Motorsports Racing News & Blog Articles

Together with Charles and Carlos we have prepared this weekend in detail in order to make the most of every opportunity this tricky track could provide.

As 2026 F1 regulations will boost electrical power by three times, Honda enters F1 with a new partner. Honda will hone its e-motor and battery technologies through new F1 challenges and feed them back to mass production.

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Today, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced plans to participate in the FIA Formula One World Championship (F1) in the 2026 season as a power unit supplier. Honda has agreed to enter into a works partnership with the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team to supply power units compliant with the new F1 power unit regulations, which will take effect in the 2026 season.

In pursuit of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, starting from the 2026 season, F1 will implement new regulations with an engine/electric motor maximum power output ratio of 50/50. This will represent a significant increase in the deployment of electrical power compared to the current ratio*2, while a 100% sustainable fuel is also required.

Specifically, the 2026 regulations require a reduction of engine output while tripling the energy recovery system’s (ERS) output, which recovers kinetic energy under certain situations, such as braking, and converts it into electrical energy. This will result in roughly equal power output between the engine and motor.

The tyre compounds are the softest that Pirelli offer and are the same as we raced in Baku and the same as we would have had for the Alternative Tyre Allocation event in Imola.

Despite the fact that he will be 45 in 2026, and has previously criticised its engines, Honda says it has no objections to Fernando Alonso remaining with Aston Martin.

Toto Wolff says the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team will continue its push to improve its W14 this weekend during the Monaco Grand Prix despite having lost the opportunity to run its upgraded package due to the cancellation of last weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Mercedes had been planning to introduce new components to the car at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, but flooding and bad weather at the Italian circuit forced to postponement of the event, and the team were left to decide whether to implement its upgrades in Monaco this weekend or wait until the Spanish Grand Prix next weekend.

Wolff, the Team Principal at Mercedes, says that whilst the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was correct, they will need to be careful this weekend not to jump to conclusions about its updated W14 around a track that is unique to the FIA Formula 1 World Championship calendar.

“Following the cancellation of the race in Imola, our thoughts are still with the people of the Emilia-Romagna region that have been affected by the terrible flooding,” said Wolff. “We have been saddened by the images but inspired by the rescue work of the emergency services and the resilience shown by the communities. We look forward to returning to Imola in happier circumstances next year.

“The revised calendar means that Monaco is now the starting point of the European leg of the season. It is a unique event but will still provide an opportunity to learn about the upgrades to W14 – but we also need to be careful not to draw too many conclusions from this one event. We are introducing the first step in a new development direction.

Our work at the factory has continued to develop well as we focus on preparing the next stage of upgrades, which we will be introducing in the coming races with the ambition of making the MCL60 more competitive.

Pierre Gasly says a strong weekend in Monaco is the aim for the BWT Alpine F1 Team, with points the target for both drivers around the streets of the principality.

The Frenchman says the performance Alpine were able to show around the Miami International Autodrome three weeks ago was good, and it is important for the team to build on that this weekend for the Monaco Grand Prix, the closest race Gasly now has as a home race now the French Grand Prix has dropped off the calendar once more.

Gasly says there is satisfaction and rewards by getting the Monaco circuit right, and Alpine must be looking to maximise their weekend and score good points with both cars.

“I’m really looking forward to racing in Monaco as it’s one of the biggest and most rewarding challenges of the season for us drivers,” said Gasly.  “Without a French Grand Prix on the calendar, this race is as close to France as we get during the year and the support from the fans in Monaco is very special.

“The Monaco Grand Prix is world famous as it’s one of the most prestigious races in the world of motorsport and a race every driver wants to succeed in during their career.

Herrador Factory Team has formally unveiled the HFT T3 2023, a side-by-side vehicle based on the Can-Am Maverick X3 that is capable of FIA T3 competition. It was originally revealed by team CEO Javier Herrador in March before the official presentation on Tuesday.

The HFT T3 uses the Maverick’s platform but has been heavily modified to meet T3 regulation, which is for Light Prototype SSVs specifically designed for racing versus the production models that race in T4.

Perhaps its most notable feature is the closed body, though much of its anatomy is shared with the Maverick. The overlap is intended to make swapping out parts between the HFT and Maverick easier as customers who already own the latter can simply buy the HFT chassis for €15,000 and assemble the remaining components themselves.

The Maverick was described by Herrador as “a brand and a model that has won absolutely everything in recent years in the Dakar Rally and one that we want to maintain its identity and reliability. This is an advantage as the owner and teams have it easier to obtain spare parts through their BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products, owner of Can-Am) dealer for any race.”

Overall, the car weighs 900 kilograms. Although its main focus is as a T3 challenger, the chassis can also be used for T4 racing. The base vehicle, up to €105,000 comes with BRAID Wheels rims, Fox shocks, J.Juan brakes, an aluminum fuel tank and dashboard, among other stock parts.

The Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team will make the switch from Mercedes-Benz power to Honda power for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season and beyond.

The Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) were one of the manufacturers to throw their name into the hat for the next generation of power units within Formula 1, but up until now, they did not have a team to race with, thanks to the decision of Oracle Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri opting to switch to Ford power.

However, the Japanese marque have now found a new host for their engines, with Aston Martin opting to end their lengthy partnership with Mercedes-Benz that began back in 2009 when the Silverstone-based team were known as the Force India Formula One Team.

“I would like to welcome Honda and HRC to the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula OneTeam,” said Lawrence Stroll, the Executive Chairman of Aston Martin.  “We share a mutual drive, determination, and relentless ambition to succeed on track.

“Honda is a global titan and its success in motorsport is longstanding and incredibly impressive. I would like to thank Mr. Mibe and Mr. Watanabe, and the whole team at HRC as we embark on this exciting future together from 2026.”

Honda has officially announced that it will return to F1 in 2026 with Aston Martin as its works team.

Max Verstappen says the decision to cancel last weekends Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was the right decision, and he says there are more important things than racing and the floods and bad weather in Italy was one of those occasions.

The Oracle Red Bull Racing driver has won three of the opening five races of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season and heads the World Drivers’ Championship by fourteen points, but cancelling the race last weekend was correct due to the pressures the local authorities were under due to the flooding.

“I am excited to get back to racing this week,” said Verstappen. “Not racing in Imola was the right decision and I know it was not taken lightly but some things are obviously more important than racing and this was one of those occasions.”

Verstappen knows that Saturdays Qualifying session during this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix will be extremely important, with track position on Sunday key to a strong result, and the Dutchman knows he will have to do a perfect lap if he is to grab pole position.

“Looking ahead to Monaco, qualifying is so important there so we need to make sure we are as strong as we can be in that session,” he added.  “The circuit in Monaco is super tight, even more than other street circuits.

TRICON Garage co-owner David Gilliland will step into his truck for Friday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway as he pilots the #1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.

Gilliland last made a Truck start at Darlington in 2021, where he crashed out and finished twenty-eighth. He ran three races that year, coming after another two-year absence.

In twenty career Truck starts, he has six top tens and a best finish of third at Talladega in 2018 as part of Kyle Busch Motorsports. Save for the 2018 superspeedway races, which he ran for KBM alongside his son Todd Gilliland, all of his Truck races since 2018 have been as an owner/driver for TRICON, formerly known as DGR-Crosley and David Gilliland Racing.

He is a veteran of the Cup Series, having raced full-time there between 2007 and 2015 before focusing on Todd’s development and running his team. In 2020, he won the ARCA Menards Series West season finale at Phoenix.

Wallace has raced twice at Charlotte in the Trucks, finishing sixth in 2009 and twenty-seventh in 2015.

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen feels that driving in Monaco Grand Prix is a stand-out experience, assigning Monte Carlo the “best place” to put in laps in a Formula 1 car. 

Monaco comes on the heels of the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, a decision made due to extreme flooding in the region. Magnussen keeps those impacted in his thoughts as he enters the next round of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship

“First, we’re hoping for the best for the region and people of Emilia Romagna and neighboring areas. Of course, it’s sad to cancel a grand prix but I completely agree with the decision. 

“Monaco is a special event for me, one of the most special of the season. Monaco is the best place to drive a Formula 1 car. Of course, it’s very narrow and it’s a small track, but it’s fast so you really feel the speed.”

Qualifying in Monaco tends to be one of the season’s most unpredictable sessions, with great importance placed on putting in the perfect lap to secure the best possible starting position at a track that offers little to no opportunity for on-track passing. Between this added pressure, limited space and the high probability of stoppage, Magnussen describes the challenging conditions of Saturday’s shootout. 

Whilst it’s been unofficially known for a little while, Avalanche Andretti Formula E have finally confirmed that TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team reserve driver David Beckmann will replace André Lotterer at next weekend’s Jakarta E-Prix double-header.

The young German will make his Formula E debut due to Lotterer testing with the Porsche LMDh team, in preparation for the upcoming Le Mans 24 Hours. It’s been known for a while that Lotterer wouldn’t be competing in Jakarta, with Andretti having been aware of where Lotterer’s “priorities lay” this year.

Beckmann is a former Formula 2 podium finisher but became Andretti’s reserve driver in Formula E last season, with him having remained close to the American side this year with Andretti being Porsche’s customer outfit. With Lotterer expected to focus purely on sport cars next year, Beckmann’s Formula E debut will be somewhat of an audition to presumably partner Jake Dennis in Season Ten.

“I’m super grateful for the opportunity to step in for André and represent the Avalanche Andretti Formula E Team in Jakarta,” said Beckmann.

“Formula E is an incredibly competitive championship, and I’m excited to showcase my capabilities in this unique racing series. I would like to thank Michael Andretti and the team for trusting me with this responsibility. I’m going to give my best to achieve a successful outcome for everyone involved.”

McLaren has revealed a special Triple Crown livery for the Monaco Grand Prix as part of the team's 60th anniversary celebrations.

With overtaking so difficult in the race, Qualifying is very important so the target, as a minimum, is reaching Q3 and putting ourselves in the best position to score points.

The team has taken 'hat-trick' wins in three of the last four GPs with Max and Checo securing pole, the win and fastest lap between them in Jeddah, Australia and Miami.

After the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix due to excessive flooding, Pirelli Motorsport Director Mario Isola outlines his expectations for this year’s Monaco Grand Prix. 

“We’re heading to a Monaco Grand Prix that’s somewhat different to what we expected. It should have been the second race of a European triple-header but instead it’s going to be the first due to the cancellation of Imola.”

Isola shared that those affected by the extreme weather in the Emilia Romagna region remain at the front of mind for Pirelli. 

“Those images of devastation are still fresh in our minds and we want to express our solidarity once more with the families of the victims, as well as all those who have suffered such huge losses.” 

As F1 moves onto the next round of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, Isola said that the unusual features of the historic Monte Carlo circuit often lead to shock results and unexpected incidents– making it a “one-off” fixture of the season.

Rookie Sacha Fenestraz has thankfully escaped injury following a nasty crash last Tuesday, whilst completing a test for the Nissan Formula E Team at the Circuit de Calafat.

It was reported by The Race that Fenestraz had crashed the Japanese manufacturer’s E-4orce 04 test and development car into a barrier at the Spanish venue last Tuesday evening, as a result of having lost control. Due to having complained about back pain, the Frenchman was sent to a local hospital for precautionary checks; however, he was later released having escaped the crash unhurt.

Nissan had planned to complete several days worth of testing but were forced to cancel further running, with the crash having occurred following a technical fault but reportedly not to do with a supplied spec part. Some engineers from customer outfit the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team were also present.

It’s not the first time this season where a technical issue has resulted in the cancellation of a test for Nissan, who were forced to curtail a test a few weeks before the Berlin E-Prix double-header following an unrevealed technical failure.

Fenestraz’s accident happened just a few days after he claimed his and Nissan’s best result of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, with the rookie having finished fourth at the Monaco E-Prix. He enjoyed an excellent weekend at the Circuit de Monaco and would’ve claimed pole had it not been for an overuse of power, something which saw his laptime from the Final of the duels deleted.

Amber Lounge, the Monaco Grand Prix’s legendary afterparty event, is back with three party nights on Friday, May 26th, Saturday, May 27th and Sunday, May 28th.

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The weekend starts onboard the Amber Lounge Luxury Trackside Yacht – experience the adrenaline of the race up close. Guests will be indulged in the ultimate jet-set luxury hospitality on board this 30m newly built Ferretti superyacht and unrivalled trackside race viewing. An all-day open bar with Champagne, a Mediterranean lunch buffet and rapid tender transfers are included in this VIP hospitality experience, with appearances from special guest DJs.

For the first time in Monaco, this year’s Friday night Amber Lounge afterparty will be hosted onboard a luxury yacht – an exclusive Yacht Party to celebrate the opening of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend. Enjoy the night alongside DJ Tom Jagger and DJ ‘PBH’, experience live, world-class entertainment and an exceptional performance from The Goodboys, an English house music group who had their breakthrough song ‘Piece of Your Heart’, a collaboration with Meduza in 2019, that reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and received Grammy nomination. It is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the adrenaline-fuelled atmosphere of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.