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Hungarian Grand Prix result: Lando Norris wins from Max Verstappen with Kimi Antonelli third

Verstappen was unhappy with his car for much of the race, but Red Bull pulled a masterstroke when they fitted soft tyres to his car at his second pit stop.

The aim was to challenge Hamilton in the later laps after the seven-time champion made an early second stop with 40 laps still to go.

It was heading towards a tense climax when Piastri’s retirement brought out the VSC.

That prompted a late round of pit stops, Ferrari bringing in both their drivers and putting them behind Verstappen.

Hamilton came out of the pits and passed Antonelli into the first corner, after the Italian stayed out under the VSC, but had to give the place back after the restart because the Mercedes driver had just passed the key line on the track in front.

Antonelli and Hamilton started chasing back towards Verstappen, but they were delayed while lapping Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto.

That looked as if it might be decisive, but in the end Verstappen was comfortably able to keep Antonelli at bay, crossing the line 3.6 seconds ahead.

Another key point in Verstappen’s race had been his re-passing of Hamilton after the Ferrari had got briefly ahead following the first pit stops.

That gave him clear air and enabled the Dutchman to consolidate his race position in third place behind the McLarens, laying the foundations for Red Bull’s late strategy call.

Hamilton will leave Hungary ruing another penalty – the one for speeding in the pit lane was his second in two days after behind penalised for blocking Piastri in qualifying, and follows two other penalties at the previous two races in Belgium and Britain.

Behind him, Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar was sixth, ahead of Russell, who dropped to 21st place on the first lap after his anti-stall kicked in at the start, and fought back strongly.

At Aston Martin, Lance Stroll finished in 13th, ahead of team-mate Fernando Alonso, their positions dictated to a degree by luck under the VSC and their divergent strategies.

But the key point was that Alonso, in particular, was able to fight with other cars for the first time, and he ran a long first stint on the soft tyres, before switching to the mediums, which was a bold strategy.

The long-awaited upgrade to their car, which was new apart from the front suspension, engine and gearbox, has reduced their lap times by about two seconds.

A Honda engine upgrade is due for the Dutch Grand Prix, the next race in four weeks’ time after the summer break, which the team hope will elevate them further and potentially bring the possibility of the occasional points finish into the picture.

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Lando Norris wins Hungarian Grand Prix for first F1 triumph in 2026 | Motorsports News

Defending champion Norris wins his first race of the year as Verstappen finishes second and leader Antonelli is third.

Lando Norris has ended an eight-month wait for a Formula One victory with strong pace and a dose of good fortune to win the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday.

McLaren’s defending champion finished ahead of Max Verstappen in Red Bull and teenage sensation Kimi Antonelli at the Hungaroring circuit in Budapest on Sunday.

Norris was on pole but lost the lead to his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri when he ran wide at the second corner, before reclaiming the lead after Piastri was delayed by a collision with Carlos Sainz Jr during a lap.

This allowed Norris to come out of the pits ahead of his teammate and cruise to a win.

“The car was unbelievable today, well done guys, incredible. We were flying,” Norris said. “Nice to finally be able to do it all for you. Feels like it’s been a while.”

Piastri then stopped with a broken gearbox, paving the way for Verstappen to take second, with Antonelli third.

Antonelli increased his standings lead, with title rival Lewis Hamilton finishing fifth after a penalty for speeding in the pits and George Russell seventh after a near-stall at the start.

Norris hadn’t won a full Grand Prix race since Sao Paulo in November, though he did win a sprint in Miami in May.

Hungary was the last race before the mid-season break. The next race is the Dutch Grand Prix on August 23.

Formula One F1 - Hungarian Grand Prix - Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary - July 26, 2026 McLaren's Oscar Piastri, McLaren's Lando Norris, Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in action during the race REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, McLaren’s Lando Norris, Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in action during the race [Bernadett Szabo/Reuters]

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Malaysia set to host F1 race in October as replacement for Bahrain Grand Prix called off earlier this year

The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix were initially scheduled for April but were called off in March as a result of the war launched by the US/Israel against Iran.

F1 is keen to host at least 21 races, because any less than that would activate contractual clauses that could see the sport have to pay rights fees back to broadcasters and may also mean the same for teams with sponsorship budgets.

The arrangement between Bahrain and Malaysia was heavily influenced by Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

The Bahrain race has been Prince Salman’s pet project since it made its debut in 2024. Bahrain’s sovereign investment fund is also the owner of the McLaren F1 team.

F1 president and chief executive officer Stefano Domenicali said: “We are delighted to confirm that Malaysia will host the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2026. Once again, the sport has demonstrated its ability to adapt, find solutions, and deliver, creating an exciting moment for everyone who follows Formula 1.

“I would like to express our sincere thanks to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, as well as their respective governments for making this extraordinary outcome possible through their vision, commitment, and decisive action.”

Sepang, which last hosted a race in 2017 and made its debut on the F1 calendar in 1999, is a popular track with fans and Domenicali added: “Malaysia is an incredible country, and Sepang holds a special place in Formula 1 history. It will provide a spectacular setting for racing and an unforgettable experience for fans at the circuit and watching around the world.”

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Hungarian Grand Prix: Lando Norris cautious despite pole as qualifying ‘falls apart’ for Lewis Hamilton

Lando Norris took his first pole position of the year in Hungary but is cautious about whether he can follow it up with his first victory as world champion.

Perhaps the McLaren driver was casting his mind back to Miami in early May, when he was leading towards the end of the first stint of the race, only for his team to make a strategic mis-step and allow Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli to sneak in for a win.

“You can’t just rely on one good qualifying, so I need a good race tomorrow,” Norris said.

“Then we obviously have a nice summer break, but after that we need to try and repeat it several more times.

“We’ve been working hard. We know we’ve been on the back foot, but we’re making progress and today certainly shows that.”

Much of the attention at the Hungarian Grand Prix has been on the massive upgrade made by Aston Martin on their recalcitrant car, which has provided the troubled team with a major step forward and allowed Fernando Alonso to escape the first qualifying session for the first time all season.

That meant McLaren’s own upgrade went under the radar somewhat, but it has been effective.

Still, team principal Andrea Stella, while expressing his satisfaction that the upgrades had enabled them to engage in a fight for pole they did not expect, said Norris’ pole was an “overachievement”.

McLaren’s own good execution of qualifying was one factor, he said, in addition to an under-performance from Ferrari, and perhaps even Antonelli and Mercedes.

Ferrari came into Hungary as most people’s favourite, including McLaren’s, on the basis that their car is the fastest in the corners, but lacks engine performance, and this is one of the least power-sensitive tracks on the calendar.

Lewis Hamilton was fastest after the first runs in the final part of qualifying but did not improve on his final lap. Shortly after completing it, he blocked Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri and the stewards imposed a three-place grid penalty for impeding the Australian.

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur said the team took responsibility for that because they did not warn Hamilton in time.

The seven-time world champion later posted on Instagram:, external “Sometimes you just can’t catch a break. Another weekend when I’ve been feeling great throughout all the sessions, but then it just falls apart.”

Referencing penalties he had been given in the previous two races in Britain and Belgium, Hamilton added: “I always do my best to keep positive – sport is always about the highs and lows, but it’s also in the margins. Every point counts and you have to seize every opportunity. After three penalties in three weekends, it’s becoming difficult to hang on to that positivity.

“Still, I won’t let the setbacks take away from the progress we’ve been making as a team. With the pace we have, I’m hopeful we can get something out of the race tomorrow.”



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Hungarian Grand Prix: Lando Norris beats Lewis Hamilton to pole with Kimi Antonelli fourth

Norris said: “Very happy to be back on top, especially at a track where you certainly want to be on pole.

“I had confidence the whole of today. My laps in Q3 were not the best, even the one at the end, so pleasantly surprised to be on top.”

Hamilton was a second slower on his second run than on his first, was unhappy he had been sent out for it first, and he also faces an investigation for impeding McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at Turn One after he finished his final lap.

“I had a clean out-lap, and when I started my lap, already into Turn One I had a snap and I was already 0.15secs down,” Hamilton said. “It just cascaded from there.

“So, the last lap was the worst lap of all, and all the other laps were really good. We clearly had the car to be on pole today, and I just didn’t deliver. So that’s tough to swallow.”

On the impeding scenario, Hamilton said he had not been warned of Piastri’s approach by the team: “I was told literally when he was at the apex behind me, so I had no idea he was coming. I thought everyone was on an out-lap.

“Everyone came out behind me. I was the first out, so I thought everyone had finished their lap. Charles, I think, was the car that was behind me when I left the pit lane, as far as I was aware. So, yeah, crazy, because it had been clean, and obviously it wasn’t intentional.”

Antonelli is another driver off to the stewards, in his case for an alleged yellow-flag infringement.

Verstappen, who railed about the unpredictable handling of the Red Bull over the radio after his spin, managed to take sixth, ahead of Russell and the second Red Bull of Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad and Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg.

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The affordable European ‘City of Spas’ with £45 hotels that’s home to F1 Grand Prix this weekend

OUR Spotlight On column gives you the lowdown on what to see and do in your favourite holiday hotspots.

This week we are focusing on Budapest, with the city set to host the F1 Grand Prix this weekend.

Here is everything you need to know about a trip to the Hungarian city of Budapest Credit: Getty
The “Szimpla Kert” one of the oldest and most famous “Ruin-pubs” in Budapest Credit: Alamy

Hungary‘s vibrant capital straddles the Danube and packs a punch when it comes to value, culture and nightlife.

From thermal baths (leading to its nickname the City of Spas) to ruin bars, this city break has something for everyone – and often for less than you’d pay elsewhere in Europe, so here are our top tips.

MUST SEE / DO

Soak in the thermal waters at Szechenyi Baths, one of Europe’s largest spa complexes, with 18 pools.

Make sure to book in advance, and pick early morning or late evening slots for the quietest times.

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10 seriously cheap European city breaks you can book right now from just £69


BEACH KEEN

On the Beach drops HUGE surprise sale – with 50% off city breaks and hotels

The outdoor pools are heated year-round and the bright yellow neo-Baroque buildings make a perfect selfie spot.

HIDDEN GEM

Head to the lesser-known Kobanya underground cellar system – once a beer-brewing hub, now used for everything from mushroom-growing to film shoots.

Tours explore its eerie, kilometre-long tunnels beneath Budapest’s 10th district.

BEST VIEW

Catch the sunset from the top of the dome at St Stephen’s Basilica, below.

It’s 96 metres high and offers panoramic views across both Buda and Pest – a great place to spot Parliament and Castle Hill from above.

RATED RESTAURANT

For a taste of modern Hungarian cuisine with a Michelinstar twist, head to Stand.

Led by chef duo Szulló and Széll, this sleek yet unpretentious restaurant blends local ingredients with inventive techniques.

Expect elevated versions of traditional favourites such as goulash or cabbage rolls, served with exceptional Hungarian wines in a refined riverside setting.

Budapest is known at the City of Spas Credit: Alamy

BEST BAR

No trip is complete without a drink at Szimpla Kert – the original ruin bar that kickstarted a nightlife trend.

Expect mismatched furniture, quirky art installations and a vibe that’s hard to beat.

Beers, including local brew Dreher, are around five euros.

As the original and best-known of the city’s ruin bars – with crumbling plaster and graffiti-covered walls – it can get very busy at night.

Head there on a weekday afternoon for a less crowded experience.

HOTEL PICK

Try the Hotel Rum Budapest – a boutique stay, with cool interiors, great service and a rooftop bar that’s ideal for cocktails at sunset.

It’s central, affordable and perfect for a long weekend in the city.

Rooms from £90 a night. See hotelrumbudapest.com.

Three nights at Hotel Rum Budapest, including flights from Stansted on June 30, is from £189pp. See loveholidays.com.



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Hungarian Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton leads Charles Leclerc in Ferrari one-two in Friday practice

Lewis Hamilton led team-mate Charles Leclerc to a Ferrari one-two in Friday practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Hamilton was 0.148 seconds ahead of Leclerc, with McLaren’s Lando Norris third, 0.499secs off the pace, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen fourth.

Fernando Alonso ended the day 19th fastest in the new Aston Martin after what team principal Adrian Newey said was a “promising” first outing for a car that is new apart from its engine, gearbox and front suspension.

Alonso was 2.990secs off the pace, but had a lap nearly 0.4secs faster ruled out for track limits at the final corner.

Although that is still a long way from competitiveness, it is a significant step forward from where Aston Martin have spent most of the season.

Ferrari looked in good shape, as might have been expected on a track that lends itself to the car’s strong cornering performance.

But Mercedes, with George Russell in fifth 0.933secs off the pace and championship leader Kimi Antonelli in 13th, appeared to have some work to do.

Antonelli did not complete a qualifying simulation lap in the second session.

His first had to be abandoned when Franco Colapinto crashed his Alpine at the last corner, and his second came to grief when he made an error going into the chicane.

Antonelli was complaining all session about rear brake locking, but he was on a par with Norris’ time in the first sector on both laps before they were curtailed.

Behind Russell, Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar was sixth fastest, ahead of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg and Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad completed the top 10.

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Kimi Antonelli wins Belgian Grand Prix to extend F1 championship lead | Motorsports News

Mercedes driver won his sixth GP of 2026 as championship rival and teammate George Russell crashes out on first lap.

Kimi Antonelli won the Belgian Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday to stretch his Formula One lead to 45 points over Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton on a bleak day for teammate George Russell, his closest title rival heading into the race.

Russell had been the 19-year-old Italian’s closest rival before the start at Spa-Francorchamps, but the Briton spun off into the gravel on the opening lap after a collision with Hamilton while trying to make up places lost at lights out.

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Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was second in the 44-lap race, 1.952 seconds behind after leading, thanks to a pit stop while a virtual safety car was deployed, with Max Verstappen third to give Red Bull their 300th Formula One podium.

Hamilton finished fourth, despite serving a five-second penalty for the collision with Russell, but remained under investigation for an unsafe release from a pit stop that could drop him to fifth and further stretch Antonelli’s lead.

Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli leads Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen at the beginning of the Belgian Grand Prix
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli leads Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen at the beginning of the Belgian Grand Prix [Sarah Meyssonnier/POOL via AFP]

It was Antonelli’s sixth win in 10 rounds this season, leaving him 50 points clear of Russell. Antonelli was first in qualifying, continuing Mercedes’ clean sweep of pole positions this season.

“It’s great to be back on the top step after a few difficult rounds,” said Antonelli, who had drawn a blank in two of the past three rounds.

“It was a hard-fought race. We lost first place with the VSC but then we managed to make our way back.

“The momentum was always there. It was just about getting the results,” he added. “Today we were a bit lucky with what happened in terms of the championship but you have to take every opportunity because we saw how much it can swing.”

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished fifth, with Isack Hadjar sixth for Red Bull from last on the grid. Reigning champion Lando Norris was seventh for McLaren after starting 13th due to a 10-place grid drop.

Gabriel Bortoleto brought more points for Audi in eighth place, with Arvid Lindblad ninth for Racing Bulls and Argentine Franco Colapinto completing the scoring in 10th place for Renault-owned Alpine.

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Belgian Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli tops FP2 as Pierre Gasly crashes heavily

Norris is one of a number of drivers who face a grid penalty this weekend, after exceeding his permitted number of batteries.

He is joined by Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, fifth fastest overall behind Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.

The championship gap has closed largely because of problems for Antonelli, who retired from second place in the Barcelona Grand Prix, and lost a probable victory at Silverstone last time out by a wheel fairing failure and then a penalty, which dropped him out of the points.

Russell also took an impressive win in Austria, just fending off Verstappen and Antonelli, for his first victory since the first grand prix of the season in Australia.

Behind the top six of Antonelli, Norris, Verstappen, Hamilton and Hadjar, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, Russell and the Racing Bulls of Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson completed the top 10 ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen was complaining about gearshifts, as he so often does, but his pace was encouraging considering the team have had to shelve their ‘flip-flop’ rear wing after consecutive crashes for the Dutchman in high-speed corners in Austria and at Silverstone.

The failure was that the wing was closing too much, removing the so-called ‘slot gap’ between the main plane and flap, meaning the car had less downforce than the driver expected on corner entry.

Reverting to the standard wing, which opens like the old DRS overtaking aid, is said by insiders to cost around 0.2secs a lap.

Technical director Pierre Wache said: “It is a mechanical problem that we spot after the accident in Silverstone. We fixed it. It [the car] should be ready and bulletproof.

“I don’t want to be too precise on what we are doing because it is a performance benefit to use it. But we take it seriously, we discuss with the FIA because it is our duty to make the car safe and you will see the wing back soon.”

Red Bull hope to have a revised version of the new wing ready for the Hungarian Grand Prix next weekend.

Racing Bulls have an upgrade on Lindblad’s car this weekend. The team decided to give it to the Briton rather than Lawson after an agreement that the driver who qualified ahead at the British Grand Prix would have the new parts for Spa.

Lawson will get the next upgrade later in the year, which is also expected only to be ready for one driver initially, team principal Alan Permane said.

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Belgian Grand Prix: Lando Norris to have 10-place grid penalty because of new battery

McLaren have fallen to the back of the top four teams in recent races as rivals have introduced upgrades, but the hope is that the aerodynamic package to be brought in across the Hungarian and Dutch Grands Prix on either side of Formula 1’s summer break will return them to competitiveness.

They decided that it was better to take the grid penalty in Belgium, where they expect to be no more competitive than at the last race in Britain but where passing is relatively straightforward, than compromise Hungary, where the car should perform better and overtaking is notoriously difficult.

Norris said: “I have to wait and see really how the overtaking is. We probably have a small straight-line speed advantage, comparing to people a little bit further back. So comparing to them we should have a good chance.

“To just overtake in general could be pretty difficult here. But the slipstream is pretty big, and there’s still a few straights, but there’s no straight-line mode (through some of the flat-out sections), and therefore the slipstream is pretty large, and you can gain a good amount from that.

“But we know it’s better than Zandvoort, and better than Hungary taking penalties. I hope it’s not the end of my weekend before it started, but I’m still confident we can have a good race.”

Norris’ grid penalty comes after a troubled start to the season for the team that won a drivers’ and constructors’ championship double last year, in both performance and reliability terms.

Technically, the part replaced in Belgium is known as the ‘power electronics’, which is a control computer within the battery module.

Norris failed to start the Chinese Grand Prix in March after a terminal issue with his power electronics unit, and a second example of that part had to be withdrawn after suffering problems in practice at the following race in Japan.

The Japan unit was repaired but suffered a terminal problem in practice in Monaco.

A McLaren statement said: “While the power electronics unit we installed in Japan, and have used in every session since Miami, has worked reliably, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) has since introduced a series of reliability fixes to their new power electronics systems.

“However, in order to take advantage of these improvements, we must incur a 10-place grid penalty on Lando’s car in order to take a new unit.”

The statement added: “We now plan to use this fourth power electronics unit for the remainder of the season, in order to maximise reliability while minimising sporting penalties on Lando.”

McLaren will have a new rear wing design in Spa, which the team hopes will better suit the specific characteristics of the flowing high-speed track around the Ardennes forests.

This wing will have a conventional opening style in straight-line mode, rather than the somersaulting designs introduced this season by Ferrari and Red Bull.

Red Bull have had to revert to a conventional wing this weekend after Max Verstappen suffered high-speed crashes at the previous two races because of issues with the design.

Mercedes have had a series of engine-related reliability issues this year, not all to do with the battery.

Another has emerged with the engine used by championship leader Kimi Antonelli at the British Grand Prix.

That has had to go back to the HPP’s base in Brixworth for investigation and the Italian has a new engine as a result this weekend in Belgium. This is from within his allocation and therefore comes with no penalty.

Depending on the outcome of the investigations, Mercedes hope to be able to put Antonelli’s Silverstone unit back into the pool for use later in the year.

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Belgian Grand Prix: Red Bull revert to conventional rear wing after Max Verstappen crashes

Red Bull are reverting to a conventional rear wing for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix following high-speed crashes for Max Verstappen in the previous two races.

The move has been confirmed to BBC Sport by Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies, who said the team had discovered a problem with their previous wing in tests since the race at Silverstone.

Red Bull are reverting to a wing that opens for straight-line mode in standard fashion, Mekies said.

Verstappen said at Spa on Thursday: “It’s quite obvious why. We will go back on the old one and see whenever the new one is ready again to be used by us.”

Red Bull and Ferrari have this year pioneered a new design where the rear wing opens into straight-line mode by the top flap rotating more than 180 degrees.

This gives a bigger opening, greater drag reduction and therefore increased straight-line speed.

However, Verstappen’s crashes – one during the British Grand Prix and one in qualifying in Austria – were related to the way the wing closed on entry to two high-speed corners.

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The Grand Tour returns with surprising new hosts as release date is finally confirmed

The Grand Tour is back for its seventh series, but it has a brand new trio of presenters – and one you might recognise as a famous trainspotter from Instagram

The Grand Tour will return to screens later this year, it has been confirmed. But there are three new hosts replacing Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

In a huge shake up to the presenting line-up, fans might be surprised to know that all the new stars are online influencers – and one of them isn’t even known for his content about cars.

Taking over the reigns from Clarkson and his clan are James Engelsman and Thomas Holland, creators of the YouTube phenomenon Throttle House, which sees the pair take on track tests, car reviews and go on epic adventures.

But one face fans might be a little surprised to see – as his car knowledge is yet to be tested – is trainspotting Instagram icon Francis Bourgeois.

Though 26-year-old Francis has won legions of fans on social media with his hilarious go-pro videos when trains go past and boasts 2.7million followers on Instagram alone, he’s only recently began to post the odd bit of car content.

Though in a hilarious post on Tuesday, the self-professed railway enthusiast and mechanical engineer posted a photo of his head on a gear stick and captioned it: “Same show. New knobs,” in a promo for the new Grand Tour show, which is set to air on Amazon Prime from September 4.

The new line-up has divided fans who are yet to tune into the new six-part series. One wrote: “Hoping they do a sort of ‘passing the torch’ episode. I’ll give the new show a shot. Love the train dude lol.”

Another said: “The throttle guys are awesome too. They may have actually cooked with this trio.” A follower joked: “They should film the segments around Chipping Norton and have Clarkson kicking off at them in his tractor!”

But other fans were less convinced, with one saying: “Thanks, I’ll continue to rewatch Hammond, Clarkson and May on my Plex server.” a social media user chimed in: “No one is going to be better than Clarkson, Hammond and May… No chance.”

“It’s not Top Gear or The Grand Tour without Clarkson, Hammond and May. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel. The format isn’t the show, those three ARE the show,” said a third. While a fourth added: “Yes, they should never make The Grand Tour or Top Gear again. Make something else.”

Speaking in 2024, when all three previous presenters retired from the show, Clarkson – who is now 66 – said: “My advice to Amazon would be – and I’ve given this to them already – for heaven’s sake, do not get well known people who ‘like’ cars. Because when you do that show it has to be your life.”

The Clarkson’s Farm star added: “I would get three complete unknowns. Start small, like we did. They’ve got to be absolute petrolheads.

“I’ve got to be able to show them a picture of a quarter of a door mirror from any car ever made, and they’ve got to know what it is. I’d go to motoring journalists. James, Richard and I are all motoring journalists. That would be my advice if you want to continue with it, and I would hope that Amazon do continue with it.” And it seems Amazon may well have listened…

*The Grand Tour returns to Amazon Prime on September 4

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads



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Wimbledon 2026: Linda Noskova beats Karolina Muchova in dramatic all-Czech final to win first Grand Slam title

Noskova’s second-set collapse was excruciating to watch for the 15,000-strong crowd on Centre Court, but the way in which she mentally reset in the decider was admirable.

Serving for the title again an hour after her first attempt, Noskova hit an ace to set up a sixth championship point and converted it with a service winner.

Noskova immediately fell to the court as her relief poured out, with 29-year-old Muchova walking around the net to congratulate her Paris 2024 Olympics doubles partner.

“It’s really tough to find any words, but I’ll start with Linda – my ex-friend,” joked Muchova.

“The way you handled it and the way you played was unbelievable. You deserve it.”

Noskova hid under her towel towards the end of the second set and did the same again in the moments after securing a testing victory.

The ninth seed is the third Czech champion in the past four years at the All England Club, after victories for compatriots Marketa Vondrousova and Barbora Krejcikova in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

Fittingly, Noskova’s crowning glory watched by Czech-born Martina Navratilova – a nine-time singles champion – and one of her idols Petra Kvitova, who won in 2011 and 2014.

As well as lifting the iconic Venus Rosewater Dish, Noskova will receive £3.6m in prize money and move up to a new career-high ranking of seventh in the world.

One of the latest of a long line of Czech talents, Noskova had been tipped as a future star who could challenge for Grand Slam titles.

She was a highly-rated junior who became the youngest player inside the top 100 in 2022 and a run to the Australian Open quarter-finals in 2024 underlined her ability.

Making consistent runs at the majors had been rare, but reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon last year made her feel “comfy” on the grass when she returned this year.

Noskova set herself up for a deep run in SW19 by winning the Berlin title last month but, in her speech during the Centre Court trophy presentation, acknowledged how difficult the tournament has been both physically and emotionally.

On court, Noskova had to fight back from match point down in her third-round encounter against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.

She is only the third player – after Venus Williams in 2005 and Serena Williams in 2009 – to win the Wimbledon women’s singles title from such a position.

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Israel bans Jerusalem’s grand mufti from Al-Aqsa Mosque for one week | Israel-Palestine conflict News

The incident is the latest in a pattern of Israeli measures in the occupied territory since the Gaza genocide began.

Israel has barred the grand mufti of Jerusalem and Palestine from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for one week.

The Jerusalem Governorate said in a post on Facebook that Sheikh Muhammad Hussein was detained by Israeli forces after delivering his Friday sermon at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Later, the governorate confirmed that Hussein had been released, but was temporarily banned by Israeli authorities from entering Islam’s third-holiest site in occupied East Jerusalem for one week, with the possibility of the ban being renewed.

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According to the Quds News Network, Hussein was arrested for the contents of his sermon, during which he prayed for mercy for Palestinians killed by Israel and relief for those held in Israeli prisons.

In a message to Al Jazeera, the Jerusalem Governorate said “the arrest was carried out in order to serve him [Hussein] with an order banning him from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque for one week, with the possibility of renewal. This is not the first time such a measure has been taken against him.”

Israel has not commented on Hussein’s brief arrest or banning.

The incident is the latest in a pattern of escalating Israeli measures in occupied Palestinian territory since the start of the genocide in Gaza in October 2023.

More than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since then, including at least 243 children, amid what rights groups say is an intensifying campaign of military raids, settler violence and expanding Israeli control.

On Friday, six Palestinians, including children, were reportedly injured during an attack by settlers in Huwara, Nablus.

Local sources said settlers set upon a Palestinian family, including an elderly man, using pepper spray and physically beating them.

The attack took place on land belonging to the family. Israeli forces were reportedly present and protected the settlers during the attack.

Israeli forces then allegedly assaulted residents and arrested three members of the family, including 80-year-old Ibrahim Ismail al-Jabour.

The incident comes amid growing international concern over violence in the occupied West Bank. Last month, Amnesty International released a report accusing the Israeli government of carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing in the territory. The report concluded that the campaign was state-led and not the result of rogue settlers or far-right ministers.

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British Grand Prix result: Charles Leclerc wins dramatic race from George Russell and Lewis Hamilton

Leclerc now looked locked in for victory, but there was great doubt over second place.

Hamilton, who earlier had a five-second penalty for moving before the lights went out at the start, was 20 seconds back from his team-mate, but Verstappen was closing in and Russell was going with the Dutchman, having dropped back with a pit stop on lap 34 forced by a slow puncture.

But on lap 48, Verstappen spun off at Stowe. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said the rear wing did not close properly, meaning Verstappen had less downforce as he turned in, causing his loss of control.

Verstappen’s off brought out the safety car, and initially it looked as if there would be a short blast to the finish with the Ferrari drivers contesting victory on fresh tyres.

But Russell did not pit, so he would have taken any restart between them, which would have delayed Hamilton’s charge, even by a few seconds.

But Verstappen had crashed with only four laps to go, and there was doubt about whether the incident would be cleared in time.

As the cars came around to approach the start of the final lap, the timing screen initially said the safety car would pull in, but a few seconds later that message was replaced by another saying it would stay out.

The full post-race FIA statement said: “The safety-car period regulation states that one lap must be completed following the unlapping procedure.

“This process was followed by race operations. The ‘safety car in this lap’ message was displayed erroneously due to a software error.”

The safety-car finish guaranteed Leclerc’s first win since the 2024 US Grand Prix in Austin.

Russell’s podium was his first at his home race and he said: “Really pleased to be standing here, even though it was a very lucky race. I had the puncture but I was lucky to get the safety car at the end.”

Hamilton said: “I just didn’t have it today. I jumped the start, got a five-second penalty but Charles had the pace on me today. I struggled with the balance of the car. I gave it everything and I am grateful to be up here.”

Lando Norris took fourth for McLaren after a solid but quiet race as the world champions wait for upgrades due at the Hungarian Grand Prix this month.

Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar was fifth, followed by the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and 18-year-old British rookie Arvid Lindblad.

Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri dropped to the back after being involved in a first-lap incident and recovered to 11th, behind the Audi of Gabriel Bortoleto and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly.

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British Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli beats Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to Silverstone pole

Antonelli’s pole, from a driver looking comfortable and confident around the fast sweeps of Silverstone, dealt Russell another blow in their title fight.

He had already extended his championship lead with victory in the sprint and their starting positions give Russell an uphill struggle as he seeks to take his first win at his home race.

Leaving the pits for his final lap, Antonelli complained about being the first driver to run but he need not have worried.

He beat his previous time by nearly 0.3secs to put himself well out of reach of his rivals.

“I was a bit stressed because I never really like going first for the last run but the last lap was very tidy. It came all together,” Antonelli said.

“It was very tricky with the winds because it was very gusty, unpredictable, and to build the car to pole was very satisfying.”

Leclerc’s second place was the first time he had beaten Hamilton in qualifying since the Miami Grand Prix in early May, and brings to an end a run of races in which he has been struggling for confidence in the car.

“I am pleased,” Leclerc said. “It has been a few tough races when the feeling was not quite right, struggling to put everything together. There has been so much work behind the scenes to get back that feeling. This was the first time I had it back, I have struggled to be consistent but it is a good start.”

Hamilton, who was passed by Antonelli on the Mercedes driver’s run to victory in the sprint, said: “Of course I’m not satisfied. I’m third. Both these guys did a great job today.

“Charles has been doing good improvements and we just didn’t have the pace of the Mercedes but we are slowly closing the gap and to have both of us here is good for the team.”

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British Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli passes Lewis Hamilton to win Silverstone sprint race

Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli caught and passed Lewis Hamilton to win an action-packed sprint race at the British Grand Prix.

While McLaren’s Lando Norris, Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen staged a frantic place-swapping scrap in the opening laps at Silverstone, Antonelli bided his time before homing in on Hamilton at the front.

The 19-year-old Italian let the race settle down before remorselessly homing in on the Ferrari and blasting past Hamilton on the Hangar Straight on lap eight after strategically saving his battery charge.

Hamilton hung on bravely but could do nothing to stop Antonelli extending his championship lead still further to 43 points over Russell.

Behind them, Norris drove an excellent race to blast up from sixth on the grid to fourth on the first lap before passing Russell on the second lap.

There were a few hectic laps as Norris, Russell and Verstappen swapped places before Norris managed to consolidate third place and move clear of the the battle behind him.

Russell managed to pass Verstappen on lap nine before the four-time champion fell back into the clutches of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who moved past the Red Bull a lap later.

Verstappen dropped back but managed to hold off McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to take sixth.

Racing Bull’s Liam Lawson held off an attack from Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar in the closing laps as they took the final points positions.

Qualifying for Sunday’s main grand prix is at 16:00 BST on Saturday.

More to follow

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A grand jury indicts Louisiana’s attorney general in a fight over changes to New Orleans courts

Louisiana’s attorney general has been indicted over accusations she threatened the jobs of New Orleans leaders who fought a Republican-led overhaul of local courts in the heavily Democratic city.

The 16-count indictment against Republican Liz Murrill, handed up Thursday by a New Orleans grand jury, charges Louisiana’s first female attorney general with intimidation and malfeasance.

At the center of the case are deepening rifts between state leaders in Louisiana, which is heavily Republican, and Democrats who control the state’s most prominent city.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry promised a swift pardon, saying Murrill would not have her reputation tarnished by an “Orleans kangaroo court.” Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat, was among those who had accused the state’s top law enforcement official in May of making threats against public officials.

Murrill called the case against her “retaliatory, meritless, and unconstitutional.” Late Thursday, Murrill said she had filed for an emergency stay with the Louisiana Supreme Court.

“I will not back down. I will continue enforcing the law, fighting corruption, and doing the job the people of Louisiana elected me to do,” she wrote on X.

For months, political tensions intensified between Louisiana Republicans and New Orleans officials over a new law that abolished a court clerk office won by an exoneree, Calvin Duncan, who spent nearly three decades in prison. The change consolidated that job with another clerk’s office, which Republican supporters said would make the local judicial system more efficient.

The change was staunchly opposed by New Orleans leaders, and in May, the City Council set a special election that would have given Duncan a chance to win the newly combined job. Murrill responded by warning local officials in letters that they could lose their offices for violating state “usurper” laws, which forbid support for an unauthorized officeholder.

“We’re very interested in elected officials in New Orleans not being intimidated or threatened by letter or any other way,” special prosecutor Laurie White told reporters.

Bond for Murrill was set at $400,000 on Thursday, according to court records.

Landry said he was ordering state police to investigate what he called “alleged improprieties” of the grand jury and those who ran it.

“The criminal justice system is a circus at its finest in Orleans and we will not have any of that!” he wrote on X.

The Republican Attorneys General Assn. said that making statements to local officials — in writing — was simply “issuing a legal opinion and warning public officials about the law” as part of her official duties. It called the indictment “as outrageous as it is dangerous.”

Moreno, who was elected in January and was defiant after Murrill sent the letters, on Thursday called it a “matter for the courts” and did not directly address the allegations.

“My focus, as always, remains on fulfilling the responsibilities the people of New Orleans elected me to carry out,” Moreno said.

Duncan has said he believes state officials were retaliating against him in eliminating the job he won with 68% of the vote. Murrill and Landry have long refused to acknowledge his innocence, though he’s listed on the National Registry of Exonerations.

Republicans have said the change was not personal and supporters have noted that the offices of criminal and civil clerks of courts are combined in other parishes.

Duncan was a jailhouse lawyer who later graduated from law school. He founded a nonprofit dedicated to expanding incarcerated people’s access to the court system and was the driving force behind a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended nonunanimous jury convictions.

Duncan spent more than 28 years in prison over a fatal shooting during a robbery in 1981.

The night before a 2011 hearing to consider new evidence, prosecutors offered to reduce Duncan’s sentence to the time he’d already served in prison if he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and armed robbery. Duncan took the deal and was freed but didn’t give up on clearing his name.

In 2021, a judge agreed that Duncan had been unjustly convicted and vacated his sentence altogether. Landry and Murrill have pointed to the 2011 plea deal in objecting to Duncan calling himself exonerated.

Riddle and Hanna write for the Associated Press. Associated Press reporter Jack Brook in New Orleans contributed.

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Josh Lowe’s first grand slam lifts Angels to win over Athletics

Josh Lowe‘s first career grand slam was all the offense the Angels needed Sunday in a 4-1 victory over the Athletics at Anaheim Stadium.

Lowe was 10 for 33 with 27 RBIs with the bases loaded during his six-year career, but had managed only two extra-base hits in those situations prior to going deep off starter Aaron Civale in the second inning.

The center fielder fouled off a pair of 1-2 pitches before sending a high cutter 403 feet to the right-field corner for his first homer since May 20.

Angels starter Sam Aldegheri (3-3) allowed one run and five hits in five innings, striking out four. José Fermin threw two scoreless innings and Samy Natera Jr. got four outs for his first major league save.

Joey Meneses drove in Jeff McNeil with a sacrifice fly in the fifth for the A’s, who finished with six hits. They went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base overall.

The A’s threatened to cut into the lead after two straight walks to open the eighth, but Ryan Zeferjahn struck out the next two batters before giving way to Natera, who retired Nick Kurtz on a fly ball.

Civale (5-5) permitted seven hits in five innings, striking out two. José Suarez tossed two scoreless innings in relief.

Up next: Angels RHP Ryan Johnson (1-2, 8.84 ERA) starts Monday night in Seattle against RHP George Kirby (6-7, 3.94) to begin a three-game set.

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Austrian Grand Prix: Harry Benjamin’s driver ratings as George Russell wins for Mercedes

Gabriel Bortoleto – 6/10

A tidy race to lead Audi home and finish just outside the points.

Nico Hulkenberg – 5.5/10

Solid enough but finishing behind Bortoleto takes the shine off it. He gained places from his lowly starting position, however.

Pierre Gasly – 5/10

Slipped down the order so a disappointing Sunday for Alpine who just looked short on pace.

Ollie Bearman – 4.5/10

A clean but anonymous afternoon for Bearman. Haas didn’t have much to fight with.

Franco Colapinto – 4.5/10

Not spectacular but a steady finish for Colapinto, who kept his Alpine out of trouble.

Esteban Ocon – 4/10

Finished behind team-mate Ollie Bearman again, which made for a poor return. Lost ground at the start and never looked like a points contender.

Alex Albon – 4/10

Williams had a tough race and Alex Albon finished two laps down. Unlike this team-mate Carlos Sainz, he at least got to the flag.

Fernando Alonso – 4.5/10

The final classified finisher. He gained places largely through others retiring, however his five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane made this another race for Aston Martin to forget.

Lance Stroll – 3.5/10

Aston Martin driver retired after 45 laps, ending a difficult race from the back row.

Carlos Sainz – 4/10

Out after 23 laps when his car stopped on the pit straight. Led Williams once again in qualifying which is all that can be said.

Sergio Perez – 4/10

Only lasted a few laps for Cadillac. Out-qualified team-mate Valtteri Bottas but barely turned a wheel this weekend with several car issues in practice plaguing him during the race, too.

Valtteri Bottas – 3.5/10

The first retirement, after just two laps. There was almost no race to judge. Started behind his team-mate but Cadillac’s Sunday was over before it had begun.

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Russell beats Verstappen at Austrian Grand Prix to boost F1 title hopes | Motorsports News

George Russell’s victory over Max Verstappen further reduces teammate Kimi Antonelli’s lead in the drivers’ title race.

A thirsty George Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday to trim Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli’s Formula One championship lead to 40 points.

Max Verstappen finished 1.6 seconds adrift, after crashing in qualifying and starting fifth, at his Red Bull team’s home circuit with Antonelli third and 0.3 behind after a thrilling chase to the line at scenic Spielberg.

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The win was Russell’s second of the season, after he took the opener in Australia, his career seventh and Mercedes’ seventh in eight rounds so far.

Antonelli has 171 points to Russell’s 131 with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, fifth on Sunday after running second and battling Verstappen wheel-to-wheel, dropping to third on 125.

In the constructors’ standings, Mercedes have 302 points to Ferrari’s 204.

“Incredible to be back on the top step. It’s been a little while, so I am definitely going to enjoy this one this evening,” said Russell, who can now head to his home British GP at Silverstone next weekend on a high.

He revealed over the radio after taking the chequered flag that his drinks system had failed during the race, the first of the season to be declared a “heat hazard”. “Nice race for it to do so, I’m a little bit thirsty,” he said.

Oscar Piastri was fourth for McLaren, ahead of Hamilton, with Isack Hadjar sixth for Red Bull.

Reigning champion Lando Norris, last year’s winner in Austria, was seventh with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc eighth and Racing Bulls pair Liam Lawson and rookie Arvid Lindblad completing the top 10.

“I was having to push every single lap and when you push those boundaries there’s bound to be a small mistake or two,” said Russell.

“I knew how quick the guys were behind. Kimi has been extraordinarily quick this whole season, so every lap I was looking at the timing board.”

George Russell in action.
Russell wins the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, June 28 [Darko Bandic/Pool via AFP]

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