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      FIA U-turns in Lewis Hamilton battle as it agrees F1 drivers CAN make political statements… with one catch

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      FORMULA ONE’S governing body have backed down in their row over banning drivers from making political statements.The FIA angered F1 drivers by changing the International Sporting Code in December to stop them from making political, religious or personal statements or comments without written authorisation.
      The FIA have softened their stance on political statements in a boost to Lewis Hamilton and CoCredit: AP
      Like Hamilton, McLaren’s Lando Norris blasted the FIA’s initial moveCredit: AFP
      Lando Norris claimed it made drivers feel like school children while Lewis Hamilton was defiant and said he would continue to make personal protests and comments that were relevant to him.
      The growing pressure has now forced the FIA to act and they have backtracked in a note to drivers that has allowed them to continue to make protests – but not at certain times during a race weekend.
      An FIA Spokesperson said: “A guidance note has been issued to participants that sets out the scope of the updates made to the FIA International Sporting Code in December.
      “The updates cement the FIA’s longstanding commitment to protecting motor sport’s neutrality, and will particularly ensure neutrality during key moments across all motorsport competitions, such as podiums, national anthems and official activities ‘on the field of play’.
      READ MORE ON LEWIS HAMILTON
      “It does not impose any additional restrictions on individuals expressing their views outside of these times.”
      The change to the rules now reads that drivers “can express their views on any political, religious or personal matter before, during and after” the race and in “their own space” such as social media.
      However, it adds that drivers are not allowed to air their views “during FIA press conferences (except in response to direct questions from accredited journalists) or during events such as the drivers’ parade, national anthem or podium ceremony.
      The FIA maintain that by changing the rules they want to ensure the sport remains politically neutral.
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      The new F1 season gets underway at the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 5, with this year set to have a record-breaking 23 races on its calendar.
      A supercomputer has given its verdict on how the season will go including who will win the championship.

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – every Grand Prix from this year More

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      Supercomputer predicts 2023 F1 season but will Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes close gap on Max Verstappen’s Red Bull?

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      A SUPERCOMPUTER has predicted the outcome of the new Formula One season as Lewis Hamilton looks to end Max Verstappen’s winning run. The Dutchman has claimed the last two Drivers’ Championship crowns with no one getting even close to the dominant Red Bull driver this season.
      Max Verstappen is the reigning World Champion after a dominant 2022 campaignCredit: Reuters
      Lewis Hamilton is suited and booted as he looks to claim a record-breaking eighth titleCredit: PA
      With all ten teams hard at work improving their cars over the winter, it can be difficult to judge the strengths and weakness of the field ahead of next month’s opening race in Bahrain.
      But a supercomputer from BonusCodeBets has chewed up all the available information ahead of the new season and expects Verstappen to triumph again.
      The 25-year-old was in the form of his life in 2022 and won 15 of the 22 Grand Prix last season.
      He wrapped up the title with four races to go and left all of his rivals in his dust.
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      Hamilton has been tipped to finish second in this year’s table.
      The supercomputer believes the Mercedes man will miss out on a record-breaking eighth world title but improve on his sixth-place from last season.
      Meanwhile, the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are predicted to finish 3rd and 5th with Hamilton’s teammate George Russell sandwiched in between them.
      Brit racer Lando Norris is expected to be the best of the rest behind the dominant Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari teams.
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      A supercomputer is predicting Hamilton to miss out on the title again
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      While his new teammate Oscar Piastri has been tipped to have the best season out of all the rookies with a 11th-place finish.
      Also new to the grid is Alpha Tauri’s Nyck de Vries, who is expected to come 14th, while fellow newbie Logan Sargeant has been predicted to finish bottom in his Williams.
      Pre-season testing gets underway next week before the first race in Bahrain on March 5. More

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      Who is Christian Horner’s wife Geri Halliwell?

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      CHRISTIAN HORNER, principle of Red Bull racing is in a relationship with English singer and actress Geri Halliwell. Horner’s motorsport career started as a racing car driver for Arden International Motorsport.
      Christian Horner in a Red Bull press conferenceCredit: AFP
      The English-man retired from driving and joined Red Bull racing in 2005, making him the youngest Team Principal at 31.
      He is now 49 and has won eleven world titles (Six drivers’ championships and five world constructors championships).
      Who is Christian Horner’s girlfriend Geri Halliwell?

      Geri Halliwell is an English singer, songwriter, author, and actress.
      She became famous in the 90s as a member of the spice girls – Ginger Spice.
      Her most famous songs include “It’s raining men” and “Bag it up”
      She has also acted in movies such as Gran Turismo and Crank: High Voltage.
      They first met each other in 2009, however, they started dating in 2014 before announcing their engagement in November of that year.

      Who has Christian Horner previously dated?
      Christian Horner has previously dated Beverly Allen in a long term relationship from 1999 to 2013.
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      Does Christian Horner have any kids?
      Christian Horner has two children. One girl – Olivia Horner and one boy – Monty Horner. More

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      Michael Schumacher fans outraged at cruel ‘dead man walking’ jibe at F1 star son Mick in Netflix’s Drive To Survive

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      MICHAEL Schumacher fans have slammed a Netflix show for featuring a comment calling his son a “dead man walking” after the ex-F1 star’s horror ski accident.Creators of the latest season of docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive – which drops next week – have been branded “tone deaf” over an episode focusing on Mick Schumacher.
      Michael Schumacher fans have hit out at Netflix for including a ‘vile’ comment about his sonCredit: PA:Press Association
      Mick pictured with dad Michael Schumacher in 2008Credit: PA
      In one clip, Gene Haas – owner of Haas F1 Team – can be heard calling the German racing driver a “dead man walking” while on the phone to team manager Guenther Steiner.
      The US businessman was slating the 23-year-old’s performance in the Monaco Grand Prix in 2022 after he lost control of his car on lap 27 before the motor split in half.
      But fans have called the inclusion of the comment “vile” given his dad suffered a near-fatal skiing accident.
      Viewers also fumed over how the soon to be released episode is titled Like Father, Like Son?.
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      One fan said: “The fact that Netflix titled the episode about Mick ‘Like Father, like son?’ and refer to Mick as a ‘dead man walking’ is truly disgusting and vile??
      “How didn’t anyone in that meeting think that that’s maybe not the best idea.”
      Another social media user commented: “That’s horrible to both Mick and Michael.”
      A third wrote: “Wow that is so tone deaf and disrespectful.”
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      Mick’s legendary dad Michael Schumacher was put into a medically induced coma for six months after suffering a catastrophic brain injury in December 2013.
      He fell and hit his head on a rock while crossing an off-piste area on the slopes above Méribel in the French Alps while skiing with son Mick – who was 14 at the time.
      Schumacher, who had 91 Grand Prix wins, suffered a serious head injury despite wearing a ski helmet.
      Doctors said he would most likely have died had he not been wearing the safety gear, and the world champ was airlifted to Grenoble Hospital.
      The ex-F1 champ has not been seen or heard from since his accident.
      It comes after Mick paid a touching tribute to his father at Mercedes’ car launch.
      The F1 team unveiled the new-look car for the 2023 season on Wednesday.
      And Mick paid tribute to his dad by wearing the same helmet as the seven-time champion.
      The gold helmet was adorned with black stars on the top and has a Mercedes logo in the middle.
      Read More on The Sun
      Schumacher drove for Mercedes at the end of his career between 2010-2012.
      And now his son is part of the team, signing up as the third driver following his exit from Haas.
      Gene Haas called Mick a ‘dead man walking’ after a raceCredit: Getty
      Haas was blasting Mick’s performance in the 2022 Monaco F1 Grand PrixCredit: Reuters
      An upcoming episode of Formula 1: Drive to Survive focuses on MichCredit: The Mega Agency
      Schumacher, pictured in 2003, suffered a near-fatal ski accident nine years agoCredit: AFP More

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      Lewis Hamilton claims Mercedes are NOT copying Red Bull despite rival cars having similarities ahead of 2023 F1 season

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      LEWIS HAMILTON says Mercedes will never copy Red Bull… despite many other Formula 1 teams doing so.The Silver Arrows launched their new W14 car this week.
      Hamilton is raring to go ahead of the new F1 seasonCredit: PA
      Mercedes launched their new W14 car this weekCredit: PA
      Hamilton’s new motor features a return to the sleek black livery sported in the 2020 and 2021 seasons – while focusing on being lighter and more aerodynamic.
      Toto Wolff and Co have avoided going down the route of making their car more like Red Bull’s high performing RB18 – with Hamilton proud of Merc’s own creativity and innovation.
      Amid the likes of McLaren taking inspiration from Red Bull’s sidepods – Hamilton said: “Of course you can see that some of the cars are approaching what a Red Bull might look like, perhaps with the exception of Ferrari.
      “I don’t think we’ve ever been a team that copied other people.
      READ MORE ONN F1
      “We’ve always had our own mind and have always been a team that’s incredibly creative and innovative and likes to do it our way.
      “And I think that’s worked in the past.”
      After Mercedes’ encouraging finish to last season, fans will be excited to see Hamilton and team-mate George Russell back in action in Bahrain on March 5.
      Speaking at the launch of the W14, team principal Wolff said: “Last year was difficult but it came with lots of learnings.
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      Many teams have taken inspiration from Max Verstappen’s motorCredit: Getty
      “I hope 2023 will be proof that we have understood how to unravel the problems and improve the package of the car.”
      He then continued: “W13 certainly had performance which we never were able to unlock and put all its downforce on the ground.
      “Our car performed very well at the end of the season.
      “However, we still had the famous bouncing at some circuits and the car never gave the drivers good feedback, which limited them in being able to really push.
      “We have tried to keep all the goodness of the W13 and address its weaknesses.”
      McLaren launched their MCL60 this weekCredit: AFP More

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      Who is Lance Stroll’s girlfriend Sara Pagliaroli and how long have the pair dated?

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      F1 STAR Lance Stroll is a son of a billionaire and is in a relationship with Italian model Sara Pagliaroli. Stroll, 24, made his Formula 1 debut in 2017 with Williams Martini racing.
      Lance Stroll and Sara at James Bond premiere.Credit: Getty
      Sara posing on holiday in IbizaCredit: Instagram @sarapagliaroli
      Lance has come under criticism in the past, as some fans claimed he only had a seat because his multi-billionaire father owned the team.
      However the Canadian made history as the second youngest driver to start a race and to score a podium finish.
      Who is Lance Stroll’s girlfriend Sara Pagliaroli?

      Sara Pagliaroli is an Italian model who started her career as a teenager.
      She has worked with a number of famous brands such as Adria Beachwear and Replay Jeans.
      The Italian also launched a jewellery brand in 2020 called “Blue Lemon Jewels”
      It is unknown when and where the couple first met, but they first publicly appeared together at the premiere of a James Bond film in 2021.

      Who has Lance Stroll previously dated?
      Stroll has no previous public relationships, and Pagliaroli is thought to be his first partner since he has been a driver.
      Read more F1
      Does Lance Stroll have any kids?
      Stroll does not have any children. More

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      Fans spot Mick Schumacher’s touching tribute to his dad Michael on helmet at Mercedes car launch

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      MICK SCHUMACHER paid a touching tribute to his father at Mercedes’ car launch.The F1 team unveiled the new-look car for the 2023 season on Wednesday.
      Mich Schumacher paid tributes to his father with his helmet choiceCredit: Mercedes-Benz AG
      Michael Schumacher wore a gold helmet while at MercedesCredit: Alamy
      Mick is Mercedes’ third driver this yearCredit: Twitter
      And Schumacher paid tribute to his dad by wearing the same helmet as seven-time champion Michael.
      The gold helmet was adorned with black stars on the top and has a Mercedes logo in the middle.
      Mick posed for photos with his helmet as Mercedes showed off their brand new car.
      The new W14 car sees Mercedes return to a striking black livery.
      READ MORE IN F1
      Schumacher senior, 54, drove for Mercedes at the end of his career between 2010-2012.
      And now his son is part of the team, signing up as the third driver following his exit from Haas.
      The deal is a lifeline for Schumacher, who will also serve as back-up to Sir Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
      Speaking ahead of the car’s launch, team principal Toto Wolff said: “Last year was difficult but it came with lots of learnings.
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      “I hope 2023 will be proof that we have understood how to unravel the problems and improve the package of the car.”
      He then continued: “W13 certainly had performance which we never were able to unlock and put all its downforce on the ground.
      “Our car performed very well at the end of the season.
      “However, we still had the famous bouncing at some circuits and the car never gave the drivers good feedback, which limited them in being able to really push.
      “We have tried to keep all the goodness of the W13 and address its weaknesses.” More

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      ‘Nothing changes for me’ – Lewis Hamilton insists he will DEFY ban on F1 drivers making political statements

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      LEWIS HAMILTON will defy the FIA ban on drivers making political and personal statements.Hamilton launched the new Mercedes car for 2023 as he prepares for his 17th season in F1.
      Lewis Hamilton will ignore the FIA’s ban on F1 stars making political statementsCredit: AP
      He was quizzed on the FIA’s controversial decision to change the rulebook to allow them to punish drivers who make protests or statements without prior approval.
      This week, Lando Norris called on the FIA to rethink the rules, claiming that F1 drivers are not school children, and Hamilton says it will NOT stop him from highlighting causes that are important to him.
      He said: “It doesn’t surprise me. But nothing will stop me from speaking on the things that I’m passionate about, and on issues that there are.
      “The sport does have a responsibility still to speak out, to create awareness on important topics, particularly as we travel to all these different places. So nothing changes for me.”
      Read more F1
      When asked if he was willing to accept a penalty for ignoring the ban, he added: “It would be silly to say that I would want to get penalty points for speaking out on things.
      “But I am still going to be speaking my mind. We still have this platform and there are still a lot of things we need to tackle.”
      “The support from Stefano [Domenicali – F1 CEO] has been amazing. All of the drivers have been very much aligned on freedom of speech.”
      Mercedes have unveiled an all-black race car for this season as the team has tried to keep weight at a minimum by leaving the carbon fibre unpainted.
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      Hamilton was at the launch of Mercedes’ 2023 car which will be all in blackCredit: AFP
      After a difficult season last year where Hamilton went winless for the first time in his F1 career, both he and Mercedes are hoping to be able to take the fight to Red Bull this season.
      Hamilton again hinted that he would like to extend his contract with Mercedes, which expires at the end of the year, but says that having a competitive car is not a deal-breaker.
      He added: “I don’t feel like I need them to prove to me. We’ve proved time and time again over the years that we have strength in depth.
      “We still have all these incredibly talented individuals within the team, you don’t lose that ability.”
      “There’s the best harmony within the team that I’ve seen in all these years, and we’ve got a really fresh young group of engineers.”
      “So it’s an exciting time for the team and I don’t plan on being anywhere else.”
      Hamilton was asked about the prospect of joining Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid to buy Manchester United.
      The seven-time F1 champion was part of a consortium that failed in an attempt to buy Chelsea.
      Ratcliffe’s company, INEOS is a one-third equal shareholder in the F1 team alongside Mercedes-Benz AG and Toto Wolff, but Hamilton says he has not had too much information on the attempt to buy United.

      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – every Grand Prix from this year
      He said: “I’m very close with Jim so I’m aware of where he is at and we talk a lot about football as he’s very passionate about it. We have great discussions about whatever his team is doing.
      “We talk about how Arsenal is playing, obviously, he’s from Manchester so that’s his dream home, it’s where he’s come from, but there’s no further information I can give you on that.”
      Meanwhile, Wolff said the black livery was poignant given Mercedes’ origins in motorsport.
      He said: “When you look at where the story of the Silver Arrows came from, it is that the Mercedes was put on track and was painted white but it was overweight.
      “They scratched off the paint and it ended up in aluminium and the car made the weight.”
      “We really tried to get the weight off the car so we committed to [reducing] the grams by leaving the car in matte carbon.
      “So history repeats itself, just in this case, it is modern materials like carbon and not aluminium. It just came together and it feels right.”
      Meanwhile, George Russell says the team’s goal for this season is simply to win the championship.
      George Russel in new Mercedes uniformCredit: PA
      Russell, who turned 24 on the day of the launch, said: “Knowing how last season panned out and the challenges we had with the car, I think we can be pretty proud of the job we did.”
      “There were a lot of positives to take away from that season. The reliability of the car was great. The strategy on many occasions was really, really strong.”
      Read More on The Sun
      “In the personal learnings we all went through and the technical learnings, that’s all gone into [this year’s] car.
      “We’re all here to win. It’s as simple as that. The motivation and the fire within our factory is immense because people don’t want a repeat of what happened in 2022.” More