Sports · Monday, 5 October 2026
Formula One's own engine software stalls cars in the rain before the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, and Verstappen wins his first race of 2026
A bug in the software every Formula One car must run left cars crawling on the formation laps at Sepang, and the start was delayed by an hour and a half. Verstappen then won, Russell's engine failed, and Antonelli now leads by 84 points.
250kW of 350kW
of battery power each car may use in parts of the track when it rains
at walking pace behind the safety car, that cut set off the bug
1h 33m
of delay before the race finally started
the FIA's fix took about 20 minutes to write; installing it took longer
84 points
Kimi Antonelli's lead over George Russell
with seven races and 183 points left to win
The lead story — what happened
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Max Verstappen won the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday at Sepang in Malaysia, where the race was moved because of the war in the Middle East.
[3] [5] -
It was his first win of 2026 and Red Bull's first as a maker of its own engines.
[6] -
Before the start, rain fell and at least half a dozen cars crawled to walking pace on the formation laps, the slow laps behind a safety car.
[6] Cars with Mercedes and Honda engines were not affected.[4] -
Lewis Hamilton had to stop his Ferrari on the track and restart it, which he said he had never done before.
[2] -
The fault was in engine settings for wet weather that the FIA, the sport's governing body, makes every team use.
[3] [2] -
In the wet, that software cuts battery power to 250kW from 350kW in parts of the track.
[4] [7] -
At very low speed the power then failed to come back, so the petrol engine had no help to pick the car up again.
[7] [4] -
The limit exists to stop teams using battery power as traction control, an aid that stops wheels spinning at a start.
[7] [8] -
The FIA wrote a fix in about 20 minutes and sent it to every team to install, while everyone waited.
[4] [7] -
The rulebook did not cover a grid jumbled by a software fault, so the FIA restarted the race in the original order.
[3] [2] -
The FIA's Nikolas Tombazis said the software had not been tested enough in the wet, because there had been so little wet running this year.
[1] [7] -
The engines take almost half their power from a battery, a formula partly meant to attract new carmakers such as Audi and General Motors.
[7] [1] -
The rules will move towards a 60-40 split in favour of petrol power by 2028, and nothing changes this season.
[7] [1] -
Ferrari started Lewis Hamilton on dry-weather tyres while the track was still wet, and he fell as far back as 18th.
[9] [10] -
Hamilton then fought back to finish third, in what the BBC rated one of his best drives of the season.
[10] -
George Russell's engine failed five laps from the end, leaving his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli 84 points clear.
[3] [5]
Who is involved
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Max Verstappen
four-time world champion who drives for Red Bull; he won, and has called these rules anti-racing since February
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The FIA
the body that writes Formula One's rules and the engine software every car runs; its code caused the stall
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Nikolas Tombazis
the FIA's head of single-seater racing; he admitted the software was not tested enough in the wet
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Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes driver who leads the championship; he finished second and is now 84 points clear
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Carlos Sainz
Williams driver; he asked who decided five years ago that this was the direction to go
How it unfolded
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4-5 years ago the 2026 engine rules are decided, with almost half the power from a battery
[7] [4] -
Feb 2026 Verstappen calls the new rules anti-racing
[4] -
Sun 3:40pm the first start attempt in the wet; cars crawl and it is abandoned
[7] -
Sun 4:33pm the race starts after the FIA's software update
[5] -
11 Oct the Singapore Grand Prix, the next race
[3] -
2027-28 the rules shift towards petrol power in two steps
[7] [4]
Where this points
Watch the FIA's review with the teams and engine makers before Singapore on 11 October, and whether the drivers' anger pushes the 2027 changes further than a 60-40 split.
What is pushing on the whole day
The bar and the word are our reading of how hard each one is pushing today. The arrow is where it is heading. The evidence is in the stories below.
Formula One's software had hardly been tested in the rain before Sepang.
The NFL is reviewing an official who appeared to swear at a player.
Wales played four games in ten days and lost three.
Kansas City lost two receivers in one game.
The rest of the day
34 more stories on this beat.
Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.
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02
Evans wins rally's world title at the last
Elfyn Evans of Wales won the World Rally Championship on Sunday in Sardinia, Italy, driving for Toyota.
[17] His teammate Oliver Solberg, 25, was on course to take the title on the final stage but crashed two corners from the finish.[18] Solberg still won the rally but lost the bonus points for that stage, and finished five points behind.[17] [18] Evans, 37, had finished second five times in six years.[17] He is Britain's first champion since Richard Burns in 2001.[18] Evans243 pointsSolberg238 pointsPajari237 pointsThe final table. Three Toyota drivers finished six points apart. Why it matters — The season was cut to 13 rounds when the Saudi Arabia round was cancelled because of conflict in the region, so Sardinia decided it.
[18] [17] It was also the last title before new rules come in next year.[17] -
03
NFL reviews an official who swore at a player
Line judge Jeff Seeman appeared on camera to shout an expletive at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride on Sunday, after McBride asked for a pass interference call.
[11] [12] The NFL, American football's top league, said it is looking into it.[14] A CBS reporter standing next to McBride said he had begun his plea with please.[15] JC Tretter, head of the players' union, said players are held accountable when the roles are reversed, and officials should be too.[13] Why it matters — The same afternoon New England's coach, Mike Vrabel, was penalised 15 yards for swearing at a referee, which set up a Buffalo touchdown.
[11] The review will show whether the rule on bad language reaches officials as well as players and coaches.[13] -
04
NFL flags thrown at a record rate
Through the first 14 games of Week 4, NFL officials threw about 17 flags a game, the most in the league's history, according to a fan count cited by Sports Illustrated.
[11] There were 238 accepted penalties that weekend before the two night games, and 12 teams were penalised ten or more times.[11] One game, Jacksonville against Cincinnati, had 24 flags, and the Jaguars' coach called it mental.[11] Fines for unsportsmanlike conduct fell the other way: only five players were fined for it in Week 3.[16] Why it matters — The rise came on the same weekend that two officials' own behaviour was put under NFL review.
[11] -
05
Roosters win rugby league's grand final 19-18
Sydney Roosters beat Newcastle Knights 19-18 in the NRL grand final, the title match of Australian rugby league, on Sunday in front of 80,814 people.
[19] [21] Newcastle led 12-0 and were trying to become the first club since 1934 to win the title a year after finishing bottom.[21] [20] Daly Cherry-Evans kicked the one-point field goal that decided it.[19] Mark Nawaqanitawase scored two tries in his last game before moving to rugby union in Japan.[21] Why it matters — It is the Roosters' first title since 2019, and their women's team won its final 30-6 to finish a season of 13 wins from 13.
[21] [19] On Saturday a car drove into fans cheering the Knights' bus out of Newcastle, injuring 10 people, several of them children.[19] -
06
Australia names its rugby league World Cup squad
Australia's coach Kevin Walters named his 23-man squad for the Rugby League World Cup on Monday, a day after the grand final.
[22] Isaah Yeo will delay surgery on a torn chest muscle to captain the side.[22] Roosters halfback Sam Walker is one of six players picked for the first time.[22] The women's coach, Jess Skinner, left out Ali Brigginshaw, 36, ending her hope of a fourth World Cup.[22] Why it matters — Australia's men open against New Zealand on 16 October.
[22] Newcastle's Kalyn Ponga escaped with a $1,000 fine for a high tackle in the final, so he is free to play for New Zealand.[22] -
07
Ireland and Israel draw again amid a spitting claim
The Republic of Ireland drew 1-1 with Israel on Sunday in football's Nations League, in a game played with no fans in Backa Topola, Serbia.
[24] Ireland's players had faced calls to refuse both games over the war in Gaza.[23] They again wore black armbands and bowed their heads during Israel's anthem, and Israel's players wore armbands for those killed on 7 October 2023.[25] At half-time an Irish staff member alleged that an Israel player spat at him.[23] [24] Israel's coach said he saw nothing.[23] Why it matters — Ireland's coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson, asked UEFA, which runs European football, to keep the two teams apart in future draws.
[24] He said that decision is UEFA's, not his.[24] -
08
Dodgers stop a player using his challenges
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has banned outfielder Andy Pages from challenging umpires' calls for the rest of the playoffs.
[26] This is the first season baseball's major leagues let players challenge a ball or strike call, which an automated system then rules on.[27] [29] Each team starts a game with two challenges and loses one every time it is wrong.[27] Pages was right 3 times in 14 this season, then wasted one on a clear strike against Atlanta on Saturday.[26] Catchers58.6%Batters48.8%Pitchers39.6%How often each kind of player was right when challenging a call this season. Why it matters — In October a lost challenge can cost a series, so some teams leave them to catchers, who were right 58.6% of the time.
[27] [28] The eight teams left ranked between 10th and 29th of 30 at using them.[28] -
09
Brewers beat baseball's best closer to lead 2-0
Jackson Chourio hit a two-run single with the bases loaded and two out in the ninth inning, giving the Milwaukee Brewers a 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.
[30] [32] The Brewers lead the best-of-five series 2-0.[32] Padres closer Mason Miller was asked to get six outs, which he had done only twice all season.[31] He walked three batters in the ninth, and the final pitch was his 40th; his previous high this season was 34.[31] Why it matters — Since 1995, the team that won the first game of these series has gone on to win 73% of them.
[32] The Padres led from the first inning until the last batter.[31] -
10
Braves level with the Dodgers without a starting pitcher
The Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 on Sunday to level their series at one game each.
[32] They did it with relief pitchers for a third game running.[34] [33] Their ace, Chris Sale, 37, had pitched in relief on Thursday, and manager Walt Weiss said he wanted him at full strength rather than on two days' rest.[34] [33] Ray Kerr, who pitched only nine times in the regular season, threw the first 2 2/3 innings without allowing a run.[33] Why it matters — The Braves began the playoffs with many of their starting pitchers injured, so their relievers are carrying the team.
[34] The Dodgers have won the last two World Series.[32] -
11
Daryz wins the Arc for a second year
Daryz won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Sunday, the richest flat race in Europe, for the second year running.
[36] He is the first colt to win it twice since Alleged in 1978.[35] [36] Jockey Mickael Barzalona came from behind to win by more than a length.[36] Keeping a winner racing at four was a gamble, because most top colts retire at three to earn breeding fees.[36] Why it matters — The win paid owners Aga Khan Studs more than 2.5m pounds.
[36] Princess Zahra Aga Khan said every race now risks the horse, and Daryz is likely to go to stud rather than try for a third Arc.[35] -
12
A LIV golfer wins at St Andrews
Adrian Meronk of Poland won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews in Scotland on Sunday by two shots.
[37] Meronk plays for LIV Golf, which is going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a court-supervised rescue.[37] He was one of eight LIV players who took a deal this year to keep their European tour membership.[37] Michael Stewart, ranked 979th in the world, tied for fourth and won nearly 100 times the 2,500 pounds he earned four days earlier.[38] Why it matters — The win gives Meronk a full European tour card for 2027, somewhere to play while LIV's future is in doubt.
[37] Stewart must now choose between the Spanish Open and a small Scottish tour's final event, which could earn him a place on the second-tier Challenge Tour.[38] -
13
China's Wu wins in Shenzhen and rises to second
Wu Yize, 22, beat Yuan Sijun 10-5 in an all-Chinese final at snooker's Shenzhen Open on Sunday.
[39] It is his first ranking title since he became world champion at the Crucible in Sheffield in May.[39] The win lifts him to second in the world rankings, behind Zhao Xintong.[39] It is the first time Chinese players hold the top two places.[39] Why it matters — Wu took the 177,000-pound top prize, and Yuan, in his first ranking final, rose seven places to 26th.
[39] -
14
Humphries ends a 16-month wait
Luke Humphries beat Gerwyn Price 6-4 in darts' World Grand Prix final in Leicester on Sunday after trailing 3-0.
[40] It was his first major title in 16 months, a spell in which he lost several major finals.[40] The event is unusual because every leg must start and finish on a double.[40] Price has now lost five major finals in a row.[40] Why it matters — Humphries was world number one two years ago before Luke Littler overtook him.
[40] The win keeps him at number two, ahead of Gian van Veen.[40] -
15
Djokovic, 39, beats the top seed in Beijing
Novak Djokovic, 39, beat top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6 6-4 6-4 at the China Open in Beijing on Sunday.
[41] [42] He has now won 32 matches in a row at the tournament.[41] The umpire replayed a point Djokovic had won after Zverev complained about flickering screens, and the crowd booed.[42] Djokovic plays Daniil Medvedev in Monday's semi-final.[41] Why it matters — Djokovic has had a hard year with form and fitness and has not won a title in 2026.
[41] The defeat hurts Zverev's hopes of ending the year as world number one.[41] -
16
Both top women's seeds out in Beijing
Aryna Sabalenka, the world number two, lost 6-4 6-3 to Nikola Bartunkova, a 20-year-old ranked 34th, at the China Open on Sunday.
[43] A day earlier the top seed, Elena Rybakina, lost to Alina Charaeva, ranked 118th.[43] It is the first time since 2015 that neither top seed reached the last 16 in Beijing.[43] Rybakina then pulled out of the Wuhan Open with a foot injury.[43] [42] Why it matters — Sabalenka has not won a title since March and will end the year without a Grand Slam for the first time since 2022.
[43] -
17
Valkyries and Dream win the first semi-final games
The Golden State Valkyries beat the champions, the Las Vegas Aces, 71-60 on Sunday in the first game of their semi-final in the WNBA, the top US women's basketball league.
[44] The Atlanta Dream beat the New York Liberty 92-82, with Jordin Canada scoring 25 points.[44] Atlanta's Allisha Gray hurt a hand and played only 11 minutes, and Las Vegas's Jewell Loyd hurt a leg.Why it matters — The teams have two days off before the second games on Wednesday, and neither has said how long Gray or Loyd will be out.
[44] -
18
Fever players dispute their GM on fans
Amber Cox, general manager of the Indiana Fever, said on Saturday that attacks on the club's fans have no basis in reality.
[45] She said no fan pointed out by a player broke the WNBA's code of conduct this season, and none was removed.[45] Brianna Turner, a former Fever player now with the Aces, called that unequivocally false.[45] Kelsey Mitchell, who averaged 24.7 points, said playing beside Caitlin Clark brings her teammates abuse.[45] [46] Why it matters — A fan who pointed at A'ja Wilson in a playoff game was taken out and then allowed back, because the Fever ruled he had not broken the code.
[46] [45] Mitchell is a free agent and said she will put her career first.[45] -
19
NFL cuts London prices twice to fill seats
The Indianapolis Colts beat the Washington Commanders 30-13 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday.
[47] The crowd reached 60,907 only after the NFL cut ticket prices twice, in August and last week.[47] Since 2019 the cheapest London ticket has risen 43.9% and the dearest 96.5%, against UK inflation of about 32.4%.[47] The league also scrapped season tickets for its London games after 2024.[47] Why it matters — The NFL is playing a record nine regular-season games abroad, and long-time London fans say they are being priced out in favour of newer fans who spend more.
[47] The Eagles' game next week sold out in hours.[47] -
20
Chiefs call Tyreek Hill after two receivers are hurt
The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Las Vegas Raiders 30-27 on Sunday to stay unbeaten at 4-0.
[50] They lost two receivers: Rashee Rice strained a hamstring and Tyquan Thornton dislocated his ankle on a 55-yard catch that set up the winning touchdown.[48] [50] The Chiefs have contacted the agent of Tyreek Hill, 32, who starred for them from 2016 to 2021, The Athletic reported.[48] Why it matters — Hill tore several knee ligaments last season and is aiming to return in November.
[48] Doctors put Thornton's ankle back in place, and he is out indefinitely.[48] [49] -
21
Texans and Chargers still without a win
Four weeks in, the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers have not won a game.
[51] [52] Houston lost 34-30 to Dallas, whose receiver CeeDee Lamb caught 17 passes, one short of the club record.[51] The Chargers lost 30-23 to Seattle, the Super Bowl champions.[50] [52] Only one team that started 0-4 has ever reached the playoffs, the 1992 Chargers.[52] New England beat Buffalo 29-26, the Bills' first loss in their new stadium.[50] Why it matters — Both teams reached the playoffs last season, and both now face long odds of getting back.
[51] [52] -
22
Injuries hit three NFL teams' stars
Green Bay fear linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, 24, tore an Achilles tendon in their win over Tampa Bay, and his coach expects it to end his season.
[53] Baltimore's Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP, hurt his ankle in a sack before half-time and did not return.[54] The Ravens call him day-to-day.[54] Washington lost backup quarterback Marcus Mariota to a knee injury in London, and hope starter Jayden Daniels returns from a dislocated elbow next week.[55] Why it matters — Washington had to play its third-choice quarterback, a seventh-round rookie, for most of the London game.
[55] [51] -
23
Arizona State hires a former judge to review a collapse
Arizona State University has asked Scott Bales, a former chief justice of Arizona's Supreme Court, to lead an independent review of a hockey workout on 20 August.
[57] [56] Player Matthew Mayich, 21, collapsed during the outdoor military-style session and is on life support.[56] His family's lawyer says he suffered heat stroke and is unlikely to recover.[58] Until now the university's own police had led the review.[56] Why it matters — The university moved after both of Arizona's US senators, seven players and the family called for an outside inquiry.
[57] Bales will also recommend rules for outdoor training.[58] -
24
A judge lets a fifth-year player back on the field
Braylin Presley has rejoined Oklahoma State's American football team after a court gave him a fifth year of eligibility.
[59] He and seven other athletes won a temporary order from an Oklahoma county judge in September against a new rule from the NCAA, which runs US college sport, that limits eligibility by age.[59] Presley played four seasons, one at Oklahoma State from 2022 and three at Tulsa.[59] Why it matters — He is eligible only for now, because the case has not been decided.
[59] -
25
Colorado's playbook found in a hotel bar
A Texas Tech fan said on a message board that he found Colorado's 25-page game plan at the bar of the team hotel on Friday.
[60] Images posted on Saturday appeared to match Colorado's opening plays: the first six of the first half and two of the second.[60] Colorado told CBS Sports it had no comment.[60] Coaches sometimes leave fake plans as decoys.[60] Why it matters — Colorado's attack has been struggling, and an opponent who knows the first plays can set up to stop them.
[60] -
26
Alabama climbs and Pitt enters the top 25
Alabama beat Mississippi State 56-23 and rose from seventh to sixth in the AP poll, the weekly ranking of US college football teams.
[61] Florida fell from eighth to 16th after losing 45-17 to Missouri, who rose 11 places to 14th.[61] Pittsburgh entered the top 25 after starting the season 5-0.[61] Texas stayed first, with 61 of 70 first-place votes.[61] Why it matters — Alabama host second-ranked Georgia on Saturday.
[61] Pitt's win over Virginia Tech ended on a missed kick, and the NCAA and the ACC would not say whether it could have been reviewed.[16] -
27
City beat Arsenal, who fall 10 points behind
Manchester City beat Arsenal 4-2 in the Women's Super League on Sunday, coming from behind twice to keep a 100% start.
[62] Arsenal are 10 points behind after five games and 10th in the table.[63] It is their second-worst start to a WSL season.[63] Their coach, Renee Slegers, who signed until 2029 in January, said there will be a big review over the international break.[62] [63] Why it matters — Club sources told the BBC she keeps their full backing.
[63] Arsenal won the Women's Champions League under her in 2025 but have not won the WSL since 2019.[63] -
28
Wales lose their fourth game in ten days
Denmark beat Wales 1-0 in the Nations League on Sunday through a second-half penalty by Rasmus Hojlund, after goalkeeper Danny Ward's mistake.
[64] [65] It was Wales's third loss in four games in ten days.[65] This year, for the first time, the September and October international breaks were merged into one, with four games.[65] Coach Craig Bellamy said bigger nations can change players like for like, and Wales cannot.[65] 3 of 4
Wales's games in ten days, and how many they lost
Four games in one break, three of them lost. Why it matters — Bellamy said he was in the room for the vote and voted against it.
[65] Wales still moved up to third in their group on their record against Norway.[64] [65] -
29
Portugal's coach leaves the door open for Ronaldo
Portugal beat Norway 2-1 on Sunday to win all four Nations League games and reach the last eight.
[66] Captain Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, had left the camp after being an unused substitute and then told he would not start.[66] Coach Jorge Jesus said Ronaldo can return if he wants, and will decide how his international career ends.[66] Goncalo Ramos has scored in all three games he started without Ronaldo.[66] Why it matters — Ronaldo has said he will explain his reasons in due course.
[66] Portugal play next in November, at home to Denmark.[66] -
30
Sale beat Saracens despite playing with 13 men
Sale beat Saracens away on Sunday for their first win of the season in England's top rugby union league.
[68] [67] For much of the first half they had 13 men, after a yellow card and a 20-minute red card for Jacques Vermeulen, a red that lets a replacement come on later.[68] Last season Sale conceded 150 points in two games against Saracens.[67] Hooker Nathan Jibulu was named man of the match.[67] Why it matters — Saracens' Brendan Venter again left the post-match interviews to his head coach, and is due to speak this week to avoid more sanctions from the league.
[68] -
31
Newcastle lose in a league with no relegation
Newcastle, renamed the Red Bulls after the energy drink company invested last season, lost 24-19 to Leicester on Saturday in front of a full house of 10,000.
[69] England's top rugby union league has stopped relegation, so no club can drop out of it.[69] Newcastle are the only top club in the far north of England.[69] Why it matters — Without relegation, the club's new backers can plan for years instead of fighting to stay up each season.
[69] In return, Newcastle must now show they deserve the place.[69] -
32
Labuschagne finds form before Durban
Marnus Labuschagne scored 111 from 89 balls in a warm-up game in Potchefstroom on Sunday, his first century in any cricket for 11 months.
[70] He had gone three years and 43 Tests without a Test hundred.[70] Australia play South Africa in Durban from Friday, their first Test there since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.[70] South Africa may recall fast bowler Anrich Nortje, absent from Tests since March 2023.[70] Why it matters — Steve Smith, banned for 12 months over the 2018 scandal, is on the tour again.
[70] -
33
Briscoe wins in Las Vegas as the leader crashes
Chase Briscoe won the Las Vegas race in NASCAR's Cup Series, the top level of US stock-car racing, on Sunday.
[71] Points leader Kyle Larson hit the wall on the last turn while chasing him, and took out Tyler Reddick.[71] The win, Briscoe's second of the season, lifted him to sixth in the Chase, the end-of-season play-off.[71] Why it matters — Briscoe is 84 points behind Larson.
[71] A week earlier he lost the lead late at Kansas and finished fourth.[71] -
34
Japanese baseball rethinks what its stars are worth
Japan's top baseball league, NPB, keeps losing its best players to the US major leagues, Front Office Sports reports.
[16] A Japanese club can let a player leave early by posting him, and is paid a share of his US contract: 20% of the first $25m.[16] The Orix Buffaloes got more than $50m when Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined the Dodgers.[16] Clubs now spend these fees on stadiums and on drawing fans from abroad.[16] Why it matters — Players are leaving younger, and a player under 25 earns his old club far less, so the fees are shrinking.
[16] Munetaka Murakami, signed by the Chicago White Sox for two years and $34m, is now in the playoffs with them.[16] -
35
An Olympic champion nurse returns and wins
Vicky Drummond, 33, an intensive care nurse, won the Scottish mixed doubles curling title with Euan Kyle in Aberdeen.
[72] She had left the sport soon after winning Olympic gold in 2022.[72] The pair won every match and beat Katie McMillan and Archie Hyslop 8-1 in the final.[72] Why it matters — Kyle, who won a world bronze medal this year, said he hopes to play in two curling events at the next Winter Olympics.
[72]
Why a rule suits the people it was written to win over
Formula One built its engines to bring carmakers in, so the drivers who race them got cars that stalled in the rain.
The twist
When a sport writes a rule to win over a newcomer, it builds the rule around what that newcomer needs. Everyone else has to play under it too, and they are the first to suffer when it fails.
The picture
How it works
- A sport wants someone new: a carmaker, a fan who spends more, an investor
- It writes a rule around what that newcomer wants
- Everyone already inside must play under the same rule
- The rule suits the newcomer and pinches everyone else
- The pinch shows on a bad day, like rain at Sepang
The same force, elsewhere today
Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.
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NFL cuts London prices twice to fill seats
The league scrapped season tickets and raised prices to reach new fans who spend more, and long-time London fans say they were priced out.
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Wales lose their fourth game in ten days
The bigger nations voted for four games in one break, which Bellamy says suits squads deep enough to rotate. Wales, who voted against it, lost three of the four.
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Fever players dispute their GM on fans
The club defends its loud home crowd as within the fan code, and the players who take the abuse say the problem is real.
Where you've seen this
Towns chasing a new factory
tax breaks are written for the newcomer, while local shops pay the full rate
Phone and broadband deals
the best price goes to new customers, and loyal ones pay more for the same plan
Streaming services
the launch price is set to win sign-ups, and the rise lands later on the people already paying
The catch
Courting newcomers can pay everyone back, because a new carmaker or a new fan brings money the sport did not have before.
And the whole of it
The drivers at Sepang, the regulars in London and Wales's tired players all play under rules first written with someone else in mind. Most of us live under rules like that as workers and customers, and notice them only when something goes wrong.
What is really going on
The FIA, which runs Formula One, makes every team use its wet-weather engine settings, and on Sunday those settings left cars stuck at walking pace at Sepang.
Why it works on us — A row of crawling cars and a driver comparing it to restarting Windows is easy to laugh at, so it reads as bad luck on one wet afternoon rather than the result of rules chosen years ago.
Who gains
-
Kimi Antonelli and Mercedes
— Russell's engine failed while he was third, so Antonelli now leads him by 84 with seven races left.
[3] [5] -
Red Bull
— Its first win as an engine maker came after months of upgrades, finished by a new floor in Baku the week before.
[2] [6] -
Elfyn Evans and Toyota
— Solberg's crash two corners from the end handed Evans the title, and Toyota had already won the makers' championship.
[18] [17] -
Aga Khan Studs
— Keeping Daryz racing at four paid more than 2.5m pounds, and he now looks likely to go to stud, where top colts earn breeding fees.
[36] [35] -
Adrian Meronk
— The win gives him a full European tour card for 2027 while LIV Golf, his main tour, is in bankruptcy.
[37]
Who pays
-
George Russell
— His engine failed five laps from the end, and he says his title chance is now exceptionally unlikely.
[8] [3] -
Fans at Sepang
— They waited 93 minutes and saw the race start on a drying track, so the first wet race of the season barely happened.
[5] [7] -
Long-time NFL fans in London
— Season tickets were scrapped after 2024, and the cheapest ticket has risen faster than prices in general since 2019.
[47] -
Wales's players
— The merged break meant four games in ten days for a squad with few spare players, and they lost three.
[65] -
Oliver Solberg
— He won the final rally by almost a minute and still lost the title, because the crash cost him the last stage's bonus points.
[18] -
Indiana Fever players
— Kelsey Mitchell says the abuse that comes with playing beside Caitlin Clark is hard, while the club says its fans did nothing against the rules.
[45]
What nobody knows yet
Open questions from across today’s stories — ours included.
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01
Whether the FIA's review finds other conditions its engine software has never met.
Tombazis said he could promise this exact bug will not return, but not that no other problem will.
[2] The review with the teams and engine makers has not reported.[4] -
02
Whether the 2027 and 2028 changes go far enough.
They move the engines towards a 60-40 split in favour of petrol power, and many in the paddock say that will not be enough.
[7] The FIA president has spoken of going back to V8 engines, with no date.[4] -
03
What, if anything, happens to line judge Jeff Seeman.
The NFL says only that it is looking into it, and the referees' association did not respond.
[14] [12] -
04
Why NFL flags are at a record rate.
The figure of about 17 flags a game comes from a fan account cited by Sports Illustrated.
[11] None of our sources gives a reason for the rise. -
05
Whether an Israel player spat at an Irish staff member.
The claim was reported by the Irish Times and heard on television, Israel's coach said he saw nothing, and no ruling has been made.
[23] [24] -
06
What the review of the Arizona State workout will find, and when.
Scott Bales has been asked to report and make recommendations, and no date has been given.
[57] [58] -
07
Whether Braylin Presley keeps his place for the season.
He is eligible under a temporary court order, and the case against the NCAA's age rule has not been decided.
[59] -
08
Whether Daryz will race again.
His owner said she was not sure she wanted him to run another year.
[35] -
09
Whether the Chiefs sign Tyreek Hill, and when he could play.
The Chiefs have contacted his agent, The Athletic reports, and Hill is aiming for November after a serious knee injury.
[48]
Elfyn Evans won the World Rally Championship on Sunday after finishing second five times in six years. He is the first British champion since Richard Burns in 2001.
Also true today
- The Sydney Roosters' women won their grand final 30-6 to finish a season of 13 wins from 13 games.
- Vicky Drummond, an intensive care nurse who left curling after winning Olympic gold in 2022, came back and won the Scottish mixed doubles title without losing a match.
- Wu Yize, 22, won the Shenzhen Open, and for the first time Chinese players hold the top two places in snooker's world rankings.
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