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Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Piastri slows down off-track to go faster on it
LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - Slowing down may be the way to go faster for Oscar Piastri as the McLaren driver seeks to become the first Australian since Alan Jones in 1980 to conquer the Formula One world championship. The 24-year-old leads British teammate Lando Norris by 15 points, and five wins to three, as the season reaches halfway at Silverstone this weekend. The Australian is the only driver to have scored in every grand prix and remains remarkably chilled despite the pressure of a two-horse title battle that looks set to become ever more intense. Speaking to Reuters at a McLaren fan event, full of noise and excitement, in London's Trafalgar Square on Wednesday, Piastri said it was important mentally to know when to switch off and slow down. "I kind of know my limits. And know when I need to get away from F1 and do something else," he said. "It's the little things in life. Our season's so busy that ultimately you just want to go and do normal things. "Spend time with the people around you. Sit on the couch for a few hours. Just regular things. Go for a walk. Just slow down in life, really. And that's, for me, what I find important away from racing. "I don't have that many hobbies outside of F1, let's say. I ultimately got into racing because it was my hobby at the start and now it's my job. So it's still a passion of mine. "So when I'm not racing, I just like to do very, very wholesome things in life." On track, both he and Norris know what is at stake. Piastri felt they were managing to keep a lid on things, despite wheel-to-wheel racing, a collision and some near misses in recent races. "We're going about it in the best way that we can ... Lando and I get on well," said Piastri. "We've worked together really well for the last three years. "But obviously when the helmet goes on and we're on track, we're both trying to beat each other." Piastri said he still had things to work on -- and not just how to accommodate the growing number of trophies in his small Monaco apartment -- but had "a good handle on things" and his consistency had gone up a level. He was learning how to pick the right moves, pick the right strategy and not give away points. "I've never been in an F1 championship battle, but I've been in numerous championship battles in my junior career. I know what has worked for me in those championships, what hasn't worked," he said. "Not all of those junior championships were won with the same strengths or same weaknesses." Norris has his own 'Landostand' with 10,000 full-on fans at Stowe Corner for the race at Silverstone -- and Piastri said he was looking forward to giving them a wave when he went past. Just how cheeky that may be depends on the outcome on Sunday but the Australian fully intends to be the one on the top step of the podium. "I'm sure I'll wave to everyone," he said, grinning. "As long as they're waving back and not giving me the finger, then that's OK. "I'm sure they want a British driver to win. I kind of know which one, probably, but I think I would get an OK reception if I won as well. So I'll try my best to make that happen."
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Jaguar sales plummet 97.5% after fierce backlash over woke pink ‘rebrand' that left fans slamming ‘nonsense' EV
JAGUAR sales have plummeted 97.5 per cent after the car manufacturer faced fierce backlash over their woke pink "rebrand". The iconic British motor giant sparked outrage in November when it launched a glossy ad campaign with bright colours and catwalk models. 6 6 6 Soon after, it unveiled the bizarre Type 00 concept car - a large, pink grand tourer - as well as a much-maligned new logo and badge. The likes of Nigel Farage and even Elon Musk led the critics, with Farage describing it as "woke" and warned the automaker risked "going bust" due to its new design choice. Now, it has been revealed that Jaguar sales in Europe have plunged 97.5 per cent following the botched rebrand. The luxury British automaker registered just 49 vehicles in Europe in April, compared with 1,961 vehicles in the same month last year, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. Meanwhile, Jaguar sales between January and April plummeted 75.1 per cent, with just 2,665 cars sold across the continent. Globally, Jaguar sold just 26,862 vehicles for the 2024/25 financial year - an 85 per cent drop compared to 2018. However, Jaguar has insisted the rebrand has "nothing to do" with its mammoth fall in sales. When the 30-second ad was first unveiled, flashing up a number of slogans, including "live vivid", "delete ordinary" and "copy nothing", fans on social media were not happy. And the controversial ad excluded any images of its sleek sports cars as it touted its transition to a fully electric, ultra-luxury company. The scrapping of the well-known big cat badge in favour of a geometric 'J' design also drew fierce criticism. At the time of release, one Facebook user commented: "If I wasn't sure before, now I'm convinced Jaguar have completely lost the plot. This woke nonsense won't gain anything." Jaguar boss doubles down & DEFENDS new 'woke Tesla' pink EV in controversial rebrand Another said: "As someone who worked for this iconic brand up until production cessation in June it really does sadden me to see the direction the company has decided to take." Elon Musk also turned the knife on X, simply asking Jaguar ''Do you sell cars?' But the sales slump may not be as catastrophic as it first appears. As part of Jaguar's refresh, the car firm intentionally stopped producing cars at the end of 2024, a move which stretched into 2025. The manufacturer is currently seeking to bring in a new range of entirely electric vehicles, which were due for release this year. Defending the news, Jaguar said it was "pointless" to compare figures for 2024 and 2025 as it was seeking to move to its all-electric model and insisted the company's rebranding was "not related to a sales decline". A spokeswoman said: "Jaguar's transformation towards a new portfolio of pure-electric vehicles was announced as part of the Reimagine strategy in 2021. "JLR always envisaged a period when the current range would 'no longer be on sale' before the introduction of the new Jaguar collection. "Production of XE, XF, F-TYPE, I-PACE and E-PACE all came to an end in 2024 as part of that transition. "This strategic 'sunset' of the product range is going to plan and will allow Jaguar to transform and reposition the brand for the future. "Comparing Jaguar sales to 2024 is pointless as we are no longer producing vehicles in 2025 with low levels of retail inventory available. "Jaguar's rebranding is not related to a sales decline." CH-CH-CHANGES Jaguar's wild transition has long been on the cards. Last year, executives made the call to discontinue their flagship petrol motors, including the XE, XF and F-Type, as well as E-Pace and I-Pace EVs. Indeed, only the F-Pace will continue into 2026 - although it's been pulled from the UK market along with the rest of the aforementioned models. Jag then plans to fully relaunch next year as an all-electric brand, selling high-end, zero-emissions cars badged with its redesigned logo. To that end, the company has invested heavily in new designs, concept cars and other ads to go with the reveal. Defending the campaign last year, JLR's Managing Director Rawdon Glover said to the Financial Times: 'If we play in the same way that everybody else does, we'll just get drowned out.' 6 6
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Hull car park for 450 approved ahead of Drypool Bridge closure
Plans for a large temporary car park in Hull have been approved by the city council ahead of major work on a 454-space facility will be built on derelict land off Holderness Road, formerly the site of an Evans Halshaw car documents put forward by the council state that the car park will "alleviate the impact that the closure of Drypool Bridge would have on road users". Work to repair "significant damage" to the bridge, which crosses the River Hull, is due to start this month. A contraflow system will be introduced on 14 July, but a full closure is expected to be required later in the project. It is hoped that motorists will walk or take a bus from the car park into the city to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the site will have an entrance and exit from Holderness Road, along with a second exit on to Bright application means the car park could be operated until 30 June next year, or until the bridge permanently to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
