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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.

      Lewis Hamilton hikes to the top of a mountain every morning to ‘set his goals’ More

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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.”

      Romain Grosjean returns to Bahrain F1 paddock to meet rescuers just four days after miraculous crash escape More

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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.

      The ten greatest F1 drivers of all-time – according to SunSport’s motorsport correspondent Ben Hunt

      Jenson Button says he is looking forward to return to Williams F1 team as senior advisor More

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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.”

      Watch Daniel Ricciardo pull off incredible basketball trickshot as he says hello to his new F1 team McLaren in style More

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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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      Lewis Hamilton hikes to the top of a mountain every morning to ‘set his goals’ More

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      Lewis Hamilton reveals he will retire from Formula One the day racing stops giving him ‘the biggest smile’

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has declared he will only retire from Formula One once racing stops making him smile.
      The 36-year-old – who has been competing in F1 since 2007 – is currently the third-oldest driver on the grid behind Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso.

      Lewis Hamilton has won a whopping seven world titles since his F1 career began in 2007Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      With just two months until the 2021 season starts, and with Hamilton failing to agree a new contract with Mercedes, speculation has begun to grow when he will call time on his career.
      And the British star has stated he will continue to strive for success until the day comes when he no longer enjoys racing.
      Speaking on the Formula for Success podcast, he said: “You’ve got to find what you’re passionate about and what you love doing, and me personally, in my journey, there was a point where it just got too serious.
      “We only have one life. You have to enjoy what you’re doing. You’ve got to find happiness every day in what you are doing and I think that has been really important for me to be able to live in the moment.

      “Yes, it’s a competitive space that I’m in, but when I get in that car and put down the visor, the team start up the car and I leave the garage, I have the biggest smile.
      “Even today, after all these years of racing.
      “If there’s ever a day that that doesn’t happen, I don’t get that smile, I know that it’s done and I need to move on to something else.”
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      Hamilton then spoke of how he wants to keep on inspiring younger people who look up to him, as he commented on the importance of being a role model.
      He added: “As I’ve gone along in my career – I never thought I’d have people following me – I realise the importance to people of what I’m doing.
      “Yes, I love getting up and working with my team towards a common goal.
      “You know, being a part of a team, to kind of be the finishing touch or the catalyst to getting success with the team, that’s super exciting.
      “But it’s the idea also that there’s probably a young kid watching me realising that it’s also possible [for them]. That’s super exciting for me.”
      Despite fears that Hamilton may not sign a new deal at Mercedes, team boss Toto Wolff believes he will commit his future to the constructors champions soon.

      The ten greatest F1 drivers of all-time – according to SunSport’s motorsport correspondent Ben Hunt

      Lewis Hamilton hikes to the top of a mountain every morning to ‘set his goals’ More

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      F1 star George Russell cuddles and kisses stunning girlfriend Carmen Montero Mundt on beach in St Barts

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      GEORGE RUSSELL and his girlfriend could not keep their hands off each other while at the beach in St Barts.
      The Formula 1 star has jetted to the popular holiday hotspot in the Caribbean with Carmen Montero Mundt.

      British racing star George Russell pictured with Carmen Montero MundtCredit: Splash News

      The couple did not care who saw them as they kissed on the beachCredit: Splash News

      The loved-up couple were spotted soaking up the sunshine on a golden beach.
      They cuddled up closely to each other as they paddled in the picturesque blue sea.
      And the pair enjoyed a cheeky kiss as they relaxed on the sun loungers in the shade.
      Mundt wore a leopard print bikini while Russell had on some bright blue shorts.

      Russell nearly won the Sakhir GP when he stood in for Covid-struck Lewis Hamilton.
      Jenson Button has insisted he is ready to help turn Russell into a future F1 world champion.
      Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has admitted he could offer Williams driver Russell a permanent seat in the future.
      Former F1 driver Jan Lammers urged Wolff to use Russell as an example during contract talks with Hamilton.

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      George Russell is now dating Carmen Montero MundtCredit: Splash News

      The couple enjoyed a dip in the sea during their trip to the beach Credit: Splash News

      George Russell is living life in the slow lane at the moment with Carmen Montero MundtCredit: Splash News

      He told RacingNews365: “I don’t think Mercedes expected Russell to do so well.
      “But now that it does, it would be foolish for Mercedes not to use it against Hamilton in the contract negotiations.
      “And we all know one thing for sure and that is that team boss Toto Wolff is not stupid.”

      The pair appeared to be having a great time at the beach together Credit: Splash News

      The couple soaked up the sunshine on the beach in the Caribbean Credit: Splash News

      Lewis Hamilton hikes to the top of a mountain every morning to ‘set his goals’ More

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      Mercedes’ domination ‘a problem’ for F1 with Lewis Hamilton set to run away with title again, fears Eddie Jordan

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      THE DOMINATION of Mercedes in Formula One is a ‘problem’ for the sport ahead of a familiar-looking 2021 season, says Eddie Jordan.
      Lewis Hamilton is the clear favourite for a record-breaking eighth title with a team that has stood head and shoulders above its rivals for the best part of a decade.

      Lewis Hamilton is the huge favourite for an eighth F1 world titleCredit: Reuters

      Former team boss Eddie Jordan worries about Mercedes’ dominationCredit: Getty Images

      F1 is set to enact a rule overhaul in 12 months’ time, partly as a result of Mercedes’ unchallenged supremacy.
      But the year ahead is likely to look rather similar to the previous seasons that the Mercs, and 36-year-old Hamilton in particular, have dominated.
      Former team boss Jordan told BBC Scotland: “The sport is in a difficult situation because no-one can put their finger on Mercedes.
      “They do it better than anybody else.

      “Racing Point won a race last year, that was amazing from Sergio Perez, and Max Verstappen won the last race but that shouldn’t confuse people into thinking it will be much more open.
      “Mercedes have the best people and the best engine, so how can they not win the championship? That’s a problem for me.
      “It’s difficult to find the right sponsorship and you’re just not going to compete with that.”

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      Mercedes were on pole for all but two races in 2020 and Hamilton won the title by 124 points despite missing the Sakhir Grand Prix with coronavirus.

      The Brit is the final racer to be confirmed for the new season having so far failed to agree a new contract with the German marque.
      Merc boss Toto Wolff recently claimed the deal will be signed ‘soon’ – but will not be a long-term contract.
      Hamilton is enjoying a winter break in the United States, where he is hiking a mountain every morning amid the negotiations.
      Last week, 72-year-old Jordan told SunSport that he believes the driver wants a larger share of the television and sponsorship money he helps bring into the team.
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      He explained: “Lewis is saying, ‘Look guys, this is my salary, is this what I am being paid as a driver and for various other things that go along with the interviews and other aspects?
      “‘But am I being compensated for bringing in sponsors? Am I being compensated for the arrival of Ineos?
      “‘Am I being compensated for the increased television income you are getting as the constructors’ champion in the form of TV money?'”

      Lewis Hamilton hikes to the top of a mountain every morning to ‘set his goals’ More