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    Lewis Hamilton fuels fresh dating rumours as he parties with Kanye West’s model ex Juliana Nalu after ‘Shakira fling’

    F1 ACE Lewis Hamilton has been spotted relaxing with supermodel Juliana Nalu after jetting to the beauty’s homeland.The pair were snapped partying together yesterday at a pre New Year’s Eve bash in the stunning coastal resort of Transcoso, north-east of Brazil.
    Lewis Hamilton was spotted relaxing with supermodel Juliana Nalu yesterdayCredit: Twitter/@fastpitstop
    The pair were seen at a pre New Year’s Eve bash in Transcoso, north-east of BrazilCredit: Twitter/@LewisHamiltonBR
    Fans convinced Lewis Hamilton is dating stunning Kanye West’s busty ex Juliana Nalu after hot tub snap emergedCredit: Instagram
    Fans later posted photos of Hamilton and Rio de Janeiro-born Juliana at a swish restaurant in the hippie chic destination.
    The model – who has dated Kanye West -has been romantically linked on and off to the racing driver for some time.
    Videos published on social media showed the 38-year-old sportsman, who was also previously rumoured to be getting close to Shakira, in a designer shirt and baseball cap in front of 25-year-old Juliana.
    Local reports said Hamilton had been surrounded by bodyguards but seemed happy and greeted well-wishers with a broad smile.
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    Juliana, who made an appearance at the Miami Grand Prix paddock in May where Hamilton was competing, set tongues wagging in a partly-see-through black dress.
    The Brazilian beauty was first described as Lewis’ “new girlfriend” at the start of the year when F1 fans claimed she was the woman pictured next to him as he relaxed in a hot-tub in the Antarctic with former Olympic snowboarder Shaun White.
    Only part of the top half of her body including her arm was visible in the snap Shaun posted on social media, but it was enough to get Hamilton’s followers identifying the mystery female as Kanye West’s ex.
    Speaking about White and Hamilton, one person said: “Of course he’s on the same boat. Check Shaun White’s Insta, they’re in the hot tub and a girl (Juliana Nalu?) in Lewis’ arms.”
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    Another added: “JULIANA NALU WITH LEWIS HAMILTON, REALLY???”
    A third said: “Juliana Nalu with Lewis Hamilton. LOL this darling is too good.”
    A fourth replied: “The Hamilton descent can be Brazilian and it only depends on Juliana Nalu.”
    Hamilton became an honorary citizen of Brazil in November last year.
    Congressman Andre Figueiredo had first made the suggestion after the Brit won the Brazilian Grand Prix for a third time at Interlagos.
    Hamilton, who was a huge admirer of Brazilian racing icon Ayrton Senna when he was growing up, carried a green and yellow Brazilian flag on his victory lap and at the podium to celebrate with local fans.
    In his last visit to the country last month for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, he said he would return to the South American country at the end of the season.
    Beyonce shot part of her Blue video in Trancoso and her sister Solange spent her honeymoon there.
    American broadcast journalist Anderson Cooper is a also regular visitor.
    The town has also attracted the likes of Naomi Campbell, Matthew McConaughey, Gisele Bunchen and Leonardo di Caprio.
    Juliana Nalu reportedly split with rapper Kanye West in December last year after only two short months of dating.
    Read more on The Sun
    She confirmed she was single on social media on December 5 2022 in answer to a question from a fan.
    The former couple were first rumoured to be romantically linked after they were spotted out in New York in October 2022.
    Dating rumours were sparked after Hamilton fans identified the model from her arm
    Juliana Nalu is Kanye West’s exCredit: Instagram More

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    Michael Schumacher ‘has been driven round in Mercedes to stimulate his brain as he’s cared for by team of 15 doctors’

    MICHAEL Schumacher has reportedly been back in the seat of a Mercedes car almost 10 years since his tragic ski accident.The F1 legend has been driven around in sporty AMG Merc to help stimulate his brain with familiar sounds of race cars.
    Michael Schumacher, pictured before his accident, has been driven round in a Mercedes to help stimulate his brain and help with his recovery
    Schumacher has 24-hour assistance from 15 doctors and a team of masseurs after his tragic ski accident almost a decade agoCredit: AFP
    The purpose of the trips was to help his brain by getting him to listen to familiar sounds of race cars and the roar of a Mercedes AMG engineCredit: Alamy
    It comes as further details emerge about Schumacher’s condition and treatment.
    He is being looked after by an expert team of 15 doctors and his loving wife Corinna at their estate in Switzerland.
    Still seen as one of the greatest F1 drivers in history, Schuey has been receiving 24-hour care ever since he suffered a devastating head injury while skiing in the French Alps. 
    December 29, marks a decade since the driver fell and struck a a rock so hard it split his helmet in two – leaving him in a coma for 250 days.
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    German publication BILD recently revealed that alongside the 15 doctors, Schumacher also has a range of masseurs and assistants as part of his care team. 
    BILD also broke the heartwarming news about the ex-Mercedes driver being given regular trips in their cars as part of his treatment.
    The purpose of the trips was to stimulate his brain with familiar sounds of race cars and the roar of a Mercedes AMG engine.
    The seven time world champion dominated motorsport in a decade of dominance between 1994 and 2004 when he won titles with both Ferrari and Benetton.
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    Schumacher spent over two decades racing, making his F1 debut in 1991 at the Belgian Grand Prix for the Jordan team.
    He ended his illustrious career after the 2012 season and was replaced by Lewis Hamilton – the man who would go on to equal his record number of world titles.
    Ever since his accident, his family have kept his life and condition completely private and he has not been seen or heard from.
    He currently lives alongside his wife at their Lake Geneva home under the care of a team of doctors.
    The latest news comes after former F1 ace and pal of Schuey – Timo Glock – spoke about what life could’ve been like had the icon of Motorsports never been in the accident.
    The 41-year-old German fantasised over what he thinks Schumacher might be up to today if he was able to recover fully and regain his drive and determination for success.
    Timo Glock said: “He would always have been around the F1 paddock but whether he would have been a pundit, I don’t know.
    “He would not have been the F1 expert in front of the cameras. Yes, he would have done interviews but I think he would have worked for the sport he lived for.”
    But Timo feels like his quest for glory would’ve made him want to continue and win more championships but as a team principle.
    He continued: “Maybe not in the first part of his retirement, maybe later on. But he would definitely have been a good person in that position because he knows exactly what it needs.”
    Other successful drivers have also turned into team bosses such as Alain Prost and Sir Jackie Stewart.
    The driver also said he “never thought it would be that tragic” a decade on from the horror ski crash.
    Timo spoke to BettingSites.co.uk about how he first heard about the news and how he never imagined it would cause so much long-term pain to Michael.
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    “We were playing cards and we heard about it on the news. It was a huge shock. You never thought it would be that tragic.
    “With Michael normally you would say he stands up and walks away. But sometimes things can be tragic.”
    The ex-Mercedes man hasn’t been seen near a race car in almost a decade as he recovers at home from a tragic skiing accident
    Schumacher is looked after by his wife Corinna who has made sure to keep his life and health private amongst just his close friends and familyCredit: Rex Features More

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    Max Verstappen snubbed from hiring Mercedes AMG GT with top speed of 195mph on holiday — as he’s ‘too young’

    FORMULA One world champion Max Verstappen was snubbed when he tried to hire a high-performance car on holiday — as he was too young.The 26-year-old Dutch ace — used to racing at well over 200mph — was denied access to the Mercedes, which has a top speed of 195mph.
    Formula One ace Max Verstappen was unable to hire a Mercedes from car rental firm Sixt when he went on holidayCredit: Splash News
    Staff said that allowing Verstappento take the AMG GT motor would have breached its insurance policyCredit: Mercedes
    Staff at car rental firm Sixt said that allowing Verstappen — who won his first grand prix aged 18 — to take the AMG GT motor would have breached its insurance policy as he is under 30.
    The Red Bull racer, who this season won his third consecutive F1 world championship, instead had to make do with a less powerful BMW 5 Series.
    He flew to the Algarve in Portugal with family and friends on three private jets last Monday.
    The party had rented around 20 cars from Sixt at Faro Airport and hired the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve racing circuit for two days before Verstappen flew on to Brazil.
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    A source said: “Max and the group went to Portugal for a fun racing trip and had booked the cars they wanted.
    “When they got to the airport, Max was shocked when he was told he wasn’t allowed to drive the Mercedes he wanted.
    “He’s a seasoned F1 driver who’s used to handling powerful cars, so it’s quite astonishing to think he wasn’t allowed to get behind the wheel of this one — but those are the rules, so he abided by them.”
    Verstappen, who has hit a top speed of 213mph in his RB19 F1 car, had picked out the Mercedes AMG GT, which can do up to 195.7mph.
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    The BMW he was eventually given can cruise at up to 155.3mph.
    His manager Raymond Vermeulen ended up driving the Mercedes.
    Belgium-born Verstappen has won 54 races and made the podium 98 times in his F1 career.
    He has raced for Red Bull since 2016 and is said to have earned £43million this year alone.
    He began karting aged four and was competing in championships at seven. Dad Jos, 51, was also an F1 driver.
    Former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan has said of Verstappen: “I believe he will turn out to be the greatest driver of all time.”
    A Sixt spokesman said: “The employees of our franchise partner in Portugal have only followed the rules that arise for insurance reasons.
    “In order to find a customer-friendly solution on site, Mr Verstappen was provided with another premium vehicle.
    “However, there can be special circumstances that justify a deviation from rules. This is such a case.
    “We apologise to Mr Verstappen. He can rent the car he wants from us at any time.
    “There is of course no doubt at all about his driving skills and his experience with powerful cars.”
    In August, Verstappen appeared to break the speed limit while driving a £2.3million Aston Martin Valkyrie supercar through a tunnel in France.
    Read more on The Sun
    A video showed him to seemingly be at 73mph on a 55mph road.
    His representative was asked to comment.
    Verstappen has hit a top speed of 213mph in his RB19 F1 carCredit: Getty More

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    Lewis Hamilton and Co given hope for 2024 F1 season as Red Bull chief reveals Max Verstappen’s weakness

    RED BULL director Helmut Marko has revealed the key aspect in which Max Verstappen can still improve.The Dutchman dominated Formula 1 in 2023, winning 19 of the 22 races.
    Max Verstappen has dominated Formula 1 in recent yearsCredit: PA
    Verstappen won his third world title on the bounce and is expected to make it four next time out.
    But Marko, 80, believes he still has room to improve.
    Speaking to Sky Germany, Marko said: “Here and there he gets a little impatient when the car is not exactly to his liking.
    “He becomes even faster and takes more care of the material. That gives him an advantage again. I would never have thought it possible, so I don’t see any limits to the top.”
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    Marko believes that the best is yet to come for F1’s most dominant driver, in daunting news for other competitors.
    He added: “It’s his absolute will to win, he can go to the limit in every situation. He does that with aplomb and ease.
    “He has made a very decisive step in tyre management. He can drive at the limit without pushing the tyres.
    “He knows how far he can go. We haven’t seen the peak yet.”
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    McLaren team principal Andrea Stella recently snubbed seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton when naming his three best drivers on the grid.
    Speaking to DAZN, Stella said: “Lando [Norris] is already one of the best drivers on the grid.
    “He is very fast, very good in the race, with tire management… When I think about Lando, I think that if the team and I gave him a good car, he would be able to fight for the championship.
    “When we talk about being the most complete, I definitely think of Fernando Alonso. He basically has no weaknesses.
    “I think this makes him unique. He is not the best in many things, but he is very strong in all of them.
    “Lando, I think his development as a driver will make him so complete. He reminds me a little of Fernando.
    “My top 3 drivers with the same cars would be Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso.”
    Lewis Hamilton was snubbed by McLaren tam principal Andrea StellaCredit: Alamy More

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    Max Verstappen must cough up more than £1MILLION to compete in F1 next season – but Lewis Hamilton pays less than half

    MAX VERSTAPPEN will have to pay more than £1MILLION to compete in F1 next season.The Dutch star, 26, claimed his third successive drivers’ championship in 2023 with a record 16 wins and 575 points.
    Max Verstappen will have to pay more than £1million to take part in the 2024 seasonCredit: Rex
    Lewis Hamilton will only have to pay £431,000 to compete next yearCredit: Alamy
    But the price of his dominant year means he will have to shell out a substantial amount to compete in 2024.
    F1 racing licences for the following season are always calculated by the previous term’s points totals.
    The base cost for the drivers is nearly £9,000, before each point accumulated incurs an additional £1800.
    This means Verstappen’s 575-point total racks up a payment of more than £1m.
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    The overall total for the Dutch driver stands at £1,046,911.
    However, it is likely Red Bull will cover the cost of the racing licence for their star man.
    Meanwhile, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton will only have to pay £431,349 to compete in 2024 – less than half the fee of rival Verstappen.
    He picked up just 234 points and failed to win a race for a second consecutive season.
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    Williams driver Logan Sargeant, who claimed just one point in the 2023 season, will pay the least amount after accumulating a total of just £10,800.
    Verstappen has complained in the past about having to pay the hefty fees.
    He said: “I don’t think it’s right that we have to pay so much.
    “It doesn’t happen in other sports either. And there are more and more races.”
    There will be a record 24 races next season, up from 22 in 2023. More

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    Christian Horner accuses Mercedes of ‘f***ing up’ with ‘poor Lewis Hamilton’ when Max Verstappen won F1 world title

    RED BULL team boss Christian Horner has accused Mercedes of “f***ing up” on the day Lewis Hamilton missed out on the 2021 World Championship in controversial manner.The infamous 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix saw the British star miss out the F1 world title to Max Verstappen.
    Christian Horner accused Mercedes of ‘f***ing up’ with Lewis Hamilton at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
    Max Verstappen bagged the win at that year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
    Verstappen won the World Championship title that day
    Hamilton was unable to secure a record-breaking eighth F1 title
    December 12 marked the second anniversary of the 2021 season finale which saw Hamilton dethroned from his streak of F1 title wins.
    He had won four years in a row before he gave up his crown to Dutch driver Verstappen following a controversial decision.
    FIA race director Michael Masi did not enforce the Safety Car rules correctly which led to a one-lap shootout for the title.
    Hamilton, who was leading the whole race, was set to secure his eighth world championship but was beaten to the title in the dying seconds with his rival on fresher tyres.
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    Verstappen overtook the Brit at the Turn 5 hairpin to take the race victory along with the F1 title.
    And it was found the Dutchman had pitted for a new set of soft tyres ahead of the restart while Hamilton was left exposed on worn hard tyres.
    Horner accused Mercedes of making a strategic error with their driver.
    He told Sky’s A League Of Their Own “I have absolutely no idea” why the race is so well-known.
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    Horner continued: “Mercedes f***ed up. They left poor Lewis out there on tyres that had done pretty much most of the race and we’d pitted with Max, so he was on a fresh set of tyres.
    “Max made the move.”
    Horner revealed Verstappen never planned to complete the decisive pass at the hairpin but aimed to launch a move up the inside as he struggled with a cramp in his left leg.
    He said: “The interesting thing is where Max passed him – it caught Lewis completely by surprise.
    “After the race, Max told us he didn’t intend to overtake him there but he got cramp behind the Safety Car and he couldn’t feel his left foot properly, so he thought: ‘Oh, f*** it, I’m going for it anyway.
    “And then, when they were going down the straight, he was trying to wake his left foot up to hit the brakes for the next chicane.” More

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    Lewis Hamilton scolds FIA at F1 awards ceremony as he suggests Baku do was unnecessary and sticks up for Susie Wolff

    LEWIS HAMILTON has blasted the FIA’s handling of their bungled conflict-of-interest investigation into Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and his wife, Susie.On Thursday evening the FIA confirmed they were dropping the case after just TWO DAYS following an article citing that rival F1 teams were upset that the latter was working as managing director of F1 Academy.
    Lewis Hamilton is in Baku for the FIA’s annual galaCredit: Alamy
    Toto Wolff and Susie Wolff have both responded to bogus conflict-of-interest claimsCredit: EPA
    It followed a display of unity from F1 teams, who released statements saying they had no issue with either’s positions.
    Speaking at the FIA prize giving gala in Baku, Hamilton delivered a stinging attack on F1’s governing body, accusing them of “trying to pull us back” when they make progress.
    He said: “It has been a challenging week – a disappointing week really.
    “To see the governing body of our sport has seeked to question the integrity of one of the most incredible female leaders we’ve ever had in our sport, with Susie Wolff, without questioning, without any evidence. Then just saying sorry at the end, that’s just unacceptable.
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    “We’ve got a lot of great people in the sport that are doing amazing work, there is a constant fight to really improve diversity and inclusion within the industry.
    “But it seems there are certain individuals within the leadership of the FIA that every time we make a step forward they’re trying to pull us back and that has to change.
    “This is a global sport and we have such an incredible opportunity and a natural responsibility to be a leader of change, travelling to all countries around the world we have a responsibility to make sure we are pushing the right direction.
    “I do want to acknowledge there are a lot of people doing great work but we need to make some changes to make sure we are pushing in the right direction.”
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    It comes as Wolff, who is team principal, CEO and co-owner of the Mercedes F1 team said he was seeking a legal explanation from the FIA over the matter.
    He issued a statement saying: “We are currently in active legal exchange with the FIA. We await full transparency about what took place and why, and have expressly reserved all legal rights.”
    His statement came after his wife, a former racing driver and Formula E team boss herself, had posted on social media responding to the FIA’s short statement that they had ceased their investigation.
    She wrote: “When I saw the statement issued by the FIA, my first reaction was: ‘Is that it?’.
    “For two days, insinuations have been made about my integrity in public and through background briefings, but nobody from the FIA has spoken to me directly.
    “I might have been collateral damage in an unsuccessful attack on somebody else, or the target of a failed attempt to discredit me personally, but I have worked too hard to have my reputation called into question by an unfounded press release.
    “I will not allow myself to be intimidated and intend to follow up until I have found out who has instigated this campaign and misled the media.
    “What happened this week is simply not good enough. As a sport, we must demand, and we deserve, better.”
    Meanwhile, Hamilton also took aim at the FIA for holding their annual event in Baku, Azerbaijan – a five and a half hour flight from London.
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    He added: “Whilst I really like Baku, it’s really a beautiful place, questions in my mind of whether the FIA is really actually thinking about sustainability because so many people flew out here.
    “The FIA is based in Paris and it just would have been easier to stay there.”
    F1’s most high-profile figures including Christian Horner and Max Verstappen have travelled to BakuCredit: Alamy More

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    Toto Wolff demands explanation from FIA as Mercedes boss launches ‘legal exchange’ with F1 governing body

    TOTO WOLFF has demanded an explanation from the FIA after launching a “legal exchange” with F1’s governing body following accusations of a conflict of interest.Mercedes boss Wolff and his wife Susie, had been subjected to unprecedented scrutiny following an article citing that rival F1 teams were upset that the latter was working as Managing Director of F1 Academy.
    Toto Wolff has launched a ‘legal exchange’Credit: Alamy
    The FIA responded by publicly announcing they were investigating the unsubstantiated claim.
    However, it has since been quickly disproved following a display of unity from F1 teams, who released statements saying they had no issue with either’s positions.
    While the FIA have now performed a U-turn on their decision and since closed the case, both Toto and Susie Wolff are angry their integrity has been called into question and want an explanation.
    A statement from Wolff, who is team principal, CEO and co-owner of the Mercedes F1 team said: “We understand that there is significant media interest in the events of this week.
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    “We are currently in active legal exchange with the FIA. We await full transparency about what took place and why, and have expressly reserved all legal rights.
    “Therefore we ask for your understanding that we will not be commenting officially for now, but we will certainly address the matter in due course.”
    His statement came after his wife, a former racing driver and Formula E team boss herself, had posted on social media responding to the FIA’s short statement that they had ceased their investigation.She wrote: “When I saw the statement issued by the FIA yesterday evening, my first reaction was: ‘Is that it?’.
    “For two days, insinuations have been made about my integrity in public and through background briefings, but nobody from the FIA has spoken to me directly.
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    “I might have been collateral damage in an unsuccessful attack on somebody else, or the target of a failed attempt to discredit me personally, but I have worked too hard to have my reputation called into question by an unfounded press release.
    “We have come a long way as a sport. I was extremely thankful for the unified support of the Formula One teams.
    “I have worked with so many passionate women and men at F1 and the FIA, who have the very best interests of our sport at heart.
    “However, this episode has so far taken place without transparency or accountability. I have received online abuse about my work and my family.
    “I will not allow myself to be intimidated and intend to follow up until I have found out who has instigated this campaign and misled the media.
    “What happened this week is simply not good enough. As a sport, we must demand, and we deserve, better.”
    The bombshell dropped ahead of Friday night’s FIA lavish gala in Baku, Azerbaijan, where Merc’s Lewis Hamilton picked up his award for finishing third in the drivers’ championship.
    He skipped the award ceremony in 2021 after losing the title to Max Verstappen, earning a fine from the FIA. More