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The rain had been and gone but no abundance of showers could stop Max Verstappen topping up that cake with the sweetest of icing. Cruising to victory out in front as the Monaco Grand Prix reached its crescendo on Sunday, the irrepressible Dutchman did not fancy letting up. So much so that, with six laps to go, the ultimate humiliation very much rained down on his team-mate. Verstappen lapped Sergio Perez. For the second time. Powered with an identical car Perez, quite rightly, was being touted as a genuine title contender a month ago. Off the back of two wins – sprint and race – in Baku, the gap was just six points heading into Miami. He didn’t know it at the time but due to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix’s cancellation, two more street tracks would give the so-called “king of the streets” a perfect opportunity to take the lead. But after failing to hold off Verstappen from ninth on the grid in Florida, Perez had something he can simply not afford this past weekend in Monaco: a nightmare grand prix. A incomprehensible crash early in Q1 into Saint Devote wrecked his chances from the get-go. Slap bang last on the grid, in near-identical circumstances to Australia at the beginning of April. On Sunday, he pitted five times when the majority of the field pitted just once. You can only imagine what was going through Verstappen’s head when he saw Perez for the second time in the distance. Perhaps a wee smile, aware of the boost to his championship hopes. Perez finished 16th and from six, the gap in the standings is now 39 points. Verstappen, for what it’s worth, was mesmeric in the principality, a place he calls home. The 25-year-old won this race on Saturday, after an outlandishly thrilling qualifying concluded with the lap of the season so far. Because Verstappen was in trouble. First, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon shot to the top of the standings with a stunner. Then, Fernando Alonso – “pushing like an animal”, to use his own words – set the new benchmark. Verstappen had one more go. Two-tenths down heading into the final sector, Verstappen pinpointed his RB19 to such perfection that walls had to be kissed. Lighting up the swimming pool complex, seeping every last drop out of the car at Rascasse and a little bump with the barrier through Antony Noghes. Pole was grabbed, by 0.084 seconds, right at the death. And with it Sunday’s win too. Nevertheless, it was a season-best for 41-year-old Alonso, whose highly-craved 33rd grand prix victory does genuinely seem to be just around the corner. After five third-place finishes in six races, he bettered it this time with second spot. So focused, so revitalised, so it seems Alonso may be the only slight obstacle in Verstappen’s title charge. Given a new lease of life at Aston Martin, Formula 1’s elder statesman is relishing the challenge laid down by the Dutchman, 16 years his junior. And while people may jump to state that Verstappen’s third-straight title is nothing more than a formality… who knows? All it takes is a retirement or two for the pendulum to swing. While Mercedes grapple with upgrades – Lewis Hamilton and George Russell did finish a respectable fourth and fifth respectively – and Ferrari continue to be, well, Ferrari, Aston may provide the only credible opposition in the coming races. Alonso’s last victory was a decade ago in Barcelona. If he’s top of the podium again this time next week then, maybe, the wily old fox can launch a season-long attack at Verstappen. An attack which should have – yet seemingly won’t – come from across the garage at Red Bull. Read More Max Verstappen defies rain and Fernando Alonso to win Monaco Grand Prix Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin ‘will not give up’ in push for F1 triumph Max Verstappen fends off Fernando Alonso to take stunning pole in Monaco Lewis Hamilton has shut the door on Ferrari – will he come to regret it?

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Major League Baseball’s quest for the crown of cool will be on display Tuesday when its top players strut down a red carpet show at Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market ahead of the All-Star Game

Lewis Hamilton has admitted that Mercedes’ upgrade is “definitely not the step forward” he was hoping for ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion said after May’s Miami Grand Prix he was “counting down the days” for the upgrade he hoped would propel him back to the front, and he was given his first taste of Mercedes’ revamped machine at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. Hamilton qualified sixth in Monte Carlo before making up two places in the rain-hit race. Team-mate George Russell finished one spot behind Hamilton in fifth, while Max Verstappen raced to his fourth win of the season. The Monte Carlo layout has been among Mercedes’ worst tracks and Sunday’s race here at the Circuit de Catalunya on the outskirts of Barcelona is set to represent a truer reflection of the team’s outright speed. But addressing Mercedes’ upgrade on the eve of the seventh round, Hamilton said: “It is definitely not the step forward that we were hoping for. “The true step forward we were hoping for was to [overturn] a one-second delta [to Red Bull] in race trim, and we have not covered that with this step. “When you bring upgrades, naturally you should be progressing forwards, and the fact is that it is an improvement, but it just not the improvement we had dreamed of. “It is one step at a time. I don’t feel negative towards it, I am grateful we have it, and I understand how much work has gone into making these parts, the rush that has gone on, and the amount of flat-out work by the team. “We are hugely hungry to move in the right direction so I would say that I am just hopeful that it puts us on a better track. “We have taken account of where we are, where we have gone wrong, and now we are slowly chipping away and navigating our way back to the front but unfortunately it is just a long process.” Hamilton finished 39 seconds behind Verstappen on Sunday as the Dutchman extended his championship lead over team-mate Sergio Perez to 39 points. Red Bull have won 16 of the last 17 grands prix, with Verstappen firmly on course to secure his third world title in as many years. And Verstappen said his team – which has dominated the sport since a major overhaul of the regulations at the beginning of last season – has the speed to win all 22 races. “I would say at the moment, that we can,” said Verstappen. “But that’s very unlikely to happen. “There are always things that go wrong, a retirement or whatever. But purely on pace at the moment we can. “We have always seen dominant periods in Formula One and this is nothing new. If we look back at the 80s, the 90s, the 2000s, early 2010s to all the way until 2020, it’s pure dominance of certain teams. “The longer you leave the regulations the same, the closer people will get. So maybe this is something we need to look at.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin ‘will not give up’ in push for F1 triumph Concerns Monaco GP could be ‘left behind’ as Max Verstappen wins ‘boring race’ Fernando Alonso ready to pounce if Max Verstappen makes a slow start in Monaco

By Blake Brittain Yum Brands' Taco Bell prevailed on Tuesday in its self-described bid to "liberate" the phrase

Mother's Day is a wonderful celebration of the fierce women who birthed and reared us; it's also a holiday that annually tests chronic procrastinators' thoughtful-planning abilities. And, we can't forget about our anxiety-ridden early birds eager to get gifting out of the way. To finally avoid the stressful ghost of Mother's Days past, we crafted a hidden gem shopping list of the best Amazon Mother's Day presents. Here's to the best Mother's Day gifts she'll remember for years to come.

Britain’s Prince Harry says he didn’t have the support he needed when he returned home from combat in Afghanistan