F1

LEWIS HAMILTON’s Mercedes team have been boosted by their win in Turkey as they head to this weekend’s US GP.Hamilton had to settle for fifth in Istanbul after taking a grid penalty for a new engine but teammate Valtteri Bottas took the chequered flag.
Mercedes’ world champ Lewis Hamilton is six points behind Red Bull’s Championship leader Max VerstappenCredit: PA
Mercedes are confident that Lewis Hamilton is well placed to win the US GPCredit: AFP
And as they head to Austin, where Hamilton has won five times in eight years, boss Toto Wolff says their confidence is running high.
He said: “It was encouraging to see our positive performance momentum continue last time out in Turkey.
“We haven’t scored back-to-back race wins in a little while, so naturally spirits have been high in the factories since we returned from Istanbul.
“Istanbul was a dominant performance from Valtteri in tricky conditions, taking his first win of the season.
A faultless drive from him and he was in control of the race from the very beginning.
“It’s a brilliant boost for him and the team heading into the final part of the season and helping us to extend our lead in the constructors’ standings.
“For Lewis, the absolute view of Turkey is that he lost one point more than Max Verstappen did in the previous race in Russia with a similar engine change, which we can live with.
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“This season has had so many twists and turns, so we’re ready to react to whatever comes our way this weekend in Texas.”
Hamilton currently trails Red Bull’s Verstappen by six points with six races still to go this season as their epic fight goes down to the wire.
The Brit was critical of Merc’s decision to call him in for a late pitstop in Turkey, which he felt stopped him from achieving a third place finish.
However, Wolff says it was better to be cautious and introduce a new engine for Hamilton than risk a DNF – costing him a bucket load of points to his title rival.
He added: “The whole season swings back and forth. We make mistakes together. We win together.
“We have had much bigger swings in the past with lost opportunities.
‘TIGHT UNTIL THE END’
“This was a very, very close call. We decided for one thing, and it went wrong.
“At the end, we’ve lost eight points [in Turkey] from Red Bull from a grid penalty. Red Bull [in Russia] were happy with a seven-point loss.
“So it’s going to be very tight until the end. DNFs are going to make a big difference, and that was also a consideration, and not three or four or five-point swings.”
Meanwhile, the FIA have asked track bosses in Austin to grid down some of the raised bumps on their track surface.
F1 drivers are in for a bumpy ride this week as the safety of the surface was called into question by the MotoGP riders in a recent race.
FIA Race Director Michael Masi has asked for work to be completed but the problem is unlikely to be completely resolved in time.
Watch Lewis Hamilton’s incredible reaction to meeting 104-year-old fan as he takes break from F1 title battle More

MERCEDES driver Lewis Hamilton has shared his pride for Sebastian Vettel after the Aston Martin man’s campaigning efforts this season. Vettel wore a t-shirt supporting the LGBTQ+ community at the Hungarian Grand Prix in August.
Vettel has been vocal in his support for the LGBTQ+ communityCredit: Reuters
And also encourages sustainable water sourcing through his helmet designCredit: Splash
Rival driver Hamilton is also a well known campaigner for social issuesCredit: Getty
The German driver also encourages sustainable water sourcing through a design on his helmet, and was seen litter picking at Silverstone.
Speaking on Vettel’s efforts, as reported by Autosport, Hamilton said: “I’ve been incredibly proud of Sebastian for doing him.
“He has discovered things that he is passionate about and he is speaking about them, he’s not shying away from it.
“I think also, with the older generation, I guess when we get to our age we have a little bit more empathy.
“He’s got a family, he’s speaking about the future of his kids and the planet, what we do now to prepare them for the future
“And he’s obviously trying to be a beacon of light for those kids and for other kids that support him.”

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Seven-time world champion Hamilton is also well known for his campaigning work to encourage more diversity in motorsports.
He has also been a leading figure in F1 in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The 36-year-old has worn t-shirts on the matter, as well as taking the knee before the start of races.
Speaking on whether he could work with Vettel towards a shared goal, Hamilton said: “We speak often and we talk on these topics so I don’t know.
“We don’t have any plans of doing anything in the future but we, as I said, if there is a specific issue on a weekend, we discuss it and we support each other with it.”
The F1 calendar returns at the weekend with the United States GP following a two week break.
Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valteri Bottas won in Turkey last time out, while the Brit could only finish fifth.
It means he trails title rival Max Verstappen by six points with six races left on the calendar.
Four-time world champion Vettel meanwhile is 12th in the standings, picking up just 35 points this season for a struggling Aston Martin team.
Watch Lewis Hamilton’s incredible reaction to meeting 104-year-old fan as he takes break from F1 title battle More

RED BULL boss Christian Horner is used to living life in the fast lane working in F1.But when it comes to his personal life, the team principal of the motorsport giants prefers a more quiet and slower existence away from the race track.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner lives a life of luxury in the countryCredit: Instagram @christianhorner
Horner poses on the grounds of their Oxfordshire farmhouse with son MontagueCredit: Instagram @therealgerihalliwell
He shares TWO stunning country homes with wife, Spice Girl Geri in Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire and their brood.
The former property is, perhaps, the most lavish and most shared online – boasting its very own duck pond, which they use for boating.
Their farm also houses three miniature donkeys, horses and goats in the estate’s stables.
‘PERFECT’
For Horner, living on a farm offers the ideal existence away from the stresses of the F1 circuit.
Back in 2019, he told Luxury London that the sprawling country abode was the “perfect home to relax in.”
“Restoring the farm has been my hobby – the way I put racing out of my mind,” he added.
“The main house is finished but now the barns are being converted. We’re currently putting the finishing touches to an indoor swimming pool.”
Certainly, it’s the property in Oxfordshire that gets the most love from Geri on Instagram, who regularly shares candid snaps of her family life.
Horner is stepdad to Geri’s daughter Bluebell Madonna, 15, and the couple share a son, Montague, who is 4. He also has another daughter, Olivia, 8, from a previous relationship with ex-partner Beverley Allen.
F1’s Horner poses on the steps of the home with daughter Olivia from his previous relationshipCredit: Instagram @christianhorner
Son Montague and dad have matching John Deere tractorsCredit: Instagram @christianhorner
An Aston Martin DB5 sits proudly in Horner’s garage
Horner is married to Spice Girl GeriCredit: Instagram @therealgerihalliwell
Geri shows off the home’s swimming poolCredit: Instagram @therealgerihalliwell
Christian has been spied alongside his boy riding a mini tractor alongside dad’s John Deere.
He’s also been seen standing with his vintage Aston Martin DB5, which was Sean Connery’s car of choice as James Bond in Goldfinger.
READY STEADY COOK
Geri appears happy to play the role of housewife, often sharing photos in the kitchen rustling up treats.
A budding chef, she has shown off her baking skills by crafting cakes using a customised Ginger Spice KitchenAid mixer, which Christian had specially designed for her.
And with four separate ovens to choose from with the AGA range the kitchen boasts, she has plenty of space for her other favourite pastime – making bread.
You can bet, Christian, who also loves using the outdoor barbecue, and the kids are well fed in the Horner household with Geri’s production line of cakes and bread.
Geri is often spied in the kitchen and loves bakingCredit: Instagram @therealgerihalliwell
Christian shows off his grilling skills with the outdoor barbecueCredit: Instagram @christianhorner
ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK
Christian and Geri have a number of reception room to entertain from.
However, the most popular one appears to be where a £16,000 original Wurlitzer can be found.
When she celebrated her 45th birthday, Geri posted a video online singing along to Michael Jackson hit Billie Jean while thanking Christian for the music, which suggested it was a gift for her.
Another living room shows off a stunning chandelier, as well as a marble fireplace.
A £16,000 vintage Wurlitzer can be seen in a reception room, which was a gift from Christian for Geri’s 45th birthdayCredit: Instagram @therealgerihalliwell
The Oxfordshire property boasts several reception roomsCredit: Instagram @therealgerihalliwell
A spacious dining room was seen when Montague celebrated his birthdayCredit: Instagram @therealgerihalliwell
The glam couple also have a bar space in their propertyCredit: Instagram @therealgerihalliwell
OUTDOOR SPACE
The family love taking advantage of the huge grounds on offer at their farmhouse.
And why not when you’ve got an incredible duck pond so big you can go boating on it.
Horner and Geri can even take their dogs for a walk around the expansive gardens.
The pair have even been seen zooming around on a quad bike, as well as picking raspberries in the garden with Montague.
Miniature donkeys live in the stables
The grounds are vast on the Horner’s Oxfordshire plot
The Horners show off their horses and have their own stableCredit: Instagram @therealgerihalliwell
Geri picks raspberries with Montague in their lush gardenCredit: Instagram @therealgerihalliwell
The duck pond on the property has its own boat
Christian and Geri live the country life away from the racing circuitCredit: Instagram @therealgerihalliwell

Of course, no farm would be complete without animals either.
And Christian and Geri boast three miniature donkeys that are housed in the stables, as well as some goats.
The singer often shares videos online when it’s feeding time.
Clearly, you can forget the fancy racing circuit of heading to places like Dubai or Monte Carlo. A farmhouse is where it’s at.
Watch Lewis Hamilton’s incredible reaction to meeting 104-year-old fan as he takes break from F1 title battle More

FORMULA ONE bosses have unveiled their record-breaking 23-race calendar.The schedule for 2022 will run from March until November and contains a new race in Miami.
The 2022 F1 season will have 23 races including one in Miami
However, the Qatar GP, which will make its debut in November this year, will have a year off so as not to clash with the World Cup.
There are however question marks over the Singapore and French GPs.
And it remains to be seen if Australia will relax their border controls before the race in April.
Some F1 insiders have expressed concerns about the gruelling schedule, particularly Merc boss Toto Wolff who says F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali should encourage teams to rotate staff.
However, his opposite number at Red Bull, Christian Horner has given the 23-race calendar the thumbs up.
Franz Tost, boss of Red Bull’s B-team AlphaTauri, last week said that staff should embrace the races – or find somewhere else to work.

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He said: “We know now that we have 23 races. It’s fantastic, a good job from FOM, and I am looking forward to it.
“Regarding the people at the track. First of all, we are a race team.
“They all should be happy that we have as many races as possible and, of course, we take care of the people.
“For example the mechanics after a race weekend they have three days, four days off where they can stay at home.”
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen look set to battle it out for the world title again next yearCredit: Reuters
Watch Lewis Hamilton’s incredible reaction to meeting 104-year-old fan as he takes break from F1 title battle More