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McLaren signs 11-year old to young driver program23 hours agoThe Belgian Grand Prix is starting a contract that will see it host four races over six years, between 2026 and 2031. McLaren sign 11-year-old to young driver programme23 hours agoThe Belgian Grand Prix, for example, is starting a new contract where it will host four races in six years between 2026-31. “The races are watched by nearly 19 million people across our country. Around 7.5 million closely follow them on social media. “I see Turkey’s return to Formula 1 as a clear indication of the confidence that has been placed in our country. This is due to our robust organisational capability, our modern sports and health care infrastructure, and of course the renowned hospitality and warmth of the Turkish people. “F1 President Stefano Domenicali stated: “We are thrilled to be returning to Istanbul in 2027, to thrill our fans in Turkey and across the globe on one of Formula 1’s most challenging and exciting circuits. “As a multicultural gateway between Europe and Asia and a forward-thinking city, Istanbul offers a unique blend of tradition and history with a forward thinking approach to sport, entertainment, and business. “Related TopicsFormula 1

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ByMike Henson, BBC Sport rugby union news reporter and Matthew Hobbs, BBC Sport journalist

• 1 hour ago

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ByDan RoanSports editorGary Lineker played his last game in English football in May 1992. This was a few months after Gary Neville’s debut for Manchester United. But they are now rivals in the business world. They each have their own digital empires via their Goalhanger or Overlap platforms. Is this the future of sports journalism? Which one is winning? How both Garys built media empiresImage source: Getty ImagesThe recent purchase by Neville’s “The Overlap” network of United influencer Mark Goldbridge YouTube channels was a stark reminder of the power the former Manchester United player-turned Sky pundit wields now in the football media industry. The Overlap was launched by Neville in 2021 after he co-founded Buzz16, a sports entertainment production company, ten years ago. The Overlap, which features the long-form football discussion show “Stick to Football”, alongside interviews and fan discussions, was sponsored by Skybet and went on to become a popular football content channel in the UK, claiming over 2.2 billion views in 2025 across all platforms. It also has ambitions to be the “biggest platform for non-live football in the world”. Buzz16, who produce content for broadcasters such as the BBC’s WSL and TNT rugby union programming, has also branched out Brent di Cesare, a former cop who created the content for the Overlap, was signed a few weeks after. His two YouTube channels, which have 3.7 million subscribers, are renowned for his viral clips of expletive-laden rants while streaming ‘watchalongs of United matches’. Buzz16 generated PS11.6m revenue last year. Goalhanger, the production powerhouse founded by former BBC Match of the Day host Lineker in 2014, was reported to have made PS14m from a Netflix deal. The streaming giant will broadcast Lineker’s The Rest Is Football podcast every day from a New York studio during this summer’s World Cup. It partnered with DAZN last year to be able show action from the Club World Cup. It also has a 3-year deal with Spain’s La Liga with rights to weekly clip. It has also secured a minority investment from a company that specializes in private equity, to help it expand into the US and create new formats. Who has the advantage?Like Neville’s network, Goalhanger has spun-offs. But the brand goes beyond sports. Its various podcasts are currently dominating the top 40 Spotify podcast charts. They include shows on football (13th), science (38th), and history (6th). The Overlap’s Stick to Football ranks 17th. Goalhanger dominated Apple’s charts with the top four podcasts. The Overlap is the leader on YouTube with 1.66m subscribers – three times more than The Rest is Football. The Overlap will record shows from the US for the World Cup. Scott Melvin co-founded The Overlap with Neville and says, “I don’t believe we’re competitors necessarily, but I have no problem if the people think that.” When asked about Goalhanger, he said: “They’ve done unbelievably.” “They’re the market leaders in podcasting, whereas we are a ‘video first’ business. They used to be ‘eyes-optional’ and are now moving into video. We’ve always been ‘ears-optional’. Tony Pastor, Lineker’s Goalhanger’s co-founder, agrees that both companies “have some similarity but in many different ways we are very different”. He explained that “we’ve taken a wider approach in terms genres”. “Our biggest show is The Rest Is Politics in the UK, and our largest show worldwide is The Rest Is History. We are not really in competition with Buzz16. Our business models are different. I’m a huge fan of what they do. What kind of challenge is Lineker and Neville’s success to mainstream broadcasters? Image source, Getty images “They’re still niche, small business, admittedly, with huge influence over fans, but their turnovers are very modest, so they can’t compete with the big legacy brands when it comes down to hard business figures”, says Jimmy Worrall. Worrall recently launched The Football Boardroom Podcast after setting up a business with former England manager Gareth Southgate. “They are capturing eyeballs and tapping into the changing patterns of fans and the way they consume news. Don’t forget that they don’t own the real gold, which is premium live content. “They’re all trying to diversify, and because they’re nimble, entrepreneurial, and have now access to capital, now they can buy growth and take risk on new programs, both have the speed to market, and they could possibly grow into some significant media businesses, if they invested heavily and quickly. “They will have to evolve constantly, that’s for sure.” Worrall says that The Rest is Football is expected to play a vital role for Netflix during World Cup when the appetite for Netflix’s content may drop. Roger Mosey, former BBC executive and commentator on the rise of athlete-driven programming, says: “It makes life difficult for the established broadcaster.” “The mainstream broadcasters must be impartial in general – they cannot be ‘Manchester United TV,’ ‘the anti VAR channel,’ or anything else. “They are still bound by regulations and their traditions which means they can’t speak as passionately or with as much vigor as a podcast. “During the 2024 Euros Lineker was criticized for being more outspoken on his podcast about England’s performance than he had been when presenting BBC coverage of the same tournament. In the aftermath of a social media post he made about Zionism, his 30-year relationship with BBC ended last year. Neville, on the other hand continues to work as Sky’s leading pundit. Goldbridge has said he will continue saying what he wants after being acquired by The Overlap. Is there a chance that a rant about United might conflict with Neville’s role at Sky or his relationship with United, or their fans? “If I were Sky, I’d be watching Stick to Football each week knowing that there is no commercial upside and potential brand downside if editorial tone is off-brand because the talent is inextricably connected to Sky,” says Worrall. “If I were Neville, I would watch Mark Goldbridge with the same thought process. However, Goldbridge has the added benefit of commercial potential. “It is one thing for a fan to rant about the performance of a club, but it is another when one of their most decorated players funds and facilitates that rant. This will not be an easy issue to resolve. Melvin insists, “We see it as separate”. “There’s not much point in investing in Mark to make him a traditional host. We want to grow his channels along with him. “Another important factor was having a more daily offering on Goldbridge’s channels. Melvin recalls that when [former United manager] Ruben Amorim was fired, we didn’t have Stick To Football scheduled for 10 days. We didn’t discuss it until then. “We can’t. We need to be able be agile. Rio Ferdinand, who left TNT Sport in order to start his own content-production business, said that global digital platforms allowed pundits to circumvent traditional broadcasting limitations in terms of program durations and rights-holder-based territories. “I’m sure others will follow, although it’s not easy to build a media business around a sports stars’ ‘brand’, which is low risk and high reward, while they’re playing. It takes money, a lot of effort, managing people, and a significant amount of risk.” says Worrall. “Building a successful business requires a lot of work and is not for everyone. There is no reason that players or former players cannot do it, if they are motivated and have the passion to do so. “I don’t believe the industry is at its peak, but I do believe that even the most popular podcasts will reach their peak and then fall – they have a lifecycle. “It’s much more complicated than people think to make a podcast successful: it takes a lot of talent, synchronized business models, high production values and constant innovation. It also requires research, social engagement, audience engagement, infrastructure, subject matter, and an entertainment format with longevity. Talent-led shows are eventually outdated. “And what about the smaller content producers and production companies that are now competing with Goalhanger? Mike Carr, the CEO of Crowd Network which develops digital media brands for former stars like England cricketer Stuart Broad or rugby player Ben Youngs, says that it’s not a “winner-takes-all” market. “It is still very early in terms audience growth, particularly on YouTube. There’s still a lot of room to grow – Lineker and Neville are helping to educate brands and audiences about the power of this space. “What we do differs slightly. Instead of seeing them as competitors, they have helped accelerate the market. “I hope Goalhanger shows that if your content is done right, you can reach the scale necessary to support a successful media business,” says pastor. “We’ve created a lot of jobs, which is great. But we’ve also proved that millions of people want to watch and listen to long-form, intelligent content. This is good news for all. “Related TopicsInsight: Insight stories from the worlds of sportFootballMore about this storyFollow Your Club with BBC Sport12MarchListen to the latest Football Daily PodcastGet football news delivered straight to your mobile16 August 2025

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Image source: ReutersByAndrew BenjaminF1 Correspondent24 Minutes ago14 CommentsGeorge Russell had to wait four more years than he anticipated for this and now that it has finally arrived, he says he feels a way he never expected. As fate would have it the location of our interview brought Russell full circle. The Mercedes driver will officially open the British Grand Prix track’s new karting center on a beautiful spring evening in Silverstone. Russell began his motorsport career with karting more than 20 year ago. He is now in the place he dreamed of when he first started. He just thought it would come sooner. When Russell, 28, joined Mercedes, he was already a rising star after impressive performances at back-of-the grid Williams. His graduation came following a run eight consecutive world titles for Mercedes and his then teammate Lewis Hamilton’s titanic title fight with Max Verstappen. His arrival at Mercedes coincided a dip in the team’s form. Now, Mercedes is back at the top. Russell claims that he feels nothing has changed. “I was surprised myself,” he says. “I just go about my daily process. Every time I get into a racecar, I don’t consider the big picture of winning the championship. “I only think about the present moment, like going out to qualify. How will I drive the fastest possible lap for the race? How can I get the best start to the race, the best race? I’m not going to try and stand on the top step of the podium, just go about doing my business. “I know we’re in a fight, but I don’t even think about it. I know that to win the championship you have to go through these processes. “This is what sports people say all the time. The Briton will only acknowledge that this year has been different by saying “there is definitely a slight difference in intensity”. This mentality is a common psychological trick for sportspeople, but he insists that it is not forced. “It’s the mentality that I’ve had since I was young,” he says. “Probably what my dad instilled in me when I was 10 years old, fighting for karting titles. “I’ve done this, not in Formula 1 but in all those championships as a child. I knew then what it took to win these championships. “The stakes today are higher.” When I was in F4 and fighting for the championship that was the most important thing in my life. At the time, it felt like F1. It was this that allowed me to fight hard for these victories. “Image source, Getty ImagesThe start of the season was good for Russell. He won the pole position in Australia and the sprint race in China, and he also took the pole in Australia. But since then, things have gone wrong. A technical problem in grand prix qualifying in China allowed 19-year-old teammate Kimi Antonelli to slip in and take the pole position, from which the Italian took his first victory. In Japan, two weeks after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were cancelled, bad timing with a safety vehicle relegated Russell to fourth place and promoted Antonelli. The Italian won again. Russell says that at the moment they are battling each other. “Last season, if two cars qualified a few tenths apart, there were probably four or five in between. “If you had a bad start you couldn’t just climb back up the front like we are doing now. We were punished for making mistakes. So far this year, we haven’t been punished for our mistakes. Russell is too cute to say that the last comment is a reference Antonelli’s race in Japan where a poor start dropped him to the back of the field, before he recovered. Russell is quick to point out that Antonelli has had bad starts in all three races. I saw it last season. He showed signs of great speed. It’s still early days, and I’m certain it will be close. “Would Russell like it to remain this way or does he wish for another team to improve enough to have their drivers get involved?” “I love the competition,” he admits. It keeps things exciting. “I love to win when there is a lot of competition. It’s the same every day. I want my opponent to have everything because I’m going to be able… I want to win knowing that they have given their all. That’s what motivates me. My view is that the more the better. Verstappen’s Red Bull team has had a tough start to the season, and it is obvious that he is not in the title fight this year. Does Russell wish that he were in the fight? “Yeah,” he replies.It is no secret that Verstappen and Russell have not always been on the same page. They’ve had several very public disagreements during which they both expressed their views about each other’s character. Russell says, “They’re fine.” “We have a little respect for each other.” I admire what he is doing on the track. And I respect what’s he doing right now. “He’s racing his GT cars and enjoying himself. If I were a four-time champion, I would probably be doing the exact same thing. He’s already achieved what I am striving for now. “I would not forgive myself if I looked back and saw that I had been distracted from a championship match by other activities. If you’ve achieved all that he has, then good for him. “[embedded text]Verstappen was the most outspoken driver of all about the new rules introduced into F1 in this year, giving Mercedes the opportunity to leap back to first place. Verstappen’s catchy phrases to describe these new cars with engines that are 50-50 internal combustion and electric power include “Mario Kart”, Formula E on steroids”, and “anti-racing”. They require energy management throughout the lap and have been criticised because they prevent drivers from going flat-out during qualifying. Even though there have been more overtakes, this hasn’t always been viewed as a good thing, as some of them are due to the vastly different battery charge levels that are inherent in the new rules. Verstappen is not the only driver who has criticised the new rules. Russell, however, has a different opinion. “I don’t agree with that at all,” he states. “I personally enjoy the car. The engine and power-unit are definitely different. It just needs some fine tuning to optimise it. It’s given the chance to fight harder and do back-and forth racing. “We’re at a kart-track now. Lewis made an excellent point: in a kart racing, you overtake a corner, and he overtakes it back. They overtake again. No one has ever called it Mario Kart, yo-yo race or whatever else you might call it. We call it great racing and pure racing. Russell, as the director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association led the drivers’ representations to the rule makers that the cars needed a change so qualifying could become more flat-out – hence some rule changes this week. But he believes that even that has been overstated. He says that anyone who believes drivers are slowing down in corners so they can be faster on straights is wrong. “There are a few small quirks that the FIA has done its best to eliminate. These are complicated details that fans don’t need to know. “From this race on, these minor changes will make our lives easier. We won’t need to lift off during a qualifying lap because we’ll be running flat out on the straights. “He also points that what’s going on in the cars this season should be seen within the context of F1 history. “I remember listening to the engines roaring 20 years ago, and it was amazing. But I didn’t see a single overtake,” says he. “That was arguably the purest Formula 1 that we’ve ever witnessed. The racing was boring. “I think we only remember positive things. In the present we tend to focus on the negative. There are many positives to this new regulation and these new cars. “I spoke to a Formula 1 racer from the ’80s or ’90s who said that they would have had a boost button which would give them an extra 300bhp, but at the end straight, when they lifted off, they would run out of gas. “So, this has always been there in some way. It’s obvious that things are different now, but it is important to remember the positives from the past. “Image source, Getty ImagesRussell and Verstappen’s relationship on and off the track has always had an extra bite because Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff made no secret about his admiration for Verstappen. Verstappen ended up staying where he was this year and Russell signed a contract. Is there a doubt that Russell will remain with Mercedes in 2027? “Apart from me announcing this here on your camera right now,” he says “there is no need to worry.” “Yes, there are options in the contract but they are based on performance. The performance is strong at the moment so the things will continue. “Is ‘performance’ a reference to a certain championship position? Russell says “Yes”. His future is secure and he has only one goal in mind. “To win,” says Russell. “Simple as. “The championship? “Every race. “Every race.

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Image source: Getty ImagesByBen BloomBBC Sports22 April 2026Updated three hours agoMiles Chaley-Watson remembers the moment when he sat at his Met Gala dinner table nine years ago. With Madonna on his right and Rihanna to his left, a London-born American fencing champion was the unexpected filling of a sandwich of pop royalty. Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula One World Champion, was also at his table. Hamilton has since become Chamley Watson’s “bestie”. “I was like, ‘Wow! What am I doing?'” Chamley-Watson recalls. “It was amazing – I had watched these people, listened to them as a child and now I was sitting at the same table. “You realize that everyone here is the best in their field. It was really, really awesome. It was my first taste at celebrity stardom. “I was probably one of the only people at the table who everyone thought: Who the hell is this 6ft 5in blonde guy that fences?” After that, everything changed for me. “Chamley Watson, 36, is one of the top fencers in the world. He has been a leading fencer for more than 10 years. He has competed in three Olympics and won team bronze in 2016. He was the first American to win an individual title when he won foil gold in 2013. His latest dream is to take the sport mainstream with this week’s launch of his World Fencing League. He has a new dream: to make fencing mainstream. This week, he launched the World Fencing League. “My life has become so crazy,” he admits. “I’d like to tell my teammates and talk to them about this, but it is just too unrelatable. Even for me, this is crazy. “Image source, Getty ImagesIt’s a far cry away from his humble origins and unusual path into the sport. Chamley-Watson was raised in London before his family moved to New York at the age of nine. He describes himself as “a bad kid” growing up. He was required to choose between badminton, tennis or fencing in order to focus. He chose fencing. “If you think of fencing, we are sword-fighting,” says an Arsenal fan whose English accent remains evident decades after leaving London. “I was like, ‘Sick! This is the coolest sports there is. “His schoolwork was better and he discovered he had a natural affinity for fencing. Chamley-Watson, however, says that he felt he “didn’t belong”. “I grew up thinking that there was no one who looked like me.” he said. “But as soon as I started winning it didn’t matter where I was from. We’re all the exact same when we put on our masks. “That’s what makes fencing so unique. It’s almost like Bruce Wayne becoming Batman. When you put on your mask, you feel like you can do whatever you want. “But I didn’t feel comfortable at any time. I’ve dealt with racism in the sports since I was 14 years old. “Those experiences have played a significant role in his creation of the World Fencing League, which launches on Saturday in Los Angeles.His hope is for the competition to take the sport mainstream so that “boys, girls, brown, black, anyone from all walks of life” are inspired to try fencing.The inaugural event sees 12 of the world’s top fencers split into two teams, competing for a prize pot of $100,000 (PS74,000) – an amount unheard of in a sport that struggles for professionalism.Employing modified scoring and new AI blade-tracking technology to allow viewers to see the swords’ rapid movements, the aim is to make fencing “shorter, easier to understand and more visually appealing”.Not everyone is onboard, with some traditionalists unsupportive of the new format. “Unfortunately, it is necessary to upset some feathers in order to make a major change in a sport like fencing, which is so traditional,” says Chamley Watson. “We can change a sport for ever. “Seven-time Olympic Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles was among the high-profile sports and entertainment personalities who posted about the event on Facebook, with a multitude of VIPs expected to attend Saturday’s event. Will Ferrari driver Hamilton be at the event? “He’s a good friend of mine, so what does a friend do?” Chamley-Watson. “When you have someone as good as that, you will support each other even when you are not working. There will be no F1 race on that weekend, so there is your answer. “Fencing will soon become more glamorous. Related topicsOlympic GamesFencing