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      British Grand Prix to allow full 400,000 capacity to Silverstone F1 race this year after getting Government approval

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      SILVERSTONE will welcome a capacity crowd for this year’s British Grand Prix – as SunSport first revealed earlier this month.Around 400,000 Formula One fans are expected over four days after the race was included as part of the Government’s pilot scheme for large-scale events.
      Formula One fans will return en masse to Silverstone next monthCredit: PA
      Race bosses will work with Public Health chiefs to ensure the event next month is run safely, while there will be guidelines for spectators.
      Managing Director of Silverstone, Stuart Pringle, said: “This is something we have all been working towards for months and I cannot wait to welcome a full capacity crowd back to Silverstone this July.
      “Many of our fans rolled their tickets over from 2020 but they are now well placed to enjoy what is sure to be one of the highlights of the summer.
      “My thanks go to the Culture Secretary and his team at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for their tireless efforts on behalf of the sports sector.
      “But also the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove and the teams in No.10 and the Cabinet Office for recognising what an amazing, safe opportunity the British Grand Prix offers to show the world how Britain has dragged itself back on track following the fight against the pandemic.”
      F1 President and CEO, Stefano Domenicali added: “It is fantastic news that Silverstone will be a full capacity event and it will be an incredible weekend with hundreds of thousands of fans being there to see our first ever Sprint event on the Saturday and the main event on Sunday.”
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      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info

      Ticket holders have been told they will need to have proof of a negative lateral flow test taken within 48 hours of arrival at Silverstone.
      Alternatively, they can provide proof of full vaccination, the second dose having been received at least 14 days prior to the first day of attending the British Grand Prix.
      Lewis Hamilton has won six of the last eight Silverstone races but Max Verstappen claimed victory in the second of two races behind closed doors in 2020.
      The Red Bull star holds a 12-point championship lead over Hamilton ahead of a double-header in Austria over the next two weekends.
      Lewis Hamilton takes Sir Frank Williams for spin of Silverstone to mark 50th year as team principal ahead of British GP More

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      Lewis Hamilton bracing himself for more misery at Austrian Grand Prix as Max Verstappen looks to open bigger F1 lead

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      LEWIS HAMILTON is bracing himself for more misery this weekend in Austria, as Max Verstappen looks to open up a bigger lead in the championship.Verstappen’s victory in France means he now has a 12 point advantage over Hamilton in the title race.
      Lewis Hamilton is bracing himself for more misery this weekend in AustriaCredit: Getty
      Max Verstappen looks to open up a bigger lead in the championship after his win in FranceCredit: Getty
      It could have been worse for Hamilton had Verstappen not crashed out in Baku when leading, or for the Brit’s brilliant ability to grind out results.
      Hamilton was left scathing after his team bungled their strategy in France, gifting Verstappen the win.
      And he has some alarming concerns over the lack of pace in his Mercedes as they head to the Red Bull Ring for back-to-back races.
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      Hamilton said: “It’s a power-hungry circuit, you’ve got those long long straights, so we could see something similar to this weekend, obviously with the straight line speed of the Red Bull.
      “We’ve got three days to try and see if we can make any adjustments and improvements and maybe if we maximise absolutely everything maybe we can give them a run for their money.”
      However, what will be a concern for Hamilton is that Mercedes’ head of trackside engineering, Andrew Shovlin, admitted after the race that the team were unsure how they got their maths so wrong.
      He added: “It is annoying because I think we could have won the race. We could have had two cars on the podium and we’re in a championship where we can’t really afford to let these opportunities go by the way we did.
      “We thought, when we had just over three seconds to Max, we were safe from the undercut. And that wasn’t the case.
      It’s a power-hungry circuit, you’ve got those long long straights, so we could see something similar to this weekend, obviously with the straight line speed of the Red BullLewis Hamilton
      “Even now we don’t fully understand why our models were telling us that we would have been ok. So clearly, there’s something we need to understand.”
      The pressure is mounting on Merc boss Toto Wolff, who also has a disgruntled Valtteri Bottas to deal with.
      The Merc boss also has the added complication of finalising his driver line-up for 2022 with Hamilton and Bottas both out of contract at the end of the year.
      Meanwhile, Verstappen is understandably upbeat about his chances as he heads to the Red Bull Ring.
      He said: “The car this year has been a lot more competitive. Every race weekend we have been to we are fighting for podiums or a win.
      “It just shows you that the two teams are super close together. One weekend you get it right and the strategy and then the other weekend the other team gets it right.

      “It’s still a very long season so we just have to keep pushing but I think it’s good for Formula One at the end.
      “But I’m looking forward to going to Austria, first of all, of course because it’s like a home grand prix for the team.
      “We’ve had good results in the past but it’s not a guarantee. We have to again set up the car well and read the conditions. But I’m looking forward to it. I’m expecting it to be close again.”

      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      Lewis Hamilton has gone ‘SOFT’ and didn’t even try to block Max Verstappen, blasts old Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has been accused of going “soft” in his title fight with Max Verstappen.The Red Bull man opened up a 12 point lead in the championship with a thrilling win in the French Grand Prix as Mercedes again cracked under the pressure.
      Lewis Hamilton has been accused by Nico Rosberg of going SOFT in his title fightCredit: Getty
      Hamilton failed to protect his lead on the penultimate lap and was overtaken by Max VerstappenCredit: Reuters
      The attack came from Hamilton’s former rival and teammate, Nico Rosberg, who also delivered a damning verdict on Mercedes after they were caught out tactically by Verstappen’s two pitstops.
      It allowed the Dutchman to breeze past Hamilton on the penultimate lap on fresher tyres, as the world champion was powerless to hold on to the lead.
      Rosberg, however, felt Hamilton could have done more to defend, and said: “Unusual from Lewis. Close the damn door! No?
      “Usually, Lewis is the best one-to-one racer and I am surprised he didn’t try. At least try. Brake late, try to keep him on the outside, so a bit soft from Lewis.”
      Rosberg, who won the title in 2016 after beating Hamilton only to retire immediately, also accused him of feeling the strain after he took a pop at pundit Paul Di Resta.
      On Saturday, Hamilton quipped that he disproved Di Resta’s “myth” after the Scot speculated over his chassis change with Valtteri Bottas.
      Rosberg added: “You can see the pressure is on Mercedes. Lewis is even blaming Paul, so even he has got into his head!
      “Red Bull are now really becoming the dominant force more and more, which is putting so much pressure on Mercedes and we’re seeing that Mercedes is making mistake after mistake.

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      “So they need to be careful, and they need to keep it together from now on to have a chance.”
      Rosberg’s words against his old employers could be dismissed as sour grapes but the fact is Mercedes cocked this one up.
      Verstappen’s own error on the first lap gifted Hamilton the lead but Mercedes failed to respond on two key occasions to scupper his chances of a much-needed win.
      First, they allowed Verstappen to regain his advantage by taking a lap too long to pit Hamilton for his tyres, as Verstappen benefitted from the undercut.
      They then decided not to pit Hamilton a second time, keeping him on a one-stop strategy while Verstappen stopped for fresh rubber to hunt down and pass Bottas and Hamilton.
      Mercedes’ chief strategist James Vowles apologised to Hamilton after the race saying “this one is on us”.
      The ten greatest F1 drivers of all-time – according to SunSport’s motorsport correspondent Ben Hunt
      Hamilton was later quizzed about his “soft” defence and said he had no choice but also added he could have won had he made a second stop.
      He said: “There were marbles on the inside so I did not want to make my tyres any worse than they already were.
      “He had DRS open so if he didn’t pass me there, he would have passed me on the straight afterwards, so it was pointless to defend any harder.
      “And if we had a two-stop, that could potentially have done the job but it was not the cards for us and we need to find out why.”
      Meanwhile, Bottas, who finished fourth, was livid and accused Merc of ignoring his call for two pitstops.
      He said: “Why the f*** did no one listen to me when I said it was going to be a two-stopper. F***!”
      Verstappen’s win was the third successive victory for Red Bull and clearly shows the tide has turned in the fight.

      Team boss Christian Horner had said before the race that if they could win in France for the first time, it would prove they could fight Merc for victories anywhere.
      And with two home races coming up at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, Verstappen is feeling confident.
      He said: “As you could see, the whole race we were fighting each other. I think it will be like this for the rest of the season.”
      Horner said it was payback for Verstappen after Merc pulled the two-stop strategy to perfection as Hamilton won the Spanish GP in May.
      He added: “The strategy guys work the numbers to present the odds and you have to go for it.  
      “I did not want to be in the same situation as Barcelona and I am very proud of the team.
      “It has been a great race, you can see how close it is between the two teams and it will be nip and tuck through this championship.”
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      F1 French Grand Prix LIVE RESULTS: Verstappen wins race after penultimate lap overtake on Hamilton in thriller

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has won the French Grand Prix after a thrilling overtake on Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap.Mercedes and Red Bull took different approaches to their pit stop, but the Brit’s wearying tyres let him down in the end as his Dutch rival overtook following a brilliant surge.
      Follow ALL of the latest updates below…
      SWITZERLAND VS TURKEY: BOTH NEED WIN
      Bottom side Switzerland, with one point, and point-less Turkey each need victory in their 5pm game to have any chance of going through.
      Even if the Swiss win, they would only finish in the top two if Wale slose to Italy with a swing of five on goal difference.
      Four points could be enough as four third-placed teams going through.
      ITALY VS WALES TEAM NEWS
      Rob Page makes three changes for his Dragons for the 5pm Group A finale.
      Neco Williams, Chris Gunter and Ethan Ampadu replace Ben Davies, Chris Mepham and Kiefer Moore
      Neco Williams, Chris Gunter and Ethan Ampadu come in.
      WALES: Ward, Roberts, Williams, Rodon, Ampadu, Gunter, Allen, Morrell, Ramsey, Bale, James.
      Italy also make a host of changes.
      Ciro Immobile, Manuel Locatelli, Leonardo Spinazzola, and Lorenzo Insigne are all rested, while Giorgio Chiellini is left out altogether.
      ITALY: Donnarumma, Toloi, Bonucci, Bastoni, Emerson, Verratti, Jorginho, Pessina, Chiesa, Belotti, Bernardeschi.
      ‘HE DID A GREAT JOB’
      Lewis Hamilton praises rival Max Verstappen after the Red Bull driver made up three seconds inside the final five laps to beat him.
      He said: “Congratulations to Max, he did a great job.
      “I am happy with the result, unfortunately I lost the position but it was still a great race.
      “We have got to dig deep and find some pace.”
      LEWIS: “Congratulations to Max, he did a great job. I am happy with the result, unfortunately I lost the position but it was still a great race. We have got to dig deep and find some pace”#FrenchGP 🇫🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/cJpr5M25UQ— Formula 1 (@F1) June 20, 2021

      THREE IN A ROW
      Red Bull win for the third race in a row, and both drivers are on the podium!

      HAVE YOUR SAY
      What a race! Another step closer to the F1 Drivers’ Championship for Verstappen, but there’s still a way to go yet…

      MAX-ED OUT
      With five laps to go, Max Verstappen made up three seconds to beat Lewis Hamilton at the French Grand Prix!
      Credit: GETTY IMAGES
      Credit: GETTY IMAGES
      Credit: GETTY IMAGES
      VERSTAPPEN WINS THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX
      The two-stop strategy worked wonders. The Dutchman crosses the line in P1 and gets the bonus point for setting the fastest lap.
      Red Bull win three races in a row. Amazing race.
      Hamilton is second. Perez in third and Bottas in fourth.
      Norris in fifth. Ricciardo is sixth.
      Phew!
      VERSTAPPEN LEADS
      What a thrilling finale to this race.
      VERSTAPPEN DOES IT
      Fantastic overtake on Hamilton. That was a thrilling pass. He knew exactly what he was doing.
      VERSTAPPEN IN DRS DISTANCE
      THIS. IS. GETTING. VERY. CLOSE.
      3 LAPS TO GO
      Verstappen is closing. He has to make up 1.3 seconds.
      LAP 49
      Perez passes Bottas and in to third place. Cracking stuff from the Mexican. Red Bull are running second and third.
      FIVE LAPS TO GO
      It is Hamilton v Verstappen. The gap is now under three seconds.
      SOMEHOW HAMILTON IS KEEPING THAT GAP OVER VERSTAPPEN
      The Brit has a five second advantage, despite being on older, harder tyres. Hamilton is eeking out the performance of this old hard tyres.
      BOTTAS IS FURIOUS
      He told his team he would not get to the end of the race on the same tyre. He has been sacrificed to preserve Hamilton’s chances.

      LAP 44 VERSTAPPEN GETS SECOND PLACE
      A mistake from Bottas, as he goes deep into a corner and Verstappen takes full advantage and in to second.
      10 LAPS TO GO
      Verstappen closing in on Bottas. He needs to get the move done quickly.
      VERSTAPPEN CAN SEE BOTTAS AND HAMILTON
      Bottas has no tyres left. He is a sitting duck.
      HAMILTON ASKING ABOUT VERSTAPPEN AND BOTTAS
      He is told Verstappen’s pace is dropping. And that Bottas was holding firm.
      Hamilton says his tyres “aren’t feeling great”.
      LAP 38 HAMILTON STILL LEADS
      Verstappen has 15 laps to reel in Hamilton’s lead. But there is Bottas in between them.
      Verstappen is 8.5 seconds behind Hamilton.
      HAVE YOUR SAY

      LAP 35
      Verstappen passes Perez in to third.

      LAP 34
      Norris moves in to seventh as he passes his teammate on track.
      LAP 32 VERSTAPPEN PITS FOR FRESH TYRES
      Red Bull rolled the dice. A 2.5 second stop. Red Bull playing the game here.
      THIS IS SHAPING UP TO BE AN EPIC FIGHT
      Both Verstappen and Hamilton are struggling, such is the relentlessness of their pace.
      It could force them in to make two pitstops. Remember, Bottas, Verstappen and Hamilton was the order.
      However, Perez went on much longer. He could be in contention for a win here.
      Load more entries… More

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      Lewis Hamilton falls agonisingly short in French Grand Prix as Max Verstappen overtakes him just before final lap to win

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      LEWIS HAMILTON was denied a crucial victory in the French Grand Prix as Championship leader Max Verstappen overtook him with just two laps to go.In the end it all came down to strategy – and it was Red Bull and their Belgian driver who were left celebrating.
      Max Verstappen extended his lead in the Drivers’ Championship by winning the French GPCredit: Reuters
      Lewis Hamilton came agonisingly close to winning the French GPCredit: Reuters

      Christian Horner and his team opted for a two-stop pit strategy, with rivals Mercedes opting for one.
      In the end it worked a treat as Verstappen’s cleaners tyres allowed him to chase down Hamilton and take the chequered flag.
      It is three Red Bull wins in a row now, with Verstappen extending his lead at the top of the diver’s Championship to 12.
      Perez bagged the final podium spot, with Valtteri Bottas in fourth, Lando Norris fifth and Daniel Ricciardo sixth.
      Hamilton made the perfect start to the race when he overtook pole-setter Verstappen instantly.
      But then followed a real ding-dong battle that went down to when the teams decided to pit.
      Both drivers complained about their tyres at various points in the race – but it was Verstappen’s radio that caused him the biggest issues.
      At one point he was even told to adjust his headset – but the problem seemed deeper than that.

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      Verstappen made up three seconds inside the final five laps to beat HamiltonCredit: AFP
      Hamilton was forced to settle for second in FranceCredit: Reuters
      The ten greatest F1 drivers of all-time – according to SunSport’s motorsport correspondent Ben Hunt

      Nine laps before the end Verstappen overtook Bottas to take second and provide a real threat to Hamilton’s dominance.
      And the chase was ultimately successful as Verstappen took the chequered flag with a second-to-last lap overtake.
      He made up three seconds inside the final five laps to beat him
      Speaking after the race, Brit Hamilton said: “Congratulations to Max, he did a great job.
      “I am happy with the result, unfortunately I lost the position but it was still a great race.
      “We have got to dig deep and find some pace.”
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      Formula E: Lucas Di Grassi was left with mixed emotions after ending Audi’s two-year win drought in Mexico

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      LUCAS DI GRASSI was left with mixed emotions after securing Audi’s first victory in two years at the Puebla ePrix in Mexico. It was a one-two finish for the German manufacturer with Di Grassi’s teammate and three-time DTM champion Rene Rast finishing in second place.
      Former Formula E champion Lucas Di Grassi won in Mexico
      Di Grassi screamed as he celebrated the victory through the team radio but ultimately he is sad to see Audi leaving the all-electric series at the end of the season after this breakthrough win.
      Speaking to Autosport, Di Grassi said: “To be fully honest with you, it’s very frustrating that Audi is leaving this season.
      “We worked so hard to develop a new powertrain. This is the first powertrain that was fully developed by Audi from scratch in-house.
      “We did a lot of work, we put a lot of effort and we developed a winning car.

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      Lucas Di Grassi (left) and Rene Rast (right) celebrated a one-two finish for Audi

      “For Audi to leave, considering that next year will be exactly the same powertrain and we’ll have a winning powertrain again, it’s very frustrating.”
      The two Audi’s crossed the line in second and third place respectively behind the on-road victor Pascal Wehrlein.
      But the former F1 driver Wehrlein was disqualified after the race due to a technical infringement after Porsche failed to specify its tyre allocation to the FIA.
      The Formula E paddock race in Puebla again tonight to cap off a double-header in Mexico, with the lights going out on the grid at 10pm.
      Alex Lynn rushed to hospital after horror Formula E crash as car flips in air and skids along ground upside down More

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      French GP qualifying results: Verstappen grabs pole with Hamilton 2nd as Schumacher crashes out after reaching first Q2

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN stormed to pole position at the French Grand Prix after holding off Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.The Dutch star, 23, recorded the only sub-1:30.00 lap to grab the top spot on the grid for Red Bull in Sunday’s race for the first time since the 2021 opener in Bahrain.
      Max Verstappen charged to his second pole of the season after holding off Lewis Hamilton to start at the front of the grid for Sunday’s French GPCredit: AP
      Mick Schumacher’s car was towed following his crash after securing his first-ever place in Q2Credit: Reuters
      Lewis Hamilton could only finish second behind Verstappen for Sunday’s race in FranceCredit: AFP
      Verstappen will now start on the front row alongside Hamilton, with Bottas and team-mate Perez in third and fourth respectively.
      Pierre Gasly took sixth place to split the two Ferraris, with Carlos Sainz enjoying a better afternoon than team-mate Charles Leclerc, who struggled in pursuit of a third straight pole.
      Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo completed the top ten after an exciting afternoon of racing at the Circuit Paul Ricard.
      Verstappen had gone quickest in Q1, marginally ahead of Hamilton, team-mate Perez and Bottas.
      But the big story came further down the grid, as Mick Schumacher reached Q2 for the first time in his fledgling career after finishing 14th.
      In a cruel twist of fate, though, the son of F1 legend Michael crashed having already set his Q1 time, with the red flag waved, cutting the session short.
      That meant Schumacher was unable to push for a spot in Q3, sitting out the second session and will start Sunday’s race in 15th.
      Yuki Tsunoda will start from the back of the grid after failing to set a time following a crash early in the session.
      Mick Schumacher had his car lifted off the track on a crane after crashing out late in Q1 having finished the session 14thCredit: Getty

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      Lance Stroll, Nikita Mazepin, Kimi Raikkonen and Nicholas Latifi also failed to make it to Q2.
      Joining Schumacher in not reaching Q3 were George Russell, Antonio Giovinazzi, Sebastian Vettel and Esteban Ocon after a much less eventful session.
      Mercedes stormed to the top two positions in Q2, with Bottas and Hamilton leading Red Bull pair Perez and Verstappen.
      But Verstappen ensured Mercedes didn’t secure their first pole since Spain after Ferrari’s recent dominance on Saturdays.
      In the process, the Dutch ace bagged Red Bull’s first top spot on the grid since he clinched the top spot for the opening race of the season in Bahrain.
      On his qualifying performance, Verstappen said: “So far it’s been a really positive weekend, on a track that is normally difficult for us.
      “To get pole position was really nice but we have to finish it off and get 25 points – which we lost in Baku.
      “Great promise from our side. The car felt good, so looking forward to it.”

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Hamilton congratulated Verstappen for grabbing pole on a ‘tough’ weekend for Mercedes – but warned him the ‘rain master’ is coming for him should the wet weather arrive.
      The Brit said: “It’s been a really hard weekend trying to get the car into a happy place.
      “Going round and round, making so many changes since practice one – chasing our tail.
      “Congrats to Max, he did an an incredible job. I think they have a new engine and there’s a lot of time on the straights.
      “We’ll keep pushing, keep fighting and giving it everything.
      “Their long-run pace is a tenth or two quicker than us, but the car’s in a much different place now.
      “We’re going to fight for a chance into Turn One and there could be some interesting strategy tomorrow.
      “I think there could be some rain, so a chance to see the rain master.”

      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      F1 French Grand Prix LIVE RESULTS: Latest updates ahead of qualifying – stream, TV channel, UK start time

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      THE FRENCH Grand Prix is HERE!Champion Lewis Hamilton will be aiming to bounce back with the Brit star slipping to four points behind leader Max Verstappen.

      Qualifying: 2pm today
      Race time: 2pm Sunday
      TV channel: Sky Sports F1

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      Follow ALL of the latest updates below…

      KERB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
      Mercedes have complained that the Turn 2 yellow kerbs have caused ‘hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of damage ‘for going three feet wide’.
      The FIA will face questions over the issue following today’s running – and it would not be a surprise to see them ditched.
      Yet race director Michael Masi shot back over radio ‘it is more than three feet’ after Valtteri Bottas was among those running over the kerbs.
      LEW: I’M STRUGGLING
      Disgruntled Lewis Hamilton was third in today’s practice having swapped chassis with Valtteri Bottas and admitted he was struggling at the Paul Ricard Circuit.
      He said: “It was quite a struggle this week for everyone.
      “Maybe it was because the inflated tyres, which are higher than ever before and we are all sliding around.
      “I am looking at every option and we have made lots of changes and done a lot of analysis but we won’t know if that works until we go out in P3.”
      NORRIS REACTION
      Lando Norris was 10th fastest in practice today.
      Here’s what the Brit’s had to say…

      MORE GUENTHER, PLEASE
      Who doesn’t love some Guenther Steiner content after a long day or practice?
      It was another difficult afternoon for Haas, as Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin were the slowest drivers in practice.

      ALONSO REACTION
      It was a good day at the office today for Fernando Alonso, who was fourth fastest in practice…

      STROLL REACTION
      Lance Stroll has been reflecting on a disappointing day for Aston Martin…
      Feeling the heat. 🔥 Hear what @Lance_Stroll had to say about the first day of the #FrenchGP in our latest debrief.— Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) June 18, 2021

      HAMILTON REACTION
      Disgruntled Lewis Hamilton was third in today’s practice having swapped chassis with Valtteri Bottas and admitted he was struggling at the Paul Ricard Circuit.
      He said: “It was quite a struggle this week for everyone.
      “Maybe it was because the inflated tyres, which are higher than ever before and we are all sliding around.
      “I am looking at every option and we have made lots of changes and done a lot of analysis but we won’t know if that works until we go out in P3.”
      FROM BAD TO VERS
      Max Verstappen set the pace in practice for the French GP – with Valtteri Bottas breathing down his neck.
      The Red Bull man, who leads the drivers’ championship from Lewis Hamilton, was just 0.008 seconds quicker than under-fire Bottas.
      Bottas said: “I am confident with the car and I can trust it as well. It is going to be close.
      “We were expecting Red Bull to be strong. I am sure they have much more to come and so do we.”
      GEARED UP
      England’s players have been revved up to face Scotland on Friday – by trying to beat F1 ace, Lando Norris on a simulator.
      McLaren star Norris revealed that he has been messaged by players who are trying to beat his benchmark time for a lap of Brands Hatch, set on a computer at England’s training camp at St George’s Park.
      Norris said: “I am supporting England and speak to some of the guys. Mason [Mount] sent me a jersey to wear, which I will be wearing.
      “I know a lot of them are motorsport fans too, who want to come to some of the races when they can.
      “They have two simulators installed by my brother at Cool Performance, so they are doing hot laps of Brands Hatch when they are resting in between training.
      “I know they are trying to beat my lap time I did for Brands. I don’t think any of them have done it yet. I know Mason messaged me to say he is trying hard to beat me.”

      ALP-FINE
      Fernando Alonso was the fourth fastest in practice today.
      The two-time world champion is yet to finish better than P6 this season and will be hoping to continue his good form heading into the weekend.
      Can he get a first F1 podium for Alpine?
      RICCIARDO’S STRUGGLES CONTINUE
      It was another bad day for Daniel Ricciardo in practice.
      He was the 14th fastest, four places behind McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.
      He’s finished in P7, P6, P9, P6, P12 and P9 in the first six races of the season.
      Can the 31-year-old turn his form around in France?
      SHOCKER FOR ASTON MARTIN
      Aston Martin did not have a good FP2 ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix.
      Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll were 15th and 16th fastest, with only the Williams and Haas drivers going slower.
      It’s a far cry from two weeks ago, when Vettel finished P2 at the Azerbaijan GP.
      FINAL STANDINGS IN FP2

      KERBS CAUSING CHAOS
      Final element from FP2 is that Red Bull have asked to remove the kerbs that cost Verstappen some bodywork at Turn 2.
      A frank exchange between the team and race director, Michael Masi.
      Red Bull: “It is a huge penalty for going wide – penalty is around £100,000.”
      Masi: “Teams have asked for physical limits, they were there in 2019…I will have a look at it”.
      FP3 IS DONE
      Verstappen leads and looks good.Bottas looks inspired and revived.Hamilton unhappy in third place and said so.Alonso a surprise in P4 but getting up to speed for Alpine.
      BOTTAS IS LOOKING STRONG IN FRANCE
      And boys does he need it. Questions about his future. Two races with no points. Down in sixth place in the championship.
      He knows he needs a win this weekend before the pressure builds.
      VERSTAPPEN TOPS FP2 PEREZ IN 12TH

      ALONSO REDISCOVERING FORM
      It has not been the return to F1 he wanted, as he has been soundly beaten by his teammate. But there are signs he is getting back up to speed.

      HAMILTON UNHAPPY
      He radios his team and says: “There is something not right with the car, man!”
      BOTTAS STILL LEADS HAMILTON
      Remember, there was that curious decision from Mercedes to swap their chassis over for this race.
      Unusual to do it. Even more strange to announce it. Perhaps a way to show there is no preferred driver? Or to give under performing Bottas a lift?
      CHARLES LECLERC GOING FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE POLES
      But this could be one race too much. Ferrari were fortunate in Monaco and Azerbaijan, but they are off the pace in France so far.
      They have some work to do if they are to catch the Mercs and Red Bull.

      BITS FALLING OFF VERSTAPPEN’S CAR
      He runs over the kerbs and a part breaks off. Red Bull immediately radio race control to request the part is returned to the garage.
      That’s Red Bull wanting to protect their upgrades from prying eyes and to reattach it to Verstappen’s car.

      SPIN FOR MAZEPIN
      Death, taxes and spins for the Russian, as the Haas driver loses grip and slides around.
      DIZZYING PAINT WORK AT PAUL RICARD
      The red, white and blue painted lines is all rather striking but this track has so far served up two dull races in 2018 and 2019.
      Both of those won by Lewis Hamilton, who is going in search of his hatrick.
      FP2 IS GO IN FRANCE
      It was a Merc 1-2 in the morning session. Can Red Bull find a way back?
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