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    F1’s most dangerous corner has ended in disaster for five world champs.. now Hamilton & Co face it again at Canadian GP

    LEWIS HAMILTON will be facing down with one of Formula One’s most dangerous corners when he drives at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.In sector three of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, turn 14 has gained a reputation for snuffing out the races of many an F1 champion.
    Jacques Villeneuve was one of three champions to crash out of the 1999 race Canadian GPCredit: AFP
    With Brit Jenson Button a later victim of the wall in 2005Credit: Getty Images – Getty

    The suitably named Wall of Champions is the final corner around the circuit, and it has been the difference between glory and defeat for a number of former world champions.
    The iconic name was earned in 1999, when THREE champions hit the concrete wall and saw their races come to an abrupt end.
    Damon Hill, who won the title in 1996, was the first to crash during the race.
    The Brit lasted just 13 laps before hitting the wall amid a patchy season with Jordan.
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    F1 legend Michael Schumacher followed on lap 29, handing championship rival Mika Hakkinen a crucial advantage before Schumacher went on to break his leg at Silverstone.
    The German had led the race off the line and was beginning to pull out a gap before coming into the corner too quickly and hitting the oncoming barrier after losing his cars rear on correction.
    Jacques Villeneuve, champion in 1997, followed just five laps later as he tried to recover from a poor qualifying.
    Indeed, it was not the first time the Canadian had crashed at the circuit, previously doing so on lap one of the 1997 race in Montreal.
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    Future champions would fall victim too, with 2009 champion Jenson Button crashing out of the Canadian GP in 2005.
    The Brit had taken pole in qualifying and was on course for a podium before seeing his racing afternoon come to an end on lap 13.
    Button explained: “The problem I had in the hairpin was I ran wide and I didn’t realise how much rubbish got on the tyres because coming into the chicane I just had huge understeer.
    “That was it really. I should have gone across the green stuff but I thought if I did that I would have to let Michael pass and I didn’t want to do that. I’d rather crash in third than finish fourth really.”
    Four more crashes at the wall would occur before Sebastian Vettel crashed his Red Bull in what would be the second year in a row he won the title.
    The German had fortunately crashed his car in Free Practice 1, going on to recover over the weekend and claim pole and a podium as Button won in changeable conditions.
    The only member of the current grid who has fallen victim to the Wall is Carlos Sainz, though the nature of the turn means close scrapes are always likely.
    Hamilton has openly admitted his fear of the corner, confessing: “I never like to talk about the Wall of Champions. You never want it to suck you in.”
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    Lewis Hamilton’s ‘head is no longer 100 per cent in racing’, claims two-time F1 champion

    LEWIS HAMILTON no longer has his head 100 per cent in racing, according to Mika Hakkinen.Seven-time world champion Hamilton is set to sign a new Mercedes deal “in days” as revealed by Toto Wolff.
    Mika Hakkinen has claimed Lewis Hamilton no longer has his head ‘100 per cent’ in racingCredit: Getty
    Hamilton has not won a race since 2021Credit: Rex
    However, Hakkinen, who has two world titles to his name from triumphs in 1998 and 1999, suggested the Brit’s head has been turned by more “important” matters away from racing.
    Speaking to Unibet, the 54-year-old was asked about rumours linking Hamilton with Ferrari, before replying: “Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari would be a surprise. Does money motivate drivers? 
    “I know Lewis’ head is not 100 per cent in racing anymore. It’s completely normal. But does money motivate? 
    “Of course it does, but there are many risks involved. I think it’s highly unlikely he will join Ferrari.  
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    “I always say that when people get older, the order of your thoughts change. Your priorities in life change. Formula 1 just won’t be the most important thing anymore.
    “It wouldn’t surprise me when the competition gets tougher and young drivers emerge, what George Russell is doing with Lewis at the moment, result-wise, it’s not an easy situation.  
    “Does Lewis have enough energy to wake up every morning, give his everything and bring results so that he can beat his team-mate? Is that the right future for him?”
    Hamilton has scored two podiums this season and sits fourth in the standings, but has not won a race since December 2021 amidst Mercedes’ pace struggles.
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    The 38-year-old is working on an F1 movie starring Brad Pitt and a documentary regarding his life.
    In the last week the former McLaren driver has been linked with a stunning relationship with Shakira after the pair were pictured having dinner after the Spanish Grand Prix.
    However, he has also been spotted cosying up to Brazilian supermodel Juliana Nalu, sparking rumours of a relationship among fans.
    Hakkinen also gave his thoughts on McLaren following early season struggles, and backed the team to be surprise competitors to runaway leaders Red Bull as the season progresses.
    The Finn added: “I don’t think anyone is able to catch up this year.
    “The only surprise I think we’ll see is McLaren’s possible progress during the next two months.
    “I think they will surprise us massively.
    “Just in terms of the speed of the car, they will probably challenge Red Bull.”
    Read more on The Sun
    Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have hoovered up every race win so far this season, with the Dutchman on course for his third title on the spin.
    Rivals will be hoping to close the gap at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
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    Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll claims F1 has become ‘billionaire boys club’ after Lewis Hamilton demanded change

    ASTON MARTIN F1 team owner, Lawrence Stroll, admits the sport has become “the billionaire boys club”.Lewis Hamilton used the term when he said he felt F1 had become overrun by young drivers with rich parents.
    Lawrence Stroll says F1 is an expensive sport dominated by very wealthy racersCredit: The Times
    Lewis Hamilton reckons it would be tough for someone from his background to break into F1Credit: PA
    And the seven-time world champion, 38, believes it would be impossible for him to break into the sport from his background if he tried to do it now.
    Hamilton told Spain news publication AS: “Growing up in a normal working-class family, there is no way I could be here – the guys you are fighting against have that much more money.
    “We have to work to change that to make it more accessible, for the rich and for people with more humble origins.”
    The likes of Lance Stroll, the son of the Aston Martin tycoon, Nikita Mazepin, Lando Norris and Mick Schumacher have all come from wealthy families.
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    And Stroll, who is worth around £2.1billion ($3bn), and funded his son’s racing career said: “Racing is definitely expensive, from go-karting on up, there’s no doubt about it.
    “It’s a lot less expensive to play golf or play tennis but F1 it’s an expensive sport, there’s machinery. There’s a lot of people who run the machines.
    “You have to be a very wealthy individual or a very large corporation to be able to afford to be in Formula One.
    “I don’t know what Lewis’s comment was referring to but this is a sport that is very capital intensive.
    “If you look at, for example, building a new building or a new wind tunnel, that’s well over £150million.
    “But Formula One is definitely an expensive sport to be in, there’s no question about that.”
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    Stroll completed his takeover of Aston Martin car company in 2021 and then rebranded the former Racing Point F1 team, more commonly remembered as Force India.
    Not only is he building a new factory, but he is upping staff levels from 500 to 800 employees in pursuit of challenging the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes for titles.
    When quizzed how long it will take before they are competitive, he added: “I think it’s four, five or six years.
    “We’re currently in a good place. We share Mercedes’ wind tunnel, but it is not as good as having your own.
    “Facilities wise, we’ve definitely outgrown our current site.
    “We’re putting up a lot of temporary facilities in order to accommodate all these new employees.
    “But as far as plans going forward, like pretty much every other business I own, is to win.
    “In this case, winning and Formula One obviously means world championships. 
    “Ultimately, that’s what we are striving for. That’s what I am striving for.
    “We all know very well that success in Formula One or any other business for that matter doesn’t come overnight.
    “That takes years to put the right people, the right tools, the right processes in place.
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    “But we’re building and investing in our team with the ambition of moving up the grid year by year.
    “And our ultimate ambition is to win world championships.”
    Stroll (right) says his team are targeting world championship winsCredit: Rex More

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    F1 star George Russell cheekily offered career change to new sport after home-town team ask him to come for a trial

    FORMULA ONE star George Russell has been cheekily offered a career change by his hometown football club.The Mercedes driver and his team-mate Lewis Hamilton both recently recorded podium finishes in the Spanish Grand Prix.
    George Russell has been offered a cheeky chance to change careerCredit: Alamy
    The F1 star says he would love to play for hometown club King’s Lynn FCCredit: TWITTER
    The 25-year-old is now looking to continue that good form in this weekend’s Canada GP.
    However, if he ever feels that life on the F1 race track is proving to be too much then he could always pull on his football boots.
    The former Williams driver recently took part in a Q&A that has now circulated online.
    Russell was asked: “If you were a football player, the place you start your career at would be?”
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    The pedal-to-the-metal star instantly replied with: “If I was a football player, the place I’d start my career at would be King’s Lynn FC.”
    The clip soon went viral on Twitter, and it did not go unnoticed by the National League North football club.
    And replying to it, they even tagged in the British racing ace as they offered him an unlikely career change.
    Along with a winking emoji, they wrote: “You are more than welcome to come down and try out, @GeorgeRussell63 #UpTheLynn.”
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    Russell’s only Formula One victory came last year at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
    Meanwhile, King’s Lynn suffered relegation from the National League back in the 2021-22 campaign.
    They were then left heartbroken in their attempts last season to bounce straight back with promotion.
    Despite finishing as runners-up in the National League North, they were thrashed 4-1 by Kidderminster Harriers in the play-off semi-finals.
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    Lewis Hamilton has surprising F1 rival to thank for playing cupid amid Shakira dating rumours

    SIR LEWIS HAMILTON and Shakira were introduced thanks to the help of another Formula One driver.The Brit’s rival is said to have a “very good relationship” with both Hamilton and the pop star.
    Formula One legend Sir Lewis Hamilton is rumoured to be dating ShakiraCredit: Rex
    Shakira broke up with Gerard Pique last yearCredit: Rex
    Rumours suggest Sir Lewis and the Colombian superstar are dating after they were spotted enjoying a boat trip in Miami and having dinner with friends in Barcelona.
    And Spanish sports journalist Pipi Estrada claims Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz set up his Mercedes rival with Shakira.
    Estrada said: “It is because of friends in common.
    “She knows that Hamilton likes her music and, all of a sudden, she gets the bug to know about Formula One and that’s how they got together.
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    “There is a key thing in this relationship. Carlos Sainz knows Shakira and Carlos Sainz has a very good relationship with Hamilton.
    “That’s where they’ve come together. That’s where this relationship is born, with Carlos Sainz.”
    This comes after more speculation claiming Hamilton and Shakira are in a “love triangle”, which includes Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise.
    That could potentially put Sir Lewis and Cuise’s 10-year bromance in jeopardy.
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    The singer has been pictured with both men recently after splitting with Barcelona legend Gerard Pique last year.
    Their breakup came after Pique was rumoured to have cheated on the 46-year-old.
    But Shakira is believed to be taking her time before seriously committing to another relationship.
    Hamilton reportedly has Formula One rival Carlos Sainz to thank for playing cupidCredit: Rex More

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    Lewis Hamilton enjoys dinner with Robert De Niro at Chanel bash as he nears new eye-watering Mercedes contract

    LEWIS HAMILTON enjoyed dinner with Robert De Niro in New York City last night.The Formula 1 driver chatted to the iconic actor at a Chanel event in the Big Apple.
    Lewis Hamilton enjoyed dinner with Robert De NiroCredit: Getty
    Hamilton, 38, looked engrossed as he listened to the veteran Hollywood star, 79.
    The two have met before, and appeared to get on famously at French restaurant Balthazar in New York.
    Recounting their previous meeting two years ago, Sir Lewis gushed: “I met Robert De Niro the other day and I remember calling my dad afterwards.
    “‘Dad, I just met Robert De Niro!’”
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    Hamilton also chatted to De Niro’s son Julian, 27, at the bash.
    Earlier in the day, the seven-time world champion had attended the 2023 Forbes Iconoclast Summit at Pier 60.
    Hamilton was joined at the event by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, as he nears a contract extension with the Silver Arrows.
    The pair have remained relaxed about the situation this season, despite Hamilton’s current deal expiring at the end of the year.
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    The Formula 1 superstar also chatted with De Niro’s son Julian, rightCredit: Getty
    Hamilton is expected to pen a £50million deal to stay at Mercedes beyond his 40th birthday, snubbing interest from Ferrari in the process.
    But SunSport understands he is not expected to put pen to paper for another few weeks, as the deal passes through the lawyers.
    Mercedes’ fortunes appear to be on an upward trajectory in recent weeks, following upgrades introduced for the Monaco GP.
    Hamilton managed to grab second place a week later at the Spanish GP, with team-mate George Russell a place behind him in third.
    The race marked just Hamilton’s second podium of the season, after a third-place finish in Australia.
    Hamilton, 38, attended a Forbes event alongside Toto WolffCredit: Getty
    Sir Lewis smiles while appearing on the panelCredit: Getty More

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    Lewis Hamilton set to sign eye-watering new Mercedes deal ‘in DAYS’, reveals Toto Wolff ahead of Canadian GP

    LEWIS HAMILTON is set to sign a bumper new £50million deal “in days”, says Mercedes chief Toto Wolff.The legendary seven-time world champion only has six months left on his current contract, which is thought to be worth around £40m a year, with the Formula One team.
    Lewis Hamilton is set to sign his bumper new Mercedes contractCredit: PA
    Merc chief Toto Wolff says it will be done ‘in days’Credit: Getty
    Ferrari were reportedly interested in snapping up the 38-year-old before that interest seemed to cool.
    Now it seems that Hamilton will commit his future to Mercedes before this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
    Speaking on the likelihood of the Brit staying, Merc team principal Wolff said: “It is going to happen soon, and we are talking more days than weeks.
    “We are trying hard. I will see him today and maybe we will talk about it.
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    “We have such a good relationship that we dread the moment that we need to talk about money.”
    However, Sun Sport understands that team insiders say the deal is yet to pass through the lawyers.
    Mercedes are confident that the deal will be struck, but they are loathed to say when, as the negotiations still require some ironing out.
    SunSport understands that the sticking point had been that Merc were only offering a one-year extension to his contract, which expires in December.
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    However, that matter has now been resolved in the form of a new multi-year deal, thought to be worth around £50 million a year to Hamilton, who turns 39 in January.
    These latest negotiations follow Mercedes’ upturn in fortunes at the Spanish Grand Prix.
    Hamilton finished second while his compatriot and team-mate George Russell claimed third.
    Wolff, who was speaking to CNBC’s Squawk on the Street programme, continued: “Lewis is the most important personality in the sport.
    “He is so multi-faceted, not only with the racing, but also off track, so we need to keep him in the sport for as long as possible.
    “From a team’s perspective, Lewis and Mercedes have gone back a long time. He has never raced for any other brand than Mercedes.
    “We both joined the team in 2013 together, and from a professional relationship, we now have a friendship. It has been a wonderful time.”
    Hamilton, who is desperate for a record-breaking eighth world title, was famously pipped by Max Verstappen in the final race of the 2021 campaign.
    He has not recorded a victory since with his car suffering a number of issues and is currently 83 points off the pace this term.
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    Wolff added: “The result in Spain was a well-deserved reward for everyone’s efforts at Brackley and Brixworth. It provides a baseline to work from, but we must also manage our expectations. It was a circuit that suited our car, and expect our direct competitors to be stronger in the next races.
    “The gap to Red Bull is large and it will take lots of hard work to close that down. Nevertheless, we’re up for the challenge.”
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    Jenson Button ‘doesn’t talk to Lewis Hamilton’ but says ex-team-mate now ‘more complete human’ than time together in F1

    JENSON BUTTON has insisted that Lewis Hamilton is a more “complete human” now compared to when they were team-mates.The two Brits raced together while at McLaren Mercedes’ F1 team between 2010 and 2012.
    Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were team-mates at McLaren MercedesCredit: AFP
    However they do not talk away from media dutiesCredit: AFP or licensors
    During their time as team-mates, Hamilton and Button were close competitors.
    Hamilton, 38, picked up ten wins and 22 podiums, whereas Button, 43, won eight races and earned 27 other podium finishes.
    Despite Hamilton’s legacy in the sport, in this period he scored 657 points while his team-mate was able to earn even more with 672.
    The pair had many memorable wheel-to-wheel duals as well as a public fallout when Hamilton tweeted a picture of Button’s top-secret telemetry during the 2012 Belgian GP.
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    According to The Times, the pair do not talk away from media duties, but Button has claimed that Hamilton has grown as a human.
    The retired racer also praised the standard to which his former team-mate is still driving at.
    He told The Times: “I think he’s in a good place, which is great.
    “The difficult years make you as a driver, and he’s not had so many of them.
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    “But he’s still performing unbelievably well, and he seems a more complete human being than he probably was back then.”
    Button is instead closer to Hamilton’s current team-mate George Russell.
    The 2009 Formula One World Championship winner has also praised veteran racer Fernando Alonso but insisted the Spaniard’s longevity has not made him regret getting out of the F1 driver’s seat.
    He added: “I had different ideas. I started a family and I don’t want to miss them all the time and them feel like their dad isn’t around.
    “Motor racing can be very stressful.
    “That’s why I retired from F1 because I felt like I had nothing new to learn.
    “I wanted to do things that I enjoyed. That’s why I’m at Le Mans.” More