F1

KIMI RAIKKONEN was involved in a scary incident during the second free practice session in Abu Dhabi as his car burst into flames.
The veteran Formula One racer, 41, was racing around the track as his Alfa Romeo suddenly spat fire out of the back.

Kimi Raikkonen’s car burst into flames during Abu Dhabi GP free practice

Veteran star Raikkonen jumped out of the car and helped put the fire out

With the fire getting worse, Raikkonen was quick to pull over and jump out of the car after his team ordered him to escape.
An Alfa Romeo team member shouted a warning through the radio, saying: “Big fire. Get the hell out of there, quick.”
Eventually, help arrived and the flames died down after a heavy dousing from a fire extinguisher.
Using all of his experience, Raikkonen then took the extinguisher himself and aimed it right at the heart of the fire, ensuring there were no sparks remaining.

The Finnish star appeared to be unharmed as he circled his Alfa Romeo, ensuring no further damage would be done, before catching a lift back to the paddock on a marshal’s vehicle.
The car was lifted onto the back of a tow-truck by a crane, in no fit state to be driven back to the team garage.
The incident brought with it a ten-minute red flag, meaning Raikkonen could face a penalty for Sunday’s race.
The incident came just two weeks after Romain Grosjean was involved in a horror, 140mph crash in Bahrain.

Raikkonen’s car was taken away on a tow truck after the fire was put outCredit: Splash News

Raikkonen caught a lift back to the paddock on the back of a marshal’s buggyCredit: Splash News

The Haas star sustained just severe burns to his hands, with his life saved only by his halo device after his car smashed through the guardrails.
Back in Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton was back on the track as he made his return following his coronavirus scare in Bahrain.
The British star, 35 – already world champion for the 2020 season – missed the Sakhir GP with the virus, admitting to enduring the ‘hardest week’.
But Hamilton didn’t miss a beat during his absence, finishing second in free practice two, just 0.203 seconds behind Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished third as George Russell – Hamilton’s Mercedes replacement in Sakhir – ended up 18th back at Williams.

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LEWIS HAMILTON has arrived in Abu Dhabi as he prepares to return to Formula One following his coronavirus scare.
The British star, 35, missed the most-recent race at the Sakhir GP after testing positive for coronavirus.

Lewis Hamilton arrived in Abu Dhabi wearing a black and white matching outfit as he prepares to return to F1 following his coronavirus scareCredit: Getty Images – Getty

George Russell replaced him for the race in Bahrain and was on course to win but for what Mercedes boss Toto Wolff called a ‘colossal f*** up’ from the team.
Earlier this week, seven-time world champion Hamilton opened up on the ‘hardest week in some time’ after struggling with the virus.
At the time, he hinted he would return for the final race of the 2020 season in Abu Dhabi, despite having already clinched the title.
And now, having returned a negative coronavirus test and spent ten days in quarantine in Bahrain, Hamilton is ready to return to Mercedes.

In a statement on Thursday night, Mercedes revealed: “The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team is pleased to confirm that Lewis Hamilton will drive for the team in this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.. 
“Lewis tested negative for Covid-19 on Wednesday prior to completion of his self-isolation period in Bahrain.
“This enabled him to travel to Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon, and he tested negative on arrival. 
“Lewis has therefore completed the protocols required by the FIA for his entry to the paddock and will be able to take part in the race weekend.

Hamilton’s dog, Roscoe, also arrived at Yas Marina on Friday morningCredit: Getty – Pool

Hamilton will return to his Mercedes this weekend, with Russell heading back to WilliamsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

“George Russell will return to Williams Racing for the final event of the 2020 season.”
On Friday morning, Hamilton arrived at Yas Marina alongside his dog, Roscoe, ready to get his race weekend underway.
The British style icon wore a daring black and white matching outfit paired with a bucket hat as he prepared to finish 2020 with a bang.
Hamilton is expected to take part in Friday’s practice sessions, ahead of qualifying on Saturday and Sunday’s big race.
His return is bad news for Russell, who would have been hoping to have been given another shot in the Mercedes.
Instead, the British star will return to his loan spell at Williams for Abu Dhabi.
Earlier this week, Russell and Merc star Valtteri Bottas set tongues wagging they could swap seats for 2021.

Bottas removed ‘Mercedes’ from his Instagram bio, while Russell took ‘Williams’ off his.
However, Mercedes have shut down speculation, insisting Bottas’ seat for 2021 is safe.
But Russell seemed more than happy to be back at Williams.
On Thursday he proudly tweeted a picture of himself in his full team gear.
Russell captioned the post: “Back home @WilliamsRacing, checking it still fits! Did I miss much?”
And he revealed he was thrilled to see Hamilton fit and well, adding: “Seriously though, glad to see @LewisHamilton back and fighting fit
“Had a blast with @MercedesAMGF1 but now I’m buzzing to put everything I’ve learned into action with my team @WilliamsRacing.
“Gonna give it everything this weekend – just as they do for me week in, week out.” More

NIKITA MAZEPIN is on a collision course with his new Formula One bosses after his disgraceful video on social media.
The Russian is set to join the Haas team next season where he will partner Mick Schumacher.

Mazepin is on a collision course with his new Haase bosses after his ‘abhorrent’ groping video on social mediaCredit: Getty Images – Getty

But he got his career off to a bad start when he posted a video of him inappropriately groping a woman’s chest.
The Haas F1 team condemned the 21-year-old’s ‘abhorrent’ behaviour.
Mazepin will now be spoken to by team boss Gunther Steiner, who says he will be taking the incident ‘very seriously’.
Steiner said: “We take it very seriously, as you saw with what we sent out. I just want to reinforce that, that we will deal with it.

“I’m not going into detail on what we’ll do and how we’ll do it, but we take it seriously, and we will work to sort this out, what happened. Nothing more to say.”
Mazepin is no stranger to controversy both on and off the track.
During his final F2 race in Bahrain last weekend he picked up two penalty points to take his tally to 11 – one short of a one-race ban.
And in 2016, he was banned from a European Formula 3 race for punching Brit Callum Ilott.

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Steiner says he will be speaking to Mazepin, the son of a chemicals billionaire, about his attitude.
He added: “That is part of it, what we’re going to speak to him about privately.
“I don’t want to go public on how we are doing this. I just go back, I don’t want to comment any more.
“I guess I ask people to respect that privacy, because we treat it seriously. But we will deal with it.”
Meanwhile, F1 and the FIA issued a joint statement – albeit a day too late – to support Haas and condemn Mazepin’s behaviour.
It said: “The ethical principles and diverse and inclusive culture of our sport are of the utmost importance to the FIA and Formula One.”
Having deleted the post, Mazepin has since taken to social media to apologise for his actions, insisting must ‘hold himself to a higher standard’.
He wrote: “I would like to apologise for my recent actions both in terms of my own inappropriate behaviour and the fact that it was posted onto social media.
“I am sorry for the offense I have rightly caused and to the embarrassment I have brought to Haas F1 Team.
“I have to hold myself to a higher standard as a Formula 1 driver and I acknowledge I have let myself and many people down.
“I promise I will learn from this.”
A woman who claims to have been in the video, however, has insisted the incident was an ‘internal joke’ between ‘friends’.
She wrote: “Hi guys, I just want to let you know Nikita and I have been good friends for a long time and nothing from the video was serious at all!
“We trust each other so much and this was a silly way of joking between us.
“I posted the video on his story as an internal joke. I am truly sorry.
“I can give you my word he’s a really good person and he would never do anything to hurt or humiliate me.”

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ROMAIN GROSJEAN revealed the burn wounds on his right hand as he continues to recover from a horror Formula One crash.
The Frenchman’s car slammed into a wall at 140mph during the Bahrain Grand Prix last month and exploded into flame.

Romain Grosjean gave a thumbs-up as he updated fans on his recoveryCredit: Instagram @grosjeanromain

The racer’s right hand bore significant burns across the knucklesCredit: Instagram @grosjeanromain

Less than two weeks after hauling himself out of the burning wreckage, the Haas driver has been able to remove the dressing from his right hand.
Posting a picture of his scars onto Instagram, Grosjean wrote of how ‘it feels so good’ to see himself on the mend.
He wrote: “50% back.
“Bloody hell, makes me super happy to have my right hand free from dressings.

“Loads of creaming all day long but it feels so good to see it in such good shape.
“Waiting for my left hand to recover now.”

Grosjean sustained the burns while climbing out of the flamesCredit: Splash News

The Frenchman was saved by F1’s impeccable safety standards – including a new firesuit introduced this yearCredit: Sky Sports
The picture shows a deep burn on the knuckle of his index finger with the skin singed down his hand, and another considerable wound on his middle knuckle.
Grosjean’s left hand remains wrapped up following the accident.

The 34-year-old was left with only the burns and an injured foot after the terrifying crash – and is expected to make a full recovery.
There were even hopes of the Haas veteran jumping back in the car for the upcoming season finale in Abu Dhabi.

However, any chances have been extinguished by the injuries, although Grosjean hopes for one final runout in an F1 car when he is better.
Until then, he has been able to return to normality with a stint in the gym and on his sim racer on Thursday.
Earlier in the week, he posted a happy birthday message to wife Marion after returning to their home in Switzerland.
He wrote: “Wasn’t supposed to be home but glad I got to spend this 8th of December 2020 with my loved ones.”

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