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      Max Verstappen denied US GP pole after breaking track limits as he fumes at Red Bull team-mate ‘what the f*** was that?’

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN was denied pole position for Sunday’s US Grand Prix after being penalised for breaking track limits.The Dutchman looked to have taken P1 with his final flying lap on the Austin circuit but his time was deleted by the stewards for running wide at Turn 19.
      Max Verstappen was left fuming team-mate Sergio Perez in qualifyingCredit: Rex
      He was denied pole position for the US Grand Prix after being penalised for breaking track limitsCredit: Sky Sports
      Verstappen was pushing too hard and his time meant he only qualified down in sixth place.
      Charles Leclerc took his third pole of the season for Ferrari while Lando Norris will line up in second place as McLaren continued to show improvements.
      Norris said: “I am happy, it has been a good day. It was not expected and a good result for the team.”
      Lewis Hamilton qualified in third place in his Mercedes while Carlos Sainz will start fourth.
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      Hamilton said: “I love being in the States.
      “This is such a beautiful circuit, this is one of the best and up there with Silverstone. It is bumpy and incredibly challenging.
      “We have taken a step closer to the other guys this weekend, they are still a bit further ahead.”
      Hamilton’s first attempt at a flying lap was good enough for second place behind Leclerc.
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      While Verstappen was also left fuming that he was held up by his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
      He had earlier snapped over the team’s radio: “What the f*** was that in the last corner?”

      Meanwhile, American driver Logan Sargeant had a miserable afternoon and qualified in last place in his Williams.
      The under-pressure 22-year-old has retired in the last two races and is facing question marks about his future next season.
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      Lando Norris narrowly avoids horror F1 crash with Carlos Sainz as shaken Spaniard says ‘oh my God!’

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      CARLOS SAINZ was forced to swerve out of the way of an unaware Lando Norris during today’s United States Grand Prix practice. Sainz was shaken by the close encounter that almost saw the former team-mates collide in a nasty fashion.
      Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris came close to a catastrophic crash during United States Grand Prix practice in Austin todayCredit: Splash
      Norris drifted into the path of Sainz
      The Spaniard had to bail out of his line and narrowly avoided the crash

      Norris was warming the tyres on his McLaren when he seemed to drift into the line of the incoming Ferrari, which was travelling at speed.
      But Sainz was alert to the situation and manoeuvred his car away from danger and safely past Norris.
      The Spaniard seemed shaken by the incident as he could be heard reacting to the near miss, but was understanding about how it may have occurred.
      He said: “Oh my God! whoa! Lando there. I think he didn’t see me, but we nearly crashed.”
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      Both drivers will be relieved they escaped without an issue and will now turn their attention to Sunday’s race.
      And despite there no longer being a battle for the championship following Max Verstappen’s historic win, there is still plenty to compete for.
      Lewis Hamilton is hunting down Sergio Perez’s second place spot on the F1 leaderboards as he currently sits in third.
      The Brit is 30 points off his competitor, but will also be looking down with Fernando Alonso just 11 points behind him.
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      There are now five Grands Prix remaining before the season comes to a close.
      But despite the Verstappen procession officially beginning now, the outcome of this year’s races has long felt like a forgone conclusion.
      Max Verstappen can put his feet up after already securing his third world championshipCredit: Getty
      Lewis Hamilton will be battling for second place in the standingsCredit: Splash More

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      I’m an F1 legend who drank alcohol 30 minutes before qualifying at infamous 200mph track – I still got pole position

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      DESPITE reaching speeds of up to 200mph one former Formula One driver has admitted to drinking alcohol just minutes before a qualifying race. F1 legend David Coulthard has recalled the time he sank a shot before he went out for qualifying at the Italian Grand Prix – on F1’s notoriously fast Monza track.
      David Coulthard has revealed that he once drank just 30 minutes before hitting the trackCredit: Getty
      Coulthard took a shot before qualification for the 1995 Italian Grand PrixCredit: AP:Associated Press
      The Scot is one of Britain’s greatest ever drivers, but wouldn’t attribute his success to boozing pre-race.
      However it certainly didn’t hamper his performance as he ended up securing pole position during the qualification in 1995 despite his secret sips.
      Coulthard revealed the unexpected revelation on his podcast Formula For Success, when speaking to fellow ex-driver Gerhard Berger.
      He said: “You [Berger] pulled me in and persuaded me that it was tradition in Monza before qualifying to have a schnapps.
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      “I was a young, impressionable driver and you were a grand prix winner. You’ve got Niki [Lauda] there…
      “Of course, you guys had set this up and I didn’t want to say no so they bring out three little glasses that looked like schnapps. For sure they were drinking water.
      “They gave me a schnapps. This is about half an hour before qualifying. I take the schnapps, I go out, I’m in pole position. I got pole!”
      But Berger wasn’t having the light-hearted accusations that he was drinking water instead schnapps like his competitors.
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      And instead he admitted that he used to drink alcohol before EVERY race.
      He said: “David, I always drunk before qualifying, amaretto and then an espresso.”
      Gerhard Berger admitted to drinking before every raceCredit: Getty More

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      F1 star slammed as a ‘spoiled child’ by former racing driver and TV legend as he urges team to drop him

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      FORMULA ONE star Lance Stroll has come under a fierce attack from a legendary former driver and TV presenter.The 24-year-old is currently preparing for this weekend’s Austin Grand Prix where he will be competing for Aston Martin.
      F1 star Lance Stroll has been blasted by a racing and TV legendCredit: Rex
      Tiff Needell, pictured with former Top Gear colleague Jeremy Clarkson, tore into him onlineCredit: Dwayne Senior – The Sunday Times  
      However, the Canadian’s laid-back attitude and persona failed to impress ex-Top Gear host Tiff Needell.
      And the former Williams and Racing Point star was labelled a “spoiled child” as the ex-F1 ace and TV veteran went in at him full throttle on X, formerly known as Twitter.
      Needell, 71, wrote: “If I was Lance Stroll’s dad, before I discuss dropping him from the team next year, I’d be telling him to at least sit up and look interested at the @SkySportsF1 Driver’s Press Conference instead of slouching back like a spoiled child. Oh, wait a minute…”
      Stroll, whose billionaire father owns the Aston Martin team, allegedly shoved his own physio into a WALL in a fit of rage after another terrible performance for Aston Martin in Qatar last time out.
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      He was eliminated from qualifying at the first hurdle, continuing his dreadful run of form.
      Stroll, who had already faced questions about his future in F1, with rumours rife that he was getting fed up with the sport, then stropped and appeared to push osteopath and performance coach, Henry Howe, into a plastic wall at the rear of the team’s garage.
      He then swore live on-air in a TV interview, uttering a total of seven words when faced with three questions about his latest horror show.
      And after Needell, who co-presented Top Gear from 1987 until 2001, took aim at him, it seems that many more petrol heads agreed with him as they responded to his outburst.
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      One reply read: “After the last incident in the garage. That would be enough for any team to get rid of their driver. He’s not worth representing Aston Martin as a driver.”
      Another said: “He really does come across as a rich, spoiled kid. It’s not a good look.”
      “Couldn’t have put it better Tiff, well said,” read another response, as a fellow fan commented: “Yes his demeanour at interviews in general has annoyed me for quite a while now.
      “This arrogant aire of disinterest that he displays. The word humbleness is not in their vocabulary.”
      While another demanded: “Stroll Junior is a disgrace to F1. Sack him now.”
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      Lewis Hamilton hails F1 for finally cracking USA but admits Max Verstappen dominance is bad for sport

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      LEWIS HAMILTON is thrilled Formula One has finally found a home in the United States – but the real proof will come in Las Vegas in November.The seven-time world champion has hailed the way the sport has been run by Liberty Media since they took control in 2017.
      Lewis Hamilton has discussed F1’s surging popularity in the USCredit: Splash
      The US company have opened up the sport to a younger audience by engaging with social media, an area in which previous F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone failed.
      Liberty have also lucked into the hit TV series on Netflix, Drive to Survive, which has changed the demographic of the sport across the world.
      F1’s popularity has sky-rocketed and Liberty have added two races to the calendar with Vegas and Miami joining Austin, the host of this weekend’s US GP.
      Earlier this week, NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce both joined a group of investors in Alpine F1 team while Walmart heir and Denver Broncos owner, Rob Walton, has been linked with an investment in McLaren.
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      And Hamilton believes it all points to a healthy position in the US.
      He said: “When I came to the States for the first time in 2007, and for many years afterwards, you always find yourself just repeating yourself.
      “I couldn’t fully understand when I went to NFL games, NBA games, seeing how passionate the Americans are about sport, how they hadn’t yet caught the [F1] bug.
      “So it’s been amazing to see that a large portion of the country is now speaking about it. Everyone wants to be a driver.
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      “We have to continue to look at what is next. I think having the three races out here in such a huge nation, is massively helpful.”
      However, Hamilton admits this season’s domination by Max Verstappen has caused a down-turn in popularity on social media, with numbers noticeably down on the previous two years.
      The Dutchman has already wrapped up the title while his Red Bull team have also secured the constructors’ championship, which Hamilton says is turning fans off.
      The Brit, 38, added: “Within our sport, we have to continue to work on making sure we’re having close racing, because I think you’ve seen the social engagement drop a huge amount this year.
      “It’s obviously heavily impacted on competition. People want to see that. So, we have to make sure that we’re making the right decisions, or the governing body is making the right decisions, to keep us close.”
      Meanwhile, the Brit hopes the new F1 film starring Brad Pitt, which he is helping to write the script for, will take the sport to a new audience, particularly with Vegas joining the F1 calendar this season.
      He said: “The movie is a huge step in that direction of broadening the horizon.
      “That’s really part of the new leadership with Liberty Media and the great work they are doing and being open to trying new things.
      “The fact that we’re allowed to do this movie, and have the concessions in terms of allowing an extra team being on track and filming with these film stars, has never been done before.
      “And there’s going to be a huge spotlight on Vegas. And that will play an important part in our movie.
      “So with Austin, Vegas and Miami, we’ve got these great cities with amazing fan bases in each of them, all providing a different atmosphere.
      “I always felt that we needed more than one race in the US, because the complaint was always people having to get up in the middle of the night to watch a Grand Prix, so it was really difficult to get into it.
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      “So this is really enabling it to be something with a buzz that’s continuing. But we do have to continue to grow and I think the movie particularly is going to help do that.
      “F1 is the only truly international or global sport and so we need to educate more and more people in it. There’s still many people out there we’ve got to get to catch the bug.”
      Hamilton, 38, believes that Max Verstappen’s dominance is bad for the sportCredit: Rex More

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      Lewis Hamilton REFUSES to pay huge new F1 fines unless FIA meets seven-time champ’s conditions

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      FORMULA ONE drivers are furious they could now be fined up to a million euros for breaking the sport’s rules after the FIA QUADRUPLED their maximum punishment.The ruling came into effect after a World Motorsport Council meeting in Geneva on Thursday – led by FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
      Lewis Hamilton says he’d only pay a big fine if it went to a good causeCredit: Rex
      Hamilton was fined heavily after an early smash with George RussellCredit: Rex
      It comes after a series of punishments were dished out to drivers in the Qatar Grand Prix.
      Lewis Hamilton was slapped with a €50,000 fine (43.5k), of which half was suspended, for crossing the live race track following his first-lap smash with Mercedes teammate George Russell.
      And the seven-time world champion was stunned to learn of the new maximum penalty that picky stewards could now dish out.
      And he says he will REFUSE to pay it unless it goes towards a good cause.
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      He said: “We do need to be thinking about the message that sends out to those watching. If they are going to be fined a million, let’s make sure 100 percent goes to a good cause.
      “It is a lot of money in this industry and there is a lot more we need to do in terms of creating better accessibility and diversity, that’s the only way they’ll get that million from me.”
      Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc added: “It’s a huge amount of money. I have no idea what deserves a 1m euros penalty, some drivers are making less than that.”
      Haas driver Kevin Magnussen said it was “ridiculous” and AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo labelled it “scary.”
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      Meanwhile, Russell who is director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association was stunned to learn of the news via a question in the press conference ahead of the US Grand Prix.
      The FIA had not consulted drivers that the maximum penalty was being raised from €250,000 and there is now a fear they will start hitting them in their wallets.
      He said: “I think it’s pretty ridiculous that a driver could be fined a million Euros.
      “In my first year in F1, I was on a five-figure salary and actually lost over six figures in that first year paying for a trainer, flights, an assistant and that’s probably the case for 25 percent of the grid.
      “We are doing what we love, so not complaining about that but if you fine him a million, I don’t know what’s going to happen.
      “We’ve requested before from FIA to hear where these fines are going towards, what causes. It needs to be invested in grassroots but so far had no response on where that’s going.
      “I would love to get some clarity and transparency, if they truly believe a million fine is worthwhile and going to reinvest into sport, then maybe one of the drivers who earns a lot is happy to pay that, but it seems obscene.
      “We just want transparency and understanding. I think already the fines are getting out of control.
      “Max Verstappen was fined €50,000 for touching a car in Brazil, Lewis being fined €50,000…it feels like these numbers are being plucked out of the air.
      “There’s a lot greater global issues going on and so much poverty around the world how can a federation make up these fines?
      For me, it sounds obscene and there needs to be a lot more transparency about where these fines are going.George Russell
      “I don’t know what you have to do to get a fine of million euros, I don’t know of any sport or profession outside of the corporate world where you can be fined that amount.
      “For me, it sounds obscene and there needs to be a lot more transparency about where these fines are going.
      “There needs to be a much better dialogue between FIA and drivers.”
      The FIA point out that while the previous limit was €250,000, no offence had been deemed worthy of issuing the maximum penalty.
      Meanwhile, Hamilton says that he does not believe he is being singled out by the penalty he picked up in Qatar.
      Hamilton has also recently been the subject of a jewellery ban by the FIA, which had resulted in him being granted a medical exception for a nose stud.
      However, there was some confusion that the FIA would re-open their investigation into walking across the track following a clunky-worded statement.
      He added: “No, I don’t think I was singled out. Ultimately it was poor communication, I don’t think what the FIA said is what they meant.
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      “I think they are going to look into how they can tackle those things [crossing a track] moving forwards, so those things don’t happen.
      “We need to make sure we are continuously focusing on safety, the FIA just need to speak to their PR agent to do a better job.” More

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      Inside the abandoned NASCAR track once ‘fastest in the country’ overrun by nature and flattened for a parking lot

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      FLEMINGTON Speedway was once the oldest operating race track to hold weekly racing events until its closure at the start of the century.The New Jersey speedway was created as a nineteenth-century fairgrounds horse racing track before converting to vehicles.
      Flemington Speedway was a motor racing circuit in Flemington, New JerseyCredit: YouTube/Black Flags Matter
      The abandoned NASCAR track was once ruled the “fastest in the country”Credit: YouTube/Black Flags Matter
      It was paved in 1990Credit: YouTube/Black Flags Matter
      The speedway was a weekly attraction for fans in the surrounding areaCredit: YouTube/Black Flags Matter
      Originally the track was a half-mile, four-cornered dirt oval.
      In 1911, motorcycles were first allowed to race on the track.
      Soon after, the venue’s grandstand was constructed and remained standing until the speedway’s demolition in 2005.
      Auto races became a high point of the annual Flemington Fair, with stock car racing becoming the weekly attraction after lighting was built in 1955.

      In 1966, the speedway was reworked and received a major upgrade.
      It was increasing it’s length to a 5/8th mile, semi-banked rounded rectangle, dubbed “The Square.”
      24 years later, the track got its last renovation.
      Flemington speedway was paved in 1990, increasing speeds dramatically and causing a series of crashes.
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      After the crashes and injuries drivers endured, Flemington made final improvements by adding foam blocks to the walls.
      Speeds got so high that fans claimed the speedway was the “fastest in the country.”
      Unfortunately, Flemington continuously lost money after being paved and closed in 2002.
      The property was sold off to developers and demolished in 2005.
      It’s still viewable via renderings from Google Earth, but the speedway is completely flattened.
      A parking lot and Lowe’s store now occupies the defunct speedway property.
      The once speedway is now a Lowe’sCredit: Youtube/BlackFlagsMatter
      Flemington Speedway’s last race was held in 2002Credit: Youtube/BlackFlagsMatter More

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      Bianca Bustamente breaks down in tears as she throws on McLaren gear for first time after making history with F1 giants

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      BIANCA BUSTAMENTE broke down in tears as she threw on her McLaren shirt for the very first time.The F1 Academy racer made history by becoming the first ever female driver to join the constructor’s Driver Development programme.
      Bianca Bustamente posted her reaction to joining McLaren’s Driver Development programmeCredit: Instagram @racerbia
      Bustamente threw on her McLaren gear for the first timeCredit: Instagram @racerbia
      She broke down in tears during the videoCredit: Instagram @racerbia
      Well wishes and congratulations flooded in for Bustamente following the announcement yesterday.
      But taking to Instagram, she revealed her reaction to putting on the McLaren team shirt for the first time.
      Bustamente broke down in tears of joy as she put on the shirt and could not hide her joy.
      The 18-year-old wrote a lengthy post regarding the “special moment”.
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      She said: “Was sooo shy to post this one, but I just had to. Putting on my McLaren team shirt for the very first time was a very special moment. So many thoughts and emotions came to me.
      “All the struggles and trials my family and I had to battle through, the support from so many people to help me get here, the community of race fans cheering me on, the history and prominence that McLaren represents…
      “It’s reallllly hard to describe this moment but I couldn’t fight back my tears… It’s one step closer to my dreams, but still such a long way to go.
      “Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart. I promise to give it my all, I will not waste this opportunity 🧡.”
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      Bustamente will represent McLaren in the 2024 F1 Academy season and run the team’s livery on her race car with ART Grand Prix.
      She made her single-seater debut in the 2022 W Series, before it was axed halfway through the season and went in administration a year later.
      In 2023 the Philippine international has raced with PREMA racing in the inaugural season of F1 Academy.
      Bustamente has earned two race wins and two further podiums during the season, with the finale taking place Austin, TX, United States alongside the weekend’s F1 GP.
      Her joining McLaren comes after James Bond stunt driver Jessica Hawkins became the first woman to test an F1 car since 2018 for Aston Martin last month.
      Bustamente was use McLaren’s livery in races next seasonCredit: Instagram @racerbia
      She said it was a ‘very special moment’Credit: Instagram @racerbia
      Bustamente has scored two race wins and two podiums in this season’s F1 AcademyCredit: Instagram @racerbia
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