Lewis Hamilton Has Moved To Mercedes

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Lewis Hamilton is to leave McLaren after signing a three-year deal to race for Mercedes from next season.

The move, predicted  Eddie Jordan earlier this month, was announced on Friday, causing huge repercussions throughout Formula 1.
It has forced Michael Schumacher out of Mercedes but it is not clear whether the German legend will go back into retirement or look for another team.
Sauber driver Sergio Perez has signed as Hamilton's replacement at McLaren.
"It is now time for me to take on a fresh challenge and I am very excited to begin a new chapter," said 2008 world champion Hamilton, who will partner Nico Rosberg at Mercedes.
"Mercedes-Benz has such an incredible heritage in motorsport, along with a passion for winning which I share.
"Together, we can grow and rise to this new challenge. I believe that I can help steer the Silver Arrows to the top and achieve our joint ambitions of winning the world championships."
Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn said: "I believe that the combination of Lewis and Nico will be the most dynamic and exciting pairing on the grid next year and I am looking forward to what we can achieve together.

Hamilton's career

• Makes his debut in 2007 at the Australian Grand Prix for McLaren, qualifying fourth and finishing third
• Wins the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix after finishing on the podium in each of his first five races
• In 2008 signs a lucrative five-year contract to race for McLaren until the end of the 2012 season
• The same year he becomes, at the time, F1's youngest world champion
• A disappointing 2009 sees him finish fifth with only two wins
• Still searching for his second World Championship title after finishing fourth and fifth in 2010 and 2011 respectively
• Signs to race for Mercedes from the 2013 season

"Over the past three years, we have been putting in place the foundations and building blocks that are needed to compete regularly for the world championship. The potential is now there to match any other team on the grid."

The 27-year-old's new team-mate Rosberg tweeted:  "Very cool that Lewis will be my new team-mate! Gonna be another great challenge!"
Hamilton's decision is a huge blow to McLaren, who will now have to do without the speed and inspirational talent of a man they have nurtured since he was 13 years old.
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said the Briton had written "a huge chapter of his life and career with us", adding: "It goes without saying that we all wish him well for the future."
Hamilton added: "I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that they have given me and for their support throughout the years.
"I have had the pleasure of working with a fantastic team of genuine people and would like to thank them all for their hard work and support."
Although Hamilton's salary at Mercedes will be larger than the one he was offered by McLaren - and he has more opportunity to earn money through personal sponsorships and endorsements - sources close to the Englishman insist he has switched teams with a view to long-term performance.
McLaren have the fastest car this season, while Mercedes have slipped backwards after a promising start to the year.
But Mercedes have sold the move to Hamilton on the basis that they are preparing for a huge push in 2014, when new chassis and engine rules are introduced.
"Mercedes-Benz has supported Lewis throughout his career, from karting, to Formula 3, to our successful partnership with McLaren," said Norbert Haug, vice president of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport.

Murray Walker on Lewis Hamilton

"It will be a very nice moment for all of us in the team to see him at the wheel of a works Silver Arrow next season, following in the tradition of British Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix drivers Sir Stirling Moss and Richard Seaman."
Schumacher's future is uncertain. Sauber team boss Peter Sauber said a week ago that he would offer the seven-time champion a drive if he became available.
Despite the Swiss team's strong displays this season, that would be seen as a significant comedown for a man who was expected to win on his return.
Instead, Schumacher's comeback after three years in retirement has been a huge disappointment. The 43-year-old German has scored only one podium finish in three years.
In a statement, Schumacher thanked Mercedes for their "trust" and "unconditonal commitment".
"I have had three nice years with the team which unfortunately did not go as well as we all would have wanted on the sporting side," he said.
"I wish Lewis well and for the team to achieve the success we worked so hard for in the build-up. I will now concentrate on the next races."
In another development at Mercedes, triple world champion Niki Lauda has been tipped to take a senior management role at the team.

New McLaren Sporty Cars, for personal use

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Welcome the McLaren P1 -- the British maker's first supercar since the all-dominating F1 of the 1990s, and from the first trio of photos McLaren released today, the P1 will be one of the most striking vehicles on the road just sitting still. We don't know yet how much power it packs or how well it will perform, but McLaren promises the P1 will be nothing less than the best, ever.

Known as McLaren designer Frank Stephenson's first clean-sheet design for McLaren after the MP4-12C, the P1 is expected to combine the 3.8-liter V8 from the MP4-12C with some kind of hybrid system that could approach 1,000 hp total. In a statement, McLaren managing director Antony Sherriff says the P1 will be "the most exciting, most capable, most technologically advanced and most dynamically accomplished supercar ever made -- not necessarily to be the fastest in absolute top speed but to be the quickest and most rewarding series production road car on a circuit."

The rest of the details will be unveiled in Paris next Thursday, with the production model expected about a year from now.

Serena William is dating her Coach

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Serena Williams has been spending a lot on time on the court with coach Patrick Mouratouglou this season, winning Wimbledon, gold at the Olympics and the U.S. Open to cap an impressive 2012 season.
But based on these photos from a French tennis website, Williams and Mouratouglou may be spending time together off the course as well. The two were spotted cozying up to each other on the streets of Paris recently, leading many to believe there's a budding relationship going on between player and coach.
Mouratouglou, who runs a tennis academy in France, started working with Williams after the French Open, and based solely on the number of major trophies she's won since he came on board, there's no question the switch has been beneficial.
PKTennis.fr
I guess it could now be beneficial in other ways as well. Are they really dating? Who knows for sure. We'd all like to believe a photo or two tells the whole story, but maybe this is just two friends hanging out together in the City of Love, arms around each other ... with Williams putting her hand in Mouratouglou's back pocket.
OK, I'm not one to jump to conclusions, but I'm going out on a limb and saying the Williams-Mouratouglou are dating. It's hard to say otherwise after checking out the second picture of them looking at international properties in a storefront window.

Atl Madrid 4 - 1 Chelsea

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Chelsea were comprehensively beaten in the Super Cup as Radamel Falcao scored a hat-trick to inspire c to victory in Monaco.

Falcao struck a shot against the crossbar before beautifully dinking in his first past keeper Petr Cech.
He curled in a shot with Chelsea in disarray and ended a counter attack with a left-foot finish for his third.
Miranda slotted in a ruthless Atletico's fourth, while Gary Cahill lashed in a shot for the Blues.
In a match pitting European champions Chelsea against the Europa League winners, it was the latter who deservedly came out on top with Falcao in irresistible form.

The Colombian, who scored 24 La Liga goals and 12 in Europe last season, came into the game on the back of a hat-trick and quickly took advantage of a lethargic Chelsea defence.

Having seen an early shot come back off the crossbar, he expertly lifted the ball over the on-rushing Cech when played through on goal.
A stunned Chelsea were being overrun and another incisive move ended with Falcao curling a left-foot shot into the top corner from just inside the box.
Roberto Di Matteo's side were exposed time and again, the scale of their defeat coming as a surprise given they had gone into the game leading the Premier League after three straight wins.
But Atletico had an intensity and urgency missing from Chelsea's play, and Falcao was again denied by the woodwork when he headed against the post.
However, he did not have long to wait to complete his hat-trick as Atletico countered, Chelsea backtracked and Falcao latched on to an Arda Turan pass before slotting past Cech.
Chelsea's lacklustre play was epitomised by their lazy response to a free-kick as Mario Suarez diverted the set-piece to Miranda, who steered home a shot.
Cahill scored a late goal for Chelsea but it did nothing to disguise the dominance of Atletico.

Getafe Beat real Madrid : 2-1

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Real Madrid crashed to a shock 2-1 defeat to city neighbors Getafe in the second round of the Spanish La Liga season Sunday.

After being held 1-1 by Valencia in their opener, Jose Mourinho's champions are left with a solitary point after two games, trailing arch rivals Barcelona by five points.

Gonzalo Higuain put Real ahead after 26 minutes and they appeared set for a routine derby victory.

But Juan Valera was unmarked as he headed Getafe level after 52 minutes from a free kick.

Real's star-studded attack led by Cristiano Ronaldo pressed for the winner, but it was the home side who grabbed their second with Abdelaziz Barrada scoring in the 74th minute after an assist by Adrian Colunga.

Earlier, Lionel Messi came to Barcelona's rescue with a late double as they beat Osasuna 2-1 to go top of the standings on goal difference from Rayo Vallecano after two games.

New Barca coach Tito Vilanova had been sent off for complaining to the referee as they trailed to a 17th-minute goal from Joseba Llorente.

The former European champions had wasted a string of chances until Messi struck in the 75th and 80th minutes.

Osasuna's Francisco Punal was shown red for his protests after Messi's first goal, claiming he was offside.

Barcelona and Real Madrid will resume their rivalry Wednesday as the Catalans take a 3-2 lead to the Santiago Bernabeu after first leg of the Spanish Super Cup.

In Serie A, the start of the season has seen contrasting fortunes for the Milan clubs.

AC Milan lost 1-0 in the San Siro to newly promoted Sampdoria with Andrea Costa scoring the winner in the second half.

But Inter Milan showed their city rivals how it should be done with a 3-0 win at another promoted side Pescara to top the early standings with Napoli, who won 3-0 at Palermo.

On Saturday, Juventus began their defense of the title with a 2-0 victory at home to Parma.

Valentino Rossi To Go back to Yamaha in 2013

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They are two of the biggest names in motorcycle racing, and tensions were high the last time they were on the same team, but Jorge Lorenzo says rival Valentino Rossi's return to Yamaha is "good news."

Rossi left the Japanese team in 2010 after Lorenzo won his first world MotoGP championship, ending the Italian's two seasons of dominance.

Rossi, who won the world title four times with Yamaha and three with Honda, has struggled to be competitive since joining Ducati, managing just two podium placings in 28 races.

The 33-year-old has agreed a deal for the 2013 and 2014 seasons, resuming a partnership which Yamaha described as a "super team" when the news was announced last Friday."I think our relationship has got better, though maybe it's got better because we were in different teams," Lorenzo said on the MotoGP website ahead of this weekend's Indianapolis Grand Prix.

"It's good news for Yamaha because we achieved a lot of good results together. It's a big motivation to have him back because I always like to have the best riders in my garage.

"Valentino is one of them. I assume trying to beat me will be a big motivation for him. For Yamaha, it will be a good thing, that's the most important thing."

Rossi won 46 races in his seven years at Yamaha, but his final season was blighted by injuries and Lorenzo took full advantage.

The Spaniard lost his crown to Casey Stoner last year but tops this season's standings by 23 points from Honda's Dani Pedrosa with five wins and four second-placings from 10 of the 18 races so far.

Rossi is eighth overall, but still ahead of Lorenzo's 10th-placed American teammate Ben Spies, who will leave Yamaha at the end of this season.

"Someone who has talent normally keeps it and doesn't lose it like this in two years," Lorenzo said of Rossi.

"He is still young enough. He is 33, he has won a lot of races. With the Yamaha a better bike this year, it will be easier for him.

"It's true that us younger riders are getting stronger, more experienced and more consistent, but we have to remember that Valentino has won a lot of races. We have to respect that and keep it in mind."

The 25-year-old missed out on a podium place at Indianapolis last year when Spies passed him to take third, but won the U.S. race in 2009 and has twice been third himself.

"I really enjoy riding the Indy track, and have good memories here from my podiums in 2008 and 2010 and my great win in 2009," Lorenzo said.

"Last year I really struggled with grip in the race so I hope we can improve that this year. I've had a nice break but also been training to make sure I'm fit for this weekend!"

Honda's Stoner and Pedrosa have won the last two Indianapolis races, and both are seeking to cut Lorenzo's lead following MotoGP's midseason break.

"In these two weeks I was able to relax a little, enjoy time with friends and get back into my training," Pedrosa said.

"At this time of year, Indianapolis is normally very hot so fitness is always key. I enjoy riding at this track and I've had good results in the past. I am really looking forward to this race and will fight to win and maintain the consistency we have showed in the first part of the championship."

Stoner is 32 points adrift of Lorenzo in third place despite winning four races this season, which will be his last as he plans to retire after the final race in Valencia at the relatively young age of 27.

"I'm not the biggest fan of Indy, mainly because we don't go on the historical track but the infield and in the wrong direction," said Australia's two-time world champion.

"The track is very flat and plain, also very tight. There are a couple of corners that can be fun but the majority are difficult, tight and there isn't any natural flow to the track."

Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid

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he Spanish Super Cup remains delicately poised after Barcelona claimed a pulsating 3-2 win against Real Madrid in the first leg.
Real's Cristiano Ronaldo first headed in a corner, which Pedro levelled immediately from the kick-off.
Lionel Messi scored a penalty after Andres Iniesta was fouled, before Xavi slotted home a sublime third.
Angel Di Maria then pounced on keeper Victor Valdes' mistake to breathe life into next Wednesday's second leg.

The match was the first time the two giants had met since Pep Guardiola ended his reign as Barcelona manager and was replaced by assistant Tito Vilanova.

Jose Mourinho's Madrid side looked to pounce on the counter attack from the off, and could have gone ahead if former Manchester United winger Ronaldo had played a firmer pass to Karim Benzema on the edge of the penalty box.
Reigning Fifa World Player of the Year Messi - already on the receiving end of a strong challenge from the visiting defender Fabio Coentrao - then blazed over from 20 yards before Pedro tested Iker Casillas.
The first half continued in the standard tempo of a 'Clasico' as Spanish Cup holders Barcelona dominated the ball with their relentless 'Tiki-taka' passing, and La Liga champions Real threatened with their incisive speed and power on the break.
Their patience was rewarded in the 55th minute as Ronaldo freed himself from marker Sergio Busquets and headed in a Mesut Ozil corner to claim a goal in his fourth successive visit to the Nou Camp. Barcelona hit back one minute late as Javier Mascherano played in Pedro to slot under Casillas for a quickfire equaliser.
Messi then put Barcelona ahead from 12-yards after Sergio Ramos' clumsy foul, before midfield pair Xavi and Iniesta produced the move of the night as their artistry cut open Real for the latter to score a potentially decisive third goal.
Barcelona seemed to have the trophy sewn up, before Valdes dawdled on the ball and substitute Di Maria robbed him to slot home a vital away goal.
Mourinho jabbed Vilanova in the eye in a melee at the end of last year's Super Cup, but there was no repeat of that controversial scene on the final whistle ahead of next week's decider.