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      F1 British Grand Prix LIVE: Lewis Hamilton ends drought with a record-breaking WIN at Silverstone – updates

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has WON the British Grand Prix – making history in the process!The F1 mogul started in second on the grid, behind British compatriot George Russell.But Hamilton was phenomenal at Silverstone and raced to a record-breaking ninth win.TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event/F1Live stream: Sky Sports app/NOWStarting grid: 1. George Russell, 2. Lewis Hamilton, 3. Lando Norris, 4. Max Verstappen, 5. Oscar Piastri, 6. Nico Hulkenberg, 7. Carlos Sainz, 8. Lance Stroll, 9. Alex Albon, 10. Fernando Alonso, 11. Charles Leclerc, 12. Logan Sargeant, 13. Yuki Tsunoda, 14. Zhou Guanyu, 15. Daniel Ricciardo, 16. Valtteri Bottas, 17. Kevin Magnussen, 18. Esteban Ocon, 19. Pierre Gasly, Sergio Perez (Pit Lane)CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSFollow our live blog below…Hamilton sobs over Mercedes radioEmotional scenes at Silverstone, as Lewis Hamilton cannot stop crying over his team radio. “Thank you so much guys, it means a lot, it means a lot to get this one. “Thank you to the fans, I love you guys.”Heart wrenching stuff, it really is.He drives a victory lap around the track holding the Great British flag. Lewis Hamilton sobbed on the team radio after an emotional raceCredit: EPACopy linkCopiedDriver of the dayYou guessed it, it’s Lewis Hamilton with 36% of the votes. What a drive!Copy linkCopiedLEWIS HAMILTON MAKES HISTORY AGAINLEWIS HAMILTON WINS THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX!Sir Brian May waves the checked flag, and it’s a NINTH Silverstone win for the greatest racing driver of all time. Sensational. Copy linkCopiedFINAL LAP! Hamilton leads, Verstappen secondWe are onto the final lap here, and Lewis Hamilton is leading the Formula One Grand Prix at Silverstone!It looks like he is going to win it as Verstappen hunts him down!Copy linkCopiedLap 50/52 – Hamilton leads, Verstappen second!Here. We. Go. It’s Lewis Hamilton in the lead who will need to defend against Max Verstappen to win this British GP, just like old times. There are three laps to go, and just three seconds between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Copy linkCopiedLap 49/52 – Verstappen takes Lando Norris!Lando Norris is doing his best to defend Max Verstappen who is trying to take his second place.But Verstappen does brilliantly well to go past him on the outside.Copy linkCopiedLap 47/52 – Hamilton leads, Norris secondLando Norris just about manages to escape Max Verstappen’s DRS zone. There are less than FOUR seconds between the front three drivers right now. Copy linkCopiedLap 44/52 – Hamilton leads, Norris secondEngland and Netherlands are doing battle at Silverstone here, on the eve of the week that the two nations will do battle at the Euros. Lewis Hamilton leads, as he chases a record-breaking ninth win at Silverstone in the British Grand Prix. Verstappen is hunting down Lando Norris, who is doing valiantly to defend the Dutch driver. This is TENSE.Copy linkCopiedLap 42/52 – Hamilton leads, Norris secondThis is how we look heading into the final 10 laps of the race. Lewis HamiltonLando Norris (+2.3 secs)Max Verstappen (+3.2 secs)This is a three way battle heading into the finale of the British GP.Leave me to it mate”Lewis HamiltonFinding out Norris is behind him on the same tyresCopy linkCopiedLap 40/52 – HAMILTON TAKES THE LEADLando Norris comes out of the pits just TWO seconds behind Lewis Hamilton as the sunshine comes back out at Silverstone. Norris is going to chase him down, but Lewis Hamilton is looking to see this one home for the record breaking NINTH time at the British GP!Copy linkCopiedLap 39/52 – Hamilton, Piastri and Verstappen pitLewis Hamilton, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen all pit on lap 39, with Lando Norris looking to come in on the next lap. Mclaren are making their decision to go to soft tyres, the same as Lewis Hamilton. Copy linkCopiedLap 36/52 – Norris leads, Hamilton secondThe rain is supposed to end in six minutes time. This is how the top six looks at the moment: Lando NorrisLewis HamiltonMax VerstappenCarlos SainzOscar PiastriNico HulkenbergGreat work from Nico to move into 6th!Copy linkCopiedLap 34/52 – Norris leads, Hamilton secondGEORGE RUSSELL RETIRESHe has been affected by a water system issue and has been forced to retire from the race.Copy linkCopiedLap 29/52 – Piastri pits, Norris takes the leadOscar Piastri pits as McLaren didn’t double stack the pit stop there. We now have this top six with everybody involved on intermediate tyres as the rain continues: Lando NorrisLewis HamiltonMax VerstappenGeorge RussellCarlos SainzOscar PiastriCopy linkCopiedLap 28/52 – Norris, Hamilton and Russell pitLando Norris, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have all pitted, but McLaren have left Oscar Piastri out in the rain!This is how we look after the pit stops: Oscar Piastri (Hasn’t pitted) Lando NorrisLewis HamiltonMax VerstappenGeorge RussellCopy linkCopiedLap 26/52 – Norris leads, Piastri secondCarlos Sainz is chasing down Max Verstappen, with 12 and a half seconds separating the top 6. Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz are both pitting now. It’s exciting, but it’s pretty nerve-wracking exciting”Zak Brown McLaren team principleCopy linkCopiedLap 23/52 – Norris leads, Piastri secondTypically for the British GP, the rain has got a huge part to play in this race. More rain is expected in four minutes. It seems to have gone drastically wrong for Charles Leclerc who has moved onto inters as the rain gets heavier. Copy linkCopiedLap 22/52 – Norris leads, Piastri secondAnd breathe…As it stands on lap 22:Lando NorrisOscar PiastriLewis HamiltonGeorge RussellMax VerstappenCopy linkCopiedLap 20/52 – Lando Norris LEADS, Piastri second!This is incredible action!Lando Norris does superbly to slide past Lewis Hamilton and take 1st place thanks to the grip on his car. Piastri then chases down Hamilton, and he takes second place!Copy linkCopiedLap 19/52 – Hamilton LEADS! Norris overtakes Russell!Lewis Hamilton TAKES THE LEAD from George Russell in the rain. Both of them slide off the track, but rejoin the race!Going off the track allowed Norris to do brilliantly to close the gap and he overtakes George Russell to move into second place!This is thrilling action at Silverstone!Copy linkCopiedLap 18/52 – Oscar Piastri passes Max Verstappen!From bad to worse for Max Verstappen, as Oscar Piastri swoops past him. Max is into 5th place!Copy linkCopiedLap 15/52 – Lando Norris overtakes Max Verstappen!A huge overtake from Lando Norris as he uses the slipstream to glide pass Max Verstappen. They had quite the battle in Austria last week. It’s Britain 1, 2 and 3 at the moment!Lando Norris hunted down Max Verstappen before overtaking him on lap 15Credit: GettyCopy linkCopiedLap 15/52 – Leclerc takes on StrollZhou Guanyu is the first to pit, he changes from a soft to a medium tyre. Charles Leclerc makes a nice overtake on Lance Stroll, and he’s now free to chase his team mate Carlos Sainz in 6th. Copy linkCopiedLap 13/52 – Russell leads, Hamilton secondThese are the standings so far on lap 13. Russell and Hamilton are in 1st and 2nd. Max Verstappen is three seconds behind Hamilton in 3rd. Following him is Lando Norris in 4th and Oscar Piastri in 5th. Copy linkCopiedLap 10/52 – Russell leadsThe drivers and teams right now seem to be waiting for the rain before any serious moves are made. It is expected shortly and should last around 10 minutes say the Ferrari team. Verstappen is not showing any signs of hoovering up the two Mercedes in front of him right now. Verstappen is not setting the pace at Silverstone so far as he sits in thirdCredit: EPACopy linkCopied More

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      Lewis Hamilton makes history as he WINS thrilling British GP and breaks near three-year drought

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      LEWIS HAMILTON stormed to his first Grand Prix victory since 2021 in a thrilling British Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.George Russell started the race from pole ahead of fellow Brits Hamilton and Norris.Lewis Hamilton claimed his first Grand Prix win since December 2021Credit: AlamyHamilton beat Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to the victoryCredit: PAGeorge Russell led after the first corner of the raceCredit: PABut the Mercedes man was later forced to retire his car in his home Grand PrixCredit: GettyBut Russell was forced to retire his car having already been overtaken by Norris and Mercedes team-mate Hamilton.World championship leader Verstappen struggled to keep pace with those ahead of him, before Hamilton overtook Norris when the McLaren driver pitted.And the seven-time world champion safely maintained a sizeable enough gap for the last 12 laps to seal his first win since December 2021.The victory sees Hamilton, 39, make history as it is his ninth British Grand Prix win, more than any other driver at a single circuit.READ MORE ON F1He is also the first driver to win a race after surpassing 300 Grands Prix starts.THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS More

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      British GP scandals from Schumacher’s infamous Silverstone win to VERY awkward Cara Delevingne chat and X-rated blunder

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      IT’S one of the most legendary races in Formula 1, but the British Grand Prix has had to steer a path through shocks and scandals over the years.From spying on the competition to insane collisions, countless infamous sporting moments have left fans reeling.The British Grand Prix has given fans some of the most memorable moments in Formula 1Credit: Tim Williams/British Photography AwardsMichael Schumacher has been involved in controversies at SilverstoneCredit: AP:Associated PressThe legend celebrated coming second in 1994 – little did he know he’d be disqualified and banned shortly afterwardsCredit: Times Newspapers LtdAnd there’s been some spicy moments off the track too – remember Cara Delevingne’s infamous grid chat with Martin Brundle last year? As Formula 1 returns to Silverstone on Sunday, there could be more fireworks in store, with the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, and Max Verstappen all vying for the top prize.Here, we look at the British Grand Prix’s most memorable controversies – from the scandalous to the pure ridiculous.No stopping himMichael Schumacher is considered by many to be the greatest driver in F1 history, but his glittering career didn’t come without a few controversies.READ MORE FEATURES In 1994, the star – who tragically suffered a severe brain injury in 2013 – was hit with a five-second penalty after illegally passing frontrunner Damon Hill on the formation lap.Remarkably, he ignored the punishment and, after 21 laps, was served a black flag, which should have resulted in his disqualification – only to seemingly ignore that too.He finally served the time penalty on lap 27, eventually finishing second as confusion reigned.Princess Diana presented Hill with his award on the podium as Schumacher looked on.Most read in MotorsportHowever, shortly after, Michael was disqualified and banned for two races after being dragged to the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council.His protests that he had not seen the black flag did not go down well with officials.Greatest F1 track on Earth’ created featuring iconic parts from Silverstone, Spa and SuzukaVictory from the pitsSchumacher won in 1998 while not even on the trackCredit: AP:Associated PressIn 1998, Schumacher again came under intense scrutiny when he won the British Grand Prix… from the pit lane.It all started when he was judged to have illegally overtaken Alexander Wurz while the safety car had been deployed as he chased down race leader Mika Hakkinen.The German was given a 10-second penalty for the move, but Ferrari claimed to be confused by whether it would be added to their driver’s time or if he would need to come into the pits for a stop-and-go.Ultimately, Schumacher was called in by his team on the final lap, meaning that by the time he reached the team’s garage, he had already crossed the finish line, sparking fury among their rivals.It soon emerged that the bungling stewards had only announced the punishment with just two laps of the race left.Despite many expressing disappointment at how Schumacher won, the rules at the time were vague, meaning his victory stood.180mph smashLewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have had one of the most heated rivalries in Formula OneCredit: GettyThe pair collided at top speed, with Max having to go to the hospital to get checked outLewis Hamilton’s wild celebration did not go down well with everyoneCredit: PAWhen it comes to heated rivalries on the grid, very few come close to the intensity of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.In 2021, their feud came to a head when they collided in a 180mph clash at Copse Corner. It was the first time that year that a battle between the two would end in a collision.Max crashed heavily into the barriers and was taken to hospital for precautionary checks. Lewis was penalised with a 10-second penalty but still went on to win the race by passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.He was later accused of “dirty driving by Red Bull’s Christian Horner as the debate about racing etiquette raged.Max also slammed Lewis’ behaviour on X, writing: “Watching the celebrations while still in hospital is disrespectful and unsportsmanlike behaviour, but we move on.”Spygate Nigel Stepney stole hundreds of pages of Ferrari data and passed them on to McLarenCredit: GettyTheir plan came to light when Mike Coughlan’s wife made photocopies of the documentsCredit: Sutton Motor Sport ImagesIn 2007, McLaren was hit with a huge $100million fine in one of the biggest controversies to come out of Formula 1.Dubbed Spygate, it centred around Nigel Stepney, who worked for Ferrari and his old friend, Mike Coughlan, who was the chief designer of McLaren.When Stepney felt like he had been unfairly shut out of a promotion, he stole almost 800 pages of confidential Ferrari data and passed them on to Coughlan. But their plan came crashing down when Coughlan’s wife tried to make copies of the documents at a shop in Woking.The photocopier, a Ferrari fan, became suspicious and alerted the team, who launched a bombshell legal case days ahead of the British Grand Prix in July.While McLaren was initially cleared of wrongdoing, a second investigation led to the record punishment. The scandal remains a huge stain on McLaren’s legacy.Protest on live trackJust Stop Oil protestors recklessly sat on the tracks while a race was underwayCredit: RexThe protestors were arrested and charged for their actionsCredit: RexIn 2022, a huge security lapse at Silverstone saw six environmental protestors storm the tracks and recklessly sit down while the race was ongoing.Luckily, the cars had slowed by the time they got to the protestors, due to a multi-car incident at Turn 1.After they were removed, all six Just Stop Oil protestors were arrested and charged with causing a public nuisance.At their trial, prosecutors said they risked “serious harm” to the drivers and the marshals who had to get them off the tracks. Although they were found guilty of the offence, they were spared jail and handed suspended sentences instead. Cringe snubCara Delevingne declined an interview with Martin Brundle on the gridCredit: Sky Sports F1The model was slammed on social media for snubbing F1 legend MartinCredit: Sky Sports F1Former racing driver turned commentator Martin Brundle is one of the most respected figures in Formula One. The Sky Sports presenter is known for interviewing team principals, drivers, and VIPs before the beginning of each race. But it seemed last year, model Cara Delevingne didn’t get the memo when she appeared to snub him as he approached her for an interview during the grid walk.Initially, a member of her team said she did not want to talk. Martin then responded with: “She doesn’t want to talk? But everybody needs to talk on the grid, that’s the deal now.”🏁 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year 🏁 He then took matters into his own hands and asked her for a “quick chat”, to which she said: “No” and added that she couldn’t “hear anything”.As Martin walked away from Cara, he quipped: “Oh well, I’m sure it would have been extremely interesting.”Fans immediately took to social media to slam her over the incident, which went viral.One vented: “Terrible form. This is Martin Brundle’s gridwalk. Has been for eternity.”As the storm grew, Cara was forced to defend herself, telling one fan: “I was told to say no so I did. Thank you for seeing both sides xxx”X-rated displayA screen malfunction resulted in a very awkward sceneCredit: YouTubeIn 2015, fans in attendance were left in fits of laughter after the big screen malfunctioned and appeared to depict a lewd act. The screen showed two men in a jerking motion, with one man’s hand in front of the other. READ MORE SUN STORIESAs the up-and-down hand motions continued, fans could be heard laughing, with one shouting, “What’s he doing?”After a few more seconds, the two men disappeared from the screen as it went completely blank. More

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      Brad Pitt wears bucket hat & shades as he attends British Grand Prix qualifying while filming F1 movie

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      HOLLYWOOD star Brad Pitt stops off to enjoy the spectacle of  the British Grand Prix qualifying.The US actor, 60, wore shades and a bucket hat in the rain at Silverstone yesterday, where he has been filming an F1 movie.Brad Pitt wore shades and a bucket hat in the rain at SilverstoneCredit: PAMercedes driver George Russell arrives in an England shirt with girlfriend Carmen Montero MundtCredit: EPABritish driver George Russell, 26, who arrived in an England footie shirt with his Spanish girlfriend Carmen Montero Mundt, took pole in his Mercedes for today’s race.Formula 1 fans should keep an eye out for two very special appearances in Brad Pitt’s new racing film Apex.Legendary telly commentators Martin Brundle and David Croft will make cameos.Apex follows Brad as F1 veteran Sonny Hayes, who returns to race for one final time while mentoring rookie driver, Pearce, played by Damson Idris.READ MORE ON BRAD PITTLewis Hamilton has been brought in as a consultant.A source said: “Brad has gone all out to make Apex the most realistic F1 film ever made and he wanted some of the UK’s most iconic racing voices to help bring it to life. “Martin and Crofty both signed up for cameos and have filmed their scenes. “Crofty’s trademark catch- phrase, ‘It’s lights out and away we go’, will feature too. They jumped at the chance to get involved.”Most read in MotorsportREUSE FEE Brad Pitt looks lonely on solo beach walk in Santa Barbara after claims ex Angelina ‘ruined’ his relationship with kids More

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      Michael Schumacher security guard ‘tried to sell photos of sick F1 star after horror ski crash & blackmail family’

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      MICHAEL Schumacher’s security guard allegedly tried to sell photos of the legend after his shocking ski accident in a £12million blackmail plot. The public prosecutor’s office arrested Markus F, 52, from Wülfrath on Thursday as the main perpetrator behind the suspected attempt to extort the Schumacher family.The alleged blackmail targeted Schumacher’s family, say German copsCredit: AlamyMichael’s loving wife Corrina has protected his privacy since a horror ski crash over a decade agoCredit: AFPMichael has not been seen publicly since his 2013 ski accident.Credit: AFPIn the shocking twist, Markus F was a ‘trusted’ security expert working for the F1 icon’s family a few years ago.Now he is being accused of orchestrating the blackmail that threatened to release images of seven-time champ Schumacher in the years following his skiing accident in December 2013.The family has kept the champion racing driver’s health a guarded secret for years – which the photos would have exposed. Markus F wanted to reportedly free himself of his debts by committing the heinous crime. read more in schumacherIts claimed he had previously tried to sell the pics to the media for two years.The mastermind is said to have commissioned bouncer Yilmaz T, 53, from Wuppertal to carry out the blackmail.Markus F’s role is alleged to have been turning private pictures of the family into digital files before transferring to Yilmaz T and his son.  When 53-year-old Yilmaz T was arrested with his son Daniel L, 30, the two reportedly told police they had been acting on behalf of Markus F.Most read in MotorsportThe man was detained on Thursday in Wülfrath as a large number of evidence was also seized from his property.Family employees close to wife Corinna Schumacher were said to have been approached by the trio who claimed to have found a file of secrets on the F1 driver.Schuey’s family awarded £170k damages over AI-generated ‘chat with F1 star’Michael, who hasn’t been seen or heard from for over a decade after a horror ski crash, has been looked after by his close-knit family since the accident.According to the Wuppertal office, the men said the family wouldn’t want the files to become public due to what they contained.Doorman Yilmaz T. is said to be one of the three men behind the planTo keep the information private the trio reportedly demanded they were sent millions to keep the information off the dark web.The suspects were even alleged to have sent some of the files to the family as proof, said prosecutors in June.Cops were able to track down the extortionists through “technical measures”, it was announced last month.The Schumacher family have been tormented over Michael’s health in the past.In 2016, a 25-year-old man known as Hüseyin B sent a threatening email to Corinna targeting the couple’s children.The mum-of-two quickly passed on the email to the police who swiftly tracked down the painter.After being arrested, the thug was sent to court where a judge sentenced him for a year and nine months behind bars.The perpetrator was reportedly caught after he told Corinna to send him the money to his personal bank account – something the police easily traced back.READ MORE SUN STORIESAt the hearing, judge Eberhard Hausch said: “To put it gently, putting your own account number there is not very smart.” In May, the Schumacher family were awarded £170,000 in compensation after a magazine published a fake AI-generated interview with the racing legend.What happened to Michael Schumacher?MICHAEL Schumacher’s life was hanging by a thread 10-years-ago as medics tried desperately to keep him alive after a tragic skiing crash that left him with horrific brain injuries.The F1 legend was given the best possible treatment as he was put into a medically induced coma, had his body temperature lowered and underwent hours of tricky operations on his brain.Back in 2013, the retired seven-time world champion, and his then 14-year-old son set off on the Combe de Saulire ski run in the exclusive French resort of Meribel.Footage from his helmet camera revealed he was not travelling at excessive speed when his skis struck a rock hidden beneath the snow.He catapulted forward 11.5ft and crashed into a boulder head first that split his helmet into two and left him needing to be airlifted to hospital for two life-saving operations.At one point his family were told to brace themselves for the worst case scenario as the situation was much worse than originally believed.At the time, medics said Schumacher was likely to stay in an induced coma for at least 48 hours as his body and mind recovered.But the coma ended up lasting 250 days – more than eight months.After he woke up in June 2014, he was discharged from hospital and sent to his home in Lake Geneva to get further treatment.Since then his wife Corinna and his inner circle of friends have expertly avoided almost anything leaking out about his health status.Only small amounts of information have been released including reports that Schumacher was in a wheelchair but can react to things around him.In 2019, it was said that Schumacher was set to undergo breakthrough stem cell therapy in a bid to regenerate and rebuild his nervous system.Renowned France cardiologist Dr Philippe Menasche, who had operated on him previously, was set to carry out the treatment that would see cells from his heart go to his brain.Following the treatment at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, he was said to be “conscious”, although few other details were given about his state.Michael hasn’t been seen publicly since the crashCredit: Getty More

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      F1 finally confirm blockbuster film with Brad Pitt but fans say ‘they couldn’t come up with a better title’

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      FORMULA ONE has finally confirmed their blockbuster film starring Brad Pitt will premiere in cinemas next summer.But fans reacted with confusion over the film’s name rather than the excitement of the Hollywood legend playing the leading role.Formula One has finally confirmed their blockbuster film starring Brad Pitt will premiere in cinemas next summerCredit: GettyThe movie poster confirmed the title of the film as ‘F1’Credit: Warner BrosFans have now joked ‘they couldn’t come up with a better title’ after seeing the posterCredit: RexFormula One released the official movie poster with 60-year-old Pitt on, revealing the name as simply “F1”.The highest class of international racing also confirmed a release date of June 25 2025 for the film.But fans are questioning how the production team could not have come up with a more “original name” for the film.One said: “They couldn’t come up with a better title😭.”READ MORE ON F1While another added: “Original name…”A third then put: “Its gonna be hard to google the movie..”And a fourth sarcastically said: “What a creative title.”Filming has been taking place at Silverstone prior to the British Grand Prix.Most read in MotorsportBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAlongside the reveal of the official movie poster, there is also expected to be a “sneak peek” which will be aired on Sunday, July 7.Pitt revealed in an interview with Sky Sports he is playing aged, retired racer Sonny Hayes – a former F1 driver who moved away after suffering a huge crash during the 1990s. Greatest F1 track on Earth’ created featuring iconic parts from Silverstone, Spa and SuzukaYears later, a struggling F1 team owner, played by Javier Bardem, recruits Hayes to join APXGP as its second driver and mentor young phenomenon Joshua Pierce, played by Damson Idris.Silverstone is set to play a key part in the story but filming also took place in Hungary, Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi.APXGP cars have performed on the track and recreated a clash reminiscent of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen during the 2021 race.The film will feature APXGP’s cars competing against the ten real teams on the grid.One part of the film is set to show Pitt racing a Porsche 911 at Daytona, during the spell between his F1 drives.Hamilton, who is one of the producers, joked during a GP press conference that “Brad looks like he’s ageing backwards”.The soon-to-be Ferrari driver added: “He looks great for his age. It was a big topic when we were discussing the first story but he’s super fit, he’s been training.READ MORE SUN STORIES“At the end of the day, it’s a movie so there will be a Hollywood element to it that will make it believable. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Brad Pitt in a Formula 1 movie. It’s incredible.” More

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      Inside abandoned race track named after writer and left to rot with weeds growing in grandstand and start lines in tact

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      A FORMER race track named after William Shakespeare is looking worse for wear after being left abandoned.The Shakespeare County Raceway was built on the old runway of RAF Long Marston in Stratford-upon-Avon.The abandoned Shakespeare County Raceway in Stratford-upon-AvonCredit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexIt was originally opened in 1940 as RAF Long Marston airbaseCredit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexHowever, after the war it hosted its first drag race in 1973Credit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexThe races became a permanent fixture in 1980Credit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexIt is considered to be Britain’s second dragstripCredit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexWeekend music events were also a common attractionCredit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexIt later played host to the Hells Angels Bulldog BashCredit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexBy 2007 it attracted some 50,000 peopleCredit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexThe airfield had been built in 1940 before ceasing its operations in 1954.Then in 1973, Long Marston held its first ever drag race before the event became a permanent fixture at the venue from 1980.It is considered to be Britain’s second dragstrip, after the Santa Pod Raceway which also claims the title of Europe’s first dragstrip.However, it was not only racing that took place at the race track, with weekend music events a common theme.READ MORE IN MOTORSPORTIndeed, 1987 saw the first ever edition of the Hells Angels Bulldog Bash, which grew to an incredible size of a reported 50,000 people in 2007.In 1990 the track was renamed as Avon Park Raceway, before being renamed again in 2008 as the Shakespeare County Raceway in honour of English writer William Shakespeare.Racing and events continued there all the way until 2017.However, that year saw the site sold off to property developers before the decision was confirmed in 2018.Most read in MotorsportBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSRacing and music events carried on there until 2017Credit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexIt was renamed the Avon Park Raceway in 1990 before later getting its Shakespeare name in 2008Credit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexLocal newspaper the Stratford Herald reported a local council document had detailed plans for £100m of funding from development company Cala.These plans allegedly featured the building of an initial 400 homes with a further 3,100 to follow later on.Inside the world’s abandoned stadiums, which have been abandoned and left to rot after years of disuse and in desperate need of repairHowever, as it stands, the track has been left derelict and remains frozen in time.Nature has overtaken the buildings on the site, with weeds and vegetation encroaching on the desolate old strip.Not much of it remains intact, with the exception of the start-finish line which pays homage to the history of the site.The Shakespeare racecourse is not the only venue of its kind in the UK, with the Brooklands Motor Course in Surrey that hosted the first ever British Grand Prix being left abandoned since World War Two.Overseas, there is the French Reims-Gueux circuit and Circuit de Charade, the £540million Hanoi motor race circuit in Vietnam and the Flemington Speedway in New Jersey, USA.However, it was abandoned in 2018Credit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexIt was set to make way for property developers building as many as 3,500 houses on itCredit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexThe plans would have seen £100m spent on the siteCredit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexOnly the start-finish line has been left largely intactCredit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexBut the site has been left frozen in timeCredit: Jam Press/Chloe UrbexOvergrown vegetation has left it looking unrecognisableCredit: Jam Press/Chloe Urbex More

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      Schumacher blackmail plot ‘mastermind’ revealed as ‘family bodyguard who threatened to release pics of stricken star’

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      THE mastermind accused of a blackmail plot against F1 ace Michael Schumacher has been revealed as a family bodyguard, say German cops. Two other men have also been arrested after they are alleged to have threatened to release secret pictures of the injured star if they weren’t given over £12million from his stricken family. A third man has been arrested over a Michael Schumacher blackmail plotCredit: AlamyThe alleged blackmail plot was targeting Schumacher’s family, say German copsCredit: NetflixDoorman Yilmaz T. is said to be one of the three men behind the planThe first two men arrested were a father and son duo accused of trying to plot against the Schumacher family.Yilmaz T., 53, and his son, 30, from Wuppertal, western Germany, face up five years in prison if found guilty of the allegations.A third man involved in the case has now also been arrested.The 52-year-old has been described as the “mastermind” behind the plot, say German cops. read more in SchumacherHe worked as a security guard for the Schumacher family, claim the public prosecutor’s office in Wuppertal.His role is alleged to have been turning private pictures of the family into digital files so they could be transferred to Yilmaz T and his son.  The man was detained on Thursday in Wülfrath as a large number of evidence was also seized from his property. Family employees close to wife Corinna Schumacher were said to have been approached by the trio who claimed to have found a file of secrets on the F1 driver.Most read in MotorsportMichael, who hasn’t been seen or heard from for over a decade after a horror ski crash, has been looked after by his close-knit family since the accident.According to the Wuppertal office, the men said the family wouldn’t want the files to become public due to what they contained.To keep the information private the trio reportedly demanded they were sent millions to keep the information off the dark web.Inside Michael Schumacher’s decade-long recovery from ‘desperately cruel’ ski crash as brother shares devastating updateThe suspects were even alleged to have sent some of the files to the family as proof, said prosecutors in June.Cops were able to track down the extortionists through “technical measures”, it was announced last month.The Schumacher family have been tormented over Michael’s health in the past.In 2016, a 25-year-old man known as Hüseyin B sent a threatening email to Corinna targeting the couple’s children.The mum-of-two quickly passed on the email to the police who swiftly tracked down the painter.After being arrested, the thug was sent to court where a judge sentenced him for a year and nine months behind bars.The perpetrator was reportedly caught after he told Corinna to send him the money to his personal bank account – something the police easily traced back.At the hearing, judge Eberhard Hausch said: “To put it gently, putting your own account number there is not very smart.” In May, the Schumacher family were awarded £170,000 in compensation after a magazine published a fake AI-generated interview with the racing legend.What happened to Michael Schumacher?MICHAEL Schumacher’s life was hanging by a thread 10-years-ago as medics tried desperately to keep him alive after a tragic skiing crash that left him with horrific brain injuries.The F1 legend was given the best possible treatment as he was put into a medically induced coma, had his body temperature lowered and underwent hours of tricky operations on his brain.Back in 2013, the retired seven-time world champion, and his then 14-year-old son set off on the Combe de Saulire ski run in the exclusive French resort of Meribel.Footage from his helmet camera revealed he was not travelling at excessive speed when his skis struck a rock hidden beneath the snow.He catapulted forward 11.5ft and crashed into a boulder head first that split his helmet into two and left him needing to be airlifted to hospital for two life-saving operations.At one point his family were told to brace themselves for the worst case scenario as the situation was much worse than originally believed.At the time, medics said Schumacher was likely to stay in an induced coma for at least 48 hours as his body and mind recovered.But the coma ended up lasting 250 days – more than eight months.After he woke up in June 2014, he was discharged from hospital and sent to his home in Lake Geneva to get further treatment.Since then his wife Corinna and his inner circle of friends have expertly avoided almost anything leaking out about his health status.Only small amounts of information have been released including reports that Schumacher was in a wheelchair but can react to things around him.In 2019, it was said that Schumacher was set to undergo breakthrough stem cell therapy in a bid to regenerate and rebuild his nervous system.Renowned France cardiologist Dr Philippe Menasche, who had operated on him previously, was set to carry out the treatment that would see cells from his heart go to his brain.Following the treatment at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, he was said to be “conscious”, although few other details were given about his state.German publication Die Aktuelle claimed to have secured a “world exclusive” with the severely injured Ferrari great last April despite Michael not being seen publicly since his 2013 skiing accident.In a two-page spread, promoted with a picture of Schumacher, it claimed the seven-time F1 champ had said “My life has totally changed”.The sickening bot even spoke about the racing hero’s physical condition, family and future recovery prospects.Another legal battle in 2016 was waged after German magazine Bunte reported the racing legend “could walk”.The court case led to a few small pieces of information being revealed, with Schumacher’s lawyers confirming he still couldn’t walk.Corinna also reportedly led the effort to hide a ghoulish photo of the F1 legend that was reportedly snapped and then smuggled out by a “friend” and offered around to news outlets for a whopping £1million.READ MORE SUN STORIESGerman prosecutors called the disgusting act a “violation of his personal range of life” and breach of privacy.Corinna reportedly demanded the cops take action, but the media outlet refused to reveal its source – and also claimed it never saw any of the images of Schumacher.Michael’s loving wife Corrina has protected his privacy since a horror ski crash over a decade agoCredit: Getty Images – GettyMichael hasn’t been seen publicly since the crashCredit: Getty – Contributor More