Trackhouse Racing rider Raul Fernandez has secured a commanding British MotoGP victory at Silverstone after leading from the opening lap.

The 25-year-old bounced back spectacularly from a crash in Saturday’s sprint event to cruise across the finish line 2.5 seconds clear of the chasing pack.

Championship leader Jorge Martin started from pole position but suffered technical difficulties at Turn One that briefly relegated him to fourth.

Martin extends championship lead despite early setback

The Spaniard showcased remarkable resilience to recover and secure second place behind the dominant race winner.

Having already claimed victory in the weekend’s earlier sprint, the Aprilia rider successfully extended his overall advantage at the top of the standings to 31 points.

His factory team-mate Marco Bezzecchi crossed the line in third position to complete the podium and elevate himself to second in the overall title fight.

High attrition rate mars Silverstone spectacle

Previous championship contender Ai Ogura suffered a devastating blow to his campaign by failing to finish a race for the first time this season, subsequently dropping to third overall.

Defending champion Marc Marquez managed a quiet race to finish seventh, leaving the decorated rider sitting fourth in the current standings.

Sunday’s Grand Prix was characterised by a high attrition rate, with six additional riders crashing out of contention across the demanding British circuit.

Alex Rins and Joan Mir saw their afternoons end prematurely following a dramatic first-lap collision, while Enea Bastianini, Iker Lecuona, Cal Crutchlow, and Francesco Bagnaia also failed to see the chequered flag.

Long-term future secured for British Grand Prix

MotoGP officials confirmed earlier this week that a new contract has been agreed to keep the premier class racing at Silverstone until at least 2028.

The paddock will now enjoy a short break before the championship resumes with the Aragon Grand Prix in Spain on 30 August.

Michael Schumacher’s nephew David and his wife Vivien have announced they are expecting their first child together following their marriage in February.

The racing driver, son of six-time Formula 1 race-winner Ralf Schumacher, shared the news via social media.

His spouse, a former competitor in the W Series and Formula 3 under her maiden name Vivien Keszthelyi, featured in an Instagram photograph alongside baby booties and a teddy bear.

Social media announcement

The couple revealed the pregnancy against a mountainous backdrop in a post shared with their combined following of over 150,000 fans.

“Love made us two, life is making us three.”

The joyful news arrives during a highly celebratory period for the wider German motorsport dynasty.

Recent family milestones

Just two months ago, David’s father Ralf married his partner Etienne in a ceremony held in Saint-Tropez.

The 49-year-old became one of the most high-profile motorsport figures to come out as gay when he confirmed the relationship.

His former wife Cora, who separated from the six-time Grand Prix winner in 2014, publicly offered her congratulations to the newlyweds.

Maintaining a private life

This string of positive personal updates provides a bright moment for a family that has fiercely guarded its privacy for more than a decade.

Michael Schumacher, the legendary seven-time world champion, sustained life-altering head injuries during a skiing accident in December 2013.

The 55-year-old Ferrari icon continues to receive round-the-clock care from a dedicated medical team at his home near Lake Geneva in Switzerland.

Sebastien Ogier has been taken to hospital after crashing out of the lead at Rally Finland, while Elfyn Evans holds third place despite rolling his Toyota during a dramatic Saturday.

Nine-time world champion Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia careered into trees on stage 17 after running wide on a fast right-hand corner.

Toyota confirmed that both men exited their stricken vehicle unassisted before being transported for precautionary medical checks.

The Japanese manufacturer stated the French pairing remained conscious and were generally unharmed following the high-speed impact.

Pajari takes charge as Evans survives major scare

Sami Pajari, fresh off a maiden victory in Estonia, inherited the overall lead and heads into Sunday’s final two stages on home soil.

The young Finn currently commands a 46.4-second advantage over Toyota stablemate Oliver Solberg.

Meanwhile, championship contender Evans produced a miraculous recovery drive to secure third place ahead of Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux.

The Welshman and co-driver Scott Martin were incredibly fortunate to escape stage 14 after their GR Yaris rolled three times into a ditch.

Spectators physically assisted the duo back onto the track, restricting their time loss to just two minutes before mechanics executed extensive service park repairs.

I just have to say a huge thanks to the guys for lunchtime, it was a huge effort after my mistake this morning.
And, even more importantly, we’re obviously hoping for the best for Seb and Julien. Obviously they had a big one, so our thoughts are with them and hope that they are recovering well.

Mixed fortunes for Irish contingent

Motorsport Ireland representative Josh McErlean sits comfortably in seventh place, trailing current championship leader Thierry Neuville.

McErlean’s M-Sport team-mate Martins Sesks became another casualty of the treacherous Finnish gravel when he crashed out on stage 14.

Northern Irish driver Jon Armstrong remains in action following his own Friday accident, though he currently runs well outside the points-paying positions.

Rally Finland standings (Top Seven)

Kimi Antonelli has firmly established himself as Formula 1’s newest superstar by dominating for Mercedes during a turbulent 2026 season marred by controversial engine regulations and calendar uncertainty.

The sport heads into its traditional summer break after a frantic opening 11 races under sweeping new technical rules.

Mercedes have fully justified their pre-season status as title favourites by securing eight victories and 10 pole positions so far.

Italian teenager fulfils generational hype

Following an underwhelming rookie campaign in 2025, Antonelli has taken a monumental step forward this year.

The 19-year-old was initially expected to play second fiddle to established team-mate George Russell.

However, the lightning-fast youngster has completely usurped the British driver to take control of the championship narrative.

While Russell has battled a string of misfortune and comfort issues with the new chassis, blistering pace seems to flow effortlessly from the young prodigy.

His driving has been widely praised as decisive, committed and extraordinarily cool under pressure.

New power unit regulations draw heavy criticism

The 2026 championship introduced the most significant aerodynamic and engine overhaul in modern motorsport history.

The mandated equal power split between internal combustion and electrical output has left the cars severely energy-starved on track.

When battery deployment is exhausted, the heavily restricted power units produce significantly less horsepower than a junior Formula 3 machine.

They have turned into charging stations.

That was the damning verdict of veteran Fernando Alonso when describing how the need to harvest energy has neutered many of the calendar’s most iconic corners.

This dramatic energy fluctuation has triggered an artificial brand of racing where cars repeatedly swap positions based purely on sudden battery deployment.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen is among several leading figures who have strongly questioned the authenticity of these forced overtaking manoeuvres.

Calendar chaos overshadows the grid

Off the track, global conflict has caused unprecedented disruption to the traditional international touring schedule.

Even as the paddock disperses for a mandatory two-week shutdown, teams remain completely in the dark regarding exactly how many grands prix will ultimately be contested this year.

George Russell says he has never experienced a season with so much misfortune after an engine problem severely compromised his Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver started Sunday’s race in sixth but crept off the line when his car went into anti-stall, dropping him to the back of the grid.

He eventually recovered to finish seventh, but the poor start dealt another significant blow to his Formula 1 championship hopes.

The British driver now trails his team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 59 points in the 2026 title race.

‘Past the point of disappointment’

“Obviously the problems are happening, but the whole team feels it as well,” said Russell.

“They’re as p****d off as I am with how it’s unfolded.”

He explained that his engine began revving erratically and uncontrollably while he waited for the lights to go out.

“Add it to the list of things that have happened in the first half of this year and pray things calm down in the second half,” he added.

Both Silver Arrows drivers have suffered unreliability this season, but the 28-year-old feels he has borne the brunt of the issues.

A season plagued by misfortune

Sunday’s anti-stall issue is the latest in a string of frustrating setbacks for the former Williams man.

He previously suffered a battery failure while fighting Antonelli for the lead at the Canadian Grand Prix.

Furthermore, a straight-line speed deficit culminated in a race-ending collision at the Belgian Grand Prix earlier this month.

“I’m sort of past the point of disappointment now, because if I continue to be disappointed with everything that goes on, I’ll just be disappointed every day.”

McLaren driver Lando Norris has won an enthralling Hungarian Grand Prix to secure victory ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri in the final Formula 1 race before the summer break.

The British racer started from pole position but lost the lead to the young Australian at the second corner of the opening lap.

Despite falling behind early, the 26-year-old displayed relentless pace to claw his way back into contention.

McLaren strategy proves decisive

Team protocol dictated that the leading driver received priority during the first round of pit stops.

Piastri came in on lap 16 to cover off chasing rivals, while his title-chasing stablemate followed a lap later.

However, the decisive moment arrived during the second stint on a circuit renowned for high tyre degradation.

The Melbourne-born driver pitted again on lap 33, allowing the sister car to run in clean air and extend its stint.

Stopping six laps later gave the British contender a crucial tyre life advantage to reclaim the lead in the closing stages.

Hamilton penalised in podium battle

Elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton was denied a podium finish following a pit-lane speeding infringement.

The seven-time world champion was caught exceeding the limit by just 0.1kph in his Ferrari.

He had released his speed limiter a fraction early in a desperate bid to beat Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli to the safety car line.

Race officials deemed that the Italian teenager reached the critical line first, forcing the veteran to yield position.

The resulting penalty dropped the 41-year-old down the order, promoting his Monegasque team-mate Charles Leclerc into fourth place.

Malaysia returns to the calendar

In further major news for the sport, it has been confirmed that Malaysia will return to the Formula 1 schedule.

The Asian venue is set to host an early October event as the 2026 season gears up for a dramatic conclusion.

Formula 1 has relocated the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix to Malaysia due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East, forcing the cancellation of a domestic racing event at the Sepang International Circuit.

The Gulf nation will bankroll the event 3,750 miles away to ensure the race remains on the calendar following its initial postponement.

Action will take place from 2 to 4 October, slotting neatly between fixtures in Azerbaijan and Singapore.

Sepang preparations force series cancellation

The unexpected addition to the motorsport schedule means the Thailand Super Series can no longer hold its September race at the venue.

Circuit management must close the track to conduct strict safety procedures, surface cleaning, and system checks ahead of the flagship event.

The South East Asian track last staged a premier single-seater race in 2017 and requires significant work to meet modern standards.

Officials apologise for sudden calendar changes

Preeda Tantemsapya, vice president of the affected domestic series, informed competitors that alternative dates are actively being sought.

The official announcement made by Formula 1 and the FIA yesterday… means the circuit will have to be closed for strict safety, surface cleaning and system checks in preparation for the Formula 1 event.

A subsequent statement released on social media apologised to fans for the unforeseen disruption and thanked them for their patience.

We sincerely apologise for this unforeseen situation beyond our control and appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued support.

The original Middle Eastern fixture was initially scheduled for April alongside the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix before both were scrapped due to the Iran war.

Motorsport executives remain optimistic this relocation will be the final adjustment required for the upcoming championship schedule.

Defending Formula 1 champion Lando Norris insists all the pressure rests on current leader Kimi Antonelli after securing a dominant victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver sits 91 points behind the Mercedes youngster with 11 rounds remaining in the 2026 season.

Despite the significant gap, the British racer has refused to rule out a spectacular championship fightback following his impressive weekend in Budapest.

Chasing down the championship lead

Overcoming large points deficits is not unprecedented in recent Formula 1 history.

Last year, Max Verstappen trailed by 104 points with 10 events remaining before ultimately falling just two points short of the title won by the current McLaren star.

“The pressure is on him for sure,” Norris told Sky Sports F1.
“There’s no pressure on me. I’ve been feeling very confident.”

The relentless race for upgrades

The Woking-based outfit introduced a major upgrade package in Hungary, featuring a newly designed floor that significantly boosted their pace.

That added speed allowed the defending champion to successfully overcut team-mate Oscar Piastri during the second pit stop phase on Sunday.

“They have made more mistakes as a team and we have made less and we have come strong, but I expect them to still win races,” Norris added.
“We just need to be perfect from here on now for the whole year.”

Team principal Andrea Stella believes the development battle will dictate the second half of the campaign.

“I expect that the car that will be the best car at the end of the season will keep adding tenths of a second in the next 11 races,” Stella explained.
“So definitely a lot of work ahead of everyone, not only McLaren.”