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      FIA President Ben Sulayem GIVES UP ‘hands-on control’ of F1 and faces fight to stay in office after controversies

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      FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has given up his hands-on-control of Formula One following several controversies. The 61-year-old now reportedly faces a battle to remain in his position.
      Mohammed Ben Sulayem is giving up with hands-on approach to his presidencyCredit: PA
      Ben Sulayem made the unexpected announcement via a letter he sent to team chiefs earlier this week.
      The Daily Mail claim that he remains in his position as one of the most powerful people in motorsport but he is taking a step back following criticism from allies.
      The former rally champion from the United Arab Emirates always planned to take a backseat as chief.
      However, he was often in the public eye during last season, handing out trophies on the podium and mingling with drivers on the starting grid.
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      Ben Sulayem’s letter read: “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.”
      His decision comes after much disapproval and seeing his popularity decrease amongst some in recent weeks.
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      Sexist comments made by him on a website in 2001 have resurfaced where he claimed that “women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth”.
      The FIA jumped to his defence, saying the remarks did not represent his true beliefs.
      There has also been a controversy over a potential sale of the sport to Saudi Arabian investors.
      F1 executives slammed Ben Sulayem for speaking out on the deal, which has supposedly further damaged the wedge between current owners Liberty Media and the FIA.
      And during the off-season, he demanded drivers stay silent on social issues and not “impose their beliefs” on others.
      Lewis Hamilton will refuse to remain quiet. More

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      Who is World Superbike legend Carl Fogarty?

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      CARL FOGARTY is a World Superbike legend who took the sport by form – and he ironically goes by the nickname of “Foggy”.The MBE has earned multiple awards for holding the second highest number of race wins ever.
      Carl Fogarty is World Superbike legendCredit: Jayne Russell – The Sun
      And Carl’s name will once again be on the lips of many as his daughter Claudia is set to enter the Love Island villa in South Africa.
      Find out more about Carl Fogarty below…
      Who is Carl Fogarty?
      Born on July 1, 1965, Carl Fogarty was raised by former World Superbike father George in Blackburn, England.
      Backed by his funding father, Carl enjoyed riding bikes from a young age but his competitive debut did not come until 14.
      Foggy soon progressed on to the international stage before becoming the Formula 1 TT world champions at just 23.
      And his name began to hit the headlines having achieved a double Isle of Man race triumph alongside winning the world cup – something which not even his father had achieved.
      In 1991, Carl got a shot at his first World Superbike Championship representing Honda UK where he finished seventh overall.
      But two years later, Fogarty began his Ducati riding era which led to a famous first 1994 World Superbike Championship win for the Englishman.
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      Fogarty went on to secure a staggering 59 race wins, bagging four world titles and becoming a Member of the Order of the British Empire before retiring in 2000.
      Is Carl Fogarty married and does he have children?
      Carl Fogarty has been married to wife Michaela since 1991 and they live in Lyntham St.Annes, Lancashire.
      The lovebirds have two daughters together – Danielle and Claudia.
      Claudia will be featuring on Love Island 2023.
      What does Carl Fogarty do now?
      Carl founded the Foggy Petronas team in the World Superbike Championship in 2002 – the same year Ducati released a limited edition model in honour of the racing legend.
      Carl Fogarty became King of the Jungle on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!Credit: Jayne Russell – The Sun
      However, the Foggy Petronas was scrapped in 2006 after it was labelled as not competitive.
      But in 2014, Carl’s name was on the lips of many once again as the World Superbike serial winner won the fourteenth series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! More

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      ‘It was exhausting’ – Lewis Hamilton’s rivalry with Valtteri Bottas drove Mercedes star to the edge

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      VALTERRI BOTTAS has opened up about the five seasons he spent as Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate at Mercedes. The Finnish driver admitted he found the desperation to beat the seven-time world champion to a title “exhausting”.
      Valterri Bottas has conceded that competing with Lewis Hamilton was toughCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Bottas, 33, joined Mercedes for the 2017 season to replace Nico Rosberg, who retired after beating Hamilton a year earlier.
      The driver, now with Alfa Romeo, finished second and third two times each in the F1 standings behind Hamilton.
      He told journalist Maria Veitola it was tough to come to terms with the fact the Brit was better than him.
      Bottas said: “For such a competitive nature, it was hard to accept.
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      “It was only in the last year that I could accept that Lewis Hamilton was a better driver.
      “I always wondered how I could beat him and win the world championship.
      “It was quite an exhausting five years. I wanted to win everything right away, and then when it didn’t happen, it was hard to accept.”
      Mercedes chief Toto Wolff previously said he thought it was correct to let Bottas go at the end of the 2021 season.
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      Wolff said: “I think that it was a good moment for Valtteri to leave the team because the pressure was enormous on him and he didn’t want to be a wingman.
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      “I think having released him from that pressure, now he’s racing with Alfa, it is completely different and he seems also happier rather than this pressure cooker at Mercedes.”
      Bottas also recently opened up about suffering with an eating disorder earlier in his career.
      He was in a slower car last season with the Italian constructors and finished 10th in last term’s standings.
      Hamilton is now partnered by George Russell at Mercedes. More

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      Incredible moment rally driver crashes after female fan flashes boobs during race as racer admits he was ‘distracted’

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      A RALLY driver has incredibly revealed he crashed after being “distracted” by a female fan who FLASHED her boobs during a race.Viktor Osmanov was driving for Tula in the Petrovskaya Versta competition when the incident occurred.
      The rally car fan pulled her top up and flashed the Russian driver
      The boob flash drew laughs from the nearby crowd
      Viktor Osmanov was driving for Tula in the Petrovskaya Versta competition when he got distracted, losing vital seconds
      The rally driver was gunning for a first-placed finish but lost concentration during the Russian rally in Rostov when a female fan lifted her top.
      Footage shows the woman lifting her T-shirt over her head, exposing her bra.
      Osmanov then incredibly drove into a snowy ditch.
      Spectators laughed – but the stunt cost the Tula team a higher finish.
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      The lost seconds saw Tula finished third, instead of second, taken by Yaroslavl, or even first, where Moscow finished.
      Lada Samara-driving Osmanov confessed: “This one was unexpected.
      “I saw her and I failed to turn my corner.
      “If she had only come up later, we would have laughed together. But no-one took offence at her.”
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      The motorsport driver also admitted that fans flashing at rallies is common.
      Osmanov continued: “Such tricks are often made by fans.
      “I’ve seen naked men and girls waving their bras.”
      Viktor Osmanov (right) says fans often pull flashing stuntsCredit: Instagram More

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      ‘We can get better’ – Max Verstappen fires warning to F1 rival Lewis Hamilton as they prepare to battle it out again

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN is ready to lock horns again with Lewis Hamilton after Red Bull launched their new car for the upcoming F1 season.The world champions have also announced an engine partnership with Ford, which will start in 2026.
      Max Verstappen has warned Lewis Hamilton he intends to win another F1 title this yearCredit: Getty
      Verstappen beat Hamilton to the title in 2021 in controversial circumstances before defending his crown last season, and says he has no hard feelings towards the Brit.
      When quizzed if he was hopeful of another exciting F1 battle with Hamilton, he said: “In the interests of the sport, you always want the teams to be super close.
      “I do think that it was already quite close last year but as a team we executed a lot of things better than the others. That’s why I guess the points gap was so big.
      “I would still say we can do better, because in qualifying most of the time we were not even the quickest car.
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      “But for the sport, you know the general interest of course, everyone wants to have a title battle with multiple teams involved.
      “And I have no issue with anyone. I mean, all the drivers also had that dinner in Abu Dhabi. We had a laugh with everyone, we all had a good time, so that’s all okay.”
      Ford’s return to F1 after more that 22 years is a big boost to Red Bull and will provide expertise and resource as the Milton Keynes team build their own engines from 2026.
      Red Bull boss Christian Horner added: “We looked strategically at what would be the best partnership for 2026 onwards.
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      “We’ve enjoyed an incredible relationship with Honda and that relationship runs for the next three years.
      “But as we bought the power unit in house, producing and designing the power unit within Milton Keynes, it is important to align ourselves with an original equipment manufacturer that was going to support and complement that.
      “It was a very swift discussion. Their objectives were very similar to ours. 
      “They’re obviously looking to come back into Formula One, investing massively in the electric vehicle side of the business, and so that gives us the ability to draw on their expertise.” More

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      Max Verstappen opens up on Netflix U-turn as F1 champ is set to star in Drive to Survive

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      FORMULA ONE champion Max Verstappen decided to appear on Netflix’s Drive to Survive series after holding talks with producers.Verstappen will star in the fifth season, which will be released on February 24 and will focus on the star’s dominant 2022 season.
      Max Verstappen will star on Netflix’s new season Drive to SurviveCredit: AP
      Max Verstappen held talks with Netflix bosses before changing his mindCredit: Reuters
      The Dutch star previously refused to participate in the filming because he claimed it gives a false portrayal of what goes on behind the scenes in F1.
      However, the 25-year-old held talks with the creators and was satisfied with how they addressed his concerns before making his U-turn.
      Verstappen said: “I always wanted to be part of it but said it needs to be a realistic image of how I am.
      “That’s why we needed to talk about it first and they understood my side of it, and I understand in general that when you create a show there needs to be drama and it needs to be exciting.
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      “But I’m a guy who thinks it’s also important that you are portrayed well, and not start to have comments put under different footage, when it didn’t happen like that.
      “So I explained that was my view and that otherwise I didn’t want to be a part of it.
      “They understood, so we’ll see once it comes out what they made of it.
      “But I’m positive, of course, because I know it’s important for Formula 1.
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      “I just focus on my job and I know the media is a part of it. You deal with it and grow up as a person, in racing and in life personally.
      “When that happens, you can probably deal with stuff easier than five or six years ago.”
      The new season will air on Netflix just before the Bahrain Grand Prix, which will open the 2023 season. More

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      Watch reporter get F1 star Daniel Ricciardo’s name horribly wrong at Red Bull car launch

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      A RED BULL launch took place in New York last night ahead of the 2023 Formula One season.But co-host Giselle Zarur was left with egg on her face after she pronounced Daniel Ricciardo’s name horribly wrong live on Sky Sports.
      Giselle Zarur mispronounced Daniel Ricciardo’s name live on Sky SportsCredit: Twitter
      With the Aussie standing there ready to be interviewed, she welcomed him to his new team.
      But Giselle made an almighty error.
      She said: “Welcome one of the friendliest drivers in the F1 grid, Daniel Retardo, to Oracle Reb Bull Racing.”
      Giselle didn’t realise her mistake, while Ricciardo stood there awkwardly as she continued to speak.
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      And fans on social media couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
      One said: “I was wondering who else noticed that🙈.”
      A second said: “Just terrible.”
      A third chimed in with: “The announcer just called Danny Ric Daniel Retardo I can’t 😭 #RB19.”
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      Another said: “She really just called him Daniel Retardo…. 🏎️.”
      The new F1 season gets underway in just under a month with the Bahrain Grand Prix getting things up and running in early March.
      Riccardo is Red Bull’s new signing after joining from McLaren.
      And he’ll compete alongside Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez as Red Bull look to retain their Constructors’ Championship standings title following their comfortable victory in 2022. More

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      Specsavers joins fans in brutally trolling Red Bull as F1 champions reveal Max Verstappen’s new car for 2023 season

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      SPECSAVERS joined F1 fans in poking fun at Red Bull after the world champions unveiled their new car. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez will take to the track in the new RB19 later this month as Formula One returns for pre-season testing.
      The RB19 car was unveiled in all its glory today – but fans got a sense of deja vuCredit: AFP
      Specsavers summed up the feelings of many underwhelmed race fans
      Fans were quick to use a meme from the US Office to compare Red Bull’s 2022 and 2023 car designs
      But motorsport fans could not help but notice the striking resemblance that the Red Bull’s ‘new’ livery had to last year’s design, despite a huge online build-up by the drinks brand.
      Keeping with tradition, the manufacturers did not tweak much on the colour template with dark blue covering most of the car.
      Specsavers were among the first to point out the similarities as fans jokingly reflected on Red Bull’s predictable design after their launch today in America.
      One said: “For some reason, I dream of a new livery every year, and ever year I’m let down.”
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      Another said: “Massive credit to the designers, really pushed the boat out this year.”
      And a third fan said: “Social media manager uploaded the 2022 car.”
      While the reveal may have been underwhelming for some fans, there was some more notable aspects of the announcement.
      Red Bull became the first F1 team to launch a car in the US, with American race fans getting a chance to glimpse two-time world champion Verstappen.
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      The constructors also announced that they will be running a competition for fans to design a special livery for the three US races – Miami, Austin and Las Vegas – on the calendar this year.
      Red Bull and Verstappen ran away with the championship last year but fans will be hoping competition will be closer this season.
      Ferrari have made changes to their heavily-criticised operation while Mercedes will hope to improve on last year’s imperfect car. More