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Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Jeremy Clarkson makes stance clear F1 axe looms for fans' favourite
Formula 1 races at Imola in Italy for possibly the last time this weekend and former Top Gear and The Grand Tour host Jeremy Clarkson will be among those sad to see it go Imola looks likely to lose its status as a Formula 1 venue after this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. But many will be sad to see it exit the sport and Jeremy Clarkson is clearly one of those who would love to see F1 find a way to continue racing there. He wrote on social media: "Imola may not produce the best racing but to drive round, it's my favourite track in the world." But despite the former Top Gear presenter's seal of approval, the writing looks to be on the wall for the Italian venue. Imola is out of contract this year and is one of only two current venues which does not have a legal guarantee of hosting a 2026 race. The other is Las Vegas, which has become a centrepiece of F1's annual schedule and an extension on that front is a mere formality. Next year will see the debut of the Madrid Grand Prix, which will take place on a new street circuit in the Spanish capital. And, with the calendar unlikely to expand beyond 24 races per year right now, it looks set to be Imola which makes room in 2026. No announcement has yet been made over the Italian track's future by F1 bosses, though chief executive Stefano Domenicali recently hinted at its potential exit from the sport when he said: "It will be increasingly difficult to have two races in the same country because interest in Formula 1 is growing." The obvious exception is the United States, which has three annual races in Las Vegas, Miami and Austin because it is such a lucrative market for F1. But with the Italian Grand Prix being homed at Monza, north-east of Milan, and plenty of other cities across the globe wanting to grab a slice of the pie, there seems to be little hope for Imola. Imola has disappeared from the sport before. It was once the venue of the San Marino Grand Prix for many years but that arrangement ended after the 2006 race and it was only in 2020, when F1 needed to cobble together a race calendar at short notice after the previous one was ruined by the Covid pandemic, that it returned. If the 2025 race is to be its last in F1, at least for a while, then the venue will be deeply missed by many. That includes Clarkson who, when replying to fans, spoke of why he visited Imola so often when he was working on Top Gear and The Grand Tour. He wrote: "We did [go there], whenever possible. I just love the fact that the [start/finish] straight, isn't. But at Imola, you whizz past people hanging their washing out. And they've nailed the safety fence to the trees." It is possible that Imola could become a rotational venue to make sure that the sport does at least return regularly. If that were to happen, it would follow in the footsteps of the Belgian Grand Prix with the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit also no longer guaranteed an annual slot in F1. Circuit Zandvoort in the Netherlands has already announced that the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix will be its last. And the future of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is very much up in the air with its contract also expiring in 2026 and that new Madrid race angling to take over as the official Spanish Grand Prix in the future.
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
F1 2026 race calendar status as Imola future clear despite lack of announcement
This weekend's race looks increasingly likely to be a Formula 1 swansong for one of its most iconic tracks. Imola's story is packed with tradition and tragedy and the rolling Italian countryside makes it one of the most picturesque venues in F1, up against some serious competition. But the writing has been on the wall for some time, amid F1's desire to expand into new markets and create more lucrative events. To that end, the Madrid Grand Prix debuts next year and, with the calendar unlikely to go beyond 24 annual races just yet, room will have to be made somewhere. And, as Italy is the only country outside the US with more than one event, Imola is on the chopping block. It is one of just two races which is out of contract with F1 this year, but the other is the Las Vegas showpiece which will be kept around. The recent news that Mexico will continue to host an annual race pushed Imola to the brink of becoming a rotational venue, or disappearing altogether. It has done so before – Imola hosted the San Marino Grand Prix for many years but was dropped after 2006. It only returned in 2020 when the pandemic forced F1 to cobble together a schedule at short notice. But today's large and hefty F1 cars have outgrown this short and narrow circuit. And organisers cannot even dream of coming close to being able to pay the sort of sums on offer from the likes of Thailand capital Bangkok and Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia, both of which are bidding for a place on the sport's future calendar. No announcement over the future of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is expected to come this weekend. It is understood the 2026 race calendar is still being finalised, but it's not looking good. All we can hope is that this Sunday's race, if it is indeed to be the last one for a while at Imola, is one to remember. And that we might get the chance to come back again one day. Formula 1 fans can watch every practice, qualifying and race live with Sky's new Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in a new deal that saves £192. As well as Sky Sports access, this includes more than 100 TV channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+. --- As red-clad fans began to pour through the gates at Imola yesterday, one thing became immediately clear. Even as Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari dream threatens to become a nightmare, the Tifosi still very much have his back. There were cut-outs of his face, massive flags bearing his racing number 44 and Hamilton-personalised hats and T-shirts everywhere you looked. And, chatting to a few of those Italian fans, it's clear the belief remains that the marriage between the sport's most successful ever driver and team can be a happy one. If he were to somehow make it to the podium this weekend, or even win, this place might just explode. Just hours after flying back from Cologne to say goodbye to their mother, who died before the race, Michael and Ralf Schumacher started the 2003 San Marino Grand Prix on the front row. Michael won while Ralf finished fourth, the former taking to the podium with tears in his eyes. David Coulthard was the last McLaren winner at Imola, in 1998, while Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost are the only other drivers on a short list that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are bidding to join this weekend, Mercedes reserve Valtteri Bottas is keen on joining the new Cadillac F1 project and told me on Thursday that 'starting from scratch' with a team new to the grid is 'cool and interesting' to him.
Daily Mirror
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Charles Leclerc struck down by illness Ferrari F1 star skips Imola GP duties
Charles Leclerc is out of action for media day at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The Ferrari ace has been struck down with an illness on the eve of one of the team's most anticipated home races of the 2025 season. Leclerc had been due to speak with media on Thursday. However, a press release from Ferrari circulated on Thursday read: "Charles is feeling unwell and will not be coming to the track today. He will rest and focus on recovering, and we expect him to be in the car tomorrow." Should Leclerc fail to recover for Friday's practice sessions, Ferrari might have to call in one of their substitute drivers. Zhou Guanyu and Antonio Giovinazzi are the officially nominated reserves for the team. The Italians also have talented options like Charles' brother Arthur Leclerc, Antonio Fuoco, and Dino Beganovic ready to step up to the plate, though it is far more likely that Zhou or Giovinazzi would be give the nod. Such an outcome would mean this is the second year in a row that Ferrari will be forced to turn to a reserve driver. Last season, at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, it was Oliver Bearman who filled in for an ailing Carlos Sainz, suffering from appendicitis. The Brit impressed by scoring points on his debut, leading to a full-time seat at Haas for 2025. Bearman is highly rated by Ferrari chiefs and is seen as a potential success to Lewis Hamilton in the coming years. Despite the setback, Leclerc remains determined to race at Imola this weekend. It is Ferrari's first home race of the season, meaning for team-mate Hamilton it is the first time he will race in front of the passionate Tifosi while wearing red. Formula 1 fans can watch every practice, qualifying and race live with Sky's new Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in a new deal that saves £192. As well as Sky Sports access, this includes more than 100 TV channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+. It may also be the last time, for a while at least, that Ferrari can drive F1 cars at Imola. The circuit is out of contract at the end of this season and faces the prospect of losing its place on the calendar with space needed to be made for the new Madrid Grand Prix next year. When Leclerc does get back behind the wheel, his focus will be on trying to salvage something from Ferrari's season. The Italian team is currently fourth in the constructors' championship standings, trailing leaders McLaren by a whopping 152 points already. Both Leclerc and Hamilton have found it challenging to get the best out of the problematic SF-25, with the Monegasque driver's third-place finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix being the team's only trip to the podium so far this season.
Forbes
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
F1's New Playground: Madring Circuit Officially Unveiled
Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz during the presentation of the Formula 1 Madring circuit at IFEMA ... More Madrid. Formula 1's Spanish heartbeat has pulsed through the asphalt of Barcelona-Catalunya for decades. But in 2026, the rhythm will shift. Engines will tear through the streets of Madrid for a brand-new event: the Madrid Grand Prix, set to light up the calendar for the next ten years. On Friday, the curtain was pulled back on Madring. A fitting ambassador, Madrilenian Carlos Sainz, was also introduced in a formal ceremony attended by local politicians José Luis Martínez Almeida and Isabel Díaz Ayuso. At 5.47 kilometres long with 22 corners, the new venue will attempt to balance street circuit with Madrid's grand architecture and history. Organisers have confirmed the inaugural 2026 race will be fought over 57 laps, with early designs promising speed and precision. Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz The Madring will open with a 589-metre straight which is the second-longest on the layout, before a furious braking zone into a chicane at Turns 1 and 2. It's here, dropping from 320 km/h to just 100 km/h, that the first hints of racing chaos could brew. The aim is for real overtakes without the DRS-assisted fly-bys. Turn 3, dubbed Curva de Hortaleza, plants the race firmly in Madrid's heart, weaving through Ribera de Sena Street, where the city's vibrancy will blur at the edges of the speeding cars. Turn 5 and Turn 6, squeezed under a motorway overpass, are flagged as the prime overtaking zone, a public road which will be framed by concrete, expecting speeds to reach up to 340km/h. It's here that Madrid attempts to marry history and architecture with F1's mechanical aggression. Subida de las Carcavas offers an 8% gradient climb, before Turn 7's blind summit reveals 'El Bunker,' which is a sharp right-hander adjacent to relics of the Spanish Civil War. From there, the track transitions onto a purpose-built section near the Valdebebas festival grounds. If Madring hopes to etch itself into F1 folklore, it will live or die by La Monumental. This ferocious, steep-banked corner possesses a wild 24% gradient, a nod to Spain's bullfighting heritage. At 300 km/h, with grandstands looming to fit 45,000 fans, La Monumental could become a scene-stealer. But... let's be real. We've heard that song before. Saudi Arabia's Jeddah, Miami's Hard Rock Stadium — flashy blueprints, dramatic soundbites, and yet few have truly captured the soul of old-school circuits. La Monumental might be the exception, or it might just be another CGI promise too big to deliver. Beyond the banking, the circuit keeps up a brutal rhythm. Turn 13 slows to an 84-degree crawl before throwing drivers into the 'Las Enlazadas de Valdebebas.' It's a track that wants to have it all: a little Monaco, a little Monza, a little Zandvoort... a risky cocktail if balance isn't struck. The president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, the mayor of Madrid, Jose Luis Martinez ... More Almeida, and Formula 1 driver, Carlos Sainz, during the presentation of the Formula 1 Madring circuit at IFEMA Madrid. With construction officially kicking off next month, Spanish firm ACCIONA and France's Eiffage Construction have been entrusted to make this ambitious vision a reality. After months of whispers over a slow tender process, the partnership was signed, sealed, and delivered just in time to keep timelines on track. Interestingly, Madrid's 2026 debut won't immediately kick Barcelona off the calendar. For one year, Spain will have two Grand Prix, a temporary luxury that feels more like a gentle goodbye to the Catalunya circuit than a full-scale takeover. Madring is a love letter to Madrid. It has history, soul and most importantly, ambition. But circuits aren't remembered because of launch parties or fancy names. They're remembered for the moments they host. Madring has its canvas. Come 2026, it'll be time to see if it can paint something truly worthy of Formula 1's sacred story or if it'll just be another gleaming castle built on sand.
Metro
26-04-2025
- Metro
'Lovely' British man found dead on Benidorm beach named
A British man whose body was found washed up on a beach in Benidorm has been named and pictured. Jeff Duffield's body was discovered on the shore of the Spanish resort on Wednesday night. A member of his family shared news of his death on a Facebook group. They wrote 'We have unfortunately found out that Jeff has passed away. 'Thank you for all your lovely comments and please allow my mam the privacy she deserves. 'Not the usual happy post I imagine this group is used to so I apologise.' A friend, meanwhile, posted: 'Very sad news today to hear about the passing of a top lad and dedicated family man and old friend Jeff Duffield.' Mr Duffield's wife had previously posted an appeal on social media to find her husband, reports The Sun. She wrote: 'My husband Jeff Duffield has been missing in Benidorm since 12.30 23/04/2025. 'I've reported it to police if anyone sees him please could you contact me, I'm worried sick. Thank you.' Spain's National Police said on Thursday they had found a body on the beach with no ID the night before. A force spokesperson said that the body belonged to a white male. They said at the time: 'We can confirm that a body was found on a beach in Benidorm last night. 'The individual has not been identified as there was no ID on his person.' The Sun quoted a police source who said there was nothing pointing to the death being suspicious or the result of a crime. Mr Duffield's death comes after a surge in crime and gang activity on the Costa Blanca. Police have warned tourists to be on the look out for criminals who often target holiday makers. In May last year, police arrested two men they caught allegedly robbing a British man by using a martial art stranglehold in Benidorm. More Trending One particular street in the popular resort has been dubbed 'Muggers Alley' due to the high volume of ambushes there. There was also the horrific case of a British woman being gang-raped by three men in 2023. They were later convicted of the horrific crime. A dad-of-two from Belfast, called John George, meanwhile, was killed in the region in December last year. Jonny Smyth was arrested in Portugal last month over his death. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Real Madrid respond to Copa del Rey final boycott claim over referee comments MORE: F1 fans all say the same thing after Madrid Grand Prix track is revealed MORE: 'The only place that still does free tapas': Your favourite Spanish cities that aren't Barcelona or Madrid
