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      Mercedes F1 chief Toto Wolff fired warning ahead of potential Man Utd takeover role as part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe deal

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      MERCEDES F1 chief Toto Wolff has been warned against investing in Manchester United.Wolff has a close relationship with Sir Jim Ratcliffe due to being business partners that both own a 33 per cent stake in Mercedes’ F1 team.
      Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Toto Wolff have a close business relationshipCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The other third of the F1 team is owned by the car manufacturer itself.
      Ratcliffe is expected to lean heavily on his network when his expected 25 per cent stake in Manchester United goes through.
      Sir Dave Brailsford, who oversaw Ratcliffe’s investment in cycling is expected to come in to manage the sporting direction of United and appoint a new sporting director.
      That’s led to speculation that Wolff could also join the club in some capacity, given his success in managing Mercedes’ F1 team.
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      Two weeks ago at the Brazilian Grand Prix Wolff was asked about investing in the club by Sky Sports and said: “I have never aimed for trophy investments but I like the competitiveness of the Premier League.
      “Jim and Manchester United is a love story because he is born there.
      “Our personal relationship is strong and with Ola Kallenius [Mercedes-Benz chief executive], they call us the Three Amigos because we live in the no-nonsense world.
      “If we felt I could contribute then I would consider joining him at Manchester United.”
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      But Ex-F1 and Le Mans driver Mark Blundell has warned Wolff against investing in the club, saying it will be a lot harder to pull the club in the right direction compared to overseeing an F1 team.
      But former F1, Le Mans and Indy Car driver Mark Blundell has warned Wolff that investing in Manchester United will be difficultCredit: AP:Associated Press
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      Blundell spent four seasons in F1 between 1991 and 1995, racing for McLaren, Ligier, Branham and Tyrrell.
      He said to OLBG: “I guess the Mercedes shareholders see him already and they’re both part of the ownership situation.
      “Jim Ratcliffe has been looking at Man United for some time now, and maybe it fits.
      “Perhaps Toto wants to be involved in football. It’s a different dynamic, and it’ll be difficult to control 11 Lewis Hamiltons on the pitch!
      “Toto Wolff has been an incredible leader of Mercedes and he’s taking the Grand Prix team to huge peaks. Perhaps he can bring that to the Man United team.
      “They’re not a small club, though, and it’ll take a lot of people to take it forward – and you can’t always do that from the directors’ box.”
      Ratcliffe’s 25 per cent stake in Manchester United is expected to be confirmed by the club soon.
      But he may have to wait until mid-January for the takeover to be fully confirmed, with the Premier League expected to take six to eight weeks to confirm the deal. More

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      Christian Horner says Mercedes ‘f***ed up’ with Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen won F1 title thanks to CRAMP

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN beat Lewis Hamilton to the 2021 Formula One title thanks to CRAMP, Christian Horner has revealed.Hamilton and Verstappen went wheel to wheel throughout the dramatic 2021 season, coming to a head with the finale in Abu Dhabi.
      Christian Horner appeared on Sky’s A League of Their OwnCredit: Sky Sports
      Horner spoke on the controversial ending to the 2021 F1 seasonCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Horner said Mercedes had ‘f***ed’ up by leaving Hamilton on older tyresCredit: Rex
      Horner revealed that Verstappen was dealing with cramp before his overtakeCredit: PA
      There had been a number of heated clashes throughout the season, but the controversial handling of a safety car restart at the end of the race allowed Verstappen to overtake Hamilton on the final lap.
      The stunning conclusion to the season remains a bitter debate among fans, with Hamilton himself suggesting the title had been “manipulated”.
      And while appearing on a Sky’s A League of Their Own, Red Bull team principal Horner was asked about the event.
      Having just come off a chorus of boos, Horner asked whether there was a Dutch version of the show before jokingly saying he had no idea why it was controversial.
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      Horner then explained that a poor strategy by Mercedes was partly to blame.
      He said: “I mean Mercedes f***ed up. They left poor Lewis out there on tyres that had done pretty much most of the race and we pitted with Max so he was on a fresh set of tyres.
      “Max made the move and the interesting thing was where Max passed him it caught Lewis completely by surprise.”
      Horner, 49, then revealed how the Dutch driver was actually dealing with cramp at that point of the race.
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      He added: “After the race what Max told us was that he didn’t intend to overtake 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 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.”
      Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was also famously angry at the stunning turn of events, blasting race director Michael Masi down the radio over the race.
      Asked why the Austrian was so angry, he said, Horner said: “I think he was just having a bad hair day.
      “His hair is very important to him on the camera and I think he was just having a bad day.”
      While on the show, Horner lifted the lid on the team’s party afterwards.
      Red Bull partied on a £20million yacht following the race, with Horner revealing Verstappen was “wasted” during the party.
      He also explained why he had been locked out of his house at Christmas.
      The Red Bull boss is estimated to have a net worth of £41.4m and is married to Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell.
      The aftermath of the season saw motorsport chiefs conduct an investigation that concluded “human error” played a hand in Verstappen landing his first F1 title.
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      Masi left the FIA after being axed as race director and opened up on the mental turmoil the backlash had caused him earlier this year.
      A League of Their Own airs on Sky Max and NOW, Wednesday’s at 9pm.
      Verstappen overtook Hamilton on the final lapCredit: Getty
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      Lewis Hamilton struck with BAN by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff ahead of F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix

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      LEWIS HAMILTON and the Mercedes team have been hit with a BAN from their boss ahead of Formula One’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.F1 is racing on the famous Vegas strip for the first time in its history, though the sport has previously raced in the city in the Ceasar’s Palace car park in 1981 and 1982.
      Lewis Hamilton has been issued with a ban while in Las VegasCredit: Rex
      Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has laid down the law ahead of the raceCredit: Getty
      It has cost F1 owners Liberty Media roughly $500million, or £400m, to put on the event.
      But Hamilton and Co will not be allowed to enjoy the full offerings of Sin City.
      That is because Mercedes F1 chief Toto Wolff has issued a gambling ban on the team.
      Speaking to Motorsport.com, Wolff said: “I’ve never been to Las Vegas, but we’ll do everything we can to make sure everyone on the team stays away from the casinos.
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      “I don’t bet and I’ll make sure no one else bets either.”
      The Nevada-based city is known around the globe for its casinos and 24-hour entertainment, with 122 gambling and betting venues.
      The Austrian explained the team could get easily distracted due to not knowing the layout of the paddock, city and traffic routes to get to the circuit.
      Wolff said: “We don’t know how to get from the hotel to the circuit and vice versa, but I am sure that we will find a solution. I can’t wait for the race to start.”
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      He added: “I think everyone is looking forward to the Las Vegas race.
      “Running in this city is comparable to climbing Everest, hats off to Liberty Media for organizing this race.
      “I don’t think I’m the only one in Formula 1 who’s never been to this city, which is quite difficult to navigate.”
      Hamilton, 38, revealed he has quit another Sin City vice in booze to try and get back to winning races.
      Wolff has been linked with a sensational investment into Manchester United along with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who owns Mercedes F1 sponsor Ineos.
      F1 owners, Liberty Media, have apologised to the local residents of Las Vegas about the chaos the race has created in terms of construction, traffic and impact on the tourism industry.
      CEO Greg Maffei said: “I want to apologise to all the Las Vegas residents and we appreciate that they have their forbearance and their willingness to tolerate us.
      The layout of the Las Vegas Grand Prix
      “We’re going to bring something like $1.7 billion of revenue to the area. So it’s not just for the benefit of fans who want to view.
      “We hope this is a great economic benefit in Las Vegas.
      “We hope this is the most difficult year with all the construction that went on and things will be easier in the future.”
      There are serious concerns the race will fail to live up to the hype with reports suggesting there are up to 10,000 tickets which have not been sold in the grandstand.
      Ticket sales too have been slow with many reluctant to spend the ridiculous sums being suggested.
      CNN reported that ticket website TickPick had seen prices slashed, although the average price for Saturday’s race is still an eye-watering $1,060, roughly £800, for grandstand seats.
      The race is on Saturday at 10pm local time and 6am in the UK.
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      There have been mixed reactions to the race from drivers as well, with world champion Max Verstappen suggesting there could be some surprises.
      Meanwhile, the race itself could be chaos with track temperatures set to be around five degrees, far from optimal for F1 tyres which thrive in warmer conditions.
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      Michael Schumacher update as F1 simulator used by legend in his last Ferrari season goes up for sale for £20,000

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      A FORMULA One simulator used by Michael Schumacher in his last Ferrari season has gone on sale for £20,000.The racing legend, who has won a joint record seven world titles, last used the device while training for F1 circuits back in 2006.
      A Formula One simulator used by Michael Schumacher is being sold for £20,000Credit: Jam Press/Gormleys Auctions
      The device was used by the racing legend back in 2006 while he prepared for F1 circuitsCredit: Jam Press/Gormleys Auctions
      Schumacher retired from F1 in 2012, before he suffered a severe brain injury following a ski crash in 2013Credit: Alamy
      Shaped like half an iconic Ferrari F1 car, the Italian manufacturers used the simulators to prepare drivers for various circuits.
      It has now gone up for sale for a whopping £20,000 after being updated with all the circuits from the 2012 F1 calendar.
      The device has been used by a number of drivers, but most notably by Schumacher during his last season driving for team Ferrari.
      Auctioneers Gormleys Auctions says the collectible is a unique slice of history.
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      The listing reads: “This piece represents a rare opportunity to acquire a unique slice of F1 history, affording the opportunity to sit in the same pod that legendary driver Michael Schumacher will have used during simulated race sessions in advance of the 2006 Season.
      “A former team-owned piece of F1 history, this simulator benefits from the particular association with one of the sport’s most celebrated exponents.
      “This piece is a unique addition to the collection of any serious Ferrari F1 fan, and has been updated with ‘R-factor’ software and all of the circuits from the 2012 F1 calendar, among a number of other International circuits used for testing.
      “In addition, it comes complete with a Force-feedback steering wheel by Bob Salisbury Engineering at Silverstone.”
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      The auction for the iconic piece ends on November 14.
      It comes after a stunning collection of the F1 ace’s memorabilia worth £1.4million went up for auction in August.
      Schumacher’s iconic 1994 Bell Benetton Formula 1 helmet was part of the collection along with an Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost signed Formula 1 Moet Champagne Bottle.
      The bottle was signed by the pair during the 1989 Formula 1 World Championship and was set to sell for £7,800.
      Two other special helmets from Schumacher’s career were expected to attract bids of up to £20,000.
      One helmet – with a signed visor – was from the 2001 season, where it was worn during the Australian, Malaysian, and Brazilian Grand Prix events.
      Another was from the following season and was used in the Japanese and Hungarian Grand Prix events when he raced for Ferrari.
      The entire jaw-dropping collection was sold by RM Sotheby’s in Monterey, California.
      An RM Sotheby’s spokesperson said: “Among this treasured collection of artwork and automobilia are more than 75 lots of race-worn clothing and equipment spanning the breadth of Schumacher’s career, including a selection of helmets from his earliest days in karting.
      “Full Throttle ­– The Schumacher Collection offers an unrepeatable opportunity to acquire precious automobilia from the career of one of the sport’s true greats—touchstones from the life of a legendary driver who changed the face of motorsport forever”.
      Also in August, Schumacher’s incredible Ferrari F2001b sportscar went up for sale for a staggering £6million.
      The racing legend drove the 220mph 3.0-litre V10 cherry-red Ferrari when he won the 2002 Australian Grand Prix.
      An RM Sotheby’s spokesperson said: “Amongst the most desirable of any modern-era grand prix cars in existence, chassis 215 played a significant role in the early days of the 2002 Formula 1 World Championship.
      Schumacher’s iconic valuables have been listed at auctions after the driver suffered a severe brain injury during a devastating ski crash accident in December 2013.
      He was on the slopes above Méribel in the French Alps when he hit his head on a rock while crossing an off-piste area.
      Doctors said he would most likely have died had he not been wearing the safety gear, and the world champ was airlifted to Grenoble Hospital.
      He was put into a medically induced coma after suffering what was described as a “traumatic brain injury”.
      The former Ferrari and Mercedes driver was brought out of the coma in June 2014 and was released to go and rehabilitate at his home in Gland, Switzerland.
      The 54-year-old now lives a private life with his family with the tragic ski accident coming just over a year after he retired from F1 in 2012.
      He mounted a brief comeback for three seasons with the new Mercedes team after initially hanging up his helmet in 2006.
      In 2021, his family broke their eight-year silence on the seven-time world champion’s condition in a Netflix documentary examining his illustrious career.
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      His wife Corinna explained in the Netflix interview: “We’re together. We live together at home. We do therapy.
      “We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable”.
      The device has been updated with all the circuits from the 2012 F1 calendarCredit: Jam Press/Gormleys Auctions
      The simulator is shaped like half an F1 Ferrari racing carCredit: Jam Press/Gormleys Auctions More

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      Lewis Hamilton’s ex-trainer reveals biggest challenge of working with Mercedes star and names hardest F1 track

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’S former trainer has revealed what the biggest challenge of training the Formula One great was. Antti Vierula was part of Hamilton’s support crew between 2011 and 2012 while the Brit was still with McLaren.
      Lewis Hamilton’s ex-trainer has revealed what the biggest challenge of working with him wasCredit: Splash
      Antti Vierula was Hamilton’s trainer between 2011 and 2012Credit: Getty
      Since then Hamilton has gone on to rack up a total of seven F1 world titles, six of which have come at Mercedes.
      However, speaking to OLBG, Vierula has now opened up on what the main challenge to working with him was.
      He said: “You try and get the best out of the time you have, and that’s the case for training any athlete.
      “The racing schedule is so demanding, and the biggest challenge is weaving training into that schedule.
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      “The training can’t hurt the athlete or stress them too much. Training also can’t deplete the energy levels. You learn a lot about the athletes you’re training as you spend time with them.
      “The coach has to adapt training to the specifics of the individual, but that’s something you naturally learn as time goes on.”
      Vierula, who now trains Hamilton’s former team-mate Valtteri Bottas, previously revealed the type of training they got up to.
      He told Grosvenor Sport how Hamilton loved running, while Bottas preferred cycling.
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      The workouts also included intense training for the muscles on his backside.
      Hamilton, 38, paired up with Angela Cullen in 2016, with the duo only going their separate ways ahead of the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix earlier this season.
      Following the split, Vierula backed Cullen’s comments that Hamilton “got the best out of everyone”.
      He said: “I liked working with Lewis, it was a joy, he’s a passionate guy on the track. He was brilliant in getting everything out of the car and engineers, he pushes people to get the best out of everyone.
      “He would work hard getting answers from engineers, giving his opinion about what he thinks is right. He had a brilliant will to improve.”
      Hamilton is staring down his second winless F1 season in a row, having always managed to win at least one race every season prior to 2022.
      His W14 Mercedes struggled at last weekend’s Brazil Grand Prix, and he admitted Max Verstappen and Red Bull would likely be the dominant force over the next couple of seasons.
      However, Vierula does not believe Brazil is among the hardest tracks to race on.
      Instead, Vierula declared Japan’s Suzuka Circuit was the most difficult track on the calendar.
      He said: “I’d say the hardest tracks are the ones with high-speed corners. There’s a lot of braking involved, and those kinds of tracks are the most demanding.
      “I’d say Suzuka is the hardest for the neck, the high speed corners give drivers a lot of work.
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      “Also Hungaroring is physically demanding, not many straights really, always turning somewhere.
      “Monaco and Singapore are tough as well, there are a lot of corners and not really any straight lines to rest. It requires a high level of focus all the time.”
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      What is George Russell’s net worth?

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      GEORGE Russell is one of Formula One’s rising stars. But what’s his net worth? Here’s what we know about the British racecar driver.
      Norfolk-born George Russell started driving for Mercedes in 2022.Credit: Splash
      Who is George Russell?
      George Russell is a British racecar driver, for the Mercedes F1 team. 
      He was born in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, to father Steve, and mother Alison. 
      His father had a seed and bean company, that he reportedly sold to support George’s driving career. 
      Russell has two older siblings, a sister called Cara, who works as his personal assistant, and a brother, Benjy. 
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      Russell grew up in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, and took up karting as a child at the age of 6, following in older brother Benjy’s footsteps, who was also a keen karting driver, often competing — and winning.
      Russell has previously said that his brother “was a brilliant driver”, but despite starting at only 11 years old, it was already too late for him to pursue a career in the sport. 
      The budding driver moved up to the karting cadet class in 2010, becoming the MSA British champion and British Open champion.
      In 2014, Russell participated in Formula Renault 2.0 Alps championship, finishing fourth, and also the BRDC Formula 4 Championship with the Lanan Racing team.
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      After winning the Formula 4 Championship, he became the youngest-ever driver to win the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award, earning a £100,000 cash prize.
      In his debut Formula 3 championship in 2015, Russell scored three podium finishes.
      After winning the Formula 2 championship driving with the French team ART Grand Prix, Russell moved on to Formula 1, debuting with the Williams team in 2019, at the Australian Grand Prix finishing sixteenth.
      His first win came three years later at the 2022 São Paulo Grand Prix after he’d joined the Mercedes team.
      As for his love life, Russell started dating Seychelle de Vries, once linked to Max Verstappen, in 2017. 
      The pair were reportedly together for three years, before a 2020 split. 
      Russell is now dating Carmen Montero Mundt, a finance professional based in London. 
      Carmen shares romantic snaps with boyfriend Russell with her 318,000 Instagram followers, for example, some exotic holiday photos, and a summer trip to Wimbledon. 
      Russell largely sticks to professional driving shots on his Instagram, where he has 3.8 million followers, but posted a photo with Carmen at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. 
      What age is George Russell?
      Russell was born on February 15, 1998 – making him 25 as of November 2023. 
      In 2023 he is driving alongside fellow Brit and F1 legend Lewis Hamilton, born in 1985 and 13 years his senior.
      In an interview with The Times, Russell said of his teammate: “He is so experienced, whereas I’m a 25-year-old who is just totally focused on trying to be the best F1 driver I can be. I’m pretty inspired by what he has achieved.”
      When did George Russell join Mercedes?
      Russell joined the Mercedes F1 team in 2021, replacing Valtteri Bottas.
      In his first race in a Mercedes car, the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, Russell qualified ninth and finished fourth.
      He took his first podium spot with Mercedes at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix.
      What is George Russell’s net worth?
      Russell has an estimated net worth of $16million, approximately £13.1million.
      His move to Mercedes earned him a £5million payday.
      He previously rented a flat in an affluent part of London, but moved to Monaco, like many other F1 stars before him. 
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      Russell enjoys lavish trips away with girlfriend Carmen to holiday spots St Barts and Santorini.
      Off the racing circuit, the driving star gets around in a  £140,000 car — unsurprisingly, a Mercedes AMG GT. More

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      Fernando Alonso sends classy message to Lewis Hamilton after F1 legend quizzed over possible retirement

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has been praised by Fernando Alonso for inspiring him to carry on in Formula One.Hamilton and Alonso are two of the longest serving drivers on the grid and have nine world titles between them.
      Fernando Alonso gave a classy response when asked about a Lewis Hamilton retirement suggestionCredit: Rex
      Alonso praised Hamilton for inspiring the rest of the gridCredit: AFP
      They had a hostile relationship with one another when team-mates at McLaren.
      However, they have since mellowed out and have a healthy respect for one another.
      Alonso, 42, has not had great luck with many of the cars he has driven later in his career, with few wins to his name despite over-performing in them.
      And when quizzed about whether Hamilton would have retired if he had experienced the same struggles, Alonso was not sure.
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      He told GQ Magazine: “It’s difficult to say. We have different personalities and motivations.
      “Lewis always did really well to stay focused and competitive in the periods of his life when he didn’t have a competitive package.
      “Those periods weren’t many, but he was always performing to a high level.
      “Now he’s not having the best car, Red Bull is dominating, but he’s still fighting always. He’s chasing [Sergio] Perez in P2 and he’s never giving up.
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      “It motivates all of us to see how Lewis keeps the motivation after winning so many titles.”
      Amid Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s domination, Hamilton is staring down a second season in a row without a win after previously winning a race in every season beforehand.
      The next race will come at the Las Vegas Grand Prix next weekend.
      It has been plagued by issues even before the Grand Prix weekend has commenced.
      From furious fans and hospitality workers threatening to strike and scheduling issues and mixed opinions from drivers, it has been far from trouble-free.
      And that is before the weather, which could be as low as 5º C, is taken into consideration.
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      Christian Horner brutally slams Lewis Hamilton’s ‘selective memory’ after F1 legend criticised Max Verstappen

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      CHRISTIAN HORNER has hit out at Lewis Hamilton following criticism from the British driver over Red Bull’s dominance. Hamilton has publicly spoken out a number of times about the ease with which Red Bull have dominated this year’s Formula One season.
      Christian Horner has hit out at Lewis Hamilton for having a ‘selective memory’Credit: Getty
      Hamilton has been vocal about trying to make F1 more competitive following Red Bull’s runaway successCredit: Splash
      But Red Bull boss Horner has defended his team and suggested that Hamilton’s criticisms are hypocritical.
      The 49-year-old has slammed Hamilton for having a “selective memory” with regards to his own period of prolonged success with Mercedes.
      Speaking on the Eff Won with DRS podcast, he said: “I feel like he’s got selective memory. So you know, some of the winning that they did in that period was just obscene.
      “We’ve had a good run for a couple of years, but the one guy that shouldn’t be saying that I would think, is Lewis.”
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      Hamilton and Mercedes previously breezed past all the competition in F1 for years with the Brit winning six of his seven World Championship titles during the Silver Arrows spectacular run from 2014-2020.
      Mercedes won a record eight Constructors Championships in a row before Red Bull took over in recent times.
      Hamilton has expressed his feeling around making the races more competitive as Max Verstappen won a third consecutive World Championship this season.
      The Dutch driver has been exceptional this year in what has essentially been a season-long procession for him and Red Bull.
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      Verstappen has won 17 of the 20 GPs this year with his team-mate Sergio Perez winning two himself.
      Hamilton has pleaded with the FIA to do what they can to make things tighter in the future, with concerns around fans losing interest in the thrilling sport.
      He said: “I think, within our sport, we have to continue to work on making sure we’re having close racing because I think you’ve seen the social engagement drop a huge amount this year being that.
      “It’s obviously heavily impacted on competition. People want to see that.
      “So, we have to make sure that we’re making the right decisions, or the governing body is making the right decisions, to keep us close and great racing right to the end.
      “We need more grandstands. I don’t know whether we need to lower the cost but maybe, I don’t know.”
      Hamilton has pleaded to prevent the dominance displayed by Max VerstappenCredit: Splash
      Verstappen has already tied up his third consecutive World ChampionshipCredit: Getty More