F1 LIVE: Lewis Hamilton groups up with sports activities stars for thrilling new tech enterprise

Leclerc is now 5 factors behind Purple Bull’s Sergio Perez with two races to go – Brazil and Abu Dhabi – and has not received a race because the Austrian Grand Prix in early July. Past that although, Leclerc was involved how far off the tempo Ferrari have been on Sunday, given they completed over a minute behind race winner Max Verstappen.

“The factor that hurts is that I really feel we’ve maximised all the pieces (on race day) and despite the fact that we’ve carried out that, we’re one minute away from Max, an enormous distinction,” Leclerc mentioned.

“We have to look into that and make our unhealthy days higher, largely as a result of each time we’ve a foul day on the Sunday it appears to be a very unhealthy day.”

Sainz, who has dropped under Lewis Hamilton to sixth within the Driver Standings, endured a equally uninteresting race in fifth place however – after two DNFs in a row – was merely happy to see the chequered flag.

The seven-time Method 1 world champion, alongside the likes of Williams, Andy Murray, Steph Curry and Gareth Bale, is investing in Woods and Rory McIlroy’s new firm – with the primary mission a digital professional golf tour scheduled for 2024.

Mercedes star Hamilton will not be the one F1 driver concerned too, with McLaren’s Lando Norris, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Williams’ Alex Albon additionally listed as buyers. Whereas particular particulars on the mission are few and much between at this early stage, TMRW’s overarching purpose is merging know-how with sports activities.

“You recognize, lots of these athletes have actually embraced know-how, the way in which during which they prepare and put together and that type of factor,” Mike McCarley, founder and CEO, mentioned.

It’s now there in black and white: the supremacy of Max Verstappen’s Purple Bull staff this season is formally unmatched. The world champion’s cruise to the chequered flag on the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix – his 14^th win of the season, Purple Bull’s 16^th – noticed the flying Dutchman break Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel’s document for victories in a single season and, with two races to go, there’s each likelihood Verstappen will add to that tally and in doing so set a possible insurmountable haul for the long run.

A mammoth achievement, little question, even when there are extra Grand Prix than ever earlier than. But for Verstappen’s triumph, the headlines afterwards weren’t on his record-breaking victory. Moderately than all the main target being on his unflappable cost to the road, a contemporary narrative was simmering.

Information that Purple Bull had boycotted Sky Sports activities in Mexico Metropolis reverberated shortly across the paddock. Seemingly a response to pit reporter Ted Kravitz’s declare in Austin that Lewis Hamilton was “robbed” of an eighth world championship in Abu Dhabi final yr, Verstappen insists he felt the protection had been “disrespectful.”

“It has been a relentless form of digging and being disrespectful, particularly from one specific individual,” he mentioned. “At one level it’s sufficient and I don’t settle for it. You can’t reside prior to now and you must transfer on. Social media a really poisonous place and in case you are continuously being like that reside on TV then you’re making it worse as a substitute of attempting to make it higher.

Christian Horner, bullish as ever, added that it “received’t have carried out Sky any hurt for us to put down a marker.” What marker is that then? Kravitz, supremely in style with followers for his instinctive rambling and intrinsic technical information of the game, received’t alter his oddly fascinating strategy to broadcasting.

McLaren have struggled to match the velocity of Purple Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes this season although, but Norris is the perfect of the remaining and at the moment positioned seventh within the Driver Standings.

However earlier than the weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix, Norris divulged that he had certainly spoken to Christian Horner’s staff earlier than signing his extension, in addition to “just a few different individuals.”

“It’s extra simply I used to be coming to the top of my contract, and it wasn’t like we (Purple Bull and I) have been speaking closely,” Norris mentioned.

“I actually mentioned, it was simply, everybody at all times tries to talk to all groups in some unspecified time in the future, so I spoke to them, I spoke to some different individuals. A chat’s a chat, it’s not like, ‘what we will do right away?’ Simply retaining in contact, issues like that, it’s so simple as that typically.”

Lewis Hamilton has been backed to “reinvent himself” in a “second or third profession” after racing by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. Seven-time world champion Hamilton has endured a troublesome season off the again of controversially lacking out on a document eighth title in Abu Dhabi final yr.

The 37-year-old is but to win a race in 2022 and is at the moment fifth within the Driver Standings, with Purple Bull and Ferrari producing a faster automotive than Mercedes after a change in laws.

Whereas the Silver Arrows are hopeful of being again within the hunt in 2023, Mercedes CEO Wolff praised Hamilton’s “intelligence” in analysing his remaining years within the sport, with Hamilton himself saying that he can see himself persevering with for one more 5 years.

“Lewis is completely mature and aware about the place he stands in his profession,” Wolff informed the Efficiency Folks podcast. “He’s not being led by his feelings, like I’ve seen with sportspeople that assume it could go on endlessly and attempting to hold on to it.

“Lewis is rational and clever about it. He says ‘I do know I’ve a shelf life as a racing driver’. Lewis is aware of that at some point he won’t be the perfect himself anymore. That hasn’t occurred but. However we’ve been speaking about it. He mentioned ‘I’d like to proceed…do you assume we will do one other 5 to 10 years?’ However that is extra jokingly.”

The favored Australian was dropped by McLaren a yr early, with compatriot and 2021 F2 champion Oscar Piastri changing him subsequent yr. The 33-year-old, who has raced in Method 1 for eleven-and-a-half seasons, will miss the 2023 season having been unable to land a seat elsewhere.

Ricciardo, an eight-time Grand Prix winner, has been closely linked with a reserve driver function at Mercedes however admitted after Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix that he’s nonetheless at the hours of darkness relating to his future. Nonetheless 2009 world champion Button is anxious that Ricciardo’s strategy – with the goal of returning to a high seat in 2024 – could backfire.

“Most of this season Daniel hasn’t been on the tempo of Lando [Norris] and fairly a bit off at instances, so it’s the correct transfer for the staff,” Button mentioned, on Sky Sports activities’ Any Pushed Monday present.

“For Daniel, it’s a tough scenario. I assume he didn’t need to drop too far down the grid and work with a staff that’s extra in the direction of the rear as a result of it’s troublesome for a driver coming from a staff that’s virtually successful races at instances to all of a sudden know you’re preventing for factors.”

Lewis Hamilton is about to increase his Method One profession past his fortieth birthday after he revealed he’ll thrash out a brand new cope with Mercedes within the coming months.

Hamilton’s £40million-a-year contract with the staff expires on the finish of subsequent season. However the seven-time world champion, who turns 38 in January, needs to proceed his record-breaking journey within the sport, with a multiple-year extension set to hold him into his forties.

Talking forward of Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix, Hamilton mentioned: “We’re going to do one other deal. We’re going to sit down and focus on it in these subsequent couple of months.”

Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013 after bursting on to the Method One scene with McLaren in 2007. The Stevenage-born driver, who has essentially the most victories and pole positions in F1 historical past – and shares the document of seven world championships with Michael Schumacher – has been supported by the Silver Arrows since his childhood.

Hamilton has endured a turbulent marketing campaign in his uncompetitive Mercedes equipment this season, whereas there have been query marks over whether or not he would even return to F1 following his contentious championship defeat in opposition to Max Verstappen in Abu Dhabi final yr.

Nonetheless, Hamilton continued: “I need to preserve racing. I like what I do. I’ve been doing it for 30 years, and I don’t really feel that I ought to must cease. I feel I’m at the moment nonetheless incomes my preserve. I nonetheless need to do higher.

“I may cease now and I’ve plenty of different issues within the pipeline that I might be super-focused and super-busy with. I’m right here for the sheer love of working within the organisation that I’m in. So you’re caught with me for fairly a bit longer. My purpose is to proceed to be with Mercedes. I’ve been with Mercedes since I used to be 13. It truly is my household.”

In cruising to a 14th victory of the season in Mexico Metropolis on Sunday, Verstappen overtook the German duo to make historical past – and may stretch that haul of wins to 16 with victory on the remaining races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

It’s one other milestone in a historic yr for the 25-year-old, who has strolled to the World Championship a yr after claiming his maiden crown in controversial vogue in an exhilarating title battle with Lewis Hamilton at Yas Marina.

“It’s simply an unimaginable season for us as a staff,” mentioned Verstappen after the win in Mexico. “I by no means thought I’d have the ability to win 14 races in a yr. However yeah, after all, I’m extremely proud.

“I simply reside within the second. I simply attempt to, after all, do the perfect I can each single weekend. I attempt to win the races and that, for me, is an important. Each single weekend after I go dwelling, and I can say to myself that I maximised or near that I’m completely satisfied. However after all, so much in Method 1 will depend on your entire package deal , proper? And we’re having an important package deal and I’m simply having fun with the second.”

The FIA confirmed in Mexico Metropolis on Friday that Purple Bull – the staff which carried Verstappen to essentially the most contentious title within the sport’s historical past – overspent by £1.86m. Purple Bull have entered right into a so-called Accepted Breach Settlement (ABA) with F1’s governing physique. Along with the positive, Purple Bull have had their wind tunnel time diminished by 10 per cent over the following 12 months – a punishment Horner referred to as “draconian” and claimed will price his staff as much as half-a-second in lap time.

The ABA – which ensures Purple Bull lose any proper to enchantment – avoids the staff risking a harsher punishment which could have included the deduction of factors and Hamilton being instated as final yr’s title winner.

Hamilton was denied a document eighth world crown when former race director Michael Masi fudged the security automotive guidelines on the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Verstappen took the title by eight factors. McLaren boss Zak Brown wrote to FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem earlier this month to say a monetary breach “constitutes dishonest”.

Nonetheless, the FIA concluded that Purple Bull “didn’t act in unhealthy religion, dishonestly or in a fraudulent method” when it broke the £114m funds cap.

“I don’t assume it has overshadowed Max’s achievements,” mentioned Purple Bull staff principal Horner. “Inevitably there was a lot noise about final yr’s championship anyway. And when this comes up and also you hear about it for the primary time in Singapore and all of the noise comes once more.

“However Max Verstappen received final yr’s world championship honest and sq.. He did what he needed to do on the day. He did his job. The staff did our job. He received the race. He’s the world champion. What we’re speaking about right here had no impact in anyway on the efficiency of his automotive final yr.”

Max Verstappen and his whole Purple Bull staff – together with Christian Horner – refused to talk to the broadcaster on Sunday, every week after pit-lane reporter Ted Kravitz mentioned Hamilton was “robbed” of an eighth world championship finally yr’s much-debated season finale in Abu Dhabi.

“Social media is a really poisonous place and in case you are continuously being like that reside on TV then you’re making it worse as a substitute of attempting to make it higher,” mentioned Verstappen when requested in regards to the causes behind Purple Bull’s boycott. Hamilton, who completed runner-up to Verstappen in Mexico Metropolis, added: “Social media is getting increasingly more poisonous because the years go on and we must always all come off it, finally.

“Psychological well being is such a distinguished factor proper now. So many individuals are studying the feedback, the stuff that folks say, and it’s hurtful. Thankfully I don’t learn it, however the media platforms must do extra to guard individuals, significantly younger children and girls. In the intervening time they aren’t doing that so I feel this (on-line hate) will simply proceed.”

Hamilton, 37, is a daily consumer of social media. In Mexico, he posted an image celebrating victory over Fernando Alonso at the US Grand Prix throughout their fractious season collectively at McLaren in 2007. He accompanied the {photograph} with a thumbs-up emoji.