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MERCEDES are preparing for “curveballs” as F1 king Lewis Hamilton’s future still lies in doubt two months before the new season. But team boss Toto Wolff claims he is unfazed by Britain’s seven-time world champion still not agreeing a new contract. Hamilton, who was 36 on Thursday, insists he wants to stay with Mercedes, where his deal expired on […] More
WHEN Lewis Hamilton woke up on the beautiful and secluded Caribbean Islands of Turks and Caicos this morning to celebrate his 36th birthday, it is probably fair to assume being unemployed did not register.
But the reality is that F1’s current world champion is out of work after his contract with Mercedes expired on December 31.
Lewis Hamilton is still without a contract to race in F1 next seasonCredit: Reuters
Hamilton has always maintained his desire was to stay with the Silver Arrows, and while he said he was in no rush to sort negotiations out over a new deal – expected to be worth £40million a year – the reality is now he is no longer being paid at all.
Initially he said the time was not right to be talking about a new, lucrative contract in the middle of a pandemic when people were losing their jobs.Fair enough.
He then adopted a different reason, saying he wanted to focus on winning the title before discussing his contract.
Again, that’s understandable.
Then, once he’d won title No7, he insisted there was still no rush and that ideally it would be signed before Christmas. Well, obviously that deadline has also passed.
Yes, it is all rather strange given that F1 contracts for in demand drivers are normally sorted early in the season.
Take a look at Hamilton’s teammate, Valtteri Bottas, who signed his £8million one-year contract last August.
It might be a ‘no brainer’ as Merc’s Head of Motorsport, Toto Wolff keeps saying, that Hamilton will re-sign with the team.
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On December 18, Wolff and Hamilton confirmed that the serious talks had not started yet, however, until it is done, there is always a concern he could go elsewhere or quit.
At this point there is no reason to suspect that Hamilton will walk away and refuse to sign, but there is a growing feeling that something is not quite right over what should have been a pretty standard renewal.
The last deal took a ten-hour discussion between Wolff and Hamilton in the Brit’s kitchen and concluded with a pizza, but this time it is rumbling on.
In the meantime, Mercedes will continue to develop their car for 2021 based on the presumption that Hamilton will be driving it, but the lack of a contract in place has started some wild rumours that Merc say are ‘pure fiction’.
Reports in Italy suggested there were three sticking points.
One, the salary of the contract. Two, that Hamilton wanted a share of the team’s prize money on top. And three, a freebie AMG One hypercar.
For the meantime, Mercedes say they are not worried about Hamilton’s lack of signature, after all, where else would he go – other than retire?
A spokesperson told SunSport: “There are no reasons to be concerned”, rightly pointing out that 2020 was vastly different from a normal F1 season.
So while Hamilton relaxes on the beach with sand between his toes, at Merc’s Brackley HQ there is also no show of any panic.
New Year Honours List 2021: Craig David to get MBE as Lewis Hamilton and Sally Dynevor also land gongs More
WHEN Lewis Hamilton woke up on the beautiful and secluded Caribbean Islands of Turks and Caicos this morning to celebrate his 36th birthday, it is probably fair to assume being unemployed did not register.
But the reality is that F1’s current world champion is out of work after his contract with Mercedes expired on December 31.
Lewis Hamilton is still without a contract to race in F1 next seasonCredit: Reuters
Hamilton has always maintained his desire was to stay with the Silver Arrows, and while he said he was in no rush to sort negotiations out over a new deal – expected to be worth £40million a year – the reality is now he is no longer being paid at all.
Initially he said the time was not right to be talking about a new, lucrative contract in the middle of a pandemic when people were losing their jobs.Fair enough.
He then adopted a different reason, saying he wanted to focus on winning the title before discussing his contract.
Again, that’s understandable.
Then, once he’d won title No7, he insisted there was still no rush and that ideally it would be signed before Christmas. Well, obviously that deadline has also passed.
Yes, it is all rather strange given that F1 contracts for in demand drivers are normally sorted early in the season.
Take a look at Hamilton’s teammate, Valtteri Bottas, who signed his £8million one-year contract last August.
It might be a ‘no brainer’ as Merc’s Head of Motorsport, Toto Wolff keeps saying, that Hamilton will re-sign with the team.
CASINO DEALS: BEST SIGN UP OFFERS TO CLAIM OVER £700
On December 18, Wolff and Hamilton confirmed that the serious talks had not started yet, however, until it is done, there is always a concern he could go elsewhere or quit.
At this point there is no reason to suspect that Hamilton will walk away and refuse to sign, but there is a growing feeling that something is not quite right over what should have been a pretty standard renewal.
The last deal took a ten-hour discussion between Wolff and Hamilton in the Brit’s kitchen and concluded with a pizza, but this time it is rumbling on.
In the meantime, Mercedes will continue to develop their car for 2021 based on the presumption that Hamilton will be driving it, but the lack of a contract in place has started some wild rumours that Merc say are ‘pure fiction’.
Reports in Italy suggested there were three sticking points.
One, the salary of the contract. Two, that Hamilton wanted a share of the team’s prize money on top. And three, a freebie AMG One hypercar.
For the meantime, Mercedes say they are not worried about Hamilton’s lack of signature, after all, where else would he go – other than retire?
A spokesperson told SunSport: “There are no reasons to be concerned”, rightly pointing out that 2020 was vastly different from a normal F1 season.
So while Hamilton relaxes on the beach with sand between his toes, at Merc’s Brackley HQ there is also no show of any panic.
New Year Honours List 2021: Craig David to get MBE as Lewis Hamilton and Sally Dynevor also land gongs More
WHEN Lewis Hamilton woke up on the beautiful and secluded Caribbean Islands of Turks and Caicos this morning to celebrate his 36th birthday, it is probably fair to assume being unemployed did not register.
But the reality is that F1’s current world champion is out of work after his contract with Mercedes expired on December 31.
Lewis Hamilton is still without a contract to race in F1 next seasonCredit: Reuters
Hamilton has always maintained his desire was to stay with the Silver Arrows, and while he said he was in no rush to sort negotiations out over a new deal – expected to be worth £40million a year – the reality is now he is no longer being paid at all.
Initially he said the time was not right to be talking about a new, lucrative contract in the middle of a pandemic when people were losing their jobs.Fair enough.
He then adopted a different reason, saying he wanted to focus on winning the title before discussing his contract.
Again, that’s understandable.
Then, once he’d won title No7, he insisted there was still no rush and that ideally it would be signed before Christmas. Well, obviously that deadline has also passed.
Yes, it is all rather strange given that F1 contracts for in demand drivers are normally sorted early in the season.
Take a look at Hamilton’s teammate, Valtteri Bottas, who signed his £8million one-year contract last August.
It might be a ‘no brainer’ as Merc’s Head of Motorsport, Toto Wolff keeps saying, that Hamilton will re-sign with the team.
On December 18, Wolff and Hamilton confirmed that the serious talks had not started yet, however, until it is done, there is always a concern he could go elsewhere or quit.
At this point there is no reason to suspect that Hamilton will walk away and refuse to sign, but there is a growing feeling that something is not quite right over what should have been a pretty standard renewal.
The last deal took a ten-hour discussion between Wolff and Hamilton in the Brit’s kitchen and concluded with a pizza, but this time it is rumbling on.
In the meantime, Mercedes will continue to develop their car for 2021 based on the presumption that Hamilton will be driving it, but the lack of a contract in place has started some wild rumours that Merc say are ‘pure fiction’.
Reports in Italy suggested there were three sticking points.
One, the salary of the contract. Two, that Hamilton wanted a share of the team’s prize money on top. And three, a freebie AMG One hypercar.
For the meantime, Mercedes say they are not worried about Hamilton’s lack of signature, after all, where else would he go – other than retire?
A spokesperson told SunSport: “There are no reasons to be concerned”, rightly pointing out that 2020 was vastly different from a normal F1 season.
So while Hamilton relaxes on the beach with sand between his toes, at Merc’s Brackley HQ there is also no show of any panic.
New Year Honours List 2021: Craig David to get MBE as Lewis Hamilton and Sally Dynevor also land gongs More
NIKITA MAZEPIN has delivered a surprising statement on Mick Schumacher – describing his new Haas team-mate as ‘not a friend’.
Next season will see the Formula One team deploy the rookie pair after impressive performances in the F2 reserve series.
Nikita Mazepin has insisted he is ‘not friends’ with his new F1 team-mateCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Haas colleague Mick Schumacher previously raced with the Russian in go-kartingCredit: Splash News
But Russian racer Mazepin, 21, has shrugged off his previous experience with Schumacher.
The pair raced as team-mates in karting, forming a relationship that the German recently described as having ‘a decent amount of respect’.
In conversation with Russian TV channel Match TV, via the Mail, Mazepin shot back: “We are not friends.
“At most we are old acquaintances as we raced together in karts.”
Mazepin also insisted that his new team-mate will be vulnerable to extra ‘pressure’ as the son of F1 legend Michael Schumacher.
He noted: “I honestly don’t care about his name.
“Because of the name he will have more power, but also more pressure.
“But when I lower the visor, I don’t think about these things anyway.”
Haas have already had to contend with one controversy surrounding their new driver.
In December, Mazepin filmed himself groping a woman in a car and uploaded the footage to Instagram.
The driver was forced to apologise for after condemnation from fans, Haas, F1 and governing body the FIA.
The American team have vowed to stick with their agreement for Mazepin to race next season, with the calendar scheduled to begin in Australia.
Yet the March 21 opener may have to be cancelled AGAIN due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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CARLOS SAINZ has become embroiled in a racism controversy after the Formula One star’s family posted a Twitter video containing a blackface character.
The promotional clip was posted on the social media page for Carlos Sainz Karting, a go-karting organisation in Madrid.
The social media page of Carlos Sainz Karting posted a clip of a blackface character for a Christmas promotional video
The company is owned by Carlos Sainz Sr, the Ferrari star’s father who is also a legend on the rally scene.
There is no suggestion either Carlos Sr or Jr knew of the blackface video before it was posted under the family brand.
And the post was quickly deleted following a sharp social media backlash.
The clip featured the ‘Three Wise Men’ delivering gifts to the Carlos Sainz Karting headquarters during Christmas.
Two of the actors were dressed in beards and crowns, with another in blackface.
The tweet was captioned: “The Three Wise Men are here!
Carlos Sainz Jr is set to drive for Ferrari in F1 next seasonCredit: AFP or licensors
The Spaniard has made a number of visits to Carlos Sainz Karting in MadridCredit: EPA
“Before getting down to work tonight, they made a stop at our karting track to have a few races and collect the gift boxes that we have prepared. Have you ordered yours yet?”
The decision to include a blackface character in the clip was widely derided.
Sainz, 26, has previously posted clips of himself racing around the Carlos Sainz Karting track.
The Spaniard, who moved from McLaren to Ferrari at the end of last season, was among those to decide against taking the knee during the 2020 F1 season.
Lewis Hamilton has led a campaign to demand more of the sport’s efforts to increase diversity.
Sainz has credited the Brit with forcing a ‘positive’ emphasis on racial awareness in F1.
While regularly wearing F1’s official ‘End Racism’ shirts before races, he has insisted he is ‘comfortable enough’ to do ‘what I thought was appropriate’ when it came to taking the knee.
Carlos Sainz Sr is a popular figure on the rally circuitCredit: EPA
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FORMULA ONE star Lando Norris has tested positive for coronavirus while on holiday in Dubai.
The McLaren driver, 21, has been forced to self-isolate in his hotel for 14 days after becoming the fourth F1 star to be struck down by the virus.
Lando Norris has tested positive for coronavirus while on holiday in DubaiCredit: Splash News
Lewis Hamilton, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez have also contracted Covid-19 in recent months.
British racer Norris first reported a loss of taste and smell before alerting team chiefs.
McLaren have now released a statement after Norris returned a positive coronavirus test.
It read: “McLaren can confirm that Lando Norris tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday in Dubai, where he is currently on holiday ahead of a planned training camp.
“After recognising a loss of taste and smell, he was tested immediately and informed the team.
“In line with local regulations, he is now self-isolating at his hotel for 14 days.
“He is currently feeling well and reports no other symptoms.”
Norris enjoyed a superb 2020 season in which he won his first podium finish in Austria.
Norris had a superb season in 2020, earning his first podium and helping McLaren to third in the constructors’ championshipCredit: Splash News
The Brit also helped guide McLaren to third in the constructors’ championship.
And team boss Zak Brown was full of praise for Norris after the season’s end.
Brown said: “What you see is what you get with both of our drivers.
“I think that’s one of the reasons why they have been so popular and why Lando is so popular.
“Everything that you see him do, that’s him. He takes that upon himself, it’s genuine, it’s authentic.
“It’s great to have someone who spotlights issues and agendas and it’s done in a very authentic way. I think it’s very important.
“I think Lando has been a breath of fresh air for the sport, and he’s enjoyable to watch.
“He’s actually a fairly shy person, but that doesn’t come through in his social media.
“He’s just very authentic. I think he’s very comfortable in that environment.
“We’re very proud that he is so comfortable bringing that issue forward in such a positive way.”
Fortunately for both Norris and McLaren, the racer will not miss any races, with the season starting in March.
Perez missed two Grands Prix for Racing Point last year – replaced by Nico Hulkenburg.
Stroll tested positive for Covid at the Eifel GP, while Hamilton missed the Sakhir GP having already clinched his record-seventh title.
Hamilton later revealed he was ‘grateful to be alive’ after the ‘hardest week’ dealing with the virus.
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DANIEL RICCIARDO could have have a future in the NBA should he decide to quit F1 after he nailed a monster half-court shot.
The 31-year-old – who has switched from Renault to McLaren – uploaded the amazing clip on social media after goofing around at the Phoenix Suns’ training facility.
New McLaren driver uploaded a video of him on Instagram nailing a half-court shot
Australian star Ricciardo was goofing around at NBA side Phoenix Suns’ training facility
In the video, the Australian star stated he’s ‘going to try’ to sink the ball from half-court, before looking gobsmacked after he got it through the hoop.
A shocked Ricciardo told the camera: “We have witnesses! First shot!”
Captioning the clip that has been viewed over 1.5 million times, he simply stated: “Half court money @suns.”
McLaren then posted the footage on their own Instagram account, where they said: “Didn’t mention that one on the CV @danielricciardo.”
Ricciardo is no stranger to pulling off amazing trick shots having showed his skills on the golf course by nailing a 50ft putt.
And his four million followers were as equally shocked by his prowess on the basketball court, as one of his supporters messaged: “Nothing but net.”
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski added: “He can do it all!”
McLaren CEO Zak Brown quipped: “Bet you couldn’t do that twice!”
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The clip of Ricciardo’s trick shot has been watched by over 1.5 million people
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Meanwhile magician Dynamo posted three fire emojis in the comment section.
Ricciardo’s latest Instagram post is him waving hello to his new team while wearing a papaya-coloured McLaren shirt.
To which the Woking-based team said: “Papaya looks good on you, @danielricciardo.”
Meanwhile a delighted McLaren fan messaged: “YOU BELONG HERE I SWEAR WHERE HAVE U BEEN.”
Another added: “Welcome to the greatest F1 team in the world!”
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