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    Max Verstappen fires brutal shot at Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez after 3rd straight qualifying howler at Canadian GP

    MAX VERSTAPPEN fired a brutal shot at team-mate Sergio Perez after a poor Canada qualifying. Perez currently ranks second in the drivers standings behind Verstappen.
    Sergio Perez failed to make Q3 for the third time in a row in CanadaCredit: Getty
    Before Max Verstappen fired a dig at PerezCredit: Getty
    And despite the pair driving in the same team, two-time champion Verstappen declared he would “not be happy” if he was Perez.
    It comes after under-fire Perez failed to make Q3 for the third time in a row, having crashed out in Q1 at Monaco and lacking pace in Spain.
    Changeable conditions in Montreal on Saturday saw Perez cock up his tyre strategy as rivals benefitted from an earlier switch onto slick tyres in Q2.
    The drivers title looks likely to head to Verstappen for the third time in a row, with no driver in F1 history having overturned a 53-point deficit.
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    Speaking on Perez’s performance ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, Verstappen remarked: “Well, if I hadn’t been there it would have looked very different for Red Bull.
    “I wouldn’t be happy with not making Q3 three times in a row. I’m not concerned about it either.
    “I’m busy enough on my side of the garage getting everything in order. I pay all my attention to that.
    “The team must be working on that maybe, but you have to ask them.
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    “On Friday, of course, I was already busy getting the car better, so then I’m not going to think about that.
    “It’s not my problem.”
    Verstappen claimed pole in Canada qualifying despite earlier struggles over the weekend which had seen Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell lead the field.
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    Ex-F1 star Romain Grosjean slammed as ‘piece of c**p’ who ‘needs a punch in the face’ by furious rival

    EX-FORMULA ONE star Romain Grosjean was labelled a “piece of c**p” after a near miss on track. IndyCar driver Will Power was left incensed following a near collision with Grosjean in practice ahead of the Road America Grand Prix.
    Crazy incident between Will Power & Scott Dixon in Road America practice.Dixon lets Grosjean past, then completely blocks Power.Obviously unintentional but massive damage to both the Penske and Ganassi. Haven’t seen Power this angry for a couple of years. #SonsioGP #IndyCar pic.twitter.com/uTqngdRVS5— Blaynos (@Blaynos14) June 17, 2023

    Ex-F1 star Romain Grosjean was labelled a ‘piece of c**p’ by rival Will PowerCredit: Reuters
    Power and Scott Dixon crashed after Dixon allowed Grosjean pastCredit: https://twitter.com/Blaynos14
    The crash left both cars in a messCredit: https://twitter.com/Blaynos14
    Before both hit the barriersCredit: https://twitter.com/Blaynos14
    With Power confronting Dixon trackside afterwardsCredit: https://twitter.com/Blaynos14
    Power also blasted Grosjean after a near miss earlier in practiceCredit: Getty
    Grosjean almost forced the Team Penske’s driver onto the grass as Power attempted to overtake into a gap initially left by the Frenchman.
    However, despite making no contact with Grosjean, Power’s anger exploded after a crash with six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon.
    Dixon had let former Haas and Lotus F1 driver Grosjean past before moving over to completely block Power, who he had not seen.
    The collision saw the pair crash into the barriers, with Power confronting Dixon trackside following the incident.
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    Power did not hold back in his interview afterwards as he lambasted both Dixon and Grosjean.
    He said: “This track’s terrible when you go off, they do a terrible job here.
    “They need to pick up their game, anywhere you go off you almost break your back every time. I’ve done it a couple of times this weekend, so they need a kick in the butt for this place.
    “Just pissed about what Dixon did this morning, just ruined our whole weekend, it was just a terrible move…
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    “It’s just so hard in this field if you’re behind the eight ball, you’re not sure where the aero balance is with a new wing and new floor, so frustrating as I felt we were so quick this morning, just disappointed with what happened. Really disappointed.
    “And Grosjean is a piece of crap if you saw what he did in practice, he needs a punch in the face.”
    Grosjean left F1 in 2021 after a horror crash which saw him receive horror burns after his car turned into a fireball upon splitting in HALF from the impact of his 67G crash in Bahrain.
    Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year

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    Gerard Pique ‘to announce engagement’ to girlfriend Clara Chia after ex Shakira ‘cosies up’ to F1 star Lewis Hamilton

    Gerard Pique is making plans to wed his new beau Clara Chia and is set to announce their engagement, according to Spanish media. Earlier this month Pique, 36, and Clara, 24, were spotted at a Barcelona jeweller and are said to have had a conversation with an employee there about a made-to-measure ring.
    Clara Chia and Pique could tie the knotCredit: Splash
    Shakira has written many diss tracks towards her exCredit: Getty
    Pique split from Shakira – his partner of more than a decade and mother to his children – just a year ago.
    The footie star and Clara Chia went public with their relationship less than a year ago at a music festival in Barcelona.
    Sources close to Clara Chia and Pique claim the couple are indeed planning to tie the knot and are doing it within the month.
    The source told Spanish media: “Gerard Pique and Clara Chia are going to get married.
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    “The ex-footballer and his girlfriend have taken this very important decision.
    “They have also planned the ideal moment to make the good news public. The announcement will be made on another important date for Pique, the wedding of his brother Marc who is going to marry his childhood sweetheart Maria on June 24.”
    Shakira reportedly refused to let Pique take their two sons, Milan, ten, and Sasha, eight, to his brother’s wedding.
    The Colombian singer also seems to be moving on: she’s been linked to F1 driver Lewis Hamilton since her move to Miami with her sons.
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    The two were first spotted when Shakira attended the Miami Grand Prix last month, and they seem to have shared an intimate dinner afterwards.
    Videos appeared to show the Hips Don’t Lie singer and the Formula One legend mingling in the popular restaurant, Cipriani, in Miami.
    Only days after the dinner, Lewis showed off his chivalry when he whisked the Colombian songstress off for a boat day with pals in Miami.
    Shakira was grinning as they cruised around Biscayne Bay with pals, before being dropped off at the dock of her £12million mansion.
    They were later photographed together at a dinner with friends, following Hamilton’s race at the Spanish Grand Prix – and Hamilton’s arm was wrapped around her.
    The pair headed out for dinner after the race with singer Mustafa sharing snaps of the group on Instagram.
    Despite the rumours, other sources close to the couple claim they’re “just friends”.
    Lewis and Shakira were spotted cosying up in a restarauntCredit: Instagram – Mustafa
    She and Pique called it quits last MayCredit: Getty
    Gerard seems infatuated with his new beauCredit: Instagram More

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    Meet Lissie Mackintosh, the stunning F1 content creator dubbed ‘Queen of the paddock’ who leaves fans ‘obsessed’

    LISSIE MACKINTOSH has taken F1 by storm and has been dubbed the “queen of the paddock” by her followers.The F1 presenter has built up an impressive following on social media with many flocking to her page for content about the motorsport.
    Lissie Mackintosh hosts the Going Purple podcast about all things F1Credit: Instagram
    Lissie Mackintosh is one of the top F1 content creatorsCredit: Instagram
    She has built up a massive following on social mediaCredit: Instagram
    With 258K followers on InstagramCredit: Instagram
    She also presents her own podcastCredit: Instagram
    Lissie, 23, is a regular poster on Instagram and often uploads behind-the-scenes snaps from interviews with F1’s biggest stars.
    She has managed to do interviews with drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris.
    While she has 258K followers on Instagram it is not her biggest social media platform.
    Lissie has amassed over 320K followers on TikTok with her videos gaining over 11million likes.
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    She also often receives comments hailing her as the “queen of the paddock” and the “It girl of F1”.
    On the video platform, she also posts different content such as ‘get ready’ clips as she prepares for a grand prix.
    She also hosts the Going Purple podcast in which she discusses the bigger and wider topics in F1.
    She has loved the sport for a long time and started following during Lewis Hamilton’s era of domination.
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    Lissie also has 320K followers on TikTokCredit: Instagram
    And she regularly uploads content from F1 racesCredit: Instagram
    In terms of creating content about the sport, she revealed that she wanted to create a community for like-minded people.
    In an interview with Sports Illustrated in April, she said: “Formula 1 was changing a lot, and something was missing, even as a fan.
    “I questioned why there was no community in this sport. There will always be a space for traditional media.
    “It’s going nowhere, but where is the community aspect of it?
    “I wanted to create this community and talk about Formula 1, but not in such a serious way for a serious sport.
    “Ultimately, sport is entertainment, and it can be confusing.
    “I thought, why not bring all those people together and do something that I think still needs to be done — bringing the sport to life by bridging that gap between sport and fan.”
    Lissie has also been romantically linked to New Zealand motorsports driver Marcus Armstrong.
    He used to compete in Formula 2 but is now starring in the NTT IndyCar Series with Chip Ganassi Racing.
    Lissie aims to bridge the gap between the sport and the fansCredit: Instagram
    Lissie boasts almost a half million followers across her platformsCredit: Instagram More

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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

    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

    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

    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

    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