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      Ex-F1 engineer Rob Smedley launches new karting series for kids, with supporting cast that includes Idris Elba.

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      EX-F1 engineer Rob Smedley is trying to change the future of motorsport – with a little bit of help from Hollywood star Idris Elba.Smedley, who worked at Ferrari and Williams, has launched the Global Karting League, an electric go-kart series targeted at youngsters – whose parents don’t have deep pockets.
      Rob Smedley wants to do something ‘more purpose driven’ after leaving F1
      The Wire and Luther actor Idris Elba, seen here at the wheel of a Formula E racing car, is helping out the karting scheme via his academyCredit: Getty
      A junior karter gets to grips with the electric kart
      The series, which kicks off in the UK, will offer kids the chance to turn up and race electric go-karts for a fraction of the price of traditional petrol karts.
      Smedley, who is also working with the Idris Elba Speed Academy, hopes Global Karting League will give young racers the opportunity to reach F1 from different demographics.
      He said: “I’ve spent all my life in Formula One and when I stopped with the teams I wanted to do something more purpose driven.
      “One of the things that really interested me was how the majority of the drivers in F1 come from privileged backgrounds.
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      “And that only seemed to be getting more and more prevalent. I spent a lot of time looking at why and it comes down to grassroots level.
      “If you want to participate and be successful, you’ve got to have a huge budget and that’s just prohibitive. A huge barrier.
      “If you want to race at national level, you are getting into £100,000 and the next level and race in Europe, that’s £250,000 a year and it’s not open to anyone but ultra high net worth families.
      “We started with a blank sheet of paper and wanted to massively reduce the cost and complexity and that’s how the Global Karting League was born.
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      “It is about nurturing talent, creating a credible pathway through karting from the very grassroots and kids who’ve never done it before, to eventual world champions.”
      Smedley says that unlike football, many potential star drivers have never had the opportunity to try their hand at racing.
      He added: “If football was costing tens of thousands of pounds, we wouldn’t have found the immense talent across the years from different corners of the Earth.
      “You wouldn’t have found Leo Messi, you wouldn’t have found David Beckham, Paul Gascoigne or George Best.
      “We also have the Idris Elba Speed Academy. He’s somebody like myself who wants to give back.
      “He wants to represent those underrepresented communities. We had 400 kids try out and we filtered that down to 12 kids with the highest potential and put them into the Global Karting League, and they are all fully-funded.”
      One junior karter on the series is Sienna Greene, 15, from Coulsdon, who has the ambition of reaching F1.
      She said: “I first tried karting at a birthday party when I was about nine and I won and a little later I joined a cadet programme at my local track.
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      “Working with Idris has been fun. He’s a lovely person, and he’s really down to earth.
      “I prefer racing the electric karts to the petrol ones because if I do make a mistake, I find it easier to fix, compared to a petrol kart which takes longer to get back up to speed.” More

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      Toto Wolff may not be joking about shock Man Utd move as F1 boss struggles to show appetite for Mercedes rebuild

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      TOTO WOLFF has a massive job on his hands – and one that will ultimately determine his F1 legacy.The Austrian was unapologetic in his condemnation of this season’s Mercedes car following Lewis Hamilton’s eighth-place finish in Sao Paulo while George Russell retired from the race.
      Toto Wolff has made positive noises about joining Sir Jim Ratcliff at Manchester UnitedCredit: Splash
      After all, this was the race the team had won last year and was supposed to signal their upward development curve after decent performances in Austin and Mexico City.
      There was no sugarcoating this miserable performance and Wolff was left sounding like a broken record as he again said “We’ve got to develop that better for next year”.
      He added: “There is something fundamentally wrong mechanically. It’s not a rear wing and it’s not the car being slightly too high. Because we are talking a millimetre or two.
      “That is performance but it is not the explanation for a total off-weekend.”
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      The problem is however, we don’t know if he is capable of leading the team’s resurrection so that they can again challenge for championships.
      If we look back when Wolff joined Mercedes from Williams, he did so alongside Niki Lauda, the three-time F1 world champion who commanded so much respect.
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      It is also worth noting that Wolff also inherited the bulk of the team from Ross Brawn – who had turned his £1 purchase from Honda to world champions in 2009.
      It is all very well being praised for your management skills during the good times and the periods of domination, as Wolff was, but it requires another skill set to turn things around when they go bad.
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      That’s something Brawn had done, and too Christian Horner at Red Bull, who after the success of Mercedes, has overseen his team become the dominant force once again.
      Under Wolff’s watch, Mercedes have lost several key personnel, such as engine chief Andy Cowell, who have not been sufficiently replaced.
      They have lurched from bad design to bad design and while it is not Wolff in the aerodynamics department, he is ultimately the boss and the buck stops with him.
      Ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, he was quizzed about Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s takeover at Manchester United, with Wolff making positive noises about joining him.
      I just wonder whether that could be the Austrian’s next play?Rumour has it he was in Brazil only by virtue of missing two races earlier after undergoing a knee operation and felt that he needed to attend to show face.
      He has already spoken about reducing his attendance at races for next season, which will see a record 24 races.
      It all makes me wonder if he has the appetite – and the ability – to turn the slump around. More

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      Martin Brundle breaks silence after Machine Gun Kelly’s bizarre request in ‘most awkward interview ever’ on live TV

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      MARTIN BRUNDLE has broken his silence after his eyebrow-raising interview with Machine Gun Kelly.American rapper and singer-songwriter Kelly was being interviewed by Brundle on the gridwalk for the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix, won by Max Verstappen.
      Martin Brundle broke his silence after his awkward interview with Machine Gun KellyCredit: Twitter @SkySportsF1
      However, Kelly stormed off from the interview after Brundle refused to play an air guitar with him.
      Kelly was seen gesturing with his thumbs down before walking away.
      Following the interaction Brundle joked Kelly may not be his biggest fan.
      Fans watching at home were left confused by the interaction with one labelling it: “THE MOST awkwaaarrd interview EVEEEEERRRRR.”
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      But today Brundle has broken his silence with a post on social media.
      He posted a response to a picture featuring Kelly, Megan Thee Stallion and Megan Fox.
      The former F1 driver said: “Finally, my claim to fame, I’ve met two of these three people.
      “I do appreciate them taking some time out on the grid for our great sport … I hope they didn’t find me too weird.”
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      His remark left fans in stitches, with one fan saying: “You weren’t the weird one Martin don’t worry 😂.”
      A second said: “Someone needs to get Megan Fox to Vegas, so you can complete the trifecta 🤣.”
      A third added: “Nah they’re the weird ones for disrespecting the GOAT.”
      Brundle previously met Megan Thee Stallion at the US GP in 2021, but that interview was even more awkward given how heavy-handed her security entourage were.
      The penultimate F1 race of the season will be in Las Vegas in two weekend’s time.
      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More

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      F1 Brazilian Grand Prix to be investigated by FIA after major security breach while Lewis Hamilton was on track

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      THE FIA are set to investigate the Brazil Grand Prix after fans invaded the track before the end of the race on Sunday.Spectators tried to access the circuit at turn one, while the likes of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were still driving.

      Fans climbed over fences as security were left helpless
      Footage appeared to show fans climbing over fences to get to the track with security removing a ladder before forcing people away.
      The fans did not manage to reach the track but the security breach is set to be investigated to avoid a repeat scenario in the future.
      The Sao Paulo F1 Organisation (SPF1) admits mistakes were made and they are set to assess their security protocols.
      SPF1 will conduct an investigation and present a remediation plan to the FIA by the end of January.
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      The matter was also referred to the FIA’s World Motor Sports Council for “a further investigation to determine whether any additional steps need to be taken or penalties applied beyond the remediation plan.”
      A record-breaking, sold-out crowd of 267,000 people attended the Interlagos circuit over the weekend.
      Formula One announced last week it had agreed a five-year contract extension for Sao Paulo to host the Brazilian GP.
      F1 chief executive Stefano Domenciali shared his delight after the deal was agreed.
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      He said: “I can’t wait for many more years of the wonderful atmosphere that the Brazilian fans bring.
      “This iconic circuit is a favourite of drivers and fans.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton and Russell have nightmare in Brazil Grand Prix as smile wiped off Mercedes’ face as Verstappen wins

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      THE smile was wiped off Mercedes’ faces after this shocker in Sao Paulo that should ring alarm bells in their Brackley HQ.In the run-up to this Sao Paulo Grand Prix, which was won by Max Verstappen – who else? – it was suggested the two good performances for the Silver Arrows in Austin and Mexico City would prove to be a false dawn.
      Max Verstappen won his 17th race of the seasonCredit: AFP
      Fernando Alonso beat Sergio Perez to third placeCredit: Rex
      They were all smiles for those weekends – as Lewis Hamilton finished second in both races – albeit being disqualified in the US for a technicality with his car.
      Hamilton too had said he was not “dazzled” by his team’s position as he watched Verstappen romp to the title.
      And this was another horror show, as they got it spectacularly wrong and proved they have their work cut out if they want to take the fight to Red Bull next season.
      Hamilton was eighth and George Russell – who won this race last year to give the team some motivation for 2023 – was told to retire the car on lap 58 of 71.
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      It was a shocker for the former world champions, who look shadows of their former selves and again raises doubts if they will ever be able to catch Red Bull.
      If he were a manager of a Premier League football club, the dreadful form over the past two seasons would have Merc boss Toto Wolff facing the axe.
      Of course, F1 is a different beast altogether and the Austrian – who last week said he was interested in investing in Manchester United – is a three-way owner of the Mercedes F1 team.
      There was drama before the race had even started as Charles Leclerc crashed on his way to the grid.
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      Charles Leclerc crashed out during the formation lapCredit: AFP
      The Ferrari man was due to start in second place but suffered a hydraulic failure and crashed into the barriers.
      Leclerc was left crushing his luck and said over the radio: “I lost the hydraulics. Why the f*** am I so unlucky?”
      When the race got underway, there was a smash heading into Turn One as Alex Albon was caught in the middle of a Haas sandwich.
      The Williams man was pinched by Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, who clipped his car and sent him crashing into the barriers.
      Magnussen’s car also went into the rear of Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, breaking his rear wing.
      The multi-car accident saw the stewards red-flag the race and there was a 25 minute delay while they swept up the debris and repaired the barriers.
      Kevin Magnussen and Alex Albon crashed out before Turn OneCredit: Splash
      Verstappen again got away cleanly for the second start and this time there were no further accidents as the remaining 17 cars made it round unscathed.
      Fernando Alonso pulled off an excellent overtake on Hamilton to move into third and drop the Mercedes man to fourth, one spot ahead of Russell.
      And it caused a headache for the Mercedes pitwall as Russell started to make it clear that he was quicker than the seven-time world champion.
      Russell made a series of pointed remarks over the team’s radio. At one point it was explicitly clear.
      He said: “Either I need to overtake or he needs to manage more through there.”
      Russell was a sitting duck as Sergio Perez was first to pass him. And then Lance Stroll.
      Carlos Sainz and then Pierre Gasly. And then Esteban Ocon. It was an alarming drop for the man from Kings’ Lynn, who was eventually told to stop due to overheating problems.
      Hamilton too was passed one after the other and left him down in the timesheets and looking unlikely that he will pip Perez to second in the drivers’ championship.
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      Verstappen’s 17th win of the year was routine while Lando Norris continued his excellent run of form with a brilliant second-place.
      While Alosno overtook Perez on the final lap in what was a thrilling battle for the final place on the podium.
      Fernando Alonso’s late efforts secured him third placeCredit: AP
      Lando Norris finished in second placeCredit: Getty More

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      Machine Gun Kelly storms off from ‘most awkward interview ever’ with Martin Brundle at Brazilian Grand Prix

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      MACHINE GUN KELLY stormed off from his interview with Martin Brundle on Sky Sports at the Brazilian Grand Prix.The American rapper was in Sao Paulo for the Formula One when he spoke to Brundle in what fans have labelled the “most awkward interview ever”.
      Martin Brundle and Machine Gun Kelly shared an excruciatingly awkward interview at the Brazil GPCredit: Twitter @SkySportsF1
      Machine Gun Kelly ended up storming off from the interviewCredit: Twitter @SkySportsF1

      Brundle, who is well known for his entertaining gridwalk interviews, grabbed Kelly for a chat before the race.
      But things got off to an awkward start when the British reporter asked how things were going in the superstar’s career.
      Kelly batted away the question, saying: “My career? I don’t think about my career. I don’t think about it.”
      And it only got more awkward when he asked the Sky Sports interviewer to join him for a live air guitar and air piano session.
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      Brundle uncomfortably declined by saying: “No there’s millions [of people watching]. You do it!
      “I can’t do it, I can’t do it. I probably need to get on because we’ve got some people to see.”
      Machine Gun Kelly was left furious that he didn’t join him in a peculiar jam session and stormed off from the interview and away from the camera.
      Brundle joked as he moved on that the Hollywood star may not be his biggest fan after the interaction.
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      He said: “Something tells me I won’t be on his Christmas card list.”
      Fans watching on from home were left confused by the interview and couldn’t believe just how awkward it was.
      One said: “That was properly awkward! I don’t think it was Martin either!”
      While another added: “THE MOST awkwaaarrd interview EVEEEEERRRRR.”
      A third commented: “An absolute embarrassment.”
      Max Verstappen went on to win the subsequent race. More

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      Charles Leclerc crashes out of Brazilian Grand Prix BEFORE race has even started as F1 star smashes into barriers

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      CHARLES LECLERC has crashed out of the Brazil Grand Prix BEFORE the race has even started. The Ferrari driver slammed into the barriers during the formation lap and saw his race come to a premature end.
      Charles Leclerc has crashed out of the Brazil GP before the race even startedCredit: F1
      He span out and slammed into the barriersCredit: AFP
      The Ferrari team were left frustrated by the crazy startCredit: SKY SPORTS
      The unbelievable start to the race saw Leclerc lose control of his steering and smash into the barriers.
      He began second in the grid, but his chances of getting something from the race were suddenly over before it had even started.
      The 26-year-old could be heard asking his team why he had been unlucky enough to have issues already.
      He said: “I lost the hydraulics. Why am I so unlucky? Why am I so f*****g unlucky?”
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      It’s not the only early drama that the start of the race saw either as Kevin Magnussen, Alex Albon and Oscar Piatri were all ruled out in the early stages.
      Mangussen and Albon were out before turn one after they collided and were both sent spinning.
      The safety car was immediately deployed as both drivers saw their race come to an end.
      While Piastri was an unfortunate bystander who took a hit to his rear side from Magnussen during the drama.
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      Kevin Magnussen and Alex Albon collided before turn oneCredit: Getty
      Both drivers span out and were unable to continueCredit: Splash
      The safety car was immediately deployedCredit: Rex
      The Aussie driver tried to continue, but was told by the McLaren team that his car wasn’t safe enough to keep going.
      And all the drama led to a huge amount of debris on the tracks which in turn caused the stewards to red flag the race.
      However the red flag was a blessing in disguise for Piastri who was able to get back out on the track from the pitlane after work was completed on his car during the short break.
      Leclerc spoke to Sky Sports after he was ruled out and explained his extraordinary start to the race.
      He said: “I lost the steering wheel and I went straight basically because I had no hydraulic anymore.
      “I don’t think it’s a hydraulic problem, I mean I know what it is and I cannot go to much into detail.
      “There was an engine thing that made me lock the rear wheels and then obviously I spun and hit the wall and I couldn’t do anything.” More

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      Who is Fernando Alonso’s rumoured new girlfriend Melissa Jiménez?

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      FERNANDO Alonso separated from long-term girlfriend Andrea Schlager earlier this year, and has since been romantically linked with Taylor Swift.And now rumours abound that the racing Romeo is dating the ex of a former Barcelona star — Melissa Jiménez.
      Melissa Jimenez used to married to Real Betis defender Marc BartraCredit: Refer to Caption
      Who is Melissa Jiménez?
      Melissa María Jiménez Dionisio was born in Lieja, Belgium on June 26, 1987.
      She used to be married to ex-Barca, now Real Betis defender Marc Bartra and has three kids with him.
      The couple announced they had been separated for some time in January 2022.
      Rumours of her dating Fernando Alonso surfaced earlier this year, but both have kept quiet about it and there has been no confirmation so far.
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      What does Melissa Jiménez do for a living?
      Jimenez is a sports journalist who currently works for DAZN.
      Melissa is a MotoGP nut who covers motorsport specifically and could have found romance with Alonso in the paddock.
      She began her career at the television channel 25TV and has also worked for Sky’s Italian division on the programme Skysprt24h.
      When were Fernando Alonso and Melissa Jiménez first rumoured to be dating?
      In May 2023 Alonso was pictured with a fan and eagle-eyed social media users think sportscaster Melissa is in the background, fuelling rumours of the pair becoming a couple.
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      The Spaniard shared the news of splitting up with long-term girlfriend Andrea Schlager on Instagram just hours after his podium finish at the Australian Grand Prix on April 2.
      Like Jiménez, Schlager is a sports commentator known for her work in Formula One and MotoGP — she met Fernando through her F1 commitments.
      In a statement he wrote: “We wanted to tell you that our relationship as a couple ended. 
      “We have been lucky enough to share a fantastic time together, and it will continue to be so, but on a different form of affection.
      “As you have probably seen, we have continued working on and off track on various projects together also during this time, and we will keep doing so with deep love and respect for each other.
      “We thought it is appropriate to share this as you have all been very supportive. Thanks for that. Love Fer & Andrea.”
      What other stars has Fernando Alonso been linked to in the past?
      Alonso and singer Raquel Del Rosario — who was lead singer for Spanish rock band El Sueno de Morfeo — met in 2005 after she performed at a concert to mark his first F1 title.
      The couple married secretly in 2006 but only confirmed it publicly two years later, and lived together in Oxford and Switzerland.
      In 2011 they confirmed their break-up in a joint statement: “This has been a very thought about and mutual decision.
      “We are separating from marriage, but never as friends, and there is still a very strong affection and mutual admiration to ensure the happiness of the other.”
      After his split from Raquel, Alonso quickly moved on with former Miss Switzerland runner-up Xenia Tchoumitcheva.
      The talented Russian model, who has a degree in economics, has had an even more colourful career than her ex.
      After bagging an internship at JP Morgan, she was offered roles at Merrill Lynch and Duet Group, but decided to swap the stock market for the pop charts — releasing a rap single.
      In 2012 Alonso found love with another Russian model — Dasha Kapustina.
      The besotted pair were frequently seen together around the paddock, but after two years together their romance quietly fizzled out.
      Alonso quickly fell head over heels after meeting journalist Lara Alvarez in December 2014, but by 2016 the 16-month relationship had come to an end.
      Alonso’s next flame, Viki Odintcova, has no shortage of admirers in the sports world — even claiming she ignored Instagram DMs from Cristiano Ronaldo.
      After being snapped supporting him at races in 2016, Fernando and Italian lingerie model Linda Morselli confirmed their relationship with an Instagram post the following year.
      After half a decade together, the couple went their separate ways last year.
      Alonso’s next relationship was with Andrea Schlager, who he announced his separation from in April 2023.
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      In May Spanish magazines began linking Alonso to pop star Taylor Swift, who was then newly-single.
      The two-time world champion fuelled the flames when he posted a video of himself winking as he listened to her hit song Karma. More