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      Valtteri Bottas MUST win French GP this weekend to have ANY chance of avoiding Mercedes axe at end of season

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      VALTTERI BOTTAS must win the French Grand Prix this weekend to have any chance of staying with Mercedes next season – and even that might not be enough to stop him getting the axe.Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is expected to start finalising his driver pairing for 2021 with SunSport understanding that the team see Lewis Hamilton and George Russell as the future.
      It’s do or die team for BottasCredit: Alamy
      Bottas has failed to score points in the past two races and currently sits down in sixth place in the drivers’ championship and somewhat crucially, has yet to start talks over a new deal.
      Wolff has made it clear that they will not drag negotiations out like they did to sign Hamilton for this season – and a quick decision is imminent, with F1 insiders believing that Bottas’s deal will be set to expire on December 31st.
      Bottas is hoping that whatever news he receives from Wolff, that he can stay in Formula One.
      Ahead of the Azerbaijan GP, the 31-year-old said he still has the desire to race at the top level.
      He said: “I’m quite open-minded like in life in general, you need to always take opportunities and you just never know what’s around the corner.
      “And that’s, also having clear goals, what you’re pushing for, it has taken me this far, and yes [I] always want to follow my heart and follow my passion.
      “And I am still enjoying Formula One, of course, very much and racing at the front, and I really love it and I still enjoy it as much as I did, for example, in my first year with Mercedes, no doubt.
      Mercedes chiefs see George Russell as the futureCredit: Splash

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      “If I look at the big picture, for sure I still have a good few years in me. I feel like year on year I keep improving on certain areas and keep getting better.
      “I’m quite far from the oldest drivers on the grid so, in theory, I still have time, but you just don’t know what the future holds. I take it weekend by weekend and see what comes.”
      However,  his performances this season, plus a lack of suitable options, could mean Bottas’s best chance of staying in F1 would be to return to Williams.
      Ironically, he could be Russell’s replacement with the Brit moving in the opposite direction.
      Lewis Hamilton says winning a record-breaking eighth world championship will not determine whether he quits Formula One at the end of the year More

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      Red Bull allowed to ‘slip in’ by Mercedes sacrificing this year’s F1 title bid for 2022 development, claims Damon Hill

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      MERCEDES are inadvertently gifting Red Bull a shot at glory by focusing on the 2022 Formula One season, according to Damon Hill.Next year will see a raft of regulation changes drastically altering the make-up of F1 cars.
      Max Verstappen could be benefiting from Mercedes’ long-term strategyCredit: Getty
      Teams are facing a dilemma of whether to pour resources into the 2022 shake-up at the hope of long-term success, or attempt to sneak in a successful 2021 campaign while others take their eye off the ball.
      Former world champion Hill, 60, has stated his belief that the two title contenders are undertaking differing strategies.
      He told F1 Nation Podcast: “It’s incredible looking at the constructors’ championship.
      “There is this other team leading the constructors’ championship, some Red Bull team.
      “It is such a long time since we have seen that. It does make you have a double-take.
      “We’ve talked about how I was worried that Mercedes have moved their resources on a little bit too soon. I wonder that’s why they were struggling a bit – that they were focusing on the new regulations.
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      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      “And I was perusing an old copy of Motorsport magazine, and I found this quote from [Mercedes chief] James Allison.
      “He said, ‘The changes are so large, the car is so different, that we are going to have to spend a large part of our technical resources during the 2021 season, in order to make sure we are ready’.
      “And that was before the season started.”
      Max Verstappen leads the drivers’ standings by four points ahead of the weekend’s French Grand Prix.
      Lewis Hamilton has dominated in recent years, as have Mercedes who find themselves second in the constructors’ championship in pursuit of an eighth-consecutive crown.
      The Mercs may benefit from looking long-term but Hill reminded listeners that Red Bull are also well set for the years to come.

      I think Red Bull would like to slip in there. While the cats are away, the mice can play.Damon Hill

      He added: “I am not sure, that’s my point.
      “I think Red Bull would like to slip in there. While the cats are away, the mice can play.
      “I think they will assume that, if they continue to develop this car, maybe they can overhaul Mercedes this season.
      “Honda have put everything in, don’t forget. What they’ve got at the end of this year lasts them for the next five years.”
      Max Verstappen drives Red Bull F1 car around Holland to celebrate what would have been first Dutch race in 35 years More

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      Mercedes have ‘theory’ over reason for terrible performances and confident Lewis Hamilton can challenge Verstappen again

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’s Mercedes team believe they have cured his car’s poor performance in time for next week’s French Grand Prix.The world champions had an inexplicable lack of pace in Monaco and Baku that saw Red Bull steam ahead in the constructors’ championship with back-to-back wins.
      Lewis Hamilton crashed out of the Grand Prix in BakuCredit: Getty
      He missed the chance to get above Verstappen in the Drivers’ ChampionshipCredit: Getty
      Hamilton was scathing of his team while his teammate Valtteri Bottas did not score a single point in either of the two races.
      However, in the post-race debrief, Mercedes are now optimistic that they have uncovered a way to fix the issues and get him back on track in the title fight with Max Verstappen.
      Merc’s technology director Mike Elliot said: “We went into the Azerbaijan GP knowing we were going to have some issues but probably not quite expecting to be where we were come Friday.
      “What we put in place was a series of tests to try and get more understanding.
      “And actually out of that have come a couple of theories, one that is really promising.
      “The other thing to bear in mind is both this circuit and Monaco are probably outliers and actually we’d hope not to have some of the issues we’ve had in the next couple of races.
      “Fingers crossed; we will be in a better position.”
      Hamilton’s misery was compounded in Baku when he pressed a “magic” brake button just two laps from the end, effectively switching off his brakes, causing him to run deep in turn one and going from first to last place.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
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      It cost Hamilton valuable points in the championship as leader Verstappen had already crashed out.
      Elliott confirmed the team were looking at ensuring there is no repeat of him pressing the button again in error and added: “We’re not actually allowed to talk to the drivers, so we can’t talk them through the settings they need to change
      “So as a result of that, we try and simplify things as much as we possibly can. We try and produce tools the drivers can use, that reduces the workload they have to go through.
      “One of the buttons we’ve got, what’s called brake magic, which is a button that the drivers can press and that allows them to get heat into the brakes.
      “Lewis had done all of the right things, he’d got the car to the grid, he’d switched off the various buttons he needed to switch off, switched on the ones he needed to switch on.
      “He made a fantastic start, he got himself up alongside Sergio Perez, and as they were shuffling for position, Lewis swerved.
      “In the process of swerving, he just clipped the magic button. Unfortunately, he didn’t feel he had done it.
      “As a consequence, the brakes locked, and from that point, there was nothing he could do but go wide.”
      F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix race preview More

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      Lewis Hamilton apologises to Mercedes after knocking ‘magic’ button that turned off BRAKES and throwing away Baku win

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      LEWIS HAMILTON ran out of magic and apologised to his Mercedes team for bungling a win in Baku.The world champion made a rare mistake by pressing a “magic” button that knocked out his brakes and sent him from first to last place at the first corner.
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      Hamilton’s mistake caused him to go straight off the track after the race restartedCredit: Getty

      Hamilton apologised for his error after the raceCredit: EPA
      The incident in the Azerbaijan GP came after Max Verstappen’s dangerous tyre blow out caused a late restart and a two-lap sprint to the finishing line.
      Ironically, Hamilton had just warned his team that it was a “marathon and not a sprint” before stuffing up his chances of replacing Verstappen at the top of the championship.
      Hamilton, who said sorry to his team over the radio, pulled up in 15th place as his 54-race run of finishing in the points came to an end.
      He then asked: “Did I have the magic on?”, to which his race engineer replied: “Yeah, it looks like it was knocked back on”.
      Hamilton replied: “I could have sworn I switched it off.”
      Hamilton later added that he knocked the special switch – designed to heat up tyres and brakes on the way to the grid – when battling with race-winner Sergio Perez into turn one.
      He said: “It was a humbling experience when we had worked so hard. At the restart when Checo moved over, I clipped the switch and it switched the brakes off and I went straight on.
      “It is very hard to take and I am very sorry to the men and women in the team, who worked so hard but we will come back. I had no idea it had touched the button.”

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      Mercedes boss Toto Wolff blamed it on Hamilton’s “finger problem” however, the Brit’s brakes were seen smoking BEFORE the restart.
      Wolff said that the two would get over their frustration by sinking a few drinks on the flight back from Baku.
      When asked how they would get over it, Wolff said: “We have four or five hours on a plane and we will drink!
      “He doesn’t make any mistakes and that is what you need to remember. This is a team that is so strong and angry and we have to turn that into a positive.”
      Wolff admits Hamilton was left “destroyed” by the error that cost him a potential win as he reflected on a difficult weekend for the team where they scored no points.
      He said: “Both of us are destroyed but it is, for him obviously as a driver, you have it so close and then it’s all gone.
      “For me as a guy who is running this, we just need to be the best of us, the best that we have and we haven’t given the drivers a competitive package this weekend.
      “That is the frustration, it is not only the incident at the end that frustrates, it is overall not meeting our own expectations, all of us together – Lewis, the engineers, myself, everyone in the team.”

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Formula One driver Lance Stroll’s model girlfriend Sara Pagliaroli laps up the sun in bikini More

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      F1 calendar 2021: Grand Prix times, schedule, tracks with Azerbaijan Grand Prix NEXT and Singapore GP CANCELLED

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      THE 2021 Formula 1 season is two races in with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen set for a season-long scrap for the title.But Hamilton seems to have all the early momentum after winning the last two races in Portugal and Spain, with Monte Carlo up next.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Lewis Hamilton is aiming to become the outright most successful driver of all timeCredit: Getty
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      The Brit, 36, moved level with Michael Schumacher on seven world titles last year and will become the outright top dog if he collects the most points across this season’s races.
      In a season that has already seen shifts and changes to the calendar, the Australian Grand Prix was due to take place on the weekend of March 21, but was put back to November 21 because of coronavirus restrictions Down Under.
      Turkey had replaced Canada as the Grand Prix destination on June 13, but it was then axed by F1 chiefs on safety grounds.
      And in April the world governing body approved sprint races in the British, Brazilian and Italian Grand Prix as a replacement for qualifying.
      Here is how the F1 calendar unfolds in 2021 with our race by race schedule.
      F1 calendar 2021
      All timings below are UK time.
      🇧🇭 Bahrain Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
      Friday, March 26: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, March 27: Practice 3 (12pm), Qualifying (3pm)
      Sunday, March 28: Race (4pm)

      🇮🇹 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Lewis Hamilton 3. Lando Norris

      Venue: Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola
      Friday, April 16: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, April 17: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, April 18: Race (2pm)

      🇵🇹 Portuguese Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Autodromo Internacional do Algarve
      Friday, April 30: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, May 1: Practice 3 (12pm), Qualifying (3pm)
      Sunday, May 2: Race (3pm)

      🇪🇸 Spanish Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
      Friday, May 7: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, May 8: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, May 9: Race (2pm)

      🇲🇨 Monaco Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Carlos Sainz 3. Lando Norris

      Venue: Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo
      Thursday, May 20: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, May 22: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, May 23: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – NEXT
      KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE ACTION FROM BAKU IN OUR LIVE BLOG

      Venue: Baku City Circuit
      Friday, June 4: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, June 5: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, June 6: Race (1pm)

      🇨🇦 Canadian Grand Prix – CANCELLED

      🇹🇷 Turkish Grand Prix – CANCELLED

      🇫🇷 French Grand Prix – new dates

      Venue: Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet
      Friday, June 18: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, June 19: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, June 20: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇹 Styrian Grand Prix

      Venue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
      Friday, June 25: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, June 26: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, June 27: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇹 Austrian Grand Prix

      Venue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
      Friday, July 2: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, July 3: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, July 4: Race (2pm)

      🇬🇧 British Grand Prix
      *Inaugural sprint race replaces classic qualifying.

      Venue: Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire
      Friday, July 16: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, July 17: Practice 3 (12pm), SPRINT RACE (3pm)*
      Sunday, July 18: Race (3pm)

      🇭🇺 Hungarian Grand Prix

      Venue: Hungaroring, Budapest
      Friday, July 30: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, July 31: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, August 1: Race (2pm)

      🇧🇪 Belgian Grand Prix

      Venue: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
      Friday, August 27: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, August 28: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, August 29: Race (2pm)

      🇳🇱 Dutch Grand Prix

      Venue: Zandvoort
      Friday, September 3: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, September 4: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, September 5: Race (2pm)

      🇮🇹 Italian Grand Prix 2

      Venue: Autodromo Nazionale Monza
      Friday, September 10: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, September 11: Practice 3 (11am), SPRINT RACE (2PM)
      Sunday, September 12: Race (2pm)

      🇷🇺 Russian Grand Prix

      Venue: Sochi Autodrom
      Friday, September 24: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, September 25: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, September 26: Race (1pm)

      🇸🇬 Singapore Grand Prix – CANCELLED

      🇯🇵 Japanese Grand Prix

      Venue: Suzuka International Racing Course, Ino, Sazuka City
      Friday, October 8: Practice 1 (3.30am), Practice 2 (7am)
      Saturday, October 9: Practice 3 (4am), Qualifying (7am)
      Sunday, October 10: Race (6am)

      🇺🇸 United States Grand Prix

      Venue: Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas
      Friday, October 22: Practice 1 (5.30pm), Practice 2 (9pm)
      Saturday, October 23: Practice 3 (7pm), Qualifying (10pm)
      Sunday, October 24: Race (8pm)

      🇲🇽 Mexico City Grand Prix

      Venue: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City
      Friday, October 29: Practice 1 (5.30pm), Practice 2 (9pm)
      Saturday, October 30: Practice 3 (5pm), Qualifying (8pm)
      Sunday, October 31: Race (7pm)

      🇧🇷 Brazil Grand Prix

      Venue: Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos
      Friday, November 5: Practice 1 (2.30pm), Practice 2 (6pm)
      Saturday, November 6: Practice 3 (3pm), SPRINT RACE (6PM)
      Sunday, November 7: Race (5pm)

      🇦🇺 Australian Grand Prix

      Venue: Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
      Friday, November 19: Practice 1 (1.30am), Practice 2 (5am)
      Saturday, November 20: Practice 3 (3am), Qualifying (6am)
      Sunday, November 21: Race (6am)

      🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix

      Venue: Jeddah Street Circuit
      Friday, December 3: Practice 1 (12.30pm), Practice 2 (4pm)
      Saturday, December 4: Practice 3 (1pm), Qualifying (4pm)
      Sunday, December 5: Race (4pm)

      🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

      Venue: Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island
      Friday, December 10: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, December 11: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, December 12: Race (1pm) More

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      F1 calendar 2021: Grand Prix times, schedule, tracks with Azerbaijan Grand Prix next after Styrian GP added

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      THE 2021 Formula 1 season is two races in with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen set for a season-long scrap for the title.But Hamilton seems to have all the early momentum after winning the last two races in Portugal and Spain, with Monte Carlo up next.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Lewis Hamilton is aiming to become the outright most successful driver of all timeCredit: Getty
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      The Brit, 36, moved level with Michael Schumacher on seven world titles last year and will become the outright top dog if he collects the most points across this season’s races.
      In a season that has already seen shifts and changes to the calendar, the Australian Grand Prix was due to take place on the weekend of March 21, but was put back to November 21 because of coronavirus restrictions Down Under.
      Turkey had replaced Canada as the Grand Prix destination on June 13, but it was then axed by F1 chiefs on safety grounds.
      And in April the world governing body approved sprint races in the British, Brazilian and Italian Grand Prix as a replacement for qualifying.
      Here is how the F1 calendar unfolds in 2021 with our race by race schedule.
      F1 calendar 2021
      All timings below are UK time.
      🇧🇭 Bahrain Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir
      Friday, March 26: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, March 27: Practice 3 (12pm), Qualifying (3pm)
      Sunday, March 28: Race (4pm)

      🇮🇹 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Lewis Hamilton 3. Lando Norris

      Venue: Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola
      Friday, April 16: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, April 17: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, April 18: Race (2pm)

      🇵🇹 Portuguese Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Autodromo Internacional do Algarve
      Friday, April 30: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, May 1: Practice 3 (12pm), Qualifying (3pm)
      Sunday, May 2: Race (3pm)

      🇪🇸 Spanish Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Lewis Hamilton 2. Max Verstappen 3. Valtteri Bottas

      Venue: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
      Friday, May 7: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, May 8: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, May 9: Race (2pm)

      🇲🇨 Monaco Grand Prix
      🏆 Grand Prix Result: 1. Max Verstappen 2. Carlos Sainz 3. Lando Norris

      Venue: Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo
      Thursday, May 20: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, May 22: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, May 23: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – NEXT
      KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE ACTION FROM BAKU IN OUR LIVE BLOG

      Venue: Baku City Circuit
      Friday, June 4: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, June 5: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, June 6: Race (1pm)

      🇨🇦 Canadian Grand Prix – cancelled

      🇹🇷 Turkish Grand Prix – cancelled

      🇫🇷 French Grand Prix – new dates

      Venue: Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet
      Friday, June 18: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, June 19: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, June 20: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇹 Styrian Grand Prix

      Venue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
      Friday, June 25: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, June 26: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, June 27: Race (2pm)

      🇦🇹 Austrian Grand Prix

      Venue: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg
      Friday, July 2: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, July 3: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, July 4: Race (2pm)

      🇬🇧 British Grand Prix
      *Inaugural sprint race replaces classic qualifying.

      Venue: Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire
      Friday, July 16: Practice 1 (11.30am), Practice 2 (3pm)
      Saturday, July 17: Practice 3 (12pm), SPRINT RACE (3pm)*
      Sunday, July 18: Race (3pm)

      🇭🇺 Hungarian Grand Prix

      Venue: Hungaroring, Budapest
      Friday, July 30: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, July 31: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, August 1: Race (2pm)

      🇧🇪 Belgian Grand Prix

      Venue: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
      Friday, August 27: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, August 28: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, August 29: Race (2pm)

      🇳🇱 Dutch Grand Prix

      Venue: Zandvoort
      Friday, September 3: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, September 4: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, September 5: Race (2pm)

      🇮🇹 Italian Grand Prix 2

      Venue: Autodromo Nazionale Monza
      Friday, September 10: Practice 1 (10.30am), Practice 2 (2pm)
      Saturday, September 11: Practice 3 (11am), SPRINT RACE (2PM)
      Sunday, September 12: Race (2pm)

      🇷🇺 Russian Grand Prix

      Venue: Sochi Autodrom
      Friday, September 24: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, September 25: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, September 26: Race (1pm)

      🇸🇬 Singapore Grand Prix

      Venue: Marina Bay Street Circuit
      Friday, October 1: Practice 1 (10am), Practice 2 (1.30pm)
      Saturday, October 2: Practice 3 (11am), Qualifying (2pm)
      Sunday, October 3: Race (1pm)

      🇯🇵 Japanese Grand Prix

      Venue: Suzuka International Racing Course, Ino, Sazuka City
      Friday, October 8: Practice 1 (3.30am), Practice 2 (7am)
      Saturday, October 9: Practice 3 (4am), Qualifying (7am)
      Sunday, October 10: Race (6am)

      🇺🇸 United States Grand Prix

      Venue: Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas
      Friday, October 22: Practice 1 (5.30pm), Practice 2 (9pm)
      Saturday, October 23: Practice 3 (7pm), Qualifying (10pm)
      Sunday, October 24: Race (8pm)

      🇲🇽 Mexico City Grand Prix

      Venue: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City
      Friday, October 29: Practice 1 (5.30pm), Practice 2 (9pm)
      Saturday, October 30: Practice 3 (5pm), Qualifying (8pm)
      Sunday, October 31: Race (7pm)

      🇧🇷 Brazil Grand Prix

      Venue: Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos
      Friday, November 5: Practice 1 (2.30pm), Practice 2 (6pm)
      Saturday, November 6: Practice 3 (3pm), SPRINT RACE (6PM)
      Sunday, November 7: Race (5pm)

      🇦🇺 Australian Grand Prix

      Venue: Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit
      Friday, November 19: Practice 1 (1.30am), Practice 2 (5am)
      Saturday, November 20: Practice 3 (3am), Qualifying (6am)
      Sunday, November 21: Race (6am)

      🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix

      Venue: Jeddah Street Circuit
      Friday, December 3: Practice 1 (12.30pm), Practice 2 (4pm)
      Saturday, December 4: Practice 3 (1pm), Qualifying (4pm)
      Sunday, December 5: Race (4pm)

      🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

      Venue: Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island
      Friday, December 10: Practice 1 (9.30am), Practice 2 (1pm)
      Saturday, December 11: Practice 3 (10am), Qualifying (1pm)
      Sunday, December 12: Race (1pm) More

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      Lewis Hamilton contract extension talks ‘stall’ amid claims of ‘cracks starting to appear’ with Mercedes bosses

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      MERCEDES bosses have calmed talk of Lewis Hamilton earning a new contract this summer, according to reports.Motorsport.com’s Italian edition has claimed there is increased tension among the German marque’s senior decision makers following the F1 Monaco Grand Prix.
      Lewis Hamilton is in talks over a new Mercedes contractCredit: Getty
      Hamilton, 36, voiced his discontent having qualified seventh on the Principality grid.
      And he failed to climb any places during the race – despite Charles Leclerc and Valtteri Bottas retiring from in front of him.
      The result allowed Max Verstappen to snatch first place in the drivers’ championship with Red Bull also jumping to top spot in the constructors’.
      Before the race, Hamilton had been set to sign on the dotted line for another year with Mercedes by the summer.
      It had taken the team and driver until the eve of the 2021 season to finally tie him down for the defence of his world title.
      But this latest report suggests there is uncertainty within the Merc camp, although the final decision rests with team principal Toto Wolff.
      The salary package is said to have already been agreed, leaving only Hamilton’s potential post-F1 role with the car manufacturer up for discussion.
      Earlier this month, the driver had insisted that he wants to settle the matter before August’s summer break.
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      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      It’s never a super simple procedure and so hopefully soon we can start, as long as it doesn’t interfere the actual job.Lewis Hamilton

      He said: “We never want to be in the position in January, February.
      “It ruined my whole winter and I’m sure it wasn’t helpful for Toto’s, in terms of being off and relaxed, so it felt like we didn’t really have much of a break.
      “I think we have to be sensible. Naturally we don’t have to rush anything but I think we have to be sensible and start conversations.
      “They’re very complex. It’s never a super simple procedure and so hopefully soon we can start, as long as it doesn’t interfere the actual job.
      “It would be great to get something in place before the break so then we could be in that break and have a clear picture of the future.”
      Lewis Hamilton uploads stunning moving art to instagram to celebrate taking 100th F1 pole More

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      in Motorsport

      Mercedes ‘to sign George Russell to replace Valtteri Bottas on two-year deal’ alongside Hamilton, claims F1 commentator

      by

      MERCEDES are preparing to drop Valtteri Bottas for George Russell, according to reports.Alexey Popov, a renowned Formula One commentator, has asserted that a move is afoot after the Finn’s tough start to the season.
      Valtteri Bottas is under pressure to keep his Mercedes seatCredit: Splash
      Three third-place finishes have seen him labour behind Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton while his two retirements have underlined his poor luck of late.
      Last weekend’s bid to win the Monaco Grand Prix ended early due to a botched pit stop from second place and he tangled with Williams ace Russell in a nasty crash at Imola.
      Russian pundit Popov told Match TV, via GPBlog: “I will not disclose the source, but there is always a lot of talk in the paddock in Monaco.
      “They told me that Russell’s move to Mercedes for at least two years, and not in Hamilton’s place, is already practically done.”
      Lewis Hamilton sits four points behind championship leader Verstappen after coming home seventh in Monaco.
      Merc academy talent Russell matched his best finish of 14th and is yet to score a point despite his impressive qualifying form.

      🏁 F1 2021 calendar: practice times, dates and racetrack info
      Popov also reported on the potential for Bottas to take his old seat at Williams in a straight swap with the Brit.
      He described: “That’s just my guess, but the fact that Russell will be in the Mercedes is almost certain.
      “[Bottas] is hopelessly behind both Hamilton and Verstappen already. He’s out of the title fight completely. Even [Lando] Norris is ahead of him now.”
      The man with the decision to make is Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who has praised Bottas’ spirit during the early weeks of the season.
      He stated: “Valtteri led our fight all weekend.
      “He was set for a strong podium finish if it wasn’t for the wheel nut problem which forced him to DNF.
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      Sometimes, you just wonder when he will catch a break but Valtteri always comes back stronger and more determined.Toto Wolff

      “I’ve never seen something like that before in my years in racing, and it must have felt awful in the cockpit as his rivals went by.
      “Sometimes, you just wonder when he will catch a break but Valtteri always comes back stronger and more determined. I admire his Finnish resilience so much.
      “I know we will emerge stronger as a team, to give him the results he deserves.”
      The 31-year-old’s next shot at a pushback against Hamilton and Verstappen will come on June 6 and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – which he won in 2019.
      F1 star Valtteri Bottas gives a guided tour of the Mercedes motorhome More