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    Fuming Max Verstappen calls for Mercedes safety car to return as he labels new Aston Martin vehicle a ‘turtle’

    MAX VERSTAPPEN may be rivals with Mercedes on the track, but he does likes the company when it comes to their safety car. On the other hand, the F1 world champion blasted Aston Martin’s safety vehicle as a “turtle”.
    Verstappen hit out at Aston Martin’s safety carCredit: Getty
    The Dutchman criticised the car for being too slowCredit: Rex
    Mercedes and Aston Martin share safety car duties, with the former being on duty for the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
    But over the weekend in Melbourne it was the Aston Martin car on duty, and separate incidents involving Carlos Sainz and Sebastian Vettel saw it called onto the track twice.
    And Verstappen fumed at the car for being too slow, which meant the Red Bull man struggled to get any grip from his tyres.
    Verstappen seethed, as per Motorsport: “There’s so little grip and also the safety car was driving so slow, it was like a turtle. Unbelievable.
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    “To drive 140 [km/h] on the back straight, there was not a damaged car, so I don’t understand why we have to drive so slowly. We have to investigate.”
    It’s claimed the Mercedes car is around five seconds per lap faster than the Aston Martin that was used in Melbourne over the weekend.
    And Verstappen continued his rant by saying: “For sure the Mercedes safety car is faster because of the extra aero, because this Aston Martin is really slow.
    “It definitely needs more grip, because our tyres were stone cold.
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    “It’s pretty terrible the way we are driving behind the safety car at the moment.”
    Unsurprisingly Mercedes driver George Russell sided with Verstappen’s view that the Merc is quicker.
    He joked: “We don’t have the issue with the Mercedes-AMG safety car!
    “On a serious note, the Mercedes-AMG is like five seconds, a lot quicker, than the Aston Martin safety car, which is pretty substantial.” More

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    Lewis Hamilton says F1 bosses will have to cut off his EAR if they want jewellery removed as piercings are ‘welded in’

    LEWIS HAMILTON says Formula One chiefs will have to CHOP his ear off for him to meet their jewellery demands.Despite body piercings being forbidden since 2004, new race director Niels Wittich addressed the subject directly this weekend in Melbourne.
    Hamilton has both ears pierced as well as a stud in his noseCredit: GETTY
    Hamilton says the piercings in his right ear are ‘welded in’ and he would have to get them ‘chopped off’
    Wittich says the rule is there to protect drivers in case there is a need for a speedy exit from the car and raised it with Hamilton and his peers in a two-hour drivers’ briefing.
    But the meeting didn’t stop Hamilton from competing in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix with piercings in both ears and a nose stud.
    The 37-year-old says the piercings in his right ear are “welded in” and he would have to get them “chopped off.”
    Hamilton, who finished fourth, said: “I don’t have any plans on removing them.
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    “They are personal things. You should be able to be who you are.
    “There is stuff that I cannot move.
    “I literally cannot even take these out. These ones on my right ear are welded in so I would have to get it chopped off. They will be staying.”
    The rule is Article 5 of the third chapter of Appendix L of the governing body’s International Sporting Code (ISC).
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    Wittich wrote in the event notes for this weekend’s Australian GP: “The wearing of jewellery in the form of body piercing or metal neck chains is prohibited during the competition and may therefore be checked before the start.”
    Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton could, in fact, be fined or docked points if he breaks the code.
    However, the FIA are said to be waiting to see whether Hamilton changes his stance over the next few races. More

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    Watch NASCAR drivers Ty Gibbs and Sam Mayer trade punches as desperate officials try to break up crazy fight on track

    NASCAR pair Ty Gibbs and Sam Mayer got into a furious fistfight in front of stunned fans at the Martinsville Speedway.Brandon Jones took the chequered flag during a hotly contested Xfinity Series race on Friday night in Virginia.
    Tempers boiled over in the race at Martinsville Speedway.Credit: Getty Images – Getty
    Gibbs and Mayer traded blows after late drama on the trackCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Gibbs was furious with a late maneuver which saw him ram into the wallCredit: Getty
    Ty had led for most of the race but ended up eighth after the incidentCredit: AP
    But it was events after the race ended that got tongues wagging, with Gibbs and Mayer brazingly brawling on the track.
    Gibbs, the grandson of Super Bowl-winning coach and NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs, was furious over a racing menouvre from Mayer late on.
    He lost significant momentum after being forced into the wall, with Mayer appearing to shunt his car from behind on the final lap.
    After leading for most of the race, Gibbs was forced to settle for eighth place after drama on the last bend.
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12px;max-height:75px;overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:2;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1px;}.css-bq4915{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,97,108,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-bq4915:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}DEATH SURGE .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}One dead as ’40 gunshots’ erupt at gas station amid surge of violence at pumps
    It was a messy contest throughout, with 16 yellow flags and plenty of contact between the drivers.
    The pair clashed again after the chequered flag, but this time it was Gibbs who decided to contract Mayer face-to-face.
    He stormed out of his No54 Toyota and pushed Mayer hard in the chest, with the drivers exchanging words and shoves.
    Gibbs, 19, was clearly furious with the response and started throwing punches as officials and pit crew tried to intervene.
    They finally fell to the ground and continued to try getting in shots, only to be pulled apart in front of a stunned crowd.
    ‘HE JUST SNAPPED’
    A NASCAR official was also reportedly hurt in the brawl and taken by stretcher to a hospital. 
    Mayer – who had taken his helmet off before the punches started to fly – sustained bruising to his face and a black eye.
    He revealed that the pair spoke later after the fight to cool the air.
    Mayer said: “I just put the bumper to him. He came back over and he was upset and decided to throw a couple punches.
    “I was just trying to get his attention and he took it the wrong way. And he just snapped.”
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    Gibbs gave his side of the story: “I tried to talk to him, and he got all in my face. At that point, we’ve got to start fighting.
    “We got put in a bad position there. The only thing I’m mad about.
    “He wasn’t going to get past the No16 there and I just got hit in the left rear.
    “It’s just frustrating. I just got drove in the fence at the end.”
    It’s not the first time tempers have spilled over on the NASCAR track, with Harrison Burton and Noah Gragson trading blows in 2020.
    Joey Logano and rival Denny Hamlin also famously saw red after their round of eight race in the championship play-offs three years ago.
    Gibbs is currently second in the Xfinity standingsCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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    Verstappen ‘doesn’t want to think about Championship’ and says he’s ‘already miles behind’ after Australian GP disaster

    REIGNING F1 champ Max Verstappen has said he “doesn’t want to think about” the championship, after he was forced to retire from the Australian Grand Prix.The Dutch racer, 24, had another disastrous race – and was forced to retire for the second time this season.
    Max Verstappen has revealed he has forgotten about the championship after another disastrous raceCredit: Getty
    Before his DNF, Verstappen was sitting comfortably in second place with 20 laps to go.
    It means that the Red Bull driver has only finished one race this campaign as he aims to win back-to-back World Championships.
    More importantly, he is already 46 points behind championship leader Charles Leclerc in the standings.
    “We’re already miles behind so I don’t want to even think about the championship fight at the moment – I think it’s more important to finish races,” Verstappen told Sky Sports when asked how crucial those two DNF’s will be at the end of the season.
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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-xpuujo{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(149,199,208,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-tqcu81{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(149,199,208,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-bq4915{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,97,108,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-bq4915:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}WIZARD OF OZ .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Leclerc wins in Australian GP as Verstappen retirement hands Russell third
    “I mean, of course today was just a bad day in general. Not really having the pace so I was just managing my tyres to just try and bring it to the end.
    “It looked like an easy P2 and I knew I could not fight Charles so there was no point to try and put pressure on him.
    “But we didn’t even finish the race so it’s pretty frustrating and unacceptable.”
    Ahead of the meeting at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Red Bull mechanics were seen giving the car a thorough examination.
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    Verstappen revealed there were reliability concerns.
    He said: “I knew there was a problem so it was always going to be a question mark of finishing the race.
    “I mean these kinds of things, if you want to fight for the title cannot happen.”
    Ferrari driver Leclerc won his second Grand Prix of the season after another commanding performance.
    Verstappen had trailed Leclerc throughout in second place but a problem with his engine forced his retirement.
    An engine issue forced Verstappen to retire from the Australian Grand PrixCredit: AFP
    That pushed team-mate into Sergio Perez into second place with Mercedes pair benefitting also – George Russell taking a podium place with Lewis Hamilton fourth.
    Elsewhere, Sky Sports viewers were given a laugh when F1 pundit Ted Kravitz drank beer from a spectator’s shoe whilst live on air.
    🏁 F1 2022 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info More

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    Lewis Hamilton says F1 chiefs will have to chop off his EAR if they want jewellery removed as piercings are ‘welded in’

    LEWIS HAMILTON says Formula One chiefs will have to CHOP his ear off to meet their jewellery demands.Despite body piercings being forbidden since 2004, new race director Niels Wittich addressed the subject directly this weekend in Melbourne.
    Hamilton has both ears pierced as well as a stud in his noseCredit: GETTY
    Hamilton says the piercings in his right ear are ‘welded in’ and he would have to get them ‘chopped off’
    Wittich says the rule is there to protect drivers in case there is a need for a speedy exit from the car and raised it with Hamilton and his peers in a two-hour drivers’ briefing.
    But the meeting didn’t stop Hamilton from competing in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix with piercings in both ears and a nose stud.
    The 37-year-old says the piercings in his right ear are “welded in” and he would have to get them “chopped off.”
    Hamilton, who finished fourth, said: “I don’t have any plans on removing them.
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    “They are personal things. You should be able to be who you are.
    “There is stuff that I cannot move.
    “I literally cannot even take these out. These ones on my right ear are welded in so I would have to get it chopped off. They will be staying.”
    The rule is Article 5 of the third chapter of Appendix L of the governing body’s International Sporting Code (ISC).
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    Wittich wrote in the event notes for this weekend’s Australian GP: “The wearing of jewellery in the form of body piercing or metal neck chains is prohibited during the competition and may therefore be checked before the start.”
    Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton could, in fact, be fined or docked points if he breaks the code.
    However, the FIA are said to be waiting to see whether Hamilton changes his stance over the next few races. More

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    Watch Sky F1 pundit Ted Kravitz drink beer from fan’s SHOE live on TV after Australian Grand Prix

    TED KRAVITZ surprised Formula One fans on Sunday when he drank beer from a spectator’s shoe whilst live on air.F1 returned to Australia for the first time in three years at the weekend.
    An excited fan filled his shoe with beer before handing it to KravitzCredit: Twitter/@SkySportsF1
    The pundit was made to drink from the shoeCredit: Twitter/SkySportsF1
    An estimated total of 420,000 fans walked through the gates of Melbourne Park between Thursday and Sunday to watch the Australian Grand Prix – making it the biggest sporting event ever staged in Melbourne.
    Most of those fans were there in support of Daniel Ricciardo, who finished sixth in the race behind McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
    And to honour the 32-year-old’s return to Oz, a group were filmed doing his signature celebration – the ‘shoey’.
    Sky Sports F1 pundit Kravitz got involved in the festivities, and was happy to take a sip from one enthusiastic fan’s shoe.
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    Once he had finished, he gave the shoe back and said that it was “quite tasty actually.”
    Kravitz was sent out to get some crowd reaction after the race, which was won by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
    Sergio Perez was the only Red Bull driver to make it to the chequered flag after his teammate Max Verstappen failed to finish for the second time in three races.
    The current World Champion was forced to retire on the 39th lap due to a fuel issue which caused the back of his car to set on fire.
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    Sebastian Vettel’s first weekend back on track went from bad to worse as he spun off of a kerb before crashing into the barriers – ending his hopes of breaking into the points positions.
    Carlos Sainz barely got off the mark as he was forced to pull out of the competition on the second lap.
    Mercedes took a step in the right direction with George Russell finishing in third to claim his first podium for the team.
    Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton narrowly missed out and had to settle for fourth.
    Leclerc secured his second win of the yearCredit: Alamy
    Verstappen had to retire from the race during lap 39Credit: EPA More

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    F1 calendar 2022: Grand Prix schedule, testing, tracks and results with Italian Grand Prix up next

    THE Formula One season continues at breakneck speed after Charles Leclerc dominated in Melbourne to win the Australian Grand Prix.But next up, the racers travel to Italy where they’ll be battling it out for a place on the podium at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on April 24.
    🏁 F1 2022 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info

    In 2020, the Albert Park race was called off with the drivers already on-site due to the beginning of the Covid crisis.
    The FIA had already confirmed Russian Grand Prix has been cancelled after Valdimir Putin’s war march into Ukraine.
    The event was scheduled to take place in Sochi on September 25, but will now not happen.
    An FIA statement said: “On Thursday evening the Formula 1, the FIA and the teams discussed the position of our sport.
    “And the conclusion is, including the view of all relevant stakeholders, that it is impossible to hold the Russian Grand Prix in the current circumstances.”
    Max Verstappen picked up his maiden championship in the final race of the season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December – during a race we will be talking about for decades.
    Here is how the F1 calendar unfolds for the 2022 season…
    F1 calendar 2022
    All session and race timings are in UK time.
    🇧🇭 Bahrain Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix winner: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

    Venue: Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
    Friday, March 18: Practice One 12pm, Practice Two 3pm
    Saturday, March, 19: Practice Three 12pm, Qualifying 3pm
    Sunday, March 20: Bahrain Grand Prix 3pm

    🇸🇦 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix winner: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

    Venue: Jeddah Street Circuit
    Friday, March 25: Practice One 2pm, Practice Two 5pm
    Saturday, March 26: Practice Three 2pm, Qualifying 5pm
    Sunday, March 27: Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 6pm

    🇦🇺 Australian Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

    Venue: Albert Park Circuit
    Friday, April 8: Practice One 4am, Practice Two 7am
    Saturday, April 9: Practice Three 4am, Qualifying 7am
    Sunday, April 10: Australian Grand Prix 6am

    🇮🇹 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola
    Friday, April 22:
    Saturday, April 23:
    Sunday, April 24: Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix 2pm

    🇺🇸 Miami Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Miami International Autodrome
    Friday, May 6:
    Saturday, May 7:
    Sunday, May 8:

    🇪🇸 Spanish Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
    Friday, May 20:
    Saturday, May 21:
    Sunday, May 22:

    🇲🇨 Monaco Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo
    Friday, May 27
    Saturday, May 28
    Sunday, May 29

    🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Baku City Circuit
    Friday, June 10:
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    Sunday, June 12:

    🇨🇦 Canadian Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal
    Friday, June 17:
    Saturday, June 18:
    Sunday, June 19:

    🇬🇧 British Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire
    Friday, July 1:
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    Sunday, July 3:

    🇦🇹 Austrian Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
    Friday, July 8:
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    Sunday, July 10:

    🇫🇷 French Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet
    Friday, July 22:
    Saturday, July 23:
    Sunday, July 24:

    🇭🇺 Hungarian Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Hungaroring, Budapest
    Friday, July 29:
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    Sunday, July 31:

    🇧🇪 Belgian Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
    Friday, August 26:
    Saturday, August 27:
    Sunday, August 28:

    🇳🇱 Dutch Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Zandvoort
    Friday, September 2:
    Saturday, September 3
    Sunday, September 4:

    🇮🇹 Italian Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Autodromo Nazionale Monza
    Friday, September 9:
    Saturday, September 10:
    Sunday, September 11:

    🇷🇺 Russian Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Sochi Autodrom
    Friday, September 23:
    Saturday, September 24:
    Sunday, September 25:

    🇸🇬 Singapore Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Marina Bay Street Circuit
    Friday, September 30:
    Saturday, October 1:
    Sunday, October 2:

    🇯🇵 Japanese Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Suzuka Circuit
    Friday, October 7:
    Saturday, October 8:
    Sunday, October 9:

    🇺🇸 United States Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas
    Friday, October 21:
    Saturday, October 22:
    Sunday, October 23:

    🇲🇽 Mexico City Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City
    Friday, October 28:
    Saturday, October 29:
    Sunday, October 30:

    🇧🇷 Sao Paulo Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos
    Friday, November 11:
    Saturday, November 12:
    Sunday, November 13:

    🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
    🏆 Grand Prix result:

    Venue: Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island
    Friday, November 18:
    Saturday, November 19:
    Sunday, November 20:

    .css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}.css-q8gelu{margin-bottom:24px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1x7hydu{font-family:The Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-1x7hydu::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -0.5px);}.css-1x7hydu::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}Most read in Motorsport.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-zdjvqv{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:space-around;-ms-flex-pack:space-around;-webkit-justify-content:space-around;justify-content:space-around;margin-top:calc(-12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(-12px/2);}.css-zdjvqv:before,.css-zdjvqv:after{content:”;display:block;}.css-1meuhfk{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-top:calc(12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(12px/2);} More

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    Lewis Hamilton is best F1 driver of all time and before Schumacher and Senna because he is a ‘clean’ racer, Walker said

    THE LATE Murray Walker said Lewis Hamilton is a better driver than Michael Schumacher or Ayrton Senna – because he’s a “clean” racer.The legendary commentator, who passed away last month, watched hundreds of F1 drivers across eight decades.
    Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton was lauded by legendary commentator Murray WalkerCredit: PA:Press Association
    Hamilton is trying to win a record-breaking eighth world titleCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    But Walker revealed last year that the current world champion is the cream of the crop because he has never used dirty tactics to win races.
    Both Schumacher and Senna had contentious moments during their careers, but Walker claimed Hamilton is as “clean as a whistle”.
    He said: “Well, people say to me, ‘Who is the greatest?’, and I always say, ‘Look, I think it’s impossible to say, because the drivers and the circuits and the cars were different’.
    “Juan Manel Fangio took a lot of beating, Jim Clark, Sir Jackie Stewart — there again I could go on — but which is the best I really don’t know.
    “I used to say Fangio. I think I’m going to have to say very shortly Lewis Hamilton, because if you look at it in terms of statistics, he’s already got more poles than Schumacher.
    “He’s got at least three years in him if he doesn’t hurt himself or leave Mercedes for some reason or they decide to stop, in which case he’s got at least another three championships ahead of him, so statistically he will become the greatest.
    “But he’s also in my opinion — and this is very contentious indeed — better than either Schumacher or Senna because both of them, Schumacher and Senna, adopted at various times in their career highly debatable driving tactics.
    “Like Schumacher stopping deliberately at Monaco to prevent Fernando Alonso getting pole position, like Schumacher colliding with Jacques Villeneuve at Jerez in 1997, like Senna with Alain Prost in 1990 in Japan, and Lewis Hamilton has never been anything like that.
    Michael Schumacher won a total of 91 Grand Prix races as well as seven world championshipsCredit: EPA
    The ten greatest F1 drivers of all-time – according to SunSport’s motorsport correspondent Ben Hunt
    “He’s always driven as clean as a whistle. He’s an extremely nice, gigantically talented driver, and I don’t think we’ve ever seen anybody like him before.”
    Formula One celebrate its 70th anniversary at Silverstone last season.
    But while Hamilton has dominated for much of the last decade, Walker says the sport’s best era was in the 1970s and 1980s but believes it is still just as exciting.
    Speaking to In the Fast Lane, the official podcast of the Australian Grand Prix, Walker added: “A lot of it is looking backwards through rose-coloured glasses.
    “It’s still mighty exciting when you take into account what a contest it is with man and machine.
    “But I have to admit that for me the 70s and 80s were the most exciting time — but then I was very much more involved with it at the time because I was literally a part of it and having to communicate to the public worldwide what was going on.
    “It was very exciting times, when people like Jackie Stewart were driving, and we got the most incredible races at Silverstone, with Nigel Mansell beating Nelson Piquet, for instance, and various others.
    “You have to bear in mind that I’m an old codger. I was actually at the first grand prix they held at Silverstone in 1948 — and that was before Formula One even began.
    .css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}.css-q8gelu{margin-bottom:24px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1x7hydu{font-family:The Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-1x7hydu::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -0.5px);}.css-1x7hydu::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}latest f1 news.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-zdjvqv{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:space-around;-ms-flex-pack:space-around;-webkit-justify-content:space-around;justify-content:space-around;margin-top:calc(-12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(-12px/2);}.css-zdjvqv:before,.css-zdjvqv:after{content:”;display:block;}.css-1meuhfk{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-top:calc(12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(12px/2);}
    “In those days of course the engine was in front of the driver, the driver wasn’t wearing any safety clothing.
    “They used to wear a skullcap and no crash helmet. The medical facilities were absolutely minimal, the cars were mobile deathtraps.
    “They are infinitely more sophisticated now than they were, and it’s no less exciting from my point of view.”
    Lewis Hamilton and Co given time to kneel at start of British GP after Hungarian GP farce.. but seven still refuse More