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      F1 staff ordered to remove Pride flags from backpacks by security staff at Bahrain International Circuit

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      FORMULA ONE have taken action after team members were ordered to remove the Pride Flag from their backpacks by security staff.Airport-style checks are in operation at the Bahrain International Circuit where some F1 staff were prevented from taking their equipment into the track – or told it would be confiscated.
      Formula One team members were ordered to remove the Pride Flag from their backpacks in BahrainCredit: Getty
      A complaint was raised with the sport’s bosses and the track’s owners, who say they have now dealt with the “isolated incident”.
      F1 has been openly criticised for racing in the Middle East due to well-publicised problems with human rights.
      And while homosexuality is legal in Bahrain, other rights are restricted or not recognised.
      Bahrain will host the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix next Sunday, March 3.
      READ MORE IN F1
      And only last year UK MPs called on the sport to set up an independent inquiry into the links between grands prix and human rights violations.
      However, F1 chiefs say they are committed to helping change and are undertaking projects to improve economic, social, and cultural benefits in the countries they race.
      An F1 spokesperson said: “This was an isolated incident that happened against the policies of F1 and the event organiser in Bahrain.
      “It was immediately addressed and has been rectified.
      Most read in Motorsport
      “As a sport, we and our partners proactively celebrate diversity and inclusion.
      “And have supported everyone in our community to raise awareness of the values that we all share.”
      Mercedes unveil radical design for Lewis Hamilton’s new car during F1 testing in Bahrain
      Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Bahrain International Circuit added: “BIC, the host of the Bahrain Grand Prix, welcomes all to its venue and stands against all forms of discrimination.
      “This isolated incident is being investigated and appropriate action will be taken.” More

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      Mercedes unveil never-before-seen car feature for Lewis Hamilton as F1 fans ask ‘is this real?’

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      MERCEDES has blown away fans after unveiling a brand new steering wheel addition that has never been seen before in Formula One.Teams are prepping their new cars in testing sessions for the upcoming season which gets started in Bahrain on March 9.
      Lewis Hamilton will be racing with a brand new addition to his steering wheel this seasonCredit: Rex
      The Silver Arrows had added a new button with the Whatsapp logo on their steering wheelCredit: X @mercedesamgf1

      Mercedes are in an attempt to bounce back this season after back-to-back Red Bull domination in both the driver’s and constructors’ championships.
      Lewis Hamilton is entering his final year with Mercedes and hopes to make a recording-breaking eighth world championship victory.
      And the German garage are always finding new ways to gain an advantage over their opponents and to allow their sponsors to get more air time.
      Toto Wolff’s team signed a sponsorship deal with Whatsapp and have been very creative in promoting their recent partnership.
      READ MORE IN F1
      The Whatsapp iconic green logo will replace the former yellow communications button that allows drivers to speak to staff on the pit wall to get information throughout the race.
      To announce the new design Mercedes posted an image of the Whatsapp button on their X account.
      And fans are windblown by the marketing move from Mercedes.
      As one F1 follower said: “Admin is this real?”
      Most read in Motorsport
      While another added: “WhatsApp button looks so cool.”
      A third then put: “Ok, this is brilliant marketing.”
      Inside Lewis Hamilton’s £13m collection of supercars including £4m classic and £1.6m ride made entirely for him
      An F1 car’s steering wheel consists of 25 individual buttons and switches with each feature having to be easily accessible to drivers on the circuit.
      The Mercedes wheel will now have the green logo designed as a phone with a speech bubble around it and it is an excellent addition to the Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance.
      This could see other teams make similar sponsorship deals in the future.
      The F1 Bahrain Grand Prix is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 2.
      And 2023 champion Max Verstappen is certainly looking to ruin the party by continuing his incredible hot streak. More

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      Christian Horner’s fate ‘will be decided within 10 days’ & Red Bull boss could be gone before F1 season over sexts probe

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      CHRISTIAN Horner’s fate at Red Bull will reportedly be decided within 10 days – leaving the F1 boss potentially out of a job ahead of the season opener.Horner, 50, is facing a formal investigation over controlling behaviour and sexting allegations made by a female staffer – which he hopes will end as “soon as possible”.
      Horner looked strained at a press conference yesterday as he said he wished for a swift end to the sexting probeCredit: EPA
      A decision over his career at Red Bull is reportedly expected in 10 daysCredit: Rex
      The F1 boss was all smiles with Spice Girl wife Geri Halliwell last weekendCredit: Alamy
      Horner’s future at the all-conquering team of world champion Max Verstappen still hangs in the balance after shock allegations of “inappropriate and controlling behaviour” were made by a female staffer.
      But in recent days, fresh claims allege that Horner also sent the colleague “sexually suggestive” texts.
      The embattled Red Bull chief strongly denies the allegations.
      Red Bull arrived in Bahrain on Tuesday evening for pre-season testing, with Horner still in his £8-million-a-year role .
      read more on christian horner
      So far, it has been ‘”business as usual” in the pit lane – the team principal’s go-to phrase since news of the scandal broke.
      However, results of the independent inquiry will reportedly be handed over to the Red Bull board in the next few days.
      The probe threatens to overshadow the start of the new F1 season – but a final decision is expected before the opening Grand Prix race kicks off on March 2, the Mail reports.
      Yesterday, he addressed the new bombshell sexting probe and declared he wanted a conclusion as “soon as possible”.
      Most read in Motorsport
      He refused to comment directly on the allegations made against him during the press conference, stating “I cannot comment on the process or the time scale.”
      Christian Horner praises Red Bull’s ‘very inclusive team culture’ in first public appearance since ‘behaviour’ probe
      “I think everybody would like a conclusion as soon as possible but I am really not at liberty to talk about the process,” he added.
      The racing boss, who has led the Austrian team since its formation in 2005, was all smiles yesterday as he signed autographs, posed for selfies with fans and spoke to his drivers.
      Other team principals have been calling for greater “transparency” in F1 in the wake of the scandal engulfing Red Bull.
      Horner’s nemesis in the pit lane, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff described it as “an issue for all of Formula One”, while Mclaren chief Zak Brown called the allegations “extremely serious”.
      Brown hoped that they were being handled in a “very transparent way” and “swiftly” as “these are not the headlines that Formula One wants or needs.”
      The bombshell claims that have rocked F1F1 was rocked earlier this month by the sudden news that the sport’s longest-standing team principal had been placed under investigation by Red Bull’s Austria-based parent company.
      This was thought to be over a “dossier of incriminating material” regarding “inappropriate and controlling behaviour” towards one female, The Telegraph reported.
      Red Bull’s Austrian parent company flew an independent lawyer to the UK to question the multi-millionaire race ace and his accuser.
      The former racing driver, who runs world champion Max Verstappen’s all-conquering Red Bull team, endured an eight-hour grilling over the claims last week.
      Most recently however, more allegations have come out as the De Telegraaf reported that Horner allegedly sent sex messages to his employee “over an extended period of time”.
      Messages were said to have been saved and presented as evidence to the external ­barrister running the inquiry after the woman made a complaint last December.
      Mr Horner categorically denied the new allegations and is thought to be taking legal action against De Telegraaf.
      An F1 source told The Sun last week that “Christian has not been sacked or asked to resign and he is not going to resign”.
      The investigation raises the question of who could take over the helm of the all-conquering racing team of world champion Max Verstappen.
      His wife Geri Halliwell is also said to be “terrified her life will unravel” amid Horner’s “inappropriate behaviour” probe.
      The ex-Spice Girl, who was “in floods of tears” when the Red Bull boss was hit with the bombshell allegations, fears the drama will drag on for years, a source has claimed. 
      But Geri, 51, is understood to be standing by her husband.
      She has told pals: “Christian has done nothing wrong.”
      Horner has overseen a huge period of success for the racing team – winning multiple F1 championships with Sebastian Vettel and Verstappen.
      Red Bull has won seven Formula One world drivers’ championships and six world ­constructors’ titles under Horner’s leadership.
      Last season, the team won 21 of the 22 races on the global F1 tour, and Verstappen, 26, won the drivers’ crown.
      Horner was awarded a CBE for services to motorsport in the 2024 New Year’s Honours List

      Last week, he spoke publicly about the allegations for the first time as he made an appearance at the recent RB20 launch event.
      He said: “Inevitably there has been a distraction, but the team are very together.
      “Everybody’s focused on the season ahead, so it’s been very much business as ­normal and the support has been fantastic.
      “In situations like these, you see where the strengths are, and it’s been overwhelming the support that I’ve had from within the team.
      “There have been some allegations made, which I fully deny, so that the investigation is very much going on in the background whilst preparing for the season ahead, and hopefully it will be concluded in the near future.”
      And in one interview, he praised his Spice Girl wife Geri Halliwell and said: “I have a very supportive family and a very supportive wife.”
      Halliwell, 51, is understood to be standing firmly by her husband, who she married in 2015.
      She was allegedly reduced to tears when news of the scandal broke – but privately insisted he did nothing wrong.
      Last weekend, she was pictured smiling alongside by her husband at a horse racing event in Badbury Rings, Dorset.
      Red Bull has won seven Formula One world drivers’ championships and six world ­constructors’ titles under Horner’s leadership.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      Last season, the team won 21 of the 22 races on the global F1 tour, and Verstappen, 26, won the drivers’ crown.
      Horner was awarded a CBE for services to motor sport in the 2024 New Year’s Honours List.
      Horner is gearing up for the start of the 2024 season which kicks off in Bahrain on March 2Credit: Reuters
      The scandal is threatening to overshadow the new championship as Horner’s future at Red Bull still hangs in the balanceCredit: Splash
      His racing foe, Toto Wolff, described the allegations as an ‘issue for all of F1’Credit: GettyChristian Horner’s life and careerCHRISTIAN Horner is among the most well-known names in Formula One having helped build Red Bull into one of the biggest teams in the sport.

      1973 – Born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
      1991 – Wins a Formula Renault scholarship after impressing in karting races
      1993-1997 – Competed in a host of competitions including British Formula Three, British Formula Two, and Formula 3000
      1997 – Founded and developed the F3000 team Arden
      1999 – Retired from driving and continued developing the Arden team
      2005 – Appointed head of Red Bull team, becoming the youngest ever team principal at that time
      2009 – Wins his first races as team principal with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber
      2010 – Wins the Constructors’ Championship and Drivers’ Championship with Vettel – the first of four doubles in a row
      2013 – Has a daughter with ex-wife Beverly Allen shortly before the couple split
      2014 – Gets engaged to Spice Girls member Geri Halliwell
      2015 – Marries Halliwell in Woburn, Bedfordshire
      2017 – Horner and Halliwell welcome their son
      2021 – Wins another Drivers’ Championship with Max Verstappen, pipping Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the season
      2022-23 – Red Bull win the Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship two years in a row More

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      ‘Someone should resign’ fume fans as F1 testing is suspended AGAIN in fresh farce as drain cover comes unstuck

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      FORMULA ONE fans were fuming after testing was suspended again due to a loose drain cover.The new F1 season gets underway next week with the Bahrain Grand Prix.
      F1 pre-season testing was suspended due to another loose drain coveringCredit: Getty
      Track workers attempt to fix the loose drain cover that caused a red flag delayCredit: Getty
      But testing has already started but a number of issues have caused havoc to the proceedings.
      And Friday’s morning session on day three of pre-season testing was stopped after just 20 minutes.
      It was suspended due to a loose drain cover on the same part of the track that had a similar issue yesterday.
      Lewis Hamilton was driving in his W15 for the first time as he prepares for his final season with Mercedes when he ran over the loose cover on the kerb edge at turn 11 on Thursday.
      READ MORE ON F1
      But today it was Red Bulls’ Sergio Perez who triggered the loose drain cover as he drove over the kerb on the same turn.
      Yesterday’s session ended up being cancelled but the FIA are hopeful today’s session will be completed and when the session is resumed around 11:45am local time, it will run until 19:00.
      The scenes are similar to those in the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix back in November.
      The opening night’s practice for that was delayed for hours after Carlos Sainz ran over a loose manhole cover on the world-famous strip.
      Most read in Sport
      That led to fans seeing just eight minutes of action, and spectators are also present at today’s testing as those with tickets for the upcoming season-opening Bahrain GP permitted access to the track for the last two days of testing.
      However, after the latest farce, F1 fans were fuming that somebody should lose their job.
      I’m an F1 star but I hate driving – people try to race me at traffic lights
      One fuming fan wrote on X: “Someone should resign.”
      Another said: “Hoping Perez hasn’t damaged the floor of that Red Bull.
      Need to sort them drains out.”
      A fellow supporter raged: “Making the sport look like a joke 2 days in a row.”
      While another said: “This is getting ridiculous now!”
      Fans were fuming after another loose drain cover caused a red flagCredit: Getty

      🏁 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year 🏁  More

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      Inside Red Bull’s Christian Horner & F1 rival Toto Wolff’s toxic feud… & how wives Geri & Susie battle to keep the peace

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      IT’S a rivalry as fierce as that between the drivers on the track – and as the new Formula One season approaches it’s set to crank up a gear yet again.But Red Bull boss Christian Horner and Mercedes chief Toto Wolff’s feud dates back to long before Max Verstappen clinched that controversial world title back in 2021.
      Rivals Toto Wolff and Christian Horner have been involved in ‘mud slinging’ matchesCredit: PA
      Toto and his wife, Susie Wolff, are one of F1’s top power couplesCredit: Getty
      Christian and Geri Horner have been rocked by allegations about his behaviour
      This week Wolff couldn’t resist a dig at his rival – who is under investigation over allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” by a female colleague, which he denies.
      The Austrian, 52, called for “transparency” amid the probe, adding that it has repercussions for F1 as a whole.
      He said: “I think for Red Bull it started as an independent investigation, if this is done in the right way with transparency and with the rigour, I think that’s something that we need to look at whatever the outcomes are.”
      Wolff and Horner are renowned for trading insults – often shown on the Netflix hit Drive to Survive, the new series of which drops today – and at times their wives Susie Wolff and Geri Horner have stepped in to help simmer tensions.
      READ MORE ON F1
      As both men try to focus on pre-season testing in Bahrain, we reveal how their feud has played out over the years – and looks to continue firing on all cylinders.
      Red Bull’s beef with Mercedes can be traced back to 2014, when rule changes saw them emerge as the most dominant team on the grid.
      Wolff was at the helm when the team – having made a triumphant return to F1 in 2010 – clinched its first world title with Lewis Hamilton.
      Mercedes won the Constructors’ title with a 296 point lead over Red Bull Racing.
      Most read in Motorsport
      At the time Horner was pushing for changes to the rules which would allow teams to keep developing their cars throughout the season, with no limits.
      Rules stated teams could only change 92 per cent of their designs.
      F1 fans in meltdown over ‘that Lewis Hamilton bit’ as trailer for Netflix series Drive to Survive released
      Horner’s pleas angered Wolff, who raged: “Nobody can really be in favour of an all-out engine war from 2016.
      “No serious company would allow that to happen and none of the current engine suppliers could allow that to happen because costs would escalate totally out of control.”
      A year later Horner was still banging the drum, claiming people would lose interest in F1 if the FIA made no changes to halt Mercedes, to which Wolff hit back: “Just get your f*****g head down, work hard and try to sort it out.”
      ‘Meddling’ with Max
      Team principal Horner celebrates with driver Max Verstappen in 2021
      Red Bull have knocked Toto and Lewis Hamilton off their perch in recent seasonsCredit: Getty
      Tensions have boiled as the Mercedes team has fallen awayCredit: Rex
      Things came to a head in 2016 when Wolff phoned Vertstappen’s dad Joss to discuss Max’s aggressive driving following his crash with Nico Rosberg.
      Horner was furious, stating: “It’s totally wrong. They’ve got their own business. To be meddling in other teams’… maybe he does that with Ferrari, but he shouldn’t do it.
      “He’s got no right to tell Max how he should drive and conduct himself.”
      Things really boiled over in 2021, with Wolff branding Horner a “windbag who just wants to be on camera” during a row over Red Bull’s so-called ‘bendy wing’.
      He added: “It’s about being punchy – it’s easy to be punchy when you’re on top of the timesheet, but he should be a little bit more modest I think.”
      It’s totally wrong. They’ve got their own business. To be meddling in other teams’… maybe he does that with Ferrari, but he shouldn’t do itChristian Horner on Toto Wolff
      It came after Horner warned Wolff to “keep his mouth shut” and “be careful what you wish for” after hinting Red Bull could decide to protest Mercedes’ flexi front wings, alleging they looked “a bit worse than ours”.
      During the close-run season, Wolff seemed rattled, at one point telling Hamilton over the team radio following a sprint race: “F**k them all.”
      Horner added fuel to the fire, adding: “We worked hard to get into this position. It’s the first time they [Mercedes] have been challenged. It’s interesting to see how people react when they are under pressure, when they are challenged.”
      When Hamilton and Verstappen collided at the British Grand Prix, both bosses rigorously defended their drivers.
      It led to a “heated exchange” between the two principals, according to Horner.
      Tensions then reached fever pitch when Verstappen snatched the world title from Hamilton on the final lap in Abu Dhabi thanks to a controversial safety car decision.
      The moment Verstappen snatches the world title from Lewis Hamilton in 2021
      Horner and Wolff rarely see eye to eyeCredit: Getty
      Horner told Tom Clarkson on the F1: Beyond the Grid podcast: “It really permeated at Silverstone where suddenly there was an awful lot of dialogue from Toto to [then race director] Michael [Masi].
      “Then he’s (Wolff) sending him an email, and then he’s coming up. And I thought: ‘Right, okay, I’m not having that, I’m going up.’
      “I felt it was incredibly one sided that a team principal should not be able to lobby and influence the race director and with hindsight, Toto and I had a fairly heated exchange in Race Control.
      “At that event, where Toto was obviously arguing his corner that his driver shouldn’t be penalised, and I’ve got a driver in hospital and the car taken out of the race and was obviously feeling pretty aggrieved by it.”

      🏁 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year 🏁 
      Horner claimed he was surprised by his main rival’s behaviour during the season, telling The Telegraph: “You could see that it boiled over in the garage next door on a few occasions.”
      He admitted he enjoys winding up Wolff, telling the Guardian in October 2021: “The more Toto gets wound up, the more fun it becomes.”
      Former Benetton driver Johnny Herbert called out the two bosses for their squabbling a month later, telling the Sunday Mirror: “I think many want to tell him ‘grow up’.
      “They look like two eight-year-olds arguing in the schoolyard. One points to the other and says, ‘Look what he’s doing’.”
      Cheating claims
      The following year Red Bull was accused of cheating after it was found guilty of breaching the budget cap in 2021.
      Wolff made it clear he didn’t feel the team’s £5.5m fine and 10 per cent reduction on aerodynamic development time was a harsh enough punishment.
      He quipped: “I think they [Red Bull] have done a very good job last year in having a car out there that was half a second or more quicker than anyone else.”
      Meanwhile Horner was seen on camera telling his drivers: “[It’s]fun and games with Mercedes over all this cost cap s***. I mean it’s unbelievable how much s*** Toto says.”
      Susie Wolff keeps her husband Toto smilingCredit: Instagram/susie_wolff
      The Horners are often seen in Netflix series Drive to Survive enjoying an idyllic country lifeCredit: Instagram @therealgerihalliwell
      Geri and Christian got hitched 10 years agoCredit: Splash News
      The Horners at home with the familyCredit: Instagram @therealgerihalliwell
      F1’s Horner poses on the steps of the home with daughter Olivia from his previous relationshipCredit: Instagram @christianhorner
      At times the team principals’ respective wives, Susie Wolf and Geri Halliwell, have stepped in, in an effort to keep the peace.
      The Mercedes principal admitted he “really regrets” how things got so heated between him and his rival, and recalled being accosted by Susie for his “regretful” behaviour during the 2021 season.
      He told Formula 1 magazine: “Susie pointed that out to me very clearly.
      “She said, ‘Why are you having these kinds of discussions? You’re trying to win, respect that. Even if someone goes in that direction, you don’t have to’.
      “That’s called female social intelligence. We sometimes have too much hormones.”
      In March 2022 it seemed like the pair had put their differences aside when Horner praised Wolff for opening up about his mental health battle.
      He told Sky Sports: “All credit to Toto for having the confidence to talk out about his own personal issues.”
      Cheeky bum slap
      Geri gives Toto a big hugCredit: Getty
      Susie and Lewis take a stroll in the pit laneCredit: Instagram/susie_wolff
      In November last year, a picture emerged of former Spice Girl Geri offering Wolff a comforting hug as her husband watched on.
      Everyone appeared to be grinning in the snap, suggesting the women had potentially managed to broker a peace deal.
      Damon Hill, a Sky F1 consultant, said on social media: “Its heartening to see a bit of a moment of mirth as Geri Horner gives Toto a consolation cuddle.
      “Easy to laugh when you’ve just wiped the floor with the opposition. Harder to do when you’ve been royally thrashed.”
      It was later revealed the jovial mood came about because Geri had actually slapped Wolff’s bottom.
      Horner later told Sky Sports: “It was an amusing moment because I think my wife had just smacked his bum so hard, I think it took him a bit by surprise.
      “You probably can’t even see my clenched fist, it’s out of shot there.
      “It’s been a long season and there has to be competition on track but there still has to be respect.”
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      With Red Bull shrouded in scandal and Mercedes losing its number one driver to Ferrari next season, it will be fascinating to see how 2024 plays out.
      Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 6 can be streamed on Netflix now.
      Mercedes’ Toto Wolff and Red Bull’s Christian Horner have been bitter rivals since 2014Credit: Getty
      Former Spice Girl Geri holds her husband’s hand as Toto lingersCredit: Getty
      Geri is strongly standing by Horner’s side, sources sayCredit: Getty
      Formula 1: Drive to Survive season 6 airs today More

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      ‘They’re racing each other… f***ing hell’, rants F1 star as Lewis Hamilton caught up in bizarre pre-season tussle

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      KEVIN MAGNUSSEN ranted “f***ing hell” as Formula 1 stars raced during day two of pre-season testing.The stars of the sport have descended upon Bahrain as the 2024 season edges ever closer.
      Formula 1 stars simulated a rolling restartCredit: X/SkySportsF1
      Sparks were flying in BahrainCredit: X/SkySportsF1
      Hamilton, 39, is preparing for his final season with MercedesCredit: Alamy
      With the first race under a fortnight away, F1 teams are honing their strategies as they look to maximise their performances.
      During day two of testing, drivers simulated a rolling restart.
      Lewis Hamilton will have enjoyed it, as his Mercedes sped off into the distance.
      One man that showed frustration, however, was Haas ace Magnussen.
      READ MORE IN SPORT
      According to Formula Racers, the Dane bellowed down his team radio: “They’re actually racing each other. F***ing hell!”
      Following a drama-filled winter, the season is set to begin in Bahrain on March 2.
      During the off-season it was confirmed that Hamilton, 39, will be joining Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season.
      Ahead of his final year with Mercedes, the seven-time world champion recently said: “It’s obviously been emotional.
      Most read in Motorsport
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      “It’s very surreal to be here. I came here in 2013, 11 years with the team, this is the start of my 12th.
      “The focus through the whole of winter training is getting the team back to where we once were.
      The Sun’s Ben Hunt reveals his five greatest Formula One Drivers Ever – with Michael Schumacher in between two Brits
      “We have had these difficult couple of years which have been really grounding for us.
      “‘It is such a privilege to work with people to see the work they’re doing over the winter.
      “This is the most exciting part of the year. To know everything underneath the hood, that George (Russell) and I will be able to experience on the track. It’s exciting.”
      Addressing the situation, team principal Toto Wolff said: “When the news broke, clearly it was a new situation. It’s something that we didn’t anticipate happening at that stage of the season and is a new dynamic and that’s clearly something we would have to work on.
      “But having said that, we’ve been together, spent some time in the factory and been at various events and it’s absolutely fine on a human level.
      “In professional terms, we have a full season to go. We want to have the best competitive car and give both drivers the opportunity to get the best possible results.
      “How great would it be to finish on a high with Lewis this year. We’ve had several wonderful times and 10 more months to go and we will give it our all.”

      🏁 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year 🏁  More

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      Why is Lewis Hamilton still driving for Mercedes after signing a contract with Ferrari?

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      FERRARI pulled off a major deal by signing Lewis Hamilton to a mega contract – but the F1 legend will continue to drive for Mercedes this season.It was announced on February 1, 2024, that Hamilton had triggered a secret clause that would see him drive for F1’s most famous team.
      Lewis Hamilton will join up with Charles Leclerc at FerrariCredit: AP
      And the deal for the seven-time world champion to join Ferrari is worth a staggering £100million.
      Hamilton would love nothing more than to follow up on this huge move with a championship win in the 2024 season.
      But fans are confused as to why the British mogul continues to represent Mercedes even after the paperwork has been signed.
      Why is Lewis Hamilton still driving for Mercedes?
      Lewis Hamilton will still drive for Mercedes as he confirmed that he was committed to finishing the season before starting life with Ferrari in 2025.
      Read more on Lewis Hamilton
      The British icon said: “I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I’m so proud of what we have achieved together.
      “Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old. It’s a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make.
      “But the time is right for me to take this step and I’m excited to be taking on a new challenge. I will be forever grateful for the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto for his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together.
      “I am 100 percent committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows, one to remember.”
      Most read in Motorsport
      Lewis Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013Credit: EPA
      Why did Lewis Hamilton switch from Mercedes to Ferrari?
      Lewis Hamilton signed a new two-year contract extension with Mercedes last summer which included a release clause that would allow the F1 legend to move elsewhere if triggered.
      And after lengthy rumours going back from 2018 about Hamilton joining Ferrari, the deal has finally been agreed.
      The British icon once revealed on Sky Italy that driving for Ferrari is a ‘dream’ team to represent.
      In 2021, Hamilton said: “It’s definitely going to be crazy to think that I never drove for Ferrari because for everyone, that is a dream position to be in.”
      He added: “It was never fully on the cards for me, and I’ll never know exactly fully why but I wish them all the best and I want to spend the next bit of my time stopping them from winning the championship.
      “I look at the pictures that the two drivers post and the red is ‘still the red'”.
      Full F1 2024 race calendar
      Below is the full calendar for the 2024 season and the final campaign where Lewis Hamilton will drive for Mercedes.

      🏁 Complete F1 2024 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix and start time this year 🏁  More

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      I’m a former Nascar driver and Sky Sports F1 presenter, now I’m set to become a Netflix star

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      NETFLIX’S hit Formula One show Drive to Survive is set to feature a new face who will be recognisable to Sky Sports F1 and Nascar fans.The sixth season of the popular documentary will feature Danica Patrick, a former Nascar and IndyCar driver who has become infamous for controversial statements.
      Danica Patrick is joining Netflix’s team for Formula One: Drive to SurviveCredit: Getty
      Co-producer Tom Rogers explained Patrick added a ‘great perspective’ to the showCredit: Getty
      Patrick has worked with Sky Sports F1 since 2021Credit: The Mega Agency
      Patrick, 41, first appeared on Sky Sports F1 for the 2021 US Grand Prix, and has become a regular sight for viewers since then.
      And now she will be a feature on Netflix’s F1 docuseries, which has been credited with boosting the sports popularity since its 2019 debut.
      Drive To Survive co-producer Tom Rogers explained the reason behind Patrick’s addition.
      Speaking to the New York Post, he said: “We attempt to focus on the stories of the sport and with Danica, she brings a great perspective of … what it’s like to drive a racing car … and the challenges of the sport.
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      “The periphery to that is less important for us in the sense that she’s bringing a good contribution to the story.”
      Dubbed the “Queen of the Brickyard” Patrick is among the most successful and recognisable women in motorsport history.
      She has started eight Indianapolis 500 between 2005 and 2018 while scoring six top-10 finishes, also winning the rookie of the year award after leading for 19 laps in her debut race.
      Patrick left IndyCar for Nascar in 2012, where she recorded seven top-10 finishes over her five-year spell in the series.
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      Since retiring in 2018 she has moved into punditry, where she cultivated a polarising reputation among fans.
      Rodgers added: “I think she does a really good job explaining to our viewers some of the thought processes that the drivers are going through.
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      “Her background as a driver provides a really interesting perspective that we maybe haven’t tapped into before.”
      Patrick previously dated American football star Aaron Rodgers for two years before they split in 2020.
      She has previously modelled for Sports Illustrated in 2008 and 2009 and had a cameo in the 2019 remake of Charlie’s Angels.
      Patrick has copped flak for a number of topics.
      These include “insensitive” remarks about former competitors, alleged support of former US President Donald Trump and sharing conspiracy theories about aliens living on earth.
      Comments she made while on Sky Sports during the Hungarian Grand Prix last year received particularly sharp criticism following claims from Patrick that F1 was a “masculine” sport.
      She said: “I think that the nature of the sport is masculine. It’s aggressive.
      “You have to, you know, handle the car – not only just the car because that’s skill, but the mindset that it takes to be really good is something that’s not normal in a feminine mind, a female mind.”
      She joins the likes of Will Buxton and Claire Williams on the show’s selection of analysts.
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      Sky Sports F1 are also undergoing a change after lead commentator David Croft announced he would miss some F1 races for the first time since 2007.
      The 2024 F1 season gets underway on March 2, with Lewis Hamilton and co beginning testing in Bahrain this week.
      Danica Patrick was dubbed the ‘Queen of the Brickyard’ following her career in Nascar and IndyCarCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Patrick has come under fire for some controversial opinionsCredit: Getty
      She modelled for Sports Illustrated in 2008 and 2009Credit: Getty

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