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      Horner claims Lewis Hamilton has NEVER praised Verstappen… despite seven-time F1 champ calling rival a ‘great talent’

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      RED BULL chief Christian Horner claims Sir Lewis Hamilton has never praised Max Verstappen before… despite records showing the opposite.Hamilton and Verstappen were embroiled in a heated rivalry last season, which ended with the Red Bull star picking up a controversial victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to clinch the Formula One title.
      Red Bull chief Christian Horner claims Lewis Hamilton never praised Max VerstappenCredit: Rex
      But Sir Lewis Hamilton has indeed recognised Max Verstappen’s talentCredit: The Mega Agency
      Max Verstappen was embroiled in a heated rivalry with Lewis HamiltonCredit: Getty
      The Brit has been struggling to rediscover his old form this season and that has led the Dutch star fighting it out with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for the top spot.
      Horner believes there is a “mutual respect” between his driver and Leclerc because they have known each other since they were kids.
      The Red Bull team principal claims he cannot recall Hamilton ever recognising Verstappen’s ability.
      Horner told Beyond the Grid: “You know, there’s a difference, there’s perhaps a different respect with Charles.
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      “They raced each other since [being] kids, and there was a mutual respect. I’ve never once ever heard Lewis recognise Max’s ability.
      “And so of course, there was just a bit more needle to it and you could feel that, and you could sense that between those two drivers.”
      However, the record shows that Mercedes driver Hamilton has indeed praised Verstappen’s skills in the past.
      In fact, the British superstar went on record in 2020 as he said the 24-year-old is “such a great talent” that is so hard to beat.
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      Hamilton previously told Sky Sports: “He’s such a great talent, he’s so fast and consistent.
      “So it’s not easy to beat this young up-and-coming champ.” More

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      F1 boss casts doubt on Daniel Ricciardo’s future as he claims sport does not need new teams despite lack of seats

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      DANIEL Ricciardo may miss out on his 11th season in Formula 1 after being dropped by McLaren for fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri.The 33 year-old, who was contracted to the team for the 2023 season, has now been left in the dark about his future.
      Oscar Piastri has been brought in to replace RicciardoCredit: Reuters
      He revealed as his exit was confirmed last month: “Following several months of discussions we have decided to terminate my contract with the team early and agree to mutually part ways at the end of this season.”
      Ricciardo, who has eight career race wins, stands 14th with 19 points on the current leaderboard, compared to teammate Lando Norris in 7th with 88 points.
      And silly season is proving to be busy, with four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel announcing his retirement, triggering Fernando Alonso’s move to Aston Martin and leaving a space free at Alpine.
      But this isn’t all good for Ricciardo, as the team is reportedly holding private tests this week with ex-F1 driver Antonio Giovinazzi and Formula E champion Nyck De Vries, who recently scored points for Williams Racing in his first ever F1 race.

      As seats become more and more valuable towards the end of the season, teams seem to favour younger, upcoming drivers.
      And in more bad news for Ricciardo, F1 boss Stefan Domenicali is standing strongly by his decision not to add any more teams to the sport.
      He admitted that adding new teams to Formula 1 is “not a priority”.
      Domenicali went on to say it would be “too crowded”, with F1 already having ten teams and 20 drivers.
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      Although in past seasons there have been more teams, most notably 12 in 2012, due to Netflix’s sensation of Drive to Survive, the sport has grown considerably in popularity and demand.
      Domenicali said: “Adding one or two [teams], you may open up some driving seats. But we need to also have the right dimension in what is successful for the sport.”
      Micheal Andretti is keen to bring another US team to the track, but even if the £176m starting fee is paid, the final say comes down to the FIA.
      The F1 boss states his opinion is settled on “having a vision for the future”.
      However, the boss was also sympathetic to Ricciardo, calling him “a great driver” and hoping “he can find his place”. More

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      Proud uncle Lewis Hamilton shares sweet pics with niece & nephew as F1 star picks them up from school and watches Disney

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      SIR LEWIS HAMILTON has enjoyed some well-deserved time away from Formula One with his family this week.The seven-time world champion gushed over his niece and nephew as he picked them up from school on Tuesday.
      Hamilton spent Tuesday afternoon with his niece and nephew after picking them up from schoolCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      The seven-time world champion shared some sweet pictures on InstagramCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      He cuddled up to his niece and nephew as they watched Buzz LightyearCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      He took to Instagram to share some adorable pictures of the two youngsters after spending the afternoon with them.
      The caption of the post read: “Picked my niece and nephew up from school, hugged them tight, watched Buzz Lightyear.
      “Best days. So proud of them.”
      Hamilton was knighted by King Charles III last year, meaning he is now officially a Sir.
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      But, he recently revealed that his niece and nephew are the only members of his family who refer to him by his title.
      When speaking on Good Morning America in May, he said: “I don’t make anybody call me, Sir. My niece and nephew call me ‘Sir Uncle’.
      “It’s a huge privilege in the UK. But I don’t really notice it too often.”
      Hamilton regularly spends time with his family when he’s not competing on track.
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      He is set to travel to South East Asia this week for the Singapore Grand Prix.
      The Mercedes man is still pushing to secure his first win of the season after a disastrous start.
      He came close in Zandvoort two weeks ago, but he slipped out of the podium positions with just a few laps of the race remaining.
      And he recently admitted that he fears Mercedes will not be able to top the podium this season.
      Hamilton said: “We have to be realistic. That Red Bull is almost unbeatable. It’s going to take some real doing to beat that car.
      “Performance-wise we have not caught them, and we don’t have upgrades coming to enable us to overtake them. So it’s going to take some fortune going our way to win.
      “It’s not impossible, because we could have beaten them in Budapest.
      “But Max [Verstappen] is generally chilled at the front, so you can never tell their true pace.”
      He hugged his niece as they watched a Disney movieCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      Hamilton and his nieceCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk More

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      F1 confirm Las Vegas Grand Prix and record 24-race calendar for 2023 as Chinese Grand Prix returns

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      FORMULA 1 has announced a record-breaking calendar for the 2023 season with a staggering 24 RACES pencilled in. By comparison this year’s calendar contains just 22 races.
      Las Vegas has been confirmed to be on the F1 calendar for 2023Credit: Getty

      Next year’s calendar will also see the return of the Chinese Grand Prix.
      China’s Shanghai circuit has not been raced at since 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
      It means Lewis Hamilton and Co will face the toughest physical tests of their career with an unprecedented number of races.
      Qatar will also make its return after debuting in 2021.
      READ MORE ON F1
      However, this means France has dropped out of the calendar.
      The season will begin on March 5 with the Bahrain Grand Prix.
      Britain’s Silverstone Grand Prix has been scheduled for raceweek 12 on July 9.
      The returning Chinese Grand Prix will resume its early slot in the calendar on April 16, while Qatar will take place in early October.
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      Debut track Vegas will make its bow in the penultimate race of the season, and oddly will take place on Saturday evening rather than the usual Sunday.
      The season finale will once again be held at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with this taking place on November 26.
      2022 was due to see its own record-breaking calendar season, but following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine the Sochi circuit was dropped from the calendar.
      The 2023 season will end with the Abu Dhabi circuit once again, where Max Verstappen controversially pipped Lewis Hamilton to the title in 2021Credit: Getty
      Despite the tighter scheduling of the calendar, only two triple headers will commence throughout the calendar, with the first of these coming between late May to early June and then late October to early November.
      Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1 said: “We are very pleased with the strong momentum Formula 1 continues to experience and it is great news that we will be able to bring our passionate fans a mix of exciting new locations such as Las Vegas to the Championship with much loved venues across Europe, Asia and the Americas.”
      FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem added: “The presence of 24 races on the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship calendar is further evidence of the growth and appeal of the sport on a global scale.
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      “The addition of new venues and the retention of traditional events underlines the FIA’s sound stewardship of the sport.”
      Reports had hinted at the inclusion of a race in South Africa for the 2023 season, but this has not been included. More

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      Nyck de Vries holds talks with Red Bull chief and looks set to join F1 for 2023 season amid major shake-up

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      NYCK DE VRIES could get a proper crack at Formula One next season after his recent rise to prominence.The Dutch ace put in an impressive F1 debut display as a late sub for Williams at this month’s Italian Grand Prix.
      Nyck de Vries raced for Williams at this month’s Italian Grand PrixCredit: Rex
      The 27-year-old filled in for unwell Alex Albon and finished ninth.
      His display at Monza prompted huge praise from seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and reigning champ Max Verstappen.
      Now the former F2 and Formula E titles winner looks ready to step up from reserve duties at Mercedes next year.
      Unsurprisingly he has been linked with Williams after securing their joint-best result of the season in Italy.
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      Renault’s rebranded Alpine team are also said to be keen as they consider their options for a vacant seat.
      And now German publication Motorsport-Total report Red Bull are keen to add him to their stable.
      De Vries is seen as a good option to replace Pierre Gasly at Red Bull’s sister team, AlphaTauri.
      French star Gasly, 26, has been linked with a move to Alpine.
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      De Vries has revealed he has already met with Red Bull’s adviser and driver transfer specialist Helmut Marko to discuss his options.
      Alpine’s search has been sparked in part by veteran Fernando Alonso’s departure to Aston Martin for the 2023 campaign.
      The two-time world champion, 41, is joining on a multi-year contract as a replacement for Sebastian Vettel, 35, who is retiring at the end of the season. More

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      Mick Schumacher at risk of being axed from F1 with six races left on deal and Haas boss saying he ‘lacks consistency’

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      MICK SCHUMACHER’S Haas future is in doubt after team principal Guenther Steiner claimed he “lacks consistency”.They are words the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher would not want to hear with just six races left to run on his current deal with the Ferrari Driver Academy.
      Mick Schumacher could leave Haas at the end of the seasonCredit: Getty
      Guenther Steiner says Schumacher “lacks consistency”Credit: Getty
      Schumacher has picked up a measly 12 points this season, and has been outperformed on the track by Kevin Magnussen on the Dane’s return to the team after Russian Nikita Mazepin was axed.
      Reports claim Schumacher is set to leave at the end of the year.
      At 23-years-old the German driver is still young, and he did impress when taking P6 in Austria and P8 at Silverstone earlier this year.
      But other than that his results have been disappointing, and team chief Steiner has confirmed there is still a seat up for grabs at Haas.
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      When asked who will partner Magnussen next season, Steiner told speedweek.com: “That hasn’t been decided yet.
      “We are considering what is best for the development of the team. Are we just looking at the technology or the driving element as well?
      “I’ll be honest, we don’t know if Mick will stay or not. He has delivered very good races in Canada, Britain and Austria.
      “But he lacks consistency – he would have to deliver strong performances more often.
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      “We are not in a hurry regarding the driver question and Mick still has chances to show what he can do.”
      But with just six races of the campaign left to go, Schumacher is running out of time to impress his boss.
      Steiner has admitted he has “spoken” to other drivers about potentially replacing Schumacher, with outgoing McLaren ace Daniel Ricciardo a possible option.
      Nico Hulkenberg has also recently been linked with a return to F1.
      Steiner added: “I’ve spoken to most of the drivers in question, that’s my job.
      “There is nothing concrete yet. In any case, we only want to take the smallest risk for the development of the team. You can take a big risk, which is great if it works out but bad if it doesn’t.
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      “There is nobody on the market from those (experienced drivers) who are currently driving.
      “Except Danny [Ricciardo] maybe. His form is not great at the moment and we don’t know what he will do. Maybe he will take a year off. I’m talking to everybody, as I said.” More

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      ‘Ready for Singapore’ – Alex Albon breaks silence after respiratory failure ordeal as Williams star eyes rapid F1 return

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      FORMULA ONE ace Alex Albon is hoping to be fit for the Singapore GP following his respiratory failure scare.The Williams driver, 26, was rushed into intensive care last Saturday in Monza ahead of the Italian GP.
      Alex Albon has broken his silence after suffering from respiratory failureCredit: https://twitter.com/alex_albon
      Albon spent last Saturday night in intensive careCredit: Getty
      Albon was diagnosed with appendicitis on Saturday morning, but after complications during surgery he suffered respiratory failure.
      The Thai-British driver spent the night on a ventilator before being transferred to a general ward on Sunday morning, and discharged on Tuesday.
      Now Albon has broken his silence on the terrifying ordeal, and revealed he plans to be back behind the wheel in time for the Singapore GP at the start of October.
      In a video statement posted to Twitter, Albon thanked doctors at the San Gerardo hospital in Monza for doing an “amazing job” treating him.
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      He said: “I feel pretty good. I feel OK. Obviously on Saturday I had a slight issue and the doctors did an amazing job and I’m very grateful that they got me in good health and out of the hospital by Tuesday.
      “So I’ve been in Monaco since then, I’ve been starting to walk around and the goal is to be ready for Singapore, which is going to be tough.
      “It’s one of the toughest races that we go to so it’s not an easy one. But let’s aim high and see what happens.”
      Albon also thanked F1 fans for the messages of support he received while in hospital.
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      He added: “And just a quick message to say thank you for all the kind messages, I’ve been reading them all, or as many as I can. And yes it means a lot.
      “So thanks, hopefully see you in Singapore, and peace out.”
      Albon was replaced for last weekend’s race in Monza by Nick de Vries, with the Dutchman finishing an impressive P9.
      Albon’s best result this season was also P9 at the Miami GP back in May.
      He joined Williams earlier this year, replacing George Russell who left to link up with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.
      Nick de Vries raced in Albon’s place last weekendCredit: Splash More

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      What do F1 tyre colours mean and how much do they cost?

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      IF you ever watch a Formula One race, you will undoubtedly hear the commentator talk about tyres.We don’t really consider just how important they are on our road cars.
      There are five types of tyres available to F1 teams and they use three of the five on race weekendsCredit: Getty
      But in racing the performance of the tyre is crucial, after all, it is the only thing connecting the driver and his F1 car from the ground.
      Unlike other championships, there is just a single tyre supplier in F1 – Pirelli – who are paid by the teams to supply tyres for the season.
      Here SunSport looks into the F1’s world of rubber and answers some of the key questions.
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      What are the five types of different Formula One tyres?
      Pirelli produce five different types of tyre.
      Three variations of the slick tyre, one set of intermediate tyres and a set of wet.
      The slicks offer the quickest lap times where as the intermediate tyres are used on a drying track or when there is light rain in parts of the track.
      Wets are obviously used in the rain but the profile is designed not only to maintain grip, but also to dispel the standing water from the track.
      What do the colours on this side of the tyre mean?
      Fortunately, we are able to identify what tyres a driver is using by the coloured bands around the side of the tyre wall.
      Red indicates the softest tyre.
      Yellow is the medium and white for the hard tyres.
      Green is the banding on the intermediates and blue for wets.
      The tyres are colour coded so fans and commentators can easily spot which tyre choice the teams have gone with during a raceCredit: Getty
      Why do they use soft, medium or hard?
      Here is where some of the confusion starts.
      While Pirelli bring three sets of slick tyres (soft, medium and hard) to each race, the actual compound differs from track to track.
      There are five different compounds, called C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5.
      C1 is the harder compound and will last longer, they are used in high-speed tracks such as Silverstone and Suzuka that take a lot of energy out of the tyre life.
      The C5 compounds are the softest variety and offer the stickiest rubber, used for street circuits like Monaco where high grip is vital.
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      How many tyres can one driver use over the weekend?
      During a race weekend, each driver is allocated 13 sets of dry tyres to last the whole race weekend, however, most are handed back after the practice sessions.
      Teams have to run the tyres at the pressures ordered by Pirelli to preserve the tyre’s safety.
      If a driver makes it into the top 10 on the grid in qualifying, the driver must start the race on that exact set he set his best lap time in Q2.
      Drivers outside the top 10 on the grid have a free choice on which tyres they start the race.
      F1 rules for a dry F1 race require each driver to use at least two different compounds, so either a hard and soft for instance.
      This not only forces them to make at least one pit stop, but also creates a fascinating strategy as teams try to work out the quickest route to the finishing line.
      So a driver may start the race on the quicker, but less durable, soft tyres but then pits for the slower but durable hard tyre.
      A rival could opt for three pit stops, starting on the soft then swapping to the medium tyre before taking another new soft tyre for quicker speeds at the end of the race when the car is also light on fuel.
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      What happens with the old tyres?
      Every tyre goes back to Pirelli and is checked at their factories in Italy or Turkey for any defects.
      The tyres are then ground up and used in building construction.
      How much do F1 tyres cost?
      The teams effectively rent the tyres off Pirelli, which costs around £4.4million or $5m a year.
      Each team is allowed to use 13 sets of tyres per grand prix weekend.
      The price of an individual tyre is around £2,300 or $2,700 each, and that means a team would spend about £30,700 per grand prix weekend, or $35,000. More