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      Lewis Hamilton throws lavish birthday party for his DOG complete with personalised vegan cake and balloons

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has thrown a lavish birthday party for his dog Roscoe.The F1 star treated his bulldog to his own party which saw him welcome five of his pup pals.
      Lewis Hamilton threw a birthday party for his dog RoscoeCredit: https://www.instagram.com/roscoelovescoco/
      The Mercedes driver invited some of his dog’s friendsCredit: Rex
      Roscoe was given a personalised vegan cakeCredit: https://www.instagram.com/roscoelovescoco/
      Roscoe got his very own birthday crown and feather boa as well as a personalised vegan cake as he turned 11.
      His pals all joined in as they wore multi-coloured party hats and all posed for photograph.
      However, one guest, a white pomeranian, broke the trend with a glittery gold fedora.
      Roscoe also had a set of balloons for him which were placed in the background for the picture.
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      Posting on his dog’s Instagram account, he wrote: “One time’s for’s the birthday boy’sss 🎂🎉🎈🎁.”
      And the dog’s 947k followers loved the snap as they flooded the comment section.
      One fan exclaimed: “Omg he got a better birthday party than me.”
      A second wrote: “If this ain’t the coolest party.”
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      A third said: “What a birthday bash.”
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      A fourth commented: “Okay, this is AMAZING.”
      A fifth said: “Pawsome party.”
      Another joked: “I cannot fathom how long it took to get this picture perfect.”
      The Daily Mail have reported that Roscoe’s party is a “serious” matter for Hamilton.
      A source told the outlet: “Roscoe has been with Lewis through thick and thin, and he loves to treat him.
      “He takes him everywhere with him and loves to show Roscoe that he is hugely appreciated, it might sound odd to some but to Lewis it is just how it is.”
      Hamilton, 38, has written that the bulldog is a vegan like his owner and that he “loves to travel” in his Instagram bio.
      Last year, Hamilton and Roscoe enjoyed a movie night and another personalised cake.
      Read More on The Sun
      He has also taught his best friend how to skateboard.
      The Mercedes driver recently revealed his next career move as he founded Almave – a unique non-alcoholic spirit. More

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      Red Bull ‘forced to hire BODYGUARDS for Max Verstappen’ after F1 champ’s Wag Kelly Piquet fumed at his treatment

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      RED BULL have hired BODYGUARDS for Max Verstappen ahead of this week’s Mexico Grand Prix.That’s after the driver’s champion was booed last time out in Austin.
      Verstappen was booed on the podium in AustinCredit: Reuters
      Verstappen continued his dominance this season as he got his sixth win at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas.
      But he was booed by F1 fans there to support Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
      There is a feeling from Perez fans that he has been disrespected by Red Bull.
      And while the chorus of boos was ongoing, Verstappen’s girlfriend Kelly Piquet looked visibly unimpressed.
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      Perez enjoys a strong support in Texas, but that support will be magnified tenfold at his home race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico.
      Perez has struggled again this season to match Verstappen and there is talk that he could lose his Red Bull seat going into next season.
      Red Bull director Helmut Marko explained the decision to give Verstappen additional protection in Mexico to F1 Insider and said: “Max doesn’t actually want that and is relaxed. But we have responsibility for him. So we just want to be on the safe side.”
      Team Principal Christian Horner explained that while he expects Verstappen to receive a hostile reception, he doesn’t think it will bother the Dutchman:
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      “I don’t think Max is going to get the warmest reception in Mexico! But that’s water off a duck’s back. One year you are the villain, the next year you are the hero.”
      Verstappen has won four of the last five races in Mexico with Red Bull historically being very suited to the track.
      There is speculation that should Perez fail to secure second place in the Driver’s Championship, he will lose his spot on the team.
      But Horner poured cold water on that suggestion, saying: “With this car, it would be fantastic in such a season that we’ve had if we could finish first and second.
      “But there’s no pre-mandate on Checo that you have to finish second or you won’t be driving the car next year. That’s never been discussed.”
      Perez opened two of the opening four races this season before his form both in qualifying and races completely tailed off.
      He has occasionally finished on the podium but his inability to challenge or even support his team-mate will surely be a concern to his team. More

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      I used to be an F1 driver… but now I’m a billionaire and in charge of the world’s biggest pasta company

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      FORMER F1 driver Paolo Barilla is now a billionaire in charge of the world’s biggest pasta company.The Italian enjoyed a solid motor racing career before retiring to go into the family business in 1990.
      Paolo Barilla was an F1 driver before becoming deputy chairman of the Barilla GroupCredit: 2016 Getty Images
      Roger Federer has been in adverts for Barilla pasta
      He has since become the deputy chairman of the Barilla Group – the world’s largest pasta producer.
      Alongside his brothers Guido and Luca as well as their sister Emanuella, Barilla shares an 85 per cent stake in the company.
      As a result, he was listed as a billionaire by Forbes in 2018 with a net worth of $1.1billion (£910million).
      Before his success with the family business, though, Barilla competed in both Formula Two and Formula 3000 during the 1980s.
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      He later raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning in 1985 for New-Man Joest Racing.
      Alongside co-drivers Klaus Ludwig and Louis Krages, the trio tasted glory in their Porsche 956B but failed to finish the race the following year.
      Barilla then went on to race in F1 with Minardi, but his time in the sport was marred by his habit of not qualifying.
      From his 15 race entries, Barilla made just nine starts, with a best finish of 11th coming at the 1990 San Marino Grand Prix.
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      Barilla competed for Minardi between 1989 and 1990Credit: 2016 Getty Images
      He left Minardi later that year and joined the family business, which had been founded in 1877 by his great-grandfather Pietro Barilla Sr.
      The company has since been passed down through three generations and now does business in over 100 countries around the world.
      Barilla did make a brief return to racing in 2014, winning the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco in the Formula Three class. More

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      F1 bosses considering huge format change with radical new plan slammed as ‘bulls***’ by Sebastian Vettel

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      FORMULA ONE chiefs are re-considering the introduction of a reverse sprint grid – a move Sebastian Vettel called “bulls***.”CEO Stefano Domenicali described the idea as necessary to prevent the sport from stagnating.
      The current sprint race format was introduced in 2021Credit: Rex
      Vettel has previously hit out at the idea of reversing the gridCredit: Getty
      This means that drivers would start the sprint race in reverse order.
      Using the current standings, Max Verstappen would start last, while Daniel Ricciardo would start at the front of the pack.
      F1 bosses are prepared to consider reverse grid sprint races amid growing concerns that the current format has been unsuccessful in creating enough excitement. 
      Fans showed a lack of interest in the ‘boring’ United States GP Sprint race as ticket sales suggested a clear drop in demand.
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      A report from Autosport explains that team bosses have begun informal discussions about the changes.
      It would involve either the top ten being switched or even the entire order being shuffled back to front.
      But Vettel has previously hit out at the idea of reversing the order.
      He told Motorsport: “I think it is complete bullshit, to be honest.
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      “I don’t know which genius came up with it, but it is not the solution. It is completely the wrong approach.”
      While seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has also been critical of reversing grids.
      Hamilton said in 2020: “The people that proposed that don’t really know what they are talking about.”
      While Mercedes boss Toto Wolff feels it is a flawed idea, as F1 has long been known for its purity of competition.
      Wolff told Autosport: “I’m conservative in racing. I’d rather have no sprint races than meddling.
      “Even more with reverse grid races, we are going towards Formula E where sport follows entertainment, while entertainment should follow sport.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton announces next career move away from F1 as fans rejoice ‘I’m loving this direction’

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has announced he is launching a new career for when he leaves F1.The seven-time world champion has founded Almave – a unique non -alcoholic spirit.
      Lewis Hamilton has launched his own non-alcoholic tequilaCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
      The former world champion is planning for life after F1Credit: Reuters
      While he yearns for Mercedes to return to form, Hamilton has unveiled his latest business venture.
      He has collaborated with Mexican distillers Iván Saldaña and Casa Lumbre to introduce Almave.
      The British ace took to social media to tell fans that the product is the world’s first and only non-alcoholic spirit created from real blue agave – the plant used to make tequila.
      The crafting process mirrors tequila-making, omitting only the fermentation stage when the drink becomes alcoholic.
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      Hamilton posted on his Instagram: “It’s finally here. Almave is for people like myself, who are always pushing the limits of what’s possible.
      “Who enjoy the taste of tequila but are focused on balance, longevity, and living fully.
      “When I first met Ivan two things became clear: we both like tequila and something was missing from the market.
      “I’m so proud to be a founder and hope you approach it with an open mind.”
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      And fans have rejoiced at the Mercedes driver’s one-of-a-kind innovation.
      One fan wrote: ” I’m loving this direction.”
      Another said: “It’s alcohol free? Where can I sign up for a taste test?”
      A third wrote: “This is perfect!”
      A fourth declared: “Congratulations champ, I can’t wait to try it.”
      There had been rampant speculation that Hamilton could call time on his career soon.
      But the F1 ace is not giving up just yet, after signing a £100m contract extension with Mercedes in August.
      Hamilton will eventually retire as an all time great More

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      Ferrari chief turns into Jurgen Klopp with outrageous excuse for Charles Leclerc’s US GP disqualification

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      FERRARI sporting director Diego Ioverno cited wind as one reason why Charles Leclerc was disqualified from last weekend’s US Grand Prix.Leclerc, 26, had finished P6 in the latest Formula One race before he and Lewis Hamilton – who had finished P2 – were disqualified for running illegal floors.
      Charles Leclerc was disqualified from the US Grand PrixCredit: Getty
      Ferrari chief Diego Ioverno cited a list of reasons why the disqualification had happenedCredit: Getty
      Their race results were canned after the planks on the floor of their cars were found to have failed to meet F1 regulations for the minimum thickness allowed.
      The planks, which run along the centre of the floor on the car, are designed to protect the bottom of the car from scraping along the ground which sometimes causes sparks to fly as seen on TV.
      Ride height can heavily impact aerodynamic performance, but cars have to be a certain height to meet safety standards, which Hamilton and Leclerc’s cars failed to do.
      In a post to the team’s social media page, Ferrari chief Ioverno explained what had caused the failure, citing lack of practice, set up time and track bumpiness on the list of reasons for the ruling.
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      The 49-year-old said: “The sprint weekend is very peculiar and you have very little time to prepare the car [with] basically only one session and then you go in parc ferme (when only minor adjustments are allowed).
      “It means that from that moment onwards you cannot touch the car any more. On top of this, Austin is a super nice track but it is extremely bumpy.
      “Bumpiness is a difficult topic for drivers and for cars, in the past almost everyone failed the suspension and failed the chassis.
      “We knew it would have been tricky and this is the reason why we also lifted the car throughout FP1, and from our consideration it should have been OK.”
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      In a similar vein to Jurgen Klopp famously blaming weather for a Liverpool defeat, Ioverno then said wind as another reason for the penalty.
      He continued: “As a matter of fact, it turned out we were anyhow too marginal and also because of the wind that changed direction and had a stronger intensity than what was forecasted, this brought our car to not be legal at the end.
      “There is not a lot to say and not a lot in this moment that we can do.
      “With hindsight, rewinding the weekend we may have lifted even more the car but we would have lost performance, and we are here always to try to optimise our own performance.”
      Reacting to the post, one fan said: “Unbelievable.”
      A second said: “You have to be safe than sorry. This marginal change disqualified a car and Ferrari lose important points. Have to be more careful next time.”
      A third wrote: “Irresponsible from a big team like Ferrari to let something like this happen, especially when their driver starts on pole.”
      However, it should be noted margins in F1 – a sport constantly on the edge – such as weather changes and track temperature can make a world of difference to performance.
      Following the disappointment, Leclerc and seven-time F1 champion Hamilton shared a joint post on Instagram of them looking miserable, captioning the post “mood”.
      Read More on The Sun
      Ex-F1 star and Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle questioned why the remaining cars were not tested, given half of the checked cars had turned out to be illegal.
      F1 returns next weekend at the Mexican GP.
      Ioverno’s wind excuse echoed Jurgen Klopp’s own weather-based excusesCredit: Rex
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      Man rushed to hospital after huge explosion at Formula E testing as garage catches fire & scared staff scream ‘get out’

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      FORMULA E’s pre-season testing has been halted as a man was rushed to hospital after an explosion set a team garage on fire.The accident took place at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo and was probably caused by a battery explosion.
      A huge explosion took place during Formula E pre-season testingCredit: Splash
      A man was rushed to hospital but is believed to have escaped serious damageCredit: Splash
      A loud bang was heard from inside the Williams garage, who supply the batteries for the series.
      A man was then rushed to the medical centre after appearing to suffer from smoke inhalation and potential burns.
      However, it has been reported that he escaped without any serious damage.
      Members of staff were seen running away from the garage shouting, “Get out, get out” as the fire brigade rushed to the scene.
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      A Formula E statement read: “In a break between practice sessions, a fire was detected in the pit lane and garage area which has been contained.
      “The on-track Incident Response Team acted immediately to contain the incident while the main pit building and garages were quickly evacuated.
      “One person has been assessed by medics and has been transported to hospital for precautionary checks.
      “Formula E, the FIA and local fire authorities are investigating the cause and will provide a further update in due course. Fire crews remain on site to put out the blaze.”
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      The incident occurred after the Formula E cars returned to the garage following their first three-hour session.
      About 3,000 staff members, teams and journalists were present for the first day of the pre-season test.
      An eye-witness said: “There was a huge bang and everyone started running from the garages.
      “We couldn’t believe how quickly it escalated, there were people sprinting away, others tried to run back but couldn’t because of the smoke. We were evacuated from the pit lane really quickly.” More

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      Martin Brundle blasts FIA after Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification from US Grand Prix as he questions ‘grey area’

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      EX-FORMULA ONE star Martin Brundle has questioned the FIA after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the US Grand Prix.Hamilton and Leclerc broke their silence on social media with a one-word post following the decision to disqualify them after they were found to have run illegal floors during the race in Austin, Texas.
      Lewis Hamilton was disqualified after being found to have run an illegal floor at the US GPCredit: Splash
      Martin Brundle questioned why the FIA only checked four cars after half were found to be illegalCredit: Getty
      The Mercedes and Ferrari drivers were two of four stars picked for random spot checks after the race.
      And they were disqualified due to their cars failing to hit the minimum thickness of the titanium skidblock, or planks, that are legally allowed to run along the centre of the floor on the car.
      In theory, it means they were able to run their cars closer to the ground and get better speed in the corners.
      However, with half of the selected cars failing to stay legal, it led Sky Sports presenter Brundle to question why the FIA did not then check the remaining 17 cars which finished the race.
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      In his post-race column for Sky Sports, he said: “At a bumpy track like Austin, and with only one practice session, setting a ride height for the duration of the event is quite a challenge with regard to performance, and driver and car tolerance, and of course plank-wear legality, especially with a full fuel tank.
      “If they simply raised the car to be cautious, they’d lose so much performance they may as well pack up and go home.

      “After the race four cars were checked, including [Max] Verstappen’s Red Bull and [Lando] Norris’ McLaren, and both Hamilton’s Mercedes and Leclerc’s Ferrari were found to have too much wear, for which the only remedy is disqualification, however minimal the indiscretion.
      “There can be no grey area on this.”
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      He continued: “The next big question, however, is that if 50 per cent of the tested cars failed, then shouldn’t all the finishers have been checked? The answer must surely be yes.
      “It must be said that the FIA checks pre and post-race are beyond comprehensive.
      “The published list includes over 50 separate and detailed checks mostly on all classified finishers, and a few on randomly selected cars.”
      Leclerc was also unhappy with the decision, liking a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, which echoed Brundle’s thoughts.
      The post from F1 content creator Tom Bellingham said: “The fact only four cars get checked and half of them were illegal makes you wonder if anyone else would have failed this?
      “Surely it can’t just be the (bad) luck of the draw of getting checked.”
      The 26-year-old, who was celebrating his 100th race in F1 at Ferrari, later unliked the post.
      F1 returns next weekend at the Mexican GP.
      Hamilton and Charles Leclerc posted a shared Instagram picture togetherCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
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