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      F1 fans distraught as Fernando Alonso RUNS OVER giant lizard dubbed ‘Godzilla’s kid’ during Singapore GP practice

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      THIS is the incredible moment the Singapore GP was invaded by a giant LIZARD – forcing champ Max Verstappen to swerve around “Godzilla’s kid.”But the reptile paid the ultimate price as he was eventually run over by Aston Martin star Fernando Alonso, leaving fans in tears.
      Max Verstappen was forced to swerve to avoid a lizard at the Singapore GPCredit: Sky Sports F1
      The giant reptile, dubbed ‘Godzilla’s kid’, calmly crossed the tarmac during practiceCredit: Sky Sports F1
      The cheeky lizard was eventually run over by Fernando AlonsoCredit: Getty
      Verstappen and Alonso were caught off guard as Formula One stars warmed up for this weekend’s race in Southeast Asia.
      With temperatures in the low 30s, many exotics animals are thriving in Singapore’s humid climate.

      And one cheeky heat-loving creature appeared to want a close-up encounter with Verstappen and Co.
      The huge reptile, believed to be a monitor lizard, left pundits and drivers stunned as it sauntered across the track during Friday’s practice THREE times.
      READ MORE IN F1
      The beast took little notice of the zooming cars while crossing the tarmac.
      And one racer who had a close encounter with the lizard was none other than Red Bull superstar Verstappen.
      It wasn’t his first face-off with one of the creatures in Singapore, with Verstappen facing off against a lizard in 2016.
      But this time the double world champ was forced to swerve to avoid making contact while turning a corner, forcing yellow flags to be deployed.
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      Verstappen previously encountered a lizard in Singapore seven years ago
      Verstappen exclaimed on the Red Bull team radio: “There’s a lizard again on the track! A smaller one this time.”
      His team responded: “Ok understood. Maybe Godzilla had a kid.”
      Verstappen laughed: “That makes sense!”
      Williams star George Russell also encountered the lizard as he zoomed past, declaring it was the second one he’d seen that day.
      He said on his team radio: “Another lizard but a different one this time!”
      Fans certainly found the incident hilarious, with one saying: “Them lizards love that race.”
      Another declared: “Best seat in the house.”
      One added: “Who let him onto the track?”
      However, it later emerged the innocent lizard had been squished by Spanish star Alonso as the Aston Martin man zoomed around at 70mph.
      One heartbroken fan said: “Aint no way, did someone actually run over a lizard.”
      Another declared: “The lizard got run over? I am heartbroken.”
      One added: “Finding out there was a lizard on track and someone run him over…”
      As far as practice went, it was a one-two for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc finished 0.078 seconds ahead of Carlos Sainz.
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      Verstappen came third, with Lando Norris fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth.
      And all eyes will be on tomorrow’s qualifying round to see if any more cheeky lizards make an appearance. More

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      F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2023: Start time, stream, TV channel, full schedule as Hamilton looks to stop Verstappen’s run

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN is arguably one of the best F1 racers to have lived – but he has never had success in Singapore.The Dutch superstar secured the all-time record in Italy by winning his 10th consecutive race.
      Max Verstappen recorded a 10th consecutive win at the Italian GPCredit: Rex
      And as a result, Verstappen is now 145 points clear of his second-placed Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
      But the F1 icon will need to break his Marina Bay duck if he is to continue this incredible form.
      However, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have other ideas as they battle it out for third place on the leaderboards.
      When is the F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2023?

      The F1 Singapore Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 17.
      It is expected to get underway from 1pm UK time – 8pm local time.
      Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore will be the allocated track for this race and it can host a staggering 90,000 supporters.
      Sergio Perez clinched first place on the podium in the 2022 edition.

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

      The Singapore 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 15

      Practice One – 10:30am BST
      Practice Two – 2pm BST

      Saturday, September 16
      Most read in Motorsport

      Practice Three – 10:30am BST
      Qualifying – 2pm BST

      Sunday, September 17

      Grand Prix – 1pm 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 / 364
      Sergio Perez / Red Bull Racing / 219
      Fernando Alonso / Aston Martin / 170
      Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / 164
      Carlos Sainz / Ferrari / 117
      Charles Leclerc / Ferrari / 111
      George Russell / Mercedes / 109
      Lando Norris / McLaren / 79
      Lance Stroll / Aston Martin / 47
      Pierre Gasly / Alpine / 37
      Esteban Ocon / Alpine / 36
      Oscar Piastri / McLaren / 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 / 2
      Logan Sargeant / Williams / 0
      Daniel Ricciardo / Alphatauri / 0
      Nyck De Vries / Alphatauri / 0 OUT More

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      Heartbreaking Michael Schumacher health update as ex-teammate reveals how stricken star is ‘not close’ to his old self

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      MICHAEL Schumacher is “not close” to his former self following his horror ski crash, his ex-teammate has revealed.The F1 legend has not been seen in public since the shocking 2013 accident, and little is known about his condition.
      Michael Schumacher suffered devastating injuries in a ski accident in 2013Credit: AFP
      His former teammate Johnny Herbert said ‘there is never any news’ on the starCredit: Getty
      Speaking to Grosvenor Sport, ex-Sky Sports pundit Johnny Herbert, who used to be the German’s teammate, hinted that even his friends are kept in the dark.
      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.”
      Seven-time world champion Schumacher suffered catastrophic injuries in a devastating ski accident in the French Alps in 2013.
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      He has been undergoing rehabilitation at his home in a lakeside mansion in Lausanne, Switzerland, ever since.
      It has also been reported that he has been spending more time at his family’s luxury £27million villa in Majorca.
      In 2021 his wife, Corinna, shared a rare update during his Netflix documentary, revealing Schumacher is “different, but here”.
      Herbert also told how the star’s condition has affected his brother in particular.
      Most read in Motorsport
      He said: “When Ralf Schumacher was with Sky Germany we often met.
      “Ralf has had to do a lot of things for and with the family given what happened to Michael.
      “He has matured. He is very different now to the person he was as a driver.
      “He is a good human being now. He has changed a lot having had to cope with the ongoing situation with his brother.”
      Reflecting on his friend, Herbert said Schumacher would’ve made a good pundit after retiring from racing.
      He said: “He would have been outspoken. He was always very aware of what you can and can’t do. 
      “His character was always in your face, telling you directly if you had done something to him on the track.
      “Remember Spa with David Coulthard.  He would have been very good.”
      Schumacher poses with his wife Corinna in 2005Credit: AFP More

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      F1 legend Sebastian Vettel hints at shock comeback aged 36 as he claims ‘I can’t say no’

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      SEBASTIAN VETTEL has refused to rule out a sensational return to Formula One.The four-time world champion retired from F1 last season.
      Sebastian Vettel has refused to rule out a return to F1Credit: AFP
      The four-time world champion retired from the sport last yearCredit: Getty
      However, he has now hinted at a possible return to the grid in 2024.
      Speaking to Sky Sports, Vettel was asked whether he was keeping himself race ready.
      In response he said: “Yeah, but because I want to, not because I’m like, come back or if somebody falls out I’m going to [step in], not because of that.
      “But so I guess my neck is not up to speed. No, it can’t be, but everything else is pretty, pretty good, I would say.”
      READ MORE IN F1
      The green-fingered Vettel was a popular figure in the sport before his retirement.
      The 36-year-old won the title four times in a row with Red Bull, before driving with Ferrari and Aston Martin in the latter stages of his career.
      Past world champions have made returns to the sport following an exit.
      Kimi Raikkonen, Niki Laudu, Alain Prost Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso are a few prominent examples.
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      Indeed, when Lance Stroll injured his wrist in pre-season testing, Aston Martin flirted with the idea of bringing the German back into the fold.
      On a return, Vettel added: “I can’t say no, because that you don’t know.
      “I think it’s something that if you asked all of them, probably some of them would have said ‘no’.
      “And some of them I don’t know, but in the end all of them came back, so I can’t exclude it.
      “I think it’s something that if you asked all of them, probably some of them would have said ‘no’.
      “And some of them I don’t know, but in the end all of them came back, so I can’t exclude it.
      “It probably will depend much on when, and obviously it’s not endless, because 36 is not like, ‘yeah in 10 years’ time’.”
      He continued: “Maybe I think about it when time has passed but it will depend on the challenge, whatever, but it’s not in my head right now.
      “And I’m enjoying the sort of outlook of the challenge of what to do next.
      “It will be the way I see it, the biggest challenge for any racing driver and the biggest challenge for any sportsman, sportswoman, what do you do after?
      “Because naturally you will be like 30-35, 40-45 – depending on your sport and discipline. And then what?
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      “There’s a lot of life left and life can be great even though you’re not racing, you know, the absolute limit in the fastest car in the world, but you can still do lots of great things that give you great pleasure.”
      F1 visits Singapore this weekend for the next race in its calendar. More

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      Michael Schumacher update as F1 pal reveals how horror ski crash and health battle ‘changed’ his brother Ralf

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      MICHAEL Schumacher’s tragic health battle has had a severe impact on his brother Ralf, a close friend of the F1 legend has revealed.Former Formula One driver Johnny Herbert has explained that Michael’s younger brother has changed a lot since the star’s horror ski crash.
      Herbert said Michael’s accident has changed and matured his brother RalfCredit: AFP
      The former F1 driver said his pal Michael would have made a great punditCredit: Getty
      Herbert used to be Michael’s number 2Credit: Getty
      The 2013 accident sent shockwaves through the motorsports world at the time as the seven-time world champion was placed in a medically-induced coma in hospital.
      Little is known about Michael’s condition ever since as his family maintains strict privacy.
       Speaking to Grosvenor Sport, ex-Sky Sports Johnny Herbert, who used to be the German’s teammate, described how the star’s condition has affected his brother in particular.
      He said: “When Ralf Schumacher was with Sky Germany we often met.
      read more on schumacher
      “Ralf has had to do a lot of things for and with the family given what happened to Michael.
      “He has matured. He is very different now to the person he was as a driver.
      “He is a good human being now. He has changed a lot having had to cope with the ongoing situation with his brother.”
      Herbert branded “horrible” a comment made by journalist Roger Benoit that Schumacher is a “case without hope.”
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      He added: “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.”
      The former F1 driver also disagreed with Benoit’s statement that the stricken legend should be stripped of the controversial F1 title.”
      Speaking about his pal, Herbert said he would have made a good pundit.
      He said: “He would have been outspoken. He was always very aware of what you can and can’t do. 
      “His character was always in your face, telling you directly if you had done something to him on the track.
      “Remember Spa with David Coulthard.  He would have been very good.”
      The F1 legend has not been seen or heard since his accident in the French Alps in 2013 where he suffered catastrophic injuries.
      He has been undergoing rehabilitation at his home in a lakeside mansion in Lausanne, Switzerland ever since.
      Even Schumacher’s close friends and family are believed to have been left in the dark about his condition.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
       In 2021 his wife, Corinna, shared a rare update during his Netflix documentary.
      She revealed that Schumacher is “different, but here”.
      Herbert said Ralf is a different person now than since he was a driverCredit: AP:Associated Press More

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      British speedway star Charles Wright rushed to hospital after damaging spine, neck and arms in horror high speed crash

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      A BRITISH Speedway star was rushed to hospital following a horror crash and is currently “not very mobile”.Charles Wright was competing for Sparta Wroclaw in Poland at the weekend.
      Charles Wright was rushed to hospital following his crashCredit: Instagram / @cwr_26
      The British racer went crashing into the barriersCredit: twitter
      Wright has since undergone surgeryCredit: twitter
      He suffered an awful crash after clipping the back wheel of his competitor’s tyre as he took on the first bend.
      It led to Wright losing control of his bike and he went flying into the barriers at high speed.
      The 34-year-old was taken to hospital immediately and has suffered spine and rib fractures.
      He also picked up neck, chest and arm damage.
      READ MORE ON MOTORSPORT
      Wright underwent surgery on his collarbone on Monday morning.
      The former British champion is in a stable condition in a Wroclaw hospital but is in considerable pain and is struggling to move.
      A fundraiser has been launched to support Wright and his family with him set to be sidelined for sometime.
      He hopes to raise £2,000 and he has already secured £1,200 from generous and concerned supporters.
      Most read in Motorsport
      Fans were left fearing the worst after watching him spin-off the track, one said: “Fingers crossed Wright is okay.”
      Another added: “Heal quick champ. Stay strong.”
      The injury means Wright will miss the Ekstraliga play-offs.
      He became individual British champion in 2019 and his recent great form saw him win the team trophy last year while at Belle Vue Aces.
      Wright also raced for Somerset Rebels and the Redcar Bears during his lengthy career. More

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      Abandoned race track is haunted by ghost of motorsport icon who died on Halloween trying to regain his land speed record

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      THE ghost of a dead motorsport icon is said to haunt Brooklands Motor Course in Surrey.The track, located in Weybridge, was opened way back in 1907 and hosted the first ever British Grand Prix 19 years later.
      Parts of Brooklands Motor Course are still there todayCredit: Colin Smith CC BY-SA 2.0
      Bits of the straight and banking can be seenCredit: Alan Hunt (Creative Commons)
      It is a legendary British race track located in SurreyCredit: Getty
      Percy Lambert died attempting to set a new speed record in 1913Credit: Getty
      But the circuit is perhaps best known for witnessing the death of British driver Percy Lambert in 1913.
      The iconic racer became the first ever driver to cover 100 miles in an hour.
      But when Frenchman Jean Chassagne set a new benchmark of 107.95 mph, Lambert set himself the task of reclaiming the record.
      However, tragedy ensued as he took to the Brooklands track to try and beat Chassagne’s distance.
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      One of Lambert’s tyres burst and his car veered off course.
      He was found lying face down halfway up the banking by Members’ Bridge, unconscious but breathing.
      Lambert was whisked off to Weybridge Cottage Hospital but died on the way there.
      The spot where he died remains there to this day, although the track has been left abandoned.
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      The race track hosted two editions of the British Grand Prix in 1926 and 1927Credit: Getty
      Racing stopped at Brooklands after the Second World WarCredit: Getty
      Some iconic cars and racers competed at BrooklandsCredit: Getty
      It is now said to be haunted following Lambert’s death more than 100 years agoCredit: John Chapman CC BY-SA 3.0
      Racing stopped there following the outbreak of World War II, with the final meeting held less than a month before the war started in 1939.
      Bombs also fell on the track during the conflict.
      But the haunted aspect of the circuit stems from one evening in the 1970s when a British Aircraft Corporation security officer was looking towards the hill and saw a large spot of “blackness” floating above.
      He claims to have then heard the sound of “crashing, splintering metal or wood”.
      He went on to say: “Test Hill was still overgrown at that time, but two days later, when I plucked up courage to investigate, not a blade of grass, nor a branch of a tree had been broken.
      “There is definitely something strange in that area, and I’m a level headed chap who doesn’t imagine things.”
      The “haunting” of the area has been attributed to Lambert’s tragic death.
      Parts of the banking where he died remain standing.
      Fans can still visit parts of the track more than a century on from Lambert’s deathCredit: Mike Smith CC BY-SA 2.0 More

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      We’re brothers with 10 MotoGP world champion titles, countless crashes and broken bones between us – but we won’t retire

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      OVER the years, tennis fans have witnessed some of the biggest sibling rivalries of all time, including Serena and Venus Williams as well as Andy and Jamie Murray.And the MotoGP world has one of the most exciting brotherly battles too.
      Alex and Marc Marquez have spoken exclusively to The Sun about their sibling rivalryCredit: Getty
      8-time world champ Marc has become known as the “Senna of the MotoGP world”Credit: Estrella Galicia
      8-time world champion Marc Marquez, 30, has been called the “Senna of the MotoGP world” and became the youngest ever rider to win the MotoGP title in 2013, at the age of 20.
      He went on to win the world championship every year following, until 2020, when he came crashing into the air at around 100mph, suffering a fractured humerus, leading to surgery.
      Marc returned the following year, only gaining 7th place, followed by 13th in 2022.
      And, as he prepares for the 12th competition in San Morino this Sunday, he’s placing at 19th.
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      Meanwhile, his younger brother, Alex Marquez, 27, won the Moto2 Motorcycling World Championship in 2019 with Team Estrella Galicia, and has been coming up behind him, hot on his (w)heels.
      ‘Jealous’ of older brother
      For the first time in the boys’ careers, throughout this year’s world championship, Alex has been much higher up the league table than Marc, currently in 9th place in the GP.
      And, as we sit down with him at Estrella Galicia’s bar at Silverstone, Alex admits his success is down to the competition he’s had with his brother.
      “I look up to him quite a lot, I’m quite jealous of him,” he tells us. “I’ve achieved much more than what I imagined when I was young, and I think it’s because I’ve been fighting him. 
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      “When I was younger, I was comparing myself to him quite a lot.
      “Later, I started to actually follow him.”
      Marc and Alex were both in Honda until this year, as Alex has moved to Ducati – and he feels much more relaxed racing against him now.
      He says: “Competing against each other is really nice, but it’s something that, if you can avoid it, it’s better, because when you see your brother crashing or something like that, it’s hard to not take it with you. 
      “But I love being in a different team to him. I feel more relaxed. 
      “In the same team, we’re on the same bike, we’re fighting, it’s something that in the first moment is nice, but later on, it gets hard.”
      And Marc has loved having his brother around him as they’ve travelled the world together every year for each Grand Prix.
      “Having my brother there is one of the coolest things I have in my career and in my life because it’s become a lifestyle,” he says. 
      “To spend your profession with your brother, race the same racetracks, it’s something very special and very nice. And yeah, we’re travelling around the world together. 
      “We are competing against each other, but also I try to help him, and he tries to help me. So this is very nice.”
      Horror crash
      Marc had a horror crash in 2020 and then had many more in the following yearsCredit: Estrella Galicia
      Since Marc’s 2020 crash, he’s suffered complications with the metal plate in his arm, and has been back for surgery twice more, and he’s no longer able to extend his right arm out fully, meaning he finds controlling the bike on corners more difficult.
      A later crash in 2022, during a warm-up session for the Indonesian GP, saw Marc flung from his bike while travelling at 115mph after his rear tyre gave way.
      He suffered concussion and damaged a nerve in his eye after being flung 15 feet in the air, leading him to be diagnosed with diplopia, meaning he was seeing double.
      At the time, BT Sport commentator Gavin Emmett said: “That’s a shocking crash for Marc Marquez. That’s one of the biggest high-sides I’ve seen in 25 years covering this sport.
      “He must have been 12 to 15 feet in the air, the Repsol Honda man.”
      Thought about retiring
      Marc did think about retiring after losing confidence in his abilitiesCredit: Instagram/@marcmarquez93
      And when we spoke to him, he confessed he was starting to lose confidence prior to this year’s GP, and he did think about retiring.
      He says: “I never feel scared but it’s true that sometimes you lose confidence and, in the last races, I crashed many times and then I started to lose more and more confidence, and then, when you lose confidence, you are slower and even more unsafe.
      “These last three years, with the four different injuries, four different situations on the arm, with a lot of injuries, I was thinking about stopping, and saying ‘okay, why am I doing this?’ 
      “But it’s my passion, and I can not imagine, right now, a life without riding a bike, without riding in MotoGP. 
      “So at the moment, it’s my passion and I still feel competitive.”
      Marc and Alex have been sponsored by Estrella Galicia, since 2012, and both tell us how important the relationship with the Spanish, family-run beer brand is to them.
      Marc says: “It’s been such a long relationship, so it’s been very nice to see us grow together. 
      We’ve got bigger and bigger, step by step, and we’ve helped each other a lot.
      “It looks like a very big company, but it’s a family company, and you can feel it.”
      Alex adds: “We’ve had many years together, and they’ve invested in me.
      “It’s really important, especially when you start, in smaller championships, and have less visibility to have help, because you need the money and to pay, because it costs a lot. 
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      “So to have them on your side is important.”
      Estrella Galicia 0,0 is the Global Official Beer Partner of MotoGP™.
      Alex and Marc have been sponsored by Estrella Galicia since 2012Credit: Estrella Galicia More