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      Max Verstappen hits back at ‘incorrect’ rival Lewis Hamilton after his claims about Red Bull

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN has responded to Lewis Hamilton’s claim that Red Bull’s 2023 car is quicker than any version of his dominant Mercedes.Verstappen, 25, has won two of the opening three races of the season in Bahrain and Australia.
      Lewis Hamilton has claimed Max Verstappen’s Red Bull is faster than any Mercedes he has drivenCredit: Getty
      Red Bull have won all three races at the start of the 2023 seasonCredit: Getty
      And his team-mate Sergio Perez claimed the other Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia.
      Verstappen is seeking a third successive world title after years of Mercedes glory.
      The Silver Arrows claimed seven championships in a row between 2014 and 2020 – with Hamilton winning six of them.
      But after Red Bull’s one-two in Saudi Arabia last month, the Brit, 38, insisted he had never seen a car as quick as this year’s runaway leaders.
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      When asked if Red Bull’s dominance could be bad for the sport, the seven-time champion said: “I don’t know, it’s not for me to say, but I’ve never seen a car so fast.
      “When we were fast, we weren’t that fast. That’s the fastest car I’ve seen compared to the rest. I don’t know why or how but he came past me with serious speed.
      “I didn’t even bother to block because there was a massive speed difference.”
      Now Verstappen has had his say on those comments.
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      And the Dutchman believes the numbers show that Hamilton’s theory is not true.
      He told RacingNews365 NL: “I think if you look at the statistics, then those statements are not correct.
      “But we also do have a very good car. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Still, we are not as dominant as Mercedes has shown some years.
      “I don’t pay much attention to that, that doesn’t get you anywhere.
      “Whatever we have done in the eight years that Mercedes is so dominant, we also tried to close the gap. That’s the only thing you can do.”
      Next up for both drivers is a trip to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 30.
      But Mercedes are not expected to add any significant upgrades to their car until Imola, Italy, in May.
      Hamilton has managed two fifth places and a second place so far this season.
      But Mercedes and the rest of the grid are still a long way adrift of Red Bull’s blistering pace. More

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      Red Bull ‘to axe Sergio Perez and turn to 22-year-old rising star to partner Max Verstappen’ in shock move

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      RED BULL are ready to replace Sergio Perez with rival driver Yuki Tsunoda, shock reports claim. The Mexican is clinging onto teammate Max Verstappen with the driver’s championship looking certain to be won by one of the Red Bull drivers due to their incredible speed advantage.
      Yuki Tsunoda arrived in F1 with much expectation on his shoulders and is steadily growing at Alpha TauriCredit: Getty
      But Verstappen has the edge in the early-season standings after Perez had to start from the back of the grid in the last race in Australia following a poor qualifying.
      And while the 33-year-old managed to climb up to fifth place amid the chaos in Melbourne, speculation has intensified over his position.
      Marca report that Red Bull may turn their attention to their sister team Alpha Tauri where Tsunoda, 22, is impressing.
      The Japanese driver arrived at the team in 2021 but his first season saw the driver crash repeatedly and go viral over his furious team radio rants.
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      But since then Tsunoda has been more consistent and managed to land his first point of the season in Australia despite his underwhelming car.
      Red Bull have often turned to their sister team for drivers with Verstappen initially driving for them before being fast-tracked in 2016.
      Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon also started at Alpha Tauri – formerly named Toro Rosso – before being upgraded by Red Bull.
      Albon’s struggles saw Red Bull abandon their promotion policy and opt for experienced driver Perez at the end of the 2020 season.
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      Racing Point had chosen to bin the star at the end of the year but he enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career and won the Sakhir Grand Prix despite being last at the end of the first lap.
      Red Bull saw Perez, who has been on the grid since 2011, as the perfect experienced counterpart to Verstappen.
      Their first season together saw Verstappen locked in a fight with Lewis Hamilton for the title as Perez played his part with a titanic defence against the Brit during the infamous race in Abu Dhabi.
      But cracks in their partnership appeared at the end of last season when Verstappen furiously refused to switch positions with Perez in Brazil, despite the Dutchman having already won the title.
      That tension continued into this season with Perez demanding a “review” into information drivers were receiving from pit walls after fending off Verstappen to win in Saudi Arabia last month. More

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      Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen’s rivalry has flipped with Mercedes F1 ace having to be aggressive, says Sky F1 expert

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      LEWIS HAMILTON and Max Verstappen’s rivalry has flipped now the Dutchman is in a dominant car according to Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz. Verstappen took his first win in Australia last weekend having only managed a best of third from his previous six races in Melbourne.
      Lewis Hamilton is looking for his first win since the 2021 Brazilian Grand PrixCredit: Splash
      Hamilton controversially missed out on a record 8th title to Verstappen in 2021Credit: Getty
      The Red Bull driver appeared to be cruising to victory until a second red flag following Kevin Magnussen’s crash set up a tense two lap shootout from a grid start.
      Verstappen managed to hold off fellow world champions Hamilton and Fernando Alonso as he secured his second win of the season.
      Hamilton and his Mercedes team mate George Russell had to be aggressive to get past Verstappen on the opening lap and Kravitz sees similarities to when Hamilton was fending off a young Verstappen.
      Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, Kravitz said: “What’s fascinating to me is, we now have a complete flip of the Mercedes-Lewis Hamilton seasons from 2014 to 2021, when Hamilton has been going for the championship, knowing he has the fastest car and needs to play it safe.
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      “You had the upstart Verstappen challenging him and wanting to get in there. And now you’ve got Hamilton challenging Verstappen, saying, ‘it’s no cares given’, ‘I’m out there to take all the risks’, putting it back on the defending champion.
      “Hamilton knows he’s not going to win the championship this year, not unless something really weird happens, so he can go in there and be aggressive with Verstappen, knowing that he is probably going to have to give way.”
      Hamilton, who is looking for his first win since the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2021, will have been encouraged by the improved performance of the Mercedes compared to the opening two rounds.
      The seven time champion will be hoping that the upgrades arriving on the Silver Arrows will bring them closer to the dominant Red Bull and challenge for race wins.
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      Whilst Hamilton isn’t challenging for the title in 2023 he does have a battle on his hands with team mate Russell.
      Russell is currently seventh in the standings, three places off Hamilton in fourth after his retirement in Australia, but got the better of the seven time world champion last season.
      Verstappen leads the standings from team mate Sergio Perez by 15 points with Alonso in third.
      Due to the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix, there is now a four week break until the Formula 1 season resumes in Baku. More

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      Max Verstappen threatens to quit F1 in row over rules changes with Red Bull ace insisting ‘I won’t be around for long’

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN says he could be driven out of F1 if the sport’s bosses keep tinkering with the rules.The F1 world champion is upset at plans to change the format of the sprint races – the six, 30-minutes races that are scheduled this season to form Sunday’s grid for the GP.
      Verstappen has threatened to quit F1 if more sprint races are introducedCredit: Getty
      The Dutchman topped the time charts in qualifying ahead of Russell and HamiltonCredit: Getty
      F1 chiefs are sold on the sprint races, which effectively allow them to sell the idea to promoters that they are getting additional track action, rather than meaningless practice sessions.
      However, some drivers are against the proposal with Verstappen saying he has had enough of them messing with the “DNA of F1”.
      When first quizzed about the proposal to cut down on one of the practice sessions, he said: “I’m happy with just the main race. I think that’s way better for the excitement.
      “I naturally hope that there won’t be too many changes otherwise I won’t be around for too long.”
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      And after qualifying on pole for tomorrow’s Australian GP, he snapped again on the sprint races, which could now get an additional qualifying session.
      He added: “I’m not a fan of it at all.
      “When we do all that kind of stuff the weekend becomes more intense and we’re already doing so many races. So that’s not the right way to go about it.
      “I understand of course they wanted to have every day exciting but then it’s maybe better to reduce the weekend, only race on Saturday and Sunday and make those two days exciting.
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      “We are adding into seasons that will soon have 24 or 25 races and if you start adding even more stuff, it’s not worth it for me, I’m not enjoying that.
      “For me, a sprint race is all about surviving, it’s not about racing. When you have a quick car there’s nothing to risk.
      “I prefer to just keep my car alive and make sure you have a good race car for Sunday.
      “Even if you change the format, I don’t find it’s the DNA of F1 to do these kind of sprint races.
      “F1 is about getting the most out of it in qualifying and having an amazing Sunday with a good long race distance, that’s the DNA of the sport.
      “I don’t understand or I don’t know why we should change that because I think the action has been good and how do you get even more action?
      “It’s about getting the cars closer, getting more teams able to fight for the win. I think naturally the show will be great.
      “If we have six or seven teams fighting for the win that would be insane and you really don’t really need to change anything.”
      Meanwhile, former FIA Race Director Michael Masi says he has received a warm welcome from F1 – despite the controversial end to his career.
      Masi was axed after his handling of the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP that saw Verstappen clinch the title in controversial circumstances.
      He made his return to the F1 paddock for the first time as chairman of the Australian Supercar Commission.
      However, some reports claimed he was nervous about attending his first F1 GP since his departure.
      But Masi said he was welcomed back: “It’s been fantastic being back as a guest of both the FIA and F1.
      “It’s been really good. I’m here in my capacity as the Chair of the Supercars Commission, but it’s lovely to catch up with so many good friends and see so many people, including my old team at the FIA.
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      “It’s been fantastic. The welcome has been amazing from everyone that I’ve seen.
      “It’s like seeing the long-lost family in many ways, which has been great.” More

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      Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in ‘dream’ Australian GP qualifying as Mercedes pair eye shock F1 win

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN clinched pole for the Australian GP while Mercedes were given a huge boost, with George Russell qualifying in second and Lewis Hamilton in third.It was a thrilling session as Verstappen, Hamilton and Fernando Alonso all set provisional poles before the world champion came out on top.
      Lewis Hamilton and George Russell enjoyed a ‘dream’ qualifying sessionCredit: EPA
      However, they were still unable to pip Max Verstappen to poleCredit: EPA
      But it was a nightmare for Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate, Sergio Perez, who will start in LAST PLACE.
      Verstappen, who overcame battery and gear-change problems, took his first pole in Australia and said: “The last run was very good. The whole weekend has been tough but it all worked out in Q3.
      “I think we will have a good race car and it will be a tricky race. I have been on the podium once but I want to be on a different step this time.”
      Russell produced an excellent performance to take second as Mercedes defied the odds after a difficult start to the season.
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      He said: “We wasn’t expecting that, that’s for sure! There is a lot of hard work going on and the car felt alive.
      “If I am honest, I am a little disappointed that I did not get pole. It shows how quickly things can change.
      “We would have been happy with fourth on Friday but we made some changes and the car felt great.”
      Hamilton, who starts third – alongside Alonso – was denied the chance to go even quicker on his final lap after getting caught in traffic and said his goal is now to “get first”.
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      He added: “I am so happy with this! This is totally unexpected. I am really proud of the team and George has done a fantastic job.
      “This is a dream for us. We are all working hard and to be this close to the Red Bull is incredible.
      “I hope we can give them a run for their money. I am super grateful for this position and will look to move forward tomorrow.”
      While Verstappen was P1, it was a shocker for Perez, who spun off in Q1.
      The Mexican, who won the last race in Jeddah, went too quickly into turn three and ended up hitting the wall and being dumped out of qualifying at the first hurdle.
      The session was stopped as his stricken Red Bull was recovered while Perez voiced his frustration to his team over the radio.
      “We need to fix that issue, man,” Perez says. “It was the same f issue again!”
      Williams’ revival continued with Alex Albon qualifying in eighth place after the team showed strong signs of progress in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
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      However, there was more misery for McLaren as their struggles continued with Lando Norris qualifying in 13th and Oscar Piastri in 16th.
      Norris has publicly said he was backing McLaren’s engineering changes but this was another poor showing that will ramp up the pressure on CEO, Zak Brown. More

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      Lewis Hamilton taunted for having ‘short memory’ and ‘getting old’ after F1 star’s comments on Max Verstappen

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has been taunted by Fernando Alonso, who has accused the Brit of having “a short memory”.Hamilton claimed that Max Verstappen’s Red Bull was “the fastest car I’ve seen” as he was passed by the Dutchman in the Saudi Arabian GP.
      Hamilton has spent much of the season shocked by the gap between his struggling Mercedes and the outstanding Red Bull carCredit: Rex
      Verstappen is the favourite for the title this season and his chances have been greatly helped by Red Bull’s expert engineering.Credit: EPA
      Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso has given his take on the pace advantage Red Bull hold over the rest of the gridCredit: Alamy
      The seven-time world champion said Red Bull’s advantage was greater than anything Mercedes had during their eight consecutive constructors’ titles between 2014 and 2021.
      But Alonso has rubbished his claim in an interview with French publication L’Equipe ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.Alonso said: “I don’t agree at all. Last week [in Saudi Arabia] I finished 20 seconds behind Checo [Perez] and Max. 
      “He and [Nico] Rosberg were a minute ahead in 2014 and 2015… He has a short memory, he’s getting old!”
      Alonso, who famously fell out with Hamilton when they were team-mates at McLaren in 2007, also said that he was now aware of the 38-year-old’s “weaknesses” now he no longer has a superior car.
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      He added: “With a normal car, you can see that he has weaknesses. “Before, he drove alone or sometimes with his team-mate. But look, he is the record holder for poles and George Russell has just [beaten] him a 2-0 in qualifying this season. It just goes to show how much the car is still a key factor.”
      Meanwhile, Merc boss Toto Wolff says Hamilton and Russell cannot expect to receive major upgrades until the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May.
      Wolff has already committed to redesigning this year’s car after a slow start to the season. 
      The Austrian has promised “visible changes” to the car but they will not be ready for the GPs in Baku and Miami.
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      He said: “We’re doing good steps, good developments, but you’ve got to run them, confirm them, produce them.
      “So, I think we’re not looking for an introduction before Imola. We want to do it right also.”
      Hamilton was not happy with his car’s performance in practice in Melbourne for this weekend’s race.
      He said: “This morning was good, this afternoon wasn’t so good. The car is similar [to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia]. It felt a bit better this morning.
      “We made some changes, didn’t work, so we will revise them tonight. Then it rained so it wasn’t the greatest of sessions.”
      When quizzed for his expectations this weekend, he added: “We won’t be competing with the Red Bulls. I think we have the pace to be around fifth, same as the last race.” More

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      I felt I was missing a lung after fighting virus during Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, reveals Max Verstappen

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN says he felt like he was “missing a lung” when he raced in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.The Dutchman, who was battling a virus, went from 15th on the grid to finish second behind team-mate Sergio Perez.
      Max Verstappen has opened up on his health ahead of the Australian Grand PrixCredit: Alamy
      He also set the fastest lap of the race to score a bonus point that means he leads the drivers’ championship ahead of this weekend’s Australian GP.
      The reigning world champion says he is still not fully-fit and will use the three-week break before the Azerbaijan GP to get back to full health.
      Verstappen said: “I was not looking forward to the break but then I got really ill and I have just been struggling since that time.
      “I refused to believe in myself for a long time because, at home, I was really ill. I could barely walk around and I felt like I was missing a lot.
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      “I got to Saudi Arabia believing that the virus was gone because normally when you get sick, after two or three days you are alright and you can do your workouts.
      “But then I jumped into the car for practice, and even after just one lap, I felt like I had to recover for two laps to be able to breathe normally.
      “It felt like I was missing a lung.
      “It definitely did affect me, which I didn’t like because it was one of the first races where I felt like I was physically limited.
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      “That’s really frustrating when you’re out in the car, but since then I’ve been trying to work on it, trying to improve it, and it has improved a lot.
      “But for me now these next three weeks are just about getting back to full fitness. Hopefully for the rest of the year it should be okay.”
      Verstappen is hoping to make it three world championship wins in a row this season and his car is supposedly the fastest ever, according to rival Lewis Hamilton. More

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      Lewis Hamilton told Mercedes are 12 MONTHS behind Red Bull with Brit’s contract up at end of season

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      LEWIS HAMILTON has been told Mercedes are up to 12 MONTHS in development behind rivals Red Bull.The Brackley-based team have struggled to keep pace with reigning constructor champs Red Bull across the last two seasons.
      Toto Wolff has warned Mercedes are ‘six to 12 months’ behind Red Bull’s car developmentCredit: Splash
      It comes with Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes deal up at the end of the seasonCredit: AP
      Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have secured one-two finishes in the opening two races of the season.
      Indeed, Hamilton claimed he had “never seen a car so fast” after Verstappen breezed past him on lap 12 of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
      Meanwhile, the 38-year-old has finished P5 in both races, while team-mate George Russell has finished P7 and P4 in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia respectively.
      Consequently, Mercedes have admitted they need to look at changing their W14 car concept altogether, with “radical” changes set to be introduced.
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      However, team principal Toto Wolff has warned the team remain at least half a year away from competing at the top of the order.
      Wolff told reporters in Jeddah: “I think the lag is probably between six and 12 months, because that’s the time it really took for us to figure out what was actually happening with the [2022] car.
      “That means we just need to double the development speed, a stronger development slope which the logic and rationale speaks for it, that we could have [it].
      “[Red Bull’s] gains are going to be incrementally smaller if their concept is mature.
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      “Aero-wise, wind tunnel time can help a bit but not hugely, and we’ve just got to get our act together.
      “If we fundamentally understand where we need to put the car, then the steps are going to be large, but we need to be perfect.”
      This time scale comes with Hamilton’s Mercedes contract up at the end of the season.
      The seven-time world champion has been linked with Ferrari and Red Bull, though Christian Horner shut down such rumours from Red Bull’s camp.
      Hamilton has so far DISMISSED talk of retirement, at least until he wins his eighth world title.
      Hamilton will be hoping for better fortunes when the lights go out for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend. More