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      Heartstopping moment superbike rider Kawakami, 20, is hurled from bike but miraculously avoids getting run over in race

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      TON KAWAKAMI is counting his blessings after narrowly avoiding being RUN OVER after a horror crash.The 20-year-old Japanese superbike racer was competing in the Italian Grand Prix when he hit the edge of the race track.
      Ton Kawakami hit the edge of the race track and couldn’t control the bike
      Kawakami’s bike was safe off track – but the Japanese racer wasn’t
      His bike took several wobbles before flinging the Team Brazil rider into the middle of the track.
      Kawakami was in the front pack at the time, so he was fired into the path of several motorbikes.
      Incredibly the thrill-seeker avoided being hit, and even managed to get to his feet and wander back over to his bike.
      Kawakami is joined in the superbikes by his brother Meikon, who is a year younger at 19.
      Ton has raced four times this season, but is yet to win a race. He has started on pole, but that resulted in a tenth-place finish.
      He made his WorldSSP300 debut in 2019 with the BCD Yamaha MS Racing team, scoring a season-best result of twelfth at Magny-Cours
      His overall record is 26 races, with no victories.
      The teenage speedster was flung straight into oncoming traffic

      Meikon has featured 17 races in the sport, managing to bag a podium spot once.
      His first Championship came when he was just NINE years old.
      the two brothers moved to Brazil to start racing with Alex Barros’ team in 2013.
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      Mercedes have ‘theory’ over reason for terrible performances and confident Lewis Hamilton can challenge Verstappen again

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      LEWIS HAMILTON’s Mercedes team believe they have cured his car’s poor performance in time for next week’s French Grand Prix.The world champions had an inexplicable lack of pace in Monaco and Baku that saw Red Bull steam ahead in the constructors’ championship with back-to-back wins.
      Lewis Hamilton crashed out of the Grand Prix in BakuCredit: Getty
      He missed the chance to get above Verstappen in the Drivers’ ChampionshipCredit: Getty
      Hamilton was scathing of his team while his teammate Valtteri Bottas did not score a single point in either of the two races.
      However, in the post-race debrief, Mercedes are now optimistic that they have uncovered a way to fix the issues and get him back on track in the title fight with Max Verstappen.
      Merc’s technology director Mike Elliot said: “We went into the Azerbaijan GP knowing we were going to have some issues but probably not quite expecting to be where we were come Friday.
      “What we put in place was a series of tests to try and get more understanding.
      “And actually out of that have come a couple of theories, one that is really promising.
      “The other thing to bear in mind is both this circuit and Monaco are probably outliers and actually we’d hope not to have some of the issues we’ve had in the next couple of races.
      “Fingers crossed; we will be in a better position.”
      Hamilton’s misery was compounded in Baku when he pressed a “magic” brake button just two laps from the end, effectively switching off his brakes, causing him to run deep in turn one and going from first to last place.

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      It cost Hamilton valuable points in the championship as leader Verstappen had already crashed out.
      Elliott confirmed the team were looking at ensuring there is no repeat of him pressing the button again in error and added: “We’re not actually allowed to talk to the drivers, so we can’t talk them through the settings they need to change
      “So as a result of that, we try and simplify things as much as we possibly can. We try and produce tools the drivers can use, that reduces the workload they have to go through.
      “One of the buttons we’ve got, what’s called brake magic, which is a button that the drivers can press and that allows them to get heat into the brakes.
      “Lewis had done all of the right things, he’d got the car to the grid, he’d switched off the various buttons he needed to switch off, switched on the ones he needed to switch on.
      “He made a fantastic start, he got himself up alongside Sergio Perez, and as they were shuffling for position, Lewis swerved.
      “In the process of swerving, he just clipped the magic button. Unfortunately, he didn’t feel he had done it.
      “As a consequence, the brakes locked, and from that point, there was nothing he could do but go wide.”
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      Michael Schumacher’s first-ever F1 car from 1991 Belgian Grand Prix debut up for sale for £1.25m

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      THE car Michael Schumacher drove for his first-ever Formula One outing can be yours for just £1.25million.The stunning Jordan 191, previously voted among the most attractive F1 cars ever, is up for sale.
      The Jordan 191 driven by Michael Schumacher on his F1 debut costs a cool £1.25millionCredit: BNPS
      The Formula One car took the German to seventh on the grid in BelgiumCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      A close-up of the engine on the iconic carCredit: BNPS
      Schumacher was a 21-year-old in 1991 and signed to Mercedes’ junior driver programme when he received the call to replace Bertrand Gachot.
      The Frenchman missed the Belgian Grand Prix due to a court hearing over a taxi driver assault which would see him serve two months in prison.
      Meanwhile, talks between the newly-formed Jordan team and Mercedes allowed Schumacher to race and he impressed in a Silverstone test before his first-ever ride around the intimidating circuit at Spa.
      The 191, up for sale on Speedmaster, had been driven by team-mate Andrea de Cesaris earlier that season but the Italian shunned it ahead of the race.
      Schumacher hopped in and produced impressive practice and qualifying stints to earn seventh place on the grid.
      This particular car, which had already finished seventh at the previous GP in Hungary, was then taken back by De Cesaris for the race and looked good for a podium finish before an oil pressure failure.
      The buyer will take home the steering wheel in a special frameCredit: BNPS
      The car has previously been voted by fans as one of the most attractive F1 cars everCredit: BNPS
      The hugely impressive Jordan 191 could be yoursCredit: BNPS
      Schumacher moved to Benetton having been so fast in his one Jordan outingCredit: Reuters
      Meanwhile, Schumacher’s debut ended on lap one as a clutch issue hit the spare car.
      The German had done enough to convince the F1 paddock of his abilities and Flavio Briatore’s ambitious Benetton team swooped, signing him immediately and delivering two world championships as a legendary career unfolded.
      The 191 on sale today then became the spare car as IndyCar hero Alex Zanardi and Roberto Moreno later raced for Jordan that season.
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      Racing drivers turned collectors Jean Blaton and Didier Sirugue later took turns owning the car, which has been refreshed with the original chassis housing a new engine to keep it in working condition.
      Since having seven-time champ Schumacher behind the wheel, it has turned out for a number of Goodwood Festivals of Speed, the Boss GP Series and the 2021 Masters Historic Race Weekend at Donington.
      The lucky buyer will also take home the original F1 steering wheel in a special frame, a Schumacher-signed model and certificate of authenticity.
      The ten greatest F1 drivers of all-time – according to SunSport’s motorsport correspondent Ben Hunt
      Watch Michael Schumacher and Jos Verstappen talk about kids’ future in F1 16 YEARS ago as Mick and Max prepare for 2021 More

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      Mick Schumacher rages at F1 team-mate Mazepin in X-rated blast after Haas drivers almost collide at Azerbaijan GP

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      MICK SCHUMACHER raged ‘does he want to kill us?!’ at team-mate Nikita Mazepin after the pair almost crashed at 200mph in Baku.The Russian rookie has endured a largely negative debut in Formula One with his Haas colleague the latest to take aim at his driving style.

      On the last lap of Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Schumacher attempted to overtake Mazepin as the 22-year-olds jostled for 13th – which would have represented either drivers’ best finish in their debut seasons.
      Pulling into his team-mate’s slipstream, Schumacher quickly gained ground and moved right to breeze past on the two-kilometre home straight.
      But Mazepin made a late dart to the right, forcing his German contemporary to take evasive action.
      Schumacher gestured angrily at his Haas team-mate as he managed to complete the move nonetheless and reached the line first.
      Immediately contacting his team radio, the son of seven-time champion Michael let his frustrations be known.
      He fumed: “What the f*** was that?!
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      “Honestly? Seriously, does he want to kill us?”
      Schumacher’s race engineer replied ‘understood’ as he assured him the race was over and the post-mortem quickly unfolded in Baku.
      Haas chief Guenther Steiner said after the race: “Obviously, there was a situation on the straight that was all resolved, and we’ve cleared the air.
      “There was some misunderstanding, but we’re fine and all moving on from it.”
      Mazepin’s risky manoeuvre was the last action of an enthralling race in Baku, which saw Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll crash out with tyre failures and Lewis Hamilton dramatically miss the chance to win.
      Mick’s uncle, Ralf Schumacher, who won six of his 182 F1 Grands Prix, demanded Mazepin face a punishment and learn from the incident.
      Mick Schumacher fumed at how his Azerbaijan Grand Prix endedCredit: Splash
      Nikita Mazepin has not made himself the most popular driver in the paddockCredit: AP

      He said: “We are talking about speeds of over 300 kilometres per hour. That’s life-threatening.
      “When you’re racing wheel to wheel, you can easily go flying. You can imagine what happens when 750 kilograms go flying.
      “In my opinion, Mazepin should be punished urgently. He did flinch, but you have to imagine what happens in the car.
      “Mazepin is a great young man outside the cockpit. When you talk to him, he’s extremely polite. But in the race, starting with lapping, where he is often in the way, he really needs to catch up.”
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      Lewis Hamilton is making mistakes for the first time in years due to Max Verstappen and it’s made F1 thrilling to watch

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      IF there is one thing we have learned from Lewis Hamilton over the years it is that he rarely makes a mistake.A total of 54 consecutive finishes in the points will tell you that not only does he have reliability on his side, but he is extraordinarily consistent.
      Hamilton goes flying off the track on Sunday after a rare mistake
      Hamilton could be feeling the pressure of Verstappen’s title chargeCredit: Getty
      But that record came to an end in Sunday’s Azerbaijan GP where a mistake in accidentally pressing the wrong button at the wrong time cost him a shot at the win.
      Crucially to note too, this was the second time he had made such a mistake, albeit the last time – at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola – it went largely unnoticed.
      But on both occasions, it is fair to say his errors came as a result of the pressure being exerted on him by championship leader, Max Verstappen.
      In Baku, it was the “magic” button – the trick device Mercedes use to heat up their tyres and brakes.
      Hamilton claims that upon seeing Verstappen out of the race, as he avoided colliding with Sergio Perez he accidentally flicked the switch at the restart that effectively turned his brakes off.
      Just moments before he’d radioed his team to tell them it was “a marathon not a sprint” with reference to the title race.
      But could the desperation and opportunity to regain top spot in the championship after seeing Verstappen out of the race have actually caused his hurried mistake?
      In Imola too there was the uncharacteristic error that saw him slide off track and into the barriers.

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      His error went slightly under the radar as the red flag on the following lap allowed his Mercedes team to repair his car and Hamilton to unlap himself.
      His excellent recovery drive for second-place would not have materialised had it not been for that red flag after Valtteri Bottas and George Russell collided.
      What caused him to go off in the first place was tip-toeing on to the damp line of the drying track but on slick tyres.
      Hamilton tried to lap Russell’s Williams by moving on to the damp part at Tosa and ran through the gravel and into the wall.

      It was a gamble that backfired but born out of his decision to take a risk to stay within striking distance of race leader Verstappen, who was further ahead.
      Had Hamilton been leading the race it would be unlikely that he would try such an overtake on Russell at that point of the track.
      The upshot is, we could be seeing mistakes creep into Hamilton’s usually flawless driving as he tries to respond to the threat of Verstappen.
      There is no doubt that this season he is being made to work hard for those championship points.
      His Mercedes car is by no stretch faultless and he has little in the way of help from team-mate Bottas.
      He is on his own in a showdown with Verstappen, which is thrilling to watch, and putting Hamilton under pressure for the first time in years and mistakes are happening.
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      Pirelli chief explains cause of tyre failures at Azerbaijan Grand Prix after Max Verstappen’s 200mph crash

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      PIRELLI boss Mario Isola believes Max Verstappen’s crash in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was caused by debris on the track.Both Verstappen and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll crashed out after their tyres blew, with Verstappen’s tyre failure occurring when he was travelling 200mph.
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      Pirelli boss Mario Isola claims debris caused the two tyres to fail

      Both were uninjured but Verstappen was visibly frustrated and understandably so, as he was well placed in the 47th lap, when the incident took place.
      But Isola is certain that the tyres were not the issue, and he has explained the reasons behind the two crashes.
      As quoted by Formula 1, Isola said: “I believe I can exclude that failures were due to tyre wear, because it’s not a matter of tyre wear.
      “The rear-left tyre is not the most stressed tyre in Baku because, it’s obviously the rear-right.
      “I don’t want to give any preliminary conclusions but it seems that it is a cut due to debris, because as I said, it’s not the most stressed tyre.
      “We had other cars with the same number of laps [on the] same tyres without any issue.
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      “So the preliminary investigation is that it is probably due to an external factor, or debris, or kerb or whatever.
      “Another element was there was no sign, or any warning according to the teams.
      “We have to receive the telemetry from them but what they told us was that there was no warning, no vibration nothing to seem that there would be something [wrong] in the tyres.”

      Vertsappen’s blow out handed the perfect opportunity to Lewis Hamilton to win the race.
      But the Brit missed his chance to go top of the Drivers’ Championship as he crashed out on the first corner once the race restarted.
      Sergio Perez claimed the victory and despite not finishing in Baku, Verstappen still leads overall.
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      Lewis Hamilton apologises to Mercedes after knocking ‘magic’ button that turned off BRAKES and throwing away Baku win

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      LEWIS HAMILTON ran out of magic and apologised to his Mercedes team for bungling a win in Baku.The world champion made a rare mistake by pressing a “magic” button that knocked out his brakes and sent him from first to last place at the first corner.
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      Hamilton’s mistake caused him to go straight off the track after the race restartedCredit: Getty

      Hamilton apologised for his error after the raceCredit: EPA
      The incident in the Azerbaijan GP came after Max Verstappen’s dangerous tyre blow out caused a late restart and a two-lap sprint to the finishing line.
      Ironically, Hamilton had just warned his team that it was a “marathon and not a sprint” before stuffing up his chances of replacing Verstappen at the top of the championship.
      Hamilton, who said sorry to his team over the radio, pulled up in 15th place as his 54-race run of finishing in the points came to an end.
      He then asked: “Did I have the magic on?”, to which his race engineer replied: “Yeah, it looks like it was knocked back on”.
      Hamilton replied: “I could have sworn I switched it off.”
      Hamilton later added that he knocked the special switch – designed to heat up tyres and brakes on the way to the grid – when battling with race-winner Sergio Perez into turn one.
      He said: “It was a humbling experience when we had worked so hard. At the restart when Checo moved over, I clipped the switch and it switched the brakes off and I went straight on.
      “It is very hard to take and I am very sorry to the men and women in the team, who worked so hard but we will come back. I had no idea it had touched the button.”

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      Mercedes boss Toto Wolff blamed it on Hamilton’s “finger problem” however, the Brit’s brakes were seen smoking BEFORE the restart.
      Wolff said that the two would get over their frustration by sinking a few drinks on the flight back from Baku.
      When asked how they would get over it, Wolff said: “We have four or five hours on a plane and we will drink!
      “He doesn’t make any mistakes and that is what you need to remember. This is a team that is so strong and angry and we have to turn that into a positive.”
      Wolff admits Hamilton was left “destroyed” by the error that cost him a potential win as he reflected on a difficult weekend for the team where they scored no points.
      He said: “Both of us are destroyed but it is, for him obviously as a driver, you have it so close and then it’s all gone.
      “For me as a guy who is running this, we just need to be the best of us, the best that we have and we haven’t given the drivers a competitive package this weekend.
      “That is the frustration, it is not only the incident at the end that frustrates, it is overall not meeting our own expectations, all of us together – Lewis, the engineers, myself, everyone in the team.”

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      F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix LIVE RESULT: Perez WINS in Baku, Verstappen crashes while Hamilton off podium – latest updates

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      SERGIO PEREZ has claimed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after an extraordinary race in Baku. Max Verstappen was on course for victory before a late crash saw him out, while Lewis Hamilton went too hard from the restart and finished miles back in the field.

      1st Perez 2nd Vettel 3rd Gasly

      Get all the latest F1 updates from Baku here…
      LATE DRAMA
      Lewis Hamilton had a day to forget at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as he blew a golden opportunity to regain the lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.
      After title rival Max Verstappen crashed out with just FOUR laps to go, Hamilton suffered the same agonising fate when the race resumed.
      Verstappen was on the verge of winning the race when his left rear tyre gave way and sent him flying into the wall.
      The 23-year, unscathed by the crash, got out of his Red Bull and kicked the faulty tyre in frustration before storming off.
      The race was stopped two laps later due to debris on the track, giving Hamilton – then second behind Sergio Perez – a golden opportunity to regain the lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
      The 36-year-old Brit was even in with a chance of winning the GP as he resumed alongside Perez on the front row.
      And for a brief moment, it appeared he’d overtaken the Mexican in the Red Bull as his Mercedes pulled out in front at the restart.
      But Hamilton locked up and flew off the track, making a mistake that could cost him dearly later in the season.

      DRIVING TO THE MAX
      It was a painful end to the race for Max Verstappen, who for long periods looked set to consolidate his Driver’s Championship lead.
      But with a clear road in front of him, Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull in the 47th lap and crashed into the wall.
      His rear left tyre gave way – the same problem Lance Stroll experienced in his Aston Martin earlier in the race.
      The title candidate couldn’t believe his luck, getting out of his knackered vehicle and kicking the faulty tyre in frustration.
      Thankfully he appears to have been uninjured during the crash.

      THE ERROR
      Hamilton somehow managed to go from P2, right back to last place.
      An incredible end to the race in Baku.

      HAMILTON’S MISTAKE
      He did not take his own advice.

      SERGIO PEREZ WINS THE AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX
      Sebastian Vettel on the podium in second. Pierre Gasly in P3.
      Amazing stuff.
      HUGE MISTAKE FROM HAMILTON
      That was the first time in 55 races where he has failed to score points.
      FINAL LAP
      Perez leads Vettel and there is a fascinating fight for third place as Gasly and Leclerc trade places. Norris also in the hunt for third.
      DRAMA AS HAMILTON GOES ON AT TURN ONE
      Perez loses P1 to Hamilton, who carries in too much speed and is forced into the exit road.
      Perez leads from Vettel, Gasly in P3. Leclerc in P4.
      STANDING START
      Hamilton’s car is smoking….
      HERE WE GO – THE RESTART
      All eyes on the Perez v Hamilton fight. But Vettel is the only one on new tyres.
      VETTEL COULD BE IN WITH A SHOUT FOR A WIN

      DRIVERS GETTING READY FOR THE RESTART
      This is going to be an exciting finish. Hamilton could be in for a bonus day here.
      He was 11th quickest on Friday.
      RACE TO RESUME IN AROUND 10 MINUTES
      We will finish this GP. It will be a sprint to the chequered flag.
      LAP 49 RESTART PROCEDURE
      We are awaiting confirmation of how this race will restart, if indeed it does.
      RED FLAG – RACE STOPPED
      Verstappen’s car is recovered and the race is stopped.

      PIRELLI MUST FACE THE MUSIC
      Verstappen was travelling at 200mph and there was no warning. That’s a second failure.
      He is inconsolable. Understandable.

      BIG SMASH FOR VERSTAPPEN – HE IS OUT OF THE RACE
      He has a rear left tyre failure – the same tyre that exploded on Stroll’s car.
      That is a big one. Huge questions now for Pirelli. What a blow. He was in control of this race.
      No warning whatsoever. What a dangerous incident.

      VERSTAPPEN REPONDS BY SETTING THE FASTEST LAP
      He is 4.137secs ahead of his teammate, who is in second place.
      HAMILTON SETS THE FASTEST LAP
      He is on for a bonus point here.
      10 LAPS TO GO
      Vettel is running in 4th. He has gone up seven places in this race. Great drive from the four-time world champion, who is closing in on Hamilton.
      MAX IN CONTROL

      LAP 40
      Verstappen, Perez (+4.105), Hamilton (+1.368).
      LAP 40
      Bottas is passed by Giovinazzi and is dumped to 14th place.
      LAP 37
      Vettel gets Gasly. The German has fresher tyres and has made up two places. He is running in fourth place.
      LAP 36 WE ARE RACING AGAIN
      Verstappen gets away cleanly and Perez is under pressure from Hamilton but the Mexican stays in front.
      Hamilton could have made a move there but was cautious. Meanwhile, Vettel gets past Sainz in to fifth.
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