Mercedes-Benz

FORMULA ONE fans have been left in awe by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton after the Mercedes driver showed up for the Dutch Grand Prix qualifying in a jumpsuit.The Brit, 37, is still chasing his first win the the 2022 season.
Hamilton turned up to qualifying at the Dutch GP in a jumpsuitCredit: AFP
The Brit is yet to win a race this seasonCredit: Getty
Mercedes are getting closer to their rivals, says HamiltonCredit: Getty
Hamilton’s last win came last DecemberCredit: Getty
Hamilton’s last win came in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last December just before his world title heartbreak to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi.
But he remains in high spirits and arrived in style at Circuit Zandvoort.
Hamilton is known for his extravagant outfits, but this time he opted for a brilliant grey jumpsuit – and fans are all saying the same thing on social media.
One fan said on Twitter: “HE LOOKS SO GOOD.”
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Another tweeted: “The main character never dies.”
F1 fans say Hamilton treats the paddock like it’s a runway – and they’ve got a point.
Hamilton says the Merc team have “landed in a much sweeter spot with the car” after a successful practice session on Friday.
He said: “We’ve landed in a much sweeter spot with the car, being as it’s a much different track.
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“It’s a work in progress. We are not that far behind, which is great to see.
“And the car doesn’t feel that bad. Just got to keep chipping away.” More

LEWIS HAMILTON has cooled his rift with rival Fernando Alonso by insisting he is trying to “be a better driver”.The seven-time world champion was blasted as “an idiot” by the Spaniard after they crashed on the first lap of last Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Fernando Alonso slammed Lewis Hamilton down the team radio after his collision with the Mercedes driverCredit: AFP
Lewis Hamilton has not won a race this seasonCredit: Reuters
Fernando Alonso is a two time world championCredit: Splash
Alonso also accused Hamilton, saying he “only knows how to drive and start in first” in a petulant attack.
Hamilton accepted the blame for the incident that forced his retirement from the race despite being cleared by the stewards.
The 37-year-old then joked on social media that he’d offer Alonso a signed cap as a peace offering.
And the Alpine driver duly collected the hat ahead of this weekend’s Dutch GP after meeting Hamilton and clearing the air.
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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.”
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A feud between the two is nothing new – when they were teammates at McLaren for one season in 2007 there were disputes that resulted in Alonso quitting the team.
Alonso has also tried to play down the rift and admitted in his apology that he spoke out of turn.
However, he said that there is always an inevitable backlash whenever a Latin driver criticises a British driver.
Alonso added: “Lewis is a champion, he’s a legend of our time. And then when you say something – and I’m sorry to repeat this – against a British driver, there is huge media involvement after that.
“They’ve been saying a lot of things to Checo [Sergio Perez], to Carlos [Sainz], to me.
“If you say something to a Latin driver, everything’s a little bit more fun. When you say something to others, it’s a little bit more serious.
“But anyway, yes, I apologise. I was not thinking about what I said.
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“I don’t think that there was much to blame in that moment, to be honest, looking at the replays and everything, because it’s a first lap incident, we are all very close together.”
The veteran also backtracked on his comments that Hamilton only knows how to race when he starts at the front.
Alonso said: “It’s something that you say in the heat of the moment. But as I said, nothing that I said is true, or there are facts that are completely the opposite.
“I have huge respect. I have absolutely no problems with him.
“The heat of the moment and the adrenaline of the moment, fighting for finally top two, top three, made me say those comments that I should not say.”
Hamilton is looking to break his duck at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix and will NOT be taking engine penalties as it stands.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is the clear favourite, with F1 bosses saying his home race is a 300,000 sell-out over the weekend. 
Max Verstappen won at Spa last time out after Lewis Hamilton crashedCredit: Getty More

LEWIS HAMILTON revealed that former McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso was his toughest ever F1 opponent – not Max Verstappen.Mercedes star Hamilton and Red Bull ace Verstappen have made no secret of their disdain for each other in recent years.
Max Verstappen isn’t Lewis Hamilton’s biggest ever F1 rival despite their long-standing feudCredit: EPA
Hamilton reserved that title for ex-McLaren Fernando Alonso instead due to the pair’s many clashes over the yearsCredit: Rex
And their feud reached breaking point last season when Verstappen pipped Hamilton to the world title.
A flurry of barbs were traded between the pair, and this season has been no different.
However, despite his bitter feud with Verstappen, Hamilton admitted Alpine driver Alonso has given him his hardest battle to date.
And here SunSport takes a closer look at five moments where Alonso caused Hamilton a headache when they faced each other.
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Australia 2007 – Hamilton passing Alonso in the first corner of his first ever race when they were team-mates
Hamilton entered the Australia GP as a rookie alongside seasoned vet Alonso who had come into the campaign off the back of winning consecutive world titles at Renault.
But Hamilton quickly showed he wasn’t phased by Alonso’s achievements when he overtook him on the first corner to move into second.

He even managed to keep Alonso at bay for the majority of the race before the Spaniard regained second spot after a pit stop.
Alonso held on to the position, and Hamilton finished in third, earning his first podium finish.
And the stage was set for an ongoing rivalry between the pair.
Hamilton overtook Alonso in his first ever F1 race for McLaren in 2007 at the Australia GPCredit: Alamy
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Hungary 2007 – Alonso going slowly out of McLaren pit lane in attempt to deny Hamilton pole
By this time Hamilton had found his stride at McLaren, and he and Alonso were battling it out for the top spot.
Things were so tense between them that Alonso resorted to dirty tactics ahead of the Hungary GP to try and gain an edge over Hamilton.
As Hamilton waited for his team-mate to finish refueling at the pit-box, Alonso decided to loiter in the spot longer than needed in a pre-meditated effort to slow the Brit down.
His plan initially worked as Hamilton ran out of time to start his final lap due to Alonso’s scheming.
But Alonso’s deviant tactics backfired when the situation was reviewed by the stewards who handed him a five-place grid penalty, whilst simultaneously promoting Hamilton to P1.
Alonso took his feud with Hamilton a step further when he intentionally delayed the Brit from refuelling at the Hungary GPCredit: Rex
2007 – Hilarious sauna advert
As Hamilton and Alonso’s battle raged on the track, they made light of their rivalry in a hilarious advert.
Throughout the advert, the pair contested everything from who could get the attention of a female first, to who would check into their hotel room before the other.
It even got physical between the McLaren counterparts when Alonso rugby tackled Hamilton to prevent him getting to his room first.
But it was the advert’s final scene that had the audience in stitches as they had a stand-off in the sauna with no one wanting to quit first despite clearly needing to exit.
They then had to endure even more heat when Mercedes driver Mika Hakkinen entered the scene to raise the temperature dial.
The advert concluded with the words: “Racing is a state of mind.”
The pair took their bickering to the big screen in an advert which showed them in a hilarious sceneCredit: Lions LL YouTube channel, Heineken
Hungary 2021 – Alonso holds Hamilton off for 10 laps to deny him victory
Fast forward to last summer, Hamilton’s rivalry with Alonso had died down and the Brit had cemented himself as the sport’s No1 driver.
But although they were no longer fighting for a title, Alonso found a way to make sure he had a say in where the title would end up by hampering Hamilton’s chances in Hungary.
Alonso managed to keep Hamilton behind him for 10 laps in the race that saw his Alpine team-mate Esteban Ocon clinch a shock victory.
Alonso admitted after the race that he intentionally did so to help Ocon win.
And even Hamilton conceded that he would’ve done the same despite initially being angry with Alonso’s tactics.
Alonso caused Hamilton a headache again last season when he held the Brit off for ten laps while his Alpine team-mate Esteban Ocon clinched victory in HungaryCredit: Splash
Belgium 2022 – Hamilton drives into back of Alonso and refuses to apologise
The bickering pair’s feud reared its head once again this year at the Belgium GP when Hamilton crashed into Alonso and refused to apologise.
Hamilton was forced to retire from the race when the impact from the crash caused him to fly into the air.
And although he admitted the incident was his fault, the Brit stopped short of giving Alonso an apology.
Alonso was far from amused by what transpired and labelled Hamilton an “idiot.”
But Alonso’s dig was the least of Hamilton’s worries as he revealed he nearly broke his back in the crash and is lucky to be alive.
And they’ll get the chance to battle it out on the track once again on Sunday afternoon at the Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort.
Alonso called Hamilton an “idiot” for crashing into him during their latest clash at the Belgium GPCredit: AP More

SIR LEWIS HAMILTON claims he almost broke his back in his collision with Fernando Alonso at the Belgian Grand Prix.The Stevenage speedster crashed into the back of the Spaniard while trying to overtake him in the opening lap of the Spa race on Sunday.

Lewis Hamilton went sent soaring into the air after crashing into Fernando AlonsonCredit: Getty
And he claims the crash almost broke his backCredit: Getty
Hamilton was sent flying into the air and the front of his Mercedes came crashing down on the track, an impact he claims he’s “lucky” to have walked away from.
The 37-year-old said: “Well, yeah, I almost broke my back coming down.
“So it’s a big, big hit. I remember just looking at the ground.
“So it was quite high. It was definitely high up. I’m grateful to be still alive and in shape.”
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Hamilton tried to continue the race but the damage to his underperforming car ultimately proved to be too much.
He said: “​​I could hear something’s broken in the gearbox.
“So yeah, I mean, coming down I would have broken so much in the back end.
“So I was told to stop. But obviously, in that moment, you’re hopeful you can keep going. But yeah, not meant to be.”
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Former world champion Alonso branded Hamilton an “idiot” in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
He later said: “I think for me it was a little bit of a mistake from his side to close the door like this in turn five.
“We have seen many times it goes parallel there.
“It happened the same between him and Rosberg a couple of years ago, so this time it was the same thing.”
Hamilton was understanding of Alonso’s initial reaction, saying: “I don’t really have a response to it.
“I know that’s how things feel in the heat the moment, but it’s nice to know how he feels about me in a way, better that it’s out in the open, how he feels.
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“Like I said, it wasn’t intentional and I take responsibility for it. That’s what adults do.”
Hamilton and Alonso will be back in action on Sunday afternoon at the Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort.
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FERNANDO ALONSO was left fuming with Lewis Hamilton after the two drivers collided during the first lap of the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.The Spaniard, who started third on the grid, was quick to climb a position after lights out to jump up to second.

Alonso and Hamilton collided during the Belgium GPCredit: AFP
Alonso takes his right hand off the wheel to wag his finger at Hamilton
But, Hamilton was hot on his heals – so much so that the duo clashed midway through the first lap.
The Brit flew up and over his long-term rival, who then proceeded to rant to his Alpine team on the radio.
He said: “What an idiot! This guy only knows how to drive and start in first!”
And the most recent footage of the incident – which emerged on Sunday afternoon – shows Alonso furiously wagging his finger at the Mercedes driver as he drove past.
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Hamilton was forced to retire shortly after the collision due to the damage his car sustained.
After the race, the seven-time world champion took full responsibility for the crash.
He told Sky Sports: “I’m looking back at the footage and he was in my blind spot and I didn’t leave him enough space.
“So it was my fault today.
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“I am sorry to the team and I need to recuperate and get back on the treadmill.”
Red Bull went on to claim maximum points from the weekend, extending the team’s lead at the top of the Constructors Championship to 118 points.
Max Verstappen also extended his lead at the top of the drivers standings while Sergio Perez climbed up to second. More

LEWIS HAMILTON says “It’s nice to know how he feels about me”, after Fernando Alonso branded the Brit an “idiot” following a collision at the Belgium Grand Prix on Sunday.The Mercedes ace, 37, was forced to retire after he made contact with the Spanish icon in the first lap at Spa.
Hamilton admitted fault for the collision with AlonsoCredit: AFP
Alonso branded Hamilton an ‘idiot’ on the radioCredit: Rex
Hamilton hit back at the SpaniardCredit: Reuters
A spectacular impact between the seven-time and two-time Formula One world champions saw Hamilton’s rear end lift.
Raging over the team radio, Alonso fumed: “What an idiot!
“Closing the door from the outside. I mean, we had a mega start.
“But this guy only knows how to drive and start in first.”
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And Hamilton has hit back at Alonso, saying “It’s nice to know how he feels about me”.
Hamilton said on Alonso’s “idiot” comment: “I don’t really have a response to it.

“I know how things feel in the heat of the moment, but it’s nice to know how he feels about me.
“It’s better that it’s out in the open how he feels. And like I said, it wasn’t intentional, and I take responsibility for it.
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“That’s what adults do.”
Hamilton says he’s grateful the crash wasn’t any worse and that he’s “alive and in shape”.
He continued: “I remember looking at the ground, it was definitely high up.
“I’m grateful to be still alive and in shape.
“I could hear something’s broken in the gearbox. Coming down I would have broken so much in the back end, so I was told to stop.
“But obviously in that moment, you’re hopeful you can keep going.” More

SIR LEWIS HAMILTON was forced to retire in the first round of the Belgian Grand Prix after a dramatic crash in the opening lap.The Stevenage speedster went over the top of Fernando Alonso after colliding with the Apline ace in the second corner of the Spa race.

Lewis Hamilton went over the top of Fernando Alonso in the opening lap of the Belgian Grand PrixCredit: GETTY
Hamilton’s Mercedes was badly damaged from the crashCredit: Getty
Hamilton soared through the air but miraculously didn’t harm the Spaniard and was able to continue driving – albeit not very well.
After the collision, Mercedes chiefs told the Brit: “Stop, stop, stop!”
The seven-time champion begrudgingly listened to their advice, bringing his race to a premature end.
A furious Alonso raged on the Apline team radio: “Yeah. What an idiot!
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“Closing the door from the outside. I mean, we had a mega start.
“But this guy only knows how to drive and start in first.”
F1 fans were quick to react to the dramatic opening lap, with one saying: “All on Lewis there, anyway who says otherwise doesn’t watch F1.”
Another said: “Lu lu can only drive at the front with a fast car.”
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And another said: “As Fernando, said he only knows how to drive from 1st in the fastest car, complete fraud.”
One remarked: “Alonso just turned in on him.”
Another chimed in: “How’s that happened then?”
Mercedes superstar Hamilton was confident of picking up his first win of the season ahead of this afternoon’s race.
Sir Lewis Hamilton has yet to taste victory this seasonCredit: AP
He said: “We’ve been improving, we’ve had this consistency of the recent races and great progress that the team is making, everyone pulling together and continuing to push.
“The car is becoming more of a racing car, which is not particularly what it was at the start of the year!
“It’s more like a normal racing car in terms of its characteristics so that’s positive.
“The last race was the best showing we’ve had so far. That for us was a huge boost, that we can close that gap.
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“It’s naturally going to be tough, we’ll keep our heads down.
“The other guys are doing an amazing job but I do believe we can close the gap.”
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