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Emergency services have been scrambled to Junction 24 on the busy road, with congestion stretching six miles to Junction 26.
Shocking footage shows plumes of smoke rising from a lorry trailer as horrified drivers slowly make their way past.
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Telegraph
34 minutes ago
- Telegraph
The 10 best strimmers for a neat and tidy garden, reviewed by experts
The key to a well-cut lawn is neat edges – but they're hard to achieve. Often, a lawn mower is too bulky and if there's a flowerbed or rockery, you risk damaging your flowers, your lawn mower or both. The best strimmers, whether petrol, electric or cordless, make it easy. In fact, if your garden needs serious landscaping, turn to a strimmer first. 'If the grass is longer than your lawn mower can handle, the strimmer can take that down ready for you to go over it with the mower,' explains James Broadhouse, a professional groundskeeper of 12 years (known online as Jimmy The Mower). For something tougher, like a bramble patch, a powerful strimmer or brushcutter will also help. Below we've reviewed this year's best strimmers from brands including Stihl, Ryobi and Bosch. You'll also find answers to popular questions about them. But first, here's our top five: Which are the best strimmers? At a glance JUMP TO THE REVIEWS How to choose the best strimmer According to Broadhouse, the key things to look for in a strimmer are a robust build, comfortable handling and, if it's cordless, a decent battery life. 'Most homeowners probably shouldn't be looking at a petrol strimmer,' says Broadhouse. 'A can of petrol is only really fresh for a couple of months, after which, if you haven't used it all, it just goes to waste.' That said, heavy-duty or commercial users, will benefit from the extra power and range petrol models provide. Broadhouse also recommends choosing a cordless strimmer over a corded one, because of the potential safety risk a trailing power cord poses. Look for interchangeable heads for different kinds of mowing. Most strimmers will display their noise and vibration output, which can help narrow down your options. They are heavier than they look, so it's worth visiting your local garden centre to try a few and see what feels manageable. How we tested the best strimmers We consulted expert James Broadhouse before testing this year's best strimmers at our reviewers' gardens and in the case of Becky, an allotment too. Most strimmers have various uses, ranging from mowing grass and cutting woody weeds to edging lawn boundaries, depending on the model. We used each tool for its intended tasks, rating performance based on how cleanly and efficiently it cut. Design was also a key factor in our review process, especially the ease of setting up, configuring and handling the tool. Most of the products reviewed are cordless electric strimmers, as these are the most user-friendly. For these we considered the runtime, charging time and overall charging experience. Finally, we weighed up the value-for-money of each strimmer, based on its price and quality relative to comparable models. Since you're perusing tools to cut back unwanted growth in your garden, you may also find our guides to the best hedge trimmers and best secateurs useful. Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best gardening product. No manufacturer ever sees Telegraph Recommended reviews before publication and we don't accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews, nor do we allow brands to pay for placement in our articles. All reviews are based on independent expert opinion and our hands-on testing. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more. Best trimmers 1. Best Buy Strimmer: Stihl FSA 60 R Cordless Strimmer Reviewed by Pete Wise Of the many strimmers I've used, this is the most capable. The wide cutting swathe is good for precisely cutting long, unruly grasses and tough weeds practically exploded on contact – great for bringing my neglected lawn under control before a mow. Assembly took twenty minutes, with a star key and fixings included. The only difficulty came with attaching the handle's fiddly square washers. It's superbly designed, with quality components and intuitive operation. The three-part trigger system is secure and simple, while the long fixed shaft makes it easy to quickly move from side to side and trim large areas efficiently. However, my arms were aching after about 20 minutes. A harness to help distribute the weight may have made it easier to use. It may also be hard to store if your garden storage is on the squat side. The 36V battery blows away most other consumer-grade cordless strimmers. You get about 30 minutes of runtime, but it bumps up the strimmer's weight and has a charging time of about three hours. Impressively given its power, it's not too noisy. It's not cheap, but this investment strimmer is an extremely capable, high-quality tool suitable for large or challenging gardens. Following the safety guidelines is especially important when using powerful models like the FSA 60 R. Stihl makes good protective glasses, face masks and gloves to minimise the risk of injury. Key specifications 2. Best Value Strimmer: Black and Decker 18v Cordless Resin Blade Telescopic Grass and Edge Trimmer The Black and Decker 18v Cordless Resin Blade Telescopic Grass and Edge Trimmer is a powerful tool for gardeners and allotmenteers. It is a small, lightweight, ergonomic strimmer with an adjustable handle and telescopic shaft. The battery (which is interchangeable with other Black and Decker 18v tools) lasts around 40 minutes, which is impressive for such a relatively cheap tool. There are two power settings, one for grass and one for tougher weeds, so you can conserve the battery or boost the power as needed. The rotating head and guide wheel are well suited to tackling lawn edges, though the resin blades can cut into the ground if you get the angle wrong and damage tree trunks and wooden features in the garden. You can change to a soft nylon cord if this will be a problem (sold separately). The resin blades make short work of tougher weeds such as dock and nettles and easily cut through overgrown grass. It has an impressive cutting width for such a small tool (28cm), making as helpful in larger areas as small ones. To set up the tool all you need to do is place the guard around the cutting end; simply loosen a screw, slot the guard in place and then refasten. The handle is easy to adjust at the press of a button, while the shaft extends up and down when you loosen its cuff. Key specifications 3. Best Lightweight Strimmer: Bosch Universal GrassCut 18V-26-500 £100 Buy now Price at Bosch Reviewed by Becky Searle This impressive little tool is one of the lightest on our list, weighing just two kilograms without the battery and 2.4kg with. If you want a grab and go garden tool, this one is good value, easy to handle and can be used with the Bosch POWER FOR ALL battery, if you already have one. It even has a battery life of around forty minutes, making it a great choice for gardens big and small. The head is adjustable, so you can easily strim on a slope or under hard-to-reach places. The shaft is also easily extended and the handle angle adjusted, so it feels comfortable to use, whatever your height and build. The handle end twists too, for easier use on edges, though I prefer tools that twist at the cutting end rather than the handle end for that job. This strimmer cut through tall grass easily and neatly but struggled a bit when facing weeds such as nettle and dock, so it is better suited to those wanting to maintain a lawn than tackle a weedy allotment. Key specifications Cutting width: 26cm Weight: 2kg Battery life: 30-40 minutes 4. Best Variable-speed Trimmer: Makita 18V LXT Reviewed by Maddi Howell I used Makita's cordless strimmer to tackle a particularly overgrown garden that hadn't seen a blade for several years. I was glad of the protective gear I bought, as recommended by the manual. This is powerful for a cordless strimmer, its nylon cutting head capable of cutting grass, weeds, bushes and undergrowth. It was satisfying to use. The Makita is swung in a half circle from right to left, scythe-like. Remove grass and weed residues by reversing the direction of rotation. The blades can cut adjustable widths of 23, 25.5 and 30 cm. It automatically regulates the speed for the best results, depending on the greenery you are trimming. Sensors stop the engine if the rotation suddenly stops, while it also has dust and water resistance. I wouldn't recommend strimming wet weeds, though. It's not as loud as other trimmers, since the adjustable technology keeps the speed low wherever it can. I also bought the compatible three-tooth cutting blade for super tough stems. It was a little tricky to attach: not a job for the impatient. There was quite a lot of vibration, but the ergonomics were good, thanks to a bike-style loop handle and a curved shaft. It's also not frightfully heavy. Overall, a decent cordless grass trimmer that gets nasty jobs done without fuss. It's fairly expensive for a cordless, but the price includes a £120 18V battery which can be used on other Makita 18V tools. The battery charged fast and lasted around 40 minutes. Key specifications Cutting width: 30cm Weight: 3.3kg Power: 18V battery, 240W output 5. Best Strimmer for Battery Design: Ryobi ONE+ Grass Trimmer 18V OLT 1832 Reviewed by Becky Searle The Ryobi strimmer comes as part of its ONE+ range, a group of tools all sharing the same battery. If you already have the battery or own another one of the tools in the range, this represents excellent value. You can also purchase larger batteries for greater run time if you have a large area to cover. Note, however, that these weigh more and can cause balance issues. This tool has an extendable shaft, an adjustable head so you can change the angle of cutting and a rotating head to make edge trimming easier. The handle is also easily adjustable, as is the cutting line, which has a 25 to 30cm width, providing good flexibility if you have some more fiddly areas of your garden. Setting up this tool is straightforward and just requires you to screw on the guard hood and off you go. The Ryobi did an excellent job on the grass but struggled a little on tougher weeds, so it may not be the best choice if you have seriously weedy patches to tackle. Key specifications Cutting width: 25/30cm Weight: 2.4kg Battery life: Up to 50 minutes 6. Best Strimmer for Edging: Stiga Cordless Lawn Trimmer GT 300e Kit This cordless lawn trimmer is powerful, fully adjustable, light and comfortable to use. Set up simply requires the attachment of a guard around the cutting head with two small screws and the handle with another. The latter can move up and down the shaft, which can also extend or shorten using a clip system. This strimmer uses dual nylon line with an auto feed system, meaning that you don't need to keep stopping to unspool the line while you are working. It works well on long grass and has a dedicated power setting for weeds and thicker stems. This was effective on small weeds but struggled with larger ones like dock, where the resin blades of the Black and Decker managed easily. The nylon cord is gentle on stonework and other hard surfaces though and its rotating head and guide wheel make it easy to use for edging. While it has a wide cutting width of 30cm, it's manoeuvrable enough for both large and small gardens. One of the best features is its wall-mounted charger, which lets you charge and store the strimmer with ease. The tool accommodates two batteries, which makes it a little heavier, but packs in a lot of power for a cordless tool. The run time is between 20 and 30 minutes per charge. Key specifications Cutting width: 30cm Weight: 2.9kg Warranty: Five years Battery life: 20 -30 minutes 7. Best Specialised Grass Trimmer: Gtech GT50 Cordless Grass Trimmer Reviewed by Pete Wise Most strimmers aim to please all parties with a middle-of-the-road design, but if you need one for cutting long grass, then the Gtech GT50 could be ideal. This isn't strictly a strimmer, as it uses a spinning blade instead of a string. You might call it a 'blimmer'. The components fit together intuitively, including the replaceable plastic blade (20 are included; spares cost about eight pence each), which was far easier to attach than a strimming line. Some buttons can be a little stiff, but that's a minor complaint. It's powered by an included 18V lithium-ion battery with a runtime of up to 30 minutes. But it takes about four hours to recharge. Helpfully, a status indicator light on the battery tells you roughly how much charge is left. During my hands-on testing, the GT50 cut long grass effortlessly – impressive given the grass was slightly wet (which can strain a trimmer's motor). Though it's designed only for grass, I also used it to cut soft weeds such as dandelions, which proved no match for the rapidly spinning plastic blade. It edged the lawn powerfully, leaving the area crisply cut. I missed a guide wheel for this task, however, as I had to concentrate to hold it at the right height. Using the shoulder strap made it easy to wield and it's exceptionally light at 1.85kg. All things considered, this is a fantastically capable strimmer. If you can handle tough weeds with your secateurs, then it can do the rest. Key specifications 8. Best Strimmer for Large Gardens: Einhell Professional Cordless Lawn Trimmer GP-CT 36/35 Li BL-Solo Reviewed by Becky Searle If you're looking for a serious tool for a larger garden, meadow or paddock, this sturdy, professional strimmer is designed for big jobs. The battery runs for around 35 minutes and it houses two ports on the charger as well. They must be purchased separately, though and come in varying sizes, for longer cutting times of up to 120 minutes. The trimmer arrives in two pieces, which easily slot together. The guard hood also requires screwing on. This houses a sharp cutting blade, so be sure to store it safely. This can be done in halves, so even though it is a large tool, storage shouldn't be a problem. As a professional tool, this strimmer is on the heavier side, weighing 3.45kg before batteries are added. However, it has a carrying strap to distribute the weight across your shoulders rather than solely relying on your arms. The shaft is not adjustable, but the handle can be moved up or down it and the angle adjusted. My only gripe with this trimmer is the vibration. After a few minutes of use it started to feel uncomfortable; however, this effect is reduced when wearing padded gloves. This tool worked brilliantly on grass and soft weeds, but when tasked with some more serious weeds, the cutting line broke. It was straightforward to pull out more line. Key specifications Cutting width: 35cm Weight: 3.5kg Warranty: 10 years Battery life: 30-120 minutes 9. Best Budget Corded Strimmer: Flymo Contour 500E Reviewed by Simon Lewis I think of this one as a 'grandad strimmer', in the best possible way. My grandad had a small garden that he kept pristine, with ruler-straight borders. As it happens, he used a Flymo. The 10-metre cord on this entry-level trimmer limits its range severely, but keeps things simple. It's easy to hang up in the shed and you don't need to remember to charge a battery. I found it easy to put together and to adjust the length, although both needed more strength than I was expecting. It's lighter than most battery strimmers, but still weighty and doesn't handle quite as easily because there's no all-round hand grip. Instead, there's a chunky plastic handle that can sit perpendicular to the shaft (as in the picture), lay flat back for a wider swing, or fold forward to give much better control if you're shrubbing under trees or benches. Solidly constructed and easy to clean, this is the one to buy if you only have a small garden and want a corded design. There are £129 EasiTrim and £174.99 UltraTrim cordless options if you need more room to roam. Key specifications Cutting width: 25cm Weight: 3.1kg Power: 500W electric motor, plug-in 10. Best Strimmer for Small Gardens: Mountfield Cordless Lawn Trimmer MTR 20 Li Reviewed by Becky Searle The Mountfield Cordless Lawn Trimmer is good enough for anyone maintaining a small patch of grass. The adjustable head lets you change the angle at which you are strimming, which is practical for gardening on a slope, or reaching under difficult spots like a bench. While it has an adjustable handle, it is set quite high, which makes the balance feel a little off. But weighing in at only 2.16kg (without the battery), this is another lightweight buy. To assemble the strimmer, screw in the guard around the cords, then clip on the handle. This can then be loosened by hand if you want to adjust its angle while the shaft lengthens or shortens when you hold down a button. It is a little clunky though, so be sure to holding both parts securely. This strimmer uses a nylon line cutting system which is gentle when used close to fences, ornaments or hard surfaces, but cuts a little less cleanly than resin blades. On weeds, it broke and needed to be pulled out and adjusted regularly. In fact, I'd say the tool was not powerful enough to take on tougher weeds like thistles, but it proved excellent on long grass. With a relatively small cutting width of 25cm, it is also useful for getting into small spaces. The running time of the battery is only around 20 minutes, so it would suit smaller gardens best. Key specifications Cutting width: 25cm Weight: 2.15kg Battery life: 40 minutes Strimmers FAQs What's the difference between a strimmer and a brushcutter? What's the difference between a strimmer and a brushcutter? 'A brushcutter is generally larger and more robust [than a strimmer],' explains our expert James Broadhouse. 'It can be used for taking down thicker plants such as brambles and nettles.' Is a straight or curved shaft trimmer better? In short, it depends what you're going to do with it, says Broadhouse. 'Curved shafts will be lighter and more compact, which makes them good for intricate work around flower beds etc.' 'A straight shaft is generally larger,' he continues. 'You might have a double-shoulder harness for one of those to balance the machine they're more for hard work or larger areas. You wouldn't usually use a large straight shafted machine around your prized begonias and you wouldn't use a curved shaft one on a quarter-mile driveway.' Are strimmers with plastic blades any good? Yes. The vast majority of strimmers designed for domestic use have plastic blades and they work fine. They make the strimmer lighter and they're also cheaper to replace. The downside is they're also slightly more prone to breaking if you go over a stone or hit a tree. But if you're just doing the edges of your lawn, they'll be fine. How do you stop a strimmer line from breaking? The simplest thing to do is to just make sure your product is clean. Cuttings and debris can get into unclean line feeders, which can cause the strimmer line to break. If that happens, you'll need to replace it. In the video below, Broadhouse explains how it's done. What type and thickness of strimmer line is best? Some strimmers are compatible with a selection of strimmer line products, made in various thicknesses and grades of material to suit different uses around the garden. Thicker strimmer line generally cuts more powerfully, but can also put more strain on the strimmer. Check your strimmer's specifications to ensure it can handle a thicker line, before you go ahead and fit one. Only use strimming line products and attachments that have been made specifically for use with your strimmer. How long does a typical cordless strimmer battery last? Battery runtime is an important point of difference between strimmer models. Some run out of power in as little as 15 minutes, whereas others can work continuously for 30 minutes or longer. In some cases, different battery sizes are available, such as 2.0Ah or 5.0Ah. Higher-capacity batteries are bulkier and more expensive, but they provide longer runtime, which makes them a good match for larger gardens. All lithium-ion batteries become less effective over a period of months and years, until they finally stop working. As such, you might notice that your cordless strimmer's battery life decreases from one year to the next, until you purchase a replacement battery and restore the strimmer's runtime. Can I use a strimmer to cut brambles or thick woody weeds? Yes, you can cut brambles or thick, woody weeds using a strimmer, although you'll need to use a powerful model or brushcutter. You'll also need to use an appropriate attachment for cutting tough or thicker plant matter like a relatively thick strimmer line. What safety equipment should I wear when using a strimmer? Strimmers can kick up gravel, pebbles and other loose materials if angled incorrectly and they often send plant debris flying while they work. It's therefore important to wear proper protective clothing while using your strimmer around the garden. Wearing goggles or a see-through mask that covers your face is essential and it's strongly recommended to wear robust gloves and thick garments too. You might also choose to wear ear protectors while you strim, as these tools often operate noisily. When cutting brambles or thick woody weeds, it's particularly important to wear protective gear, as pieces of the cut plants can easily fly back in your direction.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
How Sainz has helped raise Albon's image
British Grand PrixVenue: Silverstone Dates: 4-6 July Race start: 15:00 BST on SundayCoverage: Live commentary of practice and qualifying on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 with race on BBC Radio 5 Live; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app Alex Albon says he "sees it as a compliment" that his Williams team boss James Vowles believes he has raised his game this Albon himself does not agree. "Maybe it's been a stronger year," he says. "But for the most part I still think I execute my weekends in a similar way."It's definitely not just James. It's up and down the grid in the paddock. It's clear that I've now got a benchmark which a lot of the paddock can reference."The raising of Albon's image is less to do with the British-Thai driver himself than with the identity of his Sainz joined Williams this season from Ferrari. Everyone knows how good Sainz is - he's been team-mates with Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc and been a close match for all of with the proviso that Sainz is still adapting to his new surroundings - car and team - Albon has had a decisive advantage over the leads him by 42-13 in the championship, in which Albon is the leading driver not from a top-four team. And he is 9-4 ahead in qualifying at an average advantage of 0.176 seconds."It highlights the job that I think I'm capable of," Albon the same time, the 29-year-old says: "I would say that my motivation doesn't come from that."I have a quick car now and I go into every race nowadays expecting points. So there's a totally different mind shift."I remember the previous few years, there were maybe six races on the calendar where it was almost like, 'OK, here we go, this is our chance.'"And I don't want to say the other races were throwaways, but the consistency of drive, motivation and expectation this year is at a far higher level because every race is an opportunity." Why switching cars can be like changing golf clubs When he joined Williams in 2022 - as a replacement for George Russell when his friend moved to Mercedes - it was something of a had been a circuitous route to F1. A childhood karting rival of Verstappen, Russell and Leclerc, for a long time it looked as if F1 might pass Albon finally made it in 2019, offered a seat by Red Bull in their second team. Within half a season, after a series of strong performances for Toro Rosso, he was promoted to the main team alongside performances in the second half of 2019 earned a full season in 2020, but like Pierre Gasly before him and everyone since, he struggled to get on terms with the Dutchman and was dropped at the end of the a year on the sidelines as Red Bull's reserve, he won the Williams seat, partly on Russell's recommendation, but until this year he had been teamed only with second-rate drivers. Sainz's arrival is his first opportunity to show what he can do - and he has grabbed it with both Albon's performances against Sainz raise a thorny question. How does one explain how he can struggle against Verstappen at Red Bull, but now be ahead of Sainz?Albon says: "What it means is that in F1 it is easy for everyone to fall into the trap of: 'All the drivers are at the same level all the time, and there is no such thing as suiting a car or not suiting a car.'"And I think that for the same reason why you're seeing so many drivers struggle up against Max, just flip the script and put Max in a different car, I think he'd still be very quick, don't get me wrong about that. But I don't think you're going to see the same gaps that you see that he's putting on his team-mates now."And for the same reason, some drivers it clicks, some drivers it doesn't."I remember my first lap in a Williams, despite being down on downforce considerably to what I was used to, it still clicks."And don't forget that my six-month stint in Toro Rosso at the time was strong as well. And it just swings."I look at it like golf, even MotoGP is a fantastic example."These drivers, these players, they are always talking about: 'The bike doesn't suit me' or 'these golf clubs don't suit me'. And they're changing clubs, they're changing putters; the bikes, they're changing the feeling of the bike. They're always trying to pursue this confidence in the bike."But then in racing it's almost like we don't regard that and it's just everyone should be able to deal with everything all the time. The best drivers do. But that's where you're seeing differences." 'I'm very not result-based - it's always process, process, process' Talk of golf brings us to his partner, the Chinese golfer 'Lily' Muni says having a professional sportsperson as a girlfriend has an important impact on his racing "in many ways"."We use the same psychologist," Albon says. "We talk about our line of business in a very similar way. We have some very similar habits, in terms of our negatives and strengths within each other."We try to help each other in every way we can. And it's healthy. It's great to talk about what areas you're trying to work on, and we work on it together."We do group calls with our psychologist, and it's positive."If you think of it like this, clearly motorsport is a very mental sport, but I don't think there's a sport out there that's more mental than golf."I think golf psychologists are actually some of the best psychologists in the world, in terms of sports performance, because they've got too much thinking time."And it's an inward game, just like I'm trying to create within my motorsport world. And at the same time, their processes are so important to be on top of.""Process" is a big word for Albon. It's why he's not obsessed about his performances in comparison with Sainz."I always say that I'm very not result-based," he says. "For me it's always process, process, process. And every year I validate myself. I challenge myself on, 'am I preparing and executing my best self? Am I doing everything I can do?'"So that's why when you ask me, 'have I changed much? Is this year a special year? Have you raised the game?' I track myself and everything's about myself. So that in a way is very selfish, but it's my benchmark. I benchmark myself in many ways."I definitely feel like I've been able to execute strong races. I look at it mentally as well. I've been really exploring the mental performance of myself this year. Just, you know, in terms of dealing with (stressful) situations."I think I've been relatively mistake-free this year as well. And so that creates a good feeling, a good confidence within myself." 'Realistic' for Williams to be 'up at the front end' in 2028 The difference this year is that the world has been able to see it, because of his team-mate, and because Williams have moved upwards as a a shaky last couple of races, on the basis of both performance and results, Williams are a comfortable fifth in the constructors' championship. The impact of Vowles has been substantial since he took over two and a half years ago, and they seem to be on track with their ambition to get back to the how far along that path does Albon think they are?"We are a very different team to a top team at the moment," he says. "We're still on a journey to get there, and we talk very openly about the journey and our weaknesses as a team."I don't think we are, in all areas, at the maximum of our potential, and that's regarding the car performance. That's everything that goes on behind the scenes, the performance, the engineering."I don't think next year we're going to be in a position to fight for wins, and I think it will be very rare to get a chance at podiums, but that's my mindset, that's our mindset."2027 will be an interesting year, and then realistically, I know this sounds really far away, but 2028 is kind of where I expect us to be, up at the front end. I think that's realistic."
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
‘I won't be going anywhere': George Russell adamant he will stay at Mercedes
George Russell believes he 'won't be going anywhere' and is set to have a new contract confirmed with Mercedes as he played down suggestions that he could lose his seat to Max Verstappen. Before this weekend's British Grand Prix Russell, whose contract with Mercedes has yet to be renewed, stated he felt the chances for him not being with the team next season were 'exceptionally low'. Verstappen, in turn, flatly refused to comment on the matter. The speculation came on a day when there was more flux at the top of the sport as a challenge emerged to the authority of the president of the FIA, Mohammed ben Sulayem, with the news that the former FIA steward Tim Mayer will stand against the president in elections later this year. On Wednesday there were unconfirmed reports that Verstappen's talks with Mercedes have intensified and that a deal was close to being confirmed. However it is understood this remains entirely speculation and that Mercedes are still conducting consideration of advances made toward them from the Verstappen camp. Russell was considered the more likely candidate to lose his seat over teammate Kimi Antonelli were a deal to be done with Verstappen but at Silverstone he was bullish that he felt his position was safe. 'I've been focused on my side, I am loyal to Mercedes, so at the end of the day, everything will work itself out,' he said. 'And the likelihood I'm not at Mercedes next year, I think is exceptionally low. 'For me it's nothing to worry about as I don't think I'll be going anywhere and whoever my teammate is doesn't concern me either, so I'll just focus on the driving. There's a lot of conversations behind the scenes that are not public and I know where their [Mercedes] loyalty lies. I'm performing better than ever, it's as simple as that, performance speaks for everything.' Mercedes are unlikely to announce any decision until the summer break after the Hungarian GP on 3 August, which is the point when potential exit clauses in Verstappen's contract would become applicable. Verstappen did not deny the talks were taking place but declined to make any further comment. It also became clear on Thursday at Silverstone that Mayer will announce his candidacy to oppose Ben Sulayem for the FIA presidency on Friday morning in a press conference. The 59-year-old American had been a long serving FIA steward, well-liked and respected until he was sacked by the FIA last November after a dispute between the FIA and the organisers of the US GP, for whom Mayer was working in an independent capacity. Afterwards Mayer claimed the dismissal had taken place because Ben Sulayem had personally taken umbrage at him and he was highly critical of how it had been handled. 'In spite of the matter being resolved quietly and amicably, he's still upset and decided to fire me,' he said. 'After 15 years of volunteering my time as a steward, a decade teaching other stewards and hundreds of hours volunteering in other roles, I got a text from one of his assistants.' The FIA denied he had been told by text message. Mayer, the son of McLaren co-founder Teddy Mayer, has enjoyed senior roles in Champ Car, Imsa and the American Le Mans Series and was a chair of the stewards for the FIA, including 15 years stewarding in F1. His standing presents a credible threat to Ben Sulayem's position, with the Emirati having overseen four years of highly controversial governance at the FIA and who has already announced he intended to stand for re-election which will take place on 12 December. It is understood Mayer has already has the requisite selection of senior figures who would join him in key positions, which is required by any candidate and now faces the serious task of winning support from the motor sport associations that will decide the vote in December.
