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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

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      Toto Wolff joins billionaire’s club with Tiger Woods and Lebron James despite horror F1 season for Hamilton and Mercedes

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      TOTO WOLFF has become a billionaire – according to the latest Forbes rich list.The Mercedes boss has taken his place in the 2023 World Billionaires list, which includes fellow sportspeople Tiger Woods and basketball star LeBron James.
      Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has officially become a billionaireCredit: Getty
      Forbes have listed the Australian’s net worth an $1billionCredit: EPA
      Wolff and Mercedes have struggled to keep pace with Red Bull over the last two seasonsCredit: Rex
      The report lists Wolff’s net worth at $1billion, with Forbes saying Netflix’s F1 series, Drive To Survive, turned Wolff “into a celebrity billionaire with [its effect] on the value of Formula One teams”.
      Wolff arrived in F1 when he bought a share of the Williams F1 team in 2009 and joined its board of directors, before selling them off after he joined Mercedes.
      In 2020, Wolff also purchased a stake in Aston Martin, who have close links with Mercedes.
      Mercedes have struggled to keep pace with Red Bull over the last two seasons, although Sir Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are currently fourth and seventh respectively in the Driver Standings.
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      The team’s shortcomings have prompted calls for Wolff’s departure.
      But the Austrian has remained bullish in the face of criticism, saying: “Whether it is good or bad, I really enjoy being the team principal of the team.
      “I think I can contribute. But, if one day I come to the conclusion, or people that are close to me are going to tell me that I’m not, then I will consider giving the baton to somebody else.
      “I would have no shame that I’ll criticise from the sidelines, from a TV screen and know it better.
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      “But, until then, I think I still have fun doing it. And obviously turning the ship around, after so many successful years, that’s really a good challenge.
      “The people in charge in Mercedes and in INEOS, they are high-performance individuals within the core business or in sports.
      “We have all been through downs and ups and there is not a millimetre of doubt.
      “There is so much support from them in order to get us back on track.”
      The F1 season resumes on April 30 with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit.

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More

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      Watch ‘legend’ Lewis Hamilton get soaked as he snowboards into freezing Antarctic water.. then hike up hill to try AGAIN

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      LEWIS HAMILTON swapped his Formula One car for a more basic mode of transport, but ended up getting soaked in the process. The 38-year-old tried his hand at snowboarding with three-time Olympic gold medallist Shaun White.

      Lewis Hamilton wringed out his clothes after going for a freezing bathCredit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqqM6DeNvde/?hl=en
      But he was praised for climbing up the hill and trying againCredit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqqM6DeNvde/?hl=en
      And White was left impressed by Hamilton’s desire to succeed, even if his snowboarding skills were not always up to scratch.
      White posted a video to his Instagram page of him snowboarding over freezing Antarctic water after coming down a hill.
      Hamilton then followed suit, but was unable to adjust as he hit the water, losing his balance and consequently falling in for a freezing bath.
      After getting up and wringing out his wet clothing, the Brit incredibly hiked back up to the top of the hill to try again.
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      And on the second go he succeeded in copying White’s move.
      White captioned the video by saying: “@lewishamilton is such a legend.
      “He had the guts to follow me over the Antarctic water, and after not making it he immediately hiked back up, soaking wet and freezing to do it again!
      “That’s the champions mind set and I loved seeing it.”
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      His trip to the bottom of the world comes just days after his F1 race Down Under for the Australian Grand Prix.
      Hamilton finished P2 behind championship leader Max Verstappen during a chaotic race which saw EIGHT drivers retire and three red flags. More

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      Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s rivalry has flipped with Mercedes F1 ace having to be aggressive, says Sky F1 expert

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      LEWIS HAMILTON and Max Verstappen’s rivalry has flipped now the Dutchman is in a dominant car according to Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz. Verstappen took his first win in Australia last weekend having only managed a best of third from his previous six races in Melbourne.
      Lewis Hamilton is looking for his first win since the 2021 Brazilian Grand PrixCredit: Splash
      Hamilton controversially missed out on a record 8th title to Verstappen in 2021Credit: Getty
      The Red Bull driver appeared to be cruising to victory until a second red flag following Kevin Magnussen’s crash set up a tense two lap shootout from a grid start.
      Verstappen managed to hold off fellow world champions Hamilton and Fernando Alonso as he secured his second win of the season.
      Hamilton and his Mercedes team mate George Russell had to be aggressive to get past Verstappen on the opening lap and Kravitz sees similarities to when Hamilton was fending off a young Verstappen.
      Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, Kravitz said: “What’s fascinating to me is, we now have a complete flip of the Mercedes-Lewis Hamilton seasons from 2014 to 2021, when Hamilton has been going for the championship, knowing he has the fastest car and needs to play it safe.
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      “You had the upstart Verstappen challenging him and wanting to get in there. And now you’ve got Hamilton challenging Verstappen, saying, ‘it’s no cares given’, ‘I’m out there to take all the risks’, putting it back on the defending champion.
      “Hamilton knows he’s not going to win the championship this year, not unless something really weird happens, so he can go in there and be aggressive with Verstappen, knowing that he is probably going to have to give way.”
      Hamilton, who is looking for his first win since the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2021, will have been encouraged by the improved performance of the Mercedes compared to the opening two rounds.
      The seven time champion will be hoping that the upgrades arriving on the Silver Arrows will bring them closer to the dominant Red Bull and challenge for race wins.
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      Whilst Hamilton isn’t challenging for the title in 2023 he does have a battle on his hands with team mate Russell.
      Russell is currently seventh in the standings, three places off Hamilton in fourth after his retirement in Australia, but got the better of the seven time world champion last season.
      Verstappen leads the standings from team mate Sergio Perez by 15 points with Alonso in third.
      Due to the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix, there is now a four week break until the Formula 1 season resumes in Baku. More

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      I’m a female F1 mechanic – men told me I should stay in the office but now I’m working my dream job

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      A FEMALE F1 engine mechanic has risen through the ranks in the motorsport industry – despite men telling her she would never make it.Emmie Jones was told she “belonged over the road in the offices instead” when she handed her CV into a local garage at the start of her career.
      Rosie Wait, Head of Race Strategy for Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team manages nine people who decide when a race-car should stop for a pit stopCredit: YouTube/Institute of Mechanical Engineers
      But the motorsport enthusiast has proven them wrong and is now working on the 2026 Red Bull engine.
      She told the BBC: “I got started by finding my love for motorsport with my parents and my brothers down at the local racetrack.
      “Then I worked in the garage with my dad and I always knew that I wanted to be a mechanic.
      “I’ve got quite a persistent mother who said if I was going to do it, then I should do it at the top level.”

      Emmie offered some advice for girls who wish to make it in the motorsport industry, and claimed as long as you have a passion for F1 the job will be easy.
      “I’ve been in Formula 1 for five years and it is everything I expected and more. It is just so enjoyable, it is like its own little family,” she added.
      One aspiring mechanic, Abbie McMurry, has dreamed about an F1 career since she began watching it in her childhood.
      “When I first wanted to try to get into this it was all “unknown” and [I] worried about whether [I] would fit in.”
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      “It was hard to imaging being here.”
      She said there was no denying the industry was “male dominated”, even down to the tools people use.
      “There have been physical challenges I’ve come across – such as tools that are clearly made for an average man when I am quite a small girl”, she said.
      But thankfully Abbie said the F1 world has become a lot more accessible for everyone, including women.
      She is now working as a trainee with the Mercedes F1 team and the goal is to become a full-time trackside employee.
      Rosie Wait has also witnessed changes in the “male dominated” industry first hand since she began her career in 2008.
      The engineer has worked her way up to become the head of strategy at Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 and manages a team of nine people.
      And now, she said the job is a lot more flexible for female employees.
      “It is great to see so many more coming through, both in terms of the graduate intake and when you look down the pit lane”, she explained.
      Rosie has earned herself a high pressure and well respected position, heading a group of people who decide when a race-car should stop for a pit stop.
      She said: “During a race you really get those periods when the adrenaline is pumping and you can tell that a certain decision will be make or break – that’s very exciting, it can be pretty scary.
      “There’s no such thing as being ‘done’ in Formula 1,.
      “There’s always more that you could be doing.”
      When she returned from maternity leave two years ago she was able to return to an equal role.
      However, she still feels there is a pressure on women to compromise their job when they have a family.
      “I’ve been able to do that alongside my caring responsibilities,” she says. “My husband is a doctor which means his job is very uncompromising.
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      “If something comes up, then I am the one who has to compromise and leave work. I hope that becomes more normal in the industry both for the women and the men.
      “You can have both a career and a family and be actively involved in both. It is tough, it is tough for anybody, but it really is working.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton car problems set to continue with Mercedes improvements not coming for another MONTH

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      MERCEDES will not bring in a major package of improvements until May meaning Lewis Hamilton’s car woes look set to continue. The seven-times world champion has been vocal about issues he has with this year’s car which appear miles off Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.
      Hamilton, Verstappen and Alonso managed to emerge on the podium in an Australian Grand Prix full of incidentCredit: Rex
      While Mercedes have dealt with the porpoising problems that afflicted it last year, the car has still been short on pace.
      Positive signs emerged at the weekend’s Australian Grand Prix with fellow Mercedes driver George Russell able to fend off Verstappen for the lead at the beginning of the Grand Prix.
      But once the race restarted following the first of three red flags and the young Brit’s car broke down, it was left to Hamilton to keep up the fight.
      He had to watch in vain as Verstappen stormed past him and proceeded to open up another huge lead at the front.
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      Hamilton will have to wait for a major package of upgrades until May’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the Times has confirmed.
      The new cost cap means that teams have to upgrade more carefully than before, with Mercedes planning for the race on the infamous Imola circuit to bring in sweeping changes to their struggling car.
      That race and the next few after should give fans an idea of whether Hamilton and Russell can challenge Red Bull or if Verstappen might waltz to a third Driver’s Championship.
      Elsewhere, the problems seem even more stark at Ferrari who have been largely uncompetitive in the opening three races of the season.
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      While Aston Martin continue to impress with Fernando Alonso the only man apart from Verstappen to feature on the podium in all three races.
      The Spaniard, Hamilton and Verstappen had to tiptoe through a dramatic race in Australia that left many questioning decisions from race directors again.
      Two red flags came after crashes for Williams driver Alex Albon and Kevin Magnussen of Haas.
      But chaos reigned on the second restart as Alonso got tagged by Carlos Sainz, Logan Sargeant hit the back of Nyck de Vries and the Alpine drivers crashed into each other.
      Following the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix, F1 now has a mini-break until the next race at the end of the month in Azerbaijan.

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More

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      Ben Hunt: Cracks starting to appear between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell – they’ve just been lost in the F1 drama

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      ARE the cracks starting to form in the relationship between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell?I am starting to sense that there is a little bit of needle developing between the two Mercedes drivers, which has largely gone unnoticed during the FIA’s operational cock-ups in Saudi Arabia and Australia.
      Cracks are starting to form between Lewis Hamilton and George RussellCredit: Splash
      In those last two races, we have been left tucking into what has gone wrong (again) in Race Control, which has seen some of Russell’s behaviour bumped out of the spotlight.
      To re-cap. Russell snapped back at Hamilton’s claim that he’d benefited from taking a different car set-up in Bahrain, saying “I don’t think there’s any luck in it at all, I think it’s down to the preparation you put in before the event…I believed it was going to be better than the set-up that Lewis opted for.”
      And then during the race in Melbourne, Russell came on the team’s radio when leading and being followed closely by Hamilton and said: “You’re asking me to manage and I’m being attacked by my team-mate!”
      And then, after he had retired with an engine problem, it was interesting to note Russell say he felt he could have won the race, despite Max Verstappen’s pace, because “it would have been difficult to pass, especially with Lewis between the two of us”.
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      Russell is doing nothing wrong here, but it is worth noting the language he is using.
      It is evident that he is increasing in confidence to now challenge Mercedes’ decisions and speak his mind.
      It is a contrast to when he first arrived at the team last season after driving on-loan at Williams.
      There is the distinct feeling that in the shadow of Merc’s struggles, Russell, 25, was able to establish himself within the team while Hamilton played the role of the sacrificial lamb as he tested out theories on how to cure the porpoising.
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      The upshot this year is that with a season under his belt, and let’s also remember Merc’s only victory in 2022, Russell senses now is his time to stand apart from Hamilton.
      Team-mate rivalries in F1 are nothing new of course and Hamilton has a line of them – Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg being the most contentious.
      However, unlike the other two where he was the up-coming youngster at McLaren, or at least on a par with Rosberg, there is no denying that Russell is the future for Mercedes.
      Unlike Hamilton, he also has a long-term deal with the Silver Arrows. He has also out-qualified his teammate in all three races this season.
      His confidence is growing, and the longer that continues, the more problems it could cause for Hamilton.
      RACE TALKS
      Talks are set to be held over the end of the Australian GPCredit: Splash
      THE FIA and F1 are set to discuss Sunday’s ridiculous end to the Australian GP.
      The race stewards want the sport to reassess the rulebook in relation to standing starts after the chaos in Melbourne.
      There were debates over all three red flags and the subsequent start procedures and the stewards.
      The stewards are concerned about the carnage caused by the slow-moving cars making their way to the grid behind the safety car.
      As cars slowed, there was a notable traffic jam, with some drivers forced to take action to avoid clattering into the rear of other cars.
      CHANGE TRACKS
      Zak Brown challenged Toto Wolff to a boxing matchCredit: Getty
      ZAK BROWN was buzzing after McLaren scored some much-needed points – so much so that in the heat of the moment he challenged Christian Horner to a car race at Silverstone – and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to a boxing match in Las Vegas!
      He said: “When we go Vegas, what’s Vegas known for? [A] Little boxing match? I’m ready!”
      SAFETY FIRST
      A fan was hurt during the Australian GPCredit: Alamy
      A timely reminder that motorsport is dangerous – even to spectators.
      One fan suffered an injury when a piece of bodywork flew off Kevin Magnussen’s Haas and sliced his arm.
      Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott said: “Coincidentally we had one of our engineering staff there who saw it. It would appear that debris from the wheel hub has shot 20 metres in the air and landed down and lacerated a gentleman’s arm.
      “Our people were aware of the incident. It looks as if it was a freak one-off.”
      FEELING ROSS-EY
      Marco Bezzecchi won his first MotoGP in ArgentinaCredit: Reuters
      MARCO BEZZECCHI thanked mentor Valentino Rossi after taking his maiden MotoGP win in Argentina.
      The Italian won in tricky conditions for his, and the Mooney VR46 Racing team’s first victory and he now tops the championship standings.
      He said: “I am happy, more for the team because without them, Vale and the Academy, it would be probably impossible to arrive here.
      “My family made sacrifices and we spent a lot of time around the world in the beginning, so they put in a lot of effort to realise my dream.
      “The same for Vale, he is my idol and still is, since when I was young, I started because of him. So to meet him, become his friend and his rider, to win a MotoGP race, it’s incredible.”
      QUICK SNIP
      British GP is keen to help charity The Lions Barber CollectiveCredit: Getty
      THE British GT series promises to be the smartest in motorsport after men’s mental health charity, The Lions Barber Collective promised free haircuts during race weekends.
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      The Lions Barber Collective are teaming up with FastR and seeking to raise awareness of male mental health at every British GT round.
      The group of barbers are trained to recognise, ask and listen for signs of depression with their clients, and will cut hair during race weekends. More