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      Valtteri Bottas looks unrecognisable as F1 star unveils dramatic new mullet haircut to ‘fit in’ in Australia

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      VALTTERI BOTTAS looks unrecognisable as he embraced a new haircut as he enjoys a break after the F1 season.The Finnish racing driver is now sporting a mullet after switching from his usual long hairstyle.
      Valtteri Bottas has embraced the Australian style with his new haircutCredit: Twitter
      He shared his new style with his fans on TwitterCredit: Twitter

      Paired with his moustache, Bottas has a striking look with his new style as he shared a video of the transformation on Twitter.
      He is currently in Melbourne, Australia, relaxing after the F1 season finished in Abu Dhabi on November 20.
      Bottas is with his partner Tiffany Cromwell as she is from the country.
      Being in the country must have given him the inspiration to go for the mullet, as it is a common style there.
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      In the video he shared on Twitter titled #offseason, it starts with him having a coffee with Cromwell and her suggesting that he does not fit in the couple’s surroundings.
      She asked him: “Well how are you going to do that (fit in)?”
      To which Bottas replied: “I think I’m going to need to change my style.”
      Cromwell then responded by asking: “What do you mean?'”, before Bottas answered: “You’ll see.”
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      The video then cuts to him in the barbershop as he is transformed with the mullet haircut and new outfit.
      He is wearing a Victoria Bitter lager vest and matching shorts with a bottle of the traditional Australian drink in hand.
      The Alfa Romeo driver finished 10th in the Drivers Championship last season.
      The next F1 campaign is due to begin on March 5 next year with the Bahrain GP. More

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      Chinese GP CANCELLED again for fourth straight year as F1 confirm race called off due to ‘Covid difficulties’

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      FORMULA ONE have cancelled the Chinese Grand Prix for the fourth year in a row due to “Covid difficulties”.The circuit was set to return to Shanghai for the fourth race of the 2023 season on April 16.
      The Chinese Grand Prix for 2023 has been cancelledCredit: Reuters
      Lewis Hamilton won the last edition of the race in 2019Credit: AFP
      But with coronavirus still an ongoing issue in the Asian country and restrictions remaining in place, F1 confirmed the Grand Prix will not go ahead as planned.
      China’s covid policies mean that all F1 staff and drivers would be required to quarantine.
      There is the added risk that if team members tested positive for Covid they would be detained while they recover.
      A short statement from F1 said: “Formula One can confirm, following dialogue with the promoter and relevant authorities, that the 2023 Chinese Grand Prix will not take place due to the ongoing difficulties presented by the Covid-19 situation.
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      “Formula One is assessing alternative options to replace the slot on the 2023 calendar and will provide an update on this in due course.”
      The Chinese GP was axed when the pandemic broke out in early 2020.
      The 2021 and 2022 races were also wiped off the F1 calendar as the problems continued.
      Lewis Hamilton won the last edition of the Chinese GP in 2019.
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      That was the Brit’s sixth victory at the Shanghai circuit in his illustrious career, claiming his first chequered flag in 2008.
      One possible solution is a return to Portimao, which would make up a record 24-race calendar.
      The cancelled race will otherwise mean there will be a four-week gap between the Australian GP and the Azerbaijan GP which run at the start and the end of April respectively.
      Another option would see the Azerbaijan GP move forward to close up the gap, meaning the total GPs is reduced to 23.
      Max Verstappen will begin his campaign for a hat-trick of drivers’ world championships in Bahrain on March 5 – after pre-season testing at the same venue.
      F1 had pieced together the whopping 24-race season for 2023, with a new Las Vegas Grand Prix on the penultimate weekend.
      As usual, the season will come to an end at Abu Dhabi on the last weekend of November.
      But a handful of drivers could be at risk of facing bans next year if they hit the 12-point penalty limit threshold on their licences within a rolling 12 months.
      Pierre Gasly (ten), Lance Stroll (eight), Verstappen and Alex Albon (both seven) are closest to triggering an automatic one-race ban. More

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      Five F1 stars at risk of being BANNED in 2023 including Verstappen as Gasly and Russell hit out at flawed penalty system

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      AS many as five Formula One stars could be BANNED from racing during the 2023 season including world champion Max Verstappen.It’s due to a number of drivers being close to the limit of penalty points allowed on their Super Licence.
      Pierre Gasly has said five drivers could be banned from racing next seasonCredit: AFP
      This might even include double World Champion Max VerstappenCredit: EPA
      But George Russell is critical of the penalty points systemCredit: Getty
      F1 stars are allowed to pick up 12 penalty points over a rolling 12-month period before they must serve an automatic one-race ban.
      And new Alpine pilot Pierre Gasly has predicted a number of his rivals could face bans next season due to being close to their limit.
      The Frenchman also hit out at the way the current system works.
      Speaking via Speedweek, Gasly said: “I don’t see myself as a racing driver who puts others in danger.
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      “Rather, the fact is that I have numerous penalty points due to procedural errors, let’s say by driving beyond the track limit boundary.
      “I really hope we can find ways to rethink the scoring system.
      “I don’t think it can be in the interest of the sport that we suddenly have five banned drivers or, in the worst case, a World Championship without one of the main drivers being able to compete at all.
      “But if we continue with the current system, then sooner or later we will get into trouble.”
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      As it stands, Gasly is most at risk from a ban with 10 penalty points on his licence.
      Canadian Lance Stroll is next with eight points, before World Champion Max Verstappen and former Red Bull driver Alex Albon who have seven points each.
      And a one-race ban could be highly significant for Verstappen in 2023 as he goes for a third championship in a row.
      F1’s governing body the FIA is expected to conduct a review into the system, a move Mercedes driver George Russell supports.
      Following the Brazilian Grand Prix in November, Russell told BBC Sport: “The penalty does not fit the crime, especially in Pierre’s case.
      “The rules aren’t in the right place.
      “They (the FIA) have expressed that were going to have the conversation in the off-season and review all of this.
      “There is a lot to review this season in many different regards, so the FIA are definitely going to have a busy off-season.
      “In sport, you have to be ready and able to adapt, you have regulations in place and it only takes one incident to recognise maybe the regulation isn’t quite right.
      “We need to have the capability to change things and take penalty points away afterwards if we all agree it was incorrect.”
      Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda both currently sit on six penalty points.
      Russell himself sits on just four points, which is one more than McLaren’s Lando Norris.
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      Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton sat in Gasly’s position back in 2020 but managed to avoid a ban by not accruing anymore penalties before they expired.
      Now he doesn’t have a single point attached to his name, something he shares with Carlos Sainz, F1’s 2023 trio of rookies and the returning Nico Hulkenberg. More

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      Lewis Hamilton compares Verstappen’s row with Perez to the KARDASHIANS and ‘can’t wait to watch it’ on Drive To Survive

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has taken a swipe at Max Verstappen’s row with team-mate Sergio Perez by comparing them to the Kardashians.Despite winning both titles, Red Bull ended the year marred in controversy after the revelation of their cost cap breach as well as a rift between Verstappen and Perez.
      Lewis Hamilton finds Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez’s tiff “entertaining”Credit: Alamy
      Max Verstappen had a heated row with Red Bull team-mate Sergio PerezCredit: Rex
      Hamilton compared the Red Bull pair to the antics of Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian West, North West, Caitlyn Jenner and Kylie JennerCredit: Getty
      Lewis Hamilton compared Red Bull’s drama to the Kardashians – which includes KimCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      It all came to a head at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix with the Mexican fuming at the the two-time world champion for refusing to obey a team order to let him through.
      The Dutchman, on the other hand, brought up a grievance he had held against Perez as he felt he crashed on purpose during qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix in May.
      Hamilton appears to be loving every minute of it and even claims his rivals’ tiff reminds him of the outlandish drama depicted on the reality series Keeping up with the Kardashians.
      The Mercedes superstar described the situation as “entertaining” and hopes to see more of it on the upcoming season of Drive to Survive on Netflix.
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      Hamilton told Channel 4: “It feels like the Kardashian show, it’s pretty hilarious.
      “Some of the stuff I’ve heard in the past few days has been so entertaining. There was somebody’s mother posting something.
      “It was pretty interesting stuff. I’m sure it’ll be in Netflix, it’s going to be great.”
      Hamilton was presumably referring to a subsequently-deleted social media post from Verstappen’s mother.
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      Sophie Kumpen appeared to suggest Perez had been unfaithful to his wife – a situation the driver has previously addressed.
      British legend Hamilton finished the season sixth with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc second behind Verstappen. More

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      Meet Francisca Cerqueira Gomes, the stunning Portuguese model dating rising F1 star Pierre Gasly

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      FORMULA ONE star Pierre Gasly has reportedly BEEN dating model Francisca Cerqueira Gomes.The rumors started earlier this year when Francisca, 19, was spotted with Gasly in a nightclub in Porto and there were images of them dancing together.
      Formula One star Pierre Gasly is reportedly dating Francisca Cerqueira GomesCredit: Rex
      Francisca Cerqueira Gomes, known as Kika, is a model and actressCredit: Instagram
      Francisca has appeared in popular Portuguese TV seriesCredit: Instagram
      Speculation heated up when the AlphaTauri driver was accompanied by the model at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix paddock last month.
      As it stands, it doesn’t look like the pair have confirmed they are dating yet.
      Francisca, who is known as Kika, was born in 2003 in Portugal.
      She is the daughter of TV presenter and model Maria Vieira de Campos Cerqueira Gomes and supercar driver Goncalo Gomes.
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      She has followed in the famlily trade by becoming a model and also an actress, appearing in Portuguese TV shows.
      Francisca works for Central Models Portugal and has collaborated with several brands such Calzedonia and Natura Portugal.
      And it looks like she will accompany Gasly in a very exciting F1 journey.
      The Frenchman is considered as one of the sport’s biggest rising stars.
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      The 26-year-old icame 14th in this season’s F1 rankings with 23 points.
      Gasly has yet to win a race or climb up the podium, but he certainly looks on the right road to success.
      Francisca Cerqueira Gomes was seen accompanying Pierre GaslyCredit: Instagram
      Francisca Cerqueira Gomes and Pierre Gasly were together at the Abu Dhabi Grand PrixCredit: Instagram More

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      Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto AXED after failing to break 14-year F1 title drought with string of tactical blunders

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      FERRARI have axed boss Mattia Binotto after he failed to guide the Italian F1 team win their first title since 2008.Only last week, Ferrari moved to reject claims that Binotto was being replaced by Alfa Romeo boss Fred Vasseur.
      Mattia Binotto has been axed from FerrariCredit: Reuters
      However, Binotto has now tendered his resignation and will leave the role at the end of the year, having held the position as team principal for four years.
      Binotto, who has worked for Ferrari for a total of 28 years, oversaw the team build arguably the quickest car this season.
      However, a catalogue of strategy and operational cock-ups have cost Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz valuable points.
      Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said: “I would like to thank Mattia for his many great contributions over 28 years with Ferrari and particularly for leading the team back to a position of competitiveness during this past year.
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      “As a result, we are in a strong position to renew our challenge, above all for our amazing fans around the world, to win the ultimate prize in motorsport.
      “Everyone here at the Scuderia and in the wider Ferrari community wishes Mattia well for the future.”
      Binotto, who has been linked with a job-switch with Vasseur, was popular within the team.
      He added: “With the regret that this entails, I have decided to conclude my collaboration with Ferrari.
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      “I am leaving a company that I love, which I have been part of for 28 years, with the serenity that comes from the conviction that I have made every effort to achieve the objectives set.
      “I leave a united and growing team. A strong team, ready, I’m sure, to achieve the highest goals, to which I wish all the best for the future.
      “It is right to take this step at this time as hard as this decision has been for me.
      “I would like to thank all the people at the Gestione Sportiva who have shared this journey with me, made up of difficulties but also of great satisfaction.”
      Ferrari finished second in the F1 constructors’ championship, 205 points behind Red Bull.
      Leclerc was second in the drivers’ championship and Sainz was fifth, despite SIX retirements. More

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      Max Verstappen gifted £150,000 Honda NSX Type S by car manufacturer in honour of F1 championships

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      TWO-TIME Formula One world champion Max Verstappen has been gifted a £150,000 Honda NSX Type S in honour of his latest title triumph. The Dutchman turned in a record-breaking 2022 season, winning 15 of the 22 races.
      Verstappen won back-to-back F1 world titlesCredit: Splash
      Honda gifted the Dutchman a £150,000 carCredit: Honda
      Verstappen was presented with the car in JapanCredit: Honda
      He then took the Honda NSX Type S for a spin around Japan’s Motegi circuitCredit: Honda
      Verstappen sealed his second F1 world title in Japan, leaving his competitors, Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez, scrapping for second place with four races to go.
      And to celebrate Verstappen’s success, Red Bull partners Honda gifted the 25-year-old a £150,000 car at the Honda Racing Thanks Day, held at Japan’s Motegi circuit.
      Verstappen was joined by team-mate Sergio Perez and a host of other motorsport names – including MotoGP’s Marc Marquez.
      Honda chairman Seiji Kuraishi expressed his thanks to Verstappen for winning back-to-back world titles while Honda Racing president Koji Watanabe turned over the keys to the grey NSX Type S.
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      Verstappen said: “It’s an amazing car, so [I’m] very proud to receive it. Thank you very much.”
      He then took his new car for a spin on the track.
      Red Bull are due to celebrate their Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship victories with the people of Milton Keynes in December.
      Team principal Christian Horner said: “We are enormously proud to base our Technology Campus in Milton Keynes.
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      “Ever since we moved into the small factory that we started with in 2005, the local community has supported the Team through all the highs and lows.
      “Oracle Red Bull Racing has grown massively since then and this year’s phenomenal results wouldn’t have been possible without that support.
      “It’s only fitting that we celebrate this record-breaking season with the community we cherish and in the heart of the city we are happy to call home.” More

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      Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton slammed for doing doughnuts in a £155,000 Nissan Skyline supercar in a Japanese car park

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      LEWIS Hamilton has been blasted after “speeding” and doing doughnuts in a £155,000 supercar in Japan.The seven-time Formula 1 world champion, 37, drove a 1998 Nissan Skyline R34 around Tokyo, taking to Instagram to post clips of his late-night drive.
      Lewis Hamilton has been slammed by fansCredit: Instagram
      A clip shows him doing doughnuts in a closed car parkCredit: Instagram
      Smoke could be seen coming from the gear stick at one pointCredit: Instagram
      Hamilton captioned the post: “I only like to drive on track, but I make exceptions.”
      Snapshots from the post appear to show Hamilton’s speedometer at almost 160km/h (99 mph) as he roared around the Tokyo Expressway in Japan – seemingly 60km/h over the speed limit.
      Road traffic laws in Japan restrict cars to 100km/h (62mph) on divided national expressways and 60km/h (37mph) on other roads, unless otherwise stated.
      The highest speed limit in the country is on some sections of the Shin-Tōmei Expressway and Tōhoku Expressway at 120km/h (75mph).
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      After completing several doughnuts in an empty car park smoke can be seen rising from inside the car’s gear stick as Hamilton laughs.
      The racing star has come under fire from Japanese fans for posting the video, with road users in the country telling him his speed was “strictly prohibited”.
      Another said: “Surprised to see him acting so recklessly on public roads.”
      “There are shots of him doing two and a half times the speed limit.
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      “It’s a very cool video, but probably wasn’t the best idea.”
      It’s understood the doughnut stunt was filmed in a closed parking lot.
      Other fans loved the videos, saying: “Get over it, it’s just for fun.
      “It was probably well choreographed for all we know – let the guy live.”
      Another added: “It’s amazing to see him having so much fun”.
      The iconic car, which has a top speed of 165mph, was used in the 2006 film The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift – starring Lucas Black.
      The footage, shot by Hamilton’s personal photographer Timothy McGurr, 38, has gone viral online, racking up over 1.6 million likes.
      In 2007, Hamilton, who holds the record for most race wins in Formula 1 history, was banned from driving in France for a month after cops clocked him doing 123mph.
      Officers chased down the racer after he triggered a motorway speed trap in his £50,000 Mercedes CLK.
      And in 2010 the Mercedes driver saw his car impounded by cops after he did burnouts on the streets of Melbourne.
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      The driver, who was knighted last year, apologised for the 2010 incident and admitted: “I was silly”.
      Hamilton ended the F1 season sixth in the standings, with 2022 becoming the first year in the Stevenage-born star’s career where he has failed to win a race.
      Footage also shows him driving down the Tokyo ExpresswayCredit: Instagram
      The F1 star captioned the post: ‘I only like to drive on track, but I make exceptions’Credit: Instagram More