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Only 19 points left: Honda on the verge of losing concession benefits

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Only 19 points left: Honda on the verge of losing concession benefits

Honda is finally experiencing the long-awaited upswing in MotoGP—with consequences, because only 19 points are missing and the manufacturer will lose its development concessions.

This means that Honda would no longer be in the same category as Yamaha, which currently still offers both factory teams all development benefits.

Two race weekends will decide the outcome

With two Grands Prix remaining in the 2025 season, the concession groups are due for reassessment. Since Dorna reintroduced the system in November 2023 to level the playing field between manufacturers in terms of development conditions, the classification of the brands has remained unchanged.

The system divides manufacturers into four groups: from Group A (most restrictions) to Group D (most freedom). Ducati is the only manufacturer in Group A and will remain there in 2026. Group B is currently empty and will remain so.

Honda is facing a decisive moment in MotoGP: after a significant improvement in performance in recent races, the manufacturer is only 19 points away from leaving the highest concession level (Group D).

Aprilia and KTM are in Group C. Group D is home to Honda and Yamaha, but only temporarily for Honda if its current form continues.

How the categorization works

Twice per season, at the halfway point and at the end, a review is conducted to determine which group a manufacturer falls into.
The decisive factor is the percentage of points scored in the constructors’ championship: over 85 percent means Group A, 60 to 85 percent means Group B, 35 to 60 percent means Group C, and under 35 percent means Group D. With 74 points still up for grabs, Ducati has 708 points, which corresponds to 95.6 percent of the points awarded so far.
Ducati therefore remains in Group A. No other manufacturer has reached the 60 percent mark, which is why no one is moving up to Group B this time either. Aprilia (47.9 percent) and KTM (43.9 percent) remain in Group C. Both are too far from the 60 percent mark required to move up to Group B.

Honda on the verge of promotion

Honda has collected 266 points in the races so far. That corresponds to 36.9 percent of the possible points. This puts the Japanese manufacturer just above the 35 percent threshold required to move from Group D to Group C.

In other words, if Honda scores at least 19 points in the final races of the season in Portimao and Valencia, the factory team will lose the benefits of the highest concession level. And the chances of that happening are good. In recent months, Honda has made steady progress and regularly scored points.

If, on the other hand, the team remains below 18 points, the share would fall to 32.6 percent and Honda would retain its generous freedoms in Group D. This would be possible if none of the four riders, i.e. Joan Mir, Luca Marini, Johann Zarco or Somkiat Chantra, finished in the points.

However, this scenario is statistically unlikely: this season, Honda has only scored less than 19 points four times in two consecutive race weekends, namely in Aragon and Mugello, as well as in Assen and at the Sachsenring. Since then, the team has scored more points in every double event.

Yamaha remains the problem child

The situation is different for Yamaha. The Iwata-based manufacturer currently has 29.8 percent of the possible points and would need to achieve at least 35 percent to move up to Group C. This would require 64 points in the last two Grands Prix – a goal that is unrealistic given the season so far.

Even Yamaha’s three best race weekends (Jerez, Sachsenring, and Barcelona) only yielded 20 points each. Even combined, these results are not enough to reach the required level. This means that Yamaha will most likely remain the only manufacturer in Group D in 2026.

Tennis: Altmaier reaches first quarterfinal since February

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Tennis: Altmaier reaches first quarterfinal since February

In Metz, the 27-year-old benefits from the retirement of his French opponent Hugo Gaston. In Athens, Yannick Hanfmann is among the last eight.

Professional tennis player Daniel Altmaier has reached the quarterfinals at the ATP tournament in Metz and is once again facing a highlight in his last appearance of the season on the tour. The Kempen native benefited in his round of 16 match from the retirement of France’s Hugo Gaston, who was unable to continue playing with the score at 4-6, 6-0 from Altmaier’s perspective. In the quarterfinals, Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego awaits the 27-year-old German.

Yannick Hanfmann also advanced to the quarterfinals at the tournament in Athens. The 33-year-old from Karlsruhe defeated Czech Vit Kopriva 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 and will now face Brandon Nakashima (USA/No. 4) or Marcos Giron (USA). This is Hanfmann’s second quarterfinal appearance of the season on the ATP Tour; in July, he lost to France’s Arthur Rinderknech in Kitzbühel. He last reached a semifinal in Chengdu in 2024.

For Altmaier, who defeated “Zverev slayer” Rinderknech in the first round, this will be his first quarterfinal match on the ATP Tour since February. At that time, he lost to Serbian Hamad Medjedovic in the round of eight in Marseille. Altmaier has only reached the semifinals twice, most recently in 2021 in Kitzbühel, where he lost to Spain’s Pedro Martinez. After losing the first set, the match against Gaston, ranked 98th in the world, became a test of patience for Altmaier.
The injured Gaston took a medical timeout and then a toilet break after the second set. In addition, the match was interrupted before the start of the third set because a loose cable had to be fixed to the hall ceiling. It was not resumed after that – Gaston finally gave up during the enforced break.

WWE shake-up: Background revealed

Sotd Editor
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WWE shake-up: Background revealed

Logan Paul takes center stage at RAW. He appears to be playing a key role in the rewriting of the league’s script following Seth Rollins’ horrific injury.

Social media superstar Logan Paul has returned to the center of the action at WWE—and is now apparently a key piece of the puzzle in the rewriting of the storyline following the serious horror injury to former World Champion Seth Rollins.

As renowned wrestling insider Dave Meltzer reports on his Wrestling Observer Radio show, Paul’s big appearance on the latest episode of the TV show Monday Night RAW with World Champion CM Punk and the group The Vision served to integrate Paul as Rollins’ replacement in what is likely to be the biggest WWE match of the fall.

WWE: Logan Paul fills Rollins’ void

Jake Paul’s big brother challenged the new champion Punk on Monday’s RAW and was woven into the storyline surrounding The Vision, who had turned against their former boss after Rollins’ injury at Crown Jewel.

After it initially appeared that Paul would also be targeted by the remaining Vision members Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed with manager Paul Heyman, Paul hinted at the end of the show that he would help Punk—only to knock him down with brass knuckles and then hand them to Heyman.

It remains unclear whether Paul has officially joined Heyman’s faction, but at the very least, a short-term alliance has been formed: according to Meltzer, Paul is now scheduled to replace Rollins as Breakker and Reed’s partner for the War Games at Survivor Series on November 29 in San Diego.

“War Games” take shape

In War Games, two teams of four or five face off in a large cage battle. Punk and Roman Reigns are expected to be Paul and The Vision’s opponents, joined by Jey Uso, possibly his brother Jimmy and/or LA Knight – or even Jacob Fatu, should he recover from his dental surgery in time. According to Meltzer, Fatu was originally scheduled for the match in any case.

The rest of the opposing team’s lineup is also still the subject of speculation: Rumors have been circulating for weeks that Rollins’ former protégé Austin Theory could join The Vision in the run-up to Survivor Series – a scenario that could still happen.

After Rollins’ injury, it emerged that WWE had actually planned a match between Rollins and Reigns for the annual highlight WrestleMania 42 in April 2026 – and that The Vision’s breakup was only supposed to happen after that. The long-term vision was and is to build up super talent Breakker – son of WWE Hall of Famer Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner’s nephew – into an absolute top star on the level of Reigns and Cody Rhodes. Whether Logan Paul will now be Rollins’ replacement for WrestleMania or will serve as a transitional rival for Punk until then remains to be seen.

Rey Mysterio also back

Another match that is hinted at for Survivor Series is another father-son duel between Rey and Dominik Mysterio: Rey has returned to RAW after a seven-month injury break and has once again faced his son.

The new rivalry is likely to involve not only Dominik’s Intercontinental Title, but also the AAA Mega Championship, which Dominik holds in the Mexican league AAA, which has been bought by WWE.

Neuer joke at the banquet – and Dreesen’s toast to the bus drivers

Sports Of The Day
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Neuer joke at the banquet – and Dreesen’s toast to the bus drivers

After the 2-1 triumph over PSG, CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen gives an exuberant banquet speech and highlights a Bayern duo. He briefly turns serious on one topic.

Even those in the expensive seats at the Parc de Princes had to suffer on Tuesday evening if they supported FC Bayern. “The second half demanded everything from you, but also a little from us in the stands,” reported CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen as he gave his obligatory banquet speech that night. “We cheered them on and fought alongside them in our hearts.”

With success: although Luis Diaz, who scored twice, was shown a red card shortly before half-time, Munich secured a 2-1 victory over defending champions Paris Saint-Germain and moved to the top of the Champions League table. Dreesen therefore sent a “wow” and an ‘amazing’ to Vincent Kompany’s team after a game that “felt like a semifinal or final” to him.

After a dominant first half, in which “we could certainly have scored three or four goals,” other qualities were required when down to ten men. “I heard Vincent in the dressing room: We showed real fight, everyone stood up for each other. We showed that we can not only conjure up magic and score goals, but also defend, that everyone fights for each other and wants to win together. This united team performance is extraordinary.“

Nevertheless, Dreesen (”I hope you’re not mad at me“) took the liberty of singling out two players: Joshua Kimmich, who played his 100th Champions League game, and Manuel Neuer, whom UEFA named ”Man of the Match“ as goalkeeper. ”That rarely happens. Manuel kept us in the game today in the second half. Manuel, you were magnificent,“ he said, addressing the 39-year-old directly and eliciting laughter from the audience: ”It’s amazing what you can still achieve at that age!”

Bayern organizes additional bus drivers with the fans

Dreesen became more serious when he talked about the Bayern fans, who were subjected to unusual hardships before they could enter the stadium due to a last-minute order from the Paris police prefecture. “I would like to thank our fans, they really didn’t have it easy this time,” Dreesen said, referring to the “arbitrariness of the Paris police.”

At least there was a small happy ending. Due to the late arrival at the stadium, the fans were facing a long night in the parking lot after the final whistle because of the bus drivers’ driving times. But: “We managed to organize second and third bus drivers with the fan clubs, so that the fans can still get home today,” revealed Dreesen. “I would like to express my sincere thanks for that.”

Spurs defender Udogie threatened with a gun by player agent

Jeffrey Gooding
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Spurs defender Udogie threatened with a gun by player agent

Italian left-back Destiny Udogie was threatened with a gun by a player agent in early September. This was confirmed by his club, Tottenham Hotspur.

“We have supported Destiny Udogie and his family since the incident and will continue to do so. As this is a legal matter, we cannot comment further,” said a statement from Tottenham Hotspur, quoted by the BBC, among others.

Earlier this week, British media reported that a professional soccer player had been threatened. The incident is said to have taken place in early September. Police said a 31-year-old man was arrested on September 8 and has since been released on bail. The man is also accused of blackmailing another person. No one was injured in the incidents.

The 22-year-old Udogie has been under contract with Tottenham since 2022. After a loan spell back at Udinese Calcio, he has been a regular member of the squad since the 2023/2024 season and has made 76 appearances. On Tuesday evening, in the 4-0 Champions League win against FC Copenhagen, the Italian started on the left of the back four and was substituted in the 73rd minute.

Lamine Yamal’s successor found: Doué is the Golden Boy 2025

Jeffrey Gooding
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Lamine Yamal’s successor found: Doué is the Golden Boy 2025

Desiré Doué has won the Golden Boy 2025 award. The PSG player was considered the clear favorite for the prestigious award.

It was a season that Desiré Doué could not have imagined better. The 20-year-old won four titles with Paris Saint-Germain, becoming French champion, cup winner, and Super Cup winner. On top of that came the crowning glory in the Champions League, where the striker scored twice in the final against Inter Milan (5-0). In March 2025, he was called up to the senior national team for the first time and has already made three appearances for the Equipe Tricolore.

So the “Golden Boy” award, presented by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport since 2003, came as no surprise to the highly decorated player. Doué had previously been named the best young player of the year in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. It is also a little balm for Doué’s wounds. Due to a serious muscle injury in his right thigh, he faces a long break and will miss the top match in the Champions League against FC Bayern on Tuesday evening (9 p.m.).

No German players made the 25-name shortlist, but two Bundesliga players did: Eliesse Ben Seghir of Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Jobe Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund. The Premier League had the largest contingent among the 25 players with nine, followed by La Liga and Ligue 1 (four each).

Lamine Yamal was not listed because the 18-year-old from FC Barcelona won the award last year and is therefore no longer eligible to be voted for in the coming years. A new winner is to be chosen every year.

The trophy is awarded each year to the best U-21 player in Europe. This year, only youngsters born after January 1, 2005, were eligible.

“Transfer of the year”? Xhaka impresses, scores and draws criticism

Lesley Summerville
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“Transfer of the year”? Xhaka impresses, scores and draws criticism

Granit Xhaka has sensationally led AFC Sunderland into the top four of the Premier League. On Monday, he also scored – just in time for what is sure to be an emotional reunion.

The shot was deflected and took a short detour over the bottom of the crossbar, but nobody at the Stadium of Light on Monday evening cared: the ball was in, and Granit Xhaka was able to slide on his knees toward the corner flag for the first time in an AFC Sunderland jersey.

The summer signing from Leverkusen scored his first Premier League goal against Everton immediately after the break, since he had bid farewell to Arsenal in May 2023 with an unusual brace against Wolverhampton. But while everyone celebrated him on the pitch and afterwards at the microphone, Xhaka preferred to do Xhaka things: He was annoyed that his goal had only been enough for a 1-1 draw. “The first 25 minutes weren’t good enough, we made sloppy mistakes, too many at this level,” criticized the captain, who felt “half disappointed, half satisfied.” It was only after the break that his team “did exactly what makes us strong: played with emotion, team spirit, and the ball.”

Sunderland coach Le Bris: “He sets standards”

This trio has led Sunderland, which had fought its way into the Premier League via the playoffs after trailing fellow promoted teams Leeds and Burnley by 24 points and was therefore considered a clear candidate for relegation, to fourth place—level on points with champions Liverpool in third and just one point behind second-placed Manchester City. Without Xhaka, everyone agrees, that would certainly not have happened.

The 33-year-old leads the league’s second-youngest squad (25.03 years old, only Chelsea is younger) in a fatherly manner both on and off the pitch. “A player like Granit is really important to us with his experience,” raved coach Regis Le Bris on Monday evening. “He sets standards.”
For TV expert Jamie Carragher, Xhaka is even “the transfer of the year” because: “Is there anyone else in the Premier League who has such an influence? Hardly.” And Carragher said that before Xhaka’s goal debut.

Xhaka on Arsenal: “We know where they are good and where they are not.”

The Swiss player is among the league’s best this season in all kinds of passing statistics, as well as in assists (3) and ball recoveries. His leadership qualities do not appear in any rankings, but they are at least as important to the Black Cats, who, after years of deprivation, don’t know what to do with their euphoria.

“I didn’t expect to return after my time in Germany, but you never know where you’ll end up,” says Xhaka about his triumphant Premier League comeback, which he had vehemently pushed for when Sunderland showed interest. “I’m happy to be back. I knew that this project was about contributing my experience and teaching the boys something every day.” And of course, it’s “always nice to score for a new club for the first time.” On Saturday evening (6:30 p.m.), his old club comes to town: “It’s definitely going to be an emotional game for me,” says Xhaka about the upcoming home game against leaders Arsenal, where he has experienced more than just highs in seven years. “We’ll try everything to get something out of it. We know where they’re good and where they’re not so good. They’re very confident at the moment, but so are we.” Thanks to Xhaka’s debut goal, Sunderland remain unbeaten at home.

Even without the injured Young: Hawks hand Magic another defeat

Jason Maverick
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Even without the injured Young: Hawks hand Magic another defeat

After two wins that halted their downward spiral, the Orlando Magic suffered another defeat against the Atlanta Hawks. They trailed for almost the entire game.

The Hawks took control of the game right from the opening quarter. Former No. 1 pick Zacharie Risacher (21 PTS) scored 11 points in the first four minutes alone, giving his team the early lead. A 13-0 run across the quarter put the Magic 18 points behind (23-41) after just 15 minutes.

Returnee Jalen Suggs (12, 4/8) ended the drought, but the trend was not sustainable. Atlanta went into the locker room with a +17 lead. Franz Wagner had just four points at that point.

Da Silva leads comeback efforts

Less than 30 seconds after the restart, it was the Berliner who scored the first points of the second half. However, there was no sign of a turnaround. Orlando couldn’t get a grip defensively, conceding at least 30 points in all four quarters. Things got even worse for the Magic in the middle of the third quarter when Desmond Bane was ejected from the game for a flagrant foul.

Tristan da Silva gave the Magic some hope at times, scoring eight points in just under a minute and a half to cut the deficit to 14 points. With 20 points, he was one of the few bright spots. Franz Wagner scored another seven points in the final quarter and finished the game with 18. Banchero was the top scorer with 22/11. This is the Magic’s fifth defeat of the current season. The team with the German trio slips to tenth place in the standings. The action continues on Friday night in the NBA Cup against the Boston Celtics.

“No chemistry”: Former driver sees problems between Hamilton and his engineer

Sports Of The Day
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“No chemistry”: Former driver sees problems between Hamilton and his engineer

Lewis Hamilton continues to search for the perfect partnership with engineer Riccardo Adami at Ferrari – former driver Robert Doornbos speaks of a lack of chemistry

The relationship between Ferrari star Lewis Hamilton and his race engineer Riccardo Adami has been a topic of conversation since the season opener in Melbourne. Although the Brit himself has emphasized that speculation about an alleged rift is “bullshit,” the collaboration does not seem to be running smoothly so far.

Former driver Robert Doornbos also suspects that the coordination between driver and engineer is not working optimally. “I think it’s simply because there’s no chemistry between the engineer and the driver,” the Dutchman explained in The Pit Talk podcast.

“The communication between Lewis and Ricky [Adami], his engineer, just doesn’t seem like they’re really on the same page.” The Mexican Grand Prix in particular reinforced Doornbos’ assessment that the two were “not really on point.”

Robert Doornbos: “Not really on the same page”

Hamilton received a ten-second penalty there after cutting the track in a duel. Observers believed that Ferrari could have intervened and instructed Hamilton to reduce the gap behind him in order to possibly avoid the penalty once he returned to the track.

“It was Ricky who said, ‘We have a ten-second penalty because of this and that situation.’ And Lewis replied, ‘Yes, but it was very difficult to stay on the track.’ We know Lewis,” adds Doornbos. “I don’t think they’re really in sync.”

“If you want to fight for victories, championships, and podium places, you have to take every opportunity to get the most out of it,” emphasizes the Dutchman, pointing out that the chemistry between driver and race engineer is a crucial factor for success. Hamilton is still waiting for this success at Ferrari. Although the Briton has already triumphed in the sprint race in China, he is still waiting for his first podium finish in a Grand Prix. With four races to go before the end of the season, Hamilton is in sixth place in the drivers’ standings with 146 points, behind his teammate Charles Leclerc, who is in fifth place with 210 points.

Ducati stands by Bagnaia: No doubts about the Italian’s future

Jason Maverick
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Ducati stands by Bagnaia: No doubts about the Italian’s future

Despite ongoing difficulties with the GP25, Ducati is backing Francesco Bagnaia – mentor Valentino Rossi also believes in the Italian’s comeback

Following Francesco Bagnaia’s ongoing difficulties with the current Desmosedici GP25, rumors have been circulating about a possible change in the Ducati lineup. Italian media speculated that Bagnaia could end his commitment to the factory team prematurely or even be replaced by Fabio Di Giannantonio from the VR46 team.

However, Ducati sporting director Mauro Grassilli has firmly denied these speculations. “The situation is very clear,” he emphasized in an interview with Sky Sport Italia.

“Pecco is a Ducati rider and will continue to compete with the factory team next year. Diggia is an official rider who rides for our factory-supported VR46 team, and that will remain the case in 2026.” Last year, a long-term project was started with the VR46 structure, which will be continued.

Rossi: Pecco has proven his worth

Valentino Rossi, Bagnaias’ mentor and head of the VR46 Academy, also recently commented on his protégé’s problems on Sky. The nine-time motorcycle world champion remained confident despite the difficult season.

“Pecco is a three-time world champion, winning one title with our team in Moto2. He is incredibly fast, but this year he has struggled a bit,” said Rossi, who pointed out that Bagnaia has been in contention for the title every year since 2022, winning two of them and losing the last one in the final.

“He has proven his worth many times over. This year, he hasn’t felt entirely comfortable with the new Ducati version, and on top of that, he has a very fast teammate in Marquez. We are going through a difficult phase, but we are doing everything we can to help him and understand the causes. We don’t yet know exactly what happened. But I’m sure Pecco will come back and fight for victories again.”

Successful work by the VR46 Academy

Apart from that, Rossi also looked at the development of his VR46 Academy. He describes the project, which was launched in 2012/13, as a labor of love.

“I’m trying to give something back to motorcycle racing for what it has given me. It’s great to work with young riders. We now have four riders in MotoGP.” His academy riders include Luca Marini (Honda), Franco Morbidelli (VR46), Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia), and Bagnaia.

“Luca rides the official Honda—a bold decision because the bike was struggling, but now he’s always at the front,” he says of his half-brother. “We’ve supported Franco from the beginning. He won the Moto2 World Championship and is now with us in MotoGP.”

“And finally Marco,” whose strong season with Aprilia Rossi particularly highlights. “He’s giving us a lot of joy this year: he’s had a fantastic season with Aprilia.”

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