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      Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari with Mercedes confirming to staff he’s leaving in 2025 as secret contract clause emerges

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      LEWIS HAMILTON is on the verge of completing a sensational switch to Ferrari in a desperate last bid to win a record eighth world championship.The 39-year-old is poised to join the Italian team for the 2025 season – despite agreeing a two-year deal with Mercedes last season.
      Lewis Hamilton is reportedly nearing a sensational Mercedes departureCredit: Alamy
      Hamilton, 39, won the most recent of his seven world titles in 2020Credit: Getty
      The Brit joined Toto Wolff’s team from McLaren in 2013Credit: Splash
      F1 insiders believe the deal could be completed within the next 24 hours in a bombshell move that would see the Brit partner Charles Leclerc.
      Mercedes are yet to officially confirm Hamilton’s departure, but SunSport understands that staff were told of his exit in a ten-minute meeting today.
      Hamilton has been linked with a switch to F1’s most famous team for a number of seasons but has always pledged his loyalty to Mercedes and their boss Toto Wolff.
      Wolff and the team’s designer, James Allison, have both recently agreed extensions to their contracts with Mercedes in what is now being viewed as a final throw of the dice to convince him to stay on.
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      However, SunSport understands that Hamilton will activate a break clause in his contract which will allow him to leave Mercedes at the end of this season.
      Hamilton has been without a win since December 2021 – the same season he lost the title to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
      Since then, Mercedes have delivered two dud cars that have been plagued by problems, meaning he has been unable to fight for wins – and titles.
      Ferrari chairman John Elkann has been a long-term admirer of Hamilton’s talent and the two have held talks in the past.
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      WHO COULD REPLACE HAMILTON AT MERCEDES? Mercedes will have a vacant seat for 2025.
      Here, SunSport’s F1 correspondent Ben Hunt looks at FIVE potential candidates who could replace him and partner George Russell in the Silver Arrows.
      Oscar Piastri – McLaren have sewn up Lando Norris to a new long-term contract that should (in theory) put him out of Mercedes’ reach. However, they are yet to tie down his teammate Piastri, 22. The Aussie has an excellent record and won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles before spending a year on the sidelines with Alpine and getting his chance in F1 with McLaren. He impressed on his debut season last year and has the potential to be a world champion.
      Daniel Ricciardo – The experienced driver’s future remains in doubt as he bides his time at Red Bull’s B-team. Ricciardo would be low-hassle and offer some stability but by that time he would be 35. It seems unlikely that they would opt for him at this point in his career, but if he has a good season this year, he could come into the reckoning.
      Kimi Antonelli – You may not have heard of the Italian, but he is mustard. Still only 17, he has won at all the junior categories and has been part of the Mercedes young driver programme since 2019. This season he has been promoted from F4 to F2, where he has been tipped to shine. A good debut season in F2 could sway Mercedes into taking a risk on him for 2025. Antonelli and his family are close to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
      Mick Schumacher – Wolff has always been so incredibly supportive of Schumacher and spoken highly of him, that you’d at least expect him to come into consideration. He knows the team from his role as reserve driver and consequently would get up to speed. But speed is also the problem. He was shocking at Haas and if he really was THAT good, he’d still be driving in F1.
      Alex Albon – A more-sensible choice would be the London-born Albon. A great guy who is also very quick. He has a fantastic relationship with Russell and would be the low-maintenance quick partnership similar to Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas that swept to successive titles. Albon would take little convincing to join from Williams and Mercedes would not need to pay him half of the £50million they were dishing out to Hamilton.

      It was reported at the time that Ferrari would offer him around £40million a year and it’s likely he would earn in that region.
      Hamilton’s move would make sense as he would offer Ferrari their chance to fight for championships.
      He has also worked with Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur in the past when he drove for his ART Grand Prix squad in GP2.

      The move would mean that Carlos Sainz would be out of a seat – although he has been heavily linked with a switch to the new Audi team, who will takeover at Sauber.
      Meanwhile, Mercedes would need to find a replacement for Hamilton.

      The deal will see Hamilton remain with the Silver Arrows until the end of 2024, which could make for an awkward season ahead.
      Upon signing his new deal last summer, Hamilton said: “We have never been hungrier to win. We have learnt from every success but also every setback.
      “We continue to chase our dreams; we continue to fight no matter the challenge and we will win again. I’m grateful to the team who have supported me both on and off the track.
      “Our story isn’t finished, we are determined to achieve more together and we won’t stop until we do.”
      Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate George Russell is also under contract until the end of 2025.
      While Mick Schumacher served as the Silver Arrows’ reserve driver last season.
      WHO COULD REPLACE HAMILTON AT MERCEDES? Mercedes will have a vacant seat for 2025.
      Here, SunSport’s F1 correspondent Ben Hunt looks at FIVE potential candidates who could replace him and partner George Russell in the Silver Arrows.
      Oscar Piastri – McLaren have sewn up Lando Norris to a new long-term contract that should (in theory) put him out of Mercedes’ reach. However, they are yet to tie down his teammate Pisatri, 22. The Aussie has an excellent record and won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles before spending a year on the sidelines with Alpine and getting his chance in F1 with McLaren. He impressed on his debut season last year and has the potential to be a world champion.
      Daniel Ricciardo – The experienced driver’s future remains in doubt as he bides his time at Red Bull’s B-team. Ricciardo would be low-hassel and offer some stability but by that time he would be 35. It seems unlikely that they would opt for him at this point in his career, but if he has a good season this year, he could come into the reckoning.
      Kimi Antonelli – You may not have heard of the Italian, but he is mustard. Still only 17, he has won at all the junior categories and has been part of the Mercedes young driver programme since 2019. This season he has been promoted from F4 to F2, where he has been tipped to shine. A good debut season in F2 could sway Mercedes into taking a risk on him for 2025. Antonelli and his family are close to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
      Mick Schumacher – Wolff has always been so incredibly supportive of Schumahcer and spoken highly of him, that you’d at least expect him to come into consideration. He knows the team from his role as reserve driver and consequently would get up to speed. But speed is also the problem. He was shocking at Haas and if he really was THAT good, he’d still be driving in F1.
      Alex Albon – A more-sensible choice would be the London-born Albon. A great guy who is also very quick. He has a fantastic relationship with Russell and would be the low-maintenance quick partnership similar to Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas that swept to successive titles. Albon would take little convincing to join from Williams and Mercedes would not need to pay him half of the £50million they were dishing out to Hamilton.

      Earlier this week, Hamilton admitted to having a “love-hate” relationship with Formula 1 and even hinted that he could retire in the next 12 months.
      Addressing his previous assertion several years ago that he would not still be in the sport at 40, he told Formule1.nl : “That is still possible.
      “I have no set plan for the future – I still feel fit and still enjoy what I do.
      “I’ve now learned that you should never say never in life.
      “I never thought that, after such a long time in Formula One, I would still feel the same love for the sport.
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      “It is a love-hate relationship – at times you love it more than at others.
      “I think there comes a point when you’ve had enough. But the love is still there.”

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      I was Lewis Hamilton’s F1 team-mate – we will never be friends after intense rivalry

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      FORMULA ONE legend Fernando Alonso has opened up about his rivalry with Lewis Hamilton.The two drivers were McLaren team-mates during Hamilton’s debut season in 2007.
      Fernando Alonso has opened up about his rivalry with Lewis Hamilton during the 2007 F1 seasonCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Alonso recalled the events in his new documentaryCredit: AFP
      However, their competitiveness resulted in several confrontations both on and off track.
      Alonso’s contract was subsequently terminated at the end of the season, with Hamilton keeping his seat.
      The Spaniard’s was banned from joining any team that McLaren considered challengers for the 2008 world championship, but eventually agreed to sign for Renault.
      Alonso recently recalled what happened behind the scenes during the 2007 season and admitted that both he and Hamilton were “young and immature”.
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      Speaking about the rivalry in his new DAZN documentary, ‘Fernando. Revealed’, Alonso said: “We were in the same team, the same garage, we travelled together many times, we were in the meetings and we began to notice that there was this friction, there was tension, we were playing the World Cup and we were playing each race on Sunday.
      “You arrive at the team meeting and you are seeing his telemetry, his ‘on board’ cameras of the car and that, for example, his car goes a little ahead and when he speaks in the meeting he complains about the rear.
      “Things like that so that the team did not take a direction or take a philosophy to develop the car that would be good for both of us, but rather each one was already looking for their own thing, to have that extra advantage, because we were very evenly matched.
      “There were many things that broke the relationship harmony of that year. We were young, immature, I was the first, and we had many clashes.
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      “Now there is another type of rivalry, I don’t think we will be friends in the future or that we will ever have… I think we don’t share many things.
      “But it is true that in 2007 the rivalry rose to a higher level.”
      Alonso finished fourth in the driver standings last season, with Hamilton in third.
      The 42-year-old is set to remain with Aston Martin for the 2024 campaign.
      Hamilton will remain with Mercedes for the 2024 seasonCredit: Getty More

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      Fan favourite F1 track ‘could return’ in 2026 after being axed seven years ago as fans say ‘please be true’

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      A FAN favourite Formula One track could be in line for a return to the sport in 2026, according to reports. The Malaysia Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) hosted F1 races between 1999 and 2017.
      F1 could be in line for a return to Malaysia’s Sepang International CircuitCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Petronas are reportedly planning to get the track back on the calendar for 2026Credit: AP:Associated Press
      It was removed from the calendar due to declining ticket sales and rising hosting costs, but never lost popularity among fans around the globe.
      And now the country’s state oil company Petroliam Nasional – or Petronas – are looking to bring F1 races back to the nation in 2026, three sources close to the matter reportedly told Reuters.
      Petronas – a sponsor of the Mercedes F1 team – won naming rights for the SIC, which still hosts motorsport events including MotoGP races, for three years in October 2023.
      The F1 return plan is said to have been revealed during a company townhall led by president and chief executive Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz on Tuesday.
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      However, the sources did not elaborate on the reasons for the return and did not specifically mention any discussions with F1.
      Although they did describe the 2026 plan as outlined in the company call.
      In response to the report, Petronas said: “There have been no discussions on bringing the sport back to the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit.”
      Regardless, fans were excited at the potential of the news.
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      One fan said: “Please be true 🙏.”
      A second said: “Now this is what I’m talking about!”
      A third said: “I like Malaysia. They need to bring it back.”
      Another said: “It was designed in the 1990s but is still one of the few in the world specifically designed for F1, so it absolutely has to be back on the calendar.”
      A fifth added: “We miss Sepang 😭.”
      Max Verstappen won the most recent F1 race at the Sepang circuit.
      F1 recently announced the addition of the Madrid Grand Prix to the calendar from 2026.
      The 2024 F1 season is set to start in Bahrain on March 2.

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      Italian rally champion Giulia Maroni, 37, dies in horror 164ft plunge onto rocks while on hike

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      ITALIAN rally champion Giulia Maroni has died after plummeting 164 foot to her death while on a hike.Maroni, 37, was out walking her dog on the Modena Apennines in Italy on Sunday when she slipped and fell.
      Italian rally champion Giulia Maroni, 37, died in a tragic accident on SundayCredit: Newsflash
      Maroni was an Italian Cross-Country Rally champion in 2021Credit: Newsflash
      According to reports, she was hiking with her partner and dog when she lost balance and slippedCredit: Newsflash
      She was a passionate sportswoman and rally driver who was well known in the off-road world, having won the 2021 Italian Cross-Country Rally.
      Maroni also participated in the Dakar rally as a co-driver and navigator alongside Luciano Carcheri of the Angelo Caffi Corse team.
      According to reports, she was hiking with her partner and dog on Mount Libro Aperto in the Pizzo dei Sassi Bianchi area when she lost her balance, slipping into the gully and falling among trees and rocks.
      Maroni’s partner called the emergency services, who then airlifted her to the Maggiore hospital in Bologna.
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      However, she died in the evening of January 28 from her injuries.
      Mountain rescue station chief Nicolas Barattini told local media: “We saw immediately that the woman’s condition was unfortunately very serious.
      “It was a tragic fatality, the woman placed her foot badly and slipped.”
      The 4X4 Magazine, where she was collaborating as a correspondent and photographer, said: “The week starts with very bad news.
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      “An accident in the mountains took away Giulia Maroni, a passionate sportsman and off-roader, who had also collaborated with our magazine. Rip Giulia.”
      Lina Van De Mars, who placed runner-up alongside Maroni in the FIA European Cup for Cross-Country Bajas in 2021, also paid tribute.
      “We were just making new plans for the 2024 season,” she wrote, as reported by The Chequered Red Flag.
      “It’s been an honour to know you. It’s been (a) pleasure to race with you. Still proud of us having become European vice champions in the world of baja and rallyraid racing.
      “I am still in shock. Hoping smiles and sunshine will be with you.”
      Maroni was president of the A-Team 4×4 off-road club of Castel San Pietro Terme in Bologna for many years and participated in the most important off-road races.
      In 2016, she won the extreme all-female “Shemud” race among the forests of Malaysia.
      Born in the city of Faenza in the province of Ravenna, Maroni was a resident in Castel Guelfo for many years.
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      According to local reports, Maroni and her partner were great mountain enthusiasts.
      As well as an animal lover, she was also an adventure and bike enthusiast. More

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      Lewis Hamilton admits he could retire THIS YEAR over ‘love-hate relationship’ with F1

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      LEWIS HAMILTON admits he could retire THIS YEAR over his “love-hate relationship” with Formula One.The Mercedes ace, 39, has won a joint-record seven world titles in the sport.
      Lewis Hamilton admits he could retire from F1 later this yearCredit: Rex
      But his last victory came in 2020.
      And the past three years have seen Red Bull’s Max Verstappen emerge as F1’s dominant force.
      The new season is just around the corner, with the first race in Bahrain taking place on March 2.
      Mercedes hope the return of Hamilton’s former right-hand man Marc Hynes will help the Brit get back on course.
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      But Hamilton, whose contract runs until 2025, admits he could quit F1 altogether at the end of the year.
      The ace previously stated several years ago that he was unlikely to still be racing at the age of 40.
      And when reminded of that statement, Hamilton told Formule1.nl: “That is still possible.
      “I have no set plan for the future – I still feel fit and still enjoy what I do.
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      “I’ve now learned that you should never say never in life.
      “I never thought that, after such a long time in Formula One, I would still feel the same love for the sport.
      “It is a love-hate relationship – at times you love it more than at others.

      “I think there comes a point when you’ve had enough. But the love is still there.”
      Family plans
      Hamilton also lifted the lid on plans to start a family.
      He added: “I don’t have time for that. I enjoy being an uncle. I haven’t decided yet whether I want children.
      “I don’t have time for it at the moment. If I want a family, I should focus less on racing and I don’t want to do that.
      “There is a time and place for everything. Fortunately, I don’t have to make that decision now, maybe some day.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton in major boost before new F1 season as secret weapon returns to Mercedes star’s team

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has received a major boost ahead of the new F1 season by recruiting his former right-hand man Marc Hynes.Hynes, a former British Formula Three champion, has known Hamilton, 39, since they were kids.
      Marc Hynes is back working with Lewis HamiltonCredit: Alamy
      Lewis Hamilton has known him since he was a kidCredit: AFP
      He has previously worked alongside the seven-time world champion at Mercedes, forming part of his inner sanctum, before leaving to run Hamilton’s Project 44 company, overseeing his business interests.
      Hynes left Hamilton’s camp ahead of the 2021 F1 season to run his own business as the F1 driver changed his management team.
      Hamilton joined media talent manager Penni Throw, who runs PR company Copper, and had worked with the star on a number of other projects.
      However, Hamilton’s deal with Copper has now expired and while he will continue to work with Throw on a number of projects, he has returned to Hynes to get him to manage his F1 operations.
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      The 45-year-old’s return will provide Hamilton with a much-needed confidant that has been missing since he split with long-term performance coach Angela Cullen in March last year.
      It comes as Mercedes launch their bid to return to the top step of the podium after seeing Red Bull’s Max Verstappen dominate the sport since he won the title from Hamilton in 2021.
      Hamilton is on a winless run that stretches back to December 2021 – the longest barren spell of his F1 career.
      Mercedes have delivered two dud cars in successive seasons but the Brackley-based team have enlisted the help of design whizz James Allison to produce a car that can now challenge Verstappen.
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      They will launch their car, the W15, on February 14 at Silverstone.
      The new season gets underway in Bahrain on March 2. More

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      My dad is an F1 legend – now I’m the sport’s most famous Wag, modelling for Vogue and selling my own make-up range

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      KELLY PIQUET has been surrounded by Formula One royalty all her life, but now she firmly has her own crown as the sport’s most famous Wag.The Brazilian beauty, 35, has been dating three-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen since the end of 2020.
      Kelly Piquet is F1’s most famous WagCredit: Rex
      Kelly often stuns in front of the cameraCredit: Getty
      She is dating Max VerstappenCredit: Getty
      However, thanks to a career in modelling and PR she has risen to have star power in both a financial and influence sense.
      Kelly’s professional career has helped her cultivate a huge following on social media.
      While she is not a driver, motorsport flows through her veins.
      Kelly is the daughter of a disgraced F1 legend and has had previous relationships with former drivers.
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      Start your engines
      Kelly was born in Germany on December 7, 1988 as the second child of Nelson Piquet and Sylvia Tasmsa.
      Brazilian hero Piquet won three F1 titles in the 1980s and continued to be a presence in and around the paddock for years after.
      However, in 2022 Piquet was banned from the F1 paddock and ordered to pay £780,000 in damages after using a derogatory term referring to Lewis Hamilton when speaking about the 2021 Silverstone Grand Prix.
      Kelly has six siblings including ex-F1 driver Nelson Piquet Jr. who was a key player in the infamous “Crashgate” scandal of 2008.
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      Although Kelly was born in Germany, she spent much of her childhood in France.
      Her studies saw her spend 12 monthsat St Clare’s Oxford in England before heading back to Brazil.
      She eventually found her way to New York, where she graduated in International Relations from the Marymount Manhattan College with a major in Political Science and Economics.
      Kelly is the daughter of disgraced F1 champion Nelson Piquet
      Kelly has six siblingsCredit: Splash
      Previous relationship
      Kelly was previously in a relationship with Russian Daniil Kvyat.
      The pair began dating in January 2017 and had a daughter together, Penelope, months before they split up in December 2019.
      And around a year later, Verstappen entered into a relationship with Kelly, going Instagram official in January 2021.
      Ironically, Verstappen replaced Kvyat at Red Bull in the second half of the 2016 F1 season.
      Verstappen says he gets on well with the three-year old, regularly sharing images with her online.
      But has also firmly stated he has no intention of becoming her father figure.
      Kelly had a three-year relationship and daughter with Daniil KvyatCredit: Getty
      She began dating Verstappen at the end of 2020Credit: Instagram / @kellypiquet
      Speaking to TIME magazine, he said: “I’m not the father, that’s not the aim.
      “It’s always very important that she has a good relationship with her own father, which she has.
      “But I see her every day when I’m at home. We get on very well. She’s very cute.”
      Kelly and Verstappen live together in Monaco, a stone’s throw from a host of other drivers who have made the glamorous country their home.
      Taking a Piq
      When she is not looking after Penelope or seen track-side, Kelly tries her hand at a number of different jobs.
      As well as being a model and PR specialist she is also an F1 columnist.
      Her work in front of a camera has helped her attract a following of more than 1.4 million fans on Instagram.
      Kelly has modelled for the likes of Vogue and has her own make-up range.
      Her exploits have seen her top the rich list of F1 Wags when it comes to Instagram earnings.
      She often stuns both at trackside and while at red carpet events.
      Kelly has revealed that sometimes she has to remind petrol-head Verstappen to get take his mind off the F1 circuit.
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      She said: “There have been times where I’ve been like, ‘OK, time to switch off’.
      “You have to give a gentle reminder that the sun is shining outside and, you know, there are other things to do.”
      Kelly tops the rich list of F1 Wags
      Kelly has more than 1.4 million followers on InstagramCredit: https://www.instagram.com/kellypiquet/
      Kelly revealed she sometimes has to remind Verstappen to ‘switch off’Credit: instagram/@kellypiquet/ More

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      ‘World’s sexiest racing driver’ goes braless in revealing cut-out top as fans call her ‘breathtakingly beautiful’

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      LINDSAY BREWER has been called “breathtakingly beautiful” after her latest Instagram post.The racing driver went braless as she posed in a revealing cut-out top in a series of snaps.
      Lindsay Brewer went braless in a revealing cut-out topCredit: instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      Her fans called her ‘breathtakingly beautiful’ in the commentsCredit: instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      Lindsay uploaded pictures from a recent getaway with the caption: “Quick trip to Miami.”
      In one snap, she showed off her abs and put on a busty display in a cut-out crop top and jeans.
      She also stunned on a balcony in a black dress before enjoying a night out with friends.
      Her followers were left in awe in the comments section, with one writing: “Beautiful woman.”
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      Another added: “You’re so incredibly breathtakingly beautiful.”
      A third fan simply hailed her as: “Stunning.”
      Meanwhile, one more dubbed Lindsay: “The best.”
      Lindsay competes in IndyNXT for Juncos Hollinger Racing and has built a strong following on social media.
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      Lindsay also posed for the camera in a black dressCredit: instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      The 26-year-old enjoyed a trip to Miami with friendsCredit: instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      Her 2.7million Instagram followers are regularly treated to an inside look at her life.
      Posts include glamorous pictures and behind the scenes footage from her life on the race track.
      Lindsay has even been dubbed the “world’s sexiest racing driver” by her fans in the past.
      She wowed her followers last summer by posing in a white bikini whilst on holiday.
      The 26-year-old relaxed on a yacht as she posed for snaps during a “Euro vacay” in Capri, Italy.
      Inside Lindsay Brewer’s glamorous life…
      Lindsay relaxed on a yacht as she holidayed in Europe last yearCredit: instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      She competes in IndyNXT for Juncos Hollinger RacingCredit: instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      Lindsay also has 2.7million followers on InstagramCredit: instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      Her fans have dubbed her the ‘world’s sexiest racing driver’Credit: instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      Lindsay shows off her glamorous lifestyle on social mediaCredit: instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer
      She is no stranger to getting behind the wheelCredit: instagram / @lindsaymariebrewer More