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      Lewis Hamilton and F1 rivals have ‘out of control’ WhatsApp group with one driver the leader

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      LEWIS HAMILTON and his Formula 1 rivals have an “out of control” WhatsApp group chat.When not fighting tooth and nail around a circuit, F1 drivers share messages with each other via WhatsApp.
      Formula 1 drivers have their own group chatCredit: AFP
      The existence of the group chat came to light last year, when Nikita Mazepin revealed he’d been booted out of it on the same day as his Haas axing.
      Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate George Russell is a chat admin, and lifted the lid on what goes on while appearing on The Fast and the Curious podcast.
      He said: “There is a WhatsApp group.
      “I mean it’s not like we’re sending banter in there day after day but there are occasions where something may have happened on track and suddenly people are sending memes in and whatever and it gets a bit out of control.”
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      McLaren star Lando Norris then revealed what the group chat icon is.
      Giggling, he said: “James Hunt as the group photo.”
      He then revealed: “It’s true [the group exists].
      “It’s not so much like ‘hey, we’re all mates’. It’s a lot more for talking about things that can help us as drivers in terms of rules, regulations, it’s more like how can we represent ourselves?
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      Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate George Russell is a key figure in the chatCredit: Splash
      “I don’t know how much [George] revealed, he’s like the head of it.”
      Norris, 23, then went on: “It’s a little bit of everyone.
      “We are all kind of chatting and working together to come up with different ideas.
      “We’ve got Esteban [Ocon], we got Zhou [Guanyu], we’ve got Alex [Albon]. Everyone chats in it [but] I can’t find any memes.”
      All members of the Grand Prix Drivers Association [GPDA] are part of the chat.
      Sebastian Vettel, who retired at the end of last season, played a key role.
      While Hamilton has been a member of the GPDA since 2009.
      Lando Norris lifted the lid on the group chatCredit: Getty
      James Hunt is the group chat iconCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd More

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      F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Date, UK start time, schedule, TV channel and live stream for massive race week ahead

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      THE Formula 1 season returned with Max Verstappen winning the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 5.Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished in first 12 seconds in front of teammate Sergio Pérez as Red Bull look to dominate the 2023 F1 season.
      Max Verstappen celebrates after winning the 2023 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand PrixCredit: THE MEGA AGENCY
      Sergio Perez during the 2023 F1 Bahrain Grand PrixCredit: GETTY
      Lewis Hamilton finished in 5th, and rumours surrounding him leaving Mercedes at the end of the season started as he is desperate for an eighth world championship.
      Last year’s Saudi Arabia GP was a thriller, with Verstappen just piping Charles Leclerc to the top of the podium by 0.549s.
      When is the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

      F1 Saudi Arabia GP will take place on Sunday, March 19.
      The race is scheduled to begin at 5pm UK time.
      Jeddah Corniche Circut is the track.

      When is practice and qualifying for the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

      Practice 1 is on Friday, March 17, from 1:30pm UK time.
      Practice 2 is on Friday, March 17, from 5pm UK time.
      Practice 3 is on Saturday, Match 18, from 1:30pm UK time.
      Qualifying is on Saturday, March 18, from 5pm UK time.

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      What TV channel is the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on?

      The F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix will be shown live on Sky Sports F1.
      Coverage will begin at 3pm UK time.

      Can I live stream the F1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix?

      Sky Sports customers can live stream all the action via the NOW app or on Sky Go.
      Non-Sky Sports subscribers can purchase a Sky Sports Day Pass via the NOW app for £11.99, which gives you access to all eleven Sky Sports channels for 24 hours.
      Alternatively, you can follow SunSport’s FREE live blog to stay up to day with all the action from Saudi Arabia.

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      Lewis Hamilton’s boss Toto Wolff slammed as ‘disingenuous’ and ‘crass’ after criticising F1 2023 Mercedes car

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      TOTO WOLFF has been labelled “disingenuous” and “crass” for openly criticising this year’s Mercedes.Wolff took the unusual step of writing off this year’s new design after just 60 minutes of qualifying in Bahrain.
      Mercedes struggled on the opening weekend in BahrainCredit: AP
      Lewis Hamilton, left, alongside Wolff, centre, and George RussellCredit: AFP
      He claimed that the team had made an error by producing this year’s car, which lacked the pace of the Red Bulls, Ferraris and Aston Martins.
      The Austrian promised to “sit down with the engineers and be totally non-dogmatic” as they aim to get back to winning ways.
      But former F1 boss Eddie Jordan is adamant that Wolff should take the blame – not his team of designers.
      He said: “He’s the CEO, he’s the boss. The buck stops with him. This is happening under his watch.
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      “To blame or criticise anybody in his design team is actually disingenuous. It’s really crass.
      “I hate to hear that, because he must be a man, stand up and take it on the chin and say, ‘my team, my people, we have failed to get the job successfully done at this moment. However, there are times ahead that we’re looking forward to and we will be there much stronger than we were in 2022’.
      “I think that Toto is strong enough, big enough and man enough to front this up and actually sort it out.”
      Meanwhile, F1 chiefs are not in talks to hold a race in London – despite contradictory claims from a property developer.
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      Plans have been drawn up to show a vast sports, leisure and entertainment complex in the Docklands area on the east side of London.
      The developers have used F1 logos and associated brands in their images, however an F1 spokesman says they have not been sent any proposals or had any discussions with the developers who are trying to gain publicity.
      The ambitious plans suggest the proposed track had 22 corners and had floating grandstands on the Thames that could cater for 95,000 spectators.
      Silverstone is the only UK venue on the F1 calendar and has a contract in place until 2024. More

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      Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes planning radical changes to 2023 F1 car after just ONE race to keep pace with Red Bull

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’S Mercedes are planning radical changes to their car after just ONE race in the Formula One season.Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton started the campaign in disappointing fashion nine days ago.
      Mercedes are planning changes to their car after just one F1 raceCredit: AP
      Lewis Hamilton started the season in disappointing fashion in Bahrain for MercCredit: PA
      The 38-year-old could only finish sixth in Bahrain as rival Max Verstappen romped to victory for Red Bull.
      Mercedes already had concerns about their W14 design, which is an evolved version of their “no-sidepod” one from last season which caused numerous issues as the team missed out on an eighth-consecutive constructors’ championships. 
      Mercedes boss Toto Wolff wants his development team to reproduce a “radical” new design following the “worst weekend of racing” at the Sakhir Circuit.
      And he added that they needed to be bold with future updates, amid questions over their “zero sidepod” design.
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      Now Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin opened up about what’s next during an interview Formula1.com.
      He said: “People have tended to use the word ‘concept’ when they mean the sidepod design, and Toto had said recently that we are looking at a revision that is going to come along in the next few races anyway.
      “Given the gap to the front, of course we are going to look at bigger departures and more radical changes. But those changes take time to turn into a faster solution in the wind tunnel – you can’t do them overnight.
      “There is quite a lot of development that you’ve got to do around any sort of big change in geometry in that area.
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      “Of course, we are looking at where we can improve the car, we are looking for potential to develop and you will see visible changes coming on the car over the next few races.”
      Shovlin also highlighted significant tyre degradation as a major concern after Bahrain as well as the car’s general lack pace.
      He added: “Ultimately, we’ve got a lot of work to do. That gap in qualifying was quite large; we were over half a second to the front. In the race that was even bigger.
      “That was compounded by the fact that when you get the tyre degradation, you get a bit more sliding, the tyres run hotter, and you end up finding it very difficult to keep them under any kind of control.
      “There is a lot that we need to understand but the key things are really getting on top of that long run degradation, which last year was a strong point for us.
      “Clearly, we’ve got something that’s not in the right place that we need to work on, but ultimately the other thing is that performance gap to the front. The raw pace of the car is not good enough.
      “We are working very hard at the moment to understand what we can do in the short-term future and in the mid-term future to try and get ourselves in a better place.” More

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      ‘I wouldn’t rule it out’ – Lewis Hamilton tipped to make sensational F1 transfer to Mercedes’ rivals

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      SIR LEWIS HAMILTON could move to a rival Formula One team at the end of the 2022-23 season, according to Sky Sports presenter Simon Lazenby.The seven-time world champion is currently enjoying his 10th year with Mercedes.
      Hamilton could join Ferrari at the end of the season, according to LazenbyCredit: Getty
      But it could be his last with the Brackley-based team as his contract expires at the end of the season.
      While Mercedes principal Toto Wolff remains optimistic that an extension agreement will be made, F1 expert Lazenby has suggested that Hamilton could decide to seek a new challenge – especially if he fails to compete for the title again this year.
      The Sky Sports presenter even hinted that he could switch to Ferrari.
      He told Express Sport: “It’s the desire of all drivers to drive for Ferrari.
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      “In the past, Lewis has been quoted as saying he would like to drive for Ferrari.
      “If Ferrari moves comfortably ahead of Mercedes I wouldn’t rule it out.”
      Ferrari and Red Bull have dominated F1 for the past year while Mercedes have struggled to get up to speed – literally.
      Hamilton, who finished fifth at the Bahrain Grand Prix earlier this month, has grown increasingly frustrated as a result.
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      He recently told the BBC: “Last year, I told them the issues that are with the car.
      “Like, I’ve driven so many cars in my life, so I know what a car needs, I know what a car doesn’t need.
      “And I think it’s really about accountability, it’s about owning up and saying ‘yeah, you know what, we didn’t listen to you, it’s not where it needs to be and we’ve got to work’.
      “We’ve got to look into the balance through the corners, look at all the weak points and just huddle up as a team, that’s what we do.”
      If Hamilton were to make the switch to Ferarri, Charles Leclerc could move the other way.
      The Monaco-born driver reportedly wrote to the team’s chief executive, John Elkann, last week to request an emergency meeting following his disastrous start to the season. More

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      Disgraced F1 legend ‘faces £1.6million fine’ over racist abuse of Lewis Hamilton two years ago

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      DISGRACED Formula One great Nelson Piquet is reportedly facing a massive lawsuit over his racist comments about Sir Lewis Hamilton.Video footage emerged last February of the three-time world champion using the N-word to describe Hamilton and making homophobic comments about the Mercedes ace after the 2021 British Grand Prix
      Nelson Piquet used racist and homophobic language to describe Sir Lewis HamiltonCredit: AFP
      Piquet issued an apology for his description of Hamilton but is facing a civil lawsuit in his native BrazilCredit: PA
      Piquet is being sued for a whopping £1.6millionCredit: GETTY
      Piquet made the disgraceful jibe during an appearance on a podcast in Brazil, where he’s facing a civil suit.
      According to O Globo, the former Williams ace – the father of reigning champion Max Verstappen’s girlfriend Kelly – is facing a £1.6million lawsuit from the National LGBT+ Alliance and other groups.
      Brazil’s Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Federal District has also joined the campaign to have the 70-year-old reprimanded.
      Their petition read: “During the ill-fated interview in which the defendant comments on an accident that occurred at the Silverstone Grand Prix, in England, in July 2021, he refers multiple times to Lewis Hamilton with contempt, without even mentioning the name of the English pilot, referring to him only as ‘n*****’, and also incurring homophobia.
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      “In the case under discussion, violations of the rights of the victim and the black and LGBTQIA+ population were configured, considering both the plan of international and national regulations.”
      Piquet issued a grovelling apology for his comments, which he insisted weren’t racist.
      He said: “I would like to clear the stories circulating in the media about a comment I made in an interview last year.
      “What I said was ill thought out, and I make no defence for it, but I will clarify that the term used is one that has widely and historically been used in Brazilian Portuguese for a synonym for ‘guy’ or ‘person’ and was never intended to offend.
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      Piquet’s daughter Kelly is the girlfriend of reigning F1 Chmp Max VerstappenCredit: GETTY
      “I would never use the word I have been accused of in some translations.
      “I strongly condemn any suggestion that the word was used by me with the aim of belittling a driver because of his skin colour.
      “I apologise wholeheartedly to anyone that was affected, including Lewis, who is an incredible driver, but the translation in some media that is now circulating on social media is not correct.
      “Discrimination has no place in F1 or society and I am happy to clarify my thoughts in that respect.”
      But his apology wasn’t enough to stop him from being banned from the F1 paddock.
      Sir Lewis said of Piquet’s comments: “Let’s focus on changing the mindset.
      “It’s more than language. These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport.
      “I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life. There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action.”
      The F1 season will resume a week on Sunday with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. More

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      F1 star George Russell boasts glam lifestyle, driving a £140k car and enjoys romantic breaks away with girlfriend Carmen

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      BRITISH F1 racer George Russell outshone his more illustrious team mate Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes last season.The rising star, 25, picked up his first-ever F1 win with victory in the Brazilian GP – and he finished within the points in Bahrain last week.
      Mercedes driver George Russell, pictured with girlfriend Carmen, enjoys a lavish lifestyle away from the F1 circuitCredit: Instagram / @carmenmmundt
      George Russell joined Mercedes last season and is already providing competition for Lewis HamiltonCredit: PA
      Russell, pictured next to Lewis Hamilton in 2010, as an aspiring F1 champ
      He moved to the reigning F1 constructors champions last season – earning a bumper £5MILLION payday.
      That helps the talented racer continue to fund his enviable lifestyle… even though he’s still some way short of team-mate Hamilton’s mega £40m pay-grade.
      Russell currently rents a flat in an affluent area of London, but he has plans to join many F1 colleagues in millionaires’ playground Monaco.
      Away from the racing circuit, the Norfolk-born star drives a £140,000 car – fittingly a Mercedes AMG GT.
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      He also manages to enjoy luxurious breaks away to stunning destinations like St Barts and Santorini, and is joined by glam girlfriend Carmen Montero Mundt.
      Russell already leads a playboy lifestyle, despite his tender years.
      KING’S LYNN TO A KING’S RANSOM
      Rising star Russell was born in King’s Lynn to father Steve and mother Alison.
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      The youngest of three children, he has a sister, Cara and older brother, Benjy.
      He caught the racing bug when he started go karting at the age of seven alongside Benjy, who was involved in competitive karting.
      But by 18, he moved to Milton Keynes to be closer to British Formula 3 Championship racing team, Hitech.
      In early 2017, he joined Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport as a part of their junior driver programme.
      A year later, Williams announced that Russell had signed a multi-year deal to drive for their team.
      By the age of seven, Russell was kartingCredit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      George’s older brother spent his youth competing in karting
      Russell celebrates victory in Race 1 of the FIA GP3 championship at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in 2017Credit: Getty – Contributor
      As soon as he was thrust into the spotlight, Russell’s love life was placed under the microscope.
      He met stunning Seychelle de Vries, who was once linked to Max Verstappen, when he raced in Formula 2 in 2017.
      They reportedly dated for three years, before calling it quits.
      Now, Russell is courting the stunning Carmen Montero Mundt.
      Last year, the pair were spotted on holiday in St Barts together kissing on a sunlounger and frolicking in the sea.
      While last August, Russell was spotted enjoying a break in Santorini.
      Most recently, they shared some loved up snaps enjoying the country side.
      Seychelle de Vries dated Russell for three years
      Carmen Montero Mundt is Russell’s current girlfriendCredit: Splash
      Last year, Russell and Carmen were spotted on a dream holiday in St BarthsCredit: Splash
      Russell and Carmen seen together before the Dutch Grand PrixCredit: Rex
      Most recently, Russell enjoyed a trip to the country sideCredit: Instagram / @carmenmmundt
      COMPANY CAR
      Call it fate, but Russell has always had a penchant for Mercedes.
      On top of his current swanky Mercedes AMG GT, he has always favoured the car manufacturer as his ride.
      He’s been spotted with TWO AMG C 63 motors that cost in the region of £80,000.
      Russell proudly displays his cars on social media to nearly four million followers.
      About the AMG GT, that’s capable of reaching 0-60mph in just three seconds, he wrote on Instagram: “Love my little rocket!”
      Russell shows off his prized possession – a £140,000 Mercedes AMG GTCredit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      Russell once said about his AMG GT, ‘Love my little rocket!’Credit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      Through the years, Russell has also been spotted with two AMG C 63 Mercedes carsCredit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      The AMG C 63 costs around £80,000Credit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      HE’S A STUDENT OF THE SPORT
      One of Russell’s many heroes is the late, great Niki Lauda.
      In 2017, the up-and-comer got the opportunity to meet his hero in Baku after a race.
      Lauda even took the student to a Black Eyed Peas concert, after meeting him at a hotel.
      Russell became friends with the three-time F1 champ, and would often lean on him for advice.
      During lockdown last year, Russell shared a picture of himself reading Lauda’s autobiography.
      While he was stuck at home when the coronavirus pandemic was at its height, he made sure he continued to workout and stay in shape.
      He also fitted an F1 simulator to polish up on his driving skills in his bedroom.
      Niki Lauda was an influence on Russell in his early yearsCredit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      Russell shared an image reading Lauda’s autobiography during lockdownCredit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      Devoted Russell has his own F1 sim in his homeCredit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      HEALTHY LIVING
      Crucial to Russell is his diet plan.
      Regularly, he shares snaps on social media of what he eats – and it’s never unhealthy.
      From poke bowls to fresh salads, the athlete makes sure he’s putting the right food in his body.
      Coupled with going to the gym, it’s what keeps Russell in peak condition and lean for a race car.
      Aside from driving, and working out seven days a week, Russell also likes to play squash and get out on his mountain bike.
      LOVES SPORT
      Playing and competing in sport just isn’t enough for Russell.
      When he has some downtime, he’s happy to sit in front of the TV and watch a live event.
      During the Euros last year, he shared an image online cheering on England. The football fan is a devoted Wolves supporter, like his dad.
      While last year, he encouraged his followers to comment who they felt would win the Indy 500, which he was tuned into.
      Fitness fanatic Russell plays a variety of sports including squash and loves riding on his mountain bikeCredit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      A healthy salad is Russell’s go-to mealCredit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      Football fan Russell cheered on England during the Euros last yearCredit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      Joining Mercedes has earned Russell a huge payday so he can continue to enjoy the high-lifeCredit: Instagram @georgerussell63
      And in 2019, he was in the stands at Twickenham to cheer on England against France in the Six Nations.
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      This year, it’s Russell who is getting all the cheers in the Mercedes car.
      They could just have the next British F1 champ on their hands too.
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      Lewis Hamilton claims he rarely drives on normal roads outside of F1 track because he ‘finds it more stressful’

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has revealed that he rarely drives on normal roads outside of F1 circuits as he finds it too stressful. The seven-time World Champion, 38, has made tearing round tracks and overtaking rivals at nearly 200mph look easy in his long career.
      Lewis Hamilton’s struggles on normal roads are not reflected on F1 circuits, where he has often been a cut above the restCredit: Rex
      He is among the most experienced drivers on the current grid – and has the record to back up his skills.
      But the Brit made the ironic confession that while the high-speed, twisting roads of Silverstone during a Grand Prix weekend do not scare him, normal roads do.
      Hamilton admitted to Vanity Fair that the experience of driving in a normal road car left him feeling under too much pressure.
      He said: “I just think I find it stressful. I try not to do things that don’t add to my life.”
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      Driving around the south of France during his interview, he added to the magazine: “This is now stressful for me. This road is crazy. So much going on here.
      “I’m going to turn around in a second. Look, we’re on these roads, anything can happen.
      “People say: ‘Dude! You drive around at 200 miles an hour!’ And I’m like, in terms of fear factor, that’s easy for me. I guess we’re just all wired differently.”
      Despite his road concern, Hamilton is still known to be a big collector of different vehicles and has in his collection Ferrari LaFerrari, a McLaren P1 and an MV Agusta bike.
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      As he tries to become more environmentally conscious, the star will now mostly only drive his electric Mercedes EQC.
      The 37-year-old also revealed it was not just normal driving which unsettled him, and revealed his long-term fear of spiders.
      It’s been a below-par season for Hamilton, who saw rival Max Verstappen clinch his second consecutive title last month.
      He currently sits fifth in the rankings after failing to win a single race.
      And Hamilton’s hopes of ending his duck at the Brazilian GP were hit when teammate George Russell beat him to the chequered flag by just over 1.5 seconds. More