Red Bull boss hails Verstappen after team’s 100th win

MONTREAL—Team chief Christian

Horner hailed Max Verstappen and all the Red Bull staff on Sunday after the double world champion delivered their 100th victory in winning the Canada Grand Prix.

It was the 25-year-old Dutchman’s sixth win this year and the 41st of his career, pulling him alongside threetime champion Ayrton Senna in Formula One’s record books.

“To get a century of victories for the whole team is an incredible achievement,” said Horner.

“And not just by those who are here, but for the men and women in the team who have put in all the long hours.

“One hundred races is a lot, but 100 wins is 27 per cent of all the races we’ve entered that we’ve won and that’s an incredible, truly incredible statistic.

“And Max has been just sensational here again this weekend. He really is driving out of his skin.” He added he was not thinking about completing an unbeaten season.

“We are taking it one race at a time and my mind is not drifting off to far into the future,” he said.

“But can we? Who knows? There are so many variables. So, we take it one at a time… Collectively, this group are doing a great job.”

The seemingly unflappable Verstappen was, he said, very satisfied with another successful weekend.

“Of course, I am very happy right now,” he said. “But it was not a very straightforward race because the tyres were not getting into their window, it was cold and we were sliding around a lot.

“But we made it work and to win again and win the 100th Grand Prix for the team. It’s incredible, amazing. I mean I never expected to be on these numbers for myself so we keep enjoying working hard and today has been a great day.”

Verstappen led from lights to flag as he came home 9.570 seconds ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso with seven-time champion

Lewis Hamilton finishing third for Mercedes. His victory left him behind only four-time champions Alain Prost

(51) and Sebatian Vettel (53), seventime champions Michael Schumacher and Hamilton (91 and 103, respectively). AFP

Additional prizes of P50,000 and P30,000 will also be awarded to the Olympic and Sprint winners, respectively, of Lipi ng Rizal (best team award), P10,000 each to the recipient of Fuertos Juntos (relay) and P50,000 to the Liga ng Rizal awardee (team with most members).

The top three Bagong Bayani winners, or Filipino elites, will also get P40,000, P30,000 and P10,000, respectively.

Spicing up the 5150 Dapitan is the Go for Gold Sunrise Sprint, featuring 750m open-water swim, 20km bike ride and a 5km run, with the Noli Run, a 3km fun run will usher in the main event on Sept. 9.

“We told ourselves, we want to also promote sports tourism and encourage people to travel over the Philippines and Dapitan is one of those places,” said Galura.

Gracing the press launch were reigning Subic IRONMAN 70.3 champion John Alcala, race director Ani de Leon-Brown, and national triathlon star Kim Mangrobang, who was in Mexico.

Galura added that they are expecting around 500 participants but may open it up for more people to get to see history in Dapitan.

“We will obviously increase it. We want many people to experience Dapitan,” she said.

PSA Forum to tackle D-League, Sports Expo

PROTAGONISTS of the PBA DLeague Aspirants’ Cup Finals headline the two-part session of Tuesday’s regular Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Members of defending champion EcoOil La Salle and Marinerong Pilipino-San Beda will be on hand to talk about their coming best-of-three title series that kicks off Thursday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.

Coach Gian Nazario and Michael and Ben Philips are on hand to represent the Green Archers, while Jacob Cortez and coaching staff members will be coming in behalf of the Red Lions.

The three-day Philippine Sports Expo and Conference make up the first part of the public sports program that starts at 10 a.m.

Sports Expo president Michael Herrera and directors Christian Ensomo and Patrick Buenaobra are going to discuss the June 30 to July 2 event at the Okada Manila.

The Forum is presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

PSA president Nelson Beltran, sports editor of the Philippine Star, enjoins members to join the discussion livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2, which also shares it on its official Facebook page.