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      Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes to keep anti-racism black livery for new season despite doubts over unemployed Brit’s future

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’S Mercedes car will once again be painted black for the new season despite continued doubts surrounding the Brit’s future.
      The 36-year-old urged his team’s hierarchy last year to change its traditional silver livery in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

      Lewis Hamilton had urged Mercedes to change its traditional silver liveryCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The German manufacturer will keep black livery for the 2021 seasonCredit: Daimler AG

      Hamilton revealed last month that BLM gave him ‘extra drive’ to win races.
      He was also seen at races wearing T-shirts and masks with anti-racism slogans and took the knee on the winner’s podium.
      And Mercedes will continue to show their support by retaining the same colour scheme when Hamilton targets a historic eighth world championship.
      But before March’s opening race in Bahrain, the racing icon must sign a new contract after his deal with the German manufacturer expired last year..

      Hamilton – technically currently unemployed – has always maintained his desire was to stay with the Silver Arrows with a new deal expected to be worth £40million a year.
      And Mercedes boss Toto Wolff recently claimed he’s unfazed by Britain’s seven-time world champion still not agreeing a new contract.
      He told Autosport: “It doesn’t worry me at all, because I will always respect Lewis’s decisions.
      ‘Whether this is staying with us for a long time, or whether that means leaving the sport and pursuing different interests.

      “I think we need to be ready for all kinds of curveballs being thrown at us.
      “But at the same time, we talk a lot, and we are very transparent with each other. I think there is more to achieve together.”
      In contrast to the delays over Hamilton’s deal, Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas sorted out an £8m one-year contract last August.

      F1 star Lewis Hamilton wakes up on birthday unemployed as new £40m-a-year Mercedes deal rumbles on More

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      McLaren sign option to race in Formula E for 2022/23 season but insist they are still committed to Formula One

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      McLAREN have signed an option to race in Formula E for the 2022/23 season – but say they are still committed to Formula One.
      The Woking-based team are one of F1’s stalwarts and have signed up to the Concorde Agreement, which binds the team to the sport until 2025.

      McLaren chief Zak Brown outlined plans for F2Credit: Alamy Live News

      However, they are also weighing up whether to join the popular all-electric series in its ninth season.
      A statement from McLaren said: “McLaren Racing announced today it has signed an option to enter the FIA Formula E World Championship in Season Nine, as part of its ongoing evaluation of potential new motorsport platforms.
      “The option provides McLaren with the choice to enter the championship as one of a maximum 12 entries for the 2022/23 season.”
      The team are currently prevented from competing aS they are the exclusive battery supplier to the series.

      However, that deal ends next year, paving the way for them to start their own FE team.
      Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing said: “We’ve been closely observing Formula E for some time and monitoring the series’ progress and future direction.
      “The opportunity to take an option on an entry, together with the completion of the McLaren Applied supplier contract with the FIA at the end of Gen 2, gives us the necessary time to decide if Formula E is right for McLaren as a future competition platform.”
      McLaren-Renault came third in last season’s contructors’ championship, behind Red Bull and Mercedes.

      Ricciardo finished fifth in last season’s drivers’ championshipCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Daniel Ricciardo managed to take fifth place in the drivers’ championship.
      Meanwhile, Cyril Abiteboul has left his role as boss of the Renault F1 team, which has been rebranded as Alpine for 2021.
      It follows the arrival of former Suzuki MotoGP team boss Davide Brivio, who has joined as CEO.

      F1 star Lewis Hamilton wakes up on birthday unemployed as new £40m-a-year Mercedes deal rumbles on More

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      F1 star Lewis Hamilton wakes up on his birthday unemployed as fresh £40m-a-year Mercedes-deal talks rumble on

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      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

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      F1 star Lewis Hamilton wakes up on his birthday unemployed as new £40m-a-year Mercedes-deal talks rumble on

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      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

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      F1 star Lewis Hamilton wakes up on birthday unemployed as new £40m-a-year Mercedes deal rumbles on amid wild rumours

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      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

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      F1 team Mercedes set to announce backing by Britain’s fifth richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe worth whopping £13 BILLION

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’s Mercedes team are expected to announce the backing of the UK’s fifth-richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
      The chemicals billionaire is understood to be confirmed as part of a three-way ownership set-up along with Mercedes and their current Head of Motorsport, Toto Wolff.

      Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to boost Mercedes with this backing Credit: Reuters

      The move is a boost to the F1 world champions, who currently have Ratcliffe’s INEOS firm as one of their partners.
      The announcement is with Ola Källenius, who is Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, and Wolff.
      Ratcliffe, estimated to be worth over £13billion, will add the F1 team to his company’s sports portfolio. 
      His acquisitions also include French football giants, Nice, cycling team Ineos Grenadiers and the British entrant to the Americas Cup.

      The move will also see Wolff cement his place in the team as co-owner after speculation about his future.
      However, the Brackley-based group are yet to reveal whether he will remain as Head of Motorsport after he initially said he was reconsidering his role in the team.
      Wolff, who has guided the team to seven straight titles, has previously admitted he has found his successor.
      His team have also been boosted by news that Lewis Hamilton is due to sign a new £40million contract with Mercedes in the coming days. 

      Lewis Hamilton is expected to sign new deal with Mercedes Credit: AP:Associated Press

      The ten greatest F1 drivers of all-time – according to SunSport’s motorsport correspondent Ben Hunt

      The F1 giants have taken to social media in anticipation of tying the seven-times world title-winning Brit down to a new deal. 
      And Hamilton looks set to attempt to win a record-breaking EIGHTH world title in 2021 
      His bid will commence on March 21 at the start of what is expected in the longest season in F1 history.

      F1 legend Lewis Hamilton scoffs cake with his beloved pet dog Rocco More

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      Watch Lewis Hamilton celebrate historic F1 season by performing DOUGHNUTS as he turns attention to new Mercedes deal

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      LEWIS HAMILTON will turn his attention to getting his new Mercedes deal done now the F1 season is over.
      The world champ finished third in the Abu Dhabi GP after Max Verstappen claimed an excellent victory for Red Bull.

      Lewis Hamilton celebrated his F1 return by performing doughnutsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The Brit finished third in Abu Dhabi but had already scooped the Driver’s ChampionshipCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      That’s a wrap for the season! 💨🏁Gotta say a massive thanks to my team. It’s been one hell of a year with you guys and I’m so grateful for everything we’ve accomplished together. Let’s keep making #HIS7ORY together🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/KTK7YBZQOT
      — Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) December 13, 2020

      Hamilton pulled doughnuts in his F1 car to celebrate the end of the year, but is still suffering from the effects after testing positive for Covid-19.
      Still coughing during a post-race interview, he said he was “grateful to be alive”.
      He said: “I don’t think I’ve ever been so blown. My body isn’t feeling great but look on the bright side, I made it through.
      “I didn’t think any time last week that I would be here, so, I am just truly grateful for my health and to be alive.

      “I am looking forward to recovering over the next period of time we have and being back into training and getting my body back to where I know it should be.
      “You can’t win them all, so, I think considering the past couple of weeks that I’ve had, I am really, generally, happy with the weekend.
      “It’s obviously not 100 per cent, it’s not as good as I’d perhaps have liked but congratulations to Max. That was a really hard race for me.
      “All year physically I have been fine, but today I definitely wasn’t so I am just glad it is over.”

      I didn’t think any time last week that I would be here, so, I am just truly grateful for my health and to be alive
      Lewis Hamilton

      Before Hamilton can put his feet up, he will hold discussion with Merc boss Toto Wolff over new terms.
      He is understood to have agreed wages of up to £40million for at least two years while the two are now haggling over the fine print, including media and sponsorship requirements.
      When quizzed as to when he can expect to sign the deal, Hamilton added: “Hopefully over the next couple of weeks.
      “We would love to get it done before Christmas. The plan is to be here at Mercedes next year and I want to be here.
      “Us as a team have more to achieve both in and out of the sport, so I hope we can begin talks again this week and get it tied up before Christmas.”
      Take nothing away from Verstappen’s win, but this was a dreary GP as the Yas Marina circuit served up another dullard after some excellent races in this short season.
      A total of 17 GPs in 23 weekends has been a punishing schedule for those on the road, who won’t want telling it is just 95 days until practice in Melbourne for the 2021 season opener.

      The ten greatest F1 drivers of all-time – according to SunSport’s motorsport correspondent Ben Hunt

      Verstappen is hoping that this, his second win of 2020, bodes well for his chances of wrestling the title out of Hamilton’s hands next season.
      He said: “It is a great way to finish the season and a big boost for everyone in the team.
      “I just hope that we learn from previous years that we have to be stronger at the beginning of the season to be able to give the Mercedes drivers a little bit of a harder time.”

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      George Russell told to forget about driving for Mercedes next year with Valtteri Bottas keeping seat alongside Hamilton

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      GEORGE RUSSELL has been told to forget about driving for Mercedes next season as Valtteri Bottas will be keeping his seat. The 22-year-old was impressive when he filled in for Covid-hit Lewis Hamilton last weekend and was only denied a debut win for the team after a bungled pitstop. After the race, the Brit said […] More