The world of Formula 1 stands on the precipice of its most radical transformation in decades, a technical upheaval so profound that it has left even the sport’s most legendary designers admitting to a sense of trepidation. As the grid prepares for the 2026 season, Aston Martin has fired the opening salvo, becoming the first team to officially announce the launch date of their challenger, the AMR26. But behind the glossy announcements and the promise of a “works” partnership with Honda lies a reality of unprecedented complexity, engineering headaches, and a candid admission of vulnerability that has sent shockwaves through the paddock.

The AMR26 is not merely a successor to the current generation of cars; it is a complete reimagining of what a Grand Prix machine can be. Scheduled for a public reveal on February 9, 2026, this car represents a clean break from the past—a machine built for a rulebook that rips up the established order and demands a new philosophy of speed.

The “Slightly Scary” Blueprint

At the heart of this revolution lies a dual overhaul of regulations that is historically unique. Typically, Formula 1 staggers its major changes, introducing new aerodynamic rules one year and new engine formulas in another to maintain some semblance of stability. For 2026, however, everything changes at once.

The new technical regulations, ratified in June 2024, mandate cars that are lighter, smaller, and fundamentally different in how they slice through the air. The AMR26 will be 30 kilograms lighter than its predecessors, bringing the minimum weight down to 768kg. Its wheelbase has been slashed by 200 millimeters, aiming to make the cars more agile and raceable on tight circuits. But the most jarring figures come from the aerodynamic data: a mandated 30% reduction in downforce and a massive 55% cut in drag.

Gone is the Drag Reduction System (DRS), a staple of overtaking for over a decade. In its place rises “active aerodynamics”—a system straight out of science fiction. Drivers will manipulate movable elements on both the front and rear wings, switching between high-downforce “Z-Mode” for corners and low-drag “X-Mode” for straights.

Adrian Newey, the legendary designer spearheading Aston Martin’s technical charge, has not minced words about the scale of the task. He describes the simultaneous collision of chassis and power unit changes as “unprecedented” and “slightly scary.” For a man who has designed championship-winning cars across multiple eras, such an admission underscores the sheer magnitude of the engineering mountain the teams must climb. Newey initially viewed the prescriptive nature of the rules with skepticism but has since found “flexibility for innovation” in the details—a glimmer of hope that Aston Martin can find a magic bullet the others miss.

The Power Shift: A 50/50 Electric Future

If the chassis changes are dramatic, the powertrain revolution is nothing short of explosive. The current turbo-hybrid era, dominated by the internal combustion engine (ICE), is ending. The 2026 regulations enforce a strict 50/50 power split. The ICE will produce approximately 400 kW, while the electrical system must match it with 350 kW.

This represents a staggering 300% increase in electrical output compared to today’s grid. It fundamentally alters the DNA of the sport. Drivers and engineers can no longer rely on the raw grunt of fuel alone; energy management will become the primary strategic battlefield. The car must harvest, deploy, and conserve energy with surgical precision, or risk being left defenseless on the straights.

For Aston Martin, this transition is inextricably linked to their new status as a “works” team. Ending a 17-year customer relationship with Mercedes, the team has forged an exclusive partnership with Honda. The Japanese giant, fresh from powering Red Bull’s dominance, returns with a bespoke power unit for the AMR26, set to be unveiled in Tokyo on January 20, 2026. This integration is critical. In a formula where the engine and chassis must sing in perfect harmony, being a customer team is no longer a viable path to the title. Aston Martin will now control its own destiny, designing its own gearbox for the first time in modern history to ensure seamless integration with the Honda unit.

The $200 Million Gamble and Honest Struggles

To build this future, Aston Martin has constructed a fortress. Their new technology campus near Silverstone is the first all-new F1 headquarters built in the UK since McLaren’s Paragon facility opened two decades ago. Spanning 37,000 square meters and costing an estimated £200 million, the facility is a statement of intent. It houses a state-of-the-art wind tunnel using steel-belt rolling road technology, which finally came online in March 2025.

However, gleaming glass and solar panels do not guarantee lap time. In a sport often shrouded in secrecy and bluffing, Aston Martin has been disarmingly honest about their current limitations. The team’s technical leadership has openly admitted that some of their simulation tools are currently “weak.”

Specifically, the critical “driver-in-the-loop” simulator—the tool used to test setups and train drivers before the car ever hits the tarmac—is failing to correlate with reality. “It is not correlating at all at the moment,” a lead designer confessed, labeling it a potential “two-year project” to fix. While former engine guru Andy Cowell argues the fix will take months, not years, the admission is stark. In an era where track testing is severely limited, a blind simulator is a severe handicap. Furthermore, the transition from the Mercedes wind tunnel to their own new facility has revealed data discrepancies, forcing the team to spend precious time relearning their own aerodynamics.

A Clean Sheet and an Uncertain Horizon

The AMR26 is a “clean sheet” design in the truest sense. Composed of approximately 15,000 individual parts, virtually none are carried over from the disappointing 2025 car. Resources have been aggressively shifted away from the current campaign, sacrificing present results for future glory. This explains the team’s slide to seventh in the championship—a calculated retreat to gather strength for the 2026 offensive.

Yet, despite the investment, the talent of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, and the genius of Newey, the mood is one of humble uncertainty. When asked about the car’s potential, technical leaders offered the most refreshing answer in modern sport: “I have absolutely no idea.”

It is a reminder that 2026 is a journey into the unknown. Historical data is useless. Past success is no guarantee. Every team is starting from zero, grappling with the same “scary” physics and the same punishing demands.

On February 9, 2026, the curtain will fall. We will see if Aston Martin’s gamble—the new factory, the Honda engine, the active aero—has paid off. Until then, the AMR26 remains a ghost in the wind tunnel, a 15,000-piece puzzle that could either crown a new champion or serve as a cautionary tale of ambition colliding with reality. The clock is ticking, and the rivals are watching. The reset has begun.

‘FROM DEATH ROW TO HOPE’: PETE WICKS JOINS RESCUE MISSION SAVING 170 DOGS FROM SOUTH KOREAN MEAT FARM

 

It wasn’t a television storyline, a publicity stunt, or a scripted moment for shock value. When British reality star Pete Wicks stepped onto the grounds of a South Korean dog-meat farm, he found himself face-to-face with one of the most heartbreaking sights of his life — more than 170 dogs awaiting slaughter, many trembling in fear, unaware that their fate was about to change forever.

The former TOWIE star joined international animal welfare groups in a large-scale rescue mission that liberated over 170 dogs from a brutal and long-ignored industry. Though Wicks did not act alone — working instead as part of a coordinated charity effort — his presence brought not only additional support, but a powerful human voice for animals whose suffering is often unseen.

A Scene Too Difficult to Forget

Wicks described the scene as overwhelming: cramped cages, matted fur, and eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and despair. Some dogs were born in captivity, never knowing a gentle touch. Others were former pets, abandoned or stolen.

The mission was not just about relocation — it was about dignity. Volunteers carefully lifted each frightened animal from the wire-floored pens, offering comfort, blankets, and, sometimes for the first time, kindness.

Once removed from the farm, the dogs began a journey across the world — with many flown to the UK, United States, and Canada for rehabilitation and adoption. For the first time, they tasted fresh air, saw open space, and felt safe human hands.

Pete Wicks, visibly moved, helped load carriers and calm distressed animals. His involvement played a key role in drawing public attention to the issue, inspiring supporters and donations that will continue funding future rescues.

A Message Bigger Than Celebrity

Wicks later shared that the experience changed him.

He spoke of compassion rather than fame.
Of responsibility rather than applause.
Of the silent victims who cannot speak for themselves.

The rescue serves as a reminder that cruelty thrives where the world looks away — and that meaningful change begins when individuals choose to look, act, and stand.

A Victory — But Not the End

For the 170 dogs saved, this mission marks the beginning of new lives filled with the possibility of love, adoption, and healing.

For those still trapped in farms across the region, it is a call to action.

And for animal lovers worldwide, it is a testament to what can happen when compassion and courage meet — when public figures use their platform not for self-promotion, but for protection.

Pete Wicks didn’t rescue 170 dogs alone.
He stood with a team.
He lent his hands.
He lent his heart.

And in doing so, he helped give hundreds of animals something they never had before:

What was meant to be the dawn of a glorious new era for the Prancing Horse has seemingly crashed before it could even leave the starting gate. In the quiet, dusty heat of the Yas Marina Circuit, far removed from the glitz of the Grand Prix weekend, Ferrari conducted a discreet end-of-season test that was supposed to validate their roadmap for 2026. Instead, it may have just signaled the beginning of a technical crisis that threatens to derail Lewis Hamilton’s final bid for an eighth world title.

The narrative going into this test was one of optimism. Lewis Hamilton, the sport’s most successful driver, had finally donned the scarlet overalls, ready to steer Ferrari back to the summit of Formula 1. The expectation was a routine evaluation of the SF25—a machine designed to bridge the gap to the upcoming regulatory revolution. However, sources from within the paddock report that the atmosphere in the garage shifted rapidly from contained enthusiasm to a chilled, awkward silence as the seven-time world champion completed his initial runs.

The “Broken” Car: A Rude Awakening

From the moment Hamilton engaged the clutch and rolled out onto the tarmac, the feedback was alarming. This wasn’t a matter of getting used to a new steering wheel or adjusting the seat position. The issues were fundamental. The British driver, renowned for his sensitive feel for vehicle dynamics, reported a car that was not just slow, but inherently unstable.

Hamilton described a machine that was unpredictable at high speeds and erratic upon corner entry. In modern Formula 1, driver confidence is the currency that buys lap time. If a driver cannot trust the rear end to stick, they cannot push. But the SF25 wasn’t just lacking grip; it was lacking logic. It behaved differently from lap to lap, stripping Hamilton of the ability to anticipate its reactions.

This wasn’t a setup issue that could be dialed out with a few clicks of a front wing or a change in ride height. It wasn’t the tires graining or overheating. The problem, as the data would soon confirm, was structural. The car Hamilton was driving did not match the car Ferrari had built in their digital simulations. The correlation—the holy grail of F1 engineering—was broken.

The Technical Autopsy: Why the SF25 Collapsed

To understand the gravity of the situation, one must look at the specific technical failures that were exposed during this secret test. Ferrari’s engineers, utilizing advanced high-frequency analysis tools and additional sensors on the suspension and floor, began to see a picture that no wind tunnel run had predicted.

The first major failure was found in the flat bottom (floor) of the car. In the current ground-effect era, the floor is responsible for generating the vast majority of downforce. It works by accelerating air underneath the car to create a vacuum, sucking the vehicle to the track. However, for this to work, the floor must remain rigid and sealed against the asphalt.

Telemetry from the Abu Dhabi test revealed anomalous flexing in the floor under high-load conditions, such as fast corners like Turns 9 and 12 at Yas Marina. This flexing wasn’t the standard material elasticity; it was an irregular deformation that altered the airflow patterns underneath the car. Instead of a smooth, laminar flow creating consistent downforce, the bending floor created pockets of turbulence and pressure separation.

For Hamilton, this translated to a “light switch” effect. One moment the car had grip, and the next—as the floor flexed and the aerodynamic seal broke—the grip vanished instantly. It is the most terrifying sensation a driver can experience at 200 mph: a car that disconnects from the road without warning.

Suspension Nightmares and “Micro-Separations”

If the aerodynamic instability wasn’t enough, the mechanical platform of the SF25 also showed severe defects. In an attempt to improve straight-line efficiency and load transfer, Ferrari had redesigned the rear suspension geometry for this new iteration. On paper, and in the sterile environment of CAD (Computer-Aided Design), the new layout involving the lower arm and seat stay looked like a masterstroke.

On the track, it was a disaster. The design introduced unexpected lateral twisting under load. When the car leaned into a corner, the rear axle didn’t just compress; it deformed non-linearly. This twisting effectively changed the car’s ride height dynamically and uncontrollably. Since ground-effect cars are incredibly sensitive to ride height (a few millimeters can mean the difference between peak performance and stalling the floor), this mechanical failure exacerbated the aerodynamic problems.

Even more concerning was the discovery of “micro-separations” at the suspension anchor points. These were minute structural gaps opening up under specific G-force combinations—phenomena that the simulators simply couldn’t replicate. It suggests a flaw in the very materials or assembly processes used by the Scuderia, pointing to a foundational rot in their manufacturing or design philosophy.

The Human Cost: Hamilton’s Doubt and Vasseur’s Silence

The reaction in the garage told the true story. Fred Vasseur, the team principal tasked with turning Ferrari around, was seen staring at the telemetry screens, his usual calm demeanor tested as the reports filtered in. Technical meetings that were scheduled for an hour stretched into the early morning, with engineers looking at each other for answers that didn’t exist.

For Lewis Hamilton, the concern was palpable. He didn’t show the petulant frustration of a rookie; he showed the deep, resigned concern of a veteran who knows exactly what he is looking at. He had left Mercedes—a team that had struggled but was on a clear upward trajectory—for this. He came for a legacy-defining challenge, but he may have walked into a technical dead end.

Hamilton knows that problems of this magnitude—structural flexing, correlation failure, suspension geometry errors—are not fixed overnight. They require months, sometimes years, of redesign. With the 2026 regulations looming, Ferrari cannot afford to spend 2025 chasing its own tail trying to fix a broken concept. Every hour spent troubleshooting the SF25 is an hour lost on the 2026 car.

A Systemic Failure at Maranello?

This test has exposed more than just a bad car; it has exposed a fragile culture. The fact that the SF25 passed through every stage of development—design, simulation, wind tunnel, manufacturing—without these flaws being detected suggests that Ferrari’s tools are lying to them. If their digital models say the car is stable, but reality says it is uncontrollable, then they are flying blind.

Ferrari has a history of incomplete cycles—projects that start with hope and end in confusion. The fear now is that the 2026 project, which requires surgical precision in energy management and active aerodynamics, is being built on this same flawed foundation. If the methodology is wrong, the next car will be wrong too.

The Road Ahead

The stakes could not be higher. Lewis Hamilton did not join Ferrari to develop a midfield car; he joined to win. If Ferrari cannot provide him with a machine that at least behaves predictably, the partnership that was dubbed the “transfer of the century” could quickly become a historical footnote of regret.

As the team packs up from Abu Dhabi, the silence from Maranello is deafening. They have a driver ready to win, but they do not have the horse to carry him. The clock is ticking toward the new season, and right now, the lights on the dashboard are flashing red. Ferrari must decide: do they patch up a broken concept, or do they admit failure and start from scratch? Their decision in the coming weeks will determine not just the fate of the 2025 season, but the legacy of Lewis Hamilton and the future of the Scuderia itself.

JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers became parents in time for the Christmas holiday.

“What a whirlwind these last couple of days have been but in the most magical way. Went in for our weekly sonogram this past Tuesday and found out we needed to deliver via emergency c-section that day,” Fletcher, 35, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, December 25. “At 5:37pm on December 23, we met our girl. Romy Blair Rodgers you are our whole world. Cant wait to share more but in the meantime soaking up these moments as a new family of three.”

Fletcher and Rodgers, 37, met and fell in love during season 12 of The Bachelorette in 2016. The couple got engaged during the finale and tied the knot six years later in May 2022.

Before their wedding, Fletcher and Rodgers shared their intentions to start a family in the near future.

“I think we’re at that time in our life where we’re like, ‘Oh, my gosh, we’ve got to have a kid tomorrow,’ but also … I don’t think we’ll wait a long time,” Rodgers exclusively told Us Weekly in April 2022. “But that might not be right away.”

“We’re not as scared of it. It’s a big deal. [But] I think it’s going to be one of those things where … we’re just going to wake up one morning and be like, ‘I think we’re ready. Let’s do it,’” she explained. “It could be in the next, like, one [or] two years.”

Three years later, Fletcher opened up exclusively to Us about her and Rodgers’ fertility struggles.

“Jordan and I have been on our own fertility journey — and man, it’s been a journey,” she told Us in an interview published in July 2025. “But I do keep positive about the situation and I know that when it’s meant to be, it will be.”

While Fletcher acknowledged “everybody has a different experience” with family planning, she noted they were “looking forward” to having kids in the future.

“When the time comes and we have a little baby Rodgers, it’ll be a very, very exciting moment,” she added.

In August 2025, Fletcher and Rodgers announced that they were expecting their first baby.

“We love you so much already, our sweet rainbow baby,” the pair captioned a joint Instagram post at the time. “🌈🕊️ Baby Rodgers coming January 2026 🤍.

Ahead of their little one’s arrival, Rodgers paid tribute to Fletcher on her birthday, calling her “the love of my life and future best mom in the world” in a gushing Instagram post.

“It has been such an amazing journey watching you navigate pregnancy,” he wrote in November 2025. “Through the highs and lows you have shown grace and love, resilience and strength. It’s been the honor of my life seeing how you have created a healthy and loving space to grow our future child. Through it all you have continued to run multiple businesses, renovated houses, filmed TV shows, traveled the world, worked long hours without ever complaining, and you continue to put others before yourself.”

He concluded: “You are one of a kind Joelle. I am so lucky to have found you and so lucky that you will be the mother to our future baby ❤️ You’ve never looked better and more beautiful than you do right now! Love you Joelle. Happy last birthday as a family of two ☺️❤️.”

While the rest of the Formula 1 grid sleeps, Max Verstappen is often found awake at 3:00 AM, hurtling around a virtual track in his $35,000 simulator.

Critics have called it reckless. Traditionalists dismiss it as a distraction. But as the sport barrels toward the most radical regulatory overhaul in its history in 2026, team bosses and technical directors are realizing something terrifying: Max Verstappen hasn’t just been playing games—he has been training for a future that nobody else saw coming.

The 2026 Formula 1 season promises a “Day Zero” reset for teams and drivers alike. But hidden within the technical jargon of the new rulebook is a specific set of demands that favors one driver above all others.

The 2026 Revolution: A New Kind of Beast

To understand why Verstappen holds the aces, you have to understand the cars that are coming. The 2026 regulations are not just a tweak; they are a revolution.

The most shocking statistic is the power split. Currently, F1 cars derive about 80% of their power from the internal combustion engine and only 20% from electric systems. In 2026, that ratio flips to a straight 50/50 split.

The internal combustion engine will drop from a monstrous 850 horsepower to around 540 horsepower. To compensate, the electrical power will skyrocket from 160hp to 470hp—a nearly 300% increase.

This isn’t just about raw speed; it’s about management. The MGH (Motor Generator Unit-Heat) is gone. The cars will feature active aerodynamics, with wings that shift shape mid-lap to reduce drag on straights and increase downforce in corners. But the real game-changer is the energy deployment.

The “Chess Match” at 200 MPH

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has described the 2026 racing style as having a massive “chess component.”

Unlike today, where energy deployment is largely automated or pre-mapped, the 2026 drivers will need to make split-second strategic decisions on every single lap. They will be constantly deciding where to burn that massive 470hp electric boost and where to harvest it back.

Imagine driving at the absolute limit of adhesion while simultaneously calculating an energy budget in your head. If you run out of battery at the wrong moment, you are a sitting duck.

“The driver has to be smart and clever about how to use power,” says Red Bull’s Helmut Marko. “There is one driver who can drive fast and think at the same time.”

That driver is Max Verstappen. And he has been practicing this specific skill for a decade.

The Sim Racing Superpower

Verstappen’s dedication to sim racing is legendary. He doesn’t treat it as a media obligation or a casual hobby; he treats it as a second career. In 2024 alone, he completed a “Triple Crown” of virtual endurance racing, winning the 24 Hours of Daytona, the Nürburgring 24 Hours, and the Spa 24 Hours.

Most famously, during the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend, he drove a grueling night stint in a virtual 24-hour race, slept for a few hours, and then went out and won the actual Formula 1 Grand Prix on Sunday.

Why does this matter for 2026? Because sim racing is the ultimate training ground for cognitive adaptation.

In the virtual world, Verstappen constantly hops between different cars, tracks, and physics models. He has forced his brain to adapt instantly to new variables. When the 2026 cars arrive—with their shrinking dimensions, reduced downforce, and complex energy systems—they will feel alien to everyone. But for a driver who spends his free time mastering unfamiliar machines in the digital realm, the learning curve will be a flat line.

Professional sim racers have noted that Verstappen’s ability to adapt is “unlike anything they have witnessed.” He can jump into a virtual car and be quicker than world-ranked esports pros within 50 minutes. This “cognitive muscle” is exactly what will be needed to manage the manual energy deployment of the new era.

The Hamilton Dilemma

This brings us to the uncomfortable question: Where does this leave Lewis Hamilton?

The seven-time World Champion is undeniably one of the greatest to ever hold a steering wheel. His racecraft and “feel” for a car are unmatched in the modern era. However, Hamilton has been openly critical of simulators.

He reportedly drives as few as 20 laps per year in the team simulator, citing that it feels “disorienting” and lacks the physical feedback (G-forces) he relies on to find the limit. Hamilton is an old-school master; he needs to feel the car underneath him to extract its maximum potential.

But 2026 might not reward “feel” as much as it rewards “processing power.”

If the new regulations require a driver to manage complex systems and make strategic energy decisions based on data rather than just physical sensation, Hamilton could be at a severe disadvantage. He is effectively bringing a knife to a gunfight—relying on analog instincts in a digital age.

The Verdict: An Unfair Advantage?

History shows that major rule changes always shuffle the F1 hierarchy. The 2014 turbo-hybrid era birthed the Mercedes dynasty. The 2022 ground-effect era crowned Red Bull.

The 2026 reset is bigger than both. It requires a driver who can function as a computer, a strategist, and a pilot simultaneously.

Verstappen has logged thousands of hours making these exact types of decisions under pressure. He has trained his mind to separate the act of driving from the act of strategizing. While his rivals will be struggling to come to terms with the new energy management systems, Max will simply be playing another game—one he has already mastered in the middle of the night, while the rest of the world was sleeping.

Come 2026, we may not just see Verstappen win. We may see him redefine what it means to be a Formula 1 driver. And for his rivals, that is a terrifying prospect.

Mel Owens and Peg Munson are still going strong more than a month after The Golden Bachelor finale, but even they aren’t immune to an argument here or there. The couple went live on Instagram while spending Christmas Eve in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and they didn’t shy away from documenting a disagreement they had.

This is Owens and Munson’s first Christmas together, and the former football star took his girlfriend to Rio to celebrate with his best friend who lives there. It’s been a tradition for Owens for the last 40 years.

When one IG Live viewer commented on how great Owens looked at his age, he explained, “I went and ran for, like, 25 minutes today on the beach. That’s the key: cardio.” Munson wasn’t quite on-board with that, though. “Is it cardio?” she wondered. “You gotta lift weights, though. Especially women.”

Owens held firm. “If you sacrifice one thing, don’t sacrifice the cardio,” to which Munson responded, “I have to disagree. I’m gonna disagree with the professional athlete.” Owens took it in stride. “You do you, boo,” he told Munson, to which she reiterated, “I’m disagreeing!”

It was all in good fun, though, as the pair went on to document their time soaking up the sun for nearly an hour. In response to a fan who asked what annoyed them about one another, they couldn’t even come up with anything. However, Munson noted that they’re still in the “honeymoon stage” right now, so that could change.

“We’re human beings,” she pointed out. “There’s going to be something that annoys me about him eventually. I’ll let you all know.”

Munson received Owens’ final rose on Season 2 of The Golden Bachelor, and while they didn’t get engaged, he did give her a ring to signify his commitment to her. The lovebirds have been keeping busy since going public with their relationship in mid-November. In addition to their Christmas trip to Rio, they recently celebrated Owens’ birthday in Las Vegas, attended a University of Michigan football game over Thanksgiving weekend, and more.

WW2 veteran labels victory over Nazis ‘waste of time’ and claims migrant crisis proves ‘UK has gone right downhill’

World War Two veteran Alex Penstone says Britain is ‘worse than it was when he fought for it’ | 

Mervyn Kersh is a D-Day veteran who also witnessed the horrors of the newly-liberated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945

A World War Two veteran has labelled Britain’s victory against the Nazis a “waste of time” and warned the UK has “gone downhill”.

Mervyn Kersh, 101, a Jewish D-Day veteran who witnessed the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, voiced his frustrations about modern Britain.

 

He singled out the issue of immigration of immigration, with Channel crossings in 2025 so far exceeding 41,000.

Mr Kersh, who was once lauded for his efforts by ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, told The Daily Mail: “I think it [the war] was a waste of time, because the benefits we got from it, the wartime camaraderie and everyone, almost everybody, mucked in [with] whatever they could do.

“Whatever [way] they could help somebody else they did. That wasn’t just in the army. You don’t get that now, no.”

He added: “This country has gone right downhill.

“I know the population is changing. Some are leaving, and then others are coming who have no understanding or knowledge of what this country was like, not only just its history, but it’s morals.”

Mr Kersh, who now lives alone following the death of his wife Betty in 2018, insisted he has “no objection” with genuine asylum seekers but did go on to highlight concerns about migrant crossings.

Mr Kersh, who now lives alone following the death of his wife Betty in 2018, insisted he has “no objection” with genuine asylum seekers but did go on to highlight concerns about migrant crossings

 

However, Mr Kersh was also asked how Britain’s recent leaders compare to the likes of Sir Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.

The 101-year-old added: “They didn’t just try to keep the job to the next day, next session, a bit of sparring with the opposition, and then come and have a drink job.”

Mr Kersh, who was born in Brixton in 1924, signed up to join the Ordnance Corps in 1943.

After undergoing training in Scotland, Mr Kersh was ready to follow the main D-Day invasion force into Normandy.

The veteran landed on Gold Beach on the Normandy coast

The veteran landed on Gold Beach on the Normandy coast.

Speaking about the experience previously, Mr Kersh said: “The landings was the biggest experience, the biggest and most emotional one.

“Landing on the coast with the intention of destroying the Germans.

“They were firing at the biggest ships out at sea and the British were firing above our heads at the Germans.

Mr Kersh was later stationed near Bergen-Belsen when the camp was liberated by British troops in April 1945

 | PA

“French women, children and old men greeted us with flowers, wine and kisses.

“I did not take the wine in case it was poisoned but I did take the flowers and the kisses. I was 19 at the time. I’m a bit older now.”

Mr Kersh was later stationed near Bergen-Belsen when the camp was liberated by British troops in April 1945.

However, Mr Kersh’s comments come shortly after ex-Royal Navy serviceman Alec Penstone made similar claims ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

British army soldiers depart for Normandy as reinforcements during Operation Overlord in 1944 | Getty

“My message is, I can see in my mind’s eye the rows and rows of white stones of all the hundreds of my friends and everybody else that gave their lives for what?” he said.

“The country of today. No, I’m sorry, the sacrifice wasn’t worth the result that it is now.”

Mr Penstone continued: “What we fought for, and what we fought for, was our freedom. We find that even now it’s downright worse than when I fought for it.”

The UK lost 384,000 soldiers in combat during the Second World War.

A further 70,000 British civilians were killed, including 40,000 between September 1940 and May 1941.

Victoria Beckham and David Beckham appeared to send a pointed and unmistakable message to their estranged son Brooklyn Beckham on Boxing Day, as the Beckham family feud showed no sign of easing over Christmas.

The famous couple shared a video of themselves dancing together at their Cotswolds home to Guilty by Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb — a song whose lyrics, “We’ve got nothing to be sorry for,” immediately caught the attention of fans and critics alike. For many, it felt far from coincidental.

The post landed just days after reports claimed Brooklyn wants his parents to apologise to him and his wife, Nicola Peltz, following weeks of tension that have spilled publicly across social media. But the mood from David and Victoria’s festive post suggested reconciliation may not be imminent.

Despite Brooklyn remaining in the US with Nicola and her family, Victoria and David shared a series of smiling family moments from Christmas, presenting a united front with their other children. One image showed David tenderly embracing daughter Harper, while another featured Victoria posing with son Cruz. The couple were also joined by close family members, including Victoria’s parents Jackie and Anthony and David’s mother Sandra.

Victoria captioned the now-viral dancing clip with playful confidence, writing that she and David were giving their “very best Barry and Barbra” on Christmas Day, signing off with kisses from them both.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Brooklyn marked the festive period in a very different way. He spent Christmas in the US with Nicola’s family, sharing posts that underlined where his loyalties currently lie. On Christmas Eve, he described Nicola as “my everything” in a loved-up Instagram post — a move many saw as another subtle but deliberate message to his parents after blocking them on the platform.

Brooklyn also shared glimpses of his Christmas Day activities, including playing tennis with American pro Reilly Opelka and Nicola’s brother Bradley, basking in the Californian sunshine while his family gathered back in the UK.

The rift appears deeper than ever. Earlier this week, Cruz Beckham revealed that Brooklyn had blocked the entire family on Instagram, including his parents and even his younger sister Harper. Cruz insisted that David and Victoria would never unfollow their son, explaining instead that they all woke up to find themselves blocked.

Sources close to the situation have claimed Brooklyn believes his parents owe him and Nicola an apology, with tensions reportedly fuelled by what was described as a sustained period of negative briefings aimed at his wife. According to those claims, repairing the relationship would require acknowledgment of the pain caused — something that, so far, has not happened.

While David and Victoria continue to put on a brave and united front at home, those close to the family say the ongoing feud has taken a particular emotional toll on the grandparents, who are said to be heartbroken at the prospect of not seeing Brooklyn over Christmas.

As the festive season draws to a close, the dancing video — light-hearted on the surface — has come to symbolise something far heavier: a family stalemate, played out to a soundtrack that leaves little room for compromise.

A Tectonic Shift in the Paddock

As the dust settled on the 2025 Formula 1 season in Abu Dhabi, the paddock’s collective gaze immediately shifted toward the horizon. The 2026 regulation overhaul was poised to be the most significant transformation the sport had seen in over a decade—a reset button designed to level the playing field, attract new manufacturers like Audi, and foster a new era of competitive balance. But just days after the champagne dried on McLaren’s championship celebrations, a bombshell report from the German media shattered the offseason calm.

By mid-December 2025, what began as a rumor had metastasized into a full-blown crisis. Reports emerged that Mercedes and Red Bull, two of the sport’s most dominant forces, had independently discovered a “magic bullet”—a technical loophole in the 2026 engine regulations that would allow them to bypass the strict new limits on compression ratios. The implications were immediate and terrifying for their rivals: a built-in performance advantage that could render the 2026 championship fight over before the cars even arrived in Melbourne.

The controversy centers on a piece of engineering that walks the razor-thin line between rule-breaking and genius interpretation. Following a frantic joint letter from Ferrari, Honda, and Audi demanding clarification, the FIA finally broke its silence on December 19th. Their verdict? The trick is legal. The governing body’s confirmation sent shockwaves through the sport, effectively blessing a mechanism that could hand half the grid a decisive 10 to 15 horsepower advantage.

The “Ambient Temperature” Loophole

To understand the magnitude of this controversy, one must first look at the rulebook. The 2026 power unit regulations were crafted with a specific philosophy: simplify the technology to reduce costs and encourage new entrants. A key pillar of this strategy was the reduction of the engine’s geometric compression ratio. The limit was dropped from the previous 18:1 down to 16:1. This reduction was intended to lower the barrier to entry for newcomers like Audi and the Ford-Red Bull partnership, ensuring they wouldn’t be crushed by the decades of combustion expertise held by incumbents like Mercedes and Ferrari.

However, the devil, as always, was in the details—specifically in Article C5.4.3 of the technical regulations. The rule mandates that no cylinder may exceed a geometric compression ratio of 16:1. Crucially, it specifies that the compliance measurement must be taken at “ambient temperature.”

It was in those three words that Mercedes and Red Bull found their salvation. Engineers at Brackley and Milton Keynes realized that while the rule dictated the static limit in a cool garage, it said nothing about what happens when the engine is screaming at 12,000 RPM. They exploited the basic laws of physics: thermal expansion.

Materials expand when heated. It is a universal truth of engineering. But Mercedes and Red Bull didn’t just account for this expansion; they weaponized it. They designed specific engine components—likely the pistons and connecting rods—to expand in a precise, calculated manner as the engine temperature climbs from the ambient conditions of the garage to the searing 120°C operating window on the track.

Engineering Genius or Regulatory Betrayal?

The result of this thermal wizardry is a variable compression ratio in all but name. When the FIA scrutineers measure the engine cold in the pit lane, the components sit dutifully within the 16:1 limit. The car is legal. But once the lights go out and the engine heat soars, those components expand, pushing the piston head incrementally closer to the top of the cylinder.

On track, the effective compression ratio creeps back up, approaching the old 18:1 standard. This allows Mercedes and Red Bull to run more aggressive combustion strategies, extracting efficiency and power that was supposed to be legislated out of existence. While their rivals are stuck running genuine 16:1 engines, the “innovators” are effectively racing with a 2025-spec performance ceiling.

For the new manufacturers, this is a nightmare scenario. Audi committed to Formula 1 based on a promise of stability and accessible technology. They, along with Ferrari and Honda, developed their power units according to the spirit of the rules. Now, they face the prospect of starting their maiden campaign with a significant hardware deficit that cannot be easily fixed with a software patch.

The FIA’s Hands Are Tied

The anger from the Ferrari, Honda, and Audi camps is palpable. In their view, this violates the intention of the 2026 reset. It essentially allows the established giants to maintain their hegemony by outspending and out-engineering the restrictions designed to rein them in.

However, the FIA’s ruling on December 19th was clear-cut. The regulations define the test procedure, and that procedure is static. If the engine passes the test at ambient temperature, it is compliant. To rule otherwise would require the FIA to rewrite the regulations retroactively or attempt to police the complex, microscopic behavior of metals under extreme thermal load—a regulatory quagmire they are seemingly unwilling to enter.

This strict adherence to the letter of the law has left the protesting teams with few options. The homologation deadlines are looming, meaning engine designs are being frozen. Redesigning a power unit to incorporate similar thermal expansion properties would take months, if not longer—time that Ferrari and Audi simply do not have before the season opener.

A Grid Divided

The fallout creates a fascinating, if lopsided, dynamic for the upcoming season. With Mercedes supplying McLaren and Williams, and Red Bull powering their sister team, nearly half the grid—12 cars—will likely benefit from this “illegal” engine trick. The other half, powered by Ferrari, Honda, and Audi, could find themselves fighting with one hand tied behind their backs.

Estimates suggest the advantage is worth roughly 10 to 15 horsepower. In the tight world of Formula 1, that translates to three or four-tenths of a second per lap. Over a race distance, that is an eternity. It is the difference between cruising to victory and fighting in the midfield.

There is talk of a “catch-up mechanism” (referenced by some as the ADU mechanism) that might trigger after the first six races, allowing lagging manufacturers extra development freedom to close the gap. But in a sport where momentum is everything, spending the first quarter of the season bleeding points is often a death sentence for championship aspirations.

Silence Speaks Volumes

Perhaps the most telling aspect of this entire saga is the reaction—or lack thereof—from the beneficiaries. Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has been uncharacteristically pessimistic in public, describing his team’s outlook as “glass half empty.” Meanwhile, Red Bull leadership has remained conspicuously silent on the specific issue of compression ratios.

In the shark tank of the F1 paddock, silence is rarely an accident. When accused of bending the rules, teams usually launch rigorous defenses or counter-attacks. The quiet confidence radiating from Brackley and Milton Keynes suggests they know they have secured a checkmate. They haven’t just found a loophole; they have successfully navigated the regulatory storm that followed its discovery.

The Road to Melbourne

As the Formula 1 circus prepares for the dawn of the 2026 era, the narrative has shifted from excitement to suspicion. The active aerodynamics and smaller chassis of the new cars were supposed to be the story. Instead, we are once again talking about pistons, heat, and the grey areas of the rulebook.

Is this “cheating”? By the strict definition of the regulations, no. It is the kind of ruthless, boundary-pushing engineering that has defined the sport for 75 years. It is Colin Chapman finding ground effect; it is Mercedes creating DAS. But for the fans hoping for a wide-open title fight involving new names like Audi, the news is a bitter pill.

When the lights go out in Melbourne, we will finally see the truth. If the Mercedes and Red Bull cars vanish into the distance, powered by engines that defy the spirit of the rules, the 2026 season may be remembered not for the racing, but for the engineering coup that decided the title in a wind tunnel and a dyno room in December 2025. The game has changed, but the players—and their tricks—remain the same.

Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay emerged as husband and wife from Bath Abbey today, smiling for the cameras as cheers rang out from the crowds — a picture-perfect ending to a wedding that has been anything but peaceful behind the scenes.

The Olympic swimmer, 31, and his 25-year-old bride beamed as they made their grand exit from the historic church, intertwining arms and pausing to acknowledge onlookers before heading off to the lavish Georgian country retreat, Kin House, where celebrations continued.

On the surface, it was a fairytale moment. Yet the ceremony followed weeks of bitter family turmoil that has left Adam’s side of the family deeply fractured and, most painfully, absent.

Proud father Gordon Ramsay was seen lingering outside the Abbey, personally thanking guests as they departed — including close family friends the Beckhams, who led the all-star guest list at the ceremony. But the build-up to the Christmas wedding had been dominated by what insiders have described as a toxic family rift, resulting in Adam’s relatives being frozen out of the celebrations entirely.

Earlier in the day, there were few signs of the storm surrounding the couple as Holly arrived glowing, guided into the Abbey by her father. The bride kept her dress hidden beneath an embroidered lace cloak, revealing only fleeting glimpses of a scalloped skirt and long train as crowds strained to see more.

As she stepped from the car, Holly shared a tender moment with Gordon, planting a kiss on his cheek before he led her through the tightly packed onlookers. Security staff pushed through the crowds to clear a path, with Gordon cheerfully waving and wishing people a “Merry Christmas” amid the chaos.

Bridesmaids followed shortly after, led by Holly’s mother Tana Ramsay and younger sister Tilly, dressed in festive red and green gowns that nodded to the seasonal theme of the day.

Inside, around 200 guests filled the Abbey, including Sir David Beckham and wife Victoria, alongside their children Romeo, Cruz and Harper. The Beckhams and Ramsays have been close for more than two decades, their friendship dating back to the early 2000s when both families spent time living in the US.

Yet even among the A-list support, family tensions lingered in the background. The Beckhams themselves are navigating their own highly publicised rift with eldest son Brooklyn — a reminder that even the most glamorous weddings can’t escape complicated family realities.

By the time Adam and Holly stepped back into the winter daylight as newlyweds, the smiles were wide and the applause loud. But for those watching closely, the joy was tinged with the knowledge that the day’s happiness came at a heavy emotional price.