Latest news with #MartinStrettonRacing
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Police hunt Silverstone F1 steering wheel thief as 20 British GP arrests made
A total of 34 crimes were reported with 20 arrests made at Silverstone over the British Grand Prix weekend, while Northamptonshire Police want to speak with a man in relation to the theft of a classic F1 car steering wheel A steering wheel from an iconic classic Formula 1 car, valued at over £2,500, was stolen from a vintage motor on show at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix. It was one of several incidents reported to police after a spate of damage caused to vehicles on site at the Northamptonshire circuit. The engineer in charge of the classic car, the Leyton House CG901 designed by Adrian Newey and raced in the 1990 F1 season, lamented the lax security, and said the theft had left a "sour taste in the mouth" regarding the event. The incident occurred at around 2.30pm on Friday as the team ate their lunch. Race engineer Russell Sheppard spoke of how the 1990 Leyton House CG901 was scheduled for a track run and only managed to participate thanks to a replacement wheel found at the last minute. Sheppard, employed by Martin Stretton Racing, declared the stolen wheel irreplaceable. "We'd just left the car for lunch, we came back and went to do some work on the car, and it's like, 'Where's the steering wheel?'" he told the Press Association. "It's very sad, because it's an original piece of the car, original piece of history for it." Sign up to our free weekly F1 newsletter, Pit Lane Chronicle, by entering your email address below so that every new edition lands straight in your inbox! Northamptonshire Police have circulated a CCTV image of an individual they're keen to question in relation to the theft. Sheppard said he just wants to see the steering wheel returned to the car where it belongs. He said: "It's bespoke to the car, because the 1990s cars, the cockpits are so small you have to have a small wheel with a very small grip on it. I've been speaking to the people who made it in Italy originally, and sadly, they don't produce them anymore. We've got to go down the road of getting one bespoke made. It's just the hassle, it's the cost, it's an unnecessary procedure you have to go through which we shouldn't have to be doing." Another historic F1 car exhibited by the team was treated "like a climbing frame" by attendees, Sheppard said, while an additional vehicle suffered damage worth thousands when someone attempted to clamber inside, according to police. Sheppard said: "We had a Forti, another 1996 Formula 1 car on one of the other stands, and people were just using it like a climbing frame. We haven't seen any damage on that yet. We're just about going through it today. "We're here to show off history and keep things moving and alive. People doing things like this, sadly, it puts a sour taste in your mouth. Hopefully next time, security will be even more. Sadly, the security guards aren't security people. They're just people that stand there. They're not being informed of what to do and how to do it." The event drew a massive crowd, with around 500,000 people visiting the circuit over the weekend. On Sunday, 168,000 people witnessed Lando Norris clinch his first-ever British Grand Prix victory. During the event, police reported a total of 34 crimes, including theft, criminal damage, assault and drug possession, resulting in 20 arrests. A classic Formula 1 car exhibited at Silverstone suffered "several thousands of pounds worth of damage", according to police. The damage was allegedly caused by an individual who "accessed the display stand and climbed into the vehicle". Three men, aged 23, 25 and 27, were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage but were subsequently released without any further action. One of them was popular YouTuber AngryGinge who said he spent 15 hours in a cell overnight and maintained he had done nothing wrong.
Glasgow Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Glasgow Times
Classic F1 steering wheel stolen during spate of damage at British Grand Prix
The engineer running the car blamed poor security, and said the incident had a left a 'sour taste in the mouth' about the event. The wheel was stolen at about 2.30pm on Friday while team members were eating lunch. The 1990 Leyton House CG901 was designed by F1 design guru Adrian Newey (Russell Sheppard/PA) Another of the team's classic F1 racers on display was used 'like a climbing frame' by visitors, while a separate car sustained thousands of pounds worth of damage when someone tried to climb inside, police said. Race engineer Russell Sheppard said the 1990 Leyton House CG901 was due out on track after the theft, and was only able to make it when a replacement wheel was found at the last minute. Northamptonshire Police has released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to following the theft. Mr Sheppard, who works for Martin Stretton Racing, said the wheel was irreplaceable. He told the PA news agency: 'We'd just left the car for lunch, we came back and went to do some work on the car, and it's like, 'where's the steering wheel?' 'It's very sad, because it's an original piece of the car, original piece of history for it. Northamptonshire Police released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to following the theft (Northamptonshire Police/PA) 'It would be nice to reunite it all together.' The Leyton House was designed by F1 design guru Adrian Newey for the 1990 Formula One World Championship. It was due to be driven at Silverstone by Ivan Capelli, who used it during the 1990 World Championship. Speaking about the stolen wheel, Mr Sheppard said: 'It's bespoke to the car, because the 1990s cars, the cockpits are so small you have to have a small wheel with a very small grip on it. 'I've been speaking to the people who made it in Italy originally, and sadly, they don't produce them anymore. 'We've got to go down the road of getting one bespoke made. 'It's just the hassle, it's the cost, it's an unnecessary procedure you have to go through which we shouldn't have to be doing.' Mr Sheppard said visitors had also climbed over a second historic F1 car on display. 'We had a Forti, another 1996 Formula One car on one of the other stands, and people were just using it like a climbing frame,' he said. 'We haven't seen any damage on that yet. We're just about going through it today. 'We're here to show off history and keep things moving and alive. 'People doing things like this, sadly, it puts a sour taste in your mouth. The car was due to be driven at Silverstone by Ivan Capelli, who used it during the 1990 World Championship (Russell Sheppard/PA) 'Hopefully next time, security will be even more. 'Sadly, the security guards aren't security people. They're just people that stand there. 'They're not being informed of what to do and how to do it.' Around 500,000 people visited the circuit over the weekend which saw Lando Norris win the British Grand Prix for the first time in his career. A total of 34 crimes were reported during the event, including theft, criminal damage, assault and drugs possession, with 20 arrests made, police said. A separate classic Formula One car on display at Silverstone sustained 'several thousands of pounds worth of damage', police said. It was alleged to have been caused by someone 'accessing the display stand and climbing into the vehicle'. Three men, aged 23, 25 and 27, were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage but were released with no further action. Despite his sadness at the loss of the wheel, the engineer said the social media response to the theft had been 'amazing'. 'I'm not into social media that much, but the power of social media has been fantastic for this, everybody is sharing it around,' he said. 'It's amazing how many people have contacted us.'
BBC News
5 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Formula 1 steering wheel stolen at Silverstone British Grand Prix
A Formula One steering wheel worth more than £2,500 was stolen from a classic car on display at Silverstone, the car's engineer Sheppard said the incident at the Northamptonshire racing circuit left a "sour taste in the mouth".It was snatched at about 14:30 BST on Friday while team members were eating lunch during the British Grand Police released a CCTV image of a man they wanted to speak to following the theft. Another of the team's classic F1 racers on display was used "like a climbing frame" by visitors, it was incidents came during a spate of reported offences at the event, with police making 20 Angryginge was among the arrests, suspected of causing thousands of pounds of damage to a car, but was released without further action. Race engineer Mr Sheppard said the stolen wheel was taken from a 1990 Leyton House was only able to make it out onto the track after a replacement wheel was found at the last Sheppard, who works for Martin Stretton Racing, said the wheel was irreplaceable."We'd just left the car for lunch, we came back and went to do some work on the car, and it's like 'Where's the steering wheel?'," he said."It's very sad because it's an original piece of the car, [an] original piece of history for it."The Leyton House was designed by F1 design guru Adrian Newey for the 1990 Formula One World was due to be driven at Silverstone by Ivan Capelli, who raced with it in 1990. "I've been speaking to the people who made it in Italy originally and, sadly, they don't produce them anymore," Mr Sheppard added, referring to the wheel."We've got to go down the road of getting one bespoke made."The engineer said visitors also climbed over a second historic F1 car on display."We had a Forti, another 1996 Formula One car on one of the other stands, and people were just using it like a climbing frame," he said."People doing things like this, sadly, it puts a sour taste in your mouth."About 500,000 people visited the circuit over the weekend, which saw Lando Norris win the British Grand Prix for the first time in his career.A total of 34 crimes were reported during the event, including theft, criminal damage, assault and drug possession, police said. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
Classic F1 steering wheel stolen during spate of damage at British Grand Prix
A historic Formula One steering wheel worth more than £2,500 was stolen from a classic car on display at Silverstone amid a spate of vehicle damage reported during the British Grand Prix. The engineer running the car blamed poor security, and said the incident had a left a 'sour taste in the mouth' about the event. The wheel was stolen at about 2.30pm on Friday while team members were eating lunch. Another of the team's classic F1 racers on display was used 'like a climbing frame' by visitors, while a separate car sustained thousands of pounds worth of damage when someone tried to climb inside, police said. Race engineer Russell Sheppard said the 1990 Leyton House CG901 was due out on track after the theft, and was only able to make it when a replacement wheel was found at the last minute. Northamptonshire Police has released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to following the theft. Mr Sheppard, who works for Martin Stretton Racing, said the wheel was irreplaceable. He told the PA news agency: 'We'd just left the car for lunch, we came back and went to do some work on the car, and it's like, 'where's the steering wheel?' 'It's very sad, because it's an original piece of the car, original piece of history for it. 'It would be nice to reunite it all together.' The Leyton House was designed by F1 design guru Adrian Newey for the 1990 Formula One World Championship. It was due to be driven at Silverstone by Ivan Capelli, who used it during the 1990 World Championship. Speaking about the stolen wheel, Mr Sheppard said: 'It's bespoke to the car, because the 1990s cars, the cockpits are so small you have to have a small wheel with a very small grip on it. 'I've been speaking to the people who made it in Italy originally, and sadly, they don't produce them anymore. 'We've got to go down the road of getting one bespoke made. 'It's just the hassle, it's the cost, it's an unnecessary procedure you have to go through which we shouldn't have to be doing.' Mr Sheppard said visitors had also climbed over a second historic F1 car on display. 'We had a Forti, another 1996 Formula One car on one of the other stands, and people were just using it like a climbing frame,' he said. 'We haven't seen any damage on that yet. We're just about going through it today. 'We're here to show off history and keep things moving and alive. ' People doing things like this, sadly, it puts a sour taste in your mouth. 'Hopefully next time, security will be even more. 'Sadly, the security guards aren't security people. They're just people that stand there. 'They're not being informed of what to do and how to do it.' Around 500,000 people visited the circuit over the weekend which saw Lando Norris win the British Grand Prix for the first time in his career. A total of 34 crimes were reported during the event, including theft, criminal damage, assault and drugs possession, with 20 arrests made, police said. A separate classic Formula One car on display at Silverstone sustained 'several thousands of pounds worth of damage', police said. It was alleged to have been caused by someone 'accessing the display stand and climbing into the vehicle'. Three men, aged 23, 25 and 27, were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage but were released with no further action. Despite his sadness at the loss of the wheel, the engineer said the social media response to the theft had been 'amazing'. 'I'm not into social media that much, but the power of social media has been fantastic for this, everybody is sharing it around,' he said. 'It's amazing how many people have contacted us.'
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Automotive
- South Wales Argus
Classic F1 steering wheel stolen during spate of damage at British Grand Prix
The engineer running the car blamed poor security, and said the incident had a left a 'sour taste in the mouth' about the event. The wheel was stolen at about 2.30pm on Friday while team members were eating lunch. The 1990 Leyton House CG901 was designed by F1 design guru Adrian Newey (Russell Sheppard/PA) Another of the team's classic F1 racers on display was used 'like a climbing frame' by visitors, while a separate car sustained thousands of pounds worth of damage when someone tried to climb inside, police said. Race engineer Russell Sheppard said the 1990 Leyton House CG901 was due out on track after the theft, and was only able to make it when a replacement wheel was found at the last minute. Northamptonshire Police has released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to following the theft. Mr Sheppard, who works for Martin Stretton Racing, said the wheel was irreplaceable. He told the PA news agency: 'We'd just left the car for lunch, we came back and went to do some work on the car, and it's like, 'where's the steering wheel?' 'It's very sad, because it's an original piece of the car, original piece of history for it. Northamptonshire Police released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to following the theft (Northamptonshire Police/PA) 'It would be nice to reunite it all together.' The Leyton House was designed by F1 design guru Adrian Newey for the 1990 Formula One World Championship. It was due to be driven at Silverstone by Ivan Capelli, who used it during the 1990 World Championship. Speaking about the stolen wheel, Mr Sheppard said: 'It's bespoke to the car, because the 1990s cars, the cockpits are so small you have to have a small wheel with a very small grip on it. 'I've been speaking to the people who made it in Italy originally, and sadly, they don't produce them anymore. 'We've got to go down the road of getting one bespoke made. 'It's just the hassle, it's the cost, it's an unnecessary procedure you have to go through which we shouldn't have to be doing.' Mr Sheppard said visitors had also climbed over a second historic F1 car on display. 'We had a Forti, another 1996 Formula One car on one of the other stands, and people were just using it like a climbing frame,' he said. 'We haven't seen any damage on that yet. We're just about going through it today. 'We're here to show off history and keep things moving and alive. 'People doing things like this, sadly, it puts a sour taste in your mouth. The car was due to be driven at Silverstone by Ivan Capelli, who used it during the 1990 World Championship (Russell Sheppard/PA) 'Hopefully next time, security will be even more. 'Sadly, the security guards aren't security people. They're just people that stand there. 'They're not being informed of what to do and how to do it.' Around 500,000 people visited the circuit over the weekend which saw Lando Norris win the British Grand Prix for the first time in his career. A total of 34 crimes were reported during the event, including theft, criminal damage, assault and drugs possession, with 20 arrests made, police said. A separate classic Formula One car on display at Silverstone sustained 'several thousands of pounds worth of damage', police said. It was alleged to have been caused by someone 'accessing the display stand and climbing into the vehicle'. Three men, aged 23, 25 and 27, were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage but were released with no further action. Despite his sadness at the loss of the wheel, the engineer said the social media response to the theft had been 'amazing'. 'I'm not into social media that much, but the power of social media has been fantastic for this, everybody is sharing it around,' he said. 'It's amazing how many people have contacted us.'
