“It’s far too late for those decisions to come. It’s too late. All I can do is just try and turn up. I’ll get up tomorrow morning and I’ll give it my best.”

He added: “It’s never over until it’s over. I don’t know how many points it is now, but I’m sure it’s 60, 70. It’s an amount that, with the pace that they have, it’s a very, very difficult amount to close out.”

Ferrari were left answering similar questions about who should take priority following the team’s performance at the Dutch Grand Prix last month.

Hamilton, who is two places higher than Leclerc in the championship, was left frustrated in Zandvoort, as he felt the team took too long to move Leclerc – who was third and on a differernt strategy – out of the way so he could challenge for a podium, as he was on fresher tyres and quicker.

When they eventually did pit Leclerc, Hamilton responded over team radio: “Great way of wasting time, good job”. He later apologised for his comments.

But the first-lap incident between the pair in Italy seems to have only intensified Hamilton’s concerns.

Speaking after his lap-two crash, Leclerc crash was “it was way too close into turn one” between himself and Hamilton. He added that he was unaware whether the pair had made contact.

“I was quite a lot on the inside kerb and tried to make the corner, which I didn’t do it tight enough,” said Leclerc.

“And then I only saw in the mirrors what happened, which is never what you want between two cars of the same team.”

However, Hamilton said: “I was ahead in turn two by the ethics, I was ahead. There was no ‘we’ in it.”

When asked if Ferrari fans should be worried the dynamics between himself and Leclerc may turn into a team-mate feud, he said: “Look, I don’t race dirty. I’ve always raced clean and fairly and always left space. So I don’t think they should be worried about me.

“I’ve come into the team and tried to be respectful of space and definitely not put the team in jeopardy. I stand by that and that’s all I can talk about.”

Team principal Frederic Vasseur said the incident between his two drivers was “not good”. But he also was keen to stress that every team on the grid has to manage intra-team tensions.

“Now, to see if we have a team order or whatever, I think that the comparison that I made was that last year, [Oscar] Piastri was leading McLaren at this stage of the season, and if McLaren put everything on Piastri, [Red Bull’s] Max Verstappen would have been champion.

“For sure, at one stage you have to make a decision, but I think it was too early to make a decision before Monza. Now we have time to discuss with the guys.”

Hamilton said Ferrari needed to look at how they communicate.

“If we continue to travel the same path, we get the same result,” he said. “And it’s like we keep getting the same result. We’ve got to change things because it’s not helping us to move forward. I think they’re receptive to it and we’ll take it offline.”

Cork’s Shane Sweetnam aboard Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z triumphed in the $500,000 first Grand Prix of Major League Show Jumping Season 6 in Toronto, Canada, last night.

With a total of 30 combinations taking on the Juilherme Jorge-designed 1.60m course in the 5* Kubota Grand Prix, the triple combination late in the track caused problems for a number of the competitors.

Colombia’s Ilan Bluman and Acajou set the standard when they produced the first clear round in 80.85 seconds. By midway in the class, they were the only combination qualified for the second round jump-off.

Shane Sweetnam and Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z were the next to leave every fence intact, with the Irish combination jumping clear, and stopping the clock in 78.66 seconds to force a jump-off.

American Kent Farrington and Descartes SR produced the third clear round, setting up a three-horse jump-off from the original field of 30 starters.

Jump-Off

Sweetnam and Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z stopped the clock in 39.08 seconds to take control of the class and put the pressure on Farrington.

With Farrington still to come as the final combination in the jump-off, Sweetnam knew there would be little room for error.

“It’s something I’m always trying to figure out, as I finish second to Kent a lot” recounted Sweetnam after winning the 5* competition.

The US rider returned with Toronto history on his side. A Grand Prix winner in Season 3, the World No. 2 entered the ring with a chance to add another title to his record.

Last to challenge Sweetnam’s time, Farrington and Descartes SR had the pace to take the lead, but the penultimate fence came down. Four faults left the pair in second, Farrington’s third consecutive runner-up finish in the Toronto Grand Prix.

Shane Sweetnam was delighted with Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z’s performance as he is still early in his 5* Grand Prix career.

“This is only his second 5* Grand Prix and the last one he did was in Monterrey (MLSJ Finals), which he was also clear in” said Sweetnam of his mount.

With Sweetnam and Coriaan Van Klapscheut Z securing the opening Grand Prix win of Season 6, the League will now move to Traverse City, Michigan, USA, for Leg 2, September 10- 12.

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Marcus Freeman began his college football career as a player under Luke Fickell. Now he gets to coach against him.

No. 4 Notre Dame and Wisconsin open their season facing off on Sunday night at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, bringing together two head coaches whose shared history spans more than two decades.

Freeman and Fickell enter the matchup with personal and professional ties that have helped shape both programs and the coaching staffs surrounding them.

A Foundational Relationship From Columbus To Cincinnati

The connection between the two head coaches began when Freeman played linebacker at Ohio State from 2004 to 2008, where Fickell served as his position coach. 

Marcus Freeman played linebacker at Ohio State, where Luke Fickell served as his position coach from 2004-08.  (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

That player-coach relationship evolved nearly a decade later when Fickell hired Freeman as his linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Cincinnati, a role Freeman held from 2017 through 2020. 

Over those four seasons, Freeman helped build the Bearcats’ defense into a nationally-renowned unit, gaining his first extended experience leading a college defense before moving onto Notre Dame in 2021.

Mutual Respect And Shared Philosophies

Despite their shared past, both coaches established a distinctly different culture within their respective programs as head coach. Fickell noted that Freeman’s progression into one of college football’s top head coaches stems from his ability to chart his own course rather than strictly replicating the methods of his mentors.

“The ones who have the most success, like Marcus has, are ones who create an identity for themselves, not just where they’ve been, whether it’s his time with us at Cincinnati or his time at Ohio State or his time under Jim Tressel,” Fickell said.

Marcus Freeman on Cincinnati’s sideline, where he worked under Luke Fickell as linebackers coach and defensive coordinator from 2017-20. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Freeman has pointed to Fickell as a foundational figure in his coaching development, highlighting specific work habits and expectations that he carried forward into his head coaching career.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for him,” Freeman said. “I wouldn’t be in this position without the investment he made in me. There’s traits that every coach I’ve had a player, as a coach, that I have in me. When I think about Luke Fickell, I think about a tireless worker, I think about the demands that he has for his players, his coaches. And the mindset of, ‘This is the way we’re going to play. This is who we are. This is our identity, and we’re committed to it.’”

Prior Matchup And Staff Connections

Sunday will not mark the first time Freeman and Fickell have stood on opposite sidelines. 

In 2021, Fickell led Cincinnati to a 24-13 victory at Notre Dame Stadium, a key win during the Bearcats’ run to the College Football Playoff. Freeman was Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator on Brian Kelly’s staff during that game before taking over the program as head coach when Kelly departed for LSU at the end of the regular season.

The ties between the Badgers and Fighting Irish also extend beyond the two head coaches. 

Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph spent six seasons as Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator under former head coach Paul Chryst from 2015 to 2020, and remained on staff in 2021 as offensive line coach. Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, quarterbacks coach Gino Guidugli, and wide receivers coach Mike Brown all served on Fickell’s Cincinnati staff during that 2021 playoff season.

“It’s not just Marcus that we’ve got a long history with,” Fickell said. “There’s a lot of guys over there that in particular we’ve got great relationships with, and had great relationships with. Like I’ve always said, I wouldn’t be sitting here today if it wasn’t for not just Freeman, but a lot of those guys over on that staff.”

Different Trajectories Heading Into Lambeau Field

While the personal connections run deep, the two programs enter Sunday in completely different situations. 

Notre Dame are three-touchdown favorite following a 24-4 run over the past two seasons, which included an appearance in the College Football Playoff championship game in 2024.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and quarterback CJ Carr, who threw for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns in his first-year as a starter in 2025.(Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Fighting Irish will be led on the field by quarterback CJ Carr, alongside three preseason Associated Press All-America defensive selections in first-team cornerback Leonard Moore, second-team linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, and safety Brauntae Johnson.

Wisconsin enters Fickell’s fourth year seeking stability after back-to-back losing campaigns. The Badgers finished 4-8 in 2025 and 5-7 in 2024, snapping a 22-year streak of winning seasons. 

Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin is slated to kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The 2026 INDYCAR season comes to a close at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey. The season-finale race airs Sunday, Sept. 6 on FOX and FOX One, with practice and qualifying coverage beginning Friday on FS2.

Alex Palou already clinched his fifth NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship, and fourth in a row, at the Milwaukee Mile on Aug. 30, becoming the first driver in series history to win five titles in six years. The finale still carries stakes further down the standings, with Pato O’Ward surging into podium contention after sweeping the Milwaukee doubleheader. Here is how to watch the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey, including the start time, TV channel, streaming information and complete weekend schedule.

How to Watch the 2026 INDYCAR Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey

• Date: Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026
• Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
• TV: FOX
• Stream: Watch 3 days free on FOX One
• Location: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California

Race coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET, with the green flag scheduled for approximately 3 p.m. ET. Broadcast times are subject to change.

2026 INDYCAR Monterey Weekend Schedule

All times Eastern.

Friday, Sept. 4

• Practice 1: 5 p.m. ET (FS2, FOX One)

Saturday, Sept. 5

• Practice 2: 1 p.m. ET (FS2, FOX One)
• Qualifying: 4:30 p.m. ET (FS2, FOX One)

Sunday, Sept. 6

• Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey: 2:30 p.m. ET (FOX, FOX One)

Where Is the INDYCAR Grand Prix of Monterey?

The race takes place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. The 2.238-mile road course has 11 turns, including the famous Corkscrew, and has hosted racing since 1957.

How Long Is the Grand Prix of Monterey?

The race is scheduled for 95 laps and approximately 213 miles.

Is This the Last Race of the 2026 INDYCAR Season?

Yes. The Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey is Race 17 of 17 on the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule and closes out the season.

Who Won the INDYCAR Championship?

Palou clinched the 2026 championship, his fifth series title and fourth consecutive, at the Milwaukee Mile on Aug. 30. He is the first driver in INDYCAR history to win five championships in a six-year span and the youngest to reach five titles.

The finale still matters for the rest of the field. Pato O’Ward swept both Milwaukee races, becoming the first INDYCAR driver to win two races in one day since 1981, and enters Monterey with momentum in the fight for the remaining top championship positions.

Who Won the Most Recent INDYCAR Race at Laguna Seca?

Palou won the 2025 Java House Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca on July 27, 2025.

Who Won the Most Recent INDYCAR Race?

O’Ward won the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 on Aug. 30, sweeping both Milwaukee Mile races that weekend. Watch the full highlights from the most recently completed NTT INDYCAR SERIES race below.

Who Are the Monterey Announcers?

Will Buxton calls the race on FOX alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Georgia Henneberry, Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey report from pit road.

How Can I Stream the 2026 INDYCAR Grand Prix of Monterey?

Fans can stream the race, practice and qualifying live and watch three days free on FOX One. Coverage is also available through FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App.

Follow the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey on FOX Sports for the latest race information and results.

Forget, for a minute, the signing Everton did not make and concentrate on ones they did. Their deadline day ended in shambolic fashion, but the last buy they made conjured a spectacular, sensational end to his debut.

The consensus was that they lost the transfer window. Yet when they were losing against Manchester United, two newcomers delivered a draw in glorious fashion.

First to equalise was Tyrique George, proof that, while Everton left some of their business too late in the summer, they got much of it done early. Then it was Ainsley Maitland-Niles, whose arrival was only announced 45 minutes before the deadline.

He was perhaps Everton’s sixth choice among their right-back targets. He was the third right-back they used against Manchester United, only summoned because James Garner had to go off a minute after dropping back into defence. “Jimmy went down with cramp,” said David Moyes. “We are still trying to get to know Ainsley.” This was quite an introduction. “A brilliant goal,” purred his new manager.

Some 19 minutes into his debut, six minutes into stoppage time, the ball fell to Maitland-Niles; 25 yards out, he curled a shot into the top corner. “It’s amazing; everyone wants to start off like that and thankfully I did,” said the former Arsenal player.

Everton can reflect on another kind of late drama. Folarin Balogun, whose midnight U-turn on Tuesday left them short of strikers, may have starred at the World Cup, but the United States centre-forward may have struggled to conjure finishes of such quality.

George’s shot was rising and rasping, unstoppable and, for him anyway, unforgettable. At £18m, George is not the most expensive winger to arrive on Merseyside this summer; not when Bradley Barcola could cost Liverpool over £100m more. Maybe, had Iliman Ndiaye not been sold to Manchester City, he would not have been on the pitch. Instead, after starting on the left, he switched to the right when Jack Grealish was introduced for his second coming. His first Everton goal came after a pass from Hayden Hackney, another of the summer additions.

Moyes might have done some fine business on the cheap. At £4.2m, Maitland-Niles may be the last-ditch, cut-price replacement for Seamus Coleman, but over two spells at Everton, the Scot has shown a capacity to galvanise Everton in adversity. He could be doing it again.

He had a no-excuses mantra when he spoke to his squad. “The players have hugely bought into it,” he said. They sought to find a positive from a negative. “Sometimes when you have less players it means everybody has to be ready.”

And they have been. This was a second successive week when Everton delivered an injury-time equaliser, following James Tarkowski’s goal at Bournemouth, to extend their unbeaten start to the season. “As a manager you don’t plan it that you are going to get a result at the last minute, but when you are behind you need the boys to dig in deep,” said Moyes. They did.

And so Everton are above United in the table. “We haven’t started the season that bad,” insisted Michael Carrick. They haven’t started it that well, either, especially after Maitland-Niles let fly.

“It feels like a defeat,” admitted Carrick. “The cliche is the obvious thing to say. We are bitterly disappointed to be up twice, so close to the end and with all the work that went into putting us into that position. We have taken a point, but it feels like we should have got a lot more.”

But United were punished for twice sitting back and trying to defend a lead. They earned it belatedly. While Bruno Fernandes hooked a shot against the bar, their first half was notable for a failure to turn territory, possession and pressure into clear-cut chances. Marcus Rashford had the beating of Merlin Rohl, the makeshift right-back whose place is now under threat from Maitland-Niles, but United mustered a lone shot on target.

A minute into the second half, however, Bryan Mbeumo provided an immediate improvement, driving infield purposefully to drive a shot past Jordan Pickford.

It suggested that Carrick’s half-time team talk had drawn a response. There was a second managerial intervention to give United a lead, and one which may have made Moyes fear history was repeating itself.

Benjamin Sesko has been confined to the bench for the start of United’s season by a shin problem, but he has proved a very effective replacement in 2026. His fifth goal as a substitute for Carrick was a second at Hill Dickinson Stadium; it looked a second winner, too, when Luke Shaw, whose United career is so long that he was scouted by Moyes in his ill-fated spell as boss at Old Trafford, rolled back the years with his attacking efforts, surged forward and crossed. Sesko headed it in.

Shaw and Rashford had combined well before the Mancunian came off. “He was feeling a bit of something,” said Carrick vaguely, while allaying fears it was serious. Yet United were feeling something, too, as two points slipped from their grasp: bitter disappointment.

Alejandro Garnacho has been slammed for his cameo performance as Aston Villa failed to win for a third straight game in a goalless draw at Hull City

Alejandro Garnacho looked “completely disinterested” on his third appearance for Aston Villa. That is the opinion of ex-Villa and Liverpool left-back Stephen Warnock, who delivered a brutal assessment of Garnacho’s performance during the Villans’ 0-0 draw at Hull City on Saturday.

The 22-year-old, who joined Villa on loan with a conditional obligation to buy earlier this summer, came on as a second-half substitute at the MKM Stadium. The former Manchester United winger replaced Emiliano Buendia for the final quarter of an hour as Unai Emery’s side looked to win their first game of the season.

But it’s safe to say Garnacho struggled when he was introduced and failed to make an impact. Indeed, the Argentina international didn’t have a single shot, create a chance, complete a cross and made just nine passes during 15 minutes plus stoppage-time.

With Garnacho having a difficult cameo, Warnock lambasted his performance and believes he – and Tammy Abraham – did nothing when they came on the pitch. Abraham was brought on in the 85th minute by Emery with Nicolas Jackson coming off.

Speaking on co-commentary, Warnock said: “You may as well take off Alejandro Garnacho and Tammy Abraham. They have done nothing since they have come on the pitch. Garnacho going down. He looks completely disinterested. Unai Emery will be furious with his changes.”

Garnacho left United last summer after making 144 first-team appearances for the Reds, scoring 26 times. He joined Chelsea in a £40million deal, though he endured a miserable debut season in west London.

It led to the Blues allowing Garnacho to move on with Villa capturing his services in July. Since, Garnacho has featured in Villa’s first three Premier League matches this campaign, but has been kept of the side by teenager George Hemmings, who has been a standout performer for the Villans.

Asked how he has managed to earn that position, Emery suggested post-Hull that Hemmings is already a Premier League player, while Garnacho still has work to do.

“George, he worked last year the whole year with us and played minutes. He is performing fantastic and getting better. He created one assist for Buendia. He is working in the intensity and kilometres we need. He is doing it. I think he is a player now, clearly, to be in the Premier League.

“Then, we have other players who joined who need to adapt to us in training, playing matches, and Garnacho is in this way. We need their performance to try to add things, working and getting numbers. Garnacho is in this way. How he is responding, George, is really fantastic.”

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Shawn Porter could be about to make an audacious return to the ring.

Porter is a two-time welterweight world champion, having first held the IBF title from 2013 to 2014, before a reign as WBC champion from 2018 to 2019.

He fought some of the biggest names at 147lbs over the years, including the likes of Errol Spence Jr, Adrien Broner, Paulie Malignaggi and Keith Thurman, before retiring following a stoppage loss to Terence Crawford in November 2021.

While it may be nearly five years since Porter last stepped into the ring, he has teased a potential bout with a Hall of Fame inductee, who hasn’t competed himself in over a decade.

Porter revealed the man in question whilst speaking to FightHype, saying that at some point he will get back into the ring against former two-weight world champion Tim Bradley.

“Honestly for me it’s up to that dude. If he want me to kick his ass, I’ll kick his ass. It’s the little man complex that we both have.”

“There is truly an amount of curiosity that [even though] I think we’re both past what would have happened [then], he says he will outbox me.”

“The bottom line is at some point we’ll get in the ring, we either decide on the weight class and put in the work and do it in front of everybody, or I just knock on his door and I say we do this real quick, I need you to know you can’t outbox me.”

Bradley held world honours at both 140lbs and 147lbs, notably taking part in a trilogy with Manny Pacquiao which included a controversial win for ‘Desert Storm’ back in 2012, while he also beat fighters such as Juan Manuel Marquez and Ruslan Provodnikov.

He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2023 and has now become a prominent analyst in the sport, with his playful rivalry with Porter coming after the pair began regularly working together, but whether that ever leads to a genuine fight between the two remains to be seen.

Jaja Santiago-Minowa and Creamline during a game against PLDT in the PVL Invitational Conference.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Jaja Santiago-Minowa felt a tinge of regret after missing the chance to win a championship for Creamline in her limited time in the PVL Invitational Conference.

Even Minowa’s huge addition wasn’t enough to lift Creamline in a 25-17, 23-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-12 loss to PLDT that ended their title bid on Sunday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

READ: PVL: PLDT denies Creamline, sends Nxled to first-ever finals

Jaja Santiago-Minowa after a heartbreaking loss. #PVL2026 @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/vmDXDgKIDl

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) September 6, 2026

Creamline’s loss was Nxled’s gain, as the Chameleons advanced to the final through the FIVB point-system tiebreak with 10 points, ahead of Creamline’s nine and PLDT’s eight.

“We were really aiming for the championship. I’m really sad and I feel bad that I wasn’t able to give that to them during the short time that I’ve been here,” said Minowa in Filipino after firing 25 points, highlighted by nine kill blocks.

“But I’m going to work harder on Tuesday, no matter what happens. At least, we can still fight for a podium finish.”

Creamline missed the Invitational final for the second straight year after ending the preliminary round with back-to-back losses.

But the 6-foot-5 middle blocker still wants to finish strong and bring home the bronze against PLDT also on Tuesday.

“It was definitely a tough loss. I think everyone gave their best, but we just came up short in the end. Maybe the short preparation for everything we’ve been facing also played a part. There are still a lot of things we need to improve as a team,” said Minowa.

READ: Creamline reaps rewards of Jaja Santiago’s presence

Jaja Santiago-Minowa vows to bounce back in the battle for bronze. #PVL2026 @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/lg3zA6apLH

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) September 6, 2026

“But like I said earlier, the fight isn’t over yet. We still have a game on Tuesday. It’s not the finals and it’s not for the gold, but we can change our mindset and treat it like a Finals game. If we win, we’ll still get a medal. It may not be gold, but a win is still a win. So we really need to work hard for Tuesday. It’s a must-win for us.”

Despite the heartbreaking loss, Minowa praised PLDT star Savi Davison, who erupted for a new career-high 37 points in their first-ever duel.

“She jumps really high and attacks at a high point. She’s difficult to block because of how high she contacts the ball, and she also hangs in the air for a long time,” said Minowa, who is set to play in the League One Volleyball in the United States starting in January.

“It’s also difficult to defend her, especially when she gets a good set. But I’m really lucky that I got the chance to play against her. It’s a good challenge because there are a lot of talented players like Savi that we can face, and it’s a good learning experience for me.”