Peter Uihlein was one to watch all week at The International Series Morocco, and Sunday was no different. But in the end, the RangeGoats GC star came up just short, finishing tied for third and five shots behind winner Scott Vincent.
Uihlein, who won twice on The International Series last season, shot a 2-under 71 in the final round on the par-73 Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat. He entered Sunday four shots off the lead and tied for eighth.
Stinger GC’s Charl Schwartzel made a nice run during the weekend and finished T10. Schwartzel shot a combined 5-under in Rounds 3 and 4 to help make up for a 2-over 75 on Thursday. LIV Golf reserve player John Catlin, who has seen plenty of succuss in recent years on The International Series, finished T14.
RangeGoats GC’s Ben Campbell, the defending champion in Morocco, closed at T22 while HyFlyers GC’s Andy Ogletree finished the week at T33. Torque GC’s Mito Pereira experienced some bumps on the weekend and ended with a T56.
The International Series Morocco is the fourth of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar, which form a pathway to the LIV Golf League.
Click here for final scores from Morocco
PUIG HAS SOLID SHOWING ON DP WORLD TOUR
Fireballs GC’s David Puig had a successful week at the BMW International Open in Munich, Germany, finishing T11 and 14-under for the week.
Puig had rounds of 69-67-70-68 to close his week eight shots back of winner Daniel Brown. Cleeks Golf Club Captain Martin Kaymer, playing in his home country, finished T19, helped by a stellar 5-under 67 in the final round.
Click here for final scores from Munich
(Uihlein photo courtesy of Steve Bardens/Asian Tour)
(The International Series staff contributed to this story)
Mouth and tongue lesions are often one of the first symptoms of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV weakens your immune system, which can leave you susceptible to sores and infections.
If left untreated, oral health issues can cause pain and other health complications.
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Aphthous ulcers are small, yellow or gray sores with a red border. They usually appear on the tongue, cheeks, or inside the lips. Mouth ulcers can make talking and eating painful, especially if they’re located under the tongue.
Mouth ulcers are often a symptom of a weak immune system and stress. An estimated 50% of people with HIV experience mouth and tongue ulcers because of their weakened immune systems. Dry mouth caused by HIV and HIV medications can also increase your risk of mouth sores.
Sores will eventually heal on their own. Mild ulcers can be treated with over-the-counter (OTC) numbing creams that help relieve pain and promote healing. More severe sores are treated with prescription corticosteroid mouthwashes or pills.
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Oral thrush is a type of yeast infection that causes patches of creamy white or yellow bumps that coat the tongue. These patches can be painless, or they may burn and bleed. Oral thrush can also affect the tonsils, throat, cheeks, gums, and roof of the mouth.
Oral thrush is the most common mouth infection that affects people living with HIV. It’s normal for yeast (a type of fungus) to live in your mouth. However, if you have a weakened immune system due to HIV, it’s easier for this fungus to grow too much, leading to infection. Because saliva in the mouth has antibodies to fight infections, HIV-related dry mouth also increases your risk of oral thrush.
Prescription antifungal lozenges, pills, or mouthwashes can treat oral thrush. However, oral thrush often returns if your immune system is too weak.
Oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL). Photo Credit: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) causes white, hair-like patches on the sides of the tongue. It can also appear on the insides of the cheeks and lower lip. These patches can be painless or cause mild pain. In more severe cases, you may lose your sense of taste and experience hot and cold sensitivity.
People with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)—a common herpes virus—can develop oral hairy leukoplakia. EBV typically infects people with extremely weak immune systems, especially those with HIV. EBV infections are also more common in people with untreated HIV.
Oral hairy leukoplakia patches often go away randomly, but there is no cure for the underlying Epstein-Barr virus. Treatment for OHL may include prescription anti-retroviral medications to help reduce patches and lower EBV in your body. Topical solutions, like podophyllin resin and retinoids, can also be applied to the tongue to remove patches.
ardasavasciogullari / Getty Images
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) can cause swollen, painful sores and blisters on the tongue. Blisters are also common on the lips and the roof of the mouth. Herpes blisters start as small clusters of white or yellow fluid-filled bumps that eventually burst into one larger red sore.
Oral herpes affects nearly 20% of people with HIV. Living with a weak immune system increases your risk of having more oral herpes outbreaks, which can also spread more easily.
Herpes sores are very contagious and can spread from kissing or sharing utensils. There is no cure for oral herpes, but prescription antivirals can help reduce healing time and future outbreaks.
Sol Silverman, Jr., DDS / CDC
Oral warts look like small, hard, skin-colored bumps or flat, white growths that resemble cauliflower. These painless warts often appear on the tongue, lips, and inside of the mouth. On the tongue, warts usually look gray or white and grow on the sides of the tongue or the lingual frenulum (the fold underneath your tongue).
Oral warts are caused by different strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). People with HIV are more likely to get HPV infections and oral warts because of their weakened immune system.
People who are aging with HIV or are doing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) are also at an increased risk of oral warts. Oral warts can be removed surgically or frozen off with cryosurgery. However, warts can come back.
MSC / Getty Images
Oral melanin hyperpigmentation looks like flat, brown patches on the tongue, lips, gums, cheeks, or roof of the mouth. This discoloration is caused by increased melanin (skin pigment) in the mouth.
If you have HIV, the antiretroviral therapy (ART) medication Retrovir (zidovudine), also known as AZT, can cause oral hyperpigmentation as a side effect. HIV-related oral hyperpigmentation doesn’t usually cause problems or require treatment. However, if you’re worried about the appearance of hyperpigmentation, talk with your healthcare provider. You may be able to switch to a different ART medication.
Maintaining good oral hygiene can help prevent HIV tongue and mouth conditions. Some dentist-approved tips include:
Keep your mouth clean: Brush your teeth for two minutes and floss twice daily to remove food, plaque, and harmful bacteria in your mouth.
Visit your dentist regularly: See your dentist at least every six months for cleanings. If you don’t have a dentist, ask your healthcare provider or clinic for a referral.
Take your HIV medication: It’s important to take antiretroviral therapy medications as directed and on schedule to reduce HIV in your body and help your immune system recover.
Avoid dry mouth triggers: Limit things that can lead to dry mouth, like smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, and eating salty foods.
Stay hydrated: Drink water often, use a humidifier at bedtime, and consider using toothpaste or mouthwash designed to help dry mouth.
If you have HIV, it’s important to see your provider if you experience any changes in your mouth or tongue. Mouth sores, dry mouth, and oral infections are often indicators that HIV is progressing and the immune system is becoming weaker. Some HIV medications can also make dry mouth worse, so your provider may recommend a different treatment.
If left untreated, oral health complications make you more susceptible to bacterial infections and septicemia (blood poisoning), which can be fatal with a weakened immune system. HIV-related tongue ulcers and dry mouth can cause pain that makes it hard to talk, chew, and swallow. Tongue lesions can also wear down taste buds and cause loss of taste.
Other warning signs of HIV progression that warrant a medical visit include:
Fatigue
Fever
Chills
Sore throat
Mouth ulcers
Rash
Muscle aches
Swollen lymph nodes
Night sweats
The HIV Services Locator is a helpful tool to find qualified healthcare providers in your area.
People with HIV are more likely to have ulcers, oral thrush, dark spots, herpes, and warts that affect the tongue and mouth. Because HIV weakens your immune system and can cause dry mouth, oral health conditions are common.
Practicing good oral hygiene, taking your HIV medications, and visiting your dentist regularly are essential to help prevent complications.
With a very good start, Thomas Preining improved from sixth to third place by the first corner on Sunday – before the race was red-flagged shortly afterwards. After the restart, the driver of the number 91 Porsche, together with the Ferrari duo in front of him, increasingly pulled away from the rest of the field. Another perfectly executed tyre change moved him up to second place after the first round of pit stops. From there, Preining was able to put increasing pressure on the leading Jack Aitken, but was initially unable to find a way past. The Manthey EMA driver completed the second mandatory pit stop one lap ahead of his rival. When the Brit returned to the track just ahead of him, Preining overtook him a short time later in the Schöller-S section.
“Great performance here at the Norisring by Thomas Preining – after second place yesterday and today’s victory, we can speak of a very successful DTM weekend,” said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. “I would like to congratulate Team Manthey and thank everyone involved for their great work – including those who are supporting us from Weissach. With Manthey leading the team standings and second place among the drivers and the manufacturers, we can look ahead with excitement. I think we’re in for a great second half of the season. We are involved in the title fights, so I’m really looking forward to it. Now we’ll see if we can achieve this year.”
“We experienced a very special kind of motorsport today, a thrilling duel between modern gladiators,” said Sebastian Golz, Project Manager 911 GT3 R, summarising the action on Sunday. “It remained absolutely thrilling until shortly before the end to see who would take victory. Huge praise and thanks to Thomas Preining and the Manthey crew, who got the maximum out of the race both on and off the track. Morris Schuring, who drove from last place at the restart into the points, also deserves a round of applause. He didn’t give up and rewarded himself with this comeback as best rookie.”
Schuring was an innocent victim of the collision that led to the race being interrupted. He tackled the restart from last position and improved to 13th place at the finish in the Manthey Junior Team’s 911 GT3 R with up to 416 kW (565 hp). Ayhancan Güven from Turkey lost what he thought was a top ten place due to an unfortunate second pit stop and finished Sunday’s race in eleventh place in the second Manthey EMA Porsche.
Thomas Preining already in impressive form on Saturday
His third Norisring victory was already within reach for Preining on Saturday. From fourth on the grid, the former Porsche Junior moved up to second place. The fact that the 911 GT3 R works very well at the Norisring was also underlined by the other two Porsche drivers, who both finished in the points. From grid positions 18 (Güven) and 19 (Schuring), the duo moved up to eleventh and 14th respectively.
Quotes after the race
Thomas Preining (Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91): “Both races were physically and mentally very demanding, with the outside temperatures causing the interior of the car to heat up considerably. On Sunday, I could barely keep up with the two Ferrari in front of me during the first stint. But our pit stop strategy paid off. After the first tyre change, I was able to put more and more pressure on Jack Aitken from second place. Shortly after the second stop, I made the decisive manoeuvre. My three pit stops this weekend all came at exactly the right time and the crew executed them perfectly. A big thank you to the whole team.”
Ayhancan Güven (Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #90): “Two eleventh places that feel different. On Saturday, I was able to work my way forward from a poor grid position and achieve the maximum possible for us on the day with eleventh place. On Sunday, on the other hand, we left a lot to be desired. I was in fifth position and had fourth place in my sights. Unfortunately, I got stuck in traffic at the second pit stop and lost valuable time. This eleventh place is therefore a disappointment.”
Morris Schuring (Manthey Junior Team, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): “After the red flag, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to finish the race. With this in mind, to end it in 13th position as the best rookie makes me very happy. I have now extended my points-scoring streak to five races. I want to work on my qualifying performance next. For now, though, I’m looking forward to the short DTM break before continuing at the Nürburgring in five weeks’ time.”
Race 7 result:
1. Jordan Pepper (ZAF), TGI Team by GRT, Lamborghini #63, 65 laps
2. Thomas Preining (AUT), Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91, +3.055 seconds
3. Maro Engel (DEU), Team Winward Racing, Mercedes-AMG #24, +4.132 seconds
11. Ayhancan Güven (TUR), Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #90, +30.026 seconds
Further information, film and photo material in the Porsche Newsroom: newsroom.porsche.com
The „X‟ channel @PorscheRaces and Instagram @porsche.motorsport provide live updates from Porsche Motorsport with the latest information from racetracks around the world. And now new: the Porsche Motorsport Channel on WhatsApp!
A new species of giant saber-toothed cat has been identified, providing fresh insights into the history of North America’s prehistoric predators. This remarkable animal, which lived between 5 million and 9 million years ago, weighed as much as 900 pounds and preyed on animals weighing 1,000 to 2,000 pounds. Researchers made this discovery after a thorough comparison of seven uncategorized fossil specimens with previously identified fossil and bone samples found around the world.
The Role of Forearm Bones in Identifying New Species
One of the most surprising aspects of this discovery was the role of the humerus, particularly the elbow region, in determining the species of this giant cat. Traditionally, researchers have used teeth as the primary means of identifying saber-toothed cats. However, in this case, the elbow bones were crucial to recognizing Machairodus lahayishupup. By comparing humerus fossils from various species of big cats, including modern lions, pumas, and tigers, researchers discovered that the large, muscular forearms of this new species were unlike any other known cat. This enabled them to confidently categorize it as a previously unidentified species of saber-toothed cat.
Through detailed measurements and digital models of fossilized bones, the team was able to distinguish the unique characteristics of this new cat. The largest of the humerus fossils analyzed was more than 18 inches long, significantly larger than the humerus of a modern adult male lion, which averages around 13 inches in length. This difference in size and structure strongly suggests that Machairodus lahayishupup was a giant among the saber-toothed cats.
A Powerful Predator of the Past
Scientists estimate that Machairodus lahayishupup weighed an average of around 600 pounds, but it could have taken down prey as large as 6,000 pounds, based on the strength of its forelimbs and hunting habits. These cats likely preyed on large herbivores such as rhinoceroses, giant camels, and ground sloths, which were abundant in North America at the time.
Study co-author Jonathan Calede, an assistant professor at Ohio State University, described these animals as regularly hunting bison-sized creatures. “This was by far the largest cat alive at that time.” He emphasized that Machairodus lahayishupup was by far the largest cat alive in North America during that period.
Tracing the Evolution of Saber-Toothed Cats
The identification of Machairodus lahayishupup raises intriguing questions about the evolution of saber-toothed cats across different continents. While giant saber-toothed cats have been known to exist in Europe, Asia, and Africa, this new find indicates that North America also hosted its own giant species during this period. The question of whether these large cats evolved independently on each continent or shared a common ancestral species is one that researchers are eager to explore further.
Calede and co-author John Orcutt, who began this project as a graduate student, believe that their findings contribute significantly to the understanding of saber-toothed cat evolution. They propose that the discovery of similar large cats across multiple continents points to either a pattern of repeated independent evolution or a common ancestor that dispersed globally.
This fan-favorite double star at the head of Cygnus the swan shows off stunning contrasting colors through a telescope.
The double star Albireo in Cygnus shows off beautiful contrasting colors of orange and blue, which also reveal the stars’ differing temperatures. Credit: Stephen Rahn
Albireo, a double star in Cygnus, is easily seen with the naked eye.
Its two main stars appear gold and blue, though color perception varies.
The two stars are far apart and take 75,000 years to orbit each other.
“The two stars in this system are both a few times the mass of the Sun and take about 100 years to orbit each other!” said Jim Kaler.
With the bright Moon lighting the sky our focus is on easy-to-spot targets tonight, such as Albireo at the head of Cygnus the Swan. Also cataloged as Beta (β) Cygni, Albireo is a stunning double star with contrasting colors that is a fan favorite at star parties.
Already flying high in the east after dark, the cross-shaped constellation Cygnus is easy to spot with its brightest star, Deneb, at the tail of the Swan and Albireo at the head in the southwestern corner Cygnus’ domain. About 380 light-years distant and shining with a combined magnitude of 3.1, the two components of Albireo are 34” apart — easy to split with any small scope. The brighter star, also called Beta1, is magnitude 3.4 and glows with a golden hue to most observers’ eyes. Beta2 is a fainter magnitude 5.1 but gives off a blue glow, indicating it is hotter than its brighter companion.
Take some time with this pair and consider which colors you see. While most report the gold-and-blue pairing, some people see the stars as white and blue, or even yellow and green! (Although that green is a trick of the eyes, as there are no green stars.)
Beta1 is a double star as well, but these components are too close to split in a telescope. The two stars in this system are both a few times the mass of the Sun and take about 100 years to orbit each other, according to the stellar expert Jim Kaler. By contrast, the visible components of Beta1 and Beta2 take 75,000 years to orbit each other!
Sunrise: 5:38 A.M. Sunset: 8:31 P.M. Moonrise: 5:19 P.M. Moonset: 1:54 A.M. Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous (84%) *Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. local time from the same location.
For a look ahead at more upcoming sky events, check out our full Sky This Week column.
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (AP) — Wiaan Mulder hit 264 not out as South Africa dominated the opening day of the second test against Zimbabwe, reaching 465-4 at stumps on Sunday.
Mulder scored at run-a-ball pace with three sixes and 34 boundaries in 259 deliveries at Queens Sports Club in the two-test series.
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The visitors lost the toss and were struggling at 24-2. Mulder helped to turn the innings around with two major partnerships — 184 for the third wicket with David Bedingham (82) followed by a stand of 217 with Lhuan-dre Pretorius for the fourth wicket.
The 19-year-old Pretorius — who was man of the match in the first test for his 153 on debut — hit 78.
Zimbabwe pacer Tanaka Chivanga took 2-85 in 18 overs.
Zimbabwe was hoping to rebound from its heaviest test defeat on runs in the series opener, which it lost by 328 runs. A ninth straight win equaled South Africa’s longest winning streak in men’s test cricket, with the 2002-03 Proteas.
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (AP) — Wiaan Mulder hit 264 not out as South Africa dominated the opening day of the second test against Zimbabwe, reaching 465-4 at stumps on Sunday.
Mulder scored at run-a-ball pace with three sixes and 34 boundaries in 259 deliveries at Queens Sports Club in the two-test series.
The visitors lost the toss and were struggling at 24-2. Mulder helped to turn the innings around with two major partnerships — 184 for the third wicket with David Bedingham (82) followed by a stand of 217 with Lhuan-dre Pretorius for the fourth wicket.
The 19-year-old Pretorius — who was man of the match in the first test for his 153 on debut — hit 78.
Zimbabwe pacer Tanaka Chivanga took 2-85 in 18 overs.
Zimbabwe was hoping to rebound from its heaviest test defeat on runs in the series opener, which it lost by 328 runs. A ninth straight win equaled South Africa’s longest winning streak in men’s test cricket, with the 2002-03 Proteas.
Lando Norris has taken victory in an eventful wet-dry British Grand Prix, the McLaren driver leading home team mate Oscar Piastri on an action-packed afternoon that also saw Nico Hulkenberg finally clinch his maiden F1 podium.
With the race starting in dry conditions, polesitter Max Verstappen initially led away from Piastri – but the Australian soon got ahead just as rain started to fall heavily at Silverstone.
While the McLaren quickly built a strong lead, this was neutralised when the Safety Car was deployed, marking the first appearance for the vehicle during the event.
An action-packed event ensued from there, with Piastri receiving a 10-second time penalty for slowing too much when preparing to lead the pack away following another Safety Car restart, while a spin for Verstappen moments later saw the Dutchman drop backwards.
As conditions changed and drivers started to switch to slick tyres later on, Piastri served his penalty during his pit stop and Norris took over the lead of the race – and from there Norris maintained his advantage to seal the win in front of a cheering crowd, crossing the line 6.812s ahead of Piastri.
Behind them the big story came courtesy of Hulkenberg, the Kick Sauber driver remarkably climbing from P19 on the grid to claim his first podium in third place on his 239th Grand Prix start, having fended off a potential challenge from Lewis Hamilton to hold onto the dream result.
Hamilton had to settle for fourth in his first race at Silverstone as a Ferrari driver, while Verstappen recovered to fifth following his earlier spin in the Red Bull and Pierre Gasly claimed a solid sixth place for Alpine.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was seventh – having just lost out on sixth to Gasly in the final moments – with Alex Albon taking eighth for Williams. The other Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso crossed the line in ninth, while George Russell rounded out the top 10 for Mercedes.
Ollie Bearman just missed out on points at his home race, the Haas driver ending up in P11 ahead of Williams’ Carlos Sainz in P12 and the other Haas of Esteban Ocon in P13, the Frenchman having made contact with team mate Bearman in the latter stages.
Charles Leclerc was 14th on a difficult day for the Ferrari man, having been one of those to gamble on swapping to slick tyres following the formation lap, while Yuki Tsunoda was the final driver classified in 15th for Red Bull.
Five drivers retired from the event, with Franco Colapinto the first to do so after stalling his Alpine in the pit lane.
Liam Lawson exited on Lap 1 following a collision with Ocon, the Racing Bulls driver having to pull off the track, while Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto was the next to record a DNF after a spin into the gravel.
Isack Hadjar suffered a heavy crash in the mixed conditions, though fortunately the Racing Bulls man reported that he was okay, and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli became the final retiree following a tough afternoon for the Italian.
AS IT HAPPENED
One day on from a thrilling Qualifying session – in which Verstappen stormed through to claim pole position ahead of the McLaren pair of Norris and Piastri – the attentions of the paddock had switched to the 52-lap British Grand Prix.
There had been two changes to the starting order following that session, with Antonelli moving from seventh to 10th thanks to a grid drop for his Lap 1 collision with Verstappen in Austria, while Bearman had taken a 10-place penalty due to a red flag infringement in third practice, meaning that he would line up in 18th.
Colapinto, meanwhile, was set to start from the pit lane, Alpine having made changes to his car under parc ferme conditions following his spin into the barriers during Q1 of Saturday’s Qualifying.
Rain had been falling on and off at Silverstone in the hours prior to the race, leaving plenty of question marks over the forecast for the Grand Prix. While the intermittent showers looked to have abated as the start time neared, conditions remained damp and gusty when the cars started to line up on the grid.
Given the weather, it was confirmed that the formation lap would be started behind the Safety Car, while it was also revealed when the tyre blankets were removed that all 20 cars would start on fresh intermediate tyres. However, a number of cars – Russell, Leclerc, Antonelli, Hadjar and Bearman – dived into the pits to bolt on slick tyres prior to the start, leaving gaps on the grid.
Verstappen made a strong launch from pole, holding onto the lead ahead of Piastri and Norris, before Norris soon faced a challenge from a racy Hamilton. The Ferrari had to back out, allowing Gasly to get in on the action and close in on the seven-time World Champion.
There was drama further back for Lawson, who found himself out of the running following a collision with Ocon. With the Racing Bulls car pulling off the track, the Virtual Safety Car was deployed, while elsewhere Colapinto also retired early on after stalling in the pit lane.
Just as the VSC period was ending, Bortoleto became the next car to spin off into the gravel, though fortunately the Kick Sauber was able to get going again. There remained a piece of the Brazilian’s front wing near the track, however, sparking a yellow flag.
Bortoleto subsequently stopped, meaning that another VSC was called on Lap 6 – which also brought a pause to an increasingly interesting battle at the front between Verstappen and Piastri, with the Australian having been closing the gap to the World Champion.
Behind them, Norris remained in third ahead of Hamilton, Gasly, Alonso, Sainz, Albon, Tsunoda and Hulkenberg. By Lap 7 the VSC had come to an end, allowing Piastri to recommence his chase of Verstappen, bringing the margin down to less than half a second.
After looking at making a move a few times, Piastri surged ahead of Verstappen just one tour later to take the lead of the race, sparking cheers from the crowd. Further back, Antonelli was tussling with Leclerc back down the order, the former having pitted under the first VSC for another set of hard tyres.
While Antonelli initially got ahead, Leclerc went on to retake the position – before Antonelli headed into the pits on Lap 10 to switch to intermediate tyres amid increasingly dark skies at Silverstone, rain seemingly on the way.
And soon the rainfall had indeed arrived, sparking several more pit stops as Verstappen tried to fend off Norris. Going side by side, Verstappen ran off the track which allowed Norris through before both dived into the pit lane.
McLaren double-stacked their drivers and it proved to be a slightly slow stop for Norris, meaning that Verstappen found himself ahead of the Briton as they re-emerged from the pits. By Lap 12, Piastri was still in the lead, with Albon running amongst the leaders having not yet pitted.
The Williams soon made a pit stop, allowing Verstappen to again run in second from Norris in third amid heavy spray being kicked up. In the increasingly tricky conditions, on Lap 14 the Safety Car was deployed, neutralising what had been a significant lead for Piastri.
Replays showed Leclerc having an off, the Monegasque reporting water in his visor as he bounced across the grass. Meanwhile, as the Safety Car continued to lead the pack around, Piastri led from Verstappen and Norris with Stroll an eye-catching fourth, the Canadian known to perform well in wet conditions.
The other Aston Martin of Alonso, however, was not quite so happy in P10. The Spaniard voiced his annoyance about his strategy, given that he had started P7 in comparison to Stroll in P17 – but would things change when the Safety Car came into the pits on Lap 17?
With plenty of spray still around, Piastri maintained his lead as racing recommenced – but the Safety Car was then called out again on Lap 18 after Hadjar crashed heavily, the Racing Bulls machine running into the rear of Antonelli.
Fortunately the Frenchman radioed in to report that he was okay, before admitting that he could not see the Mercedes. Antonelli, meanwhile, was able to continue on down in P15, with the incident set to be investigated after the race. The total number of cars left in the running was now down to 16.
Antonelli made his third pit stop of the afternoon on Lap 21, before the Safety Car period again came to an end later in the lap. Piastri was noted for a potential infringement, the Australian having seemingly slowed too much at the restart – leading to Verstappen briefly getting past. The Dutchman then dramatically spun as the race recommenced, dropping him down to P10.
By Lap 24, Piastri was leading by three seconds from Norris, with Stroll now in third ahead of Hulkenberg, Gasly, Hamilton, Russell, Alonso, Sainz and Verstappen. That soon changed when Hamilton went wide through Copse, allowing Russell to go through.
While Piastri remained in front, the Australian was handed a 10-second time penalty for slowing too much behind the Safety Car. The stewards were also kept busy as they prepared to investigate Tsunoda and Bearman for a collision at the restart, which sent Bearman into a spin, while Antonelli had also joined the list of retirements.
“You have a 17-second gap to Stroll – head down,” Piastri was informed by his race engineer upon being told of his penalty. Tsunoda, meanwhile, had been handed a 10-second time penalty of his own for causing a collision with Bearman.
Elsewhere, Hamilton was making moves after snatching P5 from Gasly, with Hulkenberg the next in the Briton’s sights – but the German was in fighting mood himself, having closed to within a second of Stroll in the battle for third. Could the German achieve a long-awaited debut F1 podium?
While Hamilton had brought the gap down to 1.7s by Lap 34, Hulkenberg was now around half a second behind Stroll – and just one lap later, the Kick Sauber swept through to move up into third. This left Stroll at the mercy of Hamilton, the Ferrari man soon following through to take fourth.
Further back, with DRS having been enabled, Verstappen had taken P9 from Sainz, with Alonso some three seconds up the road from the Dutchman in P8. Up at the front, Piastri was leading Norris by two seconds.
“The track is pretty decent – it’s starting to dry up a bit,” Hamilton reported when asked about the conditions, the Ferrari man suggesting that there would be a “crossover” in the laps ahead. Come Lap 38, Alonso became the first to make that switch, bolting on the medium tyres, while Russell was the next to stop for the hard compound.
The call did not initially look to be paying off for Alonso, the Aston Martin driver sliding around as he struggled for grip – before Russell had a spin through the gravel, the Mercedes man subsequently managing to return to the track.
After struggling to pass Hulkenberg, Hamilton pitted on Lap 42 for slicks, the World Champion returning to the track with soft tyres bolted on. A flurry of action saw several others make the call, with Stroll also opting for softs while Verstappen, Gasly, Sainz, Bearman and Tsunoda had gone for the mediums.
The next to make the move was Hulkenberg who pitted for the medium compound – and, with Hamilton having a wide moment, the German emerged back in third place. Piastri then made a stop on Lap 44, serving his penalty in the process which brought him back out in second.
Intra-team drama hit for Haas when contact occurred between Ocon and Bearman, with both making synchronised spins. Meanwhile Norris stopped for medium tyres before returning to the track ahead of his team mate – but an aggressive Piastri was chasing him down, running wide at one point as he tried to cut the gap.
Piastri radioed in to suggest that the team could consider swapping positions if they felt that his penalty was unfair – an idea that Norris would perhaps be less inclined to support. McLaren went on to state that they would not be making any team orders as the race entered into the final laps.
As the chequered flag fell, Norris crossed the line to take his first home victory and the eighth win of his F1 career, the Briton sparking cheers from the fans along the way. Piastri followed 6.812s down the road – and behind him, Hulkenberg claimed third to seal that long-awaited first podium.
Hamilton took fourth place after being unable to catch the Kick Sauber, with Verstappen ending up in fifth following his earlier spin. Gasly was still on the move until the very end, the Frenchman overtaking Stroll on the final lap to snatch sixth on an impressive afternoon for the Alpine driver.
With Stroll having to settle to seventh, Albon followed in eighth – the Thai driver breaking a string of consecutive DNFs – while Alonso and Russell rounded out the top 10.
Bearman took 11th place in his first home race as an F1 driver, ahead of Sainz in 12th and Ocon in 13th. The Haas duo are amongst those set to visit the stewards following the Grand Prix regarding their collision in the latter stages.
Leclerc’s difficult afternoon ended in 14th, while Tsunoda was the last classified runner in 15th place.
A total of five drivers did not make the finish, with Colapinto, Lawson, Bortoleto, Hadjar and Antonelli all failing to reach the end, with both Hadjar and Antonelli due to visit the stewards after the race over the contact that occurred between them.
Following the race, Norris is now just eight points behind Piastri in the championship standings, with Verstappen still in a more distant third.
Key quote
“The last few laps I was just looking into the crowd,” said race winner Norris. “I was just trying got take it all in, enjoy the moment because it might never happen again. I hope it does but these are memories that I’ll bring with me forever so – incredible achievement.”
What’s next
After a couple of weekends off, F1 will return to Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix on July 25-27. Head to the RACE HUB to find out how you can follow the action.
WIMBLEDON — Aryna Sabalenka won her first Grand Slam title nearly six years ago at the US Open. She had a partner in crime, Elise Mertens, and they would repeat that doubles triumph two years later at the Australian Open.
This was before Sabalenka became an irresistible force in singles, a three-time major champion and found herself closing in on a one-year reign as No. 1 in the PIF WTA Rankings.
It’s probably not a coincidence that Sabalenka has now beaten Mertens in 11 of their 13 singles meetings, most recently on Sunday, 6-4, 7-6 (4), in the fourth round at the All England Club. For in those years of their partnership, Sabalenka came to know the intricacies of Mertens’ game, her strengths and, more importantly, her weaknesses.
Sabalenka, who has more wins against the No. 24-seeded Mertens than any other player on the Hologic WTA Tour, advances to Tuesday’s quarterfinals. She’ll face 37-year-old Laura Siegemund, who ended the unlikely run of lucky loser Solana Sierra with a 6-3, 6-2 victory.
Sabalenka finished with six aces and won 32 of 38 first-serve points. And while both players had 18 unforced errors, Sabalenka had 36 winners, nine more than Mertens.
Sabalenka is:
The first woman to reach the quarterfinals in all of their first three Grand Slam appearances as World No. 1 since Lindsay Davenport (Australian Open 1999 and 2005, and Roland Garros 2005).
Improved her tiebreak record to 16-1 (including 14 straight) this season.
The first woman to reach the quarterfinals at all three Grand Slam played in 2025 — Iga Swiatek can equal this record on Monday.
The fourth woman in the last 30 years to reach the quarterfinals at each of the first three Majors of the season without dropping a set in the first four Rounds after Venus Williams (1998), Kim Clijsters (2006) and Justine Henin (2006).
Sabalenka, sporting fingernails painted a becoming shade of Wimbledon green, is on a terrific tear at the Grand Slams. She’s reached the quarterfinals (at least) in the past 10 majors in which she’s appeared. Her 16 Grand Slam match-wins are more than any other woman this year, as are her 46 overall wins.
Mertens, currently ranked No. 19, remains a formidable player at the age of 29. The Belgian won the title at the Libema Open last month and came into this match with a career record of 15-7 at Wimbledon. She’s got some pop in her shots, anticipates well and is quite handy at net. This was her third appearance in the fourth round.
The players traded breaks in the opening set — Sabalenka scored in the fourth game and Mertens countered in the seventh. But with Mertens serving at 4-5, Sabalenka cranked up the decibels and the pace. A terrific return forced a Mertens netter forehand for set point. Sabalenka followed up by blasting a backhand winner — and a scream that matched it in intensity.
Mertens, however, was undeterred. She broke Sabalenka in the third game of the second set. But serving at 3-2, Sabalenka broke back.
This is the essence of the three-time Grand Slam champion’s game: At deuce, Sabalenka took a second serve and smoked a cross-court backhand that hit the line, sending up a small cloud of chalk. Then raised her level on the next point and Merten couldn’t land her forehand.
The decisive blow in the second-set tiebreak was a backhand laser return from Sabalenka with Mertens serving a 3-all. She closed it out with a wonderful forehand volley that Mertens could barely get a frame on.
Mertens is now 0-6 against No. 1 players for her career, half of those losses coming to Sabalenka.
Pentameric architecture of CryoRs and unusual central channel. (A) Overall view of the CryoR1 pentamer in detergent micelles and nanodiscs. (B) View at the CryoR1 pentamer from the cytoplasmic side. (C) Side view of the central channel in CryoR1. (D) Overall view of the CryoR2 pentamer in crystals. (E) View at the CryoR1 pentamer from the cytoplasmic side. (F) Side view of the central channel in CryoR1. C terminus is colored dark red. — Science Advances
Imagine the magnificent glaciers of Greenland, the eternal snow of the Tibetan high mountains, and the permanently ice-cold groundwater in Finland. As cold and beautiful these are, for the structural biologist Kirill Kovalev, they are more importantly home to unusual molecules that could control brain cells’ activity.
Kovalev, EIPOD Postdoctoral Fellow at EMBL Hamburg’s Schneider Group and EMBL-EBI’s Bateman Group, is a physicist passionate about solving biological problems. He is particularly hooked by rhodopsins, a group of colourful proteins that enable aquatic microorganisms to harness sunlight for energy.
“In my work, I search for unusual rhodopsins and try to understand what they do,” said Kovalev. “Such molecules could have undiscovered functions that we could benefit from.”
Cryorhodopsins are a group of proteins found in cold-loving microorganisms. They have the remarkable ability to turn cellular electrical activity on and off Credit Daniela Velasco/EMBL
Some rhodopsins have already been modified to serve as light-operated switches for electrical activity in cells. This technique, called optogenetics, is used by neuroscientists to selectively control neuronal activity during experiments. Rhodopsins with other abilities, such as enzymatic activity, could be used to control chemical reactions with light, for example.
Having studied rhodopsins for years, Kovalev thought he knew them inside out – until he discovered a new, obscure group of rhodopsins that were unlike anything he had seen before.
As it often happens in science, it started serendipitously. While browsing online protein databases, Kovalev spotted an unusual feature common to microbial rhodopsins found exclusively in very cold environments, such as glaciers and high mountains. “That’s weird,” he thought. After all, rhodopsins are something you typically find in seas and lakes.
These cold-climate rhodopsins were almost identical to each other, even though they evolved thousands of kilometres apart. This couldn’t be a coincidence. They must be essential for surviving in the cold, concluded Kovalev, and to acknowledge this, he named them ‘cryorhodopsins’.
Rhodopsins out of the blue
Kovalev wanted to know more: what these rhodopsins look like, how they work, and, in particular, what colour they are.
Colour is the key feature of each rhodopsin. Most are pink-orange – they reflect pink and orange light, and absorb green and blue light, which activates them. Scientists strive to create a palette of different coloured rhodopsins, so they could control neuronal activity with more precision. Blue rhodopsins have been especially sought-after because they are activated by red light, which penetrates tissues more deeply and non-invasively.
To Kovalev’s amazement, the cryorhodopsins he examined in the lab revealed an unexpected diversity of colours, and, most importantly, some were blue.
The colour of each rhodopsin is determined by its molecular structure, which dictates the wavelengths of light it absorbs and reflects. Any changes in this structure can alter the colour.
“I can actually tell what’s going on with cryorhodopsin simply by looking at its colour,” laughed Kovalev.
Applying advanced structural biology techniques, he figured out that the secret to the blue colour is the same rare structural feature that he originally spotted in the protein databases.
Phylogeny of CryoRs. (A) Maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree of MRs. The tree includes 2199 sequences reported in (1), 3 sequences of DSE rhodopsins reported in (17), and 40 sequences of CryoRs found in the present work. (B) Enlarged view of the tree branch containing CryoRs. Amino acid residues in helix B at the position corresponding to that of T46 in BR are shown at the tips. (C) Rectangular representation of the phylogenetic tree of the CryoRs and nearby DSE and ACI rhodopsins clades. The inset in the left bottom corner shows amino acids of the seven-letter motifs of CryoR1-5, DSE, and ACI rhodopsins (numbering corresponds to CryoR1). The unique arginine (R57 in CryoR1) is boxed for clarity. — Science Advances
“Now that we understand what makes them blue, we can design synthetic blue rhodopsins tailored to different applications,” said Kovalev.
Next, Kovalev’s collaborators examined cryorhodopsins in cultured brain cells. When cells expressing cryorhodopsins were exposed to UV light, it induced electric currents inside them. Interestingly, if the researchers illuminated the cells right afterwards with green light, the cells became more excitable, whereas if they used UV/red light instead, it reduced the cells’ excitability.
“New optogenetic tools to efficiently switch the cell’s electric activity both ‘on’ and ‘off’ would be incredibly useful in research, biotechnology and medicine,” said Tobias Moser, Group Leader at the University Medical Center Göttingen who participated in the study. “For example, in my group, we develop new optical cochlear implants for patients that can optogenetically restore hearing in patients. Developing the utility of such a multi-purpose rhodopsin for future applications is an important task for the next studies.”
“Our cryorhodopsins aren’t ready to be used as tools yet, but they’re an excellent prototype. They have all the key features that, based on our findings, could be engineered to become more effective for optogenetics,” said Kovalev.
Evolution’s UV light protector
When exposed to sunlight even on a rainy winter day in Hamburg, cryorhodopsins can sense UV light, as shown using advanced spectroscopy by Kovalev’s collaborators from Goethe University Frankfurt led by Josef Wachtveitl. Wachtveitl’s team showed that cryorhodopsins are in fact the slowest among all rhodopsins in their response to light. This made the scientists suspect that those cryorhodopsins might act like photosensors letting the microbes ‘see’ UV light – a property unheard of among other cryorhodopsins.
“Can they really do that?” Kovalev kept asking himself. A typical sensor protein teams up with a messenger molecule that passes information from the cell membrane to the cell’s inside.
Kovalev grew more convinced, when together with his collaborators from Alicante, Spain, and his EIPOD co-supervisor, Alex Bateman from EMBL-EBI, they noticed that the cryorhodopsin gene is always accompanied by a gene encoding a tiny protein of unknown function – likely inherited together, and possibly functionally linked.
Kovalev wondered if this might be the missing messenger. Using the AI tool AlphaFold, the team were able to show that five copies of the small protein would form a ring and interact with the cryorhodopsin. According to their predictions, the small protein sits poised against the cryorhodopsin inside the cell. They believe that when cryorhodopsin detects UV light, the small protein could depart to carry this information into the cell.
“It was fascinating to uncover a new mechanism via which the light-sensitive signal from cryorhodopsins could be passed on to other parts of the cell. It is always a thrill to learn what the functions are for uncharacterised proteins. In fact, we find these proteins also in organisms that do not contain cryorhodopsin, perhaps hinting at a much wider range of jobs for these proteins.”
Why cryorhodopsins evolved their astonishing dual function – and why only in cold environments – remains a mystery.
“We suspect that cryorhodopsins evolved their unique features not because of the cold, but rather to let microbes sense UV light, which can be harmful to them,” said Kovalev. “In cold environments, such as the top of a mountain, bacteria face intense UV radiation. Cryorhodopsins might help them sense it, so they could protect themselves. This hypothesis aligns well with our findings.”
“Discovering extraordinary molecules like these wouldn’t be possible without scientific expeditions to often remote locations, to study the adaptations of the organisms living there,” added Kovalev. “We can learn so much from that!”
Unique approach to unique molecules
To reveal the fascinating biology of cryorhodopsins, Kovalev and his collaborators had to overcome several technical challenges.
One was that cryorhodopsins are nearly identical in structure, and even a slight change in the position of a single atom can result in different properties. Studying molecules at this level of detail requires going beyond standard experimental methods. Kovalev applied a 4D structural biology approach, combining X-ray crystallography at EMBL Hamburg beamline P14 and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) in the group of Albert Guskov in Groningen, Netherlands, with protein activation by light.
“I actually chose to do my postdoc at EMBL Hamburg, because of the unique beamline setup that made my project possible,” said Kovalev. “The whole P14 beamline team worked together to tailor the setup to my experiments – I’m very grateful for their help.”
Another challenge was that cryorhodopsins are extremely sensitive to light. For this reason, Kovalev’s collaborators had to learn to work with the samples in almost complete darkness.
CryoRhodopsins: a comprehensive characterization of a group of microbial rhodopsins from cold environments, Science Advances (open access)
