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      Max Verstappen watches in disbelief as F1 trophy is broken for SECOND race running following Lando Norris podium antics

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN was left stunned after his grand prix trophy was broken for a SECOND race running.At the Hungarian GP last week, Lando Norris cracked a piece off the Dutchman’s award when he slammed a champagne bottle into it while celebrating on the podium.
      Max Verstappen celebrated his win with his Red Bull teamCredit: Twitter @redbullracing

      As champagne bottles were popped, Verstappen saw his trophy damagedCredit: Twitter @redbullracing
      And the Belgian GP trophy appeared to suffer a similar fate on Sunday.
      Verstappen, 25, breezed to an eighth successive victory as he finished 22 seconds ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez.
      During the post-race antics, a host of Champagne bottles were popped immediately after the Red Bull garage posed for photos.
      As Verstappen raced away to try and take cover, he left his trophy behind.
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      And amongst the chaotic scene, his gong suffered some damage.
      The two-time world champion turned around to get a look at his trophy, before shouting: “It’s broken again.”
      It was a minor hiccup in an otherwise perfect weekend for the championship leader.
      Verstappen now has 10 wins from 12 races in the 2023 season – and 45 in his F1 career.
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      A victory at his home grand prix in Zandvoort at the end of August would see him equal Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive wins.
      And he is also on course to break his own record of 15 wins in a single season.
      He boasts a huge 125-point lead over Perez – with Fernando Alonso a further 40 points adrift. More

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      Max Verstappen storms to Belgian GP win but snaps at Red Bull engineer in heated exchange

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      THIS win was so easy for Max Verstappen that his toughest challenge came from his race engineer.While he romped to his 10th win of the year at the Belgian Grand Prix – and his eight in a row, or 10th in a row if you count the sprint races – he was enjoying a war of words with Gianpiero Lambiase.
      Max Verstappen romped to victory at the Belgian Grand PrixCredit: Getty
      Verstappen’s biggest challenge ended up coming from his race engineerCredit: AFP
      Lewis Hamilton missed out on a podiumCredit: Getty
      The two had a heated exchange the previous day, with Verstappen apologising, and they were at it again.
      Verstappen, who leads the championship by a whopping 125 points, was told to slow down because he was going too fast and wearing out the tyres as he powered his way back from sixth on the grid.
      He said: “I knew that we had a great car and it was just about surviving turn one. I could see it getting really tight so I was just going to stay out of that and it worked out.
      “From there onwards we made the right overtakes and moves. I got a bit stuck in a DRS train at the start but once that cleared I could do my own pace. Again, really enjoyable.
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      “I did slow down (after the radio message). We look at the numbers, we look at the wear of the tyre and this track is super hard on the tyre so you don’t want to do any unnecessary things and that’s what we did until the end.”
      Lewis Hamilton was fourth but took the bonus point for setting the fastest lap right at the death.
      McLaren’s Oscar Piastri suffered a nightmare start as he was clipped by Carlos Sainz at turn one on the first lap.
      The Aussie, who had done so well on Friday to qualify in fifth place, was tagged by the Ferrari man, who was defending from Hamilton.
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      Verstappen passed Hamilton on lap sixCredit: EPA
      The contact put Piastri out of the race, as he was left counting the cost of Sainz’s error, which left the Ferrari with a huge hole in its bodywork.
      Sainz dropped back before retiring a few laps after Piastri had called it a day.
      Charles Leclerc’s lead lasted for just four laps as Sergio Perez passed him with ease on the opening lap.
      And Verstappen wasted no time cutting his way through the field. He breezed past Hamilton on lap six.
      On lap 17 he passed Perez for the lead, with the Mexican driver putting up no fight.
      Things were going so well for Verstappen that he was given a nudge by his race engineer.
      On lap 14, Lambiase provided one barb, telling his driver to “use your head”, with Verstappen snapping back, to which Lambiase countered: “Max, please follow my instruction and trust it.”
      Lambiase then asked Verstappen his thoughts about swapping tyres, with rain on the radar.
      Verstappen snapped: “I mean, I can’t see the weather radar, so I don’t know.”
      The rain failed to shake things up, as it proved to be just a brief shower, as he held his lead.
      But still the verbal sparring continued with Lambiase. On lap 35, he told Verstappen, “I’d ask you to use your head a bit more,” with regard to preserving tyre life.
      Confident Verstappen replied: “I could also push on and we do another stop? A little bit of pit stop training?”
      It was tongue-in-cheek of course, but gave a glimpse into just how easy this win was as he crossed the line 22.3 seconds ahead of Perez while Leclerc took third.
      Perez said: “It was a good race for the team. We had a great start and managed to get through Charles, which was one of the targets of today.
      “From then on, I was just doing my own race and Max came through in the second stint pretty fast. There was nothing I could have done there.
      “Afterwards it was just about making sure we brought it home safely without too much damage to the car.
      “It’s been a bit of a rough patch, but we overcame it and today we managed to score great points for the team.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I really need the summer break. It’s been really intense for the last few races. I look forward to it and will come back very strong.”
      Leclerc said: “We have had a positive weekend in terms of pace, so that is good but when you look at the Red Bull, we have a lot of work to do.”
      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More

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      F1 steward at centre of social media storm as fans have theory about Lewis Hamilton’s Belgian GP penalty

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      FORMER F1 driver Derek Warwick is at the centre of a social media storm involving Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.Warwick, who is now an FIA steward, is being targeted by fans upset after Hamilton was penalised at the Belgian GP.
      Derek Warwick called Max Verstappen the “next great white hope”Credit: Getty
      Max Verstappen is a two-time world championCredit: Rex
      Hamilton was hit with a five-second time penalty for making contact with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez during the sprint race.
      The Brit felt the penalty was harsh while 2009 world champion Jenson Button said: “Lewis penalty is totally wrong”.
      Fans have been quick to point out that Warwick is one of the F1 stewards in Belgium and was also an official in 2021 Abu Dhabi GP where Verstappen controversially won the F1 title at the expense of Hamilton on the final lap.
      He is also heard on a BBC radio interview calling Verstappen “the next great white hope”, a statement he clarified on Twitter in December, 2021.
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      He wrote: “I’ve seen many tweets recently quoting that I said: ‘Max Verstappen is the next great white hope’.
      “I might have said he’s the next great thing, but whether he white, black, green or yellow makes no difference to me. Just greatness.”
      FIA rules state that there are four stewards at each race, and these are rotated throughout the season, so no steward can have complete control on the decision making.
      The FIA also have a strict Code of Ethics, which employees adhere to.
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      F1’s governing body have also joined forces with the MotoGP counterparts [FIM] to sign a charter for collaboration to combat online abuse.
      Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA president said: “The signing of the Charter by FIM is part of our mission to build a global coalition to stop hate speech in sport.
      “We are grateful for the support of Jorge Viegas and his team as we take steps to drive out online abuse which has become a blight on all sport.
      “Sustained toxicity has reached deplorable levels and we must take collaborative action. Only through collaborative action, can we bring about behavioural and regulatory change.” More

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      F1 Belgian Grand Prix LIVE RESULTS: Verstappen WINS race as Hamilton finishes in sixth place – updates

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has won the Belgian Grand Prix after starting the race in sixth place. The Championship runaway leader Verstappen had been hit with a FIVE-place grid penalty for using too many gearbox components this season.
      But it didn’t matter as he stormed his way to victory once again.

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      Belgium Grand Prix dominated by Red Bull
      The team will have no better sight than three of their team on the podium celebrating another successful day.
      Sergio Perez will be glad to be back on the podium after what he will have seen as an absence that has been for just too long.
      Max Verstappen helps his teammate celebrate as he spends his time most Sundays, covered in champagne.
      Credit: Reuters
      Hamilton gamble pays off
      Lewis Hamilton pitted just before his final lap to change his tyres to try and clock the fastest lap of the day.
      Having secured fourth spot, and with no chance of catching Charles Leclerc in third, the Mercedes driver decided to try and secure the point.
      It paid off as Hamilton managed to clock the fastest lap of the day on his brand new medium compound tyres
      Perez’s dad celebrates son’s podium
      As Sergio Perez collects his trophy to mark his second placed finish, his dad could not be prouder.

      Red Bull gives you wins
      While many people point towards the performance of the Red Bull car as something that its competitors just cannot compete with.
      That aside, credit has to be given to the driving performances of Max Verstappen as he will live as a legend of the sport.
      Even his own teammate struggles to compete with him, driving exactly the same car.
      Credit: Reuters
      Official results of Belgian Grand Prix
      Here is the breakdown of who got amongst the points in Spa today.
      Credit: @F1
      The original deja vu moment in F1
      Today marked the eighth consecutive victory by Max Verstappen.
      Seeing him cross the finish line in first place is become a regular sight in the Formula One calendar.
      You have to wonder who can challenge the Dutch driver as he runs away with another drivers’ championship.
      Credit: Reuters
      Checo builds confidence in Spa
      Sergio Perez will be happy to be back on the podium and it was a good drive today by the Mexican.
      For the majority of the race, he kept the pressure on his Red Bull teammate but more importantly, he held off the rest of the field.
      With the mid-season break coming up, it will give Perez the time to recharge and look to come back hard against Verstappen in the second half of the season.
      Max sets new personal record
      Max Verstappen wins his first Grand Prix after starting in sixth place on the grid today.
      As a result, he wins the vote for driver of the day.
      The guy is an absolute machine.
      Credit: @F1
      Belgian Grand Prix results
      Here are how the top five finished at Spa:

      Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
      Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
      Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
      Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
      Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

      Max Verstappen wins the Belgian Grand Prix
      Lap 43/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      This could be the perfect result for Red Bull today if drivers Verstappen and Perez occupy the top two positions.
      Leclerc has managed to build his lead on Hamilton, trying to book himself a podium finish.
      The Mercedes driver is running out of laps to catch third place so he has gone into the pits for some medium tyres to try and clock the fastest lap of the day.
      Lap 41/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Lance Stroll is told he is not doing as much ‘lift and coast’ as teammate Fernando Alonso.
      That would suggest they have concerns with the amount of fuel Stroll has on board.
      As a result, Tsunoda and Ocon are closing the gap on the Aston Martin.
      Lap 39/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Logan Sargent and Lewis Hamilton are both shown the black and white flag for exceeding track limits.
      Charles Leclerc is trying to close the gap between him and Sergio Perez.
      Fernando Alonso is looking to hold off George Russell as the chances of him catching Lewis Hamilton seem remote at best.
      Lap 37/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Verstappen suggests an extra pit stop to practice their pitting.
      The simple reply from the team is ‘not today Max’.
      To give him enough time to do so, he would have to go hard on the softs he is on, which is a risk on some of these fast bends.
      Lap 35/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Verstappen makes use of his soft compound tyres and sets the fastest lap of the day, much to the frustrations of Nico Hulkenberg.
      The Dutch driver picked up 8 points from his sprint win yesterday and, as it stands, picks up another with that fast lap.
      Surely at this late stage of the race, only a mistake by Verstappen would let anybody in now.
      Credit: AFP
      Lap 33/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Sergio Perez now has a 9.3 second lead over Charles Leclerc in third.
      Lewis Hamilton is looking to close the gap on the Ferrari between now and the end of the race.
      There is a huge gap between Hamilton and Alonso, now up to a massive 23.6 seconds.
      Lap 31/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Verstappen and Alonso are both on medium tyres but everyone else in the top ten are on soft tyres.
      Immediately Alonso takes action and heads into the pits to get those soft tyres on.
      Verstappen has a 27.6 second lead and his team are instructing him to come into the pits for a tyre change too.
      Alonso manages to get back out on the track ahead of sixth placed George Russell.
      Lap 29/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Fernando Alonso has taken Lewis Hamilton as a result of his pit stop and moves into fourth place in the race.
      The Mercedes driver is only 0.8 seconds behind him though.
      It does not take long for Hamilton to get back into fourth on the much fresher tyres.
      Lap 27/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      George Russell is putting some fast lap times in right now and takes Lando Norris to move into eighth place.
      Norris has done well to work his way back up the field into the points.
      Charles Leclerc is trying to build a gap between himself and Lewis Hamilton.
      Credit: EPA
      Lap 25/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      The rain shower seems to have let up already and Verstappen’s lap times suggest that the track is drying up.
      Verstappen now has a 6.03 second lead on Perez in second.
      There is a big gap between second and third place.
      Hamilton has some 13.6 second lead over fifth placed Alonso.
      Lap 23/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      The rain we are seeing is already making it tricky out there.
      Verstappen almost loses control going through the chicane.
      The Dutch driver is immediately on the team radio, ‘I almost lost it’, he tells them.
      Lap 21/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      The rain that is due to come in is forecast for ten minutes in duration.
      This would mean that drivers would have to pit to go onto intermediate tyres.
      It would be music to the ears of Russell and Gasly who have yet to pit in the race.
      Everyone else would be taking their second pit stop.
      Lap 19/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Some great driving by Verstappen as Perez was helpless to prevent the defending world champion for becoming the new race leader.
      After starting sixth on the grid, the Dutch driver now has clear track in front of him.
      Fernando Alonso has now moved into fifth place, although there is some gap between him and fourth placed Lewis Hamilton.
      Credit: EPA
      Lap 17/44 – Perez leads, Verstappen second
      The two Red Bulls exchange places once again.
      Everyone apart from Gasly and Hulkenberg are out on the medium tyres now.
      Sergio Perez has a 0.4 second lead on his teammate currently.
      Lap 15/44 – Verstappen leads, Perez second
      Max Verstappen leads after both Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc pitted.
      Their some rain forecast to be coming in so both Perez and Leclerc changed to medium tyres.
      Verstappen is given the order to box himself.
      Load more entries… More

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      Lewis Hamilton slapped with FIVE-SECOND time penalty after shambolic Belgian GP sprint race

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      LEWIS HAMILTON was slapped with a five-second penalty for bashing into Sergio Perez, as Max Verstappen’s win increased his lead in the championship.The Mercedes man battled with Sergio Perez for fourth place in the 30-minute sprint race.

      Lewis Hamilton was handed a five-second time penalty for his collision with Sergio PerezCredit: Getty
      The smash saw him tumble down the order from P4 to P7Credit: Rex
      Max Verstappen took the sprint race win with Oscar Piastri, left, and Pierre Gasly, right in P2 and P3Credit: AFP
      But Hamilton was hit with a penalty by the stewards for causing damage to the Mexican’s Red Bull, which ultimately forced him to retire.
      It was hard on the Brit given the wet track and marked the only real on-track excitement in the rain-delayed race.
      It was frustrating to watch another shambles at Spa – for the second time in three years.
      In the sprint shootout, which is used to determine the grid for the sprint race, the FIA failed to make any meaningful attempt to clear the rain.
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      It was not until 20 minutes after the rain stopped that they deployed two vehicles on track to clear the 7km circuit.
      The rain delay saw them move the start of the sprint race back 30 minutes – but that only meant it coincided with another downpour – causing another setback.
      When the short 30-minute race did get going after a break in the weather, we had FIVE laps behind the safety car to clear the standing water before a rolling start.
      It denied the soggy fans hopes of an explosive start, as Verstappen led the pack.
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      Rain led to another FIA mess in BelgiumCredit: Reuters
      But at the end of the first lap, Oscar Piastri pitted for intermediate tyres while the Dutchman stayed out for another lap.
      An unusually slow pitstop for Verstappen saw Piastri take the lead – but it was short-lived as the Red Bull soon powered past the McLaren.
      On the sixth lap, Perez and Hamilton had a battle for fourth place where the two made contact.
      While it looked as though Hamilton was blocked by the Mexican, the stewards decided otherwise and did not wait to issue the sanction.
      Verstappen’s win means he now has a 118-point lead in the championship while Piastri was second and Pierre Gasly was third after a difficult week for Alpine.
      Hamilton was demoted to seventh due to his time penalty, having finished in fourth. Lando Norris was sixth and George Russell eighth.
      Regardless, Saturday’s sprint does not impact tomorrow’s race.
      Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc inherited pole after Verstappen’s five-spot grid penalty for using too many gearbox parts was applied.
      He is joined on the front row by Perez, while Hamilton will be ready to duke it out with him again tomorrow from P3.
      Read More on The Sun
      Carlos Sainz then completes the second row, with Piastri lining up alongside the demoted Verstappen at Spa.
      Norris lines up in P7, with Russell, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completing the top 10.
      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More

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      Fans say ‘someone give Lance Stroll a hug’ after he crashes AND falls down stairs on nightmare day at Belgian GP

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      FANS called for “someone to give Lance Stroll a hug” after a nightmare day at the Belgian Grand Prix.The Formula One driver managed to crash his car AND fall down the stairs at Spa.
      Lance Stroll crashed his car into the tyre wall during sprint qualifyingCredit: Getty
      Earlier on Saturday, Stroll took a tumble down some stepsCredit: Twitter

      Thankfully, he escaped from both incidents unhurt.
      But it was no doubt a rough few hours for the Canadian.
      Stroll took a tumble down a few steps outside the hospital unit at the race track this morning.
      A picture posted online showed him being helped up and checked on by two people.
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      And it went from bad to worse when Stroll got into the cockpit for sprint qualifying.
      He smashed his Aston Martin into the barriers during shootout two for this afternoon’s sprint race.
      The 24-year-old lost control and crumpled the car against the tyres, as his front-right wheel ended up at a right angle.
      That accident caused the session to be red-flagged – which also saw his team-mate Fernando Alonso knocked out because the Spaniard was on an out lap at the time.
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      And F1 supporters took to Twitter feeling pretty sympathetic towards the three-time podium finisher.
      One said: “Lance Stroll falling down the stairs and now this, someone give that man a hug.”
      Another wrote: “He’s having the worst day of his life.”
      A third added: “Lance Stroll falling down the stairs, crashing and stopping himself and his team-mate making it through to Q3 – today is not bro’s day.”
      And a final user commented: “Second crash for Lance Stroll today.”
      Stroll will hope he fares better in tomorrow’s Belgian GP.
      He qualified tenth-fastest on Friday, nearly one second behind Alonso.
      Fans wanted to give Stroll a hug after his miserable double whammyCredit: Splash
      The damage to the front right was clear to seeCredit: Splash
      The crane was brought out to remove the Aston MartinCredit: AFP More

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      BBC The Apprentice star Tom Skinner disrupts Formula E team ahead of 2023 London E-Prix by taking drivers out to cafe

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      TV STAR Tom Skinner disrupted Formula E team Envision’s preparation for this weekend’s London races by taking the drivers to Dino’s cafe for breakfast.Skinner, along with Envision drivers Nick Cassidy and former Formula 1 star Sebastien Buemi hailed a black cab and set off to Dino’s cafe, where London-born Skinner treated the duo to steak and ale pie for breakfast.
      Tom Skinner took racing drivers Nick Cassidy and Sebastien Buemi out for breakfastCredit: Paddy McGrath / Spacesuit Media
      Cassidy remains in contention to win the Driver’s Championship and Skinner, famous for his motivational speeches, had some words of encouragement.
      He said: “I want you to go out there, I want you to put on your helmet, put on your gloves, get in that car.
      “Look in the mirror and go, ‘I am the absolute governor, I’m going to win this race. Nobody is going to overtake me because I am the champion and I am going to fly around that track quicker than anyone in the world because, do you know why? I believe in myself.’
      “And don’t go home until you are proud. You, my friend, are going to win it. Ah bosh!”
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      Skinner added that former F1 driver Buemi’s experience is catching up with him.
      He added: “You’re 32, but you look a lot older because of the stress.”
      London hosts the final two Formula E races of the season – Saturday and Sunday – and Envision lead the team standings by 14 points.
      Cassidy remains in contention for the Drivers’ Championship, trailing Jake Daniels by 24 points.
      Most read in Motorsport
      Drivers that finish in the top ten of each race earn points, with 25 going to the winner.
      Skinner made a name for himself on The Apprentice – a far cry from selling knocked-off goods and sleeping on the floor.
      He recently became a dad to twins with his wife Sinead who gave birth four weeks early.
      The trio took a classic black cab in LondonCredit: Paddy McGrath / Spacesuit Media More

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      F1 star Max Verstappen apologises for X-rated rant at race engineer after disastrous second qualifying run at Belgian GP

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN apologised for a foul-mouthed rant at his race engineer during Belgian Grand Prix qualifying.The Dutchman scraped through the second qualifying session at a soggy Spa in tenth having initially struggled in his all-conquering Red Bull.
      Max Verstappen endured a disastrous second qualifying run at the Belgian Grand PrixCredit: Rex
      Verstappen, 25, went on to finish 0.8 seconds clear of Charles Leclerc but was stripped of pole position after landing a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change.
      As he crossed the line, Verstappen had drawn a line over his spat with race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase by saying: “Sorry for the rant.”
      He earlier fumed over his team’s radio: “I should have just pushed two laps in a row like I said.”
      Lambiase replied: “But you are through Max…”
      Read More on F1
      Verstappen snapped back: “I don’t give a f*** mate if I’m through in P10. Just s*** execution.”
      Lambiase cut back: “And when the track was two seconds quicker for your final lap and you didn’t have any energy left, how would that have gone down?
      “You tell me what you want to do in Q3, and we’ll do it. Let me know. Sets, fuel, run plan.”
      Leclerc starts on pole tomorrow and Verstappen SIXTH — with a separate sprint race taking place today.
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      Verstappen admitted later: “The conditions were tricky and I was lucky in Q2 to be in P10 but in Q3 I could push more.
      “I know I will drop back with the penalty but I did what I could. We know the car is quick even in these conditions.”
      Despite the sanction, the world champion is eyeing an eighth consecutive F1 victory, having won here from much further back in 2022.
      He said: “Last year, I started 14th and this year the car is better, so I am still aiming to win the race.”
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      Verstappen apologised to a race engineer for his X-rated rantCredit: Alamy
      Despite being on pole, Leclerc does not expect to be a match for either Verstappen or Sergio Perez, with the Mexican second on the grid.
      Leclerc said: “I am not confident, I have two Red Bull guys behind, who have a much faster race car.
      “It is going to be difficult to keep those guys behind.”
      Lewis Hamilton qualified in fourth but was subjected to TWO FIA investigations for rejoining the track after going wide.
      He said: “This track is incredible to drive and it was hectic because it was constantly drying up but was slippery at the beginning and difficult to see.
      “You know every lap is going to be faster than the next lap.
      Lewis Hamilton qualified in fourth but was subjected to two FIA investigationsCredit: Rex
      “I was a big chunk off Max, which was very impressive, but I am very happy with the result.
      “I have Max behind but the goal will be to chase those guys down.”
      Lando Norris was seventh with George Russell eighth.
      Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 honeymoon came to an abrupt end after he was eliminated from qualifying at the first attempt when his lap time was deleted for running wide.
      The Aussie — handed a place back on the grid by Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri at last weekend’s Hungarian GP — will start 19th, just ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, whose Haas had a hydraulic issue.
      Meanwhile, Alpine have axed team boss Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane.
      Read More on The Sun
      The Oxfordshire-based outfit are in chaos having replaced chief exec Laurent Rossi earlier this month.
      The team say both are leaving by mutual agreement and will stop working for Alpine after Sunday’s GP. More