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      Lewis Hamilton warned ‘you need to speak about it’ as F1 legend risks being stripped of title

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has been urged to speak about Felipe Massa’s ongoing legal battle with the FIA and Formula One.Former Ferrari driver Massa, 42, opened legal proceedings against F1 and its governing body earlier this year.
      Lewis Hamilton has been urged to speak about the legal caseCredit: Splash
      Felipe Massa is seeking to get the result of the 2008 championship changedCredit: Alamy
      He claims he lost out on the 2008 world title to Hamilton after Renault’s Nelson Piquet Jr deliberately crashed to give team-mate Fernando Alonso an advantage in Singapore.
      Massa believes the F1 authorities did not take adequate action, despite being aware of the “crashgate” scandal, before Hamilton was crowned champion for the first time.
      Several drivers have declined the chance to wade in on the controversial legal claim.
      But Massa believes Hamilton NEEDS to have his say.
      Read More on F1
      Speaking to PlanetF1, the Brazilian said: “No, we haven’t had any communication. Everything that we are doing is not against Lewis.
      “I mean, I really respect Lewis as a driver for everything that he’s done, he’s one of the best drivers in the history of Formula One. So many records, with many titles.

      “But what I’m doing is against the result of a manipulated race. At the point in the race where the manipulation happened, I was leading, I was first in that race. So it’s nothing against Lewis.
      “I really like Lewis as a driver and he’s doing a lot of things for justice, so many different kinds of justice in the world.
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      Hamilton won his first world title in 2008Credit: AP:Associated Press
      Nelson Piquet allegedly crashed his car on purpose in Singapore that year to help his team-mate, but Massa claims it changed the result of the championshipCredit: Reuters
      “I think, one time, he will need to speak and to talk about the situation. I think it’s pretty clear I’m not doing anything against him.
      “I’m doing it against the justice of the sport. When I am at home, and I see my phone after the Bernie Ecclestone interview, after the Charlie Whiting interview in the Max Mosley documentary that he knew at the last race of the season at Interlagos what happened in the Singapore race.
      “After my son knew about it, he asked me, ‘you are not doing anything?’
      “So I’m doing that for justice. I really believe what I’m doing is correct because this is not acceptable.
      “We’re not talking about a broken engine, or someone pushing me out of the race.
      “We’re not talking about the sporting situation, we’re talking about the manipulation that changed the result.”
      Mercedes team principle Toto Wolff fears F1 will be plunged into “disarray” if Massa wins his legal battle.
      However, he does not think the ex-Ferrari man has a case.
      Wolff said: “I don’t think he has a case, to be honest. We are signing up to sporting regulations. They’re very clear, and you commit as a licence holder.
      “If everybody were to open up situations then the sport would be in disarray, and especially when you look at the full championships.
      “There are so many things that have an influence whether you win or lose that I don’t see the case to be honest.
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      “On the civil case side, I don’t know, let’s evaluate whether there’s some damages that could be claimed.
      “This is like watching a soap opera playing out in front of me.” More

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      F1 fans love Lewis Hamilton’s outfit as Mercedes driver makes poignant tribute to idol at Brazilian Grand Prix

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      FORMULA ONE fans were left amazed by Sir Lewis Hamilton’s outfit tribute to Ayrton Senna.The seven-time world champion will bid to pick up his first win of what has been a torrid season for Mercedes on Sunday afternoon in the Brazilian Grand Prix.
      Lewis Hamilton arrived at the Autodromo José Carlos Pace in style on ThursdayCredit: SPLASH
      His two-piece leather outfit was a tribute to his idol Aryton SennaCredit: SPLASH
      The outfit had a spray-painted image of the late Senna on the back of itCredit: SPLASH
      Hamilton and his Mercedes team went through their traditional pre-race motions and familiarised themselves with the track at the Autodromo José Carlos Pace on Thursday.
      And racing fans couldn’t help but comment on the Stevenage speedster’s homage to his idol and Brazilian icon Senna.
      Hamilton donned a black two-piece leather combo which included a spray-painted Brazilian flag across the front of the trousers.
      The suit was also adorned with green stripes and an image of Senna, whose name was written in italics, on the back.
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      Fans were quick to comment, with one saying: “I LOVE IT.”
      Another said: “Omgggg I love it so much!!!”
      And another said: “Perfectly on point.”
      One remarked: “Wow, Champ.”
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      Lewis Hamilton finished second in last week’s Mexican Grand PrixCredit: Rex
      Another chimed in: “One beautiful powerful statement about his feeling for Brazil.”
      Hamilton, 38, picked up his third second-placed finish of a difficult season at last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix.
      After the race, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff said: “Today I think it was a first where he said ‘the car is actually good!’
      “But it was a brilliant, brilliant drive and we have these oscillations in performance.
      “We don’t really know, sometimes the tyres stick, sometimes not.
      “The smiles on our faces because the car was strong.
      “I think once Lewis was in free air, we had so much margin on the medium, fastest lap at the end. It was good.” More

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      What is Toto Wolff’s net worth?

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      TOTO Wolff has made a name for himself as the CEO of the Mercedes F1 team.The Austrian executive has a huge net worth. Here’s what we know about him.
      Toto Wolff has been married to former racecar driver Susie since 2011.Credit: Getty
      Who is Toto Wolff?
      Torger “Toto” Wolff was born on January 12, 1972, in Vienna,  to a Polish mother and a Romanian father. 
      Wolff, who lives in Monaco, is the Team Principal and CEO of the Mercedes F1 team. 
      As Mercedes F1 boss, Wolff has won eight constructors’ titles with the team and has built a strong working relationship with Lewis Hamilton.
      The Austrian attended the prestigious French school, the Lycée Francais de Vienne, and speaks fluent German, English, French, Italian, and Polish.
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      Wolff lost his father at the age of 15 after he died as a result of brain cancer. 
      In 2023, he spoke about the significant effect his father’s death has had on him, and how the loss has fuelled his drive for success.
      Wolff said: “It [his father’s death] has an impact until today. Since I can remember my father was ill with the brain cancer and suffered with it for 10 years and then eventually died when I was 15.
      “That is a time when as a boy you need the father. That wasn’t the case with me. We were in financial difficult circumstances that didn’t help either.”
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      “So that certainly is part of how I am today with all the bad sides that come with it, the trauma, but also on the other side, I think ambition and eagerness to do well.”
      Is Toto Wolff married and does he have any children?
      Wolff is married to Susie Wolff—née Stoddart—a Scottish former racecar driver. 
      The pair met in the 2008 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters series, where Susie was racing. 
      Susie and Toto married in 2011 after a few years together, in a ceremony in Capri, Italy, attended by the great and good of the motorsports industry.
      On April 10, 2017, after six years of marriage, Susie gave birth to their first child, a boy called Jack.
      Susie took to Twitter to share the news of their newborn, writing: “Yesterday Toto & I welcomed a healthy Baby Wolff to the world. Could burst with happiness & love!”
      After stints living between Oxford and Switzerland, the couple currently live in Monaco.
      Wolff has two other children, Benedict, born in 2001, and Rosa, born in 2004, from his first marriage with Stephanie. 
      He was married to Stephanie for ten years and remains on good terms with his ex-wife.
      “I am in the very lucky situation that we are a true ‘patchwork family’,” Wolff said.
      “Now we spend Christmas and holidays together. And as tough as a divorce is, we all grew,” Wolff added.
      What did Toto Wolff do before taking over as Mercedes Principal?
      Before stepping into his current role as CEO and team principal at Mercedes, the Austrian had a short career in racing, competing in Austrian Formula Ford, and won the Nurburgring 24-hour race in 1994.
      After the 1994 win, he was offered an F1 seat but opted to move away from professional racing, and towards business. 
      He studied briefly at the Vienna University of Economics and Business before founding his own investment companies, Marchfifteen in 1998, and then Marchsixteen in 2004. 
      Merging his two passions, Wolff invested in the William F1 team in 2009, and by 2012, he was the team’s executive director. 
      Later in 2012, Wolff was appointed Managing Partner of the Mercedes F1 Team and bought a 30% stake in the team.
      He now has a 33.3% stake in the company. 
      What is Toto Wolff’s net worth?
      Wolff became a billionaire in 2023, with a net worth of $1.6 billion according to Forbes. 
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      In the first half of 2023, Wolff’s net worth increased dramatically by 60%.
      This boost to his net worth is likely a result of the increasing valuation of the Mercedes team, which is now estimated at $3.8 billion.  More

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      Lewis Hamilton’s long term ally who worked with F1 legend at McLaren leaves Mercedes in shock exit

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      MERCEDES chief technical officer Mike Elliott has announced his resignation with immediate effect.Elliott, 49, has left the team after 11 years in wake of the eight-time champions’ failure to win a race this season.
      Lewis Hamilton’s long term colleague has vacated his roleCredit: Splash
      Mike Elliott spent 11 years with MercedesCredit: 2022 Getty Images
      Elliott’s surprise departure comes just six months after swapping his role, and moving back to his previous factory-based position in Brackley.
      He was working for McLaren as an aerodynamicist when Hamilton entered Formula One in 2007.
      Together, they won Hamilton’s first world championship in 2008.
      The Englishman then joined Mercedes as head of aerodynamics in 2012 following a spell with Renault/Lotus.
      READ MORE ON F1
      He was a central figure in their eight consecutive constructors’ championship wins from 2014-2022.
      The team also won seven consecutive drivers’ titles from 2014-2021, six with Lewis Hamilton and one with Nico Rosberg.
      Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said Elliott’s exit was his own decision.
      Elliott told staff on Monday evening and is now expected to serve a period of gardening leave before he decides what is next for his career.
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      He said: “It has been one of the great privileges of my career to be part of this Mercedes team.
      “During the past six months, I have enjoyed developing the technical strategy that we hope can provide the foundations of the team’s next cycle of success.”
      Elliott’s promotion to technical director in July 2021 – in preparation for the 2022 season, for which F1 introduced its biggest regulation changes for 40 years – was not a success.
      James Allison had been director since 2017, and the change was met with scepticism within the F1 paddock.
      The team chose a radical design philosophy which became known as the “zero-sidepod” concept, which has seen Mercedes’ supremacy plummet.
      It was very different from that employed by Red Bull, who have gone on to dominate the last two seasons.
      Mercedes won only one race in 2022, with George Russell in Brazil, and have failed to repeat that success this year.
      There are three races remaining, starting in Brazil on Sunday.
      Hamilton won his first world championship at McLaren in 2008Credit: PA More

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      Lewis Hamilton fumes that half of his F1 rivals got away with ‘ILLEGAL’ cars after Grand Prix result ‘tainted’ the sport

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      LEWIS HAMILTON says the decision to strip him of second place in last Sunday’s US GP has “tainted” the sport.The seven-time world champion felt that all the good progress F1 has made to crack the States was partially undone following the confusing ruling hours after the chequered flag in Austin.
      Lewis Hamilton was left dismayed by the FIA’s rulingCredit: Rex
      Hamilton and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc were disqualified after measurements on the skid blocks under their cars exceeded the maximum wear limit.
      The sport’s governing body, the FIA checked only four cars and two failed the test, earning an instant disqualification, much to the confusion of fans across the globe.
      Hamilton said: “The sport really had such an amazing weekend, such a great turnout and great race and then everytime we step forward with the sport, something like that really taints it.
      “So going forward, we really need to do something and hopefully they will learn in the future.
      READ MORE ON F1
      “Rather than checking everybody and over 50 per cent of the cars failing – and I would have put all my money on it – maybe we could change the skid or the floor on the Saturday night so you don’t have this ridiculous event afterwards.”
      Hamilton claims the skidblocks, used to keep the cars off the ground – and provide the sparks on TV, have little if any performance.
      He added: “There are far more drivers’ cars that were illegal and the skid block is not a performance element.
      “Of course if you have a flat surface, everyone is going to go as low as possible, it is just that some cars handle the bumps better than others.
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      “We have had a very stiff and bumpy car for two years and ultimately it failed the regulation.
      “It was just terrible over the kerbs, if we would have raised the car it would have passed the test.”
      Hamilton team-mate George Russell added: “We did all of the standard checks after FP1 and the plank looked absolutely fine.
      “So there was no reason after the practice session to make any changes, but obviously, we got that very wrong.”
      Lando Norris, who was promoted to second place in lieu of Hamilton’s disqualification, felt the FIA should have checked all the cars.
      Norris’ McLaren DID pass the same check as Hamilton and Leclerc’s cars, and said: “They should have done [the whole grid]. It can always bite you one day.
      “It’s unlikely that two cars are that different. So if one car is illegal, then there is a high chance that the other car is.”
      Lando Norris was promoted to P2 after Hamilton’s disqualificationCredit: Splash More

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      Ferrari chief turns into Jurgen Klopp with outrageous excuse for Charles Leclerc’s US GP disqualification

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      FERRARI sporting director Diego Ioverno cited wind as one reason why Charles Leclerc was disqualified from last weekend’s US Grand Prix.Leclerc, 26, had finished P6 in the latest Formula One race before he and Lewis Hamilton – who had finished P2 – were disqualified for running illegal floors.
      Charles Leclerc was disqualified from the US Grand PrixCredit: Getty
      Ferrari chief Diego Ioverno cited a list of reasons why the disqualification had happenedCredit: Getty
      Their race results were canned after the planks on the floor of their cars were found to have failed to meet F1 regulations for the minimum thickness allowed.
      The planks, which run along the centre of the floor on the car, are designed to protect the bottom of the car from scraping along the ground which sometimes causes sparks to fly as seen on TV.
      Ride height can heavily impact aerodynamic performance, but cars have to be a certain height to meet safety standards, which Hamilton and Leclerc’s cars failed to do.
      In a post to the team’s social media page, Ferrari chief Ioverno explained what had caused the failure, citing lack of practice, set up time and track bumpiness on the list of reasons for the ruling.
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      The 49-year-old said: “The sprint weekend is very peculiar and you have very little time to prepare the car [with] basically only one session and then you go in parc ferme (when only minor adjustments are allowed).
      “It means that from that moment onwards you cannot touch the car any more. On top of this, Austin is a super nice track but it is extremely bumpy.
      “Bumpiness is a difficult topic for drivers and for cars, in the past almost everyone failed the suspension and failed the chassis.
      “We knew it would have been tricky and this is the reason why we also lifted the car throughout FP1, and from our consideration it should have been OK.”
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      In a similar vein to Jurgen Klopp famously blaming weather for a Liverpool defeat, Ioverno then said wind as another reason for the penalty.
      He continued: “As a matter of fact, it turned out we were anyhow too marginal and also because of the wind that changed direction and had a stronger intensity than what was forecasted, this brought our car to not be legal at the end.
      “There is not a lot to say and not a lot in this moment that we can do.
      “With hindsight, rewinding the weekend we may have lifted even more the car but we would have lost performance, and we are here always to try to optimise our own performance.”
      Reacting to the post, one fan said: “Unbelievable.”
      A second said: “You have to be safe than sorry. This marginal change disqualified a car and Ferrari lose important points. Have to be more careful next time.”
      A third wrote: “Irresponsible from a big team like Ferrari to let something like this happen, especially when their driver starts on pole.”
      However, it should be noted margins in F1 – a sport constantly on the edge – such as weather changes and track temperature can make a world of difference to performance.
      Following the disappointment, Leclerc and seven-time F1 champion Hamilton shared a joint post on Instagram of them looking miserable, captioning the post “mood”.
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      Ex-F1 star and Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle questioned why the remaining cars were not tested, given half of the checked cars had turned out to be illegal.
      F1 returns next weekend at the Mexican GP.
      Ioverno’s wind excuse echoed Jurgen Klopp’s own weather-based excusesCredit: Rex
      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More

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      Martin Brundle blasts FIA after Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification from US Grand Prix as he questions ‘grey area’

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      EX-FORMULA ONE star Martin Brundle has questioned the FIA after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the US Grand Prix.Hamilton and Leclerc broke their silence on social media with a one-word post following the decision to disqualify them after they were found to have run illegal floors during the race in Austin, Texas.
      Lewis Hamilton was disqualified after being found to have run an illegal floor at the US GPCredit: Splash
      Martin Brundle questioned why the FIA only checked four cars after half were found to be illegalCredit: Getty
      The Mercedes and Ferrari drivers were two of four stars picked for random spot checks after the race.
      And they were disqualified due to their cars failing to hit the minimum thickness of the titanium skidblock, or planks, that are legally allowed to run along the centre of the floor on the car.
      In theory, it means they were able to run their cars closer to the ground and get better speed in the corners.
      However, with half of the selected cars failing to stay legal, it led Sky Sports presenter Brundle to question why the FIA did not then check the remaining 17 cars which finished the race.
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      In his post-race column for Sky Sports, he said: “At a bumpy track like Austin, and with only one practice session, setting a ride height for the duration of the event is quite a challenge with regard to performance, and driver and car tolerance, and of course plank-wear legality, especially with a full fuel tank.
      “If they simply raised the car to be cautious, they’d lose so much performance they may as well pack up and go home.

      “After the race four cars were checked, including [Max] Verstappen’s Red Bull and [Lando] Norris’ McLaren, and both Hamilton’s Mercedes and Leclerc’s Ferrari were found to have too much wear, for which the only remedy is disqualification, however minimal the indiscretion.
      “There can be no grey area on this.”
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      He continued: “The next big question, however, is that if 50 per cent of the tested cars failed, then shouldn’t all the finishers have been checked? The answer must surely be yes.
      “It must be said that the FIA checks pre and post-race are beyond comprehensive.
      “The published list includes over 50 separate and detailed checks mostly on all classified finishers, and a few on randomly selected cars.”
      Leclerc was also unhappy with the decision, liking a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, which echoed Brundle’s thoughts.
      The post from F1 content creator Tom Bellingham said: “The fact only four cars get checked and half of them were illegal makes you wonder if anyone else would have failed this?
      “Surely it can’t just be the (bad) luck of the draw of getting checked.”
      The 26-year-old, who was celebrating his 100th race in F1 at Ferrari, later unliked the post.
      F1 returns next weekend at the Mexican GP.
      Hamilton and Charles Leclerc posted a shared Instagram picture togetherCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
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      Prince Harry enjoys solo trip to US Grand Prix in Texas after romantic holiday to Caribbean with Meghan

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      ECO-LOVING Prince Harry temporarily parks his green campaigning to attend the gas-guzzling US Grand Prix.The 39-year-old went without wife Meghan to Austin, Texas, as a guest of the Mercedes and Red Bull teams.
      Prince Harry attended the gas-guzzling US Grand Prix in Austin, TexasCredit: Getty
      Harry chatted with Red Bull team boss Christian HornerCredit: Getty
      He was also seen chatting with rival Red Bull team boss Christian Horner – donning a black polo shirt and aviator sunglasses in the sweltering Austin heat.
      Harry has attended a string of glitzy F1 races all around the world.
      Maybe he thinks green means go.
      The Duke’s wife Meghan Markle, 42, was noticeably absent from the track after the pair jetted back from a romantic holiday in Caribbean haven Canouan last week.
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      The source told MailOnline: “They looked happy. As Harry walked out of the shop, he slightly bumped into one of the barrels [outside] and they both giggled and Meghan reached for his hand.
      “They just looked very happy to be having a holiday together.”
      Archie and Lilibet were nowhere to be seen, and it appears the couple had been away for a kid-free weekend on the resort island.
      The island is said to be known as where “billionaires go to escape millionaires” due to its stunning sandy beaches and upscale resorts.
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      Mercedes driver George Russell speaking to The DukeCredit: Getty
      Harry with Mercedes boss Toto WolffCredit: Getty
      Harry has previously attended a string of glitzy F1 racesCredit: Reuters
      However his wife Meghan Markle was absent from the trackCredit: Getty More