Motorsport

SOUTH AFRICA’S hopes of returning to the F1 calendar have been dealt a blow due to the country’s links to Russia.Bosses at the Kyalami circuit just north of Johannesburg had hoped to take a spot on the 2024 calendar – possibly in place of the Belgian GP, which is in the final year of its contract.
Lewis Hamilton’s ‘dream’ of racing in South Africa has suffered a blowCredit: Reuters
However, after meeting F1 chiefs in London there is a fear from inside the sport that South Africa’s political links to Russia could see them hit with sanctions due to the country’s war with Ukraine.
In February, a Russian flagship frigate equipped with hypersonic cruise missiles arrived in the South African port of Richards Bay.
And last month a Russian cargo ship also arrived in the country, with questions over the consignment, with US reports alleging it collected weapons heading for Moscow.
South Africa last held an F1 race in 1993 and the Kyalami circuit has undergone substantial investment and redevelopment but the political situation has caused F1 some concerns.
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South African GP bosses are now believed to be concentrating on 2025, which could again come at the expense of the Belgian GP.
Lewis Hamilton said ahead of the Miami GP this year that it would be a “huge dream” for him to race in Africa.
He said: “I’ve been chatting about having a race in Miami and the next one I’ve been talking about is South Africa, that’s what I’m pushing for in the background.
“Hopefully you’ll see that come to light soon as well. It’s a really big dream for me to race in South Africa.
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“To race in Africa in my career is a huge, huge dream for me. I know I have a big following out there.
“I know a lot of people are into Formula One now, so I’m pushing as hard as I can in the background and I’m going high up to make sure we have that race happen.”
When asked by SunSport, an F1 spokesperson declined to comment on the 2024 F1 calendar.
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LUCAS Blakeley is a Formula 1 world champion watched by millions – yet many people don’t know who he is.The Scottish-born competitor races for McLaren’s F1 Esports team and was crowned world champion last year.
Lucas Blakeley races for McLaren’s F1 Esports team and was crowned world champion last yearCredit: Twitter
Lucas, now in his twenties, started go-karting at seven years oldCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
He finished third in the 2021 season with Aston Martin and beat four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel in the Race of Nations Cup in 2022.
The racing superstar most recently knocked out Mika Hakkinen and Valtteri Bottas at the 2023 Race of Champions.
Lucas, now in his twenties, started go-karting at seven years old and was inspired by Lewis Hamilton winning the championship in 2008.
His dream was to become an F1 driver, but he had to stop for financial reasons.
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“That’s the harsh reality for many racing families out there,” he told the BBC.
More than 45 million people watched at least one Esport race in 2022, according to Gfinity.
With fans watching major competitions on Twitch, Lucas said the ‘the pressure is immense’.
He continued: “Mentally that’s the hardest part, the results in F1 esports can change in a literal flash of an eye.
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“You also learn about yourself. How do you react to pressure? How does your body respond? How does your mind respond?”
Lucas also previously described his racing style as ‘calculated’ and commented on the rigorous training regime in Esports.
“It’s a lot of dedication. You’ve got to be prepared to put in the hours because you can’t leave any stone unturned. The training needs to be in-depth and unrelenting,” he told McLaren.
“The second complacency seeps in is when things start to go wrong. During the day, it involves a lot of driving.
“You’re driving for eight, nine, 10 hours a day, sometimes more when you’re gathering data, going through video footage, or looking at telemetry. If you want to get to that point, you need to really work hard for it.”
His dream was to become an F1 driver, but he had to stop for financial reasonsCredit: Twitter More

MAX VERSTAPPEN was left in stitches after hearing of George Russell’s bizarre Spanish Grand Prix blunder.The Dutchman cruised to his fifth win of the season on Sunday, with Lewis Hamilton finishing second and Russell crossing the line in third.
Russell admitted a mid-race blunder to Verstappen in the cooldown roomCredit: Getty
Verstappen found it hilarious
After the race, the trio took to the cooldown room to discuss some key moments.
And one particular comment from Russell appeared to give Verstappen the giggles.
While most weather forecasts had threatened rain for the race, the circuit stayed dry throughout – much to the relief of all 20 drivers.
However, at around lap 30 Russell began to worry about the weather.
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The 25-year-old informed his team that it had started to rain, but nobody else on the grid had reported it.
A few laps later, he then admitted that it was actually SWEAT from the inside of his helmet.
Over the Mercedes team radio, he said: “Is anyone else reporting rain? I think it’s sweat from the inside of my helmet.”
To which somebody responded: “Sounds like it’s just you that’s reporting rain. I suspect it might be the sweat.”
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Russell referenced the blunder in his cooldown room conversation with Verstappen.
He admitted: “I thought it was raining at one point but it was sweat under my visor!”
Verstappen appeared to find it hilarious as he let out a bark of laughter.
When speaking to the press after the race, Russell explained how he got mixed-up.
He revealed: “I had my hair dangling down in the first stint. I didn’t quite get it in my balaclava and that was sort of annoying me because it was sort of in my peripheral vision.
“And then as I was sweating, because it wasn’t in my balaclava, it was sort of dripping down onto my face.
“And then when I was braking, it was coming onto my visor. So with the grey clouds, and then the sort of spots of water on the visor I thought it was rain so that was a bit of an embarrassing one, but moving on…”
Verstappen won the Spanish GP to extend his lead at the top of the championshipCredit: Getty More

F1 star Lewis Hamilton posed up for a photo with his arm wrapped around Shakira as the duo was pictured having cocktails last night.The Colombian singer was spotted cheering on the Mercedes driver at the Spanish Grand Prix, amid rumours they are dating.
The pair was spotted for cocktails on SundayCredit: Instagram – Mustafa
Hamilton had his arm around ShakiraCredit: Instagram – Mustafa
The pop star was seen smiling at the Barcelona circuitCredit: Getty
Shakira dramatically returned to Barcelona for the first time since she left to start a new life in Miami.
The pop star was seen watching the race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as Hamilton scooped second place following Max Verstappen.
Wearing a patterned shirt, neon pink sunglasses and a white skirt, Shakira was beaming as she watched her pal on the track.
The pair headed out for dinner later with singer Mustafa sharing snaps of the group on Instagram.
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He simply wrote in the caption: “May God protect the engineers.”
It comes as rumours about a romance between the duo have been sparked after they were spotted on several outings.
The singer was spotted on a boat day with Hamilton and his pals in Miami after he picked her up from the back of her £12million beach mansion late last month.
He made sure Shakira didn’t have too far to walk as she trotted down her private dock for the day out on the open-top cruiser.
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The Mercedes driver, 38, quickly climbed out of the boat to lend the newly single mum a hand as she joined the group onboard.
Lewis later ensured she made it home safe as he dropped her back off at her plush new pad, where she counts the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin and Matt Damon as her neighbours.
Shakira’s repeated rendezvous with Lewis have caused a stir since they enjoyed a dinner together at the lavish Miami restaurant Cipriani.
Smiling at each other, Shakira appeared to join 92-time race winner Lewis and pals at his table in a short video snapped by a fan.
But sources insist the F1 star and the “Hips Don’t Lie” are just “good friends” and there is no “romantic connection”.
Shakira appeared in high spirits when she was seen mingling with Tom Cruise at the Miami Grand Prix in May.
Spanish media reported that the Mission Impossible star, 60, was “absolutely mesmerised” by the singer and had even told a close circle of friends that he felt a connection with her.
Sources claimed that Tom was “giddy” after the chat while adding that the interactions were similar to “how he acted” when he first got with his ex-wife Katie Holmes.
An insider told Page Six that there was “chemistry” between the pair – with Tom sending her flowers after the meeting.
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But Shakira reportedly shot down his advances and instead begged the actor to leave her alone and stop flirting with her.
The global superstar is reportedly “focused on her family” rather than dating anyone at the moment.
Hamilton scooped second place on Sunday
The F1 star picked up Shakira from her £12 million beach mansion last monthCredit: The Mega Agency More