Qualifying fix key to keeping Ferrari in the title race – Leclerc

Charles Leclerc is not writing off his drivers’ championship hopes this early into the season, but says Ferrari needs to find answers to its qualifying problems quickly to keep him in contention. Ferrari entered this year expecting to challenge for …

Charles Leclerc is not writing off his drivers’ championship hopes this early into the season, but says Ferrari needs to find answers to its qualifying problems quickly to keep him in contention.

Ferrari entered this year expecting to challenge for both titles after falling just 14 points short of winning the constructors’ championship last season, but has struggled so far and Leclerc’s third place in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was its first podium of 2025. Leclerc finished just eight points behind race winner Oscar Piastri after showing strong performance, but says qualifying fourth was the most costly issue that the team needs to resolve.

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“I think we are close on race pace,” Leclerc said. “I think free air dictates who is going to win the race a little bit. That’s always been the case. Maybe this year a little bit more than other years. And obviously when that is the case, qualifying is more important. But unfortunately, for two years, we are just struggling in qualifying to put everything together.

“This weekend the problem is it’s not always the same issue. This time it was four tenths in the first three corners. For the rest of the lap, we were fast. And in the race, actually, the first sector was probably the best sector we had. So we’ve got to look at that.

“Obviously, there are answers in what we are doing, and we are doing something wrong, clearly. We’ve got to find it. We cannot lose too many races before finding it because we’re already 50 points down in the drivers’ championship. We’re not looking at it too much, but 50 points is a big number. I don’t want to be losing more points than that in the next few races.”

Leclerc ran long on medium tires and led for a spell before making a later pit stop for hards than many of his rivals, allowing him to climb into the top three. Keen to praise the way Ferrari executed on both Saturday and Sunday, he believes it is only car performance that is lacking.

“I feel like we’ve maximized absolutely everything we could have this weekend – there wasn’t anything more in the car,” Leclerc said. “I think we need to focus on qualifying because it’s been a very long time I haven’t been as happy with the car balance. I feel very at ease with the car in a way that I know I can extract the maximum out of the car more often than not, but unfortunately, the car potential is just not good enough to fight for better in qualifying.

“In the race, the good car balance had results. We were all surprised by our pace in free air on the first stint. That was really good. Everything else was perfectly executed. Strategy was great. Pit stops have been great the whole season and also the whole of last year as well. There wasn’t much more we could have done.”

Jase Richardson: NBA draft scouting report

2005 | 6’3 | 6’6 WS | 185 LBS Team: Michigan State Agent: CAA Best aggregate mock draft rank: 8 / Worst rank: 22 2024-25 stats: In 2024-25, Richardson averaged 25.3 mpg, 12.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg (0.6 orpg, 2.7 drpg), 1.9 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.3 bpg, 49.3% FG …

2005 | 6’3 | 6’6 WS | 185 LBS

Team: Michigan State

Agent: CAA

Best aggregate mock draft rank: 8 / Worst rank: 22

2024-25 stats:

In 2024-25, Richardson averaged 25.3 mpg, 12.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg (0.6 orpg, 2.7 drpg), 1.9 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.3 bpg, 49.3% FG (4.0-8.1), 41.2% 3P (1.3-3.2), 83.6% FT (2.8-3.4) in 36 games this season.

He is the son of former NBA player Jason Richardson, and his mother, Jackie, played college basketball at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

See a mistake, contact Cyro Asseo by clicking here.

Ranking the best Sixth Men in NBA history

HoopsHype ranks the 30 best Sixth Men in NBA history, a list featuring the likes of Manu Ginobili, Jamal Crawford and John Havlicek.

Where some may see being a backup as a slight, in reality, having an elite Sixth Man can change a team’s fortunes and turn a squad from good to great.

The role of Sixth Man has changed throughout NBA history, with a few Boston Celtics players in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s playing a large part in that. Today, different Sixth Men play different roles, with some being the first player off the bench for their scoring and playmaking, and others for their defense.

Today, we’re going to take a look at who we believe to be the 30 best Sixth Men in NBA history, a list featuring various current and future Hall of Famers.

Cory Bonini’s 2025 NFL mock draft 3.0

Be sure to check out our latest NFL mock draft!

Here’s my latest 2025 NFL mock draft. Be sure to check our NFL Draft Central page for the rest of our mocks, player scouting reports, and post-draft analysis of every key pick relevant to fantasy football.

Ganassi IndyCar trading cards return for 2025

Chip Ganassi Racing is continuing the IndyCar trading card trend it reignited in 2023 by creating packs designed to support an array of charities. The team will send one pack of cards to those who make donations. “To celebrate CGR’s 35th …

Chip Ganassi Racing is continuing the IndyCar trading card trend it reignited in 2023 by creating packs designed to support an array of charities. The team will send one pack of cards to those who make donations.

“To celebrate CGR’s 35th anniversary, this year the cards will honor important wins and milestones throughout the team’s history. Packs could include legends like Alex Zanardi, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jimmy Vasser, Scott Pruett or Sterling Marlin, alongside today’s stars Scott Dixon, Alex Palou and Kyffin Simpson,” the team wrote.

“Proceeds from card sales will benefit select charities throughout the year. To start, April proceeds will support the American Red Cross in disaster relief efforts across the country.”

Arrow McLaren unveils ‘Never Stop Racing’ Indy 500 liveries

Arrow McLaren has revealed its Indianapolis 500 liveries for the Nos. 5, 6, and 7 Chevrolets which follows the recent sharing of Kyle Larson’s No. 17 McLaren/Hendrick Chevy design for the event. The Indiana-based team owned by the McLaren Racing …

Arrow McLaren has revealed its Indianapolis 500 liveries for the Nos. 5, 6, and 7 Chevrolets which follows the recent sharing of Kyle Larson’s No. 17 McLaren/Hendrick Chevy design for the event.

The Indiana-based team owned by the McLaren Racing Formula 1 team says the change in presentation across the cars driven by Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel, and Christian Lundgaard conforms to its ‘Never Stop Racing’ theme. All feature base of white with standardized and stylized colors familiar to the trio.

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“McLaren’s ‘Never Stop Racing’ campaign was introduced at the F1 livery launch in London earlier this year,” the team wrote. “The campaign centers around the idea that racing doesn’t only exist from green to checkered flag – it’s always on. The culture of constantly pushing, innovating and chasing high performance has and always will be central to the identity of McLaren Racing, and that attitude doesn’t stop at the track. Across sports, lifestyle and culture, we’re here to make racing exciting, accessible and engaging for everyone.”

Team principal Tony Kanaan added, “The Indianapolis 500 is the biggest stage in racing, and our liveries this year reflect that in every detail. The design is more than just a new look – it represents the precision, performance, and passion that fuel McLaren Racing. Through our Never Stop Racing campaign, these liveries capture the endless spirit of competition that drives us forward, no matter what.”

The team will be among the busiest in the region once Indy 500 activities get under way.

“Throughout the Month of May, Arrow McLaren is activating in a variety of ways to drive these themes home, including elevated on-site branding at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, utilization of McLaren Automotive sport cars, branding in downtown Indianapolis, reimagined social media assets and creative engagement with athletes, celebrities and influencers that touch all corners of racing and culture,” the team wrote.

“These activations will complement the incredible action on the track at the IMS, where Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel, Christian Lundgaard and Kyle Larson will fight to bring McLaren Racing its fourth all-time Indianapolis 500 victory and first since 1974.”

How NBA defense has changed over time

The NBA, like virtually all sports, revolves around offense. As the game has shifted toward a skill-based, pace-and-space, three-point-heavy era, we’ve seen countless articles about how putting the ball in the hoop has changed over the years. Not as …

The NBA, like virtually all sports, revolves around offense. As the game has shifted toward a skill-based, pace-and-space, three-point-heavy era, we’ve seen countless articles about how putting the ball in the hoop has changed over the years.

Not as much attention is paid to how defenses have mutated over time, except when the occasional washed ex-NBAer who hasn’t watched a game in a decade comments on how much better defenders were in his day.

That couldn’t be further from the truth, although in fairness, Darwinism has changed defense so much that it’s scarcely recognizable. It’s survival of the fittest out here.

Note: this piece isn’t an apology for or endorsement of any one era over another. The game has inarguably evolved, and it’s certainly not anyone’s place to tell you what you should or shouldn’t enjoy. (Personally, I’ve loved all the eras I’ve been around to see, from the run-and-gun ‘80s to today. My favorite brand of basketball is always whatever is being played in front of me.)

Instead, we’ll run through a few of the trends we see in modern NBA defensive principles compared to the past. By necessity, we will be speaking in generalities. I want to stress that very little in modern defensive basketball is truly new. Still, the prevalence of a given stratagem or tactic can vary widely over time, and what used to be a one-time bespoke tactic might now be a basic fundamental of team defense (or vice versa). Rule changes have also changed the defensive landscape, so we’ll discuss a few of those, too.