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      I had to get away from Lewis Hamilton when I was young but I’d love to finish our careers in same team, F1 icon reveals

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      FERNANDO ALONSO has revealed that he would like to finish his career at the same team as Lewis Hamilton.The Spaniard partnered the seven-time world champion for one season at McLaren Mercedes in 2007.
      Fernando Alonso is keen to partner Lewis Hamilton againCredit: Alamy
      Alonso stayed for just one year before returning to Renault after having a feud with Hamilton and team chiefs.
      The Brit disobeyed team instructions at the Hungarian Grand Prix 16 years ago and refused to let him past, which led to the veteran blocking his team-mate in the pit lane.
      They again clashed last year when the pair collided at the Belgian Grand Prix and the 41-year-old labelled Hamilton “an idiot”.
      However, in an interview with the Mail, Alonso seemed keen to put the past behind him.
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      He said: “It would be nice to end our careers together. I’d love that.
      “We had a difficult season. But we respected what the other was doing on track and still do.
      “We each consider the other to be a talented driver and one of the toughest competitors we have ever met.
      “The situation that season was not well-managed by our bosses. We were young. We were immature. We were many of the things we are not now, and we needed help from the management that we didn’t get.
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      “I couldn’t continue with McLaren. It was a team with eyes totally one side of the garage.
      “As Ron (Dennis, team principal) said after the penultimate race in China, ‘Our race isn’t with (Ferrari’s Felipe) Massa, it is with Fernando’.
      “When your team says that, you cannot continue. But you learn in a career.”
      Alonso is currently with Aston Martin, enjoying a good start to the 2023 campaign, finishing third at both races so far this season.
      He continued his good form at the Australian Grand Prix, coming fourth in qualifying behind Max Verstappen, George Russell and Hamilton.
      Alonso seemingly has no plans to retire anytime soon, saying: “I don’t imagine I will be tired of driving but the demands of travelling across such a long season can be draining.
      “But for now, with my experience, I’d like to believe I’m better than ever.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in ‘dream’ Australian GP qualifying as Mercedes pair eye shock F1 win

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN clinched pole for the Australian GP while Mercedes were given a huge boost, with George Russell qualifying in second and Lewis Hamilton in third.It was a thrilling session as Verstappen, Hamilton and Fernando Alonso all set provisional poles before the world champion came out on top.
      Lewis Hamilton and George Russell enjoyed a ‘dream’ qualifying sessionCredit: EPA
      However, they were still unable to pip Max Verstappen to poleCredit: EPA
      But it was a nightmare for Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate, Sergio Perez, who will start in LAST PLACE.
      Verstappen, who overcame battery and gear-change problems, took his first pole in Australia and said: “The last run was very good. The whole weekend has been tough but it all worked out in Q3.
      “I think we will have a good race car and it will be a tricky race. I have been on the podium once but I want to be on a different step this time.”
      Russell produced an excellent performance to take second as Mercedes defied the odds after a difficult start to the season.
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      He said: “We wasn’t expecting that, that’s for sure! There is a lot of hard work going on and the car felt alive.
      “If I am honest, I am a little disappointed that I did not get pole. It shows how quickly things can change.
      “We would have been happy with fourth on Friday but we made some changes and the car felt great.”
      Hamilton, who starts third – alongside Alonso – was denied the chance to go even quicker on his final lap after getting caught in traffic and said his goal is now to “get first”.
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      He added: “I am so happy with this! This is totally unexpected. I am really proud of the team and George has done a fantastic job.
      “This is a dream for us. We are all working hard and to be this close to the Red Bull is incredible.
      “I hope we can give them a run for their money. I am super grateful for this position and will look to move forward tomorrow.”
      While Verstappen was P1, it was a shocker for Perez, who spun off in Q1.
      The Mexican, who won the last race in Jeddah, went too quickly into turn three and ended up hitting the wall and being dumped out of qualifying at the first hurdle.
      The session was stopped as his stricken Red Bull was recovered while Perez voiced his frustration to his team over the radio.
      “We need to fix that issue, man,” Perez says. “It was the same f issue again!”
      Williams’ revival continued with Alex Albon qualifying in eighth place after the team showed strong signs of progress in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
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      However, there was more misery for McLaren as their struggles continued with Lando Norris qualifying in 13th and Oscar Piastri in 16th.
      Norris has publicly said he was backing McLaren’s engineering changes but this was another poor showing that will ramp up the pressure on CEO, Zak Brown. More

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      Lewis Hamilton taunted for having ‘short memory’ and ‘getting old’ after F1 star’s comments on Max Verstappen

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has been taunted by Fernando Alonso, who has accused the Brit of having “a short memory”.Hamilton claimed that Max Verstappen’s Red Bull was “the fastest car I’ve seen” as he was passed by the Dutchman in the Saudi Arabian GP.
      Hamilton has spent much of the season shocked by the gap between his struggling Mercedes and the outstanding Red Bull carCredit: Rex
      Verstappen is the favourite for the title this season and his chances have been greatly helped by Red Bull’s expert engineering.Credit: EPA
      Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso has given his take on the pace advantage Red Bull hold over the rest of the gridCredit: Alamy
      The seven-time world champion said Red Bull’s advantage was greater than anything Mercedes had during their eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021.
      But Alonso has rubbished his claim in an interview with French publication L’Equipe ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.Alonso said: “I don’t agree at all. Last week [in Saudi Arabia] I finished 20 seconds behind Checo [Perez] and Max. 
      “He and [Nico] Rosberg were a minute ahead in 2014 and 2015… He has a short memory, he’s getting old!”
      Alonso, who famously fell out with Hamilton when they were team-mates at McLaren in 2007, also said that he was now aware of the 38-year-old’s “weaknesses” now he no longer has a superior car.
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      He added: “With a normal car, you can see that he has weaknesses. “Before, he drove alone or sometimes with his team-mate. But look, he is the record holder for poles and George Russell has just [beaten] him a 2-0 in qualifying this season. It just goes to show how much the car is still a key factor.”
      Meanwhile, Merc boss Toto Wolff says Hamilton and Russell cannot expect to receive major upgrades until the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May.
      Wolff has already committed to redesigning this year’s car after a slow start to the season. 
      The Austrian has promised “visible changes” to the car but they will not be ready for the GPs in Baku and Miami.
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      He said: “We’re doing good steps, good developments, but you’ve got to run them, confirm them, produce them.
      “So, I think we’re not looking for an introduction before Imola. We want to do it right also.”
      Hamilton was not happy with his car’s performance in practice in Melbourne for this weekend’s race.
      He said: “This morning was good, this afternoon wasn’t so good. The car is similar [to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia]. It felt a bit better this morning.
      “We made some changes, didn’t work, so we will revise them tonight. Then it rained so it wasn’t the greatest of sessions.”
      When quizzed for his expectations this weekend, he added: “We won’t be competing with the Red Bulls. I think we have the pace to be around fifth, same as the last race.” More

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      Inside Formula 1 drivers’ luxury car collections – including Max Verstappen’s James Bond car and Hamilton’s £13m garage

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      FORMULA 1 drivers definitely live life in the fast lane – on and off the track.As some of the highest-paid sports stars in the world, they have huge mansions, designer outfits, and an impressive supercar collection to show for it.
      Lewis Hamilton shows off his Mercedes-Benz GLC SUVCredit: LewisHamilton/twitter
      Carlos Sainz with his Ferrari 600 LT SpyderCredit: mclarenautomotive/facebook
      And as many of them have shown, driving for some of the world’s biggest carmakers like Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Mercedes-Benz comes with incredible perks.
      Just ask Lewis Hamilton, whose partnership with Mercedes has netted him some of the manufacturers’ most amazing vehicles.
      Here, we take a peek into the garage of some of Formula 1’s biggest stars to see what they drive when they are not competing on the grid.
      Sergio Perez
      Sergio’s private car collection is said to be worth £4.3millionCredit: Rex
      His Bugatti Chiron cost a mind-blowing £2.5millionCredit: bugatti
      Although Sergio is yet to win a major championship, he’s still one of the most recognisable Formula 1 stars and is the fourth highest-paid driver on the grid right now.
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      The Mexican reportedly has five luxury cars to his name including a Bugatti Chiron, which retails from a mind-blowing £2.5million.
      Other cars in his collection include a McLaren 720S, a Mercedes Benz AMG, a Porsche Panamera, and a BMW X7.
      In total, the Red Bull racer’s cars are said to be worth over £4.3million.
      Charles Leclerc
      Charles Leclerc is one of the richest stars on the grid todayCredit: AP
      His vast collection includes a Rolls Royce WraithCredit: AFP
      Monte Carlo-born Charles is one of the grid’s most talented stars, with an estimated net worth of £42.5million after signing a deal with Ferrari in 2019.
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      He has one of the most impressive collections of private vehicles said to be worth £5.6million, including the powerful Bugatti Chiron and a Rolls Royce Wraith, worth £811,180.
      He also has a Ferrari GTC4 in his garage, which reportedly set him back £689,000, and a McLaren GT, which retails at £649,000.
      But that’s not all – the 25-year-old owns a Ferrari F8, a Land Rover Discovery, and a Jaguar XF.
      Max Verstappen
      Max’s collection is inspired by James BondCredit: Max33Verstappen/twitter
      Max also owns an Aston Martin Valkyrie, said to give drivers an F1 experienceCredit: Reuters
      The Red Bull driver is one of the highest-paid stars in Formula 1 and has a private car collection inspired by James Bond.
      Max owns a 007-type DB11, a follow-up to the DB10, driven by the fictional secret agent in Spectre.
      The Dutchman is reported to have added an Aston Martin Valkyrie to his collection. According to reports, the vehicle is priced at a whopping £2.1million.
      The manufacturer’s website describes the car as the closest anyone will get to having the Formula 1 experience on the road.
      Lewis Hamilton
      The Mercedes-Benz driver has several cars made by his teamCredit: MercedesAMGF1/twitter
      He says he no longer drives many of his supercars for environmental reasonsCredit: Xposure
      As a seven-time champion, it is no surprise that Lewis Hamilton likes to travel in style with a collection of some of the most luxurious vehicles.
      He has owned a 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and a Ferrari LaFerrari.
      But these days, he prefers to be a bit more low-key as he takes the environment into consideration.
      In 2020, he told Reuters: “I don’t drive any of the cars that I own anymore. I only drive my [electric Mercedes] EQC.”
      It’s been reported that he also has a Mercedes-Benz G63, a GLC SUV, a McLaren P1, and a Pagani Zonda 760. According to reports, his private car collection is worth over £13.8million.
      Carlos Sainz
      Carlos Sainz has proudly shared snaps of his McLaren 720S on social mediaCredit: mclarenautomotive/facebook
      The star also has a McLaren 600 LT SpyderCredit: mclarenautomotive/facebook
      Carlos’ net worth is estimated to be £6.4million, meaning he has the means of securing himself an enviable car collection.
      It includes a Ferrari 812 Competizione, worth nearly £488,000.
      The Ferrari driver also has two McLarens – a 720S and a 600 LT Spyder – and has proudly shared snaps of them on social media.
      At £177,310, his Ferrari Roma is the least expensive vehicle in his possession.
      Fernando Alonso
      Fernando has several supercars including a McLaren
      Before switching teams from Alpine to Aston Martin, Fernando, 41, used to travel around in an Alpine A110 but has since upgraded.
      He now drives an Aston Martin DBX luxury SUV, which Fernando says is his dream car – the car doesn’t come cheap either, with the 2022 version boasting a starting price of £158,000.
      According to Slash Gear, the Spaniard’s garage includes a La Ferrari, a Porsche 918 Spyder, and a McLaren P1, which costs a staggering £895,000.
      Other cars in his collection are a Maserati GranCabrio, and the Ferrari 599 GTB Fernando Alonso Edition, which only had 40 units and typically sells for £244,000.
      Lance Stroll
      Lance Stroll is worth £41.6million and and owns a range of supercarsCredit: Splash
      His Ferrari California set him back a staggering £290,000Credit: Alamy
      Although Lance Stroll is worth £41.6million, his father Lawrence, who is a part owner and executive chairman of Aston Martin has a £2.4billion wealth.
      Lance’s car collection is one of the most incredible and is said to include a Ferrari California, which set him back £290,000.
      The Canadian also owns a Lamborghini Huracan, a Mercedes Benz AMG GT-R, and an Aston Martin Vantage, which is sold for about £131,000.
      His father, on the other hand, has a £50million Ferrari 250 GTO – the world’s most expensive car, and a £200million superyacht.
      Lando Norris
      Lando Norris has been living a glam life ever since swapping the UK for MonacoCredit: Getty
      Lando drives a powerful McLaren 720S, with a £248,800 price tagCredit: Getty
      He was seen driving a Fiat 500 Jolly in MonacoCredit: Norrislandofans/twitter
      He left the UK for Monaco when he got an extension to his McLaren deal last year and has been living the glam life ever since.
      Lando’s supercars includes a £248,800 McLaren 720S, which has the capability to go from 0-60 mph in just 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 212 mph.
      Staying loyal to his team, he also owns a McLaren 570 GT, which comes with a £169,000 price tag.
      He isn’t all about the big cars, however – he has been spotted driving around Monaco in a cute Fiat 500 Jolly, which has sparked a ton of memes and TikTok videos.
      Valtteri Bottas
      Valtteri Bottas has a £25million fortune and a number of carsCredit: EPA
      Valtteri owns a McLaren 765LT, which sells for £310,000
      Vatlterri, 33, who spent most of his career at Mercedes as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate, has a £25million fortune in his own right and takes home £8.6million a year driving for Alfa Romeo.
      It’s no surprise then that he can afford a car collection that includes a McLaren 765LT Spyder, which goes for £310,000.
      There’s also a Mercedes Benz AMG GT Black Series for nearly £286,000, and an Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifogilo for £74,736
      The least expensive car in the Finnish racer’s collection is a Mercedes AMG C63 for £69,000.
      George Russell
      George Russell with his Mercedes AMG GT that cost £97,000Credit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      He also owns a Mercedes C63 S Coupe and posted a picture on social media of him washing itCredit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      As a driver for Mercedes, George, 25, has an array of supercars he could choose from, including his Mercedes AMG GT, which costs £97,000.
      Powered by a 4.0 litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, it can go from 0-60 mph in just 3.7 and has a top speed of 190 mph.
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      The British racer also owns a Mercedes C63 S Coupe which is on the market for £63,482.
      He has even shared pictures of himself on social media washing the car himself by hand. More

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      George Russell hits back at Lewis Hamilton’s ‘lucky’ Saudi Arabian Grand Prix claim with brutal putdown

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      GEORGE RUSSELL has hit back at Lewis Hamilton’s claim that he had luck on his side during the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix. Russell outperformed Hamilton in qualifying before finishing P4, a place above his team-mate, in the race.
      George Russell has hit back at Lewis Hamilton’s claim his P4 finish in Saudi Arabia was luckyCredit: Rex
      But Hamilton insisted there was an element of good fortune about Russell’s pace, given they had opted for different set-ups around the Jeddah circuit.
      Following the race the 38-year-old said Russell’s strategy would “more often than not” be the “wrong one”, and consequently he “could only match his pace rather than be quicker”.
      However, Russell rubbished this claim while firing a sly dig towards Hamilton’s approach to the race while in Melbourne, Australia.
      He said: “I don’t think there’s any luck in it at all.
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      “I think it’s down to the preparation you put in before the event.
      “The changes we made overnight, I knew that was going to be the right direction with the work we did with the team.
      “And I believed it was going to be better than the set-up that Lewis opted for.
      “I think everybody’s got different preferences, I was happy with the direction I took and the work I’m doing with the engineers.”
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      Shortly after Russell’s rebuttal, seven-time champion Hamilton clarified his comments.
      He said: “I think people probably, from my choice of words at the weekend… I want to reiterate how great a job George did on the weekend.
      “I think the thing I was commenting on is that there’s one specific thing that you can change in the suspension that you have to do over Friday night.
      “And when you make that change, once you start P3 (final practice), you can’t change it for the rest of the weekend, so when you make that change, you’re basically rolling the dice – sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
      “I’ve done it in the past, sometimes it hasn’t worked, sometimes it has, and it worked great for George and he did a great job.
      “And the thing that I was lacking in the race was a lot of front end, which that setup gives you, so, in hindsight, that would’ve been great.”
      The pair will be hoping for better fortunes at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.
      Although Hamilton’s preparation may not have been helped following a run-in with a SHARK while he was out surfing.

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      Lewis Hamilton makes eye-opening admission on state of Mercedes car compared to Red Bull amid early F1 season turmoil

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      LEWIS HAMILTON reckons it could take his Mercedes team A YEAR to catch Max Verstappen’s speedy Red Bull.Mercedes have decided to cut their losses and plan on redesigning their car for this season after being thumped by Red Bull in the opening two races.
      Lewis Hamilton has admitted he is facing another difficult seasonCredit: Rex
      Boss Toto Wolff says there are positive signs that they are improving but Hamilton, who went winless last season for the first time in his F1 career, warns it could take them months.
      He said: “It’s going to take us the rest of the year to potentially close that gap. If you look at the Red Bull, it is just going to continue to evolve most likely.
      “Some cars do plateau in terms of performance. It can’t just keep going – but maybe it can, they have a great team around them and I am sure they will continue to add downforce.
      “We have shown in the past that we can develop quickly and hope that is the case that, as the potential of the car opens up, we will full steam ahead in that direction.
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      “There’s lots of work going on. I’m just trying to make sure I stay consistent and I’m training quite a lot between races, and I’m the fittest I can be so that at some stage I do get the car that we’ve all been hoping for.
      “If that happens, whether that’s two or 10 or 20 races away, I want to make sure I’m ready for that day.”
      Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Australian GP, Hamilton, who was fifth last out in Saudi Arabia and behind team-mate George Russell says he’s “praying for rain”.
      He added: “This weekend I’m just hoping for rain if I’m honest because that’ll make it a little more exciting from our point of view.
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      “But I’m just hoping the gap isn’t a second and we can hit the ground running with the set-up.”
      Meanwhile, the seven-time world champion has praised the decision to fine Nelson Piquet for his racist and homophobic language.
      Last week the Brazilian courts hit Piquet, 70, with a £780,000 fine for making the comments about Hamilton in an interview.
      The three-time world champion initially apologised for the comments, which related to a crash between Hamilton and Max Verstappen, who is in a long-term relationship with his daughter, Kelly.
      However, he then tried to make an excuse for the racial slurs, saying they were colloquial terms.
      But after pressure from groups in Brazil, including the country’s National LGBT+ Alliance, they successfully sued Piquet.
      Hamilton was quizzed on Piquet’s punishment and said: “Back when it happened I made comments on it.
      “I still believe that we shouldn’t be giving people that are just full of hate a platform.
      “I’d like to acknowledge the Brazil government; I think it’s pretty amazing what they’ve done in holding someone accountable, showing people that that is not tolerated.
      “Racism and homophobia is not acceptable, and there is no place for it within our society. So I love that they’ve shown that they stand for something.
      “I wish that more governments out there would do that, such as you’ve just seen in Uganda [who passed a bill to impose a death penalty for homosexuality].
      “Obviously, there are over 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East [where homosexuality is illegal]. There’s a lot of that can be learned from that.”
      Hamilton says he will not speak to Michael Masi – the sacked Formula One race boss who cost him a record eighth world title.
      Masi, 44, is back at an F1 paddock for the first time since he bungled the outcome of the Abu Dhabi GP in 2021 which gifted Verstappen the win and the title.

      The Australian left the FIA last summer and has since been appointed chairman of the V8 Supercars Commission in his homeland.
      Massi was clearly not hiding in the paddock but when asked if he plans to speak to the ex FIA Race Director to seek an explanation for what happened in Abu Dhabi, Hamilton replied: “I don’t. I am just focused on my future. I am focused on trying to get back to winning. There is nothing to say.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton reveals ‘terrifying’ encounter with SHARK in F1 star’s new ‘favourite place’ ahead of Australian GP

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has revealed he had a “terrifying” encounter with a SHARK ahead of the Australian Grand Prix. Seven-time world champion Hamilton is Down Under preparing to take on the third race of the season at Australia’s Albert Park in Melbourne this weekend.
      Lewis Hamilton revealed a run-in he had with a sharkCredit: EPA
      Hamilton said he was ‘terrified’ the whole timeCredit: Rex
      Hamilton was joined on a beach jog by American Fencer Miles Chamley-WatsonCredit: Instagram / @fencer
      The Brit has over 32 million Instagram followersCredit: Instagram / @fencer
      And before the high-pressure weekend began, Hamilton – who was seen jogging on the beach alongside Fencer Miles Chamley-Watson – opted to relax by catching some waves on a surfboard.
      However, he did not bargain on being joined by a shark while surfing in his “new favourite place”.
      Hamilton told reporters: “I was down in Byron Bay which was stunning, like my new favourite place to go.
      “And I can’t wait to go again because I love surfing so I went out surfing.
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      “Although there was a shark, so (laughing) I was terrified the whole time.”
      It is not the first time Hamilton has spoken about sharks, previously admitting his fear of them.
      Speaking in 2019, Hamilton revealed he was too scared to go into the water at Port Phillip Bay alongside 11-time surfing champ Kelly Slater due to not feeling safe.
      He said: “It feels like a long, long time ago but there was skydiving [and] I also did some surfing.
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      “I wanted to do it here but I couldn’t find a netted area to go to. I just can’t go where there are sharks, man!
      “Every Australian I meet they’re like ‘nah, nah, you’ll be alright. If a shark comes up to you, punch it in the face.’
      “Australians are really kind of crazy, huh?”
      Some may say F1 drivers are in their own bracket of crazy, but Hamilton will be hoping for a crazy pace improvement from his Mercedes this weekend after back-to-back P5 finishes.
      Hamilton has not won in Australia since 2015, with him labouring to P4 after the retirement of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz in last year’s race.
      A possible boost to the rest of the grid could be that Verstappen has never won a Grand Prix in Australia.
      Although this may only serve to make the Dutchman hungrier than ever to claim victory as he seeks a third world title.
      He has given fans an insight into his activities ahead of the weekendCredit: Instagram / @lewishamilton
      But also continued to keep up his fitness regime while Down UnderCredit: Instagram / @fencer More

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      Lewis Hamilton reveals he will NOT speak to Michael Masi as F1 director returns for Australian GP after title loss

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      LEWIS HAMILTON said he will not speak to Michael Masi – the sacked Formula One race director – because “there is nothing to say”.Michael Masi will make his first return to the Formula 1 paddock at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.
      Masi’s presence at this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix could evoke bad memories for HamiltonCredit: Getty
      Verstappen controversially overtook Hamilton to win the dramatic title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand PrixCredit: AFP
      According to The Mail, the seven-time world champion will refuse the opportunity to receive an explanation from Masi for his mishandling of the 2021 season decider.
      Masi was the man in charge when Hamilton and Max Verstappen took their fight for the 2021 world title to the last race of the season.
      The Mercedes driver looked to be cruising towards Championship number eight until Nicholas Latifi’s crash brought out a safety car.
      In an astonishing turn of events, Masi appeared to incorrectly interpret the regulations regarding a safety car restart.
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      One swift decision wiped out Hamilton’s lead as the group of lapped drivers between him and Verstappen was ordered to pass through.
      When the safety car was pulled in with one lap remaining, Verstappen overtook Hamilton on fresher tyres to seal his maiden title.
      The subsequent FIA report blamed “human error”, but did not alter the result.
      The investigation also saw the race director relieved of his duties, and he has been absent from F1 race weekends ever since. 
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      Masi left the FIA last summer before moving home to Australia and being appointed chairman of the V8 Supercars Commission.
      When asked by reporters whether he would seek out an explanation from Masi, Hamilton replied: “I don’t [plan to]. I am just focused on my future. I am focused on trying to get back to winning. There is nothing to say”.
      The 38-year-old is facing up to the prospect of another challenging year, with his Mercedes unable to compete against Verstappen’s superior Red Bull.
      Hamilton finished fifth in the opening two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. More