FIA Formula 2: Good morning from Monza, where it’s now time for the press conference with the top three finishers in today’s FIA Formula 2 Feature Race. In third place, we have Josep Maria Marti for Campos. Second is Joshua Duerksen for AIX Racing and your race winner is Luke Browning for Hitech TGR. Luke, congratulations, your first pole position in F2 becomes your first win in F2 just how good does that feel?
Luke Browning: Yeah, it’s the monkey off the back I think, not like to be honest, I was majorly bothered. I think main thing is gathering the points, but equally, it’s very, very nice to have a first place trophy in the cabinet here and to say that I’m a Formula 2 winner. The podium here is really special. I think it’s one of the best in the year. So to walk across that stage felt really special today. What a step up from everyone around, the way we work together, worked on my driving, the car, and then the way we executed coming into today was exceptional. And for that, just a massive thanks to Hitech and the processes that we’ve been following seem to be working. So it’s a nice place to be.
FIA Formula 2: I mentioned you started from Pole. It’s never easy to lead around here. But you had some spells in second, some spells in the lead. Did you have specific game plan for today?
Browning: Honestly, no, I was just ready to fight. I knew I wanted to win it, but not at all costs. I just wanted to get the best result that I could. I was realistic coming into today, having understood the pace yesterday, and just trying to get the best result that we could. And today, the best result that we could was P1, the car was fantastic, and that’s what we extracted.
FIA Formula 2: Well, you’re up to second in the Championship standings with that win. I’ve got your at 21 points off the lead now behind Fornaroli after this weekend. Do you feel like you’ve got some momentum after the Feature Race results you’ve had? Because as you say, your Sunday results have been really strong recently.
Luke Browning: Yeah, for sure. I think it’s always nice to take this step after coming back from a big break to be quick. It shows the preparation, the fitness, and I’ve not lost focus, which is nice. I think that’s just down to Hitech and the way we’ve been preparing. Really, they’ve done a great job. And I think the main thing is just focusing on myself. It’s been the goal since the start just trying to stay out of trouble in this Championship. It’s so difficult to do that. It’s seen me well so far in the Feature races and long may it last.
FIA Formula 2: Well, congratulations. Josh, moving on to you now, a double podium for you. You must be delighted with your Monza weekend.
Joshua Duerksen: For sure, I love Monza. In the past, in F4 I also enjoyed many podiums here. I just really love Monza, I love Italy, I love also the food here, and just the people, and the track. It’s really fun racing because Monza always delivers great action. You’re always have chances to overtake, and I think this is just the most fun part for us as a driver.
FIA Formula 2: Well, a good start looked to be the key to your race today but I imagine you had a lot of close calls out there too, so just talk us through it a little bit?
Duerksen: Yeah, it was quite sketchy. Luckily, we got a good race start this time. Yesterday wasn’t the greatest but this time we nailed it. I think I saved myself twice from big crashes. I just saw it in the mirror, big front locks ups and just a lot of smoke. So I knew something was not going right behind me, so I just open it up, let the guys go through and just arrive the corner. It was quite tough. But this is also very easy to do in Monza, because of the hard braking zones, the late breaking, and just having the car on the limit, on the braking, makes it very easy to make this kind of front lock ups and then just go straight. But luckily my peripheral vision is working well. So, I think this helped me to keep the podium.
FIA Formula 2: You had to fight for second place right to the end as well in that final lap with Pepe. Just talk us through that and balancing the risk and reward on old tires on the final lap.
Duerksen: Yeah, it was quite tough. I was trying to stay on Browning’s DRS just to go away with him, try to create a gap of more than one second and just go. Sadly, I couldn’t tell him that on the radio, because it would have been nice. But as soon as I lost the DRS, of course, I was losing time. I was losing time on the straights. So the guys behind me were catching up. I was trying to manage the tires as good as possible. My engineer was telling me, I think, three laps to go, and then I was like, okay I think I can manage this. Then he told me, sorry correction, five laps to go. Then I was like, okay this will be tight. It was coming quick, but I was just focused on my job, just trying to extract everything I could from the tires just to survive until the last minute, we had a great fight. It was quite close, I’, just really happy that in Monza we have 30 laps and not 31. So I’m happy with that.
FIA Formula 2: Well done today on the podium. Pepe P3 for you, your first Feature Race podium of the season and it looked pretty eventful out there.
Josep Maria Martí: Yeah, like you said my first Feature Race podium of the season. It’s obviously come much later on than I wanted, but nonetheless, you have a very action-packed race. I knew we had pace even yesterday or before yesterday, because in qualifying, when the red flag came out, we were actually very, very competitive. Unfortunately, we started further back than we wanted or deserved. So we knew it was a bit of a catch-up game. Today was just about that. Yesterday we had a pretty decent start, and I was expecting today that some drivers would have a not great start. And so it was, I think I gained like five, six positions in the first lap. It was quite an eventful one. The race almost turned on it’s head when the safety car came out and I had to double stack behind Arvid. I lost, I think, three, four positions, which was a bit of a shame. Then everything kicked off. So it was a very eventful race. The fights at the end were also quite crazy. But a good, good race, I would say.
FIA Formula 2: Talk us through some of those fights and trying to stay out of trouble, because we saw a lot of incidents, certainly at Turn 1 with all the restarts.
Martí: Yeah in the last two fights, I’d say was mostly with Villagomez I thought he was moving very aggressively, generally on the brakes. There was one time where I almost went into the back of him at T4. Which I have no problem with, because we didn’t crash. But in the end, he’s just taking a massive risk for no particular reason. In the last lap, I think it was a bit of a misunderstanding, because I really wasn’t trying to overtake Joshua. I was already happy with third, and I was like, okay, I’ll just, I’ll just finish here but then he broke much earlier than I anticipated, so I had to go to the inside and almost avoid crashing into him. So it was a bit of an action packed last lap, but nonetheless happy with the result.
FIA Formula 2: I wanted to bring up the move you pulled on Villagomez to take third place, that was clinical on the brakes into Turn 1, just how on the edge was that to get that one done?
Martí: I thought it was okay. I thought it was nothing too crazy. It was just that he obviously wanted to keep himself in the corner. And then we eventually made contact. But I broke where I thought I could break. Got more than along side, which is what the rule states. And then I had the priority for the corner. So yeah that was a move.
More than 690 Chinese exhibitors — accounting for over one-third of all participants — are showcasing their innovations at IFA Berlin 2025, Europe’s largest consumer electronics trade fair, which runs until Sept 9.[Photo by Wang Mingjie / China Daily]
Chinese companies are making their strongest showing since the pandemic at Europe’s largest consumer electronics trade fair, IFA Berlin, with more than 690 exhibitors representing over one-third of all participants at the event, which runs until Sept 9.
From globally-established leaders to fast-rising start-ups, their presence underlines how Chinese innovation is increasingly shaping the global consumer technology landscape.
Leif Lindner, CEO of IFA Berlin, described Chinese participation as “more visible and impactful than ever.” He said what stands out is not only the scale but also the diversity of contributions, ranging from next-generation displays and smart-home solutions to artificial intelligence, or AI, powered appliances and sustainable energy technologies.
“Chinese companies consistently demonstrate rapid development cycles, fast iteration, and the capacity to bring innovation to mass markets quickly,” Lindner noted. “They are highly customer-centric, quick to read evolving consumer needs and integrate those insights into product design.”
He added that Chinese firms are increasingly competing with established players from Asia and North America, setting benchmarks in design, sustainability, and premium innovation.
Hisense deploys three robots in the primary colors red, green, and blue to highlight its breakthrough RGB MiniLED display technology on Friday at IFA Berlin 2025. [Photo by Wang Mingjie / China Daily]
Among the headline names is Hisense, which unveiled its latest range of visual technologies while spotlighting its renewed partnership with FIFA as an official sponsor of the 2026 World Cup. “Sports IP is extremely important for us in elevating Hisense’s brand image worldwide,” said Li Wei, president of Hisense Visual Technology. “Sport is a universal language — it connects people across countries and cultures. By associating with the World Cup, we can connect our brand with global consumers in a very direct way.”
Li emphasized that the timing of the sponsorship is particularly significant, as the next World Cup will be held in North America across Mexico, the United States, and Canada. “Both the European and North American markets are strategically important for Hisense,” he said. “This partnership allows us to expand our presence and strengthen our influence in these key markets, taking our brand to the next level.”
Hisense also showcased its breakthrough RGB MiniLED display technology, which the company said sets a new benchmark for large screens. Applied to the world’s largest 116-inch display, Li said it delivers brighter colors, reduced halo effects in dark scenes, wider viewing angles, and greater energy efficiency, offering viewers with high-quality images and a greener experience.
Haier, another leading Chinese home appliance brand, used IFA to showcase a suite of breakthrough products, including its AI Eye technology and ultra-energy-efficient refrigerators. In Europe alone, Haier refrigerator holds more than 10 percent of the market share, the largest among Chinese brands.
“Haier has stayed the No.1 global brand (in terms of sales volume) for 16 years because of two things we’ve never compromised on: global brand building and localized innovation,” said Yan Xiaoming, general manager of Haier Europe.
The company’s AI Eye is designed to transform appliances from passive tools into intelligent companions, Yan said. For example, Haier’s smart refrigerator can recognize ingredients, automatically adjust preservation settings, and track when food items are stored. Its NX12 washing machine can detect load size and color, choose the optimal cycle, and notify users when the wash is done. “These are tangible innovations that make daily life easier, smarter, and greener,” Yan added.
DJI, the world’s largest commercial drone maker by market share, presents its agricultural drone solutions on Friday at IFA Berlin 2025. (Photo by Wang Mingjie/ China Daily)
DJI, the world’s largest commercial drone manufacturer by market share, and a Shenzhen-based Chinese company, brought to Berlin a diverse portfolio of consumer and agricultural drones. Highlights included the DJI Mic 3 mini wireless microphone, the company’s first panoramic camera Osmo 360, and the Power 2000 portable power station. The company also created interactive zones at IFA, allowing visitors to test products and hear from professional users.
Li Kaijiu, CEO of Chinese home-tech brand Hizero, demonstrates the company’s floor cleaning technology at IFA Berlin 2025 on Friday. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Adding to the line-up of Chinese innovators is home-tech brand Hizero, which is introducing a new way of cleaning that avoids suction altogether. Instead, its floor cleaners use a high-density polymer roller inspired by nature — similar to how a dog’s tongue or a cloth wipes up spills.
“Hizero far surpasses any mopping or wet-dry cleaning product currently on the market,” said Li Kaijiu, founder and CEO. “Consumers are eager for innovations that genuinely reduce their burden. We are building a complete cleaning ecosystem.”
Li added Hizero has been described in many ways — some call it a bionic mop, others an all-in-one or a smart mop. “The name doesn’t matter. What matters is that when you set the standard, you define the category, and you earn the right to command a premium.”
The breadth of China’s presence at IFA 2025 highlights the country’s ability to combine scale with innovation. Lindner noted that many Chinese firms now integrate hardware, software, and services into connected ecosystems that add tangible value to users.
“Chinese companies are not only participating in global markets — they are shaping them,” Lindner said. “From AI to connectivity to energy efficiency, their leadership is increasingly evident. And as they continue to invest in design, sustainability, and high-end innovation, their impact on the future of consumer technology will only grow.”
Talking to Bill Nighy about his star turn as a frail and at times broken novelist in & Sons is rather hampered by the British actor not having seen director Pablo Trapero’s father-and-son drama on a screen of any size ahead of its world premiere on Sunday at the Toronto Film Festival.
Nor does the Love Actually star plan a viewing, because Nighy, admitting to crippling bouts of screen fright, has long refused to view any of his performances, alone or alongside audiences. Since his youth, in fact.
“I never watch the films. I go to great lengths to never be exposed to any of it. I am committed to never laying eyes on myself performing,” Nighy revealed to The Hollywood Reporter about halfway through an interview. Nighy was even anxious seeing himself in character with a shaggy mane and an unusually long beard reflected back to his eyes on the & Sons set.
“Occasionally, I would catch sight of myself in a mirror and think, good God, is that me?” he recalled. Nighy’s condition even extends to voice work during a film’s edit, when he re-records dialogue in a studio. “I don’t do it to picture. I do it audio,” he recalls.
The English actor has little concern over how he looks and how he sounds in real life. He just prefers leaving judgment of his performances to audiences.
“It’s the acting I can’t bear. I find it unacceptable. I have difficulty persuading myself I can do my job anyway, without having hard evidence presented to me that I’m correct,” Nighy argues. He was full of praise for the & Sons script co-written by Sarah Polley and adapted from the novel by David Gilbert.
And he recounts being “in safe hands” as Trapero directed him in the role of A.N. Dyer, the aging and star novelist who, having fallen over the years into an abyss of seeming madness, suddenly wants to reconcile with his two eldest and estranged sons, played by Johnny Flynn and George MacKay. Nor has he been in contact with his ex-wife, Isabel, played by Imelda Staunton.
Predictably, their reunion goes horribly wrong, especially when Dyer, in scenes of histrionics and angry outbursts, croaks out to his eldest sons a secret about their half-brother, Andy Jr., played by Noah Jupe. Besides turning his family’s world upside down, everyone around Dyer is left to question whether what he has revealed to them is true or just a mad fantasy.
But explaining Dyer’s motivations in the face of a disintegrating family portrayed in & Sons remains a bit of an uphill climb for Nighy. “It’s difficult to express, because I don’t quite know how the film has been edited,” he says at one point with his trademark deadpan delivery.
He ventures Dyer has long grieved for the wife he lost after what the audience early on assumed was an affair that led to the birth of half-brother Andy. “What he really wants is his wife back. The central fact for him is the grief he feels at losing his wife. Above all else, that’s the thing that pins him to the floor, the things he just can’t recover from,” Nighy says of scenes of distressing intimacy between Dyer and his ex-wife in & Sons.
Dyer, followed by Trapero’s camera, spends virtually all of the film strutting around his home with a feral animal energy, especially in a writers room from which he has barely left in two decades, or written a word on a page.
Nighy says he has known many notable British writers in real life, and adds he understands Dyer’s reclusive nature and his end-of-life regrets, as many real-life writers feel towards the end of their own lives that they had spent too little time with their family or the outside world.
“The thing about being a writer is you go to a room and you stay there and, for the most part, you don’t want to be disturbed. And the priority of your life is what happens in that room,” he explains. “However much you love your children or however much you value your family, the danger is what happens in the room in terms of your work becomes the runaway priority. Although you’re in the house, your children are neglected. So they never have a traditional family atmosphere,” Nighy adds.
All of which helps explain the anguished reunion in & Sons that Dyer has with his eldest sons, Richard and Jamie, and his ex-wife when he attempts to make amends. His goal is to build a support system for Andy, the half-brother, after Dyer has died and despite past family ruptures.
For Nighy’s character, young Andy has become the legacy of a man left broken by illness and age after years of excessive drinking. “He has been rendered irrational by substance abuse. So there is no logic or any rational decisions made. He’s in much more trouble than that,” the actor explains.
Ultimately, & Sons, for all its grim family in-fighting and accusations, is a film about legacy, identity, loss and love. The drama, a Canada-UK co-production, will have a world premiere in Toronto on Sept. 7 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre.
Police in the Czech Republic have finally arrested the driver of a Formula 1-type racing car which had been spotted on the motorway on numerous occasions since 2019.
The red racing car, decked out in full Ferrari livery, was followed to a property in the village of Buk, some 60km (37 miles) south-west of Prague, after the latest sighting was reported to police.
Video emerged on Sunday morning showing the distinctive car driving along the D4 motorway and stopping for petrol.
The driver – a 51-year-old man – was arrested at his home and taken into custody after briefly refusing to get out of the vehicle.
Video footage captured by local media showed him sitting in the car in front of his garage, arguing with officers and saying they were trespassing on private property.
Eventually he relented and agreed to be taken to a police station for questioning – still wearing his red racing driver’s outfit and helmet.
According to subsequent media reports he refused to answer any questions when he got there.
A man identified as his son told local media that the house had been surrounded by several dozen police cars and a helicopter, in what he said was a disproportionate response “to a supposed traffic violation of ours.”
He said police “allegedly saw us towing a Formula 1 car which they claimed had been speeding along the motorway a few minutes earlier – of course we know absolutely nothing about this.”
Police first managed to speak with the phantomF1 driver in 2019, when images and video of the car on the motorway first started to appear online.
They tracked down the vehicle and questioned its owner, who denied ever driving it on the motorway. It is unclear if that is the same person police have now arrested.
Because the driver wore a helmet in the videos and photos, they could not be identified and police were unable to take the matter any further.
The vehicle has frequently been described as “a Ferrari Formula 1 car”.
However, according to the website auto.cz it is in fact a Dallara GP2/08 – a racing car developed by the Italian manufacturer Dallara for use in the GP2 Series, a feeder series for Formula One.
The contest has since been rebranded as the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
Regardless of its exact provenance the owner now faces a fine for driving a vehicle on the motorway without headlights, indicators or number plates, and could have his driving licence suspended.
Pete Hines sat down with dbltap to discuss his career and his former child, Bethesda. The ongoing dismissal of gaming developers at Microsoft came up, and the former Senior Vice President and Head of Publishing of Bethesda had quite a bit to say.
“I’m not working in any of these companies anymore, and so I don’t assume that everything I knew while I was in the industry still holds true today,” Pete expressed.
“At the same time, I’m involved enough to know I saw what I considered to be some short-sighted decision-making several years ago, and it seems to be bearing out the way I said.”
Only seven months after his retirement, Microsoft would go on to close the doors of his former colleagues at Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks. Pointing the finger toward the current industry boogeyman, he resumed.
“Subscriptions have become the new four-letter word, right? You can’t buy a product anymore,” Pete added.
I’m involved enough to know I saw what I considered to be some short-sighted decision-making several years ago, and it seems to be bearing out the way I said.
Pete Hines
Outside of the fact that you can buy a product, the latest Game Pass release, Hollow Knight: Silksong, reached over 500,000 players on Steam. A platform where you must purchase the game to play it.
Pete continued, “When you talk about a subscription that relies on content, if you don’t figure out how to balance the needs of the service and the people running the service with the people who are providing the content – without which your subscription is worth jack shit – then you have a real problem.”
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The layoffs within Microsoft and Xbox have been perplexing to say the least. Following the troubled release of Redall, Arkane Austin closed its doors indefinitely.
On the other side, Tango Gameworks released the critically acclaimed Hi-Fi Rush. Even success didn’t save them, as their doors were closed until the recent reopening, thanks to KRAFTON.
Tango Gameworks should have been granted tenure given Hi-Fi Rush, but something caused their closure at Microsoft. (Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)
Earlier in the interview, Pete acknowledged the purchase and introduction of studios into the Bethesda fold, which included the likes of Arkane, Tango, ID Software, and MachineGames. He spoke mainly about the integration of teams and how one studio could work with another so readily and openly to collaborate on something greater than themselves.
He noted, “It became useful because if you’re working on guns at Bethesda Game Studios, maybe you should have a conversation with id Software about how they make their guns feel so weighty and powerful.”
What puzzles me about this is how Tango Gameworks fits into that equation. While it’s clear that MachineGames, ID Software, and others shared a bond over first-person shooters and narrative games, Tango wasn’t known for something like collaborative work in that area.
Even Shinji Mikami, the former head of the studio, penned the acquisition deal with Bethesda in 2010 because he felt Bethesda gave them the greatest chance of being independent. To me, Tango Gameworks doesn’t align with Pete Hines’ overall view of the acquired studios at Bethesda.
… if you don’t figure out how to balance the needs of the service and the people running the service with the people who are providing the content, without which your subscription is worth jack shit, then you have a real problem
Pete Hines
Which then begs the question: Was Tango Gameworks’ closure more a result of that lesser collaboration than any success the studio had achieved?
It’s clear that the recent round of closures and layoffs at Xbox is a further result of Microsoft’s overall strategy rather than the gaming developers themselves. With AI being the real four-letter word of the current day, the 9,000 layoffs within Xbox and Microsoft were rumored to have happened to fund $80 billion AI investment.
While that doesn’t completely negate the possibility that those layoffs occurred with Game Pass profits in mind, surely it helps mitigate the idea that that metric wholly drove it.
We haven’t seen the closure of studios like Obsidian, which continue to produce similarly successful games, such as Grounded, Grounded 2, and Avowed. The last of which had a far greater budget than anything Tango Gameworks ever created.
You need to properly acknowledge, compensate, and recognize what it takes to create that content and not just make a game, but make a product. That tension is hurting a lot of people …
Pete Hines
I’m not trying to defend Microsoft; instead, I’m proposing a better understanding of why these layoffs occurred in the first place. AI or not, the closure of these studios will forever put a stain on any joy I have with a Microsoft product for years to come.
Pete would resume, “You need to properly acknowledge, compensate, and recognize what it takes to create that content and not just make a game, but make a product. That tension is hurting a lot of people, including the content creators themselves, because they’re fitting into an ecosystem that is not properly valuing and rewarding what they’re making.”
He’s not wrong in the sense that a tension is building within Microsoft that is affecting people and developers alike. The variant of poison polluting those good people is the only slight disagreement we have.
Atomfall knocks the question of whether a small development studio can succeed in sales even with Game Pass. (Image credit: Future via Michael Hoglund)
There are too many counterarguments to ignore the success that Game Pass has brought to a multitude of smaller development studios, both within and outside of Microsoft. Never does it seem that Game Pass itself is hurting these developers.
The mismanagement of Microsoft’s portfolio is the leading cause of suspicion and heartbreak within the development studios.
Whether it’s investments that outweigh the GDP of over 100 countries, or the dissatisfaction with something made up last Tuesday, it’s the executives at the top who are driving developers and gamers to distrust anything and everything related to Xbox products. Game Pass included.
Microsoft’s messaging has never been good, and continues to baffle me, along with thousands of others.
BRIGHTON, England — New Zealand produced a statement Women’s World Cup victory with a 40-0 dismantling of Ireland on Saturday.
In arguably the most anticipated clash of pool play, the Black Ferns rose to the occasion. Ireland were spirited, but ultimately no match on the day for the five-time champions.
Ireland accepted the challenge of New Zealand’s haka, stepping forwards before both sides held their ground in a tense stare-off which only whipped the pro-Ireland crowd into a bigger frenzy.
“The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” one Irish fan remarked before kick-off. But there was to be no giant slaying in Brighton.
Ireland were visibly pumped up and came out fast, dominating the opening minutes but were unable to score points, letting New Zealand off the hook.
The Black Ferns remained composed and scored their first try on the 15-minute mark. Ireland fly-half Dannah O’Brien failed to find touch from a penalty and New Zealand rolled forward.
The ball fizzed out to Stacey Waaka on the right and the outside centre darted over to score, stunning her opposition.
Moments later, they had a second. Chryss Viliko charged over from close range after a lineout.
New Zealand showed why they are the World Cup masters, making the most of their opportunities and piling pressure on in a matter of moments. Ireland’s afternoon went from bad to worse when fullback Stacey Flood was carted off injured, her right leg strapped in a brace.
New Zealand continued to win the key moments. Their attack was too slick and players too quick.
18-year-old Braxton Sorensen-McGee added her side’s third try shortly before the break, picking up the ball 30 meters out on the right wing, she beat three Irish defenders in a magnificent display of her raw pace and skill.
In a near mirror-image of the first half, Ireland had the better of the opening exchanges in the second, but it was New Zealand who scored first.
Again, the ball went to the right with Sorensen-McGee left in space to stroll over the line. Ireland were resilient, but still couldn’t find points of their own.
They will take a lot from the match, but came up against the ruthless machine that is the Black Ferns who were just too clinical.
Sorensen-McGee completed her second hat trick in as many games with two minutes to play. This time she danced down the left wing after another well worked move. The Auckland winger is fast becoming the breakout star of the tournament.
If Ireland thought it was finally over, they were wrong; New Zealand had one last move in the bank.
Jorja Miller broke down the right wing and offloaded to Maia Joseph who scored after the 80 minute mark.
More ruthlessness from the Kiwis and another conversion from Renee Holmes took it to 40-0.
Everyone basically agrees: if you want people to transition from polluting gas guzzlers to electric cars, you have to make them more affordable. The luxury EVs, with their big battery packs and fine leather interiors, are all well and good, but if you really want to move the needle on EV adoption, we need more entry-level options. And so far, we’re lacking.
Volkswagen hears this, and is responding with a new lineup of small and mid-sized electric vehicles aimed squarely at the low end of the market. We’ve already seen the ID.2all — recently renamed ID. Polo and ID. Polo GTI — and ID.EVERY1 concepts. Now we’re getting a fourth concept, the ID. Cross, which VW says will get a proper reveal next year. The concept’s name invokes the ID.4’s predecessor, the ID.Crozz, from 2017.
The ID. Cross introduces a new design language that VW says it “friendlier” and more approachable than its current lineup of EVs. For evidence of this, look no further than the front fascia with its narrow headlights and a slightly curved lightbar that looks like its smiling at you.
The ID. Cross introduces a new design language that VW says it “friendlier”
An electric counterpart to the popular VW T-Cross, the ID. Cross will be built on the automaker’s MEB Plus platform, which is an improvement over the current MEB that powers the ID.4 crossover SUV, the ID Buzz minivan, and a dozen other vehicles from Audi, Skoda, and others. This next-gen platform will have better batteries, engines, and software, VW promises — which, if you’ve ever encountered a current MEB vehicle’s software, will come as welcome news.
The concept’s front-wheel drive motor spits out 155kW of power, which is the equivalent of around 208 horsepower. It has a range of 420km (260 miles) based on the more generous WLTP cycle. And it can hit a top speed of 175 km/h (108 mph). And with a ball coupling, the ID. Cross can haul up to 75 kg (165 lbs), which VW says is enough to transport two e-bikes.
This new drive system will be built in Europe; if fact, VW makes no mention at all of the US market. Not surprising, considering the uneven success the automaker’s EVs have had in America. But still disappointing, considering how starved we are for fun, affordable EVs.
The ID. Cross will be similar in size to the T-Cross, which is smaller than the already fairly compact ID.4 SUV. The Cross will be 4,161 mm (164 in) long, 1,839 mm (72 in) wide, and 1,588 mm (63 in) tall — with a wheelbase of 2,601 mm (102 in). The concept is perched on 21-inch alloy wheels designed specifically for the ID. Cross.
That said, VW is trying to use the smallish size to its best advantage. With five people inside, the ID. Cross will have a storage capacity of 450 liters, plus 25 more liters in the frunk. The addition of a front truck is a nice surprise, considering all of VW’s current EVs have been sorely lacking in extra storage space.
The interior includes fabric-covered surfaces on the dash that matches the materials used on the seats. The steering wheel features — gasp! — real buttons to control driver assist functions and more, which is notable because VW got a lot of blowback for its lack of physical controls in its current crop of EVs. The front seats can be folded flat, flush with the rear seats when stowed, to create a completely flat surface that can be used for car camping.
VW says the production version of the ID. Cross will get a proper reveal next summer, after the launch of the ID. Polo and ID. Polo GTI, based on the ID.2all concept. The ID.EVERY1 — which has yet to get its production rebranded name — will be out in 2027.
VW is betting that its newly “likeable” and affordable EVs will help lift its fortunes in the face of fierce competition from China, especially at the low end of the market. The German automaker, which also owns Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Skoda, Seat, and others, hasn’t had the same kind of EV success as its crosstown rival BMW, or even South Korean competitors like Hyundai and Kia. Its European sales have been a bright spot in an otherwise uneven portfolio, which may explain why the company isn’t making any commitments beyond the continent.
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Ifinatamab Deruxtecan Demonstrated Clinically Meaningful Response Rates in Patients with Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer in IDeate-Lung01 Phase 2 Trial Business Wire
Ifinatamab deruxtecan demonstrates high response rate in previously treated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer Medical Xpress
Ifinatamab deruxtecan shows 48% response rate in small cell lung cancer Investing.com
An objective response rate of 48.2% was observed with ifinatamab deruxtecan in these previously treated patients
Discussions with global regulatory authorities underway
BASKING RIDGE, NJ AND RAHWAY, NJ, September 7, 2025 – Results from the IDeate-Lung01 Phase 2 trial showed that ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd) demonstrated clinically meaningful response rates in patients with previously treated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC). These data were presented today during a late-breaking presentation (OA06.03) and included as part of the press program at the 2025 World Conference on Lung Cancer hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (#WCLC25).
Ifinatamab deruxtecan is a specifically engineered, potential first-in-class B7-H3 directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) and being jointly developed by Daiichi Sankyo and Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada.
SCLC is aggressive and progresses rapidly to the distant metastatic stage, which has a low five-year survival rate. While conventional standard of care treatments for patients with advanced SCLC may help improve outcomes, there is a need for additional subsequent treatment approaches.
In August 2025, ifinatamab deruxtecan was granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adult patients with ES-SCLC with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.
Response was assessed in patients who received ifinatamab deruxtecan (12 mg/kg) in both the dose optimization and single-arm expansion parts of the trial. A confirmed objective response rate (ORR) of 48.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 39.6–56.9) was observed with ifinatamab deruxtecan in 137 patients with previously treated ES-SCLC as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR). Three complete responses (CRs), 63 partial responses (PRs) and 54 cases of stable disease (SD) were seen. A median duration of response (DOR) of 5.3 months (95% CI: 4.0–6.5) and a disease control rate (DCR) of 87.6% (95% CI: 80.9–92.6) were observed. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.9 months (95% CI: 4.2–5.5) and median overall survival (OS) was 10.3 months (95% CI: 9.1–13.3). Disease progression and time-to-event results support further randomized, controlled assessment.
In a subset of patients (n=32) receiving ifinatamab deruxtecan as a second-line treatment, a confirmed ORR of 56.3% (95% CI: 37.7–73.6) was observed as assessed by BICR. Eighteen PRs and 13 cases of SD were seen in this subset of patients. A median DOR of 7.2 months (95% CI: 3.6–NE) and a DCR of 96.9% (95% CI: 83.8–99.9) were observed. Median PFS of 5.6 months (95% CI: 3.9–8.1) and median OS of 12.0 months (95% CI: 7.3–19.1) were seen.
In a subset of patients (n=105) receiving ifinatamab deruxtecan in a third-line and beyond setting, a confirmed ORR of 45.7% (95% CI: 36.0–55.7) with three CRs, 45 PRs and 41 cases of SD were seen. A DCR of 84.8% (95% CI: 76.4–91.0) was observed in these patients.
In an exploratory analysis, an intracranial ORR of 46.2% (95% CI: 33.7–59.0) was observed by CNS RECIST v1.1 in a subset of patients (n=65) with brain metastases at baseline. A full subgroup analysis (2760MO) will be presented at 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology (#ESMO25).
“Patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer have an extremely poor prognosis despite current standard of care treatment options,” said Myung-Ju Ahn, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Hematology & Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. “The impressive response rates observed in IDeate-Lung01 provide further evidence of the potential role that ifinatamab deruxtecan could play in treating this aggressive form of lung cancer.”
The safety profile observed in IDeate-Lung01 was consistent with that seen for ifinatamab deruxtecan in the Phase 1 trial with no new safety signals identified. Grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 36.5% of patients. The most common (>10%) grade 3 or higher TRAEs were neutropenia (13.9%), lymphopenia (12.4%), and anemia (10.2%). Seventeen patients (12.4%) had confirmed treatment-related interstitial lung disease (ILD)/pneumonitis as determined by an independent adjudication committee. The majority of ILD/pneumonitis events were low grade, with 11 grade 1 or 2 (8.0%), four grade 3 (2.9%), and two grade 5 (1.5%) ILD/pneumonitis events observed as of the data cutoff of March 3, 2025.
“In these primary results from IDeate-Lung01, ifinatamab deruxtecan produced clinically meaningful responses in patients with previously treated extensive-stage small cell lung cancer,” said Ken Takeshita, MD, Global Head, R&D, Daiichi Sankyo. “These data reinforce the potential benefit of this B7-H3 directed antibody drug conjugate in patients who have received one or more lines of platinum-based chemotherapy and will support our ongoing discussions with global regulatory authorities.”
“Small cell lung cancer is the second most common type of lung cancer globally, with 15 percent of patients impacted by this particularly devastating form of the disease,” said Eliav Barr, MD, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Clinical Development and Chief Medical Officer, Merck Research Laboratories. “With limited advances over the last 30 years, there is a high unmet need for new medicines and novel mechanisms of action that could provide additional options to patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.”
A majority of patients (54.7%) in IDeate-Lung01 received a median of two prior lines of treatment, including immunotherapy (81%), topoisomerase I inhibitor (32.1%), lurbinectedin (21.2%), amrubicin (8.8%) and DLL3-targeting T-cell engager (8.0%). As of the data cutoff, the median treatment duration was 4.8 months (range: 0.7–22.7) and 14 patients remain on treatment.
Efficacy Measure
Ifinatamab Deruxtecan 12 mg/kg
Total Population (N=137)
Second-Line Subset (n=32)
Third-Line Plus and Beyond Subset (n=105)
Confirmed ORR, % (95% CI)
48.2% (39.6–56.9)
56.3% (37.7–73.6)
45.7% (36.0–55.7)
CR, n (%)
3 (2.2%)
0
3 (2.9%)
PR, n (%)
63 (46.0%)
18 (56.3%)
45 (42.9%)
SD, n (%)
54 (39.4%)
13 (40.6%)
41 (39.0%)
DCR (95% CI), %
87.6% (80.9–92.6)
96.9% (83.8–99.9)
84.8% (76.4–91.0)
DOR, median (95% CI), months
5.3 months (4.0–6.5)
7.2 months (3.6–NE)
4.3 months (3.7–5.8)
TTR, median (95% CI), months
1.4 months (1.0–8.1)
1.4 months (1.2–4.0)
N/A
PFS, median (95% CI), months
4.9 months (4.2-5.5)
5.6 months (3.9–8.1)
N/A
OS, median (95% CI), months
10.3 months (9.1-13.3)
12.0 months (7.3–19.1)
N/A
CR, complete response; DCR, disease control rate; DOR, duration of response; N/A, not available; NE, not evaluable; ORR, objective response rate; OS, overall survival; PR, partial response; PFS, progression-free survival; SD, stable disease; TTR, time to response
About IDeate-Lung01
IDeate-Lung01 is a global, multicenter, randomized, open-label, two-part Phase 2 trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of ifinatamab deruxtecan in patients with ES-SCLC previously treated with at least one prior line of platinum-based chemotherapy and a maximum of three prior lines of therapy. Patients with asymptomatic brain metastases (untreated or previously treated) were eligible to participate.
In the first part of the trial (dose optimization), patients were randomized 1:1 to receive ifinatamab deruxtecan (8 or 12 mg/kg) given intravenously once every three weeks. In the second part of the trial (dose expansion), patients received ifinatamab deruxtecan (12 mg/kg) intravenously at the same dosing interval.
The primary endpoint is ORR as assessed by BICR per RECIST v1.1. Secondary endpoints included DOR, PFS, DCR, TTR, OS, pharmacokinetics and safety. Intracranial ORR was assessed by BICR as an exploratory analysis.
IDeate-Lung01 enrolled 187 patients in Asia, Europe and North America. For more information about the trial, visit ClinicalTrials.gov.
About small cell lung cancer
More than 2.48 million lung cancer cases were diagnosed globally in 2022. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the second most common type of lung cancer, accounting for approximately 15% of cases. SCLC is aggressive and progresses rapidly to the distant metastatic stage, which has a low five-year survival rate. While conventional standard of care treatments for patients with advanced SCLC may help improve outcomes, there is a need for additional subsequent treatment approaches.
About B7-H3
B7-H3 is a transmembrane protein that belongs to the B7 family of proteins, which bind to the CD28 family of receptors that includes PD-1. B7-H3 is overexpressed in a wide range of cancer types, including SCLC, and its overexpression has been shown to correlate with poor prognosis, making B7-H3 a promising therapeutic target. There are currently no B7-H3 directed medicines approved for the treatment of any cancer.
About ifinatamab deruxtecan
Ifinatamab deruxtecan is an investigational potential first-in-class B7-H3 directed ADC. Designed using Daiichi Sankyo’s proprietary DXd ADC Technology, ifinatamab deruxtecan is comprised of a humanized anti-B7-H3 IgG1 monoclonal antibody attached to a number of topoisomerase I inhibitor payloads (an exatecan derivative, DXd) via tetrapeptide-based cleavable linkers.
Ifinatamab deruxtecan was granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adult patients with extensive-stage SCLC with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.
Ifinatamab deruxtecan has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. FDA, European Commission, Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Taiwan Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of SCLC.
About the ifinatamab deruxtecan clinical development program
A comprehensive global clinical development program is underway evaluating the efficacy and safety of ifinatamab deruxtecan monotherapy and in combination with other cancer medicines across multiple cancers.
About the Daiichi Sankyo and Merck collaboration
Daiichi Sankyo and Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, entered into a global collaboration in October 2023 to jointly develop and commercialize patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd), ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd) and raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd), except in Japan where Daiichi Sankyo will maintain exclusive rights. Daiichi Sankyo will be solely responsible for manufacturing and supply. In August 2024, the global co-development and co-commercialization agreement was expanded to include gocatamig (MK-6070/DS3280), which the companies will jointly develop and commercialize worldwide, except in Japan where Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA will maintain exclusive rights. Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA will be solely responsible for manufacturing and supply for gocatamig.
About the ADC portfolio of Daiichi Sankyo
The Daiichi Sankyo ADC portfolio consists of seven ADCs in clinical development crafted from two distinct ADC technology platforms discovered in-house by Daiichi Sankyo.
The ADC platform furthest in clinical development is Daiichi Sankyo’s DXd ADC Technology where each ADC consists of a monoclonal antibody attached to a number of topoisomerase I inhibitor payloads (an exatecan derivative, DXd) via tetrapeptide-based cleavable linkers. The DXd ADC portfolio currently consists of ENHERTU®, a HER2 directed ADC, and DATROWAY®, a TROP2 directed ADC, which are being jointly developed and commercialized globally with AstraZeneca. Patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd), a HER3 directed ADC, ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd), a B7-H3 directed ADC, and raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd), a CDH6 directed ADC, are being jointly developed and commercialized globally with Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA. DS-3939, a TA-MUC1 directed ADC, is being developed by Daiichi Sankyo.
The second Daiichi Sankyo ADC platform consists of a monoclonal antibody attached to a modified pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) payload. DS-9606, a CLDN6 directed PBD ADC, is the first of several planned ADCs in clinical development utilizing this platform.
Ifinatamab deruxtecan, patritumab deruxtecan, raludotatug deruxtecan, DS-3939 and DS-9606 are investigational medicines that have not been approved for any indication in any country. Safety and efficacy have not been established.
About Daiichi Sankyo
Daiichi Sankyo is an innovative global healthcare company contributing to the sustainable development of society that discovers, develops and delivers new standards of care to enrich the quality of life around the world. With more than 120 years of experience, Daiichi Sankyo leverages its world-class science and technology to create new modalities and innovative medicines for people with cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases with high unmet medical needs. For more information, please visit www.daiichisankyo.com.
Merck’s focus on cancer
Every day, we follow the science as we work to discover innovations that can help patients, no matter what stage of cancer they have. As a leading oncology company, we are pursuing research where scientific opportunity and medical need converge, underpinned by our diverse pipeline of more than 25 novel mechanisms. With one of the largest clinical development programs across more than 30 tumor types, we strive to advance breakthrough science that will shape the future of oncology. By addressing barriers to clinical trial participation, screening and treatment, we work with urgency to reduce disparities and help ensure patients have access to high-quality cancer care. Our unwavering commitment is what will bring us closer to our goal of bringing life to more patients with cancer. For more information, visit www.merck.com/research/oncology/www.msd.com/research/oncology.
About Merck
At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
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