the Lakers (48-26) were trying to inbound the ball after a dunk by Ziaire Williams. After the Lakers turnover, Williams and Doncic appeared to exchange words with Doncic pushing Williams aside with one hand. Williams then flailed his arms behind him and slapped Doncic in the throat.

“He was yelling in my face three times,” said Doncic, who finished with 41 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the win. “I just wanted to get out of there. … I didn’t even talk. I just wanted to get out of there. And they said I pushed. My push was exaggerated, which was obviously not [the case].”

Both were assessed technical fouls with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter, and Williams’ hit was reviewed for a possible flagrant, although it was not upgraded.

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The NBA requires players to sit out for one game without pay after their 16th technical foul of the season. But Doncic avoided that fate after the NBA rescinded the foul that would have forced him to the bench for a critical road game last week. Lakers coach JJ Redick said the Lakers will try to appeal Doncic’s latest foul but he did not see what happened on the play.

Last week, Doncic avoided a suspension after the NBA rescinded the foul that would have forced him to the bench for a critical road game against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons. Doncic is slated to miss Monday’s game against the Wizards, who have lost 17 of their last 18 games and have the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference (17-56).

Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts to a referee’s call during the second half Friday against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Doncic picked up his first 16th technical foul last week against the Orlando Magic after getting into an argument with Orlando forward Goga Bitadze. Doncic claimed Bitadze directed a vulgar comment about Doncic’s family in Serbian toward the Lakers star guard. Bitadze refuted the story, saying it was actually Doncic who said the curse word out loud first and that he was only repeating what he heard.

The NBA rescinded both fouls upon review the following day.

Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer, has scored 30 points or more in 12 consecutive games, the longest such streak in his career. He has 43 30-point games this season, tying Elgin Baylor and Jerry West for sixth-most in a season by a Lakers player. He has scored 40 points or more in the last 12 games.

Against the Nets, Austin Reaves finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists and LeBron James had 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Before the game, Redick said the Nets game would be like playing on the road since the Lakers had spent almost two weeks away from Crypto.com Arena and had returned home in the wee hours of Thursday morning from Indianapolis.

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Lakers guard Austin Reaves celebrates after shooting a three-pointer against the Nets in the second half Friday.

Lakers guard Austin Reaves celebrates after shooting a three-pointer against the Nets in the second half Friday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The challenge was to find the energy to play, which wasn’t a problem for Doncic, who had 24 points in the first half. Doncic was nine for 15 from the field in the first half and four for six from three-point range in 20 minutes. He finished shooting 15 for 25 from the field as the Lakers shot 54% from the floor. They shot 44% (11 for 25) from three-point range.

That the Lakers were facing a Nets team with the second-worst record in the NBA didn’t matter.

That the Lakers were facing a Nets team had lost nine of its last 10 games didn’t matter.

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That the Lakers were facing a Nets team that’s last in the league in scoring (106.3 points per game) didn’t matter.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, blocks a shot by Brooklyn Nets guard Nolan Traore.

Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, blocks a shot by Brooklyn Nets guard Nolan Traore in the first half Friday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

What mattered to the Lakers was finding a way to win as the regular season winds down.

“I felt like we were a step slow,” Redick said. “And I told the guys at halftime, ‘This is our seventh game of the road trip. Anytime you come back, there’s a day in between, that’s just you’re in another city until you can get adjusted to the time zone and you get a couple days break.’ So the next two [off] days will be good for us.”

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Notes: Lakers broadcast analyst Stu Lantz missed Friday night’s game against the Nets because of health issues. Derek Fisher, who won five NBA titles with the Lakers, took over Lantz’s role for the game. Public address announcer Lawrence Tanter also missed the game because of a health matter. Jason Barquero filled in for Lantz. “The entire Lakers organization is wishing Lawrence all the best in his recovery, and we look forward to welcoming him back soon,” the team said in a statement.

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Tiger Woods involved in rollover crash in Florida less than 2 weeks before Masters: reports

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Tiger Woods involved in rollover crash in Florida less than 2 weeks before Masters: reports

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Tiger Woods was involved in a car crash on Jupiter Island in Florida on Friday, according to multiple reports. 

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office told ESPN that the crash happened on Jupiter Island. Woods’ condition was not immediately known. 

Woods competed in the TGL championship earlier this week with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, and her daughter, Kai, in the stands. It was his return to competitive golf after rupturing his Achilles last year, just ahead of the Masters.

Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club looks on before the match against the Los Angeles Golf Club at SoFi Center on March 23, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.  (Adam Glanzman/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images)

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The 15-time major winner, five of which have come at Augusta, was noncommittal about playing at this year’s Masters. President Donald Trump said on “The Five” on Thursday that he would be at Augusta but not play.

Woods has had trouble behind the wheel in the past. In 2021, he got into a wreck that resulted in serious leg injuries that kept him off the golf course for months.

This is a breaking story. Check back for more updates.

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High school softball top 20 rankings for the Southland

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High school softball top 20 rankings for the Southland

A look at the top 20 high school softball teams in the Southland; as ranked by CalHiSports.com for The Times.

Rk. School; Record; Last ranking

1. Murrieta Mesa; 16-0; 1

2. Fullerton; 11-1; 4

3. Norco; 9-2; 3

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4. JSerra 14-2; 2

5. La Mirada 12-2; 6

6. Oaks Christian; 12-1; 5

7. Orange Lutheran 5-3; 7

8. Etiwanda; 14-1; 11

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9. Riverside King; 10-2; 20

10. Chino Hills; 13-4; NR

11. Chaminade; 10-1; NR

12. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame; 11-3; 8

13. El Modena; 7-4; 19

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14. La Habra; 12-3; 18

15. Temescal Canyon; 8-4; 12

16. Long Beach Poly; 5-0; 16

17. Los Altos; 7-5; NR

18. Garden Grove Pacifica; 10-5; 9

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19. Westlake; 10-2; NR

20. Anaheim Canyon; 8-4,10

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