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It is not just the twists and turns of the race course... and the sleek and stylish machines that make Formula 1 so glamorous. The "oomph" factor comes not just from the cars the men drive but also the hot women they have by their side.

It is a rather strange coincidence... but all the leading Formula 1 drivers have some seriously hot girlfriends and wives. McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are but two examples - Hamilton is dating pop star Nicole Scherzinger (she of the all-girl Pussycat Dolls) and his team mate is in a relationship with a stunning half-Japanese and half-Argentinean model Jessica Michibata.

They are not, need we add, the only ones.

Former racer Ralf Schumacher's wife, Cora Schumacher, is another stunner who was once a model. Then, of course, there is Flavio Briatore - the grizzled old Italian entrepreneur who has been associated with Formula 1 (the Benetton and Renault teams) and credited with discovering iconic seven-time former World Champion Michael Schumacher (Ralf's elder brother) - has been through a veritable litany of some of the hottest models in the world, including Heidi Klum and Elisabetta Gregoraci.

Finally, lest we forget, Ferrari star Fernando Alonso not only just split with Spanish pop singer Raquel del Rosario... but is now reportedly seeing Russian-born Swiss model Xenia Tchoumitcheva.

However, it is not always fun and games. The stressful media glare and the job itself often do take a toll on relationships.

"I'm still relaxed about it all but it is a bit like an out of body experience," Hamilton said in an earlier Metro interview, "It's like I'm sitting out there watching myself."

Check out some of the hottest girlfriends and wives of a number of Formula 1 stars, from Lewis Hamilton to another former World Champions, Finn Kimi Raikkonen...