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    F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2023 LIVE RESULTS: Sainz wins epic Singapore GP while Hamilton grabs P3 after Russell’s crash

    CARLOS SAINZ has won what turned out to be a thrilling Singapore Grand Prix.It is Sainz’s second ever Grand Prix win but it will mean a lot claiming his first driving for Ferrari.
    Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton finished third after his Mercedes teammate George Russell crashed out late on.
    And league leader Verstappen’s run comes to an end with the Dutchman finishing 5th.

    RESULT: Sainz (P1) Norris (P2) Hamilton (P3)
    Grand Prix start time: 1pm BST
    TV channel UK: Sky Sports F1
    Live stream: NOW TV

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    Ferrari enjoy successful day
    With Charles Leclerc holding off Max Verstappen to keep fourth place, it was a good day for Ferrari.
    They started first and third on the grid but it was always going to be difficult to hold that for the entire race.
    Leclerc was struggling with his tyres towards the end and did well to finish fourth although all eyes will be on today’s winner.
    Credit: Reuters
    Spaniard gets his just desserts
    Carlos Sainz is awarded with the Driver of the Day award.
    On reflection it was completely deserved as he used Lando Norris as a tool to ensure that Norris kept both of the Mercedes cars away from challenging him.
    They used to drive together and today they worked as a team to keep their podium places.
    Credit: @F1
    Sainz secures first Grand Prix for Ferrari
    He started the race in pole position and managed to hold on for the win despite some tough challenges.
    It is Sainz’s second ever Grand Prix win but it will mean a lot claiming his first driving for Ferrari.
    He aided Lando Norris getting second, knowing that it would help his cause in holding onto first place.
    Credit: AFP
    Climatic end to Singapore Grand Prix
    That was one of the closest finishes we have seen for some time in F1.
    Only 1.4 seconds separated the four cars at one stage.
    You have to feel for George Russell who crashed off on the final lap.
    Credit: @F1
    Singapore Grand Prix results
    Here is how we finished in Singapore with Russell going into the barriers on one of the final turns:

    Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
    Lando Norris (Alpine)
    Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
    Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
    Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

    It was a great drive by Lando Norris to hold off both of the Mercedes’ cars and he is in with a shout for driver of the day surely, although the eventual winner will be in with a good shout.
    Carlos Sainz wins the Singapore Grand Prix
    Lap 61/62 – Sainz leads, Norris second
    This is an amazing finish with 1.4 seconds between the front four cars.
    Sainz reports his front tyres are completely gone.
    Norris manages to hold off Russell, just.
    Credit: Reuters
    Lap 59/62 – Sainz leads, Norris second
    Both Mercedes have race leader Sainz in their sights.
    They have to try and deal with Lando Norris firstly though.
    Verstappen has managed to move up to sixth place.
    Lap 57/62 – Sainz leads, Norris second
    Norris is closing the gap on leader Sainz.
    The Ferrari driver has work cut out with three cars all vying for his position.
    This should be an exciting finish to the race.
    Verstappen is over 30 seconds behind the race leaders.
    Lap 55/62 – Sainz leads, Norris second
    Russell is on the tail of Leclerc now.
    He can actually do his teammate some favours as makes life more difficult for him.
    Not for long as Russell takes the Ferrari at turn fourteen.
    Hamilton uses DRS well to take Leclerc also.
    Lap 53/62 – Sainz leads, Norris second
    As it stands, Liam Lawson is still in the points in 9th place.
    What an achievement that would be in his third race.
    Meanwhile, Russell keeps on closing the gap on the front three.
    Credit: Getty
    Lap 51/62 – Sainz leads, Norris second
    George Russell is only 11.5 seconds off the leader now.
    The two Mercedes drivers will be going at it from now until the end of the race on those new tyres.
    Sainz, Norris and Leclerc will need to have some defence to keep them at bay.
    Lap 49/62 – Sainz leads, Norris second
    Alonso is having a terrible day at the office.
    He served his five second penalty when he pitted, it was a terrible pit stop as they struggled to get the back end of the car up.
    He overshoots a corner but fortunately gets restarted before a safety car was needed.
    Alonso finds himself back in 17th place however.
    Lap 47/62 – Sainz leads, Norris second
    Both Mercedes cars decide to use the safety car to pit.
    They are both out there now on a new set of medium tyres.
    The three cars in front of them are on older hard compound tyres.
    It could be a fantastic finish to this race.
    Lap 45/62 – Sainz leads, Russell second
    Ocon is out of the race it seems, more importantly, his car is still out on the track.
    A virtual safety car has been issued.
    The Alpine driver screams on the team radio, he is devastated, he was having a great drive there.
    Lap 43/62 – Sainz leads, Russell second
    After they both pit, Verstappen is now in 15th place, Perez in 18th place.
    That is not something you expect to see with these Red Bull cars.
    Someone take a picture of that leaderboard is unique to say the least from what we have seen this season.
    The pair need a safety car to come back into contention now.
    Credit: Getty
    Lap 41/62 – Sainz leads, Russell second
    Sainz is driving well and frustrating Russell in second.
    He is not giving him the chance to take him, while conserving his tyres.
    Perez heads to the pits, not surprising seeing that car snake out on corners.
    Lap 39/62 – Sainz leads, Russell second
    Ocon goes past Alonso on a corner where they seemed no space for two Formula 1 cars, wild.
    Sainz is on the team radio asking them to tell him when they think he should start pushing it.
    Confirmation that is trying to manage his tyres for this race.
    Lap 37/62 – Sainz leads, Russell second
    It will be interesting to see when both of the Red Bull’s decide to come into the pit lane.
    As we see Perez taking a corner, the car snakes out at the back.
    It is evident that they have no grip whatsoever.
    Lap 35/62 – Sainz leads, Russell second
    The front five drivers are only separated by around 5.5 seconds.
    There is then a similar gap from fifth place to Verstappen in sixth.
    Alonso is starting to put some pressure on Perez in seventh.
    Credit: Splash
    Lap 33/62 – Sainz leads, Russell second
    Verstappen is on his team radio telling them the tyre is dead and it is like ‘driving on ice’.
    That is not good news for the rest of the field as the Dutchman has done 30 laps on the hard compound.
    Their plan was not to pit again but that would mean 40 laps on their hard tyres.
    Lap 31/62 – Sainz leads, Russell second
    Russell is on the team radio stating how slow Sainz is going.
    He thinks he is either trying to manage his tyres or looking to get cars to back up behind him.
    If it is the latter it is working with both Norris and Hamilton less than a second behind him.
    Lap 29/62 – Sainz leads, Russell second
    Verstappen is down to sixth place now with Perez in seventh.
    It does not look like it is going to be Red Bull’s day today.
    Mercedes seem to be in a strong position to dominate this race currently.
    Lap 27/62 – Sainz leads, Russell second
    Lando Norris is the latest driver to take Max Verstappen.
    The Red Bull cars are struggling at the moment.
    Sergio Perez is complaining that Lewis Hamilton needs to give his place back after gaining an advantage by going off-track.
    Lap 25/62 – Sainz leads, Verstappen second
    It is all change now with the Red Bull’s in the top five.
    George Russell takes advantage and makes a move on Max Verstappen to move into second.
    Lewis Hamilton manages to get ahead of Sergio Perez although he went off the track to do so.
    Red Bull seem to be struggling for grip on their hard compound tyres.
    Credit: AP
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    Rising motorbike star Leydy Diaz, 24, dies in qualifying race crash on ‘dangerous’ bend where 3 riders were injured

    A TALENTED young biker has died after a horror crash saw her lose control of her bike during a qualification race.Leydy Diaz Joya, 24, was pronounced dead after crashing during the second lap at Tocancipa Autodrome in Tocancipa, Colombia.
    The keen motorcyclist had been competing for a few yearsCredit: @lady_diaz98/CEN
    Leydy died doing what she lovedCredit: @lady_diaz98/CEN
    The fatal event on September 3 took place on a steep curve that also left two other bikers injured during qualifications for the presitigous Grand Prix Colombia.
    She fell and crashed as she attempted to ride up the narrow curve on the track, nicknamed “Curva Motor” and “El Curvon”.
    The president of the Colombian Motorcycle Federation, Carlos Andres Ramirez, said two other riders also fell at the dangerous curve but Leydy was most badly injured.
    He told local media: “Today’s race was running counterclockwise, and it was entering the bend that she went off.
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    “Actually, three riders went down. In qualifying, everyone is turning and trying to set the best time, and no one knows who is ahead or behind.
    The curve which claimed Leydy’s life was not the “most complex” on the track, the high speed she was riding at claimed her life.
    Paramedics did their best to revive her but the young woman could not be saved.
    Ramirez continued: “The impact was severe, all protocols were activated, on-site attention was provided, but unfortunately, due to the seriousness of the impact, she did not survive all the procedures.”
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    Authorities have promised to investigate the causes of the accident through technical analysis.
    The rest of the motorcycle event was cancelled due to the young athlete’s death.
    The event organisers said in a statement: “On this dark day for Colombian Motorsport, we pay tribute to the promising life and career of Leydy Diaz, which was cut short by the brutal accident.”
    Leydy was a mechanical engineer by profession and dedicated her life to sports.
    Before beginning motorcycling, she was a professional skater for 11 consecutive years and a cyclist for two years.
    This year, she represented her country at the Italika Racing Ibero-American Women’s Championship in Mexico City.
    In an earlier interview with local media, Leydy said: “Thank you for the opportunities, the experiences, and for those people who were part of a dream, the one I fought for a long time and managed to achieve.”
    Tributes have continued to pour in for the talented motorcyclist, and many fans have commented on her last Instagram post before her untimely death.
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    One said: “Strength to her family. She passed away doing what made her happiest.”
    Another shared a poem: “Every route, every bend, and every kilometre travelled, we remember lady bikes with the wind in our faces. Her biker spirit will always roll with us. ”
    Leydy was a fierce competitorCredit: @lady_diaz98/CEN
    She often posted pictures of her bikesCredit: @lady_diaz98/CEN
    Tributes have poured in after the horror accidentCredit: @lady_diaz98/CEN More

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    F1 star Lance Stroll forced to pull out of Singapore GP after horror 150mph crash as team give injury update on Canadian

    LANCE STROLL has pulled out of the Singapore Grand Prix following his horror 150mph crash in qualifying.The Aston Martin driver is said to be “still sore” after losing control of his car at high-speed.
    Lance Stroll is out of the Singapore GPCredit: Getty
    The driver lost a wheel at 150mphCredit: AFP
    The Canadian is “still sore” from the incidentCredit: AFP
    Stroll, 24, was on his final lap of Q1 when the “beyond scary to watch” crash occurred.
    The driver clipped the kerb and flew into the wall as he lost a wheel at 150mph.
    The chassis of the car was smashed and qualifying was delayed by 34 minutes as workers cleared up the debris.
    Stroll incredibly jumped from the car and seemed unhurt after the horror incident.
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    But as a safety precaution, the decision has been made for him not to race in today’s Grand Prix.
    An Aston Martin statement read: “The whole team are relieved that Lance was able to step out of the car after yesterday’s accident.
    “However, he is still feeling the after-effects of such a high-impact crash.
    “Our priority now is that he makes a full and speedy recovery.
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    “Together, we have decided that he will sit out this evening’s race and instead focus fully on returning to the cockpit for next weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix.”
    On the crash, Stroll said yesterday: “It was really bad. We had a bad outlap with traffic and there was no temperature in the tyres. There was no grip.
    “I thought we were going out and I tried to push to make up some time, but it didn’t work out.”
    Carlos Sainz will begin on pole with George Russell and Charles Leclerc behind him.
    Red Bull had a disastrous qualifying session due to car problems and Max Verstappen will start in 11th and his team-mate Sergio Perez languishes in 13th.
    Stroll’s car was removed and qualifying was delayed by 34 minutesCredit: AP More

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    F1 star Lance Stroll loses wheel in horror 150mph crash at Singapore Grand Prix as fans gasp ‘beyond scary to watch’

    LANCE STROLL destroyed his Aston Martin after losing a wheel in a 150mph crash that was “beyond scary to watch” during qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix.Viewers were “amazed” the F1 ace could walk away without serious injury after slamming into a barrier on his final lap of Q1.
    Lance Stroll’s spectacular crash horrified fans at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore as well as TV viewersCredit: AFP
    The Canadian leapt clear following his barrier smash in Q1Credit: AFP
    Viewers were amazed and relieved Stroll was able to walk freeCredit: EPA
    Track workers remove the debris of Stroll’s car, including a front wheelCredit: AFP
    The Canadian saw his front left wheel ripped off and much of the chassis on the same side crushed in a smash that delayed a thrilling qualifying session by 34 minutes.
    Stroll had lost control as he veered to the left, with his car spinning in the opposite direction and into the barrier.
    The debris almost took out Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
    Replays revealed Stroll was sent rocking around his cockpit by the high-speed impact.
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    But the 24-year-old appeared unscathed as he got out – after being protected by recent extra safety features for his car.
    He said afterwards: “It was really bad. We had a bad outlap with traffic and there was no temperature in the tyres. There was no grip.
    “I thought we were going out and I tried to push to make up some time, but it didn’t work out.”
    It came as Max Verstappen’s chances of extending his and Red Bull’s winning run suffered a huge blow, with Carlos Sainz taking pole.
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    But relieved viewers were more focused on Stroll’s escape.
    One fan posted, “Holy hell that was wild” and another wrote: “Crazy how those curbs can send a car spinning.”
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    A third summed up the reaction of many observers: “Those cockpits are incredible how strong they are honestly, and to think people were against halos as well.”
    Meanwhile, Verstappen is chasing an 11th straight victory – with his Red Bull team winning EVERY race so far this season.
    But a shocker for the Dutchman and another poor performance from teammate Sergio Perez mean they start down in 11th and 13th place respectively.
    Verstappen was livid and stomped from his car to the team’s garage in a huff after complaining about the car’s handling.
    It was the first time no Red Bull car had reached the top 10 since the Russian Grand Prix in 2018.
    He now has his work cut out if he is to maintain his winning record, especially with Sainz looking spectacularly quick.
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    The Spanish driver, who was third last out in Italy, was 0.072 seconds quicker than George Russell, who qualified in second place.
    Charles Leclerc will line up in third place while Norris was fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth.
    Max Verstappen was gutted to miss out on poleCredit: Getty More

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    Inside abandoned F1 track that was £300m ‘spectacular flop’ with just four races held and rubbish left rotting in bins

    COSTING £300million and designed to bring Formula 1 to a whole new audience, this 120,000 capacity race track was not short on ambition.But after just four Grand Prix it was abandoned with rubbish left to rot in the bins and the whole thing declared a ‘spectacular flop’.
    South Korea tried to become a big part of Formula One back in 2010Credit: Getty
    They developed the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam, South JeollaCredit: Getty
    The track cost a whopping £300m to build and only held four F1 racesCredit: Getty
    The track was built in South Korea and made its debut 13 years ago.
    Back in 2010 the first ever Korean Grand Prix was held in Yeongam in the hopes of increasing the profile of F1 in Asia.
    1,000 acres of rice paddies were torn up to make way for a new 120,000 person capacity Formula One venue.
    But it was an unsuccessful venture with the track only hosting four F1 races and and the venue now left to rot.
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    The 3.5-mile circuit didn’t have any problems in it’s design and was entertaining with challenging corners and two straights for overtaking.
    But its location and the country’s lack of passion for the sport was its ultimate downfall.

    The Korean International Circuit was built over 200 miles from the capital of South Korea, Seoul, which made it tricky for fans to make the long journey.
    And not only that but there was also an unfamiliarity with the sport from Korean nationals.
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    The track was built miles from anything significant and it was difficult for fans to attendCredit: Getty
    In a bid to draw eyes to F1, K-Pop star Psy attended the Korean Grand PrixCredit: AFP
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    In fact it’s reported that many didn’t even understand what F1 was and confused it as a branch of K-1, a mixed martial arts competition popular in Asia.
    And it was a pretty expensive mistake too with the track ultimately costing over £300million to build – effectively £75million per F1 race and that’s without running costs and annual fees.
    It wasn’t what was intended by any means and Park Bong-soon, former Formula One director of support for the venue admitted expectations weren’t met in an interview with the New York Times.
    He said: “We started with a big dream of making lots of money, instead we ended up with a spectacular flop.”
    The four Grand Prix’s held in South Korea between 2010 and 2013 were dominated by Sebastian Vettel.
    The German won three races whilst the 2010 event was captured by Fernando Alonso.
    But following the 2013 Grand Prix it all came to an end and after a few years of the track being used for smaller local racing it has now been left abandoned.
    There were problems during races too with the track used so little in between events that it was reported teams found rotting rubbish in the bins from the previous year’s Grand Prix.
    The track is no longer used with its last race taking place in 2013Credit: Getty
    The venue held over 120,000 peopleCredit: Getty
    Sebastian Vettel dominated the races that took place in South KoreaCredit: EPA More

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    Red Bull advisor Halmut Marko slapped with written warning by FIA for xenophobic slur aimed at Sergio Perez

    RED BULL advisor Helmut Marko has been hit with a written warning by the FIA for his comments made towards Sergio Perez.The outspoken Austrian was quoted saying Perez, who is from Mexico, “is South American and he is just not as completely focused in his head as Max [Verstappen] is or as Sebastian [Vettel]”.
    Marko has apologised to PerezCredit: Getty
    The remarks about his own team’s driver caused a backlash on social media, especially in Mexico, which is in North America.
    Perez has already received an apology from Marko, 80, but now the FIA have issued their own warning.
    The FIA say that Marko received a “written warning and was reminded of his responsibilities as a public figure in motorsport in line with the FIA code of ethics.”
    Red Bull team principal Christian Horner addressed the issue ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix on Friday.
    Read More on F1
    He told Sky Sports: “Firstly those comments weren’t right and Helmut quickly realised that and apologised for that, both publicly and directly to Sergio.
    “He spoke directly to Sergio about it and you’re always learning in life, even at 80 years of age. Inevitably lessons have been learnt.
    “Checo is a massively popular member of our team, he’s an important member of our team.
    “I pushed very hard to sign him for the 2021 season, we have a huge following around the world and we take that very seriously and responsibly.
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    “The fan following, not just that Checo has but the team has and Formula 1 has, we’re very conscious of.
    “This is his 250th race, we want to focus on that.”
    Marko also took aim at Perez last summer when he joked that the 33-year-old was drunk on tequila after he blew his podium chances at the French Grand Prix. More

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    Mercedes could launch legal challenge to Max Verstappen’s 2021 title – if Lewis Hamilton is STRIPPED of 2008 crown

    MERCEDES could launch a legal challenge to Max Verstappen’s 2021 title – depending on the outcome of Felipe Massa’s attempts to have Lewis Hamilton’s championship overturned in 2008. Massa has instructed a team of lawyers to investigate claims that former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA knew of Renault’s plot to have Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crash in the Singapore GP to benefit their other driver, Fernando Alonso.
    Mercedes could launch a legal challenge to Max Verstappen’s 2021 title winCredit: Alamy
    Lewis Hamilton could end up losing his 2008 crown to Felipe MassaCredit: Reuters
    Massa is seeking to have the outcome of that season’s championship overturned after he lost to Hamilton by a single point, claiming F1 and the FIA should have acted sooner.
    When asked for his view on the subject ahead of this weekend’s Singapore GP, Wolff was coy on his team’s stance.
    He said: “The rules are pretty clear in Formula One. It will certainly set a precedent — whatever it is. We’re looking from the sidelines with curiosity.”
    The decision is significant given the FIA’s handling of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP where former Race Director Michael Masi fudged the rules in a dramatic climax to the season.
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    Masi was later axed from his role and the subject of a three-month FIA investigation while Mercedes pulled a U-turn on their decision to challenge the outcome of the race.
    Hamilton went to ground during the winter raising questions as to whether he would return to the sport given the controversy surrounding the championship.
    And Wolff pointed out: “And the FIA commented on the 2021 race, with a clear statement. So, that’s why we are looking at it [Massa’s challenge] with interest.”
    Defiant Wolff also refused to apologise to Verstappen for labelling his record of 10 successive wins as “irrelevant” and something for “Wikipedia”.
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    Massa has launched a legal challenge following the 2008 Singapore GP’s ‘Crashgate’ incidentCredit: AFP
    Wolff was heavily criticised for his disingenuous comment with Verstappen claiming the Mercedes chief was just “pissed off” after “a pretty s*** race” in Monza.
    While admitting the comments were not correct, he stopped short of saying sorry to the Dutchman.
    He added: “Obviously when you look at the comments in the circumstances you can think about whether it was the most intelligent thing that I could have said and maybe not.
    “But it’s always been my mindset. It is something that I’ve taken from Niki [Lauda].
    “Niki gave his trophies away to get a free car wash. You won’t find a lot of memorabilia in my places either because those numbers never mattered for the two of us.
    “F1 is a meritocracy. And I said it often during this year that only the best will win world championships and you need to recognise what a great job is being done there.
    “At the end they will take another big trophy and that’s something that’s the most valuable: the best person in the best car wins the world championship.”
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    Mick Schumacher ‘could QUIT F1 for new sport’ amid struggles at Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes

    MICK SCHUMACHER could reportedly quit Formula One after struggling at Mercedes.The son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher had long hoped to become a regular driver, however he appears to have had a change of heart.
    Mick Schumacher could swap F1 for the 24-hour Le MansCredit: PA
    He is the son of F1 legend Michael SchumacherCredit: AFP
    Schumacher, 24, is a reserve driver for Mercedes but has struggled to get a chance behind Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
    He is also a reserve for McLaren.
    He has recently admitted that he was looking at alternative options.
    However, he seems to have a more specific plan in mind, according to Motorsport Aktuell.
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    The report claims that the German driver could join the Alpine group and participate in the 24-hour race in Le Mans, France.
    Alpine Motorsport vice president Bruno Famin is believed to have contacted Schumacher about taking a test drive.
    Schumacher spent two years at F1 team Haas but left in 2022.
    He was replaced by fellow German driver Nico Hulkenberg.
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    Father Michael has not been seen in public since his horror ski crash in 2013.
    His former team-mate Johnny Herbert suggested that his friends do not hear much “positive news” about the retired driver.
    He said: “There’s never any news.
    “What we do know is we never hear any positive news.
    “That’s the horrible thought that he is still not able to be close to the Michael that we all remember. And that is very sad.” More