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Mercedes driver George Russell speaks to CNN ahead of the 2022 British Grand Prix
After nine races, 24-year-old George Russell has still earned himself three podiums and sits fourth in the driver standings, ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton. CNN’s Amanda Davies spoke to him ahead of his first home Grand Prix as a Mercedes driver.
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CNN Sport speaks with head of Formula Equal, as it plans to become sport’s first 50/50 gender ratio team
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Christian Horner: Red Bull aren’t the favorites for F1 title
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner tells Amanda Davies in Qatar that Red Bull aren’t the favorites for the championship, that it’s 50/50 for a title and that a championship for Max Verstappen would be the biggest team achievement to date.
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Lewis Hamilton may be Formula One’s most successful driver but after securing a record-equaling seventh world title on Sunday the Briton said he still had plenty left to achieve – namely making his sport and the world “more diverse and inclusive.”
A brilliant drive during a rain-soaked Turkish Grand Prix ensured Hamilton not only won the race – for a record-extending 94th Grand Prix victory – but also equaled Michael Schumacher’s tally of seven world titles, the one remaining record of the German great that the Englishman has not yet surpassed.
In an Instagram post after his historic feat, Hamilton said the coronavirus pandemic had given him a chance to “really think about my ultimate purpose.”
“Seven World Championships means the world to me, I can’t even describe how much, but there’s still another race we’ve yet to win,” the post read.
“This year I’ve been driven not just by my desire to win on the track, but by a desire to help push our sport, and our world to become more diverse and inclusive. I promise you I am not going to stop fighting for change. We have a long way to go but I will continue to push for equality within our sport, and within the greater world we live in.
“Equaling Michael Schumacher’s record puts a spotlight on me that I know won’t be here forever. So, while you’re here, paying attention, I want to ask everyone to do their part in helping to create a more equal world. Let’s be more accepting and kinder to each other. Let’s make it so that opportunity is not something that is dependent on background or skin colour.”
No driver in the sport’s history has won as many races, secured as many pole positions or finished on the podium as many times as Hamilton. He is widely expected to add to his tally of world titles – saying on the podium after the race that he felt “like I’m only just getting started” – and his place in F1’s pantheon has long since been assured.
He is the face of F1, but also its voice and conscience and has used his stature like no other F1 world champion. F1’s first and only Black world champion in its 70-year history, this year he became one of sport’s leading voices in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
With Hamilton being a force for change, Mercedes – famous for its silver livery – unveiled an all-black car for this season in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, with the drivers wearing black uniforms and the halos of both cars featuring the call to “End Racism.”
The Briton’s own incredible story – his father, Anthony, juggled three jobs, re-mortgaged the family home and dipped into his life savings to keep his son in karting – is an example of how notoriously difficult the sport is to enter, mainly because of the financial costs involved.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Hamilton said: “It is no secret that I have walked this sport alone as the only person of color here.
“The fact is I am bi-racial … and there is colorism that people should perhaps read about.
“When I was younger I didn’t have anybody in the sport that looked like me so it was easy to think that’s not possible to get there because nobody of your colour has ever been there, you don’t see any Black people in F1.
“But hopefully this sends a message to the kids that are watching … that it doesn’t matter where you come from, whatever your background, it is so important to you to dream big.
“You can create your own path and that is what I have been able to do, and it has been so tough. Tough doesn’t even describe how hard it has been.”
Immediately after the race, Hamilton sat in his car with his head buried in his hands and struggled to hold back the tears.
“Very rarely do I lose control of my emotions but I remember those last few laps and I was just telling myself to keep it together,” Hamilton told reporters.
“When I came across the line it really hit me and I just burst into tears.
“I didn’t want the visor to come up and people to see the tears because I always would say you will never see me cry. I remember watching other drivers cry in the past, and I was like, I am never going to do that, but it was too much.”
Hamilton needed to finish eight points ahead of his teammate Valtteri Bottas to secure the title at Istanbul Park. He did so with ease, lapping the Finn who crossed the line in 14th to collect zero points.
Driving in the same Mercedes machinery, Bottas’ performance illustrated just how superior a talent Hamilton is. No one has come close to challenging the world champion during this truncated season and he secured the title with three races still remaining, having won four races in a row and 10 of 14 races so far this year.
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Lewis Hamilton has become accustomed to making history and, at a rain-soaked Turkish Grand Prix, the Englishman put his name in the record books once again as he equaled Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world titles.
To win Formula One’s drivers’ championship at Istanbul Park, the Mercedes driver needed to finish ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas and did so with ease in often treacherous conditions, securing a fourth successive title by winning the race after starting sixth.
Last month Hamilton, 35, surpassed Schumacher’s all-time record of 91 Grand Prix wins to become the sport’s most successful racer and had long since broken the German’s career pole-positions record.
Should he remain in the sport, Hamilton will be widely expected to add to his tally of world titles. But, whatever he achieves in the years ahead, his place in F1’s pantheon is assured.
“For all the kids out there who dream the impossible, you can do it too – I believe in you guys,” said Hamilton on his radio after crossing the finishing line for his 94th Grand Prix win.
It was a brilliant drive from one of the all-time greats. After poor practice and qualifying sessions this weekend, question marks were raised as to whether Hamilton could win in Turkey. In wet conditions, it was Hamilton’s decisive call on tyres which ultimately proved pivotal, with the Mercedes driver taking control halfway through the race.
After victory was achieved, Hamilton embraced his team and, with tears in his eyes, told Sky Sports he was “lost for words.”
“I have to start with saying such a huge thank you to all the guys that are here, and all the guys that are back at the factory … I wouldn’t be able to do this if I didn’t join this team and the journey we’ve been on has been monumental,” he said.
“I want to say a big thanks to team LH for sticking with me all these years, and to my family. We dreamed of this when I was young and this is way, way beyond our dreams.”
Hamilton, who has equaled a record many thought was untouchable when Schumacher won his seventh title in 2004, received congratulatory messages from his fellow drivers, sports stars from around the world and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“Massively deserved,” tweeted former world champion Nico Rosberg, a former Mercedes teammate of Hamilton and one of the few drivers to finish ahead of Hamilton in the championship during the Briton’s 14-year career.
Former Manchester United and England footballer Rio Ferdinand tweeted that his compatriot was the “greatest sportsman this country has ever produced – no doubts.”
Johnson tweeted: “An impressive victory – well done @LewisHamilton! You have made us all so proud.”
Racing Point’s Sergio Perez finished over 31 seconds behind Hamilton in second, while Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was third. In finishing 14th, Bottas – the only man who could have denied Hamilton the title – was lapped by his teammate and finished with no points.
Driving in the same Mercedes machinery, Bottas’ performance illustrated just how superior a talent Hamilton is. No one has come close to challenging the world champion during this truncated season and he secured the title with three races still remaining, having won four races in a row and 10 of 14 races so far this year.
No driver has been as successful on the track as Hamilton, and no F1 world champion has used his stature like Hamilton, the sport’s first and only Black world champion in its 70-year history.
The 35-year-old has long been the face of his sport – his domination and heart-on-sleeve personality has made him arguably the most recognizable British sportsman on the planet – but, in 2020 especially, he became one of British sport’s leading voices supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and, consequently, his sport’s voice too.
Ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix, Hamilton said campaigning for equal rights had made him “much prouder” than the prospect of a seventh world title.
But as the checkered flag was waved, it became clear how much this title meant this once-in-a-generation talent.
“My whole life I probably have, secretly, dreamt as high as this but it felt so far fetched. Seven is just unimaginable,” Hamilton said on the podium.
“I feel like I’m only just getting started, it’s really weird. I feel physically in great shape and mentally, this year, has been the hardest probably for millions of people.
“I know things always look great from here on the big stage, (but) It’s no different for us athletes. This has been a challenge, I didn’t know how to get through. I managed to keep my head above water and stay focused … “
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Lewis Hamilton says he remains undeterred in his fight against racial injustice. His comments came as the FIA, motorsport’s global governing body, announced it will not investigate the Formula One champion for wearing a T-shirt honoring Breonna Taylor at the Tuscan Grand Prix.
Hamilton, a six-time world champion who claimed the 90th race win of his career on Sunday, wore a T-shirt with the words “ARREST THE COPS WHO KILLED BREONNA TAYLOR” on the front, and “SAY HER NAME” above a photo of Taylor on the back, before the race and at the podium ceremony.
Having originally said it would be considering the matter, the FIA will instead clarify its guidelines as to what will be permitted for drivers and teams both pre and post-race.
The FIA is aiming to put these guidelines in place ahead of the next race of the 2020 season which is scheduled to take place in Sochi, Russia on September 27.
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“Want you to know I won’t stop, I won’t let up, I won’t give up on using this platform to shed light on what I believe is right,” Hamilton wrote on Instagram.
“I want to thank those of you who continue to support me and show love, I am so grateful.
“But this is a journey for all of us to come together and challenge the world on every level of injustice, not only racial
“We can help make this a better place for our kids and the future generations.”
READ: These were the Black victims Naomi Osaka honored on face masks
Taylor was fatally shot in her Louisville home in March as three plainclothes police officers executed a “no-knock” warrant.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is conducting an investigation into the incident and the FBI is investigating whether Taylor’s civil rights were violated. Taylor’s mother has filed a lawsuit in civil court against the three officers identified in connection with her daugher’s death.
No officer has been charged with a crime. Two of the officers remain on the force, while a third was fired and is appealing to get his job back.
“It’s been 6 months since Breonna Taylor was murdered by policemen, in her own home. Still no justice has been served. We won’t stay silent,” Hamilton posted on Twitter on Sunday, alongside photos of himself wearing the T-shirt.
He also added in a post-race conference: “It took me a long time to get that shirt and I’ve been wanting to wear that and bring awareness to the fact that there’s people that have been killed on the street and there’s someone that got killed in her own house.
“We have to continue to raise awareness … I think we just have to continue to push on the issue.”
The 35-year-old has been a powerful voice during the Black Lives Matter movement by calling on motorsport to do more to combat racism and attending a BLM protest in London earlier this year.
He has also announced plans to set up a commission in his name to increase diversity in motorsport.
Victory at the Tuscan GP means Hamilton is now one short of equaling Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 race wins in F1.
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Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel will remain in Formula One after signing a deal with the Racing Point team, which will rebrand itself as Aston Martin from next season.
There had been some doubt as to whether the German would continue in F1 after Ferrari announced in May that McLaren’s Carlos Sainz would be taking his seat.
However, Sergio Perez announced on Wednesday that he would be leaving Racing Point at the end of the current season, despite having a deal until 2022, opening up a space on the grid.
“I’m extremely proud to say that I will become an Aston Martin driver in 2021,” Vettel said in a statement. “It’s a new adventure for me with a truly legendary car company. I have been impressed with the results the team has achieved this year and I believe the future looks even brighter.
“The energy and commitment of Lawrence [Stroll, Racing Point part-owner] to the sport is inspiring and I believe we can build something very special together.
READ: Ferrari records worst home qualifying performance since 1984
F1: Leclerc opens up about rivalry with Vettel
“I still have so much love for Formula 1 and my only motivation is to race at the front of the grid. To do so with Aston Martin will be a huge privilege.”
Vettel won four consecutive world titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, but his driving has been plagued by errors in recent times. In 2018, several mistakes in the second half of the season saw Vettel squander the championship lead and Ferrari’s chance of a first world title since 2007.
The 33-year-old was signed by Ferrari with the aim of ending that championship drought, but the emergence of exciting young driver Charles Leclerc eventually meant Vettel was no longer considered the number one driver.
Vettel is 13th in the drivers’ standings, having recorded just 16 points so far this season, and sits 29 points behind teammate Leclerc.
READ: Ferrari implodes as Leclerc and Vettel collide
However, in terms of victories, Vettel is the third most successful in the sport’s history, behind only Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton,
Racing Point said the Vettel deal “is a clear statement of the team’s ambition to establish itself as one of the most competitive names in the sport.”
“Everybody at Silverstone is hugely excited by this news,” Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer said in a statement. “Sebastian is a proven champion and brings a winning mentality that matches our own ambitions for the future as Aston Martin F1 Team.
“On a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, Sebastian is one of the best in the world, and I can’t think of a better driver to help take us into this new era. He will play a significant role in taking this team to the next level.”
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Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has announced he will have a team competing in the inaugural all-electric off-road racing Extreme E series next year.
Extreme E is a series founded by the same team behind Formula E, with races hosted across the globe to promote electrification, sustainability and equality.
Its maiden season will be staged in five remote locations which have already been damaged or affected by climate issues, including the Arctic and the Amazon, raising awareness of climate change.
Hamilton, 35, called the opportunity to have his own team an “exciting new project” and said the series appealed to him because of its “environmental focus.”
“Every single one of us has the power to make a difference, and it means so much to me that I can use my love of racing, together with my love for our planet, to have a positive impact,” he said in a statement.
“I’m looking forward to the team taking part in this new series and I think it’s incredible that we can do so whilst raising awareness about the climate crisis.”
The six-time world champion’s team, X44, is named in reference to his F1 racing number and will enter season one of the Extreme E Championship. The first X Prix race is scheduled to take place in early 2021.
READ: The 13-year-old aiming to become Ferrari’s first female Formula 1 driver
Hamilton has long been an advocate for a greener world. In a series of messages posted on his Instagram account last year, he labeled the world a “mess” and wrote that he felt like “giving up on everything” before encouraging everyone to go vegan.
Extreme E will work with scientific experts from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge to raise awareness on specific issues, such as rising carbon emissions, melting ice caps, deforestation, desertification, droughts, plastic pollution and rising sea levels.
Each race will incorporate two laps over a distance of approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles), with two drivers – one male and one female – completing a lap apiece.
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Races will not be open to spectators, to minimize the effect on the environment, with fans instead following the action on TV.
The command center for the championship series will be on board the RMS St. Helena, a ship undergoing a multi-million euro transformation to minimize emissions and transform her into the championship’s operations hub.
X44 is the seventh team to sign up, joining Chip Ganassi Racing, Andretti Autosport, Abt, HWA, Techeetah, QEV Technologies, and fellow British-owned outfit, Veloce Racing.
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Lewis Hamilton paid his own tribute to Chadwick Boseman after closing to within two wins of Michael Schumacher’s all-time Formula One record by claiming the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.
The defending world champion led all 44 laps at Spa-Francorchamps, with Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas in second place and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completing the top three.
Hamilton – the only black driver in Formula 1 – was stunned by the death of the 43-year-old actor, who lost a four-year battle with colon cancer Friday night.
On the Spa victory podium, Hamilton posed in the Wakanda salute Boseman made famous as the title character in the film “Black Panther” and then spoke about the inspiration behind another famous victory.
“We are continuing to push the envelope, and it feels great to finish on a high this weekend, particularly with Chad (Chadwick Boseman) dying because he made everyone feel like a superhero,” said Hamilton.
It was his 89th career win as he chases a record-equaling seventh world championship, another historic best held by the legendary Schumacher.
However, it was another humiliating afternoon for Schumacher’s former team Ferrari, with four-time champion Sebastian Vettel in 13th place, and teammate Charles Leclerc finishing 14th, a far cry from his brilliant maiden victory at Spa last season.
Schumacher claimed 72 of his 91 wins with Ferrari, but the team are a sad shadow of that dominant past ahead of their home race at Monza and their 1,000th Grand Prix at Mugello a week later.
The contrast with Mercedes is marked, with Hamilton completely in charge, claiming his fifth win of the season. That leaves him 47 points clear of Verstappen in a one-sided title race.
“It wasn’t the easiest of races,” said Hamilton.
“I had a lock-up, which produced vibrations, at turn five and another one at the last corner, and it was a bit of a struggle, but nonetheless I think it was OK in the end,” he said.
Minor technical issues aside, Hamilton had over eight seconds to spare at the finish, with Verstappen unable to keep pace with the Mercedes pair.
Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo produced the fastest lap on his final lap, as he claimed fourth ahead of his Renault teammate Esteban Ocon, with the second Red Bull of Alex Albon rounding out the top six.
The seeds of Hamilton’s victory were sown on Saturday, when he took the 93rd pole position of his career, breaking the track record to top the grid.
An emotional Hamilton later took to social media to dedicate that qualifying performance to Boseman.
From pole, Hamilton made no mistake, quickly building a solid lead until a safety car was deployed after a heavy crash between British driver George Russell of the Williams team and the Alfa Romeo of Antonio Giovinazzi, who lost control of his car on the exit of the fast Fagnes Chicane.
Fortunately, both walked away without serious injury, as Hamilton steadily built up his lead again once the safety car was released, taking victory in imperious style and leaving the Briton almost two clear wins ahead of his closest rival in the championship standings.
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Fresh off the back of a stunning victory in the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has said that while he appreciates being compared to F1 great Michael Schumacher, he is his own man.
The 22-year-old was recently likened to Schumacher by F1 managing director Ross Brawn in his formula1.com column.
“He reminds me of Michael Schumacher in many ways,” said Brawn of the Dutchman, before adding: “I remember Max’s early days in Formula 1 where his speed was clear – he has now matured into an exceptional racing driver.”
Speaking to CNN’s Amanda Davies, Verstappen said: “It was of course very nice but I don’t like to compare myself to anyone because I’m myself and I’m a different driver.
“Of course, you can always get some similar attitudes or whatever, or you can get compared sometimes but, from my side, I never do that. I just want to be myself.”
Aged 17 and 166 days, Verstappen became the youngest driver in F1 history when he competed in the 2015 Australian Grand Prix. Over the years he has, he said, matured as a driver.
“[I’m] more relaxed, more consistent and know how to build up a weekend and stuff like that,” he added.
“I just feel very comfortable … I’m a very relaxed person anyway so, for me, it was never really super high pressure, but I am more relaxed in a way that I know what’s coming.
“I have experienced a lot already so going to a weekend, I mean, I’m excited to be racing, but I don’t get excited a lot by other stuff surrounding it because you’ve experienced so many different emotions throughout the whole weekend and the year.”
The Dutch driver’s victory at Silverstone was the ninth of his career, but crossing the finishing line still excites him.
“Winning is a good one,” he said. “A good qualifying lap might excite me. Just being around the team and working with the mechanics, and also when they pull off a really good pitstop, it’s a great feeling as well.”
Verstappen finished ahead of Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Valterri Bottas in sweltering conditions last Sunday.
Heading into this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen is second in the standings for the drivers’ championship – 30 points behind world champion Hamilton.
But such has been the dominance of Mercedes so far during this 13-race season – the team leads second-place Red Bull in the constructor standings by 67 points – the Red Bull driver did not expect to be mounting a title challenge in the remaining eight races.
“So far we’ve had one race where we were, maybe, the fastest car, but all the other ones we weren’t, so we just have to stay realistic at the moment,” said Verstappen, speaking from Barcelona.
“From my side, I’m not thinking about a possible championship at the moment. I just want to try and do the best I can every single weekend.”
READ: Susie Wolff says Lewis Hamilton’s criticism of F1 is ‘absolutely valid’
The 2020 F1 season began in July at the Austrian Grand Prix, four months later than planned because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Since the restart drivers have joined F1’s “We Race As One” initiative to fight racism and promote equality and inclusion.
But Verstappen is one of several drivers to choose not to kneel before races in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Posting on Twitter before the first race, he said: “I am very committed to equality and the fight against racism. But I believe everyone has the right to express themself (sic) at a time and in a way that suits them. I will not take the knee today but respect and support the personal choices every driver makes.”
Hamilton, the sport’s first and only Black world champion in its 70-year history, has been critical of the sport, saying there has been a lack of leadership in the fight against racism.
Five races into the season, Verstappen said that while the campaign is going well, more needed to be done.
“It’s gone well in terms of how we are expressing it but, of course, at the end of the day it’s about actions as well. We just keep showing our support, because I think everybody is in support, which is very important, and time will tell of course what’s going to happen,” he said.
Asked about whether he and the other drivers have spoken to Hamilton regarding the campaign, Verstappen said: “Of course we talk about it. We have our driver briefings but then also we stay on, of course, because we are all members of the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers’ Association).
“Everybody’s very open and everybody is very supportive and everybody wants exactly the same thing. I think Lewis appreciates that, and it’s not only Lewis who has to appreciate that, it’s the whole world. That’s what we are doing, we are just trying to show our support.”
