Red Bull fined £43,000 after team member tries to tamper with Lando Norris grid tape

Red Bull have been fined £43,000 after a member of the team broke regulations in an act of gamesmanship at the US Grand Prix, when attempting to remove a piece of tape from the pit wall placed there by McLaren to aid their driver Lando Norris in lining up correctly on the grid.The incident was an unusual example of low-level skulduggery between teams as Red Bull were caught out by CCTV cameras trackside and the race stewards issued the fine for events which took place just before the off.Norris was lined up in second place behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on the grid at Austin, where Verstappen went on to win. Some teams will use a piece of tape attached vertically to the trackside pit wall as a marking indicator for drivers of their grid box.With visibility from the car very limited, especially of the markings on the grid itself, it is a visual aid for the driver to ensure they are positioned correctly for the start

Mind the gap: surge from Verstappen piles pressure on McLaren and echoes 2007 | Giles Richards

A few short months ago Max Verstappen’s world championship defence appeared to be over. But when he took the flag in the US Grand Prix on Sunday it heralded the most remarkable resurgence as he waded with a gleeful swagger back into the title fight. Verstappen was down but he is far from out and could yet still pull off what would count as his greatest triumph.Going into the weekend in Austin, Verstappen was still treating the idea of him being a contender against the two lead protagonists, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, with a certain indifferent levity.“It’s 50-50

‘Exciting’ Noah Caluori could make England debut this autumn, says Borthwick

England could fast-track the Saracens teenager Noah Caluori into the Test spotlight as soon as next month following the wing’s dramatic start to his top-level club career. The 19-year-old celebrated his first Prem start with five tries against Sale Sharks on Satur­day and the national head coach, Steve Borthwick, says he is already in contention for a senior England debut.It was impossible to miss Caluori’s aerial ability and eye for the try line at the weekend with the former Lions captain Sam Warburton ­describing the 6ft 5in player as “almost undefendable” and “an absolute diamond”. England have been aware of his potential for a while and it seems that some game time against Fiji a fortnight on Saturday is not impossible.Borthwick certainly did not pour cold water on the idea after calling up Caluori to a three-day training camp in Bagshot

Rashid and Salt star as England thrash New Zealand in second men’s T20 – as it happened

The third and final T20I is in Auckland on Thursday, with the match starting at 7.15pm local time/7.15am BST. I’ll leave you with Simon Burnton’s report from Hagley Oval – goodnight and good day to you.Harry Brook puts his captaincy hat on for another quick chatWe’ve been good at taking wickets since the start of my captaincy, and to get another 10 there was awesome

Salt marvels at Brook after England thrash New Zealand in second men’s T20I

If the first game of this series was ruined by a downpour, the second was won by a deluge. A 129-run partnership between Phil Salt and Harry Brook powered the tourists towards a score of 236 for four, England smashing 34 boundaries and the record score on this ground, leaving New Zealand a forlorn chase which ended when their last wicket fell with two overs remaining and 65 still required.The Black Caps demonstrated some mighty power-hitting of their own but they simply could not do it often enough, and too regularly lost wickets in trying, with England’s fielding despite a swirling wind as impeccable as their opponents’ had been unreliable. Adil Rashid took four wickets, and Jordan Cox three catches, as New Zealand were dismissed for 171.If Salt’s 85 made him the night’s leading scorer he was outshone by his captain, who ended with a 35-ball 78 – during their partnership Brook faced one more ball, and scored 32 more runs

Sumo wrestling at the Royal Albert Hall – picture essay

Athleticism, power and ceremonial splendour were all on display at London’s Albert Hall last week as sumo wrestling returned to the storied venue for the first time in 34 years. The ancient Japanese sport has roots tracing back more than 1,500 years, but this was only the second time that a major event had been hosted abroad. It was a remarkable spectacle inside and outside the sacred dohyo ring.A sumo wrestler, wearing the traditional topknot hairstyle called the oicho, pictured outside the Royal Albert Hall.Before the start of the five-day Grand Sumo Tournament, the wrestlers, known as rikishi, visited several London landmarks dressed in their silk kimonos