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      From Brazil drama in 2008 to Turkey 2020, how Lewis Hamilton equalled Michael Schumacher’s record seven F1 world titles

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has done it.
      The perky kid from Stevenage, who could never be told he wasn’t good enough, is now standing atop the podium for all-time Formula One world titles.

      Lewis Hamilton took a stunning victory at Istanbul to secure the Drivers’ ChampionshipCredit: Getty – Pool

      The win equalled Michael Schumacher’s seven F1 titles recordCredit: AFP

      Alongside Michael Schumacher, the Brit now holds seven Drivers’ Championship crowns.
      It all started in dramatic circumstances with McLaren in Brazil, overtaking Timo Glock at the final corner to shock home hero Felipe Massa.
      Fast forward 12 years and five more titles, and Hamilton reigned supreme once again as he drove through the wet in Istanbul to secure a trademark victory.
      Here, SunSport recounts the seven titles that the 35-year-old calls his own.

      #1 – 2008
      Hamilton took his maiden F1 title in dramatic circumstances.
      The Brit passed Timo Glock on the final lap in Brazil to finish in fifth place and clinch the title by a point. Ferrari’s Felipe Massa breaks down in tears at missing out to the McLaren man.

      Lewis Hamilton celebrates his first crown with mentor Ron Dennis and brother NicolasCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      A fresh-faced Lewis with his first Championship trophyCredit: Reuters
      #2 – 2014
      Hamilton won his second title and Mercedes’ first of the new hybrid-turbo era, beating Nico Rosberg to it.
      Hamilton went into the final race with a 17-point lead but the season is denied a grandstand finish as Rosberg suffered reliability issues and Hamilton won in Abu Dhabi.

      A move to Mercedes was proven successful with the first of many titles in 2014Credit: PA:Press Association

      The Brit struck up a strong working relationship with Merc team principal Toto WolffCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      #3 – 2015
      A crushing win for Hamilton as he secured the title with three races to go. The Brit’s victory in the US GP stopped Rosberg’s challenge dead.
      However, the German did still win the remaining three races of the season in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

      Hamilton pulled off a second consecutive title in 2015Credit: PA:Press Association

      Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg would snatch the crown in the following year’s epic battleCredit: PA:Press Association
      #4 – 2017
      After being denied n 2016 by Rosberg, who subsequently retired, Hamilton joined Sebastian Vettel on four world titles the following year.
      He won it in Mexico, with two races to go as he traded wins with the German over the course of the season.

      With Rosberg out of the picture, Hamilton stormed to victory in 2017Credit: Reuters

      This triumph levelled Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel’s tallyCredit: PA:Press Association
      #5 – 2018
      Another crushing win for Hamilton, who finished the season with 11 victories. He wrapped the title up in Mexico and finished a whopping 88 points clear of second-placed Vettel.
      The defining moment came when Vettel crashed out of his home GP and Hamilton, who started 14th, won the race.

      Mexico was again the destination as Hamilton won again in 2018Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      Ferrari star Vettel put up a good fight in the pair’s race to a fifth crownCredit: AFP or licensors
      #6 – 2019
      A straightforward season for Hamilton as the early threat to his crown initially posed by Bottas quickly dropped away.
      Hamilton was unchallenged as he romped to the title as Ferrari’s engine advantage was stopped by the FIA, following an investigation that remained private.

      Hamilton’s domination of the British GP personified his title superiorityCredit: PA:Press Association

      Mercedes continued to lead the pack amid Ferrari’s challengeCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      #7 – 2020
      The coronavirus-affected season produced an incredibly unusual F1 season – but Hamilton took it all in his stride.
      Social justice issues became a focal point of the veteran’s persona and he beat Schumacher’s race victories record before levelling the German legend’s titles tally.

      Hamilton has become a powerful speaker off the track in 2020Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      Formula One awarded a Michael Schumacher race helmet after he matched, and later surpassed, the legend’s 92 race winsCredit: AFP

      Lewis Hamilton admits he doesn’t know if he’ll be in F1 next year after winning Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix More

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      Lewis Hamilton says his fight for equality means more to him than a record-equalling seventh F1 world title

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      LEWIS HAMILTON says his campaign to promote equality means more to him than a seventh world title.
      The Brit can equal Michael Schumacher’s record of seven championships in Turkey on Sunday — as long as he finishes ahead of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

      Lewis Hamilton says fight for equality means more than a seventh F1 world titleCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Hamilton, 35, has been unstoppable during this Covid-hit season, winning nine of the 13 races.
      While off the track, he has promoted Black Lives Matter and highlighted inequality and environmental issues across the world.
      He has used his platform as Formula One’s most successful driver of all time to help raise awareness — and says that is more special to him than another title.
      Hamilton said: “The numbers and the figures and the titles and all that stuff, it perhaps appears to mean more from the outside.

      “Watching the TV and watching Michael get the seventh and being like, ‘Wow, that’s seven’.
      “But when you’re in it, it’s different. We’re going to continue to fight for more championships, we’re going to continue to try and improve and continue to race and do what we love doing.
      “What’s important is that journey. This year has been combined with the fight for equality and learning what’s happening around the world and being a little bit more aware of surroundings.
      “Naturally, matching an icon like Michael, I’d be incredibly proud of that. But I think it’s more the message that it sends to people.

      “Not just kids but hopefully mostly kids because they’re the future, that you have to dream bigger than you think and don’t let anyone tell you can’t go for that.”

      Perhaps, given that the title takes second billing to his work for equality, Hamilton says he is not thinking about matching Schumacher’s total this weekend.
      Instead he wants to take it all in his stride knowing  he has a comfortable 85-point margin over Bottas with four races to go.
      He added: “I am just focused on trying to do a good job, just taking it one race at a time, trying to do the best we can as a team, not thinking about anything else.
      “I have learned not to add pressure that’s unnecessary. I have four races to battle for those points, so I don’t put it all on to one weekend, one day.
      “For me, it is another race. I need to approach it exactly as I have in the past.
      “Maybe then that’s why sometimes it’s a shock. All of a sudden it hits you because you have not thought about it much and you don’t know what to say, because you never truly know whether it is going to happen.
      “I am not focused on the ‘what if?’ I am focused on preparing myself the same as before to try to deliver the way I have all season.”

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      Nonetheless it seems a formality — although it could have been a lot different had he not decided to join Mercedes from McLaren in 2013.
      Hamilton admits it took some convincing from Ross Brawn and Niki Lauda — who were both working for Mercedes at the time — when they first approached him about signing.
      He said: “I had first spoken to Niki. I was back home in Monaco and he’s like, ‘You’ve got to come to the team’. And I wasn’t convinced necessarily at the beginning.
      “I think the convincing stage, which really made me look into it more, was when Ross came around my mum’s house and sat in the kitchen and we had tea.
      “He showed me what the plan was for the team. That was the real, in-depth insight into what the team was planning and the changes they were trying to do.
      “So that was really the ‘selling’ point. With Niki we worked on the layout of the deal.”

      Once his seventh title is wrapped up, either this weekend on the outskirts of Istanbul or in the next race in Bahrain, Hamilton will switch his attention to signing a new deal.
      It is expected to be a three-year contract worth around £40million a year — but as yet, nothing is signed.
      He added: “I am very conscious of the idea I want to continue with Mercedes. I’d love to help them on this quest of pushing for change.
      “They are taking their cars green, electrifying more and I want to help them on that road, I want to help them push for diversity.
      “There is a lot to discuss and go through but it is something we will do if not after the job is done, then at the end of the year.
      “Nothing is set in stone — it is just about talking about it. I don’t feel I’m finished. I don’t feel moving forward . . . there are always areas to improve.
      “I love racing and the challenge and I don’t think that is going to change any time soon.”

      Hamilton branded the Turkish track as ‘s**t with a capital S’Credit: EPA
      Hamilton’s title-winning hopes got off to a slippery start in yesterday’s practice.
      With no running since being resurfaced, the track was thick with dust, meaning the drivers were left struggling for grip.
      Hamilton sat out a large chunk of first practice as others tiptoed their way around, while in the afternoon session, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen topped the time-sheets.
      Charles Leclerc was second quickest for Ferrari, with Bottas third and Hamilton fourth.

      Hamilton said: “It was a bit of a disaster today.
      “This track is such a fantastic circuit and I don’t fully understand why they spent millions to re-do the surface of a track.
      “They could have cleaned it instead of wasting their money and now the track is worse than Portimao.
      “So for us, the tyres aren’t working and you see it.
      “It is like an ice rink out there, so you don’t get the enjoyment of the lap out there and I don’t see that change there.
      “It is terrifying the whole way around. It is like having wet patches the whole way around and I guess the oil is seeping from the Tarmac.
      “It is s**t with a capital S.”

      Lewis Hamilton admits he doesn’t know if he’ll be in F1 next year after winning Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix More

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      Lewis Hamilton wins again as Mercedes claim SEVENTH consecutive F1 Constructors’ title with Imola one-two

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      MERCEDES bagged yet another Formula One record with a seventh consecutive Constructors’ title at Imola on Sunday.
      Michael Schumacher’s wins record has already been poached by Lewis Hamilton and the Brit’s Emilia-Romagna win snagged another honour for the Brackley outfit.

      Lewis Hamilton drove Mercedes to yet another victory in the Emilia-Romagna Grand PrixCredit: EPA

      The championship leader indulged in a shoey after Daniel Ricciardo secured the final podium positionCredit: Reuters

      No team had ever won more consecutive Constructors’ Championships than the six that Ferrari and Schumacher put together between 1999 and 2004.
      F1’s return to Imola was predicted to be ‘boring’ by a pessimistic Hamilton after he failed to take pole on Saturday.
      But a late flurry of activity catapulted the championship leader to victory, leaving Valtteri Bottas cursing his luck.
      The Finn backed up his pole position by leading through Turn 1 while Max Verstappen overtook Hamilton.

      Some things only go for you when you are the best in the world though, as proved when the Brit’s longer first stint on the medium tyres combined with Esteban Ocon’s retirement.
      Able to pit under the Virtual Safety Car, Hamilton had been gifted the lead.

      Hamilton can secure his seventh world title in Turkey later this monthCredit: Getty – Pool

      Ricciardo took third place after Renault decided not to pit during the late safety carCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      And Bottas’ nightmare afternoon began when he picked up damage from track debris.
      He later ran wide and was jumped by Verstappen for second place on lap 43.

      The race appeared to be heading for an obvious conclusion until an apparent tyre failure sent the Dutchman spinning into the gravel.
      A safety car shook down the pack and Williams youngster George Russell looked set for a run at a maiden point in F1.
      Yet he managed to lose control of his car while warming his tyres and crashed into the barrier.
      It was a huge missed opportunity for the Brit, who furiously punched the ground as he sat on the roadside.

      Hamilton cruised home after the safety car ended, followed by Bottas and Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo.
      The Aussie’s second podium of the year was greeted with a trademark shoey – even getting the championship leader in on the act.
      A record-equalling drivers title will be secured in a fortnight’s time, unless Bottas can outscore Hamilton by eight points in Turkey.

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      Lewis Hamilton reveals he DOES want to sign new Mercedes contract and hints it will be completed when F1 title is sealed

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has stated that he DOES want to continue in Formula One as he hunts down another of Michael Schumacher’s records.
      A 77-point lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship looks to be unassailable in his pursuit of a seventh world title.

      Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes contract expires at the end of the yearCredit: Splash News

      That would draw the Brit level with Ferrari legend Schumacher, whose 91 race wins Hamilton topped with victory in Portugal last weekend.
      After that race, Hamilton insisted Mercedes’ dominance of the sport can continue – with himself behind the wheel.
      The six-time champ told Sky Sports: “I definitely don’t think it’s over.
      “I want to continue.

      “I think once we get the job done and the stress of the bubble and everything passes on, we can get to whatever comfortable or uncomfortable position we need to be in and we’ll get it done so we can continue.”
      Hamilton, 35, has admitted that it is ‘not going to be a long time’ before he hangs up his steering wheel.
      With his current £40million-a-year contract up at the end of the season, the star admitted he was not previously in the right headspace to sit down with Merc boss Toto Wolff and thrash out a deal.
      Yet, with the hindsight of the coronavirus pandemic, he does acknowledge that it may have been a good idea to sign on a year ago.

      Hamilton noted: “Naturally I think already last year, in Hungary last year I think Toto was talking about signing a contract.
      “Of course the pandemic wasn’t then and you look back and you’re like maybe I should have signed it then.
      “But the thing is I just think things happen at the right time and I definitely wasn’t ready mentally at the time.
      “I wanted to give myself the space mentally to really think about what I want to do, think if there’s any adjustments for me and for the team, how can we get more out of each other – how can I give them an easier time.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton has to change his own tyre after new £70,000 electric Mercedes EQC suffers BLOW OUT on motorway

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      LEWIS HAMILTON is used to life in the fast lane – but now he has had a taste of what it’s like in the pit lane.
      Getting tyres changed in a matter of seconds is par for the course for F1 world champ Hamilton.

      4

      Hamilton had to help out changing the tyre after suffering a blow outCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton

      4

      The six-time F1 world champ is used to having a crew on hand to change his tyresCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton

      4

      Hamilton was out driving his new £70,000 electric Mercedes when suffering the tyre blow outCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton

      The Brit hero – whose victory in this month’s Eifel GP meant he equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 race wins – has everything put on a plate for him by Mercedes in his day job.
      But he had to get his hands dirty like the pit lane mechanics he relies on after suffering a tyre blow out.
      Hamilton, 35, was cruising in his new £70,000 electric Mercedes EQC when one of the wheels went boom.
      The six-time world champion – who in his new music sings about drinking too much and sleeping with women – posted photos of himself at a garage with the spare tyre in hand as he and pals sought to fix the mess.

      And he wrote alongside the snaps: “We had a tyre blow out on the motorway and had to stop at the station.
      “Took a minute to change the wheel but once done, I was back on the road in the EQC.
      “It’s the best not having to refuel.”
      One fan joked in response to Hamilton’s tweet: “Where’s the Mercedes pit crew when you need them?”

      4

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      Another quipped: “A minute? What happened to 2.4 seconds?!”
      A fellow fan said: “Maybe when you retire from racing you might get a job with the crew who change tyres during F1.”
      Hamilton has a £13million car collection which includes a £4m Shelby and £1.6m Pagani Zonda 760 LH.
      He could top Schumacher’s race win record at this weekend’s Portugal GP.
      But longtime rival Sebastian Vettel believes Schumacher is still the GOAT because he had more ‘natural’ talent.
      Vettel said: “I think he [Schumacher] was better than anybody else I’ve ever seen so far. I think he had a natural talent that is very difficult to explain.”

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      F1 star Valtteri Bottas claims he is BETTER than Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton and says ‘I believe I am the best’

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      VALTTERI BOTTAS has reaffirmed his belief that he is BETTER than Lewis Hamilton – as he looks to claw back a massive championship deficit.
      For the second time this season, the Finn failed to translate a pole position into a win as he retired from the Eifel Grand Prix.

      3

      Lewis Hamilton (left) holds a comfortable lead over Valtteri Bottas (right) in the drivers’ standingsCredit: EPA

      With Hamilton sweeping to victory, he boasts a 69-point lead in pursuit of his record-equaling seventh Formula One world title.
      But Bottas still believes he can better the Brit, on his day.
      He said after the race: “Of course I believe that, when I’m at my best I know I can be better than him.
      “But obviously there are days that he’s better, no doubt, and overall in the last few years being his team-mate, overall he has been better.

      “But I don’t do politics, I just love driving, I love racing, I like fair but hard racing and that’s what I do, that’s how I’ve always raced and that’s how I’ll go on.”
      Bottas, 31, is set to finish behind his team-mate for the fourth-straight year of his time with Mercedes.

      And he is yet to put up a stern fight to grab Hamilton’s title, bagging a personal best second place last year – but ending up 87 points off his colleague.
      Sunday’s DNF came after an impressive race in Russia for Bottas, who explained his emotional response to that victory.

      He noted: “As an athlete and a guy who really puts everything always out there, when you feel like you’re not getting to your goals and not getting the results that you’re aiming for a long enough period of time, it just builds up.
      “People always judge you even though they don’t know you.
      “They don’t know you personally and how you are actually, no one knows what goes on inside people’s heads and that’s why it’s a bit silly to judge people based on what they see from outside.”
      F1 pundit Martin Brundle likened Hamilton’s latest triumph to that of Michael Schumacher.

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      Bottas and Hamilton battled for the early lead in Germany before the Finn fell awayCredit: AP:Associated Press

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      The Brit now sits alongside Michael Schumacher for race wins in F1Credit: AFP
      The Brit levelled Schumacher’s 91 career race wins and his performance was described as ‘aggressive and precise’.
      Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports column: “Michael was a pure winning machine in and out of the car.
      “All the right people wanted to be in his team and be part of the success because he was so fast, so good. He largely dominated his team-mates in and out of the car, whether he was using his right foot or his streetwise mental capacity and guile.
      “Lewis is the same. A classic comment of his on Sunday post-race was that he could see Bottas was graining his front tyres and so he pushed.

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      “He was driving TWO Mercedes at that point, and sure enough under braking and also with a few spots of rain Valtteri locked his front wheel and ran wide.
      “Valtteri made the comment that this gave Lewis advance warning of less grip, but whatever the circumstances Hamilton seized a lead he would not remotely relinquish despite ensuing safety cars.
      “He threw Bottas a consolation prize after the race by complimenting his determination to regain the lead in turn two of the opening lap, which was indeed a fine piece of aggressive and precision driving.”

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      Lewis Hamilton hopes to equal Michael Schumacher’s F1 record – to give him platform to fight against racism

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has the chance to equal Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 victories in F1 this weekend – not that he’s shouting about it.
      In fact, the six-time world champion – who can also win a Schumacher-equalling seventh title this season – seems more focused on his personal crusades against racism and climate change.

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      Lewis Hamilton has helped make the fight against racism a central issue for Formula OneCredit: Reuters

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      Displays, such as one calling for justice for the police-killed African-American woman Breonna Taylor, have been frequentCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Now 35, Hamilton is more mature than when he won his first title in 2008 and intent on using his social media platforms to educate his 26 million followers on Twitter and Instagram.
      He said: “I’ve never been a record person but of course when my name is mentioned in the same context as someone I grew up watching, then it’s like ‘woah’.
      “I have to step back for a second and realise what that actually means. 

      “I think that embarking on these records and achievements creates a platform on which to be able to speak about things that could potentially change peoples lives; for everyone’s children to grow up in a better world.

      “As I get older, and understand the world more – as well as the impact that us humans are having on the world.
      “I’m really getting into technology that is sustainable; changing things in my life so I can have a more positive impact.
      “Trying to think of the bigger picture – we are trying to continue to fight to end racism, and discrimination.
      “This is a constant battle that people have been fighting for hundreds of years. It’s a constant battle now.

      “Being a Formula One driver gives me a voice to amplify to push for positive changes in the world – even far away from racing.
      “Take the current work put into diversity in F1 – it’s something nobody has spoken up about before to this extent.
      “As I get older I realise that my purpose is to continue to do that. Racing and winning and breaking records continues to give me the chance to speak up about these things and push for real change.”
      Hamilton’s record, particularly in the turbo hybrid era, which started in 2014, a year after he joined Mercedes from McLaren, is hugely impressive.

      Fans turn on the TV and see you doing your thing for three days, and think that’s all there is to it.
      Lewis Hamilton

      At the Silver Arrows, he has constantly delivered weekend after weekend and has amassed a total of 90 wins, 96 poles, 159 podiums in just 260 races.
      The accusation is that he is only winning because he is driving the best car, but the best drivers always drive the best cars.
      The reality is he is making it look easy, even if it isn’t.
      In an interview with Monster Energy, he added: “I think people underestimated the time it takes to get to a Grand Prix fully prepared and deliver every time.

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      Michael Schumacher’s race wins and world titles record are on the verge of being matched by HamiltonCredit: Getty – Contributor

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      “Fans turn on the TV and see you doing your thing for three days, and think that’s all there is to it. But it takes time, intense work and preparation and studying.
      “Not to mention the physical and welfare effort for drivers to be in the right state to race.
      “There’s a lot more to it than you’d first think. It’s great because now the ability to communicate directly with fans and show them behind the scenes more is helping to change that.”

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      Mercedes blow as ANOTHER member of Formula One team tests positive for coronavirus ahead of Eifel GP

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      MERCEDES’ F1 team has suffered a further coronavirus blow after another member tested positive.
      The latest confirmed result from Lewis Hamilton’s team comes ahead of this weekend’s Eifel GP.

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      A member of the Mercedes team has tested positive for coronavirusCredit: AP:Associated Press

      The world champions retested all of their on-site staff on Thursday after one individual was confirmed to have contracted the disease.
      Another individual is being retested after an inconclusive result.
      In all, seven staff have now been pulled from this weekend’s race at the Nurburgring. Mercedes have flown out replacements from the UK.
      A Mercedes statement read: “Following yesterday’s positive test, the entire team was retested yesterday in Germany.

      “All team members were negative apart from: one further positive, one inconclusive that is being retested.
      “In line with protocols, four further team members, all of whom tested negative, will no longer be available to take part in the weekend. Six replacements have travelled from the UK and will fill the roles in the team.
      “We have worked in close collaboration with the FIA and F1 throughout this process and will continue to do so.”
      According to the BBC, none of the people involved is a ‘known person’.

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      Seven staff have now been pulled from this weekend’s race at the NurburgringCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      In F1 terminology this means they are not team figures with a public profile.
      After the first positive test was revealed, Hamilton said he was ‘concerned’ and ‘sad’ about the development.
      He said: “It is important for everyone around the world to be continually reminded this thing has not disappeared. It is still here.
      “We still have to follow protocols, wear masks, keep your hands clean and keep your distances.
      “I can’t say what it will do to our weekend.
      “We have a lot of great people in the team, we will just try to make him proud and it will take a lot of work to make sure we continue on without any disturbances.”

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