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      Lewis Hamilton’s achievement should NOT be rubbished because he drives best F1 car at Mercedes, blasts Toto Wolff

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      TOTO WOLFF says it is rubbish to dismiss Lewis Hamilton’s achievements just because he is driving the best car.
      Hamilton can set a new record of 92 victories should he win this weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix.

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      Toto Wolff has hit back at snipes that Hamilton’s success is because of his F1 Mercedes carCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      He would move clear of the joint-record he currently holds with Michael Schumacher but the Brit does not always get the credit, especially from fellow drivers.
      Mercedes boss Wolff said: “Winning races and winning championships is always in this sport a team exercise, but you need to put yourself in a position that you end up in the best car.
      “You can see lots of talented and skilled drivers took wrong decisions, or not well-advised decisions.

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      Lewis Hamilton equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 race wins at the Eifel Grand Prix this month Credit: Rex Features
      “In that respect, it was him who joined Mercedes in 2013, and it is him that sits in the car and is able to execute on track with a tool that we provide to him.

      “But it’s always a tool. We couldn’t achieve the records that we have and he probably couldn’t achieve the records without the right car, full stop.
      “I don’t want to allow these voices that say, ‘well, he drives a Mercedes, it’s obvious that he wins so many races’.
      “The drivers that say that, they should analyse why they haven’t found a way into a Mercedes.”
      Mercedes could win the constructors’ champion title this weekend and Wolff says they have already stopped developing this year’s car “a long time ago”.

      Instead, they have now switched their focus to building their car for the 2021 season.

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      Wolff added: “It’s a very, let’s say, thoroughly thought-through decision, because not in every championship can you afford to close the book early.
      “But the rules change quite a lot for next year, and in that respect we decided, like in the previous years, to switch to next year’s car, and this is why you can see that shift in performance between the teams.
      “I think we always have a very strong start and middle of the season, and then whoever continues to develop is strong at the end.”

      Lewis Hamilton by far F1’s top earner on a staggering £42m a year More

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      MotoGP star Valentino Rossi, 41, jets to Wag Francesca Sofia Novello’s birthday and then tests positive for Covid

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      MOTOGP legend Valentino Rossi has been slammed after taking a private jet to his girlfriend Francesca Sofia Novello’s 27th birthday.
      The 41-year-old Italian jetted to France and back to attend the model’s birthday bash.

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      MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi has been slammed for taking a private jet to his girlfriend’s birthdayCredit: AFP or licensors

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      The Italian flew to France and back for Francesca Sofia Novello’s bashCredit: Intagram @francescasofianovello

      And fellow riders have criticised him after he tested positive for coronavirus soon after returning.
      The party was on October 13 and the nine-time world champion announced his positive test just two days later.
      He missed last weekend’s Aragon GP as a result and will also be out of action for this weekend’s meeting at the same venue.
      Spanish outlet Marca reported the iconic rider boarded a private jet to make sure he was present for Novello’s special occasion.

      And Spaniard Pol Espargaro who rides for KTM has no time for his fellow rider’s actions.
      He said: “Everyone has a personal responsibility to know the risk that exists.
      “Those who want to race cannot go to birthdays or private parties.
      “At home I don’t see friends, I don’t go to a restaurant or anything.

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      “This season is peculiar and the one who suffers the most damage is the driver who is infected with the coronavirus because he is forced to skip races.
      “I am alone with my wife and daughter and we use extreme precautions: I wash my hands 30 times a day and I always wear a mask.
      “When I want to go home after a race I ask for permission, and like everyone else, to return to the paddock I have to present a negative test.
      “For example, Valentino will miss two races and therefore the championship is compromised for him.
      “Two races out, he will pay a lot. Everyone is responsible for their actions.”
      Yamaha racer Rossi is eleventh in MotoGP’s 2020 standings.

      And announcing the positive test last week, he wrote on social media: “Unfortunately, this morning I woke up and I was not feeling good.
      “My bones were sore and I had a slight fever, so I immediately called the doctor who tested me twice.”
      He added that, while the “quick PCR test was negative”, the second one was positive.
      Rossi continued: “I am so disappointed that I will have to miss the race at Aragon.
      “I’d like to be optimistic and confident, but I expect the second round in Aragon to be a no-go for me as well.”

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      Novello is a modelCredit: Intagram @francescasofianovello

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      She is based in Italy for most of the yearCredit: Intagram @francescasofianovello

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      And she is currently dating Rossi who is 14 years her seniorCredit: Intagram @francescasofianovello

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      Novello often posts glam shots of herself in social mediaCredit: Intagram @francescasofianovello

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      She has more than 338k Instagram followers

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      Her beau Rossi made sure he was there for her special occasionCredit: Instagram @francescasofianovello

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      Rossi tested positive for Covid-19 just days after Novello’s partyCredit: Instagram @francescasofianovello

      Fears for Fabio Quartararo after Moto GP star in horror crash at Aragon GP and is taken away on stretcher More

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      Lewis Hamilton’s £13m car collection includes a £4m Shelby and a £1.6m Pagani Zonda 760 LH

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      TO be Lewis Hamilton for a day.
      The F1 ace has amassed a £230m fortune that allows him to indulge in the best boys’ toys around.

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      Lewis Hamilton has amassed a £230m fortune from motor racing and sponsorshipsCredit: Instagram @LewisHamilton

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      Hamilton’s wealth means he can afford life’s greatest luxuries and has a £13m car collectionCredit: Instagram @LewisHamilton

      And boy does the racing legend know how to spend it – splashing his cash on the best cars, and a yacht that could earn him the title of ultimate celebrity petrol head.
      The eco-warrior equalled Michael Schumacher’s 91 race wins at the Eifel Grand Prix last weekend, as he aims to win his seventh world championship
      Join SunSport in taking a look at his staggering fleet of cars, as well as that super yacht that sees Hamilton, 35, live like a king.

      I don’t know anything about wine. I don’t know a huge amount about art. But what I do know is cars, and I’m very particular about them.”
      Lewis Hamilton on motors

      CARS
      Lewis has a fleet of motors worth around… wait for it… £13 million.

      Of course, being a driver, he’s a car fanatic and collects everything from supercars to vintage classics that he divides between two garages – one in Monaco and another in LA.
      “I don’t know anything about wine. I don’t know a huge amount about art. But what I do know is cars, and I’m very particular about them,” he once said.
      Amusingly, so they keep their value, when Hamilton doesn’t want to drive them back home – he reportedly has a tow-truck that comes to pick them up from whatever restaurant or club he’s at.
      Here’s just some of his extravagant collection.

      PAGANI ZONDA 760 LH
      The rarest motor in Hamilton’s possession is a £1.6m Pagani Zonda that was made entirely for him.
      The exterior and interiors are purple, and at the request of the sports star he opted for a manual gearbox instead of the usual sequential one.

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      Hamilton’s Pagani Zonda cost him £1.6m but he hates driving itCredit: Rex Features
      His reasons? Because he hated getting behind the wheel of it initially.
      “The Zonda is terrible to drive!” he once said.
      “It’s the best-sounding car I own, but handling-wise it’s the worst.”
      That could be why in 2015 Hamilton got in an accident that caused some significant damage to the cherished motor.
      1966 SHELBY 427 COBRA
      The highest valued car in Hamilton’s collection is this stunning classic.
      Believed to be worth around £4m, it’s a rare sight – unless you’ve seen the racer cruising along the Pacific Coast Highway in LA.
      Hamilton was often spied taking his ex-missus Nicole Scherzinger for a spin in this beauty, which would have him standing out from the crowd.

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      A 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra is Hamilton’s most expensive car worth £4mCredit: Instagram @LewisHamilton
      LAFERRARI
      Every car aficionado worth their weight in salt owns this £1m Ferrari – another collector’s item that rises in value as the years go by.
      Capable of reaching a top speed of 217 mph, the LaFerrari can hit 0-62 mph in just 2.4 seconds, meaning it’s Hamilton’s fastest car he owns.
      Footballers including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Heung-Min Son also drive this frighteningly fast motor that must be just like handling a racing car.

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      A £1m Ferrari La Ferrari is a must for any car collection, including HamiltonCredit: Xposure
      MERCEDES-AMG PROJECT ONE
      Lewis has already got his hands on a Project One, that’s not even supposed to be out till next year.
      He was heavily involved in the production of the plug-in hybrid sports car that’s capable of hitting a top speed of 217 mph.
      Only 275 are going to be released at a cost of around £2m.
      Make that 274 now, since Hamilton has one.

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      Hamilton has managed to get his hands on a £2m Mercedes-AMG Project One ahead of its 2020 release

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      Hamilton was heavily involved in the production of the Project OneCredit: AFP or licensors
      MERCEDES-AMG SLS BLACK
      He already owned a SL Black Series, so why not add the SLS, right?
      Hamilton, who clearly has a need for speed, added this supercar to his garage probably because it’s the fastest Mercedes in production.
      Powered by a 6.2-litre V8 engine that produces 622bhp – the SLS can reach a top speed of 196 mph.
      It also hits 0-60 in just 3 seconds – making it the ideal car for Hamilton to get his thrills off the track with. For a price tag of £230k, it’s just what you’d expect really.

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      Driving for Mercedes has its perks for HamiltonCredit: Instagram @LewisHamilton

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      Hamilton regularly shares images on social media alongside Mercedes motorsCredit: Instagram @LewisHamilton
      MCLAREN P1
      Despite splitting with McLaren’s racing team, Hamilton can’t have felt too aggrieved with his former employers because in 2015 he added a £2m P1 to his extensive list of rides.
      The P1 has a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine, which is twinned with an electric motor that means the supercar has a total power and torque output of 903 bhp and 980 Nm of torque.
      In real talk that means it’s fast and powerful, can hit a top of 217 mph and 0-60 mph in under 2.7 seconds.

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      In 2015 Hamilton added a £2M McLaren P1 to his list of ridesCredit: Instagram @LewisHamilton

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      The McLaren P1 is capable of hitting 0-62 mph in just 2.7 secondsCredit: Instagram @LewisHamilton

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      Hamilton didn’t hold any grudges with McLaren despite splitting from the team and drives their car still on the streets of MonacoCredit: Instagram @LewisHamilton
      1967 FORD MUSTANG SHELBY GT500
      The second classic car that’s part of his fleet, fans of the Hollywood movie Gone In 60 Seconds might recognise this motor as looking to similar to one of the Eleanor models from the film.
      Hamilton had his customised by Oklahoma shop Classic Recreations for additional cost.
      At auctions, these can fetch up to £750k, and you can bet Hamilton’s is in tip-top condition. That said, we doubt he’ll ever sell it.

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      BEST OF THE REST
      When the Mercedes-Maybach 6 came out in 2016, Hamilton made sure he got his hands on the concept car.
      The 2×2 coupe is completely electric, and can run up to 200 miles before it’ll need recharging.
      Hamilton also has another Mercedes – the Maybach S600, which is a luxurious chauffeur’s car with a partition separating the front seats from the back.
      Both those motors have a combined worth of around £800k.
      And Hamilton doesn’t mind swapping four wheels for two – sometimes taking his £6,500 Honda CRF450RX Motocross Bike around the dirt tracks of California.
      Then there’s also his Maverick X3 dune buggy that would’ve set him back around £20k, that’s also electric in theme with his eco-warrior status.

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      Hamilton is a fan of the Maverick x3 dune buggy worth £20kCredit: 2017. All rights reserved.

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      Nicole Scherzinger used to ride with Hamilton on his buggyCredit: Instagram @LewisHamilton

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      Hamilton also has a penchant for motorbikesCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      BY SEA
      Lewis used to own a private jet –  a Bombardier Challenger 605 worth £25m, until he sold it this year presumably to reduce his carbon footprint.
      So now he has to explore new territories by sea which – let’s face it – is the only thing left where Hamilton can get his kicks.

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      That’s why he reportedly spent £5m on a gorgeous Sunseeker 90 yacht that he often entertains guests on, including supermodels Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid.
      The boat is really just like a home, has a huge master bedroom with a king-size bed, a walk-in wardrobe and a big shower room.
      And at 91.9 feet long, it certainly won’t get lost at sea. On the verge of his sixth world championship and a garage to die for – Lewis, we salute you.

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      Completing Hamilton’s collection is a Sunseeker 90 yachtCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton

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      Hamilton is said to entertain guests including supermodels Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner on board his yachtCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton More

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      Fears for Fabio Quartararo after Moto GP star in horror crash at Aragon GP and is taken away on stretcher

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      FABIO QUARTARARO was caught up in a brutal crash that saw the racing ace stretchered off during a dramatic third MotoGP practice for the Aragon Grand Prix. 
      Shocking footage shows the championship leader flying off his bike at Turn 14, before attempting to limp away. 

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      Fabio Quartararo flew off his bike at Turn 14 of a MotoGP practice for the Aragon Grand Prix

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      The Frenchman landed heavily on his elbow after flying over his Yamaha bike

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      The championship leader had to be stretchered off after attempting to walk following the crash

      The session got underway an hour later than scheduled amid safety concerns around the cold temperature.
      Slow-motion footage of the incident shows the racer losing control of his Yamaha on the curb, before flying over it and smashing sideways on the track.  
      And the Frenchman can later be seen grabbing his left shoulder before medics came to his rescue after he gingerly attempted to walk. 
      Thankfully, it has been reported that X-rays show the Moto GP star has suffered no broken bones.

      The horror crash was the second dramatic incident for the championship frontrunner who narrowly escaped injury on the opening day of the Grand Prix on Friday.
      The Yamaha rider suffered a morning fall at the Spanish circuit in the midst of chilly conditions on the track and is reported to have hurt his hip.
      The latest incident could put a dent in Quatararo’s title hopes if he is unable to compete in a fully fit condition this weekend. 

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      Incredible on board footage showed Quartararo flying from his bike

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      He then slid alongside his ride into the gravel

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      Despite the crash the Frenchman is currently in third place in Q2

      And LCR’s Cal Crutchlow has moved up to fourth. 
      Quartararo’s rival Franco Morbidelli topped the practice event at Aragon following the Frenchman’s crash. 

      Fears for Fabio Quartararo after Moto GP star in horror crash at Aragon GP and is taken away on stretcher More

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      Horror moment NASCAR crew member is thrown into air after being ploughed into in pit lane at Talladega Superspeedway

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      WATCH the shock moment a NASCAR crew member is wiped out by a truck during a race at the famed Talladega Superspeedway.
      The mechanic is midway through a stop from his own team when a truck screeches out of the box behind, taking him out.

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      The NASCAR truck steams out of its box and clips the pit crew memberCredit: NASCAR

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      Dramatic headcam footage shows the mechanic hurtle through the airCredit: NASCAR

      Clipped by the rear of the hulking vehicle, he does incredibly well to bounce back up and recover to complete his own team’s tyre change.
      The NASCAR truck event at iconic Alabama circuit Talladega took place earlier this month.
      Headcam footage from the crew member shows how the dramatic moment unfolded.
      Local media name the mechanic as Kyle Warner, who was getting to work on No3 Jordan Anderson’s car in the pits.

      After changing the rear left, he busts around the back of the car to secure the other tyre.
      But Austin Hill’s imposing No16 truck comes hurtling out of its box just as he turns across the rear of his car.
      The footage, via Caters Clips, shows Warner taking a horrible smack on the floor and lying dazed for a second or two.
      However, he manages to hop back up and race around to complete a successful change of the right rear tyre.

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      The No16 truck skidded as it left its pit box, leading to the shocking sceneCredit: NASCAR

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      But the crunched mechanic quickly got back up to complete the jobCredit: NASCAR

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      Warner did lose time, naturally, but not in the way one might expect.
      Showing no signs of hurt himself, he quickly realises his wheel gun has become disconnected and reaches over to pull the wire back in.
      With hardly a few seconds lost, Warner completes the change for Anderson to race off to a sixth-placed finish, at which point fellow pit crew members are seen walking towards the beleaguered mechanic.
      His condition post-race is unknown.

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      Lewis Hamilton by far F1’s top earner on a staggering £42m a year, way ahead of rivals Vettel, Ricciardo and LeClerc

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      THE salaries for all 20 Formula One stars have been revealed, with Lewis Hamilton the top earner on a truly staggering £42million a year.
      Mercedes star Hamilton – who tops the Sunday Times’ Rich List – earns well over TWICE as much as every other F1 driver except Sebastian Vettel.

      The German, who picked Michael Schumacher over Hamilton in the GOAT debate, takes in £37m per year – with the lowest earners pocketing just £175,000.
      It’s a massive jump down to third place though, with Daniel Ricciardo way back on £16m.
      Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, still just 23, is the only other star to break the £10m per season barrier, on £14m.
      And just seven other racers, including Carlos Sainz and Kimi Raikkonen, earn over £1m a year – with Vettel’s current Ferrari pal Charles LeClerc earning £8m.

      The remaining nine racers all pocket between £175,000 and £900,000 per season.
      Williams pair George Russell and Nicholas Latifi – along with Alfa Romeo racer Antonio Giovinazzi – are the joint-lowest earners.
      McLaren youngster Lando Norris is not much higher either, on £200,000 per season.
      Hamilton, 35, recently equalled Schumacher’s record of 91 F1 wins with his victory in the Eifel GP.

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      But he hit out at legends of the sport who have a ‘bee in their bonnet’ over who can be called the sport’s best ever.
      British legend Sir Jackie Stewart said it was ‘hard to justify’ calling Hamilton the greatest.
      But the Stevenage-born superstar said: “I don’t think you should knock anybody for the way you do things. I get knocked by many people, particularly older drivers.
      “They still have a bee in their bonnet, I don’t know why, maybe they’ll get over it one day.
      “I have so much respect for the past legends, even though they do continue to talk negatively about me all the time.
      “But I still hold them in high regard as I know it was so difficult at a different time in history, it was incredibly tough for them, they remain the legends.”

      Lewis Hamilton is a six-time F1 world championCredit: PA:Press Association

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      Sebastian Vettel picks Michael Schumacher over Lewis Hamilton in F1 GOAT debate despite Brit equalling German’s record

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      SEBASTIAN VETTEL has backed Michael Schumacher in Formula One’s debate over the greatest driver of all-time.
      With Lewis Hamilton going level with the German legend, 51, and his record 91 race wins, the sport has been keen to discuss exactly who is better.

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      Sebastian Vettel has gone toe-to-toe with Lewis Hamilton on several occasions in their championship battlesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Childhood hero Michael Schumacher will forever be the best, in Vettel’s eyesCredit: EPA

      For Vettel, Ferrari hero Schumacher ranks higher thanks to his ‘natural’ talent.
      He told reporters: “I think he was better than anybody else I’ve ever seen so far. I think he had a natural talent that is very difficult to explain.
      “I think if you saw him go karting, obviously I didn’t see him at a young age but I did at an older age, and I was happy to join him in the Race of Champions a couple of times.

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      “So you see a little bit more of the skills and the car control. And both the karting experience and the Race of Champions experience, I think he had a natural ability that, as I said, I haven’t seen with anyone else so far.

      “On top of that, he had an incredible work ethic, but I think it’s the combination of the two that for me stands out. I haven’t seen a match yet.”
      Schumacher won seven world titles in a fantastic career split between Benetton and Ferrari, with a stint at Mercedes before Hamilton’s arrival.
      Indeed, it was the six-time champion Brit who ended Vettel’s supremacy in F1.
      Four consecutive world titles in a row put the German on course to match his compatriot, before the Mercs dominated the Hybrid V6 era that began in 2014.

      Michael will always be my hero. And I think he had something about him that I haven’t seen in another driver so far.
      Sebastian Vettel

      Vettel noted: “I think I can’t respect [Hamilton’s] efforts enough.
      “It’s been the number in my head that I thought would never be beaten or equalled. I think we can be quite certain he will exceed this number.
      “Nevertheless, I have to say that Michael will always be my hero. And I think Michael had something about him that I haven’t seen in another driver so far.”
      Growing up in Germany and beginning his racing career at the height of Schumacher’s fame, 33-year-old Vettel admits he will always make the argument for his childhood idol.
      And he believes youngsters of today are likely to be visceral supporters of Hamilton, even if a handful of F1 veterans are not.

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      He continued: “I looked up to Michael when I was a child and Lewis, I didn’t look up to him when I was a child because I was racing him.
      “So it’s a different situation going in. But probably in another 10, 15 or 20 years’ time, there will be more admiration for that.
      “Obviously, when you’re still active, you’re looking at yourself and not so much others. But as I said you cannot cherish him enough for what he has achieved.”

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      F1 star Valtteri Bottas claims he is BETTER than Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton and says ‘I believe I am the best’

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      VALTTERI BOTTAS has reaffirmed his belief that he is BETTER than Lewis Hamilton – as he looks to claw back a massive championship deficit.
      For the second time this season, the Finn failed to translate a pole position into a win as he retired from the Eifel Grand Prix.

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      Lewis Hamilton (left) holds a comfortable lead over Valtteri Bottas (right) in the drivers’ standingsCredit: EPA

      With Hamilton sweeping to victory, he boasts a 69-point lead in pursuit of his record-equaling seventh Formula One world title.
      But Bottas still believes he can better the Brit, on his day.
      He said after the race: “Of course I believe that, when I’m at my best I know I can be better than him.
      “But obviously there are days that he’s better, no doubt, and overall in the last few years being his team-mate, overall he has been better.

      “But I don’t do politics, I just love driving, I love racing, I like fair but hard racing and that’s what I do, that’s how I’ve always raced and that’s how I’ll go on.”
      Bottas, 31, is set to finish behind his team-mate for the fourth-straight year of his time with Mercedes.

      And he is yet to put up a stern fight to grab Hamilton’s title, bagging a personal best second place last year – but ending up 87 points off his colleague.
      Sunday’s DNF came after an impressive race in Russia for Bottas, who explained his emotional response to that victory.

      He noted: “As an athlete and a guy who really puts everything always out there, when you feel like you’re not getting to your goals and not getting the results that you’re aiming for a long enough period of time, it just builds up.
      “People always judge you even though they don’t know you.
      “They don’t know you personally and how you are actually, no one knows what goes on inside people’s heads and that’s why it’s a bit silly to judge people based on what they see from outside.”
      F1 pundit Martin Brundle likened Hamilton’s latest triumph to that of Michael Schumacher.

      3

      Bottas and Hamilton battled for the early lead in Germany before the Finn fell awayCredit: AP:Associated Press

      3

      The Brit now sits alongside Michael Schumacher for race wins in F1Credit: AFP
      The Brit levelled Schumacher’s 91 career race wins and his performance was described as ‘aggressive and precise’.
      Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports column: “Michael was a pure winning machine in and out of the car.
      “All the right people wanted to be in his team and be part of the success because he was so fast, so good. He largely dominated his team-mates in and out of the car, whether he was using his right foot or his streetwise mental capacity and guile.
      “Lewis is the same. A classic comment of his on Sunday post-race was that he could see Bottas was graining his front tyres and so he pushed.

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      “He was driving TWO Mercedes at that point, and sure enough under braking and also with a few spots of rain Valtteri locked his front wheel and ran wide.
      “Valtteri made the comment that this gave Lewis advance warning of less grip, but whatever the circumstances Hamilton seized a lead he would not remotely relinquish despite ensuing safety cars.
      “He threw Bottas a consolation prize after the race by complimenting his determination to regain the lead in turn two of the opening lap, which was indeed a fine piece of aggressive and precision driving.”

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