search
date/time
Lancashire Times
A Voice of the North
frontpagebusinessartscarslifestylefamilytravelsportsscitechnaturefictionwhatson
No cookies. No tracking. No advertising.
Mercedes And Alpine Unveil Their 2021 Cars
The Mercedes and Alpine Formula 1 teams have today held virtual unveilings of the cars they will use in this year’s world championship, Alpine being the new name for the outfit which was known as Renault upto the end of last year. Mercedes has won every Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship since…
Mercedes’ new W12 challenger, which it hopes will keep them on top for an eighth consecutive year
Ferrari Kicks Off Its 2021 Season
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Team principal Mattia Binotto is tasked with leading Ferrari back to better times
Formula 1’s longest standing entrant, the iconic Scuderia Ferrari, has today kicked off its new campaign with a team launch. However, there was no car present, just senior personnel, as it is keeping its new SF21 challenger under wraps until 10 March, just a couple of days before pre-season testing…
3:10 PM 26th February 2021
Red Bull Joins The Launch Party
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Red Bull hopes its RB16B will threaten Mercedes more this season
Today it has been the turn of the Red Bull Formula 1 team to join the current launch party as it revealed online its new RB16B offering, a car it hopes will enable them to pose a bigger threat to Mercedes’ dominance of the sport since 2014. The all new technical…
4:22 PM 23rd February 2021
Alfa Romeo’s C41 Unveiled
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Alfa Romeo’s new C41 has an eye-catching revised livery
The Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team, operated by Sauber Motorsport from its Swiss base, has today uncovered its C41 car for this year’s world championship and the unveiling took place in a rather fine setting, the Grand Theatre in the Polish capital Warsaw as the city is the home of…
1:25 PM 22nd February 2021
AlphaTauri’s AT02 Breaks Cover
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
The AT02’s 2021 livery was revealed in the AlphaTauri clothing showroom in Salzburg
The Scuderia AlphaTauri has today become the second Formula 1 team to unveil the car in which it will compete this season. Images of the AT02 were revealed online, whilst its new livery was also displayed on a previous chassis as part of a fashion and F1 display at the…
11:16 AM 19th February 2021
McLaren Launches Its 2021 Challenger
McLaren has become the first Formula 1 team to launch its car for the 2021 season, which is set to begin in Bahrain late next month. Broadcast live on the internet and on the Sky Sports F1 channel from the McLaren headquarters in Woking, their MCL35M challenger was revealed. The second…
10:06 PM 15th February 2021
Sporting Legends Led By Sir Geoff Hurst Urge Over 70s To Get Coronavirus Vaccination
Hurst says: “For goodness sake, just get it done. It's in your interest, as well as that of your family, friends, workmates, and your country." England’s 1966 World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst has led some of Britain’s sporting legends to urge people aged 70 and over yet to receive their…
10:08 AM 13th February 2021
Alonso’s Fractured Jaw, An Engine Freeze And Sprint Races
Fernando Alonso, who is returning this year for a third stint with the Renault Formula 1 team which has now been rebranded as Alpine, sustained a fractured upper jaw yesterday whilst cycling near Lugano in Switzerland. The 39 year old Spanish double champion, who has been away from F1 for the…
4:24 PM 12th February 2021
Hamilton Agrees A New One Year Deal With Mercedes
The Mercedes Formula 1 team has today revealed that Sir Lewis Hamilton has finally agreed a new contract with the team, although its length will only be for a single year. Negotiations have been ongoing since Hamilton wrapped up his record equalling seventh Drivers’ Championship title at last year’s Turkish…
2:34 PM 8th February 2021
Brady Leads The Bucs To Super Bowl Glory
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Outstanding quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes (left) and Tom Brady starred in the 55th Super Bowl
The 55th American football end of season Super Bowl game took place yesterday between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and it was the Bucs who against the odds emerged very much on top after a superb performance. It is a million miles away from my usual…
7:06 AM 8th February 2021
Mercedes Announces The Launch Date For Its 2021 Car
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
This year’s Mercedes challenger will be a development of last year’s car
The dominant Mercedes Formula 1 team, which has won all the Constructors’ and Drivers’ championships since the 2014 season, has today revealed that it will hold a digital launch for its 2021 challenger on 2 March. Its official name will be the Mercedes-AMG W12 E Performance, with the E Performance…
5:32 PM 2nd February 2021
British Wheelchair Basketball Launch New Programme To Double Participation
photo - British Wheelchair Basketball
British Wheelchair Basketball, the governing body for the sport in the UK, has launched its ground-breaking ‘Inspire a Generation’ programme, in a bid to double participation over the next four years. The new programme, driven by British Wheelchair Basketball and supported by £1.5m of funding from Sport England, is a hugely…
5:53 PM 30th January 2021
Time To Hang Up The Gloves? Kell Brook
Laurence Gill
Sports Writer
What Next For Kell Brook? Last November, former IBF Welterweight World Champion and proud Sheffielder Kell Brook was knocked out in the 4th round by pound-for-pound superstar Terence Crawford in Las Vegas. This was Brook’s third loss in six fights, and this one his most damning. Many suspected that would be…
1:01 PM 14th January 2021
Formula 1 News
2021 has hardly started as we would all have wished it to and we face a challenging time ahead, but the sporting world still continues and various Formula 1 news stories are still emerging despite it currently being the close season. It looks increasingly likely that this year’s opening Grand Prix…
5:05 PM 7th January 2021
Lewis Hamilton Knighted
The 35 year old British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has been knighted in the New Year’s Honours list after winning a record equalling seventh Drivers’ title this season and becoming a very active campaigner in support of the BLM movement. His first F1 title was achieved back in 2008 with…
6:00 AM 31st December 2020
Sports Stars Back Longer School Day To Boost Games And Exercise
A plan to extend the school day by two hours to give pupils more time for physical exercise has been backed by some of the country’s leading sports stars. The move is intended to combat the obesity crisis and anti-social behaviour and, in the wake of the social damage done…
8:42 PM 27th December 2020
Hamilton Wins BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Award
Yesterday evening Formula 1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton received the BBC viewers’ award as its Sports Personality of the Year, just as Bill Bailey had won a similar public vote on Strictly Come Dancing 24 hours earlier. Hamilton has driven for the Mercedes team since 2013 and all bar one of…
1:48 PM 21st December 2020
F1 News From Mercedes, Red Bull And AlphaTauri
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
INEOS’ Monaco based Chairman and CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe (left) and Mercedes part owner and Team Principal Toto Wolff (right)
There has been news today from the Mercedes Formula 1 team about its future ownership and on the driver front there has been confirmation from Red Bull of a change for next year, with AlphaTauri having made a similar announcement earlier this week. Mercedes’ former partner sponsor INEOS, a major chemicals…
5:08 PM 18th December 2020
Verstappen Imperious In Abu Dhabi Finale
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Max Verstappen concluded his season with an impressive pole position and lights-to-flag victory
The big news before Formula 1’s season finale in Abu Dhabi today was that Lewis Hamilton was returning for Mercedes after suffering from COVID-19 and missing the previous race in Bahrain, but it was Red Bull’s Max Verstappen who drove faultlessly to take the victory spoils come the chequered flag. The…
5:31 PM 13th December 2020
Unique Burrow Seven Fundraising Campaign Celebrates First Of Many Milestones
£50,000 donation is given to the MND Association. It is expected to be the first of many large donations the Burrow Seven team will make. In November of this year Rob Burrow and former teammate Barrie McDermott announced the launch of the Burrow Seven fundraising campaign. The unique initiative, unlike any…
11:00 AM 12th December 2020
Perez Wins As Mercedes Pit Blunders And Puncture Deny Russell
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Sergio Perez was delighted to take his first ever win
After a dramatic week during which Lewis Hamilton had to self-isolate after testing positive for COVID-19 and an agreement was reached between the Mercedes and Williams teams for the highly popular 22 year old George Russell from King’s Lynn to cover his absence, we then witnessed an action packed first…
10:39 PM 6th December 2020
Russell To Replace Hamilton At Mercedes This Weekend
It has been announced today that the highly likeable 22 year old British Formula 1 driver George Russell will take over Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes car for the Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain this weekend after this year’s champion tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday and is needing to self-isolate. Russell,…
4:01 PM 2nd December 2020
Hamilton To Miss Sakhir Grand Prix After Testing Positive For COVID-19
Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has tested positive for COVID-19 and will have to miss this weekend’s Sakhir Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion is now in isolation in Bahrain, but may be available for the season finale a week later in Abu Dhabi as the Bahraini isolation period…
10:56 AM 1st December 2020
Hamilton Victory Overshadowed By Horrific Grosjean Accident
Both the drivers and constructors championships had already been settled again in Mercedes’ favour for a seventh year running by the time the Formula 1 circus pitched camp in Bahrain this weekend for the first of two consecutive races before the finale in Abu Dhabi seven days later, but there…
6:55 PM 29th November 2020
International Swimming: London Roars Into Third Place Finish
This weekend saw the end of the International Swimming League 2020 season. With the four best teams going head to head in Budapest to claim the Championship title, it was the Cali Condors who were the ones to take home the trophy. Condor’s captain, Caeleb Dressel, leading his team to…
6:55 PM 23rd November 2020
Hamilton Equals Schumacher’s Title Record In Turkey
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
A seventh drivers title for Lewis Hamilton, with one for McLaren followed by six for the dominant Mercedes team
Lewis Hamilton claimed a seventh Formula 1 drivers title in Turkey today and equalled Michael Schumacher’s long-standing record, his all-conquering Mercedes team having won all bar two of this year’s Grands Prix and having sealed its seventh consecutive constructors title at the previous race in Italy. As the F1 circus set…
2:17 PM 15th November 2020
B. Braun Renew Support Of Paralympian Medalists
Sheffield-based B. Braun Medical Ltd has renewed their support of two world-class Paralympians set to make their mark at the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics. British athlete Karen Darke is a hand cyclist who won gold at the Rio 2016 Paralympics and took home two silver medals from the UCI Para-cycling Road World…
3:38 PM 12th November 2020
Hamilton On Top Again As Mercedes Seals Another Constructors Title
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
A timely virtual safety car period very much helped Lewis Hamilton clinch another victory
Formula 1 made a coronavirus induced yet emotional return to Imola in northern Italy this weekend as it was where we lost the iconic Ayrton Senna as well as Roland Ratzenberger on that awful weekend back in spring 1994. Fortunately there were no such dark events at the famous circuit…
4:30 AM 1st November 2020
F1’s New 23 Race Calendar For 2021
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
A street race in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is set to feature next year
The future sadly remains impossible for any of us to predict due to the widespread impact of the coronavirus pandemic around the world, but the owners of Formula 1 (Liberty Media) and the sport’s governing body (the FIA) have formulated a draft 23 race calendar for next season, featuring the…
7:15 AM 28th October 2020
Mercedes Dominant As Hamilton Sets New Win Record
Formula 1 hasn’t raced in Portugal since Estoril back in 1996, but today we had a first ever Grand Prix at the impressive Autódromo Internacional do Algarve located in Portimão and Lewis Hamilton set a new record of 92 F1 career victories whilst driving for his long dominant Mercedes team. The…
4:40 AM 25th October 2020
The F1 Driver Market As Haas Drops Both Drivers
There was a flurry of activity in the Formula 1 driver market earlier this year, triggered by Ferrari deciding to not renew Sebastian Vettel’s contract beyond the end of 2020, and this same market has now sprung into life again with the Haas team announcing that it will be dropping…
10:23 AM 23rd October 2020
Hamilton Equals Schumacher Win Record In Germany
Formula 1 has made a welcome return to the iconic Nürburgring venue in mid-Germany, which last held a Grand Prix back in 2013, and it was Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton who emerged with the victory spoils from what was entitled the Eifel Grand Prix. This was the British driver’s 91st victory…
5:59 AM 11th October 2020
RIP Zef Eisenberg 1973-2020
Zef Eisenberg, the 47 year old British founder of the sports nutritional brand Maximuscle and holder of many UK and world land speed records, was killed at Elvington Airfield near York on the afternoon of Thursday 1st October whilst attempting to set a new record in a specially adapted Porsche…
2:12 AM 3rd October 2020
Honda To Leave F1
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen happy to point out Honda’s part in his success
The Japanese automotive giant Honda has today announced that at the end of the 2021 season it will end its involvement in Formula 1 as a power unit supplier to the Red Bull and Scuderia AlphaTauri teams. It explained that after a detailed review it feels the need to focus…
12:50 PM 2nd October 2020
Schumacher And Ilott To Make Their F1 Practice Debuts At The Eifel Grand Prix
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Mick Schumacher (right) and Callum Ilott are thrilled to be making their F1 practice debuts next week
German racing driver Mick Schumacher (son of the legendary Michael) and his British rival in Formula 2 this season Callum Ilott will make their Formula 1 practice debuts a week on Friday at the Nürburgring in the opening free practice session for the Eifel Grand Prix. Both are aged 21 and…
1:10 AM 30th September 2020
Bottas On Top As Hamilton Closes On Race Ban
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Valtteri Bottas loves Sochi and was delighted to silence some of his critics
The Formula 1 circus returned this weekend to Sochi on the Black Sea coast for this year’s Russian Grand Prix and it was Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas who reigned supreme as practice start errors earned his team-mate Lewis Hamilton two five second penalties and two more points on his race licence,…
4:25 AM 27th September 2020
Domenicali To Replace Carey As F1 CEO
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Stefano Domenicali (right) in his Ferrari days with Red Bull’s Christian Horner
The former Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali is set to replace the current Formula 1 supremo Chase Carey before the start of next season. An official confirmation is yet to be made by F1’s owner Liberty Media, but all F1 teams were advised of the news yesterday. Domenicali, a highly likeable…
3:29 PM 23rd September 2020
United Autosports Fifth Overall And LMP2 Class Winner At Le Mans
The Yorkshire based United Autosports team finished an impressive fifth overall in this weekend’s Le Mans 24 Hour race in France, claiming victory in the closely contested LMP2 class. Its second car, running in the same class, reached the chequered flag in 17th place overall and 13th in class after…
5:07 AM 20th September 2020
United Autosports Returns To Le Mans
France’s Le Mans 24 Hour race ranks very much alongside Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix and the US’s Indianapolis 500 as one of the three most iconic events on the annual motorsport calendar and this coming weekend we have a northern team to support in the form of United Autosports,…
11:41 AM 15th September 2020
Mercedes Dominate Chaotic And Twice Redflagged Tuscan Grand Prix
Formula 1 may have tested at the beautifully located Mugello circuit in northern Italy in the past, but it has never raced there before and so history was made as Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton claimed the victory spoils after today’s inaugural Tuscan Grand Prix. His team-mate Valtteri Bottas was clearly the…
6:32 PM 13th September 2020
Perez To Leave Racing Point And Set To Be Replaced By Vettel
Racing Point Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez will leave the Silverstone based team at the end of this season after seven years with them, including five under its former Force India guise, and it is very much expected that the German four time world champion Sebastian Vettel will be confirmed…
7:00 AM 10th September 2020
Sport Pilots To Be Reduced In Capacity To 1,000 People Socially Distanced
The government is to reduce the number of people that can attend sporting events to pilot the safe return of spectators to 1,000 in light of the increase in the number of positive coronavirus cases. All pilots with larger audiences will be reviewed in light of…
2:54 AM 10th September 2020
Gasly Wins Dramatic Italian Grand Prix After Hamilton Penalty
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Pierre Gasly drove superbly to take his first F1 victory
Mercedes’ dominance of Formula 1 since 2014 has been even greater than ever this season, but at Monza’s famous temple of speed circuit this afternoon a dramatic Italian Grand Prix resulted in victory for French driver Pierre Gasly and his Italian AlphaTauri team. The first Grand Prix not to be…
6:42 AM 6th September 2020
Sir Frank Williams And Daughter Claire Depart As Prince William’s Brother-In-law Arrives
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Sir Frank and Sir Patrick back in the early days of their team
An official announcement was made today by the Williams Formula 1 team, advising that Sir Frank Williams and his daughter Claire will be leaving the team after this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix and following its recent acquisition by US investment company Dorilton Capital. Team principal Sir Frank had taken a…
6:12 AM 3rd September 2020
The Mercedes Duo Dominate At Spa
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Lewis Hamilton easily extended his championship lead in Belgium
With Mercedes having been victorious in all bar one of the six Grands Prix to date in this shortened season and with Lewis Hamilton having won four of them, the Formula 1 circus pitched camp at Belgium’s famous Spa Francorchamps circuit expecting more of the same and that is just…
5:23 AM 30th August 2020
Diabetes UK Looking For Cyclists From Lancashire To Take Part In Fundraising Challenge
Diabetes UK is looking for people from Lancashire to get on their bikes and take on the UK Wide Cycle Ride this September. This September take your fitness up a gear and complete the coast to coast virtual challenge. You have the full month to clock up the miles and can…
7:15 PM 19th August 2020
F1 Set To Return To Turkey To Complete 2020 Calendar
It is expected that Turkey will soon be slotted into this year’s highly amended Formula 1 calendar, making it a 17 race programme of events compared to the 22 originally scheduled before the pandemic arrived. Subject to a new deal being finalised, this latest addition will help to lessen the…
3:59 AM 19th August 2020
Hamilton Cruises To An Easy Victory In Spain
After Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had taken a surprise victory over the usually dominant Mercedes team at Silverstone last weekend, battle recommenced just days later at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and on this occasion it was an unchallenged Lewis Hamilton who lifted the winner’s trophy for Mercedes. Verstappen’s success in Northamptonshire…
4:57 PM 16th August 2020
Fylde Coast
It’s time to head to the Lancashire coast on this week's ride, and we’re even including a ferry trip - albeit just across the harbour at Fleetwood. Best of all, it’s a flat ride, so it’s suitable for anyone, and there’s ample opportunity for ice creams! The small historic town of…
2:00 AM 13th August 2020
Mighty Verstappen Wins Amidst Racing Point Copying Row
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Max Verstappen showed true class as he led the Mercedes duo home
The Formula 1 circus remained at Silverstone for a second race following the dramatic closing stages of last weekend’s British Grand Prix and, after an increasingly bitter inter-team war had broken out off track, it was Red Bull’s mighty Max Verstappen who ended Mercedes’ domination of victories so far this…
4:52 PM 9th August 2020
Racing Point Loses 15 Points And Fined 400,000 Euros
Graham Read
Formula 1 Correspondent
Racing Point has been punished in relation to the design of the brake ducts on this year’s RP20 car
The Racing Point Formula 1 team has lost 15 points in the Constructors Championship and been fined 400,000 Euros after the rival Renault team’s multiple protests about the legality of their brake ducts were upheld by an FIA stewards’ hearing at Silverstone. On Friday morning the latter announced that the…
1:48 PM 7th August 2020
more