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      Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were close to being TEAM-MATES says Mercedes boss as he reveals what blocked move

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      TOTO WOLFF says he missed out on signing Max Verstappen as a youngster – because he could not offer the Dutchman a guaranteed seat at Mercedes.Verstappen is poised to win his 11th race in a row at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix as he closes in on his third successive title.
      Toto Wolff says he missed out on signing Verstappen as a youngsterCredit: Rex
      The F1 stars could have been team-matesCredit: Getty
      However, it could have been a different story had Mercedes boss Wolff managed to sign him up to the Silver Arrows before he joined Red Bull’s junior team in 2014.
      Wolff says that back then, Mercedes were happy with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg and without having a second team on the grid, could not promise Verstappen a space.
      “Max was very good in karting, was good in F3, and it was clear that there’s a big one that’s growing,” Wolff told F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast.
      “We talked to them in the initial phases, and it was a nice discussion with [dad] Jos and with Max involved as well.
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      “But it was clear that we couldn’t give him a seat because we had Nico and we had Lewis.
      “We offered the support in F2 but, since Red Bull was able to offer them the AlphaTauri seat, or Toro Rosso back in the day, it got Max into the seat.”
      Verstappen was offered a drive at Toro Rosso in 2015 while Rosberg unexpectedly quit racing the following year after winning the title.
      And Wolff says he can’t be certain if Verstappen would have picked Mercedes had he not already joined Red Bull.
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      He added: “Maybe but, you know, if I knew where the stock market is next year, I would decide to invest in it or not.
      “We would be very happy and rich people if we would know what happens 12 months on.”
      Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo will be in Singapore for this weekend’s GP despite his broken hand.
      The Australian underwent an operation after breaking bones in his left hand 20 days ago after crashing at the Dutch GP.
      He is now undergoing rehab while helping the team with engineering duties while Red Bull’s reserve driver Liam Lawson fills in at AlphaTauri. More

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      I’m a former F1 star – now I’m an artist with a collection called ‘Friends, Heroes and W***ers’

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      MANY sports stars have been known to venture down a new path once their sporting days are over. And former Formula One driver Stefan Johansson is among them.
      Stefan Johansson competed in F1 between 1983 and 1991Credit: Getty
      After his racing career finished he became became a painterCredit: stefanjohansson.art / Stefan Johansson
      Johansson, right, competed against F1 greats such as Alain Prost, middleCredit: AFP
      The Swede competed in F1 between 1983 and 1991, racing against titans of the sport such as Aryton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost to name a few.
      Johansson, 67, achieved 12 podiums throughout his career while racing with the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Tyrell.
      But during the 1986 season Johansson started to explore his artistic side, picking up a brush in honour of close friend Elio de Angelis, who died in testing at the start of the season.
      After his F1 career concluded, Johansson continued to have success in motorsport, notably winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in a Porsche in 1997 alongside Michele Alboreto and Tom Kristensen.
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      However, from the tragic embers which kickstarted his dive into painting, Johansson soon created an impressive portfolio of work.
      The name of one of his collections: “Friends, Heroes and W***ers,” feature famous faces on canvas with text over the top of them, including Senna and Enzo Ferrari among a host of well-known people.
      According to his website: “The paintings project the philosophy and attitudes of my various subjects, and the goal is to bring new perspectives to these individuals that have become known through their own intellect and accomplishments.
      “In this particular case it was the primary inspiration for me applying paint to canvas.
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      “The quotes painted on the portraits were chosen to reflect this inspiration but not necessarily as a means to communicate or convince others of their meaning.”
      His painting also draws on his F1 career, with a collection called “Urban Pointillism” displaying a number of drivers and their cars.
      Meanwhile his “Memories of a past life” collection bear a number of striking images and patterns and are suitably named after corner or a section of various race circuits around the world.
      These fine art pieces can be brought from anywhere between £102 to £265 on his website.
      Painting is not the only way Johansson has shown his artistic side, with scented candles, designer watches, skateboards and hats also among the ex-F1 driver’s range.
      Johansson scored 12 podiums throughout his careerCredit: Getty

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      Inside Red Bull’s plan for future F1 domination with new education centre to train next generation of engineering talent

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      RED BULL RACING are out to catch the next Adrian Newey – after planning a new education centre at the team’s factory.In an F1 first, the facility will be based at their Milton Keynes HQ and will welcome students between nine and 14.
      It will aim to attract them to careers in engineering and follow design whizz Newey, who has won eleven Constructors’ Championships with three different F1 teams.
      Design whizz Adrian Newey has been the mastermind behind much of Red Bull’s successCredit: Alamy
      In association with the MK College Group, Red Bull want to use the popularity of the sport to encourage kids to study STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths] subjects at school.
      The programme will have its own curriculum, making it a fun way of attracting students to STEM subjects beyond GCSE level.
      Zoe Mills, Red Bull Racing’s Head of Employee Experience, said: “The utopia for us is where we have someone come to an interview and we ask them why they want to work for us and they say ‘it is because I went to the education centre and that is what inspired me to continue with my STEM subjects’.
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      “That’s when we know we will really have made a difference.
      “All the engineers are keen to get involved. For instance, if you look at our aerodynamics department, they will work with Milton Keynes College, who will break it down into a language that is easy to understand for nine-year-olds.”
      MK College Group CEO and Group Principal, Sally Alexander, added: “It is about how you make those subjects relatable and exciting.
      “Pupils might think they are dry subjects and not understand what engineering is, but if you come in and think you could be on the pitwall and that looks great, but in order to do that I have got to get my maths GCSE, then your motivation is high.
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      “It is about engaging young people and what that can mean to them in the future.”
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      The new talent pipeline fits in with F1’s goal to increase diversity and inclusion within the sport. More

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      Felipe Massa’s lawyers ‘hoping for support from LEWIS HAMILTON’ in bid to strip Brit of 2008 F1 world championship

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      FELIPE MASSA’S lawyers are hopeful of support from Lewis Hamilton in the Brazilian’s bid to strip the Brit of his 2008 F1 title.Former driving star Massa has launched a legal challenge over the result of that year’s championship.
      Felipe Massa hopes Lewis Hamilton backs the Brazilian’s bid to lose his own titleCredit: Corbis
      He lost out to Hamilton by one single point in the standings.
      And Massa wants the crown to be his following the Singapore GP’s “Crashgate” incident, where Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed to help teammate Fernando Alonso.
      The race delay saw Massa go from first place to 13th.
      And he feels the race should have been cancelled, with F1 chiefs missing a deadline to respond to his legal bid last week.
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      Massa has already acquired a legal team featuring a barrister who worked on Newcastle’s takeover in 2021.
      And his lawyer Bernardo Viana is now hoping that seven-time world champ Hamilton will throw his weight behind Massa’s challenge – despite victory meaning he would lose one of his titles.
      Viana told Reuters: “Hamilton is an honorary Brazilian citizen and very well-liked by Brazilians, so I hope he will support us.
      “He is an important ambassador for the sport and has always defended sporting integrity.
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      “We have absolutely nothing against Hamilton.”
      Viana also reckons there is more evidence to come regarding F1’s failure to cancel the 2008 Singapore GP.
      He added: “The objective is to bring the trophy home. It’s not financial.
      “To get there, several measures will be taken with different aims, some to obtain information and others to obtain statements.
      “We want everything that happened in 2008/09 to come to light.
      “We understand that there is even more information that has not been made public.
      “Felipe has nothing against Hamilton, absolutely nothing. This case is against what was done by the previous leadership at FOM and FIA.” More

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      Newcastle takeover lawyer confident Lewis Hamilton WILL be stripped of 2008 F1 world title amid Massa’s legal fight

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      LAWYERS who worked on the Saudi takeover of Newcastle are confident Lewis Hamilton will be stripped of his 2008 F1 title in a legal bid by Felipe Massa.The Brazilian missed out on the world championship by a single point.
      Lawyers are confident Lewis Hamilton will be stripped of his 2008 F1 titleCredit: Getty
      Felipe Massa feels he was robbed of the win after Singapore’s ‘Crashgate’Credit: Reuters
      And he feels he was the victim of a deliberate crash earlier in the season by Nelson Piquet Jr, which saw Massa drop from first to 13th at the Singapore GP.
      Massa started his legal action in August over a “conspiracy” regarding what is now known as “Crashgate.”
      And a deadline for F1 chiefs to respond passed earlier this month.
      Massa believes the Singapore race should have been cancelled, especially when Piquet Jr admitted his crash was deliberate in 2009.
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      And Massa’s lawyer is feeling confident of success in court, claiming everything will come to light.
      Bernardo Viana is working with a legal team including Nick De Marco, a barrister specialising in sport.
      He assisted Newcastle’s legal battle with the Premier League following 2021’s takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
      And Viana’s team believe there is more undisclosed information over “Crashgate” to come, which will vindicate Massa’s claims and result in the 2008 F1 trophy being his.
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      Viana told Motorsport.com: “The objective is to bring the trophy home. It’s not financial.
      “To get there, several measures will be taken with different aims, some to obtain information and others to obtain statements.
      “We want everything that happened in 2008/09 to come to light.
      “We understand that there is even more information that has not been made public.
      “Felipe has nothing against Hamilton, absolutely nothing. This case is against what was done by the previous leadership at FOM and FIA.
      “We have nothing against Hamilton.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton and George Russell strip for ice bath but fans spot bizarre detail about F1 star’s tub

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      LEWIS HAMILTON and George Russell gave fans a sneak peek into their preparation for the Singapore Grand Prix.The Mercedes F1 duo, who both recently signed new deals with the constructor, treated fans to a photo of themselves enjoying an ice bath.
      Mercedes shared a photo of driver duo George Russell and Lewis HamiltonCredit: PA
      But fans spotted a bizarre detail on Russell’s ice tubCredit: Instagram / @mercedesamgf1
      Both Brits beamed with smiles while topless in the baths, with Russell also holding a Monster Energy water bottle for the soak.
      However, eagle-eyed fans spotted a peculiar detail on Russell’s tub which was missing from Hamilton’s… inscribed initials.
      The added detail left fans in hysterics, with one reacting: “George Russell is the type of guy to label his ice bath.”
      A second said: “George really had to label his tub to tell which one is his 😭.”
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      “I’m so not surprised that George has labelled his ice bucket, he definitely labelled all his stationary at school,” remarked a third.
      Another fan joked: “They look like 2 kids playing in the tub 😂.”
      A fifth commented: “Lewis Hamilton thirst traps are back 😏.”
      While a sixth typed: “With the heat in Singapore, they are going to need more ice!”
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      At the Italian GP, Russell and Hamilton finished P5 and P6 respectively.
      Their Mercedes W14 has struggled for pace against top dogs Red Bull for much of the season.
      But with Ferrari bolting out of the blocks after the summer break, Mercedes are far from secure in the race for P2 in the constructors standings.
      A new look Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore awaits the upcoming weekend, with current weather forecasts expecting temperatures on race day to reach as high as 31 degrees Celsius.
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      Max Verstappen’s stunning girlfriend Kelly Piquet shows off ‘dark side’ as she goes braless in daring little black dress

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN’s girlfriend Kelly Piquet has stunned fans in her latest Instagram post as she embraces her “dark side”.Kelly posted a video to her Instagram showcasing a black dress designed by New York designer Area, where she walked around the city’s streets.

      Verstappen and Piquet have been dating since 2020Credit: Rex
      Kelly is the daughter of F1 legend NelsonCredit: Getty
      She is also a modelCredit: Getty
      She captioned the post “Dark side” Alongside a black heart emoji.
      And fans were quick to praise the look.

      One fan wrote: “The championship is not the only thing that Max wins.”
      Another commented: “Max winning on and off the track.”
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      While a third wrote: “Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to the future Mrs. Verstappen. Wow Kelly, you are such a beautiful woman!😍”
      A fourth wrote: “This dress was made for you Kelly! Gorgeous.”
      Kelly, 34, began dating Verstappen in late 2020 and recently had to quash rumours they have split.
      The Brazilian also comes from an F1 background with Kelly’s father Nelson a legend of the sport.
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      When not supporting Verstappen on the track, Kelly is based in New YorkCredit: Rex
      The US city acts as the perfect base for Kelly’s modelling careerCredit: Rex
      Her brother, Nelson Piquet Jr, 38, was also an F1 driver.
      Piquet Jr drove for Renault for two years in the 2008 and 2009 seasons before joining NASCAR.
      Verstappen meanwhile has continued to dominate this F1 season.
      The Dutchman picked up a record tenth consecutive win at the Italian Grand Prix as he extended his lead at the top of the Drivers Championship.
      Verstappen sits out in front on 364 points with team-mate Sergio Perez second on 219.
      Fernando Alonso is closest to the Red Bulls, sitting in third on 170 points. More

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      Inside abandoned and infamous F1 oval track not used for over 60 years after driver and 15 fans killed in horror crash

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      THE abandoned oval circuit at Monza has not been used since 1961 after a horror crash which killed a driver and 15 spectators.But the disused track is still in good condition and people can even take a ride around it on pushbikes.
      The track was re-paved in 2014Credit: Rex
      The banking was a major cause of crashes when used for the Italian GPCredit: Getty
      The circuit is now open to members of the public on foot or on bikeCredit: Getty
      Part of the Monza track was closed in 1962Credit: Rex
      An aerial view of the Monza circuitCredit: Google Earth
      It was opened in 1922 for the Italian Grand Prix but it did not take long for tragedy to strike as driver Fritz Kuhn was killed during practice.
      Six years later a huge disaster occurred when driver Emilio Materassi lost control of his car and crashed into the mainstand.
      Materassi died along with 22 spectators and the Italian GP was not held again until 1931.
      However it would not take long until another horrific crash took place – in 1933 three drivers died at the Grand Prix in an incident known as the Black Day of Monza.
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      A change to the track was made in 1933 and further changes would follow after another shocking incident in 1961.
      Wolfgang von Trips and 15 spectators were killed following a crash in lap two of the Italian GP.
      Since then the banking at the track has not been used, and even now it is clear to see how dangerous it must have been.
      The banking has not been maintained but it has not been overgrown by nature either, so a part of Monza history remains.
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      The circuit was deemed too dangerous following several crashesCredit: Getty
      Many drivers and spectators have died since the track was opened in 1922Credit: Getty
      Part of the track was abandoned following a crash in 1961Credit: Getty
      Tragic crashes occurred at Monza in 1928 and 1931Credit: Getty
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      The high-speed circuit has not been used since 1961 with races only being held on the road circuit.
      In 2014 the old banking was re-paved and made available to members of the public on foot or pushbikes. More