Month: May 2026

Here’s what’s happening this week Inside The Garage: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Ind.) — Alex Palou left Indianapolis Motor Speedway without another Borg Warner Trophy but still remains the INDYCAR points leader. His lead could have been more, though, as Palou was docked five points for a postrace technical infraction following Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. It was another punch on a day when the defending race winner wound up in seventh place despite leading a race-high 59 laps. The Chip Ganassi driver, who has four series titles (including the last three) still has a 37-point lead in the standings over David Malukas, who finished second Sunday to winner Felix Rosenqvist by 0.0233 seconds in the closest finish in race history. That lead could have been 42 points but after the race, technical inspectors found Palou’s front wing violated the rule that says it must not measure less than 8.3 inches when set at any angle. The team was fined $10,000. “INDYCAR Officiating has determined that the non-compliance was the result of an assembly error and not an intentional modification,” the INDYCAR Officiating Board said in a statement. Chip Ganassi Racing said it would not appeal the penalty and it had no intention of trying to gain an advantage. “During technical inspection following Sunday’s Indianapolis 500, a part failure was discovered in the front wing assembly of the No. 10 car,” the CGR statement said. “The failure caused the wing to fall out of compliance with INDYCAR’s technical parameters.” It isn’t rare for racing teams to potentially design a part to meet inspection parameters before an event but then it fails in a way to give them a performance advantage. Racing series typically won’t take intent into account if it is a competitive advantage. [INDY 500 TAKEAWAYS: Wild, Historic Final Lap Of Felix Rosenqvist’s Win] Palou told me and other reporters after his seventh-place finish that he didn’t have the track position (based on strategy) nor the speed at the end to make a run at the leaders. “This place, you know the only important lap is lap 200,” Palou said. “I knew that although we were leading so much at the beginning of the race, the race was going to be at the end. “It was a little bit of a shame that we were not on the optimal strategy, but I’m super happy for the month we had.” With 11 races left in the 18-race schedule, there is plenty of time for the championship to be decided. Currently, there are six drivers within 100 points of Palou — Malukas (37 points behind), Kyle Kirkwood (minus-49), Christian Lundgaard (minus-78), Pato O’Ward (minus-85), Scott McLaughlin (minus-92), and Indy 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist (minus-97). Another Shot At Indy 500 Glory? Helio Castroneves (Meyer Shank), Takuma Sato (Rahal Letterman Lanigan) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (Arrow McLaren) all did one-off rides for the 2026 Indy 500 looking for another Borg Warner Trophy to add to their collection. Castroneves already owns four wins, Sato two and Hunter-Reay one. Sato finished 10th Sunday, Castroneves 25th and Hunter-Reay 32nd. The one driver who certainly would want another shot is Hunter-Reay, whose car spun out from underneath him just 17 laps into the race. “I re-evaluate the situation every year,” Hunter-Reay told me and other reporters outside the care center. “I’m only 15 minutes after I got out of the car. I’ll absolutely want another shot at it, but we’ll reassess that at the right time.” Castroneves had a quick reply: “Who knows? We’ll see.” In The News –NASCAR has made its damaged vehicle policy in the O’Reilly and truck series the same as Cup, where teams will have a designated work area in the garage. Once they go back to the track, they get three laps to meet minimum speed. — Dayton International Speedway is replacing its lighting system with new lights that should make the oval much brighter and also the road course brighter. It will be the first time Musco (lighting company) has used these bulbs/technology in the United States; they have used it in Saudi Arabia. It won’t be ready for August but will be done before January. Not Just A Road Course Guy Shane van Gisbergen had an 11th-place finish at Charlotte on Sunday, lifting him to 14th in the Cup standings. He’s currently the only Trackhouse driver in the top 16 of the standings. Big Day On The Big Day Romain Grosjean is outside the top 20 in the INDYCAR standings, but he was top-10 on Sunday with a ninth-place finish in the Indianapolis 500. Social Spotlight They Said It “Kyle Busch, to me, is an American badass” — NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell. In Inside The Garage, Bob Pockrass takes us behind the scenes of the motorsports world the way only he can.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Kylian Mbappé secured a second straight Pichichi Trophy after scoring in Real Madrid’s final-day win over Athletic Club. The French forward has now matched a feat previously achieved only by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi over the last 38 years in La Liga. Mbappé seals another Pichichi crown Mbappé officially secured the 2025-26 Pichichi Trophy after scoring in Real Madrid’s 4-2 victory over Athletic Club on the final day of the season. The goal took the France international to 25 league strikes for the campaign. The striker finished ahead of Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi, who ended the season with 23 goals. Osasuna’s Ante Budimir came third with 17, while Barcelona pair Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal each registered 16 goals. The Los Blancos star also led La Liga in total shots with 63, underlining his attacking influence throughout the campaign. Muriqi finished with 50 efforts, while team-mate Vinicius Jr recorded 46. Mbappé joins elite company in Spain Mbappé’s latest scoring title places him alongside some of the biggest names in La Liga history. The Frenchman won the Pichichi last season with 31 goals before defending the award this year with another prolific campaign. The achievement makes him the first player since Ronaldo (2014 and 2015) to win the award in consecutive seasons for Real Madrid. Over the last 38 years, only a select group of players, including Messi, have managed to retain the honour in successive campaigns. Emotional farewells overshadow difficult season Real Madrid’s final match of the season was also marked by emotional farewells at the Santiago Bernabeu. Dani Carvajal received a standing ovation during his final appearance for the club, while David Alaba also said goodbye after his spell in the Spanish capital. Mbappé’s individual success arrived during what many viewed as a disappointing campaign by Madrid’s standards. The club struggled to consistently reach top form, which made them fail to win any title this season. Even so, the France captain’s back-to-back Pichichi trophies reinforced his status as one of world football’s elite forwards and a central figure in Los Blancos’ long-term plans. Mourinho era set to begin at Madrid Attention will now shift towards a new era at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Jose Mourinho expected to return as Real Madrid manager. The Portuguese coach faces the challenge of rebuilding a side capable of competing for major honours again. A key focus will be finding the right balance between Mbappé and Vinicius after Madrid fell short collectively despite their attacking quality. Having proven he can dominate individually in Liga, Mbappé will now look to translate personal success into team silverware next season.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

While Tampa Bay’s starting pitchers continue to excel, Dodgers relievers have now thrown 38 consecutive scoreless innings. Overall, though, it’s still the Braves who boast the lowest overall ERA in MLB. Has Atlanta done enough to continue holding onto the top spot in this week’s power rankings? Take a look below, along with one stat for each team that helps explain its start to the year. They have the worst run differential in MLB (-63) and haven’t won a series in May (6-16 during the month). One of the biggest problems is a 5.75 rotation ERA, by far the worst mark in baseball. Opponents are hitting nearly .300 against Rockies starters. Their offense has struck out more than any team in MLB, while their pitchers have allowed the second-most walks in MLB. A 5.41 bullpen ERA hasn’t helped matters. They finally snapped an eight-game losing skid, but things are bleak right now in Detroit. Their offense is tied for the worst slugging percentage in the American League, and only three teams have a lower OPS. The Royals rank 29th in OPS with runners in scoring position, which has played a role in the team ranking 25th in runs scored. They’ve scored the fewest runs and hit the second-fewest home runs in MLB and rank 27th in slugging. Their league-best bullpen ERA (and top-five overall ERA) can’t fix those offensive issues. This weekend’s sweep of the Cubs was a step in the right direction, but this is quite the hole they’ve dug themselves. Missing Josh Hader (among many, many others) hurts a lot, but he can’t singlehandedly fix a bullpen that has an MLB-worst 5.60 ERA. The Astros’ diminshed rotation also ranks in the bottom five in ERA, resulting in the worst overall team ERA in the sport (5.17). This past week felt like their chance to really gain ground. Instead, they split their four-game series in Washington and then scored a combined two runs over three games while getting swept in Miami. The Mets rank last in MLB in on-base percentage and slugging (and, clearly, OPS). They’ve scored the fewest runs in the National League, their starters rank 27th in ERA, and they’ve had the least productive outfield by fWAR. Moves are entertaining out there, though. They rank 24th in starters ERA, 25th in bullpen ERA and 26th in overall ERA. The Marlins lead the majors with 62 steals but have also allowed the most steals in MLB, and their defense has committed the second-most errors in baseball. The Twins are riding high after sweeping the Red Sox at Fenway Park for the first time in 32 years. A year ago, they ranked 21st in on-base percentage and 23rd in runs scored. This year, they rank eighth and seventh, respectively. Well, that’s not what you want. The Rangers went just 3-6 on a road trip to Houston, Colorado and Anaheim, including a sweep at the hands of the dismal Angels. They rank 28th in runs scored, but their bullpen has the best ERA in the American League (2.96). Against left-handed pitchers, the Mariners rank last in batting average, on-base percentage and OPS. Overall, they’re tied for the lowest batting average in MLB. Last year, the Blue Jays led MLB in on-base percentage. This year, they rank 26th. The White Sox have the highest whiff rate in MLB but also rank third in home runs, seventh in slugging and 10th in walks. Basically, the team has taken on the identity of new slugger Munetaka Murakami. Their offense ranks fourth in slugging percentage, while their pitching staff has surrendered the fourth-highest slugging percentage in MLB. The result is a .500 record, but that’s (shockingly) good enough for second place in the NL East. By both OPS and wRC+, the A’s have two of the 10 best hitters in baseball this year in Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers. A year ago, the Pirates ranked 28th in batting average and 23rd in on-base percentage. This year, they rank fourth and fifth, respectively. They have the highest year-over-year jump in both categories. Their offense ranks 24th in batting average and 25th in on-base percentage, but their pitchers lead the National League in strikeouts. A year ago, the Reds ranked 21st in home runs and slugging percentage. This year, they rank in the top 10 in both categories. Their offense has the lowest chase rate in MLB and the highest year-over-year jump in expected slugging percentage. The Diamondbacks absolutely pummel left-handed pitching. Their .282 batting average against lefties ranks first in MLB, while their .452 slugging percentage and .792 OPS rank second behind only the Yankees. This is a team that knows how to win tight contests. The Cardinals’ 10-4 record in one-run games — aided by a 7-2 record in extra innings — is the best mark in the National League. The free-fall continues, as the Cubs just got swept by the Astros to lose their eighth straight game. Their depleted rotation ranks 23rd in ERA, but their defense is still elite, and their offense ranks second in on-base percentage. The arrow’s pointing up for a Cleveland team that has won 11 of its last 13 games. Guardians pitchers lead MLB in strikeouts, and their offense is striking at the right time. In late/close situations, the Guardians lead the majors in OPS. The Yankees’ offense leads MLB in homers, and their rotation — which just got Gerrit Cole back Friday — has the third-best ERA in the sport. Padres pitchers have surrendered the lowest hard-hit rate in MLB, while their hitters have the highest year-over-year jump in hard-hit rate. Their pitchers rank first in strikeout rate and have allowed the fewest home runs in MLB, while their offense has more hits with runners in scoring position than any team in the sport. That’s a winning combination. The Rays have the lowest starters ERA in MLB at 2.88. No other team is under 3.00. Over the last 27 games, a Tampa Bay starter has allowed more than three runs in an outing just once. The Dodgers’ bullpen, which has the lowest ERA of any relief unit in MLB despite missing Edwin Díaz for the last month, has set a modern-era franchise record with 38 straight scoreless innings. It’s the longest bullpen scoreless streak since Cleveland (38.2) in 2017. When your pitchers have the lowest ERA in MLB and your hitters have the highest batting average and slugging percentage in the sport, wins tend to follow. That nine-game division lead looks awfully comfortable.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Spain won the Nations League in 2023. They won the European Championship in 2024. They won Olympic gold in Paris. And yet, the last time this team made it past the round of 16 was at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa — the year Andrés Iniesta’s extra-time winner in Johannesburg gave La Roja its one and only men’s world title. Three World Cup tournaments. Three last-16 exits. At some point, the résumé you build between World Cups must show up at the tournament itself. This summer, with the best squad Luis De la Fuente has had at his disposal, Spain has no excuses. Here are my takeaways. 1. Teenager Lamine Yamal is the Great Hope Yamal has been Spain’s marvel since his breakthrough as a 16-year-old at Euro 2024, adding two La Liga titles with Barcelona in the process. Now he arrives at his first World Cup carrying a hamstring injury into a five-week tournament. He is very much expected to be available for the start of the competition, having already made significant progress in his recovery. The question isn’t whether he’ll get there, it’s whether De la Fuente is disciplined enough to manage him correctly once he does. You cannot play Yamal at 60% through the group stage and expect him to still be at full capacity in the knockouts. If Spain is going deep—and they should be — this team is going to need the real version of him when it actually matters. 2. No Real Madrid Players. For the First Time Ever. For the first time in World Cup history, there will be no Real Madrid players represented in Spain’s men’s national team squad for the tournament. De la Fuente instead leans heavily on La Liga champions Barcelona, who boast eight representatives in the final 26-man list. Dean Huijsen was Real Madrid’s best bet to have a player this summer, but he was snubbed in favor of defenders Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao), Marc Pubill (Atlético Madrid), and Barça duo Pau Cubarsí and Eric García. Dani Carvajal’s absence was less of a surprise—injuries and a lack of playing time had already ended the right-back’s case before the announcement. But his leadership will be missed, and it’ll be worth watching who steps into that role inside the camp. 3. The Midfield Depth Is Absurd The Spanish midfield is led by 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, aiming to return to full fitness after injury struggles with Manchester City. When healthy, he is the best in the world at anchoring that holding midfielder role. But the most important player in this midfield—and perhaps the most important midfielder in the entire tournament—is Pedri. At 23, with 40 senior caps already, his blend of vision, technique and passing is what makes Spain’s system breathe. Add on talents – such as Álex Baena (Atlético Madrid), Gavi (Barcelona), Fabián Ruiz (PSG), and Arsenal duo Martín Zubimendi and Mikel Merino – and and you have seven midfielders of genuine international quality. No other nation at this tournament can boast this level of quality and depth in this department. 4. The Winger Injury Situation Both Yamal and Nico Williams were included in the squad despite carrying injuries. For Yamal, the path to fitness looks relatively clear. For Williams, the situation is murkier as the Athletic Bilbao star suffered yet another setback against Valencia on May 10, and Spain will be sweating over his availability. Without a fully fit Williams, Spain are still very good, but significantly flatter in wide areas where he and Yamal combining is what makes this attack truly frightening. There were calls for Monaco’s in-form Ansu Fati to make the cut precisely because of this uncertainty. De la Fuente made his choice anyway. He is gambling on both players being fit for the tournament, and now the medical staff has to earn their salary. If both Lamine and Nico reach the knockouts at 100%, Spain are one of the most dangerous teams this summer. The bet is worth making. But it is still a bet.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports