Lando Norris has dismissed Max Verstappen’s claim that he would have also won the 2024 F1 title in the McLaren.

The Dutchman clinched his fourth successive world title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Sunday with two events to spare, despite Red Bull being third in the Constructors’ Championship. McLaren lead Ferrari by 24 points in the standings, with Red Bull 53 points adrift of the leader.

Verstappen shared a warm exchange with McLaren chief executive Zak Brown when speaking to Sky Sports F1, when he commented: “Like you said, before I could only win it in the fastest car. This year has been a little bit different!”, in apparent reference to comments made by Brown in an interview earlier this year.

And speaking later to Dutch media as his title celebrations continued, Verstappen was quoted by De Telegraaf as saying: “Things like that only motivate me. If people are critical and think that I can only win in the best car, then I prove the opposite.

“If I don’t get credit for this now, then I don’t know what else I can do. Would I have become champion in the McLaren? Yes! And much earlier too.”

A thrilling season has seen Verstappen win eight races, five more than Norris, although only one of those came in the last 12 races.

“He should start in comedy or something! He can say whatever he wants,” said Norris ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.

“Of course, I completely disagree, as I would. He’s good. But he’s not true.”

Norris later added to Sky Sports F1: “I know what Max is capable of doing. It depends. If there was no Red Bull, yeah, even I could have won if there was no Red Bull and Max was not in a Red Bull, I would have won the championship!

“I don’t believe it [his comments]. I like his confidence. I can say whatever. I can say ‘I was world champion, I can do this or that’. But, not possible.”

Verstappen and Norris clashed at the Austrian Grand Prix, then had further controversial incidents in Austin and Mexico City when the title race began to heat up.

The pair have been friends off the track for several years and Norris says that remains the case.

“There were some tough moments but we are still good friends. We had a nice word with each other after the race in Vegas,” he said.

“I still have a lot of respect for him and all he’s done, so from my side all good.”

Norris sees Mercedes as favourites for Qatar

McLaren could win the Constructors’ Championship if they leave the Qatar GP Sprint weekend with a lead of 45 points or more over the second-place team.

Following a difficult Las Vegas weekend, McLaren should be stronger at the high-speed Lusail International Circuit as it suits the strengths of their car with the fast corners.

However, Norris thinks Mercedes will be the team to beat following their one-two in Las Vegas, and the speed they showed in Qatar last year, when they qualified second and third, only to collide at the first corner.

“Mercedes were very quick here last year, so they are definitely favourites this weekend,” said Norris.

“Red Bull were good last year as well, Max. We were good, so I’m expecting a good battle.

“I’m hoping that favours us a little bit more compared to Ferrari but Ferrari fixed a lot of their woes that they were struggling with last year, so honestly, no idea. But when you look at things, Ferrari and Mercedes are the guys in a better flow at the moment.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Qatar GP schedule

Friday November 29
9.55am: F1 Academy Practice One
11am: F2 Practice
1pm: Qatar GP Practice One (practice starts at 1.30pm)
2.55pm: F1 Academy Practice Two
4.05pm: F2 Qualifying
5pm: Qatar GP Sprint Qualifying (qualifying starts at 5.30pm)*

Saturday November 30
12.10pm: F1 Academy Qualifying
1pm: Qatar GP Sprint build-up
2pm: QATAR GP SPRINT
3.30pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook
4pm: F2 Sprint Race
5.15pm: Qatar GP Qualifying build-up
6pm: QATAR GP QUALIFYING
8pm: F1 Academy: Race One
8.45pm: Ted’s Qualifying Notebook

Sunday December 1
10.55am: F1 Academy Race Two
12.15pm: F2 Feature Race
2.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Qatar GP build-up
4pm: THE QATAR GRAND PRIX
6pm: Chequered Flag: Qatar GP reaction
7pm: Ted’s Notebook

*also live on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1’s season-ending triple-header continues this weekend with the Qatar Grand Prix, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream the final two F1 races and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime

Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

Swiatek tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication known as TMZ, in an out-of-competition sample in August, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Thursday.

The ITIA accepted that the positive test was caused by the contamination of a regulated non-prescription medication (melatonin), manufactured and sold in Poland, that Swiatek had been taking for jet lag and sleep issues, and that the violation was therefore not intentional.

“I’m finally allowed… so I instantly want to share with you something that became the worst experience of my life,” Swiatek said in an Instagram post.

“In the last 2.5 months I was subject to strict ITIA proceedings, which confirmed my innocence.

“The only positive doping test in my career, showing unbelievably low level of a banned substance I’ve never heard about before, put everything I’ve worked so hard for my entire life into question.

“Both me and my team had to deal with tremendous stress and anxiety. Now everything has been carefully explained, and with a clean slate I can go back to what I love most.

“I know I will be stronger than ever. I’m just relieved it’s over.

“I want to be open with you, even though I know I did nothing wrong. Out of respect for my fans and the public, I’m sharing all the details of this longest and toughest tournament of my career.

“My biggest hope is that you will stay with me.”

It was determined her level of fault was “at the lowest end of the range for no significant fault or negligence”, the IATA said.

Swiatek, 23, won the French Open in June and won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August this year.

She was ranked World No 1 for most of the past two seasons but has now moved to No 2, with Aryna Sabalenka taking the top seed position.

“The whole thing will definitely stay with me for the rest of my life. It took a lot of strength, returning to training after this situation nearly broke my heart,” Swiatek added.

“So there were many tears and a lot of sleepless nights. The worst part of it was the uncertainty. I didn’t know what was going to happen with my career, how things would end, or if I would be allowed to play tennis at all.

“Which is why I’m so grateful for my family and team, people who stood by me no matter what.”

The WTA said it is fully in support of Swiatek.

“Iga has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to fair play and upholding the principles of clean sport, and this unfortunate incident highlights the challenges athletes face in navigating the use of medications and supplements,” the WTA wrote in a statement.

“The WTA remains steadfast in our support for a clean sport and the rigorous processes that protect the integrity of competition.

“We also emphasize that athletes must take every precaution to verify the safety and compliance of all products they use, as even unintentional exposure to prohibited substances can have significant consequences.”

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.

Arteta’s influence, Odegaard’s inspiration

Nwaneri was shaped during those years spent splitting his time between school and Arsenal’s academy, where his 15-year-old brother, Emerson, is also enrolled. But Arteta’s role in his rise to prominence has been significant too.

Although he claimed the decision to hand Nwaneri his Premier League bow aged 15 in 2022 was motivated by “gut instinct” at the time, in reality it was more calculated, an attempt to show the club’s most prodigiously talented young player a pathway to the first-team.

Arteta had, after all, been aware of Nwaneri’s talents since his very first week in the job three years earlier, when he sought out Micciche, one of his coaches at the time, to quiz him on a player already turning heads aged 12 at Hale End, and asking for a video to be sent to him.

Arteta followed his progress closely from that point on and was actively involved in the club’s efforts to secure his future at the club, sitting in on meetings with Nwaneri’s family alongside Edu, Arsenal’s now departed sporting director, and academy personnel.

“Retaining Ethan was not a foregone conclusion,” says Micciche. “I don’t mean he threatened to leave or anything like that, I just mean it was common knowledge that this boy was special. He could have gone anywhere in Europe.

“There’s no doubt other big clubs in England were well aware of him because Arsenal never hid him and he always performed well against them. It helped that Mikel was so involved, also having him train with the first-team very early and taking him on pre-season tours.”

Nwaneri eventually formalised his commitment to Arsenal, despite interest from elsewhere, by signing his first professional contract after his 17^th birthday in March and soon became a fully-fledged member of the senior squad.

Arteta has marvelled at his bravery and personality – “you can tell he plays without pressure and with confidence,” he said earlier this season – but there has also been a focus on improving his defensive work, and honing his understanding of the complex off-the-ball demands of the Spaniard’s system.

Nwaneri has taken the task with characteristic willingness, helped by the fact he counts club captain Martin Odegaard as a role model and mentor. The Norwegian stands out for his off-the-ball intelligence as well as his attacking qualities. His guidance, as a player who also made his professional debut aged 15, has been invaluable.

“You have to remember Ethan is obsessed with football,” says Micciche. “He has always learned a lot from watching his role models and that has been accelerated by training with the first team every day.”

Nwaneri’s future now looks brighter with every appearance. He almost followed his first Premier League goal with one in the Champions League during his latest cameo, against Sporting on Tuesday night.

His rapid progress is no surprise to his former coaches.

“I was fortunate to coach Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Cole Palmer in England’s youth teams,” says Micciche. “For me, Ethan is in that tier.

“When he was 13 or 14, I would say to people at Arsenal that he was at the level of those players, if not more advanced.”

The comparison with Foden is particularly interesting given that, at 17, Nwaneri has already made more Premier League appearances than the Manchester City forward had at 18.

He is ahead of fellow academy graduate Bukayo Saka for appearances at the same age too, which is all the more impressive considering the level at which Arsenal are now competing.

When Saka emerged, they were scrapping for top-four finishes. It is far tougher for a young player to make his mark in a team challenging for major honours but that is exactly what Nwaneri is doing.

“At the age he is, playing for a club as big as Arsenal and being on the pitch and having an impact, there’s no doubt Ethan has the chance to become a regular starter and a key player, in the mould of Bukayo,” says Micciche. “He has all the attributes and, as you’re seeing, he is not fazed by anything.

“What I love most about him is that his feet do the talking for him. He goes about his business quietly. He’s very humble, very focused and very driven. He’s an absolute pleasure to work with.”

And this is just the start. Ethan Nwaneri is Next Up.

Watch West Ham vs Arsenal live on Sky Sports Premier League from 5pm on Saturday; kick-off 5.30pm

England taking eight wickets on a green Hagley Oval pitch on day one of the first Test against New Zealand perhaps wasn’t a surprise.

However, what was a shock was that off-spinner Shoaib Bashir snaffled four of them.

New Zealand are not playing a specialist spinner in this game but England were grateful to theirs as he helped the tourists battle back, taking three of the five breakthroughs in the final session.

The Black Caps slipped from 199-3 to 319-8 by stumps in Christchurch with Bashir vindicating England’s confidence in him after averaging nigh on 50 in a struggle against Pakistan in October.

According to Sky Sports Cricket’s Michael Atherton and Bashir himself, it was another tick in the box for Ben Stokes’ leadership.

Atherton told Sky Sports News: “One of the aspects of Stokes’ captaincy has been his empathetic handling of spin. He always wants a spinner in his line-up, regardless of conditions.

“Before Jack Leach was supplanted by Bashir as No 1 spinner, he benefited from that faith Stokes had in him and it is the same for Bashir now.

“England said way before the tour that he would start the series even though he hadn’t bowled that well in Pakistan and Leach got more wickets. They have stick with Bashir and they are reaping the rewards.

‘I’ve developed from bowling against best in the world’

Bashir, who is now one strike away from becoming the first spin bowler to take a Test five-wicket haul at Hagley Oval, said: “Stokesy and Baz (head coach Brendon McCullum) back me 100 per cent and that brings the best out in me.

“I bowled plenty of bad balls out there but I was still kept on and that just shows how much faith they have in me. If I bowl a bad one there’s nothing really, Ben just looks at me and smiles.

“Even that just gives me so much belief, because I know I can still bowl my best ball. All I was thinking about was trying to take a wicket or create an opportunity.

“I wasn’t expecting to bowl 20-odd overs and take four wickets on day one, but I knew I had a job to do.”

Bashir has enjoyed a whirlwind rise, from only making his first-class debut for Somerset in 2023 to now bowling more Test overs than anyone else in 2024, in 457.3.

His wicket haul this year of 45 is only trumped by India’s Jasprit Bumrah (49) and Ravichandran Ashwin (45), and it is not lost on the 21-year-old how far he has come.

“Two years ago I didn’t have a county… I’m just very, very thankful for what has happened over the last year,” he said.

“I’m not perfect, every day I feel like I could play better.

“I’m still learning on the job – I don’t think that will ever finish – but I feel I’ve developed quite a bit and learned a few skills from bowling at some of the best in the world.”

England’s Test tour of New Zealand

• First Test: November 28-December 2 (Christchurch)
• Second Test: December 6-10 (Wellington)
• Third Test: December 14-18 (Hamilton)