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      Lewis Hamilton urged to sign new Mercedes contract by incoming F1 supremo Stefano Domenicali

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      FORMULA ONE’s new CEO Stefano Domenicali has urged Lewis Hamilton to sign his new Mercedes deal.
      Hamilton is out of contract and yet to agree terms over an expected two-year deal worth £40million a season.

      Lewis Hamilton has been urged to hurry up and sign a new Mercedes contractCredit: PA:Press Association

      Incoming F1 supremo Stefano Domenicali implored the Brit to sort it soonCredit: PA:Press Association

      Former team boss Eddie Jordan told SunSport last week that he believed Hamilton was also angling for a slice of Merc’s TV revenue.
      While news of him committing to the team is expected imminently, Domenicali wants the world champion to stay on and fight for a record eighth title.
      He said: “I really hope that we can have this announcement soon because what he’s going to fight for this year is something that from a sporting perspective is incredible.
      “I can imagine the pressure and the dynamic on how he wants to reach this new record because that would be an incredible story to tell.

      “So the only thing I can say is that I really hope that personally if they are still talking, it’s great, I just remind them that the first (race) will be the end of March – Bahrain!
      “Lewis is a massive ambassador for F1. He is also an ambassador for other values and points that are really relevant.
      “He is really very important to F1 because he is embracing other values and bringing them into the discussion and putting his face to points out of the normal sport.”
      Domenicali was quizzed as to what the hold up could be on Hamilton’s contract and he felt it was more than just his salary.

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      He added: “I think they are talking about a lot of stuff. I’m sure that Lewis wants to understand a lot of points also on his own future.
      “But, I want to see him still very very involved in Formula One. It is his life, he may be interested in other things because we can see that he has a lot of interests.
      “Therefore, I think they are discussing a lot of points. I don’t think it is only a point related to his salary.
      “I think it’s more related to what they have in mind to share together in the future. I think that’s the reason why.”
      The Italian is a former Ferrari team boss and replaces outgoing CEO, Chase Carey. He is a breath of fresh air for the sport.
      He will uproot his family from Italy to move to London to run F1 where he will continue the transition from Bernie Ecclestone’s outdated model.
      ‘WE RACE AS ONE’
      He has set up a meeting with F1’s stars to outline his plans to help transform the sport.
      He said: “I sent a letter to all the drivers, also to president of the GPDA Alex Wurz, because I wanted to share how important it is they understand their value in being a positive ambassador for F1, not only the sport but also the values on which F1 is focussed.
      “The ‘we race as one’ project, the diversity and sustainability projects. I invited them to a meeting — the target is to have it in Bahrain – to discuss and share this opportunity.
      “We have never had so many fantastic drivers in F1 and we cannot lose the opportunity in making sure they understand they are more than drivers.
      “I would like to invest a lot of time, not only on the sporting side but I want to share how I believe we should work together using our platform and their role model to push for issues that are important for our society.”

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      The four forgotten F1 tracks that could be used in 2021 including snake-infested Korea circuit after Australian GP moved

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      FORMULA ONE’s 2021 calendar has already been tweaked with the Australian GP dropping back until later in the year.
      The Chinese GP has also been pulled from its original slot and there are already rumours of two races in Bahrain to kick off the season.

      The F1 track in Hanoi, Vietnam never hosted a single race after Covid saw its debut axedCredit: AFP – Getty

      In 2020, we saw the return of tracks in Turkey, San Marino and Portugal, plus a new second track layout in Bahrain.
      So where else could F1 look to if they need to plug some gaps in the calendar caused by the ever-changing situation with the pandemic?
      SunSport takes a look four options…
      VIETNAM
      Hanoi Street Circuit

      There was huge excitement over a new race in Asia, especially after losing the Malaysian GP and question marks over the future of the Singapore GP.
      A brand new track was built and completed in February 2020 ahead of the race, which was scheduled for April 5.
      However, the Covid-19 pandemic saw that race scrapped without a single car going around the track.
      It now lies dormant and has the honour of being F1’s greatest white elephant and remains a sore point for owners Liberty Media.

      A key figure behind the race, Hanoi People’s Committee chairman Nguyen Duc Chung, has since been arrested and there are doubts as to whether the track will ever be used for F1.
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      INDIA

      Drivers loved the Buddh International Circuit but tax problems saw it axed from the calendarCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Buddh International Circuit
      Another sad story of a decent track being caught up in red tape –  this time over a tax dispute.
      The circuit was opened in October 2011 and while it was only partially finished, it earned rave reviews from the drivers.
      There was a challenging sequence of corners that ran through turns ten, 11 and 12, plus elevation changes.
      Likened to a rollercoaster, it has a long straight for overtaking and gigantic pitlane.
      However, the race was cancelled in 2014 over a tax row with the government, who argued that F1 was not a sport and was instead entertainment and subjected to different tax rates.
      As a result, F1 pulled the plug after three Indian GPs – all won by Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull – and never went back.
      MALAYSIA

      Sepang was a staple on the calendar for nearly 20 years but was pulled due to the rising cost of hosting F1 racesCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Sepang International Circuit
      Another cracking circuit that hosted F1 from 1999 to 2017.
      The layout was beautiful and the track flowed from corner to corner.
      Plus, like in India, there were plenty of places to overtake.
      Being situated in the middle of a forest and close to Kuala Lumpur it was a favourite for F1 personnel.
      However, it was also too expensive for the locals, as the circuit battled against increasing hosting fees.
      Their contract ended in 2018 and so far a new deal has not been discussed with Liberty Media.
      SOUTH KOREA

      The Korea International Circuit was one of the most bizarre, located in the southernmost tip of South Korea in MokpoCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Korea International Circuit
      Possibly one of the most surreal races ever to be on an F1 calendar, the bizarre race remains a keen talking point.
      If you were there for the races between 2010 and 2013, you’d know what I mean.
      Located in the southernmost tip of South Korea in Mokpo, it was a four-hour train ride from the international airport.
      Hotels were in short supply in what was otherwise a ship-building town, so team’s were forced to stay in love motels – the kind of places rented by the hour.
      Sadly, the track was fairly unspectacular but snakes were common.

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      Lewis Hamilton’s contract stand-off with Mercedes ‘a shame and embarrassing’, slams Michael Schumacher’s brother Ralf

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’S delay in agreeing a new contract with Mercedes has become ’embarrassing’, according to Ralf Schumacher.
      The Brit equalled Ralf’s brother Michael’s record of seven world championship titles last year.

      Lewis Hamilton is yet to put pen to paper on a contract to race in 2021Credit: PA:Press Association

      Ralf Schumacher, with brother Michael, believes a deal should have been signed by nowCredit: AFP

      But a deal to race in 2021 is still yet to be signed, making the defending champ the last driver on the grid to agree to race next season.
      For Schumacher, the delay has gone on long enough.
      He is quoted by Speedweek as describing the situation as: “A shame and almost a bit embarrassing.”
      He added: “It’s February now, and the most important man in Formula One, the seven-time world champion, has still not been confirmed.

      “I always hear that it’s all about the money, but I hope that’s not true.
      “Hamilton in particular, given his humanitarian streak, has to understand that you cannot demand 100 per cent in these times.

      “And Hamilton also has to be clear – Formula One is bigger than any individual.

      “Maybe Hamilton should give himself a jolt now.”
      Schumacher, who won six F1 races during a decade-long career in the sport, also reminded Hamilton that Mercedes are not tied to the 36-year-old.
      George Russell impressed when replacing Hamilton for a race last year.
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      And the German believes the ‘risk’ of being permanently dropped for a younger driver is something the defending champ should ‘never forget’.
      Reports this week suggested Merc have given their star a one-month deadline to put pen to paper.
      Team boss Toto Wolff said recently that an agreement will be reached ‘soon’ but ruled out a three-year contract.
      Former F1 chief Eddie Jordan has told SunSport that he believes Hamilton wants to negotiate a better cut of sponsorship and TV money.

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      F1 star George Russell shows off incredible home virtual GP simulator with four screens to help him become world champ

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      GEORGE RUSSELL has shown off his impressive high-tech rig that is powering his charge to the new Formula One season.
      Four screens and an authentic racing steering wheel are just some of the features completing the Brit’s home setup.

      George Russell posed in his Virtual Grand Prix setup for his Instagram followersCredit: Instagram / @georgerussell63

      The high-end rig featured four screens and an authentic steering wheelCredit: Instagram / @georgerussell63

      With the Virtual Grand Prix series underway ahead of the 2021 campaign, Russell revealed his simulator on an Instagram story this week.
      A mammoth computer, fitted with blue neon lights, sits at the back of the expensive rig.
      A Sparco racing seat sits behind the wheel and pedals, with a keyboard and mouse to one side.
      And the piece de resistance is the four-screen setup bolted together to give Russell a perfect view of the action on either side, as well as up top.

      Sat next to the high-tech setup was a slightly more relatable home racing system – a boxed-up Scalextric set.
      Williams star Russell, 22, was due to race in last weekend’s 2021 Virtual GP season opener but pulled out late on.

      A huge computer powered the behemothCredit: Instagram / @georgerussell63

      An old school Scalextric track was perched alongside the simulatorCredit: Instagram / @georgerussell63
      He is set to return for Sunday’s Silverstone race, featuring the likes of Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi in the online challenge.
      During F1’s pandemic shutdown last year, Russell shone in the Virtual series and won the unofficial championship.

      Following that, he produced a number of strong displays in his second year with Williams.

      He very nearly snatched a maiden F1 win when replacing the coronavirus-stricken Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes for December’s Sakhir GP.
      Another good year in the underperforming Williams could be enough to convince the Mercs to promote their academy star to the team full-time for 2022.
      Valtteri Bottas is yet to put together a serious challenge for the title while seven-time champ Hamilton still hasn’t signed his contract to race next season.

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      Romain Grosjean joins IndyCar with ex-F1 star set to return to racing just five months after Bahrain fireball

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      ROMAIN GROSJEAN has signed up to American racing series IndyCar after leaving Formula One.
      In November, the Frenchman escaped a horrific fireball crash at the Bahrain Grand Prix with only a foot injury and burns to the hands.

      Romain Grosjean has announced his return to motor racing

      The Frenchman will hop into an IndyCar five months after his horror Bahrain crashCredit: Splash News

      Grosjean, 34, is still receiving treatment for his badly-burned left hand but is set to hop into IndyCar with Dale Coyne Racing just five months after the crash.
      He said on Wednesday: “I’m very excited for this opportunity to race in the United States in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
      “I had different options in front of me for this coming season and choosing to go IndyCar Racing was definitively my favorite one.
      “Although, I’m not ready yet to take on the ovals! IndyCar has a much more level playing field than what I have been used to in my career so far.

      “It will be exciting to challenge for podiums and wins again.
      “My left hand is still healing, but we are just about ready to get back into the race car and to start this next chapter of my career.”
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      We’ve been talking to Romain for some time now, even before his accident at Bahrain.
      Dale CoyneTeam Owner

      A move to the States has been on the cards for Grosjean for some time – but he is yet to confirm his appearance in IndyCar’s three races around oval tracks.

      Haas confirmed he was being let go in October, weeks before the accident, and a move across the F1 paddock was off the table.
      Following the crash, he spoke of his desire to drive an F1 car once more to round off his career in the series.
      He said: “I will call every F1 test and see if they will give me a private test and have 10-15 laps in the car, just for me.”
      Grosjean secured eight podium finishes in his Lotus heyday between 2012 and 2015.
      In IndyCar, he will join fellow ex-F1 stars Marcus Ericsson and Takuma Sato, who won last year’s Indy500 at the age of 43.

      Grosjean has signed up to appear in the track and street races

      Team owner Dale Coyne added: “We’ve been talking to Romain for some time now, even before his accident at Bahrain.
      “He has shown interest in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for the past several months.
      “And we’re very happy that he has chosen to pursue his career with us and excited to welcome a driver with his pedigree to America, the Series and our team. We feel that he’ll be a force to be reckoned with in the Series.”

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      Mercedes and Ferrari will struggle with new F1 budget caps with new rules limiting spending to £103m on developing cars

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      FORMULA ONE’s ‘rich teams’ could struggle to adjust to the sport’s new budget cap.
      New rules this season will limit teams’ spending to £103million to develop their F1 cars in the hope of making the sport more competitive.

      Mercedes spent four times the new £103m limit to win last season’s constructors’ championshipCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Mercedes are understood to have spent four times that figure to win the constructors’ championship last season.
      And Alfa Romeo’s sports director Beat Zehnder says the big boys could struggle with the tighter budgets as they are forced to restructure their teams.
      When quizzed by Auto Motor und Sport if it will ‘benefit’ the smaller teams, he said: “Yes, but not for 2022.
      “We are very efficient. If I look at and compare the employee list of all teams, then we have always had very few employees on the racetrack.

      “However, the benefit will only be felt in 2023 and 2024. The big teams won’t fire their 300 to 400 people overnight.
      “They will use the transition phase to develop the new cars for 2022 with more resources and personnel.
      “The rich teams have always had an advantage when the regulations were changed.
      “With this processes, however, it can be that the large teams will find it more difficult in the adjustment phase than the teams that do not have to change anything.”

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      While Mercedes and Ferrari have been the big spenders, the likes of Alfa Romeo and Williams spent around £100million last year.
      The sport’s governing body, the FIA, will have the power to scrutinise teams’ spending based on their accounts.
      They can also make physical checks through unannounced factory visits to see how much teams are producing.
      If a team is found to have breached the spending rules – that does not include drivers’ salaries or marketing budgets – the FIA could hand out fines, points deductions or even race bans for the offenders.

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      McLaren chief Zak Brown expects F1 bromance between Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris to create explosive race battles

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      MCLAREN boss Zak Brown says the bromance between Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris could become explosive on track.
      Ever-smiling Ricciardo has arrived from Renault to replace Carlos Sainz and will team up with social media star Lando Norris in what promises to be a partnership built on banter and practical jokes.

      Lando Norris (left) and Daniel Ricciardo (right) are to race hard against each other for McLaren in 2021Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      Team boss Zak Brown is excited to see his new duo hit the trackCredit: Alamy

      But Brown expects them to ditch the ‘goofy odd couple’ act when it comes down to business.
      And says he fully expects to be in a position to warn them about their fierce battles on track as they slug it out for position.
      He said: “Everyone is expecting them to be a goofy odd couple but I am expecting more seriousness.
      “They are both out to prove something.

      “Daniel is at the stage of his career where he wants to fight for a world championship. I don’t think we will be able to do that this year, but hopefully we will in the future.
      “And Lando is no longer the ‘younger brother’ of his team-mate and so I think we are going to see two extremely fast racing drivers with personalities, but once they are in the garage it will all be business.
      “Lando is going to be coming into his third year and has matured as a driver and Daniel is a seven-time race winner and those results speak for themselves.
      “They are both extremely fast and Daniel is very aggressive and I think they will be tough to each other on track.

      McLaren expect another tough fight having snatched third in last year’s constructors’ championshipCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      “I think we are going to have to manage them on track. Carlos and Lando gave each other a lot of room when they raced, but I think Daniel and Lando will be closer wheel-to-wheel.
      “So we might need to make sure that everyone races hard but also races clean.
      “I do think we have the most exciting driver pairing both on the track and off it.
      “They both have an energy and ambition that has made McLaren a youthful and energetic racing team.”
      McLaren had an excellent season in 2020 after finishing third in the constructors’ championship.
      Their new partnership does look exciting, plus they will use the superior Mercedes engines in 2021.
      However, Brown says it would be wrong to talk up their chances of improving this season and challenging for the title.
      He added: “The reality is, we went into the last race of the year and we could have finished, third, fourth or fifth.
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      At one point last year, all those teams were the quickest and it is exciting for the fans of the sport, but also nerve-racking.
      Zak Brown

      “AlphaTauri came on strong. If it had been a 22-race calendar with five more races, they were catching the midfield.
      “And Ferrari you can never count them out with the resources they had. And if you had two Charles Leclercs, I don’t think they would have finished the season in sixth.
      “Sebastian Vettel had a poor season for whatever reason and now they have Carlos.
      “So I think three to seven is going to be the same group but you could throw balls in the air and the third placed team could be seventh!
      “There was nothing in it. At one point last year, all those teams were the quickest and when it is that close, it is exciting for the fans of the sport, but also nerve-racking.”

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      Lewis Hamilton given one-month deadline to complete £40m contract talks by Mercedes as F1 team give him until March 2

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has been given a one-month deadline by Mercedes to decide on a £40million new contract.
      The German giants announced they will unveil this year’s car on March 2 – exactly one month from now.

      Lewis Hamilton has one month to decide his future with MercedesCredit: PA:Press Association

      Mercedes confirmed both drivers will be in place before the car is unveiled on March 2

      And Mercedes also insisted they will have both drivers in place before the new wheels are revealed to the world.
      Hamilton, 36, has been locked in contract talks after winning his seventh world title last season.
      Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is confident that the world champion will put pen to paper shortly.
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      Negotiations are thought to have been thrown off by Wolff contracting coronavirus last month with the team boss speaking of ‘curveballs’ delaying an agreement.
      But, in conversation with German outlet RTL, the 49-year-old insisted that the deal will be signed ‘soon’.
      The timing of the agreement will enable Hamilton to be in the car for the start of the new season and March’s testing in Bahrain.
      Wolff stated his belief that the parties must come to a ‘sensible agreement’.

      Lewis Hamilton won his seventh world title last seasonCredit: Getty – Pool
      And he added that Mercedes and Hamilton are ‘not far’ from settling on a package.
      The seven-time world champion is thought to be holding out for a £40million salary plus entitlements to TV and sponsorship earnings he brings to the team.
      The constructors champions are the last Formula One team able to formally confirm their line-up for the 2021 season.

      Despite the lengthy delay in the Brit putting pen to paper, Wolff is adamant that the duo have maintained their strong working relationship.
      Wolff said: “Our relationship is not only professional, but also a friendship.
      “Lewis is incredibly important, not only for our team, but also for the Mercedes brand.”

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