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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

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      Keith Farmer dead at 35: Tributes paid to four-time British motorcycle champion after shock sudden passing

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      FOUR-TIME British motorcycle champion Keith Farmer has passed away aged 35.Farmer, known as the Clogher Bullet, passed away suddenly, his brother David announced on Thursday.
      Keith Farmer has passed away suddenly aged 35Credit: Pacemaker
      The ex-TAS Racing rider was a four-time British championCredit: Pacemaker
      David wrote: “I’m lost for words our little brother left us at 1.45 this morning with us all by his side.
      “Life will never be the same again, he made us all so proud and he will be very sorely missed. Love you Meekie #33.”
      Farmer, who was based in Cumbria, was described as “pure raw talent” whose motorsport career was hampered by injury and bad luck.
      He had retired from racing in September 2021, after battling injury for the final few years of his career, and was looking forward to spending time with his family.
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      At the time of his retirement, Keith told the News Letter: “I just feel the time is right now because the enjoyment’s not there any more and my body needs the chance to heal from the injuries I’ve had over these past couple of years.
      “I’ve another baby due in five weeks’ time and my other youngest daughter is turning five in December, plus I’ve my eldest daughter back in Northern Ireland.
      “I want to walk away now when I can rather than keeping going for the sake of it, and I want to spend more time with my family.”
      Four-time British champ Farmer competed for BSB, Paul Bird Motorsport, Buildbase Suzuki and TAS Racing, with the latter describing his passing as “absolute devastation”.
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      Team principal Philip Neill offered his sympathies to Farmer’s family and friends, saying: “We enjoyed many happy memories together both within racing and on a personal level as Keith had remained a close friend of the team.
      “His talent was undeniable and although his successes were many, including a memorable Superstock championship win with Tyco BMW in 2018, I will always feel like we never actually witnessed Keith’s full potential on a superbike – as he was so often hampered by injury or bad luck.”
      The British Superbike Championship say Farmer will be remembered fondly by his rivals.
      The organisation said: “Keith will be terribly missed by all that had the pleasure of meeting him throughout his career.
      “He was a brilliant and successful rider on track, who will be fondly remembered by his rivals, colleagues and fans following today’s tragic news.”
      Glenn Irwin, British Superbike rider, described him as his “fierce rival”.
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      Sharing a picture on Twitter of the pair on a podium, he added: “The day 3 mad Irish men locked out the podium. 2011 you were my fierce rival winning the stock 600 title.
      “I remember when PBM snapped you up, sure you would go all the way to the top with birdys then GP team. That’s how good you were, pure raw talent.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton is Mercedes’ best chance of winning despite George Russell’s 15 point gap, says F1 pundit

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      LEWIS HAMILTON is still Mercedes’ best chance of claiming a win, not George Russell, claims Jolyon Palmer.Rookie Russell leads his legendary Formula One team-mate by 15 points in the Drivers’ Standings.
      George Russell currently leads Lewis Hamilton by 15 points in the standingsCredit: Getty
      Seven-time world champ Hamilton has failed to mount a title challenge this term but after a poor start battling for midfield spots he has finished second in his last two outings.
      F1 pundit Palmer is adamant that the 37-year-old has shown recently that he is back to his best.
      And he added that if Mercedes can build a car capable of mounting a shot at the championship next season, then it will be Hamilton that will be pushing for it rather than his junior colleague.
      Discussing the points gap between the pair on the F1 Nation podcast, Palmer said: “I imagine George will close it out, just by sheer numbers.
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      “There’s only two races left and if he just manages to keep this consistency, he’ll be there.
      “But I think that doesn’t really tell the picture of the Mercedes story.
      “I think George has been impressive, if he beats Lewis it will be an amazing achievement.
      “But I do think the more the season’s gone on, the more Lewis looks like Lewis again.”
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      He added: “At the start of the year, there was a really odd moment where everyone was a bit perplexed [thinking] ‘is George Russell, gonna outdo Lewis Hamilton?’ and for the first six, seven races, it was looking that way.
      “As the season’s gone on, I think Lewis has got on top.
      “And I think if they do have a title-challenging car next year, I still think it’d be Lewis that would be that man.” More

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      ‘Max is weak technically’ – Ex-Red Bull engineer slams Verstappen despite Dutchman securing back-to-back F1 world titles

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN’S technical skills have been brutally criticised by former Red Bull engineer Guillaume Rocquelin.The driver won his second World Championship this year after winning a record 14 races this season, but that has not been enough to convince Rocquelin of his skills.
      Max Verstappen has been told that he can still improve despite winning his second World Championship title this year.Credit: EPA
      The ex-engineer believed that the Dutchman can still improve his ability in and out of the car in order to improve the team.
      He told Eurosport France’s ‘Les Fous du Volant’ podcast: “I’ll be honest, Max is weak technically compared to other drivers we’ve worked with.
      “I think he still has a lot of progress to make. He is a leader by his attitude, his results. But I think he can improve from a technical point of view and in the way of developing the car.”
      Verstappen beat Sebastien Vettel and Michael Schumacher’s record of wins in a season, but Rocquelin views Vettel as the “more complete driver”.
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      For seven years between 2015 and 2022 Rocquelin was Red Bull Racing’s head of engineering.
      He was the race engineer for all of Vettel’s championship wins, before the German driver left for Ferrari in 2015.
      He added: “I think Sebastian (Vettel) was a more complete driver than Max (Verstappen) when he arrived with us.
      “At the professional level, technique, mediation…he was trained at the (Michael) Schumacher school.
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      “He asked a lot of questions, took a lot of notes and when he arrived with us he was very thorough.
      “It’s no coincidence he won several titles. He was more prepared technically, and mentally.
      “I think Max (Verstappen) maybe had more natural talent, that’s what he relied on the most.
      “But Sebastian was the most complete. Max has always been a boss. He has enormous self-confidence, he knows what he wants and he is very direct.” More

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      F1 chief Stefano Domenicali wants to create a ‘Super Bowl’ effect after adding Las Vegas GP for 2023 season

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      FORMULA 1 chief Stefano Domenicali wants to create a Super Bowl effect on the track with a third US race now on the calendar.Texas and Miami both hosted Grand Prix events in 2022.
      Las Vegas has been added to the Formula 1 calendar for the 2023 seasonCredit: Getty
      And Las Vegas has now been added to the schedule for the 2023 season, increasing America’s host venues to three.
      That’s set to be the most the US have ever hosted in an F1 season.
      As a result, Domenicali wants to bring a Super Bowl effect to the sport.
      He said: “It was such a quick turnaround – really a matter of two years. An incredible ‘switch-on’ that before was not there.
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      “Our vision of, ‘Everywhere we go, we want to create a Super Bowl’ is much easier to understand if you have an American mentality.
      “We are trying politely to offer something that is not pure US but international.
      “And we saw the effect of being stubborn to be in Vegas.
      “No one thought we’d be able to convince the committees to be on the Strip on a Saturday night.”
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      The season draws to a close with the final two races, starting in Brazil this weekend Prix followed by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix later this month.
      Max Verstappen was confirmed as a two-time F1 world champion after winning in Japan in October. More

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      Fernando Alonso wants Max Verstappen link up as Lewis Hamilton’s two great rivals could become team-mates outside F1

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      FERNANDO ALONSO said he wants to team-up with Max Verstappen for racing outside of F1 if the opportunity presents itself. The Spaniard, 41, will enter yet another year of Formula 1 next season and is showing no signs of slowing down.
      Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso are at different stages of their career but both have been successful in F1Credit: Reuters
      But he is already thinking about other motorsport categories he can compete in when he chooses to leave the sport for the second time.
      And despite his far younger age, Verstappen has already made noises himself about what he plans to do after F1.
      Alonso admitted he liked the idea of the two – who are arguably Lewis Hamilton’s greatest F1 rivals – joining forcing for the historic 24 of Le Mans endurance race.
      He told De Telegraaf: “I know Max wants to do some endurance one day and I know he’d like to do the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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      “I’m certainly open to doing that together. I think we should give the idea a chance if we can drive for a competitive team.”
      Alonso was also asked about driving with Verstappen’s father Jos instead with Jos, at 50, being closer to Alonso’s age than Max.
      But Alonso joked: “His father for Le Mans? At the moment, I prefer Max.
      “But I also have a lot of respect for Jos. He could develop the role of team principal!”
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      Both Alonso and Verstappen have two World Championships, with the former’s coming with Renault in 2005 and 2006 while the latter’s won his with Red Bull in 2021 and this year.
      In that time, both have struck up fierce rivalries with Hamilton at either stage of his career.
      The seven-times World Champion was teammates with Alonso in 2007 at McLaren but the pair were often at loggerheads and allowed Kimi Raikkonen to sneak his Ferrari to that year’s World Championship.
      And in 2021, Hamilton and Verstappen engaged in a title duel for the ages that saw dangerous crashes, more dangerous crashes and eventually the most dramatic and controversial lap of racing the sport had ever seen. More