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      Lewis Hamilton arrives for Bahrain GP in bizarre all-brown outfit with Mercedes star already facing nightmare season

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      LEWIS HAMILTON arrived for the Bahrain GP rocking an all-brown outfit with fears already emerging about the season ahead.He is known for his love of stylish clobber, previously revealing that fashion “helps take the weight” off the pressures of competing.
      Lewis Hamilton arriving for the Bahrain Grand PrixCredit: Getty
      Hamilton donned an all brown outfit ahead of the raceCredit: Getty
      He completed his look with a pair of stylish shadesCredit: PA
      The 37-year-old will start the race seventh on the gridCredit: Splash
      Hamilton could be in for another difficult seasonCredit: Reuters
      Sunday’s arrival came after Max Verstappen stormed to pole in qualifying for the Bahrain GP.
      Meanwhile F1 legend Hamilton could be in for another nightmare season, with Toto Wolff admitting Mercedes may be forced to SCRAP their new car if they want to win titles again.
      The seven-time world champion will start Sunday’s race way down in seventh on the grid.
      And ahead of the race, Hamilton, 37, arrived at the Bahrain International Circuit dressed all in brown.
      Read More in F1
      Hamilton completed his stylish look with boots and a pair of reflective sunglasses.
      But Hamilton is facing a difficult afternoon when he changes into his racing gear and gets behind the wheel of his new Mercedes.
      Starting from a lowly seventh on the grid leaves the Brit with an uphill battle to finish on the podium.
      Especially after Merc chief Wolff confessed: “I don’t think this package is going to be competitive.
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      “We gave it our best over the winter and now we need to regroup, sit down with the engineers — there are no holy cows — and decide what development direction we want to pursue in order to win races.
      “The moment comes when the stopwatch showed we are not good enough.”
      Hamilton himself also admitted on Friday that his Merc car is lagging even further behind Verstappen’s Red Bull than it was last year.
      While he has faith in Mercedes being able to close the gap at some point, the season opener in Bahrain might come too soon.
      Hamilton conceded: “The gap wasn’t as big last season as it is now.
      “We found out we’re a long way off. We knew that a little bit in the test but it’s a big gap.
      “Do I believe we can close the gap at some stage? Yes. But it’s quite hard with the concept we have.
      “It’s going to be milliseconds, not ­closing the gap of a second.”
      Nevertheless, Hamilton posted an uplifting message to his Instagram story ahead of Sunday’s race.
      Read More on The Sun
      He wrote to his 31.7million followers: “You can do anything you put your mind to, remember that!
      “Start your day today telling yourself todays going to be an amazing day! Happy Sunday world.”
      Hamilton admitted that his Mercedes F1 car is lagging further behind Max Verstappen’s Red Bull than it was last yearCredit: Reuters
      The Brit is beginning his 17th successive season on the F1 gridCredit: Reuters More

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      F1 Bahrain Grand Prix LIVE RESULT: Verstappen LEADS with Leclerc trailing, Piastri OUT – updates

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      THE 2023 Formula One season gets underway TODAY with the Bahrain Grand Prix – Max Verstappen leads after 16 laps, with Charles Leclerc trailing. Verstappen’s lead is growing with a huge 11-second gap.
      Early contact has affected Fernando Alonso who has dropped down to seventh place but is putting pressure on George Russell.
      Lewis Hamilton has jumped up from seventh to fifth, while Sergio Perez drops to third.

      Start time: 3pm UK/10am ET
      TV channel: Sky Sports F1
      Live stream: Now
      Grid: Verstappen (Red Bull), Perez (Red Bull), Leclerc (Ferrari), Sainz (Ferrari), Alonso (Aston Martin), Russell (Mercedes), Hamilton (Mercedes).

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      Lap 17/57 – Piastri out of race
      Oscar Piastri looks devastated as his race is over.
      The electrical issues could not be resolved and his car is being rolled back into the garages.
      Meanwhile, Perez having not pitted yet leads with a 9.9 second lead on Verstappen in second place.
      It seems Perez is looking to build a lead on Leclerc before heading to the pits himself.
      Lap 15/57 – Ferrari perfects double pit
      The distance Sainz was behind Leclerc worked perfectly there.
      As Leclerc came into the pits with a quick change, as soon as he leaves the lane, Ferrari call Sainz in.
      That was smooth as both drivers pitted and got straight out.
      Ocon has damage to his front wing and has been given a five second penalty for being on the wrong place on the grid.
      Lap 13/57 – Verstappen leads, Mercedes readies pit
      George Russell may need to come in for an early tyre change.
      It is being checked whether Ocon started in the wrong place on the grid which would carry a penalty.
      Defending champion Verstappen is now 8.6 seconds ahead of second place.
      Russell now has to stay on the track as Hamilton takes his chance to pit.
      This is a great battle as Russell has to concede and see Alonso go ahead of him.
      Lap 11/57 – Alonso putting pressure on Russell
      George Russell feels Lewis Hamilton is holding him up.
      With Fernando Alonso right on his tail, a mere 0.3 seconds, Russell is feeling the pressure.
      Verstappen is enjoying a comfortable race so far, opening up a 7.1 second gap to Leclerc.
      Credit: Splash
      Lap 9/57 – Verstappen thriving, Russell locks up
      As he comes into the bend, George Russell misjudges causing a lock up which sees him veer off the circuit slightly.
      He asks his team whether Hamilton is having issues as he felt he was going slowly.
      Only one second between the two drivers right now.
      Verstappen is going from strength to strength with a 6.1 second lead.
      Lap 7/57 – Verstappen ahead, Perez gaining
      Max Verstappen has made a strong start to the race.
      He is not having to worry about second place pressuring him.
      Perez is putting real pressure Leclerc in second place, only 0.7 seconds behind.
      Meanwhile, Verstappen has built a 5.3 second gap now.
      Lap 5/57 – Verstappen opening up, Alonso drops
      The early contact has really affected Fernando Alonso.
      He has dropped to seventh place with George Russell in sixth and Lewis Hamilton in fifth.
      Meanwhile, Verstappen has opened up a 4.1 second lead from Leclerc.
      Lap 3/57 – Verstappen leads, building gap
      Verstappen has opened up his lead to almost 2 seconds.
      Perez sits in third ahead of Sainz.
      None of the drivers are opening gaps like race leader Verstappen.
      Alonso is complaining to his team about being hit, unaware it was his own team.
      Credit: Getty
      Lap 1/57 – Verstappen leads from Leclerc
      There was some contact in the early stages.
      Alonso had some contact and there were concerns whether it had caused a puncture but all seems fine.
      Replays show it was Lance Stroll who made contact with his teammate.
      It’s not the first lap of a race without some bodywork on the circuit.
      Verstappen has a 1.1 second lead in the early stages.
      Lights out, F1 season is underway
      With 57 laps over the 3.6 mile circuit today, we are close to getting underway, the wait is over.
      There is no greater anticipation than the first race of the season.
      As the drivers being their formation lap under the Bahrain lights.
      Red Bull head the grid, closely followed by Ferrari, then Mercedes and Aston Martin.
      Ferrari with pre-race concerns
      After Charles Leclerc’s car saw part of it break off in qualifying, the team have been checking all is as it should be before the opening race of the season.
      There were also issues with Carlos Sainz’s battery which had to be replaced overnight and some work with the electrical components took place also.
      As we head to lights out, Ferrari will be hoping their car does not hinder the drivers at all today.
      Starting grid for Bahrain Grand Prix
      Like the first day of school, the new F1 campaign opens in the Persian Gulf this afternoon.
      In case you have missed any of the qualifying action, here is today’s starting grid.
      Credit: @F1
      Big things expected from front two
      Christian Horner looks relaxed as we head closer to the start of the race.
      With Verstappen and Perez holding the front two positions on the grid and seeing the performance of the car in practice and qualifying, they believe that the drivers can hold their grid positions to the finish line.
      There will be a few other drivers looking to address that.
      Credit: Getty
      Bahrain circuit offers interesting start
      The first corner always offers excitement for race fans.
      In particular, at Bahrain the approach of drivers can be slightly different with the first corner actually offering the chance to overtake on the outside.
      This could be something that Hamilton looks to utilise to improve his position as they come out of the second turn into the straight.
      Stats don’t look good for today’s winner
      For the last six years, the winner of the first race, wherever it has been, has gone on to finish second in the Drivers’ Championship. This has also happened two other times since 2000.
      36% of drivers in the last 22 years have won the first race and then finished runner up in the Drivers’ Championship.
      It started in 2017, Sebastian Vettel won the first race in Australia, then finished P2 in the Drivers Championship behind Lewis Hamilton.
      It continued in 2018, when the exact thing happened, Vettel finishing P1 in Melbourne, then P2 in the Championship with Hamilton taking the trophy.
      In 2019 Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate won the first race in Melbourne, then finished behind the Brit in the Drivers Championship, the exact same thing also happened in 2020, except Covid-19 restrictions meant that the first race was in Austria and there was no Australian Grand Prix. 
      In 2021, the year any Hamilton fan refuses to speak about, Hamilton won the Sakhir Grand Prix, the first race of the season, then Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won his first Drivers’ Championship.
      And last season, before Ferrari started having a ton of strategy issues, Charles Leclerc won the first race then finished P2 in Drivers Championship behind Verstappen.
      Research conducted by BonusCodeBets.
      Drivers’ changing allegiances in career
      As we head towards the first race of the season, there have been changes throughout the close season.
      If you were wondering how many teams your favourite drivers have actually raced for, we have all the answers for you.
      Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg lead the way.
      Credit: @F1
      Lewis rocks up with doctor’s note
      One of the most bizarre stories coming into the new season was that the FIA’s clampdown on jewellery.
      Hamilton claims he suffered an infection last year after having to remove it and it promptly returned for the Singapore Grand Prix.
      The British driver provided a doctor’s note warning of disfigurement, with the FIA accepting this and allowing Hamilton to continue wearing the jewellery.
      Champ surprised by end results
      Max Verstappen spoke about the practice sessions and qualifying and how he finally finished on the grid:
      It’s been a bit of a tough start to the weekend yesterday and today, not really finding my rhythm. But luckily in qualifying we managed to put the pieces together. I was positively surprised to be on pole after the struggles we had in practice.Max VerstappenRed Bull
      Team photo before first parade
      Here is the F1 drivers line-up before the first parade of the 2023 season.
      The atmosphere before the first race of the season is electric with fans and drivers alike.
      Although Fernando Alonso was the person really turning heads in qualifying.
      Credit: Reuters
      Ferrari looking for early edge
      The interesting moment in the final sessions of qualifying was Charles Leclerc’s decision to bow out early.
      It has been said that the Monegasque driver wanted to have a fresh set of soft tyres to start the race on.
      The majority of the front of the grid will not have this option and any of them opting for soft tyres will be using a used set.
      That is if any of them have a usable set as they went hard on them in qualifying.
      Focussed on the magic number eight
      Good news for F1 fans coming from some of the pre-race talk as Lewis Hamilton talked about his potential retirement from the sport.
      Hamilton has reiterated how he is focussed on that eighth world title and will not be considering bowing out of F1 until he has accomplished that and will be signing a new deal with Mercedes.
      With the issues they seem to have in getting this car just right to enable him to challenge, that may take a little longer than the British driver would ideally plan for.
      Hamilton uninspired by Mercedes’ performance
      When it came to the practice sessions on Saturday, Hamilton was flying around the track, finishing fourth fastest.
      He said he had expected the W1 to be a lot worse and was pleased that they had made it through to Q3 but felt it dip by qualifying the following day.
      “We made a step forward today and the car was feeling much more alive this morning, and all of a sudden, we were in a different place to where we were the day before. But then we got to qualifying and for me the car just didn’t feel alive, it felt kind of average.”
      The seven-time world champion will be hoping for better things today from his Mercedes.
      New season, completely new car
      Despite the expected dominance of Max Verstappen, all the talk after qualifying had to be on the performance of the Aston Martin.
      With both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finishing in the top eight on the grid, we have ourselves a genuine four-car race in the season opener.
      Red Bull, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Mercedes will do battle today and is perfectly poised for a classic race to get the 2023 FI season going.
      Welcome to the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix
      The 2023 F1 calendar gets underway today in  the Persian Gulf.
      Qualifying was a highly competitive event with Ferrari dominating Q1 and Q2, with Max Verstappen battling it out against the drivers but their early finishes allowed the Red Bull driver to book another pole position.
      Charles Leclerc sat in pole position until Verstappen put in a Q3 performance that saw him pip the Ferrari driver by a mere tenth ahead before improving on that with a 1:29.708.
      Ferrari deciding to save tyres for race day, Leclerc’s early exit allowed Sergio Perez book a one-two pole for Red Bull.
      Carlos Sainz could only manage to seal fourth place on the grid for Ferrari as he was left as their only hope going into the final qualifying session.
      Leclerc wasn’t the only one to burn through his tyres in the early qualifying sessions as Alonso, Russell and Hamilton were all missing from the latter stages.
      Fernando Alonso will be most pleased with his performance in the new Aston Martin, something he described as ‘too good to be true’ finishing above both Mercedes and only 0.628 seconds behind Max Verstappen.
      The Spaniard only has the Red Bull’s and Ferrari’s in front of him, while George Russell pipped Lewis Hamilton to fifth place on the grid.
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      F1 Bahrain Grand Prix RESULT: Verstappen WINS, Leclerc, Ocon and Piastri all RETIRE, Hamilton finishes 5th – REACTION

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN kicked off the 2023 Formula 1 season in style, with a HUGE win at the Bahrain Grand Prix.Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finished second, and Fernando Alonso, who started fifth, claimed a podium finish.
      Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, while Charles Leclerc, Esteban Ocon and Oscar Piastri all retired during the race.

      Start time: 3pm UK/10am ET
      TV channel: Sky Sports F1
      Live stream: Now
      Grid: Verstappen (Red Bull), Perez (Red Bull), Leclerc (Ferrari), Sainz (Ferrari), Alonso (Aston Martin), Russell (Mercedes), Hamilton (Mercedes).

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      Max stamps authority on defence
      Max Verstappen has laid a marker today in his defence of his F1 world title in the 2023 campaign.
      He will take some stopping in the Red Bull car this year as Ferrari showed issues in the opening race.
      The gap between him and Lewis Hamilton in this race will ask real questions of whether he can even push Verstappen this year.
      Credit: AFP
      The stars were bright, Fernando
      Fernando Alonso’s third place finish was a win itself.
      Nobody before qualifying would have been placing money with bookies on an Aston Martin podium
      The way the Spaniard dealt with his on track battles with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were nothing short of brilliant.
      And boy did he enjoy it.
      Credit: AFP
      Credit: Reuters
      Worry for the rest of the field
      As the dust settles on the Bahrain Grand Prix the reality is setting in with the drivers.
      Max Verstappen is going to take some stopping this season.
      He won this race at a canter, never troubled by anyone.
      Bahrain applauds its three amigos
      The 2023 F1 season has begun in spectacular style today.
      With it being a great day for Red Bull, taking two of the three podium places.
      Meanwhile, Aston Martin celebrate only their second podium finish.
      Credit: Getty
      Quiet day in the office for Verstappen
      Max Verstappen pulls his car into its space as the race winner.
      From the grid he led the race and nothing changed for the duration.
      With his team taking first and second, it confirms one thing.
      Red Bull…….it gives you wins.
      Credit: AP
      Spark gone out of Leclerc challenge
      Charles Leclerc will be bitterly disappointed having to bow out of the race today in Bahrain.
      After starting third on the grid, he will have had high hopes of what he could achieve today.
      The electrical problems his Ferrari was having before the race came back to haunt the Monegasque driver.
      Credit: Splash
      F1 season starts in style
      This race did not fail to disappoint today.
      So many questions needing answering going into the first race of the 2023 campaign.
      Here are the all important results from Bahrain:

      1st – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
      2nd – Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
      3rd – Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
      4th – Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
      5th – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

      Credit: Getty
      Max Verstappen wins Bahrain Grand Prix
      Lap 57/57 – Verstappen wins Bahrain Grand Prix
      Defending world champion Max Verstappen gets the 2023 F1 campaign off to the perfect start.
      Teammate Sergio Perez finishes exactly where he started on the grid.
      The big story is Fernando Alonso, who started in fifth, taking a podium finish.
      Spanish eyes on Alonso as he takes Aston Martin’s second ever podium finish.
      Lap 55/57 – Verstappen leads, Alonso in third
      This race is now all about the battle for third.
      What a great drive this has been by Verstappen also.
      He has not been troubled by anyone at all today and has led from start to finish.
      Machine.
      Credit: Getty
      Lap 53/57 – Verstappen heading for victory
      Max Verstappen is looking set for the first win of the season.
      He leads Perez by 10.8 seconds now.
      Perez has a gap over over 24 seconds on Alonso.
      More importantly for the Spaniard, he has a 7.3 second gap on Sainz in fourth.
      Lap 51/57 – Verstappen leads, Hamilton in fifth
      It is debatable whether Lewis Hamilton has seen Max Verstappen’s car since the grid earlier today.
      No doubt he will have his reasons, usually problems with Mercedes’ ability to give him a decent car.
      Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso is showing everyone what driving ability can do as he thrives in this new Aston Martin.
      Lap 49/57 – Verstappen leads Perez
      The real race now is for that final podium place.
      Failing anything drastic happening to their cars, Verstappen and Perez look nailed on for the first and second spots.
      Alonso meanwhile has a 3.7 second lead on Sainz.
      Lando Norris comes in for his fifth stop to get that air supply topped up.
      Lap 47/57 – Alonso into third place
      Form is temporary, class is permanent.
      The oldest driver in the F1 season, Fernando Alonso gets into the slipstream of Sainz and then uses DRS to get better pace to go passed the Ferrari.
      Amazing driving, Alonso now has the chance to finish on the podium today.
      Meanwhile, Verstappen is having a leisurely Sunday drive leading the race from Perez in second.
      Credit: AFP
      Lap 45/57 – Perez closes gap on Verstappen
      Sergio Perez reduces the gap to under ten seconds on his teammate.
      Fernando Alonso can taste blood now as he is only 0.3 seconds behinds Sainz.
      For Sainz to keep the pace to hold him off, his tyres will not be able to see this race out.
      Aston Martin has only ever had one podium finish before.
      What a chance for the experienced Alonso.
      Lap 43/57 – Leclerc out of race
      Not the opening race of the season Charles Leclerc wanted.
      Another unreliable Ferrari car costs him.
      It has opened up the race for a place on the podium for somebody else now.
      Red Bull will be glad that it was only a virtual safety car in place.
      Leclerc off the track, virtual safety car out
      Charles Leclerc experiences complete power failure.
      The virtual safety car is in place.
      He was having battery issues before the race and it seems the problems have back to haunt him.
      Lap 41/57 – Red Bull dominate, Alonso into fifth
      This is some drive by Fernando Alonso this evening.
      If he can finish above the two Mercedes, it will be some achievement.
      There is no love lost between the two drivers from their time together before.
      Meanwhile, Verstappen is having a comfortable drive.
      Lap 39/57 – Ferrari seem content with podium
      It seems with hard tyres being fitted to both cars now that Ferrari have given up on catching Perez.
      The most interesting battle is between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.
      Coming into turn ten the Spaniard takes Hamilton.
      This is a great watch.
      Credit: Getty
      Lap 37/57 – Verstappen leads, Alonso drops
      Max Verstappen has a huge lead from his teammate now, some 12.2 seconds.
      Leclerc and Sainz hold third and fourth.
      Alonso’s pitting cost him as he drops into sixth behind Hamilton.
      The Spaniard does have fresher tyres than the Englishman though.
      This is turning into a great battle between the pair.
      Lap 35/57 – Alonso moves into third
      Fernando Alonso is one of the only drivers to have not pitted twice so far.
      He is managing his tyres to try and build his lead.
      Verstappen meanwhile is 14 seconds ahead of Perez as he comes into the pits and it is the hard tyre that is fitted.
      Alonso finally takes his second pit of the race which sees Leclerc move back into third place.
      Lap 33/57 – Verstappen leads, Alonso into fourth
      Aston Martin have performed the undercut which sees Stroll get ahead of Russell coming out of the pits.
      Alonso is putting in some real fast lap times but is 22 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
      The Spaniard still needs to pit but is looking to build more of a lead to come out of them ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
      Lap 31/57 – Red Bull dominate pace, tyres key
      The last thing Red Bull would want to see in this race is the safety car.
      While they hold the front two places, tyre management is key for them now.
      They need to go onto a harder tyre.
      With Alonso putting pressure on Hamilton, threatening an undercut, his team tell him to pit.
      Credit: Reuters
      Lap 29/57 – Verstappen leads from Perez
      Perez is some 13.7 seconds behind his Red Bull teammate.
      Leclerc needs to focus on trying to break this Red Bull dominance but sits 5.1 seconds behind.
      Sainz then is a further 12.5 seconds behind.
      Ocon nightmare continues
      Esteban Ocon is having a race from hell today.
      Starting in the wrong position on the grid, he was awarded a five second penalty.
      Then, he was given a further ten second penalty for not carrying out the previous one correctly.
      Now he is being investigated for speeding in the pit lane.
      All of this and he sits in last position.
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      Mercedes could be forced to SCRAP car for Lewis Hamilton to have a chance of winning F1 world title, Toto Wolff admits

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      TOTO WOLFF admits Mercedes may be forced to SCRAP their new Formula One car if they want to win titles again.Lewis Hamilton’s boss delivered the damning verdict after world champion Max Verstappen stormed to pole for Sunday’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix — then declared his Red Bull can go much faster.
      Mercedes are continuing to struggle at the start of the 2023 seasonCredit: Getty
      Lewis Hamilton will start the Bahrain Grand Prix from seventh placeCredit: EPA
      And Wolff concedes he may have to “fire myself” if Mercedes cannot solve their problems.
      Hamilton could only qualify seventh, with Merc team-mate George Russell sixth. And chief Wolff confessed: “I don’t think this package is going to be competitive.
      “We gave it our best over the winter and now we need to regroup, sit down with the engineers — there are no holy cows — and decide what development direction we want to pursue in order to win races.
      “The moment comes when the stopwatch showed we are not good enough.”
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      Hamilton had earlier expressed his doubts about Merc’s 2023 car.
      And when fellow Brit Russell was asked by SunSport if he was confident in the design, he replied: “The honest answer is I don’t know.
      “We’ve probably got to a point where we do need to try something different.”
      In previous years, the Brackley-based team would have been able to spend their way out of trouble and design a completely new car.
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      But now they are hamstrung by F1’s strict cost-cap rules.
      The budget has dropped this season — set at £111million — leaving Wolff facing a massive headache.
      Last year’s car was also beset with “bouncing” problems, as Hamilton failed to win a single GP for the first time.
      But Wolff added: “It is not like last year when you score many podiums and eventually you get there. We now need to look at which decisions we need to make.
      “In this team we blame the problem, not the person, at the end I have responsibilities — and I’d need to fire myself if I want to do something.
      “We got it wrong last year, we thought we could fix it by sticking to this concept of car and it didn’t work out.
      “We need to switch our focus on what we believe can be the right direction.
      “We need to sort it out and whether that is sticking bigger sidepods on the car, is a different question.
      “We started last year with six-tenths deficit and we started this year also with six-tenths and that is the reality.
      “Motor racing is crazy. I don’t know what is going to happen this year, we may find a silver bullet next week and unlock five tenths in the car — but I haven’t seen any silver bullets before.
      “We just need to have a car that is able to make us fight for an eighth championship.”
      Verstappen and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez will line up ominously on the front row of the grid, with both Ferraris behind them.
      Even Aston Martin — one of Mercedes’ customer teams — proved to have a quicker car, as Spaniard Fernando Alonso qualified in fifth.
      Russell claimed Mercedes’ sole GP victory last season, yet the team decided to evolve their concept rather than start from scratch — despite seeing rivals Red Bull adopt a different sidepod design to win 17 of last year’s 22 rounds.
      Verstappen’s 21st career pole yesterday is further proof that his Red Bull is the true class of the F1 field.
      Wolff added: “Look at the pecking order, catching Red Bull is not realistic.”
      The Austrian’s comments will come as a major blow to Hamilton, 38, and his quest for a record eighth world title.
      Read More on The Sun
      Hamilton is entering the final season of his £40million-a-year deal but earlier this week he said he has no plans to retire, even if Mercedes fail to deliver him a winning machine.
      Wolff said: “If I need to push him around the track to get the eighth, I will.” More

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      We used to beat Lewis Hamilton in karting as kids but there are two reasons he made it to F1 and we didn’t

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      LEWIS HAMILTON is arguably the best Formula One driver of all time, but during his karting days he was given a run for his money.Mike Spencer and Chris Rogers were two up-and-coming drivers hoping to reach the pinnacle of motorsport alongside Hamilton.
      Lewis Hamilton pictured karting in 1997Credit: Rex
      There are two main reasons he made it to F1 while his close rivals did notCredit: Rex Features
      The trio learned their trade at Rye House Kart Raceway in Hertfordshire, with all three earning championship titles in the British cadet karting championship.
      Hamilton won the 1995 edition, before coming sixth a year later when Rogers won the title, while Spencer won his own title two-years earlier.
      However, despite Rogers and Spencer’s ability to go toe-to-toe with Hamilton, they believe there are two main reasons behind his rise and them being left behind.
      These being: funding and relationships.
      READ MORE IN F1
      While the early 2000s could allow a parent and child duo to make do, the modern day sees some spend as much as £250,000 a year on getting their kid through karting.
      Speaking to The Times, Rogers explained: “I probably needed £150,000 a year. [But] I went in with £30,000.”
      Being the same age as Hamilton, Rogers raced him more than Spencer, and Rogers also came out on top once again in 1998.
      But when Hamilton was 10 he met McLaren founder Ron Dennis at the annual Autosport awards dinner after winning the 1995 championship.
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      From there, Dennis’ sponsorship of Hamilton allowed him to continue pursuing his dream, which would eventually yield seven F1 world titles, including McLaren’s most recent success.
      Spencer, whose career ended fighting Hamilton in 2003, recalls a similar situation in Formula Renault.
      His last race with Hamilton saw him record the fastest lap but come second to Hamilton, who went on to win 10 of the 15 races that season.
      Spencer said: “The issue with Formula Renault is that if you’re not with the right team, you don’t win the races, and if you don’t win the races, you are forgotten quite quickly.”
      He had finished eighth overall that year, having suffered too many DNF’s (did not finish classifications) to make a serious impression.
      Hamilton’s ability to cultivate such relationships ended up being key to his early success too.
      Hamilton is hoping to get back to winning ways this seasonCredit: AFP
      He added: “Basically you have to be a bit of an animal out on the track and then an absolute gentleman when you’re not.
      “I’m from Essex and that’s how I sound. I speak the way I speak and I am the way I am.
      “I am very much black and white, up front as a person. I’ll always say what I think. Unfortunately, that’s not always the right thing.”
      Kevin O’Malley, one of the co-owners of the Rye House track, detailed how the tutorship of Dennis helped Hamilton, while the lack of a mentor to Spencer hindered his ability to carry on.
      He said: “There wasn’t anyone mentoring Mike. Lewis had Ron Dennis.”
      Not that the opportunity never presented itself.
      Two years earlier, Spencer met the likes of Keke Rosberg, Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell after winning the Cadet championship.
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      But he was not fortunate enough to garner any sponsorships from them, consequently showing how simple circumstance can make or break a young drivers aspirations.
      Alas, Hamilton is now eyeing an eighth world title, reaffirming his desire to “fight” for his F1 future amid rumours of his retirement. More

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      Lewis Hamilton reveals how his Mercedes compares to rivals Red Bull ahead of F1 opener after being dominated last year

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      FRUSTRATED   Lewis   Hamilton admits his Mercedes F1 car is lagging even further behind Max Verstappen’s  all-conquering Red Bull than it was last year.And he fears his machine’s controversial slim design — without the sidepods designed to channel the airflow — means he might NOT be able to close  the gap.
      Sir Lewis Hamilton admits his Mercedes car is lagging even more this seasonCredit: Getty
      Hamilton failed to win a single Grand Prix in 2022 — the first winless season in his illustrious career.
      And Britain’s seven-time world champion was again left for dust in the desert.
      After finishing a lowly eighth in practice for the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Hamilton said: “The gap wasn’t as big last season as it is now.
      “We found out we’re a long way off. We knew that a little bit in the test but it’s a big gap.
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      “Do I believe we can close the gap at some stage? Yes. But it’s quite hard with the concept we have.
      “It’s going to be milliseconds, not ­closing the gap of a second.”
      Hamilton, 38, had hoped his Merc ­engineers had designed a better 2023 car that would put him back into contention for a record-breaking eighth world title.
      But while last year’s “undriveable” bouncing issues have been cured, his car is much slower than his main rivals’.
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      The Brit continued: “We’ll continue to tweak little bits here and there but it’ll be small bits.
      “It’s difficult for everybody, and not where anyone at the team wants to be, or where everyone at the team deserves to be, but we’re just on the wrong track.
      “There was good progress through last year but the gap wasn’t as big as it is now.”
       Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell was even further adrift in 13th spot while Fernando Alonso rolled back the years and was quickest in his Aston Martin.
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      Red Bull star Max Verstappen dominated Formula One last seasonCredit: Reuters
      Alonso, 41, has joined the team for this season and set a faster time than world champion Verstappen, who was second-quickest.
      Alonso, who last won a race at the 2013 Spanish GP when he was driving for  Ferrari, continued the hype surrounding Aston’s car for this season.
      Meanwhile, Hamilton had earlier escaped punishment for another piercing and was granted special permission to race on medical grounds.
      Last year he had fallen foul of an FIA ruling that outlaws  drivers from wearing jewellery under their race suits before being granted an exemption for a nose stud.
      But he now has a second piercing, in his left nostril, and that triggered another breach of the rules.
      However, he successfully argued that by removing the offending stud, he would be at risk of “disfigurement”.
      Formula One legend Lewis Hamilton didn’t win a single Grand Prix last seasonCredit: Getty
      A statement from the FIA said: “The stewards ­consulted the FIA medical delegate, who viewed the report, examined the driver and concurred with the ­opinion.
      “We have determined to take no further action as there are concerns about disfigurement with frequent attempts at removal of the device.”
      His Mercedes team have also snapped up a former Red Bull employee to become their team’s new special adviser.
      Red Bull’s ex-HR director Jayne Poole had been Christian Horner’s confidante for years but has been signed to work with ­Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff and oversee team infrastructure.
      Read More on The Sun
      She could fill a similar role held by Shaila-Ann Rao, the  lawyer who left Mercedes to join the governing body last year.
      Rao has since left the FIA but was a central figure in the cost-cap ruling that saw Red Bull punished for breaching the spend limit. More

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      Formula One drivers rich list revealed ahead of Bahrain GP – including racer linked to eye-watering £2.4billion fortune

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      IT’S the most expensive sport in the world – so it’s no surprise top Formula 1 drivers boast an eye-watering bank balance.The likes of Lewis Hamilton, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez certainly enjoy life in the fast lane – with supercar collections, huge mansions and luxury holidays.
      Forumula 1 returns this weekend with 20 drivers vying for supremacy on the gridCredit: Getty
      This weekend sees the 2023 Formula 1 rev into gear, with 20 drivers set to battle it out for supremacy on the grid.
      Ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix, we reveal the 10 drivers at the top of the rich list.
      Lewis Hamilton – £270.9m
      Perhaps unsurprisingly, Lewis is currently F1’s highest-paid driver – his contract with Mercedes nets him £41.6million each year, and he’s estimated to be worth £270.9m.
      Lewis Hamilton is the richest F1 racer on the grid right nowCredit: PA
      The seven-time champion is worth £270.9m and owns several propertiesCredit: Instagram
      The seven-time world champion has numerous endorsement deals with the likes of Puma, Sony, Police, and Tommy Hilfiger.
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      Hertfordshire-born Lewis is said to be raking in an additional £16.6million from these sponsorship deals.
      Planet F1 reports he has an impressive private collection of supercars worth over £13million, including a Pagani Zonda, a Mercedes-AMG Project One, and a Ferrari LaFerrari, among others.
      Lewis also owns a £49.1million penthouse in New York, according to GQ, and a £19.1million six-bedroom home in London.
      Fernando Alonso – £216m
      Fernando Alonso has competing since 2001 and shows no signs of slowing downCredit: EPA
      The 41-year-old owns homes in Oxford and SwitzerlandCredit: Instagram
      Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, 41, has shown no signs of slowing down since his debut back in 2001.
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      This season the Spanish star has signed a new deal with Aston Martin believed to be worth around £17.8million.
      He also has several sponsorship deals and owns the clothing brand Kimoa.
      Savvy Alonso has also invested in private companies, said to reap him incredible rewards.
      Unsurprisingly, Alonso likes his cars – he owns over 300 that have been put on display in the Fernando Alonso Sports Complex in Spain, reports the Express.
      The racer owns homes in Oxford and Switzerland, as well as an apartment in a 52-storey building in Dubai.
      Max Verstappen – £75m
      Max signed a new deal with Red Bull last year, bringing his salary up to $50m a yearCredit: Reuters
      He is said to have bought a private jet from Sir Richard BransonCredit: Instagram
      Reigning champion Max Verstappen has been competing in Formula 1 since 2015 and signed a new five-year contract with Red Bull last year, reportedly worth £41.6million.
      This makes him the joint-highest paid racer on the grid alongside Hamilton.
      Max also benefits from lucrative deals from the likes of G-Star RAW, Red Bull, and EA Sports.
      As he’s only 25, industry experts predict his estimated £75m fortune will soar in the coming years.
      Max is said to have bought a private jet from Sir Richard Branson worth £11million, which costs over £830,000 to maintain.
      Sergio Perez – £62.4m
      Sergio is worth over £62.4 and owns a huge property in MexicoCredit: Getty
      He lives a luxurious lifestyle of private jets and lavish holidaysCredit: Instagram
      Sergio, 33, may not be the highest-paid driver on the grid, but he’s been amassing an impressive fortune since his debut in 2011.
      His estimated £62.4million net worth, which includes an £8.3million salary from Red Bull, makes him one of the richest athletes in the world.
      The Mexican also has investments and an incredible list of endorsement deals, including Ticel, Telmox, and Claro.
      Checo reportedly owns a multi-million dollar 15,000-square-foot mansion in Mexico and supercars including a Bugatti Chiron, which cost around £2million.
      Daniel Ricciardo – £41.6m
      In 2020, Daniel was among the world’s highest-paid athletes, according to ForbesCredit: REUTERS
      He has no problem showing off his impressive wealth on social mediaCredit: Instagram
      He may only be a reserve driver for Red Bull this year, but Australian Daniel has eight Grand Prix wins and 32 podiums under his belt, and an estimated £41.6m fortune.
      After being tied to Red Bull for five years, he signed a lucrative deal with Renault in 2020, which bagged him a mention on Forbes’ top 50 highest sports people that year.
      This season he’s been replaced at McLaren by Oscar Piastri.
      The 33-year-old doesn’t shy away from showing off his incredible wealth – he reportedly owns three properties across three continents.
      Daniel also owns supercars including a Porsche 918 Spyder and an Aston Martin Valkyrie, said to have cost a staggering £3million.
      Lance Stroll – £41.6m
      Lance’s career in F1 has netted him a fortune of £41.6mCredit: PA:Press Association
      The Canadian’s father is worth a whopping £2.4billionCredit: Instagram
      Lance, 24 would sit at the top of the list if his family’s wealth was taken into consideration – his dad Lawrence, who owns Aston Martin, has an estimated net worth of over £2.4billion.
      The driver isn’t doing too badly for himself either, as he takes home a whopping £8.3million each year from the team.
      When he’s not busy racing, Lance enjoys mountain biking, skiing, and surfing. He is dating Italian model Sara Pagliaroli.
      Pierre Gasly – £27.4m
      Pierre Gasly races for AlpineCredit: Getty
      Pierre, 27, who made his debut in 2017, drives for Alpine and comes from a family heavily involved in motorsports.
      His salary is reported to be £1.6million, which excludes performance bonuses and sponsorship deals that bring his estimated net worth up to £27.4m.
      Pierre’s brand partnerships include headphone brand Blomm and Berger, The Grid, Destination Grand Prix, and Crypto Gaming. He also features on the Netflix documentary Drive to Survive.
      He is said to be dating Italian Caterina Masetti Zannini, who shares many of her lavish trips with Pierre on Instagram.
      Valtteri Bottas – £25m
      Valtteri takes home £8.6m a year from his deal with Alfa RomeoCredit: Getty
      He was previously Lewis Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes and took home a quarter of his salaryCredit: Instagram
      Although he spent much of his career as Lewis Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes, Valtteri Bottas, 33, was only making a quarter of the English driver’s salary.
      He now races for Alfa Romeo, making up to £8.6million a year, and is one of the competition’s most popular stars.
      He recently announced his partnership with Finnish sporting company Polar, and is sponsored by locking solutions company Abloy and a private jet company called Insijets.
      Valtteri is currently dating Australian road cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, and has an estimated net worth of £25m.
      Kevin Magnussen – £20.8m
      Kevin returned to Haas last season when Russian driver Nikita Mazepin was dropped
      K-Mag made his return to Formula 1 last year after Russian driver Nikita Mazepin’s contract was terminated by Haas just a few days before the 2022 season.
      Although he impressed with his debut in 2014, his form dipped in subsequent years – though he put in a solid performance for Haas last season.
      The 30-year-old will be keen to prove why he’s been able to amass a reported net worth of £20.8million.
      His £5million salary at Haas is topped up by endorsement deals believed to be worth over £800,000.
      Esteban Ocon – £14.9m
      Ocon has been racing at F1 since 2016 and takes home £4.1m from Alpine
      Despite being only 26, Esteban Ocon has impressed fans since his debut in 2016.
      He has raced for Force India, Racing Point, Alpine, and was a test driver for Mercedes back in 2019.
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      Although he earns a £4.1million salary at Alpine, his long tenure in Formula One and endorsement deals with the likes of Microsoft, Bell and Castrol have given him a hefty estimated net worth of £14.9millon.
      The Frenchman reportedly owns a Mercedes AMG GTR, a Mercedes AMG C63 Edition 1, and an Alpine A110S. More

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      Christian Horner names Red Bull’s direct rivals for 2023 and makes prediction for the F1 season ahead

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      RED BULL team principal Christian Horner is expecting a fierce tussle with Mercedes and Ferrari this season.After romping to the F1 constructors’ championship last year, all points return to zero ahead of this weekend’s opening Grand Prix in Bahrain.
      Christian Horner expects a fight from Ferrari and Mercedes
      Red Bull go into 2023 as the strong favouritesCredit: Getty
      Red Bull are favourites again, but Horner knows “our opponents are fiercely competitive and they won’t be standing still”.
      Speaking exclusively to SunSport, Horner said: “Our biggest threats this year would have to be both Ferrari and Mercedes. They are going to be fiercely competitive.
      “With the quality of their drivers, both of those teams are always dangerous.”
      Ferrari finished second last year, with Mercedes’ run as eight-time consecutive constructors’ champs crashing to an end with Toto Wolff’s team in third.
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      Both teams were over 200 points behind Red Bull in the standings as Max Verstappen won the drivers’ title with four races to spare.
      Red Bull looked most impressive during testing last week but it’s hoped 2023 could prove more competitive than last year.
      On the final day of testing in Bahrain, Sergio Perez topped the time-sheets with Lewis Hamilton in second and Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz fourth and fifth.
      Horner also predicted that those outside the top three teams could be more of a threat.
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      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year
      He said: “The competition will be very stiff from the front running teams.
      “I think the grid as a whole, in this second year of these new regulations, will start to converge and I’m expecting some really competitive racing.”
      The issue of porpoising, where cars would bump up and down, was a major issue for teams last season and updates to resolve the issue are sure to have an impact on the order according to Horner.
      He said: “The core specifications will inevitably have an effect (on results) and of course it is whichever team manages to deal with those regulation changes. The best will prevail.”
      Horner admits that topping last year in which Verstappen won his second consecutive drivers’ championship will be a tough ask.
      Speaking as PokerStars launch their 2023 partnership with Oracle Red Bull Racing, Horner said: “2022 was the most incredible year for us and the most successful season in our history. To retain the drivers’ championship and to reclaim the constructor’s championship after an eight-year absence was a monumental performance by the whole team.
      “I think it will be very difficult to beat the season we had in 2022 but of course you must always try to do better.
      “You’re always learning in this business, applying the lessons that you learnt from last year and implementing them into the following year.”
      The 2023 season will see 23 Grand Prix across the globe, with the addition of Las Vegas to the calendar which is something Horner is looking forward to.
      He said: “The race that will generate the most interest in 2023 is unquestionably Las Vegas.
      “The introduction of Vegas to the calendar made a lot of noise, it is a big venue and everyone has immense expectations.”
      The team principal cut a relaxed and confident figure during testing but if Mercedes and Ferrari can show they’re in the fight it will be a different story come lights out on Sunday.
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      He said: “5 minutes to 2pm is when I feel most anxious!”
      PokerStars’ partnership with Oracle Red Bull Racing will see even more community rewards and epic experiences during the 2023 F1 season. For details visit: PokerStars.com
      Red Bull get their season under way on Sunday More