Motorsport

LEWIS HAMILTON’s Mercedes team have told him he was NOT to blame for the error that cost him victory in the Italian GP.
Merc bosses say it was their fault after failing to spot a message on page 3 on their information screens, telling them the pitlane was closed.

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Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team say he was not to blame for his illegal pitstopCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Hamilton made the illegal pitstop during the race that earned him a ten second time penalty that resulted in him finishing seventh.
While the world champion took responsibility for the mistake immediately after the race, his team have now shielded him from blame.
Mercedes chief strategist, James Vowles, said: “There were two pieces of information to tell us that the pitlane entry had been closed.

Lewis came on the radio asking for a different set of tyres, we were reviewing whether or not we had time, whether it was the correct decision or not
James Vowles Mercedes Chief Strategist

“The first was there were boards around the track that have a cross on it, a red cross indicating that’s the state, and when the driver sees that, he knows he must stay out.

“The second piece of information is we have TV screens in front of us.
“One of those is called page three and it contains a number of messages that the FIA wants to send us.
“This was a key point in the race where the entire field would have come into the pitlane.
“Lewis came on the radio asking for a different set of tyres, we were reviewing whether or not we had time, whether it was the correct decision or not.

“These were all conversations that take just a few seconds, but they all add up.

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Lewis Hamilton’s error led to him finishing seventh at the Italian Grand Prix Credit: AP:Associated Press
“What you are not doing particularly is looking for a single line on the screen to indicate the pitlane entry was closed and we missed it.
Meanwhile, Ferrari have ruled out a swoop for Mercedes engine whizz, Andy Cowell.
The Brit is leaving the world champions having played a huge part in their success in the hybrid-turbo era.
And while Ferrari have substantial engine problems, boss Mattia Binotto has ruled out signing up the 51-year-old.

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He said: “In terms of new people joining Ferrari in the future, I think that in F1 you can never be satisfied, so if there is anyone that can bring added value to the team it’s our responsibility to look for it and eventually to do it.
“You mention Andy Cowell — as far as I’m aware, he’s still working in Mercedes currently.
“Certainly, there are great names in F1. Is there someone joining Ferrari very soon? It’s not the case.”

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MICK SCHUMACHER is in line to make his Formula One debut at the Tuscan Grand Prix, according to reports.
As the son of Ferrari legend Michael, big things are expected of Mick, 21, while he fights for the Formula 2 title.

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Mick Schumacher is reportedly set for a runout at the Tuscan Grand Prix this weekendCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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The German is the son of seven-time world champ MichaelCredit: Getty – Contributor
 According to German outlet RTL, the youngster is being lined up for a free practice runout at Mugello.
This weekend’s Grand Prix represents Ferrari’s 1000th race in F1 and the appearance of a Schumacher would no doubt attract huge added interest.
That is particularly the case with the unusual pandemic-affected calendar taking F1 to the Prancing Horse’s very own track.
It is not yet known which car Schumacher would climb into for an FP1 workout, but Ferrari-affiliated teams Haas and Alfa Romeo are the obvious bets.

A spot in a Ferrari itself would be a huge statement from the Italian team, particularly amid their own struggles.
In fact, team principal Mattia Binotto has already talked up Mick’s abilities from inside the Ferrari Driver Academy.

Last month, Binotto told Bild am Sonntag: “He’s doing very well this season in Formula 2. His job was to improve and make progress and he is doing that.
“We’ll soon discuss what we’re going to do with him next year.”

Schumacher won his first F2 race of 2020 with victory in the feature race at Monza on Saturday.
A string of podium finishes has the German racer in second place of the junior division’s championship, six points behind Brit and fellow Ferrari Academy ace Callum Ilott.
Many in F1 hope Mick can live up to the legacy of father Michael, 51, who holds the record for the most Drivers’ Championship titles in the sport.
The seven-time champ was skiing with his son, one of two children with wife Corinna, when he suffered a serious head injury in December 2013.

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After years of treatment, the racing legend is reportedly conscious while his family remain incredibly private over the state of his health.
FIA president Jean Todt, who oversaw much of Schumacher’s success at Ferrari, visited the German in July and said: “I saw Michael last week.
“He is fighting. I hope the world will be able to see him again. That is what he and his family are working towards.”

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FORMER motorsports star Renee Gracie splashed out nearly £200,000 on a Mercedes supercar.
The Australian used to be a V8 Supercar racer before earning a fortune as a porn star.

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Porn star Renee Gracie went back to her roots with her latest purchaseCredit: Instagram / @renee_gracie

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Gracie bought a brand new Mercedes Benz AMG GTC RoadsterCredit: Instagram @renee_gracie

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The OnlyFans star makes a small fortune from explicit content on the subscription siteCredit: Instagram @renee_gracie
Gracie, 25, raced to riches on subscription site OnlyFans – raking in as much as £14,000 a week for explicit videos – after ditching the track.
And her new-found wealth meant she was able to pay for the brand new Merc in CASH.
She traded in her second-hand Mustang for a Mercedes Benz AMG GTC Roadster, costing around £196,000.
No stranger to fast cars, Gracie has reignited her need for speed with her new vehicle able to hit 206mph.

It is not the only thing she has treated herself to of late after showing off an £8,000 ‘Kim Kardashian’ bum lift.
But it has not been all rosy for the Queenslander, as she revealed she came close to quitting her lucrative porn career because of the ‘negative attention’ it brought.
However, it was her father who convinced her to continue after saying ‘you’re making so much money, don’t stop’.
And it certainly paid off as profits went through the roof during lockdown.

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Gracie showed off her new motorCredit: Instagram @renee_gracie

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Gracie will be travelling in style thanks to her porn earningsCredit: Instagram @renee_gracie

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Gracie made her name as a driver in motorsportCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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Gracie reckons she collected just shy of £280,000 in the month of June alone.
She now lives comfortably having walked away from motorsport penniless in 2017.
But she did tease a return to the sport by saying she could now use her own money to fund a racing comeback.

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FORMULA ONE chief Ross Brawn has opened the door to full reverse grid races after Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix epic.
Pierre Gasly took a shock maiden GP victory at Monza after a red-flag restart featuring an incredibly mixed-up grid.

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Ross Brawn wants to see more of the mad action that unfolded in Italy on the weekendCredit: PA:Press Association

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Lewis Hamilton bounced back from his stop-go nightmare to finish seventh at MonzaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
With Valtteri Bottas falling back early on and Lewis Hamilton handed a stop-go penalty for entering the pit lane while closed, the championship-storming Mercedes were nowhere to be seen.
Couple that with awful days for Red Bull and Ferrari, and fans were treated to a hugely unpredictable race.
F1 managing director Brawn was left inspired by the spectacular affair to press harder for reverse grid qualifying, which would increase the chances of a repeat.
Brawn wrote in his F1 column: “Monza was a candidate for a reverse-grid sprint race when we were considering testing the format this year.

“Unfortunately, we could not move forward with it, but the concept is still something we and the FIA want to work through in the coming months and discuss with the teams for next year.
“We believe that Sunday’s race showed the excitement a mixed-up pack can deliver and with next year’s cars remaining the same as this year our fans could be treated to the similar drama we saw this weekend at Monza.

“Of course, with a reverse grid sprint race, teams will set their cars up differently.

“Right now, Mercedes set their cars up to achieve the fastest lap and then to control the race from the front. If they know they have to overtake, they will have to change that approach.
“We will continue to evaluate new formats with the aim of improving the show but always maintaining the DNA of Formula One.”
McLaren’s Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll of Racing Point completed Sunday’s podium, each finishing inside the top three for only the second time.
Kevin Magnussen’s breakdown outside the pit entry saw the lane shut moments before Hamilton boxxed, leading to his penalty.
The Brit was forced to serve his stop-go after Charles Leclerc’s crash drew a red flag, dropping him to the back of the pack.

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And yet, earning the fastest lap en route to seventh-place, Hamilton stunningly maintained his large championship lead thanks to Max Verstappen’s DNF and Bottas’ fifth place.
Hamilton was far from dissuaded by the result in Italy, taking time out to praise race winner Gasly.
He said: “I think he’s done a fantastic job and deserves the success. Hopefully that creates an opportunity for him moving forwards.
“And he also beat the team that demoted him, so it’s definitely got to hurt for them.”

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LEWIS HAMILTON has started his own all-electric racing team to help raise awareness in climate change.
The F1 world champion has signed up to the all-electric Extreme E championship that will start racing next January in some of the most remote parts of the world.

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The electric SUVs will race in some of the most challenging environments in the world

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Lewis Hamilton also hopes to boost awareness of climate change when his X44 team contest the new championship
The championship is the idea of Formula E founder, Alejandro Agag, and has the backing of a scientific committee with climate experts from Cambridge and Oxford Universities.
They will advise on education and research programmes in each area to leave a lasting legacy.
Hamilton said: “Extreme E is an exciting new sustainability initiative, and this is a great opportunity to be involved from the outset as a team founder.
“Of course, my ambitions and commitments with Mercedes in Formula One mean that I won’t be operationally involved in X44.

“But I’m excited to play a different role in this new series, one that brings my vision for a more sustainable and equal world to life.
“Extreme E really appealed to me because of its environmental focus.
“Every single one of us has the power to make a difference, and it means so much to me that I can use my love of racing, together with my love for our planet, to have a positive impact.
“Not only will we visit remote locations facing the front line of the climate crisis, we will also work closely with these locations and leading climate experts to share our knowledge and leave behind a positive legacy in each location which goes far beyond the race track.

I am excited to use our platform to highlight the most serious issues facing our planet
Lewis Hamilton

“As Founder of X44, I am looking forward to building my team around important values such as sustainability and equality.
“None of us are perfect and we all have improvements to make, but I am excited to use our platform to highlight the most serious issues facing our planet and the solutions we can all be part of.”

SUV STANDARD

Here’s our lowdown to the championship, the vehicles and the venues as it revs up for next January.

THE SERIESExtreme E is an off-road racing series that uses electric SUVs in remote parts of the world. There will not be fans at the tracks but will be televised and played through social media. Extreme E will engage with local charities to help conservation, preservation and environmental support.
THE CARSAll teams will use the same car. The Spark ODYSSEY 21 Extreme E E-SUV powered by an electric motor and capable of 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds. The cars will be stored and transported to each venue on board a ship that has an multi-million pound eco-friendly refit.
THE TRACKSOcean  – Senegal – Lac Rose – 22–24 January 2021Desert – Saudi Arabia – Sharaan, Al-Ula – 4–6 March 2021Glacier – Nepal – Kali Gandaki Gorge – 6–8 May 2021Arctic – Greenland – Kangerlussuaq – 27–29 August 2021Rainforest – Brazil -Santarem, Para – 29–31 October 2021

Hamilton’s team – called X44 – his car number in F1, marks his first solo project in racing.
The cars will be battery powered 550bhp SUVs that will be stored and transported on a specially converted cargo ship called RMS St Helena.
While Hamilton will not be driving, he will be the owner of the team and comes after he expressed his desire to switch to electric road vehicles.

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He currently has two regular electric road cars in his garage, a new Mercedes EQS and a Smart car.
The 35-year-old has become more environmentally focussed and used his social media to raise awareness on climate change.
He is also the co-owner of Neat Burger, the world’s first plant-based sustainable burger chain, who are sponsoring the series.

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MOTO GP star Cal Crutchlow has shared stomach-churning footage of surgery on his broken wrist.
The rock-hard Brit suffered the injury during the first round of the 2020 season in Spain in July… and still raced the NEXT WEEKEND in the Andalusian GP.

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Cal Crutchlow has shared stomach-churning footage of surgery on his broken wristCredit: Getty Images

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The Moto GP star has recently undergone surgery for a broken wristCredit: https://www.instagram.com/calcrutchlow/

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He has shared a clip online that has left followers feeling faintCredit: https://www.instagram.com/calcrutchlow/
Now he has posted a clip from operation on his wrist – and it is not for the faint-hearted.
Crutchlow’s arm muscle can be incredibly seen moving around during the surgery.
And his followers on Instagram were quick to let him know how gruesome they found it.
“Think the wife has just gone faint,” declared one.

Another called him a “machine” as a fellow fan commented: “Ah man! Just had to throw my steak dinner in the bin!”
Another said: “That’s incredible to see. Thanks for sharing and I’m sure I’ve seen this on a Terminator movie.”
Crutchlow finished an incredible 13th in Andalusia, less than a week after the major surgery.
And that is still his best result of the season after five races, as manufacturers Honda continue to struggle.

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Viewers could see his arm muscle moving while the surgery was being performedCredit: https://www.instagram.com/calcrutchlow/
He only has seven points from the first five races, but insists he is riding at “maybe 90-95 per cent” he is adamant his motivation is still high.
He said: “If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t still be here.
“If I didn’t love it and didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t want to ride next year – and I do.
“I still want to be able to be fast, I still am fast. I can guarantee you now, I am still fast.
“This is not about my speed, this is not about where I can finish.
“At the moment I can’t get the feeling with the bike and it’s never really happened to me that bad in such a long space of time.
“But we’ve also understood the bikes better in other years, I feel.

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“When I get on the bike, every single time I think we can do a good session and it doesn’t work out.
“My motivation is high, my positivity is always good. I don’t get on the bike thinking it’s a job.
“After the session, [if] you’ve had not the greatest result, you start to become disappointed, and disappointment is also a sign to say that you’re still wanting to do well instead of just being not bothered.
“I’m working as hard as ever, so it’s not like I have lost any motivation, determination.
“I definitely haven’t lost any speed, that’s for sure.” More

PIERRE GASLY says he is ready for another crack at racing for Red Bull.
The Frenchman was the shock-winner of the Italian GP last Sunday, marking an extraordinary turnaround in his F1 career.

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Pierre Gasly wants a Red Bull return after winning the Italian GPCredit: Getty Images – Getty
A year ago he was demoted from Red Bull to their B-team, Toro Rosso after a run of poor results, in place of Alex Albon.
But a second-place in Brazil last November, plus his victory in Monza, have reignited his hopes of a return to the top team
When quizzed if he would welcome a move back to the Milton Keynes-based team, he said: “I think I’m ready but it’s not up to me to make that call.
“The only thing I’ve done since they moved me back to Toro Rosso has been just to focus on myself and just show what I can do.

‘When I get the right tools in my hand I’m really happy that the performance we’ve shown — and I’m not only talking about Brazil but I think generally, we’ve been pretty strong most of the time.
“Obviously I guess the strong results should be rewarded with something but we will see what happens.”
While Red Bull have made it clear they would keep their faith in Albon, Gasly says that he would not make the same mistake a second time if he was given the opportunity.
In a recent interview with Crash.net, Gasly said: “There is unfinished business with them – I think we both know it.

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Gasly was demoted to Toro Rosso a year agoCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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“I am someone who is competitive and I want the fastest car possible in my hands.
“Since I was in karting, I [have] always fought for championships and for victories and pole positions.
“That’s what I want to do in Formula One as well. That’s my target but it’s not up to me to make the call for Red Bull, so we will see what happens.
“I think now we are in a much better position because we know what didn’t work, so I don’t think we would make the same mistakes if we are to do it again.”
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, however, says Gasly will have to remain put for the meantime.
He said: “That is currently not a consideration. Gasly is one of our Red Bull drivers, he is currently with AlphaTauri and is doing a great job there. But we also need a team leader there.”
Meanwhile, F1’s MD, Ross Brawn says the exciting Italian GP has reopened the possibility of a reserve grid race, forcing the big teams to fight through the field.
He said: “Monza was a candidate for a reverse grid sprint race when we were considering testing the format this year.
“Unfortunately, we could not move forward with it, but the concept is still something we and the FIA want to work through in the coming months and discuss with the teams for next year.
“The Italian GP showed the excitement a mixed-up pack can deliver and our fans could be treated to the similar drama we saw at Monza.”

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Gasly is ready to prove his worth to Red Bull after an emotional race at MonzaCredit: Getty – Pool

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LEWIS HAMILTON’s record-equalling title challenge could be put on hold as he risks a one-race ban.
The six-time world champion is likely to match Michael Schumacher’s haul of seven titles by the end of this season.

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Lewis Hamilton could face a one-race banCredit: Getty Images – Getty
However, the Brit has been left walking a disciplinary tightrope after picking up another two penalty points on his racing licence.
Along with the 10-second time penalty that cost him victory in last Sunday’s Italian GP, Hamilton was also slapped with two penalty points for driving up the pitlane when it was closed.
Like conventional driving licences, once a driver reaches 12 points within a 12 month period they automatically receive a ban.
Hamilton is now up to eight points with two points due to be expunged – but not until November – meaning he has to keep things clean.

Hamilton initially sought out the race stewards for an explanation as he had missed the signs saying that the pitlane was closed during the Italian GP.
However, he was later satisfied with their decision and accepted responsibility for the error that resulted in him finishing in seventh place.
FIA Race Director, Michael Masi, says Hamilton was well within his rights to ask for a clarification.
He said: “As far as I understand, when Lewis saw the video, he agreed that the penalty was fair.

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Lewis Hamilton was handed two penalty points at the Italian GPCredit: Reuters

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“There are no such restrictions [stopping a driver from seeing the stewards but fortunately, it’s not often that races have to be stopped with a red flag.
“But the stewards always adhere to an open door policy — if someone has questions, they can always ask them.”
Meanwhile, Hamilton’s boss at Mercedes, Toto Wolff says he will be staying with the team next year – although his role has yet to be decided.
Wolff, who also owns 30 percent of the team, is weighing up his plans as his contract with the team expires at the end of year.
He said: “I love this team and I think this is my place, it is just [that] eight years as a team principal is taking its toll and it is something I am reflecting on.
“It is important to make the right decision for my family or myself but you you can sure I will be involved in this team in one way or another.”

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