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      Lewis Hamilton era is OVER and he won’t break F1 record after something ‘snapped’ in Abu Dhabi, pundit fears

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’S era in Formula 1 is OVER, a top F1 pundit has suggested.The Brit won a record equalling seventh world championship in 2020, going level with Michael Schumacher.
      Lewis Hamilton is currently fourth in the F1 driver championshipCredit: Rex
      He appeared destined to win a historic eighth the following year, only for a botching of the rules in the final race in Abu Dhabi to see the title go to Max Verstappen instead.
      With Sir Lewis, 38, having not won a race since, Dutch F1 pundit Rob Kamphues thinks that his time at the top is coming to an end.
      He wrote in his Formule 1 Magazine column: “Could something have snapped in the great champion?
      “Lewis hasn’t won a race since that day, he hasn’t achieved pole, he’s never even started from the front row.
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      “In 2022 he also finished behind his younger team-mate in the championship and that younger team-mate also won the only race Mercedes won. Not to mention this season.
      “It also seems that the era of Mercedes is over. The idea that the empire is collapsing is also confirmed by the transfer of team boss-designate James Vowles to Williams and the departure of Lewis’ beloved physio Angela Cullen.
      “So in a row it’s clear as a lump, right?”
      Having easily won last year’s championship, Verstappen has already raced out to a 31-point lead over Hamilton this time around.
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      Rob Kamphues has offered up his take on Lewis Hamilton’s future in F1Credit: Alamy
      Kamphues reckons Hamilton will still believe in himself, however, and can point to the examples of Alain Prost and Fernando Alonso.
      He went on: “Lewis himself will probably think otherwise. He will say that although he scored fewer points than George Russell last season, he still beat him when it came to speed.
      “He will remind us of Alain Prost; who left Formula 1 with his tail between his legs in the year that Ayrton Senna became World Champion for the third time.
      “He did not race in 1992, rejoined Williams in 1993 and promptly became champion himself for a fourth time.
      “Lewis will point to Alonso and say ‘How many times have you written him off?’ After his failure at Ferrari, his failed adventure at McLaren and again last winter when he moved from Renault to Aston Martin.
      “And look how he now drives like the stars from heaven again.”
      Fernando Alonso’s renaissance can offer encouragement to HamiltonCredit: Rex More

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      Petition calling for Max Verstappen to have first F1 title WIPED OUT reaches 80k signatures in huge Lewis Hamilton boost

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      A PETITION to have Max Verstappen’s first F1 title stripped from him has gained more than 80,000 signatures.Since the Abu Dhabi GP in 2021, Lewis Hamilton fans have been lobbying for a change of decision that would see the British driver given the title.
      Lewis Hamilton missed out on his 8th F1 world title in 2021Credit: AP
      He was controversially beaten to it by Max VerstappenCredit: Reuters
      Hamilton seemed destined to win his 8th career title as he led in the race’s late stages.
      However, Williams driver Nicholas Latifi crashed, causing a safety car to be called onto the track.
      Verstappen drove into the pits and got fresh tires put onto his Red Bull.
      The move seemed to be futile as race director Michael Masi had instructed that cars that had been lapped could not overtake the FIA vehicle, as per F1 regulations.
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      That should have meant there would not be enough time for competitive racing to start again, and Hamilton would – somewhat anticlimactically – win the title behind the safety car.
      But after pressure from Red Bull boss Christian Horner, Masi changed his mind and allowed one lap of racing.
      And Verstappen was able to get past Hamilton on his quicker tires and win his first title.
      Mercedes instantly appealed the decision, but Mercedes principal Toto Wolff eventually dropped the objection.
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      However, Hamilton fans have not been so quick to drop the case as a petition has gained traction.
      Patel Gordon-Bennett started the petition on social media with the aim of getting the result overturned.
      On Tuesday morning, ‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’ was trending on Twitter following a link to the petition being tweeted.
      The document now has over 82,000 signatures on it.
      However, there is very little chance of the FIA reacting, and Mercedes will have to stay focused on the current F1 campaign. More

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      Petition demanding Max Verstappen be STRIPPED of first F1 title reaches 100k signatures in huge Lewis Hamilton boost

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      A PETITION to have Max Verstappen’s first F1 title stripped from him has gained more than 100,000 signatures.Since the Abu Dhabi GP in 2021, Lewis Hamilton fans have been lobbying for a change of decision that would see the British driver given the title.
      Lewis Hamilton missed out on his 8th F1 world title in 2021Credit: AP
      He was controversially beaten to it by Max VerstappenCredit: Reuters
      Hamilton seemed destined to win his eighth career title as he led in the race’s late stages.
      However, Williams driver Nicholas Latifi crashed, causing a safety car to be called onto the track.
      Verstappen drove into the pits and got fresh tires put onto his Red Bull.
      The move seemed to be futile as race director Michael Masi had instructed that cars that had been lapped could not overtake the FIA vehicle, as per F1 regulations.
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      That should have meant there would not be enough time for competitive racing to start again, and Hamilton would – somewhat anticlimactically – win the title behind the safety car.
      But after pressure from Red Bull boss Christian Horner, Masi changed his mind and allowed one lap of racing.
      And Verstappen was able to get past Hamilton on his quicker tires and win his first title.
      Mercedes instantly appealed the decision, but team principal Toto Wolff eventually dropped the objection.
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      However, Hamilton fans have not been so quick to drop the case as a petition has gained traction.
      Patel Gordon-Bennett started the petition on social media with the aim of getting the result overturned.

      On Tuesday morning, ‘Abu Dhabi Grand Prix’ was trending on Twitter following a link to the petition being tweeted.
      The document now has over 82,000 signatures on it.
      However, there is very little chance of the FIA reacting, and Mercedes will have to stay focused on the current F1 campaign. More

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      Max Verstappen hits back at ‘incorrect’ rival Lewis Hamilton after his claims about Red Bull

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has responded to Lewis Hamilton’s claim that Red Bull’s 2023 car is quicker than any version of his dominant Mercedes.Verstappen, 25, has won two of the opening three races of the season in Bahrain and Australia.
      Lewis Hamilton has claimed Max Verstappen’s Red Bull is faster than any Mercedes he has drivenCredit: Getty
      Red Bull have won all three races at the start of the 2023 seasonCredit: Getty
      And his team-mate Sergio Perez claimed the other Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia.
      Verstappen is seeking a third successive world title after years of Mercedes glory.
      The Silver Arrows claimed seven championships in a row between 2014 and 2020 – with Hamilton winning six of them.
      But after Red Bull’s one-two in Saudi Arabia last month, the Brit, 38, insisted he had never seen a car as quick as this year’s runaway leaders.
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      When asked if Red Bull’s dominance could be bad for the sport, the seven-time champion said: “I don’t know, it’s not for me to say, but I’ve never seen a car so fast.
      “When we were fast, we weren’t that fast. That’s the fastest car I’ve seen compared to the rest. I don’t know why or how but he came past me with serious speed.
      “I didn’t even bother to block because there was a massive speed difference.”
      Now Verstappen has had his say on those comments.
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      And the Dutchman believes the numbers show that Hamilton’s theory is not true.
      He told RacingNews365 NL: “I think if you look at the statistics, then those statements are not correct.
      “But we also do have a very good car. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Still, we are not as dominant as Mercedes has shown some years.
      “I don’t pay much attention to that, that doesn’t get you anywhere.
      “Whatever we have done in the eight years that Mercedes is so dominant, we also tried to close the gap. That’s the only thing you can do.”
      Next up for both drivers is a trip to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 30.
      But Mercedes are not expected to add any significant upgrades to their car until Imola, Italy, in May.
      Hamilton has managed two fifth places and a second place so far this season.
      But Mercedes and the rest of the grid are still a long way adrift of Red Bull’s blistering pace. More

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      Toto Wolff addresses Lewis Hamilton retirement speculation and whether Mercedes chief has ‘Plan B’

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      TOTO WOLFF has insisted that Mercedes does not have a “Plan B” should Lewis Hamilton leave the Formula One team.The British driver’s contract with Mercedes is set to expire at the end of the season.
      Toto Wolff has admitted there is no ‘Plan B’ should Lewis Hamilton leave MercedesCredit: Rex
      However, there appears to have been little progress on renewing the seven-time world champion deal with the F1 giants.
      And Hamilton has recently been hinting that he could retire from racing.
      This is cause for concern for Mercedes as team principal Wolff admitted there is no backup plan should he leave.
      He said: “I think it may sound naive, but I really struggle to think of a Plan B, if my Plan A is still the one that is my favourite.
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      “I don’t want to engage in discussions with other drivers, because I’m happy with the ones that are in the team, that’s for sure.
      “At the moment, there is no Plan B. It’s Lewis.”
      The Austrian also insisted that should Hamilton leave the team then he would be given plenty of notice.
      He added: “I think that he would tell us early enough.
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      “I don’t think that Lewis would say, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I’m out of here tomorrow.’
      “He would always feel the responsibility for the team. He wouldn’t leave the team alone. Drivers can always take decisions [like that], but he wouldn’t let us down.
      “But then, I think if you believe that you’re a team that is attractive for others, you will find solutions.”
      Meanwhile, Mercedes technical director James Allison believes there is reason to be optimistic about the performance, with the team now “quietly” believing they are the second-best car in the field.
      Reflecting on the Australian GP, Allison said: “Overall, [there is] a sense of quiet satisfaction that we have moved the car forward.
      “That, from a performance point of view, we probably got as much as it is able to give right now.
      “That happiness, of course, is tempered by the disappointment that we only got one car to the flag and that George [Russell] was not able to show what he was capable of in the car on race day, having performed very strongly up to that point in the weekend.
      “We didn’t have huge breakthroughs, but we moved forward a little bit.
      “We put a small amount on the leaders Red Bull, and we are starting to get on terms with, and maybe just nose a whisker in front of, the Ferraris and the Aston Martins.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton ‘picks Brad Pitt’s co-star for F1 movie’ in major update after actors put through gruelling auditions

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has selected Brad Pitt’s co-star for his upcoming Formula One movie, according to reports. Seven-time world champion Hamilton has been working on an as-yet-untitled F1 movie.
      Brad Pitt’s co-actor has been selected for the upcoming F1 filmCredit: Getty
      Lewis Hamilton is acting as a producer on the movieCredit: Rex
      According to Deadline, prospective actors have been put through a gruelling selection process.
      This has included auditioning and several days of driving tests.
      And now Hamilton – who is acting as a producer – and filmmakers Jerry Bruckheimer and Joe Kosinski have reportedly made their selection.
      Damson Idris is the person who reportedly has been picked to star alongside Pitt.
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      The 31-year-old played the co-lead in Netflix’s sci-fi action film Outside the Wire and currently stars in crime drama Snowfall.
      The British-Nigerian actor, who was born in Peckham, South London, has also starred in Black Mirror and Casualty.
      On the film selection process, Hamilton told Autosport: “We’re going through a process right now of selecting the character that will be alongside Brad, which is exciting,
      “Basically that’s the process of watching [the auditions]. We have recordings of them doing certain scenes and we got through it.
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      Outside the Wire star Damson Idris will reportedly star in the movieCredit: Getty
      “I’ve sat in the office with Jerry, Joe and Brad and we’ve been watching them and kind of given our inputs and what we think.”
      Hamilton, an outspoken advocate for diversity and inclusion, said he felt a “responsibility” to make his cast diverse.
      He added: “I want to make the movie, in terms of like having diversity and representation, I want it to be as Formula One should be in the future – or should be now, but will be in the future.
      “I want to see female mechanics. We would love to see a female driver. We haven’t gotten to that point just yet. But why not?
      “Right now, we’ve still got the script. We’ve gone through quite a few different iterations of it.
      “We’re still waiting for a new rewrite, and that’s the whole process. But I was doing that throughout Christmas.
      “It’s exciting. I’m excited to get the next end of the script. I was talking to Brad last night about the characters that we have coming.”
      Hamilton launched his entertainment company, Dawn Apollo Films, in October last year.
      Apple have already thrown their support behind the venture.
      Following the move, Hamilton told Deadline: “I’ve always been into movies. I watch a lot. I find it a real escape. There are a lot of movies I find inspiring…
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      “The goal is to make impactful stories and ultimately to inspire people through movies and storytelling.
      “A big part of the new company will be about social impact, community and causes.” More

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      Mercedes chief offers bleak assessment of Lewis Hamilton’s F1 title chances but insists team remain ‘quietly satisfied’

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has been told Mercedes are on the up, but remain some way short of Red Bull. Seven-time world champion Hamilton finished P2 at a chaotic Australian Grand Prix to score the team’s first podium of the season.
      Mercedes chief’s are ‘quietly satisfied’ about Mercedes improvementCredit: Rex
      Team-mate George Russell had also shown strong pace before his car set on fire after engine failure.
      And Mercedes technical director James Allison believes there is reason to be optimistic about the performance, with the team now “quietly” believing they are the second best car in the field.
      Reflecting on the weekend, Allison said: “Overall, [there is] a sense of quiet satisfaction that we have moved the car forward.
      “That, from a performance point of view, we probably got as much as it is able to give right now.
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      “That happiness, of course, is tempered by the disappointment that we only got one car to the flag and that George was not able to show what he was capable of in the car on race day, having performed very strongly up to that point in the weekend.
      “We didn’t have huge breakthroughs, but we moved forward a little bit.
      “We put a small amount on the leaders Red Bull, and we are starting to get on terms with, and maybe just nose a whisker in front of, the Ferraris and the Aston Martins.”
      Aston Martin currently sit in second in the constructors championship – nine points ahead of Mercedes – after three back-to-back podium finishes for Fernando Alonso.
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      However, Red Bull remain the team to beat this year, with Max Verstappen and under-threat Sergio Perez sitting P1 and P2 in the drivers standings after the opening three races.
      And Allison is refusing to allow Mercedes to let their guard down, insisting they only got close to Red Bull due to them being “off form”.
      He added: “Was [our performance] expected? Broadly yes, because the performance level in Australia was not markedly different to that in the other two tracks so far this year.
      “Different yes to Red Bull, but not a completely different animal compared to the rest of the field.
      “I think the biggest shift in Australia was that Red Bull were a little bit more off form in qualifying compared to the rest of the grid, and that sort of closed up the field.
      “But if you look at the relative pace of our car to the Ferrari, our car to the Aston Martin, it’s been close-ish all year.

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year
      “Yes, we are a little bit on the better side, but it wasn’t seismic.
      “So, was it expected? Well, we expected to be in the fight with Ferrari and Aston Martin and pleased to have our noses in front, but we did expect to be there.
      “Time will tell [whether performance was track specific]. We’ll go to some more very different tracks in the next few weeks.
      “We’ll see whether this was the sort of initial bellwether of general uptick in our performance which we hope for, or whether it was related to the quite unusual track conditions that we saw this weekend in Melbourne.”
      In terms of further improvements to the W14, Hamilton and Russell will be forced to wait until May’s Imola Grand Prix.
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      There are still two races, Azerbaijan and Miami, USA, before the race in Italy rolls around.
      In the meantime, Hamilton tried his hand at snowboarding, but ended up going for a freezing bath after falling into some water. More

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      Fernando Alonso reveals biggest ever F1 rival as two-time world champ snubs Lewis Hamilton despite epic McLaren battles

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      FERNANDO ALONSO singled out Formula One legend Michael Schumacher as his greatest ever rival.Alonso snubbed famous foe Sir Lewis Hamilton, with whom he had such an intense feud when they were team-mates at McLaren for one season in 2007 that he quit the team.
      Alonso snubbed Sir Lewis Hamilton when naming his greatest ever rivalCredit: Splash
      Marco Alonso named Michael Schumacher as his fiercest ever rivalCredit: Getty
      The Aston Martin driver has instead opted for Schumacher, whom he beat to the top in 2005 and 2006 to win both of his world titles.
      The 41-year-old admits it is “difficult” to choose his fiercest ever opponent but the Ferrari legend’s dominance in the mid-2000s ranks him above everyone else.
      Alonso told Bang & Olufsen: “It is difficult to choose one because they were all great rivals and very talented drivers as well.
      “When I came to this sport, Michael Schumacher was dominating the races and everything, probably that fight with him would still be the one I would choose.
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      “Fighting against Michael was very special, so I would say that.”
      Alonso and Hamilton rekindled their rivalry last year after the crashed at the Belgian Grand Prix.
      The Spaniard put the seven-time world champion on full-blast as he branded him “an idiot”.
      The ex-Renault star also claimed the British great “only knows how to drive and start in first” in a petulant attack.
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      But the Mercedes superstar cooled their rift by insisting he is trying to “be a better driver”.
      The 38-year-old then joked on social media that he’d offer Alonso a signed cap as a peace offering.
      Hamilton said: “It’s not a thing for me. It doesn’t change anything, it doesn’t really affect me in the slightest.
      “With the cap it was just a little fun thing. It’s good to have fun sometimes with these things. For me, I am always trying to be a better driver.
      “Also, I know there are a lot of young kids that are following me and it’s important the steps I try to take in my behaviour, so I am always trying to learn and be better.” More