Motorsport

MAX VERSTAPPEN produced a thrilling final lap to deny Fernando Alonso pole position for the Monaco GP.The Dutchman left it late – and clipped a wall – but clinched P1 by just 0.084sec.
Fernando Alonso was so close to pole before Verstappen’s epic late lapCredit: Getty
It spoiled a perfect run from Alonso, who looked to have taken his first pole since 2012.
Alonso will line up in second on the grid ahead of Charles Leclerc in a pulsating qualifying session.
Esteban Ocon was fourth and Carlos Sainz fifth while Lewis Hamilton will start in sixth.
Hamilton had only just scraped into Q2 after getting caught up in traffic and making a mistake at the chicane in Q1.
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He recovered in time while his Mercedes team-mate George Russell will line up in eighth place on the grid.
However, Sergio Perez was less fortunate and will start last after crashing out during Q1.
The Mexican, who won this race last year and is second in the championship, lost control at Turn One.
He slammed hard into the barriers sideways, bringing an early end to his qualifying session.
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ROMANTIC George Russell arrived at the Monaco Grand Prix with his arm around girlfriend Carmen Montero Mundt.The loved-up pair rocked up in style at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo.
George Russell arrived at the Monaco GP alongside Carmen Montero MundtCredit: Getty
The pair hopped on a Mercedes boat to the race trackCredit: Alamy
They were all smiles in the sunshineCredit: Alamy
Lewis Hamilton arrived in a yellow outfitCredit: Getty
They were all smiles as they stepped off a boat together and then strolled towards the paddock.
Russell wore a white Mercedes T-shirt with white shorts while his glamorous partner Carmen stunned in a strapless white top and a long blue skirt in the Mediterranean sunshine.
It was a short commute into work for Russell, who moved to the principality over the winter after his first year as Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate.
And he was in a bullish mood on home turf in the wake of the bombshell news that Hamilton is set to sign a new £50million deal with the Silver Arrows.
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In theory, that keeps Russell as the so-called No2 in the team.
But the King’s Lynn ace does not see it that way, especially after finishing above Hamilton in the drivers’ standings last season and outqualifying the seven-time world champ in four out of five races so far this year.
Russell told the Daily Mail: “I don’t care at all whether Lewis stays or Lewis goes, because I believe I can beat anyone on the grid.
“You couldn’t choose to be in a better position than to go up against Lewis.
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“What a way to test myself. While we’re in this position, he is invaluable to me. There can be no excuses on either side. He’s pushing me, I’m pushing him. I am here to beat everybody.
“I never had any self-doubt and having these 15 months alongside him has reinforced that. My confidence has grown.
“We have a good relationship and it would be great if we could turn this around and help the team to winning ways.
“Lewis is very good with people. He’s very caring, he works exceptionally hard. He’s comfortable travelling a lot, doing a lot of activities. It wouldn’t be a lifestyle many athletes want.
“It may not be this year or next that everything falls into place. But look at Fernando [Alonso], aged 41. So I have at least 15 good years left in me.
“You have to be patient, keep working, doing your thing, and no doubt my time will come.”
Russell and Hamilton have continued to be left flagging in an inferior car against the likes of Red Bull and now Aston Martin.
Their W14 machine has undergone major surgery in recent weeks with £1m spent on new parts alone to try and compete once more.
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But just a day after lauding the efforts of the engineers in the Mercedes factory, Hamilton crashed into the wall during third practice – damaging his front left wheel just hours before qualifying.
The Monaco GP gets underway tomorrow at 2pm UK time as Russell and Hamilton try and cut away at rival Max Verstappen’s championship lead.
Russell’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton crashed into the wall during practiceCredit: Getty
Russell is confident he can beat anyone on the track, including HamiltonCredit: Splash More

LEWIS HAMILTON crashed his upgraded Mercedes at the end of a practice session – just hours before qualifying at Monaco is set to begin. The seven-times world champion slid into the wall at the iconic circuit after misjudging his breaking.
Hamilton triggered the red flag at the end of FP3 after crashing at MirabeauCredit: Getty
A crane was needed to airlift Hamilton’s car off the trackCredit: Reuters
Stewards had to usher the stubborn Mercedes car off the tight and twisty circuitCredit: Reuters
Hamilton would have been in high spirits heading to the Monaco paddock with plenty of upgrades set to turbocharge his carCredit: Getty
His Mercedes car was then stuck in the barriers with clear damage to his left front wheel at the Mirabeau corner.
It’s a nightmare for the Mercedes man who will need to pray mechanics can fix his car before qualifying in just a few hours’ time.
The job should be more than achievable but it is not ideal preparation for Hamilton, who was looking to set a fast lap in the final practice session.
He and team-mate George Russell have new upgrades to deal with in this race as Mercedes look to turn their season around.
The constructors have brought in a tonne of new parts as they look to catch up with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull team.
The new parts include a new floor, new sidepods, a changed front suspension and a tweaked rear wing.
The upgrades were suppose to arrive in the last race for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix before flooding in northern Italy saw the race cancelled.
The signs have been encouraging for Hamilton so far.
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Hamilton and Russell will enjoy plenty of new parts in their Mercedes car this weekend
He finished third-fastest in Free Practice 1 before coming sixth-fastest in the second session yesterday.
His crash today follows similar incidents yesterday for Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon of Williams, with both also having been caught out by the tight and twisty nature of F1’s most famous track.
The unique elements of Monaco’s layout mean fans are expecting an exciting qualifying session.
Traditional tracks and even other street circuits have been dominated by Red Bull this season but their blistering pace will not be as advantageous at Monaco.
Ferrari, Mercedes and Aston Martin will all be hoping to upset the championship leaders this weekend. More

LEWIS HAMILTON’S Mercedes team have unveiled the car they hope will allow him to fight Max Verstappen.Since scrapping this year’s design after the first 60-minute practice session in Bahrain, Merc chiefs have shuffled their design team and come up with a whole new package.
Lewis Hamilton’s new car will hopefully be able to compete with Red BullCredit: PA
Mercedes have spent £1m on the upgrades
The radical changes have cost over £1million in parts alone – with the factory operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to get them ready in time.
Verstappen’s Red Bull team have dominated this season winning all five of the opening races.
Here, SunSport takes a look at the changes Mercedes have made in the hope of tackling the Dutchman.
1. Sidepods
The most obvious design change to Hamilton’s car. Perhaps almost smugly, Merc had thought they had come up with a revolutionary zero-side pod design in 2022.
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They were the only team to do it – and blindly stuck with it for 15 months. Finally, they realised they were chasing a lost cause and reintroduced the bulbous parts of bodywork.
The extra surface area will increase downforce and the new design meant the team had to redesign the car’s radiators that sit under the bodywork.
It does mean the car is now slightly heavier by around 500 grams but it means that the new Silver Arrow looks more like their rivals.
2. Front Suspension
The second big change is the top of the wishbone suspension has moved inward and upwards.
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The higher suspension has a number of benefits. Firstly, the improved airflow increases downforce but Merc also believe the change will improve the stability of the car under braking.
That will increase their drivers’ confidence when stamping late on the brake pedal that the car will not skip out of line.
A final benefit will result in the air running over the suspension into the sidepod and into the radiator to help with cooling.
3. A New Floor
In the past, F1 cars have relied on downforce, wind rushing over bodywork to press the car into the ground allowing the drivers to take corners quicker.
This new generation of cars work in a different way where the primary aerodynamic principle is to suck the car to the ground.
As a result, the front and rear wings are less intricate, but the underside of the car’s floor has become extremely crucial.
It means that Merc have redesigned the underside of the car to accommodate the wider bodywork, without causing the return of porpoising – the dreaded bouncing we saw last year.
4. Engine Cover
With the redesigned floor and sidepods, the team have also reshaped the engine cover.
This improves the downforce of air over the top of it, but also helps channel the air into the rear wing for more downforce.
5. Rear Wing
With the new volume of air passing over the car, the rear wing has been tweaked accordingly to take the increase.
Like the other, larger body panels, the larger surface area will help to create more downforce, ultimately allowing the cars to tackle corners faster.
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6. Rear Brakes
The final big change sees the redevelopment of the brakes. The cylindrical shape – known as a cake tin – has been redesigned to work with the new airflow directions.
The winglets channel air into the brake ducts to help with cooling them down and preserving brake wear. More

LEWIS HAMILTON’S former sporting director has denied claims that the Mercedes star is a “dirty” driver.The seven-time Formula One world champion is currently enduring a miserable campaign following last season’s disappointment.
Lewis Hamilton’s former chief has denied the Brit is a ‘dirty’ driverCredit: Getty
However, before those troubles, the 38-year-old was involved in regular battles and incidents with rival Max Verstappen.
Those reached a boiling point in 2021 before the Brit missed out on a record-breaking eighth in the heartbreaking Abu Dhabi 2021 finale.
Hamilton and his foe, who is currently topping this year’s championship, had a number of crashes as the likes of Silverstone, Monza and Saudi Arabia.
Both drivers did not hide their anger towards the other’s antics and with many labelling their actions “reckless” and “dirty”.
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 But Sam Michael, who has held senior positions with F1 constructors Williams and McLaren told the Beyond the Grid podcast: “Some people need the confidence to say that there’s some other reason why they didn’t perform.
“They want to process it so that they’re the best and I get that their ego and confidence requires them to say something else must have happened for me not to win that race or for me to do this or that.
“Having said that, I don’t think Lewis was like that from my experience of working with Lewis at McLaren.
“Because there’s a downside to being like that which is that you may not properly process your weaknesses and I’d have to say Lewis is very good at that.”
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Michael added: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do something that you think ‘that was dirty’.
“Even looking at the recent stuff with him and Max, he goes out of his way to not do stuff.
“So he [Verstappen] might do things where [he’s] putting the car into a position where it’s like ‘you do this and we crash.’ You don’t see Lewis do that to you.”
Hamilton will be hoping to bounce back from his disappointing start to this season at this weekend’s Monaco GP. More

LEWIS HAMILTON wants to have his new Mercedes deal tied up within the next few weeks to end wild speculation about his future.Hamilton says he has enlisted his management team to handle negotiations with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after telling them his demands, believed to include wages of around £50million per season.
Lewis Hamilton has been linked with a shock move away from MercedesCredit: AFP
The 38-year-old, who has always maintained it is his intention to commit to a new deal, also says his decision will not be influenced by the team’s winless run.
He said: “When you are in contract negotiations there is always going to be speculation. And unless you hear it from me, that’s all it is.
“My team is working closely behind the scenes with Toto and we are almost at the point of having the contract ready.
“I’m having the team focused on that so I can just do my job. It’s a much better position than I used to be in before, because I used to do the negotiations on my own and it was very stressful. I don’t have to do that anymore.
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“I have a great team doing all the work. I say what I want and that is what we are working towards. Hopefully [it will be signed] in the coming weeks.”
After ruling out any advances from rival teams, Hamilton said Mercedes’ current predicament will not alter his feelings.
And he says there is renewed hope they will be able to turn their hopes around after bringing a whole host of new parts to improve performance at this week’s Monaco GP.
Hamilton, who walked into the paddock with gold “grillz” across his teeth, added: “No, it doesn’t have a bearing.
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“We are still a championship winning team, it’s just we’ve had the wrong car and made some decisions over the past few years that have not been ideal.
“We are working through that and all the energy is going towards the new upgrade this weekend.
“The team has worked incredibly hard to bring this upgrade and we already decided after Bahrain it was what we are going to do.
“I was a little bit gutted when the last race got cancelled because I was excited to try this new package, and while here is not the best platform track wise to really see those come to fruition, we will hopefully experience that more next week.”
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Hamilton is set to sign a new £50million deal with Mercedes and end speculationCredit: Getty
Meanwhile, Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell has confirmed he has swapped London for living in Monaco.
He said: “I’ve been here for over five or six months now really, really enjoying it to be honest. It exceeded my expectations.
“Being a kid from the country, growing up in a field and looking at grey skies and nothing other than a Labrador, to being here…
“It’s a great community – got some good friends, jumping in the sea every single day and training in the sunshine.
“It’s probably the happiest I’ve ever been in my life to be honest, so I am very glad to have moved here.” More