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      Red Bull advisor Halmut Marko slapped with written warning by FIA for xenophobic slur aimed at Sergio Perez

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      RED BULL advisor Helmut Marko has been hit with a written warning by the FIA for his comments made towards Sergio Perez.The outspoken Austrian was quoted saying Perez, who is from Mexico, “is South American and he is just not as completely focused in his head as Max [Verstappen] is or as Sebastian [Vettel]”.
      Marko has apologised to PerezCredit: Getty
      The remarks about his own team’s driver caused a backlash on social media, especially in Mexico, which is in North America.
      Perez has already received an apology from Marko, 80, but now the FIA have issued their own warning.
      The FIA say that Marko received a “written warning and was reminded of his responsibilities as a public figure in motorsport in line with the FIA code of ethics.”
      Red Bull team principal Christian Horner addressed the issue ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix on Friday.
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      He told Sky Sports: “Firstly those comments weren’t right and Helmut quickly realised that and apologised for that, both publicly and directly to Sergio.
      “He spoke directly to Sergio about it and you’re always learning in life, even at 80 years of age. Inevitably lessons have been learnt.
      “Checo is a massively popular member of our team, he’s an important member of our team.
      “I pushed very hard to sign him for the 2021 season, we have a huge following around the world and we take that very seriously and responsibly.
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      “The fan following, not just that Checo has but the team has and Formula 1 has, we’re very conscious of.
      “This is his 250th race, we want to focus on that.”
      Marko also took aim at Perez last summer when he joked that the 33-year-old was drunk on tequila after he blew his podium chances at the French Grand Prix. More

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      Mercedes could launch legal challenge to Max Verstappen’s 2021 title – if Lewis Hamilton is STRIPPED of 2008 crown

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      MERCEDES could launch a legal challenge to Max Verstappen’s 2021 title – depending on the outcome of Felipe Massa’s attempts to have Lewis Hamilton’s championship overturned in 2008. Massa has instructed a team of lawyers to investigate claims that former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA knew of Renault’s plot to have Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crash in the Singapore GP to benefit their other driver, Fernando Alonso.
      Mercedes could launch a legal challenge to Max Verstappen’s 2021 title winCredit: Alamy
      Lewis Hamilton could end up losing his 2008 crown to Felipe MassaCredit: Reuters
      Massa is seeking to have the outcome of that season’s championship overturned after he lost to Hamilton by a single point, claiming F1 and the FIA should have acted sooner.
      When asked for his view on the subject ahead of this weekend’s Singapore GP, Wolff was coy on his team’s stance.
      He said: “The rules are pretty clear in Formula One. It will certainly set a precedent — whatever it is. We’re looking from the sidelines with curiosity.”
      The decision is significant given the FIA’s handling of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP where former Race Director Michael Masi fudged the rules in a dramatic climax to the season.
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      Masi was later axed from his role and the subject of a three-month FIA investigation while Mercedes pulled a U-turn on their decision to challenge the outcome of the race.
      Hamilton went to ground during the winter raising questions as to whether he would return to the sport given the controversy surrounding the championship.
      And Wolff pointed out: “And the FIA commented on the 2021 race, with a clear statement. So, that’s why we are looking at it [Massa’s challenge] with interest.”
      Defiant Wolff also refused to apologise to Verstappen for labelling his record of 10 successive wins as “irrelevant” and something for “Wikipedia”.
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      Massa has launched a legal challenge following the 2008 Singapore GP’s ‘Crashgate’ incidentCredit: AFP
      Wolff was heavily criticised for his disingenuous comment with Verstappen claiming the Mercedes chief was just “pissed off” after “a pretty s*** race” in Monza.
      While admitting the comments were not correct, he stopped short of saying sorry to the Dutchman.
      He added: “Obviously when you look at the comments in the circumstances you can think about whether it was the most intelligent thing that I could have said and maybe not.
      “But it’s always been my mindset. It is something that I’ve taken from Niki [Lauda].
      “Niki gave his trophies away to get a free car wash. You won’t find a lot of memorabilia in my places either because those numbers never mattered for the two of us.
      “F1 is a meritocracy. And I said it often during this year that only the best will win world championships and you need to recognise what a great job is being done there.
      “At the end they will take another big trophy and that’s something that’s the most valuable: the best person in the best car wins the world championship.”
      Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More

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      F1 fans distraught as Fernando Alonso RUNS OVER giant lizard dubbed ‘Godzilla’s kid’ during Singapore GP practice

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      THIS is the incredible moment the Singapore GP was invaded by a giant LIZARD – forcing champ Max Verstappen to swerve around “Godzilla’s kid.”But the reptile paid the ultimate price as he was eventually run over by Aston Martin star Fernando Alonso, leaving fans in tears.
      Max Verstappen was forced to swerve to avoid a lizard at the Singapore GPCredit: Sky Sports F1
      The giant reptile, dubbed ‘Godzilla’s kid’, calmly crossed the tarmac during practiceCredit: Sky Sports F1
      The cheeky lizard was eventually run over by Fernando AlonsoCredit: Getty
      Verstappen and Alonso were caught off guard as Formula One stars warmed up for this weekend’s race in Southeast Asia.
      With temperatures in the low 30s, many exotics animals are thriving in Singapore’s humid climate.

      And one cheeky heat-loving creature appeared to want a close-up encounter with Verstappen and Co.
      The huge reptile, believed to be a monitor lizard, left pundits and drivers stunned as it sauntered across the track during Friday’s practice THREE times.
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      The beast took little notice of the zooming cars while crossing the tarmac.
      And one racer who had a close encounter with the lizard was none other than Red Bull superstar Verstappen.
      It wasn’t his first face-off with one of the creatures in Singapore, with Verstappen facing off against a lizard in 2016.
      But this time the double world champ was forced to swerve to avoid making contact while turning a corner, forcing yellow flags to be deployed.
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      Verstappen previously encountered a lizard in Singapore seven years ago
      Verstappen exclaimed on the Red Bull team radio: “There’s a lizard again on the track! A smaller one this time.”
      His team responded: “Ok understood. Maybe Godzilla had a kid.”
      Verstappen laughed: “That makes sense!”
      Williams star George Russell also encountered the lizard as he zoomed past, declaring it was the second one he’d seen that day.
      He said on his team radio: “Another lizard but a different one this time!”
      Fans certainly found the incident hilarious, with one saying: “Them lizards love that race.”
      Another declared: “Best seat in the house.”
      One added: “Who let him onto the track?”
      However, it later emerged the innocent lizard had been squished by Spanish star Alonso as the Aston Martin man zoomed around at 70mph.
      One heartbroken fan said: “Aint no way, did someone actually run over a lizard.”
      Another declared: “The lizard got run over? I am heartbroken.”
      One added: “Finding out there was a lizard on track and someone run him over…”
      As far as practice went, it was a one-two for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc finished 0.078 seconds ahead of Carlos Sainz.
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      Verstappen came third, with Lando Norris fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth.
      And all eyes will be on tomorrow’s qualifying round to see if any more cheeky lizards make an appearance. More

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      Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen slammed by F1 rival as he says ‘they haven’t built anything’

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      FERNANDO ALONSO has slammed Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen as they “haven’t built anything”.The Spaniard has suggested that the two F1 stars have benefitted from being on the strongest teams during their careers.
      Fernando Alonso has hit out at Lewis Hamilton and Max VerstappenCredit: Getty
      Alonso has claimed the duo have not ‘built anything’Credit: Splash
      Alonso, 42, is currently at Aston Martin and has helped the team to fourth place in the constructors’ standings.
      He is currently third after picking up seven podium finishes this season.
      Hamilton and Verstappen’s teams Mercedes and Red Bull Racing are currently second and first in the constructors’ table.
      Verstappen is miles ahead in the drivers’ standings, having won 14 races, while Hamilton is still considered one of the best drivers on the grid after his illustrious career.
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      However, Alonso has claimed that the duo are benefitting from their teams and that when Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013, the team improved due to a change in regulations.
      He told Marca: “When Hamilton went to Mercedes [2013 season], he didn’t build anything to be champion.
      “It was only a change in regulations [hybrid engines] that changed everything on the grid and boosted Mercedes.
      “I think the same with Max [Verstappen], when he joined Toro Rosso and Red Bull, Hamilton continued to win everything.
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      “Red Bull is not a winning team thanks to him, simply another regulation change in 2021 has caused them to now win all the races.”
      Alonso has argued that he does not understand when drivers say they have “built” teams.
      He believes that more of the success comes from behind-the-scenes factors rather than the drivers.
      He added: “When we say that we can ‘build’ teams around us, I don’t understand it.
      “It is a sport in which technical decisions, regulations or the inspiration of the design office make more of a difference than your input, your comments, your personality or your way of driving.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton’s ex-F1 team-mate LEAKS news Lando Norris will ‘switch’ teams as Max Verstappen breaks silence on rumour

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      NICO ROSBERG has claimed Lando Norris could switch teams amid rumours he is heading to Red Bull.Norris is under contract at McLaren until 2025 but that has not stopped speculation about his future.
      Nico Rosberg has claimed Lando Norris is set to switch teamsCredit: Getty
      Red Bull like Norris, who gets on well with Max VerstappenCredit: Splash
      He is well liked by Red Bull and is close to superstar Max Verstappen, while Sergio Perez’s contract with the team expires next year.
      Norris has been linked with replacing him and now Rosberg has hinted he could be on the move.
      The former team-mate of Lewis Hamilton told Sky Sports: “Where’s he [Norris] going? Next year already, I hear there’s a switch coming.”
      Red Bull chief Helmut Marko has hinted at replacing Perez with Norris, with the “inconsistent” Mexican seemingly destined to leave.
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      While Verstappen revealed he has discussed a potential move with Norris, saying: “We talk about it. But he’s contracted to McLaren for a long time. We’ll see what happens in the future.”
      Marko has previously stated it is “unfortunate” Norris’ contract is so long – hinting he is keen to add the Brit to the team.
      He has also labelled Norris “by far the strongest of the young drivers” and suggested his style would suit Red Bull.
      While he also believes the 23-year-old would be the perfect partner for Verstappen, particularly for the fans.
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      Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc have reportedly held talks over signing for Red Bull.
      And Leclerc could be the leading candidate to join as his deal expires at the same time as Perez.
      Yuki Tsunoda is also understood to be an option for Red Bull after impressing at sister team AlphaTauri this year. More

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      Max Verstappen hits back at ‘jealous’ F1 rival Lewis Hamilton after Brit legend’s latest barb at Italian GP

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has suggested that Lewis Hamilton is “jealous” of his current success.The reigning Formula 1 world champion has also called Mercedes sore losers.
      Max Verstappen hit back at Lewis Hamilton’s commentsCredit: Rex
      Hamilton was accused of being ‘jealous’Credit: Alamy
      Verstappen sealed his tenth Grand Prix win in a row at Monza yesterday.
      Going into the weekend, Hamilton, 38, raised eyebrows by playing down his rival’s success.
      The seven-time world champion said: “I’m no more impressed than when Michael [Schumacher] was leading, when Sebastian [Vettel] was leading when Kimi [Raikkonen] was driving, when Fernando [Alonso] was winning – it’s just the same.
      “In my personal opinion, all my team-mates have been stronger than the team-mates Max has had – Jenson [Button], Fernando, George [Russell], Valtteri [Bottas], Nico [Rosberg].
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      “I’ve had so many. These guys have all been very, very strong, very consistent – and Max has not raced against anyone like that.”
      Since Verstappen joined Red Bull in 2016, he has been joined by Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and current team-mate Sergio Perez.
      Hamilton, meanwhile, has had to contend with world championship pedigree in Button, Alonso and Rosberg.
      The Mexican is second to Verstappen in the driver standings, but trails the Dutchman by a staggering 145 points.
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      Asked about Hamilton’s comments, Verstappen threw a verbal jab at his former title rival.
      He said: “Maybe he’s a little jealous of my current success.
      “This kind of statement… he possibly thinks he’s winning something with that, but it makes no difference to me.
      “I think Mercedes have a very hard time dealing with losing, after all these years of winning so much.
      “At some point, you have to be realistic and then you have to be able to appreciate what other teams are doing.
      You can keep shouting and screaming that what we do is not that special… you just have to deal with yourselfMax Verstappen
      “We did the same when they were dominant and we also said, ‘We have to work harder because we are not good enough’.
      “You can keep shouting and screaming that what we do is not that special… you just have to deal with yourself.”
      Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle admitted to being “surprised” by Hamilton’s comments – but reckons he was merely trying not to give Verstappen any gratification.
      Brundle, 64, said: “That’s Lewis’ opinion and he very firmly put it out there.
      “He’s not going to give Max an ounce of oxygen, or anything, to pick him up. I’m surprised just how hard he was.
      “Of course, Lewis has had strong team-mates but I wouldn’t write off the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Sergio Perez, who Max has had alongside him.
      “They are world-class racing drivers. Lewis just doesn’t want to give anything away, does he?”
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      “To win at the rate Lewis has done, 103 victories, and the rate Max is, and to keep the mental aspect going every week in different tracks and weather conditions, is extraordinary.
      “You can’t be anything other than incredibly impressed by what Verstappen is doing. How many points has Perez scored in that time?”
      Sergio Perez has been unable to seriously challenge Max VerstappenCredit: Getty
      Hamilton has had plenty of world champion team-matesCredit: Bongarts – Getty More

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      Max Verstappen breaks record with 10th straight F1 win at Italian GP as ‘screwed’ Lewis Hamilton ends 6th after penalty

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN made it 10 wins in a row to set a new F1 record as Ferrari’s attempts to stop his juggernaut failed.Verstappen was held up for 15 laps by Carlos Sainz, who had taken pole the previous day for the Italian team in their home race.
      Max Verstappen has now won 10 Grands Prix in a rowCredit: AP
      Verstappen breezed to yet another comfortable victoryCredit: Splash
      Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc battled it out for third placeCredit: Getty
      Lewis Hamilton had a disappointing afternoon in MonzaCredit: Splash
      At first the Dutchman locked up as he tried to squeeze past the Spaniard’s Ferrari into turn one.
      But he got the move done four corners later to move into the lead and was untroubled to the end to open up a 145-point advantage in the championship over his teammate Sergio Perez.
      It was so comfortable, his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase labelled it “a stroll in the park” over the team’s radio.
      When quizzed about his landmark victory, Verstappen said: “I never would have believed that it was possible but we had to work for it today and that made it a lot more fun.
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      “I was just trying to stay patient. I could see they [Ferrari] were struggling with rear tyres and I had to pick my moment.”
      Perez, who started in fifth, produced an excellent recovery drive to finish in second place.
      However, he was made to fight for it as he had narrow escapes when passing George Russell on lap 14 and Sainz on lap 46.
      He said: “It was the maximum we could achieve today. It was so hard to overtake.”
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      Sainz held on to take the final podium place but he had a real fight with his teammate Charles Leclerc, which is certain to spark some internal investigation.
      Having both been warned to keep it clean, Leclerc still kept the pressure and came close to taking both cars out on three occasions on the final few laps.
      Sainz said: “It was very tough, it was very hard to keep the Red Bull’s behind and I used the rear tyres up, but I did all I could to defend.
      “It was hard racing and it is always a pleasure to race against Charles, he is a good racer and we had fun out there.”
      Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished in fifth and sixth place respectively with both drivers picking up five second penalties.
      Russell was penalised for missing the first turn while Hamilton was sanctioned for cutting across Oscar Piastri, breaking the McLaren man’s front wing.
      Towards the end of the race, Hamilton could be heard on race radio saying: “Now we’re screwed because I don’t know how these tyres are going to last.”
      Alex Albon was seventh in his Williams ahead of Lando Norris, who came home in eighth place in his McLaren. More

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      Lewis Hamilton eliminated early as Max Verstappen takes pole for Dutch GP by a landslide

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      LANDO NORRIS was the best of the rest as Max Verstappen took another pole position – and did so by a landslide.The Dutchman only needed one quick lap as he took a comfortable pole ahead of British duo Norris and George Russell.
      Max Verstappen eased his way to pole positionCredit: Getty
      Lewis Hamilton had a tough day at ZandvoortCredit: Rex
      Verstappen, who is going in search of a record-equalling ninth straight win, was over half a second clear from the rest of the field in damp conditions at Zandvoort.
      And Norris admits he has a slim chance of beating the Red Bull ace in tomorrow’s Dutch GP.
      When quizzed if he could fight Verstappen for the win, Norris said: “I’ll try and challenge for two laps and then he’ll probably drive away.
      “Max is always on another level when it comes to race day.”
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      “I’m happy still. P2 was a good result in these kind of conditions.
      “Every now and then you hope Max makes a mistake, but he doesn’t, so it is frustrating in a little way. But I’m very happy. The team did a good job.
      “The first half of the [final] lap was mega but the second half was probably one of the worst second halves I’ve done.”
      Verstappen knows another win will level Vettel’s incredible achievement but says he’s not focused on breaking records.
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      Max Verstappen is hoping to make it three Dutch GP wins in a rowCredit: EPA
      He said: “After five wins in a row, Seb texted me and said ‘you’re doing a good job, keep it going’ but nine in a row is impressive, and to be on eight.
      “If it is possible I will go for it, but it is not in the back of my head. I am not here to break records, just win in the moment.”
      Russell will line up in third place on the grid while his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton had a miserable afternoon and qualified way down in 13th.
      It was a crucial result for Russell, who says he had struggled with his form in Saturday’s qualifying sessions.
      He said: “Qualifying was one of my strengths at the start of the year, but the last few races before the break were a little scrappy.
      “So it was good to have the break with a fresh pair of eyes and to come back back in the groove.”
      Verstappen’s pole came after two delays as some drivers struggled with the drying track after a heavy downpour.
      First there was a wait for over 30 minutes as marshals repaired the barriers after Logan Sargeant crashed his Williams.
      And then Charles Leclerc somewhat-embarrassingly lost control of his Ferrari and slid off into the barriers.
      Meanwhile, Hamilton is hoping he can improve on his poor qualifying performance.
      He only just made it into Q2 after being caught up in traffic.
      The Brit was then a shock elimination from the second session as he failed to reach the top 10.
      The seven-time world champion was stuck behind Yuki Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri and unable to string a lap together.
      He said: “I did two fast laps in the end and the tyres overheated, so I couldn’t improve on the last lap.
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      “Hopefully, when the car is heavier maybe we can progress forward in the race.
      “It’s not an easy track to move forward on, but tomorrow’s a new day and I will give it my best.”
      Alfa Romeo’s Guanyu Zhou’s crashed outCredit: Reuters More