Oscar Piastri storms to Saudi Arabian F1 GP win and now leads title race

Maintaining a focus and equilibrium under pressure has always been one of the hallmarks of Formula One’s greatest proponents and Oscar Piastri is demonstrating it with striking assurance for one so young.His victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, beating the world champion Max Verstappen, was an object lesson in the 24-year-old’s calm and confidence and his potential to take the title in only his third season.Seven days ago at the Bahrain GP, Piastri had controlled the race from pole to flag with insouciant ease and while in Jeddah he had more to do, starting from second on the grid after Verstappen had taken an unexpected and brilliant pole, the Australian and his McLaren team kept their composure and once he had the lead, gained through the pit stops after Verstappen was given a five-second penalty, Piastri was once more untouchable.For all that Verstappen and Red Bull had managed to find the right window for their car this weekend, a far cry from Bahrain, the McLaren remains very much the class of the field in race pace and was notably easier on its tyres than its competitors.Piastri and his team duly executed with perfection in what was something of a procession to secure the victory and one largely decided in the opening moments when Verstappen held his lead from the off but had to go off wide at turn two as Piastri went up the inside

Steward steers Leicester to victory at Bristol to boost title push

In theory it was a day for Bristol to consolidate second place and reaffirm their Premiership title credentials. The sun shone, the pitch was hard and fast and the free-scoring Bears welcomed back the inspirational wing, Gabriel Ibitoye, after a four-month injury absence.In reality what materialised was a largely dominant Leicester victory that took them past their opponents into second, on points difference, with four games remaining. Michael Cheika’s one-year assignment as Tigers coach will soon be over but the possibility of him departing a champion cannot be discounted.Looming over the buildup was the memory of the game last December when Pat Lam’s side won 54-24 at Welford Road

Missouri State star Todric McGee dies after suspected accidental shooting

Missouri State safety Todric McGee has died at the age of 21 after what has been described as a possible accidental shooting.A Springfield Police Department spokesperson said officers had gone to McGee’s home for a wellness check on Friday morning after receiving a call. They found McGee, who they believe had suffered a “possible accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound”. He was taken to a local hospital but died from his injuries.“Our football family is in shock and in mourning at the loss of Todric,” Missouri State football coach Ryan Beard said in a statement

Barry Hoban, British cycling legend and Tour de France icon, dies aged 85

The pioneering British road sprinter and Classics rider Barry Hoban has died at the age of 85. Hoban was for many years the UK record holder for stage wins in the Tour de France with a tally of eight during his 17-year professional racing career, a total bettered only by the greatest sprinter of them all, Mark Cavendish, in 2009.Hoban’s first stage victory in the Tour, in 1967, was not one he cared to remember – or that he felt was really a win – as it came the day after the sudden death of his friend and rival Tom Simpson on Mont Ventoux; he was “permitted” to escape and cross the line first by the grieving peloton.It emerged during research for Put Me Back on My Bike, my account of Simpson’s death, that Hoban was probably not the senior riders’ preferred choice on that emotionally charged day, creating an undercurrent of controversy that persisted for a quarter of a century.Nonetheless, his close connection with Major Tom could never be in doubt; the pair had frequently crossed swords as amateurs and Hoban was eventually to marry Simpson’s widow Helen, with whom he moved to the Welsh hills near Newtown, Powys after many years spent in the Flemish city of Gent

Gloucester fans ruffle feathers in boisterous start for experiment

The Premiership’s away zone trial was barely 12 minutes old when a member of the security staff felt the need to intervene. Perhaps he had taken exception to the dozens of schoolkids in the Gloucester section lambasting Saracens’ No 10, Fergus Burke, with: “You’re just a shit Owen Farrell.”Maybe he did not appreciate the lyrical complexities of the evidently pre-rehearsed: “What do we think of Saracens? Shit!” Either way, the decision to trial away zones in two Premiership fixtures this month has polarised opinion and it is a safe bet which side of the fence the security staff member now sits.As it was, no one was ejected from the stadium and things settled down a touch after the half-time break –barring the odd “You don’t know what you’re doing” in the direction of the referee – with the in-form hooker Theo Dan scoring two tries as Saracens came from 14-12 down to claim a 36-14 victory and move into fourth in the table. And if a bunch of schoolkids letting off a bit of steam was not exactly what the Premiership had in mind, at least the Gloucester away zone created a bit of a stir

Abuse I received for TikTok video after Women’s Six Nations defeat was crazy | Jaz Joyce-Butchers

The abuse and hate messages I received for doing a TikTok dance live on the BBC after Wales’s defeat by England was crazy. On Instagram I received a few DMs saying: “You’re an embarrassment, what do you think you’re doing?”That doesn’t affect me because we get criticism all the time for different things: losing a game, dropping a high ball. I am not hugely active on X and it was not until those of my friends who aren’t big fans of rugby were checking in on me to see if I was OK that I realised the extent of the abuse on social media.It was bizarre – how did it get that far? I just did a TikTok video. After the game I might be smiling