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      F1 legend Sebastian Vettel hints at shock comeback aged 36 as he claims ‘I can’t say no’

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      SEBASTIAN VETTEL has refused to rule out a sensational return to Formula One.The four-time world champion retired from F1 last season.
      Sebastian Vettel has refused to rule out a return to F1Credit: AFP
      The four-time world champion retired from the sport last yearCredit: Getty
      However, he has now hinted at a possible return to the grid in 2024.
      Speaking to Sky Sports, Vettel was asked whether he was keeping himself race ready.
      In response he said: “Yeah, but because I want to, not because I’m like, come back or if somebody falls out I’m going to [step in], not because of that.
      “But so I guess my neck is not up to speed. No, it can’t be, but everything else is pretty, pretty good, I would say.”
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      The green-fingered Vettel was a popular figure in the sport before his retirement.
      The 36-year-old won the title four times in a row with Red Bull, before driving with Ferrari and Aston Martin in the latter stages of his career.
      Past world champions have made returns to the sport following an exit.
      Kimi Raikkonen, Niki Laudu, Alain Prost Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso are a few prominent examples.
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      Indeed, when Lance Stroll injured his wrist in pre-season testing, Aston Martin flirted with the idea of bringing the German back into the fold.
      On a return, Vettel added: “I can’t say no, because that you don’t know.
      “I think it’s something that if you asked all of them, probably some of them would have said ‘no’.
      “And some of them I don’t know, but in the end all of them came back, so I can’t exclude it.
      “I think it’s something that if you asked all of them, probably some of them would have said ‘no’.
      “And some of them I don’t know, but in the end all of them came back, so I can’t exclude it.
      “It probably will depend much on when, and obviously it’s not endless, because 36 is not like, ‘yeah in 10 years’ time’.”
      He continued: “Maybe I think about it when time has passed but it will depend on the challenge, whatever, but it’s not in my head right now.
      “And I’m enjoying the sort of outlook of the challenge of what to do next.
      “It will be the way I see it, the biggest challenge for any racing driver and the biggest challenge for any sportsman, sportswoman, what do you do after?
      “Because naturally you will be like 30-35, 40-45 – depending on your sport and discipline. And then what?
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      “There’s a lot of life left and life can be great even though you’re not racing, you know, the absolute limit in the fastest car in the world, but you can still do lots of great things that give you great pleasure.”
      F1 visits Singapore this weekend for the next race in its calendar. More

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      Michael Schumacher update as F1 pal reveals how horror ski crash and health battle ‘changed’ his brother Ralf

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      MICHAEL Schumacher’s tragic health battle has had a severe impact on his brother Ralf, a close friend of the F1 legend has revealed.Former Formula One driver Johnny Herbert has explained that Michael’s younger brother has changed a lot since the star’s horror ski crash.
      Herbert said Michael’s accident has changed and matured his brother RalfCredit: AFP
      The former F1 driver said his pal Michael would have made a great punditCredit: Getty
      Herbert used to be Michael’s number 2Credit: Getty
      The 2013 accident sent shockwaves through the motorsports world at the time as the seven-time world champion was placed in a medically-induced coma in hospital.
      Little is known about Michael’s condition ever since as his family maintains strict privacy.
       Speaking to Grosvenor Sport, ex-Sky Sports Johnny Herbert, who used to be the German’s teammate, described how the star’s condition has affected his brother in particular.
      He said: “When Ralf Schumacher was with Sky Germany we often met.
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      “Ralf has had to do a lot of things for and with the family given what happened to Michael.
      “He has matured. He is very different now to the person he was as a driver.
      “He is a good human being now. He has changed a lot having had to cope with the ongoing situation with his brother.”
      Herbert branded “horrible” a comment made by journalist Roger Benoit that Schumacher is a “case without hope.”
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      He added: “There’s never any news. What we do know is we never hear any positive news.
      “That’s the horrible thought that he is still not able to be close to the Michael that we all remember. And that is very sad.”
      The former F1 driver also disagreed with Benoit’s statement that the stricken legend should be stripped of the controversial F1 title.”
      Speaking about his pal, Herbert said he would have made a good pundit.
      He said: “He would have been outspoken. He was always very aware of what you can and can’t do. 
      “His character was always in your face, telling you directly if you had done something to him on the track.
      “Remember Spa with David Coulthard.  He would have been very good.”
      The F1 legend has not been seen or heard since his accident in the French Alps in 2013 where he suffered catastrophic injuries.
      He has been undergoing rehabilitation at his home in a lakeside mansion in Lausanne, Switzerland ever since.
      Even Schumacher’s close friends and family are believed to have been left in the dark about his condition.
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       In 2021 his wife, Corinna, shared a rare update during his Netflix documentary.
      She revealed that Schumacher is “different, but here”.
      Herbert said Ralf is a different person now than since he was a driverCredit: AP:Associated Press More

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      Abandoned race track is haunted by ghost of motorsport icon who died on Halloween trying to regain his land speed record

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      THE ghost of a dead motorsport icon is said to haunt Brooklands Motor Course in Surrey.The track, located in Weybridge, was opened way back in 1907 and hosted the first ever British Grand Prix 19 years later.
      Parts of Brooklands Motor Course are still there todayCredit: Colin Smith CC BY-SA 2.0
      Bits of the straight and banking can be seenCredit: Alan Hunt (Creative Commons)
      It is a legendary British race track located in SurreyCredit: Getty
      Percy Lambert died attempting to set a new speed record in 1913Credit: Getty
      But the circuit is perhaps best known for witnessing the death of British driver Percy Lambert in 1913.
      The iconic racer became the first ever driver to cover 100 miles in an hour.
      But when Frenchman Jean Chassagne set a new benchmark of 107.95 mph, Lambert set himself the task of reclaiming the record.
      However, tragedy ensued as he took to the Brooklands track to try and beat Chassagne’s distance.
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      One of Lambert’s tyres burst and his car veered off course.
      He was found lying face down halfway up the banking by Members’ Bridge, unconscious but breathing.
      Lambert was whisked off to Weybridge Cottage Hospital but died on the way there.
      The spot where he died remains there to this day, although the track has been left abandoned.
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      The race track hosted two editions of the British Grand Prix in 1926 and 1927Credit: Getty
      Racing stopped at Brooklands after the Second World WarCredit: Getty
      Some iconic cars and racers competed at BrooklandsCredit: Getty
      It is now said to be haunted following Lambert’s death more than 100 years agoCredit: John Chapman CC BY-SA 3.0
      Racing stopped there following the outbreak of World War II, with the final meeting held less than a month before the war started in 1939.
      Bombs also fell on the track during the conflict.
      But the haunted aspect of the circuit stems from one evening in the 1970s when a British Aircraft Corporation security officer was looking towards the hill and saw a large spot of “blackness” floating above.
      He claims to have then heard the sound of “crashing, splintering metal or wood”.
      He went on to say: “Test Hill was still overgrown at that time, but two days later, when I plucked up courage to investigate, not a blade of grass, nor a branch of a tree had been broken.
      “There is definitely something strange in that area, and I’m a level headed chap who doesn’t imagine things.”
      The “haunting” of the area has been attributed to Lambert’s tragic death.
      Parts of the banking where he died remain standing.
      Fans can still visit parts of the track more than a century on from Lambert’s deathCredit: Mike Smith CC BY-SA 2.0 More

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      Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were close to being TEAM-MATES says Mercedes boss as he reveals what blocked move

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      TOTO WOLFF says he missed out on signing Max Verstappen as a youngster – because he could not offer the Dutchman a guaranteed seat at Mercedes.Verstappen is poised to win his 11th race in a row at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix as he closes in on his third successive title.
      Toto Wolff says he missed out on signing Verstappen as a youngsterCredit: Rex
      The F1 stars could have been team-matesCredit: Getty
      However, it could have been a different story had Mercedes boss Wolff managed to sign him up to the Silver Arrows before he joined Red Bull’s junior team in 2014.
      Wolff says that back then, Mercedes were happy with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg and without having a second team on the grid, could not promise Verstappen a space.
      “Max was very good in karting, was good in F3, and it was clear that there’s a big one that’s growing,” Wolff told F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast.
      “We talked to them in the initial phases, and it was a nice discussion with [dad] Jos and with Max involved as well.
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      “But it was clear that we couldn’t give him a seat because we had Nico and we had Lewis.
      “We offered the support in F2 but, since Red Bull was able to offer them the AlphaTauri seat, or Toro Rosso back in the day, it got Max into the seat.”
      Verstappen was offered a drive at Toro Rosso in 2015 while Rosberg unexpectedly quit racing the following year after winning the title.
      And Wolff says he can’t be certain if Verstappen would have picked Mercedes had he not already joined Red Bull.
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      He added: “Maybe but, you know, if I knew where the stock market is next year, I would decide to invest in it or not.
      “We would be very happy and rich people if we would know what happens 12 months on.”
      Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo will be in Singapore for this weekend’s GP despite his broken hand.
      The Australian underwent an operation after breaking bones in his left hand 20 days ago after crashing at the Dutch GP.
      He is now undergoing rehab while helping the team with engineering duties while Red Bull’s reserve driver Liam Lawson fills in at AlphaTauri. More

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      I’m a former F1 star – now I’m an artist with a collection called ‘Friends, Heroes and W***ers’

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      MANY sports stars have been known to venture down a new path once their sporting days are over. And former Formula One driver Stefan Johansson is among them.
      Stefan Johansson competed in F1 between 1983 and 1991Credit: Getty
      After his racing career finished he became became a painterCredit: stefanjohansson.art / Stefan Johansson
      Johansson, right, competed against F1 greats such as Alain Prost, middleCredit: AFP
      The Swede competed in F1 between 1983 and 1991, racing against titans of the sport such as Aryton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost to name a few.
      Johansson, 67, achieved 12 podiums throughout his career while racing with the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Tyrell.
      But during the 1986 season Johansson started to explore his artistic side, picking up a brush in honour of close friend Elio de Angelis, who died in testing at the start of the season.
      After his F1 career concluded, Johansson continued to have success in motorsport, notably winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in a Porsche in 1997 alongside Michele Alboreto and Tom Kristensen.
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      However, from the tragic embers which kickstarted his dive into painting, Johansson soon created an impressive portfolio of work.
      The name of one of his collections: “Friends, Heroes and W***ers,” feature famous faces on canvas with text over the top of them, including Senna and Enzo Ferrari among a host of well-known people.
      According to his website: “The paintings project the philosophy and attitudes of my various subjects, and the goal is to bring new perspectives to these individuals that have become known through their own intellect and accomplishments.
      “In this particular case it was the primary inspiration for me applying paint to canvas.
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      “The quotes painted on the portraits were chosen to reflect this inspiration but not necessarily as a means to communicate or convince others of their meaning.”
      His painting also draws on his F1 career, with a collection called “Urban Pointillism” displaying a number of drivers and their cars.
      Meanwhile his “Memories of a past life” collection bear a number of striking images and patterns and are suitably named after corner or a section of various race circuits around the world.
      These fine art pieces can be brought from anywhere between £102 to £265 on his website.
      Painting is not the only way Johansson has shown his artistic side, with scented candles, designer watches, skateboards and hats also among the ex-F1 driver’s range.
      Johansson scored 12 podiums throughout his careerCredit: Getty

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More

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      Inside Red Bull’s plan for future F1 domination with new education centre to train next generation of engineering talent

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      RED BULL RACING are out to catch the next Adrian Newey – after planning a new education centre at the team’s factory.In an F1 first, the facility will be based at their Milton Keynes HQ and will welcome students between nine and 14.
      It will aim to attract them to careers in engineering and follow design whizz Newey, who has won eleven Constructors’ Championships with three different F1 teams.
      Design whizz Adrian Newey has been the mastermind behind much of Red Bull’s successCredit: Alamy
      In association with the MK College Group, Red Bull want to use the popularity of the sport to encourage kids to study STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths] subjects at school.
      The programme will have its own curriculum, making it a fun way of attracting students to STEM subjects beyond GCSE level.
      Zoe Mills, Red Bull Racing’s Head of Employee Experience, said: “The utopia for us is where we have someone come to an interview and we ask them why they want to work for us and they say ‘it is because I went to the education centre and that is what inspired me to continue with my STEM subjects’.
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      “That’s when we know we will really have made a difference.
      “All the engineers are keen to get involved. For instance, if you look at our aerodynamics department, they will work with Milton Keynes College, who will break it down into a language that is easy to understand for nine-year-olds.”
      MK College Group CEO and Group Principal, Sally Alexander, added: “It is about how you make those subjects relatable and exciting.
      “Pupils might think they are dry subjects and not understand what engineering is, but if you come in and think you could be on the pitwall and that looks great, but in order to do that I have got to get my maths GCSE, then your motivation is high.
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      “It is about engaging young people and what that can mean to them in the future.”
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      The new talent pipeline fits in with F1’s goal to increase diversity and inclusion within the sport. More

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      Felipe Massa’s lawyers ‘hoping for support from LEWIS HAMILTON’ in bid to strip Brit of 2008 F1 world championship

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      FELIPE MASSA’S lawyers are hopeful of support from Lewis Hamilton in the Brazilian’s bid to strip the Brit of his 2008 F1 title.Former driving star Massa has launched a legal challenge over the result of that year’s championship.
      Felipe Massa hopes Lewis Hamilton backs the Brazilian’s bid to lose his own titleCredit: Corbis
      He lost out to Hamilton by one single point in the standings.
      And Massa wants the crown to be his following the Singapore GP’s “Crashgate” incident, where Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed to help teammate Fernando Alonso.
      The race delay saw Massa go from first place to 13th.
      And he feels the race should have been cancelled, with F1 chiefs missing a deadline to respond to his legal bid last week.
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      Massa has already acquired a legal team featuring a barrister who worked on Newcastle’s takeover in 2021.
      And his lawyer Bernardo Viana is now hoping that seven-time world champ Hamilton will throw his weight behind Massa’s challenge – despite victory meaning he would lose one of his titles.
      Viana told Reuters: “Hamilton is an honorary Brazilian citizen and very well-liked by Brazilians, so I hope he will support us.
      “He is an important ambassador for the sport and has always defended sporting integrity.
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      “We have absolutely nothing against Hamilton.”
      Viana also reckons there is more evidence to come regarding F1’s failure to cancel the 2008 Singapore GP.
      He added: “The objective is to bring the trophy home. It’s not financial.
      “To get there, several measures will be taken with different aims, some to obtain information and others to obtain statements.
      “We want everything that happened in 2008/09 to come to light.
      “We understand that there is even more information that has not been made public.
      “Felipe has nothing against Hamilton, absolutely nothing. This case is against what was done by the previous leadership at FOM and FIA.” More

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      Newcastle takeover lawyer confident Lewis Hamilton WILL be stripped of 2008 F1 world title amid Massa’s legal fight

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      LAWYERS who worked on the Saudi takeover of Newcastle are confident Lewis Hamilton will be stripped of his 2008 F1 title in a legal bid by Felipe Massa.The Brazilian missed out on the world championship by a single point.
      Lawyers are confident Lewis Hamilton will be stripped of his 2008 F1 titleCredit: Getty
      Felipe Massa feels he was robbed of the win after Singapore’s ‘Crashgate’Credit: Reuters
      And he feels he was the victim of a deliberate crash earlier in the season by Nelson Piquet Jr, which saw Massa drop from first to 13th at the Singapore GP.
      Massa started his legal action in August over a “conspiracy” regarding what is now known as “Crashgate.”
      And a deadline for F1 chiefs to respond passed earlier this month.
      Massa believes the Singapore race should have been cancelled, especially when Piquet Jr admitted his crash was deliberate in 2009.
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      And Massa’s lawyer is feeling confident of success in court, claiming everything will come to light.
      Bernardo Viana is working with a legal team including Nick De Marco, a barrister specialising in sport.
      He assisted Newcastle’s legal battle with the Premier League following 2021’s takeover by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
      And Viana’s team believe there is more undisclosed information over “Crashgate” to come, which will vindicate Massa’s claims and result in the 2008 F1 trophy being his.
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      Viana told Motorsport.com: “The objective is to bring the trophy home. It’s not financial.
      “To get there, several measures will be taken with different aims, some to obtain information and others to obtain statements.
      “We want everything that happened in 2008/09 to come to light.
      “We understand that there is even more information that has not been made public.
      “Felipe has nothing against Hamilton, absolutely nothing. This case is against what was done by the previous leadership at FOM and FIA.
      “We have nothing against Hamilton.” More