Motoring News

Gianpiero Lambiase to remain as Max Verstappen’s F1 race engineer for 2026

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 17:14
The future of Gianpiero Lambiase has been a major topic of discussion in recent months. Immediately after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, sources told Motorsport.com that his exact role for 2026 would be discussed during the winter, linked to private circumstances.
Those private conditions also explain why Lambiase missed the Austrian and Belgian grands prix, and why he allowed his emotions to show ...Keep reading

Sebastien Loeb left “almost at a standstill” in nightmare Dakar stage

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 16:10
Sebastien Loeb says he was forced to drive at “20%” of his Dacia’s potential after ceding more than 25 minutes in the third stage of the 2026 Dakar Rally.
The former WRC star had been sitting in a solid seventh in the standings after Tuesday’s second test, just six minutes off leader Seth Quintero of Toyota,
But the 421km-long Stage 3 on Tuesday turned the rally on its head, and ...Keep reading

Alpine: Franco Colapinto needs 'time to mature and deliver points' in F1

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 15:00
Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen believes Franco Colapinto needs time “for that talent to mature and deliver”, as the Argentine prepares to embark on his first full Formula 1 season in 2026.
Colapinto first experienced F1 when he replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams midway through the 2024 season and immediately showed strong pace. He reached Q3 and scored his first points in only his ...Keep reading

Steve Phelps to resign as NASCAR Commissioner ahead of 2026 season

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 14:49
Steve Phelps became NASCAR's first Commissioner in March of 2025 after previously working as the president of NASCAR since 2018.
However, he will leave that position at the end of January, and NASCAR does not plan to replace the role of Commissioner for the time being. Instead, his duties will be shared by other existing executives. As for why there won't be someone else appointed to the role ...Keep reading

Toprak Razgatlioglu hailed as ‘Casey Stoner 2.0’ ahead of MotoGP debut

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 14:01
New Pramac Yamaha signing Toprak Razgatlioglu has been likened to MotoGP star Casey Stoner by veteran manager Alberto Vergani.
Razgatlioglu is set to be one of the main talking points of the 2026 MotoGP season. The Turkish star arrives in the premier class as a three-time World Superbike champion, and there is widespread curiosity about how he will adapt to MotoGP machinery.
With Marc ...Keep reading

Dakar 2026, Stage 3: Ford dominant as Mitch Guthrie moves into overall lead

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 12:37
Mitch Guthrie led a Ford 1-2 in the third stage of the Dakar Rally to snatch the overall lead from Dacia rival Nasser Al-Attiyah.
After a subdued showing on Monday in which none of its entries finished inside the top 10, Ford emerged as the class of the field in Tuesday’s 421km test around Al-Ula with the Raptors leading throughout.
Two-time DTM champion Mattias Ekstrom set the early pace ...Keep reading

Haas moves F1 2026 launch date after unforeseen development

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 12:33
The Haas Formula 1 team will unveil its challenger for the 2026 season on 19 January, instead of 23 January as initially planned.
Haas announced its intention to reveal the new VF-26 that day in early December, shortly after Alpine officially scheduled a season launch that same day, but Ferrari went on to announce it would unveil its new car on 23 January too.
Haas has therefore decided to ...Keep reading

Valtteri Bottas to drive historic Ferrari F1 car at Adelaide Motorsport Festival ahead of 2026 return

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 12:26
Valtteri Bottas is set to drive the Ferrari 156/85 from the 1985 Formula 1 season at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival ahead of the 2026 F1 season.
The event, taking place 28 February to 1 March, is a week before the 2026 F1 season kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix.
Bottas will be joined by former F1 driver Stefan Johansson, who will drive his own No. 28 Ferrari 156/85 in the ...Keep reading

Why moving to Cadillac F1 feels like going home for Zhou Guanyu

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 11:31
Zhou Guanyu has described his move to Cadillac F1 as a reserve driver in 2026 as "rejoining family", ruining with his former Sauber team-mate Valtteri Bottas and his long-time manager Graeme Lowdon.
It was confirmed on 5 January that the Chinese driver had signed with the American outfit for 2026 after a year-long stint in the same role at Ferrari in 2025. Zhou made his F1 debut in 2022 with ...Keep reading

Alessandro Pier Guidi tells young drivers to consider WEC: ‘We are closing the gap to F1’

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 11:20
Ferrari’s Alessandro Pier Guidi believes the World Endurance Championship has become a genuine pathway for young drivers and now stands as the second-biggest series after Formula 1.
Endurance racing has grown in popularity in recent years, fuelled by the introduction of new LMDh and LMH regulations that have attracted some of the world’s biggest brands to the WEC and the IMSA SportsCar ...Keep reading

All the 2026 F1 driver numbers confirmed in full

Formula 1 - Tue, 2026-01-06 11:17
With the 2026 Formula 1 season and another 24-round tour of the world just around the corner, all 22 driver numbers have been confirmed by F1’s governing body, the FIA.

Zhou Guanyu reveals mental toll of F1 reserve driver role as he eyes full-time return

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 11:14
Zhou Guanyu has opened up about the mental challenges of stepping into a reserve driver role after racing in Formula 1. 
The Chinese driver has signed with Cadillac for the 2026 season as a reserve driver after a stint in the same role with Ferrari in 2025. Zhou made his F1 debut in 2022 with Alfa Romeo/Sauber alongside Valtteri Bottas, who is set to drive for Cadillac in 2026. But after his ...Keep reading

Toyota reveals striking new 2026 WRC challenger 

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 10:22
Toyota has revealed a bold new look for its 2026 GR Yaris Rally1 cars that will contest this year’s World Rally Championship.
The Japanese marque, which won last year’s title, has opted for a fresh new livery utilising the team’s red, black and white scheme with red now the predominant colour. 
For the past two seasons an all-black livery has adorned Toyota’s factory WRC entries ...Keep reading

Arvid Lindblad warned by Racing Bulls that F1 debut will be “difficult”

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 10:11
Arvid Lindblad is bracing for a tough Formula 1 debut in 2026, following advice from Racing Bulls team bosses Alan Permane and Peter Bayer.
Snapped up by Red Bull in his successful karting days back in January 2021, Lindblad has since ascended the single-seater pyramid swiftly, though he won just one championship: Formula Regional Oceania, formerly known as the Toyota Racing Series, last ...Keep reading

Sergio Perez: 'If I was faster than Max Verstappen, it was a problem' at Red Bull

Motorsport - Tue, 2026-01-06 10:06
Sergio Perez has reflected on his time at Red Bull and the difficulties of driving alongside four-time champion Max Verstappen.
The Mexican driver joined the Milton Keynes outfit in 2021 after stints with Force India/Racing Point, McLaren and Sauber. While he started off as a strong second driver beside the Dutchman, with a fourth-place finish in the drivers' championship in his first year with ...Keep reading

How the "F1" movie filmed at live grand prix weekends using custom tech

Motorsport - Mon, 2026-01-05 21:38
If there's one thing the F1 movie did well, it was the expansive use of technology to bring the viewer closer than they'd ever been to a Formula 1 race. It's no surprise the movie recently won two Critics' Choice Awards, one for editing and one for sound. In a recent video from Apple TV, it walks us through the ins and outs of how technology was used. 
"Formula 1 history is filled with ...Keep reading

Tony Stewart named Chili Bowl grand marshall

Motorsport - Mon, 2026-01-05 21:14
It’s been a bit since Tony Stewart has attended the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, but the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and overall motorsports legend is synonymous with the Tulsa Expo Center and that will be celebrated next week.
'Smoke' has been named Grand Marshal for Championship Saturday.
“Not only is Tony a winner here, but he was also part of what really made the Chili Bowl ...Keep reading

Get ready for the 40th Chili Bowl Midget Nationals

Motorsport - Mon, 2026-01-05 20:20
“ARE YOU READY FOR THE CHILI BOWL!?!”
That is how event publicist, and everyman, Bryan Hulbert opens the main event portion of the Chili Bowl Nationals every year and it signifies that the week long effort for nearly 400 drivers will soon pay off for one of the 84 that remain.
By this point, on Championship Saturday, 26 races have taken place, whittling the field down through a process ...Keep reading

Zhou on why he has ‘high trust’ in Cadillac project

Formula 1 - Mon, 2026-01-05 20:00
Zhou Guanyu tells F1.com about his excitement at becoming a reserve driver for the new Cadillac F1 team, how he feels he benefitted from his time at Ferrari and his hopes for the future.

Legacy Motor Club reveals new crew chief for Erik Jones, other changes

Motorsport - Mon, 2026-01-05 18:35
Legacy Motor Club has made some personnel changes ahead of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season. They have named Justin Alexander as the new crew chief for Erik Jones and the No. 43 LMC Toyota Camry XSE, replacing Ben Beshore in the role.
Alexander has plenty of experience atop the pit box, winning five races with Austin Dillon at Richard Childress Racing, including the 2017 Coca Cola 600 and the 2018 ...Keep reading

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