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      F1’s ten highest-paid drivers revealed as Lewis Hamilton is knocked off the top spot for first time in years

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      FORMULA ONE’S best paid drivers in 2022 have been revealed, with a new champion in tow.Lewis Hamilton, who has held the crown since 2013, endured a difficult year behind the wheel of his Mercedes as he failed to win a race in a season for the first time in his F1 career.
      Lewis Hamilton has been knocked off of his perch at F1’s top paid driverCredit: Getty
      Max Verstappen won his second drivers championship in 2022Credit: Rex
      Meanwhile, Max Verstappen cruised to a second world championship with a record-breaking 15 race victories to his name.
      The pair have been F1’s headline act in recent years, with their rivalry seeing sparks fly both on and off the track as they took the 2021 championship down to the last lap of the season.
      And while the Dutchman claimed victory in that battle, a year on he has added the lucrative title of F1’s best paid driver to his name.
      As revealed by Forbes, the Red Bull driver is taking home a cool £33million ($40m) plus £16.5m in bonuses ($20m).
      READ MORE ON F1
      Verstappen, 25, signed a bumper new-deal with Red Bull ahead of the 2022 season, and he paid back the deal with 15 race wins and shattering the record for most points scored in a season with 454.
      Hamilton falls just short of his rival, though not in the basic salary department.
      Indeed, the Brit’s annual salary dwarfs Verstappen’s by around £12.4m ($15m), with Hamilton earning £45.3m ($55m) WITHOUT bonuses.
      Verstappen’s champion bonus has given him the edge over Hamilton in this case, but Hamilton remains one of the most marketable assets in Motorsport, with him earning £6.6m ($8m) in endorsements off-track.
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      Moving down the list is another driver with Hamilton history.
      Two-time champion Fernando Alonso claims the final podium spot, with the 41-year-old earning £24.7m ($30m) in 2022.
      And like Hamilton, he has secured this deal with just a basic salary.
      Not that this has stopped him from swapping Alpine for Aston Martin next season.
      Mexican Sergio Perez comes in fourth with £21.4m ($26m) earned.
      The 32-year-old narrowly lost out on second spot in the driver’s championship to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, but still earned a juicy £13.2m ($16m) in bonuses.
      Leclerc comes in next after earning £18.9m ($23m) over 2022.
      The Monegasque will be hoping he can make more of a dent in Verstappen’s title charge next season and be the first driver to win a title for the Tifosi since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.
      The top 10 list of F1 driver earnings in 2022
      Retiring F1 icon Sebastian Vettel is next.
      The four-time champion earned £14m ($17m) in his final year in his F1, though Vettel has been offered a chance to change this decision in the future, with a lot of love clearly still going around for him after Hamilton arranged a farewell dinner for him.
      Another star leaving the sport, Daniel Ricciardo, earned the same as Vettel.
      But while Vettel is leaving the sport completely, the honeybadger is dropping into a reserve driver role with ex-team Red Bull.
      Spaniard Carlos Sainz comes in at P8 on the list, earning £12.4m ($15m).
      His former team-mate Lando Norris also made the top 10.
      The 23-year-old McLaren star was the only driver outside of the big three teams to earn a podium throughout the season and finished best of the rest in P7 in the driver standings.
      His impressive season saw him earn £9.1m ($11m) in 2022, eclipsing that of compatriot George Russell.
      Read More on The Sun
      Russell capped off his first-season with the Silver Arrows with a race win at the penultimate race of the season in Brazil.
      The 24-year-old earned £8.2m ($10m) despite a basic salary of just £2.5m ($3m). More

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      Max Verstappen’s signed Honda Civic on sale for £48,000 as F1 fans get chance to own world champion’s car

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      FORMULA ONE fans have the chance to own world champion Max Verstappen’s car.But it’s NOT the vehicle the Red Bull star drove to a second straight championship this year.
      Max Verstappen’s former Honda Civic is being auctioned to fans onlineCredit: Splash
      Honda gave Verstappen a new £150,000 NSX Type S last month
      Dutch F1 ace Verstappen followed up last year’s controversial title win with another successive trophy in October.
      And as a reward, Japanese manufacturer Honda gifted Verstappen a stunning £150,000 Honda NSX Type S.
      It wasn’t the first time Honda had given Verstappen a present, handing him a Honda Civic Type-R GT in 2021.
      That car went under the hammer last Christmas at a charity auction for £30,000.
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      But it’s up grabs once again, with Verstappen fans so far bidding up to £48k for the luxury sports vehicle.
      The 320-horsepower Honda can go from 0 to 60mph in just 5.8 seconds.
      It has an incredible top speed of 167mph.
      And the car, which also boasts Verstappen’s signature on the dashboard, has only done 36,000 miles since hitting the road.
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      Insured in Monaco, the car currently resides in Verstappen’s homeland of the Netherlands.
      And it’s a fellow Dutchman leading the auction with a bid of £48,000, as of Friday afternoon.
      But with the auction deadline not until Monday evening, a fellow big bidder from Slovakia could yet decide to up his own £43,500 offer.
      However, the next bid must be a minimum of £52,000.
      The vehicle is being sold on Catawiki, and car expert Sander Houdel said: “Max Verstappen is hugely popular and will go into history as one of the youngest and most talented drivers in the world. 
      “If this car is treated right, it has a big potential to increase its value over the years.” More

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      George Russell says Mercedes ‘haven’t forgotten how to build a fast race car’ as he expects strong 2023 from F1 team

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      GEORGE RUSSELL says Mercedes “haven’t forgotten how to build a fast race car” and says the team are “building on top” of last season’s woes.Merc were well off the pace of Red Bull and Ferrari in 2022.
      Russell expects Merc to be competitive from the off next seasonCredit: Splash
      Red Bull picked up the Formula One Constructors’ championship while Max Verstappen became a two-time world champ.
      Russell did, however, pick up Merc’s one and only win of the season in Brazil.
      And ahead of the 2023 campaign, the Brit says his team still know what they’re doing in F1.
      Russell is also confident the team will be competitive from the first race of the season.
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      He told BBC Radio Norfolk: “They haven’t forgotten how to build a fast race car.
      “We just got it wrong this year.”
      Russell continued: “We got the philosophy wrong. We went down a route which turned out to be the wrong route.
      “Sometimes it takes you a long time to dig yourself out of that hole.
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      “Now I feel we’ve dug ourselves out of that hole and we’re building on top of that.
      “We are a step behind Red Bull and Ferrari and we’ve got a lot of catching up to do – but we’re definitely going to be in a much stronger position from race one next year than we were this year.”
      Russell managed to beat seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton in the standings last season.
      In his debut campaign for Merc, Russell claimed 275 points to Hamilton’s 240.
      Despite that, Russell is not proud of his start to life at the Silver Arrows.
      He said: “I’m not going to walk away from this season with a huge amount of pride because I finished fourth in the championship.
      “I’m here to win. We need to keep raising the bar.”
      And Russell has issued a warning to team-mate Hamilton, who dreams of claiming a record-breaking eighth world crown.
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      Russell added: “I’m here for the long haul and even though I would have wanted victories and to be fighting for that championship in 2022, I think as a team the struggles are going to set us up much nicer for the coming years.
      “So I hope I look back in 10 years time and say, actually this 2022 season was a positive one for the journey.” More

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      Lando Norris breaks silence on claims he and Daniel Ricciardo ‘hate each other’ after turbulent year at McLaren

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      LANDO NORRIS has hit back at claims he and Daniel Ricciardo “hate each other”.The pair were McLaren team-mates for the 2021 and 2022 Formula One seasons.
      Lando Norris, right, opened up on his turbulent relationship with Daniel RicciardoCredit: The Mega Agency
      However, there were a number of instances of the pair appearing to clash with the Brit said he had “no sympathy” for the Aussie after his axe in August.
      A month earlier, Ricciardo called Norris a “s***head” four times in a bizarre interview and then later they got temporary tattoos of each other on their necks.
      But addressing the claims of their turbulent relationship, Norris denied hating Ricciardo.
      He told The Race: “It just frustrates me when I see people trying to make it look like we hate each other or that we don’t like each other, or have fun or whatever.
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      “I hate that people think that because there’s not been one case where that’s been the truth.”
      Ricciardo struggled to get to grips with the McLaren F1 car throughout his two years at the Woking-based team.
      Again, Norris was not too bothered about his colleague’s problems – and was more focused on delivering points.
      He admitted in the summer he realised “people will probably hate me” for his comments.
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      But as he prepares to link up with new team-mate Oscar Piastri in 2023 following Ricciardo’s early snub, Norris refused to pile in on the man who will return to Red Bull as their third driver.
      The Bristol-born racing driver said: “Being honest because of some certain comments that I’ve said, when it’s regarding what it’s been like some of the things Daniel’s struggled with this car, and I’ve just been honest and said that it’s not my job to help him.
      “Those comments, people just for some reason take it as I don’t like him, that I’m not friends with him and we don’t get along.
      “Then they just see like a headline and just want to believe everything like that.
      “I don’t know why else they would believe it.
      Norris continued: “I want to be like what Daniel is good at, knowing what the person he can be on a racetrack and the person he can be away from a race track and the respect he can have on either side of that platform.
      “I think that’s what he’s very good at. When he puts his helmet on, he becomes this guy. And when it’s off, he’s the fun guy.
      “He’s still a fun guy when he’s in the car, probably! But it’s just another level of concentration. And you kind of forget about the fun stuff.
      “In terms of personal interests, it’s such a simple thing, it just wasn’t quite the same.
      Read More on The Sun
      “So, we didn’t talk about things as much, because we didn’t speak about that similar things.
      “It was just some simple things, maybe, made it look like we weren’t as good mates.”
      Ricciardo and Norris were at McLaren together for two yearsCredit: Splash More

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      F1’s Mick Schumacher joins Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton’s backup driver after Ferrari axe as he joins dad’s old team

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      MICK SCHUMACHER has joined Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton’s backup driver.The son of legend Michael failed to earn a new deal with Ferrari’s feeder team Haas.
      Mick Schumacher is the new Mercedes reserve driverCredit: Getty
      Father Michael spent three years with the team before he retiredCredit: AFP
      Mercedes revealed the news in a tweet that said: “Willkommen, Mick. 👋 Say hello to our 2023 Reserve Driver, @SchumacherMick.”
      The deal is a lifeline for Schumacher, who will also serve as back-up to George Russell for the 2023 season.
      It could be an emotional move, with father Michael having driven for Mercedes for three years until his ultimate retirement in 2012.
      Ferrari recently announced the axing of Mick Schumacher from its young driver academy, with the decision made just two days after Fred Vasseur was confirmed as new team principal of the Italian outfit.
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      A statement from Scuderia Ferrari confirmed the team and Schumacher had “mutually decided not to extend their collaboration, after working together for four years with Mick having been part of the Ferrari Driver Academy.”
      It added: “Mick joined the Ferrari family through the young driver programme in 2019 and, as an FDA driver, competed in Formula 2 for two seasons with the Prema Racing team.
      “He won three races and secured the 2020 championship title. The following year, he made his Formula 1 debut with the Haas F1 Team.
      “He raced for the team for two years, starting in 43 races and scoring 12 points, finishing sixth in this year’s Austrian Grand Prix and eighth in the British Grand Prix.
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      “In addition, he covered the role of reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari for the 2022 Formula 1 season.
      “Scuderia Ferrari thanks Mick for these four years and the many kilometres covered together, and wishes him all the best for the future.”
      Schumacher, 23, was axed by Haas as a driver for the 2023 campaign in favour of the experienced Nico Hulkenberg, 35, after struggling to get to grips with F1.
      The German failed to gain a single point in his debut season in 2021.
      He then improved in 2022, along with the car, and finished in 16th place in the Drivers’ Championship.
      However, his 12 points accrued still left him 13 points behind team-mate Kevin Magnussen.
      After the 2021 season, it was revealed that Mick Schumacher had caused more damage to his car in that campaign than any other driver.
      The German racked up a £4million bill for the Haas team after requiring eight new front wings and nine sets of suspension.
      Ahead of his deal with Mercedes, Schumacher said he was humbled to hear of Toto Wolff’s interest.
      Read More on The Sun
      He commented: “Mercedes is an awesome brand and what they’ve achieved in Formula 1 is incredible.
      “For sure I am looking at my options, and Mercedes is a part of it.”
      Mick Schumacher will be backup to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell after joining MercedesCredit: Getty More

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      Ferrari hire replacement for axed Mattia Binotto as McLaren and Sauber get involved in bizarre managerial merry-go-round

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      FERRARI, McLaren and Sauber have all appointed new team chiefs in a bizarre managerial merry-go-round.Ferrari have signed Fred Vasseur as team boss after axing Mattia Binotto earlier this month.
      Ferrari have found a replacement for axed team boss Mattia BinottoCredit: Splash
      Fred Vasseur is joining Ferrari from SauberCredit: PA
      Vasseur, 54, joins the Italian team from Sauber, who have confirmed that highly-rated German, Andreas Seidl, has taken the position of CEO of the Sauber Group, which in turn is expected to run as the Audi F1 team in 2026.
      Seidl, who previously worked at BMW and Porsche, has left his role at McLaren where he has helped the team rebuild after a wretched few years.
      And he will be replaced by Andrea Stella, who has been promoted from his role as Executive Director by the Woking-based team.
      It is one of the biggest managerial shake-ups in years and will have widespread repercussions across the paddock as each new arrival tries to recruit new team members.
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      Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said: “We are delighted to welcome Fred Vasseur to Ferrari as our team principal.
      “Throughout his career he has successfully combined his technical strengths as a trained engineer with a consistent ability to bring out the best in his drivers and teams.
      “This approach and his leadership are what we need to push Ferrari forward with renewed energy.”
      Vasseur will be charged with delivering Ferrari their first title since 2008.
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      Andreas Seidl joins Sauber from McLaren, and has been replaced by Andrea StellaCredit: Getty
      He has a long career in motorsport and co-founded the ART Grand Prix junior team, which helped Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Nico Rosberg on their way up the ladder.
      Meanwhile, McLaren will be disappointed to lose Seidl, who has taken credit for the team’s improvements on track since he joined in 2019.
      Seidl will take over the CEO position held by Vasseur at the Sauber Group, which run as the Alfa Romeo team in F1.
      However, he will not hold the role of Team Principal, with a new appointment to be announced in due course.
      Seidl said: “It is great to join the Sauber Group from January: this is a team with a rich history in Formula One and an organisation I know really well from my time working and living in Hinwil for four years.
      “I can’t wait to join the team and work with all the colleagues at the Sauber Group on the ambitious goals we have set together.”
      And McLaren boss Zak Brown says replacing Seidl by promoting Stella was a natural choice.
      He said: “Andrea is a highly talented, experienced and respected member of our team with a strong track record of leadership and success in Formula One.
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      “His move into this role is a great example of the strength in depth we have in our team, and I’m excited to be working more closely with him with a joint focus on moving up the grid and winning races.”
      The triple signings come a day after Williams parted company with their team boss Jost Capito, with no replacement yet announced. More

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      Lewis Hamilton shares heartwarming photos after making disabled brother Nicolas’ ‘dreams come true’ by driving in sim

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      LEWIS HAMILTON shared heart-warming photos after making his brother’s “dream come true” by helping him drive the Mercedes simulator. Nicolas Hamilton, who has cerebral palsy, became the first disabled person to drive the sim.
      Lewis and Nicolas Hamilton share a close brotherly bondCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton
      Some modifications had to be made to the Sim to help Nicolas get the best out of the experienceCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton
      Nicolas had a big smile on his face throughout the experienceCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton
      The 30-year-old emulated his older brother as he donned the white Mercedes race suit.
      Hamilton shared a series of photos of their “special day” in a Instagram post which has received over 930,000 likes and had a big reaction.
      The seven-times world champion was snapped helping his sibling fit into the iconic Mercedes costume before Nicolas climbed into the sim.
      The state-of-the-art machine produces a hyper-realistic experience of what it would be like to be in an F1 car and is regularly used by drivers and teams.
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      Nicolas could be seen smiling throughout the photos as he got to live out his fantasy.
      And in one moving picture, he could be seen sat in the simulator as the older Hamilton hugs his father in the background.
      Nicolas has driven in other racing series such as the Renault Clio Cup and European Tour Cup using a specially adapted car.
      In the Instagram caption, his F1 star brother said: “Earlier this year Nicolas Hamilton and I asked my team if we could make this happen and here we are.
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      “Time in the sim is incredibly rare, and not something that is accessible for someone like my brother.
      Nicolas Hamilton has previously raced in motorsport series such as the Renault Clio Cup, European Touring Car Cup and British Touring Car ChampionshipCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton
      The state-of-the-art machinery allows users to get an authentic feeling of how it is to drive an F1 carCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton
      Lewis Hamilton is coming off the back of a topsy-turvy F1 seasonCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton
      “It took custom modifications to the seat, steering wheel and pedals to make this possible.”
      At the end of the experience, the Hamilton brothers could be seen sharing a close embrace.
      Hamilton added: “[Nicolas] spent the whole day in it, and is the first disabled person to ever do so.
      “He’s always been a fighter and seeing him have this day is an honour.
      “The smile you see here never left his face. Can’t wait to share more of this special day, thank you @mercedesamgf1 for the time and work put in to make this possible and make my brother’s dream come true.”
      The emotional Instagram post triggered a big reaction.
      One person wrote: “I’m a disability parent, and the relationship you have with your brother is truly my favourite thing about you both.
      “You’re a champion of human rights, an incredible advocate, a great driver, a fantastic human being – but you’re truly the greatest brother.”
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      Hamilton is currently enjoying time off after the F1 season ended last month.
      He will be back on the grid in 2023 when the new season kicks off in Bahrain in March.
      A proud Anthony Hamilton hugs Lewis in the background while Nicolas enjoys the simCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton
      Lewis helped Nicolas into the Mercedes race suitCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton More

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      Lewis Hamilton reveals emotional reaction to George Russell’s first F1 win in Mercedes team garage in Sao Paulo

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has revealed his emotional reaction to George Russell’s first F1 win. The 24-year-old crossed the line first in the penultimate race in Brazil to secure Mercedes’ first win of the season.
      George Russell and Lewis Hamilton secured an unexpected 1-2 finish in BrazilCredit: Splash
      It was a big moment for the Brackley-based team after a season of struggle and Russell was visibly emotional after his achievement.
      Porpoising issues dominated the first-half of the season as both Hamilton and Russell struggled to get to grips with the car.
      But the back end of 2022 saw the pair regularly challenging for race wins in a complete turnaround in form.
      The incredible result in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, where Hamilton came second despite a crash with Max Verstappen, was the crowning moment for Mercedes.
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      And Hamilton revealed his emotion at seeing his team celebrate their achievement.
      The seven-time world champion told Channel 4: “I saw a video of my team when we got to Dubai [for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix].
      “Just seeing everyone celebrating all together was quite an emotional thing, knowing how hard everyone had worked through the year.
      “Also knowing how difficult it would have been for them, knowing how hard they would have worked last winter and they were not rewarded for all the hard work they had put in necessarily.
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      “The whole season, not giving up and continuing to keep the faith, keep the hopes high and get a one-two was a very proud moment for me and the whole team.”
      Mercedes’ struggles were one of the major themes of last season as Verstappen waltz to the title.
      Despite winning every constructors’ championship since 2014 – up until the start of the 2022 season – the manufacturers toiled in the early goings as they tried to adjust to sweeping rule changes.
      Only Ferrari appeared capable of challenging Red Bull but their season unravelled after multiple errors.
      Last month, team principal Mattia Binotto resigned after their underwhelming performance. More