The Times - UK (2021-11-11)

the times | Thursday November 11 2021 2GM 73

Sport

In 1950, Queen Elizabeth attended the
first Formula One race held at Silver-
stone. Still a princess then, she went
with her father, King George VI, and
her sister, Princess Margaret. It remains
the only time a reigning monarch has
attended a British motor race.
If Formula One got its wish, the
Queen would be able to watch a race
from her balcony at Buckingham
Palace as cars raced through the streets
of central London, passing landmarks.
The drivers would hurtle down
Embankment at more than 125mph as
those in the makeshift grandstands
lining the River Thames watched on.
Hospitality would be in high demand in
a city known for its business, while the
paddock would be crammed full of
sponsors and partners.
When Liberty Media took over F1 at
the start of 2017, a street race in London
was one of its key targets. In reality,
there was little to no chance of it being
held in central London, and so stories
emerged about the potential for one
being staged in the Docklands area of
east London. Formula E successfully

I

t is difficult growing

up in Sheffield when

your sense of style

tends toward the

flamboyant (Harriet

Walker writes). I can

only hope that by the

time Dominic Calvert-

Lewin was strutting his

stuff there, my home

city had moved on from

the days when every

Yorkshireman in town

would cross the road to

tell you exactly what

they thought of your

outfit. (Spoiler: it was

rarely complimentary.)

Instead, let me tell you

exactly what I think of

his latest look, a cover

shoot for the prestigious

and achingly cool

menswear bible Arena

Homme+ where the

England striker poses in

a suit jacket and tailored

culottes that, yes, appear

at first glimpse a bit like

a skirt, with a pink

glittery Prada handbag

slung across his body.

Unsurprisingly, perhaps,

I fully approve — in fact,

I’d cross the road to

high-five him.

It isn’t an ensemble I’d

suggest for all our male

readers in my capacity

as Times fashion editor

— Calvert-Lewin, 24,

has an Olympian

physique, the glow of

youth and the sort of

jawline you could chop

vegetables with, and

these definitely help him

carry it off. Perhaps,

with Harry Kane out of

form, the injured

Everton striker

is trying to

catch the eye

of Gareth

Southgate.

Certainly

his flair for

accessorising

is similar to

the England

manager’s.

It was a broad-

lapelled, brown and

logo-strewn Gucci suit

that first propelled

Calvert-Lewin into my

consciousness — texted

to me by a male friend

who compared him to

Jimmy Hill. It was

supposed to be a diss,

I think, but no doubt

Calvert-Lewin would

take it on the chin.

His fashion form is

pretty strong. The

striker attended the

designer Michael Kors’s

catwalk show in

New York just

before Covid hit,

wearing a pair of

wide-leg trousers

known as Oxford

bags. He’s a player

who likes to do

things differently

— if he can bring

back headers

when Guardiolan

ground-play

dominates,

perhaps he can do

the same for the

kipper tie.

After all, when

you’re wearing a

skirt, nobody is

looking at your feet.

Calvert-Lewin shows

up Southgate in style

Calvert-Lewin’s

shoot for Arena

Homme+, main

image, follows a

stint on TV in a

Gucci suit, far

left, a New York

trip alongside

team-mate Tom

Davies, below,

and Instagram

posts, above

Ever

is t

ca

o

S

C

h

ac

is

the

man

It w

lapelled

llogo-strewn

that first pro

Cl tL i’ Cl L

c N b w w k b w

th

— b w g d p

th

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lo

Why the streets of London

are no longer F1’s priority

held a race there, so it would make

sense for Formula One to also head east

of the capital.

Reports emerged again on Tuesday

that F1 is heading to London. The

former F1 chief executive Bernie Eccle-

stone started talks about a race in the

capital when he was in charge, and

Liberty Media continued those discus-

sions after assuming control in 2017.

There has been no shortage of

potential promoters for a London race

and the latest, Josh Wanders, of US in-

vestment firm 777 Partners, told

the Daily Mail: “We are hope-

ful that it is coming. We are

hugely excited about it.”

Except Formula One

is no longer targeting a

second race in the UK.

Many of the team bosses

were also in favour of a

London race, but there

were too many obstacles to

overcome to stage a race on

the streets of the city, so plans

were shelved. Liberty also knew that

the British market was well served by

Silverstone. With the biggest crowds of

the season flocking to Northampton-

shire, was there really a need for

another race in the UK?

London would have had little

problem selling tickets but there were

gaping holes in the calendar elsewhere

in the world and so, with better

potential to grow the sport, the owners

preferred to focus on other markets.

The United States is a key one for

Liberty, and one it knows well. The

company initially targeted New York,

as Ecclestone had done. The plan was to

hold the race in New Jersey, with the

Manhattan skyline serving as a drama-

tic backdrop. Talks continued for some

time but progress was slow.

Miami was also on Liberty’s list of

potential venues and F1 announced

that the race would be going ahead as

the first street circuit introduced

under its ownership, but it faced

fierce opposition from resi-

dents, who blocked the

proposal. The owners did

eventually get their race

in Miami, although not

the street circuit they

wanted. Instead it will

be held on a circuit built

around the site of the

Hard Rock Stadium, home

to the NFL’s Miami

Dolphins, starting in 2022.

It is understood that talks for a race in

Las Vegas are at an advanced stage,

with F1 bosses adamant that any circuit

will include the famous strip, even if the

all-powerful casinos are less happy

about the prospect. Chicago was dis-

cussed but F1 was not quite as keen.

Then there is Asia, a huge market of

untapped potential. China is absent

from the calendar next year due to the

pandemic, which will mark the third

season that F1 has not been to Shang-

hai. Last week, however, a new deal was

agreed with China to keep it on the

calendar through to 2025.

There was a horribly failed attempt

to have a grand prix in Vietnam. The

circuit was built but support for the race

— due to take place in 2020 — was

withdrawn when the main person in

charge of bringing F1 to Vietnam was

arrested (it was unconnected to any F1

activities). The track now sits unused.

Japan has been absent from the

calendar for two years, again due to

Covid, but makes a welcome return

next season. Singapore also returns

next year, but there are rumours about

how much longer the city wants to host

F1, and a suggestion that perhaps it has

got out of the sport what it needed. If

that happens, F1 will need to find

another location in Asia to host a race

to maintain the geographical balance.

Then there is Africa, which has not

hosted a race since 1993, when the

South Africa Grand Prix was held at the

Kyalami circuit. Lewis Hamilton has

been vocal in his support of a return

to South Africa and it is understood

that F1 has similar feelings, with

discussions continuing.

This all means that London is no

longer a priority for F1. That said, F1 is a

sport all about the money and if it gets

the central street race it wants, which

remains unlikely for now, the capital

could yet appear on the calendar.

Rebecca Clancy

Motor Racing

Correspondent

Formula One

São Paulo Grand Prix,

Interlagos

Sunday, 5pm

TV: Sky Sports Main

Event, Sky Sports F1

McIlroy splits from Cowen

to reunite with mentor

Golf Rory McIlroy has split from his

swing coach Pete Cowen, whom he

began working with eight months

ago, and has reunited with his long-

time mentor Michael Bannon.

McIlroy, 32, enlisted the help of the

experienced Cowen in March, and the

pair most recently worked together

during the Ryder Cup in September.

The world No 8 confirmed yesterday

that he and Bannon, who first

coached the Northern Irishman as a

child, were working together again.

MacGinty to reunite with

Lam at Bristol next season

Rugby union Bristol Bears have

signed the United States fly half AJ

MacGinty from Sale Sharks for next

season. The 31-year-old will reunite

with the Bristol coach Pat Lam,

having worked with him at Connacht.

MacGinty has notched 801 points

in 93 appearances since joining Sale

in 2016 and has 30 caps for the US.

“[Lam] gave me my first opportunity

in professional rugby and I am excited

to work with him again,” he said.

ITV and BBC commentator

Sinstadt dies aged 91

Football The former commentator

Gerald Sinstadt, who became one

of football’s most recognisable and

respected voices during his 40-year

career, has died at the age of 91.

Sindstadt covered four World Cups

for ITV between 1970 and 1982, before

working on the Olympics for the BBC.

He was among the first commentators

to highlight racial abuse from the

terraces, during West Bromwich

Albion’s 5-3 win at Old Trafford in 1978.