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Formula One bosses were facing up to one of the most embarrassing days in the sport’s recent history after practice for the much-anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix was completed at 4am in an empty arena. After months of hype leading up to the £500million race, the first running was abandoned with just eight minutes on the clock. Second practice was then delayed by two and a half hours, and played out in front of vacant grandstands after furious fans were ejected to comply with local laws. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the order, with Max Verstappen sixth and Lewis Hamilton ninth, but the event - billed by F1 chiefs as the greatest show on earth - dramatically unravelled more than seven hours previously. A water valve cover broke free from the newly laid tarmac and tore into the underbelly of Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari at 210mph on the Las Vegas Boulevard. The force of the impact visibly jolted Sainz in the cockpit and, amid a flurry of white smoke and orange sparks, disabled his machine. Race director Niels Wittich red-flagged the session, but not before Esteban Ocon also struck the debris. On-board footage from Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin captured the 42-year-old dramatically dodging the loose drain cover. Eleven minutes later, at 8:49pm, it was announced practice would not be resumed. Both Sainz and Ocon escaped without injury - but their cars were severely damaged. A giant hole tore through Sainz’s Ferrari leaving his mechanics facing an extensive repair job. Team principal Frederic Vasseur, who appeared in a pre-arranged press conference moments later, was furious. “We completely damaged the monocoque, engine and battery,” he said. “It is just unacceptable.” Second practice had originally been scheduled to start at midnight. But it was postponed as all 30 drain covers along the 1.2-mile Las Vegas Boulevard - which runs against the backdrop of Caesars Palace, Bellagio and Venetian hotels - were inspected. The covers were removed and holes filled with concrete and quick-drying resin in a hasty repair job. The track was finally deemed fit-for-purpose at 2:30am local time. However, when the running resumed the stands were empty after strict labour laws posed a security risk. Some disgruntled fans, who refused to leave, were moved on by police. A general admission ticket for the three-day event costs 500 US dollars (£400), while a hospitality suite was sold at an eye-watering 150,000 US dollars (£120,000) for the three days. The disastrous failure in Las Vegas comes 48 hours after a Superbowl-like opening ceremony, and a day on from triple world champion Verstappen heavily criticising the staging of the Grand Prix - the first here in four decades - as “99 per cent show, and one per cent sport”. F1 executives are keen to build on the sport’s growing popularity in the United States. The race in Nevada joins Austin and Miami as the third in America. Yet the mess here drew parallels with the 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis where only six drivers took part amid tyre safety fears. Leclerc finished half-a-second clear of team-mate Sainz. Verstappen, a winner of 17 of the 20 rounds so far, was nine tenths adrift with Hamilton 1.3 sec back in his Mercedes. Third practice is due to begin at 8.30pm on Friday (4.30am GMT on Saturday) with qualifying for Saturday’s 50-lap race taking place at midnight (8.00am GMT on Sunday). PA Read More Carlos Sainz handed ‘ridiculous’ penalty after drain cover crash at Las Vegas GP Empty grandstands at Las Vegas GP as chaotic practice session takes place at 3am Toto Wolff launches furious defence of F1 after absurd start to Las Vegas GP Empty grandstands at Las Vegas GP as chaotic practice session takes place at 3am Toto Wolff launches furious defence of F1 after absurd start to Las Vegas GP Ferrari boss rages at F1 after ‘unacceptable’ loose drain cover wrecks Sainz’s car

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Spain face Netherlands in an all-European clash at the Women’s World Cup as the quarter-finals get underway in Australia and New Zealand. Spain returned to form in the last-16 as they bounced back from their 4-0 defeat to Japan by thrashing Switzerland 5-1, with Aitana Bonmati playing a starring role with two goals as La Roja reached their first ever Women’s World Cup quarter-final. The Netherlands were given a stern test by South African in Sydney but progressed thanks to a stunning display from goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar in the 2-0 win, as the Oranje look to go one step further than their Women’s World Cup final defeat four years ago. Later, Japan face the biggest test of their campaign yet as they take on Sweden. Japan have been the standout team of the tournament so far, but Sweden offer a true test of their ambitions after the Olympic silver medalists knocked out the United States in the last-16. Follow live updates from Spain vs Netherlands as the World Cup quarter-finals get underway Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Who and when do England play next? Lionesses route to the World Cup final Lauren James handed ban for World Cup red card

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Manchester City will look to continue their perfect start to this season’s Champions League defence as Pep Guardiola’s side visit BSC Young Boys tonight. City have opened their European campaign with victories over FK Crvena Zvezda and away at RB Leipzig last time out, and now travel to the Swiss champions in Bern. The treble winners got back to winning wins at the weekend with a 2-1 win against Brighton, following a three-match domestic losing streak that came while Rodri was suspended. City have a three point lead over RB Leipzig and are five points clear of Young Boys and FK Crvena Zvezda in Champions League Group G, and would be on the verge of qualification to the last-16 with another victory tonight. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of tonight’s Champions League clash. When is Young Boys vs Manchester City? The match will kick off at 8pm BST on Wednesday 25 October in Bern, Switzerland. How can I watch it? It will be shown live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting from 7pm BST. TNT Sports customers can also stream the match live on Discovery+ and the Discovery+ app. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. What is the Manchester City team news? City have no fresh injury concerns, with long-term casualty Kevin De Bruyne their only notable absentee. Manuel Akanji is free to play but will be suspended from their next Premier League match after his red card against Brighton. Predicted line-up Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Stones, Diaz, Akanji; Rodri, Bernardo; Foden, Alvaraz, Doku; Haaland Prediction Young Boys 1-4 Manchester City Read More Esme Morgan pleads for patience and politeness from England’s autograph hunters Pep Guardiola responds to concerns over artificial pitch ahead of Young Boys clash I know my worth – Rasmus Hojlund ready to build on promising start at Man Utd Gabriel Jesus urges Arsenal team-mates to believe they can win Champions League Erik ten Hag heaps praise on United goalkeeper Andre Onana after penalty heroics Gabriel Jesus has ‘changed our world’ – Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta

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