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Check latest episodes from F1Weekly.com - Home of The Premiere Motorsport Podcast podcast
F1Weekly Podcast # 1171
2026/10/26
ON TODAYS PROGRAM…
KIMI IS NOW UNSTOPPABLE!
FERRARI GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER
MAX INSISTING THE CAR IS UNDRIVEABLE AND …
FERNANDO SAYS….IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO TODAY
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER... TRIBUTE TO PHIL HILL AND…INTERVIEWS WITH A.J.FOYT AND TONY KANNAN
AND YES WE DO NEED YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEEP THIS PROGRAM ON THE AIR, JUST CLICK ON THE SUPPORT F1WEEKLY TAB YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO.
It was a perfect way to end the weekend, it was an incredible team effort, especially from strategy to believe in me and go for one-stop.
Today was a really important victory.
The perfect way will be to finish off [the Championship] in style and then just enjoy the rest of the season. I'm aware it is close, but the mindset doesn't change. I want to finish the season on a high, to go into 2027 with high hopes.
GEORGE...
It was another difficult day for me today. I just didn’t have the pace and I’m unsure why that is. My first stint wasn’t great, and I was struggling initially on the Medium tyre but after the pitstop my pace felt stronger and I felt I could make some progress. However, once I caught up with the McLaren of Piastri, I just couldn’t overtake and ended up stuck behind him for the remaining laps of the race.
The time penalty from the opening lap cost me a couple of places but overall, the pace just wasn’t good enough today for me to be fighting at the front. The lack of performance is something me and the team will look at and work on over the next couple of days. Hopefully we can make some improvements ahead of next weekend in Mexico and come back stronger for the rest of the season.
Toto...
That was an exceptional drive from Kimi. He and the team didn’t put a foot wrong all afternoon, showing strong pace throughout along with making all the right decisions strategically. What makes today particularly satisfying is where we came from on Friday. We didn’t look like we had a car capable of winning this race, but the team kept working, made good decisions and turned the weekend around. That is a credit to everyone here in Austin and back in Brackley and Brixworth.
For George, it was a more difficult afternoon, and the result doesn’t reflect the pace we know he has. He was hindered by a five-second time penalty that dropped him behind the McLarens and then he got stuck behind Piastri. We will look at this weekend overall, understand what we could have done differently and work together to make sure he can have a stronger weekend in Mexico.
F1Weekly Podcast # 1170
2026/10/18
ON TODAYS PROGRAM…
MAX IN THE LAST 25 MINUTES GOES FROM 24 TO P9 BUT…PENALTIES KILLED THEIR CHANCES
LANDO MOCKING OTHER DRIVERS IS WRONG!
LIAM LAWSON GOES COUNTRY IN AUSTIN AND …
FERNANDO SAYS…WERE BACK TO GP 2 GP2 ENGINE AHH.
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER... INTERVIEW WITH TWO F1 WORLD CHAMPIONS…LANDO. NORRIS AND MARIO ANDRETTI!
AND YES WE DO NEED YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEEP THIS PROGRAM ON THE AIR, JUST CLICK ON THE SUPPORT F1WEEKLY TAB YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO.
Mercedes praises Verstappen’s final stint: 'Without that small incident would have been way more possible'
Stefan Wendl, Head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing, is incredibly proud of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport's season. The German manufacturer ended the GT World Challenge Europe season with three titles and a victory in the final race. Max Verstappen's participation was also a major highlight for Mercedes.
Now that the GT World Challenge Europe season is over, Mercedes can look back on it with satisfaction. The team is taking no fewer than three titles back to Affalterbach: the overall drivers' championship in the Endurance Cup, the overall teams' championship in the Endurance Cup, and the overall drivers' titles in both the Sprint Cup and the Endurance Cup. To top it all off, the #17 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 won the race in Portugal.
For Fabian Schiller, Ralf Aron and Maxi Götz, it was a victory they had waited a long time for. Wendl believes Verstappen Racing could have achieved more if they had not received a drive-through penalty. "It's always nice and actually not only for us as a brand, as a great owner, to have him that he chose us as his family to be here in the GT Sport with his team," Wendl told GPblog after the race in Portimão.
Tom Hartley Jnr Ltd announces the sale of five extraordinary McLaren Formula 1 cars.
From Ayrton Senna’s and Gerhard Berger’s championship-winning MP4/6As to Lando Norris’s 2023 MCL37A, the most modern Formula 1 car ever offered for private ownership.
18 October, 2026 — Oxfordshire, United Kingdom — Tom Hartley Jnr Ltd, one of the world’s most respected and exclusive high-end dealers in classic and historic sports cars and racing cars, is delighted to announce the offering for sale of five highly significant McLaren Formula 1 cars, each being presented directly by McLaren Racing and carrying exceptional provenance from the highest levels of Grand Prix competition.
Spanning 32 years of McLaren history in Formula 1, the collection brings together cars driven by some of the greatest names in motorsport, including Ayrton Senna, Gerhard Berger, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, and Lando Norris, and represents a rare opportunity to acquire genuine works McLaren Grand Prix machinery directly from the team responsible for creating and campaigning it. The five cars are:
1991 McLaren MP4/6A, Chassis #04
1991 McLaren MP4/6A, Chassis #07
2012 McLaren MP4/27A, Chassis #01
2021 McLaren MCL35M, Chassis #01
2023 McLaren MCL37A, Chassis #03
The five cars are offered individually, having each remained in the custody of McLaren since its final period of competition, and will all be prepared by McLaren for their next owner/s.
The cars represent a significant chapter in McLaren’s history and tell an extraordinary story of technological and sporting evolution - from the naturally aspirated Honda V12 of Senna and Berger, to the naturally aspirated V8 era of Button and Hamilton, and the turbo-hybrid generation and the emergence of Norris as McLaren’s latest World Champion.
Each car has remained within the McLaren organisation following its racing career, meaning that its history, identity, and provenance remain intrinsically connected to the factory team that designed, built, and raced it. For the new custodian, that also provides an exceptional and unrivalled level of authenticity.
The five McLaren Formula 1 cars are now available for acquisition through Tom Hartley Jnr.
Zak Brown (Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Racing) said:
“We have decided to part with these iconic McLaren Formula One cars because we feel that having them simply sitting in storage is a disservice to what they represent. These cars were built to be driven and raced, and we want to see them being used and enjoyed. We believe that is the best way to keep our history alive and our heritage business active.
“Tom Hartley Jnr is the person we have entrusted to handle the sale. Few people understand the Formula One car market as well as Tom does, and nobody is more active within it today. We were also very impressed by the way he handled the sale of the Ecclestone Grand Prix Collection, and McLaren has worked with him successfully for many years.”
Tom Hartley Jnr said:
“I’m very excited to bring this opportunity to market. It is incredibly rare for a collector to have the opportunity to acquire race-driven Grand Prix cars directly from the manufacturer and team that built and campaigned them, and that makes this a very special offering.
“We have a great relationship with McLaren and have worked closely with Zak and his team for many years, assisting them with a number of sales. However, to now be able to publicly offer these cars directly on McLaren’s behalf is very exciting, and I’m personally looking forward to finding great homes for them.
“When we handled the sales of both the Ecclestone Grand Prix Collection and the Ojjeh Collection, there was significant interest in acquiring individual cars, but ultimately both collections were sold in their entirety to single buyers. There is of course every possibility that the same could happen here. However, these five cars will be offered individually and there is no time pressure whatsoever. Our priority, and McLaren’s, is to find the right homes for them.
”I’m very grateful to McLaren for entrusting my business with these sales. We are extremely active within the Grand Prix car market and appreciate more than most just how special it is to own a race-driven Formula One car. The personnel, technology, and innovation that go into creating a Formula One car far exceed anything found in a road car, and for me this is where the automotive world comes closest to the traditional art world. Values have moved considerably in recent years, but I still believe this market has a long way to go.”
Notes to editors:
1991 McLAREN MP4/6A CHASSIS #04
Chassis #04 is an exceptionally important ex-works McLaren from the height of the Senna-Berger era. Raced by Berger during McLaren-Honda’s successful 1991 World Championship campaign, the car finished second at the 1991 San Marino Grand Prix, contributing to one of the most dominant McLaren performances in Formula 1 history.
That Imola race saw McLaren achieve a remarkable 1-2, with Berger following Senna across the line after both had lapped the entire field. This was only the second Formula 1 race in history in which both team-mates, driving cars of the same chassis type, achieved this. The MP4/6A went on to deliver McLaren its fourth consecutive Constructors’ Championship, while Senna secured his third Drivers’ title.
Chassis #04 also carries the remarkable distinction of having been utilised in testing by Senna, providing a direct connection to one of the greatest drivers and most celebrated periods in Formula 1 history.
Powered by Honda’s legendary RA121E naturally-aspirated V12, the MP4/6A represents the final generation of McLaren’s great V12-powered championship cars.
1991 McLAREN MP4/6A CHASSIS #07
The second 1991 MP4/6A, chassis #07, offers an equally compelling combination of competition history and works provenance. Raced by Berger during McLaren-Honda’s 1991 World Championship-winning campaign, chassis #07 finished second at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, McLaren’s home race.
The car qualified within the top five for each of its four Grand Prix appearances, including an impressive third-place qualifying position at the German Grand Prix. Its history extends beyond Berger’s race appearances - Chassis #07 was tested by three-time World Champion Senna at Silverstone in 1992. Significantly, the car was never crashed.
Like chassis #04, #07 has remained with McLaren since its final race and is being offered directly from the works team. It will be fully restored by McLaren before delivery to its next owner. Together, the two MP4/6As offer an exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire not merely two championship-era McLarens, but two cars with direct connections to Senna, Berger, Honda, and McLaren’s 1991 World Championship success.
2012 McLAREN MP4/27A CHASSIS #01
Chassis #01 represents one of the most accomplished periods of McLaren’s modern Formula 1 history. Raced by 2009 World Champion Button during the decisive closing stages of the 2012 FIA Formula One World Championship, it competed against the backdrop of one of the most intense title battles of the modern era.
The MP4/27 was among the fastest cars of its generation, recording seven pole positions and three Grand Prix victories during the 2012 season. Chassis #01 achieved the fastest lap at the Indian Grand Prix and secured a strong top-five finish at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, demonstrating the outright pace of McLaren’s final generation of naturally aspirated V8-powered Formula 1 cars.
It was also tested by Hamilton and is now offered directly from McLaren, where it has remained since its final race, and will be fully restored by McLaren prior to handover.
2021 McLAREN MCL35M CHASSIS #01
The MCL35M represents an important bridge between McLaren’s historic past and its contemporary Formula 1 renaissance. Chassis #01 was raced exclusively by Norris during the 2021 Formula 1 World Championship season.
It was a podium-finishing car at Imola, Monaco, and Monza, and was part of one of the defining moments of McLaren’s modern era: the team’s famous 1-2 finish at the 2021 Itali
F1Weekly Podcast # 1169
2026/10/11
ON TODAYS PROGRAM…
MAX DOMINATES THE SIN
FERRARI DID THE BEST THEY COULD!
MC LAREN SEEMS TO BE IN THE UNHAPPY ZONE! AND FERNANDO SAYS…
HONDA WILL BE BACK…
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER... INTERVIEW WITH ZACK BROWN WHEN HE SPEAKS OF FERNANDO AND LIBERTY MEDIA…Also our BONUS… 3 MINUTES OF CHAOS AT MERCEDES IN MONACO…RIGHT. NOW..
AND YES WE DO NEED YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEEP THIS PROGRAM ON THE AIR, JUST CLICK ON THE SUPPORT F1WEEKLY TAB YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO.
Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore
Max Verstappen followed up his Saturday Sprint Race victory by winning Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix for the first time as the four-time F1 world champion led from start to finish on his 250th Grand Prix start for his second 2026 triumph in a row.
The Dutchman started on pole position and just about held off his challengers off the line to build up a comfortable gap, which he never relinquished over 62 laps of the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
The win moves him up to fourth overall in the drivers' standings as Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate Isack Hadjar bounced back from Saturday reliability issues to finish in 10th place.
Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson enjoyed another productive race day with seventh spot for six points as British teammate Arvid Lindblad ended in 15th.
QUOTES
Oracle Red Bull Racing
MAX VERSTAPPEN - 1st
"It's an amazing feeling to finally win here in Singapore. We've raced here many times and there have been a few missed opportunities, so to finally stand on the top step is really special. The car has been working well all weekend and I've felt really comfortable. We had strong pace throughout the race and although I had to push at times to maintain the gap, once I was in clean air I could really get into a rhythm. We had a few issues to manage, including the radio not working, but GP did a great job and seemed to know what I wanted to ask him most of the time! It's been an incredible weekend and really nice to share another win with him and the Team. Now, we're just taking it race by race and trying to maximise every opportunity. The most important thing is that we keep having fun, and hopefully we can carry this momentum as a Team into the next few races. Austin is a very different circuit, and a very bumpy one, so we'll see how we get on when we arrive there."
ISACK HADJAR - 10th
"It was a fun race tonight. Coming from the back and passing cars is always enjoyable. I wanted to get into the points, of course, but around a track like this, where a train can form, I wasn't so sure. The car had strong pace from the off, especially once I got into clean air, and I could gradually make my way through. It was similar to Baku, where the Soft was much better than the Medium, so going onto it for the second stint helped a lot. It took a lot of hard work from everyone on my side of the garage to get that one point, but a point is a point for the Team. We clearly have the pace. Max showed that, and a big congrats to him, as I know he's wanted that one. I'm looking forward to Austin already."
LAURENT MEKIES - CEO & Team Principal
"Max delivered another outstanding performance today. The Team did a fantastic job to give him a car capable of fighting at the front throughout the weekend and, once again, Max got the maximum out of the package available to him. To come away with Pole and victory in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix is a tremendous result for the whole Team. The pace we showed tonight was very impressive, and it was a very well-executed race, as the team has delivered so many times this season. It is also a special moment to see Max finally adding Singapore to his list of victories. It is never straightforward, however, and we knew the start would be critical. We know it is an area where we still have work to do and we understood the risk going into the race, but Max and the team managed it well enough to retain the lead. From there, he controlled the race exceptionally well and made the most of the pace we had. Isack also delivered a very strong drive from the back of the grid. He was committed throughout, raced aggressively when he had opportunities and showed strong pace. After a difficult weekend, where we did not give him a real chance to fight because of the issues we had on his car, it was good to see him come away with a reward for his efforts. Credit must also go to the entire crew in the garage. They responded brilliantly well to every challenge that came our way this weekend and worked tirelessly to get the cars back out on track, session after session. It was an extraordinary team effort that makes us all proud. It has been a very positive weekend for the whole team, especially following what we achieved in Sepang, and it shows that we are becoming competitive across a wide range of circuits and conditions. That is a credit to the hard work of everyone in Milton Keynes. The important thing now is to keep learning and keep pushing. Even on a weekend where we achieved two poles and two wins, there are still areas we want to improve, both for the remaining races this season and for next year."
F1Weekly Podcast # 1168
2026/10/04
ON TODAYS PROGRAM…
MAX MAKES HISTORY WITH THE FORD PACKAGE!
THE START OF THE RACE WAS SOO EXCITING GEORGE FOR A MOMENT HE THOUGHT HIS LUCK WAS TURNING AROUND!
THE SOFTWARE BLUNDER IN THE WET WAS HILARIOUS!
LCH FIGHTS BACK FOR A WELL EARNED PODIUM AND…FERNANDO BRINGS HOME THE ASTON TO P8…!
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER... LANDO NORRIS AT SILVERSTONE AND RICKY COLLARD BRITISH F3.
AND YES WE DO NEED YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEEP THIS PROGRAM ON THE AIR, JUST CLICK ON THE SUPPORT F1WEEKLY TAB YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO.
Verstappen Holds Nerve For First 2026 Win At Dramatic Rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix In Malaysia!
Max Verstappen held his nerve in the chaos of Sunday's rain-hit rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia to bank his first win of the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship season.
The Dutchman started on pole position and initially lost the lead to Mercedes duo Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in the run down to Turn 1, however picked them off comfortably in a race that had two safety cars and a virtual safety car.
The four-time world champion then held on to win by 2.307s from title leader Antonelli with Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate Isack Hadjar moving up the grid to fifth after starting out in eighth place.
Visa Cash App Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson enjoyed a productive race as he moved up to finish seventh, while British teammate Arvid Lindblad earned a gutsy point for finishing in 10th place.
MAX VERSTAPPEN - 1st
"What an incredible result! The race was not made easy for us with all the decisions we had to make and then the Safety Car at the end on top of everything. But we made all the right calls with the tyres, kept our cool, and it all paid off. Of course, to win a race in the first year of being a new power unit manufacturer is honestly just incredible and something everyone should be really proud of. We knew from the start that Red Bull Ford Powertrains built a strong engine and also knew the limitations too. Although it was hard at times, and we sometimes didn't believe we could get this win, we kept pushing. The Team has also been working hard to understand our issues and brought performance upgrades to the car. Step by step, we have been getting closer and today we did it, which is really special and an emotional moment. It is an incredible project and winning in our first season together is a fantastic feeling."
ISACK HADJAR - 5th
"Even though we managed to score P5, I am obviously frustrated. The car didn't feel as good as it did on the previous days, and then I didn't have the power after the restart at the end for two laps. If this hadn't have happened, I am sure I would have been on the podium. Despite this, it was a good overall result for the Team. I can't wait to look at the data and see what happened, then regroup and go again in Singapore. It is a track that I really, really like, so I will of course be pushing for the best result possible there."
LAURENT MEKIES - CEO and Team Principal
"This is another milestone moment in the history of this Team: the first victory for us as a power unit manufacturer with Red Bull Ford Powertrains in its very first season! The credit goes to all the people involved who have been working incredibly hard on this project over the past five years. Everyone in Milton Keynes and at the track deserves this moment and should celebrate it as an important step towards many more victories in the future.
"The first win of the season is a great way to finish what has been an extremely successful weekend overall. After showing strong pace in every session and securing our first pole position of the season yesterday, Max converted that performance into an outstanding P1 today. In often chaotic circumstances, he remained in control throughout the race, managed the conditions brilliantly, showed the strongest pace and delivered exactly the kind of performance we know he is capable of.
"More broadly, this result confirms the progress we have been making in recent months. We were already close several times, and today we converted that pace. The Team has been working tirelessly to improve our package, and weekends like this are the reward for that effort.
"There are naturally mixed feelings on the other side of the garage because Isack also showed very strong pace all weekend. We could have rounded off this weekend with another double podium; unfortunately, not everything went well with his car. Finishing fifth still represents a strong result considering where he started, but naturally it is frustrating when you know more was possible. We will analyse exactly what happened, take the positives from a weekend where both drivers were consistently competitive, and immediately turn our focus to Singapore. For tonight, however, everyone should enjoy a well-deserved victory and an important milestone for this Team."
Fernando Alonso
RACE RESULT P8
“We have been more competitive this weekend and P8 is a good result for us. There were a lot of things that happened in the race. We started with the dry tyres and put ourselves in a difficult position, but thankfully the Safety Car started a new race for us. There are not many weekends where we can score points, so we executed well and took the opportunity. Let’s see if we can keep up this pace into Singapore where on paper we have some hope. The issues at the start were quite strange and we need to understand what happened there.”
F1Weekly Podcast # 1167
2026/09/28
ON TODAY'S PROGRAM...
GEORGE BEATS MAX BY 1 TENTH
MAX BEATS 100... HILARIOUS!
HADJAR BEATS THE ODDS OUTQUALIFYING MAX AND BECOMING A TEAM PLAYER!
NORRIS QUESTIONS COLAPINTO'S QUALIFICATIONS AND...
FERNANDO CAUGHT...SCREAMING IN A PAPER BAG!
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER... A FANTASTIC CONVERSATION WITH F1WEEKLY LISTENER, EDUARDO ALVAREZ AT THE AUTODROMO HERMANOS RODRIGUEZ IN MEXICO CITY... BRAVO!
GEORGE WINS IN BAKU...
George Russell led from start to finish as he dominated the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The victory reduced the championship lead of his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli to 66 points - from 81 - after the Italian finished fifth, although he had recovered from starting 16th on the grid.
Max Verstappen pushed Russell for the win as he took second place, less than two tenths of a second behind. Fellow Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar completed the podium by finishing third on his return to racing following a wrist injury.
Yet dominance isn't a word often used when the margin of victory is as small as the gap separating the duo when the chequered flag flew at the end of 51 laps of the Baku City Circuit, four-time champion Verstappen just 0.196s down on the Merc driver having launched a late attack following two safety car interventions.
George Russell
It's been an incredible weekend and probably one of the strongest of my career so far. I really enjoyed that race and that final stint was some of the most fun I’ve had in a Formula One race. We had strong pace throughout and were able to build a good gap, so when the Safety Car came out it was a little frustrating, but around a circuit like Baku that's always a possibility.
The restart was probably the most stressful moment of the afternoon with Max right behind me, but I managed it well and from there it was all about staying focused and not making any mistakes. In the final stint we were both pushing hard, and whilst it was intense in the car, those are the moments you enjoy as a driver.
I've felt comfortable all weekend, and at the moment things seem to be coming naturally behind the wheel. We're in a good place, but Formula One changes very quickly so you have to keep pushing. The aim is to keep working hard, keep building this momentum and hopefully continue fighting at the front over the races ahead.
Verstappen and Hadjar celebrate double podium in Baku
Team quotes as Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrate both drivers on the podium for the first time in 2026 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrated their first double podium of the 2026 F1 season as Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar finished second and third in Saturday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit.
With both RB22 cars showing great speed on the ultra-fast Baku street circuit, Verstappen in particular made great early passes after the lights went out, quickly advancing from his eighth place starting spot.
As the race went on, mistakes began to happen regularly and the final quarter of the Grand Prix was a chaotic one, with two Safety Car periods happening in quick succession.
That was all the invitation the Oracle Red Bull Racing drivers needed to make a perfectly executed double pit-stop and effectively secure a 2–3 finish. However, with race leader George Russell firmly in his sights, Verstappen never gave up the chance in the final laps and pushed the Mercedes driver all the way to the line, finishing just +0.196s from victory.
As Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrated their best team result of season to date, Arvid Lindlbad also delivered another strong points-scoring drive for Visa Cashh App Racing Bulls.
The British rookie started down the field in 15th place on the grid, but drove a smart and controlled race to avoid the mid-pack chaos late in the race to end the Grand Prix in an excellent seventh place while team-mate Liam Lawson missed the points in 12th
F1Weekly Podcast # 1166
2026/09/20
ON TODAY'S PROGRAM...
MAX WILL PASS HIS RED BULL SEAT TO ROBIN WHEN READY!
YUKI TO HAAS FOR 2027?
COLTON HERTA THROWS IN THE TOWL ON HIS FORMULA 2 CAREER
LAWRENCE STROLL IN PANIC MODE LOOKING AT MERCEDES OR FORD AS A REPLACEMENTS FOR HIS HONDA HEADACHE!
AND...FERNANDO SO TIRED OF HIS SLOW ASTON MARTIN BUYS A BUGATTI VEYRON GRAND SPORT! BRAVO...
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER A MOMENT IN MOTORSPORTS HISTORY...THE GILLES VILLENEUVE REPORT AND INTERVIEW WITH JACQUES VILLENEUVE. GRACIAS!
Fernando Alonso's aluminium Veyron sat unsold for 27 months before it reached Monaco!
Fernando Alonso has taken delivery of the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse that a German dealer has been calling the most expensive Veyron ever built since it went on sale in June 2024. A video filmed near the Casino this week shows the Aston Martin Formula 1 driver easing the polished-aluminium car through Monaco traffic. When Mechatronik of Pleidelsheim listed it, the odometer read 750 km after nine years.
Chassis 8.100 is a Grand Sport Vitesse with 20 tonnes of aluminium behind it
The car Mechatronik lists as chassis 8.100 was ordered from Molsheim in 2014 and delivered in 2015 with a front bumper and seamless side panels milled from solid aluminium blocks, then polished, on a body that is otherwise exposed carbon fibre. More than 20 tonnes of aluminium went to Molsheim to produce those panels, Bugatti had to write dedicated CAD programs for them, and it spent longer building this Veyron than any other. Underneath it is a standard Vitesse: an 8.0-litre W16 with four turbochargers, 1,200 hp, 1,500 Nm and 410 km/h with the roof in place. The options bill alone exceeded the Vitesse's list price of about €1.69 million before tax.
The first owner held all six Veyron Legends editions and used them as leverage
The car exists because of an ultimatum. According to Mechatronik, the first owner already had a Veyron Pur Sang and had ordered all six Grand Sport Vitesse Legends editions, the 2013 and 2014 series built three cars apiece, along with several Super Sports. Bugatti declined the aluminium body as too expensive, and the client answered that the rest of his order book would go elsewhere if it did not build the car. It built the car. It then covered 750 km in nine years before it was consigned to a showroom near Stuttgart. Bugatti's own La Maison Pur Sang restoration programme now treats twenty-year-old Veyrons as classics, and this one arrived at that status without ever being used.
Alonso said at Goodwood in July 2024 that he wanted 'a small collection'
Alonso set out the shopping list himself, a month after the Veyron was listed. Interviewed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2024, he said he was 'in the moment of my life where I'm really looking forward to having a small collection', and added that some of the luxury brands he had driven for 'went into a different direction: bigger numbers', whereas he liked makers that 'treat the customer like unique customers'. The list that followed was an Aston Martin one: a Valkyrie due around his 29 July birthday, one of the 38 Valiants he commissioned with a manual gearbox he admitted he never drives, and a DB5 he was chasing through the heritage department. Two years on, the cars that have actually arrived are a one-off Pagani Zonda Roadster Diamante Verde in May and now a one-off Bugatti, both bought from Mechatronik and both delivered in Monaco.
A Veyron built on one customer's ultimatum fits Alonso's own definition of luxury
Chassis 8.100 is the most literal version of what Alonso said he valued: a factory that built exactly what one client wanted and never repeated it. Bugatti made 450 Veyrons between 2005 and 2015, and the Pur Sang of 2007, five cars in bare aluminium and carbon, was the factory's own earlier experiment in showing the metal. That is the same instinct that produced design director Frank Heyl's bespoke Veyron, and it explains why a car that spent 27 months unsold suited this buyer.
Alonso drives what the first owner did not: 750 km in nine years, then Monaco traffic
The Veyron's first owner averaged less than 100 km a year in it. Alonso, by his own account at Goodwood, drives every day: he lives in Monaco, uses 'maybe more scooters than cars', and takes his Aston Martin DBX to the airport each race week. The video shows the aluminium car doing exactly that kind of duty, waiting at a junction below the Casino rather than sitting under museum lights in Llanera. That puts him in the same camp as Lando Norris, filmed in London this week in the Ferrari F40 a friend crashed last year. Alonso's price is undisclosed; Mechatronik never published one.
F1Weekly Podcast # 1165
2026/09/13
on today's program...
KIMI OVERCOMES FIRST LAP CHAOS TO WIN AT THE MADRING!
MAX SPARS WITH LCH IN THE OPENING LAPS AND HANGS ON TO P2
NORRIS SAYS SIMPLY BAD LUCK WITH VSC AND...
FERNANDO SAYS...I'M STICKING AROUND...I THINK...
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER...MORE MOTORSPORTS HISTORY, MARTIN AND, ALEX BRUNDLE AT THE AUTOSPORTS SHOW IN THE U.K.
Formula 1 made its first trip to the new Circuito de Madring, about 10 miles outside of the Madrid city center, on Sunday, and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli christened the track with a win. The championship leader now owns an even more comfortable lead and picks up his eighth career race win, one week after he won the Italian Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen finished second after holding off Lando Norris, who was on pole after Saturday's qualifying session, but an unfortunate pit stop contributed to his third-place finish. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished fourth, and Antonelli's teammate George Russell came in fifth.
Kimi Antonelli
It was great to get the victory today, but we know we were a little bit fortunate with the timing of the Virtual Safety Car. Lando (Norris) was in control at the front, but we were able to dive into the pits just as the Virtual Safety Car was deployed, make the cheap stop onto the Hard, get the net lead and run to the end. We probably didn’t deserve to win therefore but we will of course take it.
We can also be happy with our pace today. We know we are still out of step with other teams in terms of upgrades, but we have been able to win the last two races at very different circuits. That is encouraging as we continue the season; we have a good position in the championships but we know there is still a very long way to go.
MAX VERSTAPPEN
“It was a great result, and we really maximised our performance, with finishing P2 on this track a solid way to wrap up a good weekend. At the start, Lewis clipped the kerb and jumped back onto the racing line, I had to go off track, otherwise both of us would have taken damage. I don't think we had the pace to challenge for the lead anyway, Kimi and Lando were faster than me throughout, so I'm happy with second. It's a circuit that's very difficult to pass on; if you position yourself in the middle, there isn't really a way through, so I was able to hold off Lando until the end. This double header has been a positive one. The car has been in a decent window both weekends, and we've been able to score consistently good points over the last few races. A podium is a nice way to end the European swing."
LIAM LAWSON
"I think it was a decent race. We had good speed through parts of it, but I just think we weren’t on the ideal strategy today. We went for the alternate strategy, starting on the Hards. At the start I lost the position to Franco and lost a lot of time as it was, but by the time I cleared him the VSC came out and they’d boxed, so it was just tricky from there. The start was exciting and I had to take a lot of risks to get the move done on Franco because it’s quite difficult to overtake here. It would’ve been nice to start a bit higher, but considering where we did start, the result today was good and I’m happy we managed to gain two places in the Race. I’m much more confident in the car this week, we’ve made a couple of great steps, so there are some good things to take away from the weekend."
LAURENT MEKIES, CEO & Team Principal
“After Monza another strong result from the whole Team at the end of a tough race. Once again, Max extracted absolutely everything from the car, as he always does. There was obviously some frustration at the start when he had to give the place back to Lewis, but the Team on the pit wall took a good look at it and, credit to them, made the difficult call. It was painful at the time, but Max immediately got himself back into the fight and was outstanding all the way to the flag, including a great defence against the McLaren in the final laps.
It was also a strong race and some good points from Liam. It certainly wasn’t easy towards the end of his first stint on worn Hard tyres, but he kept his cool and showed good pace in the final stint.
Max’s P2 is his fifth podium in the last seven races and, although we have had a couple of tricky moments along the way, we are continuing to close the gap and credit needs to go to everyone working behind the scenes at Milton Keynes, improving every aspect of the car and its PU”.
George Russell
No matter what we had done with strategy today we would have finished P5. The Virtual Safety Car came at the worst point for everyone who had started on the Hard tyre like me, and the best point for those who had started on the Medium. Unfortunately, that is how racing goes sometimes but it is a little bit the story of my season so far! It was very difficult to overtake today but I’ve enjoyed driving the Madring overall this weekend.
It is going to be an intense run to the end of the season. I’m looking forward to getting back to the factory, working with the team, and getting ready for the first of three triple-headers. My pace today, particularly on the Hard tyre, felt good so we can be encouraged by that as we head to Baku.
Hamilton Brushes Off Verstappen's Comments!!
"It was pretty good racing to be honest," said Hamilton to media after the F1 Spanish GP. When the journalist noted that the radio comment was more out of frustration since he had to give the place back, the Brit agreed. "Yep, I think nothing to do with me in here," he said.
He didn't add much on the incident since he came straight to the media pen after retiring on lap 7. But he didn't see it as a fight. His brake issues started early and he had no time to think about losing the place to Verstappen. Hamilton explained why he went for another lap as his pedal came back for a moment.
"Yeah, I had a good start," said Hamilton. "I mean I didn't see Max taking that start and then yeah, the battle. I mean I wasn't in the battle then going down into Turn 5 but then it was when I went into Turn 5, then I hit the brake, it started stopping okay.
"And then kind of the pedal took a step and ended up like stopped. It wouldn't stop all of a sudden and then I went wide and that's when I just tapped the barrier but it wasn't really, it didn't feel bad like a bad touch.
"Then the pedal came back and it was fine for the next corners and things were looking okay and then the pedal went wrong. That was it," summed up Hamilton, who felt Ferrari had a decent car, seeing teammate Charles Leclerc lead for the most part before pitting to end up fourth.
F1Weekly Podcast # 1164
2026/09/07
ON TODAY'S PROGRAM...
ANTONELLI WINS AT MONZA FROM 19TH ON THE GRID! BRAVO!
FERRARI FAIL AGAIN AT MONZA BUT...THERE COULD BE HOPE
GEORGE SEES HIS CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES FIZZLE
FREE MCLARENS GIVEN TO MOTORSPORTS TRIBUNAL JUDGES!
AND...FERNANDO SAYS...GP2 ENGINE GP2...
THE NASIR HAMEED CORNER FEATURES: NICO HULKENBURG AND F1W LISTENER RICHARD BRIGHT WHO, BUMPS INTO NASIR IN COLOGNE!
BONUS: DESIREE'S MONZA TRACK HISTORY!
AND...YES WE DO NEED YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO KEEP THIS SHOW ON THE AIR, JUST CLICK ON THE SUPPORT F1W TAB, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! F1W TAB
Kimi Antonelli's stunning victory in the Italian Grand Prix from 19th on the grid will go down in Formula 1 folklore - and, remarkably, his team boss Toto Wolff said that he had seen it coming on Saturday.
After Sunday's race, Wolff said that beforehand he thought that one of his two drivers was going to be standing on the top of the podium.
It was an eye-opening statement given they started the race 17 places apart on the grid, George Russell on the front row alongside shock pole winner Pierre Gasly's Alpine; Antonelli on the penultimate row.
"I thought one of the two is going to win," Wolff said. "Either George, because he was on the front row, or Kimi because he's going to walk over water, here at Monza. And I felt that yesterday also."
Wolff was asked to explain why he felt a performance he was comparing to a miracle was on the cards.
"It's been a while that I've seen drivers," he said. "Energy levels, mindset or behavioural pattern. I knew that was his mission today, to win the race. I chatted with his father yesterday. The father also saw that coming.
"These are the moments where you can see how a weekend is panning out through the sessions that a special moment can come."
“I will remember forever” – Antonelli’s joy of winning the his home race from the back of the grid
The Italian GP podium is always a special one, but for Kimi Antonelli to win his home race after starting all the way down in 19th place, the young Mercedes driver let out all his joy over the radio, and couldn’t hide his emotions even after the race, saying the fans just add “that little bit extra” emotion that spurred him on to a success he “will remember forever“:
“I think this is the most special podium of the season,” he said in the press conference after the race. “To see all the fans on the straight, it’s just incredible. And then, of course, you know, being at home, it adds that little bit of extra. And, yeah, super, super happy with that.“
When asked if this was the best race of his career, Antonelli was quite philosophical in saying the best one is “yet to come“:
“I mean, the best one has yet to come, but I feel like it was one of the best races I’ve done so far, and one that I will remember forever.
“I think definitely the fans gave that little bit extra to push more.
“For sure, the support has been great this weekend. So definitely, seeing the grandstand cheering every lap, for sure it gave that little bit of extra to push more and to try and do even better to win it.”
McLaughlin Ends Drought
With Dominant Laguna Seca Win
MONTEREY, Calif. (Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026) – Scott McLaughlin ended a long winless streak and the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season in style, dominating the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey for his first victory in more than two years.
Pole sitter McLaughlin drove the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet to victory by 1.3739 seconds over the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda of Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood. The win was the eighth of McLaughlin’s INDYCAR SERIES career and his first since Sept. 1, 2024, in the second race of a doubleheader weekend at the Milwaukee Mile, snapping a drought of 36 races.
SEE: Race Results
“My little girl (Lucy, born in October 2024) hasn’t seen me win yet, and now she has,” McLaughlin said. “So, Dad’s coming home with a trophy, baby. Let’s go!
“These guys and girls at Team Penske have stood behind me the whole time. Congrats to Alex (Palou) on his fifth (championship), but we’re working hard to beat them, and today was a big step in the right direction.”
Alexander Rossi finished third in the No. 20 Java House ECR Chevrolet for his first podium finish since placing third at this event for Arrow McLaren in June 2024.
Felix Rosenqvist placed fourth in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Honda. David Malukas put two Team Penske cars in the top five in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.
Alex Palou punctuated the fifth NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship that he clinched last weekend at Milwaukee with a quiet drive to eighth place in the No. 10 DHL Lightning Bolt Honda of Chip Ganassi Racing after he won this race the last two years. But Palou and the CGR team celebrated its record-tying fourth consecutive season title with donuts on the front straightaway by the driver and again in a boisterous post-race Astor Challenge Cup presentation.
McLaughlin left absolutely no doubt about his dominance in this race on the 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course. He only trailed during pit stop sequences and ended up leading 87 of 95 laps, erasing all memories of the six podium finishes without a win since his last triumph.
There was only one caution period in the race, for a Lap 1 incident in which Sting Ray Robb’s No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing – Goodheart Chevrolet hit the rear of Dennis Hauger’s No. 19 Ault Block Chain Honda of Dale Coyne Racing in Turn 6, sending Hauger spinning into the tire barrier.
McLaughlin had no problem pulling away from the field on the restart on Lap 4, and his precise driving and Team Penske’s clean, quick work during three pit stops took care of the rest.
“We had to be solid,” McLaughlin said. “That’s what it’s going to take to win a championship. What a great warmup we had. Bring on 2027.”
Kirkwood, who started sixth, had climbed to second by Lap 20 after Palou pitted to switch to a different tire strategy and shadowed McLaughlin for the rest of the way, pitting at the same time as McLaughlin on all three stops. McLaughlin’s lead was nearly four seconds at the halfway point, but Kirkwood pulled as close as 1.2 seconds on Lap 72 due to running his final stint on the faster but less-durable Firestone Firehawk alternate tire.
But McLaughlin eased away in the closing laps on the more durable Firestone primary tire, as Kirkwood admitted he and the Andretti Global team took a safety-first approach to ensure the driver would finish a career-best second in the standings. Kirkwood ended up 86 points behind champion Palou.
“Second in the championship, and that’s my best road-course finish,” Kirkwood said. “We just played it super clean, super methodical. I wish I could have had a go at Scotty there at the end on the better tires, but we knew who we were fighting, and that was for the championship, mostly. So, we played it safe there. Second place is best of the rest.”
2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Rossi also was a fixture in the top three for most of the race, producing the best day for ECR since teammate Christian Rasmussen won in August 2025 at Milwaukee. Rasmussen also finished third this year at World Wide Technology Raceway, but road courses have been a weak spot for ECR this season. The best previous finish on this type of circuit was sixth by Rossi in June at Road America.
“I don’t think I could state the significance of it just with how challenging this year has been for the whole organization and how much road courses have been a huge struggle of ours,” Rossi said. “There was a lot of doubt coming into this event whether we could find a direction, so I think this is just a huge reward for all the effort.”
Despite finishing last in the 25-car field due to the incident with Robb, Hauger hung on to win series Rookie of the Year honors. He finished with 228 points, 15 ahead of Mick Schumacher of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the rookie race.
F1Weekly Podcast # 1163
2026/08/30
ON TODAY'S PROGRAM...
ZACK COULD BEAT TOTO, AT HIS OWN GAME...
IS NORRIS THE "A" TEAM AND, OSCAR THE "B" TEAM...
CARLOS SAINZ...AS HE SIGNS ANOTHER CONTRACT WITH WILLIAMS HE KNOWS HIS CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES ARE GONE...AND
FERNANDO SAYS...HONDA MAKING PROGRESS! I'M NOT GONA MISS IT!
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER ANOTHER MOMENT IN F1 HISTORY...THE 2014 SEASON AND, THE CHAOS BETWEEN TWO DRIVERS! ...INTERVIEW WITH JOS AND MAX VERSTAPPEN DURING HIS SHORT FORMULA 3 SEASON! ANOTHER NASIR CLASSIC!
OUR BONUS: TECH TALK WITH TIM....THE FRICS SYSTEM Front to Rear Inter-Connected Suspension.
High Schooler Garcia Drives
to First Career Win in Milwaukee
WEST ALLIS, Wis. (Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026) – Don’t tell the principal, but Max Garcia may have earned the right to skip school Monday after his stirring first career INDY NXT by Firestone victory Sunday at the Milwaukee Mile.
Series rookie Garcia earned his first win in his 15th career start in the INDYCAR development series, driving his No. 12 Abel Motorsports machine under the checkered flag .9430 of a second ahead of the No. 68 Cusick Morgan Motorsports car of JM Correa, who also earned a career-best finish.
SEE: Race Results
It’s still uncertain whether Garcia, 17, will be in homeroom Monday morning at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, where he just started his senior year.
“Unbelievable,” Garcia said. “It’s been such a tough year for all of us at Abel. We knew we had a good oval package. We knew we set the car up more for the race, and we knew in practice we could move through cars. It was all about timing it right and then getting through everyone.
“I’m trying to convince my mom not to let me go to school. Surely, this is something to celebrate. A day off would be nice, right?”
Rookie Jack Beeton continued his strong second half of the season by finishing third in the No. 45 HMD Motorsports machine, earning his third podium result in the last five races.
Andretti Global’s Max Taylor finished fourth in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen entry, while Nikita Johnson rounded out the top five in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR car and took the lead in a sizzling championship fight with two races remaining.
Johnson drove from 15th at the start to earn his eighth top-five finish of the season. He leads Enzo Fittipaldi by three points and third-place Tymek Kucharczyk by 29 entering the season-ending Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader Sept. 5-6 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. It’s tied for the fifth-closest race margin between the top two drivers with two races to go in series history.
“I just kept my head down, pushed really hard and found lines that other people didn’t find until about halfway through,” Johnson said. “I think that really helps, just playing around and trying different lines out when everybody was just stuck in one line. It was a really good points day for us.”
Fittipaldi finished seventh in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports car, while Kucharczyk placed 12th in the No. 71 HMD Motorsports machine.
Garcia started ninth but steadily worked his way through the field on the 1.015-mile oval. He passed Beeton for second on Lap 35 and pulled to within one second of leader and pole sitter Josh Pierson of Andretti Global, who had led by more than two seconds in the early going of the 90-lap race.
Under pressure from Garcia, Pierson’s quest for his first career victory unraveled on Lap 54 when he spun in the No. 29 Starchive Andretti car in Turn 2 while leading and hit the tire barrier inside that corner to end his race. Pierson led every lap to that point.
Garcia inherited the lead and never surrendered it despite four restarts in the last 37 laps after the race went caution-free for the first 53 laps.
Abel Motorsports driver Garcia was threatened only once on one of those restarts. Beeton looked under Garcia in Turn 1 on Lap 83 but couldn’t complete the pass. On the next and final restart on Lap 86, Garcia left no doubt by getting a good jump and pulling away easily.
Beeton and Correa raced side by side for second on that restart, allowing Garcia even more time and space out front. Correa eventually prevailed in that duel, one of 208 on-track passes, a track record for INDY NXT at Milwaukee.
New heights at Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine!
After an extended summer break following the cancellation of Rallye Rouergue Rodez Aveyron Occitanie, the Clio Trophy France Asphalte resumes next week at Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine. At this iconic French Rally Championship event, the return to action will be intense, with 39 crews ready to give it their all to reach the midseason mark in the lead and enter the home stretch in a strong position.
Now in its seventh season with the fifth-generation Renault Clio, the Clio Trophy France Asphalte continues to prove its appeal, with a record 39 Clio Rally5 cars set to line up at Morzine this year.
The Alpine mountains offer a magnificent backdrop for the competitors, who are eager to return to competition for the first time since mid-June. Leader in the general classification following his first victory in the Vosges, Paul Dachicourt (Fun Meca Sport) will look to consolidate his advantage in Morzine. Also leading the Junior category, where an official drive is up for grabs, the Pas-de-Calais native will target another victory at a rally that went his way last year, when he posted one of his best results despite a puncture on the opening special stage.
His main rivals, however, are determined to prevent him from pulling away. Winner of the opening round at Le Touquet, Maxence Potard (Gilbert Compétition) will rely on his experience in the Alps to bounce back after his crash in the Vosges. The member of the FFSA's Collectif France Rallye isn't the only one with this objective, as Romain Brun will attempt to return to the sharp end of the order after a difficult weekend in the Vosges.
Several competitors will try to capitalise on their knowledge of the roads to close the gap to the leaders. Having secured four podium finishes with Clio Rally5 at Morzine since 2020, Romain Fostier (David Auto Compétition) is a serious contender for victory in this demanding event. He will also seek to increase his lead over his rivals in the Gentlemen class: Pascal Bérard, Jacques Bourrat, Franck Giraud (Lycée Roger Claustre) and Michaël Durigon, who returns to the Clio Trophy France Asphalte for his 22nd start in the event.
Jérôme Janny (David Auto Compétition) will equally rely on his experience to build on his strong start to the season, as will Yohan Roumieux (JLA Rally), who finished in the top ten last year, and Maxime Chagot (LCS Location), a two-time class winner at Morzine. Fabien Combe, who has finished 10th twice this year, and Christophe Truchet, 2025 Clio Full Challenge winner, will be outsiders to watch in their Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine debut.
Behind the trio of Paul Dachicourt, Maxence Potard and Romain Brun, other Junior drivers have high hopes. Following his first podium finish in the Vosges, Clément Didier (JLA Rally) will look to build on that form in the Alps, where Alex Florenson (PH Sport), who finished fifth a year ago, will target a trip to the podium next Saturday. Also worth keeping an eye on are Thomas Santiago (LCS Location), Louis Gass (PH Sport), Néo Rivallant (Fun Meca Sport), Oliver Sørensen, Thomas Van Outryve (LCS Location) and Maxence Girard (CHL Sport Auto), all in search of valuable points.
Meanwhile, Tom Le Jossec (Rageau Sport Location) and Alexis Poso (Salvi Compétition) will aim to stay in contention on their Mont-Blanc debut with Clio Rally5. Back in action after his retirement at Le Touquet, Loan Guibal (Salvi Compétition) wants to turn his obvious speed into stage wins and a strong result in a rally he is discovering for the first time, just like Léo Véricel, Louis Bottin (PH Sport) and Alfred Sablonnière. Clémentine Benoit (Sarrazin Motorsport) will defend her lead in the women's category and face Lilou Boulangé (Gazou Compétition), a rookie this season behind the wheel after co-driving for her father Arnaud in 2025.
Nicolas Paviet-Roche and Mathieu Duclos will make their first appearance of the year in familiar surroundings. Killian Marry will also return to the service park to tackle Alpine special stages for the first time – stages that several newcomers know well, notably William Gagnière, Paul Missillier and Vincent Chagot, Maxime's brother. Lastly, Grégory Scotto La Chianca will make his Clio Trophy France Asphalte debut, as will Robin Duarte, Arthur Guillaume and Tanguy Rubin-Delanchy, who have all cut their teeth with Clio Rally5 in the French Rally Cup.
The 78th Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine will feature 12 timed sectors covering a total of 196.04 kilometres over a 493.87 km route. On Friday, the action gets underway on the Montriond-le-Lac – Avoriaz stage, followed by two loops comprising Bonneville – Glières Val de Borne and Les Clefs – La Clusaz, then a single run on the Morzine – Montriond-le-Lac stage. On Saturday, the crews will tackle Morillon – Samoëns, Samoëns – Morzine and La Côte d'Arbroz – Taninges three times. The final ten special stages will each award up to five “Jean Ragnotti Performer” points to the five fastest drivers, in addition to the standard finishing points. Ten Clio Rally3s, six Clio Rally4s and nine Clio Rally5s outside the trophy will also be at the start of the event.
F1Weekly Podcast # 1162
2026/08/23
ON TODAY'S PROGRAM...
NORRIS PUTS IT ALL TOGETHER TO WIN IN ZANDVOORT!
MAX SIGNS 4 YEARS DEAL WITH RED BULL...CRASHES ON THE 1ST LAP!
HAMILTON IS DOWN RIGHT DISRESPECTFUL
HULKENBURG WAS ON FIRE IN THE MIDPACK AND...
FERNANDO SCORES POINTS GIVING FANS A LITTLE HOPE!
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER IS A MOMENT IN MOTORSPORTS HISTORY...BMW'S DR. MARIO THEISSEN !
NORRIS WINS AS MAX CRASHES ON FIRST LAP.
"Amazing. A tough race! Yesterday I said we needed to put on a bit of a show for everyone for the final race here, so I made it tough for myself today but [it was] a good race, well-fought. Probably one of my better wins – we had to fight for it well but the pace was strong. We managed things incredibly well today so over the moon, very happy. Nice to win the final race here in Zandvoort."
Norris declared he is doing a better job than every other driver after a superb win at the Dutch Grand Prix – where Max Verstappen walked away from a huge crash at his final home race.
The 26-year-old reeled in championship leader Kimi Antonelli at Zandvoort to clinch back-to-back wins and further raise hope that he could yet defend his title.
Norris leaves the Dutch seaside having moved fourth in the standings but still 83 points behind the Italian – with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton 59 points back from the leader.
Mercedes are wary of the looming threat of McLaren's Norris, with Antonelli branding them the new fastest team on the grid and Russell declaring that the papaya outfit are the ones to beat.
"They are not going to say themselves are they? I don't think it's true," Norris retorted.
"Mercedes have a better all-round performing car. I also know how good of a job I'm doing behind the wheel.
"For once I will give myself a little bit of credit that I feel I am doing a better job than everyone.
"I think that can make a difference. We have a car now capable of beating them. We didn't win yesterday (sprint race) and we didn't change much but I worked a lot on my driving – I want to believe more than everyone else.
"I make one mistake we are P4, P5. So the fact that I am doing a good job is the reason why people are saying it."
Norris banished post-race sprint race negativity to deliver a commanding drive in Sunday's main event.
He was jumped off the line by Antonelli following a red flag for Verstappen's crash, after the race had begun in damp conditions, but McLaren made the key move by pitting him later than the Italian.
That enabled Norris to attack on fresher rubber and he got the job done, blasting past Antonelli round the outside of turn one on lap 54.
"When the car gives me what I want and I am driving at the level I am now, I can win races," Norris said.
"I was able to force him to make mistakes, force them to do something with strategy."
Norris refused to declare himself back in the title hunt but would accept that Sunday's win was among his best.
"I made it tough for myself but a good race. Probably one of my better wins. We had to fight for it," he added.
Mercedes executed team orders, asking Russell to allow Antonelli through on fresher tyres as he came home second. Russell then held off Hamilton over the closing laps to retain third, with Charles Leclerc fourth ahead of Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri.
The final Dutch Grand Prix before it drops off the calendar began in crushing fashion for the packed grandstands, with their hero Verstappen suffering a crunching high-speed crash at the end of lap one.
The four-time world champion, revered in these parts, appeared to dip a wheel onto the kerb on the inside of the 18-degree banked final bend before sliding across the track and thundering into the barriers.
In-season test around the all-new Madring
After the summer break, we have an in-season test to get back on track, with all 30 FIA Formula 3 drivers getting a taste of a brand-new venue. The Madring in the Spanish capital city hosts the two-day event ahead of the season finale later this year, and it will be a crucial test for all involved.
Here’s all you need to know about the test.
WHAT TO EXPECT
It’s a brand-new circuit and a crucial test for all teams and drivers ahead of the season-ending event in Madrid later in September. The two-day event begins on Monday, August 24th and ends on Tuesday, August 25th. Track action begins at 09:00 local time on both days, but the second day will differ slightly.
The morning segment will end at 12:00 on both days, before the afternoon session begins at 14:00 local time on Day 1, with the chequered flag at 17:00. Day 2 will feature a shorter break, with the final action of the second day resuming at 13:00 local time and ending at 16:00 local time.
STAT PACK
- The newly built Madring Circuit runs to a length of 5.416Km and features 22 corners
- The circuit uses both public and private roads around the IFEMA Exhibition Centre
- AIX Racing has confirmed that Ricardo Escotto will return to the team for the test and the final two rounds of the 2026 season in place of Salim Hanna
- PREMA Racing has also announced that Louis Sharp has left the team in a mutual decision, with Alex Powell replacing him for the Madring test and the remaining two rounds of the season
WHERE TO FOLLOW
Testing will be available to follow along via live blog on the official Formula 3 website. Reports and reaction will follow on both days of testing, with behind-the-scenes content available via the official F3 social media channels on Instagram, TikTok and X.
2026 MADRING IN-SEASON TESTING ENTRY LIST
Team
#
Driver
License
1
Theophile Nael
FRA
Campos Racing
2
Ugo Ugochukwu
USA
3
Ernesto Rivera
MEX
2
4
Noah Stromsted
DEN
TRIDENT
5
Freddie Slater
GBR
6
Matteo De Palo
ITA
7
Mattia Colnaghi
ARG
MP Motorsport
8
Tuukka Taponen
FIN
9
Alessandro Giusti
FRA
10
Taito Kato
JPN
ART Grand Prix
11
Maciej Gladysz
POL
12
Kanato Le
JPN
14
Hiyu Yamakoshi
JPN
Van Amersfoort Racing
15
Enzo Deligny
FRA
16
Bruno Del Pino
ESP
17
Pedro Clerot
BRA
Rodin Motorsport
18
Brando Badoer
ITA
19
Christina Ho
SGP
20
Alex Powell
USA
PREMA Racing
21
James Wharton
AUS
22
Jose Garfias
MEX
23
Woohyun Shin
KOR
Hitech Grand Prix
24
Fionn Mclaughlin
IRL
25
Jin Nakamura
JPN
26
Ricardo Escotto
MEX
AIX Racing
27
Yevan David
SRI
28
Fernando Barrichello
BRA
29
Nicola Lacorte
ITA
DAMS Lucas Oil
30
Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi
THA
31
Gerrard Xie
CHN
Carlos Sainz: “First of all, sorry to Alex and the team for the contact at the end of the race. I had very worn hard tyres and braked over the bump in turn 1, locked up and couldn’t stop the car in time. It was obviously the last thing I wanted to end an already tough weekend. Again, apologies to him and the team.
Overall, we struggled to get into a good rhythm throughout the weekend and had to run a number of tests to explore the issues we were having, which put us on the backfoot and meant we weren't able to fight for any more today. The positive is that we've found some solutions and have good learnings to take forward to the upcoming races, so we'll look to come back stronger in Monza.”
Alex Albon: “In clean air the car felt good today, not far off the midfield pace, so there are positives to take. The moment with Carlos was just one of those racing incidents – we were going for the same corner and he locked up. It's not how we wanted to end the weekend, and not what the team needs, but it is what it is and we'll discuss together as we always do.
We need to review our strategy today as we were fighting Fernando and he finished ahead – I think we pitted too early on the first stop, reacting to a potential undercut rather than running our own race. That left us catching a lot of blue flags and stuck in dirty air, which made my second stint messy. We'll review everything as a team and look forward to a cleaner weekend in Monza.”
F1Weekly Podcast # 1161
2026/08/17
ON TODAY'S PROGRAM...
MAX PREPARES FOR HIS LAST DUTCH GRAND PRIX!
PRETTY BOY GEORGE PREPARES TO GET HIS ASS WOOPED
CADILLAC PULLS OUT THE "YOUR FIRED" LOWDON GETS HIS PINK SLIP... AND
FERNANDO SAYS...I'LL SEE YOU IN 2027...
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER....INTERVIEW WITH SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS AND, WE REMEMBER DANIKA PATRICK'S WIN AT MOTEGI JAPAN!
Ericsson Undeniable in Markham
to End 63-Race Drought.
MARKHAM, Ontario (Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026) – Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson wasn’t to be denied victory in the new Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham even as it meant tormenting a longtime rival.
Ericsson charged through the field late in the 90-lap Canadian race to hunt down and pass Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean for a victory.
SEE: Race Results
Ericsson scored his fifth career NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory while denying Grosjean his first. Grosjean was trying to reach the top step of the podium only to come one step short for the sixth time. Coincidentally, Grosjean’s last win of any kind came in a GP2 series race in Hungary in 2011. Ericsson finished fifth in that race.
Ericsson’s victory here came 10 days after being confirmed to return to Andretti Global for a fourth season. It also ended his 63-race drought dating back to his 2023 season-opening victory in St. Petersburg.
“It’s been long enough,” Ericsson said. “It doesn’t come as much of a surprise. We’ve had such a good year. We’ve been working every weekend, getting stronger and stronger, qualifying up front every weekend. We might not have got the results we deserved every weekend, but I really felt we deserved (this).”
Ericsson’s voice cracked during the interview, which he blamed on screaming too much after taking the checkered flag. But he said it was a bold and aggressive drive over those challenging street-course laps.
“We were the fastest car all day, I thought,” he said. “Obviously, there were a lot of (cautions), so we had to stay out (longer on the final sequence). I wanted to show the pace and open a gap, so we gambled on staying out. I had the pace and we were lapping so quick (after coming out of the pits on Lap 69) seventh. It was a lot of work to get through the leaders.”
In that charge was contact in the Turn 5 hairpin with Andretti Global teammate Will Power for third place. Ericsson called the hard bump “unfortunate,” but Power said he understood.
Said Ericsson: “You never want that, but I had to get through. I knew I could win this race.”
Ericsson won another race like this. In 2021, he emerged as the winner of a trouble-filled first race on Nashville’s streets that included his car getting airborne vertically. The winner of the 2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge now has four street course victories.
Grosjean settled for second place – his best since finishing second at Barber Motorsports Park in 2023. Power finished third with series points leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing taking fourth and Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward fifth.
“We did everything we could,” said Grosjean, who led 28 laps and scored his first top-five finish of 2026. “I wanted to (keep Palou in second place) – I knew (with that gap) it was safe. But then (Ericsson) came … unfortunately that (wasn’t our) day. But on to the next one.”
Several other drivers could say the same.
The race of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster had a tragic ending. He started from the pole for the second time in his career – the other was at Road America last year – and built a lead of nearly 3 seconds in leading the first 32 laps. But a caution spoiled that as all of the other frontrunners had pitted a couple of laps earlier, shuffling him to 12th place.
Foster wasn’t to be deterred, and he came charging back. He had moved up eight positions and was stalking Ericsson for third place when they approached Turn 3 on Lap 43. Foster went to the inside, but he clipped the left-side wall, contact which shot him straight into the concrete barrier on the right. The impact was virtually head-on, a major shunt. Fortunately, he was not injured.
That spot in the track similarly claimed Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood, who was running third behind his two teammates. His impact was just as fierce.
Kirkwood’s 21st-place finish allowed Palou to pull even farther ahead in pursuit of his fourth consecutive championship and fifth in six years despite starting outside the top 10 for the first time in 30 races (nearly two full seasons). Now, with four races to go, Palou leads Kirkwood by a nearly insurmountable 133 points with Team Penske’s David Malukas third, 137 points in arrears. Malukas finished this race a lap down in 17th place.
The new 12-turn, 2.1-mile street circuit seemed to offer the right balance of action and reaction, with a fair amount of race-turning calamity. The track produced 258 on-track passes with 242 of those for position - the most on-record in the event, which dates back to 1986 when the INDYCAR SERIES made its debut on the Streets of Toronto. As expected, the Turn 5 hairpin was a hot spot, with several instances of cars coming together.
One of the most significant contacts in that corner featured rookie Dennis Hauger of Dale Coyne Racing bumping Ed Carpenter Racing’s Christian Rasmussen and then O’Ward. That was Lap 20, and it was part of Hauger’s fade through the field.
Last year’s INDY NXT by Firestone champion started the race from the fifth position and was still there when his two-lap slide began. It started with Palou passing him, but then Malukas did and before he knew it, he was 20th. Later, Hauger clipped the rear tire of Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, who hit Rasmussen, drawing a caution.
Another of the contacts in Turn 5 saw Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel charge too deep into the braking zone, where he struck the car of Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden. Siegel was penalized for avoidable contact.
It wasn’t a good day for first-year series drivers. AJ Foyt Racing’s Caio Collet had contact with Felix Rosenqvist of Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian on Lap 1, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Mick Schumacher drew the race’s first caution on Lap 15 when he pounded the Turn 4 wall.
The turnaround is quick as the series sprints to season’s end. Next weekend, the 25 car-and-driver combinations make their anticipated appearance in the U.S. capital city with the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. The pre-race show on FOX begins at 11:30 a.m. ET with the race shortly after 1 p.m.
F1Weekly Podcast # 1160
2026/08/09
ON TODAY'S PROGRAM...
WILL GEORGE BE PSYCHOLOGICALLY STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON?
IS LEWIS AND FERNANDO ADDICTED TO FORMULA 1?
FERNANDO ALONSO IS NOW 45 YEARS OLD LITERALLY THE MARK MARTIN OF F1 AND...
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED MOMENT ON MOTORSPORTS HISTORY WE HAVE AND INTERVIEW WITH ...SHANE SENEVIRATNE FOUNDER OF US RACETRONICS AND TEAM MANAGER...
Created in 2005, US RaceTronics (USRT) first entered the 2005 Atlantic championship season and instantly achieved success. That season saw US RaceTronics capture 1 pole, 5 podium finishes, and finish 5th in the Championship standings. The "little team that could” proved that hard work and sacrifice still paid off.
With the initial momentum of the prior season 2006 through 2009 saw US RaceTronics continue its success in the Atlantic series. The strength team drivers Simona De Silvestro and Frankie Muniz, the team was able to consistently finish on the podium with a total of 21 podiums, 7 poles, 5 race wins and finish 3rd in the 2009 Championship standings.
Seneviratne, who holds deep roots in the Atlantic Championship, the GTD program has been largely centered around Silver-rated driver Goikhberg, who also moves over from GTWC America competition.
“We’ve been doing Super Trofeo and veered off into the AMG with SRO but my heart’s always been with Lamborghini,” Seneviratne told Sportscar365.
“I like the guys, I like the brand. We had the opportunity to get in here and we started talking to Misha.
“It all started with Misha and Bob Perona. He has been Misha’s driver coach for a long time and Bob and I all worked with Simona de Silvestro in the Indycar days.
“Bob felt like the most comfortable thing for Misha to do was to be in that same kind of support and environment that Simona had when she ran and she was successful with us.
“She came from Newman Wachs with Jonathan Summerton. We built that culture and gave her the support [needed].
“We’re trying to create that same atmosphere for Misha.
“The majority of the budget comes from there. With Arrow, we had a small partnership last year with the Super Trofeo and they were excited to step up a little bit more and see what they could do with a GTD program.”
While having run under the USRT/O’Gara Motorsport/Change Racing banner in Super Trofeo last year, the team will eventually be fully known as Forte Racing, a new marketing company that Seneviratne is a part owner in.
“I’ve had a long-term relationship with Lamborghini of Beverly Hills, Tom O’Gara’s dealership,” Seneviratne explained.
“Then Edoardo Piscopo and Julia, Edoardo’s wife, they also wanted to get involved, [as well as] Eddie [Littlefield] from Change Racing.
“It was [USRT]/O’Gara/Change [last year], so we’re now trying to get rid of all those names and start with a single brand, which is Forte Racing.”
Seneviratne heads into his first 24-hour race as a team owner although he operated O’Gara Motorsport’s short-lived Lamborghini GTD program in 2016, which led to the relaunch of USRT later that year.
Seven years later, debuting Lamborghini’s second GT3 evolution, Seneviratne is looking forward to the renewed challenge.
“More than pride, I’m glad to represent Lamborghini and to have this opportunity,” he said. “It’s not an opportunity that you get very often.We have to work together as a cohesive group.
“But I can’t emphasize enough how supportive Lamborghini has been. It’s the same way I like to run the team.
“I feel like Lamborghini had now just become an extension of that. We don’t throw each other under the bus. We are there for support and there’s no egos involved.
“There’s five ways to do something so I’m always listening and they’re listening to us.
“Right now they have way more [endurance racing] experience, all of the Lamborghini technicians, and we’re absorbing it in.
“We’re grateful that we have really good support from Lamborghini.”
With the demise of the Atlantic Series US RaceTronics’ owner Shane Seneviratne took his talents to the IndyCar Series where he was paired once again with De Silvestro as the Team Manager for the HVM Racing. His talents were once again utilized with De Silvestro in 2013 by the KV Racing Technology team where he was brought on as a Consultant.
In 2015 Seneviratne was hired by O’Gara Motorsports as their Race Team Director for their newly created Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America Series entries. The team won the season opener at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway with Pro driver Richard Antinucci. The team’s consistent performances throughout the 2015 season led to O’Gara Motorsport winning the Team Championship, Dealership Championship, Pro Championship with driver Richard Antinucci, and Amateur Championship with Ryan Ockey. Amateur driver Ryan Ockey also won the 2015 Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo World Championship.
The team continued its success in 2019 with Damon Ockey and Jacob Eidson winning the North American Pro-Am Championship, while the team's second team of Pro-Am drivers, Ron Atapattu and Patrick Liddy finished third in the Championship. The team also fielded 16-year-old rookie Amateur driver Steven Aghakhani who would finish second in the North American Championship, after missing the first race due to age restrictions, but captured the Amateur World Championship becoming the youngest World Champion in Lamborghini Super Trofeo's history.
2020 was a challenging year for the world and for USRT. Last minute changes in scheduling and driver lineup were necessitated due to restrictions stemming from the COVID pandemic. The Lamborghini Super Trofeo season was shortened to 10 races from the normal 12 and the cancellation of the World Finals left USRT just short on championships. Steven Aghakhani and Jacob Eidson finished runners up in the Pro Championship, while Leo Lamalas finished runner up in the Am Championship. John Hennessy missed the final two races of the season, finishing fourth in the LB Cup Championship his rookie season.
US RaceTronics’ 2021 saw several peaks and valleys. The Pro duo of Steven Aghakhani and Jacob Eidson had one win and 8 additional podium finishes, but also suffered issues in a couple of races that left them just short of the North American Championship, finishing third. Meanwhile, John Hennessy won the season opener in the LB Cup Championship, but suffered an injury in a crash in Race 2, ending his hopes for a North American title. After missing the four subsequent races, Hennessy came back strong, winning five out of the remaining six races and sweeping the World Finals with four straight wins at the Misano, Italy track to become the LB Cup World Champion.
2022 will see US RaceTronics back in action in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North American Series for their seventh consecutive year.
For more information on how to become a driver with US RaceTronics, learn more about the Series, or attend a race, contact us today!
F1Weekly Podcast # 1159
2026/08/02
ON TODAY'S PROGRAM...
THE MAX RUMOR MILL KEEPS ON TURNING AND MAX KEEPS ON BURNING!
MCLAREN COULD BE BACK ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP BAND WAGON
GEORGE NEEDS TO FIND HIS MILIEU! AND...
FERNANDO AND ASTON MARTIN COULD BE ONTO SOMETHING BIG!
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER WE HAVE PATRICK TAMBAY AND TROY CASTANEDA!
Patrick Tambay and Gilles Villeneuve began their Formula 1 careers together at Silverstone in 1977. Five years later, Tambay claimed his first race victory, filling the seat at Ferrari left vacant by Villeneuve after his tragic accident at Zolder.
Tambay had initially tried to qualify a Surtees at Dijon but was unsuccessful, subsequently joining Ensign for the remainder of 1977. Teddy Mayer later recruited him to drive for McLaren, where he spent two challenging years in less competitive cars. Following a tough 1981 season with Theodore and Ligier, it seemed Tambay’s time in Formula 1 was nearing an end until Ferrari offered him a spot.
He brought some positivity back to the team by winning at the Hockenheimring following another severe accident involving his teammate Didier Pironi. Despite joining the championship late, Tambay had the potential to be a title contender in the fast Ferrari but had to step back due to a back injury caused by the intense ground effect cars of that era.
In the following season, with ground effects banned, Tambay showed competitive form again. He secured a poignant victory at Imola, the very place that had witnessed the intense feud between Villeneuve and Pironi a year prior.
Despite his successes, Tambay was unexpectedly replaced by Michele Alboreto at the end of the season.
He moved to Renault in 1984, but the team struggled with development and exited the sport in 1985. Tambay then raced for Team Haas before it, too, withdrew from Formula 1 at the end of 1986.
After retiring from full-time racing, Patrick Tambay transitioned to a role as a commentator for French television and served as the deputy mayor of Le Cannet, a suburb of Cannes. He was also the godfather to Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula 1 World Champion, and played a significant role in guiding Villeneuve’s early racing career, which included victories at the 1995 IndyCar title and Indianapolis 500, and subsequently the F1 World Championship with Williams in 1997.
Tambay was married twice and became a father in 1991 when his son Adrien was born. Following in his father’s footsteps, Adrien became a professional racing driver, competing for Audi in the DTM championship from 2012 to 2016 and later winning the 2021 ETCR Championship.
Patrick Tambay’s family announced his passing on December 4th, 2022, following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Rossi Completes First Validation Test
of New IR-28 Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS (Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026) – Alexander Rossi took another step into the future of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on Saturday, completing the first on-track test of the new Dallara IR-28 chassis at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 2016 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner put the all-new car through its initial paces during a productive development session on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course, helping begin the testing process for the chassis that will debut for the 2028 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.
Rossi praised the preparation that led to the successful debut.
“I’ve been a part of some new car launches before, and I can’t say that any have gone as smooth as this one has,” Rossi said. “That’s down to everyone involved. We’ve all been waiting for this for a long time. Drivers, fans, teams, sponsors and all of you have been looking forward to it, and now it’s finally here.
“It’s like Christmas morning.”
Rossi said the session accomplished everything the development team aimed to achieve, despite intermittent damp conditions that limited running.
“It's hard to do a full comparison because of the conditions we were dealing with, but everything you could hope for from a day like today was accomplished,” he said. “The fact that the car is completely new and the only real issue we had was replacing one sensor is phenomenal. That’s a huge testament to Dallara, INDYCAR and everyone involved.
“The car has a lot of incredible qualities that we haven’t even scratched the surface of yet. It was an incredible start and just a joy to drive.”
Rossi also offered high praise for the IR-28’s appearance and initial handling characteristics.
“Aesthetically, it ticks every box you could hope for,” he said. “I was blown away the first time I saw it. The pictures don’t do it justice. The presence it has in person is pretty amazing. It looks aggressive, and even with a completely new chassis, new aerodynamics, new electronics and a spec damper package, the baseline was very comfortable from the get-go. There’s obviously a lot more to unlock, but it was a great starting point.”
Testing the next-generation INDYCAR SERIES machinery at Indianapolis Motor Speedway made the experience even more meaningful for Rossi.
“To be able to be a part of this next evolution of INDYCAR and do it at IMS, a place that means so much to me and all of us here, is super cool,” Rossi said. “I get to play a small part in the history and the future of this championship, and that’s a big privilege. I enjoyed every minute of it.”
Four-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and 2025 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Alex Palou is scheduled to test the car Sunday.
F1Weekly Podcast # 1158
2026/07/27
ON TODAY'S PROGRAM...
OMG...FERNANDO MADE IT TO Q2!!!!!!! ASTON MARTIN FINISHED 13TH AND 14TH...
LANDO WINS AGAIN IN HUNGARY!
GEORGE'S START WAS HILARIOUS
LCH AND MAX WAS HILARIOUS!....
PIASTRI FEELING LIKE A NUMBER TWO AND...
FERNANDO ................................HAD FUN TODAY!
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER...EL LEONE!!
AKA. OUR NIGE!... YES NIGEL MANSELL WITH NASIR WE CALL IT THE PERFECT INTERVIEW!!!
AS WE FOLLOW COLTON HERTA...14TH IN THE SPRINT AND 19TH IN THE MAIN EVENT!!!
LANDO...
“I’m tired! What happened?” Norris smiled post-race, taking it back to the first lap. “I don’t know what happened, to be honest. I just kept losing the rear. I had like three or four big snaps. It felt horrible and, of course, Oscar did a good job to get the cutback and get back past, so I think I was just a bit wide in the dirt – game over for the first lap.
“But man, I was pushing like hell to try and force him into a mistake or something. My pace today was probably some of the best pace I’ve ever had. The car was beautiful to drive and I felt very confident, so a great race. To get it back in terms of going long, which is certainly not what I was expecting, but the pace was so good I could always extend the stints, and fresh tyres then always won me the race. I’m just happy to be back and see the number one again.”
MAX...
“It was a really strong day and positive for us to finish in P2 today, although I’m quite surprised with the result given the problems we had this weekend. We really hung in there, made some good calls and brought it home in the second half of the race, especially with our older tyres. We were trying to make the best of what we had, and it was quite tough for a long period of the race, but everyone contributed to securing this podium.
“I think the start and the first stop to gain the position were really crucial, keeping the others behind for a while. Then, of course, we got undercut because the others were on the Soft tyres. We managed to jump ahead of Lewis again, which I think was very critical in that stint too. We were still struggling with the same things we had in Qualifying and there were some bright shining moments, but we need to be a bit more solid all-round in the second half of the season. Despite this, I think we performed well today and made all the right calls. The Team are all looking forward to a break so we can come back rested and refreshed for the second half of the season.”
KIMI...
It was not an easy race today. It was very difficult to overtake, even when we had significantly more pace than the cars ahead. We knew it might be like that today and so it proved. We did well to build a decent tyre offset to those ahead though throughout the race and that enabled us to get up into the podium positions.
I initially wanted to target a one-stop race. It seemed like it might be possible in the opening stint but then we started to suffer with the rears. We made the call to go onto the two-stop and in the final stint, had really good pace. The Virtual Safety Car made our lives a little more difficult with Lewis (Hamilton) getting fresh tyres and being right behind us, but we were able to bring home P3.
We have had a much better first half of the season than we perhaps expected at the very start. This is where we are at now though and we need to keep going, keep pushing on and doing the best job we can. It is going to be an intense second half of the year, but we are ready for it.
GEORGE...
That was another tough race. We lost lots of positions off the line and that ruined our chances of fighting for the podium. We’re not sure exactly what happened just yet. We did all the procedures as we normally do but it didn’t behave as we expected. The anti-stall then kicked in, and we dropped to the back of the field. The positive is that our pace across the rest of the race was strong and we were able to fight back to P7. That is not where we want to be finishing but is still points.
It has not been a smooth first half of the season. I am looking forward to this break so we can reset and come back stronger after the summer shutdown. It has been a bit of a rollercoaster on my side so far and I am hoping the second half of the year can be much better.
F1Weekly Podcast # 1157
2026/07/20
ON TODAY'S PROGRAM...
KIMI TAKES CONTROL OF CHAOS TAKING VICTORY AT SPA!
GEORGE RUNS INTO LCH AND BOOM DNF!!
RED BULL FINDS PACE TO FINISH ON THE PODIUM AND...
FERNANDO SAYS...WE DID OUR BEST...!
THIS WEEK'S NASIR HAMEED CORNER OUR MOMENT IN MOTORSPORTS HISTORY...BRUNO AND B IANCA SENNA!! OUR BONUS IS...NASIR'S GLENN CAMPBELL SEGMENT...GRACIAS.
Kimi Antonelli
It’s good to be back on the top step of the podium after a couple of difficult weekends. It was a hard-fought win and didn’t come easily. We lost the lead on the run to Eau Rouge but got it back on the opening lap. We looked in control but then lost it again when Leclerc was able to pit under the Virtual Safety Car. We kept calm though and slowly closed the gap down. He was very quick and, even after I passed him, it was a struggle to break overtake mode. We eventually did though and could bring the win home.
We saw how competitive several teams were again today. We need to keep working hard, keep performing, and keep scoring points. It’s going to be a long battle all the way to the end of the season. We will keep taking it one weekend at a time and try to do our best every time we get in the car.
MAX...
“I think we had a very good race, and hopefully we can have more weekends like this. I had too much deployment from turn one to turn two, and when I looked at my battery, I knew that I was going to have a difficult run. We were then a bit unlucky with the VSC, and it affected the strategy and our ability to fight for P2 in the end. The Medium tyre was pretty decent, but we struggled a bit on the Hard tyres in terms of grip and had few balance limitations, so we just need to analyse why it was a bit trickier than expected. However, we had the car in a good window, and I think we can be happy with the whole weekend and pleased to be on the podium. Overall it was a good result and a pretty solid weekend!”
ISACK...
"I'm very happy with how today played out. We had a clear plan from the moment we arrived in Spa, so we were able to put everything into getting the most out of the race, and we did exactly that. From P21 to P6 is not easy, but the strategy was perfect and the pace in the car was strong, so it's been an all-round Team effort. With the Safety Car, we pitted early to give us options later on, and it worked out perfectly. Credit to the Team for that call. Going through the pack is always fun, especially with the pace we had, which let me keep the gap to Lando once he started to get closer. The goal yesterday was to get back into the points. We added a few more on top of that to make for a satisfying afternoon."
Podcast reviews
Read F1Weekly.com - Home of The Premiere Motorsport Podcast podcast reviews
Roland RP 2022/07/11
The best in F1 coverage.
There simply is not a better F1 podcast out there. Clark and Nasir have a lot of information and a lot of knowledge in F1. They are a true joy to list...
myohmy2cents 2021/08/26
Apologies due to Toto! You screwed up
NasirWhose work is usually impeccable screwed up on the latest podcast. When he said that German authorities had passed on information about insider t...
Admiral Anonymous 2020/10/21
Highway 91
What a great listen I felt compelled to give a review. Thank you guys for what you do!
wineybrit 2020/08/08
Racist boomers
You guys have got to get with the times. You sound ridiculously out of touch.
dezydez94 2020/03/07
Clark Rogders
He’s voice amazing, he’s very attention to detail. He is the only one i Would listen is to
Vaderhamm 2019/11/08
Nasir Hameed is awesome!
Absolutely love love love Nasir with his excellent analysis and historical knowledge) but Mr Rodgers is insufferable. He really needs to get over the ...
VJR86 2019/11/06
The audio only comes via left channel
The podcast audio seems to not come through the right channel, only the left
Bob Featherly 2019/09/24
Machismo podcast
I always enjoy the podcasts, very entertaining humor, with the music references ... and they are pretty knowledgeable, not just LCH fanboys.... this i...
nothankyiu 2018/10/19
Amateur hour...
audio quality is atrocious...what are they using to record???
No cnx hate this update 2018/01/30
Please get better recording equipment
Good content but hard to hear
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