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Fernando Alonso believes Lewis Hamilton can still win an eighth world championship – but has warned that Max Verstappen is ready to break the British driver’s records. Hamilton will head into Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix on a 30-race losing streak following Mercedes’ failure to provide him with a winning machine. He is already 75 points behind Max Verstappen in the standings, with the Dutchman on course to secure his third world title in as many years. Hamilton, 38, said he was “counting down the days” until the arrival of Mercedes’ upgrade, but following its debut at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, he admitted here in Spain that the new design has not provided him with the step forward he was hoping for. He also revealed it will be a “long process” to dethrone Verstappen’s dominant Red Bull team. However, in an interview with the PA news agency, Alonso, who at 41 is the only driver older than Hamilton on the grid, said: “Lewis will be in contention for the eighth title. “I don’t know if that will be next year, or in the future, but he will have another chance of winning the championship, that is for sure. “Mercedes are a very strong team, and Lewis is a very strong driver. He doesn’t forget how to drive from one season to the next. “The Mercedes car is not an easy one to drive and it is not a fast car, but you see every weekend that Lewis is always there – fourth, fifth, fourth, and he was second in Australia. He is driving on top of the car.” Hamilton’s rival Verstappen took his maiden Formula One win on his Red Bull debut in Spain seven years ago. On Sunday, a fifth victory of the year would put him on 40 victories for his career, leaving him just one shy of Ayrton Senna’s tally, and with only Hamilton (103 wins), Michael Schumacher (91), Sebastian Vettel (53) and Alain Prost (51) ahead of him. On Thursday, Verstappen, 25, said Red Bull has the speed to win the remaining 16 races and complete an unprecedented clean sweep and Alonso believes the Dutch driver could eclipse Hamilton’s win record and the seven championships he shares with Schumacher. “Until the regulations change in 2026, Red Bull will contend for the championships so there will be many chances for Max to win races,” said Alonso. “He is young, the calendar is longer than ever before, with 24 opportunities to win every year, so he can break the records along the way. “But there are also no guarantees. When I won two championships [in 2005 and 2006], I thought I would win a few more and have a lot of wins, so Max cannot relax because things can change quickly.” For Alonso, his home race this weekend marks the 10th anniversary of his 32nd and last win in the sport. However, the Spaniard is enjoying a career resurgence following his transfer from Alpine to Aston Martin, finishing on the podium at five of the first six races and earning a new fan base along the way. And he still hopes he could yet be a contender for this season’s crown. “Things can change rapidly so I will not give up on the title until it is mathematically impossible,” said Alonso, speaking at ‘IL PITSTOP’ – an immersive Aston Martin garage experience from Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% “We have a low chance and we have to be realistic about that. Max is showing great performances and no weak points. “But we need to challenge him closer to see if he makes any mistakes because at the moment life is too easy for Max. “We have a new generation of younger fans who didn’t see me stepping on the podium before. They probably thought you lose performance and ability with age and I was just a driver from the past. “But eventually they see the car – as we repeat many times but sometimes you need to prove it once again – is the most important thing in Formula One, and they suddenly see you are a good driver. “My popularity is on a high, and for Aston Martin and the sport in general, too, so we have to ride this wave.” :: IL PITSTOP is designed to reimagine the perfect pitstop, where fans can soak up the atmosphere and excitement of a race while also taking the chance to pause and enjoy a Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%. The custom-designed build features the AMR23 replica car, a bespoke viewing gallery, team radio, and an elevated and unique sampling experience of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0%. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin ‘will not give up’ in push for F1 triumph Concerns Monaco GP could be ‘left behind’ as Max Verstappen wins ‘boring race’ Fernando Alonso ready to pounce if Max Verstappen makes a slow start in Monaco

What made last Sunday’s pulsating Singapore Grand Prix so captivating was a genuine battle at the front: a battle for first, from lights out to the chequered flag. But it was only made possible by a clanger of a weekend from runaway constructors leaders Red Bull, whose perfect win-streak in 2023 came to an abrupt end amid the tight twists and turns of the city-state. Yet briskly onto Japan, a more conventional racetrack, would the status quo be restored? It certainly seems so. Judging by initial signs from Friday practice at Suzuka – a driver-favourite on the calendar due to its heart-shredding high-speed corners – it would be a major shock if Max Verstappen did not claim his 11th win in 12 races come Sunday. The flying Dutchman, closing in on the home-straight in his irrepressible march to a hat-trick of world titles, was fastest in both free practice sessions. And by some distance too. Six-tenths of a second in FP1, narrowed down to three-tenths by FP2. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris, in consistency unexpected from practice, were the next-best in both sessions. “It felt really good today,” said Verstappen, back to his customary satisfied self after the anomaly of Singapore. “From lap one, the car was really enjoyable to drive again. It seems we had a strong day on short runs and long runs. So far, we have a good start to the weekend. “It looks tight behind me between Ferrari and McLaren, they’re close. But we just focus on ourselves, try to optimise our performance and if we do that, then I’m confident we’ll fight for pole.” Last year’s frenetic Suzuka race in the rain, memorable for Pierre Gasly’s close shave with a repair vehicle, saw Verstappen crowned a two-time champion following a dramatic end with Leclerc handed an position-changing penalty. For so long, it seemed Suzuka would be the venue for his crowning glory again in 2023. But all Singapore did was delay the inevitable by a race: that moment is likely to come amid the sprint weekend in Qatar at the start of October. Norris, still chasing his first win after recording a ninth Formula 1 podium last week, struggled to hide his deflation at realising Christian Horner’s team were back in their usual flow. “I doubt it’s going to be pole [for us], Red Bull is normal Red Bull,” the Brit said. “The pace was there… but the car feels pretty all over the place. A handful. “I don’t think we’re far away. Challenging for pole is a big task and probably a bit too far – challenging Mercedes, Ferrari and Astons has to be our battle for tomorrow.” Mind you, Mercedes might count themselves fortunate to be included in that list, given their performance on Friday. Neither driver was in the top-10 in first practice, while Lewis Hamilton only managed a best-result of 14th in FP2. “It was a very challenging day for us out there,” said the seven-time world champion and five-time winner in Japan. “I had a lack of confidence in the car and that contributed to our struggles. It was difficult to find the right balance and we didn’t manage to get on top of it by the end of FP2. The tyres were overheating and that left us quite far off the top of the timing sheets. “We know we’ve got a lot of work to do tonight to pick up the performance. I do believe we can make improvements though. We have had similar Friday’s this season and come back stronger on Saturday. We will see tomorrow if we have done so again. We will be putting in the effort this evening to give us every chance of getting ourselves higher up the order.” Higher up the order is certainly obtainable. What is not, it seems, is a major weekend challenge to Verstappen. Last week was nothing but a blip. Stranger things have happened – and the last two pole positions have been claimed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz – but even on race simulations on Friday, the Red Bull was about a second-a-lap quicker on average than anyone else. Following qualifying on Saturday – bright and early in the UK (7am BST) – the racing on Sunday looks once again likely to be behind the champion-in-waiting. Read More Lewis Hamilton says ‘something’s up’ at Red Bull – if Max Verstappen struggles in Japan ‘Buzzin corner’: Sebastian Vettel reunites with F1 grid for ‘bee hotels’ in Japan Lando Norris calls for ‘harsher penalties’ after Max Verstappen incident How to buy tickets for the 2024 British Grand Prix at Silverstone ‘Buzzin corner’: Sebastian Vettel reunites with F1 grid in Japan F1 Japanese Grand Prix LIVE: Practice updates and times at Suzuka

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Mercedes are striving for some “very ambitious targets” in the developmental phase of their 2024 car, revealed team chief Andrew Shovlin. The Silver Arrows, eight-time constructors’ champions between 2014-2021, have endured a difficult two years languishing behind runaway leaders Red Bull. The team originally persevered with a unique “no-sidepod” design before ditching it in May this year, reverting to a more orthodox approach. However, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have still been some way off the stellar pace set by Max Verstappen out in front – and Mercedes trackside engineering director Shovlin now already has an eye set on 2024. “We are changing the car quite considerably for next year,” he said, at the Japanese Grand Prix. “Whether or not we can solve all the issues that we’ve got on the handling, that will depend on a number of projects delivering. “Those projects are underway. They are not complete, but we have got some good directions to try and improve that.” Shovlin added that Mercedes, unlike this year’s inconsistent W14 car, would not be “clinging onto any concepts that we’ve had before” following a “chastening couple of years.” He details: "The car will be different. We have made a lot of changes to it but it’s very early in the development of the new car to be able to say we’ve got it sorted. "When we launched our best cars, 2015 or 2019, those years, we didn’t know they were going to be great cars when we developed them, you are just working as hard as you can trying to find as much performance as you can. "On a lot of those cars, we missed targets by quite a chunk in terms of performance but what we do know is that if you don’t set very ambitious targets, you’re probably not setting them high enough." Mercedes have won just once since the 2021 season – when George Russell took his maiden F1 win in Brazil last November – and are currently in a battle with Ferrari to finish second in the constructors’ championship after Red Bull secured their crown at Suzuka. In the drivers’ standings, Hamilton is looking to haul in second-placed Sergio Perez, with Verstappen set to secure his third straight title in Qatar this weekend. Both Hamilton and Russell signed new contracts until the end of the 2025 season last month. Read More F1: How can Max Verstappen win 2023 world championship in Qatar? Andretti F1 team entry bid accepted by FIA Mick Schumacher holds talks with Alpine over 2024 drive Andretti F1 team entry bid accepted by FIA Mick Schumacher holds talks with Alpine over 2024 drive Daniel Ricciardo fitness update ahead of Qatar Grand Prix

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Every season, a new selection of soon-to-be bestsellers hits our favorite fashion retailers. With so many swimsuit trends and products to keep up with, it’s hard to know what to “add to cart.” In our New Arrivals series, we consult the buyers, editors, and fashion insiders at our go-to shopping destinations to find out their best bets for the season’s wardrobe essentials.