Former Verstappen sponsor Frits van Eerd jailed for corruption

Former Verstappen sponsor Frits van Eerd jailed for corruption

Frits van Eerd, former Jumbo CEO and early Max Verstappen sponsor, was sentenced to two years in prison for money laundering, bribery, and forgery. The court found he used fake invoices and Jumbo’s sponsorship funds to benefit himself and others, including his motocross team and co-defendant Theo E. His legal troubles began in 2022 when Dutch authorities raided his home and found large sums of unexplained cash, leading to his arrest and the eventual collapse of Racing Team Nederland. Despite the conviction, van Eerd claimed his career wasn’t over, but the scandal has severely damaged his reputation in both business and motorsport.

Click here to read the full article by Philip van Osten (f1i.com)

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Tickford plans NASCAR wildcard for Adelaide

Tickford Racing has confirmed it is in discussions with Ford Performance to bring a NASCAR driver, most likely Austin Cindric, as a wildcard entry for the Adelaide Grand Final. The team has informed Supercars officials and rival teams, but the plan still needs official approval. Tickford CEO Simon Brookhouse said they’re working closely with Ford, leaving the final driver choice to them, and see this as a valuable step in building stronger ties between NASCAR and Supercars. He also stated that even if it doesn’t happen this year, they plan to pursue the idea in future seasons.

Click here to read the full article by Andrew van Leeuwen (speedcafe.com)

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Why Williams has to rethink its car for 2026

Carlos Sainz says Williams needs to change how they design their car if they want to do well in 2026. He pointed to the Hungarian Grand Prix as an example of where the car struggles, especially in long corners. Even though the team has improved and scored points this year, Sainz said they can’t fix the 2025 car because it is no longer being developed. For now, he wants to focus on doing well each weekend and hopes the team uses his feedback to make next year’s car better.

Click here to read the full article by Jake Boxall-Legge & Oleg Karpov (motorsport.com)

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Kyle Busch blames culture for NASCAR decline

Kyle Busch says NASCAR’s decline in popularity began after the 2008 recession and blames it on a cultural shift and fewer racing fans. He explained that people today have more weekend options and no longer want to spend hours in the heat watching a race. Despite NASCAR’s efforts like the Chicago street race and the Netflix docuseries, Busch believes the sport no longer connects with the car-loving crowd of past decades. He also noted that younger drivers earn less now, which may force them to keep racing into their forties.

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

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PJ Hyett scores two big wins in LMP2

PJ Hyett, a 41-year-old entrepreneur who started racing in 2022, got his first win in IMSA’s LMP2 class with teammate Dane Cameron, then won again at Road America. He has now become a top qualifier, earned multiple poles, and leads both the LMP2 championship and the Jim Trueman Award standings. His team and co-driver say he’s fast, works hard, and is very serious about getting better every race. AO Racing, the team he helped build, is also getting lots of attention for its colorful cars like the purple dragon “Spike” that fans and kids enjoy.

Click here to read the full article by John Oreovicz (imsa.com)