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      Watch Lewis Hamilton’s incredible reaction to meeting 104-year-old fan as he takes break from F1 title battle

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      LEWIS HAMILTON couldn’t believe it when he met what could be his oldest fan on YouTube this week.The six-time World Champion took time out of his hectic schedule to take a video call with a fan named Len and his son David on Mercedes’ channel.
      Lewis Hamilton was shocked when fan Len revealed that he was about to be 105Credit: Youtube – Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team
      Len and his son David were on a video call with Hamilton when they shared the informationCredit: Youtube – Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team
      During their call, David revealed that dad Len was about to turn 105 in a few weeks, and claimed he must be one of Hamilton’s oldest fans.
      Upon hearing Len’s age, Hamilton broke into a smile while clapping, and said: “Wow, 105 – and he looks great! He looks so good!”
      Len, who’s been around long enough to see the likes of Sir Jackie Stewart race, then jumped into the conversation to call the British star “one of the best.”
      The father and son went on to tell Hamilton how proud they were that he’s British, a compliment that visibly touched the Mercedes driver.
      After being showered with praise by the pair, Hamilton revealed to them just how important his own parents were on his journey to success.

      And just before the call ended, Len wished Hamilton good luck for the future.
      The British racing icon will need all the luck he can get in his pursuit of F1 rival Max Verstappen in the race for the title.
      With just five races to go, Hamilton slipped further behind Verstappen after he finished fifth in the Turkish Grand Prix.
      It later emerged that he could’ve finished eighth if he didn’t listen to his Mercedes team and make a pit stop.
      Hamilton was initially furious with his team for calling him for the stop as he thought he was in with a chance of snatching a podium finish.
      However, after crunching the numbers, Merc say he would have been looking at languishing down in eighth if he did, as the tyres eventually failed.
      Hamilton will now look to turn things around starting with the US GP later this month.
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      Lewis Hamilton would have finished EIGHTH at Turkish GP if he hadn’t made late pitstop which sparked angry Mercedes row

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      LEWIS HAMILTON would have finished EIGHTH in the Turkish GP had he stuck to his guns and NOT made a pitstop.The Mercedes ace blasted his team for calling him for a late pitstop in last Sunday’s race, which dropped him down to finish in fifth.
      Mercedes’ CTO claims Lewis Hamilton would have finished even lower without a late pitstopCredit: AP
      Hamilton felt that had he stayed out, he would have been in with a shot of making the podium.
      However, after crunching the numbers, Merc say he would have been looking at languishing down in eighth if he did as the tyres eventually failed.
      Mercedes’ Chief Technical Officer James Allison said: “As ever with strategy, at the end of the race it’s always obvious what would have been the perfect lap [to pit on].
      “However, if we look at it overall, the best time to have stopped would have been around the [Lap] 36, 37 mark, that was when Valtteri [Bottas, who eventually won the race] and Verstappen stopped.
      “Had Lewis done the same and then treated his tyres nice and gently, then in all likelihood he would have come in a strong fourth, maybe be able to pressurise [Sergio] Perez for third and perhaps overtake him.
      “When we eventually did call Lewis in, it was because the lap time chart that we use to make our predictions was telling us that it was not looking good.

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      “We were looking at something that was somewhere in the region of seventh, eighth place, based on the way in which the tyres were progressively degrading.”
      Meanwhile, Hamilton defended his outburst over the radio, saying: “I’ve seen some of the press this morning which has made a bit too much of the incident in yesterday’s race of when to pit.
      “It isn’t true to say I’m furious with my team.As a team we work hard to build the best strategy possible but as the race progresses you have to make split decisions there are so many factors constantly changing.

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      “Yesterday we took the risk to stay out hoping it would dry, it didn’t. I wanted to risk it and try and go to the end, but it was my call to stay out and it didn’t work. In the end we did pit and it was the safest thing to do.
      “We live and we learn. We win and we lose as a team. Don’t ever expect me to be all polite and calm on the radio when I’m racing, we are all very passionate and in the heat of the moment that passion can come out, as it does for all drivers.
      “My heart and spirit are out there on the track, it’s the fire in me that’s got me this far but any angst is quickly forgotten and we talked it through, already looking ahead to the next race. Today’s another day to rise and as a team (sic). Still we Rise.”
      Red Bull chiefs expect Lewis Hamilton to be pushed to back of grid More

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      ‘F1 will disappear & rightly so’ – Vettel incredibly tips sport to die out if they keep making environmental ‘mistakes’

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      SEBASTIAN VETTEL says Formula One will ‘rightfully disappear’ if the sport keeps making environmental ‘mistakes’.The German is an eco-advocate and says the clock is ticking on F1 if it doesn’t change its approach.
      Sebastian Vettel says F1 may die out if the sport doesn’t change its environmental approachCredit: AFP
      The four-time world champ races for Aston Martin and thinks the pressure is on chiefs to make changes surrounding green engines and their sustainability.
      Asked if he thinks the sport could die out, Vettel told Motorsport Total: “Sure, and I think it’s valid because Formula One is not green.
      “I think we live in a time where we have innovations and possibilities to arguably make Formula One green as well, and not lose any of the spectacle, of the excitement, of the speed, of the challenge, of the passion.
      “If anything, we have so many clever people and engineering power here, we could come up with solutions.
      “But the current regulations, I think they’re very exciting, the (hybrid) engine is super efficient, but it’s useless.
      “It’s not going to be an engine formula that you will buy on the road in two years when you decide to buy a new car, for example.

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      “Therefore, you can argue, what is the relevance?
      “I think there are certain things that people are talking about for the future of the sport in terms of regulations, that could shift the change and shift into more relevant changes.
      “And I feel if they come, that’s a good thing for Formula One, and it’s also a vital thing.
      “But if they don’t come, I think I’m not so optimistic. If they don’t come, I think that Formula One will disappear. And probably rightly so.
      “We are at the stage where we know we’ve done mistakes, and we have no time to keep doing mistakes.”
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      Vettel is a vocal supporter of environmental schemes in the paddock.
      He was the inspiration for a Bahrain GP flypast powered by sustainable fuels.
      And he stayed behind at Silverstone to help clear up the mess and litter left by 140,000 fans at the British GP.

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      Bottas celebrates on the podium after winning Turkish Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen More

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      Lewis Hamilton faces another grid penalty as Mercedes boss Toto Wolff claims it might be worth switching to a new engine

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      LEWIS HAMILTON faces the prospect of ANOTHER grid penalty after Mercedes chief Toto Wolff revealed he may have to switch to a new engine.The British star, 36, was forced to drop ten places after qualifying on pole for last weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix after taking a new internal combustion engine (ICE).
      Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has admitted Lewis Hamilton may be forced to accept another ten-place grid penalty after fixing the ‘gremlins’ in the internal combustion engineCredit: Splash
      Formula One drivers are permitted to use three ICE components in a single season, with Turkey Hamilton’s fourth.
      The seven-time world champion’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas – who won in Istanbul – is currently on his FIFTH ICE.
      And Wolff confirmed Mercedes have been forced to change so many times due to ‘gremlins’ in their engines earlier in the season.
      The team boss revealed they had got to the bottom of the issues and must now weight up whether another ten-place grid penalty will be worth it in the long run for Hamilton.
      Wolff told Sky Sports F1: “[The ICE] can last until the end of the season.
      “But there could be a moment we say it is worth taking a fresh one because the other one is still at risk.”

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      Wolff continued: “We had to (change the engine component in Turkey).
      “We saw some data on the internal combustion unit that didn’t look very promising and a DNF (did not finish) is a total killer for the championship.
      “We’ve seen over the course of the season that we’ve had some little gremlins that we weren’t completely sure where they came from and how much performance they could potentially cost.
      “I think we understand much better now where the root cause lies.
      “It’s something that can happen from time to time if you just have a material issue, a batch problem and these are the things you need to consider.”
      Hamilton managed to climb up to fifth in Turkey despite his grid penalty – and could have ended higher if not for a tactical decision to change tyres late in the.
      The British star lashed out at his team for the decision, before later defending his rant, blaming the ‘heat of the moment’.
      Hamilton now sits five points behind rival Max Verstappen in the race for the F1 title with five races to go, starting with the US GP later this month.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Following his fifth-placed finish in Turkey, Hamilton confessed he’s not giving the engine drama a moment’s though.
      He said: “It’s not my job to worry about that stuff, so I let the guys focus on that, worry about it.
      “My engine is in good condition. My first engine, I think, did six races. We still have engine two, and I think engine three is still there.
      “As far as I’m aware, hopefully I don’t have to (use a fifth engine), but I can’t predict what’s up ahead.”
      Bottas celebrates on the podium after winning Turkish Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen More

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      ‘It would have been disaster’ – Lewis Hamilton’s ‘push back’ at Turkish GP almost caused chaos at Mercedes, says Brawn

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      LEWIS HAMILTON almost caused a ‘disaster’ by resisting Mercedes’ instruction to pit in the Turkish Grand Prix, according to Ross Brawn. F1 managing director Brawn, 66, has claimed that Hamilton was running a huge risk by ignoring his Mercedes team’s advice to change tyres in Istanbul on Sunday.
      Hamilton is battling neck and neck with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for the Drivers’ Championship this seasonCredit: PA
      Hamilton, 36, was already up against it after receiving a ten-place grid penalty as punishment for his fourth engine change of the season, when drivers are only permitted three.
      This meant the seven-time world champion started the race in 11th, despite qualifying on pole, way behind championship rival Max Verstappen in second.
      The Brit worked incredibly hard to climb from eleventh to fourth and could see Verstappen ahead of him when he was advised to box in order to change tyres.
      Hamilton had completed more than two-thirds of the race with the same set of tyres and made it clear that he felt completing the race without pitting was the best strategy.
      Brawn, however, suggests in his F1.com column that this could have been catastrophic for Hamilton and Mercedes. He said: “The driver is in a bubble. They need to give you information, but what they can’t see is all the data being fed to the pit wall.
      “In Lewis’ case if he didn’t box and the tyres had gone away or there had been a light rain shower, he would have tumbled down the order and that would have been a disaster.”

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      The same thing happened to Lando Norris at the Russian Grand Prix, who was on course to win his first F1 race when rain began to fall and most other drivers, including Hamilton, pitted for intermediate tyres.
      Norris, who decided to stay out on the track, lost all traction and aquaplaned badly on lap 51 and then again trying as he entered the pit lane to change tyres.
      This error of judgement meant he was overtaken by Hamilton, who went on to win the race, with Norris ultimately finishing seventh.
      Hamilton and Mercedes got it spot on in Sochi, but his resistance to his team’s advice in Istanbul almost cost him dearly and could have allowed Verstappen to extend his championship lead by even more than the six point advantage he now has.
      Regarding these tough calls, Brawn added: “Once again teams were faced with a very difficult strategic decision.
      “In these scenarios, you’re trusting your judgment, experience and feel. As we saw with Lewis, there was a fair bit of initial resistance from within the car about pitting.
      “When these situations are not clear-cut and you get a push back from the driver, it’s easy for a team to back off what they feel was the right decision.”
      Hamilton has since admitted he got it wrong in Turkey, but blamed the heat of the moment for his outburst over the radio. He raged: “Why did you give up that place? We shouldn’t have come in. I told you.”

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      In his post-race interview, Hamilton cooled down and said: “I wasn’t really that fast at the end there. I was struggling, had low grip, not really sure why, but then all of a sudden I’d have not such bad pace. But I was losing performance to the guys behind.
      “I think probably in hindsight I should have stayed out or come in much earlier because when you come in with eight laps to go you don’t have time to go through the graining phase of that medium (intermediate) tyre on a drying track, so then I went through this whole sliding phase where I nearly lost more positions.”
      The world champion cannot afford to slip up again in the final six races of the season if he hopes to beat close rival Verstappen to win a record breaking eighth F1 title.
      Hamilton has won the F1 Drivers’ Championship in six of his eight seasons with MercedesCredit: Splash
      Bottas celebrates on the podium after winning Turkish Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen More

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      Lewis Hamilton ‘didn’t know he’d lose two places’ claims ex-F1 champ Jenson Button after Mercedes blunder at Turkish GP

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      LEWIS HAMILTON didn’t know his pit stop at the Turkish Grand Prix would cost him two places, reckons Jenson Button.The Mercedes driver blasted his team for pitting him with eight laps to go in Sunday’s race which saw him miss out on a potential podium finish after dropping from third to fifth.
      Lewis Hamilton currently trails Max Verstappen by six points in the Formula One World ChampionshipCredit: AFP
      Jenson Button has had his say on Mercedes’ decision to pit Hamilton late on at the Turkish Grand PrixCredit: PA
      More crucially, the 36-year-old lost out on five points in his championship fight with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
      The Dutch driver has retaken the lead in the title race after he came home in second place behind Valtteri Bottas.
      After learning his pit stop saw him drop back two places, Hamilton fumed over the radio: “F*** man! Why did we give up that space?
      “We should not have come in man. I told you!”
      He later defended his angry outburst, though he conceded that changing tyres was the ‘safest thing to do’.
      Commenting on Mercedes’ decision, 2009 F1 world champion Button – who was team-mates with Hamilton at McLaren – told Sky Sports: “It’s a really tricky one and I’m sure Lewis was quite frustrated after the race.

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      “They’ve talked him through the process of when he should have pitted and he pitted right in the middle of when he shouldn’t have pitted.
      “If he pitted earlier, it would have been a good call or if he didn’t pit at all and the tyres lasted until the end, it would have been a good call.
      “But it was right in the middle and that’s the area you don’t want to be in really.”
      Before adding: “I think the bigger thing for me is the information. And I don’t think Lewis understood that he was going to lose two positions with the pit-stop.
      “He seemed quite happy when they said pit. It just didn’t seem like he knew he was going to lose a couple of places because afterwards he got quite frustrated, knowing that he was back in fifth place behind two cars he didn’t expect to be.”

      Hamilton currently trails Verstappen by six points in the standings with just six races to go.
      Next up is the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas.
      The British star has won six times in America – more than any other driver in history.
      Bottas celebrates on the podium after winning Turkish Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen More

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      Red Bull poke fun at Mercedes on Twitter after F1 team’s joke about ‘special livery’ on cars

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      MERCEDES and Red Bull’s ongoing rivalry has extended further than just on the track. The two teams have been involved in a hilarious social media exchange after the weekend’s Turkish GP.
      Verstappen (L) and Perez celebrate on the podium in IstanbulCredit: Getty

      Red Bull’s cars raced in a special one-off livery in Istanbul that paid tribute to engine manufacturer Honda – who are leaving F1 at the end of the season.
      And the Mercedes social media team took some time out of their battle for the constructors title ahead of the weekend to predict a tough race for their rivals.
      Mercedes themselves used a special 125th year livery at the 2019 German GP – which saw crashes for both Lewis Hamilton and Valteri Bottas.
      Their Twitter account posted pictures from that day, with the caption: “Special livery? We tried that once.”
      They then followed it up with a meme that read: “We looked good, but at what cost?”
      But after Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez finished second and third for Red Bull, their own social media team responded in sensational style.

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      They tweeted a picture of the pair on the podium, with two trophy emojis, saying: “[Two podiums] in a special livery? We tried that once,” followed by a winking face.
      And that wasn’t all – with Red Bull really hammering the nail in.
      They posted a follow-up tweet with video highlights from the weekend’s two-three, saying: “Curse? What curse? Rounding off a great weekend for the Bulls.”

      But to their credit Mercedes came back with a hilarious response.
      Replying to Red Bull’s tweet, they posted a picture from the Netflix sensation Squid Game of the ‘killer doll’ which has gone viral in recent days.
      After all their own Valteri Bottas did end up winning in Istanbul to extend their lead over Red Bull at the top of the constructors standings.
      However Hamilton could only manage fifth after a late pit-stop, leaving him trailing Verstappen by six points in the driver standings with five races left in the season.

      Bottas celebrates on the podium after winning Turkish Grand Prix ahead of Verstappen More

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      Pirelli back Mercedes’ decision to pit F1 star Lewis Hamilton during closing stages of Turkish GP after Brit fumed

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      PIRELLI are backing Mercedes’ decision to change Lewis Hamilton’s tyres following a spat between the Brit and his Formula 1 team. The seven-time world champ was angered by engineers ordering him to do a pit stop at the Turkish Grand Prix as he ended up finishing fifth . 
      Pirelli agree with Mercedes’ decision to have Lewis Hamilton do a pit stop at the Turkish Grand PrixCredit: AP
      Mercedes chief Toto Wolff insists it would have been a ‘risky move’ to not change Hamilton’s tyres mid-raceCredit: Refer to Caption
      Hamilton, 36, began in eleventh spot on the grid due to an engine change penalty but made up ground to reach third place with ten laps to go. 
      However, the Briton, who had hoped to keep using the same tyres he began the race with, was called to the pits with seven laps to go
      And he was heard forcifully telling his team ‘we shouldn’t have come in’  when informed of the gap between him and Pierre Gasly, who ended up finishing sixth. 
      Hamilton said after: “I feel like I should have stayed out. My gut feeling was to stay and I feel that’s what I should have done.
      “I am frustrated with myself. I lost a few points, but that’s life.” 
      Following the race, Esteban Ocon revealed his tyres were virtually kaput after using the same set for the 58-lap Grand Prix, unlike Hamilton.
      After the contest, the Alpine driver told reporters: “One more lap, I think we would’ve got a puncture. It was a risky bet. We made it work.”
      When quizzed on if Hamilton could, like Ocan, have completed the race without a tyre change, Pirelli’s Formula 1 head Mario Isola said: “Looking at the tyres after the race, I would say no, or at least it was really at the limit.

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      “The wear of the tyres, especially at the end of the race, they were running basically on the construction. 
      “It was a bit dangerous to push the boundaries. But I fully understand that in race conditions they have to maximise their result.
      “Every car is different, so the level of wear is different, also depending on how hard during the race they push. 
      “But more or less all the tyres had exposed cords, not only on Ocon’s car, most of the cars that stopped after lap 47/48 were completely finished.
      “We know the new tarmac (in Istanbul) is more abrasive and has more grip compared to last year and the track was not dry but still abrasive. So it was really, really at the limit. 
      “I was suggesting to our allocated engineers to warn the teams to change the tyres and not to go to the end because it was a risky move.”
      And Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff concurred with his staff it was ‘clear’ Hamilton would not have completed the race without the tyre change. 
      Wolff said: “The intermediate obviously looked really scary, but we thought that we could maybe hang out there and finish third with not stopping.
      “So we balanced between pitting, taking it very conservative, fighting with Leclerc and Perez on the track for P3, or taking a little bit of a gamble and either winning or finishing third.
      Hamilton’s rival Max Verstappen is currently six points ahead of him in the race for the championship title.Credit: Splash
      “Then we saw Leclerc dropping off and Lewis started dropping off and it was clear that we wouldn’t make it to the end.” 
      The result at the Istanbul Park Circuit saw Hamilton fall six points behind championship opponent Max Verstappen with six races remaining this season. 
      If Hamilton had finished third behind Verstappen – who ended up second behind victor Valterri Bottas – there would have been a gap of just a point between the Brit and his Dutch rival. 

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      Red Bull chiefs expect Lewis Hamilton to be pushed to back of grid More