How 2026 cars will change driving styles

How 2026 cars will change driving styles

The 2026 Formula 1 cars will force drivers to change how they drive because energy recovery will be more important. The MGU-H is gone, while the MGU-K is much stronger, so drivers will need to lift off the throttle more and change how they brake to save energy. The challenge will be harder on fast tracks like Silverstone but much easier on braking-heavy tracks like Monaco. Drivers who adapt quickly and balance speed with energy saving will have the best chance to succeed.

Click here to read the full article by Edd Straw (the-race.com)

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Why the 2026 NASCAR calendar is about tweaks

NASCAR’s 2026 schedule brings back North Wilkesboro for its first points race since 1996, while Dover loses its Cup race and only gets the All-Star event. Watkins Glen moves to Mother’s Day, which could bring cold weather, and Homestead will again host the season finale for the first time since 2019. A new San Diego street race on a Navy base is added, and Chicagoland Speedway returns after being dropped in 2020. The playoffs stay the same, with the schedule focused more on tradition than big changes.

Click here to read the full article by Greg Engle (forbes.com)

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Esmee Kosterman to make F1 Academy debut at Zandvoort

Esmee Kosterman, a 20-year-old Dutch driver, will make her F1 Academy debut as TeamViewer’s Wild Card entry at Zandvoort. She will race in a special #86 car that shows the faces of more than 200 women who are seen as role models in different fields. The number 86 was picked because research showed that 86% of women believe visible female leaders are key to reaching equality at work. TeamViewer and F1 Academy say her debut is meant to inspire young women, promote gender equality, and bring more women into motorsport and STEM.

Click here to read the full article by Sean Mitchell (itbrief.com.au)

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Truck Series joins IndyCar weekend in St. Petersburg

The 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule features its first-ever street course race in St. Petersburg, running alongside IndyCar. The trucks will compete on Saturday, with IndyCar qualifying also taking place that day, before IndyCar’s main event on Sunday. This marks a new challenge for Truck Series drivers on the tough 1.8-mile layout, while giving fans a packed weekend of racing action. The joint event is set for February 27 to March 1, 2026, while the Cup Series will race at Circuit of the Americas that same weekend.

Click here to read the full article by Kevin Dejewski (motorsportweek.com)

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Mustang Challenge makes VIR debut

The Mustang Challenge goes to Virginia International Raceway for its fourth race weekend, the first time the series has raced there. A total of 42 Mustangs are running worldwide with Ford Performance, including 15 in the Challenge and several GT4s and GT3s at VIR. At Road America, rival teams helped each other by lending cars to Alfonso Diaz and Sam Paley, who both finished near the front. Rookie Devin Anderson has shown strong form with several podiums, while Robert Noaker sits on top of the championship standings.

Click here to read the full article at imsa.com