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      Lewis Hamilton, 37, wants to stay in F1 for FIVE more years with Brit in talks to extend £40m-a-season Mercedes deal

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      LEWIS HAMILTON wants to race into his forties by signing a new bumper deal with Mercedes.The seven-time world champ, 37, told his team that he has another five years left in the sport.
      Lewis Hamilton is in talks with Mercedes over a new deal and wants to drive for another FIVE yearsCredit: Getty
      Hamilton’s £40million-a-year deal is up in 15 months but he is in talks with team boss Toto Wolff over an extension.
      Wolff, who lives in Monaco like Hamilton, said: “We speak a lot together.
      “Last week we sat down and he says, ‘Look, I have another five years in me how do you see that?’ Over time we have just grown together.
      “We are totally transparent with each other.
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      “Lewis will be the first one to say, ‘I can’t do this any more’ because I feel I haven’t got the reactions any more.
      “Or ‘I’ve just lost fun doing it’ and there is another generation growing up that is just very strong.
      “So I have no doubt that whatever we agree on a contract extension — which is going to happen — that we both are always going to discuss, very openly, what does the future hold.”
      If he signed for another five years, Hamilton would still be racing when he is 42 years old.
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      Hamilton could drive into his 40s, just like old team-mate Fernando AlonsoCredit: Instagram / @mercedesamgf1
      But Wolff does not see age as a limiting factor, with Brit Hamilton’s old rival Fernando Alonso, 41, still racing competitively.
      Wolff told Channel 4: “I don’t know if 40 is that age where you say that is not adequate any more for a racing driver.
      “If you look at where Fernando is with 41 years, he’s still very much there.
      “Now, is he the same Fernando that he was at 25? I don’t know but he’s still very competitive.”
      Wolff also held up NFL star Tom Brady, 45 — a seven-time Super Bowl champ — as an example.
      He added: “You look at Tom Brady, who is somebody I really admire for having the discipline in how he manages his life and his sport, and he’s on the pitch.
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      “So Lewis, with the way he leads his life.
      “With the full, ultra-narrow focus on his Formula One racing —   I think he can take it quite far.” More

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      Ben Hunt: Red Bull and Max Verstappen’s budget scandal D-day may end up being a damp squib but row will rumble on

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      MERCEDES are preparing to be left disappointed by the results of the FIA’s cost-cap investigation due on Wednesday.Merc boss Toto Wolff and Red Bull chief Christian Horner are at loggerheads over the rule that limited teams’ spending last season to £114million.
      Christian Horner was raging at Merc rival Toto WolffCredit: Rex
      Horner was left in a rage that Wolff had publicly commented on Red Bull’s financial submission, calling foul play on how the Austrian was privy to the confidential document filed to the FIA.
      Despite accusations of the opposite, Horner has maintained his team filed their audited report with their costs actually LOWER than the cap.
      On Sunday night, the Brit repeated his claim and said: “I’m absolutely confident in our submission.
      “It’s been through a process. It went in in March, in terms of being signed off fully by our auditors, and we believe that we are comfortably within the cap.”
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      However, I understand the final figure could now tip over the threshold following an assessment by the FIA to a sum that amounts to under £2m.
      That would then qualify as a ‘minor’ breach of the rules and result in the FIA coming up with a suitable punishment, which Red Bull will either accept or appeal.
      Should they accept, they’d be awarded their compliance certificate with the stipulation they accepted a breach agreement with the FIA.
      However, it is now looking unlikely that it will change the outcome of last year’s championship and that Red Bull’s Max Verstappen keeps his crown.
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      That was the explosive prospect for a ‘material breach’ of the cost cap, which seems will be avoided.
      However, that might still not be the end of the matter.
      It is expected Red Bull will argue that the extra money spent was not directly related to the production of their car and was for other items such as canteen food at the factory, sick pay or wages for staff placed on gardening leave.
      Merc are likely to counter that should have been included from the start. After all, every pound spent on sandwiches could have been cut from the cost of development on a rear wing.
      Wolff is now considering skipping this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix so he can lobby his point.
      It is an incredibly messy situation for the FIA to navigate and there is a growing debate as to how you police identifying how much of last year’s budget was spent on developing this year’s car.
      Tomorrow’s cost-cap D-day may prove to be a damp squib. But the row will rumble on.

      ALIPINE GO WITH GAS
      PIERRE GASLY is expected to be confirmed as an Alpine driver for 2023  this weekend.
      Alpine must stump up for his services as he is under contract with  AlphaTauri, Red Bull’s B-team.
      AlphaTauri are then expected to sign Nyck de Vries, 27, from under the noses of Williams.
      And Nico Hulkenberg is now the leading candidate to replace Mick Schumacher at Haas should they decide not to re-sign the German or the 23-year-old goes to Williams.

      MAX JUST A SHI GUY
      RED BULL are planning yet another marketing stunt — this time at Tokyo’s famous Shibuya Crossing.
      Dubbed the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing with as many as 500,000 people using it  a day, the F1 team have permission to film Max Verstappen driving there.
      Yet, ironically, Sunday’s race winner, Sergio Perez, might not be able to take part as the Japanese authorities have a problem with his  Mexico-issued driver’s licence.
      Sergio Perez might not be able to take part in a Red Bull stunt at Shibuya CrossingCredit: Rex
      HAVING been in the spotlight for most of the season, new FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, was conspicuous by his absence in Singapore.
      I understand he will miss the Japanese GP, too.
      Curious given Max Verstappen is likely to win the title AND the teams are tangled up in a cost-cap row.

      THE all-female racing championship W Series will make a decision this week on whether to finish the season amid a cash crisis.
      W Series is due to feature at the F1 GPs in Texas and Mexico and has been trying to find a new backer after a lucrative deal collapsed at the 11th hour.
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      A PAIR of Moto3 mechanics who deliberately blocked a rival rider in the pitlane at Aragon have been sacked by the Max Racing Team.
      The staff members were also fined just under £2,000 each for obstructing Tech3 KTM’s Adrian Fernandez during qualifying a fortnight ago. More

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      ‘Never been so angry’ – Moto3 champ fumes as shocking video surfaces of British rider being assaulted by mechanic

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      MOTOGP star Aleix Espargaro says he has “never been so angry” after a shocking clip surfaced of a mechanic assaulting Tom-Booth Amos from 2019.The unbelievable footage showed the Moto3 rider repeatedly being kicked and beaten up by one of his engineers.
      A shocking clip has emerged of Tom-Booth Amos being assaulted by a mechanicCredit: Twitter
      It showed the Brit rider being attacked in the paddock back in 2019Credit: Twitter
      This is the only thing being talked about in the paddock tonight: frankly unbelievable footage of a mechanic attacking Moto3 rider Tom Booth Amos in the garage after the 2019 race at Buriram pic.twitter.com/8meawe4iJk— Simon Patterson (@denkmit) October 1, 2022

      The video of the vile incident appeared online for the first time during last weekend’s Thai Grand Prix.
      After it went viral, the Shropshire-born Booth-Amos soon took to Instagram to confirm that he had “kept quiet” for three years as it was his “dream to stay in the paddock”.
      The 26-year-old only lasted that year with the third-tier CIP Moto KTM team.
      He added: “There was a lot of issues with the team that year that was never spoken about.”
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      That led to Espargaro, who is currently third in the MotoGP title race, telling The Race after watching the footage: “I saw the video, and I’ve never been that angry in all my career.
      “I’ve never seen something like this in a paddock, and I called [MotoGP sporting director] Carlos Ezpeleta and I talked with him.
      “I’m nobody to decide, but I feel like I’m one of the old men of this paddock after almost 20 years in it.
      “We have no riders’ union, but I think that it’s right that the moral riders speak up when something like this happens.”
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      Espargaro, 33, added: “For me this guy has to be out of the paddock, and Dorna has to go to the courts with him.
      “This is something that we’ve seen in other places, and this is even more dangerous.”
      Portuguese star Miguel Oliveira claimed victory on Sunday in Thailand. More

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      Why does today’s F1 Grand Prix have a countdown clock instead of lap counter?

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      IF you watched the Singapore Grand Prix, you may have noticed a significant difference during the race.The usual lap counter has been replaced by a countdown clock instead.
      The 2022 Singapore Grand Prix had a countdown clock instead of a lap counterCredit: Rex
      Heavy rainfall in Singapore saw the race delayed in the Grand Prix.
      The Safety Car was sent out onto the track to check the conditions soon after, with the rain easing after 50 minutes.
      It was later confirmed by the FIA that the pit lane would open at 1:25pm as the race was given the green light to go ahead.
      The formation lap was then confirmed for 2:05pm after the weather cleared.
      However, with 23 laps remaining in the race, the lap counter has now been replaced by a countdown clock with just under 40 minutes being shown as the time to finish the race.
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      Why is there a clock on today’s Grand Prix instead of laps?
      A countdown clock replacing the lap counter at a Grand Prix is an unusual sight.
      However, due to Formula One rules and regulations, this had to be done.
      Article 5.4) from the FIA reads “should two hours elapse before the scheduled race distance is completed, the leader will be shown the end-of-race signal when he crosses the control line (the Line) at the end of the lap following the lap during which the two (2) hour period ended, provided this does not result in the scheduled number of laps being exceeded.”
      The clock appeared after delays due to the weather, with a race not allowed to go on past two-hours.
      Therefore, the drivers were given 37 minutes to finish, or 23 laps, whichever came first.
      What happens when the clock runs out of time?
      With the countdown clock appearing, several questions were asked.
      The drivers had 37 minutes to finish their race or complete the remaining laps, in this case 23.
      When the clock runs out, the race will be ended at the next full lap rather than allowing the drivers to finish the final laps.
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      What Grands Prix has this happened at before?
      Earlier in the year, the FIA chiefs decided to switch the lap counter for a timed countdown in the Monaco Grand Prix.
      The event took place in May, with heavy rain and crashes causing severe delays.
      The race did not run it’s traditional 78 laps, instead just 65 were completed.
      Formula One 2022Everything you need to know about F1 this season More

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      ‘I thought we were friends’ – Watch Lewis Hamilton ‘blank’ Micah Richards as ex-Man City ace rocks up in Red Bull gear

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      SIR LEWIS HAMILTON blanked Micah Richards in the paddock in Singapore, joked the former Manchester City star.Richards attended the Singapore Grand Prix for TV show A League of Their Own alongside colleagues Jamie Redknapp and Alan Carr.
      Micah Richards says he was blanked by Sir Lewis Hamilton in the paddock
      Richards was kitted out in Red Bull clothing along with Jamie Redknapp and Alan Carr
      Hamilton had a tough race in Singapore as he finished ninthCredit: Getty
      The trio were guests of honour of Red Bull and got to hang out with Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Christian Horner.
      But that meant they also had to wear Red Bull kit, and Hamilton understandably was not a fan.
      The Brit was filmed walking down the paddock past Richards and Carr, who both smiled eagerly at Hamilton.
      But the Mercedes star did not return their warmth and instead walked straight past them.
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      Richards joked about the incident saying: “Hamilton blanked me before. He seen me in the Red Bull gear and walked straight past me. I thought we were friends.”
      Hamilton had a difficult race in Singapore and admitted he was at fault after finishing in ninth place while Red Bull’s Perez took the chequered flag.
      The 37-year-old acknowledged it was a “pretty rubbish day” on the track.
      He added: “I don’t really have much emotion at the moment. It’s a pretty flat, pretty poor day – a pretty rubbish day to be honest. But I feel okay – I’m just looking forward to tomorrow.
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      “I think we started off with a pretty decent weekend, just really, really unfortunate at the end.
      “I was trying – obviously, it was difficult to overtake, and that lock-up into Turn 7, when those things happen, your heart sinks a little bit.
      “But you get back up again and you try and I tried to get past Seb [Sebastian Vettel] but it was wet on the inside, so when you fail you get up and try again.
      “We would have potentially undercut him, maybe. But it was a battle of not undercut but who got on the slicks first, and it would have been slice and dice.
      “So, I was hoping for that and that was what I was working towards but that went all out the fricking window when I locked up.
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      “So, my apologies to the team but we live and we learn, and I’ll recover.”
      Meanwhile, Richards had a much better Sunday afternoon as City beat rivals Manchester United 6-3 in a scintillating performance at the Etihad. More

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      Lewis Hamilton admits ‘I f***ed it up big time’ as he apologises to Mercedes team for smashing into wall in Singapore

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      LEWIS HAMILTON admitted he “f****d it up big time” during his ninth-placed finish in the Singapore Grand Prix where he smashed against a wall.Hamilton started third, slipped down to fourth off the line and finished ninth in a race that also saw Max Verstappen snatch seventh place.
      Lewis Hamilton apologised to his Mercedes team-mates after he smashed into a wallCredit: Getty
      Lewis Hamilton admitted he “f***ed it up big time” during the Singapore Grand PrixCredit: Getty
      At one point the Mercedes star also crashed into a wall where he broke the advertising hoarding after carrying too much speed.
      That is when the British Formula One legend reversed out and limped to the pits to regroup and apologise to his team-mates.
      Hamilton was heard saying: “I’m so sorry about that guys. I f****d it up big time.”
      The 37-year-old admitted after the race that it was a “pretty rubbish day” on the track.
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      However, the seven-time world champion remains confident he will recover from this poor display.
      Hamilton said: “I don’t really have much emotion at the moment. It’s a pretty flat, pretty poor day – a pretty rubbish day to be honest. But I feel okay – I’m just looking forward to tomorrow.
      “I think we started off with a pretty decent weekend, just really, really unfortunate at the end.
      “I was trying – obviously, it was difficult to overtake, and that lock-up into Turn 7, when those things happen, your heart sinks a little bit.
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      “But you get back up again and you try and I tried to get past Seb [Sebastian Vettel] but it was wet on the inside, so when you fail you get up and try again.
      “We would have potentially undercut him, maybe. But it was a battle of not undercut but who got on the slicks first, and it would have been slice and dice.
      “So, I was hoping for that and that was what I was working towards but that went all out the fricking window when I locked up.
      “So, my apologies to the team but we live and we learn, and I’ll recover.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton could be awarded LAST year’s F1 world title with Max Verstappen and Red Bull involved in a cheat storm

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      LEWIS HAMILTON could be sensationally handed LAST year’s world title after rival Max Verstappen’s Red Bull team were engulfed in a cheat storm.Red Bull, who were hoping to celebrate Verstappen’s second title win at the Singapore Grand Prix – where he finished seventh – have been accused of breaking F1’s cost-cap rules.
      Lewis Hamilton could be given last year’s world title after all to make up for his Abu Dhabi heartbreakCredit: AP
      Verstappen and his Red Bull team are caught up in a cheat stormCredit: AFP
      Mercedes chief Toto Wolff claimed it would be a “massively heavyweight” issue if Red Bull broke last year’s budget, which was set at £114million.
      If they are found guilty, potential penalties include points deductions or even “exclusion from the championship”.
      That could see Verstappen stripped of the title he won last year in Abu Dhabi and Hamilton installed as winner for a record eighth time.
      Wolff, Hamilton’s boss at Mercedes, was asked if it was serious or just usual F1 politics.
      READ MORE F1 NEWS
      He replied:  “That’s heavyweight, that’s massively heavyweight. It was a huge, mammoth project to make the cap.
      “I don’t know how many tens of millions we had to restructure processes to be below the cap.
      “We are using used parts, we are not running what we would want to run, and we are not developing what we could be developing.
      “We have made more than 40 people redundant.”

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      Red Bull are adamant that they submitted their accounts in March and are under the proposed cost cap.
      The FIA are due to reveal their findings on Wednesday. More

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      Perez wins Singapore Grand Prix with Hamilton hitting barrier and Verstappen having to wait for title after coming 7th

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      SERGIO PEREZ won his second race of the season as team-mate Max Verstappen failed to wrap up the title in Singapore. Verstappen could have sealed the title if results had gone his way, but as with the spill over from Saturday’s qualifying nightmare the reigning world champion suffered a horror show during the race.
      Perez won his second race of the seasonCredit: Splash
      The changeable conditions of the Singapore track ensured six drivers did not finish the race, while many others suffered from crashes and lock ups.
      Despite Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc starting on pole, Perez was quicker off the line and claimed P1 by the time the first turn was reached.
      And from there he produced one of his best-ever races to beat Leclerc to the chequered flag.
      Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton suffered a less than ideal race as his best qualifying result of the season only rewarded with two points on race day with a P9 finish.
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      The seven-time champion lost a place immediately at the start, with Carlos Sainz bolting off the line to claim third, bumping Hamilton off the track in the process.
      Hamilton also paid the barrier a visit. As he trailed the Spaniard he failed to find the grip to make a tight corner, and subsequently found his car going wing first into the side of the track.
      One of a few safety cars seen throughout the race then ruined his and team-mates George Russell’s chances of getting into higher positions as the midfield runners were allowed to pit and come out ahead of the Mercedes pair.
      Verstappen managed to wrestle a P7 finish out of his disappointing race, overtaking Sebastian Vettel on the final lap, and will now be looking ahead to F1’s return to Suzuka in Japan next week.
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