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LEWIS HAMILTON has arrived in Abu Dhabi ahead of the Grand Prix in a stunning all-purple outfit.The British racer pulled off the unique look as he arrived at the paddock for the media day ahead of the last race of the Formula 1 season.
Lewis Hamilton arrived for media day ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in his interesting purple outfitCredit: Getty
The British driver will be hoping for a positive end to the seasonCredit: Getty
Fans however did poke a bit of fun at the seven-time World Champion on social media.
One said: “Man looks like a Quality Street but to be fair behind the wheel he’s always quality.”
A second added: “Stylish pajamas.”
A third commented: “Lewis is a supermodel he deserves that much attention, and it suits him well as always. The trousers may be a little bit too long. I hope he doesn’t trip over it.”
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Hamilton will be hoping to end this season on a high and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix would be a great place to do it after last year’s dramatic finale against Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the same track.
The Mercedes driver was aiming for his eighth title but he was locked on 369.5 points with Verstappen after a thrillingly contested season between the two.
The Dutch driver had taken pole position in qualifying, but it was Hamilton that led through the first corner once the race started.
But on Turn Six, Verstappen took his car up the inside of the Mercedes, forcing Hamilton into the run-off to maintain his lead.
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Red Bull complained to F1’s governing FIA and race director, Michael Masi, but race stewards believed that it was not necessary for an investigation.
However, Verstappen was handed a lifeline as Williams driver Nicholas Latifi crashed into the barriers on Lap 50 of 58, causing a Safety Car to be brought onto the track.
This meant that Mercedes had to choose between pitting Hamilton and putting on fresh tyres, but this would be risking ending the race behind the Safety Car.
By not pitting Hamilton, Mercedes chose to keep the lead, but knew Verstappen, who had pitted, would be chasing him down on newer soft rubber tyres.
But they did not think that the race would be restarted in time due to the regulations on restarts and the cars that had been lapped.
On lap 56 there were five lapped cars between the two World Championship hopefuls, and the message “lapped cars will not be allowed to overtake” was communicated from Race Control.
However, in the penultimate lap, there was a massive change of heart as the five cars between the two title contenders were now instructed to overtake.
Following this, it was announced that the race would restart for a winner-takes-all 58th and final lap between Verstappen and Hamilton.
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On older tyres Hamilton did his best to try and hold off the Red Bull, but he was overtaken on Turn Five.
He did try to get the spot back as he had more straight-line speed, but it was not enough to stop Verstappen from claiming his first World Championship.
Fans were divided over Hamilton’s purple outfit, with some comparing him to a Quality StreetCredit: Reuters
Others loved the ensembleCredit: Reuters More

LEWIS HAMILTON has made a bold claim about his infamous 2021 title loss and dismissed suggestions it was similar to his 2008 triumph. In the last race of last season’s F1 championship, Hamilton was overtaken on the final lap of the race by Max Verstappen, giving the Dutchman his first driver’s crown.
Verstappen and Hamilton’s rivalry returned to the forefront in Brazil after the two collided againCredit: Splash
But the race remains mired in controversy over the incorrect administering of the rules which affected the outcome.
The moment is only matched in drama by Hamilton’s initial F1 title in 2008.
On that occasion the Brit had to deal with a late downpour in Brazil and only won the title after a last lap overtake on Timo Glock, allowing him to scramble up into fifth and gain enough points for victory.
But the seven-times World Champion has denied any similarity between the two historic moments – as only one was “manipulated”.
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Speaking to Glock, now a pundit for Sky Sports Germany, ahead of this year’s race in Brazil, Hamilton said: “No, it was different, it was different because this one [2008] wasn’t manipulated by anybody.
“Someone made a decision for that result to be the way it was basically.
“There are similarities in kind of the pain of losing in 2007. For the last 17 seconds losing that championship or the last three laps, I’d lost it basically.  And then coming across the line for another 17 seconds or whatever it was beyond, still having lost the championship.
“Similar kind of horrible feeling in your heart and in your spirit. I’m so so grateful for it because it was a real proof that for anybody out there when you are facing adversity, just to never give up, keep pushing, keep chasing, keep going.
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“Miracles do happen. And that was really a miracle moment for me.”
Hamilton’s comments recalling last year’s title race was fitting given what followed at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The 37-year-old was once again locking horns with his old title rival Verstappen after a season of the two mostly avoiding each other on-track.
Shortly after a safety car period, the two came together and both sustained damage after a turn 2 crash.
Hamilton still managed to make it home second-place behind his victorious teammate George Russell.
While Verstappen sparked a big backlash when he refused to give up his position of sixth for his teammate Sergio Perez. More

LEWIS HAMILTON is confident his working relationship will thrive with George Russell in 2023. The Mercedes team-mates have endured a tough season after being dealt with an underperforming car in the first half of this season.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell celebrated Mercedes’ first race win of the season in BrazilCredit: EPA
However, a recent upturn in form led to Russell landing his team’s first race win of the year – and the first of his career – in Brazil on Sunday.
Hamilton, 37, has just one chance left to end his barren run – he has claimed at least one chequered flag in all of his seasons in F1.
But after seeing his fellow Brit claim victory at the weekend as he finished second, Hamilton believes the pair will cope with future problems.
The seven-time world champion said: “I’m a lot older and I’ve been with the team so long.
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“So managing whatever challenges we come up with moving forward, we’ve been through so much that I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”
Hamilton added: “I’ve seen what he did at Williams.
“I think naturally you have to say it’s impressive what he’s done this year, the consistency he’s had, how he’s arrived and just hit the ground running.
“It’s not like he arrived in a completely brand new team.
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“The previous couple of years he was sitting right behind me watching the work that I was doing with the engineers, with Riki (Riccardo Musconi), who is now his number one.
“It’s been super easy to blend in.
“He uses my steering wheel, and he’s obviously got to do the test days prior to the year, so I think he’s just blended in perfectly and he’s been a positive force in the team.
“He’s helped keep the equilibrium in the team, in terms of the working relationship I think it’s strong.”
Russell, 24, enjoyed a perfect weekend as he claimed the victory in the sprint and also the fastest lap.
TEARS OF JOY
It was an emotional weekend for the King’s Lynn ace who was in tears within seconds of crossing the line in Sao Paulo.
Reflecting on his first year in the Mercedes car, Russell said: “In some ways I’ve felt like a bit of a rookie this year because the level at which this team operates on is a level that I’ve never experienced before, and I’m talking about things that I’d never even heard of in F1 before.
“That took me some time to learn and understand how to get the most out of the team, out of the car.
“The capability within this team is huge and the potential is huge, and learning to use all the resources at our disposal to bring more performance, is a lot more than I’ve ever been used to and it took me a little bit of a while to wrap my head around that.”
Russell and Hamilton go to Abu Dhabi for the final race of the 2022 season hopeful of overtaking Ferrari into second in the constructors’ championship.
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Russell is fourth in the driver standings, 25 points behind Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez who are tied on 290.
Another race win and fastest lap would see the Brit overtake the Ferrari and Red Bull men into second if they both fail to pick up any points. More

LEWIS HAMILTON has slammed Max Verstappen after the pair crashed again at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.The sight of the Mercedes and Red Bull coming together became a regular feature of last season’s fiercely-contested title fight.
An incident-filled race saw Verstappen and Hamilton go at it hammer and tongs in BrazilCredit: Splash
It had appeared like the rivalry between these two had cooled but once again they crashed yesterdayCredit: Rex
They’ve kept it fairly clean this year with Hamilton unable to keep up with Verstappen until recent weeks.
But old rivalries reared their ugly heads against yesterday as the pair had a dramatic coming together at the ‘Senna S’ turn in Brazil.
Both appeared to sustain damage and lost positions after the crash, with Verstappen forced to pit for a new front nose.
The Dutchman was given a five-second time penalty for the confrontation and Hamilton was again displeased with his rival’s driving.
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Discussing the incident after the race, he said simply: “What can I say? You know how it is with Max.”
Their collision came after a safety car restart as the field was bunched together following Friday’s qualification hero Kevin Magnussen being clattered twice by Daniel Ricciardo.
And further crash drama was to follow as Lando Norris punted Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari into the wall.
Tiptoeing through the carnage was George Russell with the emotional Brit securing his first ever race win.
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But Hamilton and Verstappen were left reflecting on what could have been after the early contact damaged both of their races.
The collision gave F1 fans flashbacks to last year when their championship fight was punctuated by high-speed crashes, dangerous close-range collisions and heart-stopping near misses.
Most notable was their terrifying smash at the British Grand Prix as Hamilton sent Verstappen flying into the barriers at frightening speed on the opening lap.
A few months later the Red Bull driver ended up on top of the Mercedes man’s car after Verstappen misjudged a move at Monza.
The seven-times World Champion would then go into the back of the 25-year-old’s motor later in the season as tensions overflowed during a frantic Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
And at the Sao Paulo race last year, Hamilton was memorably forced wide by Verstappen or they would have made contact again. More

GEORGE RUSSELL choked back the tears after winning his first F1 GP – denying Lewis Hamilton what would have been a dream victory in Brazil.Take nothing away from the 24-year-old from King’s Lynn, he was coolness personified in Sao Paulo to take the chequered flag.
An emotional George Russell reflected on his victory after the raceCredit: AFP
The 24-year-old almost had his first victory two years earlier when he stood in for a Covid-struck Hamilton at the 2020 Sakhir Grand PrixCredit: Reuters
George Russell came under pressure from his teammate Lewis Hamilton in the closing stagesCredit: Rex
Russell, who had won the 24-lap sprint race the previous day, converted his pole to victory, while Hamilton was second after banging wheel with bitter rival Max Verstappen.
Russell said: “What an amazing feeling. A huge thank you to the whole team for making it possible. It was an emotional roller coaster.
“I felt in control but Lewis was super fast and I was under so much pressure, I am so happy to come away with the victory.
“I am speechless. On the in-lap all these memories came flooding back from when I started out karting with my mum and dad in karting…I am so proud.”
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Hamilton, who was made an honorary citizen of Brazil, was quick to praise his Mercedes teammate, but stopped short of commenting on his incident with Verstappen.
He added: “Congrats to George, what an amazing drive. He had an amazing race on Saturday and fully deserved it.
“To my team, so proud of everyone back at the factory and here. This is an incredible result.
“We’ve worked so hard through this year to get a 1-2 and to get a win, and so this is hugely deserved by everybody so a huge thank you.”What can I say, you know how it is with Max…”
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It was a thrilling race and saw another clash between Verstappen and Hamilton, who banged wheels – with the Dutchman slapped with a five second penalty for causing the collision.
The flashpoint happened after Daniel Ricciardo drove into the back of Kevin Magnussen. The Dane was sent into a spin and clattered back into the Aussie.
The safety car was deployed while the marshals recovered the stricken cars and when the racing resumed, Russell made the perfect getaway.
But that was not the case for Hamilton, who was caught by Verstappen at turn one, with the two clashing, banging wheel and Hamilton being forced onto the escape road.
Verstappen was forced to pit for a new nose and front wing while Hamilton continued but with a chunk of damage to his car.
There was then another collision on lap seven as Lando Norris made contact with Charles Leclerc, sending the Ferrari man into the barriers.
While out in front, Russell remained unchallenged as he was able to hold off the threat of Sergio Perez, despite a quicker pitstop by the Red Bull team.
Hamilton was the last to stop of the front runners on lap 30 for a set of slower medium tyres, but that did not stop him hunting down Sainz in third place.
Mercedes’ 1-2 brought to an end a season’s worth of strugglesCredit: EPA
When the Spaniard made his second stop of the race, that promoted Hamilton into third. Hamilton made it into second with a textbook over take of Perez into turn one on lap 45.
But another safety car threw another element into this pulsating contest when Norris’s McLaren conked out on lap 52.
Russell sent an inquisitive message to his team asking what the plan was for the restart in the hope of hearing that Hamilton would be told to hold station.

But he received the news he must have been dreading – that the two would be racing for the win to the finishing line.
When the safety car came in and the racing resumed on lap 60, Russell was able to hold off the threat of Hamilton.
And he made it to the finishing line with Hamilton placed in second – despite running down in 10th place after his clash with Verstappen.
Sainz was third in his Ferrari while Leclerc was fourth, despite his best efforts to get ahead of his teammate.
But Verstappen DEFIED Red Bull’s request to swap places with Perez, to boost the Mexican’s chances of finishing runner-up in the drivers’ championship.
When asked why he IGNORED the team, Verstappen snapped back and said: “I told you already last time.
“You guys don’t ask that again to me, OK? Are we clear about that? I gave my reasons and I stand by it.” More

GEORGE RUSSELL won his first F1 GP – denying Lewis Hamilton what would have been a dream victory in Brazil.But take nothing away from the 24-year-old from King’s Lynn, he was coolness personified in Sao Paulo to take the chequered flag.
George Russell registered his first ever F1 race win in BrazilCredit: AFP
Lewis Hamilton came second for a Mercedes one-twoCredit: AFP
Russell and Hamilton embraced after the raceCredit: Getty
Russell looked emotional after his first ever winCredit: Getty
Russell, who had won the 24-lap sprint race the previous day, converted his pole to victory, while Hamilton was second after banging wheels with bitter rival Max Verstappen.
It was a thrilling race from the start as Verstappen and Hamilton clashed, with the Dutchman slapped with a five second penalty for causing the collision.
The flashpoint happened after Daniel Ricciardo drove into the back of Kevin Magnussen.
The Dane was sent into a spin and clattered back into the Aussie.
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The safety car was deployed while the marshals recovered the stricken cars and when the racing resumed, Russell made the perfect getaway.
But that was not the case for Hamilton, who was caught by Verstappen at turn one, with the two clashing, banging wheel and Hamilton being forced onto the escape road.
Verstappen was forced to pit for a new nose and front wing while Hamilton continued but with a chunk of damage to his car.
Verstappen was hit with a time penalty and radioed his team saying: “Where did they expect me to go? He just closed the door on me…It doesn’t matter.”
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There was then another collision on lap seven as Lando Norris made contact with Charles Leclerc, sending the Ferrari man into the barriers.
Out in front, Russell remained unchallenged as he was able to hold off the threat of Sergio Perez, despite a quicker pitstop by the Red Bull team.
Hamilton was the last to stop of the front runners on lap 30 for a set of slower medium tyres, but that did not stop him hunting down Sainz in third place.
When the Spaniard made his second stop of the race, that promoted Hamilton into third place.
Hamilton made it into second with a textbook over take of Perez into turn one on lap 45.
But he was called in for a pitstop on lap 49 – despite his insistence that his tyres were all good.
Unhappy Hamilton was overruled by his team and he did indeed pit for soft tyres on lap 49 while Russell pitted a lap later.
Sainz also pitted to make it a Mercedes one-two before a safety car threw another element into this pulsating contest when Norris’s McLaren conked out on lap 52.
Russell sent an inquisitive message to his team asking what the plan was for the restart in the hope of hearing that Hamilton would be told to hold station.
But he received the news he must have been dreading – that the two would be racing for the win to the finishing line.
When the safety car came in and the racing resumed on lap 60, Russell was able to hold off the threat of Hamilton.
And he made it to the finishing line with Hamilton placed in second – despite running down in 10th place after his clash with Verstappen.
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Sainz was third in his Ferrari while Leclerc was fourth, despite his best efforts to get ahead of his teammate.
But Verstappen DEFIED his team’s request to swap places with Perez, to boost the Mexican’s chances of finishing runner-up in the drivers’ championship.
There was drama when Max Verstappen and Hamilton collidedCredit: Splash More

LEWIS HAMILTON and Max Verstappen were involved in ANOTHER crash at the Brazilian Grand Prix that left the Brit fuming after a chaotic start.The race had just restarted following a crash between Daniel Ricciardio and Kevin Magnussen when the incident occurred.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were involved in a collision at the Brazilian GPCredit: Getty
Daniel Ricciardo’s horror season also continued in a chaotic start in BrazilCredit: AFP
The green flag was waved as Mercedes’ George Russell flew off to stay in the lead.
Verstappen made the jump on Hamilton but the pair touched.
Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc then touched too, forcing the latter off the track, only for him to get his Ferrari back on.
Both Verstappen for a new front wing, and Leclerc hit the pits for a quick repair job.
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Reigning champ Verstappen told the team radio: “”He left me no space.”
But the raging Hamilton was heard saying: “That was no racing incident mate.”
Reigning champ Verstappen told the team radio: “”He left me no space.”
But the raging Hamilton was heard saying: “That was no racing incident mate.”
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Fortunately for Hamilton, his car emerged unscathed from the collision. 
He was heard asking: “How much of my floor is missing mate?”
With an engineer replying: “From what we can see, it doesn’t look massive on tv pictures. Pace does look good though.”
Both Red Bull’s Verstappen and Norris were given five-second time penalties for causing their respective collisions.
Meanwhile, Ricciardo’s horror season continued after he crashed out out of the Brazilian Grand Prix on the second lap.
The Australian F1 ace was bought out of the last year of his contract for £10million by McLaren and will leave the team at the end of the year.
Ricciardo is not ready to call it quits just yet, despite his disappointing campaign.
However, he has endured more misery this evening just seconds after the start.
He and Kevin Magnussen were involved in a high-speed collision on the second lap in Sao Paulo.
Ricciardo was trying to make his way up the order and thought that he had spied a gap.
But Haas star Kevin Magnussen was right in his path as their motors went smashing into each other to bring the race to a halt.
The safety car was called on as both drivers were forced out of the race.
Fortunately both men appeared to be unscathed and soon got back into their cars to be ferried back to the pits.
It will be a devastating blow too for Magnussen after he claimed a thrilling pole on Friday during qualifying. 
Around 60,000 fans are in attendance to see whether Lewis Hamilton can secure his first victory of the season in South America.
You can follow all of the action from the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace (Interlagos) in Sao Paulo with Sun Sport’s live blog. More