A 2010 Nissan Leaf Zero Emission is showcased at the Washington Auto Show in Washington, D.C. A British court case pointed to Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot/Citroen, Renault and Nissan as its named defendant as global car producers proclaim innocence in the emission test scandal. File Photo by Madeline Marshall/UPI | License Photo
Oct. 13 (UPI) — Europe’s years-long “dieselgate” scandal is set to begin court proceedings Monday in Britain’s high court that potentially could impact over one million car owners and a handful of manufacturers.
The landmark trial described as the largest class action lawsuit in English and Welsh history is the culmination in a decade-long legal battle over allegations at least five major car manufacturers utilized software that allowed new cars to reduce its emissions under testing conditions.
It pointed to Mercedes, Ford, Peugeot/Citroen, Renault and Nissan as its named defendants. But the global car producers proclaim innocence.
“A decade after the ‘dieselgate’ scandal first came to light, 1.6 million (British) motorists now get their chance to establish at trial whether their vehicles contained technology designed to cheat emissions tests,” attorney Martyn Day, part of 22 law firms representing drivers, told the BBC and the Independent.
Scores of other car makers — including Opel, Hyundai/Kia, Porsche, Volkswagon, BMW, Suzuki, Toyota, Volvo, Mazda and Jaguar Land Rover — may face similar action depending on outcome.
The “dieselgate” emissions scandal was exposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2015 following the revelation that a number of diesel-powered VW models contained deceptive emissions-monitoring devices.
On Monday, Day said if the court ruled on the side of consumers that it would “demonstrate one of the most egregious breaches of corporate trust in modern times.”
“It would also mean that people across (Britain) have been breathing in far more harmful emissions from these vehicles than they were told about, potentially putting the health of millions at risk,” Day added.
However, the companies have attempted to push back against allegations of wrongdoing.
A Mercedes spokesperson said its test mechanisms were “justifiable from a technical and legal standpoint,” while Ford stated the claims had “no merit.”
According to Nissan, it was “committed to compliance in all markets in which we operate.”
In May, a German court convicted four ex-Volkswagen officials of fraud years after “Dieselgate” got exposed.
Meanwhile, a judgment in Britain’s “dieselgate” case is not expected until sometime mid-next year. A later hearing to determine compensation could follow if Britain rules against the carmakers.
Red Bull’s Verstappen finished second, and McLaren’s Norris, finishing third, now has a 22-point lead in the drivers’ standings.
Published On 5 Oct 20255 Oct 2025
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George Russell of Mercedes has won the Singapore Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, as McLaren clinched the Formula One constructors’ championship.
Red Bull’s world champion Max Verstappen and the two McLarens were to fight it out for the other podium spots on Sunday as Briton Russell took the chequered flag under the lights of the Marina Bay Street Circuit to claim his second victory of the season.
“It feels amazing,” said Russell. “We don’t really know where this performance came from, but really, really happy.
“I was really nervous at the beginning when I saw Max on the soft [tyres], but that first stint was great from us.”
Norris put pressure on Verstappen towards the end of the race, but had to settle for third ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri, the pair earning enough points to seal a second consecutive constructors’ title for the team.
“It was a tough race,” said Norris. “Max didn’t make any mistakes. I gave it my all today, and got close.
“I’m happy with today. I got forward two positions. We won as a team, the constructors’ once again.”
Piastri’s lead over Norris in the drivers’ standings was cut to 22 points, while Verstappen is 63 points behind the Australian with six races remaining in the season.
“I think second was the maximum result today,” said Verstappen.
“I think the whole race was quite difficult, more difficult than I hoped for, for a lot of different reasons.”
The celebrations for the constructors’ title in the McLaren garage might be muted, however, with Piastri fuming at the way Norris forced his way past his teammate on the opening corner.
Kimi Antonelli was a distant fifth in the other Mercedes with Charles Leclerc sixth ahead of his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton.
Fernando Alonso was eighth for Aston Martin, while Haas driver Oliver Bearman and Carlos Sainz, who started at the back of the grid after the Williams cars were disqualified from qualifying, took the final points in ninth and 10th.
Team boss James Vowles later confirmed the brakes had reached temperatures of over 1000 degrees before Albon was forced to retire.
But Mercedes ace Russell then sparked more chaos in FP2 as his car went straight on into the barriers at Turn 16.
As he attempted the right hander he lost the rear before the snap correction sent him flying into the wall and prompting the first red flag of the session.
It was an incident labelled “weird” by the Briton over the team radio.
Liam Lawson followed suit not long after as he hit the wall in the run off of Turn 17.
That saw his front-left go flying down the track and the plank under his car grind along the floor as his Racing Bulls drive skidded to a halt at the pit lane entrance.
And following the restart, Charles Leclerc bizarrely smashed into McLaren‘s Lando Norris in the pit lane following an unsafe release from the Scuderia mechanics.
Hollyoaks viewers are convinced that Mercedes McQueen will have a new romance with one of the show’s most beloved characters in the wake of her son Bobby’s death
Hollyoaks fans think a new romance is on the cards for Mercedes (Image: C4)
In recent episodes of the Channel 4 drama, Tony Hutchinson (Nick Packard) was wrongfully arrested and jailed for Bobby’s murder. Bobby, an escaped prisoner, had crossed paths with Jez after discovering that the serial killer had taken the life of his social worker Ian.
Jez Blake (Jeremy Sheffield) went to extreme lengths to hide his crimes, leading to the brutal murder of Bobby in shocking scenes. His body was subsequently run over by Tony.
Mercedes McQueen’s son Bobby was killed by Jez in Hollyoaks (Image: LIME PICTURES)
Mercedes is determined to prove that Chester legend Tony is responsible for her son’s death. However, upcoming scenes reveal that Diane Hutchinson (Alex Fletcher) is organising a fundraiser at The Dog to assist Tony with his legal costs, something Mercedes won’t take lightly.
But bringing Tony to justice might not be the only thing occupying Mercedes’ thoughts. Observant viewers are predicting she will start a new romance with Darren Osborne (Ashley Dawson), reports the Manchester Evening News.
Mercedes McQueen is hellbent on getting justice for her murdered son in Hollyoaks (Image: Lime Pictures)
However, more heartbreak is looming as it’s confirmed Darren is not Morgan’s biological father, revealing his wife’s infidelity.
Hollyoaks fans are convinced that the grieving Mercedes and troubled Darren will find solace in each other and begin an affair.
One fan speculated on X: “Gonna make some theories for what I think will happen in #hollyoaks within the next year: Darren will end up in a relationship with Mercedes.”
Another chimed in: “Bet with the Tony and Nancy stuff, Mercedes and Darren are gonna be a item next #hollyoaks.”
Hollyoaks stalwart Darren is set for heartache following Morgan’s disappearance
A third responded: “Oh dear god don’t even come up with that.”
“I definitely think Mercedes and Darren are gonna end up having an affair or something #hollyoaks,” another added.
While another declared: “Loving the Mercedes and Darren interaction #Hollyoaks.”
Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday on E4 at 7pm and first look episodes can be streamed Channel 4 from 7am
Russell added to BBC Sport: “Toto has made it clear to me that how I’m performing is as good as anybody.
“There is only one driver that you can debate in terms of performance. These are his words and not my words, and that is why I have no concern about my future.
“But there are two seats to every team and I guess he needs to think who are those two drivers.”
Russell’s comments imply that his own contract talks with team principal Toto Wolff are being delayed by Mercedes’ conversations with the four-time champion.
Wolff said at the Austrian Grand Prix on Friday: “George has always performed to the expectations we set. We haven’t given him a car to win the world championship in the last three years and that’s on us.
“The times the car is good, he has been winning races. You know he is going to extract what’s in the car.
“In a normal business the contract discussions are not being held as town halls, everything is normal, everything is going to plan.”
In direct response to Russell’s comments on Verstappen, Wolff said: “You are going into territory I don’t want to discuss out there. People discuss and explore, and in our organisation people are transparent. But it doesn’t change a millimetre of my opinion of George.”
Verstappen refused to directly comment when he was asked on Thursday whether he would be staying with Red Bull next year.
“I don’t think we need to talk about that,” he said. “It’s not really on my mind. Just driving well, trying to push the performance, and then we focus on next year.”
A PRISON governor has been jailed over an illicit relationship with a drug gang boss who gifted her a £12,000 Mercedes.
Kerri Pegg was seen as a “rising star” in the Prison Service and quickly rose through the ranks to become governor at HMP Kirkham in Lancashire.
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Kerri Pegg received a car from her lag lover after she green-lit his releaseCredit: PA
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She has now been jailedCredit: PA
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The prison governor had a fling with Anthony SaundersonCredit: Unpixs
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He gifted her a £12,000 MercedesCredit: PA
But her career is now in ruins after she embarked on a relationship with inmate Anthony Saunderson, who was known as Jesse Pinkman after the series Breaking Bad.
Pegg, 42, has now been jailed after she was found guilty of two counts of misconduct in a public office.
One relates to the divorcee’s fling with Saunderson and the second by failing to disclose county court judgements about her debts.
She was also convicted of one count of possessing criminal property, the Mercedes car, from Saunderson.
Preston Crown Court heard Pegg released Saunderson on licence in 2019 despite not having the authority to approve the bid.
After he was granted his freedom, the prisoner used cash from selling 34 kilos of amphetamines to buy Pegg the Mercedes coupe.
On April 6, 2020, Saunderson was sent a message on Encrochat saying “car her for ya bird 12 quid or work” and a photo of the vehicle.
The court was told “12 quid” meant £12,000 and “work” meant drugs.
Saunderson asked “what work they want” and he was told “top or weed” – meaning cocaine or cannabis.
Two days later, he arranged for “17 packs” to be dropped off in Manchester to pay for the car.
The Mercedes was registered in Pegg’s name, with a pal messaging Saunderson: “Where u ya seedy man u and Peggy out floating orrel in the new whip?”
Law enforcement agencies cracked the criminal’s Encrochat and discovered he was involved in drug trafficking on a huge scale.
Saunderson, who was also known to his criminal pals as James Gandolfini -the actor who played Tony Soprano in the mafia TV Series – has now been locked up for 35 years.
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Police found flip flops at Pegg’s home that contained Saunderson’s DNA
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She was arrested in November 2020
The court was told other messages revealed the “ongoing nature” of his relationship with Pegg.
Police searched her home on November 19, 2020, and found a toothbrush and flip flops containing Saunderson’s DNA.
Officers also discovered a haul of designer clothing and found Pegg was subject to a number of county court judgements for unpaid debts.
Prosecutor Barbara-Louise Webster said: “Her downfall was two-fold, the first, despite having a good income, she lived beyond her means.
“She spent all her income and more, incurring debts and she had county court judgements made against her.
“As a consequence, she became vulnerable and open to exploitation.
“The second was that she became emotionally and personally involved with a serving prisoner, Anthony Saunderson and later accepted an expensive car, a Mercedes C class, which was paid for by him out of his proceeds of criminal activity ie trading in drugs.”
Pegg joined the prison service in 2012 as a graduate entrant and worked at prisons in Risley, Liverpool and Styal.
By April 2018, she was a governor at HMP Kirkham, where Saunderson was serving a lengthy jail term.
He had been locked up in 2014 for his part in importing £19m of cocaine in shipments of corned beef from Argentina.
From the start, there were concerns about Pegg being inappropriately close to prisoners.
It was also noted that she spent a lot of time in her office with Saunderson.
In October 2018, he put in a request to be released on temporary licence.
Despite Pegg not having the authority to green light his release, she intervened and approved his application without notifying the official who should have dealt with the case.
Days later she was moved to another jail, later becoming duty governor at HMP Lancaster Farms.
Saunderson meanwhile was revealed as one of nine gangland figures responsible for producing amphetamines on an industrial, multi-million-pound scale.
The gang made and dealt 2.6 tonnes of amphetamines worth £1million – as well as trafficking heroin, cocaine, cannabis, ketamine, MCAT and diazepam.
Tarryn McCaffrey, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “Kerri Pegg’s conduct fell far short of what might be expected from any professional within the Prison Service, let alone one of such a senior grade as prison governor.
“She was clearly involved in an inappropriate relationship with Saunderson after he was released and the evidence points to this going back further, to a time when he was in jail.
“This relationship, and the fact that Pegg failed to disclose her debts to her employers, amount to a gross breach of trust and are therefore extremely damaging to public confidence.”
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Pegg started up the relationship while she was prison governor
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She was seen as a ‘rising star’ in the prison serviceCredit: PA
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton added that the situation was “ridiculous”.
The seven-time champion said: “It seems a bit of a mess there at the moment. There’s lots of changes that are needed, for sure.”
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen – who last year was the first driver to be punished for swearing, with a form of community service – said the change was “a bit better – it’s a start”.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said when the change of rules was announced on Wednesday that he had “led an extensive and collaborative review with contributions from across the seven FIA World Championships”.
However, speaking during media day at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Russell said: “We’ve still had no correspondence with anyone from the senior level at the FIA. So yeah, it’s all a bit suspect.”
Asked why the drivers had not had dialogue with Ben Sulayem, Russell said: “That’s a good question. It seems more challenging than it should be really, but we’ve all put our views forward.
“I wouldn’t say it’s gotten to a point of no return, but you at least want to see willingness from the other party.
“I think we feel we’ve put our views forward and we want to have conversations and dialogue and there’s only so much you can ask.”
World championship leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren said: “The fact there has been changes made is good. The stewards have a lot more control now, in the fine print, which is good because the circumstances definitely need to be taken into account.
“It’s a good step forward. One of the big things for the FIA was putting something for abusing officials which I think is very fair and reasonable.
“I think maybe some of the other areas got caught up in that and it felt a bit harsh. But there are some genuine reasons for what they are doing.”
Sainz is the father of Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jr.
“It could only benefit the sport having Carlos with the inside knowledge of Formula 1 from a driver’s perspective and then Carlos Sr’s knowledge from motorsport generally. It could be a brilliant recipe,” he said.
Russell dismissed the idea there could be a conflict of interest because of Sainz’s son, who is also a GPDA director.
He said: “You’re so far sort of removed ultimately from a technical standpoint. It’s down to the technical people within the FIA to be the rule makers.
“The president in years gone by has probably been far less involved than what we’ve seen recently and far less visible.
“We always knew who the president of the FIA was, especially with Jean Todt, but you’re working in the background, you’re not working in the forefront. So I don’t see there ever being a conflict.”
