And it didn't come cheap. One resident - who chipped in £1,000 to the fund - told us their community raised more than £100,000 to purchase a field which could house dozens of Traveller caravans. "It did feel like extortion," they told us. "But I was protecting our life and our investment. "I was worried the value of our property might be affected if there was a Traveller site a few hundred yards up the road. It was just us buying the land in order for the village to stay the same and not be developed in a way we didn't want it to be. "I did it for the safety and atmosphere in the village. I worried that the Travellers might bring problems and I'd worry if the kids are out walking the dog or going for a run they might run into some problem." The person we spoke to admitted they were prejudging the Travellers, but added: ''They have a reputation - some of which I'm sure isn't true - and some is. I think we were dealing with a worst-case scenario, but that was a worst-case scenario most people in the village didn't want to entertain, so we took the matter into our own hands." The resident told us villagers bought the land off a lawyer - after he made a planning application for a structure which looked like it would pave the way for a Traveller site. The person who contributed £1,000 to the purchase fund asked not to be named - nor did they want to identify where in the country they live. But they accepted buying the land could encourage Travellers to think it's a way to make money. They told us: "If you can think of a better solution then we'd have done that. It was literally the last thing we wanted to do. But we didn't feel confident that we'd necessarily get the support from the authorities that you'd expect to protect villages like ours." 'It shows the stereotype' John Reilly, founder of the Gypsy Traveller League, told us he believes residents buying land to avoid living next to Travellers "proves" discrimination. He said: ''It's disgusting. We're trying to make homes and if land does come for sale that the residents are thinking straight away 'we need to purchase it in case gypsies get in'. You would not do that and turn around and say 'I don't want gay people to live here so all of us come together and buy the house'. "It shows the stereotype - the stigma is still attached to our name. If you have a gypsy family living in your area they're not going to cause issues on their own doorstep when they live there. And if there are any issues they'll be the first ones to go and support you. ''Don't you think we're isolated enough? We want to try and move into society and work alongside local residents to build a better future for all of our kids." Britain is facing a wave of new Traveller encampments, with Travellers buying land then moving on to it without planning permission. The Travellers say there's a desperate shortage of official sites for them and they have nowhere else to go. Many we've spoken to say Travellers want to put down roots so they can access healthcare and education for their children more easily. Sky News is aware of other communities discussing the idea of buying land or crowdfunding to launch legal challenges to tackle the issue of illegal Traveller encampments. Read more:Legal challenges over Traveller sitesTravellers 'face fight for their way of life' 'It becomes extortion' In Fifield in Berkshire - where villagers and Travellers are embroiled in a row over claims the Travellers are tapping into the water supply - we spoke to people in the village hall. One resident, called Adam, told us: "I've heard of ideas of crowdfunding different initiatives. I have heard talk of funding to buy land to try and ring-fence it, which I think is not a fantastic idea because it just becomes extortion." The friction sparked by Travellers moving on to sites without planning permission has led one landowner to tell us he regrets selling his four-and-a-half-acre site in Buckinghamshire. Michael Cook said: "I was approached a couple of times by a company to buy the land. I sold it to them safe in the knowledge that the land was in a conservation area - it has a covenant on it precluding any activity other than farming and horticulture. "I think that's the problem with land in this country. You often don't know who you're selling it to." Mr Cook said he now regrets selling the land - which was then sold on to Travellers who moved on to the site without planning permission. The Travellers say they had no idea the land was protected. He added: ''I personally haven't got a problem with Travellers. It's the way that what's happened here has transpired - one day a load of lorries appear and there's rubble being dumped and diggers and there's no permission for that as we've seen elsewhere in the country. "I think I do regret selling it. I think it's caused a lot of problems - caused a lot of stress. Nobody that lives around here wants to see anything other than farming and horticulture on a piece of land like this."

Posts on Willis's Facebook page and the band's official page confirmed his death, with his wife saying she made the announcement with "profound sadness". The post on his page said: "Victor passed away on Tuesday June 30, 2026 as a result of a short, but aggressive illness. The family request privacy at this time of great loss." His death came the day before his 75th birthday. Village People rose to fame in the 1970s, becoming known for their camp, feelgood songs and flamboyant, fancy-dress-style costumes which were symbolic of American masculinity at the time - including a construction worker, a cowboy and a biker. Willis was known for styling himself as a policeman, a naval officer and an athlete during their performances. Their hits included Macho Man, Go West - later covered by the Pet Shop Boys - and In The Navy, but it was the unstoppable disco anthem YMCA that earned them platinum sales and number ones around the world. In the UK, it spent 16 weeks in the Top 40 between 1978 and 1979, including three weeks at the top of the chart. Thanks to its earworm catchiness and accompanying dance routine, it has remained a regular at weddings and parties ever since. In 2020, the song was inducted into both the Grammy Hall of Fame and the US Library of Congress National Recording Registry, which aims to "ensure the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America's audio heritage". It was adopted as an anthem by the gay community, despite the singer saying several times the intention was to offer a more universal message, and that it was about his own experiences growing up - although other members of the group interpreted it differently. "I wanted to write a song that could fit anyone's lifestyle," Willis said in one interview The singer left the group in 1979, with several performers taking over on lead vocals over the years. After his depature, the band featured in the 1980 US comedy film Can't Stop The Music, a pseudo-biography of their story. Almost 40 years later, in 2017, Willis rejoined and "revamped" the band, they say in their website biography. 'Music without politics' Donald Trump began using the song in his 2020 re-election campaign, which he lost to former US president Joe Biden, and the group initially issued a cease and desist letter. However, Mr Trump used the song again in his successful 2024 election campaign, which concluded with a line-up of the band performing at events around his 2025 inauguration. In a statement on his own Facebook page at the time, Willis explained why the band had decided to accept the invitation. "We know this won't make some of you happy to hear, however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics," he wrote."Our song YMCA is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost. Therefore, we believe it's now time to bring the country together with music." Read more from Sky News:How much did Trump make from crypto last year?Govt bid to clear drugs, weapons and gangs from prisons The performances took place despite one former Village People member, Jim Newman, writing on Instagram to say the original band "would never ever" perform at a Trump rally. Willis was still performing with the band earlier this year, sharing a post on Facebook in May after completing the first leg of a European tour. The band were due to play further shows across Europe and the US, as well as a YMCA Convention in Ontario, Canada, throughout July, according to their website.

Officers from Avon and Somerset Police's rape and serious sexual offence team have been working on the investigation into Norris, who is the MP for North East Somerset and Hanham. Politics Hub: Starmer accused of leaving defence plan 'mess' to Burnham He faces allegations of rape against three women, sexual assault against a fourth woman, as well as voyeurism and upskirting against a number of women. All offences are alleged to have occurred from 2000 and into the 2020s. "As a result of our enquiries, a file has been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider a charging decision," said a spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police. "We've updated the victims about this significant development, and we'll continue to make sure they have access to any help or support they need. "We'd respectfully ask people do not speculate on the circumstances so the investigation can continue unhindered." Norris was re-elected as an MP in the 2024 general election, when he was still serving as the mayor of the West of England. He unseated the former Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg to win the North East Somerset and Hanham seat. He was suspended by the Labour Party after his arrest in April 2025 and has not attended Parliament since he was released on police bail. He has always denied the allegations, saying in a previous statement: "I vigorously and entirely deny the serious allegations made against me. They are untrue. I am challenging them through my legal representatives." A Labour Party spokesperson said: "Dan Norris was immediately suspended by the Labour Party upon being informed of his initial arrest. The allegations against him are appalling and any person found guilty of such abhorrent crimes must face the full force of the law. We cannot comment further while legal proceedings are ongoing."

The midfielder is expected to fly to London from Milan on Thursday to undergo his medical and complete the formalities of his move. Spurs are set to pay £92.5m plus £7.5m in achievable add-ons for the 26-year-old. Tonali is expected to earn more than £275,000 per week at Spurs and was keen to work under Tottenham boss and fellow Italian Roberto De Zerbi despite interest from elsewhere, including Manchester City. Vuskovic set to join Brighton in club-record dealSpurs agree £85m Fernandes dealTransfer Centre LIVE! | Premier League done dealsSpurs news & transfers⚪ | Spurs fixtures For the second day running, Tottenham have committed to smashing their transfer record after agreeing an £85m deal with West Ham for midfielder Mateus Fernandes. The arrivals of Fernandes and Tonali are set to take Spurs' spending through the £200m barrier. Spurs have spent £52m on defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton, while they have brought in Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka on free transfers. It signals a big shift in transfer strategy from the club following back-to-back 17th-placed Premier League finishes after the club narrowly escaped relegation on the final day last season. The prospective deals for Fernandes and Tonali come after Spurs agreed on Wednesday to sell defender Luka Vuskovic for £50m to Brighton. What does Tonali deal mean for Newcastle? Newcastle signed Tonali from AC Milan in the summer of 2023 in a £55m deal but are now set to make a £45m profit on him. It is understood the club believe they are getting a strong fee for Tonali and believe they are very likely to achieve the full £100m. The feeling is that this will allow the club to strengthen in more than one position with high-potential players It is the club's second-biggest sale, behind the £125m Liverpool paid for Alexander Isak. And the potential sale is already being felt, with Newcastle agreeing a fee with Hoffenheim for winger Bazoumana Toure. They are in advanced talks with the German club for the Ivory Coast international, but a deal yet to be finalised. All going well, Toure is set to be the first of multiple new signings through the door. Newcastle, meanwhile, have not made a bid for Spurs midfielder Archie Gray, according to sources at both clubs. Spurs' transfer dealings so far Andy Robertson - Liverpool, free Marcos Senesi - Bournemouth, free Martin Dubravka - Burnley, free Jan Paul Van Hecke - Brighton, £52m Mateus Fernandes - West Ham, £85m* Sandro Tonali - Newcastle, £100m* * Deals agreed, but transfers subject to completion Total transfer spend so far: £237m* How can Spurs afford this summer spree? Analysis from Sky Sports News reporter Michael Bridge: The big change has been the will of the leadership to spend on transfer fees and wages to compete with the top teams. After narrowly missing out on relegation, the message was 'never again'. Spurs have qualified for European football in 17 years out of 20. They've had the lowest wages-to-turnover ratio in the league over the last few years. They've invested well in the local area in terms of land, building the best stadium. That stadium is arguably one of the best in the world, and it is generating unbelievable revenue. The criticism in the past from Spurs fans was that they're not seeing that money being spent on the pitch. The promise of the Lewis family, Vinai Venkatesham and Peter Charrington is that they will be doing this going forward and using the revenue from things like the stadium to improve the first team. That will be a big boost in terms of their spending. There will also be sales this summer, which will be required just in terms of creating space in the squad for all these new signings and the fact there will be fewer games to contend with after dropping out of Europe. If you look at the players that could go – Lucas Bergvall, Luka Vuskovic, Cristian Romero, Pape Matar Sarr, Richarlison – that could raise a lot of money for Spurs. The Lewis family injected £100m into the club this summer – and that takes them up to £200m since 2025 – but that was for the day-to-day running of the club rather than for transfer spending.

Gary Siders Sr, 73, Christina Siders, 67, Gary Siders Jr, 36, and Elizabeth Siders, 33, have been charged with second-degree felony child endangering in the state of Ohio. The 16 boys and girls, whose ages range from 18 months to 18 years, were discovered living in "deplorable" conditions inside a small, dilapidated rural property in the village of Hamden, and some were in dire need of medical treatment, said officials. Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain called the home "disgusting", saying it showed signs of human excrement. He believes the children were being kept in a 12ft by 12ft room for nearly four years. Officials said that some of the youngsters cannot communicate at all, and others have "limited" speech. "Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children," Mr Cain said at a news conference. Ohio attorney general Andy Wilson said he could not get the smell of the home "away from me". He called the scene the worst he had ever encountered in his career, describing what he discovered as "pure evil". He said the conditions "really looked third world", adding: "It's just almost beyond comprehension." It appeared the children spent most of their time in just one room for much of the four years they lived there, Mr Wilson said. He also said the family was "pretty good at hiding these kids" and seemed to have moved around Ohio before settling in Vinton County about four years ago. The home was owned by a trust. "Some of these children couldn't even speak," Mr Wilson said. "It was terrible. They looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible." The children have been taken to hospital. Some have since been examined and released. One of them was placed in intensive care at one point, Mr Wilson said, and two were flown to trauma centres because of their injuries. None of the children had been enrolled in school, and the eldest - aged 18 and described as developmentally disabled - could not spell her own name. At their court hearing in Vinton County, a judge entered not guilty pleas on the four defendants' behalf. Each of them was ordered to be held on a bond of $300,000 (£226,000) and barred from contacting one another or the youngsters.

The 79-year-old told People magazine and NBC show Today that he had been diagnosed with the progressive, memory-destroying illness three years ago. "I'm still not accepting in my mind all parts of it," he told People magazine. "There are the moments that you keep remembering that validate the fact that you can remember stuff. And there are moments I'll never forget." The star is best known for his role as Sergeant Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film series, alongside Mel Gibson. Glover earned four Emmy Award nominations and an honorary Oscar in 2022. Other awards came from the NAACP and Black Entertainment Television, and he received nominations from the Screen Actors Guild. Read more from Sky News:Family of boy, 3, who was seriously injured in crocodile enclosure at zoo releases statementSecurity guard stopped man from trying to rape woman in Edinburgh lane He served as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme from 1998 to 2004. It focuses on poverty, disease and economic development in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Alzheimer's Society chief executive Michelle Dyson highlighted the support offered by the charity for those affected by dementia in the UK, and said: "Sharing such personal news publicly raises much needed awareness of Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia, and we are extremely grateful to Danny for speaking openly about his diagnosis."

But, behind the scenes, the PM-in-waiting will be hearing loud and clear that reform can't be put off forever - including from his own inner circle. Two of his economic advisers have previously spoken against the triple lock, warning that it is unsustainable. We've spoken to experts about the options available to the man who will likely be prime minister in a matter of weeks... Find personal finance tips and news in the Money blog Why are experts worried it's unsustainable? Under the triple lock, the state pension rises each year by whichever is highest out of wage growth, inflation or 2.5%. When the triple lock was introduced in 2012, estimates suggested it would cost around £5.2bn a year by 2029-30 and see the state pension rise by an average of 0.2 percentage points above earnings growth. But inflation has been significantly more volatile than expected - and this has triggered some significant annual uplifts. While inflation has eased in the last couple of years, earnings growth has shot up - resulting in another boost for pensioners, but another dent to the public purse. The government's financial watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, has forecast the government to spend £15.5bn more a year on the state pension than if it were increased in line with earnings alone by 2030 - around three times higher than initial expectations. In the 2025-26 tax year, state pension payments totalled around £146.1bn - for context, we spent around £62.2bn on defence in 2024-25. The Department for Work and Pensions expects state pension spending to hit £169bn by 2030. And, considering the population is living longer and giving birth to fewer children to grow into pension-funding taxpayers, rising government spending on the state pension is likely to continue well beyond 2030. Burnham advisers don't like triple lock In July 2025, then OBR chair Richard Hughes said "uncertainty around the operation of the triple lock" is an "important source of fiscal risk". He added at the time: "When you project trends in both pension spending and health and other age-related spending forward, the UK public finances are in an unsustainable position in the long run. "The UK cannot afford the array of promises that are displayed to the public if you leave those unchanged based on a reasonable assumption about growth rates in the economy and in tax revenues." And what is Hughes doing now? He is one of the two economic advisers to Andy Burnham we mentioned at the start of this piece. The other is Lord O'Neill - the economist, co-president of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and a former Goldman Sachs Asset Management chairman. Last year, he was widely reported as calling the triple lock "bonkers" and suggested the state pension should be means tested. Thinktanks from across the political spectrum have also warned it is not sustainable. One of those is the Resolution Foundation, a thinktank once led by the current pensions minister Torsten Bell, that falls on the centre-left of the political spectrum. The Foundation has said: "It is impossible to justify why our generosity to the older population should be a function of economic volatility. "As well as being unfair, it is also not fiscally sustainable for the state pension to rise forever by more than the earnings of a typical worker." What do voters think? Despite the criticism from experts, scrapping the policy, or even changing it, is not popular with the voting public - which might explain why no prime minister wants to touch it. A YouGov poll from April found that 37% of people opposed making any changes to the triple lock policy, while only 26% supported changes. Unsurprisingly, older people were more likely to oppose any reforms to the policy, while younger people were more likely to support changes. A separate study of 2,000 people by financial advice firm AJ Bell found just 6% of Britons wanted the triple lock to be scrapped, while 38% thought it should be made permanent. Again, it found a significant generational divide with more than two-thirds of baby boomers (aged 60+) wanting to see the triple lock stay, versus just 14% of Gen Z (18-29-year-olds) and 22% of millennials (30 to 45-year-olds). Could it be scrapped? And does Burnham have other options? Tom Selby, director of public policy at AJ Bell, thinks any path towards the triple lock being "retired" eventually requires a clear explanation of the trade-offs to voters. "Assuming the Treasury does not want spending as a share of GDP on state pensions to continue ballooning - squeezing the ability to spend elsewhere or reduce the tax burden on the working population - there are two main levers available to control costs: the amount people receive from the state in retirement and the age at which they receive it," Selby said. Considering the government's fiscal position, changes will have to be made to the state pension at some point. So if scrapping the triple lock isn't a plausible solution, then what other changes could Burnham make to reduce costs? Researchers at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) have proposed replacing the triple lock with a "living standards lock". Under their proposal, the state pension would continue to be uprated in line with inflation each year to protect its real value, with additional earnings-linked increases only in years when real earnings are growing and have reached a new high. Another lever that could be pulled is the state pension age, which is undergoing statutory review. The state pension age is 66 for both men and women, but the age is rising: for those born on or after 6 April 1960, it is gradually increasing towards 68. Pensions expert Charlene Young from AJ Bell told Money: "Raising the state pension age without meaningful improvements in healthy life expectancy risks pushing more people into working-age benefits later in life. "In that scenario, the government could simply end up shifting costs from one part of the welfare system to another, rather than delivering substantial savings overall." Should we copy German and Swedish models? Germany has already proposed raising its retirement age to 70 by the early 2090s, and scrapping the option of retiring early at 63 after making 45 years of contribution payments. The proposal from the country's pension commission is one of many sweeping reforms being suggested to future-proof the German pension system for an ageing population. It also suggested setting up a fund modelled on the Swedish pension system, with mandatory contributions by workers and employers ‌that would be invested in financial assets as a complement to the current pay-as-you-go system. The idea is that this would help to fund the government's rising pension costs. Sweden made it mandatory for 2.5% of Swedes' pensionable income to be invested into funds of their choice or defaulted into a government-run fund 100% invested in equities until you turn 55. When the "premium pension" was first introduced in 2000, it was criticised for being too complicated, but the default fund used has delivered an average return of about 7.4% a year. Nouran Moustafa, owner of financial advice firm Roxton Wealth, told the Money blog: "A UK long-term state investment fund deserves serious consideration. "Run independently and transparently, it could invest national wealth in global markets and create another source of pension funding. It is not magic, but neither is pretending tax receipts will stretch forever." AJ Bell's Young added that a German-style sovereign wealth fund would represent a "more radical approach" - and certainly isn't a "silver bullet". "While investing in capital markets to help fund future pension costs has its attractions, building assets at a scale capable of making a material difference would take decades and could still require higher contributions from today's workers and taxpayers, who are already funding current pensions," she said. "Germany's own plans suggest the projected contribution from the fund would remain relatively small compared with the overall cost of state pensions, indicating this is unlikely to be a silver bullet." Is Australian means testing the answer? Another option could be to means test the state pension. This system is already in place in Australia, where the amount retirees receive is based on their income and the value of their assets. For some of the wealthiest, this means they do not get any state pension payments. The system has been criticised for quickly becoming difficult to navigate, with various benefits and schemes potentially affecting entitlement or whether a person qualifies at all. Jamie Jenkins, director of policy at Royal London, told us: "Some countries, such as Australia, means test their state pension, but they also have much more generous provision through workplace pension saving, so it isn't easily comparable." Antonia Medlicott, managing director at personal finance and investment platform Investing Insiders, said this could be something that Burnham considers, but warned it could be unpopular. "He has publicly committed to keeping the triple lock, but he may consider means testing the state pension, limiting the amount wealthier people receive, or excluding them from it altogether; after all, he has spoken about taxing the wealthiest more, whether that's through pay or assets. "However, this would cause uproar in many areas of society." Read more:Why are there two different state pensions?Why millions of Britons are off work long-term sickThe pension trick most people don't know about A taxation fix? Other options could include charging income tax on state pensions. The full state pension is already likely to rise above the personal allowance next year, with it currently sitting at £12,547.60 a year - just £22.40 under the tax threshold. We could see more pensioners dragged into this tax bracket over the next five years as the government has already announced that thresholds will be frozen until April 2031. At the moment, pensioners will not have to pay small amounts of tax due from 2027-28, if the new or basic state pension exceeds that allowance. But could Burnham change that? Medlicott said: "Rumours suggest the state pension will be automatically taxed when it surpasses the personal allowance, which will cause anger, but could be the sweet spot he needs to find a solution that repairs public finances without taking away too many benefits from pensioners. "Burnham may also consider protecting the triple lock and still controlling the cost to the treasury by freezing allowances for pensioners." Jenkins added: "There is already some recognition that this is an odd way to proceed, paying the state pension on one hand, and taking tax on the other." Targeting tax relief There is also the option of targeting pension tax relief - a government top-up that refunds the income tax you would pay on earnings that are put into a pension. The Pension Commission, an independent body reviewing the state of retirement in the UK, recently called pension tax relief "regressive". Moustafa said this would be the worst option. "That punishes people doing exactly what the government says it wants: saving for retirement. Reform should reward work, saving and long-term thinking, not make private provision less attractive," she said. Young added: "Reducing pension tax relief could raise revenue in the short term, but it may also discourage retirement saving at a time when millions of people are already projected to fall short of the income they will need in retirement. "Ultimately, that risks increasing future reliance on means tested state support, shifting costs back to the public purse through a different route." Focus on private pensions Another option could be to place greater emphasis on private pension provision to help reduce reliance on the state pension. Young pointed out that recent proposed changes to salary sacrifice arrangements from 2029 are expected to reduce National Insurance savings for employers, potentially weakening incentives to support workplace pension saving, and something could be done to change that. "Pensions are designed to support long-term saving, but repeated speculation around tax-free cash, pension tax relief and wider pension tax reforms can undermine trust in the system," she said. "As we saw ahead of recent budgets, uncertainty prompted many savers to make rushed, and in some cases irreversible, decisions to access pension benefits for fear of losing valuable tax advantages. If policymakers want people to commit money to pensions for decades, they need confidence that the rules will remain broadly stable." Read more:Is it time to get on the 'savings laddering' trend?Why now is the time to ditch and switch your savings accountHow to set your baby up to be a millionaire One certain long-term problem Away from all this uncertainty is one grim certainty - we as a nation are not saving enough for our retirement. The Pension Commission has been quietly assessing the state of retirement saving in the UK and the key challenges facing the current system. While it will publish its complete findings next spring, its interim report showed that 15 million people are currently undersaving for their retirement. "The Pensions Commission sets out clearly the scale of the challenge: not enough people are saving for retirement, and many of those that are aren't saving enough," said pensions minister Torsten Bell. "The commission warns that without action, millions more people could be at risk of becoming reliant on state support in retirement." While we don't have its recommendations yet, the commission has said it expects working longer and over-50s returning to some form of work to be part of the solution. "Working longer - and in particular reducing labour market inactivity among people in their fifties - is a necessary part of achieving adequate incomes in retirement," the commission has said. But with the UK having a lower life expectancy than some countries with a younger retirement age, like Japan, we can't see the prospect of working longer being a popular solution either. We could find out what Burnham will do - and whether he actually chooses to tackle the issue at all - in the next few weeks.

Sprint weekend jeopardy returns Silverstone hosted the first F1 Sprint weekend in 2021 and the alternative format is back five years later, so we will have competitive track action from Friday afternoon onwards. The drivers will have just one practice session at 12.30pm on Friday to get up to speed and test out any upgrades before going straight into Sprint Qualifying at 4.30pm. British GP: Schedule and how to watch for free on SkyF1 2026 standings | F1 2026 Calendar | F1 Gossip ColumnDownload the Sky Sports app for expert analysis, best video & more📱Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW📺 The 100km Sprint takes place on Saturday from 12pm, with normal Qualifying later on at 4pm and the British Grand Prix itself on Sunday at 3pm - all live on Sky Sports F1 and for free on Sky One, if you have a Sky box. Silverstone is one of the best tracks on the calendar for overtaking and great racing, so it is fitting we have more wheel-to-wheel action this weekend and championship points to think about on Saturday for the top eight finishers in the Sprint: 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. "We are preparing for a dry, hot weekend, which brings the challenge of managing tyres overheating, though we remain mindful of the potential for unpredictable thunderstorms," said McLaren senior director Randy Singh. "With this being a Sprint weekend, the limited practice time means we must hit the ground running and the ability to learn quickly through the Sprint sessions and apply those insights to the main Qualifying and race will likely be the defining factor in such a competitive field." Is the title-race pendulum swinging Russell's way? George Russell was 68 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli two rounds ago, but a terminal battery issue for the latter in Spain and Russell's victory last time out in Austria means that gap is now 40 points. Silverstone has been somewhat of a bogey track for Russell, though, with a best result of fifth, so he will need to change that this weekend to land another punch on Antonelli. "It's a track where you're leaning more on the front tyres, ordinarily more of a front-deg track rather than a rear-deg track," said Russell. "We should be seeing some more normal temperatures. It was 60 degrees track temp at one point in Austria. But this season has thrown so many unknowns. We may both go to Silverstone, have a great weekend. We may go there and Max could be on top. So, I'm just going in with an open mind." Despite Russell gaining ground in the title race in the last two races, Antonelli has still generally been perceived to be matching, or going quicker, than his fellow Mercedes driver. The teenager overtook Russell on track at the Barcelona Grand Prix before retiring with five laps to go when running in second and, at the Austrian Grand Prix, he finished less than two seconds behind his team-mate, despite a poor opening stint. It feels like Russell still needs a weekend where he is clearly a step above Antonelli on outright pace to get a stranglehold in this period of the season. Will Ferrari get back on track at Hamilton's home race? When you think of Silverstone, you think of Lewis Hamilton and his nine British Grand Prix triumphs. From a wet-weather masterclass in his McLaren in 2008 to an emotional penultimate Mercedes win in 2024, Hamilton always performs at his best on home soil. Ferrari were unable to back up Hamilton's Barcelona win last weekend in Austria though, perhaps due to the altitude and track layout which does not suit their smaller turbo. With that in mind, they should be more competitive at Silverstone and are set to have more upgrades coming to the car too - something Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has questioned, given Ferrari's impressive number of new parts in recent weeks. Hamilton says Austria was a "reality check" for Ferrari and played down his chances of a record-extending 10th British Grand Prix victory. "There are lots of straights at Silverstone. Lots of straights and lots of deployment and not so many places to recover the power," he said. "Maybe the deficit won't be as big as Austria but there are a lot more straights. Hard to say. I hope we're in a better place. I hope that just by the fans there, we get an extra bit of performance." Red Bull, McLaren out to impress amid Verstappen question marks On a weekend when it emerged Max Verstappen's camp had held talks with McLaren, Red Bull came close to winning their home event in Austria as their major upgrade package worked wonders. Verstappen simply wants to be in a fast car and have the trust of a team which can demonstrate an upward trend and allow him to at least challenge Mercedes on a regular basis. Prior to Austria, that did not look like being Red Bull, and McLaren have shown over the last three years that they are the benchmark when it comes to development. McLaren themselves are going through a difficult run of form, so the three races before the summer break - Britain, Belgium and Hungary - could have a significant impact on whether Verstappen genuinely considers leaving Red Bull for McLaren. Sky Sports F1's David Croft said on The F1 Show: "We don't know the ins and outs of that discussion, but Zak Brown rightly took the meeting, and they've had that conversation. So, there's another team now that Max can be linked with because I think the route to Mercedes has been closed off. "Red Bull are under pressure to keep up those developments, engine, ICE, and aero, to give Max that potential to compete. Because he and his management, well, his management more than him, so I think, are making no secret of the fact that there could be other options here, and he's not tied to a future at Milton Keynes, even though that will be his number one choice. "So, he's putting the pressure right back on everyone at Milton Keynes to keep coming up with the goods." Lando Norris won last year's British Grand Prix but McLaren's inconsistent form makes it hard to read if he will be in the fight for victory this weekend. Norris and Oscar Piastri have driven very well this season but reliability issues from both McLaren and their power-unit supplier Mercedes mean neither driver has been able to put together a string of results. "Realistically, we're not even close to being in the same position as we were last season, so we don't have the confidence to straight up say: 'Yes!' Our goal every weekend is still to try to win," Norris told Sky Sports News. "Still to get the best points possible, especially from a home race. If there is any race I want to win it is always here, so I'll do my best for the fans. "Also because my family and friends are here, everyone from McLaren family and friends are here. It's the one that means more than anything and is the one I would like to do better at than any other in the season. Realistically it will be a challenge, but we'll give it all we've got." Lindblad, Bearman in battle for points Racing Bulls duo Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad have both scored points at the last four race weekends, a trend they will look to continue at Silverstone. It will be British teenager Lindblad's first home F1 race and he is cementing his status as a bright young star in the sport, demonstrating superb speed and aggression. "Silverstone will be very special. My first home race, one year on from my first FP1 [with Red Bull]," said the 18-year-old. "Racing in the UK is always very special. I grew up racing in the UK, but already from the age of 11 I started racing in Europe because the level was higher. It feels a long time since I raced at home." It will be trickier for Oliver Bearman to be in the fight for points as Haas have dropped away from the front of the midfield in recent races. Bearman received a 10-grid place penalty for last year's British Grand Prix after crashing in the pit lane under red-flag conditions and is hoping to make amends for that error. "I'm looking forward to coming back to Silverstone. Last year was tough because the car was quick, I qualified eighth, but did a fatal mistake," he said. "I've learned a lot since then and I'm a very different driver to the one I was back then. It could be a more challenging weekend than 12 months ago. Last year we had the fifth fastest car and I don't think it's realistic to approach the weekend with that mindset." Sky Sports F1's British GP schedule Thursday July 22pm: Drivers' Press Conference6pm: The F1 Show Friday July 37.40am: F1 Academy Practice8.45am: F3 Practice9.55am: F2 Practice12pm: British GP Practice (session starts at 12.30pm)*1.55pm: F3 Qualifying*2.50pm: F2 Qualifying*3.35pm: British GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 4.30pm)*5.55pm: F1 Academy Qualifying Saturday July 49.30am: F3 Sprint*11am: British GP Sprint build-up*12pm: BRITISH GP SPRINT*1.40pm: F2 Sprint*2.50pm: British GP Qualifying build-up*4pm: BRITISH GP QUALIFYING*6pm: F1 Academy Race 16.45pm: Ted's Qualifying Notebook Sunday July 58.20am: F3 Feature Race*9.55am: F1 Academy Race 2*11.10am: F2 Feature Race*12.55pm: Grand Prix Sunday: British GP build-up*3pm: THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX*5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction6pm: Ted's Notebook *also on Sky Sports Main Event Formula 1 is in Silverstone for a Sprint weekend at the British Grand Prix - live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky One with coverage from Thursday to Sunday's race at 3pm. 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