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    ‘It’s finely balanced’ – Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s F1 title race to take another twist in US GP, says Hill

    DAMON HILL is expecting another twist in the F1 title race at this weekend’s US GP.Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen have traded places five times at the top of the table this season, with the Dutchman leading by six points with six races to go.
    Lewis Hamilton could still pull off another twist in the Formula One title raceCredit: Splash
    Max Verstappen is leading by six points ahead of Lewis Hamilton with six races to goCredit: AFP
    But Hill, who won the title in 1996, is backing Hamilton to win in Austin on Sunday and fight for top-spot again.
    He said: “I think Lewis is going to win, but that would also just bring him back perhaps into touch and there’ll be nothing between them in points.
    “In fact, Max could come out of this one point in the lead if Lewis wins in the States, so how finely balanced is that?”
    Meanwhile, Verstappen, who was third in Austin last time the race was held in 2019, remains unflustered despite the intense battle with Hamilton.
    He said: “We have always been competitive in the US and have got close to some good results, so it’s about converting that into a win now.
    “We go to every track now knowing that we can fight at least for a podium now, but also a win and that is different to past years.
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    “I don’t really believe in momentum swings, we always have to nail every aspect of the weekend to optimise our performance.
    “If we do that then we can’t give anything more as a team. We have a very competitive car but you have to compare it to Mercedes and that is always the big question mark going into any race this season.
    “Hopefully we can fight them this weekend and keep the lead in the championship.
    “Every single week there are new challenges which we must overcome and this one will be no different.”
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    Inside Lewis Hamilton’s LA retreat with stunning views ahead of US Grand Prix including brutal training sessions

    LEWIS HAMILTON gave fans a sneak peek into his Los Angeles retreat ahead of the United States Grand Prix.The reigning Formula One world champion gets back on the track this weekend in Texas.
    Lewis Hamilton gave fans an insight into his Los Angeles retreatCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
    He shared the stunning views from his balconyCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
    The Brit put in the hard work in the gym with some cable fly exercisesCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
    He is in LA with two content creators and his personal trainerCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
    And he is making his final preparations in California before heading over to Austin.
    Hamilton, 36, took to his Instagram story with a series of videos behind the scenes in his camp.
    He uploaded a few of the stunning views from his pad before turning the camera on his smiling self.
    The seven-time F1 king also posted a picture of his team going through a stretching routine.
    Hamilton is with two digital content creators – long-term pal Daniel ‘Spinz’ Forrest and photographer Timmy who goes by the nickname 13thwitness – as well as his personal trainer Angela Cullen.
    The quartet then hit the hills with a run to celebrate Forrest’s birthday.

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    The F1 champ headed out for a run in his bright pink t-shirtCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
    The team hit the hills in the glorious hot, sunny weatherCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
    A roadside mirror created the perfect chance for a team selfieCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
    Hamilton is keeping himself in top physical condition ahead of the United States GPCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
    The video showed the Californian hills bathed in sunshine with clear blue skiesCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
    And when they got back, Hamilton headed for the gym for a strength and conditioning session.
    The Brit performed a set of cable fly exercises while decked out in his Puma gym kit.
    He continues to wear a face mask inside to take every precaution against coronavirus, especially in such an important week for the drivers’ championship.
    Hamilton will be confident of retaking the lead over Max Verstappen by winning in Austin.
    The Dutchman currently holds a six-point advantage with six races to go after late drama in Turkey.

    But the Stevenage star has won the United States GP six times in his career – including five since it moved to this circuit in 2012 – while Mercedes have come out on top in five of the last six years.
    Hamilton will have his team with him all the way to keep him in the best condition physically and mentally.
    And they will be hoping they can capture plenty of celebration content come Sunday evening.
    Watch Lewis Hamilton’s incredible reaction to meeting 104-year-old fan as he takes break from F1 title battle More

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    Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes team surprised by performance boost after Turkish GP efforts

    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

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    ‘It was very short lived’ – Lewis Hamilton reveals Ferrari flirtation was over in no time and Mercedes ‘are like family’

    LEWIS HAMILTON has shared his pride in being part of Mercedes and revealed he never seriously considered a move to Ferrari.The Brit, 36, said the idea of switching to Ferrari was “very short-lived” as he has always been happy with his current team.
    Lewis Hamilton feels he is part of a family at MercedesCredit: AP
    As well as the success he has enjoyed, Hamilton praised the teamwork and loyalty of those he works with and the family feel to the team.
    Hamilton told RacingNews365.com: “I have no reason to think about it (joining Ferrari).
    “It was a part of…each end of term you have to do your due diligence and see what options you have and I’m really proud of what I have and where I am with Mercedes.
    “I think I’ve said it before, it was very short-lived, the idea of going to Ferrari was short-lived in a sense that when you are with Mercedes, you are with a family for life.
    “If you look at all the historic drivers who have driven for Mercedes, they have been with them until they’re in their 90s and that is something that you don’t see in any other team, with any other brand.
    “So that is something that I am very proud of. Plus, we have achieved more than anybody and that is down to great teamwork, that is down to loyalty and so I don’t take that for granted.”
    Hamilton was speaking in reaction to comments from Stefano Domenicali revealing he wanted to sign the Mercedes star when he was Ferrari team principal.

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    But a move never materialised for Hamilton, who switched to Mercedes from McLaren in 2013.
    It has brought him a great deal of success, winning the Formula One world championships six times in eight years.
    He is vying for an eighth record-breaking title this year, but to do so he may have to overcome another grid penalty at the U.S. Grand Prix.
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    F1 star Daniel Ricciardo to get prize for bet win with McLaren boss Zak Brown and drive one of prized car collection

    DANIEL RICCIARDO will finally get his prize at this weekend’s US GP in Austin, Texas after winning his bet with McLaren boss Zak Brown.The Aussie struck a deal with Brown that if he were to achieve a podium in his first season with the team, he’d get to drive one of the cars in Brown’s private collection.
    The Italian Grand Prix was Ricciardo’s eighth career victory in Formula 1Credit: Getty
    Ricciardo, 32, had his eye on Dale Earnhardt Sr’s 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR.
    Brown agreed to the wager at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, saying ‘get us that podium, and the drive is all yours’.
    After Ricciardo’s victory in the Italian GP last month, Brown honoured his word, tweeting ‘a deal is a deal’.
    He will finally get his chance in Austin this weekend with a one-off run in the famed motor.
    Earnhardt was a NASCAR legend, winning 76 Winston Cup races over the course of his four-decade career.
    He is the only driver in NASCAR history to win a race in every decade he has competed.

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    Earnhardt drove with the number three on his car for the majority of his career – Ricciardo’s racing number – before suffering a fatal crash in 2001 on the last lap of the Daytona 500.
    Ricciardo’s victory in Monza was his first Grand Prix win since Monaco in 2018, in his one season with Aston Martin.
    The win was his eighth first-placed finish in Formula 1, with his first coming in Canada in 2014.

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    The McLaren driver is currently eighth in the drivers’ standings on 95 points, way behind team-mate Lando Norris in fourth on 145 points.
    Ricciardo gave F1 fans one of the highlights of the season when he celebrated his win with a ‘shoey’ after the Italian Grand Prix.
    Fans roared as he performed the classic Aussie celebration of downing a drink from his shoe on the podium alongside his McLaren team-mate Norris.
    Ricciardo scored McLaren’s first race win in Formula 1 since Jenson Button in 2012Credit: Getty
    Bottas celebrates on the podium after winning Turkish Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen More

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    ‘Incredibly proud’ – Lewis Hamilton hails F1 rival Sebastian Vettel for social and environmental campaigning this season

    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

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    Inside Christian Horner’s lavish country home the Red Bull boss shares with Spice Girl Geri and three miniature donkeys

    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.
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    ‘Talent-wise, he’s the best of all time’ – Rosberg enters F1 GOAT debate between Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher

    NICO ROSBERG believes Lewis Hamilton is a more talented driver than the great Michael Schumacher.The Formula One legends are tied on seven world championship wins each, and Rosberg was asked to pick who is best.
    Lewis Hamilton (left) was partnered with Nico Rosberg between 2013-2016Credit: PA:Press Association
    Rosberg (left) was also a team-mate of Michael Schumacher after he returned to F1 in 2010Credit: AFP
    The German has the privileged position of having experienced both drivers up close, have partnered both Hamilton and Schumacher in his career.
    Speaking to Motorsport-Total, he said: “Lewis has an amazing natural talent.
    “If we look at talent, he’s probably the best of all time. And he really builds on that, that instinct is phenomenal with him.
    “A big difference is diligence. Lewis hates test drives. He doesn’t like test drives.
    “And Michael, he would drive tests every day, even though he is a seven-time world champion. But because he also knows that you can always learn a little bit there.
    “Oh well, I’m not so emotionally attached to it now that I say, ‘Hey, Michael actually deserved to hold the record’. Lewis deserves it too and if he manages to do that, then good.

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    “I see it more and more as, ‘He was really damn fast, and I can be all the more proud that I beat him with the same car back then.”
    Hamilton was dealt a blow in his bid to break the record for most world championship wins when he finished fifth in the Turkish Grand Prix.
    The Brit fumed at his Mercedes team after a change of tactics led him to pit stop and lose two places – costing him valuable points.
    Hamilton suffered a grid penalty in that race and he could face another at the United States Grand Prix after Mercedes chief Toto Wolff revealed the team may have to switch to a new engine. More