RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: Everyone is talking about Rachel Reeves and her tears... but we're all missing the REAL story on the outrageous scam that shames Britain
Nothing beats a nifty 99 (only the crumbliest, flakiest, etc) in this weather and seeing as everybody else on the beach seemed to be 'working from home', judging by those pictures in the papers, I thought: why not?
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BBC News
40 minutes ago
- BBC News
British Grand Prix first practice at Silverstone
Update: Date: 12:19 BST Title: Get Involved - who should Mercedes choose for 2026? Content: #bbcf1, f1@ WhatsApp on 03301231826 At last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said it was likelier that George Russell would be at the team next season than Max Verstappen, but did not deny he was speaking to the world champion's representatives. So, imagine you're Toto Wolff and you have to choose between Russell and Verstappen: who do you pick for the all-new 2026 era? Let us know your thoughts on #bbcf1 on X, email f1@ or via WhatsApp on 03301231826. Also use those channels if you're at Silverstone this weekend and want a mention on the page. Update: Date: 12:16 BST Title: Lindblad in for Tsunoda in FP1 Content: There's another home driver to keep an eye out for in first practice, as Arvid Lindblad makes his F1 weekend debut at Red Bull. The 17-year-old Formula 2 driver - who turns 18 in August - was granted a super licence last month and will take the wheel of Yuki Tsunoda's car in the opening hour at Silverstone. Paul Aron is also making his first free practice appearance today. The 21-year-old Estonian is an Alpine reserve driver but he'll be sitting in for Nico Hulkenberg over at Sauber after the two teams reached agreement to share his duties. Update: Date: 12:12 BST Title: Antonelli set for three-place grid penalty Content: Kimi Antonelli brings with him to Silverstone some excess backage from Austria in the form of a three-place grid penalty. The Italian rookie was found to be "fully at fault" by the stewards for the early collision with Max Verstappen - contact that ended both of their races on the opening lap. The Dutchman put his arm around the 18-year-old Mercedes driver after the incident and said: "No one does that on purpose as well so for me, that's not a big deal." Update: Date: 12:09 BST Title: Home drivers ready for Silverstone Content: The British contingent of Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, George Russell, Oliver Bearman and Alex Albon - who says he does consider this a home grand prix even though he races under a Thai licence - get to salute their adoring crowd this weekend. For Silverstone record holder Hamilton, he arrives this year not as a Mercedes driver but in the scarlet red of Ferrari. The Italian team's floor upgrade in Austria helped Hamilton to a fourth-placed finish (Charles Leclerc was third), so this would be the perfect circuit to claim his first proper podium of the season, especially after his emotional victory on home turf 12 months ago. Russell took pole here last year but had to retire the car, while Norris finished third and will be one of the favourites for the win this year. Update: Date: 12:06 BST Title: Verstappen has 'nothing to add' on Mercedes rumour Content: Max Verstappen, meanwhile, was swamped by journalists in the paddock yesterday, all eager to hear the Dutchman's thoughts on the latest rumours he could be joining rivals Mercedes for the 2026 season. "I have nothing to add," said Verstapen, who has a contract with Red Bull until 2028, when quizzed about his future. The four-time world champion was also asked by 5 Live's Jennie Gow whether he could imagine driving for another team on the grid. "I've always said to the team it would be ideal - and I think they feel the same way - is of course to finish off my career in Formula 1 with one team," Verstappen replied. "I think that would be something amazing, I think. And that's something that we are still trying to achieve." Update: Date: 12:03 BST Title: I don't think I'll be going anywhere - Russell Content: Andrew BensonBBC F1 correspondent at Silverstone George Russell says he "doesn't think I'll be going anywhere" amid links between his Mercedes team and four-time world champion Max Verstappen. Mercedes have talked to Verstappen's management about the possibility of the Dutchman joining them from Red Bull next year. The 27-year-old Briton is out of contract with the Silver Arrows at the end of this season. "The likelihood I'm not at Mercedes next year, I think, is exceptionally low," said Russell on Thursday. "I know where their loyalty lies. It doesn't need to be public. It doesn't need to be broadcast to everybody. "I feel I'm performing better than ever. And it's as simple as that really. Performance speaks for everything." Read the full story here Update: Date: 12:00 BST Title: Round 12: Silverstone Content: Lorraine McKennaBBC Sport Journalist Hello, folks. July on the F1 calendar means only one thing for us here in the UK: The British Grand Prix. We've arrived at Silverstone - the place where it all began 75 years ago - for round 12 of the 2025 season. The circuit, as you would expect, is packed to the rafters with excited fans who are all hoping for a home victory. First practice gets under way at 12:30 BST. Second practice goes green at 16:00 BST. Austria seven days ago was all about McLaren, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri securing a dominant one-two. The win for Briton Norris cuts Piastri's lead in the title fight to 15 points heading into the 52-lap race this weekend. The story making waves for the second weekend in a row, however, is the George Russell-Max Verstappen-Mercedes saga. Is the Dutchman heading for a team change? Or is Russell finally going to put pen to paper on a new Silver Arrows contract? ...
Auto Express
44 minutes ago
- Auto Express
Best snow foams 2025
Snow foam has gone from being a niche product for professional valeters to an everyday part of many motorists' car-cleaning kit. It works in the same way as leaving dirty dishes in a sink to soak, by softening dirt and making it much easier to remove. As snow foam's popularity has increased, so has the number of products on offer, to the extent that our usual two-year review cycle can't keep up. So in this mega test we have put 20 through our rigorous process. We've chosen the most popular sizes, but if you use a lot of foam we'd advise buying in bulk to cut the cost per wash, especially if you order online. So which foams covered themselves in glory, and which were snow good? We modified the test slightly this year, by applying the products to our Fiat's bodywork direct from a pressure washer's snow foam lance, in carefully masked sections, so we could see the cleaning power and foam levels at the dilutions suggested by the maker's instructions. Advertisement - Article continues below Once they had been left to dwell for five minutes, we rinsed them off using a normal hose's pressure, and judged the cleaning performance. This was followed by a jet wash's blast to gauge the level of dirt remaining. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below View T-Cross View T-Cross View 2 Each foam was rated for its cleaning ability, ease of use and value for money per wash, based on 250ml of mixture per car. Price: around £9.95 around £9.95 Size: 1 litre 1 litre Cost per wash: 17p 17p Rating: 5 stars 5 stars Contact: We have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Bilt-Hamber's Touch-Less. We highly rate the cleaning power and value for money, but are frustrated by the baffling instructions that require at least 20 minutes to follow. We suspect many users won't make the effort, so in addition to following the supplied directions to the letter, we also tried a mix using a simple 1:10 dilution. Both concentrations produced a clinging foam that cut through dirt noticeably better than most rivals here. The value is impressive, too, so Touch-Less takes the win. Buy now from Amazon Price: around £11.99 around £11.99 Size: 2.5 litres 2.5 litres Cost per wash: 12p 12p Rating: 4.5 stars 4.5 stars Contact: This is the first time we've tried Polar White, and we assumed it would be cheap and cheerful rather than particularly effective. But we were impressed by CarPlan's snow foam. The smallest container available is 2.5 litres, yet it costs less than some rivals' one-litre bottles. This, combined with a 1:9 mix ratio means the cost per wash is the lowest in this test. Despite the dilution and the slightly watery foam it creates, the bright orange, satsuma- scented liquid does the job well when it's left to dwell on the car's paintwork. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Buy now from Amazon Price: around £13 around £13 Size: 2.5 litres 2.5 litres Cost per wash: 22p 22p Rating: 4.5 stars 4.5 stars Contact: Our previous winner has fallen down the rankings this year, mainly because its price has leapt up, removing one of the Halfords' key advantages over the Bilt-Hamber and the bargain-priced newcomer from CarPlan. The snow foam has to be mixed at a 1:5 ratio, too, which means it doesn't look as cost- effective on a per wash basis. On the positive side, you're unlikely to need to pay for delivery, because it's available in any Halfords store. Its cleaning power is impressive though, matching the top two competitors here, despite producing a thin foam. Buy now from Halfords Price: around £5.99 around £5.99 Size: 1 litre 1 litre Cost per wash: 14p 14p Rating: 4.5 stars 4.5 stars Contact: The Vortex Blast appears to be closely related to the second-placed CarPlan product in terms of its active ingredients and formulation, but it is a vivid pink colour and has a different candyfloss aroma. It's the cheapest foam in this test and has an economical 1:9 dilution ratio, but is beaten for value by CarPlan. The Triplewax cleans just as well though, so it might make sense if you are an occasional user or short on shelf space. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Buy now from Amazon Price: around £12.95 around £12.95 Size: 1 litre 1 litre Cost per wash: 32p 32p Rating: 4.5 stars 4.5 stars Contact: Despite the name, Angelwax's Fastfoam is designed to be left to dwell for 10 minutes – the longest of any product in this test. The cleaning ability is on par with the Bilt-Hamber product, even at the suggested 1:9 dilution rate. The Angelwax only loses out on a higher placing due to the cost per wash. Buying a bigger five-litre bottle makes it much better value, at 15p per clean. Buy now from Amazon We've previously tried Squid Ink's alkaline Alka Froth, so were keen to try the less aggressive Froth, which is safe to use with wax coatings. It works out at a pricey 50p per wash at the maker's suggested 1:9 dilution, but the foam it creates is too thick. We dialled the mix back to 1:19 and it was just right, cleaning just as well as at the lower ratio. Buy now from Amazon Price: around £15.99 around £15.99 Size: 1 litre 1 litre Cost per wash: 57p 57p Rating: 4 stars 4 stars Contact: This is designed to be used in our Product of the Year-winning manual foam sprayer. We tried it both in the Hydro sprayer and in a pressure-washer lance. Both created a thick blanket of 'snow', which faded fast but did a good job of dissolving Hydro Snow misses out here mainly because of the high price, but getting it in a Hydro bundle deal will bring the cost down. Price: around £23.99 around £23.99 Size: 2.5 litres 2.5 litres Cost per wash: 40p 40p Rating: 4 stars 4 stars Contact: Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The Polar Blast is designed to be used as part of a three-part cleaning process using Autoglym's other Polar Products, which can also be delivered through a snow-foam lance. It is effective at cleaning even on its own and produces a lovely layer of foam at the suggested 1:5 rate. But the Polar Blast is too expensive to be in with a chance of a win here. Buy now from Amazon Price: around £6 around £6 Size: 500ml 500ml Cost per wash: 14p 14p Rating: 3.5 stars 3.5 stars Contact: The low purchase price initially looks to be offset by the small 500ml bottle, but the Race Glaze claws back an advantage with a very frugal 1:20 dilution rate, giving it one of the lowest cost-per-washes of any in this test. The initial foam has a fruity smell, but the aroma and suds fade fast. While the cleaning power is good, it's not a match for the best products in this test. Price: around £13.99 around £13.99 Size: 1 litre 1 litre Cost per wash: 35p 35p Rating: 3.5 stars 3.5 stars Contact: Although the W4 liquid is surprisingly thick before it's mixed, the watery foam it produces is an anticlimax. It creates a pleasant scent though, which is partly due to the natural citrus degreasing ingredients, which keep the foam pH neutral. This helped GTECHNIQ clean some of our dirt easily, but it struggled with dried-on debris. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Buy now from Amazon Price: around £17 around £17 Size: 1 litre 1 litre Cost per wash: 28p 28p Rating: 3 stars 3 stars Contact: While it looks expensive, at £17 for a one-litre bottle, the Dodo Juice's instructions suggest a dilution ratio of between 1:9 and 1:19 depending on how dirty your car is. We tried it at 1:14, which gave a reasonable cost per foam is thick, but isn't pH neutral, so it will strip off wax coatings and may damage delicate trims. Buy now from Amazon The Magifoam's instructions say you should pour two inches of the liquid into an Autobrite snow-foam lance. Given that this wasn't available at the time of testing – and we'd imagine people will have their own already – we had to guess at the required dilution, settling on 1:5. This gave a reasonable result, but there were no outstanding scores. Buy now from Amazon Price: around £17.50 around £17.50 Size: 1 litre 1 litre Cost per wash : 73p : 73p Rating: 3 stars 3 stars Contact: We really liked the Gyeon – until we entered the costs into the spreadsheet and saw its overall score tumble. It's had a price increase since we last tested it, too. When using the suggested 1:5 dilution ratio for Q2M FOAM, it works out at 73p per wash, which is simply too high to be offset by the dense foam created and the strong cleaning performance. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Buy now from Amazon Price: around £10.99 around £10.99 Size: 500ml 500ml Cost per wash: 55p 55p Rating: 3 stars 3 stars Contact: The satsuma-scented Arctic Storm has an artificial-smelling citrus aroma, and the neon orange liquid creates a watery white foam with fairly efficient cleaning power, even at the suggested 1:9 mix ratio. But it doesn't do anything the similarly scented CarPlan can't – and that costs less than a quarter of the price. Buy now from Amazon In our last test we tried Duel's other snow foam, called Assault, so we were keen to sample the pH neutral and wax-friendly Engage. When mixed at the suggested dilution ratio of 1:4, it produced a satisfying covering of suds, which clung to the car for several minutes before fading. However, Duel Engage is simply much too expensive to do well in this test. Buy now from Amazon Price: around £7.95 around £7.95 Size: 500ml 500ml Cost per wash: 36p 36p Rating: 2.5 stars 2.5 stars Contact: Newcomer VP's foam looks reasonable value for money, especially because it is formulated to be used at a 1:10 dilution rate. Rather than being pH neutral, it is strongly alkaline, meaning it needs to be treated with respect on coatings that have been applied to a car's paintwork, as well as delicate materials. It didn't clean well enough to make this caution worthwhile. Price: around £7.50 around £7.50 Size: 1 litre 1 litre Cost per wash: 19p 19p Rating: 2.5 stars 2.5 stars Contact: Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below This own-brand product from the B&Q chain is cheap to buy, especially if you pick it up with your other DIY materials rather than pay for postage. With a 1:9 dilution level for the odourless liquid, this foam is economical, too, and the instructions helpfully suggest the amount of capfuls needed to measure the mix. Yet the weak foam produced had a mediocre cleaning ability. Price: around £9.99 around £9.99 Size: 500ml 500ml Cost per wash: 50p 50p Rating: 2.5 stars 2.5 stars Contact: There is a lot to like about the Liquidtech Snow Foam. The squirty lid is easier to use with wet hands than a screw top, and the cherry scent is pleasant. The Liquidtech produces a respectable level of foam from the gun, too. But the cost per wash is high, and the actual cleaning performance is disappointing. Buy now from Amazon Price: around £8.99 around £8.99 Size: 500ml 500ml Cost per wash: 41p 41p Rating: 2.5 stars 2.5 stars Contact: We liked the Wipeout's easy-to-use pop top, and the flexibility to vary the dilution based on the muckiness of the vehicle to be washed. We tried it at the suggested 5:1 ratio for a heavy soil, and the result was only middling. The company makes other foams with more bite, but they aren't pH neutral and will strip wax coatings. Buy now from Amazon Price: around£10.49 around£10.49 Size: 500ml 500ml Cost per wash: 87p 87p Rating: 2.5 stars 2.5 stars Contact: The bottle claims the Diamondbrite is 'super concentrated', but it actually needs double the amount of the front runners in this means you'll end up paying a whopping 87p per wash. The cleaning performance was disappointing, too, so we hope that the ceramic ingredients may add unseen protection in the longer term. Buy now from Amazon Bilt-Hamber's Touch-Less is back on top. Look past the baffling instructions and it offers great cleaning at a low cost. Second place goes to a surprise newcomer: CarPlan's Polar White. It doesn't have quite the power of the Bilt-Hamber, but is unbeatable value for money. The final podium place goes to our previous champ, Halfords' Advanced HP. It's still a great product, but a price rise has hit its scores. Looking to make your car shine like new? Then look at our best power car polishers page... Range Rover Sport SV gets massive £35k price drop as it enters series-production Range Rover Sport SV gets massive £35k price drop as it enters series-production There's also a new SV Black trim, and a Range Rover Sport Stealth Package for non SVs Arrivederci Roma: new Ferrari Amalfi slots in as brand's latest entry-level model Arrivederci Roma: new Ferrari Amalfi slots in as brand's latest entry-level model A slick new look and more power are the headlines for Ferrari's new baby, but it's probably some simple new buttons that will get customers' attention Geely is coming to the UK, and its assault will start with EX5 SUV Geely is coming to the UK, and its assault will start with EX5 SUV Geely has looked to Lotus to ensure it's new electric SUV lives up to our driving expectations
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
F1 live streams: Link to watch British Grand Prix practice online
F1 next heads back to the scene of the sport's first ever race 75 years ago as Silverstone hosts the British Grand Prix and round 12 of the 2025 season. Lando Norris secured a vital and much-needed win last time out in Austria, thwarting a challenge from McLaren teammate and championship rival Oscar Piastri. The Australian driver's lead is now 15 points after the first 11 races. Charles Leclerc picked up the final podium place for Ferrari, while Max Verstappen retired after being hit by Kimi Antonelli. Verstappen's future at Red Bull has been the topic of much discussion this week - the Dutchman has been linked with a move to Mercedes, potentially replacing arch rival George Russell in 2026. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, finished fourth in Austria and will be eyeing his first podium for Ferrari as he takes to his home track for the first time in red. Hamilton memorably won last year's race, his ninth victory at Silverstone. When is the British Grand Prix? All times BST Friday 4 July Free practice 1: 12:30pm Free practice 2: 4pm Saturday 5 July Free practice 3: 11:30am Qualifying: 3 pm Sunday 6 July Race: 3pm How can I watch it online and on TV? The British Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom - and ESPN in the United States. Sky's coverage of Sunday's race starts at 1:30pm (BST). Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action at Silverstone on the Sky Go app. If you're not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription. The race will also be broadcast on free-to-air Channel 4, with all sessions live on the main channel. Channel 4's coverage of Sunday's race also starts at 1:30pm. You can watch all sessions live via this stream. If you're travelling abroad and want to watch the British Grand Prix then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help. F1 driver standings 1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 216 points 2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 201 points 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 155 points 4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 146 points 5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 119 points 6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 91 points 7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 63 points 8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 42 points 9. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 23 points 10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 22 points 11. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 21 points 12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 14 points 13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 14 points 14. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 13 points 15. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 12 points 16. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 11 points 17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 points 18. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 6 points 19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 4 points 20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points 21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points F1 constructor standings 1. McLaren - 417 points 2. Ferrari - 210 points 3. Mercedes - 209 points 4. Red Bull - 162 points 5. Williams - 55 points 6. Racing Bulls - 36 points 7. Haas - 29 points 8. Aston Martin - 28 points 9. Sauber - 26 points 10. Alpine - 11 points 2025 F1 CALENDAR IN FULL: ROUND 12 - GREAT BRITAIN Silverstone Circuit - 4-6 July ROUND 13 - BELGIUM (sprint weekend) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - 25-27 July ROUND 14 - HUNGARY Hungaroring, Budapest - 1-3 August ROUND 15 - NETHERLANDS Circuit Zandvoort - 29-31 August ROUND 16 - ITALY Monza Circuit - 5-7 September ROUND 17 - AZERBAIJAN Baku City Circuit - 19-21 September ROUND 18 - SINGAPORE Marina Bay Street Circuit - 3-5 October ROUND 19 - UNITED STATES (sprint weekend) Circuit of the Americas, Austin - 17-19 October ROUND 20 - MEXICO Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City - 24-26 October ROUND 21 - BRAZIL (sprint weekend) Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo - 7-9 November ROUND 22 - LAS VEGAS Las Vegas Street Circuit - 20-22 November ROUND 23 - QATAR (sprint weekend)
