Sports Shake-Up: From Formula 1 Drama to DirecTV-Disney Negotiations

This summary covers recent sports news highlights, including Max Verstappen's lead at the Italian GP, discussions around Mick Schumacher's potential at Williams, Disney and DirecTV racing against time for a new deal, Carlo Alcaraz's surprise exit from the US Open, and several other significant events across various sports disciplines.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Motor racing remained a hot topic as Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, expected to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next season, crashed on his Formula One practice debut at the Italian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen, Red Bull's championship leader, set the fastest lap. He was 0.228 seconds quicker than Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the Milan circuit.

Elsewhere in Formula 1, Mercedes reserve driver Mick Schumacher was deemed 'good but not special' by Williams boss James Vowles when explaining why the team chose Franco Colapinto over Schumacher as a replacement for Logan Sargeant for the rest of the season.

In media news, Walt Disney and DirecTV are scrambling to renew their distribution deal ahead of the NFL season. Should negotiations fail, DirecTV's 11 million subscribers could lose access to Disney channels like ABC and ESPN, just days before the NFL season start and mid-way through the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

Speaking of tennis, former champion Carlos Alcaraz exited the U.S. Open in a shocking straight-sets defeat by Botic van de Zandschulp. Meanwhile, top seeds Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek advanced to the third round with ease.

In MLB, the Cincinnati Reds pulled off a spectacular ninth-inning rally against Oakland Athletics, ending their three-game losing streak with a 10-9 victory.

On a different note, Kimi Antonelli's crash in Formula 1 practice won't affect his future prospects at Mercedes, as confirmed by team boss Toto Wolff.

In cycling, Canadian Michael Woods clinched victory in the Vuelta a Espana's 13th stage with a decisive breakaway in the northwestern Spanish mountains, adding another win to his impressive Grand Tour record.

Renault Formula One engine employees protested peacefully at Monza against plans to end production at their Viry-Chatillon facility, with around 80% of staff participating.

The NHL community mourns the loss of Columbus Blue Jackets player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, who died after being struck by a vehicle while biking. Gaudreau, known as 'Johnny Hockey,' played 11 seasons in the NHL.

Finally, New Zealand's America's Cup team is rushing to repair their boat after a crane damage incident. The team remains safe and focused on the competition.

(With inputs from agencies.)