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      Lewis Hamilton has gone ‘SOFT’ and didn’t even try to block Max Verstappen, blasts old Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has been accused of going “soft” in his title fight with Max Verstappen.The Red Bull man opened up a 12 point lead in the championship with a thrilling win in the French Grand Prix as Mercedes again cracked under the pressure.
      Lewis Hamilton has been accused by Nico Rosberg of going SOFT in his title fightCredit: Getty
      Hamilton failed to protect his lead on the penultimate lap and was overtaken by Max VerstappenCredit: Reuters
      The attack came from Hamilton’s former rival and teammate, Nico Rosberg, who also delivered a damning verdict on Mercedes after they were caught out tactically by Verstappen’s two pitstops.
      It allowed the Dutchman to breeze past Hamilton on the penultimate lap on fresher tyres, as the world champion was powerless to hold on to the lead.
      Rosberg, however, felt Hamilton could have done more to defend, and said: “Unusual from Lewis. Close the damn door! No?
      “Usually, Lewis is the best one-to-one racer and I am surprised he didn’t try. At least try. Brake late, try to keep him on the outside, so a bit soft from Lewis.”
      Rosberg, who won the title in 2016 after beating Hamilton only to retire immediately, also accused him of feeling the strain after he took a pop at pundit Paul Di Resta.
      On Saturday, Hamilton quipped that he disproved Di Resta’s “myth” after the Scot speculated over his chassis change with Valtteri Bottas.
      Rosberg added: “You can see the pressure is on Mercedes. Lewis is even blaming Paul, so even he has got into his head!
      “Red Bull are now really becoming the dominant force more and more, which is putting so much pressure on Mercedes and we’re seeing that Mercedes is making mistake after mistake.

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      “So they need to be careful, and they need to keep it together from now on to have a chance.”
      Rosberg’s words against his old employers could be dismissed as sour grapes but the fact is Mercedes cocked this one up.
      Verstappen’s own error on the first lap gifted Hamilton the lead but Mercedes failed to respond on two key occasions to scupper his chances of a much-needed win.
      First, they allowed Verstappen to regain his advantage by taking a lap too long to pit Hamilton for his tyres, as Verstappen benefitted from the undercut.
      They then decided not to pit Hamilton a second time, keeping him on a one-stop strategy while Verstappen stopped for fresh rubber to hunt down and pass Bottas and Hamilton.
      Mercedes’ chief strategist James Vowles apologised to Hamilton after the race saying “this one is on us”.
      The ten greatest F1 drivers of all-time – according to SunSport’s motorsport correspondent Ben Hunt
      Hamilton was later quizzed about his “soft” defence and said he had no choice but also added he could have won had he made a second stop.
      He said: “There were marbles on the inside so I did not want to make my tyres any worse than they already were.
      “He had DRS open so if he didn’t pass me there, he would have passed me on the straight afterwards, so it was pointless to defend any harder.
      “And if we had a two-stop, that could potentially have done the job but it was not the cards for us and we need to find out why.”
      Meanwhile, Bottas, who finished fourth, was livid and accused Merc of ignoring his call for two pitstops.
      He said: “Why the f*** did no one listen to me when I said it was going to be a two-stopper. F***!”
      Verstappen’s win was the third successive victory for Red Bull and clearly shows the tide has turned in the fight.

      Team boss Christian Horner had said before the race that if they could win in France for the first time, it would prove they could fight Merc for victories anywhere.
      And with two home races coming up at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, Verstappen is feeling confident.
      He said: “As you could see, the whole race we were fighting each other. I think it will be like this for the rest of the season.”
      Horner said it was payback for Verstappen after Merc pulled the two-stop strategy to perfection as Hamilton won the Spanish GP in May.
      He added: “The strategy guys work the numbers to present the odds and you have to go for it.  
      “I did not want to be in the same situation as Barcelona and I am very proud of the team.
      “It has been a great race, you can see how close it is between the two teams and it will be nip and tuck through this championship.”
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      F1 French Grand Prix LIVE RESULTS: Verstappen wins race after penultimate lap overtake on Hamilton in thriller

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has won the French Grand Prix after a thrilling overtake on Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap.Mercedes and Red Bull took different approaches to their pit stop, but the Brit’s wearying tyres let him down in the end as his Dutch rival overtook following a brilliant surge.
      Follow ALL of the latest updates below…
      SWITZERLAND VS TURKEY: BOTH NEED WIN
      Bottom side Switzerland, with one point, and point-less Turkey each need victory in their 5pm game to have any chance of going through.
      Even if the Swiss win, they would only finish in the top two if Wale slose to Italy with a swing of five on goal difference.
      Four points could be enough as four third-placed teams going through.
      ITALY VS WALES TEAM NEWS
      Rob Page makes three changes for his Dragons for the 5pm Group A finale.
      Neco Williams, Chris Gunter and Ethan Ampadu replace Ben Davies, Chris Mepham and Kiefer Moore
      Neco Williams, Chris Gunter and Ethan Ampadu come in.
      WALES: Ward, Roberts, Williams, Rodon, Ampadu, Gunter, Allen, Morrell, Ramsey, Bale, James.
      Italy also make a host of changes.
      Ciro Immobile, Manuel Locatelli, Leonardo Spinazzola, and Lorenzo Insigne are all rested, while Giorgio Chiellini is left out altogether.
      ITALY: Donnarumma, Toloi, Bonucci, Bastoni, Emerson, Verratti, Jorginho, Pessina, Chiesa, Belotti, Bernardeschi.
      ‘HE DID A GREAT JOB’
      Lewis Hamilton praises rival Max Verstappen after the Red Bull driver made up three seconds inside the final five laps to beat him.
      He said: “Congratulations to Max, he did a great job.
      “I am happy with the result, unfortunately I lost the position but it was still a great race.
      “We have got to dig deep and find some pace.”
      LEWIS: “Congratulations to Max, he did a great job. I am happy with the result, unfortunately I lost the position but it was still a great race. We have got to dig deep and find some pace”#FrenchGP 🇫🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/cJpr5M25UQ— Formula 1 (@F1) June 20, 2021

      THREE IN A ROW
      Red Bull win for the third race in a row, and both drivers are on the podium!

      HAVE YOUR SAY
      What a race! Another step closer to the F1 Drivers’ Championship for Verstappen, but there’s still a way to go yet…

      MAX-ED OUT
      With five laps to go, Max Verstappen made up three seconds to beat Lewis Hamilton at the French Grand Prix!
      Credit: GETTY IMAGES
      Credit: GETTY IMAGES
      Credit: GETTY IMAGES
      VERSTAPPEN WINS THE FRENCH GRAND PRIX
      The two-stop strategy worked wonders. The Dutchman crosses the line in P1 and gets the bonus point for setting the fastest lap.
      Red Bull win three races in a row. Amazing race.
      Hamilton is second. Perez in third and Bottas in fourth.
      Norris in fifth. Ricciardo is sixth.
      Phew!
      VERSTAPPEN LEADS
      What a thrilling finale to this race.
      VERSTAPPEN DOES IT
      Fantastic overtake on Hamilton. That was a thrilling pass. He knew exactly what he was doing.
      VERSTAPPEN IN DRS DISTANCE
      THIS. IS. GETTING. VERY. CLOSE.
      3 LAPS TO GO
      Verstappen is closing. He has to make up 1.3 seconds.
      LAP 49
      Perez passes Bottas and in to third place. Cracking stuff from the Mexican. Red Bull are running second and third.
      FIVE LAPS TO GO
      It is Hamilton v Verstappen. The gap is now under three seconds.
      SOMEHOW HAMILTON IS KEEPING THAT GAP OVER VERSTAPPEN
      The Brit has a five second advantage, despite being on older, harder tyres. Hamilton is eeking out the performance of this old hard tyres.
      BOTTAS IS FURIOUS
      He told his team he would not get to the end of the race on the same tyre. He has been sacrificed to preserve Hamilton’s chances.

      LAP 44 VERSTAPPEN GETS SECOND PLACE
      A mistake from Bottas, as he goes deep into a corner and Verstappen takes full advantage and in to second.
      10 LAPS TO GO
      Verstappen closing in on Bottas. He needs to get the move done quickly.
      VERSTAPPEN CAN SEE BOTTAS AND HAMILTON
      Bottas has no tyres left. He is a sitting duck.
      HAMILTON ASKING ABOUT VERSTAPPEN AND BOTTAS
      He is told Verstappen’s pace is dropping. And that Bottas was holding firm.
      Hamilton says his tyres “aren’t feeling great”.
      LAP 38 HAMILTON STILL LEADS
      Verstappen has 15 laps to reel in Hamilton’s lead. But there is Bottas in between them.
      Verstappen is 8.5 seconds behind Hamilton.
      HAVE YOUR SAY

      LAP 35
      Verstappen passes Perez in to third.

      LAP 34
      Norris moves in to seventh as he passes his teammate on track.
      LAP 32 VERSTAPPEN PITS FOR FRESH TYRES
      Red Bull rolled the dice. A 2.5 second stop. Red Bull playing the game here.
      THIS IS SHAPING UP TO BE AN EPIC FIGHT
      Both Verstappen and Hamilton are struggling, such is the relentlessness of their pace.
      It could force them in to make two pitstops. Remember, Bottas, Verstappen and Hamilton was the order.
      However, Perez went on much longer. He could be in contention for a win here.
      Load more entries… More

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      Lewis Hamilton falls agonisingly short in French Grand Prix as Max Verstappen overtakes him just before final lap to win

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      LEWIS HAMILTON was denied a crucial victory in the French Grand Prix as Championship leader Max Verstappen overtook him with just two laps to go.In the end it all came down to strategy – and it was Red Bull and their Belgian driver who were left celebrating.
      Max Verstappen extended his lead in the Drivers’ Championship by winning the French GPCredit: Reuters
      Lewis Hamilton came agonisingly close to winning the French GPCredit: Reuters

      Christian Horner and his team opted for a two-stop pit strategy, with rivals Mercedes opting for one.
      In the end it worked a treat as Verstappen’s cleaners tyres allowed him to chase down Hamilton and take the chequered flag.
      It is three Red Bull wins in a row now, with Verstappen extending his lead at the top of the diver’s Championship to 12.
      Perez bagged the final podium spot, with Valtteri Bottas in fourth, Lando Norris fifth and Daniel Ricciardo sixth.
      Hamilton made the perfect start to the race when he overtook pole-setter Verstappen instantly.
      But then followed a real ding-dong battle that went down to when the teams decided to pit.
      Both drivers complained about their tyres at various points in the race – but it was Verstappen’s radio that caused him the biggest issues.
      At one point he was even told to adjust his headset – but the problem seemed deeper than that.

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      Verstappen made up three seconds inside the final five laps to beat HamiltonCredit: AFP
      Hamilton was forced to settle for second in FranceCredit: Reuters
      The ten greatest F1 drivers of all-time – according to SunSport’s motorsport correspondent Ben Hunt

      Nine laps before the end Verstappen overtook Bottas to take second and provide a real threat to Hamilton’s dominance.
      And the chase was ultimately successful as Verstappen took the chequered flag with a second-to-last lap overtake.
      He made up three seconds inside the final five laps to beat him
      Speaking after the race, Brit Hamilton said: “Congratulations to Max, he did a great job.
      “I am happy with the result, unfortunately I lost the position but it was still a great race.
      “We have got to dig deep and find some pace.”
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      French GP qualifying results: Verstappen grabs pole with Hamilton 2nd as Schumacher crashes out after reaching first Q2

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN stormed to pole position at the French Grand Prix after holding off Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.The Dutch star, 23, recorded the only sub-1:30.00 lap to grab the top spot on the grid for Red Bull in Sunday’s race for the first time since the 2021 opener in Bahrain.
      Max Verstappen charged to his second pole of the season after holding off Lewis Hamilton to start at the front of the grid for Sunday’s French GPCredit: AP
      Mick Schumacher’s car was towed following his crash after securing his first-ever place in Q2Credit: Reuters
      Lewis Hamilton could only finish second behind Verstappen for Sunday’s race in FranceCredit: AFP
      Verstappen will now start on the front row alongside Hamilton, with Bottas and team-mate Perez in third and fourth respectively.
      Pierre Gasly took sixth place to split the two Ferraris, with Carlos Sainz enjoying a better afternoon than team-mate Charles Leclerc, who struggled in pursuit of a third straight pole.
      Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso and Daniel Ricciardo completed the top ten after an exciting afternoon of racing at the Circuit Paul Ricard.
      Verstappen had gone quickest in Q1, marginally ahead of Hamilton, team-mate Perez and Bottas.
      But the big story came further down the grid, as Mick Schumacher reached Q2 for the first time in his fledgling career after finishing 14th.
      In a cruel twist of fate, though, the son of F1 legend Michael crashed having already set his Q1 time, with the red flag waved, cutting the session short.
      That meant Schumacher was unable to push for a spot in Q3, sitting out the second session and will start Sunday’s race in 15th.
      Yuki Tsunoda will start from the back of the grid after failing to set a time following a crash early in the session.
      Mick Schumacher had his car lifted off the track on a crane after crashing out late in Q1 having finished the session 14thCredit: Getty

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      Lance Stroll, Nikita Mazepin, Kimi Raikkonen and Nicholas Latifi also failed to make it to Q2.
      Joining Schumacher in not reaching Q3 were George Russell, Antonio Giovinazzi, Sebastian Vettel and Esteban Ocon after a much less eventful session.
      Mercedes stormed to the top two positions in Q2, with Bottas and Hamilton leading Red Bull pair Perez and Verstappen.
      But Verstappen ensured Mercedes didn’t secure their first pole since Spain after Ferrari’s recent dominance on Saturdays.
      In the process, the Dutch ace bagged Red Bull’s first top spot on the grid since he clinched the top spot for the opening race of the season in Bahrain.
      On his qualifying performance, Verstappen said: “So far it’s been a really positive weekend, on a track that is normally difficult for us.
      “To get pole position was really nice but we have to finish it off and get 25 points – which we lost in Baku.
      “Great promise from our side. The car felt good, so looking forward to it.”

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Hamilton congratulated Verstappen for grabbing pole on a ‘tough’ weekend for Mercedes – but warned him the ‘rain master’ is coming for him should the wet weather arrive.
      The Brit said: “It’s been a really hard weekend trying to get the car into a happy place.
      “Going round and round, making so many changes since practice one – chasing our tail.
      “Congrats to Max, he did an an incredible job. I think they have a new engine and there’s a lot of time on the straights.
      “We’ll keep pushing, keep fighting and giving it everything.
      “Their long-run pace is a tenth or two quicker than us, but the car’s in a much different place now.
      “We’re going to fight for a chance into Turn One and there could be some interesting strategy tomorrow.
      “I think there could be some rain, so a chance to see the rain master.”

      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      F1 French Grand Prix LIVE RESULTS: Latest updates ahead of qualifying – stream, TV channel, UK start time

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      THE FRENCH Grand Prix is HERE!Champion Lewis Hamilton will be aiming to bounce back with the Brit star slipping to four points behind leader Max Verstappen.

      Qualifying: 2pm today
      Race time: 2pm Sunday
      TV channel: Sky Sports F1

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      Follow ALL of the latest updates below…

      KERB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
      Mercedes have complained that the Turn 2 yellow kerbs have caused ‘hundreds of thousands of pounds’ worth of damage ‘for going three feet wide’.
      The FIA will face questions over the issue following today’s running – and it would not be a surprise to see them ditched.
      Yet race director Michael Masi shot back over radio ‘it is more than three feet’ after Valtteri Bottas was among those running over the kerbs.
      LEW: I’M STRUGGLING
      Disgruntled Lewis Hamilton was third in today’s practice having swapped chassis with Valtteri Bottas and admitted he was struggling at the Paul Ricard Circuit.
      He said: “It was quite a struggle this week for everyone.
      “Maybe it was because the inflated tyres, which are higher than ever before and we are all sliding around.
      “I am looking at every option and we have made lots of changes and done a lot of analysis but we won’t know if that works until we go out in P3.”
      NORRIS REACTION
      Lando Norris was 10th fastest in practice today.
      Here’s what the Brit’s had to say…

      MORE GUENTHER, PLEASE
      Who doesn’t love some Guenther Steiner content after a long day or practice?
      It was another difficult afternoon for Haas, as Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin were the slowest drivers in practice.

      ALONSO REACTION
      It was a good day at the office today for Fernando Alonso, who was fourth fastest in practice…

      STROLL REACTION
      Lance Stroll has been reflecting on a disappointing day for Aston Martin…
      Feeling the heat. 🔥 Hear what @Lance_Stroll had to say about the first day of the #FrenchGP in our latest debrief.— Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) June 18, 2021

      HAMILTON REACTION
      Disgruntled Lewis Hamilton was third in today’s practice having swapped chassis with Valtteri Bottas and admitted he was struggling at the Paul Ricard Circuit.
      He said: “It was quite a struggle this week for everyone.
      “Maybe it was because the inflated tyres, which are higher than ever before and we are all sliding around.
      “I am looking at every option and we have made lots of changes and done a lot of analysis but we won’t know if that works until we go out in P3.”
      FROM BAD TO VERS
      Max Verstappen set the pace in practice for the French GP – with Valtteri Bottas breathing down his neck.
      The Red Bull man, who leads the drivers’ championship from Lewis Hamilton, was just 0.008 seconds quicker than under-fire Bottas.
      Bottas said: “I am confident with the car and I can trust it as well. It is going to be close.
      “We were expecting Red Bull to be strong. I am sure they have much more to come and so do we.”
      GEARED UP
      England’s players have been revved up to face Scotland on Friday – by trying to beat F1 ace, Lando Norris on a simulator.
      McLaren star Norris revealed that he has been messaged by players who are trying to beat his benchmark time for a lap of Brands Hatch, set on a computer at England’s training camp at St George’s Park.
      Norris said: “I am supporting England and speak to some of the guys. Mason [Mount] sent me a jersey to wear, which I will be wearing.
      “I know a lot of them are motorsport fans too, who want to come to some of the races when they can.
      “They have two simulators installed by my brother at Cool Performance, so they are doing hot laps of Brands Hatch when they are resting in between training.
      “I know they are trying to beat my lap time I did for Brands. I don’t think any of them have done it yet. I know Mason messaged me to say he is trying hard to beat me.”

      ALP-FINE
      Fernando Alonso was the fourth fastest in practice today.
      The two-time world champion is yet to finish better than P6 this season and will be hoping to continue his good form heading into the weekend.
      Can he get a first F1 podium for Alpine?
      RICCIARDO’S STRUGGLES CONTINUE
      It was another bad day for Daniel Ricciardo in practice.
      He was the 14th fastest, four places behind McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.
      He’s finished in P7, P6, P9, P6, P12 and P9 in the first six races of the season.
      Can the 31-year-old turn his form around in France?
      SHOCKER FOR ASTON MARTIN
      Aston Martin did not have a good FP2 ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix.
      Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll were 15th and 16th fastest, with only the Williams and Haas drivers going slower.
      It’s a far cry from two weeks ago, when Vettel finished P2 at the Azerbaijan GP.
      FINAL STANDINGS IN FP2

      KERBS CAUSING CHAOS
      Final element from FP2 is that Red Bull have asked to remove the kerbs that cost Verstappen some bodywork at Turn 2.
      A frank exchange between the team and race director, Michael Masi.
      Red Bull: “It is a huge penalty for going wide – penalty is around £100,000.”
      Masi: “Teams have asked for physical limits, they were there in 2019…I will have a look at it”.
      FP3 IS DONE
      Verstappen leads and looks good.Bottas looks inspired and revived.Hamilton unhappy in third place and said so.Alonso a surprise in P4 but getting up to speed for Alpine.
      BOTTAS IS LOOKING STRONG IN FRANCE
      And boys does he need it. Questions about his future. Two races with no points. Down in sixth place in the championship.
      He knows he needs a win this weekend before the pressure builds.
      VERSTAPPEN TOPS FP2 PEREZ IN 12TH

      ALONSO REDISCOVERING FORM
      It has not been the return to F1 he wanted, as he has been soundly beaten by his teammate. But there are signs he is getting back up to speed.

      HAMILTON UNHAPPY
      He radios his team and says: “There is something not right with the car, man!”
      BOTTAS STILL LEADS HAMILTON
      Remember, there was that curious decision from Mercedes to swap their chassis over for this race.
      Unusual to do it. Even more strange to announce it. Perhaps a way to show there is no preferred driver? Or to give under performing Bottas a lift?
      CHARLES LECLERC GOING FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE POLES
      But this could be one race too much. Ferrari were fortunate in Monaco and Azerbaijan, but they are off the pace in France so far.
      They have some work to do if they are to catch the Mercs and Red Bull.

      BITS FALLING OFF VERSTAPPEN’S CAR
      He runs over the kerbs and a part breaks off. Red Bull immediately radio race control to request the part is returned to the garage.
      That’s Red Bull wanting to protect their upgrades from prying eyes and to reattach it to Verstappen’s car.

      SPIN FOR MAZEPIN
      Death, taxes and spins for the Russian, as the Haas driver loses grip and slides around.
      DIZZYING PAINT WORK AT PAUL RICARD
      The red, white and blue painted lines is all rather striking but this track has so far served up two dull races in 2018 and 2019.
      Both of those won by Lewis Hamilton, who is going in search of his hatrick.
      FP2 IS GO IN FRANCE
      It was a Merc 1-2 in the morning session. Can Red Bull find a way back?
      Load more entries… More

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      Max Verstappen sets fastest pace in French Grand Prix final practice with Lewis Hamilton back in third behind Bottas

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN set the pace in practice for the French GP – with Valtteri Bottas breathing down his neck.The Red Bull man, who leads the drivers’ championship from Lewis Hamilton, was just 0.008 seconds quicker than under-fire Bottas.
      Red Bull ace Max Verstappen is well placed to boost his title lead, but Lewis Hamilton was slower than Mercedes team-mate Valtteri BottasCredit: Getty
      Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes are pondering ‘every option, to try to solve their problems after practice in FranceCredit: Getty
      Disgruntled Hamilton was third having swapped chassis with Bottas and admitted he was struggling at the Paul Ricard Circuit.
      He said: “It was quite a struggle this week for everyone.
      “Maybe it was because the inflated tyres, which are higher than ever before and we are all sliding around.
      “I am looking at every option and we have made lots of changes and done a lot of analysis but we won’t know if that works until we go out in P3.”
      Bottas, who has Hamilton’s chassis from Baku, added: “It is hard to say it is chassis or the track but there is a lot better feeling than two weeks ago.
      “We have started on the right foot and I feel pretty comfortable.
      “The balance is good and the tyres are working well.
      “I am confident with the car and I can trust it as well. It is going to be close.
      “We were expecting Red Bull to be strong. I am sure they have much more to come and so do we.”

      Royal Ascot special 🏇🎩

      Meanwhile, Merc boss Toto Wolff played down the suggestion that Hamilton and Bottas’s performance has swapped as a result of the chassis change.
      He said: “We swap parts around all the time and it is part of our planning.
      “It is good to get the feedback but we have a spare chassis, which is a new one, we can always use that.”
      The ten greatest F1 drivers of all-time – according to SunSport’s motorsport correspondent Ben Hunt
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      F1 French Grand Prix LIVE RESULTS: Latest updates as practice gets UNDERWAY – stream, TV channel, UK start time

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      THE FRENCH Grand Prix is HERE!Champion Lewis Hamilton will be aiming to bounce back with the Brit star slipping to four points behind leader Max Verstappen.

      Start times: Practice sessions from 10.30am BST today
      Qualifying: 2pm tomorrow
      Race time: 2pm Sunday
      TV channel: Sky Sports F1

      ⚽ ENGLAND vs SCOTLAND BETTING SPECIAL ⚽

      Follow ALL of the latest updates below…

      RICCIARDO’S STRUGGLES CONTINUE
      It was another bad day for Daniel Ricciardo in practice.
      He was the 14th fastest, four places behind McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.
      He’s finished in P7, P6, P9, P6, P12 and P9 in the first six races of the season.
      Can the 31-year-old turn his form around in France?
      SHOCKER FOR ASTON MARTIN
      Aston Martin did not have a good FP2 ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix.
      Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll were 15th and 16th fastest, with only the Williams and Haas drivers going slower.
      It’s a far cry from two weeks ago, when Vettel finished P2 at the Azerbaijan GP.
      FINAL STANDINGS IN FP2

      KERBS CAUSING CHAOS
      Final element from FP2 is that Red Bull have asked to remove the kerbs that cost Verstappen some bodywork at Turn 2.
      A frank exchange between the team and race director, Michael Masi.
      Red Bull: “It is a huge penalty for going wide – penalty is around £100,000.”
      Masi: “Teams have asked for physical limits, they were there in 2019…I will have a look at it”.
      FP3 IS DONE
      Verstappen leads and looks good.Bottas looks inspired and revived.Hamilton unhappy in third place and said so.Alonso a surprise in P4 but getting up to speed for Alpine.
      BOTTAS IS LOOKING STRONG IN FRANCE
      And boys does he need it. Questions about his future. Two races with no points. Down in sixth place in the championship.
      He knows he needs a win this weekend before the pressure builds.
      VERSTAPPEN TOPS FP2 PEREZ IN 12TH

      ALONSO REDISCOVERING FORM
      It has not been the return to F1 he wanted, as he has been soundly beaten by his teammate. But there are signs he is getting back up to speed.

      HAMILTON UNHAPPY
      He radios his team and says: “There is something not right with the car, man!”
      BOTTAS STILL LEADS HAMILTON
      Remember, there was that curious decision from Mercedes to swap their chassis over for this race.
      Unusual to do it. Even more strange to announce it. Perhaps a way to show there is no preferred driver? Or to give under performing Bottas a lift?
      CHARLES LECLERC GOING FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE POLES
      But this could be one race too much. Ferrari were fortunate in Monaco and Azerbaijan, but they are off the pace in France so far.
      They have some work to do if they are to catch the Mercs and Red Bull.

      BITS FALLING OFF VERSTAPPEN’S CAR
      He runs over the kerbs and a part breaks off. Red Bull immediately radio race control to request the part is returned to the garage.
      That’s Red Bull wanting to protect their upgrades from prying eyes and to reattach it to Verstappen’s car.

      SPIN FOR MAZEPIN
      Death, taxes and spins for the Russian, as the Haas driver loses grip and slides around.
      DIZZYING PAINT WORK AT PAUL RICARD
      The red, white and blue painted lines is all rather striking but this track has so far served up two dull races in 2018 and 2019.
      Both of those won by Lewis Hamilton, who is going in search of his hatrick.
      FP2 IS GO IN FRANCE
      It was a Merc 1-2 in the morning session. Can Red Bull find a way back?
      DEFLATEGATE
      Lewis Hamilton’s rivalry with Max Verstappen has blown up with F1’s very own deflategate.
      Verstappen was sent crashing out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix when his tyre burst without warning, sending him into a wall at 200mph.
      And Hamilton said: “Every weekend whenever there is a failure, they always put the pressures up – so that tells you something.
      “More often than not, [it’s] that the tyres are not being run at the pressures that are being asked. We didn’t have a problem with our tyres.
      “I think Pirelli have done a great job with the tyres this year, they’re more robust than before, and I think in this particular instance, I don’t think Pirelli are at fault.”
      But Verstappen shot back: “The only thing I can say is from our side the team did everything like they should have done. Pirelli cannot put the blame on us, and I think they have to look at themselves.”
      ALL EYES ON PIRELLI
      A major subplot following Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll’s crashes in Baku has been the Pirelli tyre failures that caused them.
      Both the teams and tyre manufacturer claim no fault in the high-speed smashes with Pirelli blaming lower pressures and errors in data simulations.
      Pirelli’s head of F1 and car racing Mario Isola said: “What happened in Baku is simply that the running conditions expected were different compared to the actual running conditions – and that created the failure.
      “When you have a lot of energy going into the tyres, with the pressure that is lower compared to the expectation, the result is that on the sidewall you have what we call standing waves.
      “Standing waves are putting a lot of energy into the inside shoulder of the tyre. And, at a certain point, the tyre breaks. That is what happened, and the reason why we had this situation in Baku.”
      LEW-SING OUT
      Lewis Hamilton has stated that Mercedes will look for a ‘long-term’ solution to the error that ended his Azerbaijan Grand Prix hopes.
      The Brit knocked his ‘magic’ steering wheel button that severely reduced his brakes at the restart in Baku, and moving the feature around the pad is no quick fix.
      Hamilton said: “I don’t even count it as a mistake.
      “You can’t always be perfect [but] a mistake is where you drive off the track through missing your braking point or hitting the wall. 
      “But it was an unforced error, really something we had that was sitting there that could have happened at any point and it unfortunately bit us pretty hard. But we learned from the experience and we move forwards.”
      SET YOUR WATCH
      The second and final session of the day gets underway in just over an hour from southern France.
      Stay with us for FP2 at 2pm.
      GROSJEAN KO
      Romain Grosjean was set to run this weekend in a Mercedes for an emotional final outing in an F1 car.
      The Frenchman missed the final weeks of last year when his Haas car was involved in a terrifying fireball crash in Bahrain.
      And he had been given the chance to enjoy a test with the Mercs at Circuit Paul Ricard.
      Yet Covid quarantine regulations and travel restrictions has meant a delay, with the team restating their commitment to giving Grosjean a proper send-off.
      VETTEL’S SPIN
      It was a rather hairy first practice in Le Castellet and chief among the incidents was Sebastian Vettel’s collision with the wall at Turn 10.

      TOP TEN IN FP1
      1. BOT – 1:33.4482. HAM – Three tenths back3. VER – Unable to put in clean hot lap on Softs4. PER – 1:34.193 on Hard tyre5. OCO – Joint-most laps on 25 with Perez6. RIC7. ALO8. GAS9. NOR10. TSU
      Credit: AP
      CHEQUERED FLAG
      That is the end of the first session and Mercedes will be quietly pleased with a one-two on the timesheets.
      Plenty more running to come and there is a strong feeling that those Red Bulls have a lot left in the tank.
      VERSTAPPEN GOES WIDE
      In chasing the FP1 honour, Max Verstappen has to bail at Turn 1.
      Mind you, no one has won the race after ‘winning’ first practice this season, so it’s maybe not the most prestigious of gongs…
      OCON ON FORM
      Esteban Ocon celebrating his new contract with Alpine and is sitting above Fernando Alonso after a quick lap.
      The Frenchman is fifth with Daniel Ricciardo, who really needs a good weekend, sixth.
      Load more entries… More

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      in Motorsport

      Lewis Hamilton’s rivalry with Max Verstappen blows up as pair row over Pirelli tyre failures in Azerbaijan GP

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’s rivalry with Max Verstappen has blown up with F1’s very own deflategate.Verstappen was sent crashing out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix when his tyre burst without warning, sending him into a wall at 200mph.
      Hamilton and Verstappen are fierce rivalsCredit: SPLASH NEWS
      Red Bull say they adhered to all the guidelinesCredit: RUETERS
      Tyre suppliers Pirelli say their investigation found no fault with the tyre and blamed “running conditions”, with the FIA responding by ramping up tyre pressures and checks for this weekend’s French GP.
      And while Red Bull say they adhered to all the guidelines, Hamilton cryptically suggested the problem WAS caused by Verstappen running lower pressures for more grip.
      And the world champion, who is second in the standings behind Verstappen, called on F1’s governing body to start policing it.
      He said: “Every weekend whenever there is a failure, they always put the pressures up – so that tells you something.
      “More often than not, [it’s] that the tyres are not being run at the pressures that are being asked. We didn’t have a problem with our tyres.
      “I think Pirelli have done a great job with the tyres this year, they’re more robust than before, and I think in this particular instance, I don’t think Pirelli are at fault.
      “At the end of the day, safety is always the priority and for me and for my team, there have been clear rules and guidelines as to where we have to operate.
      “So I was very surprised to see that [the FIA] had to clarify those, which obviously, you can take what you want from that.
      Royal Ascot special 🏇🎩

      “I’m happy that they have acknowledged that they need to clarify it but what’s really, really important from now is how they police it, because they’ve not been policing how the tyres are being used, tyre pressures, tyre temperatures, and we need to do better.
      “We need to see them really follow through and be really vigilant to make sure that it’s equal across the field.”
      Meanwhile, Verstappen hit back at his claim and adamant that Red Bull did nothing and that Pirelli should “look at themselves”.
      He added: “The only thing I can say is from our side the team did everything like they should have done. They followed all the guidelines with tyre pressures and stuff, so there was nothing to be found there.
      “[Pirelli] cannot put the blame on us, and I think they have to look at themselves.”
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More