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    Lewis Hamilton’s new secret weapon revealed as F1 icon snoozes in £2,000 ‘stethoscope’ BED in bid to end nightmare year

    LEWIS HAMILTON has a secret weapon as he bids to end his nightmare season — a revolutionary high-tech BED.State-of-the-art sensors in the £2,100 smart mattress cover monitor his heart rate, respiration, movement and regulate body temperature to improve sleep, all aiding recovery and fitness.
    Lewis Hamilton will hope his new bed helps him to a first Grand Prix win of the seasonCredit: Reuters
    George Russell with his performance coach Aleix CasanovasCredit: Instagram @aleixcasanovasperformance
    Matteo Franceschetti is the co-founder and CEO of Eight SleepCredit: Handout
    Mercedes team doctor Luke Bennett is responsible for getting drivers up to peak performanceCredit: Handout
    Hamilton and Mercedes team-mate George Russell are snoozing on the ‘pod’ — designed by a US ‘sleep fitness’ company — in their bed-vrooms to avoid being caught napping on the track.
    It is the brainchild of Miami-based Eight Sleep and the company’s co-founder, ex-skier Matteo Franceschetti, claims it is like “sleeping on a stethoscope” because of its health advantages.
    Merc boss Toto Wolff said: “Our team is made up of over 2,000 people, all of whom perform at their peak every day in a sport where every single detail matters.
    “To achieve the level of performance required, we are relentless in exploring all possible optimisations, including sleep.”
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    Britain’s seven-time world champ Hamilton, 37, has won a GP in EVERY season he has competed in F 1 but has yet to break his duck this term.
    However, Merc’s mechanics have dramatically improved the “undriveable” porpoising car that nearly destroyed his back to give him a chance of a victory in the remaining six races.
    And Mercedes hope the Eight Sleep technology will give their drivers the edge at this weekend’s Singapore GP.
    Russell, 24, has already seen an improvement in his fitness from using the pod.
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    The Brit’s performance coach, Aleix Casanovas, said: “Sleep is one of the most important factors for performance, especially for us.
    “We travel so much, changing time zones. Since George started using Eight Sleep, his heart rate variability has gone up and heart rate has gone down, which I’m pleased to see.
    “We can push him more in training when he sleeps well.”
    Italian Franceschetti, who also raced cars, claims his bed is the ultimate sleep fitness machine, with trials showing users experienced up to a 32 per cent improvement in sleep quality and 19 per cent increase in recovery.
    It is used by more than 200 elite athletes worldwide, including Chelsea star Trevoh Chalobah, Scotland’s world’s strongest man Tom Stoltman, and a host of American football and basketball players.
    The San Francisco 49ers NFL team used the equipment at their pre-season training camp.
    It’s like sleeping on a stethoscope,Matteo Franceschetti
    This weekend’s race is followed, seven days later, by the Japanese GP. Mercedes doctor Luke Bennett insists these back-to-back fly-aways are “the most brutal on the calendar”.
    He has worked with over 30 F 1 drivers and advises on sleep timings, sunglasses wear, melatonin supplements and even on which side of the plane to sit to combat the “unique physiological stresses” of the next two GPs.
    Bennett has used the pod himself and insists it helps reduce effects of jet lag.
    He said: “Sleep is massively important, not just for the drivers but the whole team.”
    Casanovas added: “F 1 requires high fitness and cognitive levels and sleep is so important for the brain and the nervous system.
    “That’s why Eight Sleep is such a great device.”
    Franceschetti claims his bed has bettered the drivers’ reaction times, mental clarity, cognitive performance, even reducing stress.
    He even insists the bed will be able to save lives in the future.
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    Franceschetti explained: “In five years we think our technology could provide a full-body scan — like having an MRI scan at home while you sleep.”
    Hamilton and Russell hope they will leave their rivals dozing this weekend. More

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    F1 Singapore Grand Prix: Date, UK start time, TV channel, live stream for HUGE Marina Bay Street Circuit race

    BRACE yourselves Formula One fans as the Singapore Grand Prix is making its long-awaited return – and the title race could be all but over.Covid restrictions forced F1 chiefs to make a logistical decision in cancelling both the 2020 and 2021 races at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
    Max Verstappen clinched victory at the Italian GPCredit: Reuters
    Lewis Hamilton has struggled all season and is yet to win a race in 2022Credit: Alamy
    But there’s no stopping the racers this time, especially Max Verstappen who is closing in on a second consecutive championship triumph.
    Charles Leclerc still has an outside chance of snatching the title despite trailing Verstappen by 116 points.
    However, Mercedes are having a nightmare of a season as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are still chasing their first win of 2022.
    When is the Singapore Grand Prix?

    The Singapore Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 2.
    It is expected to get underway from 1pm UK time – 8pm local time.
    Marina Bay Street Circuit in Marina Bay, Singapore will be the allocated track for this race and it can host a whopping 90,000 supporters.
    Sebastian Vettel clinched first place on the podium when this race last happened in 2019.

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    Is the Singapore Grand Prix on TV and can I live stream it?

    The Singapore Grand Prix will be broadcasted LIVE on Sky Sports F1.
    Subscription members of Sky Sports can stream the entire action on the Sky Go app or Sky Sports website.
    Or the race will be available to NOW TV users via all mobile devices and tablets.

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    What is the Singapore Grand Prix FULL schedule?
    Friday September 30

    Practice One – 11am BST
    Practice Two – 2pm BST

    Saturday October 1

    Practice Three – 11am BST
    Qualifying – 2pm BST

    Sunday October 2

    Race – 1pm BST More

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    Fans all say the same thing as McLaren unveil colourful new ‘Future Mode’ livery and ‘cyberpunk’ Ricciardo and Norris

    FORMULA ONE fans love the look of McLaren’s colourful new livery for the next two races.The F1 giants unveiled their tweaked Future Mode car that will take to the tracks at the Singapore and Japanese Grands Prix as part of their deal with team sponsor OKX.
    McLaren unveiled their new colourful Future Mode livery model
    Fans praised McLaren for their new car ahead of the upcoming Grand Prix racesCredit: McLaren
    McLaren will show off their new car in the Singapore and Japanese racesCredit: McLaren
    The model will feature neon pink elements and cyberpunk-inspired engine illustrations alongside its traditional orange papaya colours.
    Fans took to social media to express their amazement with the new car that will soon be driven by both Daniel Ricciardo and British star Lando Norris.
    One F1 supporter tweeted: “Sexy.”
    Another posted: “A car that only looks good, everything else in shambles!”
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    A third wrote: “You can just taste the freshness.”
    This fan said: “Best livery in this year.”
    And that fan tweeted: “The only thing Mclaren could ace.”
    McLaren CEO Zak Brown is excited to have this car race in the next two GPs as part of an initiative to “break boundaries”.
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    Brown said: “We’re excited to celebrate our partnership with OKX through this bold and vibrant livery for the upcoming races in Asia.
    “McLaren and OKX are united in driving ahead and constantly striving to break boundaries, and the Future Mode campaign is an opportunity to champion these values together on our global stage.
    “It’s fantastic to be returning to race in Singapore and Japan, and these incredible circuits provide a fitting backdrop for us to celebrate our partnership vision together.” More

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    F1’s Valtteri Bottas sits naked in sauna with reindeer hat as Lewis Hamilton’s ex-team-mate prepares for Singapore GP

    FORMULA ONE star Valtteri Bottas has found a unique way to prepare for the Singapore Grand Prix.Bottas, 33, has been gearing up for Sunday’s race by sitting in a sauna naked with nothing but a reindeer hat on.

    Valtteri Bottas posed naked inside a sauna with nothing but a reindeer hat onCredit: INSTAGRAM / BOTTAS
    Valtteri Bottas has found extreme ways to prepare for big Formula One racesCredit: INSTAGRAM / BOTTAS
    The Alfa Romeo driver shared a clip on Instagram showing him setting the temperature to 100 degrees Celsius and watering the coal.
    Bottas said: “Singapore prep for some. Finnish daily ritual for us.”
    The Finnish star also issued the following caption: “Some call it heat training but for others it’s just a daily ritual.”
    This is not the first time Bottas has found an extreme way to prepare for a big race.
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    The star driver did the same thing in May when he swum in the ice-cold waters of Aspen.
    Bottas has been enjoying a new lease of life ever since he left Mercedes for Alfa Romeo earlier this year.
    The 33-year-old revealed he almost quit F1 in 2018 while team-mates with Sir Lewis Hamilton.
    Bottas said: “At the end of 2018, I almost stopped, it was so close.
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    “Just because of the fact that I couldn’t understand and take the fact that I couldn’t beat Lewis in those two years.
    “I put so much pressure on myself. Towards the end of 2018, especially when I started to have the support role in the team, I really couldn’t take it, I really struggled. It was not fun.
    “The last four or five races of 2018 were more painful because you should enjoy F1 and it is pretty cool, but it wasn’t that at all.
    “So I had a good break between the two seasons and really had to think things through.” More

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    Ben Hunt: Max Verstappen’s rivals may have faltered… but he has been BRILLIANT on relentless charge to second F1 title

    MAX VERSTAPPEN can wrap up the Formula One title this weekend at the Singapore Grand Prix – and there would still be five races to go, plus a sprint race in Brazil.Sure, last year’s title was decided under a cloud in Abu Dhabi – the outcome we know was botched by the former race director, Michael Masi.
    Max Verstappen can win the F1 Championship in Singapore this weekendCredit: Splash
    But there is no disputing Verstappen’s second title, for there have been moments of brilliance and skill, while Red Bull have been faultless.
    To use a football analogy. If Verstappen’s win in Abu Dhabi was F1’s equivalent to the ‘Hand of God’ goal – when Diego Maradona punched the ball past Peter Shilton in the 1986 World Cup quarter finals, then this year is surely like Maradona’s ‘Goal of the Century’ – his second goal where he dribbled past six England players, including Terry Butcher twice, before firing past Shilton for a second.
    Verstappen can win the title if he outscores Charles Leclerc by 22 points, Sergio Perez by 13 and George Russell by six in Singapore.
    If he were to do it there, it would be the earliest coronation in 20 years, and the second earliest in F1 history.
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    The biggest question is perhaps how has he managed to do so, in this new era with F1 cars supposed to be capable of racing much closer together.
    The answer is four-fold. Firstly, his rivals have all faltered, especially Ferrari who built the quickest car.
    Don’t agree? Well, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have taken 10 poles between them on the Saturday qualifying sessions when cars run at their top speeds.
    Verstappen ‘only’ has four and his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez has just one. Mercedes’s George Russell also has one.
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    Secondly, Lewis Hamilton – the only driver able to match Verstappen for talent – has not been in the running.
    It is increasingly looking like the Brit will end the season winless for the first time in his 16-year F1 career and the forensic examination into this season will require time to establish what has gone wrong.
    Thirdly, and fourthly, Red Bull and Verstappen have both been excellent. Consistency, decision-making and hardly making any mistakes have been the key to the team’s success this year.
    While the moaning about Abu Dhabi continues (and it definitely does on Twitter), there can be no debate about the outcome of this year’s championship, Verstappen has been brilliant.

    Silverstone review
    British GP bosses have apologised for the ticketing fiasco for the 2023 race.
    Fans were faced with surge pricing when the new ticketing system went online, as prices increased with demand.
    Tickets shifted so quickly as the same volume that took five months to sell last year were sold in just two days.
    Silverstone managing director, Stuart Pringle, has promised “a root and branch review” but that is no comfort for those fans who look set to miss out.

    Big step for Asia
    Singapore’s return to the F1 schedule marks a crucial step for the sport in Asia.
    The night race at the Marina Bay Circuit is the first in Asia since the Covid-19 pandemic.
    And I am expecting plenty of business activity in the paddock while teams will be updating liveries and sponsors as the weekend progresses.

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    Quartararo concern
    Could Fabio Quartararo be having a wobble?
    The MotoGP champ has seen his advantage in the title race sliced to just 18 points.
    Perhaps more worrying for his Yamaha team is his comment that he says he’s “not enjoying riding a bike in a race for a long time”. More

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    Stunning boxing ring girl Kayleigh Debono works on Silverstone grid just hours after Joe Joyce’s win over Joseph Parker

    STUNNING boxing ring girl Kayleigh Debono worked at Silverstone for the British Touring Car Championship just hours after being inside the Manchester Arena for Joe Joyce vs Joseph Parker.Debono was ring girl for Joyce’s 11th round knockout win over Parker on Saturday.
    Debono (back right) worked at Silverstone on Sunday for the BTCCCredit: Instagram
    Just hours before, Debono was at the Manchester Arena for Joyce vs Parker, where she was a ring girlCredit: Instagram
    Debono worked at Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte earlier this yearCredit: Instagram
    Debono and her fellow ring girls are hoping to work Tyson Fury’s next fight, which could be against Anthony JoshuaCredit: Instagram
    And it’s not the first time she has been involved in a big boxing fight.
    Dobono returned to the ring after also performing ring girl duties for Tyson Fury’s fight against Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April.
    But after Saturday’s boxing, Debono was back working on a BTCC grid at Silverstone on Sunday.
    Debono is a Monster Energy Girl and shared a snap alongside fellow ring girl Antonia Salt and others.
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    The foursome rocked revealing tops and tight leather trousers.
    Toyota’s Rory Butcher went fastest in qualifying and won the first race of the weekend.
    Jake Hill, who was second in quali and race one, took race two trading places with Butcher.
    And Tom Ingram won the final race of the afternoon.
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    It was, however, a weekend to forget for seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton’s younger brother, Nick.
    The Brit DNF’d in two out of three races. More

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    Daniel Ricciardo reveals stunning girlfriend Heidi Berger ‘eliminates stress’ after F1 contract woes

    FORMULA ONE star Daniel Ricciardo has revealed that his girlfriend is helping with the stress of his contract situation with McLaren.The Aussie has had a disastrous year and he has been dropped by his team for the 2023 season and replaced by Oscar Piastri.
    Daniel Ricciardo is 14th in the F1 standings this seasonCredit: The Mega Agency
    Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he is in love with Heidi BergerCredit: https://www.instagram.com/heidiberger_/?hl=en
    Heidi Berger is the daughter of a former F1 legendCredit: https://www.instagram.com/heidiberger_/?hl=en
    Heidi Berger’s mum is model Ana CorvoCredit: Instagram
    Daniel Ricciardo stunning girlfriend is an aspiring actressCredit: Instagram
    She has attended lots of races to cheer her boyfriend onCredit: Instagram
    Berger has 88.3k followers on InstagramCredit: Instagram
    She has been helping Daniel Ricciardo deal with his contract disappointmentCredit: Instagram
    Daniel Ricciardo pictured with girlfriend Heidi BergerCredit: Instagram
    Ricciardo’s contract is up meaning he could not be on the grid next year.
    The popular 33-year-old has opened up about the situation on the Fitzy & Wippa Podcast and said how his girlfriend Heidi Berger is assisting him.
    Ricciardo was asked if he was in love and he replied: “Yeah mate, I’m in love, I got a good thing going, so yeah. I’ve got a good balance in life right now.”
    “I think love eliminates stress, yeah absolutely.
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    “I honestly don’t know yet. When I say I don’t know, like I don’t have a contract yet for next year. Could it still happen? It could.
    “I’m not getting too caught up in next year, like of course I want to race, I want to be on the grid, I want to be competing.
    “But I’m not seeing next year as all or nothing. I also think 2024 is something I need to be aware of and look at.
    “So that could be a year off but I would still very much be in the mindset of getting back on the grid for 2024.”
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    Ricciardo’s partner Berger is an aspiring actress and daughter of ex-F1 star Gerhard Berger.
    Her father won 10 Grand Prix’s meanwhile Ricciardo has been victorious on eight occasions.
    The Austrian drove for the likes of Ferrari and Ricciardo has admitted he was an idol saying: “When I was young, I mean I’ve followed F1 since I was a kid and I had a Berger hat.
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    “It’s funny, I talk about it with him. He still goes to quite a few races he still has an interest in the sport and he still does some business with it.
    “Any ex-sportsman, anyone who’s been through it — I just love speaking to them and gaining knowledge and insight through their experience there’s so much wisdom.” More

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    Watch MotoGP rider’s bike catch fire MID-RACE as home favourite Takuya Tsuda has lucky escape in Japanese GP

    MOTOGP star Takuyu Tsuda miraculously escaped unhurt after his bike caught fire at the Japanese Grand Prix.The local favourite, 38, was mid-race when the calamity unfolded.
    Team Suzuki Ecstar star Takuya Tsuda looks on as marshals put out the fire on his bikeCredit: Rex
    Tsuda’s bike was left in a sorry state after a fire broke outCredit: Rex

    As the replacement for Joan Mir came through Lap 12 – the sparks broke out within his Team Suzuki Ecstar entry.
    Tsuda quickly pulled off the race track at Turn 5 as the flames grew dangerously near the fuel tank.
    The race marshals were quick on the scene with a fire extinguisher to stop a potential fireball breaking out.
    Luckily, there was no need for a red flag and the race continued.
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    Tsuda only recently returned to MotoGP in September on a wildcard with Team Suzuki Ecstar.
    Jack Miller of Ducati dominated the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix, after team mate Francesco Bagnaia crashed on the last lap.
    It was Miller’s first win since last year’s French Grand Prix.
    And once he grabbed a lead on Lap 3, he always seemingly appeared in control.
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    However, the race was a disaster for the three championship challengers – Bagnaia, Fabio Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro.
    Frenchman Quartararo finished all the way down in eighth, while Espargaro recorded a 16th placed finish after he was forced to swap to another Aprilia on the warm-up lap because of a mechanical problem.
    It means Quartararo now has an 18-point lead going into next week’s Thailand GP. More