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      F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix LIVE RESULTS: Perez pips Verstappen to P1 while Hamilton finishes 4th in gruelling Baku race

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      SERGIO PEREZ has WON the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by pipping Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen to the chequered flag.It’s a triumph that sees Red Bull secure four consecutive first-place finishes this season.
      While British serial winner, Lewis Hamilton could only achieve fourth spot.

      RESULT: Perez (P1) Verstappen (P2) Leclerc (P3)
      Live stream: NOW TV
      TV channel: Sky Sports F1

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      Follow all the action with our live blog below…
      Drivers standings heading into Miami Grand Prix
      Here are how the driver’s championship standings look as we head into the next race in Miami.

      Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 93 pts
      Sergio Perez (Red Bull) 87 pts
      Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 60 pts
      Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 48 pts
      Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 34 pts
      Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 28 pts
      George Russell (Mercedes) 28 pts
      Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 27 pts

      In the race for the world championship it is all to play for with very little between the two Red Bull drivers.
      See you in Miami.
      Final standings for Azerbaijan Grand Prix
      Here are the full race standings from Baku.
      Sergio Perez was ‘driver of the day’.
      George Russell recorded the fastest lap time on the very last lap of the day.
      Credit: @F1
      Perez celebrates big win in Baku
      Sergio Perez completes a clean sweep of wins and becomes the first driver to get multiple wins in Baku.
      The Mexican driver really enjoyed this one.

      Verstappen gracious in defeat
      As the three drivers sit and watch the race back before the podium, Perez says to his team mate he was unlucky with the safety car.
      “Ah these things happen, you had the same in Jeddah” is the reply from the Dutch driver.
      Good to see the Red Bull drivers appreciating each other backstage.
      Charles Leclerc tells the pair how he held off Fernando Alonso who was only 0.6 seconds behind him after his final push.
      Checo claims sixth Grand Prix win
      Sergio Perez has had some weekend in Baku.
      Winning both the sprint race and the Grand Prix.
      You can see how much it means to the Red Bull driver.
      Credit: Reuters
      Red Bull continue win streak
      Sergio Perez becomes the first multiple winner of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, adding to his 2021 victory.
      Max Verstappen paid the price for pitting the lap before the safety car came out.
      Charles Leclerc did well to hold off Fernando Alonso and get his first podium finish of the season.
      The change of tyres right at the end worked for George Russell as he took the fastest lap of the day for the extra point.
      Credit: Reuters
      Azerbaijan Grand Prix results

      Sergio Perez
      Max Verstappen
      Charles Leclerc
      Fernando Alonso
      Carlos Sainz

      Sergio Perez wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix
      Lap 50/51 – Perez leads, Verstappen second
      Max Verstappen closes Sergio Perez’s lead to 3 seconds.
      Lewis Hamilton seems to be shaving a little off Carlos Sainz’s lead but then it goes back up to around the 1.1 second mark.
      George Russell looks ready to pit as he will be able to pit and come back out in the same position, eighth place.
      He will go for the fastest lap of the day then for the extra points.
      Fernando Alonso currently holds the fastest lap.
      Credit: Getty
      Lap 48/51 – Perez holds off team mate
      This could be a big win for Sergio Perez to gain on Max Verstappen in the championship standings.
      Meanwhile, Lando Norris does brilliantly on turn seven to take Niko Hulkenberg and move into the points.
      With the ease he took him, you have to question whether Niko’s tyres have gone.
      Lewis Hamilton is struggling to make his move on Carlos Sainz.
      Lap 46/51 – Perez leads, Verstappen trails
      It is looking like Sergio Perez has this race sewn up.
      Max Verstappen is struggling to gain on him at all.
      His team mate takes his lead back up to 3.5 seconds.
      Charles Leclerc is going hard and managing to keep Fernando Alonso a decent distance from him.
      Carlos Sainz is a huge distance behind the Spanish Aston Martin driver.
      Lap 44/51 – Perez leads, Verstappen second
      Max Verstappen is hugging the walls on the turns.
      You would struggle to get a credit card between his car and the advertising walls.
      He has slightly closed the gap on Perez but the Mexican has put in the fastest lap of the day.
      The interesting duals are the race for third and fifth places.
      Both Alonso and Hamilton are putting the pressure on.
      Suddenly from nowhere, Charles Leclerc puts in the fastest lap.
      Lap 42/51 – Perez leads, Verstappen second
      Fernando Alonso seems game to push that podium.
      He asks his team how many laps left, on hearing the answer he says “good number, let’s go for it!”
      Currently he is 4.6 seconds behind Charles Leclerc.
      Verstappen is 3.5 seconds behind Perez and may be settling for second place here today.
      Meanwhile Carlos Sainz gets some good exits from the turns to keep a DRS infused Lewis Hamilton at bay.
      Credit: Reuters
      Lap 40/51 – Perez leads, Verstappen second
      With everyone seemingly looking for a one-stop race, Fernando Alonso seems like he is trying to manage his tyres.
      He was within seconds of Leclerc at one stage but now the gap is considerable.
      Aston Martin could be waiting for the last ten laps to reassess and decide whether they go for a tyre change.
      Mercedes are readying the pit, Russell who is in eighth place may be looking to try and get a fastest lap in.
      It would take some driving for Fernando Alonso to get another podium finish in Baku today.
      Lap 38/51 – Perez leads, Verstappen chases
      Lewis Hamilton has shaved a lot of Carlos Sainz’s lead thanks to the use of DRS.
      Only 0.42 seconds behind the Ferrari now.
      Meanwhile, Perez has opened up a 3 second lead over Verstappen now, not something we have seen much of this season.
      Charles Leclerc has a sizable lead over Fernando Alonso.
      Lap 36/51 – Perez and Verstappen open lead
      The Red Bull cars now have a mammoth 13 second gap on the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc in third place.
      Starting at the front of the grid, many said that a sprint track like this could see the Ferrari driver go for a win.
      However, this Red Bull car makes it look like two boxers from very different weight classes sparring.
      Fernando Alonso has a 7 second lead over Carlos Sainz in fifth now.
      Lap 34/51 – Perez leads, Verstappen second
      It remains to be seen whether Verstappen considers a tyre change to take on Sergio Perez in this race.
      Red Bull do have a set of hard compounds available, something Ferrari do not have the luxury of.
      Lewis Hamilton isn’t happy with his tyres and may consider another pit before the end of the race.
      The key is doing it at the right time and he could use it to his advantage.
      Lap 32/51 – Perez leads, Verstappen second
      Max Verstappen is reporting some car issues with the diff and braking.
      He is still able to put in the fastest lap of the day.
      The Dutchman has a 12 seconds gap to Charles Leclerc in third now.
      Fernando Alonso is closing the gap on the Ferrari in third.
      Credit: Getty
      Lap 30/51 – Perez first, Verstappen second
      Red Bull gives you wins, should be the F1 mantra this season.
      The constructor’s championship may be awarded earlier than seen for some time.
      Potentially, the ‘box, box’ call to Verstappen before the safety car came out could cost him this race to Perez.
      Sergio Perez now has a 2.3 second lead on his team mate.
      Lap 28/51 – Perez leads from Verstappen
      While the Red Bull car is obviously better than anything else F1 has to offer this season, you cannot take anything away from the drivers.
      Both Perez and Verstappen have driven good races here today, opening a huge gap to the field.
      Charles Leclerc seemed unable to do anything in losing position to the Red Bull pair.
      When DRS is active it is like a Ford Fiesta trying to pull away from a supercar at traffic lights.
      Lap 26/51 – Perez leads from Verstappen
      Unless something drastic happens this is turning into a battle of the Red Bulls in Baku.
      They have a 10 second leads on Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in third place.
      Only a safety car could mix things up here.
      Alonso seems content in fourth right now, not looking to put pressure on Leclerc just yet.
      Carlos Sainz is 3.5 seconds behind the Aston Martin car.
      Lap 24/51 – Red Bulls lead the way
      Sergio Perez has gained two places on his grid start.
      He is driving well to go toe to toe with Max Verstappen.
      Having to put in some fast laps to keep the lead.
      The two Ferraris occupy third and fifth with Fernando Alonso sandwiched in between them.
      Mercedes are talking tactics on the radio, believing Lance Stroll is planning a one-stop strategy to the race.
      Lap 22/51 – Perez leads, Verstappen second
      The replay shows Stroll had some serious understeer on that corner and had to over-compensate.
      It was the opening Hamilton needed to take him.
      Sergio Perez has a 1.3 second lead on his team mate.
      Lance Stroll is having to defend against George Russell now.
      The Red Bulls are 8.6 seconds ahead of the Ferrari in third place now.
      Credit: AFP
      Lap 20/51 – Perez leads, Verstappen second
      Fernando Alonso feeds back to his team some brake balance tips for team mate Lance Stroll.
      It is like the Spaniard has woken up on the right side of the bed today, he is all about the love for Lance Stroll.
      Max Verstappen puts in the fastest lap.
      The Baku drift is seeing a lot of cars kissing the barriers on some turns.
      Lance Stroll gets turn 16 all wrong and allows Lewis Hamilton through who had DRS in play.
      Lap 18/51 – Perez leads, Verstappen second
      Sergio Perez can breathe a sigh of relief.
      They were looking at a potential unsafe release as he pulled out of the pit in front of Charles Leclerc who was coming in.
      It has been reviewed with no further action taken.
      Lance Stroll clips the wall on a corner and radios in for his team to check his tyre integrity.
      He still holds sixth place ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
      Load more entries… More

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      Red Bull continue dominance as Sergio Perez wins ahead of Max Verstappen at Azerbaijan GP with Hamilton down in sixth

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      SERGIO PEREZ cruised to victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen.Charles Leclerc was third to earn Ferrari their first podium of the season, having started on pole.
      Perez won the Azerbaijan Grand PrixCredit: AFP
      The 33-year-old is now just six points behind his team-mate in the drivers standingsCredit: AP
      But in truth this was a dull procession and another crushing performance from Red Bull.
      However, there were chaotic scenes right at the death when team members and photographers were allowed into the pitlane BEFORE Esteban Ocon had made his pitstop.
      Serious safety concerns will be raised as to how it was allowed to happen for it could have had devastating consequences.
      It was the only abnormality in a routine race.
      It took just four laps for Verstappen to catch and pass Leclerc, who had taken pole for the race on Friday.
      It was all too easy for Verstappen’s rampant Red Bull as he powered past the Ferrari man with ease to move into the lead.

      Perez was next past Leclerc just two-laps later as the Mexican made it a Red Bull 1-2 in an ominous sign with the Dutchman out in front.
      However, his hopes of a win were dashed when the safety car was deployed when Nyck de Vries stopped on track.
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      Red Bull finished 1-2Credit: Getty
      Leclerc claimed the final spot on the podiumCredit: AP
      While Verstappen dived into the pits from the lead, Perez stayed out but was given an advantage when the race was neutralised behind the safety car.
      It meant that Perez was able to make his pitstop and maintain the lead he had taken from his team-mate.
      He then set about trying to keep out of Verstappen’s reach by plotting his way around the Baku circuit.
      He looked comfortable, but for a brush with the wall at Turn 15, and crossed the line two seconds ahead of his title rival.
      It means Verstappen’s lead is cut to just six points in the Drivers’ Championship while Leclerc was third.
      It was another disappointing result for Lewis Hamilton in sixth while his team-mate George Russell was in eighth.
      Meanwhile, Landon Norris came home in ninth place and took two points for his effort.
      Hamilton finished the race in sixthCredit: Splash More

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      Max Verstappen slams George Russell as ‘d***head’ on live TV after overtaking row at Azerbaijan F1 sprint race

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN blasted George Russell and called him a “d***head” after the two clashed in the Baku sprint race.Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez won the race but it was the Dutchman’s first-lap clash with Russell which drew the attention.
      Max Verstappen and George Russell rowed at the end of the Azerbaijan sprint raceCredit: Getty
      The pair collided on the opening lapCredit: https://twitter.com/SkySportsF1/status/1652306084445450242?cxt=HHwWhMCz-aTole4tAAAA

      And he sought out Russell after the 17-lap race and confronted him over their coming together.
      Russell explained he had “no grip”.
      But Verstappen snapped back: “Mate, we all have no grip.
      “We all need to give a little bit of space.
      READ MORE ON F1
      “But expect it next time the same, you know.”
      He then muttered under his breath: “D***head,” with the insult picked up by the microphones.
      Pole-sitter Charles Leclerc got a good launch at the start and started to move clear while Verstappen was unusually sluggish off the line and was drawn into a fight with Russell.
      The two tangled over a handful of corners, with the Dutchman left furious by Russell’s driving as he brushed the walls of the circuit.
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      However, it paid off for the Brit who squeezed past into third place as Verstappen dropped to fourth.
      But it was short-lived as Verstappen moved back ahead of the Mercedes man at the restart following a safety car period when Yuki Tsunoda crashed into a wall.
      While the Japanese driver was not injured, his car was badly damaged with a wheel rolling down the track behind the vehicle.
      Yet his AlphaTauri team sent him out for another lap, but he was unable to keep it in a straight line and subsequently retired from the race.
      Russell told Sky Sports: “I’m here to fight, I’m here to win.
      “I’m not going to hold back because he’s leading the championship.
      “He had a lot more to lose than I had. None of the contact was intentional.
      “I was doing my best to have a clean fight, I was surprised by his resistance.

      “I was surprised he was so angry, he finished P3, he’s got enough experience.”
      Verstappen added: “It’s not clarified. I just don’t understand why you need to take so much risk on lap one.
      “He understeered into my side pod to create a hole. We all have cold tyres. It’s easy to lock up.
      “His beautiful way of explaining, ‘Ah mate, you know, locked up. Ah look at the on-board.’
      “Well, it doesn’t make sense.”
      Russell was not the only big loser at the restart as his team-mate Lewis Hamilton also dropped places.
      Out in front, Leclerc was reeled in by Perez and the Mexican driver made his move into P1 on lap eight.
      He then set about extending his lead as he romped to victory, crossing the line 4.5 seconds ahead of Leclerc.
      Verstappen was third, Russell fourth and Carlos Sainz in fifth, while Fernando Alonso was sixth and ahead of Hamilton while Lance Stroll took the final point in eighth.

      In the Grand Prix tomorrow, Leclerc will start at the front of the grid with Verstappen.
      Perez and Sainz complete the second row with Hamilton and Alonso fifth and sixth – and Tussell back in 11th. More

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      Lewis Hamilton & George Russell’s lifestyles compared with 7-time F1 champ worth £200m and youngster dating stunning Wag

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      MERCEDES drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are both desperately working together to revive their team’s fortunes – but the pair very different lives away from the track.The two drivers are only separated by three spots in the F1 Driver’s Championship ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend.
      George Russell and Lewis Hamilton have very different lives off the trackCredit: Reuters
      The team-mates will be hoping to help the team close the gap on Aston Martin and Red Bull in the Constructors standings with a successful race.
      But both of them are at very different stages of their careers, with Russell, 25, still a youngster on the grid, while Hamilton, 38, is approaching the end of his racing days.
      But how different are their lives outside of F1?
      Net worth and wages
      Hamilton’s net worth is reportedly more than £200m more than Russell’sCredit: AP
      Hamilton has an incredible net worth, and it’s not surprising considering his longevity in the sport.
      READ MORE ON FORMULA ONE
      The seven-time world champion is currently earning a reported £40million per year from his contract at Mercedes.
      His deal is set to expire at the end of the season, but it is believed he is one of the highest-paid drivers in the sport.
      In total, it has been reported that Hamilton has an estimated net worth of £227m.

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      Hamilton’s earnings are also boosted by his many deals with the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Bose, Sony, and Monster Energy.
      Most read in Motorsport
      Russell, however, being at the start of his racing journey, is only being paid £4m per year by Mercedes.
      However, it is expected he will get a big pay rise when he signs a new contract.
      He does add to his income with sponsorships from Bell Helmets and Alpinestars.
      Russell is reported to have a net worth of £13m, a fraction of Hamilton.
      Cars off track
      Russell owns two Mercedes AMG GTCredit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      Hamilton has a collection worth £13m
      He regularly shows them off on social media
      Russell has always been a keen fan of Mercedes, so it must have been a dream come true to not only be one of the team’s drivers but to own his own Mercedes AMG GT.
      He’s been spotted with TWO AMG C 63 motors that cost in the region of £80,000.
      Hamilton on the other hand has built up an impressive fleet of cars worth around – wait for it – £13MILLION.
      In his collection is a £1.6m Pagani Zonda that was made for him.
      As well as a 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra worth an estimated £4m, he also owns a Laferrari that can hit 60mph in just 2.4 seconds.
      He also has a limited edition Mercedes called the Project One. There are only 275 being manufactured.
      Wags
      Juliana Nalu has been linked with HamiltonCredit: Instagram / @juliananalu
      Carmen Montero Mundt and George Russell have been dating since 2020Credit: Getty
      Hamilton has recently been linked with Brazilian goddess Juliana Nalu but remains coy about his private life.
      Rumours swirled online when a picture of the seven-time champion surfaced with a mystery woman in a hot tub on Instagram during a trip to Antartica.
      At the same time, Juliana shared her own personal experiences in Antartica on ‘holiday’ on her social media channels.
      Nalu is the former girlfriend of rapper Kanye West.
      Russell is dating the beautiful Carmen Montero Mundt, 25, who hails from London.
      The pair were seen in St Barts together kissing on a sunlounger and frolicking in the sea in 2021 – a year after they reportedly began their romance.
      She is a University of Westminster graduate and has a Bachelor’s degree in business management and finance.
      She works for Ruffers LLP as an investor relations associate.
      Social media followers
      Hamilton has a massive 32.4m followers on Instagram
      Russell however has 4.2mCredit: Instagram / @georgerussell63
      Russell does have a large following on Instagram with 4.2m people following him on the platform.
      He regularly updates his profile with race day and preparation posts as well as snaps from holidays and meeting stars such as Novak Djokovic.
      Hamilton’s following dwarfs that of Russell as he has a mega 32.4m fans on Instagram.
      He uses the platform to post images from trips and his adventurous life away from the track, with less focus on racing content.
      F1 record
      Hamilton has won seven World Drivers’ ChampionshipsCredit: Getty
      Russell has won one raceCredit: Splash
      Hamilton has an exemplary F1 record as he has won a joint record seven World Drivers’ Championship titles in his career, while Russell is still waiting for his first.
      In terms of race wins, Hamilton holds the most with 103. He has also finished on the podium 192 times.

      Russell however has only won race and finished on the podium nine times.
      Though Russell has taken to the track 85 times, 228 times less than Hamilton, so plenty of time to catch, starting this weekend in Baku. More

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      F1 rookie Logan Sargeant suffers horror crash in sprint qualifying ahead of Azerbaijan GP

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      FORMULA ONE rookie Logan Sargeant has withdrawn from today’s Azerbaijan Sprint Shootout due to damage sustained to his car in qualifying.The 22-year-old was left unscathed after crashing his car during qualifying for the Sprint Shootout this morning.
      Sargeant crashed into the barriersCredit: Splash
      The 22-year-old’s car was significantly damagedCredit: EPA

      He collided with the barriers at turn 15 of the Baku City Circuit, causing significant damage to his Williams.
      The SQ2 session was cut short by a red flag as a result, with Sargeant, Kevin Magnussen, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg and Oscar Piastri all subsequently eliminated from the qualifying session before the final round.
      The crash completely destroyed the rear of Sargeant’s car, leaving the Williams mechanics with too much to do before this afternoon’s Sprint Shootout.
      The American rookie, who qualified in 15th, had to withdraw as a result.
      Read More on F1
      A Twitter statement from Williams Racing read: “Logan’s car will not run in the #F1Sprint this afternoon despite the best efforts of the team.
      “After receiving the FW45 back following the shootout, we worked flat-out on the car but there is not enough time to complete the repair. Subsequently we have withdrawn Logan from the Sprint.
      “Gutted for Logan who has shown great pace with two Q2 appearances this weekend.”
      Sargeant’s crash caused huge implications for several drivers on the grid, including AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda.
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      The Japanese star was just a few meters shy of the finish line when the red flags were waved, meaning his lap time did not count.
      After the incident, Tsunoda was left fuming when discovering his huge effort counted for nothing.
      He screamed: “No! Are you f****** kidding me?”
      Sargeant appeared to walk away from the dangerous crash unscathed.
      He expressed his frustration with Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, who were travelling slowly just ahead of him.
      The rookie implied that both drivers had an impact on his line of vision.
      Leclerc went on to qualify in pole position for the shootout despite a late crash in SQ3.
      Red Bull’s Sergio Perez came in just behind, with championship leader Max Verstappen qualifying in third. More

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      F1 commentators make cheeky jokes about Fernando Alonso and Taylor Swift relationship rumours in Azerbaijan F1 coverage

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      FORMULA ONE icon Fernando Alonso has continued to laugh off rumours that he is dating Taylor Swift – but commentators won’t let it lie ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.Rumours of a shock romance between the pair began circulating last week after an anonymous email was quoted on Instagram.
      Alonso has fuelled rumours that he is dating Taylor SwiftCredit: Splash
      Several F1 commentators joked about the potential romance during qualifying on SaturdayCredit: Getty
      In a post on the social media site, the ‘DeuxMoi’ account wrote: “A couple of Spanish magazines have been posting about TS [Swift] and Spanish F1 driver Fernando Alonso.”
      “According to them, the couple has been seeing each other for a week now. Nothing serious tho since they are both recently single.”
      However, the account listed the post in a section titled “for entertainment purposes only” and included a disclaimer that highlighted “some of the emails posted are complete BS”.
      Alonso, who was made aware of the rumours when they began circulating, has since been very active on social media.
      Read More on F1
      He has continued to tease the potential romance with cryptic posts and videos on his TikTok and Instagram.
      Earlier this week, he uploaded a cheeky clip to his TikTok whereby he scrolled through social media before winking at the camera, all while the song “Karma” by Swift played in the background.

      He also commented “Feeling 33” on the video, which is thought to be a reference to the singer’s song “22”.
      And now several F1 commentators have jumped on the bandwagon by referencing Swift songs when talking about Alonso.
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      Sky Sports’ Karun Chandhok was quick to reference the song “Blank Space” during qualifying on Friday.
      He said: “Fernando Alonso’s found a bit of blank space ahead of him!”
      Rachel Brookes, also of Sky Sports, said: “Fernando, it’s been an interesting few weeks for you during this break, I knew you were trouble!”, in reference to Swift’s hit song “I knew you were trouble”.
      When quizzing Alonso about his relationship status on Saturday, F1 reporter Will Buxton said: “I have to ask this one because if I don’t I’ll just be leaving a ‘Blank Space’ and I know it is potentially your ‘Love Story’ and nobody else’s, but there have been rumours over the break!”
      To which the Spaniard jokingly replied: “It’s so complicated [the] Baku format already! I’m sure you have a lot of questions!”
      And legendary Sky Sports presenter David Croft was eager to squeeze as many references into his commentary as possible.
      Throughout practice and qualifying, the 52-year-old referenced a number of Swift’s huge hits, including: “Getaway Car”, “Bad Blood”, “Don’t Blame Me”, “Style”, “Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve” and “Mastermind”.
      Despite his repeated hinting at a potential relationship, Alonso has refused to officially confirm if he is dating Swift.

      He told Spanish outlet Marca: “I usually keep my personal and professional life apart. I prefer not to comment on it.” More

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      Fernando Alonso incredibly slams Lewis Hamilton as ‘LUCKY’ despite Mercedes star winning seven F1 world titles

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has been “lucky” to win seven world titles, Fernando Alonso claims.Hamilton’s long-time rival still rates the Brit as an all-time great F1 driver – thanks to having “dominant cars”.
      ‘Lucky’ Lewis Hamilton celebrates second place at the Aussie GP with Fernando Alonso, who came third and believes it’s all about the ‘best cars’Credit: Getty
      Alonso reckons Michael Schumacher in the past and reigning champ Max Verstappen now were fortunate for the same reason.
      The Spaniard himself won the 2005 and 2006 crowns with Renault.
      And his feisty relationship with Hamilton appears to have cooled in recent years.
      In fact the 41-year-old Aston Martin ace is in third place, seven points clear of Hamilton’s Mercedes, in this year’s championship.
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      Hamilton, 38, is chasing his first win of the season at Baku this Sunday – but Red Bull are in control.
      Verstappen leads the table on 69 points ahead of RB team-mate Sergio Perez on 54 and Alonso on 45. 
      But Alonso believes Hamilton’s status as a legend is secure – even if he fails to land the single title needed to go one clear of Schumacher for the most ever.
      He told Marca: “I have a lot of respect for him. 
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      ‘Maybe this year we find ourselves racing together and with similar cars, in this part of the year. 
      “In Australia we were within a two-second margin the whole race and it was a very close fight (you think about it), but yes, I still think he is one of the best in history.
      “At the same time he has been lucky or has known to be in a dominant car for many years and when that happens, Schumacher won seven titles, Lewis also seven, Verstappen is on his way to third, I won two. 
      “To be champion you need the best car.” More

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      Max Verstappen pours more fuel on F1 retirement hint as £42m a year star moans ‘is this actually a good life?’

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has once again hinted at a possible retirement with his latest comments. The two-time world champion has lit the fire under retirement rumours with his critical comments regarding sprint races and the ever-increasing calendar size.
      Max Verstappen has once again hinted at a possible retirementCredit: Getty
      Before topping the only Practice session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend – which was red-flagged after a car set on fire – Verstappen questioned whether the increased amount races would actually be a good thing.
      He said: “I always said that even if there won’t be any more sprint races, if we keep expanding the calendar and the whole weekend is that long, at one point you question yourself: is it worth it?
      “I do like racing. I do like winning. I know that, of course, there is the salary and everything, and you have a good life. But is it actually a good life?
      “I think sometimes you get to a point in your career where maybe you want to do other stuff.
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      “I have the contract until the end of 2028 and then we’ll review again, but I do feel that if it’s getting at one point too much, then it’s time for a change.”
      F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has repeatedly hinted at the possibility of a 30-race calendar being implemented by 2030.
      The current Concorde agreement between teams and F1 limits the number of races in a season to 24.
      However, with this expiring in 2025, the calendar could see expansion once again.
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      Indeed, Domenicali previously told Sky Sports: “I would say there is potential to go to 30. In terms of the interest we see all around the world.”
      Verstappen has been an outspoken critic of the new formats and ideas being thrown around.
      He blasted: “I am not a fan of it at all. When we do all that kind of stuff, the weekend becomes very intense and we already do a lot of races.
      “We are heading into seasons where we could have 24 or 25 races and if you then start adding more it is not worth it for me. I will not enjoy that.”
      Verstappen reportedly earns a salary of £42million-a-year. More