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Credits: IMAGO ZUMA Wire, IMAGO / Marco Canoniero

Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari remains the biggest transfer news of 2024 and will arguably continue to be until the end of the season. Despite the development taking one and all by surprise, it apparently wasn’t tough to convince the Briton to make the move. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur looked back at the negotiations in a recent interview with La Repubblica.

The Frenchman revealed, “Honestly, [it wasn’t] difficult at all. I think he had it in mind for ages [to join Ferrari]. This year for several reasons, including the fact that he had the option to leave Mercedes, that we had a seat available, and a good relationship between us. It was the right time for each of us. I think it’s a good opportunity for him and for us.”

One of the biggest reasons why the switch came as a surprise was Hamilton’s commitment to Mercedes. The seven-time champion, time and again, reiterated his commitment to finish his F1 career with the Silver Arrows. Despite growing differences with the engineering team, he never expressed any intention of leaving Brackley.

However, soon after announcing the Ferrari move, Hamilton made his reverence for the Italian outfit public. The Briton cited childhood memories when he dreamt of driving for Ferrari in F1. That is an ambition that perhaps every F1 driver holds, given the cult following and the legacy of the Maranello outfit.

But did he really make the move to fulfill a childhood dream? Unlikely, given the way things were panning out for the Silver Arrows.

The Brackley-based team failed to register a win in 2023 and the 2024 car has turned out to be another disappointment so far. Therefore, with little hope of fighting for the title emerging, Hamilton may have decided to finally take the exit course.

Ferrari promised Lewis Hamilton everything that Mercedes couldn’t

Faultlines began to emerge between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ engineering team in 2023. After going winless for the first time through an entire season in 2022, the Briton aimed to bounce back stronger.

However, the very first race in Bahrain exposed just how much Mercedes had fallen behind Red Bull. Angered by the way things were unfolding, Hamilton openly called out the engineering team for ignoring his input on the car.

That was also the year when the seven-time champion was due an extension. Despite the ongoing tussle, Hamilton wanted a long-term contract. He also asked to be given an ambassadorial role after retiring. However, neither of those demands were met as he renewed the contract for just one year.

Sensing an opportunity, Fred Vasseur and John Elkann swooped in. Not only did they offer Hamilton a two-year deal, but they also promised him an ambassadorial role after his Ferrari stint.

Moreover, they also offered the Briton a whopping $100 million a year salary and a heavy investment in his non-profit initiatives. This was enough to convince Hamilton to end his longstanding relationship with the Silver Arrows.

Princess Diana worried she would meet the same fate as murdered fashion designer Gianni Versace

When Princess Diana’s close friend Gianni Versace was murdered by a serial killer, the royal had an ominous feeling weeks before her own tragic death.

Princess Diana feared she would be killed after the murder of Gianni Versace, it’s been revealed.

The late royal was on a yacht in the Mediterranean with her lover Dodi Fayed when she received the tragic news.

The fashion designer was just 50 and at the top of his game when he was shot dead by serial killer Andrew Cunanan outside his Miami mansion in 1997 — having turned the Versace brand into a billion-dollar empire, reports The Sun.

Sting, Trudy Styler, Princess Diana and Elton John at the funeral of fashion designer Gianni Versace. Picture: AP
Princess Diana famously posed on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar in a stunning Atelier Versace gown and attended Versace’s funeral — sitting beside Elton John, Sting, Karl Lagerfeld and Anna Wintour.

On the morning after her friend’s murder, Fayed’s bodyguard Lee Sansum found Diana on the yacht’s deck gazing out to sea, the Express reported.

According to the paper, she asked him: “Do you think they’ll do that to me?”

Fashion designer Gianni Versace was shot dead in 1997. Picture: Supplied

Andrew Cunananwent on a killing spree which ended after the death of Gianni Versace. Picture: Supplied
Diana also reportedly expressed concerns she would be killed in an establishment conspiracy.

“They will do it when I am in a small plane, in a car when I am driving, or in a helicopter,” she is said to have told her fashion designer friend Roberto Devorik.

Princess Diana with boyfriend Dodi Fayed in the South of France shortly before they both died in a car crash in Paris. Picture: Darren Lyons archives
Diana released a public statement following Versace’s murder, saying: “I am devastated by the loss of a great and talented man.”

Just seven weeks later, Diana and Fayed were killed in a car crash in Paris when she was just 36.

Princess Diana is seen leaving the Ritz Hotel in Paris on the night she died. Picture: Supplied

Credits: IMAGO / Eibner

Lewis Hamilton once again grabbed the limelight this weekend in Imola with his dazzling looks. He flaunted some of the most expensive accessories, from a $7,640 evil eye ring to a $33,400 big pilot AMG watch. On race day, Hamilton wore rectangular frame sunglasses from Gucci worth $420. He also wore a $27,500 worth pink sapphire necklace from Suzanne Kalan.

The 39-year-old combined the same with a Big Pilot AMG G 63 watch from IWC Watches worth $33,400. The watch comes along with a case and crown made of 18-karat Armor Gold.

The watch has a measurement of 46.2mm and was made in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz. Meanwhile, the last item Hamilton wore was a six-inch boot from Timberland.

Similarly, even on Friday’s practice day, Hamilton wore the same pair of sunglasses, the IWC Watch and the Timberland boot. The only different item was his necklace. He wore a Jumbo white pearl necklace that cost $1,500.

And when it came to Thursday’s media session, Hamilton wore a purple evil eye ring made with yellow gold by Marie Lichtenberg. This cost a whopping $7,640.

On the same day, he also wore a gold, diamond, and malachite Les Berlingots de Cartier ring that cost $6,400. He ended his accessories for the day with a pair of Mishima sunglasses from Jacques Marie Mage that cost $870.

Lewis Hamilton flaunts outfits from Prada, Saul Nash, and Rick Owen

On Thursday’s media session, Lewis Hamilton wore an outfit from Prada’s SS24 Menswear Collection. This is a collection of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons. It was released in the Spring of this year.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Hamilton wore an outfit from Saul Nash’s Fall 2024 collection. It was released in February of this year.

And come race day, Hamilton wore an outfit from the collection of Rick Owens SS22 Menswear Collection. The clothing brand released this collection of theirs in Spring 2022.

Credits: IMAGO / HochZwei

Lewis Hamilton has been the face of Mercedes since 2013. However, back in 2020 after winning six titles with the team, the Brit snubbed the German brand in a casual conversation, discussing his favorite cars from his collection. In fact, not a single Mercedes car featured in his top three at the time of asking. Instead, he chose an iconic car worth a whopping $15.6 million made by his previous team.

As seen on X, posted by user @sim3744, Hamilton confessed, “The McLaren F1 1995 is my favorite.” After declaring his love for the famed rare collectible McLaren F1 road car, he also revealed the other two in his top 3. “I would [say] my second favorite is a 1959 Ferrari California. Otherwise my Cobra. I have a 1967 Cobra,” he added.

Sitting in Mercedes team gear, the Brit named a McLaren, a Ferrari, and an AC car in his top three, not Mercedes. However, one cannot argue with the classics.

The 1959 Ferrari 250 GT California can only be bought in auctions now. According to Concept Carz, the highest the car has ever been sold for is a whopping $18,150,000 in 2016. It’s unknown how much the seven-time champion paid for his.

Talking about the next on the list, the 1967 Shelby Cobra 427, is also part of Hamilton’s classics collection. He has a 1996 Cobra as well. Although, he uses his 1967 Cobra for daily use which can be purchased for just over a million dollars.

However, the McLaren F1 remains on top of his list as the rare gem is considered one of the greatest road cars ever made.

What is so special about Lewis Hamilton’s 1995 McLaren F1 car?

The McLaren F1 is an engineering wonder. The 1995 record-breaking car has a naturally aspirated 6.1-liter V12 engine developed by BMW. The engine produces 627 horsepower, and the car at the time of launch in 1992 was the fastest with a top speed of over 240 mph.

Apart from the speed, the McLaren F1 has a timeless carbon fiber design that inspired many after it. It is also a rare collectible item with only 106 units ever produced. No wonder it’s the Mercedes man’s favorite road car.

However, now the Brit has added some rare Mercedes collectibles as well in his garage. He recently added the Mercedes-AMG Project One to his collection. Project One is the first F1-inspired Mercedes road car. As per Planet F1, only 275 units have been produced of the hypercar each costing $2.5 million (£2 million) approximately.

Another rare car in his collection is, or was, the Pagani Zonda 760 LH. His initials in the car name are no coincidence. Pagani manufactured five special edition Zonda 760s and Hamilton was one of them.

At the Brit’s request his former car, which he sold in 2021 to Mark Radcliffe, his car was fitted with a manual transmission. However, as per his admission, “It’s the best-sounding car I own, but handling-wise it’s the worst.”

Credits: IMAGO / BSR Agency

In the most thrilling fashion, Max Verstappen won the Emilia Romagna GP. After leading for the majority of the race, the Dutchman got a late scare from Lando Norris. However, he held his nerve to secure the win, unaware of reaching another milestone. That milestone was the win for Team Redline at the virtual 24 hours of Nurburgring.

Verstappen was one of the three drivers to race for the team in the virtual race. As the rules of the endurance race stipulate, all three drivers divided the race amongst each other to complete 24 hours.

The Dutchman completed his share of the run before going to sleep on Saturday. In his admission before the Grand Prix in Imola, he slept for seven hours, which is less than the hours he usually rests for.

Despite being low on sleep, Max Verstappen was on point when it came to his reflexes. The reigning champion got off the line swiftly as the lights went out for the race start in Imola. Leading the pack, he built a consistent lead ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris. By the time the race progressed to the 18th lap, Verstappen was more than five seconds clear.

As he continued, to build the margin on the rivals, the chances of another win looked certain. That was until Norris got the go-ahead from his strategists to push after nursing the tires well for a long stint.

The Briton began to push and ensured the gap to Charles Leclerc in 3rd was a healthy one. Once he ensured that, he put a target on Max Verstappen for the race win. The duo fought to the finish line but the Red Bull ace kept his nerves to win by 0.725 seconds.

An unlikely victory for Max Verstappen

The win at the virtual 24 hours of Nurburgring was a clinical one as the Team Redline managed their strategy and execution to the T. However, things did not sail as smoothly for Max Verstappen when it came to the Emilia Romagna GP weekend in Imola.

The Dutchman failed to register the fastest lap in all three practice sessions. That gave Charles Leclerc, who was fastest in the first two, and Oscar Piastri, who was fastest in the third, a hope for registering a win. However, Verstappen pulled off a stunning performance in qualifying and grabbed the pole position.

Piastri, who was second fastest in qualifying dropped down to 5th for impeding Kevin Magnussen. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen carried the form from Saturday to get the most out of the car which was far from his satisfaction. But, with two wins on the same day, he won’t complain.

A story about Meghan Markle’s knees has sent the British press into a meltdown

The British press has gone nuts over what may be the most obscure part of Meghan Markle’s body.

The world of British tabloids is a peculiar one.

They’re obsessed with the private lives of the rich and famous, make grand proclamations about immigrants marketed towards your vaguely-racist Uncle Jeff, and their headlines seem to constantly scream at you in a Cockney accent.

But sometimes, things get so weird that you’re left to wonder whether they’re just trolling us for fun.

As we speak, some British newspapers are claiming they can literally see Princess Charlotte’s face indented in Meghan Markle’s … knees.

Yep, knees. You read that correctly.

“Princess Charlotte’s face ‘APPEARS’ in Meghan Markle’s KNEES,” roars the Daily Express headline.

“A closer look at her exposed legs left crowds open-mouthed — and for all the wrong reasons,” the article goes on. “This was because eagle-eyed fans spotted the cherubic face of Princess Charlotte in her knee.

“Equipped with the adorable Charlotte’s signature steely look, the face of the daughter of Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge magically appeared in Meghan’s left knee.”

Who are these eagle-eyed fans? Why were they staring intensely at the Duchess’ kneecaps, rather than her lovely smiling face or pregnant belly?

The British press has gone wild for Meghan Markle’s kneecaps.
Metro, the UK’s highest circulation paper, described the revelation stating: “Her form-fitting £25 H&M dress grabbed the headlines for showing off Meghan’s blossoming bump but now it has been speculated that the Duchess of Sussex was making the ‘ultimate tribute’ to Charlotte as the dress was cut just above the knee.”

The ultimate tribute being to bare her knees — in all their indented alleged Charlottey glory — to the world.

British newspaper The Sun also got in on the action, describing the “bizarre yet uncanny resemblance” between Charlotte’s face and Meghan’s knees — or more specifically, her left kneecap.

“If you look closely at the shots from today’s visit to animal charity Mayhew, the cherub-faced royal’s face appears to be visible on Meghan’s left kneecap,” the article claims.

“Typically the duchess wears dresses and skirts that (are) below the knee, so this knee-prominent outfit today was a rare sight for royal fans.

“Is this the ultimate tribute to her adorable niece? Once you see it, you can’t not see it.”

If you’ve read this far, we’re sorry. But come on. There are so many questions that need to be answered. How did the newspapers even notice this? Why do they appear to be suggesting the natural indentation of Meghan Markle’s legs are somehow a deliberate tribute to her niece?

Did Meghan secretly visit a plastic surgeon and say, “Yes, sculpt the loose skin above my shins just vaguely enough that people will think it’s a tribute to my three-year-old niece”? Is there a dedicated Royal Kneecap Correspondent, creepily zooming in on various parts of the Duchess’ body, searching for any sign of resemblance to another royal?

Painful as it is to post the photo in question, let’s not pretend you’re not curious:

… maybe if you squint REALLY hard.
It’s a scary world out there.

Credits: IMAGO PanoramiC

Although Max Verstappen has been dominating F1 week in and week out, he is not happy about his current dominance. The reason for the same is the changes Liberty Media have brought to the sport ever since they took over back in 2017. After criticizing F1’s sprint race format for most of last year, Verstappen has now taken another swipe at the calendar. He is not happy with the introduction of more street races and prefers the traditional kind of circuits like Imola.

While speaking during the Emilia Romagna GP this weekend, Verstappen said (as quoted by motorsport.com), “We go to a lot of tracks that don’t really excite me”. However, when it came to circuits like Imola, he added,

“This is unbelievable. There are a few old-school tracks that we have remaining on the calendar and that’s also what I fell in love with when I started racing and watching F1. We need more of those”.

Considering that Verstappen is old-school, he is unlikely to appreciate F1’s plans for the future. With F1 having confirmed that the Madrid Grand Prix will be added from the 2026 season onwards, there are speculations that Barcelona will be removed.

This plan is likely to irk Verstappen as the Madrid track is a hybrid circuit. Meanwhile, the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona featured a traditional track, one that Verstappen prefers over hybrid and street circuits.

However, these are not the only concerns the Dutchman has raised. Last year, the 26-year-old not only criticized F1’s decision to host more sprint races but also slammed their decision to host a Grand Prix in Las Vegas.

Max Verstappen unhappy with F1’s trajectory

Although more and more drivers have come to appreciate the sprint race format over time, having criticized it earlier, Max Verstappen is still not one of them. Verstappen doesn’t understand the point of holding a shortened race and then a longer race as doing so will destroy the unpredictability that will arise by holding just the main Grand Prix on Sunday.

When asked to share his thoughts on the sprint race format last year, the Dutchman didn’t hold back in his criticisms. He made it clear that he doesn’t like F1 bringing changes to the sport repeatedly as other sports do not change the rules so often.

He then went on to claim that making such changes is all about “making as much money as possible”. When asked what kind of a race weekend would he prefer, Verstappen replied, “Just a normal race weekend, please, thank you. I’m not interested in any change. I don’t like it”.

However, Verstappen’s criticisms against F1 were far from over. He was arguably the most frustrated during the pre-race and post-race shows at the Las Vegas GP last year.

Verstappen referred to the Las Vegas GP as one that featured 1% of sport and 99% of a show. When asked what did he make of the pre-race ceremony, he replied, “We are just standing up there, looking like a clown”.

The Red Bull driver then also had similar remarks when asked whether he enjoyed driving in Las Vegas or not. Verstappen replied that the racing in Las Vegas is not good as it features a street circuit and he is not a fan of them.

However, much to the surprise of everyone, Verstappen’s mood did seem to change after he won the race. After celebrating on the podium, he sang, “Viva Las Vegas“.

Credits: IMAGO / HochZwei

Despite leading the majority of the race, Max Verstappen managed the win at Imola by a whisker. The Dutchman fought through his teeth to keep a feisty Lando Norris at bay in the dying moments. That, however, wasn’t the only factor he overcame. Christian Horner talked about how the Dutchman already had three warnings for exceeding track limits. One more, and he would have lost the race to Norris despite finishing ahead.

@JunaidSamodien_ on X quoted the Red Bull boss as saying, “Massive pressure because he had three strikes, and couldn’t put a millimeter wrong. The first stint was strong, and the second half of the last stint Lando was catching very closely. You can see the cars are converging and starting to look very similar.”

Lando Norris managed his tires in the second stint well to mount an attack in the final few laps. As he got the green light from his strategist, he pushed to keep the threat from Charles Leclerc in third at bay.

Once he got that covered, the Briton went after the race leader Max Verstappen. Norris kept eating into his lead until the final lap and came in second by just 0.7 seconds.

The negligible gap over a race proves Christian Horner is right. With the rest of the grid gradually closing the gap, Red Bull needs to be wary of the threat. That includes the menace that McLaren has lately proved to be.

Lando Norris has already taken advantage of the recent spike in performance by registering his maiden race win in Miami. Surely, the Briton wouldn’t rest on that laurel now that he knows what a victory in F1 tastes like.

Is McLaren the ultimate threat to Max Verstappen?

Until the first two practice sessions in Imola, McLaren were off the pace they displayed at Miami. However, as the Papaya mechanics found the right balance in the car for the circuit, Oscar Piastri topped the timings chart in the third practice session while Lando Norris came in second.

The duo once again proved to be a worthy threat to Max Verstappen in qualifying. Both McLaren drivers finished within a tenth of a second of the pole lap set by the Dutchman. Had it not been for the penalty for impeding Kevin Magnussen, the Australian would have started the race in P2 and Norris in P3.

To Verstappen’s luck, Piastri started from P5 and wasn’t much of a problem for the race. That, however, does not mean he cannot continue to be in the mix for the coming races. With the way McLaren has progressed, both drivers will look to eat into the reigning champion’s lead.

Credits: IMAGO / Michael Potts

Max Verstappen took his 59th career Grand Prix win at the 2024 Emilia Romagna GP, earlier today. But the road to victory wasn’t as easy as it has been for the three-time world champion off late. McLaren’s Lando Norris put in a late-race charge for his second consecutive Grand Prix win but was a day late and a dollar short. In the end, Verstappen took the chequered flag just 0.7 seconds ahead of Norris. This prompted revered F1 presenter, Will Buxton to make a bold season prediction.

Buxton took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to write, “Another Max win, but a Max win unlike we or he are used to. One more lap, and it’s two in two for Lando. McLaren have come to play. Ferrari aren’t far behind. Whisper it, but we’ve got a season.”

McLaren had carried their form from the 2023 season into this year. However, the Woking-based team unleashed performance from their MCL38 package with their first upgrades of the year at the Miami GP. These upgrades massively slashed the gap to Red Bull as Norris took his maiden win at the Miami GP.

And with today’s performance, they have set themselves up for a potential title fight with the Bulls for the remainder of the season. But McLaren aren’t alone. Ferrari’s first 2024 upgrades, debuted during this Grand Prix weekend, have also brought the Scuderia into the conversation about the title race.

How Max Verstappen held off a charging Lando Norris in Imola

Verstappen had kept his nose in front at the start, and steadily built a gap to the chasing pack – headed by Lando Norris. However, with just ten laps remaining in the race, Red Bull’s Friday struggles seemed to creep back into Verstappen’s RB20 again.

This meant that the #1 driver was being hounded by the MCL38 of Norris constantly, at the rate of noughts. After the race, Verstappen explained his grip and balance issues on the hard tires. Speaking about the last stint, he said, “I couldn’t afford to make too many mistakes,” as quoted by Formula1.com.

Norris was just seven-tenths away from clinching his second-ever Grand Prix win. Gutted yet optimistic about the season to come, Norris knew that even today, the win was just one lap away. “Yeah, it hurts me to say but one or two more laps and I think I would have had him,” remarked the Briton to PlanetF1.com.

The last 10 laps of the race would have been the longest on the Red Bull pit wall for Christian Horner. He admitted how tense the race got for the Bulls as compared to their normal dominant runs. However, the British boss credited Verstappen for doing a great job at withstanding Norris’ charge and emerging victorious, yet again.

The Princess of Wales has announced an update on a new project – her first since her cancer diagnosis back in March.

Princess Kate has shared an update on a new project (Image: PA)

The Princess of Wales has revealed her first major update on a new project since her cancer diagnosis.

Kate, 42, shared that she was undergoing cancer treatment in an emotional public address on March 22.

The royal has taken time away from public duty since January after undergoing planned abdominal surgery in London – something unrelated to her later diagnosis.

In her address, Kate detailed that she was – although her condition was first thought to be non-cancerous – diagnosed following pre-operative tests after her surgery.

A trailer for a short film has now been released on the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official socal media platforms as part of Mental Health Week.

The video highlights the mental health challenges faced by Britain’s farmers – and marks her first project update since her diagnosis.

Sharing alongside the video, Kate wrote on her official account: “This #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek we’ve brought together the inspirational Sam Stables from We Are Farming Minds and the brilliant Farmer Will for a very special film.

“Spending a day together on Sam’s farm in Hereford they chatted about mental health in the farming community, finding support and the Duchy of Cornwall’s Mental Health Strategy.”

Although Kate doesn’t feature in the video, which is now available on YouTube, it was produced under the guidance of herself and Prince William.

According to GB News, the project was in development before Kate’s health deteriorated.

Taking to the comments on the video, one fan praised both Kate and William for bringing awareness to mental health.

They commented: “Can’t even begin to say how much I love the awareness HRH The Prince and Princess of Wales brings to the issues surrounding mental health.”

Another wrote: “It’s wonderful that you are focussing on mental health of the people living in rural areas too! Well done [clapping-hands emoji].”

Princess Kate hasn’t been publicly seen since Christmas Day (Image: PA)

Last week, during a trip to the Isles of Scilly, Prince William shared that his wife is “doing well” in her recovery process.

William’s comments come after Kate stepped back from royal duties, with her last public appearance occurring on Christmas Day.

No timescale has been given as to when we can expect to see Princess Kate make a return to duty.