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    Racing icon Sir Stirling Moss left £20million in his will and told pals ‘enjoy a few nights out’

    FUN-LOVING motor racing icon Sir Stirling Moss left £20million in his will and told pals: “Enjoy a few nights out.”
    The Formula One legend, who died last April aged 90, gave the order among a string of big-hearted legacies to 18 of his nearest and dearest.

    Sir Stirling Moss left £20million in his willCredit: Hulton Archive – Getty

    The gifts included £1,000 handed to a couple to spend on dinner at Miami, Florida, restaurant Joe’s Stone Crab.
    And he dished out his favourite paintings, model cars and even a lucky silver rabbit’s foot to others.
    He left the bulk of his fortune to his wife since 1980 Lady Susie, 66, plus daughter Allison, 53, and son Elliot, 40.
    Probate office figures showed the star, who lived in Mayfair, central London, left £22.08million in his will but this did not include US assets.

    The daring racing style of Sir Stirling, who won 16 of 66 F1 races from 1951 to 1961, led speeding motorists when stopped by police to be asked: “Who do you think you are, Stirling Moss?”

    Sir Stirling died after a long illness last yearCredit: AFP or licensors

    Sir Stirling died after a long illness last year with Lady Susie at his bedside.She paid tribute, saying: “It was one lap too many.
    “He died as he lived, looking wonderful.
    “He simply tired in the end and closed his beautiful eyes and that was that.”

    Sterling has been married to Lady Susie since 1980Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

    List of Sir Sterling’s legacies

    £1,000 to a pal (now dead) for him and his wife “to enjoy a few of our usual nights out” and two trophies
    £10,000 and a Marcel Lebrun painting to his former secretary
    A hand-carved Birdcage Maserati sculpture by artist Dennis Hoyt to a male pal
    A John Brierley model train to another male friend
    £2,000 and his Mercedes Benz boxed edition Silver Arrows, given to him by Mercedes Benz in 1998, to a male pal
    A Talbot model to a male friend
    £1,000 to a married London couple to “enjoy at Joe’s Stone Crab” restaurant in Miami, US
    £1,000 to a female friend
    A Cooper model to a male pal
    £5,000 to a married couple
    Another £5,000 to a US friend
    His silver rabbit’s foot – given to Sir Stirling in 1954 by friends – to his ex-psychotherapist for “giving me more than luck”
    £1,000 to a female friend “to help towards her telephone bills”
    £1,000 to another female friend
    £10,000 to his niece to “put towards buying another horse”
    £5,000 to a married couple as “my thanks for their loyalty”
    A painting of Hyde Park by artist Dexter Brown to “remind her of her many numbered bottles enjoyed after walks through that park”.
    £10,000 to his rally driver sister, Pat, who sadly died in 2008
    £20,000 to his god-daughter

    Stirling Moss wins Grand Prix d’Europe in 1957
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    Max Verstappen tight-lipped over replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes as F1 star prepares for season with Red Bull

    MAX VERSTAPPEN is staying tight-lipped about his chances of taking Lewis Hamilton’s world crown – and he’s not the only one.
    The Dutchman got behind the wheel of Red Bull’s new motor for 2021 on Wednesday but is giving nothing away.

    Max Verstappen remained tight-lipped over replacing Lewis Hamilton at MercedesCredit: PA:Press Association

    Red Bull held a filming day at Silverstone, but only released images of their RB15 car from 2019Credit: Getty Images – Getty

    And his team aren’t either after releasing 76 images from their official filming day at Silverstone – none of which show the RB16B, only the RB15 from 2019.
    Verstappen said: “Mercedes had the dominant car towards the end of the season so we know we have to keep improving.
    “We have made good steps with Honda but the competition does not stand still so we have to wait and see if it is competitive enough to fight for wins.
    “I am always very realistic and it makes no sense to talk about stuff now. I don’t like to talk it up.

    “We know where we want to be, and where we want to get to and that is what we have to now try to realise.
    “We worked a lot with Honda throughout the winter and it is all looking promising but it makes no sense at the moment trying to hype it up.
    “I want to stay low-key and we should do the talking on the track, not next to the track. We want to make it more difficult for Mercedes because they must be the favourites.”
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    Verstappen was third behind Merc’s Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas last season, while Red Bull finished second in the constructors’ championship.
    He has been linked with a move to Mercedes should Hamilton call time on his F1 career at the end of this season.
    Red Bull boss Christian Horner admitted his star driver would be at the top of Merc’s wanted list.

    But for the meantime the 23-year-old says he is not bothered about the speculation surrounding his future.
    He added: “At the end of the day, I don’t know what Lewis is going to do so I just focus on myself.
    “I am very focused on this year and making that a success. It is still very early in the season, so those kind of things I am not thinking about at this stage.”

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    Mercedes dominance has KILLED what F1 is all about and Lewis Hamilton’s endless wins are boring, slams Haas team owner

    THE DOMINANT Mercedes engine has ‘killed’ Formula One’s competitive foundation, Gene Haas has claimed.
    The 68-year-old and owner of the Haas team believes that races have become stale during the hybrid era, which has seen Mercedes claim seven consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ titles.

    Lewis Hamilton won 11 of the 17 races as he cruised to the 2020 titleCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    Gene Haas (centre) has seen his team drop back amid Ferrari’s woeCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    Lewis Hamilton romped to the world championship in 2020 and is heavy favourite to do so again this year.
    Potential challengers Ferrari, who supply much of the Haas car, have floundered of late, starving the car of power and aiding the Mercs’ hegemony.
    Haas told Racer: “In 2020 when Ferrari had a reduction in their horsepower, it was pretty obvious that all of the Ferrari engine cars had horsepower deficits compared to Mercedes, Honda and Renault.
    “Our boat’s tied to the Ferrari ship, so when they’re going slow we’re going even slower – I don’t think there’s much you can do about that.

    “We have no control over the parts that we obtain from Ferrari. We have faith that Ferrari can fix the problem.
    “And not only does Ferrari have this problem, but so does Honda and Renault – everyone’s at a deficit to the Mercedes engine.
    “They built an extremely high performance, high fuel efficiency, durable engine that no other team’s been able to come close to.
    “To me, it’s really killed what Formula One’s all about.

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    “More power to Mercedes for being able to dominate so much of the thing, but who wants to go to a race when you know who’s going to win every friggin’ race that’s out there? That just gets boring.”
    The coronavirus pandemic has led to F1’s next rulebook shake-up being delayed to 2022, which will be the most likely window for a new challenger to emerge.
    Haas is content for his cars to leave Ferrari to fight for the title, noting that his team, the youngest on the grid, is financially stable and enjoying the brand benefits of being in F1.
    Confident that he will remain in the sport for ‘at least the next five years’, the American admitted that the coming season will be another tough one for the team that claimed just three points in 2020.
    He added: “I’m optimistic about the future.
    “I know that this year’s going to be difficult because we basically have the same car as last year, and the power plant from Ferrari is going to be very similar to last year, so we know that’s not going to give us any competitive advantage.

    It’s also participating in races and drivers and the whole other aspect of the glory of Formula One racing. Which is fun!”
    Gene Haas

    Haas are set for another tough year after finishing ninth in the 2020 constructorsCredit: Getty – Pool

    “So I think that we have the mindset of realizing our position is always going to be probably three of four positions behind Ferrari. It kind of tells us where we’re going to be racing.
    “And that’s OK, this is Formula One, the pinnacle of motor racing.
    “We know we’re not going to be beating any of the Mercedes teams, so we just have to take what we have and learn to make the best of what we’ve got, which isn’t bad.
    “This whole sport is a lot more than just the engineering challenges and the engine development and all that stuff, it’s also participating in races and drivers and the whole other aspect of the glory of Formula One racing. Which is fun!”

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    Formula E: Stoffel Vandoorne is relishing pressure of racing for serial winners Mercedes

    STOFFEL VANDOORNE understands he must step up and deliver for serial winners Mercedes in Formula E this season.
    The F1 powerhouse ended the final race of last season in FE with a strong one-two finish but ultimately finished a whopping 97 points behind Constructors’ Champions Techeetah.

    Stoffel Vandoorne is eyeing Formula E glory with Mercedes this seasonCredit: Formula E

    Ex-F1 star Vandoorne will aim to win this year’s title as FE begins its first season as an official FIA world championship under the lights in Saudi Arabia.
    Vandoorne, 28,  said: “I would say there’s big ambitions for the whole team, partly because of the success we had last season.
    “And obviously that win in the last race has put a bit of additional pressure on us to perform.
    “I see that as a positive and I like being in a position where I have to perform.

    “I have to deliver and hopefully we can carry forward the momentum we’ve had from last year and start the same way.”

    FE’s first race of the season is on Friday in Riyadh on Friday
    FE’s new season gets underway this Friday in the all-electric series’ first night race. 
    And Vandoorne is hopeful after securing back-to-back podiums in the double header in Riyadh last season.
    The 28-year-old added: “It’s going to be an interesting weekend of racing.

    “It’s one of the trickiest circuits in the world and will test the drivers even more given it’s the first night race format we will have experienced. 

    “We’ve had success in Saudi in the past and will look to build on the two podiums we secured during last season’s double-header.”
    Vandoorne was pictured driving his FE Mercedes race car on coastline of the Red Sea, in NEOM. 
    Where they are building a new development called ‘The Line’ which aims to be a carbon-positive urban settlement powered by 100% renewable energy.
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    British GP hoping for record 140,000 F1 fans at Silverstone in July after coronavirus lockdown ends with plans in place

    BRITISH GP bosses are hopeful of record-breaking crowds for this year’s race – providing it gets the green light from the Government.
    Boris Johnson laid out his roadmap for the UK to return to normal, saying he hoped all COVID-19 restrictions would be lifted by June 21.

    The British Grand Prix bosses are hoping for 140,000 people at Silverstone in JulyCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    The British GP is scheduled for July 18th and Silverstone boss Stuart Pringle says a 140,000 capacity crowd is “is still absolutely on the table”.
    He said: “Silverstone is not a tight stadium in the same way that a football stadium is or a tennis court.
    “Our 70,000 grandstand seats are spread out over three-and-a-half miles.
    “We have got a lot of space, we are absolutely an outdoor venue, we have a lot of entrances and exits.

    “Anything is possible, but it has also been made clear it is far from guaranteed.”
    Silverstone hosted two F1 races last year behind closed doors due to the restrictions in place.
    The majority of the ticket holders decided to retain their tickets and rolled them over to use this season.
    Last year, Pringle told SunSport he wanted to recapture the atmosphere from 1992 – when Nigel Mansell won the world title – a period dubbed “Mansell Mania” when British F1 fans flocked to the circuit.

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    Lewis Hamilton has won the British Grand Prix a record seven timesCredit: EPA

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    The 2021 Formula One World Championship starts with the Bahrain GP in March
    And it is entirely possible the circuit could break it’s record of 350,000 spectators over the four days.
    He added: “I want the 2021 British Grand Prix to take place with the largest number of fans attending as possible.
    “That is hugely important to Silverstone so we will do whatever it takes to play our part in proving it is safe to do so.
    “I see a strong pent-up demand for that from the public. They absolutely want to come so we have to create the environment where they are able to do so.”

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    Romain Grosjean back in cockpit just 86 days after fireball F1 crash for IndyCar with special helmet designed by kids

    ROMAIN GROSJEAN got back in the cockpit just 86 days after surviving a fiery smash in Bahrain.
    After nine seasons in F1, the Frenchman has taken up a career in IndyCar.

    Romain Grosjean returned to the cockpit just 86 days after surviving his horror accidentCredit: IMS Photo – Joe Skibinski

    He got behind the wheel again at the Barber Motorsports Park in AlabamaCredit: IMS Photo – Joe Skibinski

    The Frenchman made a miraculous escape at the Bahrain GP when his car burst into flamesCredit: Splash News

    And he is getting up to speed with the new series – although admits he is still in some discomfort with his burned hands.
    Grosjean, 34, cheated death in a crash in the Bahrain GP that was measured at 52G when his Haas car stuck a barrier and was ignited into a fireball.
    But behind the wheel again at the Barber Motorsports Park he says he is adjusting to the new series with Dale Coyne Racing.
    He said: “After the first run my biceps started hurting a bit, and I thought, ‘Okay, okay. Now we’re talking.’ You really feel the car.

    “I guess you can drive it a little bit more with your driving style with the way you apply the brake and your turning and so on.
    “You can actually use different lines, whereas in Formula One you may be more stuck to the ideal line because of how the aerodynamics work.
    “[My hand] has actually done very well. I had a big snap and that was a bit painful. I expect those. I know it’s not fully recovered and is sensitive.”
    Grosjean wore a special helmet for the IndyCar test designed by his children Sacha, Simon and Camille and features their drawings of their pets.

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    He will now spend his time in the US series and he says he was surprised at just how friendly it was compared to the highly-secretive world of F1.
    Grosjean added: “It’s a different car, a different position, but apart from that, everything felt great and normal.
    “I just need to get used to a new car. It reminds me of when I was jumping from Formula Renault to Formula 3 and GP2. So far, I’ve been really happy with it.
    “The mechanical grip of the car has been really good. I can really understand why you can get the racing good. The way the team works is really good.
    “When I arrived, I was quite surprised to see that the cars are being set up here, and there’s no closed garage or tents.
    “I really like it. You get to go into the pit lane, and I was talking to Sebastien Bourdais, and Takuma (Sato) came over, and we had a good chat next to his car.
    “The talking is made on track, and whenever you remove your helmet it feels like everyone is friendly and likes to talk and chat.”

    Grosjean’s new helmet was designed by children Sacha, Simon and Camille and features drawings of their petsCredit: Instagram @grosjeanromain

    He admitted there is still some discomfort in his hands following the burnsCredit: IMS Photo – Joe Skibinski

    The driver was surprised at just how friendly IndyCar was compared to F1Credit: IMS Photo – Joe Skibinski

    Grosjean has joined Dale Coyne Racing for the US seriesCredit: IMS Photo – Joe Skibinski

    His new car has the No51 and his name and flag emblazoned on the sideCredit: IMS Photo – Joe Skibinski

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    Fausto Gresini dead at 60: Ex-MotoGP champ dies days after 60th birthday following Christmas Eve positive Covid test

    FORMER MotoGP champion Fausto Gresini has died aged 60.
    Gresini tested positive for coronavirus on Christmas Eve and battled the deadly disease in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Bologna.

    The news we would have never wanted to give, and that unfortunately we are forced to share with all of you. After nearly two months battling against Covid, Fausto Gresini has sadly passed away, few days after turning 60. #CiaoFausto❤️ pic.twitter.com/mHMsDgunmb
    — Gresini Racing (@GresiniRacing) February 23, 2021

    Former MotoGP champ Fausto Gresini has died aged 60Credit: Getty Images – Getty

    His team confirmed the sad news in a statement on Twitter that read: “The news we would have never wanted to give, and that unfortunately we are forced to share with all of you.
    “After nearly two months battling against Covid, Fausto Gresini has sadly passed away, few days after turning 60.”
    Gresini, born in Imola, Italy, began racing aged 17 and in 1983 joined the MBA team.
    His pinnacle came in 1985 when he won his first world championship with Garelli in the 125cc class.

    His second would follow two years later before joining the Honda team in the twilight of his career.
    Gresini raced 132 times in total accumalating 21 victories, 15 second places and 11 third places.
    He also still holds the record for the most 125cc victories in a season with ten.
    Gresini moved into team management in 1997 with his team, winning three titles with Daijiro Kato in 1997, Toni Elias in 2010 and Jorge Martin in 2018.

    The Italian won two world championships in 1985 and 1987Credit: Getty Images – Getty

    Tributes following Gresini’s passing have flooded in with the Petronas Yamaha racing team writing: “We are truly saddened to hear that Fausto Gresini has passed away.
    “Our condolences and thoughts are with his family, team and all those close to him. The paddock just isn’t going to be the same without you.”
    Former MotoGP would champion Casey Stoner added: “I am so saddened at the news of Fausto Gresini.
    “The MotoGP community has lost a great man, all our thoughts are with family, friends and colleagues. May you Rest In Peace.”

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    Netflix ‘F1: Drive to Survive’ series three given March 19 release date following Hamilton’s path to seventh world title

    NETFLIX have announced that the third installment of their popular Formula One show will be available to watch from March 19th.
    F1: Drive to Survive 3, will be a 10-part series recapping on the stories from the 2020 Covid-hit season.

    F1: Drive to Survive 3 will drop on Netflix next monthCredit: AFP

    It will kick off with stories behind why the opening race in Australia was cancelled.
    And go through to Romain Grosjean’s miraculous escape in Bahrain when his Haas car hit the barriers and burst into fire.
    The show will take in Lewis Hamilton’s record-equalling seventh world title and the drama behind the scenes.
    ‘Drive to Survive’ is produced by Academy Award winner James Gay Rees and Paul Martin for Box to Box Films.

    An F1 statement said series three is “the most dramatic season to date”.
    They also said “fans will once again be taken behind the scenes, to witness first-hand how the drivers and teams battle it out for victory in a year like no other”.
    Meanwhile, SunSport previously reported that Hamilton and Fernando Alonso will go head-to-head before a wheel has turned this season.
    Hamilton’s Mercedes team will launch their challenger for 2021 on March 2 – and now the newly-rebranded Alpine team have picked the same date.

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    It means both will be vying for coverage, as Alpine unveil their new livery since changing their name from Renault.
    Alonso, who drives for the French team, is recovering after undergoing surgery on a broken jaw following an accident on his bike in Switzerland.
    The 39-year-old is making his F1 comeback this year after quitting McLaren in 2018.

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