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    Christian Horner’s Red Bull off to flying start ahead of F1’s Bahrain Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton starts in 9th place

    MAX VERSTAPPEN overcame off-track distractions to take pole position for the Bahrain Grand Prix.Verstappen’s boss at Red Bull, Christian Horner, has been the centre of a smear campaign following an internal investigation over a complaint of inappropriate behaviour.Max Verstappen is on pole for the Bahrain GP this weekedCredit: GettyRed Bull’s latest win came after Christian Horner’s internal investigationCredit: GettyLewis Hamilton will start in ninth for his final season with MercedesCredit: APHorner, who has always denied the accusations, was cleared on Wednesday after the grievance against him was dismissed by the team’s owners Red Bull.However, he was launched back into the firing line on Thursday when an anonymous email was distributed to key paddock personnel claiming to be evidence from the report.The file contained images of WhatsApp exchanges which Horner refused to comment on.The bombshell threatened to disrupt their preparations for the new season however, Verstappen responded by taking the 33rd pole of his career ahead of Charles Leclerc and George Russell.READ MORE F1 NEWSThe world champion was congratulated by Horner over the team’s radio after fearing he had blown his chance at pole.As he crossed the line, Gianpiero Lambiase – Verstappen’s engineer – said: “It was enough Max, well done.”Verstappen replied: “I’m so sorry GP.”Horner then added: “Nothing to be sorry about Max. A very good start. Two tenths clear of Charles and three tenths clear of George.”Most read in MotorsportVerstappen, who was 0.228 seconds quicker than Leclerc’s Ferrari, added: “We did very well in that qualifying to get the most out of it. So thank you to everyone. Well done.”He later said: “It was a lot of fun. The track had a lot of grip but with the wind the last two days, it was tricky to get the whole lap together. It was the same in qualifying.Motor racing world in ‘disbelief’ at Christian Horner alleged leaked messagesBahrain Grand Prix qualifying resultsPOLE POSITION: MAX VERSTAPPEN

    2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
    3. George Russell (Mercedes)
    4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
    5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
    6. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
    7. Lando Norris (McLaren)
    8. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
    9. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
    10. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
    11. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)
    12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
    13. Alex Albon (Williams)
    14. Daniel Ricciardo (RB)
    15. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
    16. Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)
    17. Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)
    18. Logan Sargeant (Williams)
    19. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
    20. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

    “To really get everything out of it in Q3 was a little more difficult but I’m very happy to be on pole.”It was a little bit unexpected but luckily in qualifying the car came to us and I felt a bit happier with the whole car.”The race is going to be close as well. We look good as well but we’ll see tomorrow. I’m confident we can have a strong race.”Russell who was third added: “Everybody at the factory has done an amazing job to give Lewis and in a car that we feel much happier with and a base we can build upon.”Ultimately, Max is still out there in front and we still have a lot of catching up to do.”When we look at our qualifying performances in the last two years in Bahrain, and the race pace, starting in P3 is a great place.”There’s been a huge amount of work. We have obviously made a big step forward in one lap pace and we hope we haven’t compromised the race pace.”I think it will be a close fight between everybody apart from Max.”Red Bull are so strong at the moment and Max is doing a great job. He’s got the new tyres. If there’s an opportunity to take the lead but ultimately the race for all of us is for second.READ MORE SUN STORIES”But, nobody knows, it’s the first race of the season, I’m so excited to be back and let’s hope for some craziness.”However, his teammate Lewis Hamilton was down in ninth place but 0.531 seconds behind Verstappen’s time in what is an incredibly close top 10. More

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    Inside the top secret Mercedes facility that Lewis Hamilton uses before every F1 race and is adapted to every track

    FORMULA ONE simulator facilities are normally off limits with so many secrets held.Indeed, the Mercedes simulator is used by Lewis Hamilton and George Russell before each race weekend to replicate on-track conditions and propose improvements.Every driver in F1 uses the simulator, including Max VerstappenCredit: Getty Images – GettyHamilton has been using the simulator ahead of his final season with MercedesCredit: PABehind every great race driver is a huge support team of designers, engineers, computer wizards and mechanics making sure the car is at its peak on track.And the Mercedes workers are the unsung heroes, ploughing in huge hours to bring the Silver Arrows back to the top, but staying out of the spotlight.A F1 simulator is a revolutionary, multi-million-pound piece of machinery that allows for the improvement of cars without the need to test on location, saving significant resources, energy and finances.The Mercedes simulator lives within its own private room tucked away at Brackley, where a closed door reads: “Strictly no admittance. Authorised personnel only.”READ MORE F1 NEWSPerformance and Simulator Zhao-Ming Lee told BBC Sounds: “Not, many people get to see these facilities.”I’d like to think that the conditions in here are very close those on track. One of the measures of that is how often the race drivers come in to do these sessions themselves.”It used to be quite a luxury for the drivers come, maybe a few times a year, if that. “But during the last few years, we’ve seen the drivers come before each race weekend. Most read in MotorsportBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS”So they clearly have the faith in our tools and in the fact that the simulator does feel like reality.”George Russell was in last week. We set up the car he drove in reality around Abu Dhabi.”We replicated it in the sim and I got his feedback on what is good, what isn’t and what needs working on.”When George and Lewis come in for a pre-event session, they’ll bring their engineers with them.’They’re racing each other… f***ing hell’, rants F1 star as Lewis Hamilton caught up in bizarre pre-season tussle”Quite often the drivers’ engineers will look through the data, as if it’s track data and look where the car is good or bad, at particular corner phases.”In fact, all F1 teams use the vertical car to prepare for every track.Williams driver Logan Sargeant told BBC F1 podcaster Sarah Holt: “I was doing a vertical lap of Bahrain.”It’s a good tool to get back into the swing of things, and learn new tracks.”It’s not the same driving the sim to real life. You want it to be as close as it can be, but in the end the feelings and sensations are a little different.”American star Sargeant,21, and senior engineer Gaetan Jego worked together for a total of 35 days on the simulator complex last season, which is a lot time to fit in around the race weekends.READ MORE SUN STORIESJego added: “The beauty of this, is that a set of changes takes five minutes, but on the tracks themselves, a change will take 2 to 3 hours. You can explore anything in a short period of time.”The 2024 F1 season returns this weekend at the Bahrain GP.Logan Sargeant will race for Williams at Saturday’s Bahrain GPCredit: Getty More

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    F1 stars face staggering £855,000 fines as chiefs clamp down – but Lewis Hamilton will refuse to pay

    FORMULA ONE stars face huge possible fines in the 2024 season after FIA chiefs QUADRUPLED the maximum punishment.The previous maximum penalty that could be imposed on drivers for a serious offence – such as causing a collision – was £214,000 (€250,000).
    Lewis Hamilton has declared he will not pay new FIA fines unless they meet certain conditionsCredit: Rex
    F1 stars now face a maximum penalty fine of €1million under FIA rulesCredit: Getty
    However, drivers could now be slapped with fines as high as £855,000 (€1million).
    These new rules were approved by a World Motorsport Council meeting in Geneva last October.
    The FIA explained the amendment to the International Sporting Code was made as previous rules “do not reflect the current needs of motorsport” after not being reviewed or amended in the 12 years prior.
    Drivers were not consulted about the penalty hike, and many have already voiced dissenting opinions against the change.
    READ MORE IN F1
    Following the announcement, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton declared he would refuse to pay the fines unless they met his conditions.
    He said: “We do need to be thinking about the message that sends out to those watching. If they are going to be fined a million, let’s make sure 100 per cent goes to a good cause.
    “It is a lot of money in this industry and there is a lot more we need to do in terms of creating better accessibility and diversity, that’s the only way they’ll get that million from me.”
    The 39-year-old received the heaviest fines of any F1 driver last season with £43,400 (€50,700), including a half suspended €50,000 fine for crossing a live track at the Qatar Grand Prix following a crash with Mercedes team-mate George Russell.
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    Russell, 26, is the director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association also slammed the decision.
    He said: “I think it’s pretty ridiculous that a driver could be fined a million Euros.
    ‘They’re racing each other… f***ing hell’, rants F1 star as Lewis Hamilton caught up in bizarre pre-season tussle
    “In my first year in F1, I was on a five-figure salary and actually lost over six figures in that first year paying for a trainer, flights, an assistant and that’s probably the case for 25 per cent of the grid.
    “We are doing what we love, so not complaining about that but if you fine him a million, I don’t know what’s going to happen.
    “We’ve requested before from FIA to hear where these fines are going towards, what causes. It needs to be invested in grassroots but so far had no response on where that’s going.
    “I would love to get some clarity and transparency, if they truly believe a million fine is worthwhile and going to reinvest into sport, then maybe one of the drivers who earns a lot is happy to pay that, but it seems obscene.
    “We just want transparency and understanding. I think already the fines are getting out of control.
    “Max Verstappen was fined €50,000 for touching a car in Brazil, Lewis being fined €50,000… it feels like these numbers are being plucked out of the air.
    WHO COULD REPLACE HAMILTON AT MERCEDES? Mercedes will have a vacant seat for 2025.
    Here, SunSport’s F1 correspondent Ben Hunt looks at FIVE potential candidates who could replace him and partner George Russell in the Silver Arrows.
    Oscar Piastri – McLaren have sewn up Lando Norris to a new long-term contract that should (in theory) put him out of Mercedes’ reach. However, they are yet to tie down his teammate Piastri, 22. The Aussie has an excellent record and won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles before spending a year on the sidelines with Alpine and getting his chance in F1 with McLaren. He impressed on his debut season last year and has the potential to be a world champion.
    Daniel Ricciardo – The experienced driver’s future remains in doubt as he bides his time at Red Bull’s B-team. Ricciardo would be low-hassle and offer some stability but by that time he would be 35. It seems unlikely that they would opt for him at this point in his career, but if he has a good season this year, he could come into the reckoning.
    Kimi Antonelli – You may not have heard of the Italian, but he is mustard. Still only 17, he has won at all the junior categories and has been part of the Mercedes young driver programme since 2019. This season he has been promoted from F4 to F2, where he has been tipped to shine. A good debut season in F2 could sway Mercedes into taking a risk on him for 2025. Antonelli and his family are close to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
    Mick Schumacher – Wolff has always been so incredibly supportive of Schumacher and spoken highly of him, that you’d at least expect him to come into consideration. He knows the team from his role as reserve driver and consequently would get up to speed. But speed is also the problem. He was shocking at Haas and if he really was THAT good, he’d still be driving in F1.
    Alex Albon – A more-sensible choice would be the London-born Albon. A great guy who is also very quick. He has a fantastic relationship with Russell and would be the low-maintenance quick partnership similar to Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas that swept to successive titles. Albon would take little convincing to join from Williams and Mercedes would not need to pay him half of the £50million they were dishing out to Hamilton.

    “There’s a lot greater global issues going on and so much poverty around the world how can a federation make up these fines?
    “I don’t know what you have to do to get a fine of million euros, I don’t know of any sport or profession outside of the corporate world where you can be fined that amount.
    “For me, it sounds obscene and there needs to be a lot more transparency about where these fines are going.
    “There needs to be a much better dialogue between FIA and drivers.”
    Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc argued: “It’s a huge amount of money. I have no idea what deserves a 1m euros penalty, some drivers are making less than that.”
    Meanwhile, RB’s Daniel Ricciardo said it was “scary” and Haas driver Kevin Magnussen added it was “ridiculous”.
    But the FIA point out that while the previous limit was €250,000, no offence had been deemed worthy of issuing the maximum penalty.
    READ MORE SUN STORIES
    The new F1 season begins this Saturday in Bahrain.
    Sky Sports F1 pundit Ted Kravitz has revealed where he believes the teams rank after pre-season testing, with Kravitz not having the best news for Hamilton and Russell with Mercedes.

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    Every F1 team ranked for pace after testing with season-opening Bahrain GP days away… and it’s bad news for Mercedes

    LEWIS HAMILTON may be in for a tough season if the analysis of one Sky Sports F1 pundit turns out to be correct.Hamilton and co were taking part in pre-season testing in Bahrain before the first race of the season this Saturday, March 2.
    Ted Kravitz revealed his ranking for the F1 teams after testing in BahrainCredit: Rex
    Kravitz’s analysis was not good news for Lewis Hamilton and MercedesCredit: Rex

    Formula One pundit Ted Kravitz was keeping a close eye on the teams’ performances during the testing days.
    And he has now revealed where he thinks each team ranks in terms of pace.
    Kravitz told Sky Sports he reckons Haas will be at the back of the pack, with Sauber, Alpine, Williams and RB ahead of them going up to sixth place.
    Getting into the top five however, Kravitz kicked things off by saying Aston Martin would once again be behind the front four.
    READ MORE IN F1
    He then tipped McLaren to be fourth place, but also said they were a team with “plenty of potential” to grow.
    For his top three, Kravitz then named Mercedes.
    He explained: “Mercedes showed they do have some speed but much more to learn from a transition into a car that they don’t know, but there’s lots to learn on that.
    “I think Mercedes think they are behind Ferrari but not too far.”
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    Things went far from smoothly in testing for seven-time world champion Hamilton given his W15 ran over a loose drain cover and forced Thursday’s morning session to be abandoned.
    Testing for the Brackley based team came with the backdrop of Hamilton having announced he will be leaving the team at the end of the season and joining Ferrari.
    Inside Lewis Hamilton’s £13m collection of supercars including £4m classic and £1.6m ride made entirely for him
    Red Bull unsurprisingly then topped the tree ahead of Ferrari.
    Kravitz said: “Then Ferrari clearly ahead of that pack.
    “Given that Leclerc was on the C5, the softest of all them, but Sainz with the fastest lap of the test, in the 29s, that was only the C4. So clearly I think Ferrari are second.”
    He continued: “Which leaves in front, Red Bull – but by how much? Between eight tenths and three tenths to Ferrari, that’s what I think.
    WHO COULD REPLACE HAMILTON AT MERCEDES? Mercedes will have a vacant seat for 2025.
    Here, SunSport’s F1 correspondent Ben Hunt looks at FIVE potential candidates who could replace him and partner George Russell in the Silver Arrows.
    Oscar Piastri – McLaren have sewn up Lando Norris to a new long-term contract that should (in theory) put him out of Mercedes’ reach. However, they are yet to tie down his teammate Piastri, 22. The Aussie has an excellent record and won the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles before spending a year on the sidelines with Alpine and getting his chance in F1 with McLaren. He impressed on his debut season last year and has the potential to be a world champion.
    Daniel Ricciardo – The experienced driver’s future remains in doubt as he bides his time at Red Bull’s B-team. Ricciardo would be low-hassle and offer some stability but by that time he would be 35. It seems unlikely that they would opt for him at this point in his career, but if he has a good season this year, he could come into the reckoning.
    Kimi Antonelli – You may not have heard of the Italian, but he is mustard. Still only 17, he has won at all the junior categories and has been part of the Mercedes young driver programme since 2019. This season he has been promoted from F4 to F2, where he has been tipped to shine. A good debut season in F2 could sway Mercedes into taking a risk on him for 2025. Antonelli and his family are close to Mercedes boss Toto Wolff.
    Mick Schumacher – Wolff has always been so incredibly supportive of Schumacher and spoken highly of him, that you’d at least expect him to come into consideration. He knows the team from his role as reserve driver and consequently would get up to speed. But speed is also the problem. He was shocking at Haas and if he really was THAT good, he’d still be driving in F1.
    Alex Albon – A more-sensible choice would be the London-born Albon. A great guy who is also very quick. He has a fantastic relationship with Russell and would be the low-maintenance quick partnership similar to Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas that swept to successive titles. Albon would take little convincing to join from Williams and Mercedes would not need to pay him half of the £50million they were dishing out to Hamilton.

    “Tyre corrected, Max Verstappen would have been quickest because he set his time on the C3 tyre.
    “And if there’s seven tenths to the C5 which Leclerc was on, then that makes Max faster today by three or four tenths of a second. 
    “So I think it’s anything from a conservative three tenths to an absolutely whacking optimistic eight tenths, or even maybe more.”
    Max Verstappen and Red Bull were placed top of the tree by KravitzCredit: Getty

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    Erling Haaland ‘buying incredible £2.7million Mercedes supercar’ with five Formula 1 engines and top speed of 219mph

    ERLING HAALAND is reportedly ready to hit the fastlane by splashing out £2.7 MILLION for a spanking new Formula One-grade supercar.The Norwegian hotshot, 23, is currently enduring a sticky spell by his high standards in front of goal.
    Erling Haaland is set to add a stunning new motor to his collectionCredit: Getty
    He is reportedly buying a £2.7m Formula One-grade Mercedes AMG OneCredit: Mercedes
    He has scored just three in his last nine matches for Manchester City as they struggle to keep pace with Premier League leaders Liverpool.
    However, off the pitch he is allegedly planning to shift his luxury vehicle collection into overdrive by having a Mercedes AMG One built to order.
    Haaland’s new motor boasts five F1 engines and has an eye-watering top speed of 219 mph.
    The supercar goes from 0-124mph in just seven seconds and can reach 186mph in 15.6 seconds.
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    Mercedes are believed to be building 275 of the exclusive motors.
    Norwegian newspaper Dagens Naeringsliv revealed the news about Haaland’s new car.
    And they state that he has teamed up with childhood pal Ole Ertvaag to buy the German-made beast.
    Haaland and financier Ertvaag both grew up in Norway’s western Rogaland county.
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    The respected newspaper, a Norwegian equivalent to the Financial Times, says that the “monster car” will cost over £2m.
    And, with all of the taxes included, the total price will be over £2.7m.
    Top 10 highest paid footballers in the world revealed with no Premier League players making the top five
    Ertvaag is the founder of the HiTecVision investment firm.
    He is also a renowned car collector – as is Haaland.
    The ex-Borussia Dortmund striker, who fired City to the treble in his first season at the Etihad, previously owned a Mercedes AMG GLE coupe that cost a far more modest £90,000.
    Haaland has since splashed out on a £300,000 Rolls Royce Cullinan SUV.
    And he also owns an Audi RS6 Avant and Range Rover Sport that are both each worth £120,000.
    The Merc boasts five F1 engines and has a top speed of 219 mphCredit: Mercedes More

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    F1 legend keen on shock retirement U-turn after Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari ‘triggered something’

    LEWIS HAMILTON’S surprise transfer to Ferrari has “triggered something” that could see a Formula One world champion return to the grid, according to Ralf Schumacher.Hamilton, 39, activated a break clause in his Mercedes contract which will see him leave the team at the end of this season before joining the Scuderia in 2025.
    Sebastian Vettel has been tipped for a return to F1Credit: AFP
    It is claimed Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari ‘triggered something’Credit: Getty
    And the move is now said to have piqued the interest for a return to the sport for four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.
    Speaking to Sky Sports, six-time race winner Schumacher named 36-year-old Vettel as one possible candidate to replace Hamilton at the Silver Arrows.
    Schumacher said: “I’ve heard that Sebastian Vettel wants to drive again. Of course, a gap has to be closed now.
    “You saw what was going on on the stock market after Lewis Hamilton’smove to Ferrari, that triggered something.”
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    Vettel retired from the sport at the end of 2022 after 299 race starts for Toro Rosso, Red Bull, Ferrari and Aston Martin.
    Hamilton’s departure leaves George Russell not knowing who his team-mate will be next season.
    And while Schumacher does not doubt the talent of Vettel, who questions whether he would be able to make such a big leap back into the sport after three years absent.
    “Whether George Russell has the charisma to replace Lewis Hamilton worldwide in terms of marketing or Sebastian Vettel as a German driver at Mercedes, that’s probably a size too big for him.”
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    SunSport named five possible candidates who could replace the seven-time world champion, from 17-year-old Mercedes junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli to Mick Schumacher or Alex Albon.
    Fernando Alonso, who replaced Vettel at Aston Martin, has also been linked with a shock switch.
    Inside Lewis Hamilton’s £13m collection of supercars including £4m classic and £1.6m ride made entirely for him
    Alonso had two seasons out of the sport before returning in 2021 and has remained one of the best on the grid, meaning it is in the realm of possibility for Vettel to replicate the Spaniard.
    However, Schumacher is concerned Mercedes will not be as competitive as they hope to be in 2025.
    He added: “I’m a bit disappointed with Mercedes, I have the feeling that things will continue as they did last year.
    “That could also be a reason why Lewis Hamilton lost faith in it and followed the call of Fred Vasseur.”

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    I used to play as Michael Schumacher growing up, joining Ferrari is a boyhood dream, says Lewis Hamilton

    LEWIS HAMILTON says moving to Ferrari is a boyhood dream after playing as Michael Schumacher on his computer as a kid.Hamilton, 39, activated a break-clause in his Mercedes deal and will quit at the end of this year to join the Italian team.
    The 2024 season will be Lewis Hamilton’s last with MercedesCredit: EPA
    Hamilton wanted the move to Ferrari to emulate Michael SchumacherCredit: Alamy
    The move stunned F1 as he had only agreed a contract extension with the Silver Arrows last summer.
    Now, as he prepares for his final season with Mercedes, he says he has always been driven by the lure of one day driving for F1’s most famous team, who have not won the title since 2007.
    He said: “I think for every driver, growing up, watching the history, watching Michael Schumacher in his prime, probably all of us sit in our garage and see the screen pop up, and you see the driver in the red cockpit.
    “You wonder what it might be like to be surrounded by the red.
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    “You go to the Italian Grand Prix, and you see the sea of red Ferrari fans, and you can only stand in awe of that.
    “It’s a team that’s not had huge success really since, mostly obviously from Michael’s days, but obviously since 2007, and I saw it as a huge challenge.
    “Without a doubt, even as a kid, I used to play on Grand Prix 2 as Michael in that car. So it definitely is a dream, and I’m really, really excited about it.”
    Hamilton will link up with his old GP2 boss Fred Vasseur at Ferrari and admits he had a big hand in convincing him to jump ship.
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    He added: “I’ve got a great relationship with Fred. Obviously I raced with him. We had amazing success in F3, and also in GP2.
    “That’s really where the foundation of our relationship started. We always remained in touch.
    Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton unveil new 2024 Formula 1 car
    “I thought that he was going to be an amazing team manager at some stage and progress to F1, but at the time, he wasn’t interested in that.
    “It was really cool to see him step into the Alfa [Romeo] team. Then when he got the job at Ferrari, I was just so happy for him.
    “I think just the stars aligned, I think it really wouldn’t have happened without him.
    “So I’m really grateful and really excited about the work that he’s doing there.”
    The 2024 F1 season begins on March 2.

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    Mercedes unveil never-before-seen car feature for Lewis Hamilton as F1 fans ask ‘is this real?’

    MERCEDES has blown away fans after unveiling a brand new steering wheel addition that has never been seen before in Formula One.Teams are prepping their new cars in testing sessions for the upcoming season which gets started in Bahrain on March 9.
    Lewis Hamilton will be racing with a brand new addition to his steering wheel this seasonCredit: Rex
    The Silver Arrows had added a new button with the Whatsapp logo on their steering wheelCredit: X @mercedesamgf1

    Mercedes are in an attempt to bounce back this season after back-to-back Red Bull domination in both the driver’s and constructors’ championships.
    Lewis Hamilton is entering his final year with Mercedes and hopes to make a recording-breaking eighth world championship victory.
    And the German garage are always finding new ways to gain an advantage over their opponents and to allow their sponsors to get more air time.
    Toto Wolff’s team signed a sponsorship deal with Whatsapp and have been very creative in promoting their recent partnership.
    READ MORE IN F1
    The Whatsapp iconic green logo will replace the former yellow communications button that allows drivers to speak to staff on the pit wall to get information throughout the race.
    To announce the new design Mercedes posted an image of the Whatsapp button on their X account.
    And fans are windblown by the marketing move from Mercedes.
    As one F1 follower said: “Admin is this real?”
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    While another added: “WhatsApp button looks so cool.”
    A third then put: “Ok, this is brilliant marketing.”
    Inside Lewis Hamilton’s £13m collection of supercars including £4m classic and £1.6m ride made entirely for him
    An F1 car’s steering wheel consists of 25 individual buttons and switches with each feature having to be easily accessible to drivers on the circuit.
    The Mercedes wheel will now have the green logo designed as a phone with a speech bubble around it and it is an excellent addition to the Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance.
    This could see other teams make similar sponsorship deals in the future.
    The F1 Bahrain Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 2.
    And 2023 champion Max Verstappen is certainly looking to ruin the party by continuing his incredible hot streak. More