McLaren driver Oscar Piastri has described the decision to overturn Pierre Gasly’s Monaco Grand Prix penalty as “astonishing” after a measurement error wrongly penalised multiple drivers.
Gasly was restored to third place in Sunday’s race after his Alpine team launched a successful appeal.
The French competitor had initially been demoted to seventh for speeding in the pit lane.
However, race stewards later admitted a measurement calculation error meant several competitors were incorrectly penalised despite driving within the 60km/h limit.
“I’m pretty mind-blown by the decision,”
Piastri stated.
“How you can reverse a decision that was ultimately wrong, but when other people have been penalised for the same thing and served a penalty in the race, how you can then change one penalty… is astonishing.”
Title race implications and looming appeals
The Australian racer was one of five competitors wrongly sanctioned, alongside George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Franco Colapinto.
Russell suffered the most severe consequences, dropping from third to 12th after serving a subsequent drive-through penalty.
The Mercedes driver lost 15 crucial points in his championship battle with victorious team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
Ferrari managed to protect Hamilton from significant damage by serving his penalty under the safety car.
The sport’s governing body reinstated Gasly, which subsequently dropped Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar off the podium and pushed Piastri down to fifth.
Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren have all signalled their intention to appeal against the controversial ruling.
Piastri expressed deep frustration over the impact the stewards’ inconsistency has had on the wider grid.
“I’ve obviously lost a position, but you can only imagine how George is feeling – so I could not believe my eyes,”
the former Formula 2 champion added.
Emma Raducanu has reached her second WTA Tour final of 2026 after defeating American teenager Iva Jovic in straight sets at Queen’s Club on Saturday.
The British star made light work of a demanding schedule that required her to play twice in a single day.
After dispatching Kamilla Rakhimova in her delayed quarter-final, the former US Open champion returned to the grass to overpower Jovic 6-2 6-2.
Vekic denies all-British showdown
Raducanu will now face Croatia’s Donna Vekic in Sunday’s showpiece event at the HSBC Championships.
Vekic prevented a highly anticipated domestic clash by breezing past Katie Boulter in the second semi-final.
The experienced Croatian delivered a commanding performance to disappoint the home crowd and secure her progression.
Resurgence under Richardson
Victory on Sunday would secure only the second senior singles title of Raducanu’s professional career.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a noticeable resurgence in form since reuniting with her former coach Andrew Richardson.
Lifting the trophy on the London grass would provide the perfect momentum boost ahead of the upcoming Wimbledon championships.
Fulham have opened negotiations with former Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa to replace outgoing manager Marco Silva ahead of the new Premier League season.
The Portuguese tactician has chosen to end his five-year tenure at Craven Cottage to take charge of Benfica.
This managerial vacancy arose after the Lisbon giants lost Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid, triggering a reshuffle of head coaches across Europe.
Real Madrid pedigree
The 43-year-old Spaniard recently concluded a stint as interim boss at the Santiago Bernabeu.
He stepped into the senior dugout midway through last season to succeed Xabi Alonso, who subsequently accepted the Chelsea job.
While the former full-back has emerged as a prime candidate for the west London club, sources indicate that discussions remain at an early stage.
Premier League experience
Arbeloa is no stranger to English football following playing spells with both Liverpool and West Ham United.
However, his entire coaching journey to date has been spent within the Spanish capital.
He successfully progressed through the youth ranks before earning his recent taste of first-team management.
The Cottagers, who secured a respectable 11th-placed finish in the top flight last term, are eager to ensure a smooth dugout transition.
Alternative targets explored
Prior to approaching the former Spanish international, the club hierarchy held preliminary discussions with Kieran McKenna.
A potential move for the highly-rated coach stalled over an £8m release clause in his contract at Ipswich Town.
He has since departed Portman Road entirely, announcing his intention to take a sabbatical to spend time with his family.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden has been arrested and charged with a misdemeanour weapons offence after an unholstered handgun was found in his car in Houston early on Saturday.
According to Harris County court records, the 36-year-old was taken into custody at 03:41 local time.
Law enforcement officers observed the firearm in plain view on the seat of a vehicle owned by the basketball star.
He was officially booked just under an hour later before being released on a $100 (£79) bond.
Representatives and team remain silent
Neither the player’s representatives nor the Cleveland franchise have issued an official statement regarding the overnight incident.
Cavaliers officials are currently gathering facts before making any public comment on the legal situation.
Crucial contract decision looms
This off-court distraction arrives at a pivotal juncture in the veteran playmaker’s career.
He holds a $42m (£33m) player option for next season, of which only $13.3m is fully guaranteed, with a final decision required by 29 June.
It was widely anticipated that the guard would opt out of his current agreement to negotiate a lucrative multi-year extension in Ohio.
Having arrived in Cleveland via a mid-season trade in February, his presence proved transformative for the team’s postseason ambitions.
The seasoned professional averaged 19.2 points and 5.5 assists during the playoffs, acting as an instrumental figure in helping the Cavaliers reach the Eastern Conference finals.
Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has come out of international retirement to start for Germany in their 2026 World Cup opener against Curacao following a shock recall by manager Julian Nagelsmann.
The 40-year-old initially stepped away from the national team following the conclusion of Euro 2024.
However, excellent club form persuaded the Bayern Munich stopper to make himself available for international selection once again.
The European nation head into this tournament desperate to improve upon consecutive group-stage eliminations at the previous two World Cups.
Baumann displaced by returning star
Oliver Baumann had established himself as the national team’s first-choice option during the recent absence of the 2014 world champion.
The displaced goalkeeper handled the demotion honestly, admitting the news was frustrating while maintaining his unwavering commitment to the squad.
A recent calf injury sustained by the returning legend allowed Baumann to impress during two recent warm-up fixtures.
Despite those strong performances, Nagelsmann confirmed his preferred veteran will line up between the posts against Curacao.
Support from former champions
Long-time teammate Thomas Muller publicly questioned the communication surrounding the controversial managerial decision.
However, the experienced forward conceded that recalling the former Schalke academy graduate made perfect sense from a sporting perspective.
The imposing keeper recently signed a club contract extension after shining in a Champions League semi-final against Paris St-Germain.
Benedikt Howedes, who lifted the world title alongside the legendary shot-stopper in Brazil 12 years ago, backed the selection entirely.
“I would say Manuel Neuer is still the best goalkeeper in the world, and of course still in Germany.”
Howedes stated that a player of such elite calibre simply has to feature for the national side if available.
The former defender also highlighted the immense psychological boost that the commanding presence provides to his defensive colleagues.
Exeter Chiefs have reached their first Premiership final since 2021 after overturning a 16-point half-time deficit to defeat defending champions Bath 27-26 at the Rec.
The visitors scored 17 unanswered points in a storming second-half revival to dethrone the title holders.
They will now face regular-season table-toppers Northampton Saints at Twickenham next Saturday.
A stunning second-half turnaround
The hosts appeared completely in control during the opening period, making light of Scottish fly-half Finn Russell’s absence.
They built a commanding 26-10 advantage by the interval, threatening to end their opponents’ proud flawless record in play-off fixtures.
However, the momentum shifted dramatically following the restart as the 2020 champions began a resilient fightback.
Tries from Ben Hammersley and Greg Fisilau brought the chasing side within touching distance of a remarkable upset.
Burger strikes late to seal Twickenham spot
Bath’s task grew significantly harder when winger Joe Cokanasiga was sent to the sin-bin during a crucial phase of the match.
Capitalising on their numerical advantage, Ethan Burger barrelled over the line to secure a stunning one-point victory.
The dramatic triumph maintains an incredible statistic for the triumphant club, who have won every play-off match in which they have featured.
They must now prepare for a formidable challenge at the national stadium against a Northampton team fresh from winning their own semi-final derby.
Video Assistant Referee protocols were incorrectly applied during the United States’ World Cup match against Paraguay when referee Danny Makkelie reversed a yellow card to punish a dive.
The Dutch official initially cautioned American captain Tim Ream for a foul early in the second half.
Spanish VAR Carlos del Cerro Grande intervened and sent the on-field referee to the pitchside monitor to review the incident.
Replays clearly showed that Paraguay forward Miguel Almiron had simulated contact to win a free-kick.
The initial booking was rescinded, and the South American attacker was shown a yellow card instead.
Right outcome, wrong application
Fans and pundits widely praised the apparent use of the tweaked ‘mistaken identity’ rule to penalise simulation.
Well-placed sources have since informed BBC Sport that this specific application breached International Football Association Board (Ifab) guidelines.
The regulations state that mistaken identity can only be used when an official clearly penalises the wrong player for a committed offence.
Current rules do not permit the video assistant to review the offence itself to determine if a dive occurred.
World governing body Fifa has yet to officially clarify the procedural error.
Pundits debate technological limits
The incident highlights ongoing confusion surrounding new regulations introduced for the expanded 2026 tournament.
Former England international Danny Murphy commended the on-field outcome despite the breach in protocol.
Good spot and the right decision I may add. Any adaptation of the rules that means diving gets punished is good.Danny Murphy
Ex-defender Phil Jagielka echoed these sentiments but questioned the practical limits of the current technology.
It’s hard for the referees to get every decision correct. If something like that does happen, where there’s obviously not been contact and it’s been simulated and the referee has fallen for it, why not reverse it?Phil Jagielka
The former Everton centre-back warned that marginal contact situations remain a significant grey area for match officials.
What happens if I touch you a tiny bit and then you dive? You can’t reverse it, because I’ve touched you, even though my touch hasn’t made you collapse.Phil Jagielka
The expanded competition continues with a relentless schedule of up to six matches per day.
Serena Williams will partner world number 10 Karolina Muchova in the women’s doubles at next week’s Berlin Open as she continues her return to professional tennis.
The 44-year-old recently ended a four-year absence from the sport by making a winning start at Queen’s Club alongside Victoria Mboko.
However, the newly formed pair were forced to withdraw from their quarter-final tie after her Canadian partner suffered a nasty fall during a separate singles match.
Now, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion turns to a highly rated Czech international to continue her grass-court preparations.
Muchova relishes dream partnership
The 29-year-old expressed immense pride at receiving the invitation from one of the sport’s greatest ever competitors.
“I’m pretty excited about it. It doesn’t happen every day that such an amazing athlete, not only in tennis but overall in sport, asks you to play tennis with her,” Muchova said.
“I hope it’s going to be fun.”
The current world number 10 possesses solid pedigree on grass, having twice reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in the singles draw.
Mboko sidelined for Wimbledon
Meanwhile, Mboko’s promising grass-court season has come to an abrupt and unfortunate halt.
A medial collateral ligament injury sustained against Karolina Pliskova means the youngster will miss the upcoming Championships at SW19.
“Unfortunately, my fall on Wednesday caused an injury to the MCL in my left knee,” Mboko explained.
“I had been so looking forward to playing this year.”
Despite the frustrating setback, the injured star remained positive about her brief stint alongside the returning American icon.
“I learned so much from you and I’m sorry our tournament came to an end prematurely, but I hope we can play together again soon and finish what we started,” she added.