FIA raises pit-lane speed for Dutch GP

FIA raises pit-lane speed for Dutch GP

The FIA has raised the pit-lane speed limit at Zandvoort from 60kph to 80kph to make pit stops quicker. The old 60kph rule was used because the pit-lane is narrow, but it often forced teams to do only one stop since extra stops took too much time. With the higher limit, teams can try more stops without losing as many places. Pirelli will also use softer C2-C3-C4 tires for its 500th race to give teams more strategy choices than last year.

Click here to read the full article by Jake Nichol (racingnews365.com)

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Red Bull eyes Palou for second car

Red Bull Racing is in a tricky spot because it has a new team boss, a Ford-powered engine, and second drivers who aren’t performing well. The team is reportedly interested in IndyCar champion Alex Palou, but he has denied any talks, so a deal doesn’t seem likely right now. At 28, Palou would be an unusually old rookie in Formula 1 and has never raced in F1, but his success in IndyCar and Japan’s Super Formula makes him an interesting choice. The main issue is whether Palou would leave a championship-winning seat to join Red Bull, a team that has often struggled with its second driver.

Click here to read the full article by Fred Smith (aol.com)

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NASCAR to hand over charter amid lawsuit

NASCAR wants to transfer one of the charters it took from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports after the two teams filed an antitrust lawsuit. Court papers say NASCAR plans to give the charter to a new, unnamed group unless a judge stops it. The judge had already ruled the charters could not be moved until after a Thursday hearing in Charlotte, N.C., and that all sides must be told if a deal is made. The fight started when 23XI Racing, co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports refused to sign NASCAR’s new charter deal last September, while the other 13 teams signed.

Click here to read the full article by Shane Walters (racingnews.co)

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Team owner blames Wallace for 12-car Daytona pileup

23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace was at the center of a massive wreck during Stage 1 of the NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, with several drivers, including his team co-owner Denny Hamlin, affected. Wallace said Larson’s car pushed him, but he still took the blame for the wreck. His spotter and Hamlin said Wallace squeezed other cars and caused the crash, while Larson may have tried to force through. The crash ended Wallace’s race, but he is still in the playoffs because he already won at Indianapolis.

Click here to read the full article by Saajan Jogia (newsobserver.com)

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Auckland pins hopes on SailGP

Auckland’s economy is having a hard time, and the SailGP event on February 14-15, 2026, is being seen as a way to help. Organizers are adding a new grandstand that is 30 percent bigger, raising the number of seats from 7,740 to 10,236. Around 25,000 people are expected to come over the two days, making it the biggest SailGP event yet. The question is whether this larger event can really bring back Auckland’s image as a top host city and give the economy a lift.

Click here to read the full article at sailingscuttlebutt.com