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    Supercomputer predicts 2023 F1 season but will Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes close gap on Max Verstappen’s Red Bull?

    A SUPERCOMPUTER has predicted the outcome of the new Formula One season as Lewis Hamilton looks to end Max Verstappen’s winning run. The Dutchman has claimed the last two Drivers’ Championship crowns with no one getting even close to the dominant Red Bull driver this season.
    Max Verstappen is the reigning World Champion after a dominant 2022 campaignCredit: Reuters
    Lewis Hamilton is suited and booted as he looks to claim a record-breaking eighth titleCredit: PA
    With all ten teams hard at work improving their cars over the winter, it can be difficult to judge the strengths and weakness of the field ahead of next month’s opening race in Bahrain.
    But a supercomputer from BonusCodeBets has chewed up all the available information ahead of the new season and expects Verstappen to triumph again.
    The 25-year-old was in the form of his life in 2022 and won 15 of the 22 Grand Prix last season.
    He wrapped up the title with four races to go and left all of his rivals in his dust.
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    Hamilton has been tipped to finish second in this year’s table.
    The supercomputer believes the Mercedes man will miss out on a record-breaking eighth world title but improve on his sixth-place from last season.
    Meanwhile, the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are predicted to finish 3rd and 5th with Hamilton’s teammate George Russell sandwiched in between them.
    Brit racer Lando Norris is expected to be the best of the rest behind the dominant Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari teams.
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    A supercomputer is predicting Hamilton to miss out on the title again
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    While his new teammate Oscar Piastri has been tipped to have the best season out of all the rookies with a 11th-place finish.
    Also new to the grid is Alpha Tauri’s Nyck de Vries, who is expected to come 14th, while fellow newbie Logan Sargeant has been predicted to finish bottom in his Williams.
    Pre-season testing gets underway next week before the first race in Bahrain on March 5. More

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    Michael Schumacher fans outraged at cruel ‘dead man walking’ jibe at F1 star son Mick in Netflix’s Drive To Survive

    MICHAEL Schumacher fans have slammed a Netflix show for featuring a comment calling his son a “dead man walking” after the ex-F1 star’s horror ski accident.Creators of the latest season of docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive – which drops next week – have been branded “tone deaf” over an episode focusing on Mick Schumacher.
    Michael Schumacher fans have hit out at Netflix for including a ‘vile’ comment about his sonCredit: PA:Press Association
    Mick pictured with dad Michael Schumacher in 2008Credit: PA
    In one clip, Gene Haas – owner of Haas F1 Team – can be heard calling the German racing driver a “dead man walking” while on the phone to team manager Guenther Steiner.
    The US businessman was slating the 23-year-old’s performance in the Monaco Grand Prix in 2022 after he lost control of his car on lap 27 before the motor split in half.
    But fans have called the inclusion of the comment “vile” given his dad suffered a near-fatal skiing accident.
    Viewers also fumed over how the soon to be released episode is titled Like Father, Like Son?.
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    One fan said: “The fact that Netflix titled the episode about Mick ‘Like Father, like son?’ and refer to Mick as a ‘dead man walking’ is truly disgusting and vile??
    “How didn’t anyone in that meeting think that that’s maybe not the best idea.”
    Another social media user commented: “That’s horrible to both Mick and Michael.”
    A third wrote: “Wow that is so tone deaf and disrespectful.”
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    Mick’s legendary dad Michael Schumacher was put into a medically induced coma for six months after suffering a catastrophic brain injury in December 2013.
    He fell and hit his head on a rock while crossing an off-piste area on the slopes above Méribel in the French Alps while skiing with son Mick – who was 14 at the time.
    Schumacher, who had 91 Grand Prix wins, suffered a serious head injury despite wearing a ski helmet.
    Doctors said he would most likely have died had he not been wearing the safety gear, and the world champ was airlifted to Grenoble Hospital.
    The ex-F1 champ has not been seen or heard from since his accident.
    It comes after Mick paid a touching tribute to his father at Mercedes’ car launch.
    The F1 team unveiled the new-look car for the 2023 season on Wednesday.
    And Mick paid tribute to his dad by wearing the same helmet as the seven-time champion.
    The gold helmet was adorned with black stars on the top and has a Mercedes logo in the middle.
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    Schumacher drove for Mercedes at the end of his career between 2010-2012.
    And now his son is part of the team, signing up as the third driver following his exit from Haas.
    Gene Haas called Mick a ‘dead man walking’ after a raceCredit: Getty
    Haas was blasting Mick’s performance in the 2022 Monaco F1 Grand PrixCredit: Reuters
    An upcoming episode of Formula 1: Drive to Survive focuses on MichCredit: The Mega Agency
    Schumacher, pictured in 2003, suffered a near-fatal ski accident nine years agoCredit: AFP More

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    Lewis Hamilton claims Mercedes are NOT copying Red Bull despite rival cars having similarities ahead of 2023 F1 season

    LEWIS HAMILTON says Mercedes will never copy Red Bull… despite many other Formula 1 teams doing so.The Silver Arrows launched their new W14 car this week.
    Hamilton is raring to go ahead of the new F1 seasonCredit: PA
    Mercedes launched their new W14 car this weekCredit: PA
    Hamilton’s new motor features a return to the sleek black livery sported in the 2020 and 2021 seasons – while focusing on being lighter and more aerodynamic.
    Toto Wolff and Co have avoided going down the route of making their car more like Red Bull’s high performing RB18 – with Hamilton proud of Merc’s own creativity and innovation.
    Amid the likes of McLaren taking inspiration from Red Bull’s sidepods – Hamilton said: “Of course you can see that some of the cars are approaching what a Red Bull might look like, perhaps with the exception of Ferrari.
    “I don’t think we’ve ever been a team that copied other people.
    READ MORE ONN F1
    “We’ve always had our own mind and have always been a team that’s incredibly creative and innovative and likes to do it our way.
    “And I think that’s worked in the past.”
    After Mercedes’ encouraging finish to last season, fans will be excited to see Hamilton and team-mate George Russell back in action in Bahrain on March 5.
    Speaking at the launch of the W14, team principal Wolff said: “Last year was difficult but it came with lots of learnings.
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    Many teams have taken inspiration from Max Verstappen’s motorCredit: Getty
    “I hope 2023 will be proof that we have understood how to unravel the problems and improve the package of the car.”
    He then continued: “W13 certainly had performance which we never were able to unlock and put all its downforce on the ground.
    “Our car performed very well at the end of the season.
    “However, we still had the famous bouncing at some circuits and the car never gave the drivers good feedback, which limited them in being able to really push.
    “We have tried to keep all the goodness of the W13 and address its weaknesses.”
    McLaren launched their MCL60 this weekCredit: AFP More

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    Micah Richards left red-faced after he’s ‘completely blanked’ by A-list celeb he claimed was his ‘best mate’

    MICAH RICHARDS has a flourishing bromance with fellow footie pundit Roy Keane, but the same can’t be said of Lewis Hamilton.The ex-Man City defender gets awkwardly blanked by the F1 champ during the opening episode of A League Of Their Own Road Trip: Southeast Asia, despite bragging the pair are mates.
    Micah Richards was blanked by Lewis HamiltonCredit: PA
    It all happened during the opening episode of A League Of Their Own Road Trip: SoutheastCredit: Reuters
    It all happened ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix, much to the delight of Jamie Redknapp, his co-star on the Sky Max panel show.
    He lapped up seeing Micah snubbed by Mercedes driver Lewis as they crossed paths near the pit lane.
    Jamie said: “He got completely blanked by Lewis Hamilton, someone he says he’s best mates with and that they message each other.”

    The new series starts tonight at 9pm and also features Alan Carr and Big Zuu.
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    Who is Lance Stroll’s girlfriend Sara Pagliaroli and how long have the pair dated?

    F1 STAR Lance Stroll is a son of a billionaire and is in a relationship with Italian model Sara Pagliaroli. Stroll, 24, made his Formula 1 debut in 2017 with Williams Martini racing.
    Lance Stroll and Sara at James Bond premiere.Credit: Getty
    Sara posing on holiday in IbizaCredit: Instagram @sarapagliaroli
    Lance has come under criticism in the past, as some fans claimed he only had a seat because his multi-billionaire father owned the team.
    However the Canadian made history as the second youngest driver to start a race and to score a podium finish.
    Who is Lance Stroll’s girlfriend Sara Pagliaroli?

    Sara Pagliaroli is an Italian model who started her career as a teenager.
    She has worked with a number of famous brands such as Adria Beachwear and Replay Jeans.
    The Italian also launched a jewellery brand in 2020 called “Blue Lemon Jewels”
    It is unknown when and where the couple first met, but they first publicly appeared together at the premiere of a James Bond film in 2021.

    Who has Lance Stroll previously dated?
    Stroll has no previous public relationships, and Pagliaroli is thought to be his first partner since he has been a driver.
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    Does Lance Stroll have any kids?
    Stroll does not have any children. More

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    Fans spot Mick Schumacher’s touching tribute to his dad Michael on helmet at Mercedes car launch

    MICK SCHUMACHER paid a touching tribute to his father at Mercedes’ car launch.The F1 team unveiled the new-look car for the 2023 season on Wednesday.
    Mich Schumacher paid tributes to his father with his helmet choiceCredit: Mercedes-Benz AG
    Michael Schumacher wore a gold helmet while at MercedesCredit: Alamy
    Mick is Mercedes’ third driver this yearCredit: Twitter
    And Schumacher paid tribute to his dad by wearing the same helmet as seven-time champion Michael.
    The gold helmet was adorned with black stars on the top and has a Mercedes logo in the middle.
    Mick posed for photos with his helmet as Mercedes showed off their brand new car.
    The new W14 car sees Mercedes return to a striking black livery.
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    Schumacher senior, 54, drove for Mercedes at the end of his career between 2010-2012.
    And now his son is part of the team, signing up as the third driver following his exit from Haas.
    The deal is a lifeline for Schumacher, who will also serve as back-up to Sir Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
    Speaking ahead of the car’s launch, team principal Toto Wolff said: “Last year was difficult but it came with lots of learnings.
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    “I hope 2023 will be proof that we have understood how to unravel the problems and improve the package of the car.”
    He then continued: “W13 certainly had performance which we never were able to unlock and put all its downforce on the ground.
    “Our car performed very well at the end of the season.
    “However, we still had the famous bouncing at some circuits and the car never gave the drivers good feedback, which limited them in being able to really push.
    “We have tried to keep all the goodness of the W13 and address its weaknesses.” More

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    ‘Nothing changes for me’ – Lewis Hamilton insists he will DEFY ban on F1 drivers making political statements

    LEWIS HAMILTON will defy the FIA ban on drivers making political and personal statements.Hamilton launched the new Mercedes car for 2023 as he prepares for his 17th season in F1.
    Lewis Hamilton will ignore the FIA’s ban on F1 stars making political statementsCredit: AP
    He was quizzed on the FIA’s controversial decision to change the rulebook to allow them to punish drivers who make protests or statements without prior approval.
    This week, Lando Norris called on the FIA to rethink the rules, claiming that F1 drivers are not school children, and Hamilton says it will NOT stop him from highlighting causes that are important to him.
    He said: “It doesn’t surprise me. But nothing will stop me from speaking on the things that I’m passionate about, and on issues that there are.
    “The sport does have a responsibility still to speak out, to create awareness on important topics, particularly as we travel to all these different places. So nothing changes for me.”
    Read more F1
    When asked if he was willing to accept a penalty for ignoring the ban, he added: “It would be silly to say that I would want to get penalty points for speaking out on things.
    “But I am still going to be speaking my mind. We still have this platform and there are still a lot of things we need to tackle.”
    “The support from Stefano [Domenicali – F1 CEO] has been amazing. All of the drivers have been very much aligned on freedom of speech.”
    Mercedes have unveiled an all-black race car for this season as the team has tried to keep weight at a minimum by leaving the carbon fibre unpainted.
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    Hamilton was at the launch of Mercedes’ 2023 car which will be all in blackCredit: AFP
    After a difficult season last year where Hamilton went winless for the first time in his F1 career, both he and Mercedes are hoping to be able to take the fight to Red Bull this season.
    Hamilton again hinted that he would like to extend his contract with Mercedes, which expires at the end of the year, but says that having a competitive car is not a deal-breaker.
    He added: “I don’t feel like I need them to prove to me. We’ve proved time and time again over the years that we have strength in depth.
    “We still have all these incredibly talented individuals within the team, you don’t lose that ability.”
    “There’s the best harmony within the team that I’ve seen in all these years, and we’ve got a really fresh young group of engineers.”
    “So it’s an exciting time for the team and I don’t plan on being anywhere else.”
    Hamilton was asked about the prospect of joining Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid to buy Manchester United.
    The seven-time F1 champion was part of a consortium that failed in an attempt to buy Chelsea.
    Ratcliffe’s company, INEOS is a one-third equal shareholder in the F1 team alongside Mercedes-Benz AG and Toto Wolff, but Hamilton says he has not had too much information on the attempt to buy United.

    Complete F1 2023 race calendar – every Grand Prix from this year
    He said: “I’m very close with Jim so I’m aware of where he is at and we talk a lot about football as he’s very passionate about it. We have great discussions about whatever his team is doing.
    “We talk about how Arsenal is playing, obviously, he’s from Manchester so that’s his dream home, it’s where he’s come from, but there’s no further information I can give you on that.”
    Meanwhile, Wolff said the black livery was poignant given Mercedes’ origins in motorsport.
    He said: “When you look at where the story of the Silver Arrows came from, it is that the Mercedes was put on track and was painted white but it was overweight.
    “They scratched off the paint and it ended up in aluminium and the car made the weight.”
    “We really tried to get the weight off the car so we committed to [reducing] the grams by leaving the car in matte carbon.
    “So history repeats itself, just in this case, it is modern materials like carbon and not aluminium. It just came together and it feels right.”
    Meanwhile, George Russell says the team’s goal for this season is simply to win the championship.
    George Russel in new Mercedes uniformCredit: PA
    Russell, who turned 24 on the day of the launch, said: “Knowing how last season panned out and the challenges we had with the car, I think we can be pretty proud of the job we did.”
    “There were a lot of positives to take away from that season. The reliability of the car was great. The strategy on many occasions was really, really strong.”
    Read More on The Sun
    “In the personal learnings we all went through and the technical learnings, that’s all gone into [this year’s] car.
    “We’re all here to win. It’s as simple as that. The motivation and the fire within our factory is immense because people don’t want a repeat of what happened in 2022.” More

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    Lewis Hamilton breaks silence on Man Utd takeover bid amid claims he could be part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s offer

    SIR LEWIS HAMILTON has opened up about his friendship with Sir Jim Ratcliffe ahead of a potential Manchester United takeover.The seven-time Formula One world champion, 38, was part of a consortium that failed in an attempt to buy Chelsea following Roman Abramovich’s departure last year.
    Hamilton has revealed that he does not know much information about the takeoverCredit: PA
    The F1 driver is friends with RatcliffeCredit: AFP
    Ratcliffe, 70, also failed in his last-gasp attempt to buy the Blues before Todd Boehly took over at Stamford Bridge.
    Instead, Britain’s richest man turned his attention to Man Utd and expressed an interest in buying the club just a few months later.
    Hamilton, who is close friends with Ratcliffe, hinted that he wanted to work with the Manchester-born businessman in September, fuelling rumours that he could be involved with the potential takeover.
    Ratcliffe’s company, INEOS, is a one-third equal shareholder in the F1 team alongside Mercedes-Benz AG and Toto Wolff.
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    But Hamilton, who is an Arsenal fan, has admitted that he doesn’t know much information on the attempt to buy United.
    He said: “I’m very close with Jim so I’m aware of where he is at and we talk a lot about football as he’s very passionate about it.
    “We have great discussions about whatever his team is doing.
    “We talk about how Arsenal is playing, obviously he’s from Manchester so that’s his dream home, it’s where he’s come from, but there’s no further information I can give you on that.”
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    Hamilton dismissed all F1 retirement rumours on Wednesday during the launch of Mercedes’ brand-new W14.
    He said: “I know I’ve been here a long time. It’s the combined energy of all the individuals in the team.
    “I love being a part of a team that’s working towards a common goal. I continue to love racing, I think that’s never going to change as it is part of my DNA.
    “I always believe that I can get better. I always love that challenge of the mental and the physical element of it and having to deep dive and see how you can extract more performance.” More