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      Who are the Sky F1 presenters?

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      THE Formula 1 season always brings with it high-octane drama as the drivers hit the track to defeat the competition and end the season on top.Sky Sports has an array of star hosts and former champs who lead fans through the action from the commentary box, around the paddock and on the grid.
      Sky F1 has an incredible line up of talented presentersCredit: Getty
      Who are the Sky F1 presenters?
      As usual Sky has an impressive presenting line-up for Formula 1’s 2023 season.
      There are many familiar faces who feature as the UK broadcaster rotates its crew throughout the racing calendar.
      The season kicked off on March 5 in Bahrain, and will conclude on November 26, 2023, in Abu Dhabi.
      A line-up of 14 presenters lead fans through the action on Sky.
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      Jenson Button
      Former F1 champ Jenson Button is part of the Sky coverageCredit: PA
      Formula 1 driver and 2009 World Champion Jenson Button is one of SKy Sports’ experts in 2023.
      He first appeared on Sky F1’s coverage for the 2018 British Grand Prix, and was an instant hit with viewers.
      Button then became part of the presenting team in 2019.
      Rachel Brookes
      Rachel Brookes is a firm fixture on Sky F1
      Starting her career in radio, presenter Rachel Brookes now works full time for Sky Sports News.
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      She is well-known for her contributions as a pit-lane reporter.
      However, Brookes has occasionally filled in for Simon Lazenby as the channel’s lead anchor.
      Martin Brundle
      Martin Brundle is a legendary F1 commentatorCredit: Rex
      Former F1 driver Martin Brundle has had an incredible career which saw him first become a commentator in 1997.
      He learned his trade from the late Murray Walker, and is now considered one of F1’s most popular presenters.
      For the 2023 season Martin is working as the lead analyst for the Sky F1 coverage. 
      Karun Chandhok
      Karun Chandhok is a former HRT racing driverCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Former HRT racing driver Karun Chandhok first appeared on Sky in 2012, and worked with them for three years.
      After that, he headed over to Channel 4 to become their main pit-lane reporter between 2016 and 2018.
      However, Chandhok rejoined the Sky team in 2019.
      Bernie Collins
      Bernie Collins is the newest member of the teamCredit: Sky Sports
      Hailing from Northern Ireland, Bernie Collins is the newest addition to the Sky F1 presenting line-up.
      Prior to landing the job she worked as a race strategist for Aston Martin until the end of 2022.
      The talented star started her career at McLaren as a performance engineer.
      David Croft
      David Croft is a well known Sky Sports F1 commentatorCredit: Alamy
      Former BBC F1 radio commentator David Croft was appointed as Sky F1’s lead commentator in 2012.
      Since then, he has become the voice of Sky F1.
      Over the years he has become hugely popular with viewers and Formula 1 fans.
      Anthony Davidson
      Anthony Davidson is a former Super Aguri F1 race driverCredit: Sky Sports
      Former Super Aguri F1 race driver Anthony Davidson started his presenting career on BBC Radio 5’s coverage of Formula 1.
      After his hugely successful career as a sportscar driver in the WEC, he was added to Sky’s line-up for the 2012 season.
      Davidson is best known for the “Sky Pad” – the channel’s famous paddock screen that allows him to quiz drivers whilst looking at an action replay.
      Damon Hill
      Damon Hill is a former F1 champ and legendary driverCredit: Instagram
      F1 World Champion Damon Hill was brought in by Sky F1 as an expert analyst during the 2012 season.
      He is best known for his 1996 F1 win, and therefore brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise.
      Hill is well-known for being able to offer insight from his own days as a racing driver and also comparing how modern-day drivers face new challenges.
      Ted Kravitz
      Ted Kravitz is a well known sports presenterCredit: Rex
      Long-time broadcaster Ted Kravitz has been around since the days of ITV’s early coverage of the sport.
      He started off as a producer, before becoming the channel’s pit-lane reporter.
      Kravitz continued this job until 2011, before taking up a position with Sky for the 2012 season.
      Simon Lazenby
      Simon Lazenby is key to the Sky FI line-upCredit: Alamy
      Seasoned broadcaster Simon Lazenby is known for being Sky F1’s lead anchor.
      He is the key presenter who keeps the show on the road.
      Lazenby opens the live coverage and orchestrates the expert team of pundits and reporters.
      Danica Patrick
      Danica Patrick is a popular member of the Sky F1 teamCredit: The Mega Agency
      American racing legend Danica Patrick joined the Sky line-up as a pundit for the 2021 United States Grand Prix.
      Appearing on the coverage of races in Canada, the United States and Mexico in 2022, she reprised her role for 2023.
      She also formed part of Sky’s European race coverage, featuring at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
      Natalie Pinkham
      Sky Sports presenter Natalie Pinkham has enjoyed an incredible careerCredit: instagram @natalie_pinkham
      Following her successful coverage of the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2009 alongside Steve Rider, Natalie Pinkham became BBC Radio 5’s pit-lane reporter for the 2011 season.
      Since switching to Sky F1’s coverage, she has gradually become a prominent member of the presenting line-up.
      In 2021, Pinkham became the first female lead commentator for a Formula 1 session in the UK.
      Nico Rosberg
      Nico Rosberg is the 2016 F1 world championCredit: Rex
      Former F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg has proven very popular as a Sky F1 reporter.
      He won the title in 2016, topping teammate and rival Lewis Hamilton.
      Rosberg immediately called it a day in Formula 1 after winning.
      He became the first reigning champion to retire since 1993.
      Naomi Schiff
      Naomi Schiff is a big part of the Sky F1 teamCredit: Rex
      Naomi Schiff is a Rwandan-Belgian professional racing and stunt driver.
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      She appeared in the W Series before being appointed as their Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador.
      Presenting the Mercedes F1 team launch alongside Natalie Pinkham in 2022, Schiff was then brought onboard as a regular contributor to Sky F1’s coverage. More

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      F1 team AlphaTauri set for major name change with iconic clothing brand leading race to be new sponsor

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      ALPHATAURI are set for a name change as the Red Bull-owned team prepare for a revamp. The junior Formula One team – formerly Minardi and Toro Rosso – was subject to a $1billion takeover bid, according to racingnews365.
      AlphaTauri are set for a name changeCredit: Rex
      But Red Bull rejected it and instead want to find a new sponsor for the team.
      Instead, designer clothing brand Hugo Boss are said to be negotiating a deal to become the title sponsor of the AlphaTauri team.
      AlphaTauri’s results for the team have been far from ideal, finishing no higher than sixth in the constructors in the last three seasons, with last season seeing them end a lowly ninth.
      The clothing brand – who are the main sponsor of the team – are also experiencing a tough time off the track – running at a loss.
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      In an effort to curb these results, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko previously admitted the team will be undergoing a rebranding and restructuring.
      Speaking to Austrian newspaper Kleine Zeitung, Marko said: “AlphaTauri will have two new leaders in 2024, Laurent Mekies and Peter Bayer. There will be new sponsors and a new name.

      “The orientation is clear: follow Red Bull Racing as far as the regulations allow. Own designs are the wrong way to go.”
      F1 is set to see the grid expanded to 12 teams in 2026, with Hitech GP – who run in Formula junior series including F2 and F3 – the latest to announce their intention to join the F1 grid earlier this week.
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      Other manufacturers such as Audi, Porsche and Andretti Cadillac have also joined the list of prospective new constructors.
      Some fans even wanted to see cult classic team Minardi – who competed in F1 from 1985 to 2005 – return after an absence of almost two decades.
      In terms of next season, the changes at AlphaTauri look likely to extend to their driver line up with Nyck de Vries and Yuki Tsunoda coming under pressure to deliver with the team stuck in last place.
      Tsunoda has scored both of the teams two points this term, and Marko has hinted at a shakeup with former Formula E and F2 champion De Vries looking likely to be on the chopping block.
      Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko previously admitted the team will be undergoing a rebrandingCredit: Rex More

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      Lewis Hamilton gives prediction for second half of F1 season and expects ‘movement’ on grid

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      LEWIS HAMILTON is predicting a few surprises in the second half of the F1 season. Red Bull have won all 12 races so far in the 2023 F1 season, leaving Mercedes fighting to be the best of the rest.
      Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton predicts change after the summer breakCredit: Getty
      The seven-time world champ finished fourth behind the Red Bulls and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the Belgium Grand Prix, as F1 now stops for the summer break.
      The pause in the season will give teams the chance to work on upgrading their cars.
      And Hamilton expects those upgrades to cause some ‘movement’ among the top teams.
      Speaking to PlanetF1.com Hamilton said: “I don’t know how much development people will be doing in the second part of the season, but I think there will be movement.
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      “I mean, I don’t know what happened to Aston [Martin], they’ve taken a step back.
      “The McLarens will be strong in the second phase, Ferrari and us, we’re all very very close.
      “So depending on the track, I’m sure there’ll be some movement of positions for us all.”
      The Stevenage speedster lies fourth on the drivers’ championship leaderboard, just one point behind Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
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      But the Brit expects Ferrari and McLaren to put up more of a fight after the summer break.
      Charles Leclerc is 49-points behind Hamilton and Lando Norris 79-points adrift.
      Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff acknowledges some technical issues need to be addressed during the summer break.
      The latest upgrade of the Mercedes W14 has been caught out by the bouncing saga known as porpoising during the first half of the season.
      He said to PlanetF1.com after the Belgian Grand Prix: “The main limiting factor today and yesterday was the bouncing, the car is just bouncing literally on every straight.
      “Even Blanchimont was a corner that Lewis had to lift, which is an easy flat normally, and you’re bouncing on the straight, you overheat the tyres on the braking.
      “So that is a vicious circle and was the main limiting factor this weekend and it’s frustrating to check out on the holidays like this.”
      Mercedes W14 has proved to have technical difficulties in the 2023 F1 seasonCredit: Getty More

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      F1 chief Toto Wolff reveals that he has the same meal every day for lunch and dinner while travelling

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      TOTO WOLFF has revealed that he has the same meal every day while travelling during the Formula One calendar.The Mercedes team principal will eat and drink the same thing for lunch and dinner during the season.
      Toto Wolff eats the same meal for lunch and dinner every dayCredit: Getty
      Wolff has overseen tremendous success during his time with Mercedes, winning eight consecutive Constructors’ Championships between 2014 and 2021.
      However, the stress of his job has seen him reduce the variables in other aspects of his life during the racing calendar.
      During an appearance on Desert Island Discs, he revealed his routine to the BBC.
      “For me it is really reducing trivial things,” explained the 51-year-old.
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      “I’m wearing the same clothes, I’m eating the same food – even to the point that my assistants book the same hotel room for me every single year.”
      As for the exact meal he has each day, he added: “The same dark bread – a pumpernickel with butter and some ham.
      “Small cappuccino – because I take half a cappuccino because I want to have another half an hour later – and then it’s chicken breast with tomato salad. And I have the same for dinner also!”
      Wolff has previously opened up on the motivations behind his successful career in motorsport.
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      Earlier this year he pinpointed overcoming the tragic death of his father as crucial in driving him to succeed.
      The Austrian is also an outspoken figure in the F1 paddock and did not hold back after this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.
      Wolff had an amusing altercation with his rival Christian Horner for in the paddock over the weekend, criticising him for “harassment”.
      Toto Wolff has enjoyed tremendous success with MercedesCredit: EPA
      Horner and Red Bull enjoyed another victory at Spa as Max Verstappen won his eighth race in a row.
      As for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished fourth and sixth, respectively. More

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      Wrexham owners’ £170m F1 venture in chaos as ‘inept’ bosses leave racing legend ‘distressed and saddened’

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      RYAN REYNOLDS and Rob McElhenney have got their work cut out with their latest sports venture – the Alpine F1 team.The Hollywood duo have shelled out to take Wrexham back into the Football League – but it will take more than dollars to sort out the mess at Alpine.
      Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought a 24 per cent stake in AlpineCredit: Getty
      Bruno Famin has taken interim charge of the F1 teamCredit: Splash
      Reynolds and McElhenney are part of a consortium that has joined with Otro Capital and RedBird Capital Partners to take a 24 per cent share in the F1 team, which used to be known as Renault, for £170million.
      But the Oxfordshire-based team, which is still owned by the Renault group, is in shambles after axing team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane – halfway through the Belgian GP.
      Alpine replaced CEO Laurent Rossi earlier this month and experienced engineer Pat Fry has quit to join rivals Williams. That makes a total of FOUR key departures in around a week.
      Szafnauer has been in charge for 18 months having previously been at Aston Martin, while Permane has served at the Enstone team for 34 years.
      READ MORE WREXHAM NEWS
      Frenchman Bruno Famin will take the role of interim team principal but he was less than impressive in the press conference at Spa.
      The problem is Alpine has an identity crisis. It is an English-based French team, with the car designed and built in Enstone and the engines manufactured just outside Paris.
      Alpine, Renault’s performance car brand, is barely recognised outside of their own HQ – it is a failing project.
      Former F1 champion Alain Prost ripped into Rossi, calling him “an inept manager who thinks he can overcome his incompetence with his arrogance and his lack of humanity towards his people”.
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      Prost added: “I love this team, and I am saddened and distressed to see it in its current state.
      “It deserves better and has everything it needs to succeed. I simply believe you need to rely on history to understand what went wrong.
      “If you look at the great success stories from the last 30 years, you will see a simple structure — unlike an industrial organisation chart — built around three or four strong personalities, coupled with a winning driver.”
      Alpine’s mentality is that they know best in their head offices at Renault HQ, and that goes against how most F1 teams are structured, with the large manufacturers allowing delegating power to their race team’s management structure.
      As Szafnauer, who had been offered a 100-race plan to get Alpine back to regular winners, said Renault’s approach was all wrong.
      He said: “You can’t get nine women pregnant and hope you have a baby in a month,” in a reference to a line said by US tycoon Warren Buffett about being forced to wait for success.
      As it stands, the situation is total chaos with many staff now fearing for their jobs, plus I am not too sure how long Famin will remain in his current role.
      I wonder just how much Reynolds and McElhenney realised about this mess before they invested.

      MAX VERSTAPPEN’S domination of F1 is causing fans to switch off around the world.
      TV viewers are down in several key markets following the Dutchman’s domination after he won his eighth race in a row.
      I can only imagine how F1 chiefs are feeling as the Netflix Drive to Survive series edges closer to its shelf life.

      MOTOGP has been dealt a blow after this Sunday’s British GP at Silverstone was pulled off ITV to make way for the Women’s World Cup and the Community Shield.
      The race was due to be shown live on ITV but the broadcaster will now run a highlights show instead.
      The MotoGP race at Silverstone will not be shown live on ITVCredit: AFP
      It means that the race will only be shown live on the newly-rebranded TNT Sports (formerly BT Sports) and behind a £30-a-month paywall.
      MotoGP viewing figures have tumbled since it was taken off free-to-air on the BBC when races regularly topped over a million viewers.

      JAKE DENNIS won the Formula E title in London last weekend to become the series’ first British world champion.
      However, the series needs to seriously regroup and come out firing for next season, for too much of the excellent racing is not being seen.
      I have been a fan of the all-electric championship since the very first season in 2014 and can see the huge potential.
      But until now, despite the talent, huge brands and manufacturers involved, it has failed to capture the attention of the wider public.
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      The series has a new CEO in Jeff Dodds, who has a background working for Ford, Honda, Callaway Golf and Virgin Media.
      And he must start turning it into a wider spectacle for the sake of the championship’s future. More

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      Toto Wolff calls out long time rival Christian Horner for ‘harassment’ in Belgian GP paddock

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      TOTO WOLFF called out rival boss Christian Horner for “harrassment” in a hilarious incident at the Belgian Grand Prix.The two have previously locked horns with both their teams competing fiercely to be crowned champion.
      Toto Wolff was giving an interview when Christian Horner passed behind him
      The Red Bull chief appeared to pinch Wolff during a Sky Sports interview
      Wolff yelled out: ‘That’s harrassment’

      However, with Red Bull dominating the field thanks to Max Verstappen’s imperious driving, Horner has had a relaxed and even jokey attitude towards his competitors.
      And this was on full display when he crossed paths with Wolff in the F1 paddock after last weekend’s race.
      Following Verstappen’s 10th win of the season – and his eighth in a row – Horner, 49, spotted Wolff giving an interview to Sky Sports.
      As he walked past, Horner appeared to pinch the German who turned around in a startled response.
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      With the 51-year-old spotting Horner walking in the opposite direction he yelled: “That’s harassment”.
      But there did not appear to be any animosity in the call, with Wolff seen smiling as he returned to the interview.
      Wolff has been seen to be particularly animated in recent seasons when the racing has been at its most tense between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
      The Brit missed out on a podium in the final race before the summer break after Verstappen breezed through the field despite his five-place grid penalty.
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      Hamilton – along with the rest of the field – has been unable to keep pace with Red Bull this so far this season, with only the Bulls second driver Sergio Perez able to win races asides from Verstappen.
      However, the Dutchman’s post-race celebrations in the last two weekends have ended in disaster with his trophy ending up smashed.
      The first was saw Lando Norris bang his champagne bottle on the podium at the Hungarian Grand Prix, causing the trophy to smash into bits after falling to the floor.
      But the latest incident saw Verstappen’s trophy smashed by the jubilant celebrations of his Red Bull team.
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      Sacked F1 boss in bizarre ‘nine pregnant women’ claim as he fumes at team chiefs

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      SACKED Formula One boss Otmar Szafnauer made a bizarre comment following his departure from Alpine. Szafnauer oversaw his last race with the constructor at the Belgian Grand Prix, ending with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly scoring points in the main race and sprint race respectively over the weekend.
      Otmar Szafnauer made a bizarre analogy when speaking on his time at AlpineCredit: Reuters
      The 58-year-old was sacked AlpineCredit: EPA
      With the result leaving the French constructor sixth in the team standings, Szafnauer departed along with a host of other high-level staff.
      The 58-year-old was critical of the decision to sack him for what he deemed to be unrealistic expectations.
      However, the Romanian-American team principal went about his criticism in a rather bizarre way.
      He used a strange analogy during an interview with Sky Germany, re-purposing a Warren Buffett line for his comments.
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      Szafnauer, who was also previously employed at Aston Martin, said: “The reality is that changes take time.
      “I signed some good people from other teams, but they are still stuck in their contracts and won’t come until 2024 or 2025.
      “You can’t really push development if people aren’t there. It takes time for people to come and it takes time for people to work together correctly.
      “I always say, you can’t get nine women pregnant and hope you have a baby in a month.”
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      Despite the odd turn of phrase, Szafnauer is reportedly set to make a quick return to the F1 paddock.
      However, he remained tight-lipped on his next possible destination but suggested he would have power to make the changes he wanted to make at Alpine.
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      Shakira and Lewis Hamilton ‘enjoyed three secret meetings in singer’s Ibiza villa’ amid dating rumours

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      SHAKIRA and Lewis Hamilton have enjoyed three secret meetings at her Ibiza villa, an insider claims.The Colombian star and F1 ace have sparked dating rumours after being spotted getting cosy at a string of events in recent months.
      Lewis Hamilton and Shakira could have ‘met at the singer’s Ibiza villa three times’Credit: Instagram – Mustafa
      Paparazzo Sergio Garrido told Spanish TV channel Telecinco that the pair met “three times in the Ibiza villa” where Shakira was staying earlier this month during a break in the F1 season.
      “When the workers left, the singer stayed alone with her private escort and received a visit from Hamilton,” he said.
      Garrido also claimed that Hamilton’s driver overheard the pilot’s “constant conversations” with the Latina singer.
      The paparazzo explained how Shakira and Lewis have coincided in space and time on the island of Pitiusa.
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      While the pilot had a wonderful time sailing with friends aboard a yacht in Mediterranean waters, Shakira would only have left the villa  on two occasions, “once to see Bizarrap and another to have dinner with Hamilton,” Garrido claims.
      Shakira, 46, split from her long-term footballer boyfriend Gerard Pique last year and is now claimed to be “fast-tracking” her apparent love affair with Hamilton.
      But only days ago she was spotted bathing in a river with Latino singer Rauw Alejandro.
      Hot on the heels of his split from his popstar fiancée Rosalía, the heartthrob and Shakira took a dip in a river to cool off from the scorching Puerto Rico sun.
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      The close pals were seen splashing around in the water at the secluded spot alongside Shakira’s children, Milan, 10, and Sasha, 8.
      Fans filmed her looking radiant in a brown bikini while her iconic curls flow free as she frolics in the river with Rauw and her two boys.
      The pair have become close since collaborating on their song ‘Te Felicito’ last year, despite their day out sparking romance rumours.
      Fans who ran into them on their river swim said Rauw was adorably playing catch with Shakira’s sons, who she shares with ex, Pique.
      The 46-year-old split from her long-term footballer boyfriend Gerard Pique last yearCredit: Getty
      Hamilton’s driver could’ve overheard his ‘constant conversations’ with ShakiraCredit: Getty More