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      Lewis Hamilton hopes of Canadian GP pole are a wash out as Max Verstappen fronts the grid after rain-lashed qualifying

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’s hopes of taking the fight to Max Verstappen were washed out as the Red Bull man took pole for Sunday’s Canadian GP.The Dutchman timed it beautifully as he set his quickest lap before rain lashed down in Montreal.
      Lewis Hamilton missed out on pole at the Canadian GPCredit: EPA
      Wet conditions meant drivers were unable to complete final lapsCredit: Getty
      The final session was stopped after Oscar Piastri crashed out, but when it restarted it was simply too wet for the drivers to better their lap times.
      It cost Hamilton, who will start in fourth alongside his Mercedes team-mate George Russell, who qualified in fifth.
      Hamilton said: “It was a good result. Most people probably underestimated just how hard it was out there for everybody.
      “It’s very tricky to keep it on track and deliver when the time comes. It was very slippery and difficult to generate temperature in the tyres.
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      “But I’m grateful for the result for George and I and hopefully from there we can move forwards [in the race].
      “But we are ahead of the Ferraris, Max will be gone most likely, but if I can hold on to Fernando Alonso and give him hell, that’s what I’ll do.”
      Verstappen, who is now going for his 41st win in F1 which would equal Ayrton Senna’s total, said: “It was completely wet but the car improved and you have to stay on top of the conditions.
      “It was super slippery but we made the right calls at the right time. I like driving in the wet, I come from Holland, we are used to it.”
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      Nico Hulkenberg was the shock result of the day as he qualified in second place alongside Verstappen as he too benefitted from setting a lap time before the heavens opened.
      The Haas man added: “It was a wild quali, with crazy conditions around here with the walls so close, but it was fun. Obviously unexpected but everyone is happy.
      “In this weather is it a lot about the communication and radio calls and seeing what the other teams are doing but it worked out pretty well.”
      Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was third and said: “It was a tricky qualifying in choosing the right tyre at the right time.”
      Max Verstappen is on pole againCredit: AP
      However, it was another horrendous mess from Ferrari as Charles Leclerc missed the top 10 shootout for the second time running.
      Ferrari cocked-up their strategy in Barcelona and they did the same in Montreal as they reacted too slowly to the rain.
      And Red Bull’s under-fire Mexican Sergio Perez was also given the boot from Q2 as he did little to ease the pressure building on him as he continued to be trounced by Verstappen.
      Pierre Gasly was the biggest casualty from FP1 as the Alpine driver was clearly left frustrated at failing to reach the top 15.
      The Frenchman lashed out in his cockpit as he was blocked on his hot lap by Carlos Sainz, which is likely to earn the Spaniard a penalty.
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      Not that is much help to Gasly, who shouted over the team radio: “He should be banned for such a thing! I am going at 300 [kmh].”
      Sainz had only just made it into qualifying after crashing his car during final practice, causing damage to the front and back of his car as he spun into the barriers. More

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      Lewis Hamilton in major championship boost as he closes in on signing new £100million contract with Mercedes

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has been handed a timely boost around his Mercedes contract renewal.The Brit was quickest in the dry during second practice at the Canadian GP, and while he was only 10th on the timesheets for the rain-hit final session, there is belief that Mercedes are now heading in the right direction.
      Lewis Hamilton looks set to sign a new deal with a more competitive MercedesCredit: Splash
      Hamilton was quickest in the dry during second practice at the Canadian GPCredit: Splash
      Hamilton, who is closing in on a two-year contract worth £100 million, now has reason to be optimistic that he will be in position to challenge Max Verstappen next season.
      Merc’s technical director James Allison said: “Can this car become competitive enough to win a race this year? I’d say with the following wind yes it can.
      “Can we, if we do the right things over the remainder of this year and across the years, can we be in a championship fight for the following year? Even more yes.”
      Allison’s comments will be welcome news to Hamilton, who has not won a race since the 2021 Saudi Arabia GP.
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      The team had struggled with the design of their car and were forced to scrap it after qualifying at the Bahrain GP at the first race of the season.
      Hamilton, who is eyeing up a role as Merc’s ambassador for when he quits F1, delivered a positive option of the team’s upgrades, which have been introduced since the Monaco GP.
      Speaking at the Canadian GP, Hamilton said: “I’m definitely feeling the improvements we felt in Monaco, I’m feeling them here.
      “I love driving this track. It’s mega. From the moment you leave the pit lane you’re like, ‘Yeah, this is wicked!’
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      “We’ve been making progress in the car. Last race, we’ve all been buzzing back at the factory, the whole team has this new energy and kind of feel that we’ve got a North Star – we know where we’re going and how to get there.”
      However, the drop in temperatures caused Mercedes to struggle in the wet ahead of qualifying.
      Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz has come in for more criticism after he crashed out in Montreal.
      The Spaniard was also hauled in to see the stewards for blocking Alex Albon during FP3.
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      Sainz’s miserable run was halted when he crashed into the barrier at turn one, bringing out the red flags.
      He climbed from the car unscathed but the pressure is building on Sainz, who sixth in the championship.
      Former F1 world champion Jenson Button said: “He touched the white line and lost the rear, it could be gearbox, front and rear wings, floor. So much damage.” More

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      All-time F1 points rankings revealed with THREE current stars in top five but surprising position for Michael Schumacher

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      SINCE Formula One began 63 years ago, many great drivers made history and secured their place in the history books. However, now the rankings of drivers with the most points ever has been revealed.
      Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen both rank in the top five of the listCredit: EPA
      But F1 great Michael Schumacher has a surprisingly low rankingCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Topping the list is seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
      Despite not winning a race since December 2021, the Brit’s exploits from years past have secured his position on top of these rankings.
      Since starting his career in 2007 he has always been able to score healthy points in every season, winning a race every year except for 2022.
      Overall, he has mustered an incredible 4492.5 points, giving him a healthy lead over next best driver Sebastian Vettel.
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      The German earned 3098 points over a trophy-laden career which saw him win four titles in a row at Red Bull.
      While the titles evaporated at Ferrari, Vettel continued to challenge for race wins.
      Rounding out the podium is Vettel’s Red Bull successor Max Verstappen.
      The Dutchman has amassed 2181.5 points and only overtook the driver in fourth of this list during this season’s Monaco Grand Prix.
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      Here’s how the top ten F1 points rankings look
      Verstappen is the driver to beat at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, having already won five races this season and winning the last two F1 seasons.
      The 25-year-old is the first driver on the list to have raced his entire career under the new points system – introduced in 2010 – which upped points for a win up from 10 to 25.
      Aston Martin and fellow two-time F1 champ Fernando Alonso is hot on Verstappen’s heels with 2160 points.
      Having made his debut back in 2001, the 41-year-old Spaniard is the longest-serving driver on the grid.
      A duo of former Finnish F1 drivers rank next, with last Ferrari champion Kimi Raikkonen scoring 1873 points.
      Valtteri Bottas ranks in sixth with 1791 points, but is the first driver on the list to not win a drivers title.
      The Alfa Romeo driver is ironically higher than Nico Rosberg, the man he replaced at Mercedes.
      Rosberg retired at the peak of his career, and the German-Finnish driver’s tally of 1594.5 also places him above legend Michael Schumacher.
      Despite having the joint-most titles in F1, Schumacher drive nearly all of his career under the old points system, meaning his 1566 points can rank him only in eighth in the list.
      However, had he been racing under the modern system, the German would have accrued a mighty 4660 points, which would still place him behind Hamilton.
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      Though Hamilton himself would also receive a bonus if his whole career came under the current system, with his total shooting up to over 5000.
      Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo round out the list, with the former seeming to be the one threat to Verstappen’s bid of landing a third title in a row.
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      F1 Canadian Grand Prix practice abandoned for unprecedented reason after just three laps

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      THE Canadian GP got off to a false start after race bosses were forced to scrap first practice due to a CCTV failure.Pierre Gasly ground to a halt in his Alpine but the session did not restart as Race Control spotted that the local CCTV cameras had failed.
      The practice session was stopped due to a CCTV failureCredit: Splash
      The CCTV failure came after Pierre Gasly’s Alpine had stopped on the trackCredit: Alamy
      It came after only three laps and as the clock ticked down, the FIA eventually canned the session.
      A statement from the FIA said: “The delay will be longer as the CCTV is not synced correctly and until the issue has been fixed we cannot run on track.
      “This system is a local installation and they are continuing to work to resolve the problem.
      “The clock will continue to run down on FP1 and the session won’t be extended as there must be 2.5hrs between FP1 and FP2. We are looking at options to extend FP2.”
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      In order to compensate for the lost track time, the FIA increased FP2 to 90 minutes rather than the usual hour.
      Reigning world champion Max Verstappen comes into the eighth race of the season off the back of three successive victories.
      He has opened up a 53-point lead over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
      And he is the overwhelming favourite to win in Montreal this weekend in what would be his sixth triumph of 2023.
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      Verstappen is eyeing a third consecutive F1 drivers’ title.
      Since debuting in the sport eight years ago, he has picked up 40 wins from 170 race starts.
      But he had to wait until last year to clinch his first Canadian GP victory – which he won by less than a second from Carlos Sainz. More

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      F1’s most dangerous corner has ended in disaster for five world champs.. now Hamilton & Co face it again at Canadian GP

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      LEWIS HAMILTON will be facing down with one of Formula One’s most dangerous corners when he drives at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.In sector three of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, turn 14 has gained a reputation for snuffing out the races of many an F1 champion.
      Jacques Villeneuve was one of three champions to crash out of the 1999 race Canadian GPCredit: AFP
      With Brit Jenson Button a later victim of the wall in 2005Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      The suitably named Wall of Champions is the final corner around the circuit, and it has been the difference between glory and defeat for a number of former world champions.
      The iconic name was earned in 1999, when THREE champions hit the concrete wall and saw their races come to an abrupt end.
      Damon Hill, who won the title in 1996, was the first to crash during the race.
      The Brit lasted just 13 laps before hitting the wall amid a patchy season with Jordan.
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      F1 legend Michael Schumacher followed on lap 29, handing championship rival Mika Hakkinen a crucial advantage before Schumacher went on to break his leg at Silverstone.
      The German had led the race off the line and was beginning to pull out a gap before coming into the corner too quickly and hitting the oncoming barrier after losing his cars rear on correction.
      Jacques Villeneuve, champion in 1997, followed just five laps later as he tried to recover from a poor qualifying.
      Indeed, it was not the first time the Canadian had crashed at the circuit, previously doing so on lap one of the 1997 race in Montreal.
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      Future champions would fall victim too, with 2009 champion Jenson Button crashing out of the Canadian GP in 2005.
      The Brit had taken pole in qualifying and was on course for a podium before seeing his racing afternoon come to an end on lap 13.
      Button explained: “The problem I had in the hairpin was I ran wide and I didn’t realise how much rubbish got on the tyres because coming into the chicane I just had huge understeer.
      “That was it really. I should have gone across the green stuff but I thought if I did that I would have to let Michael pass and I didn’t want to do that. I’d rather crash in third than finish fourth really.”
      Four more crashes at the wall would occur before Sebastian Vettel crashed his Red Bull in what would be the second year in a row he won the title.
      The German had fortunately crashed his car in Free Practice 1, going on to recover over the weekend and claim pole and a podium as Button won in changeable conditions.
      The only member of the current grid who has fallen victim to the Wall is Carlos Sainz, though the nature of the turn means close scrapes are always likely.
      Hamilton has openly admitted his fear of the corner, confessing: “I never like to talk about the Wall of Champions. You never want it to suck you in.”
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      Red Bull ‘line up THREE stars to replace under fire Sergio Perez including Brit ace and fan-favourite free agent’

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      RED BULL are reportedly considering three replacement drivers for Sergio Perez.The Mexican, 33, started the 2023 season positively with two wins from the opening four races – with team-mate Max Verstappen claiming the other two.
      Red Bull could opt to axe Sergio Perez at the end of the 2023 seasonCredit: Getty
      Fan-favourite Daniel Ricciardo is Red Bull’s reserve driverCredit: Getty
      But since then, Verstappen has gone on to claim three victories in a row to take control of the world championship.
      The Dutchman, 25, seeking a third consecutive title, now holds a 53-point lead over his Red Bull counterpart.
      Six-time F1 Grand Prix winner Perez finished second in Miami, 16th in Monaco and fourth in Barcelona.
      His contract does run until the conclusion of the 2024 season, so he would have to be paid off if his departure came at the end of this year.
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      But The Mirror are reporting he could still be axed – with a trio of racers waiting in the wings.
      The most logical of those is fan-favourite Daniel Ricciardo – Red Bull’s reserve driver.
      The Australian, 33, lost his seat with McLaren last year and is not on the grid this season.
      But he has been taken on by Red Bull as their back-up and will feature if Verstappen or Perez are unable to race.
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      It leaves him in a prime position to steal Perez’s seat if the reigning constructors champions look to change things up.
      However, other active drivers are also thought to be in the frame.
      Britain’s Lando Norris, 23, is one man Red Bull eyed up at the beginning of last year before he penned a contract extension with McLaren until 2025.
      While Red Bull would have to pay a substantial amount to get him out of his existing deal, Norris has shown himself to be a tremendously talented driver.
      And with McLaren struggling for pace, it would be the perfect opportunity for the Bristol-born racer to win a Grand Prix and challenge for the title.
      The third and final driver linked with Red Bull is AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda.
      The Japanese youngster, 23, has been with his Italian team since 2021.
      He has secured 13 points finishes during that time – including two 10th places this season in Australia and Azerbaijan.
      Tsunoda, who came through the Red Bull junior programme, only has an AlphaTauri contract until the end of the 2023 season.
      Lando Norris has been with McLaren since 2018Credit: Getty
      Yuki Tsunoda is another driver touted as a possible option for Red BullCredit: EPA More

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      Lewis Hamilton’s ‘head is no longer 100 per cent in racing’, claims two-time F1 champion

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      LEWIS HAMILTON no longer has his head 100 per cent in racing, according to Mika Hakkinen.Seven-time world champion Hamilton is set to sign a new Mercedes deal “in days” as revealed by Toto Wolff.
      Mika Hakkinen has claimed Lewis Hamilton no longer has his head ‘100 per cent’ in racingCredit: Getty
      Hamilton has not won a race since 2021Credit: Rex
      However, Hakkinen, who has two world titles to his name from triumphs in 1998 and 1999, suggested the Brit’s head has been turned by more “important” matters away from racing.
      Speaking to Unibet, the 54-year-old was asked about rumours linking Hamilton with Ferrari, before replying: “Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari would be a surprise. Does money motivate drivers? 
      “I know Lewis’ head is not 100 per cent in racing anymore. It’s completely normal. But does money motivate? 
      “Of course it does, but there are many risks involved. I think it’s highly unlikely he will join Ferrari.  
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      “I always say that when people get older, the order of your thoughts change. Your priorities in life change. Formula 1 just won’t be the most important thing anymore.
      “It wouldn’t surprise me when the competition gets tougher and young drivers emerge, what George Russell is doing with Lewis at the moment, result-wise, it’s not an easy situation.  
      “Does Lewis have enough energy to wake up every morning, give his everything and bring results so that he can beat his team-mate? Is that the right future for him?”
      Hamilton has scored two podiums this season and sits fourth in the standings, but has not won a race since December 2021 amidst Mercedes’ pace struggles.
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      The 38-year-old is working on an F1 movie starring Brad Pitt and a documentary regarding his life.
      In the last week the former McLaren driver has been linked with a stunning relationship with Shakira after the pair were pictured having dinner after the Spanish Grand Prix.
      However, he has also been spotted cosying up to Brazilian supermodel Juliana Nalu, sparking rumours of a relationship among fans.
      Hakkinen also gave his thoughts on McLaren following early season struggles, and backed the team to be surprise competitors to runaway leaders Red Bull as the season progresses.
      The Finn added: “I don’t think anyone is able to catch up this year.
      “The only surprise I think we’ll see is McLaren’s possible progress during the next two months.
      “I think they will surprise us massively.
      “Just in terms of the speed of the car, they will probably challenge Red Bull.”
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      Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have hoovered up every race win so far this season, with the Dutchman on course for his third title on the spin.
      Rivals will be hoping to close the gap at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
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      I used to be an F1 driver and even beat Ayrton Senna to three race wins… now I’m a multimillionaire aircraft dealer

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      THIERRY BOUTSEN is used to life in the fast lane – and now the former Formula One star is flying high as a multimillionaire aircraft dealer.The now 65-year-old Belgian raced in F1 for the Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier and Jordan. 
      A former F1 star is now raking it in as an aircraft dealerCredit: Getty
      Thierry Boutsen achieved three Grand Prix wins in his F1 careerCredit: Getty
      He took to the track in 164 Grands Prix and beat the late, great Ayrton Senna on three occasions to claim a trio of victories.
      Boutsen also achieved 15 podium finishes in total before retiring in 1993.
      However, his career has continued to accelerate – albeit not on the race track.
      Explaining all to Monaco Life, Boutsen said: “I honestly had no idea that private jets existed until I was 18-years-old.
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      “A family friend was CEO at Abelag (a private jet operator) in Brussels and he invited me to work there as a mechanic in the aircraft maintenance department. I enjoyed every minute of it – discovering these extraordinary flying machines.
      “I was even invited on board to do a post maintenance test flight.That is when I promised myself, should I one day have earned enough money, I would buy and fly my own plane.
      “I had to wait 12 years for that. Since then, flying has been a passion, like driving race cars.”
      He continued: “I had no intention of starting a company in the beginning. I was always flying my own plane from racing event to racing event, or marketing event to marketing event, for private or business purposes.
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      “Then I had a request in 1997 from a colleague of mine, former F1 driver Heinz Harald Frentzen, who wanted to buy the same plane I was using at the time but he didn’t know how to get it or how to complete the paper work etc. So, I said I would do it for him, and he ended up being my first customer.
      “Immediately afterwards, I had a request from Keke Rosberg to buy a similar airplane for him; then I had to buy one for Mika Hakkinen, and then Michael Schumacher came to me and said he wanted to sell his Challenger.
      “I did about 10 transactions, just in the racing world. I was doing the job as if it was for me – with a lot of passion, dedication and attention to detail. People loved it.
      “So, we decided to go further and explore Europe. My wife Daniela and I started Boutsen Aviation: she was in charge of the marketing and presentation and I was in charge of the commercial side.
      “At the end of 2000 we had our first employee, Dominique Trinquet – who is still with us today and is now president of the company. We have nine people working with us here in Monaco, and we have representatives in India, Russia, northern Europe, eastern Europe and Switzerland.”
      Boutsen then revealed: “We have sold 385 planes to date, and every time we make a sale, we celebrate it is a success for the whole team. Our team in aviation is like a racing team – everyone is working together to get the job done and using their capabilities to 100 per cent, or sometimes even more. It will be a very important milestone when we get to 400, but it is due to the hard work of everybody of the company.
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      “We have 16 planes for sale on an exclusive basis. We sell all types of business jets, but 70 to 80 per cent of our planes are transatlantic, like Challengers, Gulfstreams, Falcons… big planes that can travel from Nice to Los Angeles, for instance. We also sell biz-liners like the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) and Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ).
      “These planes used to sell for between 20 and 35 million. Today, it’s between 15 and 25 million for exactly the same airplane. This is because the inventory has increased.
      “During lockdown, some people wanted to get rid of their planes because they had no need for them. A plane is expensive to buy and maintain, so if you have one that just sits in a hangar for six months, it’s not worth it.”
      But the icon’s future is very much not only in the air as he keeps busy with a number of other successful business interests.
      He added: “I am also the Chairman of the Boutsen Group which includes Boutsen Design, run by my wife Daniela, to offer a bespoke and individual design and decoration service for business jets, superyachts and residences.
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      “I also run Boutsen Classic Cars, sourcing and selling high-end classic road and race cars for discerning collectors.
      “Then we have the Boutsen Racing Team, and we compete all over the world.”
      Ayrton Senna (left) pictured with Belgian Boutsen back in 1990Credit: Getty
      Boutsen retired in 1993 and embarked on his new business ventureCredit: Getty More