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      Lewis Hamilton by far F1’s top earner on a staggering £40m-a-year, way ahead of rivals Alonso, Verstappen and Norris

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      LEWIS HAMILTON is comfortably Formula One’s top earner on an awe inspiring £40million pay packet.Mercedes star Hamilton earns well over twice as much as every other driver after signing a stunning new contract earlier this year.

      Ahead of the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, Lando Norris entered the top ten with his new £6m contract to race for McLaren to 2023.
      Sebastian Vettel was the second highest-earner in 2020 but traded his £37m Ferrari pay packet for a more modest £7.3m at Aston Martin.
      While returning legend Fernando Alonso is on a £6.55m deal with Alpine.
      Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is on a £18.2m contract that dwarfs new team-mate Sergio Perez’s deal.
      The Mexican’s 2021 salary is thought to be £4.37m, which is still a rise from the £2.5m he earned at Racing Point last year.
      Daniel Ricciardo comes in at joint-third on a £10.2m deal with McLaren, a reduction on his £16m Renault wage with a heavily bonus-based agreement at his new home.
      Charles Leclerc is reportedly on the same fee at Ferrari, ahead of Scuderia newboy Carlos Sainz.
      The Spaniard is one of the few drivers to earn a pay rise for the new season with a bump up to £7.3m after swapping Ferrari from McLaren while Valtteri Bottas at world champions Mercedes is down in ninth on £5.82m.
      Kimi Raikkonen, Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon are the only other drivers thought to earn seven-figure sums.
      Lewis Hamilton put pen to paper on his £40million deal with Mercedes earlier this yearCredit: PA:Press Association

      The new season has seen a handful of rookies enter the paddock in Mick Schumacher, Nikita Mazepin and Yuki Tsunoda.
      Only Japanese AlphaTauri starlet Tsunoda has scored a point of the trio.
      And they will be put through the ultimate test this weekend with the Monaco Grand Prix.
      Lewis Hamilton uploads stunning moving art to instagram to celebrate taking 100th F1 pole More

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      Red Bull chief Christian Horner takes dig at Lewis Hamilton over 2011 ‘energy drink company’ jibe

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      CHRISTIAN HORNER has not forgotten Lewis Hamilton describing Red Bull as ‘a drinks company’ as Mercedes go toe-to-toe with his team.The Formula One team are targeting their fifth world championship and first since 2013 with Max Verstappen’s challenge of Hamilton’s supremacy.
      Christian Horner has hit back at Red Bull’s criticsCredit: Getty
      Lewis Hamilton’s ‘drinks company’ jibe has not been forgottenCredit: Rex
      Back in 2011, the Brit predicted a very different outcome while battling Sebastian Vettel in his McLaren.
      Hamilton declared: “Red Bull are not a manufacturer, they are a drinks company. It’s a drinks company versus McLaren/Ferrari history.
      “I don’t know what their plan is. Our team is building to become a bigger manufacturer, like Ferrari, and I can only see our team being there for a ridiculous amount of time. It is a pure-bred racing team.”
      Not only are Red Bull in the mix this year, the Milton Keynes outfit are aiming high with the construction of their own engine factory.
      Taking over power unit duties from Honda, Horner has also plucked a number of Mercedes staff.
      That led to Toto Wolff recently suggesting: “There were some really good people that were approached with lottery number pay cheques and they haven’t even thought about it twice.”
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      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      But Horner, 47, hit back at the Merc duo and insisted Red Bull are going about their business in the right way – and are ready to prove people wrong again.
      He told The Race: “It’s gathering pace, we’re getting the right people, we’re using all the same philosophy as on the chassis side of bringing the right people in.
      “We’ve demonstrated that we can do it on the chassis side. People I don’t think took Red Bull seriously when they entered the sport as a chassis manufacturer.
      “We were famously called just an energy drinks company by a certain driver [Lewis Hamilton].
      “Formula 1 is a people sport. And at the end of the day, you’re as good as your people.
      “We’ll have a great facility, but we’ll have even greater people, as part of this project and that’s what’s tremendously exciting and I think that’s what’s attracting the talent.
      It’s not been about waving cheques in front of them, it’s about the integration, the opportunity.Christian Horner

      “It’s not been about waving cheques in front of them, it’s about the integration, the opportunity to be part of one team rather than just an engine supplier.
      “That’s really struck a chord and been a fundamental reason why we’ve managed to attract this talent.”
      Horner and Red Bull will have a fresh chance to close down Hamilton’s championship lead this weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix.
      Lewis Hamilton uploads stunning moving art to instagram to celebrate taking 100th F1 pole More

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      Lando Norris signs new £6m-a-year McLaren deal ahead of Monaco Grand Prix as Brit is rewarded for excellent season start

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      LANDO NORRIS has been rewarded for his excellent start to the season with a new multi-year contract at McLaren.The Brit is fourth in the drivers’ championship after four races, just six points behind Mercedes star Valtteri Bottas.
      Lando Norris has signed up with McLaren until 2023Credit: EPA
      The 21-year-old from Somerset has been at Mclaren since 2017 after initially joining as the team’s test and simulator driver before making his F1 debut in 2019.
      The highly-rated racer has scored two podium finishes and has committed his long-term future to the Woking-based team, worth around £6million-a-year.
      Norris said: “I’m really pleased to have extended my relationship with McLaren from 2022.
      “Having been with the team for almost five years, I feel very much part of the family here and I couldn’t imagine starting the next phase of my career anywhere else.
      “McLaren has been a huge support since my days in junior series and I’ve really enjoyed learning and developing as a driver since.
      “My commitment to McLaren is clear: my goal is to win races and become Formula One world champion and I want to do that with this team.”

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info

      Zak Brown, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Racing added: “I’m delighted with the extension of our agreement with Lando for 2022 and beyond.
      “He’s been instrumental in our return of form here at McLaren and we’re proud of the growth he’s shown since he first started with us back in 2017.
      “Lando is one of the brightest talents on the Formula One grid and we look forward to seeing him continue to go from strength-to-strength both on and off track.”
      McLaren reveal new one-off classic Gulf Oil livery for F1’s most famous race at Monaco Grand Prix More

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      Aston Martin F1 team sign up James Bond stunt driver Jessica Hawkins who says cars were wrecked filming No Time To Die

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      ASTON MARTIN F1 team have signed up James Bond stunt driver, Jessica Hawkins, as driver ambassador.Hawkins, who had a successful karting career as a junior and raced against Red Bull’s Alex Albon, currently competes in the all-women W Series championship that will be on the schedule of seven F1 races in 2021.
      Jessica Hawkins joins the team as a driver ambassadorCredit: Aston Martin
      And the 26-year-old is also a stunt driver, working on a number of movies and the Fast and the Furious live shows.
      She said: “I enjoy sending cars sideways as much as I enjoy racing, so as soon as I get the opportunity, I will be doing that in an Aston Martin.
      “I am heavily anticipating the new James Bond movie and cannot wait to see it. I cannot say too much about the film, but I can say that not all the cars made it out alive!
      “We filmed a jump which was about 30 metres long. It felt like I was as high as it was long.
      “As soon as I hit the jump, all I could see was the grey sky and all I could think was ‘this is going to hurt!’ but luckily it didn’t, which was good because we did it eight times.
      “In a Bond movie, everyone expects the stunts to be incredible, and that is what I was trying to deliver each time and I hope that everybody enjoys them.”

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      The racer from Poole will work alongside the team’s driver pairing of Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel and reserve driver, Nico Hulkenberg.
      It is expected she will work with the team’s development and simulator roles in a similar move to fellow W Series racer, Jamie Chadwick, who is at the Williams F1 team.
      Hawkins added: “Jamie has been at Williams for a few years and I am taking my first steps with Aston Martin.
      “If others follow suit then great. I am big on women in motorsport and believe women deserve as many breaks as men do.
      “If I can be a woman that helps to change motorsport, that would be amazing.
      “In black and white, W Series has given me an opportunity and without them I would not have been racing in 2019. It really has been a second chance for me.”
      Hawkins has been a junior karting champion, has raced in Formula Ford, Formula 4, the British Touring Car Championship, the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy, and the Mini Challenge UK Pro Class.
      Jessica also works as a stunt driverCredit: Aston Martin
      She worked on the upcoming James Bond movie No Time To DieCredit: Peter Tarry – The Sunday Times
      Daniel Craig stars in what will be the 25th film in the franchiseCredit: PA

      Aston Martin team boss, Otmar Szafnauer, added: “We are delighted to welcome Jessica as the team’s new driver ambassador.
      “She has not had it easy in her racing career so far, always having to fight for drives as all young drivers do, especially young women, and her determination to beat the odds is as obvious as it is admirable.
      “We are sure that Jessica will work very well with everyone in our team, across a variety of disciplines, both at Grands Prix and in between them, and also with our many partners.”
      Lewis Hamilton uploads stunning moving art to instagram to celebrate taking 100th F1 pole More

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      Lewis Hamilton’s iconic race-winning F1 McLaren to be auctioned off live at British Grand Prix and set to go for £4m

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’s race-winning F1 car will be auctioned off live at the British Grand Prix.The world champion’s McLaren, that he drove to glory at the 2010 Turkish GP, will be driven around Silverstone as the bidding commences, just before F1’s first sprint-qualifying race.
      Lewis Hamilton’s race-winning McLaren from the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix is up for saleCredit: AFP
      The McLaren MP4-25A is expected to be sold at auction for over £4millionCredit: Getty
      It is the first time one of Hamilton’s winning racecars have been put up for sale and is expected to go for over £4million.
      The McLaren MP4-25A has a chassis No.1 and can still be track driven and supported by the original factory teams as part of individual Heritage departments.
      Kate Beavan, Director of Hospitality and Experiences at F1 said: “We are delighted to extend our partnership with RM Sotheby’s in announcing the first-ever sale of a Lewis Hamilton F1 GP winning car.
      “The timing of the sale couldn’t be better, a little over ten years on from Lewis’ race win in Istanbul, the car will be offered for public sale at Silverstone, home of Formula One racing.
      “After the huge success of our Abu Dhabi sale in 2019, this very special event will see us actually auction an F1 car, while it is being driven around an F1 circuit.
      “It is an incredible stage upon which to sell this iconic car.”
      Shelby Myers, Head of Global Private Sales, RM Sotheby’s, added: “RM Sotheby’s is thrilled to partner, once again, with Formula One and bring this amazing motor sport consignment to the British Grand Prix.
      “The McLaren MP4-25A, chassis No. 1, is well beyond special.
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      The McLaren will be driven around Silverstone before being sold live at the British Grand PrixCredit: PA

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      “It represents one of the finest McLaren’s ever made available for sale.
      “Its history of wins, podiums and fastest laps at the hands of Lewis and Jenson Button make it a truly unique piece of motor racing and motor sport history.
      “And we are excited to be able to bring it to sale in a year that has seen Lewis surpass virtually every record previously held.”
      Hamilton has enjoyed a strong start to the 2021 F1 World Championship having won three out of the opening four races.
      Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has revealed the 36-year-old could race well into his 40s as he hinted he could put off retirement.
      Hamilton is now just two race wins away from achieving 100 victories in F1.
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      Lewis Hamilton uploads stunning moving art to instagram to celebrate taking 100th F1 pole More

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      Lewis Hamilton could have F1 rival Max Verstappen ‘rattled’ as championship race hots up, claims Daniel Ricciardo

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      LEWIS HAMILTON could have Max Verstappen “rattled” according to McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo.Hamilton quipped after his win in Spain that “he learned a lot” about Verstappen while following closely behind the Dutchman’s Red Bull in Barcelona.
      World champion Lewis Hamilton lead the drivers’ race again this yearCredit: Getty
      Daniel Ricciardo suggest Lewis Hamilton is playing mind games with Max VerstappenCredit: PA
      The world champion was pressed about his remarks, as he said he uncovered more secrets about Verstappen than in “all the other races”, but refused to give further details.
      And Ricciardo, who raced alongside Verstappen at Red Bull, said it could be that Hamilton learned how to make his rival crack under pressure, as he went on to win the race.
      Ricciardo said: “Maybe it is a bit of a way to engage in some mind games, but in saying that, you can learn a little bit.
      “For instance, you do know if someone is rattled.
      “When you’re the hunter, you can tell – and I’m not saying this was that situation – but for sure I know when you’re stalking someone, and you can see they’re starting to slide the car more, lock a brake, drop a wheel here…
      “Obviously we can’t see them, but if you pictured them without a helmet on, in that moment their expressions would be tense and I guess rattled.
      “So I don’t know if perhaps he’s referring to that and maybe Max was erratic, I don’t know, but it could just be something that’s nothing.”
      Hamilton’s win in Spain saw him open up a 14-point lead in the F1 title race.
      The world champion’s fifth consecutive victory in Barcelona – also his 98th win of his career – ensured this is his best-ever start to a season.
      Ricciardo says the battle Hamilton is having with Verstappen to win races this season is exactly what the sport needs.
      He also says it shows that Hamilton deserves respect for coming out on top in three of this season’s four races.
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      Max Verstappen trails Lewis Hamilton if the F1 drivers’ championship ahead of the Monaco Grand PrixCredit: Rex

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      However, the Aussie is not too sure which driver is going to come out on top at the end of the year.
      He added: “I didn’t realise until they put the pictures out that they have had a battle, every race they have been side by side at some point.
      “It’s good for the sport. The more the merrier. Even better if it’s more than just them two.
      “We knew from a long time, this was a matter of time for Max. We all know what his talent is like.
      “A lot of people are probably tipping their hat to Lewis. He’s getting it dished back at him and he’s holding his ground and showing people, who maybe doubted him, why he is as good as he is.

      “I think it’s going to keep going on. Who will get the best of it? At this stage, you would always stake experience.
      “If it was down to the wire, then I think already Lewis has shown some strong signs of that but then again, if there is a gap, Max goes for it – that’s why I respect Max a lot. So….flip a coin.”
      Lewis Hamilton uploads stunning moving art to instagram to celebrate taking 100th F1 pole More

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      Lewis Hamilton slams George Russell row rumours after youngster shone as his Mercedes replacement at 2020 Sakhir GP

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has quashed rumours he and fellow F1 driver George Russell have had a falling out.The seven-time world champion was replaced by Williams driver Russell in the Mercedes car for the Sakhir Grand Prix last year after Hamilton tested positive for coronavirus.
      Hamilton insists he still has a good relationship with RussellCredit: Reuters
      Russell did not finish his only race with Mercedes last yearCredit: EPA
      Russell would go on to lead the GP for a period of time and it looked as if he was set for a first victory in Formula 1.
      But a poor pit stop and puncture at the end saw him fail to finish the Bahrain-based race.
      And recent reports have suggested Brits Russell and Hamilton are not on speaking terms, something the current world championship leader vehemently denies.
      Hamilton said: “Our relationship is 100 per cent, still intact. It’s exactly the same.
      “We messaged after his incident in Imola, and I hope you can see from the message I put on [social media] him so supportive of him.
      “He’s going through his own journey, but he’s a great guy.
      “He did a great job when he came to the team, and he’ll continue to do great jobs, so no issues.”
      And Russell has reiterated Hamilton’s comments by playing down any talk of a rift.
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      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      “I think the question towards me was ‘did you speak to Lewis after Bahrain?’ And we didn’t speak, as we wouldn’t speak after any other race,” Russell told reporters.
      “We are racing against each other. If we would see each other in the paddock, we would speak. We’ve seen each other this year, a little fist-bump along the way, and that’s been the same since it has been since 2019.
      “My relationship towards Lewis is the same as it is with a lot of the drivers around the paddock, which is completely fine.
      “There are no hard feelings or no issues between myself and Lewis.”
      Hamilton has won three of the first four races of the season, with Max Verstappen claiming the other.
      Meanwhile, Russell has not yet picked up any points for Williams in the 2021 campaign.

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      McLaren reveal new one-off classic Gulf Oil livery for F1’s most famous race at Monaco Grand Prix

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      McLAREN will run a one-off livery for this week’s Monaco GP using the classic Gulf Oil colour scheme.The British team have ditched their now traditional all-papaya paint job for the blue and orange look made famous on racecars since the late 1960s.
      McLaren will race in a classic livery for the Monaco Grand Prix
      Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris have talked highly of the paint job
      McLaren CEO Zak Brown reckons the new colours will make his team’s cars the “star of the show” for F1’s most-famous race.
      He said: “Given our history together, between McLaren and Gulf, we thought we should revisit it and it became pretty obvious that we should do something like this.
      “You all know how iconic the Gulf livery is, and then we tasked our teams with coming up with something that captured something really special.
      “At this point we only intend to run it at Monaco. I think if you are going to have a special livery, you need to keep it special.
      “I’m excited to see fan reaction and then Monaco I think it’s going to be the star of the show.”
      British driver Lando Norris added: “It’s beautiful. I think everyone can agree it will be the best-looking car on the grid by a very long way.
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      So long as you look good, that’s the first box you’ve got to tick and we’re certainly doing that, so I’m really excited.Daniel Ricciardo
      “I said to Zak it’s even better than our current livery. It’s a cool opportunity for both of us, and especially at Monaco, so I think it brings it all together, it’s pretty unique.”
      Aussie Daniel Ricciardo said: “Of course I love it. It’s cool. I didn’t need another reason to get excited to Monaco so I’ve got to control myself and save some energy.
      “So long as you look good, that’s the first box you’ve got to tick and we’re certainly doing that, so I’m really excited.”
      Meanwhile, Brown is hoping the paint scheme does not bring bad luck.
      The last F1 team to run a completely one-off livery was Mercedes at Hockenheim in 2019.
      That sparked a disastrous weekend for the team and left Merc bosses red-faced.
      McLaren revealed the livery on Sunday evening
      The Gulf Oil design harks back to one of motorsport’s most iconic looks
      The livery is a one-off for the Monaco Grand Prix
      McLaren hope to steal the show at F1’s most fashionable Grand Prix

      Brown said: “I think that had to be a coincidence with Mercedes. The weather was tricky so the drivers were chucking it off the track.
      “They were celebrating an anniversary of some sort. But I think that was just a coincidence.
      “I think when these guys put their helmet on they’re going to forget what the race car looks like, so I’m not worried about that at all.”
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