It took 151 attempts for Carlos Sainz to earn his first Formula One pole. Now he’ll chase that elusive first win. But starting alongside Sainz on the front row Sunday at the British Grand Prix will be defending F1 champion Max Verstappen, a year removed from the crash with Lewis Hamilton that turned their title fight into a bitter rivalry. Verstappen was booed by some in the crowd after Saturday’s action-packed qualifying session in the rain, and said he could barely hear his on-track interview questions over the jeers. “If they want to boo, they do that. For me, it’s not going to change anything,” he said. “Maybe some of them don’t like me, but that’s fine. They all have their own opinions. I don’t care.” Sainz set the fastest time late in the third qualifying session to edge Verstappen by just .072 seconds. It was the seventh pole in 10 races for Ferrari this season, though Sainz teammate Charles Leclerc had earned the first six poles prior to Sainz’s surprise run. “First pole position, it’s always special, and especially to do it in Silverstone in the wet,” Sainz said.

Chase Elliott won the pole at Road America and will lead the field to green Sunday as he attempts to defend his win on the Wisconsin road course. NASCAR’s most popular driver is coming off a win last weekend at Nashville and put himself in position to make it two straight Cup victories with a strong run qualifying run on the 4.048-mile road course. The Hendrick Motorsports driver edged Chase Briscoe by 0.038 seconds in Saturday qualifying. That marks a major change from his starting position last year, when NASCAR’s premier series came to Road America for the first time since a Grand National event in 1956. Elliott started 34th last year but still found a way to win. “Definitely a different vibe to the weekend,” Elliott said. “The car, I think, is going to need some different things to be successful tomorrow. I don’t think we’re as good as we need to be to be successful tomorrow, as we sit. I want to make sure we do our homework.” Seven of Elliott’s 15 career victories have come on road courses. Kyle Larson, Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, qualified third.

Darius Garland’s rapid rise to elite NBA status is complete. The Cavaliers’ All-Star point guard agreed Saturday to a five-year, $193 million contract extension. Garland’s deal is the largest in franchise history, and locks up a player the Cavs believe can get them back among the league’s top teams. The fifth overall pick in 2019, Garland has quickly developed into one of the game’s best all-around guards. Last season, he averaged 21.7 points and 8.6 assists in 68 games while helping the Cavs win 22 more games than the previous season. The 22-year-old Garland has improved statistically each season, but beyond that, he has grown as a leader for a rising Cleveland team that just missed the playoffs last season. He’s one of the team’s core pieces along with All-Star center Jarrett Allen and forward Evan Mobley. Garland agreed to the same deal that another elite young guard, Ja Morant of the Grizzlies, struck earlier in the week as the majority of the league’s offseason business began getting underway. Garland’s extension begins in the 2023-24 season. —AP