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      Lewis Hamilton jokes he’ll watch Game of Thrones behind the wheel to kill boredom as he’s stuck near back of Monza grid

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      LEWIS HAMILTON joked overtaking is so tough at Monza that he might as well watch Game of Thrones behind the wheel!The seven-time world champ starts today’s race down in 19th, despite qualifying fifth, after taking a fourth power unit of the season.
      Lewis Hamilton will start the Monza Grand Prix in 19th place and isn’t expecting to go much higherCredit: PA
      Charles Leclerc claimed pole and is the ONLY man to start today’s Italian GP­ in the position he qualified — due to a crazy amount of grid penalties for new engines and components.
      It meant that race chiefs took nearly FOUR HOURS to work out final grid positions.
      And Hamilton may turn to new Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon — as he fears being stuck behind a string of cars at the so-called Temple of Speed.
      He said: “I was behind Valtteri Bottas in practice and couldn’t catch him or pass him. So I hope I don’t get stuck tomorrow.
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      “But I imagine I will be in a DRS train, sitting there and hoping for chances through strategy and tyre degradation from other drivers.
      “I was thinking of taking my iPad with me in the race and, when I am in a DRS line, I will just watch Game of Thrones.”
      Leclerc set the quickest lap to clinch pole for Ferrari in their home race. But the Monaco man — who won here from pole in 2019 — will need to take full advantage in a bid to close down Max Verstappen’s 109-point title lead.
      Leclerc said: “It was not an easy qualifying session. I knew there was potential in the car but needed to put everything together in Q3 and I was happy to do it.
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      Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon is seemingly on Hamilton’s watchlistCredit: Alamy
      “I really hope we can do what we did in 2019. I just went for it and it worked out.”
      Verstappen had a five-place grid drop to seventh but is confident of working through the field as he did at the Belgian GP — where he won despite starting in 14th place.
      He said: “For tomorrow in the race, I hope we will be strong. It will be an interesting battle. I will try to stay out of trouble and work my way forward.”
      George Russell lines up in second place and Lando Norris will start in third.
      But Mercedes driver Russell cannot see past a Verstappen win and added: “You’ve got to be stupid to bet against it.
      “He just needs to keep his nose clean in the first two laps and he’ll cruise to victory.”
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      London-born Williams driver Alex Albon pulled out due to appendicitis. He missed final practice, resulting in reserve driver Nyck de Vries being called up.
      He qualified in 13th but will start in eighth, owing to the string of grid penalties. More

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      F1 teams reveal special cars with touching tributes to The Queen ahead of Italian GP qualifying

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      FORMULA ONE paid tribute to The Queen on Saturday ahead of qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix.On Thursday, Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had passed away peacefully at Balmoral.
      Red Bull paid tribute to The Queen with a ERII and 1926-2022 on their liveryCredit: AFP
      Aston Martin’s tribute read ‘Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1926 2022’Credit: Getty
      Haas have marked their car with the British flagCredit: Reuters
      Ferrari have marked the side of their car with a tributeCredit: Reuters
      Mercedes have changed the number stickers on each car to black as a mark of respectCredit: FLORENT GOODEN / Every Second Media / DPPI Media
      The news plunged the sporting world into mourning with many events scheduled to take place over the weekend already cancelled.
      But, this weekend’s Italian GP at Monza has gone ahead as planned with each team paying tribute in their own way.
      McLaren, Red Bull, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Haas, Williams and Alpha Tauri have all marked their respective cars with The Queen’s name as a mark of respect.
      The number sticker on each of the Mercedes cars has been changed to black in honour of Her Majesty.
      READ MORE ON THE QUEEN
      And every team took part in a minute of silence ahead of Friday’s practice session to reflect on The Queen’s life.
      An additional period of silence is due to take place before Sunday’s race as another mark of respect.
      Individual teams and drivers have also paid tribute to Britain’s longest reigning monarch both on social media and in interviews.
      Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton wrote on Instagram: “How do you find the words to describe the loss of Her Majesty The Queen?
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      Each team observed a minute of silence on FridayCredit: Getty
      Ricciardo (L) and Norris (R) have both paid tributeCredit: Getty
      Mercedes drivers Russell and Hamilton have issued heartfelt statementsCredit: PA
      “She was truly an iconic leader, an inspiration and a reassuring presence for most, if not all, of our lives.
      “Since the sad news yesterday [Thursday], I’ve been reflecting on her incredible life. She was a symbol of hope for so many and she served her country with dignity, dedication and kindness.
      “She was truly like no other and I’m grateful to have lived during her time. Her legacy will be long-lasting and her passing deeply felt.
      “I had the incredible honour of being able to spend time with her. It is something I’ll never forget.
      “We talked about our shared love of dogs and she was incredibly generous with her time.
      “I know the whole nation and many others around the world will be mourning her loss and my thoughts and prayers are with her family and all those close to her, who have lost a loved one. Rest in Peace.”
      Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell tweeted: “I’m so sad to hear about the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
      “Her devotion to our country and her gracious leadership were inspirational to so many generations of people in the UK and around the world.
      “My family and I send our deepest condolences to The Royal Family and to all those who admired her service to our country for seven decades. Rest in Peace.”
      British-born Williams driver Alex Albon – who will not race this weekend after being hospitalised with appendicitis – said: “An amazing role model and total dedication to a lifetime of public service. Thank you and rest in peace, Her Majesty the Queen.”
      Toto Wolff said: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We send our heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the UK and the Commonwealth.”
      And Formula One President and CEO Stefano Domenicali released a statement which read: “Formula 1 mourns the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
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      “For more than seven decades she dedicated her life to public service with dignity and devotion and inspired so many around the world.
      “Formula 1 sends its deepest condolences to the Royal Family and to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.” More

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      F1 Italian GP LIVE RESULTS: Ferrari’s Leclerc on POLE, Verstappen second, Hamilton to start from fifth

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      FERRARI’S Charles Leclerc sent the Monza crowd into raptures by topping qualifying and will start the Italian Grand Prix from pole.Though Championship leader Max Verstappen was on his tail, and will start from second on the grid.
      Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton fought back from a grid penalty to finish fifth in qualifying, setting up a tasty Grand Prix in Monza.

      Grand Prix: Sunday 11, 2pm
      TV channel: Sky Sports F1
      Live stream: Now TV

      Keep up to date with all the action from Monza below…
      So a reminder of grid penalties
      NINE drivers have been handed grid penalties for tomorrow’s race.
      It would be easy to figure out the grid if all the penalties but they’re not.
      Figuring out the grid for tomorrow is proving quite complex.
      However, the bottom three and top two are set in stone for sure.
      Sainz on his amazing pace and starting from the back
      “Honestly, a very good qualifying session and I was pushing flat out.
      “In Q3 I didn’t have a tow so it cost me those two, three-tenths but I’m starting last so in the end it didn’t matter.
      “I mean I’m not going to lie, it hurts to be starting from the back, especially with how good the car is feeling.
      “I will do my best, the pace is there but I wish I could be there at the front to try and do a 1-2 for the Tifosi.”
      Verstappen on his lap
      “We chose to go for a little bit more downforce around here, over one lap maybe it’s not the best but for tomorrow it should be strong.
      “I think it will be an interesting battle tomorrow.”
      Leclerc on getting pole
      “It’s amazing, it wasn’t an easy qualifying. I knew there was potential in the car but I hadn’t put everything together.
      “But happy with the (last) lap, I hope we can do just like in 2019 tomorrow.
      “I took much more risks, I knew it was the last lap. I just went for it and it worked out.”
      Tomorrow’s grid
      So considering all the penalties here’s how the front of the pack will look.
      Pole sitter Leclerc will be joined by Russell on the front row, with Norris and Ricciardo directly behind them.
      Gasly and Alonso will then take up the next row before Verstappen comes into play at P7 thanks to his five-place grid drop.
      Q3 RESULTS
      P1. LECLERC
      P2. VERSTAPPEN
      P3. SAINZ
      P4. PEREZ
      P5. HAMILTON
      P6. RUSSELL
      P7. NORRIS
      P8. RICCIARDO
      P9. GASLY
      P10. ALONSO
      It’s pole for Leclerc at Monza
      He sets an incredible 1:20.161 as the Tifosi go wild.
      Verstappen goes second but is more than a tenth back.
      LECLERC GOES FASTEST
      Hamilton helping Russell
      Hamilton once again gives Russell a toe as he uses an older set of softs, if he can beat Leclerc he will likely have pole.
      But that will be no easy feat.
      Final runs underway
      Alonso goes out early to avoid any traffic.
      The other drivers soon follow.
      Now or never.
      Russell struggling
      Russell is struggling with his tyres at the minute.
      He tells his team: “Tyres are nowhere, just sliding everywhere.”
      Sainz goes even quicker
      Sainz really is flying at the moment, if not for the penalty he would probably be a good bet to start tomorrow’s race on pole.
      He sets a 1:20.584, with Leclerc directly behind in P2.
      Crunch time
      Here we go then, time to decide who gets pole for tomorrow’s race.
      You would expect Leclerc due to the grid penalties around him, but Perez is more than capable of an upset.
      Russell meanwhile could upset the apple cart if the other two are not at the top of their game.
      Q3 underway
      Alpine disappointed, De Vries impressive
      Ocon and Alpine will doubtless be upset with that performance as the car has looked good enough for Q3 all weekend.
      Meanwhile, De Vries lands a P13 in his debut qualifying session but will move up when other penalties higher up the grid are applied.
      Q2 ELIMINATIONS
      P11. OCON
      P12. BOTTAS
      P13. DE VRIES
      P14. ZHOU
      P15. TSUNODA
      De Vries locks up
      De Vries’ quali is over after locking up going into Della Rogia (turn 3)
      Finals laps here we go
      Both Ferrari’s and Red Bull’s appear to not be going out again.
      Three minutes left
      McLaren are under threat of a double elimination at the moment.
      It’s a far cry from the 1-2 finish they had last year.
      Sainz smashes into the 1:20s
      Sainz benefits from a double toe from the two Mercedes and smashes in two fastest sectors before setting a time of 1:20.878
      He leads from Leclerc, Verstappen, Perez, Hamilton and Russell.
      Upset on the cards?
      Mercedes have looked quite weak around this track so far, and while they will in all likelihood still get into Q3 with both cars, they are vulnerable to McLaren and Alpine.
      The straight-line speed of the W13 doesn’t compete with many on the grid.
      It has among the worst drag of any car on the grid this year.
      Q2 underway
      Q1 bottom five
      It’s another poor session for Aston Martin as both drivers are eliminated from Q1.
      Haas suffer the same fate with their early gamble not paying off.
      William’s Latifi joins them meaning he has been beaten by De Vries who finishes P15 despite having a lap deleted.
      Vettel’s agony
      Vettel must have thought he had put in a good lap that session, as he yells “No way” down his team radio.
      Unfortunately, the Aston Martin just doesn’t look competitive this weekend.
      Q1 ELIMINATIONS
      P16. Latifi
      P17. Vettel
      P18. Stroll
      P19. Magnussen
      P20. Schumacher
      Load more entries… More

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      F1 star Alex Albon OUT of Italian GP as he is rushed to hospital for treatment for appendicitis

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      ALEX ALBON is OUT of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix as he undergoes treatment for appendicitis.The Williams ace will be replaced by reserve driver Nyck De Vries, who makes his F1 debut.
      Alex Albon will miss the Italian Grand PrixCredit: Getty
      Nyck De Vries will make his F1 debut this weekendCredit: Getty
      An official team statement read: “Williams Racing can confirm that, after feeling unwell this morning and seeking medical advice from the FIA and local hospital, Alex Albon is now undergoing treatment for appendicitis.
      “Following on from this, we can confirm that the team’s Reserve Driver Nyck de Vries will drive in place of Alex for the remainder of the Italian Grand Prix weekend.
      “Alex is in good spirits and the team wishes him a speedy recovery.”
      De Vries, 27, is a Mercedes reserve and acts as back-up for the Silver Arrows’ customer teams.
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      He had a run on the Monza track yesterday, driving for Aston Martin in practice.
      The Dutchman has previously driven for Williams during practice at the Spanish Grand Prix.
      He also rode Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes at July’s French Grand Prix.
      Albon, 26, has impressed in the Williams this season.
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      He earned his fourth point of the campaign at the Belgian Grand Prix in late August, securing an impressive tenth-placed finish.
      Albon came 12th last time out in Zandvoort.
      While the Thai-Brit went tenth quickest in FP2 yesterday. More

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      George Russell third fastest in practice at Italian Grand Prix in Monza after F1 stars pause to pay tribute to The Queen

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      GEORGE RUSSELL offered the brightest hope of hearing a rendition of God Save The King come Sunday.The Mercedes man was third-quickest in the morning session and P4 in the afternoon practice for the Italian Grand Prix here at Monza.
      The paddock observed a minute’s silence before Friday’s practiceCredit: PA
      The teams came out of their garages to remember The QueenCredit: PA
      Hamilton wore a black armband to honour The QueenCredit: Getty
      Russell, who was second last weekend at the Dutch GP, was in impressive form while his team-mate, Lewis Hamilton, faces an uphill task to end his wait for his first win of the season.
      Russell said: “FP1 looked strong but then Ferrari and Red Bull looked to have taken a step forward so we have a bit of work to do.”
      Hamilton is likely to start no higher than 18th place owing to a host of grid penalties for an unscheduled engine change.
      But even with the new power unit in the back of the car, he was not as quick as Ferrari or Red Bull.
      READ MORE IN SPORT
      Hamilton said: “We made some set up changes, nothing major but they went a lot quicker. I gave it everything but it just doesn’t feel particularly quick.”
      Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who was quickest in second practice, also has the same punishment for the same rule breach.
      And AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda is facing a hefty knuckle-wrap for failing to slow for yellow flags AND driving without a seatbelt at Zandvoort.
      Prior to the first practice session, drivers held a minute’s silence in the pit lane as a tribute to Her Majesty.
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      The 20 racers stood in front of their garages and observed the poignant moment, before there was a short applause.
      They were joined by F1’s CEO Stefano Domenicali and the FIA’s President Mohammed bin Sulayem.
      The teams then returned to their garages and began tackling the Italian circuit.
      Championship leader, Max Verstappen, is also facing a penalty of five-places but still looking favourite for the win.
      The Dutchman has a 109-point lead in the championship over Charles Leclerc and his teammate, Sergio Perez, who are tied in second place.
      Meanwhile, Porsche have pulled the plug on their plans to join F1 with Red Bull.
      The German car brand was seeking a 50 percent stake in the Milton Keynes based F1 team.
      However, talks have now broken down with Red Bull boss Christian Horner saying the two companies had “quite different DNA”.
      Russell finished third in the first practice at MonzaCredit: Getty
      Red Bull have invested millions on building their own engine department and plan to run their own power units from 2026.
      And Horner says the deal did not stack up with Red Bull unwilling to see the business split 50:50.
      He said: “With Red Bull becoming a powertrain manufacturer in 2026, it was always natural to hold discussions.
      “Those discussions have now been concluded, and the consensus was that it was not right for Red Bull’s involvement in F1.
      “We committed to becoming a powertrain manufacturer a year and a half ago, or just over that.
      “We’ve invested massively in facilities and people and the first Red Bull engine fired up approximately a month ago.
      “So it’s a tremendously exciting new chapter for Red Bull. Porsche is a great brand, but the DNA is quite different.
      “During the discussion process it became clear that there was a strategic non-alignment.
      “Red Bull has demonstrated what it’s capable of in F1 as an independent team and now engine manufacturer.” More

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      F1 star Daniel Ricciardo reveals bizarre ‘Lando Norris tattoo’ on his neck after losing bet with McLaren driver

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      MCLAREN driver Daniel Ricciardo has shown off a bizarre tattoo of team-mate Lando Norris’ head on his own NECK.And Norris returned the favour by having a honey badger, which is Ricciardo’s nickname, inked on him.
      Daniel Ricciardo has shown off a bizarre Lando Norris tattooCredit: AFP
      Norris himself has had a honey badger, which is Ricciardo’s nickname, inked on his neckCredit: PA
      Ricciardo, 33, turned up at a press conference ahead of this weekend’s Italian GP with the strange new temporary tattoo after allegedly losing a bet with his team-mate.
      The Aussie driver is set to leave McLaren at the end of the season, with Oscar Piastri in line to replace him.
      He has struggled behind the wheel for the British team, picking up just 13 points in 15 races this season.
      There have been rumours of a falling out between him and Norris, but Ricciardo was on good form in Monza as he spoke about the tattoo.
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      And his response appeared to squash any suggestions of a rift between the team-mates.
      Ricciardo said on the tattoo: “I want to cover this. This is ridiculous. I have Lando’s face on my neck.
      “He looks sunburnt! We did a little thing this morning with the team. Oh gosh.”
      “He’s got a few on him as well, so. You’ll see later, I’m sure.”
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      Norris’ own tattoo also seemed to rubbish suggestions of a falling out between the pair.
      While on the other side of his neck Norris showed off a tattoo of a burning heart and the words “True Love”.
      Norris also had a burning heart with the words “True Love” splayed across his neckCredit: https://twitter.com/McLarenF1
      The Brit, 22, announced at the start of the month that he had split from girlfriend Luisinha Oliveira.
      Norris initially claimed he was “not surprised” that Ricciardo had been axed by McLaren.
      He said: “It’s not me having a dig or anything but when you look at the results, if you want two people to be at the same level then you’re not surprised.
      “People will probably hate for saying it but it’s difficult because I never know if I might encounter that in the future with this car or with a different team or whatever, so I never want to contradict myself going into the future, but I’ve just got to focus on my driving.”
      Norris then clarified his comments, insisting he gets on “really well” with Ricciardo.
      He claimed: “I want to be friends with as many people as possible, similar to how I am now with Daniel. We get on really well.  
      Read More on The Sun
      “For some reason people think otherwise, but this is completely untrue.
      “We have a lot of fun together, we spend a lot of time together. But just things are different, probably because he’s a bit older and he’s into different things.”
      Norris insisted he gets on “really well” with RicciardoCredit: Getty More

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      Mick Schumacher’s F1 career at risk with Nico Hulkenburg ‘favourite to fill remaining Haas seat for 2023’

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      MICK SCHUMACHER’S Formula One career is under threat with Nico Hulkenberg reportedly “the favourite” to fill the remaining seat at Haas next season.The son of seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher, 23, is coming to the end of his second season with the team.
      Mick Schumacher’s F1 future is reportedly under threatCredit: Getty
      He has finally broken his point-scoring duck this campaign but he has also been involved in some costly crashes totalling around £4million.
      And those mistakes could play a major part in him deciding his future with Haas.
      Team principal Guenther Steiner this week insisted that Schumacher is “still in the running” for a place alongside Kevin Magnussen, with the Dane already secured of his seat for 2023.
      However, he is not the only driver in the running as Haas continue to keep their options open rather than rush a decision “and then regret it”, as Steiner puts it.
      READ MORE F1
      Engine suppliers Ferrari are also likely to have an input – but they are set to let Schumacher go from their academy at the end of this year.
      Now Auto Motor und Sport are claiming that Schumacher could lose his seat to his fellow German.
      They state that Hulkenberg may get a race seat for the first time since leaving Renault in 2019.
      Despite not being a regular on the grid, the man dubbed “Hulk” has remained in the F1 paddocks.
      Most read in Sport
      He was the reserve driver for Aston Martin, racing twice for them in 2020 and scoring points both times.
      And he filled in twice more for Sebastian Vettel at the start of this year.
      Auto Motor und Sport say that the 35-year-old is “considered the favourite for the seat” as he “was always at the same level as his team-mates right away in his five temporary assignments in place of Coronavirus victims”.
      Schumacher will struggle to get a seat elsewhere as Alpine are inundated with options – that is despite their current driver Esteban Ocon publicly recommending him. More

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      Lewis Hamilton set to start F1 Italian Grand Prix from back of grid after Mercedes fit new engine

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      LEWIS HAMILTON is set to start Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix from the back of the grid after accepting an engine penalty.The seven-time World Champion has taken a fourth power unit for the season which will result in a huge grid drop.
      Hamilton will start from the back of the grid on SundayCredit: AFP
      The Mercedes man arrived at Monza this morningCredit: AP
      A Mercedes spokesperson said: “We will be fitting PU number four for this weekend for Lewis.
      “This is because although we are still working on the recovery plan for PU number three that was damaged in Spa, that unit cannot be run this weekend.
      “This will come with associated grid penalties as it’s in excess of the allocation for the season.”
      Hamilton crashed out of the Belgian GP two weeks ago after colliding with Alpine driver Fernando Alonso.
      Read More on F1
      His car sustained severe damage as a result of the 45G impact and Mercedes are still working on a plan to recover the issues.
      He bounced back at last week’s Dutch GP to claim 12 points after narrowly missing out on a podium place.
      But, he was left furious with his Mercedes team for blowing his chances at a top three finish.
      After the race, he said: “I can’t believe you screwed me like that. I can’t tell you how p****d I am.
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      “That was the biggest f*** up.”
      Team principle Toto Wolff has since defended the Brit, arguing: “You get emotional in the race. And when you’re a driver, it just comes out.
      “You can’t even stop it. This is how it has always been between a frustrated driver and the pit wall.” More