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      Lewis Hamilton bizarrely hints he will send F1 rival Fernando Alonso signed HAT after pair’s furious Belgian GP bust-up

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has hinted he will gift Formula One rival Fernando Alonso a signed hat following their Belgian Grand Prix bust-up.The Mercedes driver was forced to retire at Spa on Sunday after crashing into the Spanish icon on the first lap.
      Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton crashed out of the Belgian Grand Prix after crashing into Fernando AlonsoCredit: Rex
      Alonso branded Hamilton as an “idiot” following the incident at Spa on SundayCredit: Rex
      Hamilton took to social media to hint he will gift Alonso a signed Mercedes capCredit: https://www.instagram.com/lewishamilton/
      Alpine ace Alonso subsequently branded the 37-year-old as an “idiot” over the team radio.
      Hamilton later admitted that the incident was his fault after the impact with the ex-world champion saw him fly through the air.
      And the Brit said “it’s nice to know how feels about me” after hearing Alonso’s comments.
      Now Hamilton seems to be looking to make amends with Alonso after posting a snap on Instagram.
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      Hamilton shared a total of five images on his account, with one of the pictures showing his autograph on a Mercedes cap.
      And on the hat was a sticker which simply read: “To Fernando.”
      Captioning his Instagram post, Hamilton said: “Even though the weekend didn’t go the way we wanted, after an amazing break it was so good to be back at work.
      “I love my job, my team, and I loved the energy at Spa.
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      “Thank you to the team for all the hard work and thank you to the fans that came out to show love, I appreciate you.”
      Hamilton said he was “grateful to be alive”, claiming he almost broke his back in his collision with Alonso.

      He remarked: “I almost broke my back coming down.
      “So it’s a big, big hit. I remember just looking at the ground.
      “So it was quite high. It was definitely high up. I’m grateful to be still alive and in shape.” More

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      Five times Fernando Alonso showed he was Lewis Hamilton’s biggest ever F1 rival and NOT Max Verstappen

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      LEWIS HAMILTON revealed that former McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso was his toughest ever F1 opponent – not Max Verstappen.Mercedes star Hamilton and Red Bull ace Verstappen have made no secret of their disdain for each other in recent years.
      Max Verstappen isn’t Lewis Hamilton’s biggest ever F1 rival despite their long-standing feudCredit: EPA
      Hamilton reserved that title for ex-McLaren Fernando Alonso instead due to the pair’s many clashes over the yearsCredit: Rex
      And their feud reached breaking point last season when Verstappen pipped Hamilton to the world title.
      A flurry of barbs were traded between the pair, and this season has been no different.
      However, despite his bitter feud with Verstappen, Hamilton admitted Alpine driver Alonso has given him his hardest battle to date.
      And here SunSport takes a closer look at five moments where Alonso caused Hamilton a headache when they faced each other.
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      Australia 2007 – Hamilton passing Alonso in the first corner of his first ever race when they were team-mates
      Hamilton entered the Australia GP as a rookie alongside seasoned vet Alonso who had come into the campaign off the back of winning consecutive world titles at Renault.
      But Hamilton quickly showed he wasn’t phased by Alonso’s achievements when he overtook him on the first corner to move into second.

      He even managed to keep Alonso at bay for the majority of the race before the Spaniard regained second spot after a pit stop.
      Alonso held on to the position, and Hamilton finished in third, earning his first podium finish.
      And the stage was set for an ongoing rivalry between the pair.
      Hamilton overtook Alonso in his first ever F1 race for McLaren in 2007 at the Australia GPCredit: Alamy
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      Hungary 2007 – Alonso going slowly out of McLaren pit lane in attempt to deny Hamilton pole
      By this time Hamilton had found his stride at McLaren, and he and Alonso were battling it out for the top spot.
      Things were so tense between them that Alonso resorted to dirty tactics ahead of the Hungary GP to try and gain an edge over Hamilton.
      As Hamilton waited for his team-mate to finish refueling at the pit-box, Alonso decided to loiter in the spot longer than needed in a pre-meditated effort to slow the Brit down.
      His plan initially worked as Hamilton ran out of time to start his final lap due to Alonso’s scheming.
      But Alonso’s deviant tactics backfired when the situation was reviewed by the stewards who handed him a five-place grid penalty, whilst simultaneously promoting Hamilton to P1.
      Alonso took his feud with Hamilton a step further when he intentionally delayed the Brit from refuelling at the Hungary GPCredit: Rex
      2007 – Hilarious sauna advert
      As Hamilton and Alonso’s battle raged on the track, they made light of their rivalry in a hilarious advert.
      Throughout the advert, the pair contested everything from who could get the attention of a female first, to who would check into their hotel room before the other.
      It even got physical between the McLaren counterparts when Alonso rugby tackled Hamilton to prevent him getting to his room first.
      But it was the advert’s final scene that had the audience in stitches as they had a stand-off in the sauna with no one wanting to quit first despite clearly needing to exit.
      They then had to endure even more heat when Mercedes driver Mika Hakkinen entered the scene to raise the temperature dial.
      The advert concluded with the words: “Racing is a state of mind.”
      The pair took their bickering to the big screen in an advert which showed them in a hilarious sceneCredit: Lions LL YouTube channel, Heineken
      Hungary 2021 – Alonso holds Hamilton off for 10 laps to deny him victory
      Fast forward to last summer, Hamilton’s rivalry with Alonso had died down and the Brit had cemented himself as the sport’s No1 driver.
      But although they were no longer fighting for a title, Alonso found a way to make sure he had a say in where the title would end up by hampering Hamilton’s chances in Hungary.
      Alonso managed to keep Hamilton behind him for 10 laps in the race that saw his Alpine team-mate Esteban Ocon clinch a shock victory.
      Alonso admitted after the race that he intentionally did so to help Ocon win.
      And even Hamilton conceded that he would’ve done the same despite initially being angry with Alonso’s tactics.
      Alonso caused Hamilton a headache again last season when he held the Brit off for ten laps while his Alpine team-mate Esteban Ocon clinched victory in HungaryCredit: Splash
      Belgium 2022 – Hamilton drives into back of Alonso and refuses to apologise
      The bickering pair’s feud reared its head once again this year at the Belgium GP when Hamilton crashed into Alonso and refused to apologise.
      Hamilton was forced to retire from the race when the impact from the crash caused him to fly into the air.
      And although he admitted the incident was his fault, the Brit stopped short of giving Alonso an apology.
      Alonso was far from amused by what transpired and labelled Hamilton an “idiot.”
      But Alonso’s dig was the least of Hamilton’s worries as he revealed he nearly broke his back in the crash and is lucky to be alive.
      And they’ll get the chance to battle it out on the track once again on Sunday afternoon at the Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort.
      Alonso called Hamilton an “idiot” for crashing into him during their latest clash at the Belgium GPCredit: AP More

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      Watch shocking moment almost EVERY car is wiped out in huge Nascar crash during rainstorm in Daytona

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      AROUND 20 cars were involved in a huge Nascar crash following a heavy rainstorm.Drivers were left fuming after the stormy conditions created unsafe track conditions – causing the massive pile-up.
      Around 20 cars were involved in the crashCredit: Getty
      Drivers blamed the rain-affected track for the huge collisionCredit: AP

      Denny Hamlin and Daniel Suárez led during lap 138 of the Coke Zero 400 Cup Series event at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, before they and multiple other cars lost control.
      Several smashed into the crash barrier on the right-hand side of the track while others span out on the grass.
      With nowhere to go the cars behind also crashed with only two out of the leading 22 vehicles avoiding contact altogether.
      That benefitted racer Austin Dillon, who managed to go from 16th place to first after somehow finding a gap through the carnage.
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      He won the race following a three-hour rain delay and secured a place in the Nascar playoffs.
      But some drivers believe the delay came too late and were left frustrated as they felt the wreck could have been avoided.
      When asked how the crash could have been avoided, Hamlin said: “Better officiating, that’s all we can do. We’ll learn from this, I’m sure.”
      Others suggested the race should have been halted once it was known that a rainstorm was heading towards the track.
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      Suarez said: “We knew the rain is coming, it’s raining next door.
      “I feel like they have a lot of technology there to know that this is very close, and if it is very close I don’t think it’s necessary to put us in those positions.”
      Justin Haley added: “They had about a whole lap to call caution and tore up a lot of race cars. That was pretty unacceptable.” More

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      ‘I’m grateful to be alive’ – Lewis Hamilton reveals he almost broke his BACK in Belgian GP crash after flying off track

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      SIR LEWIS HAMILTON claims he almost broke his back in his collision with Fernando Alonso at the Belgian Grand Prix.The Stevenage speedster crashed into the back of the Spaniard while trying to overtake him in the opening lap of the Spa race on Sunday.

      Lewis Hamilton went sent soaring into the air after crashing into Fernando AlonsonCredit: Getty
      And he claims the crash almost broke his backCredit: Getty
      Hamilton was sent flying into the air and the front of his Mercedes came crashing down on the track, an impact he claims he’s “lucky” to have walked away from.
      The 37-year-old said: “Well, yeah, I almost broke my back coming down.
      “So it’s a big, big hit. I remember just looking at the ground.
      “So it was quite high. It was definitely high up. I’m grateful to be still alive and in shape.”
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      Hamilton tried to continue the race but the damage to his underperforming car ultimately proved to be too much.
      He said: “​​I could hear something’s broken in the gearbox.
      “So yeah, I mean, coming down I would have broken so much in the back end.
      “So I was told to stop. But obviously, in that moment, you’re hopeful you can keep going. But yeah, not meant to be.”
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      Former world champion Alonso branded Hamilton an “idiot” in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
      He later said: “I think for me it was a little bit of a mistake from his side to close the door like this in turn five.
      “We have seen many times it goes parallel there.
      “It happened the same between him and Rosberg a couple of years ago, so this time it was the same thing.”
      Hamilton was understanding of Alonso’s initial reaction, saying: “I don’t really have a response to it.
      “I know that’s how things feel in the heat the moment, but it’s nice to know how he feels about me in a way, better that it’s out in the open, how he feels.
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      “Like I said, it wasn’t intentional and I take responsibility for it. That’s what adults do.”
      Hamilton and Alonso will be back in action on Sunday afternoon at the Dutch Grand Prix at the Circuit Zandvoort.
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      Ben Hunt: McLaren’s costly Oscar Piastri battle as they wait on verdict despite already paying Ricciardo £10m to leave

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      MCLAREN will discover this week whether they can sign Oscar Piastri from Alpine as Daniel Ricciardo’s replacement.And if they can’t, it could hit them in the pocket.
      Daniel Ricciardo has been dropped by McLaren for the 2023 seasonCredit: Rex
      Oscar Piastri is in the middle of a contract dispute with AlpineCredit: Reuters
      McLaren have already paid off Australian Ricciardo, 33, to cancel his contract — thought to be half of the £20million he was due to earn next season.
      Staggeringly, there were no exit clauses from McLaren, which is most unlike Formula One deals.

      These are usually littered with performance-related triggers to allow teams or drivers to seek new contracts elsewhere if either are not delivering.
      That alone has sparked some serious questions for the team’s management.
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      But they could now face even more scrutiny.
      Having jettisoned Ricciardo for below-par performances — despite being the only man to win a race for McLaren since Jenson Button’s 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix triumph — they have pinned their hopes on signing Piastri, a 21-year-old Alpine reserve driver.
      And that in itself is a gamble.
      Sure, he has an excellent record in the lower formula and won the F 3 and F 2 titles — but he remains unknown in F 1.
      However, for all McLaren’s ruthlessness in axeing Ricciardo they have stopped short of confirming Piastri.
      Why? Because the matter needs to be resolved by the FIA’s Contract Recognition Board.
      They met yesterday and their verdict is expected over the next few days, with both McLaren and Alpine confident of winning.
      The CRB usually operates in the background and rarely gets headlines. But of the two most famous cases it has presided over, the driver’s original team have won.
      David Coulthard tried to leave Williams for McLaren in 1995 and Jenson Button tried to join Williams from BAR in 2005.
      Both British drivers failed in their attempts to break free from their existing contracts.
      Should the CRB again side with the driver’s original team — in this case Alpine — then the matter is still not resolved.
      The fallout has been bitter, with Piastri told to ‘work from home’ while the contractual matter is resolved.
      While the Alpine team would love to have him in the car to replace Fernando Alonso next season, the situation has now become too toxic.
      It means the likeliest outcome is Piastri WILL end up driving for McLaren, providing the Woking-based team stump up for his services, allowing Alpine to name their price.
      And that is not great business by McLaren, whose finances are already strained.
      Ricciardo performed his infamous shoey during his last race winCredit: The Mega Agency
      AUDI REVVED UP
      IT WAS great to finally see the not-so-secret news confirming that Audi are coming to Formula One.
      They have provisionally struck a deal to provide Sauber with engines for 2026, but expect that soon to be confirmed as a fully-fledged Audi team.
      Audi were stunned at just how widespread the news travelled and how quickly.
      They now have to get up to speed building that engine division and if they are serious, they should break the bank to sign British engineer Andy Cowell.
      He was the man who headed up Mercedes’ engine operation that powered them to 12 titles in six years — the constructors’ and drivers’ championship.
      Cowell left Mercedes in 2020 to seek a new challenge and Audi sounds like the perfect opportunity for him.
      Audi showed off a concept design of their 2026 F1 carCredit: AP
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      FAMILY CAR FOR ALONSO
      I UNDERSTAND Alpine will push ahead with plans to launch a commemorative special edition of their road car, designed in honour of Fernando Alonso.
      Yes, even though the Spaniard assured Alpine he was staying with the team, only to do a U-turn and sign a contract with rivals Aston Martin. 
      Insiders inform me the car will be built, as Alonso is considered part of the Renault family after winning two world titles with them.
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      MAX PLAYS A BLINDER
      WHAT are the chances?
      Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was forced to pit during Sunday’s Belgian GP after a visor tear-off got stuck in his brake cooling duct, causing it to overheat.
      The pitstop cost him valuable time but, even worse, it turns out the rogue piece of plastic was discarded by none other than his title rival, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. More

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      Watch unseen footage of angry Fernando Alonso wag finger at Lewis Hamilton while driving past him after Belgian GP crash

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      FERNANDO ALONSO was left fuming with Lewis Hamilton after the two drivers collided during the first lap of the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.The Spaniard, who started third on the grid, was quick to climb a position after lights out to jump up to second.

      Alonso and Hamilton collided during the Belgium GPCredit: AFP
      Alonso takes his right hand off the wheel to wag his finger at Hamilton
      But, Hamilton was hot on his heals – so much so that the duo clashed midway through the first lap.
      The Brit flew up and over his long-term rival, who then proceeded to rant to his Alpine team on the radio.
      He said: “What an idiot! This guy only knows how to drive and start in first!”
      And the most recent footage of the incident – which emerged on Sunday afternoon – shows Alonso furiously wagging his finger at the Mercedes driver as he drove past.
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      Hamilton was forced to retire shortly after the collision due to the damage his car sustained.
      After the race, the seven-time world champion took full responsibility for the crash.
      He told Sky Sports: “I’m looking back at the footage and he was in my blind spot and I didn’t leave him enough space.
      “So it was my fault today.
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      “I am sorry to the team and I need to recuperate and get back on the treadmill.”
      Red Bull went on to claim maximum points from the weekend, extending the team’s lead at the top of the Constructors Championship to 118 points.
      Max Verstappen also extended his lead at the top of the drivers standings while Sergio Perez climbed up to second. More

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      Lewis Hamilton hits back at F1 rival Fernando Alonso after Belgian Grand Prix crash after Brit was branded an ‘idiot’

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      LEWIS HAMILTON says “It’s nice to know how he feels about me”, after Fernando Alonso branded the Brit an “idiot” following a collision at the Belgium Grand Prix on Sunday.The Mercedes ace, 37, was forced to retire after he made contact with the Spanish icon in the first lap at Spa.
      Hamilton admitted fault for the collision with AlonsoCredit: AFP
      Alonso branded Hamilton an ‘idiot’ on the radioCredit: Rex
      Hamilton hit back at the SpaniardCredit: Reuters
      A spectacular impact between the seven-time and two-time Formula One world champions saw Hamilton’s rear end lift.
      Raging over the team radio, Alonso fumed: “What an idiot!
      “Closing the door from the outside. I mean, we had a mega start.
      “But this guy only knows how to drive and start in first.”
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      And Hamilton has hit back at Alonso, saying “It’s nice to know how he feels about me”.
      Hamilton said on Alonso’s “idiot” comment: “I don’t really have a response to it.

      “I know how things feel in the heat of the moment, but it’s nice to know how he feels about me.
      “It’s better that it’s out in the open how he feels. And like I said, it wasn’t intentional, and I take responsibility for it.
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      “That’s what adults do.”
      Hamilton says he’s grateful the crash wasn’t any worse and that he’s “alive and in shape”.
      He continued: “I remember looking at the ground, it was definitely high up.
      “I’m grateful to be still alive and in shape.
      “I could hear something’s broken in the gearbox. Coming down I would have broken so much in the back end, so I was told to stop.
      “But obviously in that moment, you’re hopeful you can keep going.” More

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      Footage of Lewis Hamilton walking away after huge Belgium GP crash becomes instant meme with fans all saying same thing

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has become an instant meme after his Belgium GP disaster.That’s after footage emerged of the Brit glumly walking away from his first-lap crash to the tune of sad songs including Green Day’s smash-hit Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
      Lewis Hamilton walking away from his Belgium GP crash has spawned a viral memeCredit: Sky Sports

      Hamilton, who turned up to Belgium in a bizarre pink knitted balaclava, had a nightmare first lap on Sunday.
      The Mercedes star collided with Fernando Alonso on the second corner before driving over his Alpine rival.
      Hamilton’s car came crashing down after soaring through the air – but he continued trying to drive.
      Shocked Merc chiefs quickly shouted “stop, stop stop!” to force Hamilton into an early exit.
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      And cameras followed the seven-time world champion as he took his leave of the Spa race.
      Hamilton looked like a lonely man as he marched his way back to the paddocks.
      And internet pranksters quickly put together a viral meme showing the walk while playing Boulevard of Broken Dreams in the background.
      Others also joined in with various sad tunes including Simon & Garfunkel epic The Sound of Silence.
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      One joker quipped: “Hamilton walks a lonely road.”
      Another teased: “Hello darkness my old friend.”
      One added: “Lonely Hamilton. Not the road he is used to.”
      Hamilton’s day got worse as he saw arch-rival Max Verstappen clinch victory in Belgium despite starting in 14th.
      The Dutchman is now 93 points clear of nearest challenger Sergio Perez and looks certain to make it two titles in a row.
      As for Hamilton, he admitted the crash with Alonso was indeed his fault after being branded an “idiot” by the Spaniard.
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      Hamilton conceded: “I’m looking back at the footage and he was in my blind spot and I didn’t leave him enough space. So it was my fault today.
      “I am sorry to the team and I need to recuperate and get back on the treadmill.”
      Hamilton was involved in a huge crash with Fernando AlonsoCredit: AFP More