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Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Coronation Street's Simon Gregson almost quit the soap for very different job
Soap favourite said Corrie bosses dashed his hopes of exploring his dream career, much to his disappointment Coronation Street star Simon Gregson says soap bosses left him 'gutted' after they banned him from pursuing his first love of racing cars. The actor even thought about quitting the ITV show so he could fulfil his passion, he confessed. But Simon decided to stay on as much-loved character Steve McDonald, who he's played for 36 years. 'I was offered rallying with Seat,' he recalled. 'I was offered a few things. I had to meet with the boss of insurance for ITV, and he said 'Absolutely hell no', and that was my possible career in racing gone. I was gutted, it was my lifelong dream.' Simon, 50, says he was envious of fellow soap star Kelvin Fletcher, who left Emmerdale to race cars. The actor, best known for playing Andy Sugden, became a rally driver after leaving the show and competed in various championships, including the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) and the British GT Championship. 'And then of course, Kelvin from Emmerdale, he's racing McLaren, Bentley, Porsche," Simon mused. 'I was like, 'that was my dream!' He said 'get lost' and left the show. Which is what I should have done, or maybe I shouldn't, or I wouldn't be here now.' Simon walked on to the cobbles in 1989 as happy-go-lucky Steve McDonald. Picking up numerous awards for his comedic timing and dramatic performances, Simon became a firm favourite. The Coronation Street star said his love of cars led to him getting into acting. 'The reason I went for the job - because I wasn't an actor, I wanted to join the RAF originally - the reason I went for it was for money,' he explained on motoring podcast Fuelling Around. 'Because I'd seen a Ford Escort Mexico, in bright orange and I was like 'I want that car, so I'll go for that job'.' Simon says he's played Steve so long he often gets called by his screen name by fans in public - and even his own mum. He revealed: "I got called Steve by my mum once at home. I mean, it was a genuine mistake... but it's the last thing I need at home. Bless my poor mum, it was genuine. But yeah, I get called Steve all the time, all the time. I even get called Steve off people at work I've known for 35, 36 years, you know?" The actor - who has been married to wife Emma for 14 years - has faced financial problems recently as he liquidates his production company. He has been ordered to pay back a £252,000 loan he took from the firm. Dad-of-three Simon, who finished second in the 2021 series of I'm A Celebrity, spoke earlier this year about his new venture - a children's book, called The Dream Dragon. Speaking on Loose Women, he said: 'I started it about 12 or 13 years ago because my elder two boys, Harry and Alfie, kept having night terrors,' he told the panel. 'So, I told them that I had a dragon called the Dream Dragon, which would beat up the nightmares and scare them off, and they believed it,' he said. 'I had to embellish on this story often, and I was telling a couple of the ladies at work, and they said 'You should write it down', and 12 years later I did.' The book has already had interest from publishers, with Simon hopeful that it will be published this year and become a money spinner.
North Wales Chronicle
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- North Wales Chronicle
North Wales College students build Targa rally car with NAPA
Coleg Menai has teamed up with automotive parts giant NAPA UK to give motorsport engineering students practical training, technical support, and exclusive access to professional racing environments. The collaboration includes the donation of original equipment (OE) quality parts and technical guidance to help students build a Targa rally car—broadening their understanding of motorsport engineering from the classroom to the track. Daron Evans, motorsport programme lead at Coleg Menai, said: "The NAPA partnership is supporting our learners here at Coleg Menai in many ways. "They are providing OE (original equipment) quality parts for our Targa rally car, have allowed our learners to support them with their own marketing campaigns, and more recently gave our students the opportunity to visit Oulton Park as guests of NAPA Racing. "Activities such as those provided by NAPA and NAPA Racing enrich the learning experience for our learners and also give them insight into possible career paths for the future. "We are very grateful for these opportunities and the current partnership." The NAPA Racing UK team talking to Coleg Menai motorsport students at Oulton Park race track (Image: Coleg Menai) During a recent visit to Oulton Park, students toured team garages and paddocks, participated in a Q&A with drivers and mechanics, and watched the British Touring Car Championship and other motorsport events, including the Porsche Sprint Challenge and British Formula 4. They were also given a guided tour of NAPA Racing's pit facilities, where they learned about the technical and logistical operations behind a professional racing team. The visit and ongoing partnership were made possible after Mr Evans invited NAPA UK representatives to the Llangefni campus, where they were impressed by the programme and facilities. Motorsport engineering students working on a Targa rally car at Coleg Menai in Llangefni (Image: Coleg Menai) A key focus of the collaboration is the construction of a Targa rally car, which allows for limited modifications to a road-going vehicle. NAPA has donated braking, suspension, and chassis components, as well as engine and workshop consumables, all supplied through its Llangefni store. READ MORE: Anglesey school to close for funeral of 'excellent' teacher who died suddenly Students are also benefiting from technical resources and hands-on training delivered through TechMate, NAPA's educational partner. Adam McNaney, marketing manager at NAPA, said: "We are proud to support Coleg Menai in nurturing future talent through quality resources and training. "This partnership aligns with our commitment to excellence and investing in the development of skilled professionals who will drive the automotive sector forward."
Daily Record
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Lewis Hamilton's brother speaks out about how Ferrari treated him at British Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton was joined by his younger brother Nicolas on Saturday at the Ferrari garage. Lewis Hamilton's younger brother, Nicolas, has revealed what he really thinks about the treatment he received from Ferrari after visiting the seven-time Formula One world champion during qualifying for the British Grand Prix. Hamilton's sibling, Nicolas, 33, is also a race car driver and currently competes in the British Touring Car Championship for Powder Monkey Brewing Co with Esidock. Hamilton has cerebral palsy and therefore races in a specially-modified car for his needs. During his time in the BTCC, he has entered in 150 races. Nicolas is known to have a close bond with his older brother and made the trip to Silverstone over the weekend on July 5 to see the 40-year-old in Ferrari colours for the first time. After Hamilton's qualifying sessions for Sunday's race where he's secured the most wins out of any driver in F1 history (9), the racing legend made his way to his younger brother as the pair engaged in brief conversation before embracing one another. Beaming with pride for Lewis, Nicolas took to social media to share how he was treated by the legendary Italian team upon his arrival, the Express reports. Writing on X, he said: "So good to be back, supporting big bro! "First time for me with @scuderiaferrari, where I have been made to feel so welcome." Despite having his loyal little brother cheer him on, it was a disappointing end to qualifying for Hamilton who could only capture a starting place of P5 for the race. Despite a remarkable start in practice before setting the pace in Q2, Hamilton was only able to find a hundredth of a second in Q3 as he'll begin the race after Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and George Russell. While he failed to improve on his earlier qualifying runs, Hamilton confessed he feels more confident in his car. In addition to this, despite starting fifth on the grid, he is still determined to defend the trophy he won last year at Silverstone during his time at Mercedes. He said: "I definitely feel a lot better in the car this weekend. "This track is incredible, the crowd's been amazing but we needed just a little bit more, like another tenth of performance in the car just to nudge us a little bit closer to the front guys." Hamilton continued: "Of course, I'll dream of it tonight and I'll try and execute tomorrow. "I think the weather's going to be interesting,. "I'd imagine it's dry probably for the race but it would be cool if it's drizzling or… yeah, we'll see."
Daily Mirror
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Lewis Hamilton's brother opens up on treatment from Ferrari at British GP
Nicolas Hamilton was in attendance for his brother Lewis' first race as a Ferrari driver at the British Grand Prix on Saturday and was full of praise for the Italian team Nicolas Hamilton, the younger brother of Formula One superstar Lewis Hamilton, has expressed his delight at the warm welcome he received from Ferrari during his visit to Silverstone. The 33-year-old, who competes in the British Touring Car Championship for Powder Monkey Brewing Co with Esidock, was there on Saturday to support his brother during the British Grand Prix qualifying sessions. Despite living with cerebral palsy, Nicolas races in a specially adapted car and has incredibly participated in over 150 BTCC races. He enjoyed a heartfelt reunion with Lewis, who was donning the iconic Ferrari red for the first time, sharing a conversation and an affectionate hug after the qualifying rounds. Taking to social media, Nicolas shared his experience with Ferrari, posting on X: "So good to be back, supporting big bro! First time for me with @scuderiaferrari, where I have been made to feel so welcome." However, it wasn't all celebrations as Hamilton secured only the fifth starting position for Sunday's race, where he holds the record for the most wins in F1 history with nine victories at the iconic track. Despite a promising start and dominating Q2, Hamilton was left trailing by a mere hundredth of a second in Q3, relegating him to start from the third row at Silverstone behind Max Verstappen and other rivals. Even with this setback, Hamilton remains buoyant about his prospects of winning the race, reflecting fondly on his previous victory at Silverstone with Mercedes last year, reports the Express. Hamilton conveyed his renewed vigour, stating: "I definitely feel a lot better in the car this weekend. This track is incredible, the crowd's been amazing but we needed just a little bit more, like another tenth of performance in the car just to nudge us a little bit closer to the front guys. "Of course, I'll dream of it tonight and I'll try and execute tomorrow," he said on Saturday concerning his aspirations for etching yet another win on the Silverstone tarmac. "I think the weather's going to be interesting, I'd imagine it's dry probably for the race but it would be cool if it's drizzling or... yeah, we'll see." Hamilton was the centre of one of F1's biggest driver changes in history last year when opting to leave Mercedes after 11 years of service to seek a new challenge with Ferrari last year. Amid the uncertainty over Max Verstappen's future at Red Bull with the Silver Arrows said to be interested in acquiring the Dutchman, the Brit admitted he'd recommend his former team to any driver wanting to make the move there. "If someone, anyone, was going to ask me about Mercedes, it's an amazing team also with the passion, they've got great personnel, it's a great factory, great environment to work in," he told reporters ahead of the British Grand Prix.
The Irish Sun
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Lewis Hamilton's brother joins him at Ferrari for first time as he shares heartwarming snap – and dog Roscoe visits too
NICOLAS HAMILTON was spotted in the Ferrari garage supporting his brother for the first time since he moved to the Italian team. Lewis Hamilton's brother posted a heart-warming snap on Instagram of the pair embracing in the Ferrari garage amid the final practice session at Silverstone on Friday. Advertisement 6 Lewis Hamilton's brother Nicolas was spotted supporting his older brother at Silverstone 6 It was the first time Nicolas watched his brother achieve his best practice session of the season Nicolas captioned the picture: 'So good to be back, supporting big bro! First time for me with Scuderiaferrari, where I have been made to feel so welcome.' The Hamiltons have motor racing in their DNA , with Nicolas currently competing in the British Touring Car Championship for Powder Monkey Brewing Co with Esidock. Nicolas, 33, races with a specially-modified car due to his cerebral palsy. Nicolas is a huge inspiration to fans across the globe, becoming the first ever disabled driver to compete in BTCC against able-bodied drivers. Advertisement READ MORE LEWIS HAMILTON Born two months prematurely, Nicolas spent the first six weeks of his life in intensive care and was diagnosed with spastic diplegia - a form of cerebral palsy - at 18 months old, with doctors predicting he would never be able to walk or run. The race at Donnington Park in April 2023. The seven-time world champion, who is going for a record-extending 10 Silverstone wins on Sunday, watched a best-ever finish of sixth for Nicolas. Nic said in an interview at the time: 'Lewis has never put a penny into my motorsport, Advertisement Most read in Motorsport Exclusive 6 Hamilton is hoping for a record-extending 10th win at Silverstone CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 'There's people who still don't believe me when I say that, but that is literally the situation. 'I've had a lot of online trolling and bullying where everyone says I'm only in BTCC because of Lewis. Advertisement Lewis Hamilton gives lucky F1 rival a lift home on his private jet 'A lot of the criticism is unjust – I don't deserve it. But to finally shut the critics up on 23 April was the best thing I could ever wish for. It was a load of relief and a lot of weight off my shoulders.' Nicolas had competed full-time in the British Touring Car Championship since 2019 but stopped racing part way through the 2023 season. With the new BTCC campaign beginning in April, it was thought that Nicolas' 20-month sabbatical would be extended. But in March it was announced that he would be making a shock return after nearly two years out driving a modified Cupra Leon for Un-Limited Motorsports this year. Advertisement Meanwhile, on Saturday Hamilton dropped from P2 in the third qualifying session to qualify fifth for the British Grand Prix on Sunday. 6 Watching Lewis race as a youngster inspired Nicolas to get into motorsport The 40-year-old went too wide in the final sector, with old team-mate George Russell beating his time, as provisional pole-sitter Oscar Piastri bobbled wide too. But a stunning error-free lap from Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Red Bull star, with Piastri and Advertisement Elsewhere, Hamilton 's beloved French bulldog Roscoe was spotted returning to the Silverstone paddock this week. The Brit previously told 6 Lewis Hamilton's beloved French bulldog, Roscoe, was spotted at Silverstone this weekend British Grand Prix qualifying: Top 10 1) Max Vertsappen (Red Bull) 2) Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 3) Lando Norris (McLaren) 4) George Russell (Mercedes) 5) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 6) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 7) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)* 8) Oliver Bearman (Haas)** 9) Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 10) Pierre Gasly (Alpine) Three-place grid penalty ** 10-place grid penalty 6 Advertisement
