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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

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      Tanner Foust desperate for McLaren to stay in ‘rallycross on steroids’ Extreme E championship for at least another year

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      TANNER FOUST is hoping McLaren commit to another season in Extreme E – the championship he says is like “rallycross on steroids”.US racer Foust has driven everything from the General Lee in the Dukes of Hazzard films to monster trucks.
      Tanner Foust hopes to see McLaren continue racing in Extreme ECredit: Getty
      But he has been overwhelmed by the all-electric off-road car, called the Odyssey, he drives in the championship.
      He said: “I’ve been fortunate to race in a lot of different stuff in random types of motorsport, but I always underestimate the Odyssey and how quickly it covers ground.
      “It’s a big machine and when you do a track walk here you are trying to estimate where you’re braking and how fast you’ll be going through corners, I’m always completely wrong.
      “The racing format has also kind of gone away from adventure racing in difficult terrain to rallycross on steroids.
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      “You have these machines that can handle way more jumps and damage than a rallycross car.
      “I keep asking anybody who has a McLaren logo on their shirt whether we are committed for next year or not.
      “I have not heard any announcement but Emma Gilmour and I both really hope to be.
      “We’ve really enjoyed this season and feel like we’ve gained some momentum. So hopefully an announcement will come soon.”
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      Foust was speaking ahead of the final race of the season in Punta del Este in Uruguay where part of Extreme E’s plan is to run legacy programmes to help the environment.
      One such project involved marine conservation and him spending some time in the ocean.
      He added: “I’m a biology major and I have not talked about that or done anything with it except try to remember things to teach my daughter.
      “So it’s fascinating to hang out with the scientists and each of these locations. Out here in Uruguay, we went swimming with sea lions, which where I live they’re not the friendliest animals.
      “On this side of the planet they’re quite friendly, inquisitive and fun to swim with strangely, they still smell the same!” More

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      Max Verstappen’s dad drops huge hint F1 world champion could QUIT and claims Red Bull star is ‘done with everything now’

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN’S dad Jos has suggested his son could quit F1 as he is “done with everything now”.The Dutch driver is enjoying the off-season after winning the Driver’s Championship at a canter, a year after he also won his epic battle with Lewis Hamilton.
      Verstappen and Red Bull dominated the 2022 F1 season and left rivals trailing in his wakeCredit: Getty
      The F1 season ended last week in Abu Dhabi as the remaining subplots were wrapped up.
      But the driver’s title was settled at the start of October in Japan with Verstappen crushing the opposition.
      With Ferrari’s challenge for the crown unravelling and Hamilton stuck in an uncompetitive Mercedes, Verstappen finished 146 points clear of second-place.
      He also won 15 of the 22 races contested during the season, breaking an F1 record.
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      Verstappen’s outspoken dad Jos has suggested he’s feeling complete and could soon move on from the sport.
      He told Viaplay, as per the Mirror: ‘He’s just a bit done with everything now. Especially when you have won the championship, then the pressure is off and it becomes less exciting.
      “For Max, I think it was just important that he broke that record with those wins. I think that’s the most important thing.”
      But the 50-year-old added: “To be honest, I do think it will all be a bit closer next year – that is also the intention of these regulations.
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      “I don’t mind. Good battles on track and a good championship until the end would be fantastic.”
      Verstappen himself has previously hinted that he is already considering his future in the sport, despite only being 25-years-old.
      While Fernando Alonso has indicated that he would look forward to racing alongside the two-times World Champion in other series after their time in F1 comes to an end.
      After Logan Sargeant replaced Nicholas Latifi at Williams earlier this week, the entire 2023 grid has now been confirmed.
      The 20 drivers will do battle again in March when the new season begins in Bahrain. More

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      Michael Schumacher update as ‘star sends message’ on 10th anniversary of his retirement & nine years since ski tragedy

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      MICHAEL Schumacher has sent a message to his fans on the 10th anniversary of his retirement.The Formula 1 legend’s tweet comes nine years after his horrific skiing accident in the French Alps in 2013, which left him with severe brain injuries.
      Michael Schumacher pictured when he finally retired from Formula 1Credit: Twitter/@schumacher
      Schumacher was the seven times World ChampionCredit: Getty – Contributor
      The legendary driver pictured with his pit crew in theCredit: Twitter/@schumacher
      The pictures were tweeted on the 10th anniversary of retirementCredit: Twitter/@schumacher
      Seven World Champion first retired at the end of the 2006 season after winning 91 F1 Grand Prix races but returned to the sport in 2009 to drive for Mercedes.
      He spent three years with the team but didn’t win a race before he finally quit in 2012.
      Marking the day, his official account tweeted: “Life is about passions Thank you for sharing mine.”
      It was followed by #TeamMichael and #KeepFighting.
      READ MORE ON SCHUMACHER
      A picture shows Schumacher in his car, which has ‘Thank You Goodbye Michael’ on the side, and another with him surrounded by his pit crew.
      It comes as 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.
      The car was the one in which Schumacher won his sixth Formula One world title.
      After his accident Schumacher was placed in a medically induced coma until June 2014 and is now back home near Lake Geneva in Switzerland with his family.
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      His condition has remained a closely guarded secret, with his wife Corinna preferring to treat her husband privately at their home in Geneva, Switzerland.
      Corinna, 53, broke down in tears when the F1 legend was honoured with an award at an emotional ceremony in July.
      The Ferrari icon was awarded the State Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia.
      F1 boss Jean Todt is who is one of the only people outside Schumacher’s family and medical team still allowed to see him.
      Todt revealed Schumacher is “in good hands” as he revealed he visits the stricken star three times a week.
      He previously shared details about the star’s condition and said he “hopes the world” will be able to see his dear friend again, adding Schumacher has “never changed”.
      “I don’t leave him alone. Him, Corinna, the family, we’ve had so many experiences together,” said Todt.
      “The beauty of what we have experienced is part of us and it goes on.
      “Sometimes success and money changes you. But Michael has never changed. He’s so strong.”
      He also revealed Schumacher still loves to watch Formula One races.
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      Todt told German TV channel RTL: “I don’t miss Michael, I see him. Yes, it’s true, I watch races with Michael.
      “But sure, I guess what I miss is what we used to do together.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton could have Mick Schumacher as Mercedes team-mate next season as Wolff opens door to signing F1 icon’s son

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      TOTO Wolff has opened the door for Mick Schumacher to be Lewis Hamilton’s new team-mate at Mercedes next season.The 23-year-old, son of legendary racer Michael, competed for Haas in 2022.
      Mick Schumacher is the son of former F1 icon MichaelCredit: Getty
      Toto Wolff has opened the door for Schumacher to join Lewis Hamilton at MercedesCredit: Getty
      But Schumacher is a free agent after being replaced by Nico Hulkenberg.
      Meanwhile, Mercedes are looking out for a new reverse after Nyck de Vries joined AlphaTauri and Stoffel Vandoorne signed for Aston Martin.
      And Wolff admitted that he would be interested in taking care of the German when speaking at the Abu Dhabi GP.
      He said: “Mick is someone that has always been close to our heart because of Michael, or the whole Schumacher family.
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      “Ralf was in a DTM for a long time for us, his son races Mercedes [cars] in GTs.
      “He’s an intelligent, well-mannered young man, [and] he’s been very successful in junior formulas.
      “We believe that we can look after him if the situation were to happen and with someone that fits the team, but we haven’t really put pen to paper, we haven’t really come anywhere close to any terms.
      “I’m saying that openly because I think he just fits and now we need to make it happen, if he wants to, Sabine [Kehm, Schumacher’s manager] wants to, and then we see where that goes to.”
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      But Wolff admitted that nothing has been decided yet.
      He added: “We haven’t really put pen to paper, we haven’t really come anywhere close to any terms.
      “I’m seeing it that openly because I think he just fits and now we need to make it happen, if he wants to, Sabine wants to and then we see we see where that goes to.” More