Claro

85

90

245

100

310

330 210

160

140260

170

6

6

4

5

4

2

4

3

6

82 5

8

298

235

205

Start/Finish

8

Driver standings

Teams

Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes

Sebastian Vettel - Ferrari263

212Valtteri Bottas - Mercedes

Daniel Ricciardo - Red Bull162

235

Mercedes475

124

Red Bull

Force India

373Ferrari

230

56

kph x Gear

Race 15 out of 20

56 laps of 5.543 km = 310.408 km Lap record: 1 Min. 34.223

Juan Pablo Montoya (2004)

Sepang International Circuit - Kuala Lumpur

320

Oct 1

Malaysian Grand Prix

Sepang, Malaysia

A defiant Sebastian Vettel vowed yesterday not

to change the way he drives despite his first-lap exit in Singapore as he prepares for Sunday’s last-ever Malaysian Grand Prix.

Vettel’s Ferrari started from pole but was involved in a crash at the start that also took out team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on a rain-soaked Marina Bay Circuit.

It allowed Lewis Hamilton, who avoided the carnage to win from fifth on the grid, to extend his championship lead from a slender three points to 28.

“I’m not too fussed about the amount of points,” Vettel told reporters at the Sepang International Circuit.

“Obviously it’s never good to be behind, we’d like to be in front, but we’re not, so we’ve got to take it from there.

“Overall it doesn’t change anything for how we tackle the last six races.”

Vettel was exonerated of blame for the Singapore crash by stewards, but many observers felt the German four-time world champion was at fault as he had forced Verstappen towards Raikkonen.

But Vettel said that he hadn’t given the crash much thought since because it was just “part of racing”.

“I think it would have been more difficult if I had lost the car somewhere in the race, then it’s obviously different,” he said.

“The lights went off, we did our start. Everyone was trying to do his start and with the way it happened it ended up really bad for all of us. There’s not much you can do. I think it’s part of racing.

“It certainly didn’t help Lewis scored a lot of points but that’s the way it goes. What’s done is done.

“It’s not the first time I’m in the situation like this and probably will not be the last time -- not that I’m hoping for it to happen again.”

Raikkonen said there was no point in dwelling on what happened and that Ferrari could still take plenty of positives from Singapore.

“In Singapore Sebastian was first and I was fourth in qualifying so if you compare it with Mercedes we were better,” Raikkonen said. “Then we basically didn’t race.” (AFP)

Friday, September 29, 2017 SPORTS22

Vettel won’t change style

Ferrari’s German driver Sebastian Vettel walks in the paddock

Pierre Gasly heard of debut by text messageSepang

Formula One rookie Pierre Gasly revealed he

only found out he would make his Toro Rosso debut at this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix on Monday -- and via text message.

Gasly, the 2016 GP2 champion from France, has replaced Daniil Kvyat in the Red Bull junior team for at least the next two grands prix.

“I travelled from Tokyo on Monday to Malaysia, and when I got here I received a text saying that I might be driving this weekend,” the 21-year-old Gasly told reporters yesterday.

“I got really excited about it. I tried to sleep on Monday night, which was a bit difficult, with all the excitement.

“On Tuesday morning I had the confirmation that I

was going to drive. It was an amazing moment and great news. I’m living the dream.”

Gasly now has a chance to earn a full-time seat for 2018, when teammate Carlos Sainz moves to Renault, but he said he wasn’t thinking

that far ahead.“I’m just fully focusing on

the weekend, trying to do my best and learn as quickly as possible,” said Gasly.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to be alongside Carlos, who is on top of his game at the moment. It’s a really good benchmark for me. We’ll see what’s going happen in the next few weeks a bit later.”

Gasly said he felt sorry for Kvyat, who last season was displaced at Red Bull by the teenaged Max Verstappen and now has seen his Toro Rosso seat taken by another youngster.

“Unfortunately that is how it works in this sport,” said Gasly.

“Of course I feel sorry for him, he is a really good driver and talented. Unfortunately it is happening that I am going to take his seat.” (AFP)

Toro Rosso’s French driver Pierre Gasly attends a press conference

Warner ton helps Aussies down IndiaBangalore, India

Opener David Warner hit a sparkling century in his 100th

one-day international to help Australia down India by 21 runs and pull off a consolation win yesterday.

Warner’s blazing 124 and his 231-run opening stand with Aaron Finch, who made 94, guided the visitors to 334-5 in the fourth game of the five-match series in Bangalore.

The hosts, who lead the series 3-1, faltered in their chase to end on 313-8 despite three half-centuries including a gritty 67 off 69 balls from Kedar Jadhav.

Fast bowlers Kane Richardson and Nathan Coulter-Nile shared five wickets between them to snap India’s winning streak of nine ODI games.

“I thought we were a little bit too wide with the new ball, could have been straighter, but the bowlers pulled it back nicely towards the back end,” said skipper Steve Smith.

“Nice to sit up there and watch

Warner do his thing. His ODI form in the last two years has been unbelievable. He continues to grow and get better as a player which is what we’re after,” Smith said of his star opener.

Virat Kohli’s India began its reply

on a positive note as openers Rohit Sharma, who hit 65, and Ajinkya Rahane, who made 53, put together a 106-run stand. Rahane registered a hat-trick of half-centuries and in the next over Sharma hit two big sixes off leg-spinner Adam Zampa to bring up his fifty in style.

Richardson broke the century stand after sending Rahane trudging back to the pavilion.

Sharma tried to keep the momentum going with Kohli for company but a big mix-up between the two batsmen got him run out. It was Smith’s spectacular stop at backward point that got Sharma stranded with Kohli at the striker’s end. (AFP)

Australian cricketer David Warner jumps to celebrate his century (100 runs)

Karunaratne leads Sri Lanka fightbackAbu Dhabi

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne fell seven runs short of a deserved

century as he anchored Sri Lanka’s fightback on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

The left-hander was run out for 93 but helped his team recover from a precarious 61-3 to reach 227-4 at close after Sri Lanka won the toss and batted on a greenish Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch. Karunaratne added an invaluable 100-run partnership with skipper Dinesh Chandimal, who was 60 not out at stumps, as Pakistan failed to break through with the second new ball.

Niroshan Dickwella was unbeaten on 42, having added 66 runs for the unbroken fifth-wicket stand alongside his captain.

Chandimal was given leg before to Yasir Shah on 42, a decision which was overturned on review. His

innings has included six boundaries while Dickwella hit five fours and a six during his aggressive knock.

Shah returned figures of 2-59 but didn’t get much turn from the pitch while seamer Hasan Ali took 1-58.

It was Karunaratne’s knock that brought Sri Lanka back into it in the last two sessions. He batted for four hours and 40 minutes during an obdurate stay at the crease. (AFP)

BRIEF SCOREAustralia 334 for 5 (Warner 124, Finch 94, Handscomb 43, Umesh 4-71) beat India 313 for 8 (Jadhav 67, Rohit 65, Rahane 53, Richardson 3-58) by 21 runs

Dimuth Karunaratne of Sri Lanka celebrates after his half century