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      Lewis Hamilton training hard for final two showdowns with Verstappen – but takes time to enjoy Saka goal for Arsenal

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      FORMULA ONE star Lewis Hamilton has declared ‘the work never stops’ ahead of the final two Grand Prix’s of the season.Though the 36-year-old took time out of his busy training schedule to enjoy Bukayo Saka’s opening goal for Arsenal in their 2-0 win against Newcastle.
      Lewis Hamilton is training hard ahead of the final two Formula One races of the seasonCredit: Instagram lewishamilton
      Hamilton enjoyed seeing Saka get on the scoresheet for Arsenal – sharing a pic of the England star celebrating his goalCredit: Getty
      The Gunners fan shared an image of the England international celebrating his strike against the Magpies at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.
      Taking to his Instagram story, Hamilton tagged Saka in the picture of him wheeling away in delight after rifling low into the bottom right corner.
      And the seven-time F1 World Champion also posted other pictures on his story to his 25.4 million followers as his attention turns towards the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
      Hamilton currently trails Red Bull ace Max Verstappen by eight points in the standings, though the British icon has won the last two races.
      Posting images of himself chilling and then one of him in the back of a car, Hamilton shared a mirror selfie after a training session.
      Captioning the snap, he simply stated: “The work never stops!”

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      With Hamilton hot on the heels of Verstappen, he has declared he must be ‘wary’ to avoid a crash that would scupper his chances of winning a record eighth title.
      He told the BBC: “You just have to be very, very wary – more wary than ever before.
      “Rather than giving someone the benefit of the doubt, you have to know that’s what’s going to happen.
      “So you always have to be ready to avoid a collision at all costs, [even] if it means going wide, because you want to see the end of the race, right?
      “If you’re stubborn and you hold your ground, you’re going to crash. So that’s what I’ve just tried to do. I’ve tried to make sure I avoid the collision.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      “And I think I’ve been pretty decent at it in most scenarios. You can’t always get it perfect.”
      Hamilton and Verstappen have collided twice in 2021, with the former penalised for the first one at the British GP.
      Meanwhile Verstappen was at fault when they crashed again at the Italian GP.
      Hamilton currently trails rival Max Verstappen by eight points in the F1 standingsCredit: Instagram lewishamilton
      Lewis Hamilton reacts to his Qatar GP win More

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      Toto Wolff ‘instantly shot down’ suggestions to swap George Russell for Valtteri Bottas for last two F1 races of season

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      TOTO WOLFF has rejected the offer of taking on George Russell for the final two races of the F1 season, according to reports.Russell, 23, is set to join Mercedes next year with Valtteri Bottas departing for Alfa Romeo.
      Toto Wolff has reportedly rejected the idea of taking on George Russell for the final two racesCredit: AFP
      Valtteri Bottas still has an important role to play in Mercedes winning the Constructors’ ChampionshipCredit: Getty
      But the Finn still has an important role to play in the race to win the F1 Constructors’ Championship.
      Mercedes currently lead Red Bull by five points in the competition, with Bottas winning two Grand Prix’s this season.
      Russell has also entertained in a number of races this term, and according to The Express it was suggested to Wolff that he should take the Brit on board for the last two races.
      But the Mercedes chief dismissed the idea given the team’s position in the Constructor Championship standings.
      Race strategist Alexander Todo also opposes the potential swap.
      He told Sky Germany: “The pressure situation is so high and Mercedes and Bottas are a well-rehearsed team.

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      “There is another plan for Russell in the future.
      “I think it would be foolish to throw him into this pressure scenario now when the championship is directly at stake.”
      Russell is set for a huge wage hike when he moves to Mercedes, with the youngster currently earning £500,000 a year at Williams. More

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      Red Bull not afraid of Lewis Hamilton’s rocket engine at Saudi Arabia GP as F1 title race reaches top gear

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      RED BULL do not fear Lewis Hamilton and his extremely powerful engine as the Formula 1 season prepares for an exhilarating climax, according to team advisor Helmut Marko.Max Verstappen leads the seven-time champion by eight points with two races of the campaign remaining.
      Hamilton and Mercedes have had the edge over Verstappen and Red Bull in recent racesCredit: Getty
      Verstappen is looking to end Hamilton’s run of four successive drivers’ championshipsCredit: Getty
      But heading into the pivotal Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix, Hamilton is gathering momentum having won the last two races in Brazil and Qatar.
      A great deal of that has been put down to the new engine Mercedes have been using – called an ICE – which Marko previously described as a “rocket”.
      However, Hamilton is also thought to have had an advantage because of his flexible rear wing.
      And with the FIA – F1’s governing body – now enforcing a new test for that part of the car, Marko believes Red Bull will be able to compete with Mercedes’ pace.
      The Red Bull advisor told F1-Insider.com: “We saw in Qatar that Hamilton’s speed advantage on the straights in Qatar was no longer that great and was more or less within the normal range.
      “This is due to the fact that after more stringent tests by the FIA, Mercedes no longer used its extremely flexible rear wing.

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      “Mercedes will be using the rocket motor from Brazil in Saudi Arabia again, [but] because you can no longer lower the spoiler, it will no longer bring an advantage of 0.4 seconds.”
      Hamilton’s battle with Verstappen has been a hotly-contested one, with two significant crashes occurring during the season.
      At the British Grand Prix the pair collided in the first lap, leading to Verstappen hitting the wall as Hamilton went on to win the race.
      Then in Italy the world title rivals came together again but this time both men crashed out as Verstappen’s car ended up on top of Hamilton’s.
      And, following his win in Qatar, Britain’s defending champion knows he needs to be more aware than ever of possible collisions.
      Hamilton told the BBC: “You just have to be very, very wary – more wary than ever before.
      “Rather than giving someone the benefit of the doubt, you have to know that’s what’s going to happen.
      “So you always have to be ready to avoid a collision at all costs, [even] if it means going wide, because you want to see the end of the race, right?
      “If you’re stubborn and you hold your ground, you’re going to crash. So that’s what I’ve just tried to do. I’ve tried to make sure I avoid the collision.
      “And I think I’ve been pretty decent at it in most scenarios. You can’t always get it perfect.”
      Lewis Hamilton reacts to his Qatar GP win More

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      ‘That’s the final goal’ – Max Verstappen hints at shock F1 retirement aged just 24 if he wins F1 world title

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      RED BULL’s Max Verstappen has revealed that he could walk away from Formula 1 if he wins the World Drivers Championship this season. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Verstappen admitted his view that once a driver wins the World Drivers Championship, that is as far as they can go in Formula 1.
      Verstappen is just eight points ahead in the drivers leaderboard with two races remainingCredit: AFP
      He was asked: “If you do come to be world champion this year and you fulfil that ambition, what ambition is there for you to achieve, what’s the goal?”
      And he responded: “In F1 not so much, that’s it… you’ve completed it, and it doesn’t really matter anymore or how many you win because you’ve already won one.
      “Of course, I would always try to win more, but that’s done… that’s the final goal.
      “I would have worked very hard to try and achieve that, and after that there’s a lot less pressure.
      “Of course, I have a lot of fun driving, then maybe slowly start to think about other stuff outside of Formula 1 to achieve.”
      Verstappen appeared to suggest that he does not harbour any ambitions of winning multiple championships like his championship rival Lewis Hamilton.

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      Hamilton, 36, has won a record seven World Drivers Championships, including five of the last seven – and is now challenging for his eighth.
      Verstappen’s maiden championship victory appeared to be edging closer after his impressive recent double victories in Austin and Mexico City.
      But Hamilton clawed back some of the deficit with a stunning drive at the Brazilian Grand Prix, going from 10th on the grid to eventually win the race.
      He then comfortably won his 102nd Grand Prix in Doha on Sunday, despite a spirited fight-back from Verstappen, who finished second.
      The Mercedes man is now within eight points of Verstappen at the top of the drivers leaderboard, keeping the pressure on as the season reaches its climax.
      Verstappen can claim his first ever World Drivers Championship with wins in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, becoming the third youngest driver to do so.
      But his comments infer he might quit the sport once he has achieved this ambition, ending an historic rivalry with Hamilton almost as soon as it started.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Former Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg famously retired from motorsport at the age of just 31 after clinching his first world title back in 2016.
      The 36-year-old had finished second behind teammate Lewis Hamilton two years running, with the pair having grown up together on the karting circuit.
      And Rosberg then shocked the world by calling it quits and retiring just days after finally getting his hands on the World Drivers Championship trophy.
      The German claimed he wanted to spend more time with his family and has since also moved into television punditry, featuring regularly on Sky Sports F1.
      As it stands, the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi on 12 December could be the decisive moment in this season’s title race, with both drivers still firmly in it.
      This would also mark the first time the title was decided in the season’s final race since Rosberg’s 2016 title victory, which was also clinched in Abu Dhabi.
      Max Verstappen shows off his new racing helmet ahead of Brazil Grand Prix More

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      ‘Torrid and indecisive’ – Sky Sports’ Martin Brundle slams ‘harsh’ F1 stewards after Verstappen and Bottas penalties

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      DEBATE raging over recent F1 decisions shows little sign of dying down after pundit Martin Brundle stoked the flames once again.The Sky Sports expert has slammed race stewards for dishing out ‘harsh’ grid penalties to stars Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas in Qatar.
      Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas were hit with grid penalties in QatarCredit: Getty
      Martin Brundle called on F1 stewards to up their gameCredit: Getty
      The pair were punished after they failed to slow as yellow flags were waved during qualifying at the Losail International Circuit.
      That followed recent controversy over Verstappen’s move to block Lewis Hamilton in Brazil and questions over the legality of Mercedes’ car.
      Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports column: “I thought the grid penalties for (Verstappen) and Valtteri Bottas were harsh on Sunday.
      “The FIA, who do a generally tremendous job in refereeing the highly complex world of F1, have had a torrid and indecisive couple of weeks since waving through the infamous turn four incident between the championship contenders in Brazil.”
      Red Bull’s Verstappen fought up from seventh on the grid to finish second at the inaugural Qatari event.
      But championship rival Hamilton claimed his second straight victory for Mercedes to cut Verstappen’s lead to just eight points with two races left.

      Qatar played host to a fiery atmosphere in the pit lane as frustrated team bosses made claims and counterclaims over recent incidents.
      Mercedes were angry after being refused an appeal against Verstappen’s blocking tactics on their man at Interlagos.
      Red Bull then threatened to complain about the legality of the lightning-fast Merc as boss Christian Horner claimed he had spotted a questionable rear wing.
      And Verstappen was even fined for touching his rival’s car in Brazil – and then moaned about being denied a fair fight in the championship run-in.
      David Beckham risks angering F1 pal Lewis Hamilton as he poses with rival Max Verstappen’s Red Bull ahead of Qatar GP More

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      ‘More wary than ever before’ – Lewis Hamilton fears crashing with F1 rival Max Verstappen as pair battle for title

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      LEWIS HAMILTON is desperate to avoid another collision with Max Verstappen as a dramatic F1 title race reaches its thrilling climax.Hamilton trails Verstappen in the standings by just eight points with two races left after winning in Qatar, and is ready to be ‘wary’ in order to avoid crashing out at the final hurdle.
      Hamilton and Verstappen have already collided more than once this seasonCredit: Getty
      The pair went wheel-to-wheel at the Brazil GP ten days ago, and the Brit cannot afford to crash out with precious few points left on offer.
      Hamilton told the BBC: “You just have to be very, very wary – more wary than ever before.
      “Rather than giving someone the benefit of the doubt, you have to know that’s what’s going to happen.
      “So you always have to be ready to avoid a collision at all costs, [even] if it means going wide, because you want to see the end of the race, right?
      “If you’re stubborn and you hold your ground, you’re going to crash. So that’s what I’ve just tried to do. I’ve tried to make sure I avoid the collision.
      “And I think I’ve been pretty decent at it in most scenarios. You can’t always get it perfect.”

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      Hamilton and Verstappen have collided on two occasions this campaign… so far.
      The Brit was penalised for the first one at the British GP, while Verstappen was at fault when they crashed again at the Italian GP.
      Two wins in the last two races for Hamilton in Brazil and Qatar have seen him eat into Verstappen’s lead at the top of the standings.
      That’s after he struggled early on in the season while Verstappen clocked up victory after victory.
      The seven-time world champion has admitted he endured a difficult spell, saying: “The first half of the season was one of the toughest I would say, that I’ve had.
      “But right now I feel better than I’ve felt in a long time. So somehow I’ve managed to push through it.”

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Verstappen can win the title with a race to spare in Saudi Arabia on December 5, but it would be fitting for this incredible season to go down to the final race.
      They could even head into the final race at Yas Marina LEVEL on points.
      If Hamilton scoops the 25 points for a race win in Jeddah and the extra bonus point for clocking the fastest lap, they will be tied on points going into the last race of the season should Verstappen come second.
      David Beckham risks angering F1 pal Lewis Hamilton as he poses with rival Max Verstappen’s Red Bull ahead of Qatar GP More

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      F1 director tells Lewis Hamilton ‘rules are clear’ after Brit star hints at confusion following Verstappen overtake

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has been told the rules are clear enough after the F1 superstar grumbled about Max Verstappen’s overtake in Brazil.The Mercedes driver was miffed when officials refused to take action after his championship rival appeared to force him off the track at Interlagos.
      Lewis Hamilton claimed victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix
      The Mercedes driver had to get past rival Max Verstappen at Interlagos
      Anger then grew at Merc after they were refused a right to appeal against the decision not to punish the Red Bull man.
      Now F1 race director Michael Masi has told the feuding teams to stop whining and play by the rules.
      He said: “I think it’s been made clear to them what is expected.
      “I think some of them agree, some of them disagree. That’s always with each and every one of them, they have agreed and disagreed all the way through.
      “We’ve given them some overall guidance, but also been very clear on the fact that each and every case will be judged on its merits.”
      There was surprise among F1 circles as Verstappen appeared to get away with it on lap 48 of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

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      The championship leader held a wide line going into the corner at turn four, which pushed Hamilton off the track.
      Merc boss Toto Wolff accused the stewards of going soft on such incidents and warned it could lead to dangerous racing in future.
      But Masi hit back at critics and insisted his team of officials needed no schooling in terms of what is acceptable racing.
      He added: “We’re not more relaxed. We’re looking at each and every incident on its merits as we have done with each and every one
      “There is a panel of independent stewards, contrary to what many people think, I’m not the one sitting there as judge and jury.”
      David Beckham risks angering F1 pal Lewis Hamilton as he poses with rival Max Verstappen’s Red Bull ahead of Qatar GP More

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      Lewis Hamilton had different spec Mercedes car to Valtteri Bottas during Qatar Grand Prix following engineer tweaks

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      VALTTERI BOTTAS has revealed that he had a different spec Mercedes car to team-mate Lewis Hamilton during the Qatar Grand Prix last weekend.The outgoing Finn, 32, endured a dreadful start on the Losail International Circuit.
      Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas had different cars on SundayCredit: Getty
      Bottas, 32, was forced to retire during the raceCredit: EPA
      And just as he was making his way back up the order he suffered a puncture, eventually having to retire from the race.
      Team-mate Hamilton went on to win the Qatar GP, cutting Max Verstappen’s lead at the top of the Driver Standings to just eight points.
      After the race, Bottas graciously tweeted: “DNF in Qatar Unlucky day for me, but good to see @LewisHamilton win the race. Let’s keep pushing @MercedesAMGF1 !”
      Lifting the lid somewhat on his own woes, however, he told Finnish outlet Ilta Sanomat: “I have found out the reason, but I cannot give details.
      “But my car was no longer quite the same as it was, nor was it the same as Lewis’.
      “There were little differences in the cars.”

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      Team chief Toto Wolff gave Bottas a vote of confidence after the race.
      He said: “We know that he can drive away when he’s at the front. So the speed is there.
      “I have absolute confidence in him for the next races and I hope that we will have a good car. Then Valtteri will be at the front again because we need him there.”
      Mercedes lead Red Bull by just five points in the Constructor Standings.
      On Bottas’ role in the battle, Wolff added to Sky Italia: “He’s very unlucky, because his start was very bad, then he recovered, he was P3 on track, and then there was this puncture.
      “If he had finished the race, we would have had a bit of a safety margin for the Constructors’ Championship, now it will be all decided at the end.”

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Ahead of next week’s penultimate GP of the season in Saudi Arabia, Wolff vowed to unleash his team’s ‘spicy engine’.
      He said: “Saudi should be a good track for us but we know this year when you think it’s a good one it can turn the other way around, but it’s a long straight.
      “We’ll get our spicy engine out for Saudi Arabia that we didn’t use [in Qatar].”
      David Beckham risks angering F1 pal Lewis Hamilton as he poses with rival Max Verstappen’s Red Bull ahead of Qatar GP More