Month: December 2021

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F1 fans claim Schumacher conspiracy as Hamilton beaten to title (VIDEO)

F1 fans have gone into conspiracy mode by claiming that the son of Michael Schumacher played a huge part in Max Verstappen’s thrilling championship win over Lewis Hamilton.

Pipped to the post on the final lap by his Dutch rival, the Brit’s loss in the last race of 2021 in Abu Dhabi meant that he did not surpass Schumacher in all-time world titles.

The pair are tied on seven wins each as things stand, and in the aftermath of what has been widely dubbed the most thrilling season finale ever, detectives have gone to work in trying to ascertain how events unfolded in the way they did. 

READ MORE: Max Verstappen beats Lewis Hamilton to F1 title on last lap

One theory is that Schumacher’s son Mick, in his maiden campaign at Haas, “protected” or “saved” Michael’s record. 

This was done by pushing Nicholas Latifi wide and forcing him into his dirty air, which then caused the Canadian to crash into the barrier with five laps remaining at the Yas Marina circuit. 

With the safety car brought out, Verstappen was able to come to the pits for fresh tires and also took advantage of some confused decision-making by race officials to overtake Hamilton.

The stunning finale handed Verstappen, 24, his first championship while Hamilton denied the chance to clinch his eighth and surpass Schumacher’s record.

“The man was playing 4D chess today,” was a popular assessment of Mick’s move on Twitter.

“Mick Schumacher really said ‘This one’s for dad’ when he took out Latifi,” joked someone else.

But such posts triggered further discussions that inconsistent F1 officiating had influenced events the most. 

This aside, Hamilton’s former arch-nemesis Sebastian Vettel and Mick were the first to console the tearful 36-year-old after he had come up short. 

Last year, Mick also touched Hamilton by presenting him with one of his father’s crash helmets after he equalld Michael’s tally of 91 F1 victories, which is now broken by 103 overall GP triumphs. 

Ahead of Sunday’s race, Mick couldn’t tell the F1 official website how he felt about Hamilton potentially surpassing his father – who is still recovering from a 2013 ski accident that saw him put into an induced coma – in world championships.

“Whoever wins will win,” he said. “I can’t do anything about that.”

Yet plenty believe he did.

READ MORE: ‘Unacceptable’: Mercedes file protest amid outrage over Verstappen F1 title win

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‘Lucky charm’: Stunning F1 princess embraces lover Verstappen after title win

Brazilian model Kelly Piquet could not hide her joy as she embraced boyfriend Max Verstappen after his stunning victory in Abu Dhabi, where he overtook rival Lewis Hamilton on the last lap to seal the Formula 1 world title.

Verstappen triumphed in remarkable scenes at the Yas Marina circuit as the late deployment of a safety car derailed Hamilton’s seemingly serene progress towards an eighth world title.

Red Bull driver Verstappen was handed a last roll of the dice by a late tire change and some controversial decision-making by race officials.

But the Dutchman, 24, kept his cool to rip past Hamilton on the last lap to clinch a first-ever F1 title.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen beats Lewis Hamilton to F1 title on last lap

Among those to congratulate the star in chaotic scenes trackside was Verstappen’s lover Pique – who is the daughter of Brazilian F1 legend Nelson Pique, himself a three-time world champion.

German-born Kelly, 33, was seen hugging Verstappen tightly amid wild celebrations after the last-gasp conclusion to an incredible season in which the title battle had ebbed and flowed between the Dutchman and his British rival. 

Piquet watched on as Verstappen claimed a maiden world title. © Twitter



The moment was picked up by the cameras, with one fan gushing: “Thank you for blessing us with your presence, Miss Kelly Piquet, the most beautiful lucky charm in the world.”

Verstappen and Piquet are thought to have been in a relationship since October 2020, although the model and media personality previously dated Russian racer Daniil Kvyat.

Piquet and Kvyat have a daughter together, Penelope, who was born in July 2019, although the pair are said to have split in December of the same year.

Kvyat, 27, previously raced for the Red Bull F1 team, but was replaced by Verstappen in 2016 as the Russian was shunted to affiliate team Toro Rosso.

Verstappen has never looked back, while Kvyat is now a reserve driver for F1 team Alpine.

Capping his remarkable title triumph, Verstappen paid tribute to his team on Sunday. 

“To my team, I think they know I love them. I hope we can do this for 10 to 15 years together,” said the Dutchman, who is the son of former F1 racer Jos Verstappen.

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Verstappen took the title as Hamilton settled for second. © Reuters
‘Unacceptable’: Mercedes file protest amid outrage over Verstappen F1 title win

“There’s no reason to change, ever. I want to stay with them for the rest of my life. They love me. Yeah, it’s insane!

“I’m so happy, and also [Red Bull team boss] Christian [Horner] and [Red Bull advisor] Helmut [Marko] trusting me to be in the team in 2016.

“Our goal, of course, was to win this championship, and now we have!”

While there was unbridled joy for Verstappen, his partner Piquet and the Red Bull team, Mercedes confirmed that they had filed a protest against the decisions made by officials surrounding the safety car in the closing stages.

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Manchester United hit by Covid outbreak

Manchester United’s upcoming Premier League clash with Brentford has been thrown into jeopardy after reports of a Covid outbreak at Old Trafford.

Fresh off the back of their 1-0 away win at Norwich on Saturday thanks to a late Cristiano Ronaldo penalty, the Red Devils have registered a number of positive lateral flow tests across players and staff, according to The Sun. 

Ahead of traveling to Carrow Road this weekend, the whole group tested negative.

On Sunday, though, the positive results of some meant they had to be sent home from the club’s Carrington training complex while the unaffected trained outdoors in individual and non-contact sessions. None of the individuals concerned have been named thus far.

The Premier League has reportedly been informed of the development with a Tuesday trip to Brentford on the horizon, which also comes amid the spreading of the Omicron variant in the UK feared to cause disruptions to the sporting calendar ahead of several fixtures over Christmas and New Year. 

After Tottenham Hotspur recently had UEFA Conference League and Premier League ties against Rennes and Brighton respectively postponed due to a Covid outbreak, United’s next match could follow suit.

The ongoings at the Mancunian outfit are not believed to be related to their defender Victor Lindelof leaving the pitch with breathing difficulties during the Norwich win.

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Lindelof came off in the game against Norwich. © Reuters
‘Problems breathing’: Man Utd star becomes latest footballer to face heart fears (VIDEO)

“I don’t know what was going on but it was like he was feeling his breathing,” explained goalkeeper David De Gea afterwards, with interim coach Ralf Rangnick saying the Swede was “okay” in his post-match press conference. 

But this is not the first time that Manchester United have been affected by Covid.

At the start of the season, Dean Henderson was tipped for a run in the first team under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer until testing positive and then embarking on a battle with Long Covid.

Before that, in preseason, Jessie Lingard had to isolate and England forward Mason Greenwood was also forced to take similar measures in November.

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F1 officials reject Mercedes title protest

Formula 1 stewards have rejected protests by Mercedes after their driver Lewis Hamilton lost the world title to Red Bull rival Max Verstappen in controversial circumstances on the last lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Hamilton and Verstappen had started the day level on points at the top of the F1 championship leaderboard, and despite early drama on the first lap when Hamilton left the track in a tangle for the lead with Verstappen, the Brit had seemed set for a record eighth world title as he opened up a big lead. 

READ MORE: Max Verstappen beats Lewis Hamilton to F1 title on last lap

But there was a dramatic twist with five laps to go of the 58 when a crash by Williams driver Nicholas Latifi brought out the safety car.

Chaos ensued as Red Bull first used the opportunity to pit Verstappen for a fresh set of tires while Mercedes kept Hamilton out so that he would not lose track position.

There were five lapped cars between the two title rivals in the line behind the safety car, meaning that Verstappen appeared to face significant obstacles to getting within striking distance of Hamilton.

All that changed when race control issued an order that the lapped cars could join the back of the queue on the penultimate lap under the safety car, meaning the race restarted with one lap to go with Verstappen directly behind his British rival.

The Dutchman took full advantage, streaking past Hamilton on turn five of the last lap and holding off the Mercedes driver to take the checkered flag and a maiden world title with it.

Mercedes were furious at the developments and lodged two protests with F1 bosses about incidents surrounding the use of the safety car. 

However, after a tense wait it was confirmed that both protests had been dismissed.

“We are going to go and celebrate this championship now. Thank you very much,” said Red Bull team principle Christian Horner on being given the news. 

The first protest had focused on whether Verstappen had breached the rules by overtaking Hamilton when the safety car was out.

Ultimately, the stewards determined that although Verstappen did briefly move slightly in front of Hamilton at a time when both cars where accelerating and braking, he had then moved back behind the Brit and was not in front when the safety car period ended.

Regarding the second protest lodged by Mercedes regarding the use of the safety car, FIA officials said: “Article 15.3 allows the Race Director to control the use of the safety car, which in our determination includes its deployment and withdrawal. 

“Although Article 48.12 may not have been applied fully, in relation to the safety car returning to the pits at the end of the following lap, Article 48.13 overrides that and once the message ‘Safety Car in this lap’ has been displayed, it is mandatory to withdraw the safety car at the end of that lap.

“That notwithstanding Mercedes’ request that the Stewards remediate the matter by amending the classification to reflect the positions at the end of the penultimate lap, this is a step that the Stewards believe is effectively shortening the race retrospectively, and hence not appropriate. 

“Accordingly, the Protest is dismissed.”

Race director Michael Masi had come under intense scrutiny for his actions at the end of the race, after appearing to first say that cars would not be allowed to overtake before reversing that order.

Mercedes director Toto Wolff had furiously said on the team radio that the situation was “not right.”

It remains to be seen whether Mercedes will pursue the matter through appeals with the FIA or potentially even the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

Verstappen, 24, became the first Dutchman ever to be crowned Formula 1 world champion while Red Bull also ended the seven-year stranglehold that Mercedes had on the drivers’ title. 

Hamilton, 36, missed out the chance to win a fifth consecutive crown and move ahead of Michael Schumacher in the all-time title stakes, but was nonetheless gracious in defeat as he congratulated Verstappen.    

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F1 chaos: What exactly happened during the crazy closing laps in Abu Dhabi?

What is being hailed as the most dramatic conclusion to a Formula 1 season in history has left a lot of sports fans scratching their heads, so here is how Max Verstappen squeezed past Lewis Hamilton to claim his first F1 crown.

WHY WAS THE SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED?

With Lewis Hamilton in the lead of the race and on course for the Drivers’ Championship as the final Grand Prix of the 2021 F1 season inched closer to its conclusion, the television cameras cut to something which at first looked to be innocuous, but would eventually play a large part in determining the destination of the title. 

That image was of Williams driver Nicholas Latifi, who had crashed out of the race on lap 53 of 58. 

Latifi’s accident would require the introduction of the safety car, something F1 fans are well accustomed to over the years to safeguard drivers from wreckage or any other debris on the track which could potentially cause further accidents. 

The car remained deployed while Latifi’s stricken Williams was cleared from the track. 

WHAT HAPPENED WHILE THE SAFETY CAR WAS DEPLOYED?

This is where things got interesting… and slightly complicated.

The FIA rulebook states that any lapped cars behind a safety car can overtake and un-lap themselves, should such a situation present itself.

Just five of the racers who had been lapped overtook the safety car in Abu Dhabi: Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel.

Three lapped racers didn’t – Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll and Mick Schumacher – but that trio didn’t seem to been given a chance to do so after a controversial call by race director Michael Masi.

Per the rules, once all cars un-lap themselves, the safety car can leave the track on the next lap.

All five cars that did un-lap themselves had been between Hamilton and Verstappen, meaning there was now no impediment to the Dutchman directly attacking the Brit, which he duly did. 

Had the remaining cars been afforded an opportunity to un-lap themselves then the race would have finished under a yellow flag, with Hamilton being declared the winner and the 2021 world champion. 

WHY DIDN’T HAMILTON PIT WHEN VERSTAPPEN DID?

Hamilton’s Mercedes team decided against bringing their driver in for a late pit stop because doing so would have surrendered the lead to Verstappen unless he did the same.

But sensing an opportunity after Hamilton opted not to do so, Verstappen’s Red Bull team did bring their man in for fresh tires.

This proved to be the decisive moment of the race as once the race resumed after the safety car was removed, Hamilton’s advantage had been eaten away and he was now trying to keep a driver with fresher tires at bay. 

His lead didn’t last long. Verstappen passed Hamilton on the way into turn five and batted away the British driver’s attempts to return the favor in the two straights which followed to cross the finish line as the new Formula 1 world champion.

WHY HAVE MERCEDES COMPLAINED?

With Verstappen’s reign as world champion barely an hour old, Mercedes revealed that they would be filing an appeal against the conclusion of the race.

In fact, two formal protests were filed: one related to cars overtaking while the safety car was on the track, and the other stems from a complaint regarding Verstappen specifically overtaking during the safety car.

FIA race director Masi left himself open to accusations of flip-flopping after appearing to change his mind during the extraordinary denouement by first ruling out cars being allowed to overtake, only for them to be given the green light to do so.  

WHAT WAS THE RESULT OF THE PROTESTS?

After a tense wait for both teams, it was confirmed that both Mercedes’ protests had been dismissed. 

Regarding the issue of Verstappen overtaking Hamilton under the safety car, it was ruled by stewards that although the Dutchman did briefly move slightly in front of the Brit at a time when both cars where accelerating and braking, he had then moved back and was not in front when the safety car period ended.

READ MORE: F1 officials reject Mercedes title protest

The second appeal regarding broader use of the safety car and overtaking was also rejected.

In a convoluted response, the gist was that race officials had acted within their rights to withdraw the safety car when they did, and that there had been no wrongdoing regarding overtaking – or lack of it – by cars which had been lapped. 

Mercedes have already said they will seek a further appeal with the FIA, and beyond that could even take it up with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland. 

That means the saga might not be over just yet, following a remarkable conclusion to a compelling F1 season.