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Français (Afrique)Paul Pogba nets goal for Monaco in friendly defeat to Brentford
Paul Pogba (33) is nearing a return to fitness. This international break was billed as a crucial fortnight for Pogba, who returned to first-team training last week.
Pogba joined Monaco in the summer, signing a two-year deal. However, it took him several months to get up to speed, having missed two years due to a doping ban. He made only three brief substitute appearances before suffering a calf injury at the start of December.
Eric Dier also features in Monaco defeat
It took until last week for him to return to first-team training. Weeks prior, Sébastien Pocognoli announced that the plan was for Pogba to return to training before the international break, with the idea to bring the Frenchman back into the fold after the international break.
He looks on schedule to return. La Pioche featured in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Monaco’s training ground in La Turbie on Thursday. He opened the scoring in a 2-1 defeat to Premier League side Brentford. Eric Dier, also returning from injury, featured in the fixture.
The Principality club’s first game after the international break will come against Olympique de Marseille. With seven games remaining in Ligue 1, Monaco are sixth, three points off OM in third.
Russell leads Mercedes one-two in Suzuka practice
George Russell led team-mate Kimi Antonelli to a Mercedes one-two ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris in first practice at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Russell pipped Antonelli, who took his maiden win at the last race in China, by just 0.026 seconds after the two drivers swapped fastest times in the middle of the session.
World champion Norris was 0.132secs behind Russell in his McLaren.
Piastri was 0.199secs adrift, an encouraging start to the weekend for the Australian and McLaren, who have had a difficult first two grands prix.
Apart from the Shanghai sprint, Piastri has not completed a racing lap in 2026, and in China both McLarens retired with separate battery issues before the start.
The Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fifth and sixth fastest.
Leclerc was 0.289secs off the pace, completing his fastest lap after seven laps on the soft tyre following an off at the tricky Spoon Curve double left-hander. He headed Hamilton by 0.085secs.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen, his car sporting an aerodynamic upgrade that featured new side pods, floor and engine cover, was seventh fastest, 0.791secs off the pace.
Both Verstappen and Norris were among the drivers to run wide at Spoon, where a tailwind on entry was causing problems.
Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad were eighth and 10th, sandwiching the Haas of Esteban Ocon.
Williams' Alex Albon had a torrid session, running off track and hitting the wall at Degner Two, traditionally one of the track's most demanding corners, midway through the session, before a spin after colliding with Cadillac's Sergio Perez, who appeared not to see Albon on the inside as the British-born Thai dived down the inside at the chicane.
The two Aston Martins brought up the tail of the field on a weekend on which engine partner Honda want to show improvement on its home track after a dire start to the season.
American reserve driver Jak Crawford, completing one of the team's mandatory young driver days, was in Fernando Alonso's car and was 22nd, just over a second slower than Lance Stroll.
Honda have introduced some changes that are hoped to address the engine-vibration issues that have been causing reliability problems and major discomfort for the drivers.
Aston Martin also have an aerodynamic upgrade for Japan, featuring a new engine cover and front-of-floor furniture.
- Verstappen expels journalist from news conference
- Has Aston Martin's Newey team principal project failed? F1 Q&A
New England Sportswatch Daily Listings
| (All times Eastern) |
|---|
| Schedule subject to change and/or blackouts |
| Saturday, March 28 |
| COLLEGE BASEBALL |
| 1 p.m. |
Pennsylvania at Yale — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited
Lafayette at Holy Cross — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited
| 2 p.m. |
|---|
Virginia at Boston College — ACCNX
Lehigh at Holy Cross — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited
| COLLEGE SOFTBALL |
|---|
| 3 p.m. |
Virginia Tech at Boston College — ACCNX
| NHL HOCKEY |
|---|
| 5 p.m. |
Minnesota at Boston — NHLN
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.
Aston Martin: Jonathan Wheatley isn’t joining “for the time being”
Aston Martin Formula 1 ambassador Pedro de la Rosa has stated Adrian Newey’s team principal job “will remain unchanged” and Jonathan Wheatley isn’t joining the squad “for the time being”.
Wheatley officially left his position at the rival Audi team last Friday ”due to personal reasons”, one day after Motorsport revealed he was set to replace Newey as Aston Martin’s team principal, with the latter focusing on his duties as managing technical partner.
Aston released a statement 15 minutes after Audi announced Wheatley’s exit, reaffirming Newey’s role within the team and insisting: “We are regularly approached by senior executives of other teams who wish to join Aston Martin Aramco, but in keeping with our policy, we do not comment on rumour and speculation.”
One week later, on Friday at the Japanese Grand Prix, de la Rosa was speaking to Sky Sports F1 and was unsurprisingly asked about the hot topic.
“Is the key here to helping Adrian focus on what he's fantastic at – we all know he's the best in the business – and bringing in someone like Jonathan as a team principal?” presenter Natalie Pinkham inquired.
“Well, at the moment, we remain... Our structure is...” de la Rosa stammered. “We're happy with what we have, you know? And how we have organised the team. And Adrian being the team principal, but he's more than a team principal, he's actually a managing technical partner. So, that's going to remain the same.
Pedro de la Rosa, Aston Martin F1 Team
“I mean, Jonathan has left. I mean, we really shouldn't comment on things that are happening. We don't know why he has left. We don't know, you know, the situation, really. We all know. And the only thing we know, really, is that we have a team principal, and it's Adrian Newey, you know? And that will remain unchanged, you know?
“We have to believe in our structure and not change it anymore.” Aston has already have four different team principals in its five-year history under this name.
Read Also:
Every Aston Martin F1 team boss before outgoing Adrian Newey
Pressed on whether Wheatley was coming to Aston, de la Rosa replied: “Well, not for the time being, you know? I mean, it's just... We shouldn't comment on rumours and speculation. Because we have to be respectful as well for what Jonathan wants to do in the future.”
Aston has endured a tough start to the season, with its new works Honda engine generating vibrations which damage batteries and spark driver health concerns. As a consequence, the AMR26 is yet to be classified at the end of a grand prix.
De la Rosa praised the team for its ‘transparency’, even though Honda has so far refused to give any insight into how many spare batteries it had at its disposal, with Aston’s chief trackside officer Mike Krack rhetorically asking what the point was.
Read Also:
Aston Martin shuts down Honda F1 battery talk: ‘What’s the point of those questions?’
“You have to face the public, the people,” the Spaniard insisted. “When things go right and when things go wrong, you also have to be here and explain.
“And it is very important to actually be very transparent, to explain the things in a proper way, because the people want to understand why we are so slow. We are not happy, but they need to know as well that we are fighting and that we are not happy at all.
“There's no time for being frustrated or disappointed, you know. We just have to work hard, harder than anyone else, but also with a very good strategy.”
Photos from Japanese GP - Friday
George Russell, Mercedes
Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Kym Illman / Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Fans line up near closed shops as they wait for a bus to the race track.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images
Jacques Villeneuve arrives in the paddock.
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Artur Widak / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Artur Widak / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Paul Aron before first practice.
Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Paul Aron before first practice.
Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Fans line up near closed shops as they wait for a bus to the race track.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images
Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Clive Mason / Getty Images
James Vowles, Williams
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Frederik Vesti, Mercedes, walks in the paddock with his bicycle.
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Alpine Technical Detail
Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
A huge crowd of fans gathered at the stage.
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Ferrari Technical Detail
Getty Images
Fans line up near closed shops as they wait for a bus to the race track.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images
Fans line up near closed shops as they wait for a bus to the race track.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images
Jak Crawford, Aston Martin F1 Team, arrives in the paddock.
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Jak Crawford, Aston Martin F1 Team, arrives in the paddock.
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Aston Martin Technical Detail
Getty Images
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Haas Technical Detail
Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
A fan of Yuki Tsunoda at the stage.
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
A fan of Yuki Tsunoda at the stage.
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Redbull Technical Detail
Getty Images
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Lando Norris, McLaren
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Lars Baron / Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.
South Bay Lakers recap: G League Lakers win penultimate game of season
With the G League playoffs approaching, the South Bay Lakers are looking to make sure they continue to peak at the right time of year. On Thursday, they hosted the Sioux Falls Skyforce with an opportunity to further solidify their positioning at the top of the Western Conference.
South Bay started to establish a lead late in the first quarter and was up 68-58 at halftime. Sioux Falls came to within 100-94 at the end of the third quarter, but South Bay pulled away afterward, and by midway through the final period, this game was, for all intents and purposes, over.
The Lakers won, 137-114, and they shot 57.1% from the field while holding the Skyforce to 44.1% field-goal shooting while scoring 22 points off 14 Skyforce turnovers. Nick Smith Jr. led the attack with 34 points on 13-of-20 overall shooting and 6-of-10 3-point shooting in just 27 minutes, to go along with five assists.
Drew Timme had 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and center Malik Williams grabbed 13 rebounds. Second-year man Dalton Knecht made an appearance and scored 19 points on 8-of-13 from the field.
In 28 minutes, Bronny James made four of his seven shot attempts and ended up with nine points, five assists, three rebounds and one steal.
The Lakers remain in first place in the Western Conference with a 25-10 record and will wrap up their regular-season schedule this Saturday versus Sioux Falls. A victory on Saturday, or a loss by the second-place Mexico City Capitanes, will give them the top seed in the West. The G League playoffs will begin on Tuesday, March 31.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: South Bay Lakers recap: G League Lakers win penultimate game of season