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      Bouncer behind £12m Michael Schumacher blackmail plot jailed after threatening to release secret files of F1 star

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      A NIGHTCLUB bouncer who was the architect behind a plot to blackmail Michael Schumacher for £12million has been sentenced to three years in prison.Yilmaz Tozturkan, 53, and two other men were arrested after hard drives containing private pictures, medical records, and videos of the Formula One legend were stolen.A man has been convicted of attempting to blackmail Michael SchumacherCredit: Getty – ContributorYilmaz Tozturkan standing in the courtroom before the verdict was announcedCredit: Avalon.redDaniel Lins was handed a six month suspended sentenceCredit: Avalon.redEx-bodyguard Markus Fritsche was handed a two-year suspended prison sentenceCredit: FacebookTozturkan and his 30-year-old son Daniel Lins were accused of demanding £12 million from the Schumacher family.The pair from Wuppertal in western Germany threatened to release 1,500 confidential files about the motorsport legend, on the dark web, if they did not get the money.These files allegedly included information on the F1 champion after his skiing accident in 2013 – when the driver was last seen in public.A third man, the Schumacher family ex-bodyguard, Markus Fritsche was also on trial for the shocking extortion plot.READ MORE ON SCHUMACHERTozturkan, who is currently behind bars for an unrelated crime, confessed and was handed a three-year sentence.His son also confessed and was handed a six-month suspended sentence.Ex-bodyguard Fritsche denied any involvement in the plot but was handed a two-year suspended prison sentence.Fritsche was accused of supplying the blackmailers with the images.Most read in MotorsportProsecutors said the former security guard for the family sold the images of Schumacher for what was described as a five-figure sum.The father was given an email, by Schumacher’s office, to send the files as proof he had them.Michael Schumacher security guard ‘tried to blackmail stricken F1 star for £12million so he could pay off his debts’Tozturkan brought his son into the mix when he reportedly set an anonymous email, per BILD.The father and son were arrested on June 9 when police stopped them in a parking lot.The pair made admissions of guilt at the start of their trial.Tozturkan said: “I am very sorry and ashamed.”I will take responsibility for what I have done.”The Schumacher family also expressed their worry that some confidential material might still be missing, despite several searches of the defendant’s properties.Schumacher’s lawyer, Thilo Damm, revealed he might consider an appeal on some of the sentences, per BILD.He said: “We do not agree with all of the court’s statements, in particular that Mr. F. is only accused of aiding and abetting and not of complicity.Markus Fritsche pictured in courtCredit: Avalon.redMichael Schumacher with his wife Corrina on 9 May 2004, Barcelona, SpainCredit: Getty Images – GettySchumacher and Ferrari CEO Jean Todt in 2007 at Monte CarloCredit: AFPWhat 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.”You can rest assured that we will exhaust all legal remedies at our disposal.”ANOTHER ONEThis isn’t the first time Schumacher’s inner circle, headed up by wife Corinna, has been targeted by fiends 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 to a year and nine months behind bars.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe 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.” Michael Schumacher won seven Formula One world championshipsCredit: GettyMichael with his son Mick and daughter Gina-MariaCredit: NetflixSchumacher driving the #1 Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro he won five world champions withCredit: Getty More

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      ‘Beginning of the end’ – Ex-F1 star convinced Max Verstappen’s Red Bull destined to fail with ongoing Horner feud

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      GERHARD BERGER believes Red Bull are destined to fail if Christian Horner and Helmut Marko continue feuding. The duo have locked horns on numerous occasions throughout the past two seasons, with Horner even reportedly wanting Marko out in 2023. Christian Horner has been under pressure over the last yearRed Bull advisor Helmut Marko has locked horns with Horner over team choicesThe feud could affect Max Verstappen’s bid for a fifth straight titleThis continued into last year with the pair clashing over Red Bull’s driver line up for the upcoming season. Marko, who is a senior adviser at Red Bull and head of the driver development programme, is said to have preferred Liam Lawson while Horner was keen on Franco Colapinto after he replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams. Berger, who was the first F1 driver to be sponsored by Red Bull and later co-owned Toro Rosso, said: “It is often the beginning of the end when such topics dominate.”Formula 1 is so complex and so competitive that you can only be successful if everyone in the team puts their shoulders to the wheel, if everyone agrees and communicates well with each other.”READ MORE F1 NEWS”The Red Bull brand always exudes happiness and a cool image. Suddenly everything changed. “Completely atypical for the team, there were no more clear statements.”Marko also stuck the knife in when saying that Max’s dad Jos was a “bigger fan” of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff than Horner last term.The father of Red Bull’s star driver Max Verstappen publicly called for Horner to leave the team last season after he had been accused of inappropriate behaviour by a female colleague.Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSHorner was cleared by a Red Bull investigation, but Wolff publicly tried to sign the reigning world champion amid the unrest. Berger has also slammed Red Bull’s handling of Sergio Perez’s exit after the Mexican driver’s chaotic season. Hollywood star Idris Elba invests in brand new Formula E team as he reveals ‘deep and personal’ reason for decision Gerhard Berger has a history with Red Bull RacingPerez suffered a disastrous fourth and final season with Red Bull last year as he finished on 152 points to his team-mate Verstappen’s 437, which put a massive dent in Red Bull Constructors’ Championship hopes. When asked about the situation with Perez, Berger added: “You could see that things were no longer working well. “Nobody in this business understood that he was given another contract then. “There could have been reasons like marketing or the contract situation.”But when things did not improve after that, they gave him three more races and then two more, and refused to take a decision. “I couldn’t see a clear line there. In Mateschitz’s time, Red Bull was always known for its clarity.”F1 2025 gridHere are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam LawsonFerrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis HamiltonMercedes: George Russell and Kimi AntonelliMcLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar PiastriAston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance StrollWilliams: Alex Albon and Carlos SainzSauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel BortoletoAlpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack DoohanRB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack HadjarHaas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon More

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      Fans convinced Max Verstappen will play VILLAIN in new F1 movie as trailer shows battle with Brad Pitt

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has been spotted in a wheel-to-wheel battle with his new rival… Brad Pitt!The duo appear to be locked in a ferocious on-track battle in the latest new movie called ‘F1’ which stars Fight Club actor Pitt as a driver called Sonny Hayes. Max Verstappen hunting down Brad Pitt in new F1 movie.F1 fans are speculating on social media that Verstappen could be painted as the villain of the movieThe Red Bull car was seen battling ferociously with Pitt’s character Sonny HayesThe movie is set to be released in the summer of 2025 and also features actors Damson Idris, Kerry Condon and Javier Bardem, while Lewis Hamilton has helped produce the film.Warner Bros. released a second teaser of the upcoming F1 film on Sunday night, and among others, it seemed to show the defending world champion Verstappen taking on Pitt in his Red Bull. Filming took place during the 2024 season, with Pitt and the film crew spotted at different tracks across the calendar. The new clip has sent F1 fans into meltdown on social media with many unhappy that Verstappen may be painted out as the villain once again. READ MORE F1 NEWSOne fan said: “THEY ARE ABOUT TO MAKE MAX THE VILLAIN OF THIS MOVIE I HAD ENOUGH.”Another tweeted: “Of course Max is the f***ing villain again.”A third fan added: “Not Max now villainised in the fictional F1 universe too.”Someone else wrote: “Oh so max IS gonna be the villain of the movie huh.”Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSA fifth commented: “100 bucks says Max is the main villain of this movie.” Pitt left fans in stitches when he was spotted filming a fake interview in the background of a distraught Lando Norris who was unhappy with his third-place finish at Silverstone. Lewis Hamilton models new Ferrari gear but fans notice ‘hideous’ issue The Hollywood star was also seen ‘fainting’ at the Las Vegas Grand Prix after filming a heavy crash for the movie. Then in the season finale in Adu Dhabi, Pitt was even pictured on the podium in first-place alongside Charles Leclerc and George Russell.The name of the film ‘F1’ was released last July and left many scratching their heads that the creative geniuses in the production team could not have come up with a more original name. More

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      Lewis Hamilton won’t last two years at Ferrari, predicts Bernie Ecclestone who says 7-time champ has ‘lost motivation’

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      BERNIE ECCLESTONE doesn’t believe Lewis Hamilton will be a success at Ferrari. The seven-time F1 champion is making the switch from Mercedes to the Italian giants for the 2025 season.Bernie Ecclestone has talked down Lewis Hamilton’s chances of an eighth F1 championshipCredit: SplashThe 40-year-old has joined Ferrari ahead of the 2025 seasonCredit: GettyHamilton, 40, won his last title in 2020 but is eager to top the standings again. He recently piloted his new Ferrari for the first time ahead of the season opener in Melbourne on March 16. But ex-Formula 1 CEO Ecclestone, 94, doesn’t believe the move will prove a success.Ecclestone told The Telegraph: “He won’t last [two years].READ MORE ON F1″Piero Ferrari, who has taken him there, still thinks they’ve done the right thing. “I hope they have. I hope they haven’t just jumped in and end up wishing they hadn’t.”Ecclestone believes Hamilton’s age will prove a hindrance for the legendary driver.And he isn’t convinced the Stevenage-born star has the same drive he had during his youth. Most read in MotorsportBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSEcclestone continued: “I have thought with Lewis, ‘He’s getting tired. He has lost motivation.’”If he had never won a world championship, it might be different, because then there would be an incentive to win one. But he has won seven.”Fans miss Lewis Hamilton’s first lap in a Ferrari as thick fog engulfs iconic F1 circuit Even Hamilton’s fashion sense wasn’t safe from Ecclestone’s ire in the bombshell interview. He continued: “Lewis gets himself up front in a way where you can dislike him. “How a guy who has won a few world titles and has a few dollars in the bank can dress the way he dresses. I’m not a fan of that.”He has a lot of talent as a driver. As much as people credit him with? No, but still enough to win races. “I don’t know why he does all this other nonsense. He needs to get out of the music business and whatever else.”READ MORE SUN STORIESHamilton will join his fellow F1 drivers in London next month to kickstart the season at a new launch event. For the first time in the sport’s history, all ten teams will come together at the O2 Arena to unveil their new liveries. More

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      Netflix trying to secure broadcasting rights for F1 in historic first for streaming giants

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      NETFLIX is working to secure broadcasting rights to Formula One, according to reports.It would be the first time Netflix branched out into season-long mainstream sports rights. Netflix is working to secure broadcasting rights to Formula OneNetflix is “considering a bid” to cash in on the success of its Drive to Survive series.Sources said that the streaming giant is “expected to bid” for the rights in the United States starting from the 2026 season, according to The Times.ESPN currently holds the US rights under a £72m deal, but it is understood that the broadcaster’s exclusivity period to negotiate a new contract with F1 has just expired.That has opened the market for bids from any other interested party but ESPN can always bid again.READ MORE ON F1There has been huge growth in F1 fan numbers in the US – which hosts three of the 24 races a year – and the rights would be relatively cheap.Sky Sports has the UK live rights until 2029, and has a deal with Channel 4 for it to show the British Grand Prix live and highlights.Netflix’s interest in F1 would not appear to threaten the Sky/F1 partnership at the moment as it would be US-focused.Netflix – who have over 280MILLION paying subscribers – has so far restricted its live sports content to one-off or short-term events.Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSThe platform dipped their toes into live sport for the first time last year for Mike Tyson’s boxing comeback against YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul.Paul’s unanimous win turned out to be the most-streamed sporting event ever as it peaked at 65 million streams.F1 fans convinced Ferrari are changing iconic red livery for Lewis Hamilton’s debut season after week-long teaseNetflix has also hired Kate Jackson, ESPN’s vice-president of production, who oversees the network’s F1 coverage, reports the Sports Business Journal.The movie makers announced a stunning $5BILLION (£3.8bn) deal with the WWE to air events in the US and worldwide in December.Netflix showed two NFL games during the Christmas Day special in 2024, where singer Beyonce performed during the half-time show.It has also agreed deals with Fifa for the US rights for the 2027 and 2031 women’s World Cup.Other platforms such as Apple have also been linked with bidding for the F1 rights. More

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      Mercedes sign wonderkid Ethan Jeff-Hall, 16, who achieved feat not even seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton managed

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      MERCEDES have snapped up 16-year-old wonderkid Ethan Jeff-Hall for their junior team.Jeff-Hall turned heads after dramatically securing the CIK-FIA World Championship title on the last lap of the final race in 2024.Mercedes have snapped up 16-year-old wonderkid Ethan Jeff-HallCredit: AlamyNot even seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton achieved such a feat.Hamilton – who won six world titles with Mercedes – didn’t get his hands on a world karting crown before bursting on to the motorsport scene in 2007 at 22 years old.Jeff-Hall is bidding to follow in Lando Norris’ footsteps, after the McLaren star took the karting title in 2014 before joining F1.Fellow Brit Jeff-Hall is now gearing up for his maiden outing in single-seaters after being confirmed as Mercedes’ latest prodigy.READ MORE F1 NEWSThe rising star out of Trent Valley Kart Club is set to burn rubber for Argenti Motorsport in the British Formula 4 championship this season.Mercedes are connected to Argenti through founder and team manager Michael Meadows, who has family ties to the Silver Arrows. When news of his step-up was confirmed, Jeff-Hall said: “I’m excited and ready to face the challenge. “Winning championships like Ginetta Juniors and the FIA World Karting title has taught me a lot about consistency, adaptability and handling pressure at the highest level.Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS“It’s a new chapter, and I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got.”Jeff-Hall joins a star-studded cast in the Mercedes junior programme. Kenzo Craigie, 14, clinched the junior world karting crown in 2024 and remains in the academy, as does runner-up James Anagnostiadis.Fans miss Lewis Hamilton’s first lap in a Ferrari as thick fog engulfs iconic F1 circuit Female prodigy Luna Fluxa is also in the team’s line-up for 2025. While Chinese prospect Yuanpu Cui remains with the Brackley-based unit after representing Argenti Motorsport last term.For Jeff-Hall, there’s hope he could one day represent the Silver Arrows on the F1 grid one day.Mercedes have a proven commitment to nurturing their junior drivers.Former whizz-kids Kimi Antonelli and George Russell will represent the team on the F1 grid this season.READ MORE SUN STORIESAntonelli’s career path in particular will be one that every talented youngster within their ranks will want to emulate. Aged just 18, he was the once chosen by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to be fast-tracked into F1 to fill the sizeable void left by Hamilton after the 41-year-old’s decision to leave for rivals Ferrari.F1 2025 gridHere are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam LawsonFerrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis HamiltonMercedes: George Russell and Kimi AntonelliMcLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar PiastriAston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance StrollWilliams: Alex Albon and Carlos SainzSauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel BortoletoAlpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack DoohanRB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack HadjarHaas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon More

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      Generous Lewis Hamilton splashes out on incredible custom gift for 3,000 ex-Mercedes colleagues after Ferrari switch

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      LEWIS HAMILTON gifted his former Mercedes colleagues a custom piece of artwork as a show of gratitude after leaving the Formula One giants at the end of last season.The 40-year-old called time on his 11-year stint with Mercedes in December after signing a huge contract with Ferrari.Lewis Hamilton started at Ferrari last monthCredit: AlamyHamilton gifted his ex-colleagues a special piece of artwork after leaving Mercedes at the end of 2024Credit: EPADuring his time with the German team he won six world championship titles among other individual accolades.And to show his gratitude for the support his colleagues gave him over the decade, Hamilton commissioned a unique piece of artwork from renowned motorsport artist Paul Oz.The piece depicts the seven-time world champion’s car at the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix.Each of his 3,000 former colleagues received a print of the artwork, with the original painting taking pride of place at the team’s Brackley headquarters.Read More in FootballIn a recent Instagram post which has now been deleted, Oz said: “Now that it’s public knowledge and all 3,000 Mercedes GP employees have received their prints of this, I can talk about it.”Commissioned by Lewis himself as a departing present for everybody at Mercedes… class act!”My only remit was that I should focus on the car rather than Lewis, and so I chose to paint an image from Monaco 2019, just a few days after Niki Lauda passed and the team ran a red halo to remember Niki. Lewis stuck it on pole then dominated the race.”Oz is a renowned motorsport portrait artist and sculptor who also created the busts of Bruce McLaren, Ayrton Senna, James Hunt and Niki Lauda at McLaren’s base in Woking. Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSHamilton is currently taking part in pre-season testing with his new team in Barcelona.The 2025 F1 season kicks off next month in Australia.Lewis Hamilton visits Ferrari HQ as he arrives at Maranello for his first official day with the Scuderia More

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      ‘Looks like he’s about to hit a 9-darter’ – Lewis Hamilton models new Ferrari gear but fans notice ‘hideous’ issue

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      FANS have noticed a “hideous” issue with Ferrari’s new gear after it was modelled by Lewis Hamilton.The British F1 star will be racing for the Italian team this year after his move from Mercedes.Lewis Hamilton has modelled the new Ferrari polo shirtFans spotted a ‘hideous’ issue with the topHamilton, 40, has worn the team’s new polo shirt for a photoshoot ahead of the new season.The fans were not keen on the shirt and the logos splattered all over it.Some had a particular issue with the HP logo that appeared to be larger than the Ferrari one.They flooded social media with their reactions to Hamilton’s new gear.READ MORE ON SPORTOne posted: “Looks like he’s about to hit a nine-darter.”A second commented: “The HP logo bigger than the Ferrari logo.”A third wrote: “Those logos make the kit look hideous.”A fourth said: “The HP logo is bigger than anything else there. It stands out and not in a good way.”Most read in MotorsportCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSAnother added: “Sorry, Ferrari, this isn’t it.”Hamilton has already been behind the wheel of a Ferrari but crashed during his second test run at Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.Lewis Hamilton visits Ferrari HQ as he arrives at Maranello for his first official day with the Scuderia But it could be a good omen as he has won titles at his two previous teams after crashing in pre-season testing.Elsewhere, fans have been left convinced that Hamilton rival Max Verstappen will quit F1.The speculation has come after Ford announced it would be returning to the World Endurance Championship.F1 2025 gridHere are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season:Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Liam LawsonFerrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis HamiltonMercedes: George Russell and Kimi AntonelliMcLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar PiastriAston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance StrollWilliams: Alex Albon and Carlos SainzSauber: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel BortoletoAlpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack DoohanRB: Yuki Tsunoda and Isack HadjarHaas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban OconUnlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club. More