European Rally Championship title runner-up Jon Armstrong will join Josh McErlean as part of a new-look M-Sport Ford World Rally Championship driver line-up for 2026.
The British squad’s decision to retain McErlean after an impressive maiden Rally1 season and add two-time ERC rally winner Armstrong to the line-up comes as part of an expanded collaboration with the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, which has long supported both drivers.
Armstrong's graduation will see the Northern Irishman effectively take over the full-time seat that had been held by Gregoire Munster for the previous two seasons.
The 31-year-old is a true representative of the effectiveness of the rally pyramid. Starting out as a British Rally Championship contender since as early as 2013 in a Ford Fiesta R2, Armstrong competed on national events before making his ERC and WRC debuts in 2015 in the ERC3 and RC4 classes
Armstrong, who lifted the 2018 WRC eSports world title in 2018, finished twice as runner-up in the Junior WRC in 2021 and 2022, before making a move to the ERC. Last year proved a breakthrough season as Armstrong and co-driver Shane Byrne challenged for the title, winning rallies in Wales and Croatia.
Jon Armstrong
“I’m obviously very grateful for the opportunity to drive a Rally1 car. It’s something I’ve worked towards from a very young age, so to actually be able to compete in the top tier of rallying is definitely a dream come true,” said Armstrong.
"Of course, there have been years where things didn’t go our way and we weren’t sure if it would ever happen, but we’ve had a very strong season in ERC, showed our potential, and naturally you then want to see what you can do in the World Rally Championship.
“I’m very happy and extremely grateful to M-Sport, who I’ve been driving with for most of my rally career, and also to the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy - without them we definitely wouldn’t be here.
“We’re really looking forward to the year ahead. There are going to be a lot of good times and definitely some challenges, but I think we’ve shown that we can rise to those challenges, so we just need to stay strong, enjoy it, and keep pushing forward.”
News of a contract extension for McErlean and co-driver Eoin Treacy has arrived after the pair made the leap from Rally2 to Rally1 this year with M-Sport, finishing 11th in the championship.
Making such a jump proved to be a baptism of fire for the 26-year-old, but McErlean showed plenty of potential throughout the campaign, delivering career best results of seventh at Monte Carlo, Finland and Central Europe. McErlean was able to match and in some cases post faster times than his more experienced team-mate Munster.
Joshua McErlean, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1
Joshua McErlean, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1
The performances impressed M-Sport resulting in the squad offering up a new deal for 2026 in the hope that McErlean can build on a strong start to his Rally1 career.
“We made real progress throughout 2025, and I’m excited to build on everything we learned and put it into action next year,” said McErlean.
“To have another season at this level means a lot. I’m in a completely different place mentally compared to this time last year, stronger, clearer, and ready to enjoy the challenge ahead. My focus now is on myself, performing to the best of my ability, and making the most of this fantastic opportunity with Eoin alongside me.”
M-Sport Ford team principal Richard Millener, added: “I’m very happy to announce that we will be welcoming Josh and Eoin back to the team for the 2026 season. They had a brilliant debut season and their progression with such limited Rally1 experience was very clear to see, so it’s great to be able to give them the opportunity to continue this upward trajectory.
“It’s also very exciting to see Jon and Shane get the opportunity to make the step-up to Rally1 machinery with us. I’m genuinely eager to see how they progress throughout 2026. Jon’s been working towards this opportunity for a long time now, and his strong ERC performances at the end of last season made it impossible to ignore him."
M-Sport has left the door open to more additions, stating “further announcements on M-Sport’s remaining line-up will be made soon".
The squad ran a seven-round programme for rising star Martins Sesks this year, culminating in the Latvian challenging for victory in Saudi Arabia. Sesks’ particularly impressed the M-Sport team in last month’s finale, although his plans for next year are yet to be revealed.
All the ways to watch the 3rd Ashes Test at Adelaide on Sling from anywhere in the world as England face a must-win match against Australia in the cricket.
Some believe Arsenal have signed a player not suited to their system - Getty Images/Kurt Desplenter
It is a sight that is becoming uncomfortably familiar for Arsenal’s supporters: Viktor Gyokeres sliding in vain towards a ball that has already skidded beyond him. In each of Arsenal’s last two Premier League matches, a low cross has been fizzed across the penalty area for Gyokeres to attack. On both occasions he was on his heels, only reacting when it was too late.
For a fanbase that craved a traditional centre-forward who would feast on such deliveries, it has been hugely frustrating. The expectation among Arsenal fans was that Gyokeres would be the player to convert these chances – their long-awaited predator in the penalty box. The reality is that such opportunities are consistently passing him by.
In 14 matches for Arsenal in the Premier League, Gyokeres has scored four goals. Three of those, though, were notched in his first four appearances in the competition. In 10 league appearances since mid-September, he has scored only once, away to Burnley in November. Rather than adapting to Arsenal’s methods over time, Gyokeres is instead appearing increasingly removed from the action around him.
Against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, he struggled to make any meaningful impact. A home game against the worst team in the league was, in theory, the perfect opportunity for Arsenal’s striker to plunder some goals, but he took only 15 touches and one shot in 81 minutes. Of all the Arsenal players who featured in the game, including substitutes, only Gabriel Jesus took fewer touches (eight, in nine minutes).
It was a similar story against Club Brugge in the Champions League last week. Gyokeres had only 12 touches in 62 minutes, compared to the 20 touches that Jesus had in 28 minutes off the bench. The Swede’s lack of goals is not because he is missing chances, but because he is so uninvolved in games that he is not getting many chances at all.
The worry for Arsenal is that Gyokeres is now becoming less effective with each passing week. If his performances in the league are broken down by month, then December has been his worst period. He is currently averaging fewer touches and shots in December than in any of his previous four months of Premier League action.
Is this a Gyokeres problem, or an issue created by the team not playing to his strengths? Mikel Arteta has diplomatically suggested in recent days that it is both. “The two things have to merge,” the Arsenal manager said when asked how much the club need to adapt to Gyokeres, and how much Gyokeres needs to adapt to them.
It remains too early to draw any definitive conclusions but supporters will worry that Arsenal have signed a player who is simply not suited to their system.
There were suggestions in the summer that Arteta was ready to implement a more direct, transitional style of play this season, in order to get the best out of Gyokeres (who scored many of his goals in Portugal by running into space on the counter-attack). Such plans have not materialised, however. On a per-game basis, Arsenal are producing the same number of “fast breaks” as they were last year (0.9). Last season, by contrast, Sporting averaged 1.6 “fast breaks” per game.
There is an element of misfortune to the situation, too. Gyokeres produced his best performance by far in an Arsenal shirt in the first half against Burnley last month, but then suffered an injury that forced him off at half-time. Just as he was beginning to build some momentum, he was ruled out of action for a few weeks.
Gyokeres performed well against Burnley before injury struck - PA/Martin Rickett
His standing was not helped by the excellent performances of Mikel Merino in his absence. Merino, a midfielder by trade, led the line for Arsenal in their thrilling victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich.
The return to fitness of Jesus has also put more pressure on Gyokeres. Jesus sparkled on his comeback appearance against Club Brugge, drifting all over the final third and combining with his team-mates, and was then heavily involved in the late winning goal against Wolves.
If Jesus continues at this rate, and if Arteta continues to consider Merino a genuine option at centre-forward, then Gyokeres could quickly find himself as the third-choice striker. And that is before one even considers the eventual return of Kai Havertz, an Arteta favourite.
Arteta admitted earlier this month that he was worried about signing a centre-forward in the summer, because in Jesus and Havertz he already had two strikers he loves. The time could soon come when Arteta has to rank Gyokeres, Havertz and Jesus in order of preference. That may not be good news for Gyokeres.
“The whole summer I was thinking, if we bring in a nine, what is going to happen with Gabi and Kai?” Arteta said. “I have a lot of nines. I like them so much. What are we going to do? How are we going to handle it? So far, we haven’t had a problem because they’ve been injured. So live the present, live the moment and deal with the situation when it comes.”
Behind the scenes, Gyokeres is described as a player with a positive mindset who quickly fit into the group, and Arsenal remain hopeful that it will eventually click into gear on the pitch. “The goals will come,” Arteta insisted last week.
There is, though, another important question: how much does it matter if Gyokeres thrives or not on an individual level? An inescapable fact is that Arsenal are top of the Premier League and Champions League tables, and that Gyokeres has played most of their games. He could argue that he is helping the team to perform well, even if he is not scoring the goals that were expected of him.
The ultimate test of such an argument will be whether Arteta agrees with it, and the answers to that will be found in his team selection. Is Gyokeres still the main man in Arsenal’s attack? Will he be the main man ahead of Jesus and Havertz in the coming weeks and months? It seems more in doubt than ever.
England head into the third Ashes Test 2-0 down - PA/Robbie Stephenson
At 2-0 down in an Ashes series in Australia it is customary for England teams to fracture and players play for themselves. If England are to have any chance of fighting their way back in this series, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum must guard against that kind of backside-covering at all costs.
Stokes has admitted it himself. “If people are trying to protect themselves over the greater good, which is the team, and look after their own back and start saying or doing things because it’s perceived to be the right thing to say at that time to come across... I don’t know, whatever it is... I’m certainly never going to do that.”
The 2013-14 team is the most spectacular example of a side falling apart. On that tour, Graeme Swann abruptly retired, Kevin Pietersen was sacked and Andy Flower left as coach at the end of an acrimonious trip. The casualties from Joe Root’s side in 2017-18 were opener Mark Stoneman and No 3 James Vince. The 4-0 Covid tour four years ago cost Chris Silverwood and Ashley Giles their management jobs whilst Dawid Malan and Haseeb Hameed have not played for England again.
Of the 50 players to have represented England in an Ashes Test in Australia this century, 26 have had their international careers ended there. On all those trips, selfishness crept in as players tried to save themselves and management made decisions that went against their natural instincts but were a good look as they tried to keep public opinion on their side.
Stokes and McCullum have resisted that so far. They were right to back the top seven to go again and dig the team out of the hole they created, because panicked changes rarely work halfway through a series and the squad they selected is thin on batting options.
Ben Stokes (right) and Brendon McCullum are under pressure early in the tour - PA
But for a few in the England side, Adelaide is surely judgment time; once the series is no longer “live” then casualties are unavoidable. Can Ollie Pope survive another couple of wild drives to the cordon? Or Jamie Smith drop a clanger and then fail to contribute with the bat? Zak Crawley bought himself more chances by playing nicely in the first innings in Brisbane in making 76, but his career has been one of backward steps just when you think he has cracked the code. Ben Duckett is averaging 16 and had his technique exposed by the bouncy Australian pitches. His half-prod in the opening over of the second Test was timid for a player who has been full of life since he seized his second chance at a Test career. Adelaide should suit him with its shorter square boundaries than the first two venues, but he needs to rediscover that spark.
For all of Stokes’s grinding on day four at the Gabba, he is averaging 19 in this series and it is some time since he had the touch with the bat that made him one of the great all-rounders. Harry Brook admitted to some “shocking” shots in this series, a flick of self-doubt we have not seen before.
England do not have the techniques to stand and defend. Stokes and Will Jacks did not set the template for winning a Test in Australia when they blocked on day four at the Gabba. If we see that in the first innings at Adelaide, England will be easy pickings for an Australia side boosted by the returns of Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.
Shot selection has not always been the problem on this tour. Execution has, though, along with pitiful planning that forced Stokes to admit some of the players have been shocked by the aggressiveness of cricket in Australia. But with the pressure unbearable at 2-0 down and the Ashes potentially lost with one collapse, can the Bazballers play their natural game? If they don’t, it will be all over.
Ben Duckett has had a poor tour with just 64 runs in four innings - Getty Images/Santanu Banik
This England set-up is different. Stokes and McCullum are men financially set for life and both with playing records that will stand the test of time, regardless of the result in this series. That should insulate them from some of the mistakes made by predecessors and ensure the “raw” chats they had in Noosa and before training in Adelaide on Monday were about getting the players to focus on what has made them successful in the past.
Stokes and McCullum have been so sure in their decision-making for three years but the pressure of being 2-0 down in the Ashes has made them wobble. For two years they built up Shoaib Bashir for this moment in Adelaide, ignoring the criticism of his selection by insisting his bounce and over-spin would be perfect for Australian pitches. Not playing in Perth and Brisbane was understandable given pace and seam bowling conditions. But a day game in Adelaide? Perfect for him you would think but at 2-0 down, Stokes and McCullum have blinked.
It may well be the right call, considering his performances on this tour in the excuse for a warm-up game at Lilac Hill and the more worrying nought for 115 for the Lions against Australia A. Bashir’s is a curious career, unique really. He cannot get a game in county cricket and yet was anointed England’s No 1 spinner on little evidence. He repaid that with some decent performances at times but must be so low on morale now that he is in the “unselectable” category we have seen in Australia before.
Shoaib Bashir has been left out from the first three Tests, despite being labelled as England’s No 1 spinner before the series - PA
England have been limp in the field and lost the hunger for the fight they showed last summer against India, and in the 2023 Ashes when they belatedly found their edge. Then, at 2-0 down, Stokes had Mark Wood to put the fear of life into the Australian top order and Chris Woakes’s skills to interrogate their front pads.
But he also had chippy characters like James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Jonny Bairstow and Ollie Robinson. The evolution of the Bazball team has cost England the “bit of dog” that Stokes wants to see in Adelaide. But there is no point forcing it from players who are just not built that way. We also see the pressure of an Ashes series taking its toll. Duckett, Crawley and Brook all got stuck into India last summer, but it is harder to do that in Australia when you have not scored any runs and their former players are mocking you on every podcast and TV show.
Stokes has stuck by his friend Brydon Carse, who is very fortunate to keep his place after bowling so poorly in Brisbane. Gus Atkinson is dropped for Josh Tongue despite out-bowling Carse in both Tests without taking the wickets he should have done. Carse has a big heart and is more combative than Atkinson, which might have helped his cause, but England have picked a seam attack without a bowler who can guarantee control. Jofra Archer is probably the most capable of doing it, but England want him as the shock tactic, a continuation of the final session fire in Brisbane when he bowled quicker than any stage of the series because Stokes urged him to leave some marks with Adelaide in mind.
Stokes made his Test debut at Adelaide in 2013 and immediately stood up to Brad Haddin when he tried to sledge the new boy. England need something like that this time. Adelaide is when Stokes will learn who has the stomach for the fight and who is looking after themselves.
The 25 players whose careers ended Down Under
By Huzaifa Yousafzai
2002–03: Australia win 4-1
Alex Tudor Fast bowler Tudor was called in as injury cover for the third Test at the Waca. A nasty bouncer from Brett Lee cut his left eyelid and he retired hurt, never to play for England again.
Alex Tudor’s England career ended with an injury - Getty Images/Tom Shaw
Chris Silverwood In similar circumstances to Tudor, Silverwood was called in as injury cover for the Perth Test. He went wicketless in the first innings and also suffered an ankle injury.
James Foster Foster was reserve wicketkeeper and took the gloves on Boxing Day as Alec Stewart was injured. Foster took three catches and scored 25 runs before Stewart returned for the final Test.
Craig White The all-rounder – brother-in-law of former Australian coach Darren Lehmann – ended the series as England’s second-highest wicket-taker, but a torn side muscle at the MCG finished his Test career at the age of 33.
Andy Caddick Caddick was England’s top wicket-taker in the series with 20. His final act was 10 wickets in a consolation win at Sydney, as a recurring back injury meant he never played another Test.
Andy Caddick took 10 wickets in his final Test as England beat Australia in Sydney - Getty Images/Nick Wilson
Richard Dawson England’s back-up spinner was called into the side at Adelaide after an injury to Ashley Giles. Dawson took just five wickets in the four Tests he played, and was best known for being hit for four as Steve Waugh reached a century off the final ball of the day in Sydney.
John Crawley In and out of the side and, although he managed to score a half-century, he was the final victim of a dreadful tour.
2006–07: Australia win 5-0
Ashley Giles Took only three wickets in the first two Tests then flew home to be with his sick wife. A persistent hip injury ended his career and he never played a professional game again.
Geraint Jones Another Ashes hero in 2005, but the series Down Under yielded just 63 runs in six innings. That meant Chris Read took the gloves off Jones to end his England career.
Geraint Jones finished his international career with two ducks in Perth - Getty Images/Tom Shaw
Chris Read Took Geraint Jones’s spot behind the stumps at the MCG in 2006 but only managed one more match at Sydney, as Matt Prior became the new wicketkeeper in 2007.
Sajid Mahmood Drafted into the series in the third Test in Perth, he took just five wickets in five innings, went for plenty of runs and never played for England again.
2010-11: England win 3-1
Paul Collingwood England’s only away Ashes victory since 1986-87 had just one retirement, although on Collingwood’s own terms. The all-rounder hit just 83 runs and took only two wickets in his final series.
2013-14: Australia win 5-0
Graeme Swann After fighting his way back from an elbow injury, his form fell off a cliff. Seven wickets in three Tests at an average of 80 led to Swann announcing his retirement before Boxing Day.
Tim Bresnan The burly all-rounder made his Ashes debut in the unforgettable win in 2010 at the MCG, the same ground where he played his final Test as an elbow injury killed his pace.
Monty Panesar Only lasted one game more than his spin twin Swann. Three wickets in two games at an average of 85 meant Scott Borthwick replaced him for the final test in Sydney.
Monty Panesar, like bowling partner Graeme Swann, played his last England match in the 2013–14 series Down Under - Getty Images/Ezra Shaw
Scott Borthwick With two spinners already eliminated, Borthwick was thrown in at the end and took four for 82 in the match, but still got swept up in the post-series clean-up and was never picked again.
Michael Carberry A solid left-handed opener, Carberry did relatively well and was England’s second-highest run-scorer in the series. However, at the age of 33, England chose to start a new era without him.
Kevin Pietersen Top scorer for England in the series, albeit in a dreadful whitewash, this was the last act of a controversial yet incredibly successful Test career for Pietersen. With personality clashes in the dressing room, this was the final straw for one of the most talented England batsmen in a generation.
Chris Tremlett Another winner from 2010–11, Tremlett only played a single match in the 2013–14 series, at the Gabba. He had respectable figures of four for 120 but England lost heavily. A back injury meant he played no further part in the series and retired from cricket in 2015.
2017-18: Australia win 4-0
Jake Ball Thrust into the Ashes opener at Brisbane where he took one for 115 in 26 overs. Craig Overton replaced him for the second Test in Adelaide to end Ball’s brief and unsuccessful Test career.
Tom Curran The first of three Curran brothers to play Test cricket, Tom played on Boxing Day, with Steve Smith being his first wicket. Played his final Test in the next game at Sydney.
Mason Crane Just like Borthwick in 2014, Crane made his debut in the final Test at Sydney as a leg-spinner. But 193 overs and 649 Australian runs later, Crane had returned figures of one for 193 from 48 overs.
2021–22: Australia win 4-0
Jos Buttler One of England’s greatest white-ball players, he managed only two hundreds from 57 Tests. Failed to pass 26 in six innings at the end of this tour and was dropped for Sam Billings at Hobart.
Jos Buttler scored a duck in his final Test at the SCG in Sydney - PA/Jason O'Brien
Haseeb Hameed Averaged just 10 in the first four games and was replaced before the last game in Hobart. Has since moved to Nottinghamshire, captained a Championship-winning side and been a prolific run-scorer; so there may yet be a way back.
Rory Burns Famously bowled round his legs by Mitchell Starc in the first ball of the series, got another duck in the series-ender at Hobart. Has not played for England since.
Dawid Malan The third top-order batter to be dropped at the end of this series, Malan scored two 80s in the first two games but did not pass 25 in the next three as England decided to move on.
Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks to pass in the Steelers' win over the Miami Dolphins (Justin K. Aller)
Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers took another stride towards the playoffs with a 28-15 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Monday.
Steelers quarterback Rodgers produced an exhibition of accurate passing, making 23 of 27 completion attempts to finish with 224 yards and no interceptions in freezing conditions at Pittsburgh's Acrisure Stadium.
The victory formally eliminated Miami from playoff contention but leaves Pittsburgh firmly on top of the AFC North and heading for the postseason.
The Steelers improved to 8-6 at the top of the division with three regular season games remaining. The Baltimore Ravens are second in the division on 7-7.
"This is why I wanted to come back -- to be a part of something special," said Rodgers, 42, who joined Pittsburgh this year after two miserable injury-plagued seasons with the New York Jets.
"This is a great organization. We're playing meaningful football games, we're up by a game in the division -- there's a lot left to play for," Rodgers told NBC.
After leading 7-3 at half-time thanks to Connor Heyward's one-yard rushing touchdown, the Steelers finally pulled clear after half-time, scoring 21 unanswered points after touchdowns from Marquez Valdes-Scantling, DK Metcalf and Jonnu Smith to take a 28-3 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa connected with Darren Waller for a brace of late touchdowns, but it was too little too late as Miami dropped to 6-8 to seal their elimination from the postseason.
Victor Wembanyama soars over Oklahoma City's defense in San Antonio's NBA Cup semi-final win last weekend (Ethan Miller)
The New York Knicks will attempt to find a way past the imposing 7ft 4in (2.23m) frame of San Antonio Spurs prodigy Victor Wembanyama on Tuesday as they bid to end their 52-year trophy drought in the NBA Cup final in Las Vegas.
The Knicks head into Tuesday's final at the T-Mobile Center brimming with confidence after polishing off Eastern Conference top seeds Orlando with ease in Saturday's semi-finals.
That win has left the New York franchise within touching distance of a first piece of silverware since the team's 1973 NBA Finals victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Blocking their path, though, is the fit-again Wembanyama, the 21-year-old French giant who was instrumental in helping San Antonio upset the in-form Oklahoma City Thunder in Saturday's Western Conference semi-final.
Wembanyama played limited minutes in the defeat of Oklahoma City, appearing from the bench in the second quarter to haul San Antonio back into contention after they had trailed by 11 points at the end of the first quarter.
Knicks talisman Jalen Brunson said New York would attempt to drag Wembanyama out of position defensively.
"You've got to find ways to pull him away from the basket, and you've got to obviously be smart," Brunson said of Wembanyama. "You can't just go in there and think no one is going to come and affect the shot.
"He's great at what he does, and we've just got to be smart as a team, playing off two feet and reading where he is and just trying to get the best shot as possible."
- Team effort -
Karl-Anthony Towns echoed Brunson's assessment of Wembanyama.
"He's (7-4), and he's very talented," Towns said. "For us, we're going to have to do a good job of executing our defensive game plan and offensively, as well."
Knicks coach Mike Brown said neutralising Wembanyama would require a team effort.
"You're not going to be able to guard a guy like that one-on-one," Brown said. "You try to put length, size, physicality at the point of attack when it comes to him, but it's got to be five guys guarding the basketball at all times.
"We have some pretty good defenders with length, and hopefully they can try to make it as difficult as possible with him, knowing that they have help behind them."
Wembanyama's introduction from the bench on Saturday sent a surge of excitement rippling through the T-Mobile Arena crowd, who later showered the Frenchman with chants of "M-V-P."
Wembanyama, meanwhile, said San Antonio's defeat of Oklahoma City augured well for the chances of the Spurs emerging as genuine rivals to the Thunder in the Western Conference.
"I think we're not quite there yet, but it's a good sign that people see that it's possible," Wembanyama said. "I don't think anybody right now can claim to have a rivalry with them in the league. They're in their own tier.
"But in the future if we can provide a stage this good and we reach that level, of course it would be great to have a rivalry because if you're at the top and you have a rivalry, it means you're in the best position to win titles."
Wembanyama said while a San Antonio victory on Tuesday would "not be super significant step" it would still carry some significance.
"It's a high-stakes game that both teams are going to be very invested in winning," Wembanyama said.
"It just shows that we are preparing and we will pass the next step for more significant games in the playoffs."
Football superstar Lionel Messi ended his whirlwind tour of India on Monday with a lap of honour in New Delhi, thrilling thousands of fans and thanking them for “all the love and support”.
The 38-year-old Argentine great greeted chanting supporters at a nearly packed Arun Jaitley Stadium, usually home to cricket, with fans dressed in Argentina jerseys waving flags and shouting his name.
“It was beautiful to receive all the love and support. I knew it was there, but to receive it first-hand was, well, amazing,” Messi told the crowd, speaking in Spanish, saying he will “definitely be back”.
Clad in a pink jersey and black trousers, Messi enthralled the audience with his charm as he kicked footballs into the crowd and obliged star-struck delegates and fans with selfies.
Messi and his fellow stars played football with children before being presented with a T20 World Cup ticket and an Indian jersey by the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Jay Shah.
India – a nation of 1.4 billion – is a cricket powerhouse, but struggles on the football pitch and stands 142nd in the FIFA rankings.
Former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia took the stage with Messi, who signed Argentine jerseys for the Indian star and his family.
Lionel Messi, second from right, plays football with children at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi [Sajjad Hussain/AFP]
Chaos-free final day
Messi’s final stop in India went smoothly after a chaotic opening day on Saturday, when fans vandalised a stadium in the city of Kolkata, where his brief presence left the crowd frustrated.
Heavy security left fans struggling to catch a glimpse of him. Many had paid more than $100 for tickets, and they broke down barricades and stormed the pitch after the superstar abruptly left the arena.
In New Delhi on Monday, thousands of excited fans dismissed hazardous choking air pollution to see their hero.
“I’m very excited to see Messi; I have been watching him since my childhood,” said 29-year-old fan Sumesh Raina.
New Delhi, and its wider sprawling metropolitan region of 30 million residents, is regularly ranked among the world’s most polluted capitals, due to a deadly mix of emissions from power plants, heavy traffic, as well as the burning of rubbish and crops.
Levels of cancer-causing PM2.5 microparticles hit more than 300 micrograms per cubic metre in parts of New Delhi on Monday, according to monitoring organisation IQAir, 20 times the World Health Organization’s recommended daily maximum.
Messi, who is in India as part of his so-called GOAT (“Greatest of All Time”) Tour along with his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, seemed unperturbed by the toxic air.
He looked in good spirits as he kept up his energy with fans and football enthusiasts in his 35-minute stay at the stadium.
Messi had also visited the cities of Hyderabad and Mumbai, where he met cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and Indian football star Sunil Chhetri.
The footballer won his second consecutive Major League Soccer (MLS) Most Valuable Player award last week after propelling Inter Miami to the MLS title and leading the league in goals.
The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward will spearhead Argentina’s defence of the World Cup in June-July in North America.
Lewis Hamilton's relationship with Ferrari is much less strained than it appears, according to the team's head of track engineering Matteo Togninalli, although the Formula 1 squad nonetheless feels it "under evaluated" the adaptation period needed for both sides.
In the early part of 2025, Hamilton had to clear up the perception of the occasionally terse radio messages between himself and new race engineer Riccardo Adami, stating that there were "no issues" between them.
However, continued moments of occasional curtness over the radio led people to suggest that the pair have not necessarily gelled, but Hamilton reacted by suggesting Max Verstappen is equally abrupt with his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.
Offering his view of the situation, Togninalli explained that Ferrari and the seven-time world champion might have underestimated the time taken to adapt, but feels that the media's view of the situation is "much worse" than the real relationship at play.
"Changing drivers and changing teams, mainly for a driver like Lewis, who has spent 10 years in the same team, has a certain level of experience, is very difficult from both sides, for the driver and for the team," said Togninalli, as Hamilton moved to Ferrari from Mercedes this year, after 12 seasons at the Silver Arrows.
"Every team is operating in a slightly different way, you are used to certain people, things in a central way. Then, if you put this in context, that you have the fact that Lewis was winning world championships, and it's a fact this year, we didn't achieve the target of fighting for the world championship, so you have the frustration creating the situation.
"I think what you see from outside is quite worse than what it is. I think the relationship with Lewis, what we are building with Lewis, is extremely positive. He spent 10 years in the same team, with the same people, and after 10 months, I think we have already a very, very strong link with him.
"Nevertheless, the frustration, the results, are creating this image of ourselves and of him in Ferrari, that I believe is much, much worse than what it is in reality.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
"Why [is he] struggling? Again, I think part is the frustration, part is as I said that we need some time to adapt to each other, and maybe we both, the team and Lewis, under evaluated this at the beginning. [But] I'm confident, as I said, I don't think the relationship is as bad as you all guys think. But I'm sure with time we'll improve."
Ferrari failed to win a grand prix in 2025, finishing fourth in the championship and 435 points behind champions McLaren with Charles Leclerc and Hamilton respectively fifth and sixth in the drivers' standings.
Togninalli explained that the majority of Ferrari's issues stem from struggling with tyre preparation in qualifying; while the SF-25's race pace has been generally strong through the season, qualifying performances have been inconsistent at best.
He explained that this year's Pirelli compounds, which have been more durable but also more prone to overheating, have made it difficult to get the balance right ahead of a hot lap.
"90% of the job this year is done in qualifying; if you start in front, you finish in front," Togninalli explained, as 16 of the 24 grands prix were won from pole.
"If you start behind, unless you do something very different than what you only if you are last, it is extremely difficult to overtake. I think point number one, tyres this year are extremely sensitive in the single lap. You can see in Brazil with Verstappen - in the sprint quali, he is in front - and then he is in P16.
"You can move around 2-3 tenths only with the preparation of the tyres in qualifying. This is where we have been focusing. This is where I think we improved. And then it's a lot of situations.
"If we take Vegas, the bollard with Lewis cost us the qualifying. If you look at it, it is a bit situational. With Charles we didn't get the last lap in Q3. I am sure we could perform better. If you freeze the Q3 quali two minutes earlier, it was P3.
"I think the key factor are the tyres. I think everybody is struggling with that. If you look, there is a lot of variability. We are all within two tenths. So a small difference makes a lot of difference. Some quali we have 10 cars in a tenth."
A significant aviation event will take place on 3 February 2026 in Frankfurt am Main, as Aviation-Event hosts Aviation-Event 2026 Germany (Luftverkehrsgipfel Deutschland) at the renowned House of Logistics and Mobility (HOLM). This pivotal European summit will bring together key stakeholders from the aviation, business, and political spheres to engage in meaningful dialogue about the future of European air transport.
The event will address pressing issues that are shaping the industry’s trajectory, particularly the growing challenges related to taxation, regulation, and the competitiveness of European aviation. As the sector faces increasing fiscal pressures compared to non-EU markets, the summit will offer an important platform for discussing these disparities and exploring ways to enhance Europe’s position in the global aviation landscape.
The Growing Impact of Taxes and Regulations on European Aviation
The Aviation-Event 2026 summit is expected to focus heavily on the fiscal and regulatory challenges that European aviation faces. According to Marcel Riwalsky, the CEO of Aviation-Event, European carriers and airports are increasingly burdened by taxes, duties, and stringent regulations that do not necessarily apply to competitors outside the EU. Riwalsky emphasized that this growing disparity between European and non-EU aviation markets is placing European aviation at a disadvantage in terms of global competitiveness.
As air transport in Europe becomes more entangled in regulatory red tape, the aviation sector is facing pressures that are compounded by higher costs and more complex operating environments. These challenges have significant implications for both European carriers and the travel experience, influencing everything from ticket prices to operational efficiency. The summit will aim to address these issues head-on and explore potential solutions to ensure that Europe remains a competitive player in the global aviation market.
A Platform for Industry and Government Collaboration
One of the core goals of the Aviation-Event 2026 is to provide a platform where industry leaders, government representatives, and policy makers can come together to discuss the current state and future of European air transport. The summit will bring together a diverse group of experts to engage in focused discussions about how the aviation sector can overcome the challenges posed by fiscal pressures, rising taxes, and regulatory burdens.
By fostering collaboration between the aviation industry and government sectors, the event hopes to drive policies and strategies that can help improve the efficiency, sustainability, and global competitiveness of European aviation. This type of dialogue is seen as crucial for creating a cohesive vision for the future of air transport in Europe, one that supports growth while addressing the challenges of the 21st century.
The Competitive Landscape: European Aviation vs Non-EU Markets
In recent years, European aviation has come under increasing pressure due to the growing number of taxes and regulations imposed on airlines and airports operating within the EU. These fiscal challenges are not only raising operational costs but are also creating an uneven playing field between European and non-EU carriers. As a result, many airlines outside Europe face fewer regulatory hurdles, allowing them to offer lower costs and more competitive pricing, giving them an advantage in the market.
Riwalsky pointed out that this discrepancy is one of the key topics that will be discussed during the Aviation-Event 2026 summit. The summit will serve as a crucial space for examining how taxation and regulation in Europe can be streamlined or reformed to ensure that European carriers remain competitive in the face of non-EU competition. Addressing these disparities will be vital for ensuring the sustainability of European air transport and its ability to maintain a leading role in the global aviation industry.
Promoting Sustainable Competitiveness in European Aviation
The overarching theme of the Aviation-Event 2026 will be promoting sustainable competitiveness in the European aviation sector. As the aviation industry continues to grow, the importance of maintaining a balance between economic sustainability and environmental responsibility has never been more critical. The summit will explore how the European aviation industry can continue to expand while also meeting global sustainability goals and adhering to environmental regulations.
Discussions will focus not only on how to overcome regulatory burdens but also on how to implement innovative solutions that can help European carriers reduce their environmental impact. This will likely include exploring new technologies and operational practices that support both efficiency and sustainability. By ensuring that European aviation remains competitive while also being mindful of its environmental footprint, the Aviation-Event 2026 will contribute to shaping a more sustainable future for air transport.
What to Expect at the Summit
Attendees at Aviation-Event 2026 will have the opportunity to participate in various B2B and B2C meetings, where they can engage directly with stakeholders from the aviation, business, and political sectors. These meetings are designed to foster collaboration and drive the creation of practical solutions that can improve the competitiveness of European aviation.
Additionally, keynotes and panel discussions will feature prominent leaders in the industry, offering insight into the future of air transport, taxation, and regulatory frameworks. The summit will also provide a space for networking, allowing participants to establish new partnerships and share best practices that can drive innovation in the aviation sector.
The Future of European Air Transport
As Aviation-Event 2026 approaches, the focus on taxes, regulations, and competitiveness in the European aviation sector has never been more critical. With increasing pressure from non-EU markets, European airlines and airports must find ways to adapt to a rapidly changing global landscape. By providing a platform for industry leaders and policymakers to engage in meaningful discussions, the summit aims to set the stage for a more competitive, sustainable, and innovative future for European air transport.
The event will mark a turning point for the aviation industry in Europe, as stakeholders come together to address the challenges of the present and build a roadmap for success in the future. Through collaboration and strategic thinking, Aviation-Event 2026 promises to play a key role in shaping the next phase of Europe’s aviation industry.
Philip Rivers is one of the most prolific quarterbacks in NFL history. Photograph: Stephen Brashear/AP
Is quarterback the most demanding position in sports? It’s close enough to make no difference: players must memorize a complicated playbook, orchestrate an entire offense, scan for open receivers while 280lb opponents sprint toward them with violent intent, and then thread a pass to a target who could be 30 yards downfield amid a crowd of defenders. Now try doing all that as a 44-year-old grandfather, exactly 1,800 days since you last started an NFL game.
Philip Rivers broke that historic streak for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The longest layoff before then belonged to another 44-year-old quarterback who returned to action after years out of the game, and some time in coaching – Steve Deberg for the Atlanta Falcons in 1998.
After injuries suffered by starting quarterback Daniel Jones and rookie backup Riley Leonard, the primary reason that the Colts invested in this seeming impossibility in the first place is Rivers’ familiarity with what head coach Shane Steichen’s passing game. Steichen had several years of working closely with Rivers at the Chargers, where the quarterback played most of his 16-season career before his first retirement, so at least the offensive designs and play calls would be familiar.
At St Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama, where Rivers had been the head coach since 2021, Rivers’ players were excited, and swore that the offense run there was similar to what Steichen had run with Rivers, and a familiar iteration to what Steichen runs now with the Colts. Without that previous Rivers-Steichen connection, asking the old man to come back and face any NFL defense, never mind a Seahawks defense that came into this game ranked first overall in DVOA, would have been the ultimate fool’s errand.
But as the game progressed, Rivers’ immense football smarts – which have not diminished at the same rate as his body – showed up just enough to give the Seahawks’ top-ranked defense some trouble in their own stadium. In the end, Rivers completed 18 of 26 passes for 120 yards, a touchdown, one interception, and a passer rating of 91.8, and it was his 16-yard third-and-seven conversion on a backside fade ball to receiver Alec Pierce that helped set up what looked like Blake Grupe’s game-winning 60-yard field goal with 47 seconds remaining.
However … Seahawks kicker Jason Myers, who made six field goals overall in Seattle’s 18-16 win, booted the actual game-winner with 22 seconds on the clock. Rivers’ subsequent deep interception to safety Coby Bryant with 11 seconds left brought the curtain down.
Regardless of the result, what Rivers did after such a long time off was remarkable, and unprecedented in NFL history. To travel over 2,000 miles to the NFL’s toughest home stadium and put on this performance shows the power of the football mind, if the football body is able to do just enough. The 8-6 Colts have the San Francisco 49ers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Houston Texans to finish the regular season, a brutal final slate. But it will be fascinating to see what Rivers can accomplish with more reps in the upcoming weeks. One thing he’s not worried about is the physical side of the game.
“I never minded that part of it,” Rivers said on Sunday. “My wife always tells me I’m crazy because there’s been times in the last three or four years I said, ‘I wish I could just throw one and get hit – hard.’”
Video of the week
If one video can speak a thousand words, it would be the clip of what happened to Patrick Mahomes with two minutes left in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 16-13 loss to the Chargers. Mahomes was trying to drive his team to field-goal range when he suffered a torn ACL, an injury that ends his season.
The result means the 6-8 Chiefs will miss the postseason for the first time since 2014. During that span they won three Super Bowls and reached the AFC Championship Game seven times, and much of that success was down to Mahomes’s brilliance. The Chiefs, who have a litany of issues to solve this offseason, may not have the face of their franchise ready to go when the 2026 season begins.
MVP of the week
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars. Sometimes, it takes a quarterback a while to get the hang of a new offense. This was the case for Lawrence this season, and his ability to get new head coach Liam Coen’s system under his belt. Coen was hired to turn Lawrence into the “generational” talent that was promised when the franchise selected him with the first overall pick in the 2021 draft. Lawrence has faced all kinds of barriers, from subpar players around him, to having Urban Meyer as his head coach in his rookie campaign, to dealing with three different offensive coordinators in five years, to his own mechanical issues.
Coen had built his equity on his time in Sean McVay’s coaching staff with the Los Angeles Rams, and the fabulous job he did as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator with Baker Mayfield in 2024. Still, this initially looked like a rough partnership. In Weeks 1-12, Lawrence completed 220 of 368 passes for 2,407 yards, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a passer rating of 79.4, which ranked him 27th among NFL quarterbacks. But from Week 13 though Sunday’s 48-20 win over the New York Jets, Lawrence has been a completely different player, completing 53 of 89 passes for 803 yards, nine touchdowns, no interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 123.0.
On Sunday, Lawrence accounted for six touchdowns – five through the air, and one on the ground. The Jaguars are 10-4, and they’ll have opponents wondering how to stop this suddenly marvelous offense once the postseason comes around.
Stat of the week
120. That’s how many consecutive games the New England Patriots had won in which they led by 21 or more points. That NFL-best run came to an end on Sunday, as the Buffalo Bills came back from a 21-0 second-quarter deficit to win 35-31, and keep their AFC East hopes alive. Early on, the now 11-3 Patriots looked like an unstoppable machine, while the 10-4 Bills couldn’t stop tripping over themselves.
The Bills needed to do something to turn this around, and they did. In the second half, Allen completed 13 of 20 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns. Buffalo’s sketchy defense also stepped up in the run game, while James Cook had two touchdowns on the ground.
Buffalo, who had won the division in each of the last five seasons, and New England, who had won it every single year from 2009 through 2019, have split their 2025 series. The Bills have the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, and Jets left on their regular-season schedule, while the Patriots have the Jets, the Baltimore Ravens and the Miami Dolphins. Right now, it seems that the AFC East could belong to either team.
Elsewhere around the league
– Since the Cincinnati Bengals took him with the first overall pick in the 2020 draft, Joe Burrow has been one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks … when he’s been allowed to be. Burrow has been hurt by horrible defenses and struggling offensive lines of late, and though he has one of the NFL’s best receiver duos in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals’ 4-10 record this season isn’t what Burrow – who missed much of the season with turf toe – or anybody else had in their hopes.
Perhaps more disconcerting were the comments Burrow made leading up to Cincinnati’s 24-0 Sunday loss to the Baltimore Ravens. “If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it,” the quarterback said. “I’ve been through a lot, and if it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for? So, that’s the mindset I’m trying to bring to the table.”
This is not to imply that Burrow is on the edge of a surprise retirement as Andrew Luck was in 2019 – and the man himself has said he is committed to the team – but as the Bengals limp to the end of the regular season and start to formulate their plans for the future, it does bear a bit of watching.
– Say hello to the Denver Broncos, who now own the NFL’s best record at 12-2, and became one of two teams to clinch a postseason berth on Sunday. Denver did so by beating the Green Bay Packers, 34-26, and the 9-4-1 Packers may well have lost more than the game. Receiver Christian Watson, possibly the team’s most important offensive player not named Jordan Love, suffered what looked to be a serious chest injury, and edge rusher Micah Parsons, without question the team’s most important defensive player, is believed to have torn his ACL, which would end his season. The Parsons injury is particularly brutal for the Packers, who gave up first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, along with defensive tackle Kenny Clark, for the four-time Pro Bowler. Parsons had been great for Green Bay, and without him, the Packers’ pressure possibilities do not remotely resemble what they were with him.
- Back on the Denver side, second-year quarterback Bo Nix threw four touchdowns against Jeff Hafley’s complicated defense. Nix is a primary reason, along with Denver’s monstrous defense, that nobody should want to come anywhere near the Mile High City in the playoffs.
– The Seahawks may have (barely) escaped embarrassment against the Colts on Sunday, but they have very little time to enjoy it. On Thursday, they welcome the Los Angeles Rams to Lumen Field, and the Rams are fresh off their 41-34 defense-optional win over the Detroit Lions. At 11-3, the Rams became the first team to clinch a playoff berth, and if they beat the Seahawks (also 11-3) at home, they’ll sweep the season series, and the NFC West will basically be theirs. In the first meeting between these two teams, Seattle nearly won despite Sam Darnold’s four interceptions, and the Rams have been Darnold’s bete noire over the last two seasons. Darnold got off to a rollicking start this season, his first with the Seahawks, but the offense has been a bit stuck since that Week 11 loss. Now is the time for Darnold to tell those old ghosts to go away.
The Buffalo Bills' reigning MVP quarterback Josh Allen found James Cook and Dawson Knox for passing touchdowns either side of halftime (Jordan Bank)
Josh Allen fired the Buffalo Bills to a stunning comeback win against the Patriots Sunday as the long-dominant Kansas City Chiefs saw their playoff hopes extinguished early.
The Bills' 35-31 victory -- after having trailed 21-0 -- in sub-freezing conditions ended high-flying New England's 10-game winning streak and kept the AFC East division title race alive.
Reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Allen orchestrated five consecutive drives with touchdowns, at least temporarily thwarting the Patriots' bid to reclaim the division title from Buffalo for the first time in five years.
The result underlined Buffalo's status as a strong Super Bowl favorite despite inconsistent form this season.
The Patriots had been utterly dominant in the first quarter, with quarterback Drake Maye rushing for two touchdowns in the snow and rookie TreVeyon Henderson running 52 yards for a touchdown and a 21-0 lead.
The Bills battled back. Allen found James Cook and Dawson Knox with touchdown passes on either side of half-time.
Cook then barely kept the ball airborne as he stretched across the line for a third Buffalo touchdown that was initially ruled out by officials, before Allen seized the lead with a powerful 14-yard sling to Knox.
Henderson briefly reclaimed the advantage for New England with a stunning 65-yard sprint for a touchdown. But Cook barged through the Patriots line for the game-winning touchdown score.
New England -- which dominated the NFL in the Tom Brady era of the 2000s and 2010s but have faced a difficult rebuild -- still have three more regular season games to claim the AFC East, which they lead over the Bills by a single game.
- Chiefs out -
It came as the Kansas City Chiefs -- the most dominant team in the NFL over the past decade -- saw their slim hopes of making the playoffs officially end.
The Chiefs' 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, combined with other results, means Patrick Mahomes and his team will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
Kansas City have won three Super Bowls from five appearances since 2020, but saw a sharp drop off in form this season. To compound their misery, Mahomes limped off the field Sunday with an apparent injury.
Elsewhere, the Baltimore Ravens ended Cincinnati's slim playoff hopes with a dominant 24-0 win, their defense shutting out Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow.
And Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence managed five passing touchdowns and one rushing score as the Jaguars demolished the New York Jets 48-20.
- Rivers returns -
Later on Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams and the Denver Broncos can both book their own playoff spots early.
The Rams (10-3) play the Detroit Lions in a matchup that pits both quarterbacks -- Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford -- against their former teams following a 2021 blockbuster trade.
The Broncos (11-2) face a tough test against the in-form Green Bay Packers.
Desperately battling to remain in playoff contention are the Indianapolis Colts, who will start a quarterback who retired five years ago and has been coaching high-school football since.
Philip Rivers, 44, steps in against the Seattle Seahawks after the Colts lost Daniel Jones to a season-ending injury last weekend.
This week, Rivers joked he is "not sure" what he currently weighs, and admitted his family were "nervous" about his return to one of sports' most dangerous positions after so long away.
Sunday's action will conclude with the Dallas Cowboys against the Minnesota Vikings.
The all-electric series predicts it will deliver 600kW of power - over 800hp - marking a substantial increase over current cars, with the Gen3 Evo peaking at 350kW (469hp).
The Gen4 package will also introduce permanent four-wheel drive, where the system is only activated in qualifying duels, at the start, and in attack mode.
It will additionally feature two aerodynamic configurations - a high-downforce spec for qualifying and a low-downforce alternative designed for race running - and the car itself will be noticeably larger and wider than its predecessor.
Together, these changes support one of Formula E’s long-standing ambitions: establishing a world-class motorsport platform capable of competing with Formula 1.
Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds told Motorsport.com: “The jump we’re making with Gen4 over Gen3 is bigger than any single jump we’ve ever made in a generation. All-wheel drive, 71% more power, about 10 seconds a lap faster than the current Gen3 car. So there’s no question it shuts the gap right down on Formula 1.
F1 Dutch Grand Prix
F1 Dutch Grand Prix
“And actually, the next car for Formula 1 probably gets a bit slower, by the way. So the gap will be very small. But the cost of investing in building the car and owning a race team is a fraction of a Formula 1 team.
“So you’re basically getting 95% or 98% of the performance for a fraction of the investment. I think Gen4 gets us right on the heels (of F1), and Gen5 is probably faster.”
The mention of Gen5 is deliberate, as early development work on the car that will follow Gen4 is already under way.
“Of course, the thinking never stops,” Dodds said, expressing early enthusiasm for what lies ahead. “We don’t even race on slick tyres. We’re racing on road tyres. We don’t have a lot of aerodynamic downforce - we’re not in wind tunnels, and the teams aren’t developing different aero packages.
“We’re achieving this speed on the basis of the battery, the powertrain and the software. So yes, Gen5 will benefit from better battery development and battery development is incredible at the moment.”
Gen4 car will attract “best drivers in the world”
Formula E has recently attracted talents such as Taylor Barnard and Zane Maloney directly from Formula 2. This season, Pepe Marti and Felipe Drugovich will make a similar transition - although the Brazilian made the switch three years after winning the F2 title, having waited on the sidelines as Aston Martin’s reserve driver for an F1 opportunity that never came.
Taylor Barnard, DS Penske
Taylor Barnard, DS Penske
But with the Gen4 package, Dodds expects drivers to begin viewing Formula E as a destination rather than a fallback.
“I could talk about lots of drivers, but the two I think are particularly interesting are Taylor Barnard, who made the decision to come straight from F2 to Formula E and not really look at F1. And you have Felipe Drugovich, who was obviously Aston Martin’s reserve driver and has come across and they’re doing that in anticipation of the next car,” he said.
“I think when people see the car and have the chance to drive it, you’re going to have a number of F1 drivers - the best drivers in the world - seeing this as a potential place to build their future.”
Coincidentally, Dodds believes the same logic applies to fans, as the series looks to expand its following heading into the Gen4 era.
“In the end, we can do a lot of things right, but motorsport fans want to see the fastest, they want to see speed,” he added. “So the fact that we can show a material jump in speed and power in this car, I think it’s just more exciting for everyone.”
All the ways to stream John Cena’s final match live online, with Gunther aiming to crash the farewell party at Saturday Night's Main Event XLII in Washington, DC.
Nick Cassidy says his move to the World Endurance Championship has been eased by simpler hypercar systems, which he claims is "like a bit of a holiday” compared to Formula E machinery.
Cassidy will combine his Citroen Formula E commitments with a full campaign in the WEC’s top category at the factory Peugeot team in 2026.
It will mark just the second season in the WEC for the Kiwi, who previously raced a Ferrari 488 GTE for AF Corse in the final year of the GTE Am class in 2022.
Modern LMH and LMDh prototypes remain complex in their own right, featuring hybrid systems that pair an electric motor with an internal combustion engine.
But for Cassidy, learning hypercar software has been relatively straightforward after five seasons in Formula E, where drivers constantly manage energy, regeneration and a wide range of system settings.
“I'm just going to grow in confidence all the time, and I hope that I'm just going to continue improving. But I’m happy with my initial level,” he said following his second test with the Peugeot 9X8 in Bahrain.
“In terms of the complexities and systems, it's probably 30% now of what we have in Formula E. So it's almost like a bit of a holiday for me in terms of systems.”
Nick Cassidy, Citroen Racing
Nick Cassidy, Citroen Racing
Cassidy arrives in the WEC with extensive experience in both single-seaters and high-downforce sportscars.
During the second half of the 2010s, he raced in Japan’s two biggest categories, winning titles in both Super Formula and Super GT’s GT500 class before switching to Formula E in 2021.
While the WEC’s top class once featured the fastest prototypes in the world, current-generation hypercars are notably slower than the LMP1 machines they replaced.
Asked to compare hypercars with the GT500s he raced in the past, Cassidy said: “I think the actual manoeuvring through traffic or the lap time difference to GT3 is similar. I hope that's going to make the adaptation for [multi-class] racing easier. I'm quite comfortable with that.
“The mechanical grip, the tyre grip and the downforce level is just quite a lot lower in hypercars. As a driver, you don't have the feeling you are attacking the car. You're almost driving on eggshells.”
He added: “I've been very surprised by the lack of grip in hypercars these days, and the lack of downforce performance.
“If you look at hypercars now, not to sound negative, but compared to what I was used to in Super GT or Super Formula, it's a different world.
“It's almost more in line with Formula E than the adaptation I've done in the past [when I first moved to Formula E after racing in Japan]. It helps me to have two categories that are similar.”
Cassidy faces a packed schedule in 2026 as he balances his new WEC programme with another season in Formula E. He is also adjusting to a new environment in the all-electric series after leaving Jaguar to join Citroen, which previously competed under the Maserati banner.
The 31-year-old admitted time isn’t on his side as he prepares for 2026, but credited Peugeot for helping him balance the two championships.
“I'm blown away [by Peugeot]. They've been super great to work with, super kind in terms of understanding my schedule. Doing their best to integrate me with the almost limited time I have.
“I'm trying at the moment to give full focus to two programs. But it's true, with Gen 4 coming in Formula E, with the current season in Formula E, and making that move across, that's been extremely busy. And obviously with WEC as well to integrate.
"I'm short on time, in terms of days I can spend on simulators, in meetings and things. But I'm [working] five days a week across all programs for the last two-and-a-half months just to make sure I can be prepared for both championships.”
ESPN closed the final season of its coverage of Formula 1 in the United States with an all-time viewership record.
The broadcaster has revealed that it experienced an average of 1.3 million viewers across ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC for each race in 2025.
The 2025 season featured a tense intra-team battle between McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. A late surge from Red Bull's Max Verstappen added to the excitement at the end of the season, with the drivers' championship coming down to the wire at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. While the Red Bull driver took the final victory of the year, Norris's third-place finish at the Yas Marina Circuit was enough to clinch his first drivers' title.
For ESPN, the tense season finale in Abu Dhabi brought in an average of 1.5 million viewers, peaking at 1.8 million, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel data.
Average ESPN race viewership per F1 season
2018 – 554,000 2019 – 672,000 2020 – 608,000 2021 – 948,000 2022 – 1.21 million 2023 – 1.1 million 2024 – 1.1 million 2025 – 1.3 million
It was announced in October 2025 that F1 had signed a new US broadcasting rights deal, which would see the coverage move in the United States to Apple TV from 2026.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
The Disney-owned broadcaster had held the broadcasting rights to F1 in the US since 2018 and also had a stint of broadcasting the championship from 1984 to 1997.
"We’re incredibly proud of what we and Formula 1 accomplished together in the United States and look forward to a strong finish in this final season. We wish F1 well in the future," a statement from ESPN read at the time.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali added: "I think that our duty is to look into the future and try to make sure that F1 can have the right platform of developing our growth. And therefore I really want to thank ESPN for what they did today together, because they invested in us when no one was really ready to invest in us many, many years ago."
Honda's 2026 Formula 1 engine is almost here, but before we slip into our Christmas food comas, the Japanese manufacturer has offered the first hint at what next year's power unit will sound like.
An audio clip, posted by Honda and shared by Aston Martin on social media, has received huge praise after the sound of the 1.6-litre turbo V6 was recorded on a test stand. You can cleanly hear the honky bark of Honda's power unit as it rips through its rev range. On the downshift - lightning quick - burbles can be heard as the revs blip.
Within hours, the video received over 200,000 likes on the Aston Martin Formula 1 team's Instagram account, with it also collecting over 2000 comments. "Okayyyy Honda we hear you LOUD & CLEAR," one commenter posted as another added: "Best sounding engine since the V8 era."
Unfortunately, Honda and Aston Martin failed to give any more information on the build, but the sound was good enough to keep us all going for the time being.
From 2026, F1 will see a substantial change in the regulations. One of these changes sees powertrains increasing their reliance on electrical power, and many fans have been worried that this would result in a softened soundtrack on track. Fortunately, Honda's tease has partly put this worry to bed, with it suggesting that these new powertrains will have plenty of character when the time comes while also being more sustainable.
With the 2025 season coming to an end, Honda will join Aston Martin, which will become a works team for the 2026 season. This comes after a long stint of success with Red Bull, with the pairing achieving four drivers' and two constructors' championships. Red Bull will instead bring Red Bull Powertrains, backed by Ford, into 2026.
As with everything in F1, Honda's time in the championship has been mixed overall, but its peaks have been incredible. It won its first grand prix in 1965 and saw success through the late 1980s and early 1990s with Williams and McLaren.
The Red Bull Racing team celebrate and Thank Honda
The Red Bull Racing team celebrate and Thank Honda
Since then, Honda struggled when it powered McLaren in 2015, but its partnership with Red Bull was a prosperous one, with it powering all of Max Verstappen's championship wins.
With Aston Martin now adopting what has been a very successful manufacturer, supporters of the team will be more than happy with what they're now seeing - and hearing.
Ryanair has launched a new Winter 2025 service connecting Liverpool and Turin. The weekly flights open a convenient route for travelers looking for a mix of Alpine adventure and Italian cultural charm. The airline has positioned the service to support growing demand for affordable winter travel, especially among people seeking skiing weekends or short European city breaks.
This new connection is valuable for travelers in northwest England because it cuts travel time to Italy’s Piedmont region. Turin is one of the closest major cities to the Alps, making it a practical entry point for skiers. It also offers historic streets, ornate buildings, museums, and food markets for travelers who prefer cultural exploration.
A Winter Gateway to the Italian Alps
The new Liverpool–Turin service gives British travelers an easier way to reach some of the most accessible slopes in northern Italy. The region is well known for winter sports, and many popular resorts sit within a comfortable transfer distance from the city. The flight schedule makes it possible to plan weekend ski trips or longer winter holidays without complicated connections.
Because winter travel can be busy, especially during holiday weeks, travelers are encouraged to organize transfer bookings early. Turin is a major transport hub, and during peak snow season, many shuttle and coach operators increase their frequencies to popular mountain areas.
A Cultural City Break for Non-Skiers
Turin is not only a base for winter sports. The city attracts visitors for its elegant boulevards, grand piazzas, and famous cafés. It is known for royal palaces, historic museums, and rich culinary traditions. Travelers who prefer food, architecture, and culture will find Turin appealing even without stepping into the mountains.
The city is also a strong option for short break travelers. With the direct flight from Liverpool, visitors can plan a two-day or three-day trip that includes museums, coffee houses, markets, and walks along the Po River. Many travelers pair Turin with day trips to nearby villages and wine-producing areas in Piedmont.
Easy Transport from Turin Airport
Turin Airport provides several reliable transport choices. Travelers can use buses, trains, taxis, or car rentals to reach the city. The airport maintains clear schedules and offers winter-specific transport options to mountain destinations when ski season is at its peak.
For city visitors, public transport is usually the simplest choice. For travelers heading to Alpine resorts, pre-booked shuttles or rental cars are common. Winter visitors should prepare for colder temperatures and may need vehicles fitted with snow chains or winter tyres when driving in mountain areas.
Practical Travel Advice for Visitors
Before traveling, passengers should check official government travel guidance for Italy. Standard advice includes checking passport validity, ensuring travel insurance coverage, and reviewing any seasonal updates affecting travelers. Winter travelers should pay attention to weather alerts, mountain safety conditions, and travel recommendations for high-altitude regions.
Travel insurance is important for all international trips, but especially for skiers. Policies should include winter sports coverage, medical assistance, and equipment protection when necessary. Travelers who plan to rent ski gear can also look for insurance options that cover rented items.
Money, Local Transport, and Seasonal Preparation
Turin’s public transport system is traveler-friendly. Metro lines, buses, and trams make it easy to navigate the city. Many travelers choose to walk because the city center is compact and filled with pedestrian-friendly streets.
Most places in Turin accept major cards, but smaller towns may prefer cash for minor purchases. Visitors who plan to explore rural Piedmont or mountain villages should carry some local currency.
Winter conditions can change quickly in the Alps. Travelers should pack warm layers, waterproof jackets, gloves, and appropriate footwear. Sunscreen and sunglasses are also useful, as snow can reflect sunlight strongly.
Why This Flight Matters for Travelers
The Liverpool to Turin route gives tourists a convenient winter escape. It offers England-based skiers a smoother path to Italian resorts and gives city break enthusiasts a new destination for short, affordable European travel. For many travelers, this route opens up a new mix of outdoor adventure, cultural experiences, and culinary exploration.
With simple planning, early bookings, and smart preparation, travelers can use this new flight to enjoy a relaxed winter holiday in one of Italy’s most scenic and diverse regions.
The Magical Kenya Souvenir Passport is a dual-format tool, available both in physical and digital forms, designed to allow visitors to document their travel journey across Kenya. The passport provides a unique way for tourists to record their experiences at different destinations, including national parks, museums, cultural hubs, and local attractions, by collecting official stamps at each location they visit. This passport aims to guide tourists not only to popular spots but also to lesser-known, hidden gems across Kenya.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano elaborated on the tool’s potential, saying, “We’ve unveiled the Kenya Souvenir Passport to document your journey with official stamps at every destination. This will allow both Kenyans and international visitors to document their stay, explore more regions, and engage more deeply with our heritage.”
Engaging Visitors with Kenya’s Rich Heritage and Hidden Gems The Magical Kenya Souvenir Passport is designed to encourage tourists to venture beyond the usual, well-known attractions. Kenya boasts an array of natural wonders and cultural treasures that are often overshadowed by more popular tourist destinations. This new passport will make it easier for visitors to explore regions that may not typically make it onto the tourist map. The aim is to provide tourists with an immersive experience that showcases Kenya’s diverse landscapes, cultures, and traditions.
One of the standout features of the passport is the Hapa Ni Wapi platform, which acts as a guide to some of Kenya’s hidden gems. The platform helps tourists uncover lesser-known areas of the country, offering insights into regions that offer unique experiences but are often overlooked by the general tourist crowd. This feature will allow travelers to plan more comprehensive itineraries, ensuring that they see not just Kenya’s famous landmarks but also the quiet corners that make the country truly special.
A Personalized and Interactive Travel Experience The Magical Kenya Souvenir Passport is more than just a travel tool; it’s a personalized travel companion that helps visitors create lasting memories of their time in Kenya. By collecting stamps at each destination they visit, tourists will have a tangible record of their journey. Whether they visit the renowned Maasai Mara National Reserve, the beaches of Diani, or the bustling streets of Nairobi, the passport allows tourists to document their experiences and create a scrapbook of their Kenyan adventure.
In addition to the stamps, the passport will offer access to exclusive deals, promotions, and information about local attractions. This added value will enhance the visitor experience, encouraging tourists to engage with more of what Kenya has to offer.
Impact on Domestic and International Tourism The launch of theMagical Kenya Souvenir Passport marks a major step forward in Kenya’s efforts to position itself as a global tourism leader. The tool is set to attract both domestic and international visitors by providing them with an engaging and unique way to explore the country. For local tourists, it offers a new way to rediscover Kenya’s rich cultural and natural heritage, while international travelers will have a more interactive way to explore Kenya’s many wonders.
President William Ruto’s administration has made it clear that the tourism sector is a priority for economic development, and this initiative is part of a broader strategy to elevate Kenya’s tourism profile on the global stage. As the country targets 5.5 million tourist arrivals by 2027, the Magical Kenya Souvenir Passport serves as a key element in increasing both local and international visitor numbers.
CS Rebecca Miano expressed her optimism about the initiative, noting, “The launch of the Magical Kenya Souvenir Passport is a major step in elevating Kenya’s position in the global travel landscape. It has the potential to ignite fresh interest among both domestic and international visitors, and we are excited about the opportunities it will bring to Kenya’s tourism sector.”
A New Era for Kenyan Tourism: Sustainability and Innovation Beyond its role in boosting tourism numbers, the Magical Kenya Souvenir Passport is also aligned with the government’s broader tourism strategy of promoting sustainable and responsible tourism. The passport encourages tourists to visit multiple regions and engage with the local communities in a way that benefits both the environment and the economy. This approach aligns with Kenya’s long-term goals of developing a tourism industry that supports local communities while preserving its rich cultural and natural heritage.
The passport also encourages responsible tourism by guiding visitors to engage with Kenya’s cultural sites and natural landscapes in a manner that respects local traditions and promotes sustainability. This focus on responsible travel is in line with the broader global trends of seeking out authentic, low-impact travel experiences that contribute to the well-being of the destinations they visit.
A Gateway to More Diverse Travel in Kenya
The Magical Kenya Souvenir Passport presents an attractive and fresh interactive platform for tourists to engage with and experience the cultures and diversity that exist within Kenya. As Kenya aims to be among the premier tourist destinations across the world, the souvenir passport will be an efficient tool in placing Kenya on the global map as an ‘must-visit’ destination for tourists who would like to participate and engage with special and sustainable travel experiences.
Transport for London (TfL) has taken a significant step forward in expanding and enhancing the Santander Cyclesscheme with the announcement of a new contract awarded to cycle hire operator Serco. This agreement ensures that Serco will continue to run London’s iconic cycle hire service until 2031, with the possibility of extending the contract by an additional five years. The partnership promises to bring innovative improvements to the service, further elevating London’s cycling experience and meeting the growing demand for e-bikes.
A Growing Demand for E-Bikes and the Need for Innovation
The Santander Cycles scheme has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, especially with the surge in demand for rental e-bikes. Recognizing this shift, TfL has devised an ambitious plan to keep up with the demand and modernize the service to better cater to its users. This includes a host of new features and upgrades aimed at improving the overall customer experience. With e-bikes becoming a significant part of the fleet, TfL intends to streamline the process of bike hire to make it more accessible, convenient, and reliable for both Londoners and visitors alike.
The next six years will see some exciting changes, including a new mobile app that will improve the ease of booking and a QR Code bike release system. This system will ensure that the process of hiring a bike is smoother and more efficient, removing any potential obstacles for users. These changes are particularly crucial for keeping the pace with the rapid growth of the rental e-bike sector, which has exploded in popularity in recent years.
Introducing the UK’s First In-Dock Charging System
One of the most anticipated upgrades is the introduction of the UK’s first in-dock charging system. This innovative technology will be implemented across the Santander Cycles terminals in London. The system will significantly enhance the operational efficiency of the scheme by ensuring that e-bikes are always fully charged and ready to go. In the past, issues with low battery levels have sometimes resulted in unreliable or inconvenient experiences for riders. With the new in-dock charging system, this problem will be eliminated, ensuring that customers can enjoy a consistent and dependable service.
The in-dock charging system will not only make the bikes more reliable but also provide a more seamless experience for customers who rely on the service for quick and efficient travel. By addressing concerns over battery life and charging logistics, the scheme is set to provide a more sustainable and user-friendly transport option for both residents and visitors.
Significant Growth and Success in the Scheme
The Santander Cycles scheme has enjoyed one of its most successful years to date, and this new contract marks an exciting chapter for its future. In recent months, the service has seen impressive figures, including the introduction of over 2,000 e-bikes into the fleet. This expansion has contributed to a rise in the number of longer bike hires, as more people turn to e-bikes for both short and long journeys across the city. As of October 2025, the scheme reached a major milestone, surpassing 109 million hires since its launch in 2015. The success of the service is further evidenced by the 3.1 million e-bike hires recorded, a clear sign of the increasing reliance on e-bikes in urban transport.
In the past 12 months alone (from November 2024 to October 2025), more than 9 million hires were made, marking a four percent increase from the previous year. This surge in usage highlights the growing popularity of cycling in London, as well as the increasing demand for eco-friendly transportation solutions.
Supporting Sustainable and Flexible Travel Choices
The expansion of the Santander Cycles service is part of TfL’s broader goal to support a more sustainable transport system in the city. In addition to the improvements to the cycle hire scheme, TfL is working with boroughs and operators to grow and manage dockless e-bike schemes in a safe and sustainable manner. This includes the introduction of designated parking bays for bikes and the establishment of clear standards for operators, ensuring that the schemes are organized and meet the needs of riders.
By investing in both traditional bike hire and dockless e-bike options, TfL is providing users with a wide range of choices for affordable, flexible, and environmentally friendly transportation. This approach aligns with the city’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and promoting green transport solutions. The modernisation of the cycle hire scheme, along with the increased rollout of e-bikes, offers Londoners and visitors a more accessible, convenient, and sustainable way to travel across the capital.
Continued Investment in Sustainable Transport
The Santander Cycle Hire scheme remains a cornerstone of TfL’s efforts to promote sustainable and inclusive transport options. This new contract with Serco is a clear reflection of TfL’s commitment to continuously improving the service, ensuring that it remains a top choice for urban commuters and tourists alike. The partnership will enable the scheme to continue evolving, incorporating new technologies and features that make cycling in London even more attractive.
Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, expressed his excitement about the future of the Santander Cycles scheme, noting that the city’s boom in cycling shows no signs of slowing down. With further investment in upgrades, including the introduction of in-dock charging for e-bikes and a new mobile app, TfL and the Mayor of London are working to create a greener, fairer, and more accessible city for everyone.
Looking Ahead: A Bright Future for Cycling in London
As cycling continues to grow in popularity across London, the Santander Cycles scheme is set to play an even more important role in the city’s transportation network. With its upcoming upgrades, including the in-dock charging system, the introduction of a new app, and continued investment in e-bike infrastructure, TfL is paving the way for a more sustainable, accessible, and efficient cycling experience for all.
The partnership with Serco ensures that Santander Cycles will remain at the forefront of urban mobility in London, offering a reliable and green transport option for residents, commuters, and visitors to the capital.
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