Citroen city car drivers doing 24-hour Silverstone race
Dozens of near identical city cars are preparing to take on the ultimate challenge of a 24-hour race on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.The Citroen C1s will line up at 17:40 BST on Saturday and the chequered flag will come down at the Northamptonshire venue on Sunday afternoon.The event marks a return to the 'home of motorsport' after being staged in Anglesey last year.One competitor described it as "the most bonkers race".
The first 24-hour endurance race for the small city car was staged by the C1 Racing Club in 2017.Motorsport journalist Matt Prior took part in 2019 and said the contest was "24 hours of pure lunacy" and "the most bonkers race I've been in".
He reported that 13 of the 99 starters had rolled during the race and the lead driver, wrongly convinced he was on his last lap, was overtaken at the end by the car that started 99th.The British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC) partnered with the C1 Racing Club for the first time to stage the race in 2022.The increasing cost of racing at Silverstone persuaded the C1 club to carry out a survey of its drivers, which led to a move to Anglesey for 2024.
A spokesperson for the BRSCC said: "From beginning the race late Saturday afternoon, racing through darkness overnight and back into the light of day, drivers and teams will face many challenges on and off track. "Just making it to the chequered flag alone is a impressive feat, but to do well or even win this event it will require a perfectly executed mix of teamwork, strategy, preparation, consistency – and even a little luck."
Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
F1 calendar announced for 2026 season - as fans lament one Grand Prix that will be 'deeply missed' with a new race added for the first time
The Formula One calendar for the 2026 season has been confirmed in an announcement released by the organisation on Tuesday morning. It will see another 24-race campaign take place, but with one fan-favourite Grand Prix nowhere to be seen on the list. Meanwhile, a new race in Madrid has been earmarked for the weekend of September 11-13 subject to FIA approval of the circuit. The sport's traditional curtain-raiser in Australia will occur from March 6-8 with the final race of the season being the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from December 4-6. Elsewhere, the Canadian Grand Prix will be moved to an earlier slot on the penultimate weekend of May as the FIA implements further 'improvements to the geographical flow of races' - meaning it will follow the race in Miami. That paves the way for an expanded European run of races, beginning with the Monaco Grand Prix on the first weekend of June and culminating with the new race in the Spanish capital. However, some fans were dismayed to learn that the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - held at the historic Imola circuit in San Marino - had been omitted. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, one user wrote: 'Woke up to the worst news ever. imola GP, you will be deeply missed'. A second lamented: 'We lost Imola to add another street circuit and five million years more of Miami GP'. Another remarked: 'it's very sad & disappointing that Imola is not on the calendar'. A further comment questioned: 'A country can't have more than one Grand Prix, so no Imola, but here you go with two races in Spain and three in the United States'. With Ramadan taking place throughout February and March in 2026, both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will be held in April. Following the new race in Madrid, the sport will return to Asia for the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix, prior to three successive races in the Americas, before Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi close out the season. Formula 1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali said: '2026 will be a new era for Formula 1 where we will witness a brand-new set of regulations for our sport, the cars and the engines that will be powered by 100% sustainable fuel. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, fans voiced their disappointment over the omission of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola 'We are excited to welcome Madrid to the calendar, and to see huge automotive brands like Audi, Cadillac and Ford join the Formula 1 grid.' 'It promises to be an unforgettable season, where once again we will come together at 24 amazing global venues to watch the best drivers in the world push themselves to the limit and produce incredible wheel to wheel racing for our millions of fans watching around the globe. 'I want to thank all our fans for their passionate support and the FIA for their commitment and support in delivering this schedule in what I know will be another historic year for Formula 1.' Full F1 2026 race calendar March 6-8: Australia March 13-15 China Shanghai March 27-29 Japan Suzuka April 10-12 Bahrain Sakhir April 17-19 Saudi Arabia Jeddah May 1-3 USA Miami May 22-24 Canada Montreal June 5-7 Monaco Monaco June 12-14 Spain Barcelona-Catalunya June 26-28 Austria Spielberg July 3-5 United Kingdom Silverstone July 17-19 Belgium Spa-Francorchamps July 24-26 Hungary Budapest August 21-23 Netherlands Zandvoort September 4-6 Italy Monza September 11-13 Spain Madrid* September 25-27 Azerbaijan Baku October 9-11 Singapore Singapore October 23-25 USA Austin October 30 - November 1 Mexico Mexico City November 6-8 Brazil Sao Paulo November 19-21 USA Las Vegas November 27-29 Qatar Lusail December 4-6 Abu Dhabi Yas Marina
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Max Verstappen certainty made clear ahead of Canadian GP as F1 race ban looms
Max Verstappen is just one penalty point away from triggering an automatic Formula 1 race ban after he was punished for ramming George Russell on track at the Spanish Grand Prix Max Verstappen won't change his aggressive driving style despite being on the cusp of a Formula 1 ban. The Red Bull racer is one penalty point away from that punishment after furiously ramming George Russell in Barcelona last Sunday. But former F1 racer and FIA steward Johnny Herbert is certain that won't deter the Dutchman from going about his business as usual in Canada next weekend. "You've got to think about the penalty point situation, one point can be from very simple error of judgement," he told RoobetAlternatives. "That one penalty point from being banned will be on his mind [but] it will not change the way he's driving. For years, Verstappen has been the chased but now he's the chaser, he'll have to be slightly more measured. Those little moments of aggression will have to be controlled." Only one F1 driver has ever been banned under the current penalty points system which forbids racers from accumulating a dozen points in a 12-month period – Kevin Magnussen last year. Verstappen is on 11 but two of them will expire at the end of June. So he'll be walking a tightrope in Montreal and also at Red Bull's home race in Austria in three weeks' time. If he does something to receive a penalty point in Spielberg, then he will be banned for the British Grand Prix in early July. Ramming an opponent like Verstappen did to Brit Russell in Barcelona is not new to F1. Michael Schumacher did it to Damon Hill in the 1994 title decider, four years after Ayrton Senna had deliberately crashed into rival Alain Prost at Suzuka. Verstappen got a 10-second penalty for hitting Russell but former FIA steward Herbert thinks he got off lightly. He said: " Max Verstappen deserved a black flag and should have been disqualified. There's a point where you have to be hard on the driver when there have been many of these types of incidents. "Verstappen is the best driver on the track, with the best racecraft and judgement, but there is always a story with him. It's usually some kind of racing incident we all end up talking about with Verstappen, unfortunately. It was clear as day that Verstappen's move on George Russell was on purpose. "He backed out at the right corner, where he could then attack and retake the place by driving into Russell. To me, that's overstepping the mark. I've said it before and I'll say it again until I'm blue in the face, Verstappen doesn't need to make these moves. He has the skill to make clear overtakes. "A black flag is something that could have been thought of by the stewards and the race director, you have to stop this wheel-banging type of racing. That collision overstepped the mark. I don't want to see it, nor do the drivers. That type of racing should not happen, if it does happen, the penalty should be harsher to stamp it out."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Red Bull make Max Verstappen replacement plan as new request made to F1 bosses
Max Verstappen is one penalty point away from being handed a one-race suspension by the FIA and Red Bull have decided to apply for a superlicense for their young star Red Bull could hand a British teenager the chance of a lifetime in Formula 1 if Max Verstappen is banned for a race. Verstappen is walking a disciplinary tightrope after colliding with George Russell in Barcelona last Sunday and knows he will be suspended by the FIA if he makes another mistake. The Dutchman has accrued 11 penalty points on his licence after picking up three points for ramming into Russell in a controversial incident at the Spanish Grand Prix. He knows that if he picks up another penalty point in the next two races then he would be slapped with an automatic one-race ban. Red Bull are confident that their star driver can steer clear of more trouble at the Canadian and Austrian Grands Prix, but have a contingency plan ready anyway. As Mirror F1 have reported, that does not include former drivers such as Daniel Ricciardo or Sergio Perez. In the event that Verstappen has to sit out a race, it would likely be Liam Lawson, or Isack Hadjar who would step up from sister team Racing Bulls to fill his seat. However, there is another exciting possibility being considered inside Red Bull HQ. The team have applied to the FIA for an exception regarding a superlicense for teenage sensation Arvid Lindblad. The 17-year-old, who was born in London, has caught the eye while competing in F2, but would need special dispensation from the FIA to receive his superlicence before turning 18 in order to compete in F1. It is understood that Red Bull have contacted the FIA simply to broaden their options in the event that Verstappen falls foul of the rules in the upcoming races. But it is still an exciting prospect for Lindblad, who is highly regarded by his team. He isn't the first hotshot driver who has been tipped for greatness: last year Kimi Antonelli, who was also 17 at the time, was being tipped to compete in a practice session for Mercedes. Young drivers have to have 'demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity' behind the wheel in another FIA-approved championship, with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff explaining the process back then. 'The president of the FIA always had the ability and discretion of letting a driver drive, if you believe that the performance was good enough,' he said. 'I think the change of regulations isn't [about] Antonelli, it is generally to make sure that drivers with the right pedigree, CVs, success and maturity are able to race in F1, rather than a birth date. I think that was the right decision.' Lindblad might be the most exciting option to replace Verstappen for one race, but it is Hadjar who was recently showered with praise by Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. "I think he's been the most outstanding of the rookies,' he said. "The expectation on him wasn't as high as he's delivered so far. He's exceeded all our expectations, he's been fast, he's been consistent. He's constantly delivered, and I think it's been a great start to his Formula 1 career. He just needs to keep that momentum running. His future, if he keeps performing as he is, is very bright."
