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      Ted Kravitz breaks silence on Max Verstappen’s Sky Sports F1 boycott and reveals they’ve had ‘chat’ ahead of Brazil GP

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      REPORTER Ted Kravitz has broken his silence on Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s boycott of Sky Sports.The Dutch driver has ended his boycott of the sports broadcaster, which he had started after Kravitz suggested Lewis Hamilton was “robbed” of last year’s World Championship at the US GP in Austin.
      Max Verstappen has lifted his boycott of Sky SportsCredit: Getty
      However, after deciding to “bury the hatchet” after clear-the-air talks on Monday, Verstappen says he is happy for them to question him again ahead of the Brazil Grand Prix.
      Speaking in Mexico, Verstappen said: “It has been a constant kind of digging and being disrespectful, especially from one particular person. At one point it is enough and I don’t accept it.
      “You cannot live in the past and you have to move on. You keep disrespecting me and at one point I will not tolerate it any more and that is why I decided to stop answering.”
      Team principal Christian Horner added: “There were some derogatory comments made so we took a break from Sky for this race. Max was upset.
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      “We were upset and we made the decision to stand together as a team.”
      But the talks in Milton Keynes has helped to repair the relationship between the F1 team and Sky Sports.
      While Kravitz did not speak of the row during the Mexico Grand Prix, he did instead reveal that a “line” had been drawn under the incident.
      During his Notebook show after qualifying in Sao Paulo, he said: “I do want to tell you, just following up what happened with us and me and Max Verstappen in Mexico.
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      “Listen, we sat down, we had a good chat and, as Max said yesterday, we’ve drawn a line under it.”
      Verstappen also confirmed this, adding: “We drew a line under it. We keep on going, and I am looking forward to it.” More

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      F1 star Pierre Gasly’s girlfriend Kika Cerqueira Gomes looks stunning in blue striped bikini

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      MODEL Kika Cerqueira Gomes shows off her racing stripes ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix.The Portuguese star, who wore a blue bikini, is dating French driver Pierre Gasly.
      Model Kika Cerqueira Gomes looked stunning as she modelled a blue striped bikiniCredit:
      Kika will be cheering Pierre on at the Brazilian Grand PrixCredit: Instagram
      Kika, 19, will be cheering on Pierre, 26, at Sunday’s race but his road to success will not be easy.
      The Alpha Tauri driver is going into the penultimate race of the year with just two points off a ban.
      He said: “I’m not going to lie.
      “It’s a very unpleasant situation and is quite delicate and, in some ways, quite embarrassing.
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      “To be standing in a position where I could be banned after the season I have done.
      “I don’t really feel I have been particularly dangerous over these last 12 months — and that would be definitely a harsh penalty.”
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      Kika is cheering on French race Pierre GaslyCredit: AFP More

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      Kevin Magnussen snatches shock pole position at Brazilian GP as chaotic qualifying session hit by rain and red flag

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      KEVIN MAGNUSSEN took an unlikely pole position for Saturday’s sprint race in Sao Paulo.The Danish driver had set the quickest time in qualifying when George Russell slid off the track midway through the session.
      Kevin Magnussen took his first ever pole on his 100th appearance for Haas, sparking incredible scenes in the team’s garageCredit: Rex
      A red flag triggered by George Russell’s beached Mercedes set the stage for Magnussen’s unlikely poleCredit: Reuters
      Max Verstappen (left) and George Russell (right) qualified 2nd and 3rd but were overshadowed by Magnussen’s extraordinary featCredit: Reuters

      His Mercedes car was stuck in the gravel and the stewards red-flagged qualifying. But as the marshals recovered the car, the heavens opened.
      It meant that when it resumed, no other driver was able to set a quicker time, as they struggled with the wet conditions.
      It was Magnussen’s first pole of his career in his 100th appearance for the Brackley-based Haas team, who had also never been on pole before.
      He said: “The team put me on track at the right moment. I was first out on the track and to take pole is incredible.
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      “It is maximum attack tomorrow, let’s go for something funny!”
      It was a popular pole for the likeable team and their boss Guenther Steiner.
      Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc was left furious with his Ferrari team after they bungled their tyre strategy.
      At one point they did not have tyres ready for him and on another occasion they sent him out on the intermediate, rather than the slick tyres.
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      Max Verstappen will start in second place on the grid for the short sprint race which will determine the grid for Sunday’s Sao Paulo GP.
      Russell’s accident actually protected his third place on the grid and he will line up alongside Lando Norris while Lewis Hamilton starts in eighth.
      Russell said: “I am massively happy with P3 but congrats to Kevin.
      “I think we will have a good race tomorrow.” More

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      Max Verstappen asks to ‘skip’ question ahead of F1 Brazil Grand Prix after Red Bull drivers’ second world title

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN made it clear he wanted to “skip” a question he was asked ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend.The two-time F1 world champion declined to speak about about a crash in a virtual race.
      Max Verstappen asked to “skip” a question during a press conferenceCredit: Getty
      A break in the F1 calendar last week saw Verstappen, 25, compete in the Le Mans Virtual Series Six Hours of Spa event.
      But the Red Bull star couldn’t translate his real-life success into the virtual race.
      Verstappen joined the virtual race at Belgium’s Spa circuit behind the wheel of Team Redline’s then fourth-placed car, with just over three hours left to race.
      After moving up into third he was sent spinning at Eau Rouge corner, hitting the barrier, after making contact with a lapped GTE Ferrari.
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      Verstappen was able to continue and battled back to finish second, but was left wondering what could have been had he not spun out.
      And he didn’t appear to be in the mood to answer questions about the virtual incident when quizzed in Brazil.
      Asked how the virtual race went, he said: “It was quite eventful to be honest.
      “Can we skip that? It was okay but I had a moment in Eau Rouge.”
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      Then when quizzed if it was a small moment, Verstappen replied: “No. It was quite a big moment, It happens.”
      Elsewhere Verstappen confirmed he has now dropped his Sky Sports boycott.
      The Dutchman has agreed to be questioned by the broadcaster again following clear the air talks.
      Verstappen returns to the real-life track in Brazil this weekend looking for a record 15th race win of the season.
      The Red Bull ace has already wrapped up the world title and victory in Mexico last time out saw him set the record for most wins in a single season. More

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      Toto Wolff wants salary cap to be LOWER than what £40m-a-year F1 stars Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen earn

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      MERCEDES boss Toto Wolff says F1’s plans to impose a salary cap on drivers should be LOWER than what top earns Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen currently get paid.The sport’s bosses are keen to reduce drivers’ wages as part of their push to reduce costs.
      Toto Wolff reckons the new salary cap should be LESS than Lewis Hamilton’s £40m a yearCredit: Getty
      How much F1 stars earn
      Hamilton and Verstappen earn around £40million a year, with their contracts running until the end of 2023 and 2028, respectively.
      Drivers reacted angrily to the proposal in Baku in June but Wolff, who is a three-way owner of the Mercedes team, says he is in favour of the cap.
      He said: “It certainly has come up as a controversial topic. We can see that we are facing a very difficult situation in F1 overall.
      “The sport is booming and F1 is earning more money and that trickles down to the teams.
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      “But we have a cost cap. We have $140million for 1,000 people. With inflation, we haven’t been able to even pay the inflation.
      “The talk about $30 or $40m salary allowance is inadequate when you take that perspective.
      “Clearly the drivers will have an opinion on that. Maybe as a driver I would say the same thing, but the US American leagues that are the most successful in the world have introduced salary caps 15 years ago. It works pretty well over there.
      “We need to find a way of how we can act sustainably and become independent from sovereign funds or state-owned teams.
      Mercedes had a rainbow badge in BakuCredit: AFP
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      “Therefore it is certainly clear that this is going to be one of the main areas because you can’t simply have a salary bill in some of the top teams that is 30, 40, 50m when the rest of the team needs to be divided in 140m.
      “But having said that, they are tremendous superstars, they deserve to be among the top earners in the sport.
      “In terms of direct salaries they already are and then we need to find a way of unlocking the capability of doing endorsement deals which is two-thirds if not more for US American sports teams.
      “But certainly, direct salaries, F1 drivers are paid the most.” More

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      Verstappen DROPS Sky Sports F1 boycott ahead of Brazil GP after Mexico snub over comment he’d ‘robbed’ Hamilton of title

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN says he’s buried the hatchet with Sky F1 and has dropped his boycott of the broadcaster.The F1 world champion was upset with digs from one of the channel’s presenters, Ted Kravitz.
      Verstappen is looking to finish the season with two more winsCredit: Getty
      The final straw came at the US GP in Austin where Kravitz used the word “robbed” to insinuate the Red Bull racer had stolen the world crown from Lewis Hamilton in 2021.
      The Verstappen camp’s decision to ignore the channel was supported by his team, who also ignored the rights’ holders at the Mexico GP.
      However, after clear the air talks on Monday, Verstappen says he is happy for them to question him again.
      Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Brazil Grand Prix, he said: “We drew a line under it and we keep on going. I  am looking forward to [speaking to Sky].”
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      Meanwhile, this weekend will see the third and final sprint race weekend, where a short 30-minute race dictates the grid for Sunday’s actual GP.
      It is F1’s attempt to mix up the grid and increase the excitement over the weekend, but Verstappen is not a fan of the format, which will be at six races next season.
      He added: “I am honestly not a big fan of it because I feel like we don’t really race. There are a few points that you can get, but you know you can’t risk it because the main race is where you get the points.
      “You don’t really do a pitstop, you just put on a tyre that will last the distance. And you don’t see a lot of overtaking unless there is a car out of position.
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      “For me, it is not fun. I like one practice session and then into qualifying. I like that because you need to nail the set-up.
      “But when I go into a sprint race, you are risking a lot and wanting to play safe.”
      Brit star Lando Norris’ participation in this weekend’s action has been thrown into doubt after the McLaren driver came down with suspected food poisoning. More

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      Lando Norris in race against time to be fit for Brazilian GP after bout of FOOD POISONING with Nyck de Vries on standby

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      LANDO NORRIS is facing a race against time to be fit for the start of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend after going down with suspected food poisoning.The McLaren driver, 22, was forced to abandon his media duties at Interlagos on Thursday, and is resting at the team hotel in Sao Paulo.
      Brit Lando Norris is a doubt for the Brazilian Grand PrixCredit: Getty
      The 22-year-old is dealing with about of food poisoningCredit: INSTAGRAM@LANDONORRIS
      Nyck de Vries is on standby to fill in for Norris should be unable to raceCredit: Rex
      Norris has been in Brazil since the weekend and spent Wednesday evening watching Sao Paulo side Palmeiras beat América Mineiro 2-1.
      He also posted a snap on Instagram of himself eating some chips at a buffet, presumably before the game.
      McLaren have allowed him more recovery time however, Dutch driver Nyck de Vries – who stood in for Alex Albon at the Italian Grand Prix in September after the Williams driver contracted appendicitis – is on standby.
      Norris wasn’t too optimistic about McLaren’s chances of a strong finish at the Autódromo Jose Carlos Pace.
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      He said: “I wouldn’t say Brazil is going to suit us at all with the balance of the car and out struggles.
      “I think even the last few races we’ve not been the quickest car or quick enough.
      “We’ve just done a better job with the strategy and with reliability to at least get to the checkered flag.”
      Despite a disappointing season, Norris still has full faith in the McLaren project.
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      He said: “I didn’t come into the season expecting us to be on the podium every weekend and fighting, maybe not top steps, but fighting for third and fourth, and fifth.
      “I wasn’t probably expecting that every weekend.
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      “It’s always hard, especially when it’s a new car, new era of cars, to know exactly what’s going to happen.
      “People are always going to find much better solutions, you know, like with Red Bull and not porpoising and not bouncing anywhere near as much as other people, Mercedes with their car, like there’s some big differences.” More

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      Michael Schumacher’s record-breaking Ferrari sells at auction for £13m and becomes most valuable ‘modern-era’ F1 car

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      MICHAEL SCHUMACHER’S old Ferrari Formula One car has become the most valuable of the “modern era”.The Ferrari F2003 was sold for an immense £12.6million, breaking the previous record, which was also held by an old Schumacher model.
      Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari F2003 was sold for over £10m in a recent auction.Credit: AP:Associated Press
      The auction of the car took place in Geneva, Switzerland at Sotherby’sCredit: Getty
      The car helped Schumacher become one of the best Formula 1 drivers of all time.Credit: Getty – Contributor
      That car was the F2001, which was sold in 2017 for £6.4m, almost half the price of the new record holder.
      The F2003 was the car in which Schumacher won his sixth Formula One world title.
      And five of Schumacher’s six victories that season came in the exact model sold in Geneva, along with two more podium finishes.
      Top Gear magazine revealed that the car was presented in “in full running order” after being rejuvenated by Ferrari.
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      It is believed that Mick Schumacher, Michael’s son, had a look at the car to check it over at Ferrari’s private testing ground at Fiorano.
      Since the vehicle has stopped racing it has only covered 148 miles, mostly driven by Mick.
      The car’s final price surged past the £9m that it was expected to be sold for.
      Mick is currently racing for the American team Haas, but could be replaced by Nico Hulkenburg next season.
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      Team Williams have been rumoured to be interested in giving him a lifeline by offering him a seat.
      RM Sotheby’s, a classic car auction house, said that the record breaking car: “provided an unforgettable moment for all Formula One fans.”
      Whoever has bought the car has got themselves a bit of Formula 1 history and one of the finest bits of F1 memorabilia ever offered up.
      The car gave Schumacher five wins and two further podiums in 2003Credit: EPA
      It had been back to Ferrari and is now as it was when it lined up on the grid in 2003Credit: EPA More