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    ‘A pretty expensive poo!’ – Carlos Sainz risks ANOTHER fine for X-rated rant as he protests £17,000 toilet break penalty

    CARLOS SAINZ risks a £34,500 fine for swearing as he protested his £17,000 penalty for having a POO!The Williams F1 driver panned FIA chiefs after he was punished for being “five seconds late” to the national anthem in Japan following a toilet dash.Carlos Sainz explained he had a medical reason for being lateCredit: RexGeorge Russell reckons Sainz was unlucky to be fined so muchCredit: RexEx-Ferrari driver Sainz was also upset at his hefty £17,000 Poogate fine at Suzuka – half of which has been suspended for 12 months providing he does not reoffend.But the Spaniard, 30, now faces an even bigger one after turning the air blue in yesterday’s press conference.Ahead of Sunday’s Bahrain GP, Sainz moaned at the FIA: “I’m the biggest supporter of punctuality and being a gentleman – especially for a national anthem, with all the authorities there.“So I was the first to put my hand up and say, ‘I’m late. I’m sorry’.READ MORE IN SPORT“At the same time, I was five seconds late. And to be five seconds late and have to pay  10,000 euros. It’s out of the question that we’re having to pay this money.“I don’t know if I’m gonna get a fine saying this but, s*** happens.“I hope someone tells me where this 10,000 euros goes.”Britain’s seven-time world champ Lewis Hamilton has also suffered  reprimands for tattoos and body piercings.And Mercedes driver George Russell, director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, panned Sainz’s toilet punishment.Most read in MotorsportBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKThe Brit said: “It’s not quite as straightforward as people think for us to be there on time.“We’re often running to the toilet and  sometimes there are none available between the time you jump out of the car and go to the anthem.Max Verstappen claims he has ‘lost all respect’ for F1 star George Russell in X-rated rant “It’s a pretty expensive poo!”The FIA accepted Sainz was given medication for the problem which delayed his appearance.That meant his fine was cut from £51k (€60,000) to £17k, with £8.5k suspended.But in a lengthy statement the FIA added: “Notwithstanding the above, displaying respect for the National Anthem is a high priority and all parties need to consider every eventuality in planning to be in position for the Anthem by the required time.” More

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    Lewis Hamilton arrives in Bahrain with natural-curled new hairstyle as F1 fans say ‘can we take a moment’

    FORMULA ONE fans said “can we take a moment” after Lewis Hamilton arrived in Bahrain with a new naturally-curled hairstyle.The Ferrari ace gave off true rockstar vibes as he sauntered into the paddock with his luscious long hair.Lewis Hamilton showed off a new hairstyle for the Bahrain GPCredit: GettyThe ace revealed his new naturally-curly barnetCredit: GettyHamilton showed off his luscious long hair in the paddockCredit: AlamyThe ace gave rockstar vibes as he relaxed with his Ferrari teamCredit: AFPHamilton is yet to win a race since making the move to his new Italian F1 side.Indeed, the former Mercedes ace is yet to get on a podium this season.And the fresh barnet could finally give Hamilton the power he needs to get the better of British rivals Lando Norris and George Russell – as well as old foe Max Verstappen.Fans were certainly impressed with his brilliant new hair-do as Hamilton then rode around the paddock on a scooter.READ MORE IN F1One said: “Can we take a moment for Lewis Hamilton’s hair?”Another declared: “He looks cool.”One noted: “Love his hair.”Another added: “Really so amazing.”Most read in MotorsportBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSHamilton will be hoping for some good fortune this weekend when he races at Bahrain.He finished 10th in last month’s season opener in Australia.Lewis Hamilton has perfect response to dismal Ferrari debut as he achieves feat not seen for 35 years Hamilton later had a ride around the paddock on a scooterCredit: GettyHe is sure to have felt the wind in his hairCredit: GettyHamilton sported a different look at the China GP last monthCredit: GettyAnd Hamilton followed that up with a sixth-place finish at the Grand Prix in China.Last weekend saw him finish seventh in Japan, leaving him eighth in the overall standings.But Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur is confident Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc can climb up the rankings.He said: “I’m used [to it] because the last two years we started like this. For sure it is not ideal and I would prefer to win the first one. “But we don’t need to change the approach from last year as we are almost in the same situation, perhaps a bit worse in terms of pace, and the reaction of the team was very, very strong.”We worked as a team, made small step by small step and we have to keep exactly the same approach, but for sure it is not ideal.” More

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    Lewis Hamilton to get new team-mate for a day at Bahrain Grand Prix due to little known F1 rule

    LEWIS HAMILTON will drive with a new team-mate at the Bahrain Grand Prix, it has been revealed.Ferrari are one of six teams who are using the next Formula One race to fulfil a little-known rule.Lewis Hamilton will have a new team-mate during the Bahrain Grand Prix weekendCredit: RexDino Beganovic will drive in FP1 for Ferrari in Bahrain alongside HamiltonCredit: AlamyMax Verstappen will also not run the session after winning the Japanese GPCredit: RexHe is being replaced by F2 star Ayuma IwasaCredit: RexInstead of Charles Leclerc, 40-year-old Hamilton will instead partner 21-year-old Swedish driver Dino Beganovic for Free Practice One.Likewise, Red Bull will also bring a new driver to their lineup for the Friday session.Fresh off of his win at the Japanese Grand Prix, Max Verstappen will give way to Japanese F2 star Ayumu Iwasa for the session.It means Yuki Tsunoda, who had a tough first race with Red Bull after swapping with Liam Lawson, will have his third team-mate of the season – even though this is only for one session.READ MORE IN F1Mercedes, Aston Martin, Haas and Williams have also announced they will be running a rookie driver, with George Russell, Fernando Alonso, Ollie Bearman and Carlos Sainz respectively all stepping down.Russell is giving up his seat for Danish youngster Frederik Vesti, while former F2 champion Felipe Drugovich is replacing Alonso. Bearman, only a rookie this season himself, is giving up his seat to Ryo Hirakawa and Sainz will cede his seat to British racer Luke Browning.The sweeping changes come as part of a requirement for all F1 teams to run rookies – drivers with fewer than two Grand Prix to their name – at least twice in each of their cars in practice sessions this season.Most read in MotorsportBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKTeams have had to run a rookie in at least once in each of their cars in FP1 since 2022, with this season seeing the requirement doubled.Alpine already completed one of these mandatory runs last weekend when Ryo Hirakawa ran in place of Jack Doohan – a contributing factor to Doohan’s 185mph crash in FP2.Meet F1 2025 rookies including star gifted first go-kart by Michael Schumacher and Brit teen who’s already a millionaire The reason for Bahrain being such a popular choice for rookie running is due to the known quantities of it.Teams already have lots of data from the track after pre-season testing was completed at the Sakhir circuit.The Middle East race also represents the first race weekend of the season where UK fans will not have to be out of bed early on Sunday morning.Instead, the Bahrain race will take place at 4pm UK time, with qualifying on Saturday running from 5pm.McLaren’s Lando Norris leads the World Drivers Championship from Verstappen by a single point after the Dutchman’s imperious win at last weekend’s Japan GP.Bahrain GP FP1 rookiesRookies participating in FP1 in Bahrain this weekend:Dino Beganovic, Ferrari – for Charles LeclercAyuma Iwasa, Red Bull – for Max VerstappenFrederik Vesti, Mercedes – for George RussellFelipe Drugovich, Aston Martin – for Fernando AlonsoRyo Hirakawa, Haas – for Ollie BearmanLuke Browning, Williams – for Carlos Sainz More

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    Ferrari make major update to Lewis Hamilton’s F1 steering wheel with special feature he used at Mercedes

    LEWIS HAMILTON has received a major update to his Formula One car for the Japanese Grand Prix.The Ferrari driver has endured a mixed start with his new team, winning the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Race but scoring just one championship point during the two Sunday feature races.Lewis Hamilton has seen a major upgrade brought to his Ferrari for the Japanese Grand PrixCredit: ReutersHamilton has asked for his steering wheel to include more information like it did when he was at MercedesCredit: AFPHamilton scored P4 in both practice sessions with the new wheelCredit: RexHowever, the seven-time F1 world champion will see a welcome upgrade for this weekend’s race with a feature brought over from his old team Mercedes.Hamilton has already been forced to hold a meeting with race engineer, Riccardo Adami, to outline what information he wants passed over from the pit wall.He has been consistently asking for changes to his car configuration, but has now seen a huge adjustment made to his steering wheel with new software being added to give him direct access to more data.Motorsport revealed how Hamilton’s steering wheel in the SF-25 had been given a new lever for the clutch and gear shift.READ MORE IN F1But a fresh report has detailed how Ferrari have tried to replicate the automation seen on Hamilton’s Mercedes steering wheel on to their own with a specially developed software.In addition to the classic indicators seen on an F1 steering wheel such as speed, gear, time and delta, Hamilton’s wheel features information on the race screen including engine mappings used.The upper left of the screen has an indicator of the SOC (hybrid management) and the ENG engine map used so he is always aware of which configuration is being used.At Mercedes much of the Power Unit information was linked to a single STRAT lever located in the lower part of the steering wheel which was grouped together into three areas.Most read in MotorsportBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKAt Ferrari many of these elements were split, with the simplified Mercedes model being another change Hamilton has asked for.Elsewhere, under the box that indicates engine mapping, there is a space dedicated to what Ferrari call “Multi”.Lewis Hamilton recreates amazing Ferrari scene from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ as fans demand he wins an Oscar This gives Hamilton access to secondary engine settings which he is said to have always wanted access to.The changes have not been implemented for Scuderia team-mate Charles Leclerc, who prefers to have less data on his screen during a lap.Hamilton finished in P4 in both practice sessions on Friday.FP2 was hit by chaos as FOUR red flags were waved thanks to a huge 185mph crash by Alpine rookie Jack Doohan and Fernando Alonso beaching his Aston Martin before two trackside grass fires.Elsewhere, the driver Hamilton replaced at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz, had an embarrassing gaffe with Williams as he missed his box to change tyres – blasting “oh s***” down the team radio as he realised.Charles Leclerc is not having the change done to his wheelCredit: Reuters More

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    ‘Oh s***’ – Embarrassing moment F1 star drives past his own pit box after forgetting he’s switched teams

    WE may be three races into the Formula One season, but old habits die hard.At least they do for Carlos Sainz, who suffered an embarrassing gaffe during Free Practice at the Japanese Grand Prix.Carlos Sainz suffered an embarrassing gaffe at the F1 Japanese Grand PrixCredit: GettySainz missed the turn-in for the Williams box during FP1, which saw him swear on the radioCredit: YouTubeThe Williams driver, who has picked up one point for the British constructor so far this season, was entering the pitlane to change his tyres at the Suzuka Circuit.Sainz’s race engineer, Gaetan Jego, was heard saying on the radio: “Box, box. Box, box. Remember we’re at the beginning of the pitlane.”However, ex-Ferrari driver Sainz embarrassingly missed the turn-in to his box and continued driving towards the end of the pitlane, believing that was where the team were based.Realising his blunder, the Spaniard said: “Oh s***! I missed it guys. I thought we were at the end, sorry.”READ MORE IN F1Jego, who has been with Williams since 2020, replied: “OK, so straight out, and we’re boxing again.”Embarrassed by the gaffe but able to laugh it off, the 30-year-old said: “Yeah, sorry about that.”Lewis Hamilton famously made a similar blunder in 2013 after joining Mercedes from McLaren when he stopped in the his old team’s box during the Malaysian Grand Prix.Sainz finished P10 in the session before matching the result in a chaotic FP2 which saw FOUR red flags waved after Jack Doohan and Fernando Alonso crashed out and two fires ignited trackside.Most read in MotorsportJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSHis use of explicit language is unlikely to see him punished by the FIA, who introduced controversial swearing guidelines last year which angered F1 stars after it was revealed they could land hefty fines for the act.However, in the driver’s briefing before the Australian Grand Prix, the rules were clarified to allow swearing in the heat of the moment if it was not offensive to others – although media obligations do not allow for any foul language.F1 suspended after fire at Japanese Grand Prix as three red flags cause chaos during practice Before arriving at Williams, Sainz had raced at Ferrari for four years.In that time he picked up four race wins and six poles, finishing fifth in the driver’s world championship standings three times and seventh once.Sainz made his F1 debut with Toro Rosso, now Racing Bulls in 2015, after coming through the Red Bull driver development programme.He raced with the team until late in 2017 when he joined Renault for the final four races of that season.The Smooth Operator would find his way to McLaren in 2019, securing his first F1 career podium at the Brazilian Grand Prix before adding a career-best P2 at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix.Ferrari came calling the following year, with Sainz picking up his first F1 win at the British Grand Prix in 2022.Read More on The SunDry conditions are set to hold for qualifying tomorrow before a cold front moves in with the chance of rain for the race on Sunday.Suzuka is the first of a triple-header which sees F1 travel to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in consecutive weeks. More

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    Lewis Hamilton adds house in exclusive Milan neighbourhood to multi-million pound property portfolio after Ferrari move

    LEWIS HAMILTON has expanded his stunning property empire with a luxury Italian pad after joining Ferrari.The 40-year-old has had a hot and cold start to life on track with the iconic Formula 1 team.Lewis Hamilton has added a stunning new Milan property to his portfolioCredit: AFPHamilton owns property across the world ranging from Monaco to London and Geneva to ColoradoCredit: Instagram / scuderiaferrariHis new property is not far from Ferrari’s operating base of MaranelloCredit: Instagram / lewishamiltonOff track Hamilton has captivated the imagination with his extensive fashion shoots, with Ferrari sponsor Puma reporting an eightfold increase in sales of team merchandise since his arrival.And he has also wasted no time in adding a new home to his already impressive roster following his move to Italy.PlanetF1 previously reported Hamilton was considering a purchase in Modena and Bologna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and close to Ferrari’s operating base of Maranello.However, Italian publication Corriere della Sera have now claimed Hamilton has chosen a new property in a posh Milan neighbourhood.READ MORE IN F1Davide Valsecchi, a former F1 test and reserve driver told the outlet: “He bought a house in Porta Nuova, one of Milan’s most exclusive neighbourhoods.”Porta Nuova is central to an ambitious urban development project and consequently has price well above the average of the rest of the city.It is reported the region has an average rate of around £8,200 per square metre, while the rest of the city is value around £4,600 per square metre.Hamilton’s primary residence is known to be in the Principality of Monaco.Most read in MotorsportBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKThe 2,000 square foot apartment is understood to be located in the Fontvieille district, which he is said to have paid £8.3m for, though now the properties can easily fetch upwards of £30m.He also owns properties in London, Geneva, New York and Colorado.Lewis Hamilton models new Ferrari gear but fans notice ‘hideous’ issue The Brit’s London mansion, built in the 1830s by renowned builder Samuel Johns, can be found in Kensington and reportedly cost him £18.2m to buy in 2017.The seven-time F1 champion previously owned a three-floor £34m penthouse in Tribeca, New York City in 2017.Two years later Hamilton is known to have then splashed out on another £32m New York property, this time in Manhattan which contains a swimming pool, private gym and a squash court.However, Hamilton is believed to have sold his Tribeca property in in 2021 for a staggering £38.3m.Further west, the Brit owns a ranch in Aspen, Colorado, where he has said he spends a lot of time during F1’s winter break.He is said to have scoped out a £12m property in Beverly Hills, California, but it is not known whether he brought the pad.Hamilton also owns a three-bedroom property in the Alpine foothills of Geneva, Switzerland, though not much else is known about it.By his own admission, the F1 star’s time on the road means he is ever really “home”.He said: “I’ve never really been home [before].”In my winter, I go to the mountains [in Colorado], which I really see as my main home, because it’s a house and it’s full of love and memories from people, the family that come every winter.”Where I live in Monaco, it’s been somewhere I go back to, and I’d call home, but it lacks those memories. I’d be there for short periods of time. So it’s not been the easiest.”Hamilton has had a number of high-profile relationships over the years.However, in a recent interview Hamilton addressed his relationship status.He said: “I’m hungry, driven, don’t have a wife and kids. I’m focused on one thing, and that’s winning. That’s my No. 1 priority.”According to the Sunday Times at the end of 2024, Hamilton’s net worth is £350m, making him the ninth wealthiest individual on the Rich List 40 under 40.Read More on The SunThat worth is also bolstered by a stunning car collection, estimated to have a value of £13m. Hamilton revealed plans earlier this month to design his own Ferrari road car, including the legendary F40 as a base. More

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    I’m an F1 world champion who launched new career making ice cream and mozzarella after buying 2,500-acre Hampshire farm

    EX-FORMULA ONE star Jody Scheckter has a unique place in the sport’s history.Born and raised in East London, Cape Province in South Africa on January 29, 1950, Scheckter’s illustrious career with McLaren, Tyrrell, Wolf and Ferrari led him to 10 race wins from 112 race starts.Jody Scheckter went through a stunning career change after becoming an F1 world championCredit: AlamyScheckter is the only African F1 driver to have won an F1 raceCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdHe became F1 world champion with Ferrari in 1979Credit: GettyAfter retiring he opened a weapons simulation firm in AmericaCredit: AFPHe became world champion with Ferrari in 1979 and the South African remains the only driver from his continent, let alone nation to win an F1 race or be crowned world champion.Following his racing career, Scheckter worked as a pundit for a variety of broadcasters including ITV.A venture into business soon followed with a weapons simulation firm in America which had boomed to a revenue of more than £100million by the early 1990s.However, Scheckter eventually swapped the loud bangs and roar of car engines and firearms for a completely new line of work; organic farming.READ MORE IN F1Scheckter opened a pioneering 2,500 acre farm in conjunction with biodynamic principles, meaning it excludes synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides.The Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire was home to sheep, cows and most notably water buffalo, which were used to make mozzarella cheese from 2009 – a UK first at large scale.The farm, which produced items like ice cream and sparkling wine, won a number of awards including the Taste of Britain award while Waitrose, Ocado and Gourmet Burger Kitchen were some of its customers.Since 2012 the farm has held the CarFest South every August, which raises more than £1m for UK children’s charities every year, while the Universal Cookery and Food Festival was held there in 2016.Most read in MotorsportBEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKHowever, the farm was forced to shut down its buffalo farming and diary manufacturing operation at the start of 2024.An announcement on the company website cited “unprecedented levels of cost increases including our energy costs that more than doubled earlier last year”, as the reason for the closure. Lewis Hamilton hailed for ‘masterclass’ sprint victory before Ferrari star immediately takes aim at ‘yapping’ criticsThe company added it had tried diversifying into new products and introducing new production methods but had to close down its buffalo farming and dairy manufacturing.The site has remained operational as a composting site, continuing to take in greenwaste, while it also continues to host CarFest with no more changes being anticipated.Schecker has been married twice, first to Pamela Bailey and now to current wife Clare Fawkes, and has six children.Two of Scheckter’s children, Toby and Tomas – both from his first marriage – followed his career to become racing drivers.Toby got as high as F3 and won the SKUSA SuperNats kart finals in Las Vegas in 2004, while Tomas also made it to F3 but then moved to race in IndyCar between 2002 and 2011.Scheckter started out his F1 career in 1972 as an erratic racer labelled a “madman” by Emerson Fittipaldi following a crash at the 1973 French Grand Prix.Fittipaldi, then the reigning world champion, went so far as to call for Scheckter to be banned from the sport.His case was not helped when he caused a huge crash at the British Grand Prix, with eight cars destroyed in what is one of the biggest F1 crashes of all time.The Grand Prix Drivers Association added their voice to those demanding Scheckter be removed from the motorsport, although he survived after McLaren agreed to “rest” their driver.Scheckter’s driving took a dramatic turn after he was the first driver on the scene when Francois Cevert was killed in a crash in 1974, saying: “From then on all I was trying to do in F1 was save my life.”Read More on The SunHe straightened himself out and fine-tuned his talent to eventually become a world champion in 1979, becoming the last driver to score an F1 title with them until Michael Schumacher 21 years later.One more season with Ferrari followed before he retired from the sport in 1980.Jody Scheckter eventually opened an organic farm in HampshireCredit: Times Newspapers LtdIt was the UK’s first large scale buffalo mozzarella farmCredit: Alamy More

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    How much is Lewis Hamilton being paid by Ferrari this season?

    LEWIS HAMILTON’s blockbuster move to Scuderia Ferrari shocked the world of motorsport – and with it came terms Mercedes couldn’t match.The seven-time world champion was Mercedes’ golden boy, but a failed boardroom role and under-performance on the track led to a split and Hamilton moving to Ferrari.Lewis Hamilton has signed a mega-money deal with FerrariCredit: PAHamilton is the highest paid Ferrari driver of all time – double what Michael Schumacher was offered at his peakCredit: gettyAt the Brackley-based team, Hamilton, 40, continued to be the biggest star in the sport and one that brought immeasurable amounts of marketability and attention.His Formula One resume on the track remained incredible and he commanded a wage packet amongst the sport’s highest ever earners.Hamilton’s Mercedes contract, which contained a break clause which he activated, had him earning around £43MILLION per year.Money is reported to have been less of a reason of his departure, with the biggest reason said to be Hamilton wanting to be a valued member of the organisation after his racing career. READ MORE IN F1 He has also received a significant pay-rise for his two-year deal, however.How much is Lewis Hamilton being paid by Ferrari this season?Hamilton will earn a base salary of £48m annually.The former McLaren star remains behind Red Bull driver and modern rival Max Verstappen in annual salary.Verstappen’s £58.9 million-a-year deal keeps him, once again, at the top of the standings.Most read in MotorsportHamilton’s contract with Ferrari runs until the end of 2026, with an option for 2027. Hamilton will also earn additional bonuses should he win races this season.The Stevenage-born superstar will also obtain the sought after ambassador role he craved on a multi-year deal. He supersedes new team-mate Charles Leclerc, who is earning £21.2 million a year including bonuses.Whilst fellow British drivers George Russell and Lando Norris, take home £18.1 million and £27.5 million respectively. More