The moment Mansell’s tyre blew and a nation’s hopes were dashed. Photograph: AP
The latest in our series of classic reports comes from this week in October 1986, when Nigel Mansell went into the Australian grand prix as favourite for the formula one drivers’ crown. It was the season finale and Birmingham’s finest racing driver only [...]

Kevin Sinfield and his Leeds team-mates celebrate with the Super League trophy. Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images
Leeds confounded the odds to retain their Super League crown thanks to a brilliantly executed game plan which was perfectly suited to the wet and windy conditions this final was played in. Two weeks ago, on a mild, dry evening [...]

The Renault driver Fernando Alonso was as honest as ever in a press conference ahead of the Hungarian grand prix. Photograph: Bertrand Guay/AFP
Alonsophile or Alonsophobe? When you think about Fernando Alonso and the Hungaroring circuit, do your neurons fizzle into action and present an image of last year’s qualifying scandal, when the Spaniard was deemed [...]

Heikki Kovalainen: in pole position for tomorrow’s race at Silverstone. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen claimed his first formula one pole position in a blustery qualifying for the British grand prix, setting a time half a second quicker than his closest rival.
The Finnish driver put in a sensational lap of 1min 21.049secs at the end [...]