LONDON (AP) — Veteran U.K. Labour Party politician Peter Mandelson will be Britain's next ambassador to Washington, people familiar with the decision said Thursday.
Mandelson, who served in senior posts in the governments of former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, is expected to take up his job early next year. The announcement is expected to be made on Friday.
The current ambassador, Karen Pierce, is likely to remain in her post until after President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.
The news of Mandelson's appointment was first reported by The Times of London newspaper. It was confirmed by two people familiar with the decision, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it has not been formally announced.
Mandelson, 71, has been considered a front-runner for the job, considered Britain's most important diplomatic post - even more so with the protectionist Trump returning to office.
Mandelson was one of the key architects of Labour's 1997 return to power under Blair after 18 years in opposition. He served in Blair's government from 1997 to 2001 and as business secretary under Brown from 2008 to 2010, and in between was the European Commissioner for trade.
His trade expertise is likely to prove vital in dealing with the Trump administration, which has threatened to impose tariffs on almost all imported goods.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday that "we have to make sure that we avoid tariffs” with the United States.
Mandelson is also renowned as a skilled — and, to critics, ruthless — political operator. It is rare for politicians to be appointed as U.K. ambassadors — the jobs usually go to career diplomats.
Mandelson told the BBC last month that he would be “very interested” in giving advice on trade to whoever got the Washington job.
FILE - Peter Mandelson, British Labour politician, arrives at a memorial service for former leader of the Liberal Democrats Lord Paddy Ashdown at Westminster Abbey in London, Sept. 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
NÜRBURG, Germany (AP) — Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen's chances of victory in his 24-hour racing debut at the famed Nürburgring track have been ended by an apparent mechanical issue with his car.
Verstappen had been leading Sunday morning by over half a minute, sharing a Mercedes AMG GT3 car with experienced sportscar racers Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella.
Juncadella had just taken over from Verstappen when he had to slow down with an issue affecting the rear-right of the car and lost the lead before pulling into the pit lane. The car had not returned from the garage after an hour.
Coming a week before F1 returns at the Canadian Grand Prix, the Nürburgring race was a “bucket list” project for Verstappen. He's a keen racing fan and has questioned his future in F1 this year because he's unhappy with the 2026 cars' reliance on electrical power.
Verstappen made an immediate impact in his first stint Saturday evening with a fast, aggressive style typical of his driving in F1, going from 10th to the lead with a series of overtakes. At one point, he lost grip over a bump and ran wide onto the grass, narrowly missing the barrier and he was later in a close battle for the lead overnight.
Verstappen was familiar with the Nürburgring after taking part in a series of shorter races in recent months to add to his years of virtual experience from realistic online simulator races.
It was still a challenge unlike anything in F1.
With 161 cars spread out along a 15.8-mile circuit, Verstappen had to weave past much slower cars and deal with constantly changing weather conditions on a hilly track where it can be raining hard at one point and dry at another.
It was also his first real test of night-time endurance racing without the huge floodlights that F1 uses to light up the track.
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Max Verstappen stands in his pit before the start of a pit stop and observes the work during the Nurburgring 24-hour auto race in Nurburg, Germany, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
The pit crew works on Max Verstappen's Mercedes AMG GT3 car during the Nurburgring 24-hour auto race in Nurburg, Germany, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
Daniel Juncadella, right, helps his teammate Max Verstappen to get into the car during a pit stop the Nurburgring 24-hour auto race in Nurburg, Germany, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
Max Verstappen, driving the Red Bull Mercedes AMG GT3, flashes his his headlights as he demands a clear path from a slower vehicle during the Nurburgring 24-hour auto race in Nurburg, Germany, Saturday May 16, 2026. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
The pit crew works on the leading Max Verstappen's Mercedes AMG GT3 car, right, as it completes a pit stop at the same time as the second-placed Mercedes-AMG Team RAVENOL with Germany's Maro Engel, Germany's Luca Stolz, Germany's Fabian Schiller and Germany's Maxime Martin, during the Nurburgring 24-hour auto race in Nurburg, Germany, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
