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LEWIS HAMILTON was slapped with a five-second penalty for bashing into Sergio Perez, as Max Verstappen’s win increased his lead in the championship.The Mercedes man battled with Sergio Perez for fourth place in the 30-minute sprint race.

Lewis Hamilton was handed a five-second time penalty for his collision with Sergio PerezCredit: Getty
The smash saw him tumble down the order from P4 to P7Credit: Rex
Max Verstappen took the sprint race win with Oscar Piastri, left, and Pierre Gasly, right in P2 and P3Credit: AFP
But Hamilton was hit with a penalty by the stewards for causing damage to the Mexican’s Red Bull, which ultimately forced him to retire.
It was hard on the Brit given the wet track and marked the only real on-track excitement in the rain-delayed race.
It was frustrating to watch another shambles at Spa – for the second time in three years.
In the sprint shootout, which is used to determine the grid for the sprint race, the FIA failed to make any meaningful attempt to clear the rain.
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It was not until 20 minutes after the rain stopped that they deployed two vehicles on track to clear the 7km circuit.
The rain delay saw them move the start of the sprint race back 30 minutes – but that only meant it coincided with another downpour – causing another setback.
When the short 30-minute race did get going after a break in the weather, we had FIVE laps behind the safety car to clear the standing water before a rolling start.
It denied the soggy fans hopes of an explosive start, as Verstappen led the pack.
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Rain led to another FIA mess in BelgiumCredit: Reuters
But at the end of the first lap, Oscar Piastri pitted for intermediate tyres while the Dutchman stayed out for another lap.
An unusually slow pitstop for Verstappen saw Piastri take the lead – but it was short-lived as the Red Bull soon powered past the McLaren.
On the sixth lap, Perez and Hamilton had a battle for fourth place where the two made contact.
While it looked as though Hamilton was blocked by the Mexican, the stewards decided otherwise and did not wait to issue the sanction.
Verstappen’s win means he now has a 118-point lead in the championship while Piastri was second and Pierre Gasly was third after a difficult week for Alpine.
Hamilton was demoted to seventh due to his time penalty, having finished in fourth. Lando Norris was sixth and George Russell eighth.
Regardless, Saturday’s sprint does not impact tomorrow’s race.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc inherited pole after Verstappen’s five-spot grid penalty for using too many gearbox parts was applied.
He is joined on the front row by Perez, while Hamilton will be ready to duke it out with him again tomorrow from P3.
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Carlos Sainz then completes the second row, with Piastri lining up alongside the demoted Verstappen at Spa.
Norris lines up in P7, with Russell, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completing the top 10.
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NICO ROSBERG is a Formula One champion who could have won eight races in a row.The retired driver has joked that Lewis Hamilton denied him the feat with his shunt at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton denied Nico Rosberg an eighth win in a rowCredit: AP:Associated Press
The pair collided in Spain in 2016Credit: Getty
Rosberg had won seven consecutive races ahead of their infamous collision in Barcelona.
Having won the last three races of 2015 and the first four in 2016, Rosberg was on the brink of history.
Hamilton had started ahead of Rosberg in pole position, but was overtaken by his Mercedes team-mate on turn one.
In his attempts to re-take the lead, the Brit collided with Rosberg on turn four, ending the race for both drivers.
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Recalling his run of wins, Rosberg told the Sky Sports F1 Podcast: “Yeah, that was quite cool.”
The German also joked: “I would have had eight if Lewis hadn’t have shunted me off in Barcelona, for those of you who remember that race in 2016.
“I’m laughing by the way for those of you who can’t see me now, because that was a joke. That was a joke.”
Rosberg would still go on to win the 2016 Drivers’ Championship, the only world title of his career.
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He then abruptly retired aged 31 after winning the title, having claimed nine of his 23 career race wins during the season.
Despite being denied an eighth win in a row, Rosberg is one of just five drivers to win seven or more straight races.
Max Verstappen equalled the feats of Rosberg, Michael Schumacher and Alberto Ascari with his seventh win in Hungary on Sunday.
Wins in Belgium and the Netherlands in the next two races will take his streak to nine and equal Fernando Alonso’s record from 2013.
Nico Rosberg jokingly blamed his collision with Lewis Hamilton for denying him the featCredit: AP:Associated Press More

LEWIS HAMILTON was forced to admit defeat in the Hungary Grand Prix after getting off to a disastrous start at the Hungaroring.Hamilton started first on the grid after securing pole in qualifying yesterday.
It was a frustrating day for Hamilton at the HungaroringCredit: Reuters
But he was overtaken by a rampant Max Verstappen on the first corner.
Matters were compounded by Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris also overtaking Hamilton during the first lap – which saw Hamilton drop to fourth.
Hamilton apologised to his team over the radio after the poor start, simply saying: “sorry about that guys”.
Race engineer Peter Bonnington was keen to keep Hamilton’s spirits up however, and said: “Don’t sweat it, Lewis. It’s going to be a long, hot race.”
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He was unable to match the race pace of the two McLaren’s in front of them as they began to build a formidable gap as the race went on.
Hamilton was becoming increasingly frustrated before admitting he could not compete with the two cars in front of him.
He said: “Definitely don’t have the pace to overtake these guys.”
His frustration continued later in the race, saying: “How have they got nine seconds all of a sudden. That’s a crazy amount.”
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Hamilton then questioned the performance of his hardware as Verstappen opened a 20 second lead on his Mercedes.
He asked his team over the radio: “Are you turning the engine down?”
To which the reply over the radio was: “Negative, Lewis. Just managing the temp situation.”
Hamilton would go on to finish fourth in Hungary in what was quite a frustrating race for the Brit. More

LEWIS HAMILTON took a sensational pole position for the Hungarian GP – beating Max Verstappen by 0.003 seconds.Verstappen, who has dominated this season to open up a 99 point lead in the championship, will start in second place.
Lewis Hamilton is on pole for the Hungarian Grand PrixCredit: Getty
Max Verstappen and Red Bull were pipped to pole position by Lewis HamiltonCredit: Rex
It is the 104th pole position of the Brit’s career – and an emotional one – as there are now signs that Mercedes are back in the mix after a terrible 18 months.
Hamilton, who has won this race eight times before, scored his first pole since Saudi Arabia 2021.
Lando Norris extended McLaren’s upward trajectory by qualifying in third place and his teammate, Oscar Piastri will line up in fourth.
Daniel Ricciardo had a successful return to F1 after qualifying in 13th place – comfortably ahead of his teammate, Yuki Tsunoda.
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Ricciardo has been handed his way back by Red Bull after being dumped by McLaren at the end of last year.
The Aussie replaced Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri – Red Bull’s sister team – and scored their best qualifying result since the Monaco GP in May.
Meanwhile, George Russell suffered a miserable qualifying – leaving Merc boss Toto Wolff furious.
The Austrian slammed his fist into the desk as he watched Russell eliminated at Q1 – a result that will see him start in 18th on the grid.
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Russell was waiting in line to start his final flying lap but as the clock counted down, he was leapfrogged in the queue of cars by THREE other drivers.
Not only had he lost time and track position but the extra delay to create a gap to the cars ahead also punished his tyres as the temperature dropped off.
As a result, his first sector was slow and he was unable to improve meaning he was dumped out of qualifying at the first hurdle. More

LEWIS HAMILTON says he is closing in on signing his new Mercedes deal, worth around £100million.The seven-time F1 world champion is out of contract at the end of the season.
Lewis Hamilton is closing in on a new £100m Mercedes dealCredit: Getty
He currently earns £40m a year with Merc, while rival Max Verstappen is on £37m with Red Bull.
Hamilton’s new contract is now set to blow the Dutchman’s out of the water at around £50m a year. 
And he says his new deal is in the hands of the lawyers.
Hamilton, 38, was quizzed by SunSport ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian GP about the progress over the new deal, which is expected to be a two-year extension.
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He said: “I actually like these questions, so you can keep them going… It’s very, very close.”
When asked if it would be tied up before the summer break after next week’s Belgian GP, he added: “Nope… It might be announced at the end of the year. I might keep you waiting! 
“Honestly, I don’t have any more information for you to share. It continues to be with the lawyers, back and forth on things. 
“I’ve not been part of it the whole time. I’ve been removed from it from the beginning. 
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“I’ve been wanting to focus on all the other things I have going on. The team has been working on it in the background. 
“There’s no negotiation left. It’s just all the small bits.”
Meanwhile, Hamilton was also quizzed about rumours that up to three teams have breached the cost-cap limit.
Teams were limited to spending $140m (£109m) in 2022 to develop their cars with reports in Italy claiming teams have fallen foul of the rules.
Red Bull were fined $7m (£5.5m) last year and given a 10 percent reduction in wind tunnel time as a punishment for last year’s breach.
Hamilton said: “It’s definitely a concern. I mean, it wasn’t really a big punishment last time so there’s no real [deterrent].
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“There’ll be people that will probably go for it again, and know they’re just gonna get slapped on the wrist.”
Asked what punishment he feels would be appropriate Hamilton added: “I’m not going to say what it should be, it’s not my job to do that.
“We have people in place that are supposed to police that, but it doesn’t surprise me. It was not a big penalty before.”
His Mercedes teammate George Russell however also called for greater punishment for repeat offenders, should they be found to have overspent.
He added: “If anybody has breached any regulation, you want the punishment to represent the crime.
“There were breaches last year, and clearly the punishment didn’t fit the crime. We don’t want to see that happen again.
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“And if it’s a second-time offender, the punishment should be even greater than what it perhaps a fair punishment, if it happens two years in a row.
“I trust the FIA, Mohammed is a great force, and they won’t let anybody get away with something that shouldn’t have happened under their watch.” More

LEWIS HAMILTON has hinted at his future plans amid ongoing contract talks. The seven-time Formula One champion’s current contract with Mercedes expires at the end of the season.
Lewis Hamilton has given a big hint on his F1 futureCredit: Getty
His contract at Mercedes expires at the end of the seasonCredit: Alamy
The two parties have been in ongoing talks for months.
But now Hamilton appears to have given the biggest hint yet that he will still be on the grid next season.
When asked about the constructor’s plans for next year’s car, Hamilton revealed there had been a number of “big meetings” in recent weeks.
He said: “We’ve just got to continue to work and chip away at it and that’s what we are trying to do.
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“We will have bits [coming to the car] over the [upcoming] races, it could come soon enough, but I’m pushing as hard as I can.
“I was having big meetings with the team, speaking to the head of aerodynamics, head of vehicle dynamics with what is in mind for next year’s car.”
Despite Hamilton and Mercedes team Principal Toto Wolff both seemingly being on the same page for the 38-year-old’s new deal, Hamilton has also been heavily linked with a team switch.
Ferrari had been the main party linked with the Brit, but Red Bull boss Christian Horner has admitted his team have considered making a move for Hamilton in the past.
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He revealed: “Lewis is obviously a great driver. Hopefully he’ll be around for many years to come.
“There’s been a couple of occasions in history that we’ve had a couple of conversations about the possibility of joining Red Bull, but that’s not been anytime recently.”
While Hamilton has won six of his seven titles at Mercedes, they are currently nowhere close to the pace of Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
Hamilton secured a podium finish at the Silverstone Grand Prix but remains in the hunt for his first race win in F1 since 2021.
Next weekend’s race – the Hungary GP – is another track Hamilton has a particular affinity for, winning eight times around the Hungaroring Circuit.
And he will need to find his best pace if he is to stand a chance at beating Verstappen and Co who are set to bring upgrades to their car which could reportedly make them up to two-tenths quicker.
Away from the track Hamilton has been linked with music superstar Shakira.
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LEWIS HAMILTON has been enjoying some downtime in Ibiza after coming third at last weekend’s British Grand Prix.The 38-year-old grabbed a place on the podium at Silverstone, before partying into the night with pop superstar Shakira.
Lewis Hamilton relaxed onboard a yacht alongside Jenny Stray SpetalenCredit: Splash
Sir Lewis and Jenny enjoyed the glorious sunshineCredit: Splash
The group are holidaying in IbizaCredit: Splash
Having flown over to watch Sir Lewis at the British GP, Shakira joined him at celeb haunt Tape London – with the pair chatting together before she left at around 3:30am.
With Formula 1 stars having this weekend off, Hamilton has headed to Ibiza for some relaxation.
The Mercedes star has been hanging out on a yacht in the sunshine, and was joined by some other famous faces.
Hamilton was pictured alongside 20-year-old Jenny Stray Spetalen, daughter of Norwegian tycoon Oystein Stray Spetalen.
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Also onboard were Mexican actress Eiza Gonzalez, Romeo + Juliet director Baz Luhrmann and his wife Catherine Martin.
Jenny has previously tried her hand at tennis.
She competed in singles at three tournaments in Norway between 2016 and 2019 – but won just two games across three matches.
Gonzalez, 33, has starred in a number of films and TV series – and is set to appear in Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare alongside Henry Cavill next year.
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Jenny previously tried her hand at tennisCredit: Splash
Hamilto, 38, is enjoying a weekend off from F1Credit: Splash
Actress Eiza Gonzalez was also in attendanceCredit: Splash
Gonzalez is set to appear in an upcoming Guy Ritchie movieCredit: Splash
Baz Luhrmann and wife Catherine Martin were also among the groupCredit: Splash
With Hamilton enjoying himself in Ibiza, Shakira headed to yesterday’s Wimbledon men’s semi-finals.
The 46-year-old was in attendance on Centre Court as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz booked their places in Sunday’s final.
Also in attendance at Wimbledon this week has been Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler.

Shakira is rumoured to be dating the 33-year-old, with the duo heading out in Mayfair together earlier this week.
Hamilton is set to return to action next week at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The seven-time world champion will attempt to grab his first win since 2021, although Max Verstappen will be tough to stop in his far superior Red Bull.
Hamilton recently enjoyed a night out with ShakiraCredit: Instagram – Mustafa
Shakira watched the tennis on Centre Court yesterdayCredit: Getty
The singer was recently spotted out with Miami Heat star Jimmy ButlerCredit: Getty Images – Getty More