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      F1 tragedy as FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s son Saif dies in horror road accident in Dubai

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      THE son of FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem has died following a car accident.Saif Ben Sulayem was tragically killed in Dubai on Tuesday.
      Saif Ben Sulayem tragically died in a traffic accidentCredit: Instagram / @sbs_03
      Mohammed Ben Sulayem has asked for privacy following his tragic lossCredit: Rex
      Ben Sulayem was elected FIA president in 2021Credit: Rex
      Saif, left, alongside his dadCredit: Instagram / @sbs_03
      The news has been confirmed by the FIA, but the president has requested privacy at this time.
      Saif was a keen motorsport enthusiast like his father.
      He had even tried to forge a career as a racing driver.
      Saif competed in the 2016/17 UAE Formula 4 championship which saw him come up against current F1 drivers Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant.
      However, he ultimately decided against taking it up full-time.
      Mohammed Ben Sulayem, 61, was elected FIA president in December 2021.
      He has played a key role in restructuring the organisation, which oversees Formula 1, since replacing Jean Todt.
      Last month, Ben Sulayem announced he was giving up hands-on control.
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      He said: “My stated objective was to be a non-executive president via the recruitment of a team of professional managers, which has now been largely completed.
      “Therefore, going forward, your day-to-day contact for all matters on F1 will be with Nikolas [Tombazis, director of single-seater racing] and his team.
      “I will focus on strategic matters with my leadership team.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton claims he rarely drives on normal roads outside of F1 track because he ‘finds it more stressful’

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has revealed that he rarely drives on normal roads outside of F1 circuits as he finds it too stressful. The seven-time World Champion, 38, has made tearing round tracks and overtaking rivals at nearly 200mph look easy in his long career.
      Lewis Hamilton’s struggles on normal roads are not reflected on F1 circuits, where he has often been a cut above the restCredit: Rex
      He is among the most experienced drivers on the current grid – and has the record to back up his skills.
      But the Brit made the ironic confession that while the high-speed, twisting roads of Silverstone during a Grand Prix weekend do not scare him, normal roads do.
      Hamilton admitted to Vanity Fair that the experience of driving in a normal road car left him feeling under too much pressure.
      He said: “I just think I find it stressful. I try not to do things that don’t add to my life.”
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      Driving around the south of France during his interview, he added to the magazine: “This is now stressful for me. This road is crazy. So much going on here.
      “I’m going to turn around in a second. Look, we’re on these roads, anything can happen.
      “People say: ‘Dude! You drive around at 200 miles an hour!’ And I’m like, in terms of fear factor, that’s easy for me. I guess we’re just all wired differently.”
      Despite his road concern, Hamilton is still known to be a big collector of different vehicles and has in his collection Ferrari LaFerrari, a McLaren P1 and an MV Agusta bike.
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      As he tries to become more environmentally conscious, the star will now mostly only drive his electric Mercedes EQC.
      The 37-year-old also revealed it was not just normal driving which unsettled him, and revealed his long-term fear of spiders.
      It’s been a below-par season for Hamilton, who saw rival Max Verstappen clinch his second consecutive title last month.
      He currently sits fifth in the rankings after failing to win a single race.
      And Hamilton’s hopes of ending his duck at the Brazilian GP were hit when teammate George Russell beat him to the chequered flag by just over 1.5 seconds. More

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      ‘I hope he wins’ – Max Verstappen incredibly tips rival to challenge him at top of F1 podium after Bahrain GP heroics

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has tipped Fernando Alonso to challenge for race wins this season.The Aston Martin driver claimed his 99th career podium with an impressive drive at the Formula One season opener in Bahrain.
      Fernando Alonso has been backed to win races this seasonCredit: Rex
      Max Verstappen believes Aston Martin have a ‘really strong’ carCredit: Rex

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year
      The Silverstone-based team surprised many by topping the time charts in testing and in free practice ahead of the race.
      And this quick pace has seen Verstappen tip Alonso to rival him for a spot at the top of the podium.
      Verstappen said: “I hope so for Fernando as well because he has had a few years where there was not really a possibility to fight at the front so I’m happy to see him sitting here already in race one.
      “I think also again, I mentioned it before, but at Aston Martin, they really have the spirit and drive, they want to win and they’ve hired a lot of good people.
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      “So I guess it can only get better for them. And I think for this year, difficult to say if they’re going to challenge for the championship, but race wins are definitely on the table.”
      However, the Dutchman thinks the race wins will be limited for Alonso, and compared his time racing against Lewis Hamilton during his dominance.
      Verstappen added: “I’ve been in the same position where some races I’m finishing 20 to 40 seconds behind the winners and you still win two or three races a year.
      “Sometimes there are some tracks which really suit your car and everything just comes together and you can win a race with maybe sometimes a bit of help or luck.
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      “But for sure they (Aston Martin) have a really strong package. And now of course it’s all about developing it further.”
      Two-time F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi has also backed Alonso to produce a “very strong” title challenge.
      Alonso is already a two-time world champion, winning titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006. More

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      Lewis Hamilton vents frustration at Mercedes & reveals he ‘told team about car issues LAST YEAR’ after Bahrain disaster

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has vented his frustration at Mercedes and says that he told them about the car’s speed issues last season.The seven-time Formula One world champion started the new season in disappointing fashion last weekend.
      Lewis Hamilton says he told Mercedes about the car’s problems last seasonCredit: Getty
      The 38-year-old could only finish sixth in Bahrain as rival Max Verstappen romped to victory for Red Bull.
      Mercedes already had concerns about their W14 design, which is an evolved version of their “no-sidepod” one from last season which caused numerous issues as the team missed out on an eighth-consecutive constructors’ championships. 
      Mercedes boss Toto Wolff wants his development team to reproduce a “radical” new design following the “worst weekend of racing” at the Sakhir Circuit.
      However, motorsport legend Hamilton says they would not be having these issues if the team had listened to him previously.
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      The Brit told BBC: “Last year, I told them the issues that are with the car.
      “Like, I’ve driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs, I know what a car doesn’t need.
      “And I think it’s really about accountability, it’s about owning up and saying ‘yeah, you know what, we didn’t listen to you, it’s not where it needs to be and we’ve got to work’.
      “We’ve got to look into the balance through the corners, look at all the weak points and just huddle up as a team, that’s what we do.
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      “We’re still multi world champions you know, it’s just they haven’t got it right this time, they didn’t get it right last year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get it right moving forwards.”
      Hamilton went winless for the first time in his F1 career last season while team-mate George Russell scored one victory for the team in Brazil.
      But despite the prospect of another year of struggle, Wolff does not expect that to prevent Hamilton from agreeing new terms.
      Hamilton, 38, has a contract until the end of the year and both Jenson Button and Damon Hill have questioned whether he will re-sign now he’s not winning.
      Hamilton said he IS committed to the team and Wolff has also dismissed the idea he will walk away now he has a battle on his hands. More

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      Max Verstappen warned he faces ‘very strong’ challenge for F1 title… but not from Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes

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      TWO-TIME Formula One champion Emerson Fittipaldi has warned Max Verstappen he could face a “very strong” challenge to his title bid. Verstappen cruised to victory at the season opener in Bahrain, with team-mate Sergio Perez a comfortable second.
      Max Verstappen cruised to victory at the Bahrain Grand PrixCredit: The Mega Agency
      But he has been warned he faces ‘very strong’ opposition by Emerson FittipaldiCredit: Rex
      Fittpaldi won his two F1 titles in 1972 and 1974Credit: Getty

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year
      Everything thus far points to another easy championship for the flying Dutchman.
      However, competition could come from an unusual source this season.
      Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso claimed the final podium spot at the race.
      And Fittipaldi, who won the 1972 and 1974 F1 titles, has warned Alonso could pose the biggest challenge of the season.
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      Speaking to VegasInsider, Fittipaldi said: “Fernando Alonso’s podium was an unexpected one.
      “I think the Aston Martin’s performance even surprised Fernando and everyone in the team.
      “If you look at the mid-corners and slow-speed corners, Fernando was able to have different lines than the competitors. That means he had extra grip there.
      “When he overtook, he was very manoeuvrable on the slow, mid-speed corners. That means the car has a very good grip and handling.
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      Fittipaldi reckons Fernando Alonso could put up the biggest fight this seasonCredit: Rex
      “Lance Stroll was quick. With all the problems he’s had, he was running very strong, very quickly.
      “That means they’ll be a challenge in this year’s Championship. No doubt.”
      Over the last decade, Red Bull have duked out titles mainly with Mercedes and Ferrari.
      However, the regulation changes which came into effect last year saw Lewis Hamilton’s team dramatically drop off the pace of the front of the order.
      Meanwhile, consistency issues in both strategy and reliability have ensured Ferrari have not truly been able to compete on race day.
      Therefore, in 2023, Alonso and Aston Martin could pose the most significant threat to Verstappen achieving a three-peat.
      An incredible omen also suggests Alonso could land his third title before Verstappen, with the winner of the opening race in the last six years NOT going on to win the championship.
      Though the legality of the Aston Martin has now been openly questioned.
      Lewis Hamilton is not likely to challenge this seasonCredit: PA More

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      ‘The question is: Which car?’ – Toto Wolff reveals Mercedes’ major headache as he predicts ‘extremely difficult’ season

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      TOTO WOLFF has revealed Mercedes face a huge dilemma after their slow start to the season.Red Bull dominated the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday with Max Verstappen securing victory in emphatic fashion.
      Toto Wolff is facing a big dilemma after Mercedes’ slow start to the seasonCredit: Getty
      The result leaves Mercedes with a big question – whether to come up with a new car design or develop their current W14.
      Wolff, 51, admitted it is unlikely his team will compete with Red Bull for the F1 championship, which could lead him to scrap the current development plans.
      He told Motorsport: “It is extremely difficult to catch up such an advantage, but it is what we have to do. We have no choice.
      “I am not sure the budget cap gives you constraints in the position where we are, but we do need to decide which direction we are going in and put all the resources behind it.
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      “We are still developing one car. The question is just which car.”
      Mercedes could decide to continue working on their current model and Sir Lewis Hamilton has urged them to do exactly that.
      The seven-time champion finished fifth in Bahrain, 51 seconds off Verstappen and has urged his team to come up with improvements.
      He said: “I am generally happy with the race, it was much better with the qualifying and I am happy with my performance.
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      “There’s not much more I could have done. Set the car up differently maybe? But overall just lacking performance.
      “The team did a great job with the pit stops, just unfortunately, the car is just not there at the moment, we are lacking downforce and we have just got to work really hard to try and add that ASAP.
      “Anything that is in the wind tunnel, we need it tomorrow. We need to push massively to close that gap.” More

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      ‘Three Red Bulls on podium’ – Team chief questions legality of Aston Martin F1 car after Fernando Alonso’s third place

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      DESPITE a storming weekend for Fernando Alonso and Aston Martin, questions have been raised over the legality of their car. Alonso scored his 99th career podium in Formula One at the season opener in Bahrain, adding £250million to Aston Martin’s share price in the process.
      ‘Three Red Bulls’ were on the podium at the Bahrain Grand PrixCredit: Rex
      Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin has had it’s legality questionedCredit: AFP
      The Spaniard overtook Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz on track before scoring a third-place finish behind Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
      However, Red Bull chief Helmut Marko could not help but question the specification of the car.
      Speaking to Servus TV following the race, Marko said: “We had three Red Bulls on the podium, only the last one with a different engine.”
      Indeed, the Silverstone-based outfit recruited Red Bull’s former head of aerodynamics Dan Fallows in 2022.
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      Perhaps unsurprisingly it has led to some similarities being drawn between the two concepts.
      But Marko has been left wondering whether there is any foul play involved.
      He added: “It’s true that what Fallows had in his head cannot be erased.
      “Copying the focus is not prohibited, but can you copy in such detail without having documentation of our car?”
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      Despite Marko’s serious tone on the matter, Perez and team principal Christian Horner have taken a more light-hearted approach.
      During his post-race press conference, Perez joked: “It’s nice to see three Red Bull cars on the podium.”
      Meanwhile, Horner said: “They say imitation is the biggest form of flattery, and it’s good to see the old car going so well.”
      Aston have previously landed themselves in hot water with a similar situation a few years ago.
      When they were still known as Racing Point, the team were accused of copying Mercedes’ 2019 car design in 2020.
      This led to their car being nicknamed: “The Pink Mercedes”.
      Following a protest from Renault – now Alpine – the FIA slapped Racing Point with a £359,000 (€400,000) fine and a 15-point deduction in the constructor’s championship.
      This was because they had been found guilty of copying Mercedes’ rear brake ducts from 2019.

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      Teenage motocross star, 17, dies in hospital after horror accident after bike fell on her during race

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      A teenage motocross star has tragically died life after losing control of their bike during a race.Gabriela Valentini was competing at the Parana State Velocross Championship in Brazil on March 5 when the accident occurred.
      Gabriela Valentini, 17, poses on a motorbikeCredit: @valentini877/CEN
      The bike enthusiast tragically died during a velocross raceCredit: @valentini877/CEN
      The bike enthusiast, aged just 17, was hit by her spinning motorcycle after flying over the handlebars.
      Spectators had witnessed Valentini’s bike wobbling out of control just seconds before.
      The medical team who were present at the race in the town of Lapa attempted first aid to save her life as she lay unconscious on the dirt track.
      She was then rushed to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries.
      The Parana State Motorcycling Federation issued a statement following the tragedy.
      It said: “Gabriela leaves her name in the gallery of winning pilots in the discipline, in Parana and in Brazil.
      “The organisation, through its president Gilberto Rosa, expresses at this moment of loss and pain, standing in solidarity with family, friends, and admirers.
      “Faced with this tragedy, we make ourselves available to help with whatever is within our reach. May God comfort everyone’s heart.”
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      Valentini was buried in her home town of Curitiba on March 7.
      She had accrued an Instagram following of just under 12,000 with her enthusiasm for the sport.
      Velocross originates from Brazil in the early 2000s and has since spread around the world, reaching as far as the United States and Europe.
      Also known as VX, it is a type of off-road motorcycle racing.
      It combines elements of motocross and supercross.
      England recently saw its first fully electric indoor motocross track open in Cumbria. More