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      Lewis Hamilton told Mercedes are 12 MONTHS behind Red Bull with Brit’s contract up at end of season

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has been told Mercedes are up to 12 MONTHS in development behind rivals Red Bull.The Brackley-based team have struggled to keep pace with reigning constructor champs Red Bull across the last two seasons.
      Toto Wolff has warned Mercedes are ‘six to 12 months’ behind Red Bull’s car developmentCredit: Splash
      It comes with Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes deal up at the end of the seasonCredit: AP
      Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have secured one-two finishes in the opening two races of the season.
      Indeed, Hamilton claimed he had “never seen a car so fast” after Verstappen breezed past him on lap 12 of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
      Meanwhile, the 38-year-old has finished P5 in both races, while team-mate George Russell has finished P7 and P4 in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia respectively.
      Consequently, Mercedes have admitted they need to look at changing their W14 car concept altogether, with “radical” changes set to be introduced.
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      However, team principal Toto Wolff has warned the team remain at least half a year away from competing at the top of the order.
      Wolff told reporters in Jeddah: “I think the lag is probably between six and 12 months, because that’s the time it really took for us to figure out what was actually happening with the [2022] car.
      “That means we just need to double the development speed, a stronger development slope which the logic and rationale speaks for it, that we could have [it].
      “[Red Bull’s] gains are going to be incrementally smaller if their concept is mature.
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      “Aero-wise, wind tunnel time can help a bit but not hugely, and we’ve just got to get our act together.
      “If we fundamentally understand where we need to put the car, then the steps are going to be large, but we need to be perfect.”
      This time scale comes with Hamilton’s Mercedes contract up at the end of the season.
      The seven-time world champion has been linked with Ferrari and Red Bull, though Christian Horner shut down such rumours from Red Bull’s camp.
      Hamilton has so far DISMISSED talk of retirement, at least until he wins his eighth world title.
      Hamilton will be hoping for better fortunes when the lights go out for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. More

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      F1 strugglers McLaren need a result in Australian Grand Prix or they could face losing young Brit star Lando Norris

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      McLAREN will commemorate their 60th anniversary this year – but there is not much to celebrate about their start to this season.It is a worrying time for Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, as they sit bottom of the constructors’ championship without a single point.
      McLaren risk losing Lando Norris if they don’t get a result in Australian Grand PrixCredit: Reuters
      Oscar Piastri, the Aussie at the centre of that tug-of-war with Alpine last year, goes into his home race this weekend in 19th place in the drivers’ championship.
      He’s ahead of only one driver – McLaren team-mate Lando Norris, the vastly talented Brit, who finds himself languishing in last place.
      There is no escaping the fact McLaren are in a bad shape on track.
      Norris, who has a long-term contract with the team, has continually faced questions about his future with McLaren.
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      Until now he has put on a brave face, saying he always knew that the team were gearing up for 2024 – and had faith in the construction of their new windtunnel – with a view of fighting for the title in 2025.
      Yet it begs the question, can he – or more like will he – be prepared to wait until then? Norris is a winner and it is no secret that he was once courted by Red Bull.
      He is smiling now, but will that still be the case if we reach the mid-season point and McLaren are not improving?
      I doubt it. If anything, their results show they are going backwards.
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      Of course, the optimistic will rightly point out that it was a mechanical issue that stopped Piastri in Bahrain and Norris’s Mercedes-supplied engine was at fault for his pitstops every 10-laps.
      In Saudi too, a first lap contact with Piastri saw a wing endplate fly into the air and subsequently damage Norris’s car.
      Brown has responded swiftly by axing James Key, who had been with the team since 2018, saying it was a change that has been needed “for some time”.
      In the reshuffle David Sanchez will return to McLaren from Ferrari – but not until January 2024 – meaning his arrival will not be felt until midway through that year.
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      McLaren have struggled during this Formula One seasonCredit: Reuters
      By that point, it could be too long for Norris to wait for the improvements.
      I desperately feel that McLaren need a solid result in Melbourne this weekend, otherwise the pressure – and the question marks – will continue.
      FORMULA E
      PEOPLE keep on telling me that F1 is boring now that Max Verstappen is winning – well maybe they should tune in to Formula E.
      The racing this season has been excellent, there is a different winner every race and now there is some real needle between the drivers.
      After they collided in Brazil, title contender Jake Dennis labelled Dan Ticktum a “plonker” who is racing “in his own little world”.
      Ticktum is no stranger to controversy and once overtook 10 cars under safety car conditions to catch and crash into a rival.
      “It’s just a target on my back now,” said Dennis. “That’s two races now where I’ve been driving my own race and some plonker 100 metres behind just forgets to brake and just smashes into me.
      “It’s just typical. I don’t know what else I can do. I don’t know what he was thinking; I’ve seen the onboard and he’s like in his own little world.
      “I’m pretty annoyed with Dan, I don’t know what the situation is with that but he just forgot to brake and smashed into me.”
      Bring it on!
      MOTOGP
      SPARE a thought for poor MotoGP rider Marc Marquez, who will miss the Argentina GP following his crash in Portugal.
      The Spaniard, who has been plagued by injuries, broke the thumb of his right hand when he collided with RNF rider Oliveira on Sunday.
      Marquez underwent an operation in Madrid where he had two screws inserted to realign his thumb and will not be fit enough to race in Argentina on April 2nd.
      Marquez has not been able to complete a full season without injury since 2019 when he won his sixth title.
      WSERIES’ MAJOR PLANS
      WSERIES – the all-female open-wheeled racing championship is still alive and hoping to attract new investment to go racing this year.
      The series was cut-short last season after the Singapore GP when an investor pulled out and since then, F1 have launched their own academy targeting female racers.
      However, the WSeries CEO, Catherine Bond Muir, has been trying to bring in new funds so the championship can continue.
      Read More on The Sun
      MEMORY LANE
      JENSON BUTTON made his NASCAR debut and finished 18th at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
      The 2009 F1 world champion was driving a Ford Mustang during the 68-lap race where he went up against Kimi Raikkonen, who was also making his debut in the series. The Finn finished in 29th place. More

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      I’m the world’s sexiest racing driver, I love Lewis Hamilton and posing in bikinis for my 2.3m Instagram followers

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      THE world’s sexiest racing driver is a huge fan of Sir Lewis Hamilton.Lindsay Brewer competes in the USF Pro 2000 having discovered her love for motorsport aged 11 at a go-karting birthday party.
      Lindsay Brewer is known as the world’s sexiest racing driverCredit: Instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      She competes in the USF Pro 2000Credit: Instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      She has built a 2.1million following on InstagramCredit: Instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      Lindsay loves wowing her followers with bikini snapsCredit: Instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      Lindsay is a big Lewis Hamilton fan and described the F1 star as a role modelCredit: Instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      The driver is 19th out of 20 in the USF Pro 2000 overall standingsCredit: Instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      The 25-year-old discovered her love for motorsport at a birthday party aged 11Credit: Instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      And she is a driver of many talents, having built up a huge online following as well as completing a degree in business.
      Brewer, 25, boasts 2.1million followers on Instagram alone, thanks in part to her penchant for posing in bikinis.
      She often shares snaps from her adventures on the track and keeps fans updated on her races – over the weekend she competed at Sebring International Raceway in Florida.
      She finished 18th, continuing her disappointing start to the season with the Colorado-based driver 19th out of 20 in the overall standings.
      READ MORE IN SPORT
      Despite that Brewer has amassed a huge social media following, something she admits is a “doubled-edged sword”.
      In an interview with Racers Behind The Helmet she said: “I enjoy trying to showcase to people out there that pushing the boundaries is possible, and having a following does help get the message out there, especially in racing.

      “I have a following across all the platforms I’m on, somewhere in the 3.5M range, and I try my best to use it to bring positivity and inspiration to the people who care to follow what I’m up to.
      “The other edge of it, is obviously the negative connotations that are assigned to someone whom is still trying to produce results and whom has a following.
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      “However, to those whom question my motives, if you’re a true motorsports fan I hope all those who are out there will understand that I’m passionate about this sport as a pro athlete, and I hope that my following will only encourage more people to be passionate about this sport as well.”
      Brewer also spoke about her idols within motorsport, unsurprisingly pointing to Hamilton given his success in F1.
      Asked who her role models are, Brewer said: “I would say Lewis Hamilton and the Andrettis.
      “Nowadays I still am a big fan of Lewis, and of people like Romain Grosjean who made the move to Indycar and is doing a fantastic job of helping market the series and build the viewer base.
      “I’ve grown up driving alongside a bit of the Indycar and F1 paddock, and it’s great to see people I’ve karted with who have gotten to where they are now.” More

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      Max Verstappen’s career outside F1 blocked by clothing giant Nike as Red Bull ace looks to expand empire before retiring

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN’S attempts to venture into the fashion industry have suffered a severe blow.The two-time Formula 1 world champion, 25, is looking to expand his empire as he already prepares for life after racing.
      Max Verstappen’s clothing brand has hit a major issueCredit: Rex
      Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until 2028 and is reportedly planning to go for some other motorsport-related goals outside of F1 once his deal expires.
      But he is also looking at the world outside of racing, with the Dutchman wanting to create a clothing brand named “Max 1”.
      However, De Limburger are now reporting that Nike have taken umbrage with his proposed name.
      This is because they believe it to be too similar to their “Nike: Air Max” shoe range.
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      A report from the region’s trademark agency, The Benelux Office for Intellectual Property, has confirmed an investigation is taking place following a complaint from Nike.
      As well as concerns around the name’s similarity, Nike’s opposition also relates to styling issues.
      The report states: “Both signs contain the word MAX, albeit in a different place. In the trademarks invoked, the elements AIR and MAX have equal weight in the overall impression. In the contested sign, the emphasis is on the word MAX. The number 1 will be regarded as a specification of MAX. To that extent the signs agree.
      “The goods in question (Nike and Max) are partly identical and partly similar. Visually and aurally, there is a certain degree of similarity between the signs.
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      “Based on these and the other factors mentioned above and given their interdependence, the Office considers that there is a likelihood of confusion in the sense that the public may believe that the goods covered by the trade marks invoked and those of the contested sign belong to the same undertaking or, as the case may be, from economically linked companies.
      “Since it is common practice in the clothing sector for the same mark to be configured in different ways, the relevant public might also think that the contested sign is a sub-mark of the opponent (Nike).”
      Meanwhile, on the track, Verstappen is in a superb position to claim a third successive drivers’ championship in 2023.
      After strolling to victory in Bahrain in the season opener, he managed to finish second in Saudi Arabia behind team-mate Sergio Perez despite qualifying 15th due to a broken driveshaft.
      Next up for the F1 paddock is the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, April 2. More

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      Laura Woods bursts out laughing as Ally McCoist reveals embarrassing gaffe about watching F1

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      ALLY MCCOIST left Laura Woods in stitches after revealing an embarrassing gaffe involving Formula One. The Rangers legend turned popular pundit bemoaned how F1 was becoming a “non-event” after watching the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix over the weekend.
      Ally McCoist revealed a hilarious F1 gaffeCredit: Reuters
      Which left co-host Laura Wodds in stitchesCredit: Getty
      Sergio Perez won the Saudi Arabian Grand PrixCredit: Alamy
      However, talkSPORT co-host Woods pointed out there wasn’t a race last weekend, with the race in Jeddah commencing two weeks ago.
      A shocked McCoist said: “Was I watching a replay? You’re joking.”
      Woods then asked: “Were you getting into it?”
      To which McCoist replied: “Aye I was, I swear to god I was.
      READ MORE ON LAURA WOODS
      “I thought to myself ‘that’s brilliant [Sergio] Perez has won two in a row’.”
      While struggling to hold back laughter, Woods queried: “[Did you watch] the actual event as if it was live?”
      McCoist replied: “Oh my I did. In my defence, I didn’t watch it all. I watched about 25 minutes because I thought to myself ‘this is boring it’s gonna be another one-two’, which it duly turned out to be.”
      Fans online also found McCoist’s gaffe hilarious.
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      One user said: “This man is just pure entertainment gold. He deserves to be on a TV show like Question of Sport again. Legend.”
      A second fan said: “Love Ally, he cracks me up 🤣.”
      A third added: “Never change Ally. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.”
      As McCoist saw, Sergio Perez emerged as the victor in the second race of the season as two-time champion Max Verstappen fought back to P2 from P15 after a mechanical failure in qualifying.
      Red Bull have claimed one-two finishes in the opening two races of the season, with the likes of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton far off the pace.
      However, Hamilton and Co will be hoping they fare better with next weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
      Indeed, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has hinted at “radical” changes coming to their car in order to try and close the gap to the top.

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

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      Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes car set for more ‘radical’ changes as Toto Wolff and Co look to catch up F1 rivals Red Bull

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’S car is set for more “radical” changes as Mercedes look to catch up to rivals Red Bull.The Silver Arrows have begun the 2023 season poorly and failed to podium in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
      Lewis Hamilton’s car could be tweaked as Mercedes aim to catch Red BullCredit: Rex
      Meanwhile, Red Bull have continued their dominance from last season with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez finishing as the top two in both races so far.
      Mercedes have had similar issues with their W14 car that they had with last year’s vehicle.
      Chief Toto Wolff is aware something drastic must be done and indicated that could be coming when asked if he was planning a full chassis change for 2024.
      He replied: “So when you speak about the chassis, the question is, do you speak about the monocoque and basically the tub or are we speaking about everything else around?
      READ MORE ON F1
      “I think the monocoque is one thing, and that’s obviously there are weight implications, COG implications, where does the driver sit, more forward or more rearwards.
      “But I think the biggest gains that we need to find is how can we extract more downforce all around the track.
      “If we see that is not enough to actually challenge at the front, then there might be more radical decisions that need to be taken.”
      Reports have suggested that Mercedes could ditch their “zeropod” side pods in favour of a design more similar to that of Red Bull.
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      Wolff has also revealed that it could be a while before Hamilton is able to realistically compete with Red Bull again, hinting at last season’s improved second half of the year once issues were fixed.
      The seven-time F1 champion has claimed that Verstappen’s car is the fastest he has ever seen.
      The next Grand Prix takes place in Australia this Sunday. More

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      F1 Australian Grand Prix 2023: Date, UK start time, TV channel and stream as Red Bull look to continue their domination

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      RED BULL drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are both comfortably leading the drivers standings ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.Perez finished top of the podium at the more recent Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
      Red Bull’s Sergio Perez celebrates with a trophy on the podium after winning the Saudi Arabian Grand PrixCredit: REUTERS

      And Max Verstappen won the opening Grand Prix of the Formula 1 season in Bahrain.
      Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso has finished third on the podium at both races and also sits third in the standings.
      While Lewis Hamilton has finished 5th in both Grand Prix so far and feels that his Mercedes car can’t compete with the drivers from Red Bull.
      When is the Australian Grand Prix?

      The Australian Grand Prix gets underway on Sunday, April 2.
      The race is expected to begin at 6:00am UK time.
      The race will take place at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit.

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      When is practice and qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix?

      Practice 1: Friday, March 31 at 2:30am – 3:30am UK time.
      Practice 2: Friday, March 31 at 6:00am – 7:00am UK time.
      Practice 3: Saturday, April 1 at 2:30am – 3:30am UK time.
      Qualifying: Saturday, April 1 at 6:00am – 7:00am UK time.

      What channel is the Australian Grand Prix on and can it be live streamed?

      The Australian Grand Prix will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 from 4:30am UK time.
      Sky Sports customers can live stream the race via the NOW app, which is available to download for free onto your mobile or tablet device.
      Alternatively, you can follow SunSport’s live blog to stay up to date with all the action. More

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      Christian Horner breaks silence on Lewis Hamilton to Red Bull rumours as Brit chases record eighth world title

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      CHRISTIAN HORNER has ruled out a Red Bull move for Lewis Hamilton.The legendary Brit is attempting to win a record eighth world title.
      Red Bull are not interested in making a move for Lewis HamiltonCredit: Rex
      Christian Horner reckons Mercedes are on the verge of a comebackCredit: Reuters
      Hamilton, 38, saw his last Formula One triumph come in 2020.
      The Mercedes ace was hoping to make a fast start in the new season after seeing rival Max Verstappen scoop the last two trophies.
      But Hamilton’s car remains an issue and has resulted in him taking successive fifth-place finishes.
      There are now question marks over the ace’s future at Mercedes, with teammate Lando Norris also struggling to impress.
      READ MORE ON F1
      And some reports claim Hamilton could make a stunning move to race alongside Verstappen at Red Bull.
      Merc team boss Toto Wolff has even given his blessing for the switch after struggling to agree a new contract with Hamilton.
      But Red Bull counterpart Horner has dismissed talk of a swoop by hailing Verstappen’s partnership with Sergio Perez.
      Horner said: “What Lewis has achieved in Formula One is second to none, but we’re very happy with the drivers that we have.
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      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year
      “They are committed as a pair not only this season but the next season as well. So I can’t see where we would be able to accommodate Lewis.
      “I’m sure they [Mercedes] are going to sort their issues out – we’re certainly not writing him off yet.
      “We’re hearing about big Mercedes upgrades, I’m sure Ferrari aren’t happy with their current position either. So we’re fully expecting things to converge quickly.
      “Some of the racing has been fantastic and we saw a great race again [in Saudi Arabia] between our two drivers.
      “If you have two dominant cars who are racing each other then I think that does create a spectacle in itself.
      “But I have no doubt that the opposition will be coming back quickly especially as we come back into the European season when updates start to come through.” More