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      Lewis Hamilton reveals bespoke helmet for Japanese Grand Prix – and fans are convinced it’s ‘inspired by Daft Punk’

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has revealed a stunning helmet design for the Japanese Grand Prix.The seven-time F1 champion is no stranger to striking helmet designs, and fans have also been left impressed with his latest head piece.

      Lewis Hamilton unveiled a stunning all-chrome helmet designCredit: EPA
      Fans are convinced the helmet design is inspired by Daft PunkCredit: Getty
      Hamilton, 38, has gone for an all-chrome look in a week where he was also spotted wearing a red and white polka-dot Super Mario hat during a trip to Universal Studios Super Nintendo World in Osaka.
      The dazzling design saw fans draw comparisons with French house music duo Daft Punk, with their signature look being chromed-out helmets.
      Reacting to pictures of the helmet, one fan said: “The Daft Punk helmet.”
      A second wrote: “This must be Daft Punk inspired, mega!”
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      “So daft punk is a trio now,” commented a third.
      A fourth remarked: “Daft Hamilton or Lewis Punk?”
      Another typed: “Absolutely astonishing 🔥looks fire.”
      A sixth joked: “Lewis HamilTRON.”
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      While another added: “Lewis with that swag, always.”
      However, while Hamilton may win the award for best helmet, he was far off the pace of a resurgent Max Verstappen in qualifying.
      Verstappen’s record-breaking 10-race winning streak came to an end in Singapore last weekend, but he looks to be back to his best after claiming pole at the Suzuka circuit.
      Meanwhile, Hamilton was only seventh-quickest, with his lap time over a second slower than championship leader Verstappen.
      Hamilton played down any chance of winning this weekend’s race following a “bad day” during Friday’s two practice sessions.
      He said: “It was a really bad day, to be honest. A real struggle out there.
      “[We were] a long way off, two seconds off in the first session and over a second off in the second. We’re working away at just trying to fix the car’s balance.
      “We’ll work on it overnight and turn it around for tomorrow, but we definitely won’t be winning this weekend!
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      “If I in particular can move further up the order so I can at least back up George, who did a not-such-a-bad lap… yeah, tough one.”
      The Brit’s former team, McLaren, put in impressive P2 and P3 results in qualifying, with rookie Oscar Piastri planting his car on the front row on his first time at the track with Lando Norris coming in third.
      Daft Punk’s signature look is their chromed out helmetsCredit: Getty
      Hamilton is no stranger to striking helmet designsCredit: Rex
      Hamilton laboured to P7 in Japanese Grand Prix qualifyingCredit: Splash
      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More

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      Frustrated Hamilton only makes seventh as Verstappen produces one of best laps in F1 history to take pole at Japanese GP

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN produced one of the best laps in F1 history to take pole for the Japanese GP while Lewis Hamilton was left criticising his Mercedes after only making seventh.Verstappen had seen his 10-race winning run come to a halt in Singapore but was back to his best after blitzing pole in Suzuka.
      Max Verstappen secured yet another pole as he seeks a 13th win of the seasonCredit: Splash
      Lewis Hamilton was left frustrated after only managing seventh in qualifyingCredit: Rex
      Verstappen was over half a second clear of McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in what was one of the stand-out laps all time.
      Red Bull boss Christian Horner said: “What we have witnessed is something very special.
      “That last lap, the first sector was absolutely mighty. Gianpiero Lambiase [Verstappen’s race engineer] started winding him up before his last run ‘let’s see a 28 [a lap of 1m.28s.] in there’ and I said to GP ‘I would like to see four wheels on the car at the end of it’.
      “That first run looked good enough to get the job done but then he went quicker again.
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      “All his laps have been stunning today. An absolutely mind-blowing performance.”
      Verstappen’s lap was impeccable and former F1 driver Karun Chandhok said: “I’m still breathless watching that. I think that was one of the great qualifying laps in F1 history.
      “He thought about every metre [of the lap] and for me that’s a driver who’s ahead of the car.”
      McLaren continued their impressive resurgence with both drivers turning in mighty laps to start in second and third.
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      But Hamilton was dismayed by Mercedes’ after he was only good enough for seventh while George Russell was eighth-quickest – both drivers were over a second slower than Verstappen.
      Hamilton said: “We as a team really need to when we go back and do the debrief – I hope the team already realise – but a second gap is huge. And it is real.
      “To be two years in and still be a second down to the Red Bulls is not a good showing and we need to make sure we work hard over the winter to get back at least half that gap before next year.
      “We have a very peaky car. It is like trying to balance a knife on its tip.
      “It is never perfectly balanced, it is one way or the other. You try and get it as close as you can to the middle but it is very hard to do each weekend.”
      Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda will continue to drive for AlphaTauri next season.
      Liam Lawson, who has filled in for Ricciardo who broke his hand in Zandvoort, will be reserve and simulator driver for both of Red Bull’s F1 teams.
      Ricciardo, who could be back at the US GP in Austin, said: “I’m stoked to be driving with Yuki again next year and continuing the journey with Scuderia AlphaTauri.
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      “Following the progress we have already made and the plans for the future, it’s an exciting time for the team.
      “We are building and it is a great feeling. There is a lot of work to do, but we are heading in the right direction and there is a lot to look forward to.” More

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      F1 star Alex Albon demands HUGE change to race weekends but fears it will never happen due to ‘TV money’

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      WILLIAMS F1 driver Alex Albon has demanded a huge change to race weekends but fears it will never happen due to “TV money”.The 27-year-old has suggested that F1 should turn to a two-day race weekend to help teams manage the ever-increasing race calendar.
      Alex Albon has demanded changes need to be made to the F1 race weekendsCredit: Getty
      Albon told the Express: “I would love to see a two-day race weekend.
      “Practice and qualifying on a Saturday and then a race on a Sunday. I don’t think that will ever happen as TV money is important.”
      The Thai driver sits 13th in the driver standings and will be competing in the biggest F1 race of 2023 in Las Vegas.
      But Albon has revealed the drivers won’t be able to enjoy it to the fullest due to the packed calendar.
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      The race’s inclusion was set to push F1’s race calendar up to 24 races before the Chinese Grand Prix’s exclusion due to Covid-19.
      Albon continued: “I’m excited for Vegas. I think for us as drivers we don’t get to see that much.
      “We’re kind of… hotel, circuit, and then airport. Vegas is not the last race of the season, unfortunately, so I don’t think we can celebrate it quite like the fans.
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      “But I’m sure that we can still take in the atmosphere.”
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      F1 will take over Vegas in November, but lights out is set for Sunday 19th at 6am UK time.
      Albon says F1’s current amount of races is manageable but adds that compromises need to be made to ease the workload.
      He added: “I think at the current state it’s fine. But at the minute there’s been no compromise about it.
      “If we think about all the races we have been doing, the workload is still the same. The teams have to leave on a Wednesday more or less, sometimes a Tuesday.
      “Work Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and then be back in the office on a Monday and then start again on Tuesday.
      “Even in terms of drivers, to begin with, on Thursdays, drivers getting more free time went away quite quickly.
      “For example, this weekend we went from Singapore to Suzuka. And on paper, it’s not much of a difference in time zone but we’ve just gone from a night race to a day race.”
      “So, we’re moving nine or ten hours in terms of difference in the middle of a season and it takes a toll on everyone.
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      “As a team, we’re doing quite a good job; we’re on a rotation basis for most of the people who work here, which has helped.
      “But still, it’s on the limit, let’s say that.” More

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      Gutted Lewis Hamilton admits he ‘definitely won’t be winning’ Japan GP after ‘really bad day’

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      GUTTED Lewis Hamilton admitted he “definitely won’t be winning” the Japanese Grand Prix.The Mercedes driver, 38, finished third in Singapore last time out.
      Lewis Hamilton bemoaned a difficult practice day at SuzukaCredit: Alamy
      But after two dismal practice sessions in Suzuka today to finish P16 and P14, he has ruled himself out of finishing on top of the podium on Sunday evening.
      A dejected Hamilton – who is still looking for his first chequered flag since December 2021 – said: “It was a really bad day, to be honest. A real struggle out there.
      “[We were] a long way off, two seconds off in the first session and over a second off in the second. We’re working away at just trying to fix the car’s balance.
      “We’ll work on it overnight and turn it around for tomorrow, but we definitely won’t be winning this weekend!
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      “If I in particular can move further up the order so I can at least back up George, who did a not-such-a-bad lap… yeah, tough one.”
      Hamilton added: “It’s figuring out what is wrong. We were much closer in the last race but we didn’t have many high-speed corners, only one, but not as high-speed as the corners here.
      “Our car has, more often than not, been a bit weaker in the high-speed corners, so if you look at places like at Silverstone, for example, Copse is one of our weaker corners.
      “It’s an area that we need to work on and get the car in more of a sweet spot where we’re not overheating our tyres as much.”
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      Then asked whether his improved FP2 time gave any reason for optimism, the seven-time world champ currently third in the 2023 standings fired back: “Nope! It was a really bad day, to be honest.”
      Despite his frustrations on the track in Japan, Hamilton is making sure he is keeping himself entertained off it this week.
      The F1 superstar popped into the Universal Studios Super Nintendo World in Osaka – and sported a personalised white and red polka-dot hat like Mario character Toad.
      He took on fellow driver Esteban Ocon by racing their remote-controlled cars around the paddock.
      And Hamilton was also seen supporting Sebastian Vettel as he built 11 “insect hotels” at the Suzuka circuit and painted Turn Two with black and yellow paint.
      Hamilton whizzed around the paddock on his scooterCredit: Reuters
      He has not won an F1 race since December 2021Credit: Getty More

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      F1 Japanese Grand Prix 2023: Start time, stream, TV channel, full schedule as Verstappen looks to get back on track

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      IT was all smiles for Max Verstappen when last raced at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix – but the same cannot be said for Singapore.The Dutchman saw his incredible winning run come to an end when Carlos Sainz took pole on the podium last weekend.
      Carlos Sainz ended Max Verstappen’s winning run at the Singapore GPCredit: Rex
      But Verstappen still holds a staggering 151-point lead over his Red Bull teammate.
      Meanwhile, a first-place finish continues to elude Lewis Hamilton who could only finish in third on the Marina Bay Circuit.
      However, the British icon will be hoping to roll back the years having won FIVE times at the Japanese GP.
      When is the F1 Japanese Grand Prix 2023?

      The F1 Japanese Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 24.
      It is expected to get underway at an early time of 6am BST.
      Suzuka Circuit in Japan will be the allocated track for this race and it can host a whopping 155,000 supporters.
      Max Verstappen clinched the title by winning the Japanese 2022 edition

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      What TV channel is the F1 Japanese Grand Prix 2023 on and can it be live streamed?

      The Japanese Grand Prix will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sports F1.
      Subscription members of Sky Sports can stream the entire action on the Sky Go app or Sky Sports website.
      The race will also be available to NOW TV users via all mobile devices and tablets.
      Alternatively, SunSport will have lap-by-lap coverage of the whole race including podium reaction.

      FULL schedule
      Friday, September 22

      Practice One – 3:30am BST
      Practice Two – 7am BST

      Saturday, September 23
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      Practice Three – 3:30am BST
      Qualifying – 7am BST

      Sunday, September 24

      Grand Prix – 6am BST

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year

      Driver standings
      Here are the current F1 Driver standings:

      Max Verstappen / Red Bull Racing / 374
      Sergio Perez / Red Bull Racing / 223
      Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / 180
      Fernando Alonso / Aston Martin / 170
      Carlos Sainz / Ferrari / 142
      Charles Leclerc / Ferrari / 123
      George Russell / Mercedes / 109
      Lando Norris / McLaren / 97
      Lance Stroll / Aston Martin / 47
      Pierre Gasly / Alpine / 45
      Oscar Piastri / McLaren / 42
      Esteban Ocon / Alpine / 36
      Alexander Albon / Williams / 21
      Nico Hulkenberg / Haas / 9
      Valtteri Bottas / Alfa Romeo / 6
      Zhou Guanyu / Alfa Romeo / 4
      Yuki Tsounda / Alphatauri / 3
      Kevin Magnussen / Haas / 3
      Liam Lawson / Alpha Tauri / 2
      Logan Sargeant / Williams / 0
      Nyck De Vries / Alphatauri / 0
      Daniel Ricciardo / Alphatauri / 0 More

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      Red Bull boss Horner fires dig at Wolff over ‘Wikipedia’ comment as he closes in on sixth F1 constructors’ championship

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      RED BULL boss Christian Horner has taunted Toto Wolff as his team stands on the brink of winning the F1 constructors’ championship for a sixth time.Merc boss Wolff quipped that Max Verstappen’s record of 10 straight victories after the Italian GP was “irrelevant” and something “for Wikipedia”.
      Red Bull chief Christian Horner has hit back at Mercedes boss Toto WolffCredit: Getty
      Wolff claimed Max Verstappen’s recent success was “irrelevant” and something “for Wikipedia”Credit: Getty
      The disingenuous remark drew criticism and Horner could not resist poking fun at his opposite number as Red Bull edge closer to winning the title in Japan this weekend.
      Reflecting on Red Bull’s rise since the team was formed in 2004, Horner said: “When I first came in it was clear that [Red Bull owner] Dietrich [Mateschitz] had come into F1 because he wanted to compete and had bought what was the Jaguar F1 team which had been a sort of perennial seventh place finisher.
      “It was about then constructing a team and I don’t think anyone of us could have envisaged what lay ahead of us.
      “Within 19 seasons we’ve achieved what we have and it’s been a phenomenal journey so far.
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      “But it’s never a question of looking back, it’s always a question of looking forward.
      “If we can close out these championships in the coming races that again, well nobody looks at Wikipedia these days, but that again is a huge statistic that everybody will be immensely proud of. 
      “I think for us, it then becomes about next year, the year after and, of course, the next chapter for Red Bull, which is with the relationship with Ford in 2026 with producing our own powertrain.
      “Going from zero with a startup company effectively and building a facility. That is the next challenge.
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      “But it’s been quite a journey, and hopefully, there are a few more chapters to go.”
      Verstappen looks on course to resume his place on the top step of the podium after dominating the two practice sessions in Suzuka.
      The Dutchman led the way in FP1 and FP2 as he put his struggles in Singapore behind him.
      He said: “It felt really good today. From lap one the car was enjoyable to drive again.
      “It seems like we had a strong day, on short runs, long runs… There’s a lot of degradation on this track, so it will be quite tough on tyres in the race. But so far we had a good start to the weekend.”
      Meanwhile, Lando Norris has laughed off George Russell’s prediction that the McLaren man is one of the favourites for the victory this weekend.
      Norris, who was third-quickest in both practice sessions, joked: “Has he seen the rest of the season at all? Has he been watching the races?” More

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      Inside Lewis Hamilton’s incredible build-up to Japanese GP including Nintendo disguise and remote control car fun

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      LEWIS HAMILTON squeezed in some childhood fun ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.Many Formula One drivers would have spent the week in build-up to the race in the simulator trying to shave off edges to their lap times.
      Lewis spotted at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka on Wednesday水曜日にユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパンにて[📸：🐙章鱼小姐 – 小红书] pic.twitter.com/gt4HIbIoq1— #TeamLH Japan (@TeamLH44JAPAN) September 20, 2023

      Lewis Hamilton and Esteban Ocon enjoyed some remote control car funCredit: Getty
      The unusual prep came ahead of the Japanese Grand PrixCredit: Getty
      Hamilton explained he and Ocon had planned it ages agoCredit: Getty
      However, the Suzuka circuit has a special place in F1, and consequently many drivers take the time to enjoy the attractions Japan has to offer away from track.
      This novelty is not lost on Hamilton, who is a massive fan of Japanese gaming company Nintendo.
      The company, worth an estimated £44billion, has its own Universal Studios Super Nintendo World in Osaka.
      And Hamilton, 38, made the 75-mile trip to the city in order to pay a visit.
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      While there the seven-time F1 champ was pictured wearing a white and red polka-dot hat in a clear reference to Super Mario character Toad – who starred in the recent film adaption starring Chris Pratt.
      If the hat was not enough to give the F1 superstar away, then wearing a T-shirt of his own “44” branding may not have helped.
      His visit came one year after Hamilton paid a visit to a Nintendo shop in Montreal, Canada, in order to buy a Mario Kart game.
      But he failed to get the game, instead opting for a Sega Genesis – also known as a Mega Drive.
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      Following his visit to Japan’s Universal Studios, Hamilton was then spotted taking his Mario Kart passion into real life with fellow driver Esteban Ocon.
      The duo were spotted in the Suzuka paddock playing around with a remote control car.
      Asked about the activity, he told reporters: “Yeah, so Esteban and I had planned a while ago, that while we’re here, we’ll get our remote control cars together and have a bit of a race in the pit lane.
      “For me, it was very reminiscent of when I was a kid on Blue Peter, and it was really cool, because we all share, more in common than we probably think, other than the fact that we’re pure racers.”
      He added: “But it’s very rare that we all get to do things like that, so it was it was fun.
      “But that’s what our race was when I was a kid. I raced electric and petrol and it was Kyosho.
      “It’s basically an evolution of the car that you’ll see, like Senna had and I had the same car as Senna when I was younger. And he’s mega at it.”
      Hamilton managed a podium finish at last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, his fifth of the season, to put him on 196 throughout his F1 career.
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      He remains in the search for an elusive win since the new era of ground-effect F1 cars came in, but last weekend’s strong display should provide a positive bounce to the season run-in.
      Hamilton was also seen supporting Sebastian Vettel as he built 11 “insect hotels” at the Suzuka circuit and painted Turn Two with black and yellow paint.

      Hamilton said it reminded him of when it was a kidCredit: Getty
      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More

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      F1 driver wages for 2023 with Lewis Hamilton miles off No1 and Max Verstappen earning FIVE TIMES his team-mate’s salary

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN is the highest-earning F1 driver – beating Lewis Hamilton by a staggering £17million.The Red Bull driver is the dominant force in F1 after winning ten consecutive races, and his salary reflects that.
      Max Verstappen is the highest earning driver by a significant marginCredit: Rex
      Lewis Hamilton earns £17million less than his rivalCredit: Getty
      Charles Leclerc is the third-highest earning F1 driverCredit: Getty
      Four drivers earn more than £10m a year
      Verstappen, 25, is on course to claim his third successive championship and he is now one of the highest-earning sportsmen in the world.
      He is paid an eye-watering annual salary of £45m by Red Bull.
      Hamilton is the next highest-paid F1 star but comes in quite far behind at £28m-a-year.
      Verstappen is paid more than five times that of his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
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      Hamilton also earns significantly than his partner, George Russell, who is the eighth on the list of top salaries.
      The Brit collects around £6.5m a year from Mercedes but could pick up a more lucrative deal when it comes to renewing after impressing since his 2022 arrival.
      Rounding off the top three is Charles Leclerc at £20m-a-year.
      Ferrari’s No1 has been linked to Red Bull with both him and Perez out of contract at the end of the year.
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      Lando Norris takes home a cool £16mCredit: Rex
      Carlos Sainz is the fifth-highest earning driver in F1Credit: Getty
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      Red Bull are believed to be keen but he could prove to be quite an expensive option, with their other target Lando Norris possibly available for a lower salary.
      Norris has an annual wage of £16m, and is one of only four drivers to break the £10m barrier.
      Perez and Russell are joined in the next band of drivers to make £5m or more which also includes Carlos Sainz, Valterri Bottas and Esteban Ocon.
      Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly fall just short at £4m, while Yuki Tsunoda and Red Bull reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo earn less than £1m, as does Williams’ Logan Sergeant.
      Verstappen earns more than five times that of his team-mate Sergio PerezCredit: AFP
      Valterri Bottas rounds off the top ten high earnersCredit: Getty More