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      Red Bull confirm Daniel Ricciardo’s return to F1 team as he joins Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez as third driver

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      DANIEL RICCIARDO has re-joined Red Bull Racing following his release from McLaren.The Aussie has been handed a reserve driver role that will also see him take part in the team’s simulator development and marketing commitments.
      Daniel Ricciardo has re-joined Red Bull ahead of the 2023 seasonCredit: Reuters
      Ricciardo has won eight F1 GPs but has struggled at Renault and then McLaren, who decided to cut short his stay with the team in favour of signing Oscar Piastri.
      It resulted in the 33-year-old being without a seat for 2023, meaning he has taken a position at Red Bull, who he left in 2018.
      Red Bull announced the news on Twitter by simply saying: “He’s back. Welcome home”.

      He said: “The smile says it all. I’m truly excited to be coming back home to Red Bull as their third driver in 2023.
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      “For me personally, the ability to contribute to and be surrounded by the best team in F1 is hugely appealing, whilst also giving me some time to recharge and refocus.
      “I can’t wait to be with the team and support with simulator work, testing sessions and commercial activities.”
      Red Bull boss Christian Horner says Ricciardo is NOT being lined up as a replacement for Sergio Perez, who had a falling out with Max Verstappen in Brazil.
      He added: “It is great to bring Daniel back into the Red Bull family.
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      “He has enormous talent and such a brilliant character; I know the whole factory is excited to be welcoming him home.
      “In his role as test and third driver, Daniel will give us the chance to diversify, assisting in the development of the car, aiding the team with his experience and knowledge of what it takes to succeed in F1.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton left devastated after beloved young fan Isla dies who he met at Silverstone and dedicated F1 season to

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      LEWIS HAMILTON revealed his heartbreak and devastation after a beloved young fan died. The Mercedes star, 37, took to Instagram to express his sadness following Isla’s tragic passing.
      Lewis Hamilton’s young fan Isla sadly passed awayCredit: Instagram
      The F1 star paid his own personal touching tributeCredit: Instagram
      He posted the heartfelt message on his storyCredit: Instagram
      Hamilton met Isla at the Spanish Grand Prix when she was five and had been told she was terminally ill.
      They then reconnected at Silverstone and Hamilton dedicated his 2022 F1 season to the girl.
      But now the seven-time F1 world champion is clearly struggling to cope with Isla’s death.
      He posted a series of pictures of Isla, including a beautiful one of him holding the youngster, on his Instagram story.
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      Grieving Hamilton wrote in his emotion message: “Devastated to hear about Isla’s passing.
      “Meeting this little girl and her family at Silverstone was powerful and moving she was a fighter and an inspiration to us all.
      “Her memory will be with me always.”
      He later added: “I can’t stop thinking about Isla.
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      “This beautiful little spirit brought so much love into my life, her hugs and support meant the world to me.
      “I can’t believe she’s gone and I won’t get to hug her again. Life is not fair.
      “My deepest condolences to her family, I can’t imagine how had a time this is but please know how many people loved her and especially me.”
      He signed off the touching tribute with a broken heart emoji.
      Hamilton finished fifth at the Spanish GP in May, 54 seconds behind race winner and world champ Max Verstappen.
      ‘SHATTERED MY HEART’
      But he explained afterwards he was distracted after his initial encounter with Isla.
      The Stevenage driver said at the time: “Today at the track I had to work extra hard to focus. That’s because today I met a beautiful little girl Isla and her parents.
      “She’s so full of light, her smile alone brought more happiness than I can put into words.
      “I learned that Isla’s only five years old and terminally ill. It’s shattered my heart.
      “Seeing her smile and strength is the greatest gift and I just want to thank Isla and her parents for sharing that with me.
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      “I cannot wait to see you at Silverstone and give you a hug and thank you in person.
      “I’m going to give everything tomorrow and the rest of this season for you, Isla.” More

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      Ben Hunt: Classic races, huge crashes and juicy scandals… here are my F1 2022 season awards

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      ANOTHER F1 season ends — and we have had excellent races and even better rows.Here, SunSport’s motor racing correspondent Ben Hunt dishes out his awards for the 2022 campaign…
      Max Verstappen won a record 15 races this seasonCredit: Getty
      BEST RACE
      British GP. The incident-packed race at Silverstone was a classic, from the Just Stop Oil protesters on the circuit to the massive smash for Zhou Guanyu.
      Carlos Sainz was a popular winner in the paddock.
      BEST DRIVER
      Max Verstappen’s 15 wins in a season is a new F1 record. Last year he scraped his first title in controversial circumstances, this time he smashed it.
      The Dutchman has been excellent. Yes, he has had a dominant car but he still had to deliver and has done so with few mistakes.
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      BEST BRIT
      George Russell took his maiden F1 victory in Brazil and finished the season in fourth place in the championship.
      Not bad for someone whom many had written off against a team-mate who is a seven-time world champion. He has not been outclassed by Lewis Hamilton.
      BIGGEST SHOCK
      Mercedes’ struggle caught everyone out. In pre-season testing they looked strong but a dreadful car design left them with bouncing problems, causing headaches for drivers  and  designers.
      They must do better over the winter with their car to have half a chance of fighting Verstappen next season.
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      Zhou Guanyu survived a horror smash at SilverstoneCredit: PA
      Lewis Hamilton has a nightmare season as he went a year without a win for the first timeCredit: Reuters
      BIGGEST CRASH
      Zhou’s smash at Silverstone was sensational. It was a miracle he survived and that is all thanks to the halo cockpit protection system.
      Mick Schumacher had a big shunt too in Saudi Arabia, which saw him airlifted to hospital for a check up.
      BIGGEST SCANDAL
      The cost-cap row rumbled on for four races. This dreary piece of F1’s giant rulebook sent the rumour mill wild.
      Accusations about leaks and how rival teams found out the details, plus all the lobbying, caused plenty of political tensions.
      BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
      Ferrari. The Italians designed the quickest car but were let down by poor reliability and dreadful mistakes, especially on their strategy.
      Team boss Mattia Binotto is fighting for his future but needs a new chief strategist.
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      BIGGEST EXCITEMENT FOR 2023
      The Las Vegas Grand Prix is going to be special. Packages for the showpiece are being priced up to $1million, with huge events planned around the weekend.
      It is the penultimate race of 24 — more than ever — with a further six sprint events on top. More

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      Williams F1 team reveal American star Logan Sargeant as replacement for Nicholas Latifi for next season

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      WILLIAMS have confirmed Logan Sargeant will join their team for the 2023 Formula 1 season. The 21-year-old had long seemed set for the seat at one of F1’s most famous and historic racing teams, replacing the error-prone Nicolas Latifi.
      Logan Sargeant will be racing against the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen next season after he joined WilliamsCredit: Getty
      Nicholas Latifi struggled to impress in his three seasons in F1Credit: Splash
      But the American had to secure his F1 super licence first by finishing high enough in the F2 Championship.
      Sargeant managed to get the job done over two races in Abu Dhabi, securing fourth in the Driver’s Championship and gaining enough licence points.
      It paved the way for Williams’ announcement and Sargeant, who had already been a test driver for the team, will now partner Alex Albon next season.
      The driver impressed Williams with his performances this season and the team were keen to promote youth.
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      Back-to-back wins at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring in the summer proved to be his best moments.
      He comes in for Latifi who has failed to impress in F1 since claiming his seat at Williams in 2020.
      But the team have been struggling for several years now and their cars can often be seen fighting for positions at the back of the grid.
      But Williams used to be a powerful F1 side, with the team winning the Constructor’s Championship nine times in their history.
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      The switch means that the F1 grid for 2023 is now confirmed – with only four teams keeping their 2022 line-ups.
      Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo have opted to keep their two drivers.
      Elsewhere Sebastian Vettel retired for Aston Martin, opening the door for his old rival Fernando Alonso to make a shock switch.
      This decision left Alpine stumbling into a PR calamity after their first choice replacement, last season’s F2 champion Oscar Piastri, publicly rejected joining the team after they had already announced he was signing.
      Piastri instead replaced Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren, while Alpine landed Pierre Gasly in place of Alonso.
      This then opened up a seat at Italian team Alpha Tauri and they managed to secure the services of Nyck de Vries.
      And at Haas, Mick Schumacher was ditched in place of Nico Hulkenberg, who last drove regularly in F1 in 2019. More

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      Lewis Hamilton says ‘we finished with a car we didn’t want’ in brutal dig at Mercedes after ZERO F1 wins

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      LEWIS HAMILTON slammed Mercedes for giving him a car he “didn’t want” after ending the F1 season with ZERO wins.The seven-time world champion was hoping to end a miserable year with a victory at the Abu Dhabi GP on Sunday.
      Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire from the Abu Dhabi GP on SundayCredit: Getty
      But Hamilton’s season in further disappointment after he was forced to retire with a suspected hydraulic issue three laps from the end.
      It means the 37-year-old failed to win a single race for the first time since he joined the F1 circuit in 2008.
      His DNF in Abu Dhabi saw him slip to sixth in the Drivers’ Championship, his worst ever return.
      Hamilton even finished below Mercedes teammate George Russell, who came fourth.
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      The Englishman reflected on a frustrating year and wasn’t exactly thrilled with the car he drove.
      He said: “Ultimately, I think we started with a car that we didn’t want and we finished with a car that we didn’t want but we were basically stuck with it.
      “We kept trundling way, kept working away at improving it, but I think the fundamentals have still been there until the end, as you saw this weekend.
      “It’s been more of a team building exercise this year and I’m very, very proud of everybody.
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      Despite his obvious frustrations, Hamilton still thanked his team for getting him through the worst season of his career.
      He added: “Whilst we’re not celebrating a World Championship, we’ll be celebrating them still for their hard work and efforts.
      “I hope that the struggles this year really provide us with the tools and the strength to fight for many more championships moving forward.” More

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      Shock stats reveal just how bad Lewis Hamilton’s F1 season was as he goes his first EVER without single race win

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’S Formula 1 season ended in the worst possible way after he was forced to retire at the Abu Dhabi GP on Sunday.While Max Verstappen tasted victory in the final race of the year, the seven-time world champion suffered more misery after he pulled out.
      Lewis Hamilton finished the 2022 season without a single winCredit: Alamy
      It means that Hamilton failed to win a single race in a season for the first time in 16 years on the F1 circuit.
      The 37-year-old’s terrible time also saw him end in sixth-place for the championship, the lowest of his career.
      Hamilton had finished in the top two in each of the last eight years and was on course to come fifth having held a six-point lead over Carlos Sainz ahead of the race.
      But his DNF in the Middle East saw him slip down one place in the Drivers’ Championship.
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      He racked up just 240 points, a whopping 214 fewer than Verstappen.
      George Russell, who came fifth in Abu Dhabi, secured fourth place overall, meaning Hamilton finished below his teammate for just the third time in his career.
      The other two occasions were in 2009 when Jenson Button won the world title and Nico Roseberg seven years later.
      Despite his struggles, Hamilton is hopeful of challenging for world titles in the future.
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      He said: “These next couple of weeks, we’ll be back at the factory, we’ll get to see everybody, and while we’re not celebrating a world championship, we’ll be celebrating them still for their hard work and efforts.”
      “I hope that the struggles this year really provide us with the tools and the strengths to fight for many more championships moving forward.” More

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      Pep Guardiola joins Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes as stars including Patrice Evra, Shaq and Usain Bolt flock to Abu Dhabi GP

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      PEP GUARDIOLA was among the stars who came along to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as big celebrities filled the grid. It was the final F1 race of the season and many big names were out on show to mark the occasion.
      Guardiola was enjoying some time off with the Premier League season on hiatusCredit: Splash
      Usain Bolt and Patrice Evra were along the stars enjoying the Abu Dhabi actionCredit: Getty
      American singer Usher enjoyed the action in the UAECredit: Splash
      Last year’s Abu Dhabi race went down as one of the most controversial in the history of the sport.
      But with the title resolved several races ago and many other plot lines already wrapped up, it was a relaxed atmosphere on the grid as celebrities descended.
      Among the biggest names was Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
      He is enjoying a rare mid-season break while the World Cup takes centre-stage.
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      The Spaniard joined Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes team for the weekend – and became the latest big name to snub Martin Brundle.
      The former F1 driver and Sky Sports pundit attempted to reel in Guardiola during his traditional pre-race grid walk, but the manager was not in the mood for a chat.
      As Brundle tried to talk to him about Man City, the manager said: “No, let’s not talk about football today.”
      He then walked away as body guards ushered Brundle away, leading the unflappable F1 pundit to quip: “It’s okay, I’ve been thrown out of better places than this.”
      Ben Stokes was one of many English cricketers in attendanceCredit: Getty
      Film star Martin Lawrence took a selfie alongside comedian Michael DapaahCredit: Getty
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      Elsewhere, other major globe-trotting celebs popped up.
      Olympic legend Usain Bolt was also visible in the paddock ahead of the race, while fellow sports star Shaquille O’Neal was also present.
      Former Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra also arrived at the star-studded event and mingled alongside other celebs, including American pop star Usher.
      And England legend Ben Stokes was among several cricketers who turned up to watch the race – only a week after their brilliant T20 Cricket World Cup win.
      It ended up being a disappointing Grand Prix with Max Verstappen waltzing unchallenged to his 15th win of the season.
      A frustrated Hamilton meanwhile was forced to retire his Mercedes with only a couple of laps to go. More

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      Lewis Hamilton wants England AND Brazil to lift World Cup 2022 trophy as F1 stars predict winners with hilarious results

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      FORMULA ONE star Lewis Hamilton has hilariously predicted that he wants England and Brazil to win the World Cup together. The 37-year-old is of course cheering on England in Qatar but he also has a soft spot for Brazil after becoming an honorary citizen of the country.
      Hamilton was given a diploma and medal to signify his citizenship for Brazil
      Alexander Albon made a hilarious predictionCredit: Getty
      Hamilton is hugely popular in the South American nation and cites Brazillian legend Ayrton Senna as his idol.
      Many drivers were asked who they think was going to win the World Cup and when it came to Hamilton he joked: “I’m going to have to have a t-shirt for Brazil and England put together, stitched together.”
      And the seven-time world champion has a good chance of being correct with his prediction with Brazil tipped as one of the favourites.
      Hamilton was given his honorary citizenship a matter of weeks ago in a special ceremony prior to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
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      Most F1 drivers went for their own nation to win with Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz both confidently saying Spain.
      Lando Norries went for England and Pierre Gasly thought France would retain their crown.

      There was a number of comical answers, Alexander Albon admitted he didn’t even know the World Cup was on.
      The Williams racer then said: “I have to say Thailand. Even though Thailand aren’t playing.”
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      Speaking ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which was Sebastian Vettel’s last race before retirement, Mick Schumacher joked the German would switch sports and win the World Cup.
      F1 title winner Max Vertsappen was hopeful the Netherlands would do well and his Red Bull teammate said he hoped Mexico would win, if not, he was backing Argentina.
      Daniel Ricciardo, who will not be on the grid next season, backed a team from Group D.
      He said either his nation Austrailia or France would lift the trophy come December. More