Moreso than their counterparts in other sports, motorsports officials and competitors usually abide by the saying that “a rising tide lifts all ships.” 

That’s why it’s confusing that Formula One seems to be trying to take the spotlight off what is arguably the greatest oval race in the world by scheduling a race on the same continent, and likely at the same time, as the Indianapolis 500. 

Perhaps the biggest talking point following the release of F1’s 2026 schedule Tuesday is the fact the circuit will be in Montreal for a race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on May 24. That’s the same day that an estimated 350,000 fans will converge on Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 — a race first run in 1911, 39 years before the first F1 season. 

While it’s true that F1 has intentionally raced on the same day as the Indianapolis 500 since 2006, that race — the famed Monaco Grand Prix — always took place early in the morning in North America, giving race fans who wanted to tune in to both races ample opportunity to catch plenty of pre-race festivities at Indianapolis after the checkered flag flew in Monaco. 

But this scheduling move seems to be an attempt to stick a dagger in F1’s American open-wheel racing competitor on its biggest day. F1 remains much more popular than IndyCar globally and nationally, but the Indy 500 transcends IndyCar itself. It’s the largest single-day spectator sporting event in the world, and one that in 2025, drew 7.05 million viewers compared to F1’s 2.3 million for Monaco. In 2026, Monaco will instead be run two weeks later (June 7). 

Of course, F1’s global reach far exceeds that of IndyCar, but that’s no reason for F1, a sport trying to shake the notion that it caters more to the elite than the common man, to pretend that one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world isn’t happening 850 miles south of Montreal. 

Aside from being a slap in the face to IndyCar and the Indianapolis 500, the decision to race in Canada on the same day as the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is also a disservice to fans who enjoy both leagues.

If F1’s race is indeed scheduled in the same timeslot as the Indianapolis 500, fans may be torn on what race to focus on. Given Formula 1’s explosion in popularity in the United States over the past five years, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Indy is the party that suffers a loss in viewership from the scheduling decision. 

F1 seems to be trying to sink IndyCar’s most important race. This will only fuel the narrative that it sees itself as the unquestioned ruler of the global motorsports landscape. But it’s not a good look.

Denny Hamlin celebrated his third NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season on June 8 at Michigan International Speedway, and now he awaits a celebration of a different kind: the birth of his third child.

CLUB MINUTES:

VIVA MEXICO: Holding its first ever NASCAR Cup Series race, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is set for its debut this Sunday for the Viva Mexico 250. Built in the Magdelena Mixhuca public park in 1959, the circuit hosted its first Formula One (F1) race in 1962 for a non-championship race before becoming a full World Championship event the following year. While it’s been juggled around the F1 circuit, its consistently been a part of the schedule over the past couple of years. Over the years, the circuit has changed its layout several times to switch up the full 2.674-mile, 19-turn road course.

NASCAR’S HISTORY AT MEXICO: While the NASCAR Cup Series may be making history this weekend in its inaugural race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, the sport has held a position in Mexico over the years. From 2005-2008, the Hermanos Rodríguez circuit hosted four Xfinity Series races – Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch were among the winners there. In addition, NASCAR has also sanctioned the NASCAR Mexico Series since its formation in 2004 and the series held their season finale there last November.

NASCAR GOES INTERNATIONAL: While NASCAR has rarely branched outside of the United States in its history, it has tested the water over the years. In addition to the four Xfinity Series races held in Mexico, NASCAR also held two Cup Series races in Canada during its early years – 1952 and 1958. The Craftsman Truck Series also held annual races at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario from 2013-2019. The NASCAR Cup Series made its farthest trip international when it held exhibition races in Japan from 1996-1998.

NEVER SETTLE: Join ESPN’s Marty Smith and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s co-owner Johnson for their weekly podcast, “Never Settle”. The podcast airs live on SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 at 2 p.m. ET every Wednesday and can be downloaded wherever fans source their podcasts.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY TOYOTA CAMRY XSE

BIRTHDAY BOY: Before heading to Mexico City this week, John Hunter will celebrate his 28th birthday on June 11.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE: Unfortunate circumstances relegated Nemechek to his first DNF of the season last week at Michigan, but year over year he is showing vast improvement. Last season his average starting position was 27.3 and finish was 25.42. This year he has an average start of 24.071 and finish of 19.429.

NEMECHEK ROAD COURSES STATS: Nemechek’s average finish at a road course in the NASCAR Cup Series is 28.3. In the Xfinity Series Nemechek has one top five and six top 10 finishes on road courses.

TMACK ON THE ROAD: Crew chief Travis Mack has a bunch of experience on road and street course tracks. In the 25 total starts, he has one victory with Daniel Suarez in 2022. Additionally, Mack has five top-five and seven top 10 finishes on road courses on his racing resume.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE: 

“I’m really excited for Mexico. It’s a new racetrack for a lot of the drivers in the garage. Hopefully, a lot of the prep that we’ve been able to do helps us out going into [Mexico] but it’s going to be an interesting event. I am excited to go out of the country again and see what NASCAR has been able to put together, overall, I’m really excited about it.”

TRAVIS MACK QUOTE: 

“We’ll have a good amount of practice, but we’ve been running a lot of laps in the simulator – John Hunter is doing his training – we’ll get there and see how the track is and the lap times, and we’ll work the strategy that weekend after Saturday.”
ERIK JONES
NO. 43 FAMILY DOLLAR TOYOTA CAMRY XSE

FAST IN MICHIGAN: Erik Jones found speed last Sunday as the NASCAR Cup Series returned to his home track of Michigan International Speedway for the FireKeepers Casino 400. Despite a slow start to the weekend in practice and qualifying, he rolled off 22nd for the race. He was fast at the drop of the green flag on Sunday though, consistently finding long run speed throughout the race and running in the top-10. He finished 10th in Stage 2 and went on to finish just outside the top-10 at the end of the race in 11th.

NEW TERRITORY FOR JONES: Jones goes international with his No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE in the NASCAR Cup Series’ inaugural race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for the Viva Mexico 250. Despite this being his first race outside of the United States in the Cup Series, he has two races under his belt internationally in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – both coming at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario. In his first start at the Canadian road course, Jones started third and finished in the same spot in August 2014 when he ran a limited schedule with Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). He returned the following year in his only full-time season in the Truck Series with KBM to start second, lead 19 laps, and score his second win of the season in August 2015. He went on to win the 2015 NASCAR Truck Series Championship.

JONES HISTORY ON ROAD COURSES: In the NASCAR Cup Series, Jones has a total of 35 starts on road courses. These have amounted in three top-fives and nine top-10s. His best finish of third came on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval in October 2020. Jones owns an additional five starts on road courses in the Xfinity Series where he has a best finish of sixth earned in August 2016 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. He has two more starts in the Craftsman Truck Series where he won in 2015 at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and finished third the year prior.

BESHORE ON ROAD COURSES: Crew chief Ben Beshore has been on top of the pit box for a total of 20 NASCAR Cup Series races at road courses. Overall, his teams have scored six top-fives and seven top-10s turning left and right in NASCAR’s elite series. He has an additional 16 road course starts in the Xfinity Series that amounted in one top-five and five top-10s.

ERIK JONES QUOTE: 

“Mexico is going to be interesting. I mean, it’s going to definitely be a lot of work to just get down there. We’ve raced out of the country before in Canada years ago in the Truck Series, and it was okay. It wasn’t a bad experience in any way, and it was honestly pretty easy. It’s a little bit different now here with the travel, but the track I think is good. It’s pretty unique. There’s some really high speed stuff, and then the really slow stuff in that stadium section is like 30 mph. So, there’s going to probably be some chaos down there. Overall, it’s hard to put judgment on it because I haven’t raced it before, so I don’t want to say good or bad. We’re racing at a new venue, out of the country. I think the crowd is going to be huge from talking to a handful of people. I don’t know, it’s a little bit hard. Just get there, do it once and see how it goes. To be honest, the travel’s a little overwhelming. I’m not a guy that is super excited about that part of it, but the race itself, I’m really looking forward to.”

BEN BESHORE QUOTE:

“With it being a new track, everyone is sort of on the same page as far as not too many guys have run there outside of some of the older guys who ran in the Xfinity Series there back in the day. We’re trying to do the most we can to prepare from a simulator standpoint to get Erik reps so he’s familiar with the track. With it being a practice event, we’ll have the opportunity to work on the cars there and hopefully work on our road course program to get it better than it was earlier in the season.”
TUNE IN:

The inaugural Viva Mexico 250 race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City will take place on Sunday, June 15. The race is set to broadcast on Amazon Prime, MAX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) at 3 p.m. EDT.

LMC PR

The lineup of drivers taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans has always highlighted the link between Formula 1 and endurance racing. Many former F1 drivers have found a new lease of life in the WEC, while others, such as Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg, have taken a short detour around La Sarthe before returning to their single-seaters.

This year is no different, and 2025 will see a number of former F1 drivers take part in the 93rd edition of Le Mans. Some are now key figures at the teams competing in the WEC, while others will be racing the historic French circuit for the first time.

Here, we’ve rounded up every former-F1 racer who is competing in the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours Hypercar class, and look at their careers in F1, their transition to endurance racing and their role in this edition of Le Mans.

Antonio Giovinazzi – Ferrari AF Corse

Antonio Giovinazzi in the Alfa Romeo Racing C41 at Zandvoort in 2021.

Photo de: Alfa Romeo

Winner of the 2023 Le Mans 24 Hours, Antonio Giovinazzi could well repeat his feat this year, at the wheel of the #51 Ferrari. Like most of his colleagues, the Italian driver started out in single-seaters after a career in karting. He progressed to F3, then to GP2, where he finished runner-up to team-mate Pierre Gasly. That same year, 2016, Giovinazzi made his endurance racing debut in the Asian Le Mans Series and the European Le Mans Series. He also took part in two WEC races, finishing fourth and second.

Already a reserve driver for Ferrari, Giovinazzi made his Formula 1 debut the following season with the Sauber team, replacing Pascal Wehrlein in the first two rounds of the season. He became a regular with Alfa Romeo from 2019 to 2021, accumulating a total of 62 starts and 21 championship points, his best result being a fifth-place finish at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Before returning to endurance racing, the Italian did a stint in Formula E, where he scored no points. In 2023, Giovinazzi re-entered the WEC and competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time. He won Le Mans that same year, alongside James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi, giving Ferrari a historic victory on its return to the category after a 50-year absence.

In 2024, the trio finished third in the event, which was won by the second Italian car of Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina.

Robert Kubica – AF Corse

Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber F1.08 during his victory at the 2008 GP of Canada.

Photo by: Sutton Images

Also competing at Le Mans with Ferrari this year, but in the #83 customer prototype, Robert Kubica was a big name in Formula 1. After winning the Formula Renault series in 2005, the Pole made his F1 debut with BMW the following year. He temporarily replaced Jacques Villeneuve for the Hungarian Grand Prix, then permanently joined the side from mid-season onwards.

He scored his first podium finish in 2006, in Italy, after finishing third from sixth position. He became the first Pole to achieve such a result, and the second-youngest driver to do so – just behind Fernando Alonso. Two years later, at the Canadian Grand Prix, Kubica took his first victory, a year after a serious accident that had caused him to miss several races – replaced by a certain Sebastian Vettel. In 2008, he finished fourth in the drivers’ championship, his best F1 result.

After joining Renault in 2010, he suffered a serious accident during a rally in Italy in February 2011, resulting in multiple fractures. He returned to Formula 1 for 2019 with Williams and, in the meantime, became WRC2 champion in 2013. He also completed two F1 races with Alfa Romeo in 2021 after replacing Kimi Raikkonen.

Kubica entered endurance racing the same year with the WRT team in the European Le Mans Series, and won the LMP2 championship. He continued in WEC with Prema in 2022, then returned to WRT in 2023, where he won a second the LMP2 title.

The Pole is the third driver in history to win a race in F1 and WEC, after Alonso and Mark Webber. In 2024, he moved up to the Hypercar category with AF Corse, a Ferrari customer team.

Kamui Kobayashi – Toyota Gazoo Racing

Kamui Kobayashi in the Sauber C31 at the 2012 Japanese GP, where he finished third.

Photo by: Sutton Images

A member of Toyota’s young driver program, Kamui Kobayashi made his Formula 1 debut in 2009 with the Japanese team. Like Kubica and Giovinazzi, the move came to replace another driver: Germany’s Timo Glock.

The Japanese driver impressed with his aggressive racing style, and secured a seat with BMW Sauber in 2010, where he drove until 2012. His final F1 season came in 2014 with the Caterham team. In total, Kobayashi took part in 75 F1 grands prix, scoring a podium finish and 125 points.

After being sidelined by Sauber in 2013, Kobayashi turned to endurance racing and joined Toyota’s WEC program in 2016. This proved to be a very good decision for the Japanese racer, as he won the world championship in 2019, 2020 and 2021, as well as the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2021. He also won the 24 Hours of Daytona twice, in 2019 and 2020. An excellent decision, indeed.

Since 2022, Kobayashi has held the role of driver and team manager for Toyota Gazoo Racing in WEC. In 2025, he continues to exercise his dual identity at the wheel of the #7 Toyota GR010 alongside Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries. He is also the 24 Hours circuit record holder with a time of 3 minutes 14.791 seconds (2017). 

Nyck De Vries – Toyota Gazoo Racing

Nyck de Vries in the Williams FW44, when he replaced Alex Albon at the 2022 Italian GP.

Photo by: Williams

This means that the #7 Japanese car is driven by two former Formula 1 drivers in 2025: Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries. This time, let’s take a closer look at the Dutchman.

De Vries joined the McLaren junior academy in 2010 and made a name for himself in promotional formulas, winning titles in Formula Renault and Formula 2. In 2019, he joined the Mercedes Formula E team and became world champion in the 2020-2021 season. While also acting as a reserve driver for the German team, de Vries made his Formula 1 debut with Williams at the Italian Grand Prix in 2022 to replace Alexander Albon, who underwent appendicitis surgery. He finished ninth, scored his first points and secured a drive with AlphaTauri for the 2023 season.

The Dutchman failed to perform, however, and was soon replaced – after ten races – by Daniel Ricciardo.

Alongside his single-seater commitments, de Vries also took part in endurance racing. He joined Toyota in 2024 to drive in the WEC Hypercar category, winning the 6 Hours of Imola. In 2025, he continues with Toyota and also drives for Mahindra Racing in Formula E. At the last edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Dutchman came very close to winning the race, finishing second with team-mates Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez.

Sebastien Buemi – Toyota Gazoo Racing

Sébastien Buemi in the Toro Rosso in 2009.

Photo by: XPB Images

Yes, for those of you who have been following motorsports for less than 10 years, before becoming a monument to endurance racing, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula E, Sebastien Buemi took part in the Formula 1 championship.

A protege of Red Bull, he made his debut in 2009 with Toro Rosso, replacing Sebastian Vettel, who had been promoted to the official team. Buemi became the first Swiss driver to take part in a grand prix since 1995, scoring points during his first race in Australia. He competed in a total of 55 grands prix up to 2011, accumulating 29 championship points and scoring a best result being of seventh place.

In 2012, the Swiss driver joined Toyota Gazoo Racing in the WEC. He stood out for his performances and won the championship in 2014, 2018/19, 2022 and 2023, gradually establishing himself as a true pillar of the Japanese team. He also won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

In 2025, he continues to drive the #8 Toyota GR010 alongside Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa.

Meanwhile, Buemi has also been competing in the Formula E championship since its inception in 2014. He won the title in 2015-16 with the Renault e.dams team, and has since become the most successful driver in the series with 14 victories.

Brendon Hartley – Toyota Gazoo Racing

Brendon Hartley in the Toro Rosso STR13 in ABu Dhabi in 2018.

Photo by: Joe Portlock / Motorsport Images

Toyota has yet another ex-F1 driver among its ranks at Le Mans as Sebastien Buemi’s team-mate in the #8 Toyota, Brendon Hartley, also previously raced in F1. A member of the Red Bull programme, like Buemi, Hartley made his F1 debut relatively late, as he started out in endurance racing before turning to F1 – like Giovinazzi.

After stints in Formula Renault and F3, Hartley entered LMP2 in 2012. He reached the top category two years later, where he competed in the WEC with Porsche alongside Timo Bernhard and Mark Webber. He won the championship in 2015 and 2017, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2017.

Still a reserve driver for Red Bull and Toro Rosso, Hartley was called up to F1 by Red Bull’s sister team as a replacement for Pierre Gasly, who was contesting the final round of Super Formula in Japan. He ended up driving alongside the Frenchman for the rest of the season, in place of Daniil Kvyat. He remained there until 2018, when he turned his attention back to endurance racing.

Hartley joined Toyota Gazoo Racing in 2019, and subsequently won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2020, 2022 and 2023, as well as the WEC championship in 2022 and 2023.

Kevin Magnussen – BMW M Team WRT

Kevin Magnussen in the McLaren MP4-29 Mercedes, ahead of teammate Jenson Button at the 2014 Australian GP.

Photo by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Images

Up until a few months ago, Kevin Magnussen raced for the Haas F1 team, where he spent most of his career in the top tier of single-seater racing after making his debut with McLaren in 2014. The Dane joined the American team in 2017 after a spell with Renault.

Sidelined in 2021 in favour of younger drivers, Magnussen returned to F1 in 2022 after being called back to Haas in a hurry as the team broke its contract with driver Nikita Mazepin. In all, Magnussen took part in 185 grands prix and scored 202 championship points. His best result was second place in his first race in 2014. 

During his break in 2021, Magnussen signed up with Peugeot, but never drove the 9X8. He also previously competed in the IMSA championship with Chip Ganassi Racing, and joined BMW M Motorsport for 2025 in the World Endurance Championship. This will be the Dane’s first experience of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Hypercar category, after he previously took part in the famous race in LMP2 four years ago.

Mick Schumacher – Alpine Endurance Team

Mick Schumacher in the Haas VF-22 at the São Paulo GP in 2022.

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Kevin Magnussen’s replacement at Haas, Mick Schumacher, will also line up at Le Mans this year. Son of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher, the German cut his teeth in single-seaters and became F3 and F2 champion in 2018 and 2020. Mick Schumacher then made his Formula 1 debut in 2021 with the Haas team.

Limited by the car’s performance and struggling a little at the wheel of the American single-seater, he managed to score his first points in 2022. His contract was not renewed for 2023, however, and he joined Mercedes as a reserve driver. He scored 12 points across 43 grands prix starts, and his best finish was sixth in Austria.

While sidelined in F1, he joined Alpine in the WEC for 2024. The German seems to have found his niche, being one of the main instigators of the French team’s good results, notably contributing to Alpine’s first Hypercar podium at the Fuji 6 Hours. This season, he drives the #36 Alpine A424 alongside Jules Gounon and Frédéric Makowiecki, with whom he scored two third-place finishes at Imola and Spa.

The German has only competed once in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but retired from last year’s race after just 88 laps.

Jenson Button – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA

Jenson Button in the Brawn GP in 2009.

Photo by: XPB Images

Of all the former Formula 1 drivers competing in endurance racing this season, Jenson Button is the only one to have been crowned world champion. The Briton now has the opportunity to inscribe his name alongside five other F1 world champions who have triumphed at La Sarthe: Mike Hawthorn, Phil Hill, Jochen Rindt, Graham Hill and, most recently, Fernando Alonso.

Button made his Formula 1 debut in 2000 with Williams, becoming the youngest British driver to take part in a Grand Prix at the age of 20 years and 2 months. He went on to drive for teams including Benetton, BAR, Honda and McLaren. But it was with the Brawn GP outfit that he reached his moment of glory, in 2009, when he won the world championship. He left F1 in 2017 with a record of 15 wins and eight pole positions across 306 grands prix starts.

Button is a versatile driver, and has also tried his hand at Super GT in Japan, with a key title in 2018, as well as rallycross, NASCAR and endurance racing.

He previously participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2018 with SMP Racing and in 2023 with Jota Sport. In 2024, he entered the World Endurance Championship full-time with Hertz Team JOTA, which has partnered with Cadillac for the 2025 season.

Sebastien Bourdais – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA

Sébastien Bourdais in the Toro Rosso ahead of Jenson Button at the 2008 Italian GP.

Photo by: XPB Images

After becoming F3 and F3000 champion in 1999 and 2002, Sebastien Bourdais moved to North America and crushed the ChampCar scene, winning four consecutive titles and racking up 31 wins and 44 podiums in 73 races.

This paved the way for Bourdais’ entry into F1, an he joined Scuderia Toro Rosso for the 2008 season. He contested 27 grands prix between 2008 and 2009, scoring a total of six points. His best result was seventh place at the Australian Grand Prix in 2009.

After a disappointing spell in F1, Bourdais turned to endurance racing. He took part in several editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing second in 2007 with Peugeot, and winning the LMGTE Pro with Ford in 2016. He also won prestigious races such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona in the same year, 2022.

Bourdais is a Le Mans veteran now, with a total of 17 entries at La Sarthe, although he has yet to reach the top step of the podium.

Will Stevens – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA

Will Stevens in the Manor Marussia at the Abu Dhabi GP in 2015.

Photo by: XPB Images

Also signed up to race with Cadillac, but with the #12 American prototype, is Will Stevens, who made his Formula 1 debut at the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Caterham. The following season, he contested a full season with Manor Marussia but, in 2016, he was ousted from the sing-seater side. Instead, Stevens got the call up to Manor’s new endurance program.

He was then loaned out to the G-Drive Racing team, with whom he scored a second-place finish in the LMP2 24 Hours of Le Mans. The following year, he took part in the Le Mans race in LMGTE AM, winning his class. After stints in IMSA, ELMS and ALMS, the Briton joined Team JOTA in WEC in 2022.

Since 2018, Stevens has also been a development driver for the McLaren F1 team.

Jack Aitken – Cadillac Whelen 

Jack Aitken in the Williams FW43 during his time at Sakhir in 2020.

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Initially a reserve driver with Renault, Jack Aitken joined the Williams team in 2020. That same year, he made his F1 debut at the Sakhir Grand Prix, replacing George Russell who himself subbed for Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. The race was Aitken’s only stint in the series.

After his one-off race, Aitken turned to endurance racing and GT. In 2021, he entered the GT World Challenge Europe, where he suffered a serious accident at the Spa 24 Hours that resulted in several broken bones. In 2022, he competed in the European Le Mans Series in LMP2, and in IMSA the following season, contributing to his team’s victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

On the strength of these performances, he was promoted to become a regular driver for the 2024 season, sharing the #31 Cadillac V-Series.R. He also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, although a first-lap accident compromised his team’s chances.

Pascal Wehrlein – Porsche Penske Motorsport

Pascal Wehrlein in 2016 in the Manor MRT05.

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

After progressing through the feeder series, including placing second in the Formula 3 Euro Series, Pascal Wehrlein joined the DTM with Mercedes in 2013 and, a year later, became the youngest race winner in the series. He won the championship in 2015 at the age of 21.

Thanks to his DTM success, Wehrlein attracted the attention of F1. He entered the series in 2016 with Manor Racing and scored his first point at the Austrian Grand Prix. He then joined Sauber and scored a further five points. In total, he contested 39 grands prix in F1, and picked up a best result of eighth in Spain in 2017.

Despite being the team’s only driver to score points, the German was dismissed from Manor at the end of the season. Wehrlein then turned to Formula E, which he entered with Mahindra in 2018 before switching to Porsche in 2020. In 2024, he became the first German driver to win the Formula E World Championship, giving Porsche its first title in the category.

This year, Wehrlein makes his endurance debut with Porsche Penske Motorsport. He took part in the Spa 6 Hours in the #6 Porsche 963, alongside Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor.

Felipe Nasr – Porsche Penske Motorsport

Felipe Nasr at the 2015 Australian GP.

Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images

After several seasons in F3 and GP2 series, Felipe Nasr became a Williams reserve driver and took part in several free practice sessions in F1. He then joined Sauber as a regular for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, and managed to score 29 points – including a best finish of fifth in Melbourne during his rookie season.

After F1, the Brazilian turned to endurance racing. He moved to America to join IMSA for 2018, where he won the title in his first year and again in 2021 and 2024. He also won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2019 and 2025, as well as the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2024 and 2025 with Porsche.

Nasr entered the World Endurance Championship in 2022 in LMP2, and makes his return to the WEC this year with the Porsche. He joins the #4 Porsche 963 car as team-mate to Pascal Wehrlein, in what will be the pair’s debut in the Hypercar class at Le Mans.

Paul di Resta – Peugeot TotalEnergies

Paul di Resta in the Force India VJM05 at the 2012 Australian GP.

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Like Pascal Wehrlein, Paul di Resta first took part in the DTM before joining F1 – including a stint in the F3 Euro Series, which he won in 2006. After several solid seasons in the DTM, which included a championship win in 2010, di Resta made the move to F1. 

Di Resta made his debut in 2011 with Force India and spent three full seasons with the team, scoring a total of 121 points across 58 grands prix – including a best finish of fourth. In 2017, he made a one-off return to F1, replacing Felipe Massa at Williams during the Hungarian Grand Prix, after the Brazilian fell ill.

Following a return to DTM racing from 2014 to 2019, the Brit the entered endurance racing with United Autosport in IMSA and the European Le Mans Series. He took part in several races, including the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning the latter in the LMP2 class in 2020. Two years later, di Resta joins Peugeot’s Hypercar programme in the World Endurance Championship.

Jean-Eric Vergne – Peugeot TotalEnergies

Jean-Eric Vergne in the Toro Rosso in 2013, during the Singapore GP.

Photo by: XPB Images

Jean-Eric Vergne is Paul di Resta’s teammate at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans for Peugeot, in the #93 9X8. A former member of Red Bull’s junior program, the Frenchman entered Formula 1 in 2012 with Toro Rosso, after solid performances in the feeder series. He competed in 58 grands prix until 2014, achieving a best finish of sixth place.

In 2015, the arrival of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz in the team sidelined Vergne, and the Frenchman was recruited by Ferrari as a test driver for two years. He also entered Formula E in 2014 and won the championship in 2017-18 and 2018-19, becoming the discipline’s first double champion. He scored 11 wins, 34 podiums and 16 pole positions in 114 races. Since 2023, he has been driving for DS Penske in the electric series.

At the same time, Vergne raced in the WEC, taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in LMP2 with Manor in 2017 and TDS Racing in 2019. In 2022, he joined Peugeot TotalEnergies for the Hypercar program in WEC.

Stoffel Vandoorne – Peugeot TotalEnergies

Stoffel Vandoorne in the MCL32 during a pit stop in 2017.

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

After gleaning titles in Formula Renault and GP2, Stoffel Vandoorne joined McLaren’s young driver program in 2013. He made his Formula 1 debut at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix, replacing the injured Fernando Alonso. He became a regular with the British team in 2017 and 2018, alongside the two-time world champion. Across 41 grands prix starts, he scored 26 points and managed a best result of seventh place.

Replaced by Carlos Sainz and rookie Lando Norris in 2019, Vandoorne turned to Formula E and won the championship with Mercedes two years later. The Belgian is still racing in the discipline, now with Maserati.

Vandoorne also tried his hand in the WEC at the 2019 Spa 6 Hours as a replacement for Jenson Button with SMP Racing, where he finished third. He repeated this performance, but at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, placing his car in third.

After a one-off season in the 2021 World Endurance Championship in LMP2, the Belgian has been driving in the Hypercar category with Peugeot since 2024. He is also reserve driver for the Aston Martin Formula 1 team.

Photos from 24 Hours of Le Mans – Tuesday

After several months of the antitrust lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR seemingly going in circles, a major development unfolded last week.

We aren’t lawyers here at Beyond the Flag and aren’t going to pretend to be, so we’ll cut to the chase and try to keep this as simple as possible.

Both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports refused to sign the new charter agreement last year, and their ensuing lawsuit was based on the idea that NASCAR operates as a monopoly. The goal was to get better terms out of the new agreement after the old one, implemented in 2016, expired.

But before the 2025 season, a judge ruled that NASCAR had to allow them to race with not only the two charters they each already had, but with the additional charters they had planned on acquiring from Stewart-Haas Racing, making both teams three-car chartered teams. NASCAR had been attempting to block those charter transfers but was not allowed to do so.

The new charter agreement is a seven-year deal that aligns with the new seven-year, $7.7 billion media rights deal, which includes not only Fox and NBC but new broadcast partners Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports.

There is an additional seven-year option which could extend the charter agreement through 2038, but another argument of these teams is that charters should be permanent, given their market price.

Now a judge has ruled in favor of NASCAR, and 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports could lose their charter status in as little as three weeks (now two), which would leave the Cup Series with only 30 chartered cars rather than 36 and cloud the future of the other six charters.

23XI Racing teammates Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace are said to have contracts which allow them to seek new rides if their entries are not chartered. But without charters, they, along with rookie teammate Riley Herbst and the Front Row Motorsports trio of Todd Gilliland, Noah Gragson, and Zane Smith, would no longer be locked into each race and would need to qualify to secure their spots.

Operating as non-chartered teams will also cost these two teams a significant amount of money.

The big winner here? Stewart-Haas Racing, ironically a team that no longer actually exists.

During the offseason litigation and back-and-forth regarding whether or not 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports would be able to operate with charters in 2025, NASCAR initially did block those two teams from acquiring their desired third charters from Stewart-Haas Racing.

Given the hefty price tag on charters, even if it’s not the $40 million figure it once was, this was a massive development, in that NASCAR was also effectively screwing over a team that had already shut down. They were preventing them from doing business with two clear-cut buyers willing to fork over a lot of money to confirm long-awaited expansions to their programs.

Team owner Gene Haas retained one of Stewart-Haas Racing’s four charters to run the new Haas Factory Team, but he had no use for any of the other three. One went to Trackhouse Racing as a part of a relatively straightforward transaction, but the other two, even now in June, remain in limbo.

Why Stewart-Haas Racing is the big winner here is because they were indeed able to part ways with their charters after the acquisitions were forced to be unblocked.

Their involvement is these transactions, and in the sport as a whole, is now done and dusted, and 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports have already been able to operate as chartered teams, notably with the third charters they acquired from the now defunct organization.

Had NASCAR been able to fully block those transfers, Stewart-Haas Racing would have been left with useless charters, and they would have had to hope for NASCAR to give them the appropriate compensation. Haas Factory Team were never going to run more than one car in 2025, and at that point, there were not any other serious potential buyers left for the other charters.

Instead, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports got their way initially, only for the latest ruling to see their charter status in jeopardy moving forward. The future of their charters may be in question, but at least Stewart-Haas Racing aren’t around to have to deal with the fallout.

While Hamlin reportedly remains confident, one can only wonder if he’s simply after leverage after the latest ruling. The simplest solution appears to be for the teams to sign the charter agreement and stop pursuing the lawsuit.

It’s no secret that the other 13 teams weren’t thrilled with the terms either, but they knew that it was the best they were going to get. Nearly a year later, they’ve been proven right.

This latest ruling has made it clear that, right or wrong, moral or immoral, and monopoly or no monopoly, NASCAR is going to get the favorable calls when it comes to this lawsuit, and the writing has been on the wall for some time now.

Spire Motorsports will field three entries in the NASCAR Cup Series’ inaugural visit to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico. Two points-paying Cup Series races were held in Canada (1952 and 1958), while exhibition races were held in Japan and Australia throughout the 90s. The event will mark the third international points race for NASCAR’s premier division and first since 1958. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet ZL1s in the Cup Series for Justin Haley, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
Spire Motorsports will honor teammate Tony Witt who tragically lost his life Friday, June 6. Witt served as a suspension mechanic for the team’s NASCAR Cup Series’ operation and had been with the organization since March 2022. He was journeyman competitor who made the move from Wisconsin to North Carolina in the mid 90s to work alongside fellow Wisconsin racer Robbie Reiser on his fledgling NASCAR Xfinity Series team. Since then, he made stops and won races at Darrell Waltrip Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and others prior to his time with Spire. Witt leaves behind two sons, Dalton and Tyler, mother Jo Anne and brothers Todd and Jon. He was preceded in death by his late wife Paula. The team will honor Witt’s memory with a decal on all three of its NASCAR Cup Series entries this weekend in Mexico City.
The Viva Mexico 250 will be streamed live on Amazon Prime, Sunday, June 15 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 16th of 36 points-paying races on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series calendar will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Justin Haley – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

Justin Haley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Gainbridge Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Haley finished second at the inaugural Grant Park 220 Chicago Street Race in 2023. In 25 Cup Series events contested on road courses, Haley has collected one top five and four top 10s.
In the last five Cup Series road- and street-course races over the last two seasons, Haley has earned a 26.5 average showing, including a pair of 16th-place finishes (Circuit of the Americas ‘25/Chicago ’24).
The 26-year-old veteran racer finished eighth in the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet at the first Cup Series event to be held on the Indianapolis road-course layout.
Founded in 2018, Gainbridge® is an insurtech subsidiary of Group 1001 that empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone, no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Its platform provides access to financial products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge® is headquartered in Zionsville, Ind. For more information, visit www.gainbridge.io or follow and connect with us on X and LinkedIn.
Last week at Michigan International Speedway, Haley battled handling issues throughout the 200-lap race and came home 21st in the final scoring tally.
Haley won the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. It was his second top-five finish in three starts at the venue. He finished fourth at the 2017 event.
In NASCAR Xfinity Series road-racing competition, Haley has collected four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes, including a pair of runner-up finishes (Indianapolis/Mid-Ohio) in 2020 and 2021.
Haley, the 2016 ARCA Menards Series East Series Champion, never finished outside of the top-five in a road race while competing in the regional series.
The former Trans-Am Series competitor owns 23 starts in the division’s TA2 Class where he collected 10 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. He closed out the 2016 season sixth in the division’s championship point standings after earning three poles, six top fives and nine top 10s while pacing the field for 41 laps.
The Indiana native is a veteran of 161 Cup Series starts and has notched one win, five top fives, 16 top 10s and led 103 laps in NASCAR’s premier division.
In total, Haley has made 57 Cup Series starts for Spire Motorsports, including his first start in NASCAR’s premier division at Talladega Superspeedway on his 20th birthday.

Justin Haley Quote
What are your thoughts as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Mexico City for the first time?
“Mexico City will be a lot of fun for the industry, for the drivers and for the fans. This will be the first time I’ve raced this track, but we had good speed earlier this season at Circuit of the Americas and I feel pretty good about our road-race program. The biggest challenge is the high elevation, so I’ve been trying to prepare for that part of it. I have been sleeping in an altitude tent to train for the race. We’ll use practice to figure out the fast way around so we can be in a good spot for qualifying and the race.”
Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Ryan Sparks

Ryan Sparks serves in a dual role as both Spire Motorsports’ Competition Director and Haley’s crew chief.
The Winston Salem, N.C., native has called 181 NASCAR Cup Series races, earning three top-five and nine top-10 finishes.
In total, the 41-year-old has called 25 road course races, earning a career-best eighth-place result with Corey LaJoie at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International last season.

Michael McDowell – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

Michael McDowell will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 B’laster Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Viva Mexico 250 at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
McDowell will be one of the few drivers in the field with previous experience at the famed Mexican circuit. The veteran racer earned the victory in the 2005 La Gran De la Serie Rolex Sports Car race where he was paired with legendary road racer Memo Gidley at Finley Motorsports. The potent duo led 28 of 90 laps to collect the win in the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series season finale.
The following day, McDowell made his second start in the Champ Car World Series for the series’ 195-mile season finale. Driving for team owner Paul Gentilozzi, he qualified 16th and raced his way to an 11th-place finish in the Gran Premio Telmex-Tecate.
One of the 40-year-old’s two Cup Series victories came on the road course configuration of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After qualifying fourth, the father of five kissed the bricks alongside his family by leading a field-leading 54 laps, tallying a 2.9 average running position and securing a career-best 141.1 driver rating.
The No. 71 B’laster Chevrolet ZL1 will feature an in-car camera during this weekend’s race, showcasing the elite footwork and reaction time of the road course ace.
B’laster LLC is a chemical manufacturing company based in Valley View, Ohio. Founded in 1957 with PB B’laster Penetrant, the company has since expanded its portfolio to include penetrants, lubricants, cleaners, solvents, removers, grease, protectants, and refrigerants.
The Glendale, Ariz., native has logged an 18.0 average start and a 20.7 average finish at road courses across his career, a career-best at any track type.
McDowell collected the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Road America, where he led 24 of 48 laps on an overcast Saturday afternoon, making the trip to Victory Lane in his lone start behind the wheel of Richard Childress Racing’s No. 2 Chevrolet.
The 2021 Daytona 500 Champion will have a familiar voice on the spotter stand this week as McDowell’s cousin, Jason Noll, will assist primary spotter Michael Fisher during the Cup Series’ first visit to Mexico City.
Last Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, McDowell qualified 32nd and promptly raced his way towards the top 10. Unfortunately, the No. 71 team battled fuel pick-up issues during the late goings, ultimately saddling the team with a 30th-place finish.
The No. 71 team earned a $100,000 payday and a trip to Victory Lane after winning the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge during last month’s visit to North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. The crew’s blazing 12.587-second stop topped all entries for both the NASCAR All-Star Open and NASCAR All-Star Race, earning the title of the fastest team on pit road.
Through the first 15 races of the 2025 campaign, McDowell owns an average starting position of 14.8, including five starts inside the top 10.
McDowell has claimed three Xfinity Fastest Lap awards this season, clocking the fastest lap in the Daytona 500, Phoenix Raceway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The No. 71 stands as the only Cup Series team to earn the award three times.
McDowell secured Spire Motorsports’ first Busch Light Pole Award at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. His 28.833-second lap marks the fastest lap in NASCAR’s seventh-generation Cup Series car (2022-present) at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval.

Michael McDowell Quote
You have previous experience at the track in a variety of disciplines. Talk about that and if you think that experience gives you an advantage heading into this weekend.
“Anytime you have gone somewhere, had success, and experienced the racetrack, the culture, altitude adjustment, and all the things that we have to do going into this weekend, it gives you a little bit of extra confidence. It was a long time ago. It was 2005 when I was back in Mexico City for that double-header weekend where I ran IMSA in the Rolex prototypes. We sat on the pole and won the race on Saturday, then woke up the Sunday morning to run the IndyCar race. It is a little different than the double header that we are used to on the NASCAR side. I went from the prototype to the open wheel car, but I had a lot of fun. It was a great atmosphere. Fans are intense, engaged, and absolutely love motorsports. I think NASCAR is going to be embraced and it is going to be a huge event. I am looking forward to it. I know there is a lot of logistical challenges and stuff like that, but to me, it is a great opportunity to put our sport in a spotlight and go put on a good show at a great facility with very passionate fans.”

You’ve got B’laster on the car this weekend as the primary sponsor. How do you manage your expectations to perform well for a new partner?
“This is going to be our first race with B’laster on board, but we had GUNK, another brand in the B’laster family, with us at Talladega earlier this year. We are looking forward to continuing to build that partnership and brand. When they came on board, they really wanted Mexico City as one of their races. They knew it would be an opportunity for us to go run up front and have a shot at winning, so we hope to do that, right? Anytime you have a new partner onboard, you want to help continue to grow that brand and opportunity. I feel like running well is important and Mexico City is a good opportunity to do that.”
Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Travis Peterson

Crew chief Travis Peterson heads south of the border having called 11 NASCAR Cup Series races on road courses. Peterson called McDowell’s win in the 2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 34-year-old Cup Series topkick has earned a 15.5 average finish at road courses, his best average finish at any track type with a minimum of 10 attempts.
Peterson has called 91 races in NASCAR’s premier series, securing one win, four top fives, 18 top 10s and seven pole awards.

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

Carson Hocevar will pilot the No. 77 Totalplay Chevrolet ZL1 for the Viva Mexico 250.
Totalplay is Mexico’s leading telecommunications provider, delivering top-quality connectivity and entertainment services through its 100% fully fiber-optic, direct-to-home network. Its commitment to innovation and excellence has positioned the company as the provider with the fastest internet, best service, and most advanced technology in the market. As part of Grupo Salinas, Totalplay continues to transform the industry by developing and integrating new technologies, offering unique experiences that redefine how Mexican households access the internet, television, and digital services.
The Viva Mexico 250 will be the sixth Cup Series road-course event for the Portage, Mich., native who finished third in last year’s Go Bowling at The Glen.
Hocevar has turned heads in recent weeks as a result of his aggressive driving style and the team’s high level of performance. The No. 77 crew captured the pole position at Texas Motor Speedway, led 22 laps and was in position for a top-five finish before a late caution mired Hocevar in traffic. Two weeks later at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, he was battling for the lead with 91 laps remaining when an engine failure ended his race. The next Sunday, at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, Hocevar earned his second runner-up finish of the year – the first coming at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February. In the most recent outing for the Cup Series, Hocevar returned to his hometrack of Michigan International Speedway where he started 14th, led 32 laps and came within 19 laps from his first Cup Series victory when tragedy struck in the form of a flat left-rear tire.
In the last five races, Hocevar has led a total of 60 laps – six times more than he led in the first 10 races of the season.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
How do you feel about participating in the first points-paying international Cup Series race in the modern era this weekend in Mexico?
“I’m really excited. This is such a big moment for NASCAR and it will be nice to go to a new track that has hosted motorsports events in some of the top series in the world. We finished last year with a really strong showing at Watkins Glen and I felt like we had a decent car earlier this year at COTA, so it’ll be nice to have a full practice to get laps on track before we qualify. I think it’ll be a great weekend overall and a good show for all the fans”

Spire Motorsports PR