Verstappen explains McLaren’s big advantage

Verstappen explains McLaren’s big advantage

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are leading the 2025 season, putting McLaren on track to win both championships, while Max Verstappen sits 97 points behind. Verstappen admitted his best hope is finishing “best of the rest,” as McLaren’s MCL39 is far ahead of rivals in tire management and medium-speed cornering. He highlighted that McLaren’s car keeps tires alive better than anyone else, especially in mixed weather, making it almost impossible for others to challenge. Team boss Andrea Stella agreed, saying data shows McLaren generates the highest mid-corner speeds, even if the car still has weaker points in very high- and low-speed corners.

Click here to read the full article by Ronald Vording (motorsport.com)

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IndyCar joins NASCAR at Phoenix in 2026

IndyCar’s 2026 season will begin with four races in the first five weeks, including a return to Phoenix Raceway for the first time since 2018 in partnership with NASCAR. The series will also return to Mexico City, a location it has not visited in almost 20 years. Fox, now part-owner of IndyCar, wants to schedule Laguna Seca on the same day as the FIFA World Cup final to draw a bigger audience. There are also talks about a possible street race in Washington, D.C., but it may not be ready by 2026.

Click here to read the full article by Cian Brittle (blackbookmotorsport.com)

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No clear favorite in NASCAR Playoffs

This year, no driver in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs is seen as the clear favorite to win the championship on November 2 in Phoenix. Christopher Bell, who has three wins, said he feels calm going into the 10-race playoff run starting at Darlington. Denny Hamlin, with four wins and the longest playoff streak, said the playoffs are unpredictable and his goal is just to win races. William Byron, the regular-season champion and two-time Daytona 500 winner, is also chasing his first title and hopes to get an early win to ease the pressure.

Click here to read the full article by Holly Cain (nascar.com)

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Briscoe sees first real shot at NASCAR title

Chase Briscoe is in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs for the third time, but this is his first with Joe Gibbs Racing, and he believes he can really compete for the title. His past runs with Stewart-Haas Racing were more about just making the playoffs, but now the goal is to reach the Round of 8 or even the Final Four. Briscoe finished the regular season eighth in points with one win and ten top-5 finishes, but he knows he will probably need another win to keep moving forward. The playoffs start at Darlington, where he won last year, and he says he must step up if he wants to stay in the championship fight.

Click here to read the full article by Matt Weaver (motorsport.com)

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ELMS keeps same schedule for 2026

The 2026 European Le Mans Series will have the same six races as this year: Barcelona, Paul Ricard, Imola, Spa, Silverstone, and Portimao. The season starts in Barcelona on April 12 after the Prologue test on April 6–7, and finishes in Portimao on October 10. Silverstone stays in September after replacing Mugello this year, while the other tracks keep their normal dates. There are some date clashes, as Silverstone is the same weekend as the Suzuka 1000km, Portimao falls on the Indianapolis 8 Hour, and Barcelona’s opener is the same weekend as GT World Challenge Europe at Paul Ricard.

Click here to read the full article by Davey Euwema (sportscar365.com)